Terraformed Skies

by Anna Lewis

  When he pulled away, he was smiling.

  “See? Now was that so bad?”

  “No, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to—”

  Jason kissed her again mid-sentence. This time, her toes curled in her boots as he dipped his tongue into the sweet heat of her mouth.

  “You were saying,” Jason said when he broke away again.

  “You have to stop that.”

  “Why?”

  “Because.”

  “Because you like it?”

  Lilly thought for a moment before answering. Why was she being so coy? She was an adult. She wanted him and he wanted her. Was that so bad? She weighed her answer carefully, knowing full well that once she admitted it, they couldn’t go back.

  “Yes, because I like it.”

  She kissed him, threading her fingers into his hair and pulling him closer.

  “What do you think about that?” she asked when she finally pulled away.

  “I think that you need to take me home,” he said.

  Lilly’s face fell.

  “Done with me so soon?”

  “Oh no, Darling. I haven’t even started yet.”

  Her toes curled inside her boots, the promise of pleasure heavy in his voice.

  “Are you sure,” she asked.

  “Lilly, I’ve never been so sure of anything before in my life.”

  ***

  “We shouldn’t be doing this,” Lilly said.

  “Of course we shouldn’t. But isn’t that what makes it so good?”

  Jason had her pinned against the wall, kissing her hungrily, a large hand splayed over her waist. He slid his knee between hers, pulling her against him, rubbing her heat through her jeans with his leg.

  She pulled away, but only for a moment. Her blouse came up over her head and landed unceremoniously on the floor in a heap of pink fabric.

  Jason’s hands went almost immediately to her round breasts, holding the weight of them in his hands for a moment before squeezing them a little roughly.

  Lilly’s head fell back and she moaned softly. Jason went for her exposed neck, trailing warm kisses down her flesh as he continued to play with her breasts through the fabric of her lacy bra.

  Lilly’s hands tore at his shirt, pulling it out of the waistband of his jeans and shoving it over his head. He broke contact for an instant, diving hungrily for her when the shirt made its way over his head.

  “Oh wow,” she said when his chiseled abs and rock solid chest was exposed.

  “Like what you see?” he said softly.

  She bit her lip and nodded. Jason’s strong hands slid over her torso and down her back. He cupped her round ass and pulled her up off the ground. Lilly wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

  He held her in his strong arms, moving away from the wall and going down the hall to his bedroom.

  He laid her down gently, hands trembling with need as he caressed her.

  “You are so very beautiful,” he said.

  He wrapped his finger in a thick tendril of curly black hair. He leaned down, capturing her lips with his and kissing her passionately.

  She lifted her hips off the bed, pressing against him with need. He laughed softly, sitting up so he could admire her. His hands slid down her body, stopping at the zipper of her slacks. He slowly pulled her pants off, taking her panties off with them.

  She was lying on his bed in only a bra, raven-black hair spread around her face, green eyes closed against the need that had been building within her all day.

  Jason stepped out of his pants and he smiled at Lilly when he caught her opening her eyes long enough to take in the sight of his rigid manhood.

  But Jason wasn’t ready for her just yet. He’d been longing to hold her all day, and he wasn’t in a hurry.

  He unclasped her bra, eyes wide when her shapely breasts spilled out of the fabric and into his hands one at a time. His mouth covered one erect nipple, and Lilly sucked in her breath. Her delicate hands grabbed at the sheets beneath her with wild abandon as he sucked at her with surprising force. The sensation was almost too much, and Lilly pushed at Jason’s head even as she moaned with pleasure.

  Jason released the first nipple, blowing cold air across it and chuckling when the tiny bud hardened into a tiny pebble jutting upwards from her smooth flesh.

  He went after the other breast, giving it the same treatment as the first. Lilly shifted and moaned beneath him, sheets bundled up in her hands as she held on for dear life.

  Jason took his time, moving back and forth between her two breasts, free hand slowly working its way toward the heat between her legs. Lilly was oblivious, head thrown back into the mattress, eyes shut tight and lip bit between her teeth.

  When his hand met wetness, he knew she was more than ready. Her pleading moans at his touch drove the point home. He moved so that he was on top of her, watching her closely as he slid inside of her.

  He moved slowly, starting shallow and giving her body time to adjust before he pushed deeper. The heat surrounding him was almost painful, her body wrapping around him tightly as he began to thrust slowly against her.

  She opened her eyes, gaze locked with his as he pushed into her. Her body stretched around him until he was able to burying himself completely in her depths.

  Her breathing became more rapid as his thrusts matched her frantic movements. She writhed and bucked beneath him, body shuddering with need while he moved inside her. She was on the brink of orgasm, face tense, desperate for release.

  She wrapped her legs around Jason’s hips, pulling him impossibly deeper. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he rolled, shifting so that she was on top.

  Lilly smiled, bearing down on his rigid length and riding him hard. He watched her as she drew her pleasure from him, her hips moving faster than before.

  All at once, she threw her head back, screaming out his name at the ceiling and convulsing around him. Jason let go of the last bit of control he had, spilling into her and joining her in the sea of pleasure.

  Jason watched her even as the orgasm overtook him and slammed through him with so much force that he struggled to stay focused. But he couldn’t take his eyes off Lilly. Her hair flew around her face, which was filled with pure joy and a wild abandon that he never would have expected.

  She collapsed in a heap on top of him, pulse pounding, gasping for air and laughing softly.

  ***

  Jason held Lilly in his arms while her body trembled, kissing her lightly on the top of the head and murmuring softly to her. She came down slowly, her body shuddering sporadically long after her orgasm had ended.

  “You’ve got a bit of a wild streak in you,” Jason said, pushing the hair out of her face and stroking her cheek.

  “I guess so. It’s been awhile. I don’t usually make time for—”

  She stopped, looking at him and trying to find the words she was looking for. But her brain was an addled mess, and she had Jason to blame for that.

  Not that she was complaining.

  “You need to make time more often. Sex is good for you.”

  “You’re just saying that because you hope this isn’t a one-time thing.”

  “True.”

  Lilly punched him playfully, frowning when her cellphone went off.

  “Bad news?”

  “It’s my work cell. I have to get that.”

  She climbed off the bed, steadying herself when her legs threatened to give way. She dug through the pile of clothes they’d discarded around the room, finally finding her phone after four rings.

  “Detective Bruce,” she said.

  “It’s me. You need to get back here, ASAP. Tom’s talking and you’re going to want to hear this. Where are you?”

  Lilly’s stomach dropped. She couldn’t tell the Sergeant where she was.

  “At home,” she lied. “I just hopped in the shower, so I’ll get dressed and head on over.”

  “Well don’t mess around. This guy start
ed talking, but then clammed up real quick when I handed him a pen and paper to write it down. He says he only wants to talk to you.”

  “I wonder why.”

  “Who cares. Just get your ass in here.”

  “Yes, Sir,” she said, and he disconnected in her ear.

  “You have to leave.”

  It was a statement, not a question.

  “I do. But I need to shower first. I can’t go to work smelling like sex.”

  “Shower’s in there. I’ll grab your clothes and bring them to the bathroom for you.”

  Lilly took two quick steps, reaching the bed and Jason. She gave him a quick kiss on the mouth.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “I mean it.”

  “I know.”

  Lilly laughed, practically running into the bathroom and jumping into the shower before the water had a chance to get hot.

  She stepped out a few short minutes later, toweled off and dressed quickly. Jason met her at the door, handing her keys to her and stealing a quick kiss.

  “See you soon?” he said.

  “Probably.”

  “Probably?”

  “I don’t know. My schedule is crazy—”

  He put a finger to her lips.

  “It doesn’t matter. I just need to know if you want to see me soon.”

  Lilly thought about it for a moment.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Good. Call me tomorrow and let me know when you’re free for a meal. I’ll work around your schedule.”

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem. Now hurry before they start calling you again.”

  Lilly rushed out the door, pushing the speed limit and reaching the precinct in record time. Tom was waiting for her in the interrogation room.

  He looked more alert and much more sober than he had earlier in the day.

  “You have something you won’t say to anyone else?” she questioned.

  “I do.”

  “Well, I’m here now. Spit it out.”

  “Where do I start from?”

  “Try the beginning. That seems like a good place.”

  “You have to promise me something first.”

  “What?”

  “I need protection. I don’t want to tell you all this and end up dead.”

  “Give me something good and we’ll talk about it.”

  “Fine. So I was in the locker room, you know, getting ready for the new season and stuff.”

  “What were you doing in the locker room during break?”

  “I always go there during break.”

  “Do you? That seems kind of odd.”

  Tom sighed.

  “Fine. My girl kicked me out and I was kind of living in the locker room. I didn’t want anyone to know, and I thought that she would cool down in a day or two. But a week passes and she’s still telling me to kiss her ass. So I start looking online for a place, but in the meantime, I have to have a place to shower and stuff, right?”

  “Right, of course,” Lilly said, resisting the urge to throttle the man.

  Did he always take this long to get to the point?

  “Anyways, I get back from picking up dinner and there’s some lights on. I don’t think anything of it. I have a bit of a drinking problem and I might have left them on. I don’t know.”

  Lilly didn’t respond. She was getting frustrated and it wasn’t lost on her that this man had probably driven drunk to retrieve his dinner. But she couldn’t prove it, and that wasn’t the issue at the moment.

  “Should I keep going?”

  “Please.”

  “So there’s a light on and I start eating, you know, cruising on the internet, looking for my next place when I hear a noise. Sounds like someone getting punched in the back. I get up to investigate, but I keep real quiet. I’m not supposed to be there, and I was afraid the assistant coach was there, airing up balls and stuff. They take that all real serious now.”

  Lilly glared at the man.

  “Get to the point. So far, I’m not hearing anything that you need protecting from.”

  “That’s because I haven’t gotten to the best part. So I sneak into the equipment room, and I see the assistant coach, scrawled out on the floor.”

  “Sprawled,” Lilly mumbled.

  “That’s what I said. So he’s laying there, and there’s a guy with his back turned to me. He’s holding a knife in the air and he just stabs old Leroy in the back with it.”

  “What did you do?”

  “Nothing. I stood really quiet, but the guy must have been psychic. He turned around and he saw me.”

  “What did you do then?”

  “I ran. I didn’t want to die.”

  “I’m still not hearing anything that earns you a protection detail.”

  “You didn’t let me finish. It’s not what I saw, it’s who I saw.”

  “Who did you see kill Leroy with a knife?”

  Tom paused for a moment, looking around the room to make sure that he had everyone’s undivided attention before he spoke.

  “It was Jason.”

  Book 2: The Questionable Quarterback

  “It was Jason.”

  Lilly stared at him, keeping her face passive, but she was reeling inside. Did he really just say that Jason was the killer?

  “Are you sure that’s who you saw?” she asked, trying to keep the scathing tone out of her voice.

  “Yes, I’m sure of it.”

  “And how much had you had to drink that day?”

  He looked at his hands, but he didn’t answer right away.

  “That’s what I thought,” Lilly said.

  She walked out of the room calmly, meeting Adam in the observation room.

  “They called you back for this too?” she asked.

  “Yep. As soon as he started talking, Sarge called me in. When I got here, he took one look at me and said he would only say what he had to say to you.”

  “That’s what Sarge said.”

  “So, what do you think?” he asked.

  “About Tom? He’s an alcoholic and he was drunk when he witnessed all this.”

  “He was probably drunk when he drove too.”

  “Yeah I’m not happy about that.”

  “He’s not the most reliable witness.”

  “He’s our only witness. And as much as I hate it, we have to take what he’s saying into consideration.”

  “Are you going to bring Jason in?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “We have nothing but the ramblings of a man who probably hasn’t been sober since the murder,” Lilly said.

  “That hasn’t stopped us from bringing in a suspect before.”

  “This is different. We’re not dealing with someone who is whacked out of his mind on drugs turning in his dealer. This is an alcoholic athlete who thinks he saw someone murdered. Yet somehow, he’s just now coming forward.”

  “And you find that suspicious?”

  “Don’t you?”

  “I do, but I don’t think that’s really what the issue is here.” His tone was challenging and Lilly immediately went on the defensive.

  “Are you saying that I’m letting a handsome face cloud my judgement?”

  “Maybe. Is it true?”

  “No, not at all.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “We have one thing that points to Jason. That’s it. No other solid evidence. Eye-witnesses are notoriously unreliable. And that’s when they’re not a sloppy drunk living out of the team’s locker room.”

  “So you don’t want to bring Jason in yet?”

  “Do you think he’s guilty?”

  “No. But don’t you think it’s weird that someone saw him there? Even if he was drunk, he should still recognize his teammate.”

  “Or he saw someone that looked similar and his mind filled in the blanks.”

  “I guess, but I don’t know. He seems sincere.”

  �
��So what do you want to do?”

  Lilly’s face was flushed and she was angry, but Adam was struggling to figure out exactly why. He’d never seen her like this.

  “I want to question Jason, but I think it would be foolish to do it now. We have no other evidence. If we bring him in too soon, he might run.”

  “And if Tom here accused Jason because he’s the one that murdered Leroy?”

  “Well, then hopefully the evidence will lead us that way.”

  “What do we have so far?”

  “The video file was corrupted, so our AV department is looking at that.”

  “You mean Trent.”

  “Yes, Trent. He may only be one man, but he is the Audio/Visual department.”

  “What about DNA?”

  “Ella is still on maternity leave, so we’re still sending all our DNA samples to Dallas.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Like a heart-attack. There’s no one to fill her shoes while she’s out, and Fort Worth PD wouldn’t take on our load too. So it got sent to Dallas.”

  “Did you ask for priority one?”

  “Of course I did. And so did every other detective in the region.”

  “This is ridiculous,” she blew her hair out of her face, exasperated.

  “This is Brook Ridge, Lilly. Not some sprawling metropolis. Things are going to go a little slower here.”

  Lilly threw up her hands, running her fingers through her damp hair and groaning aloud.

  “We’ve got a murderer on the loose, a sloppy drunk is our only witness, and now a backlog of DNA. Could this get any worse?”

  “Don’t tempt fate,” the Sergeant said, and they both spun around, shocked that neither one had heard him come through the door.

  His face was grim, hands on hips as he stared through the glass at Tom.

  “I have bad news for you two. I just got off the phone with the owner of the football team. They want to start the season on time, and he’s not willing to give up any more of their spring training time.”

  “Tell him this is a murder investigation, not a petty vandalism,” Lilly said, her irritation evident.

  “Be that as it may, we can’t hold the property indefinitely. Send your people in first thing in the morning to go over the scene one last time now that the body is moved. If they can’t find anything, I’ll have to okay the cleanup crew so that the Railroaders can get back to playing ball.”