PassionsPoison

by Lexi Post

  How ironic. He’d gone out of his way for years to avoid staying with a woman too long, so she wouldn’t end up dead thanks to his twisted fate, and here he was having to stay with Bea to protect her from whoever sent the letters. The question was, what would keep her from the same fate as his early fiancées?

  Zach opened the sliding-glass door and let the cold morning air bathe his naked body. It helped clear his mind and settle his knotted stomach. Her life could be in danger either way. He had no choice but to try to keep her safe.

  He sensed her behind him before she laid a delicate hand on his arm. “Zach?”

  He took a deep breath of the fresh air, filling his lungs and soothing his quandary. Studying her long fingers as they rested on his biceps, his gut tightened. He had to protect her, no matter what. She trusted him.

  Moving his arm from beneath her hand, he turned and brought her into his embrace. Her shudder of relief filled him with resolve. He held her, stroked her hair and warmed to the need building inside him. The faith she had in him humbled him, but doubt for her safety remained.

  Bea could feel her heart paste itself back together. When had she fallen in love with this man? She would have to tell him about the poisons running through her body, but she had no idea how to broach that subject. Her mom must have done pretty well with all her fathers. Four of the original six still in her life wasn’t bad, but Bea would be damned if she’d ask her mom. She didn’t want to mess this up. She couldn’t bear to lose Zach now.

  She hugged him harder before she lifted her face to look at him. He met her gaze with a warm one of his own before his lips found hers. The heat of her desire for him was tempered with a new tenderness that made her feel vulnerable and…cold?

  She pulled away. “Could we close the door?”

  He sighed. Turning them both so he could reach the slider, he pulled it closed. “Don’t you have faith in my ability to keep you warm?”

  She gazed up at him. “I have complete faith, but a short memory. Maybe you should remind me.”

  He took her face in his hands. “I’d be happy to.”

  As his lips touched hers, her phone rang. He ignored it, pulling her hips against him to tease her with his hardness. She reveled in his need as he crushed her to him, his mouth devouring hers, causing warmth to spread everywhere.

  Her phone rang again.

  He pulled away. “I think someone is looking for you.”

  She turned her head toward her purse on the bed and waited. The ringing stopped.

  She returned her attention to him and the ringing started again. “Oh damn.” She fumbled in her purse to find the phone. Grabbing it, she flicked it open. “Yes?”

  “Bea, this is Chris. Sorry to call so early, but I just finished my shift and wanted to let you know what I’ve found out about the letter. Can I meet you somewhere?”

  She moved next to Zach and pointed to the phone. “I guess, Chris. Does it have to be now?”

  Zach’s expression turned hard.

  She angled the phone so he could hear.

  “I’m afraid so because I need to get some sleep.”

  Bea glanced at Zach. He pointed to the room.

  “Okay, can you come to the Lakeside? I’m at work.”

  The other end was silent for a minute. “You’re at work?”

  She shivered as the implication became clear. She had walked to work yesterday and left her car parked outside her apartment. Was Chris surprised she was at work because he was outside her place? “Yes, I’m at the Lakeside. I’ll meet you in the lobby in fifteen minutes. Can you make it here by then?”

  Zach’s nod of approval gave her a little confidence.

  “Sure. I’m just down the road. See you in a few.”

  Bea ended the call and stared at Zach. “Do you think he’s at my apartment?”

  “I know he is. Come on, let’s get dressed and see what he has to say.”

  “How do you know he was at my apartment, you were here with me.”

  He pulled on his jeans. “Trust me, he was. And wait until you see his surprise when we meet him together.”

  She buttoned her blouse then slipped on her linen pants. “You’ll come with me?”

  Zach rolled his eyes. “Bea, you need to get it through your head that I’m involved in this now, and in more ways than one.”

  Huh? What did he mean by that? She opened her mouth to ask, but he looked ready to tackle a black bear single-handedly. She swallowed her questions and slipped on her heels. “Are you sure about this?”

  He opened the hotel room door, an unreadable expression on his face. “I wouldn’t miss this meeting for the world.”

  Zach took Bea’s hand as they walked through the hallway toward the main lobby. He grinned. She had no idea she looked adorably messy. She’d forgotten to brush her hair and her clothes were wrinkled from lying on the floor all night. She’d obviously had a fulfilling night of sex. Perfect. Perhaps a kiss was in order.

  He checked behind them to see if anyone was around, but the hall was empty. Dragging her to the side, he pulled her into his arms and pushed her against the wall.

  “Zach?”

  He silenced her surprise with his lips. The taste of peppermint flowed across his tongue as he swept inside her mouth. The thought that she’d popped the candy for her meeting with Officer Chris had his caveman reappearing. He forgot where they were and deepened the kiss, making love to her mouth while his hand crept inside her blouse to find the hardened nipple within her bra. He pressed his cock against her until her hands tightened around his ass, pulling him into her.

  She moaned, her hips rocking into him. He had unbuttoned her blouse before he remembered they were in the hall. He stepped away abruptly.

  Bea opened her eyes, dazed, until she noticed where they stood. A soft blush covered her cheeks as she closed her blouse. “What was that about?”

  He shrugged. “Couldn’t resist, I guess.” Now she looked thoroughly ravished. Her lips reddened from his kiss, her blouse unevenly tucked into her pants and her hair matted where it had crushed against the wall. Good.

  He grabbed her hand, strode toward the lobby, pulling her with him.

  “Whoa, Zach, what’s the rush?”

  If he was right, Officer Chris would be waiting for them. “I want us to be there when your cop arrives.”

  She ran a few steps to match his stride. “Okay, okay, but it hasn’t even been five minutes yet.”

  “Exactly.”

  As they rounded the corner, they found Chris standing by the reception desk. His eyes narrowed when he saw them. Zach relished the jealous way Chris took in Bea’s appearance.

  He stepped toward them, but focused on Bea. “They told me you weren’t in yet.”

  Bea blushed, but Zach smirked. “That’s because I don’t start ’til nine today, but I stayed the night.”

  Chris’ gaze took in their clasped hands and Zach couldn’t resist baiting the cop. If Chris wanted to know, he’d be happy to tell him. “We spent the night here. After all, it’s the best place in town for a romantic evening.”

  Zach reveled in the knowledge that the man across from him wanted nothing more than to throw a punch, but of course he wouldn’t. That would be too obvious in front of Bea.

  But Bea was a smart woman and she recognized the standoff between them. “Chris, you said you had news on the letter? Why don’t we go over to the couches and talk? I think the less people who know, the better.” She nodded in the direction of three guests who walked toward the front desk.

  Chris nodded. “Sure, I’d like to tell you in private.”

  Zach shook his head at the look the officer gave him. “I agree. We should keep it between the three of us.”

  Before Chris could say anything, Zach started for the sitting area, refusing to let go of Bea’s hand, though she tried to disengage. She got the message and gave in. They sat on the couch together while Chris took the chair nearby.

  Zach let go of Bea’s hand and drap
ed an arm behind her. She leaned forward, her anxiousness obvious in the clasp she had on his thigh. “What have you discovered?”

  Chris took the letter from his pocket and handed it to Bea, but Zach intercepted it. He wanted to read this one too. He wanted to read all of them. Ignoring the irritated look from the cop, he opened the letter as he listened to what was so important Bea had to be dragged out of bed at six in the morning.

  I know your secret.

  Okay, that was short and to the point, but what secret?

  Chris explained. “First, we noticed that the person knows how to spell your last name. You have to admit, it’s not an easy name to spell. Plus, you don’t have your number listed in the phone directory, so that means this person knows you.”

  Zach squeezed Bea’s shoulder. Hadn’t he already figured that out?

  She gave him a nudge with her elbow. “That makes sense. Were you able to discover anything else?”

  Chris smirked. “Yes, we pulled a number of fingerprints from the envelope. We should have the results back in a few days. Of course, yours and mine will be on there, but hopefully the writer’s will be too. I also asked the lab to check for DNA on the seal. If the writer licked the envelope, we’ll know who it is.”

  The man wanted to be Bea’s hero. No way Zach would let that happen. “The prints sound like a long shot to me. With the front desk people who handled the letter before Bea obtained it, I doubt there’ll be any usable ones, and that is assuming the sender is in your database. Plus, if the writer used water to seal the envelope, we’ll have nothing.”

  Chris turned to Bea, ignoring Zach. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure out who it is. Do you have any idea what the secret is that the letter refers to?”

  Though her body tensed, Bea shook her head. Zach studied her. She did know. He’d bet his house on it.

  Chris leaned forward and patted Bea’s knee. “That’s okay, we’ll catch this guy.”

  Zach tensed, unable to keep his cavemen from rising. Moving his gaze to Chris, Zach took his arm from the couch and squeezed Bea’s shoulder. “If it’s a guy?”

  Bea’s head snapped around. “You think it could be a woman?”

  He rubbed her arm, hoping to reassure her, letting her know he’d be beside her to face whomever it was. “We can’t know for sure. It’s hard to tell with just one letter.” He waited to see if Chris knew how many there were.

  Chris sat straighter. His eyes narrowed and a slight smirk curved his thin lips. “Actually, you’ve had a number of these, right, Bea?”

  Zach gave her arm a warning squeeze. No need to let the man know exactly how many. He might slip and mention the number and they would have him.

  Bea looked at him before she turned to Chris. “Yes, I have.”

  Chris’ face became stern. Though he tried to appear relaxed, his hands clenched and unclenched. “I think we should take a look at all the letters. If we can’t get good prints off the first letter you gave me, maybe we’ll get lucky with one of the others.”

  “Sure. Thanks for all your help with this.” Bea stood, taking Zach by surprise. He rose next to her and put his arm around her waist.

  Chris appeared taken off guard as well. “Okay then. I guess I better get myself some sleep. Thanks for meeting with me so early.”

  Bea cuddled into Zach as she addressed him. “Thank you for helping us with this. We really appreciate it.”

  His heart swelled at her use of the word “we” while a different part of his anatomy swelled as her body pressed close to his. The added advantage to their position was Chris couldn’t shake her hand. Smart woman.

  Chris said goodbye and left.

  Zach was damn proud of her. He turned her in his arms to give her a kiss and instead got the side of her head. “Bea?”

  She pulled away and started to pace. “I hate this. I don’t know who to trust. Now, I even have to be guarded with a cop? And the two of you, posturing like two dogs fighting over a piece of meat. You don’t have to do that, Zach. You already have me. You don’t have to rub it in his face. What if he isn’t the one writing the letters, but is truly interested in helping?”

  Zach grabbed her in mid-stride. “I have you?”

  She caught his face in her hands and lowered her voice. “Yes. Completely.”

  Her words meant more to him then they should, but they were what he wanted to hear. He clasped her body to him and gave her a searing kiss.

  When he broke away, her eyes were still closed.

  His good mood faded as he stared at her elegant face. They were getting too close. He needed to put some space between them. “So, what is this secret you’re hiding?”

  * * * * *

  Bea stared blindly at the computer screen. She’d been able to put Zach off until tonight, but he wanted to know her secret. She had to tell him, wanted to tell him, but didn’t know how. And what if he didn’t believe her? She didn’t believe it herself the first time her mother told her. Not until the doctor had explained Phillip’s coma had been caused by a strong poison, did she accept what she was.

  The purchase order on her screen for two hundred geraniums seemed impossible to complete, so she saved the file and turned off her computer. It was time to go home anyway. She organized her work for her next shift. She and Zach only had tonight because he was heading up to Maine to visit his parents. Would he still want to see her again after she told him about her condition? She needed to make love to him before he left. Would he be willing, knowing he’d be sick?

  Her cell phone rang. She pulled it from her purse and checked the caller’s identity. Winni Real Estate popped across the screen. “Hi, Dad.”

  “Hi, Bea, how are you doing? Your mom tells me you’ve had better days.”

  She dropped back into her chair. “That’s one way of putting it. Did she tell you what she did?”

  “Yes, she confessed. I understand how upset you must have been.”

  Bea rolled her eyes. Mathew Emerson was the ultimate salesman and if her father thought he could get under her skin, he would. “I hear a ‘but’ coming.”

  “Well, yes. She’s your mother. She tries to do what’s right, but you know she doesn’t always succeed. Think about how you’ll feel when you have a daughter. What will happen when she gets angry at you for a mistake you made and refuses to see or talk to you?”

  Oh, he was good. Really good. “I understand what you’re saying, Dad, but I’m not ready yet. I have a more pressing issue on my hands that needs my undivided attention.”

  “Is it anything I can help you with?”

  Bea hesitated. “Maybe. You’re pretty well-known in town, right?”

  She could envision his chest puffing as he spoke. “Well, I try to be. Being the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and part of the Rotary helps.”

  She worried her lip before asking. “If I need you to, would you confirm my condition for someone?”

  There was silence on the phone.

  “Dad?”

  “Does this have to do with your new boyfriend?”

  Bea crumpled her skirt in her hand. Boyfriend sounded so teenager when what Zach was, was perfect. “Yes. He’s right for me. Andy liked him right away.”

  “Honey, if he makes you happy, that’s all I care about. If he’s the right one and you need me to convince him, you bring him on over.”

  She let go of the material bunched in her hand and closed her eyes. “Thanks, Dad.”

  “See your mom, Bea.”

  “I will, eventually.”

  She hung up and threw her phone back in her purse, then glanced at the clock. She would have barely enough time to go home, shower and drive to Zach’s. Telling him her secret wasn’t quite so daunting, now that she had someone Zach could talk to about it, in case he didn’t believe her.

  She reached to turn off the desk lamp when Craig Larsen stepped into her office. “Oh Bea, I’m glad I caught you. This came for you today. I almost forgot to give it to you.”

  She stared at t
he letter in Craig’s hand, her heart thumping in her chest. She shook her head and fell back into the desk chair, her knees completely giving way as the air left her lungs. Her head swam, making the white envelope in front of her go in and out of focus.

  Craig rushed around the desk. “What is it? Are you all right?”

  She pointed to his hand. “Another letter.”

  He looked confused. “Yes, it’s a letter.”

  “But it didn’t come in the mail.” She closed her eyes. “Neither did the other three.”

  He sounded perplexed. “Is it from a friend?”

  She opened her eyes. Poor Craig was so scattered he wouldn’t recognize a rattlesnake for the danger it was if it slithered across his foot. “I’ll take it. Did you happen to see who brought it?”

  Craig wrinkled his nose to push up his glasses. “Yes, I did. It was the kid who works at the ice-cream shop in front of our Hillside Inn. You know him. He’s the one with the sandy-blond hair and pierced ears?”

  Bea stared at Craig. He never noticed anything, yet he’d discovered who had been dropping off the letters? She stood and gave him a hug. “Thank you.”

  He shrugged. “You’re welcome, I guess. Are you coming in tomorrow?”

  “No, I have the next two days off, remember?”

  “Right. See you when you get back.”

  As he left the office, Bea stayed absolutely still and concentrated on breathing deeply to stop the quaking inside her body. She couldn’t wait to tell Zach about the boy. She doubted the kid had sent the letters, but she’d bet he knew who did. She looked at the envelope on the desk. She could open it at Zach’s. After all, she wanted to get over there and then she could share it with him. But even as she had the thought, she picked up her letter opener and slit the envelope. She took out the letter and unfolded it. Hand-sized pieces of paper spilled onto the desk. She read the one line.

  He’s not happy with you.

  Dread filled her as she lifted one of the papers. It was a digital photo printed on plain paper of her talking with a man at a hotel in Boston. She picked up another. It showed her talking with another man she’d met the weekend before. His name was Darren. Another photo caught her walking into a hotel room with yet another man. The next showed her leaving a room with her shoes in her hand. Another was taken through a window and showed her on her hands and knees with Tom, her one-night stand before she met Zach. How the hell did the person shoot that one? Oh God, there had to be a dozen of them!