Tree Change

by Cooper, Tea

  The mattress moved as he sat on the bed beside her. His words were soft and gentle, all traces of his earlier anger gone as he leaned over the bed. Her stomach fluttered, and warmth flooded her limbs. She didn’t dare look at him or move. She held herself rigid, willing her body not to nestle closer to him.

  “I’ll sleep on the daybed, and you can call me if you need anything.” A lump settled in the region of her throat. She needed him, in the bed next to her. Only for comfort, of course, but there was no way she was going to invite him.

  “You don’t need to do this. You don’t need to stay. I will be fine,” she said. It was far better to keep temptation away. Even the daybed was too close. Her feelings were too confused. The problem was she felt vulnerable after the attack. She gave a shrug, trying to give him the impression she didn’t care what he did.

  “I want to stay,” he said.

  “Do whatever you want. I really am fine. Nothing a good night’s sleep and a couple of painkillers won’t cure,” she lied, a headache the size of the Opera House threatening to overtake her.

  He reached across and flicked off the bedside light.

  “Leave it on, please. I’d rather sleep with the light on.” Tonight, even the lights from the Harbour Bridge and the city wouldn’t be enough to keep the demons at bay.

  “Since when are you scared of the dark?”

  She wasn’t going to tell him it had been since she had moved to the city and lived alone.

  He frowned at her, his gaze coming to rest on her cheekbone. “I’m staying.”

  He pulled off his shoes and settled onto the bed next to her. The silence hung in the narrow space between them. So close but not touching. The comfort and friendship of earlier had become a static charge, the drowsy aftermath of her bath replaced by a sudden awareness of his lean, powerful body so close, too close. The connection between them, the dangerous addictive chemistry lurking below the surface, took on a life of its own. She turned her head and glanced at him. He was ready and waiting, his eyes fixed on her. She willed herself to look away and ignore the wave of desire coursing through her body.

  Transfixed, she watched his hand reach across in slow motion to trace the outline of her face, a whisper-light touch across her battered cheek to her lips. His thumb stroked her lower lip as his head dropped to hers. His mouth brushed gently against hers. It was madness; she should move, but she couldn’t. Anticipation flooded her exhausted limbs as his mouth hovered above hers for a moment and then came crushing down, kissing her with such fierceness it emptied her mind of all rational thought, drawing her in until they were welded to each other. His tongue delved into her mouth, holding her captive, and she responded with a frantic need, pushing toward him and drinking in his lovely, familiar reality.

  Minutes passed, and he pulled away abruptly, leaving her bereft and empty. His face contorted with pain and regret. She moved to the center of the bed, sitting cross-legged, her arms wrapped around herself. Confused and dizzy, a turmoil of emotions raced through her. Her body buzzed with unfulfilled longing.

  “Jake?” She frowned at the painfully weak sound of her own voice.

  “Forgive me. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “You didn’t hurt me.”

  “Your lip and face, it must be so sore.”

  She ran her finger along her bruised lip. It was fuller, tender, the way most of her body felt after his touch. Heat suffused her limbs, leaving her weightless with anticipation. He moved toward her until his mouth touched hers again; featherlight kisses trailed across her face. His soft exploration her until finally he gently opened her mouth with his and plunged his tongue deep inside, tracing the contours of her teeth and the insides of her cheeks.

  How she had missed this, the way he made her feel, the delicious dance of their tongues making her crave more. And Jake provided. With her mouth still on his, she crawled closer. Painfully slowly he unbuttoned her nightshirt and slid it off her shoulders. He lifted his face and stared at her, then closed his eyes. The sharp intake of his breath ignited the slow heat in the pit of her belly, and his large hands cupped her breasts, his thumbs slowly circling her taut nipples. She groaned against his shoulder as his fingers left her aching breasts and slid into the heavy weight of her unruly curls, pulling her head back away from him.

  His breath fanned her flushed face. “This should wait for another day, a day when you are not so battered and bruised.”

  She ran a finger across his dimples; they deepened as his eyes flared, reflecting all his love and passion.

  “We will do no such thing. Come back here.” She lay back and grabbed his shirt, pulling his hard and toned body against her. She kissed him again, hard, chasing away his concerns. Their tongues darted as he captured her moans. He thrust his hips against her, and she strained to him, digging her hands deep into the muscles of his backside, forcing him even closer. Need and desire curled in her belly. She wanted him; she had missed this so much. His gaze burned into her as he moved back and raised his weight off the bed.

  Disappointment curled through her as he stood beside the bed, looking down at her. Then, slowly, he unbuttoned his shirt and let his trousers slither to the floor.

  A frisson of excitement snaked up her spine. Her tongue darted across her lips.

  “Are you sure about this?” He laid his hand on her thigh. She arched her back and reared up to him as he bent and trailed his lips down her thigh. Waves of pleasure rose and fell, sweeping her along with them like a spring tide.

  Needing no further answer to his question, he lowered himself onto the bed. Breathless, she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him onto her. His clean, fresh ocean scent invaded her nostrils as he nuzzled and nipped her neck, moving upward until he teased the shell of her ear with the tip of his tongue. She jumped and squirmed against him as shivers of delight and pinpricks of pleasure coursed through her.

  He traced his long, sensitive fingers down her body until they splayed around her waist, his thumbs circling the soft skin of her belly. Raw emotion gleamed in his eyes, and her body clenched in response. Fighting a shudder, she waited in anticipation as he slid his fingers lower, grazing the inside of her legs. Her body flushed with heat. All the pent-up longing pooled in her belly, turning it to liquid fire. She lifted her hips and arched against him, begging for more.

  He rolled away, and the cool air rushed over her naked body. “Jake, please,” she cried in frustration as he leaned over the bed. Then she knew, and she smiled smugly to herself, her gaze tracking his movements. He reached for his jeans and, with a familiar movement, covered himself with a condom.

  Blood pounded in her ears, and she fought the scream of pleasure billowing in her throat. Arching like a bow, crazy with need, she opened to him, and he pressed into her. She lifted her hips, welcoming him. His groan echoed in her ear as he plunged deeper and deeper, slowly at first, and then with increasing intensity as their familiar cadence overtook them.

  She clamped her muscles tightly around him in an embrace, knowing what it would do to him, and then opened and welcomed his full, swollen length. Their rhythmic movements built until the familiar pleasure broke over them in crashing waves and finally stilled.

  He raised himself on one arm, and she turned her face away as his emerald gaze fixed on her. Unable to control the tears filling in her eyes, she smiled tremulously up at him.

  “Oh, darling, don’t cry. It’s all finished. Nothing will come between us again.” He rolled off her and pulled her into the crook of his arm, her cheek against his sweat-slicked chest. She sighed in pleasure, and his arm tightened; safe in his embrace, she drifted toward sleep.

  ***

  Cassia lay in bed, tracing the patterns of the bridge girders against the bright blue sky, following them to the shadows they cast on the white duvet. It must be late; the sun was hot on the sheet. She turned her head and patted the bed next to her. The warmth of the sheets told her she hadn’t been dreaming.

  “Good morning, s
leepyhead. How are you feeling?”

  “Better. Much better. My face is sore, but not too bad.” She tried a smile. The grin felt a bit pathetic and lopsided, but the sight of Jake standing in her bedroom, next to the rumpled bed where they had slept, made her remember how it used to be. Seeing him dripping wet from the shower with a towel slung low on his hips was more than enough to make her happy. She allowed her gaze to roam over his lovely, familiar body.

  “Good morning. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to come back here?” She tried a suggestive raise of her eyebrow, but it hurt too much. The side of the bed sank as he sat next to her. She propped herself up on her elbow, checking out his tanned, muscular legs and his beautifully shaped feet, his nails pale against his brown skin.

  “Cass, I’ve got to go.”

  “Go? Where? I thought we could—”

  “Cass, I’m sorry, but I’m in a hurry. There’s a problem with Maddy.”

  His tense and shuttered expression coupled with his terse words cut through her like a rusty chainsaw, littering the warm white sheets with remnants of her ego.

  She focused on the packing case serving as a bedside table. His mobile lay next to his watch. Funny she hadn’t heard the mobile. How did he know?

  Madeleine.

  She slid down the bed and pulled the sheet over her head. She didn’t believe it. She didn’t want to know.

  “Cass.” The sheet muffled his voice, but she didn’t care, didn’t care if she never heard his voice again. “I’ll give you a call later.”

  She curled into a ball under the sheet and pulled her knees tightly against herself. She wanted to shrug his hand away as he patted her shoulder, and he dropped a kiss onto her covered head. Of course he was going. He had no reason to stay, and she had no right to detain him.

  “I’ll talk to you later. Take it easy today.”

  The light under the sheet was strangely distorted. She rolled over and listened to the mechanical grind of the lift as it made its way down to street level.

  Madeleine. Madeleine. Madeleine. Always Madeleine.

  The familiar feelings of desertion and loneliness swept over her.

  With renewed determination, she thumped the pillow above her head with her fist and then pushed herself onto her hands and knees. She eased carefully off the bed, testing her body. Her muscles cramped with the movement, and she looked down at her legs. There were going to be a couple of really dark bruises on her thighs. Her ego, however, would take longer to heal.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Jake pushed the door of the police station open with his shoulder. Lyle leaned against the counter, the flat of his palm beating incessantly as he spoke to the constable. He walked up and looped his arm around Lyle’s shoulders.

  “Thank God you’re here. I am sick to death of this ridiculous rubbish,” Lyle said.

  The constable cleared his throat. “Mr. Jamison, I’m simply following procedures.”

  “Procedures? I tell you my wife is missing, and I am a crown witness. She is in danger. Here.” Lyle poked his finger sharply at the piece of paper on the desk. “Ring Coffs Harbour police and ask to speak to Inspector Whitman; he’ll fill you in. Ask my brother here. He’ll tell you.” He turned away and brushed the back of his hand across his eyes. Lyle was on the edge.

  “Mr. Jamison…”

  Frustration flickered across the constable’s face, and Jake offered him a tight smile of reassurance and followed his brother to the other side of the small room.

  “Come on, mate. Let’s go and get a cup of coffee, and we can make a plan. Give these guys time to make a few calls and see what they can do.” Jake edged his brother to the door, nodding to the constable.

  “They’re a bunch of jerks. Whoever heard of anything so ridiculous? We have to wait twenty-four hours before we can report a missing person. She could be dead by then, and Jade.” Lyle flopped down on a timber bench at the bus stop. The traffic screamed past on the busy road. “Man, I don’t know what to do.”

  “How about you tell me what happened first? She could just be late or gone out for a walk.” He knew Lyle would see through his platitudes, but if she was just late, he’d have him to answer to. The image of Cass patting the sheets in the sunlight flashed through his mind, the wasted opportunity making his stomach clench.

  “Don’t you start. It’s exactly what the fool in there said. She said she would meet me at eight.”

  “She’s only been gone for an hour.” Jake looked down at his watch. “It’s only just nine o’clock. Let’s walk down to the pool, and you can tell me exactly what you know.”

  Jake guided Lyle back across the road to the swimming pool and the beach. He could quite understand his brother’s concern, but the way he was carrying on wasn’t going to help anyone. “What was Maddy doing here anyway?”

  “I told you when I saw you.” Lyle enunciated each word. “Maddy and Jade have been staying with her parents. I stayed last night at your place and drove down early this morning to miss the traffic.” Lyle’s deliberately slow speech annoyed the hell out of Jake—talking to him as if he were a brick short of a load. No wonder the cop was running out of patience. He gritted his teeth.

  “Maddy, Jade, and I were going to meet here for breakfast at eight, but she didn’t show up.”

  Jake looked at his watch again. “She could be taking Jade for a walk first.” His voice sounded hollow, and Lyle’s quizzical raised eyebrow mirrored his own feelings. On top of the attack on Cassia last night, it was beginning to look like a little more than a coincidence. But right now Lyle had enough to worry about. The story of last night could wait until they had found Maddy and Jade.

  “Maybe she’s gone back to her parents’ place?” There was little chance of that. She would have rung Lyle and said she was running late. “Maybe she needed something for Jade.”

  The angry look on his brother’s face confirmed his own opinion. “Come on. I’ve thought of that. It was the first thing I did when she didn’t show up. Rang her mobile. No answer. Rang her mum. She said she’d left at about quarter to eight to walk along the beach to the Blue Swimmer to meet me for breakfast.”

  It wasn’t sounding good; in fact, it was very suspicious. The bleak look in his brother’s eyes made him hold back on telling Lyle about last night. How was he going to feel when he told him about the attack on Cassia? Someone was going to have to sort this out, and from the look of Lyle, he was quickly losing the plot.

  “Right. You walk back to the Blue Swimmer and wait there. Check out the esplanade on your way down there and pick a table where you can see the ocean pool. She might take Jade down there. I’m going back to the police station to see if I can get any sense out of them.” He patted his mobile phone. “Ring me if you have any information, and I’ll keep you posted. You’d better ring Maddy’s mother, too, and double check she hasn’t turned up at home.” He started to run up the road and called over his shoulder, “And keep trying Maddy’s mobile.”

  He scanned up and down the road. The morning joggers were giving way to businessmen in suits, and the traffic was getting busier. He wished Maddy would just appear. She’d been so sensible up until now. After all this time, after all they had been through, it seemed as if they had relaxed their guard just a little bit too soon. Lyle was going to worry even more when he heard about Cassia.

  Cassia. God. He ought to ring her to tell her what was happening. Tell her to stay at home. And the cops needed to know about Cassia’s attack. He hit the button at the crossing repeatedly, trying to force the lights to change. It might give the cops a bit of a reason to hurry up and ignore this ridiculous twenty-four-hour wait. The lights changed, and the cars slowed, and he was halfway across the road before anyone else had left the curb.

  He pushed the police station door open and sighed when he saw the long queue at the desk. The man in front of him turned with a sympathetic smile. The whole suburb of Bondi must have been held up last night if the queue was anything to go by. He sank into one of the
plastic chairs against the wall and dragged his hands through his hair in frustration. He was fed up with his life being ruled by Maddy and Lyle and their problems. It was time he and Cassia got some space to sort out their lives. Or better still…a life together. If he’d known how long this blasted situation was going to stretch out, he’d never have agreed in the first place. And it was supposed to be over now the trial was complete. He shook his head; he needed to calm down and gather his thoughts. Needed to catch his breath and work out the best way of handling this.

  “Mr. Jamison.”

  He looked up. The guy in front of him didn’t look old enough to be out of short pants, never mind wearing a uniform.

  “Yes?”

  “My name is Burgess. We’ve been onto Coffs Harbour station, and they’ve explained the situation. Can you give me a picture of the woman and the child, and we will circulate it to all our teams? I need a description of what they were both wearing and their anticipated movements.”

  Action at last.

  He exhaled a large breath of relief.

  “You need to talk to my brother.” As soon as he spoke, he remembered Lyle wouldn’t know what Maddy and Jade had been wearing. He hadn’t seen them this morning. They would need to talk to her mother.

  “Where is your brother? I believe he was here a moment ago.”

  “He’s gone back to the Blue Swimmer, down by the pool.” This wasn’t getting anyone anywhere. He pointed to the door. “My brother has gone back to the place he arranged to meet his wife in case she turns up there.”

  “Right, I see. Not a bad idea.”

  He’d done something right at least. It had to be a first. He needed to tell them about Cassia too. He raked his hands through his hair again. He’d mention it as soon as they got back to Lyle. There was no point in repeating himself.

  “Why don’t we both walk over there and have a word with your brother, then we can get the information out.” Jake followed the blue-clad figure out the door. Miraculously, the lights were in their favor, and they were across the road in no time.