by Gerri Hill
Cameron seemed at a loss for words as she wordlessly handed him a bottle of water. He took it without comment and hurried back to his computers.
Andrea followed him, leaning against the door, watching him as he scanned through what looked like gibberish on the screen.
“How long did you know them?”
He didn’t seem surprised that she was there and he didn’t turn around. “Carina and Jack? Only a couple of days longer than you. I was the last to join the team.” He turned to her then, pausing to shove his glasses more securely on his nose. “Carina called me a nerdy geek, which is obviously redundant,” he said with a shake of his head. “She didn’t like me. Jack, well, he didn’t say much. I can’t think of a time where we had a real conversation.”
“Yes, he was rather quiet,” she said.
Rowan looked at her intently, as if he had more to say and she raised her eyebrows questioningly at him.
“Do you love her?”
Andrea nodded. “Yes. Very much.”
“She was crying, you know,” he said quietly. “When I told her I didn’t know if you were...alive or not. I don’t think I’ve ever heard such pain in someone’s voice before.” He met her eyes. “She must really love you.”
“Yes. She does.”
He turned back to the monitor. “I like her,” he said. “She treats me like an adult.”
“She relies on you,” Andrea said. “And she trusts you. She must. She’s letting you play in here,” she said with a smile. “She doesn’t even let me in here.”
Conversation was sparse as the four of them shared pizza and beer. Well, Rowan shared pizza. He was still sipping on water and trying to keep Lola from stealing off of his plate. Cameron relaxed in her recliner, her eyes roaming over Andrea who sat cross-legged on the floor. Reynolds, although he’d changed from his suit, was still impeccably dressed in pressed pants and a crisp, starched shirt. She and Andrea were both in shorts and bare feet, Andrea having kicked off the borrowed flip-flops earlier.
“Murdock is sending in an explosives team,” Reynolds said. “The C4 setup that we found was pretty rudimentary compared to this.”
“They’re going to look for a signature?”
He nodded. “They haven’t even found the trigger yet.”
“Well, simple or not, there’s not a doubt in my mind that Baskin is behind the bomb,” she said.
“He said he worked in the infirmary while in prison,” Andrea said. “That’s where he learned about...drugs and stuff.” She glanced at Cameron. “Maybe he also learned about explosives there as well. Might see who his cell mate was,” she suggested.
“But how does a guy fresh out of prison get his hands on C4?”
“Maybe he made some contacts while inside,” Rowan said.
“Or maybe the safe house was wired all along. I mean, some of the victims—the heads—were obviously more than a decade old. Maybe he’s had the explosives all along,” Reynolds said.
“That could be why it’s considered rudimentary,” she said. “He may have placed the C4 years ago when he first started killing. Maybe Andrea is right. Maybe he learned more about explosives while inside.”
“Of course, all of this doesn’t help us in trying to find him,” Andrea said. “The so-called safe houses that he could use—we’ve hit them all, haven’t we?”
Rowan nodded. “I haven’t found anything else that we could link to him or the Burke family.” He stood up. “I’ll go play with the data some more.”
After Rowan left, Reynolds turned to them, his voice low. “Is he okay?”
“This is probably his first experience with losing someone,” Andrea said. “I talked to him about it earlier. I think maybe he’s feeling a bit guilty.” She turned to Cameron. “I can relate to that emotion.”
“Why guilty?” Reynolds asked.
“Guilty because he’s not emotionally affected by it. He didn’t really know them. Carina never showed him anything other than disdain,” she said. “Yet they were a part of his team.”
“Maybe him being here so much while we’ve all been out has made him feel less a part of the team,” Cameron said. “He might feel disconnected from everything.”
“Everything but his computers,” Reynolds said. He wiped his hands on a napkin, leaving his half-eaten piece of pizza on his plate. “Well, I know Carina didn’t care for him and she didn’t attempt to hide it. She was old school,” he said. “You do the work out in the field, not on a computer.”
Cameron laughed. “This whole rig is one giant computer. If I had only half of Rowan’s smarts, I might be able to use it to its potential. If he wasn’t here, I would be fumbling with the algorithms myself, taking time away from the field.” She smiled at Andrea. “Or getting Jason to help me.”
Reynolds stood. “It’s late. I don’t know about you two but I’m wiped out. It’s been a terribly long, emotional day. I think we all could use some rest.”
“Yes. I’ll second that,” Andrea said. “I’d like to be at the hospital early. I promised Eric.”
He nodded. “Of course. How about I swing by here in the morning and drop Rowan off. We’ll head to the hospital then. It’s not that far from the police station.”
Cameron motioned to the office. “I’ll go get Rowan,” she said.
Rowan was staring at the monitor when she walked in. He glanced at her, then back to the screen.
“Time to call it a night,” she said.
“Yeah. Okay. I’ve got two programs running. Both with just a little different data. I hope you don’t mind, but I emailed Jason earlier. He wrote me back with some suggestions.” He smiled. “He’s a genius. I still can’t believe I’m getting to use these programs he wrote.”
Cameron watched him as he fidgeted with his laptop. “You okay, kid?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Why?”
“It’s just been a trying couple of days.” She touched his shoulder. “I need to thank you. I...well, I went a little nuts earlier today, when I didn’t know if...well, if Andrea—”
“I understand. I’m really glad she’s okay.”
“Yeah.” She stepped back. “So we’ll see you in the morning?”
“I’ll be here.” He pointed to the computers. “Don’t touch them.”
She held up her hands. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Andrea turned the small bedside lamp on, then pulled the covers back on the bed. Despite the long, stressful day, she was surprised at the early hour—half past nine. It felt like it should be nearing midnight, not ten. She stepped out of her shorts and tossed them aside, then pulled her T-shirt over her head, leaving her in nothing but her panties. She was about to slip out of them too when she felt Cameron’s eyes on her. She turned, finding Cameron leaning in the doorway.
“You’re so beautiful,” Cameron said quietly.
Andrea stood there, exposed, the lamp casting a soft glow on her body. She waited as Cameron came to her, feeling her heart flutter in her chest. Cameron’s gaze was smoky hot, leaving her eyes and drifting down to her breasts. A light touch and her nipples hardened immediately. She closed her eyes as Cameron lowered her head, her lips moving slowly across her skin, her tongue bathing a nipple, making it harden even more.
She moaned when Cameron’s lips closed over her, suckling her nipple, her hands gliding lower, slipping inside her panties, kneading her flesh as she pulled Andrea closer to her. Her arms snaked around Cameron’s shoulders as Cameron raised her head, her mouth finding her own, their quiet kiss turning passionate as Andrea let her tongue engage with Cameron’s.
The need to breathe separated them and Andrea smiled as she tugged on Cameron’s shirt. “Off.”
Cameron obliged, lifting her arms as Andrea pulled it over her head. It was her turn to stare, her hand following her eyes, lightly brushing a fingertip across a nipple, hearing Cameron’s quick intake of breath at her touch.
“I love you,” she murmured, moving in for anothe
r kiss, her hands cupping both her breasts. The soft moan she heard fueled her desire and her hands moved across Cameron’s body, her fingertips gently touching scars, the one marring her upper body still giving her chills.
She felt Cameron’s hands pushing her panties down and she stood back, letting her remove them. She felt the dampness of her desire wetting her thighs and she had to stop herself from grabbing Cameron’s hand and leading her there.
Cameron removed the rest of her clothing, leaving her as naked as Andrea. The sounds of their rapid breathing filled the room and Cameron guided her to the bed, urging her back.
Andrea parted her legs, welcoming Cameron between them, moaning as their bodies touched, skin on skin, both damp with perspiration and desire. Cameron kissed her slowly, their passion simmering, not boiling. Cameron’s lips paused at her ear, her breath teasing her.
“I love you so much, Andi,” Cameron murmured. “So much.”
Andrea’s head fell back, giving Cameron room. “Make love to me,” she whispered. “I want you inside me tonight.”
“Anything,” Cameron said. “All night if you want.”
Andrea smiled against her mouth. “If only I had the energy for all night.”
“Then let’s make it good.” Cameron pulled away slightly. “Roll over.”
She did, then groaned as Cameron covered her, her breasts pressing hard into her back, lips trailing kisses along the back of her neck. Andrea arched back, feeling Cameron thrust against her.
“Open your legs,” Cameron whispered.
Andrea did, gasping as Cameron entered her from behind, her fingers sliding slowly through her wetness before going inside her.
“God, yes,” she hissed as Cameron filled her.
Cameron rocked harder against her, each thrust shoving her fingers deeper inside. Andrea raised up, giving Cameron more room. Andrea was groaning, her face buried in the mattress, unable to contain her moans as Cameron slammed into her from behind. She felt Cameron’s passion as it soaked her, the sound of wet skin slapping together with each stroke fueling her desire even more.
She tried to hold it, wanting to prolong her pleasure even longer, but Cameron pushed her over the edge with another deep stroke inside of her and Andrea bucked back against her, her orgasm taking the breath from her as she cried out. Cameron continued to pound against her, seeking her own release. It came quickly, her deep moan sending chills over Andrea’s body as she climaxed, her weight resting on Andrea as they caught their breath.
“I love when you do that,” Andrea murmured, her eyes still closed.
Cameron pulled her fingers out before rolling Andrea back over. “Maybe we should get a toy,” she said before kissing her.
“A toy, huh? That could be fun.”
“Yes. But I love being inside you.”
Andrea pulled her close, their legs entwining. “You know what I love?” she teased, her tongue running along Cameron’s lower lip.
“Tell me.”
“I love my mouth on you, tasting you, making you come like that,” she whispered. “I feel so close to you.” She pushed Cameron to her back, her mouth finding an erect nipple. “Let me love you like that.”
Cameron moaned as she pushed Andrea down, urging her between her legs. “Yes,” was all she said.
Andrea smiled against her breast, lifting her head enough to meet Cameron’s eyes. They were filled with love and desire, want and need...for her. And at that moment, everything else faded away. There was nothing but the two of them, loving each other. And they had all night.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Cameron smiled at Andrea over her coffee cup, getting one in return, plus a wink. She laughed.
“Did you have a good time this morning?”
“Oh, yeah,” Andrea said, nearly purring. “Last night, this morning. No complaints from me, sweetheart.”
“Well good. I aim to please,” she said, unable to keep the smile from her face.
Andrea got up, pausing to stretch out her back. “More coffee?”
“I’ll take a mug along with us. Reynolds should be here any minute.”
Andrea peered out the side window, nodding. “Right on time.” She opened the door before they could knock, stepping aside to let them in. “Good morning, guys,” she said.
Reynolds glanced between the two of them, his gaze finally landing on Cameron with a smirk. “I see you slept well.”
“Yeah. Very well. You?”
“I’ve had better,” he said.
Rowan pointed to the office. “Can I?”
“Of course. But wait a second. We need two new phones. For Andrea and Eric. I already called Murdock. I wrote down a purchase order number. Can you find a place in town?”
“Sure. I don’t think it will be a problem.”
“Great. Then do your thing.”
“I’ll call you and let you know where you can pick them up.”
“What about what you were running last night?”
“I’ll let you know as soon as I compile the results,” he said as he hurried away.
“I’m sure he dreamed about those things last night,” Cameron said. “You want some coffee, Reynolds?” she asked, shaking her head at his fancy black suit and crisp white shirt. A red tie today had him looking quite dapper.
He shook his head. “Got Starbucks.”
“Okay then. Let’s hit it,” she said, nodding a thanks as Andrea filled a travel mug for her. “I guess after we spring Eric we should pay a visit to Chief Hudley and see if their lab found anything at the Burke house.”
“Did you get a call from the county CSI yet?”
“No. But since we’ve got a forensics team and an explosives team here, I’m sure they’ll go through them first. Murdock told me he would run interference.”
“So we don’t worry about anything?”
“Our job is to find Leonard Baskin, not worry about the details,” she said. She leaned her head down the small hallway. “Rowan? We’re out of here.”
“Okay. I’ll call when I have something.”
“Lock up after us.” Cameron smiled as Lola was slinking along the wall, heading into the office. “We’ll need to watch so he doesn’t steal our cat when he leaves,” she said to Andrea.
“I’m sure Lola likes having company. We’ve left her alone so much on this case.”
Once outside, Reynolds headed to the rental car while she eyed her truck. They had planned to all go together, but she thought now it might be better to have two vehicles.
“You know what? Why don’t you go get Eric,” she said to Andrea. “Reynolds and I can head over to see Chief Hudley, see if he has anything to share.” She raised her eyebrows. “Okay with you?”
“Sure.” Andrea turned to Reynolds. “You?”
“Yeah sure. I hate hospitals. And I’m sure he’d rather see your pretty face than mine.”
Andrea laughed then deftly caught the keys Cameron tossed at her. “Meet back here later?” she asked.
Cameron nodded. “Be careful.”
“You too.”
Cameron crawled in beside Reynolds, feeling his eyes on her. “What?”
“You could have kissed her goodbye,” he said. “I wouldn’t have minded.”
“Thanks, but we took care of that before you got here,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m sure you did. You took care of a lot of things, by the look of it.”
She laughed again. “You fishing for details?”
“I assure you, no.” He pulled out of the RV park, going in the opposite direction of Andrea. “But it must be nice, having that closeness. How do you manage it?”
“You mean working together, living together, being able to separate it?”
“Yes. I would think that’s a little too much togetherness.”
She shrugged. “We love each other. When we’re at home, at night, it’s not about the job. We enjoy each other’s company. It’s hard to explain. Like now. We’re working. We’re partners now. Not
lovers.”
Reynolds looked away quickly, a light blush flushing his dark skin. She smiled but said nothing.
The lights in the hospital seemed inordinately bright, but the cool air was welcome after the oppressive heat from outside. One of the perks of the job—being able to flash her FBI credentials—granted her instant attention. She was led to Eric’s room immediately.
“Still in the hospital gown? Aren’t you the sexy one.”
He quickly pulled the sheet over him, smiling. “You came.”
“I told you I would.” She pulled up a chair and scooted closer to him. “How’s the head?”
He looked around suspiciously. “Don’t tell anyone, but I still have a killer headache.”
“You probably will for a few days.” She took his hand, holding it lightly. “Ears?”
“Better.”
“Really?” she asked skeptically.
“Well, some. Why?”
“You’re talking really loud.”
“Damn.”
She brushed his hair away, revealing his neatly stitched wound. “When are they releasing you?”
“They’re waiting on the doctor to come around. They won’t even let me get dressed.”
“I didn’t even think to ask Reynolds to get you some clothes.”
“Well I don’t have any. Mine from yesterday were ruined.”
“We’ll find something for you. I’ll take you by the hotel. Cameron and Reynolds went by Barstow PD to see if their lab turned up anything at the Burke residence,” she said. She squeezed his hand briefly, then released him. “Did you call your parents or anything?”
“No, hell, I didn’t want them to worry. They did enough of that when I was in Iraq.” He leaned his head back. “I still can’t believe what happened,” he said. “It was so fast. I mean, if we had been just a few feet closer—”
“I know, sweetie. I don’t want to think about it but it’s all I can think about,” she admitted. She didn’t add that they had made love last night until she was too exhausted to keep her eyes opened. But still, it was the first thing on her mind this morning. That is, until Cameron’s kisses had distracted her again.