by Kimber White
He reached up and pulled my hands away, letting my hair fall down between us again. And I couldn’t control my desire for a second longer. I reared up and arched my back as Bas held me steady. An explosive wave of pleasure rocked through me. I screamed his name. The traffic noises drowned it out.
Bas growled and rose to meet my thrusts. He twitched inside of me, giving in to his own crescendo of desire. We came together. Wave after wave as I bucked and thrashed while Bas held me in place. He reached up and locked his hands with mine, letting me get the angle I needed for maximum pleasure. He exploded inside of me. His heat joining with mine. On and on it went. He left me panting, gasping for air as I finally crested down.
My body went limp, but still Bas held me up. He stayed inside me even after both of us were spent. I felt him jerk and twitch where we joined. A part of me wanted to stay locked like that forever. It was simpler. Better. Bas reached up and cupped his hand around the curve of my skull, then brought me down to kiss him again.
His suit was wrecked. My panties were shredded. We righted ourselves and somehow, I managed to get back over the console on rubber legs and pulled my wrinkled clothes together as best I could. Going back to the office without a change of clothes was pretty much out of the question.
Bas took my hand and brought it to his lips, brushing my knuckles with a kiss. “Sorry,” he said. “I thought I’d be able to control myself a little better than that.”
I laughed. “Why would you want to?”
He looked at me, his face cracked into a wide smile. “You’re right. I didn’t. God. Abby. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”’
With any other man those next few minutes might have felt awkward. With Bas, everything felt like it had just fallen into place. Simple. Solid. Real.
“When can I see you again?” he asked. It seemed a strange question. Forever. Now. Whenever he wanted. I could try to pretend he didn’t have some hold over me, but he did, and he knew it. Still, I had enough caution to think about my answer.
“Soon. I don’t know. Tomorrow? You know, I wouldn’t mind trying something like an actual date.”
Bas’s wide smile made my heart jump again. I wanted to lean over and kiss that mouth. He pressed his thumb to his bottom lip and I noticed the slight swelling where I think I’d bitten him.
“Yeah. I guess we’ve taken things slightly backward haven’t we?” I turned the key in the ignition and put his hand across the back of my seat as he looked behind him and pulled out of the lot.
“I haven’t minded. Truly. But yeah, let’s try something normal if that’s even possible with you.”
“How about I cook for you? Is that normal enough? I can pick you up at six and take you back to the lodge. You like Chinese? I’ve got mad skills with a wok.”
I cocked my head and raised a brow. Somehow, the image of Bas stir frying anything made me laugh. “I’d like to see that. And here I was thinking you’d come up with a wild game dinner or something. Chinese sounds so, normal.”
“Good. Normal is just what you need.”
As he merged back into traffic, I shook my head. “How come I suspect normal with you is going to turn out to be anything but?”
Chapter Sixteen
I found the perfect reason not to go into the office the next morning. After yesterday’s meeting, I didn’t hate the idea of steering clear of Dale for a little while. I took the opportunity to head to government offices in downtown Wild Lake. So far, the land ownership research he’d given me hadn’t kicked up anything interesting. For Bas’s sake, I was glad. But, I still had one more stone to turn. Dale wanted title research on two large tracts of dead center on the wooded lands surrounding Wild Lake itself. The land had stayed in one family for so long the property records were still on microfiche at the Register of Deeds office. So, I headed there.
Bas texted me twice this morning and once last night. Each time his name popped up on my phone, my heart swelled. But, I needed to focus. I couldn’t afford a single misstep where Dale and the congressman were concerned. I had ten long weeks left with them. After that, well, I’d figure out my next step.
The Register of Deeds office was deserted when I got there. They issued marriage and birth licenses out of the same office, all run by a single clerk named Kathy. Kathy was round, pleasant, and about eighty years old. She slid her Coke bottle glasses up her nose when I handed her the stiff, pink request card for the records I needed.
“Hope you don’t have asthma or bad allergies,” she said in a voice that seemed scrubbed with sandpaper. It was incongruous to her bright smile and the yellow carnation pinned to her sweater.
“No ma’am.”
“Good. You’ll have a little bit of dust to contend with on some of these canisters, but the machine’s just been fine tuned. You know how to work it?”
I didn’t. Kathy came out from behind the counter and walked me down to the hulking, ancient microfiche machine and showed me how to thread the tape and advance the screen. It was easy, and actually a little fun once I got the hang of it. Kathy gave me a pat on the back and wished me good luck as I started scrolling through the records, each frame blurring as I turned the knob.
I grabbed my pen and notepad once I found the record I needed. Two deeds more than sixty years old. I marked the records for printing and took pictures of the screen with my smartphone too.
“Hmm, that’s strange.” I squinted at the screen.
“What’s that, honey?” Kathy peered over my shoulder and slid her glasses down her nose.
“Oh, it’s nothing. This property is held in a life estate.”
The Wild Lake property had been transferred to Patricia and Harold Bonner from what looked like the estate of maybe Harold’s father, or at least some other relative. But, they only had the right to stay there and use the property during their lifetime.
“Are they still alive, do you know? Mr. and Mrs. Bonner?”
“Pat and Harold? Oh, yeah. They’re alive and kicking those two. But they’re not married, hon. They’re brother and sister.”
“I see. Well, I thought I could put this to rest here. But, it looks like I need the probate records. Are those on microfiche too?”
“Lloyd Bonner’s estate? Oh, no. Those would be across the hall in the archives.”
“Perfect! Thanks so much for your help, Kathy.” I gathered my things and went to the Probate office. Once I showed the clerk the case file I needed, she wrinkled her nose and pointed me to a cubicle around the corner. The records themselves were old and brittle, on account of water damage from a courthouse flood back in 1978. I had to put on white gloves before they’d let me handle the fragile documents. The ink on them was blotched and faded, almost impossible to read. But, I found what I was looking for. My heart stopped cold when I did.
“Son of a bitch.” I meant to whisper it, but the building’s high arched ceilings carried the sound all the way down the counter.
“Sorry,” I said, sheepish. I spread Lloyd Bonner’s estate filings out on the table and snapped a few pictures with my phone.
“Can you make me a certified copy of this one?” I pointed to one of the pages and the clerk smiled.
“You betcha.” She picked up the delicate paper and hustled over to the copy machine. Checking the record against the copy, she stamped her seal on it then handed it to me. I slid the copy into my messenger bag along with the deed Kathy printed for me and thanked her again for her time.
“Oh, don’t mention it. It’s kinda fun rooting around in the archives. Makes me feel all Da Vinci Code.”
I laughed and said my goodbyes then made the brisk three block walk back to the congressman’s office. The place was quiet; Grace had the day off. I set my messenger bag on my desk and walked toward the break room to get a midday cup of coffee. My phone buzzed from the breast pocket of my suit coat and I fished it out. My heart skipped when I saw the caller I.D.
“How’s your day going?” Bas asked.
“
Interesting. Almost done. I just have to type a few things up, then I’m heading home.”
“I can’t wait to see you. I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
“Good. And I hope you bought lots of food. I’m starving already.”
“Don’t you worry. I plan to keep you well fed.” Heat shot through me at his wicked double entendre. I pulled the phone away from my ear and checked the time. It was only 2:30. I still had a few hours before I could see him again.
“Pick me up at six?”
“Unless you’re ready sooner.”
God, I wish I could be. I still had to write up a summary of what I’d found. I wasn’t entirely sure what it meant, but I had a sick feeling in my stomach it wasn’t good. Whoever Pat and Harold Bonner were, their father had only granted them the right to live on the Wild Lake property during their lifetime. After they died, it reverted back to his estate. Under his will, another man named Willis Gaither or his heirs would get the land then. It seemed a strange way to set things up, but without knowing the family history it didn’t mean much. It surprised me that Bas himself wasn’t in the mix of ownership somehow. But, I couldn’t ask him about it. Not without breaking confidentiality.
“I’ll try to get things finished up at the office, but I doubt I’ll get out of here anytime before five.”
Bas grew quiet on the other end. “Is Dale there?”
“Foster’s office door is closed, and I haven’t seen him. He and Foster had some meetings this morning down in Lansing. I don’t know if they were planning to drive back up or stay down there overnight.”
“Hmm. Well, just hurry. It’s driving me crazy not having you with me.”
I knew the feeling. “I promise. I’ll be greased lightning. Can you pick me up at Kendra’s apartment? I’ll text you the address. I’ve been staying there sort of house sitting while she’s back home in Atlanta.”
Bas positively purred on the other end of the phone. I made a cat joke and he promised to pay me back for it. The idea of it made me purr. When we hung up, I went to the fridge and opened the freezer door, fanning myself with the cold air.
There was nothing left in the coffee pot but the dregs, and I actually contemplated drinking that. Anything to keep me focused as I pored over the documents I’d gathered and the last bits of research I needed to pull it all together. If I could bang it out in the next hour or so, it would leave me free for the whole weekend. He hadn’t asked, but I hoped I might be able to spend all of it with Bas.
I opted for cold bottled water and made my way back to my desk. The heat coursing through my blood at the thought of a whole weekend with Bas leached straight out of me when I turned the corner.
Dale stood at my desk pulling documents out of my bag and reading them with a cold, calculating eye. When he looked up, he gave me a wide, ominous smile that made my blood run cold.
Chapter Seventeen
“Does this mean what I think it means?” he asked. “It’s been a while since I’ve done anything with property law.”
“I don’t know what you think it means. There’s a reversionary interest on both of those land tracts you had me research. It’s a little odd, but I don’t know who the players were in all of this. Is Willis Gaither related to the Bonners? Is he still alive? I’ve got to find out who his heirs are to be able to tell you for sure what happens to the property.”
“Come on,” he said. “This is too good not to share. It’s your find so I’ll let you in on the meeting. Trust me, Abby. After I help you explain this to the congressman, I can pretty much promise you’ll be able to write your ticket with him.”
Under normal circumstances, I might have been glad to hear it. Beaming even. But, if it made Dale this happy, it had to be disastrous for Bas. Dale put a hand at the small of my back and led me into the congressman’s office. My skin seared where he touched me, and I wanted nothing more than to duck and bob away from him. But, Foster was watching now. Dale spread the copies I’d made of the estate documents and the Bonner deed on the desk. Foster stared at them, uncomprehending, and looked to Dale for answers.
“Go ahead, Abby, I’ll let you take the glory. She’s really come through for us, Landon.”
After taking a halting breath, I laid out the gist of what the title search revealed. Two large tracts of land in the middle of the Wild Lake lands belonged to the Bonner couple. But, when they passed away, their interest reverted back to someone named Willis Gaither. If he was dead, the land went to his heirs, whoever they might be. Unless the Bonners were those heirs, their heirs had no possession rights over the property. It extinguished upon their deaths.
“Gaither?” Foster leaned back in his chair and scratched his chin. “Willie Gaither?” He looked over my shoulder back at Dale.
“But these papers were drawn up more than fifty years ago. Surely, this Gaither’s gone now too.”
Landon smacked his hands together. “Oh, he’s dead as a fucking doornail. Sorry, hope you don’t have sensitive ears, Miss Winslow. Dale, are you telling me Will, Jr. gets the property?”
“I’m not sure that’s true, Congressman,” I interjected. “Without looking at Gaither Sr.’s will or even finding out if he had one, we can’t know that yet. I’ll need a few more days to suss that out.”
“Suss away, Miss Winslow, suss away.”
“It’s a formality,” Dale said. “I’m sure it’s Will Jr. we’ll need to deal with. This is like winning the lottery, Landon. It’s better than I could have ever hoped. Forget the conservation bill. Forget anything else. This is much, much better.”
“Brilliant!” Foster rose from behind his desk and rapped his knuckles on the desk. “You tell that overgrown husky Bas Lanier to shove it up his ass. We are in business!”
“The business of what? This is still private property. With all due respect, Congressman, whatever you’re thinking you might be able to do with this land, the Bonners in effect own it during their lifetime.”
I caught Dale’s eye, and what I saw there chilled me to the bone. During their lifetime. He didn’t have to utter a single word but on some elemental level, I swear I knew what he was thinking. It was bad. It was very bad. I thought about the leg traps. The cold menace when he warned me about what might happen if I didn’t fall in line here at the office. Though he said nothing, I knew with absolute certainty in that moment that whoever Pat and Harold Bonner were, Dale had sinister thoughts where they were concerned.
“Do you need me anymore today?” I said past a dry throat. “I’d like to get started on finding the last piece of this probate puzzle. Let me go down and find out what I can about Gaither Sr.’s estate. Then, you’ll have a clear picture of what’s going on.”
I wanted out of there. Fast. The looks between Foster and Dale set me on edge. I wanted to run to Bas and explain what I knew. Though I didn’t understand Foster’s game plan completely, I knew enough. He wanted control of Wild Lake lands. He tried to get it through his ill-conceived conservation bill. He’d tried the dead end of eminent domain. Now, I’d unwittingly given him a back door answer, possibly.
Foster flapped his hand. “Go. By all means. Come back tomorrow with a fresh brain. You’ve done excellent work today, Miss Winslow. Better than you know. I’m very impressed.”
“Th-thank you.” Dale kept his laser focus on me as I moved toward the door.
Go! Flee! Danger! The words didn’t form in my head, but adrenaline coursed through me along with that rising feeling of dread that seemed to form a circle around Dale. I didn’t look back. I grabbed my bag off my desk and headed for the elevators. I pushed the button once, then stabbed it three more times.
Screw it. I took the stairs. My stomach churned and rolled. It was as if the air itself grew thick with poison.
Chapter Eighteen
All the dread and toxic atmosphere melted away the instant I was with Bas again. I hugged him a little tighter than I intended, kissed him deeper when he finally wrapped his arms around me. We’d just stepped out o
f the car, and he pulled away, holding me at a distance as he regarded me with questioning eyes.
“What’s going on with you? You’ve been twitchy ever since we left your apartment.”
Again, the overwhelming urge to tell Bas everything that transpired in Foster’s office warred with my ethical responsibilities. There simply wasn’t a simple way to tell Bas what I knew about the Bonner lands without crossing a line. Still, keeping silent felt like a real betrayal. Something was brewing with Dale and the congressman, something bad. I went up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to Bas’s, trying to kiss away my problems. Bas leaned into me and groaned, driving away any thought but him.
A sharp howl penetrated the air and sent a shiver of heat down my spine. Bas pulled away and smiled. He turned me so I leaned against the solid wall of his chest and folded his arms around me.
“Look!” He pointed to a high ridge on the north border of the property. One by one, a chorus of howls joined with the first as a line of wolves stood side by side, silhouetted against the darkening sky. I pressed my head against Bas’s chest and closed my eyes, letting the sound vibration fill me, making my heart soar.
To my left, the front door of the lodge swung open and three men stepped out, raising their hands high in greeting. They were Eli and Connor from my first trip out here. They stood shoulder to shoulder, smiling bright. Eli lifted his beer bottle and took a sip. Behind them, I recognized Curtis, Bas’s receptionist from the W.L.O. offices.
The wolves from the ridge trotted down in formation, a large white wolf taking the lead. His silver-blue eyes glinted in the setting sun as he playfully nipped one of the smaller gray wolves at his left shoulder when he got too close. The gray wolf stepped back, and took his position a few feet behind the white wolf. It dawned on me who he was. Bas’s second in command, no doubt. But, I’d seen that luminous, white coat before.
“That’s Alec!” I said, looking up at Bas. “From the meeting the other day. In Foster’s office.” I remembered that shock of white looking almost painted through the crown of his jet black hair. In wolf form, he was all white and striking to behold.