Forgotten Obsessions (The Love is Murder Social Club Book 1)
Page 25
In the middle of all of it, she heard a dog bark and jump on her. Roger. Derek had even thought to bring Roger, who now had a yard to run free. Her tormented little doggie had a better life to come, too.
When she looked up at Derek and he looked down at her, there was no better moment in the world.
And she quickly wished for everyone to leave as soon as possible.
“My wife,” he tried on and the word on his lips gave her goosebumps. “My partner,” he said after. “I hope the club kicks ass in here.”
She looked around her eyes landed on a picture of Derek, one identical to a picture she had stared at as a child and dreamed about. He’d framed it and put it in her new space. The boy who hated true crime now wanted to bring it to his doorstep.
“You’re serious about this,” she said.
Derek nodded. “I’m operating at an I built you a house, level of seriousness. No one should ever deny you the right to do what you love. Go solve all the crimes.”
She kissed him. A new kiss. Not a kiss of passion or lust or even attraction. She wanted to convey gratitude. He knew the way to her heart.
That night, after all the guests left, Maeve made love to Derek. She rode him, her eyes moving back and forth between his eyes and her hand on the headboard, the ring sparkling. And the two of them shuddered together, one and then a few tender moments later, the other, their bodies naked, joined, partnered. She kissed him again and rolled to her back.
“I can go again faster than you,” she promised. “I’m going to marry you,” she said. “I’m going to marry Derek Shelton. I can make love to you forever.”
“Yes,” he propped himself up and stared at her. “You are and you can.” He growled and pawed at her. “You’re hot.”
She sat up, naked, and crossed her legs. “Good.” Then her eyes went wide and she sat up, scrambling to put back on her underwear. “Wait. My housewarming gift! In all the chaos, I forgot.” She knew Millie was long gone, but she had some vague recollection of someone telling her they’d put it in the garage. And so there she ran, her feet slapping against the new hardwoods of her new home, naked and free.
She turned on lights, and took in everything Derek had done for her.
The exhilaration was beyond compare.
Roger chased her as she approached the door to the garage and turned on the lights, exposing the gift, unwrapped and waiting, set up.
Derek arrived at her back, still naked. She laughed.
But when he saw the present in the middle of the room, he walked to it and stared, his own nudity a non-issue.
“You…replaced the chess set.”
“I had it commissioned,” she said with great pride. “Each piece is made by a member of that class you took, and I paid them all for it.” She winced. “All those extra shifts I picked up…”
“That’s the most amazing…” he didn’t finish his sentence. He turned to her and pointed to the board and his smile broke wide. “I can’t even believe this. This must have been such an expense and I can’t believe…” he walked to Maeve and hugged her, their bare chests touching. “Thank you,” he said.
“I’m sorry that asshole math teacher burned your chess set,” Maeve said with a sad shake of her head. “What are the odds that two people followed you back to your house that night? Jesus, had I known you had such a target on your back.” She gave him a small nudge. He bit her shoulder as a reply and tickled her side, sending her laughing and tumbling sideways.
“Jim Melnyk,” Derek said.
“Brother of Beverly Kane and worst car share driver ever,” she said with a smirk. “I don’t know how she roped him into half shit she did. I barely could get Millie to come pick me up off the side of the road in my darkest hour.”
“This. This is…this is the best,” he replied as he walked forward and bent down to examine each new piece. He slid his hand over the Rook — a giant eagle with a fish in her mouth. It wasn’t the same, but it was beautiful.
“You wanna play?” she asked.
Derek nodded.
“In a minute. Literally,” he said and he picked her up and carried her over to the board. She laughed. “Let’s christen this properly.”
She wrapped her legs around him and Derek kissed her breasts and her lips and she let him have sex with her against the polished board, the little rabbit pawns staring absently ahead, as she took him inside her and moved her hips with Derek’s increasing speed.
They smiled.
They laughed.
They came.
She made them a snack and grabbed them each a beer.
Then they played a nude game of chess.
And discussed the latest murders in the news.
Acknowledgments
Every book is a collaboration of amazing people. Thank you to my girlfriends who have inspired me to tell the stories of kick-ass women and helped shape my view of female friendships over this past decade. You are my biggest cheerleaders from the sidelines/frontlines with me, and I am nothing without your support.
A special shout-out to author AG Henley for coming up with the “Love is Murder Social Club” title when I was wrestling around with many inferior options.
To my editor, Nikki at Indiehub and all my beta readers: Lesley, Matthew, Dobi. Thank you for helping me with the weakest parts of my story and giving me the encouragement to continue.
To Barb at Coverinked: When the covers arrive and everything starts to come together, I get so excited. You are instrumental in seeing my vision for these couples. Thank you!
To Murderinos everywhere! We’re smart, we’re sexy and we won’t get murdered. But we WILL hang out with our girlfriends and talk about murder until we close out a bar. Maeve, man, that girl has a lot to learn about staying out of the forest!
The Love is Murder Social Club is absolutely a nod to the real work Murderinos and web sleuths are doing in their communities to help victims find justice, and because of that commitment to raising awareness and using a platform to do good, these books will add their voice to the issue of untested rape kits in our nation!
A percentage of proceeds from the Love is Murder Social Club Series will go to the nonprofit organization End the Backlog. From their website: “End the Backlog is a program of the Joyful Heart Foundation, a national non-profit organization founded by actress and activist Mariska Hargitay with the mission to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing, and end this violence forever.”
Thank you to my family most of all. My husband for jumping on board with this series idea when I was most excited about it at 4am on a work day. My kids for inventing the “Mama’s Looking at Six-packs” song after spying on me shopping for some stock photos. For each and every friend to whom I’ve neglected, so I could write a book a month for the past half a year: I love you all.
Also by Talia Maxwell
Available Now:
Dispatched Confessions
The Love is Murder Social Club Book Two
Savage Distractions
The Love is Murder Social Club Book Three
Visit www.taliamaxwell.com for buy links and to hear about new releases!
Coming Soon…
Books 4 & 5 of the Love is Murder Social Club:
Brittle Illusions
Reckless Intentions
Follow Talia on Amazon for notifications about pre-orders for the rest of the series.
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About the Author
Talia is a Portland-based writer who loves true crime stories of all types, mystery novels, romance novels, the city lights reflecting in the Willamette River and the roll of the Pacific Ocean. Rainy nights are the best to cook up a tale that combines serial killers and sexy couples. She can most likely be found eating fried Oreos
at Fire on the Mountain, perusing the taps of the Beer Store, or buying stacks of paperbacks at Powell's.
She lives with her husband, a writer, her two children, and her hound.
Visit her and learn more at www.taliamaxwell.com