by Joanne Ellis
“Wow,” she gasped. “What a view.”
“You’re telling me,” he replied while looking at her.
He strode towards her to reclaim her glass and positioned it with his on the table. Placing one hand on each side of her face, he gazed into her eyes before whispering, “I have to kiss you again.”
He did just that, his hands never leaving her face, whilst hers hung limply at her sides. She’d lost all ability to move. After bestowing her with another toe curling, passionate kiss, he pulled back to stare into her eyes once more.
“What are you doing to me?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“I should go and start dinner otherwise we’ll never eat and although I would prefer to stand here and kiss you all night, I’m hungry,” he told her in a husky tone. He then gestured to one of the chairs, “stay here and make yourself comfortable, I’ll be back shortly.”
He disappeared inside to prepare dinner while she sat – actually more like fell – into the chair and tried to organise her jumbled mind.
About fifteen minutes later he returned, carrying two plates of a glorious smelling pasta dish, only to disappear again and return with the champagne in an ice bucket. He refilled her glass and placed it in front of her.
“This smells absolutely delicious. You made that fast.”
“I had most of it prepared. I just needed to cook it.”
“Well, aren’t you organised. By the way, are you trying to get me drunk?” she asked pointing to her full glass and his almost empty one.
“That’s the plan,” he grinned and her pulse quickened.
“Not so serious after all.”
“Not always.”
She began to eat her aromatic dinner and discovered it more delicious than it looked and smelled.
“This tastes heavenly. You are full of surprises.”
“I told you I like to cook.”
“Yes, but I never imagined it would be this good.”
Over dinner, Jared asked about her work and studied her as her face lit up. She spoke animatedly about her new patients and how much she was looking forward to finishing her studies. When she asked about the fire brigade, he told her how fulfilling yet heartbreaking his job could be. He proudly shared his promotion, how after only five years, because he’d shown such leadership and intuition, he was promoted to captain and given a team to command. Encompassed within this command, came the responsibility of arson investigation. She listened, fascinated, as he told her stories of rewarding rescues and grateful families of survivors. He purposely kept the subjects light to enable her to feel at ease; plenty of time to induce her to blush again after dinner.
As he cleared the dishes and refilled her glass once more, the sun began to set and the dusk provided a magnificent view over the ocean.
She was standing at the railing, watching the sun dip below the horizon, when he came to stand behind her, encircling her with his arms. He could smell the same undistinguishable scent on her hair and skin which was driving him to distraction. He kept his face close to her hair, his desire to bury his face in it intense. He craved to feel the silkiness and surround himself in her delicious aroma.
“The sunset is incredible.”
She sighed seductively, totally oblivious to the effect she was having upon him. Feeling a little light-headed from the champagne, she giggled when he nuzzled her neck.
“Not as incredible as you,” he breathed into her ear and returned to her neck to continue his trail of kisses.
She was blushing when she turned to him, her knees weak. She watched as his eyes turned a dark, steel blue.
“You’re a romantic, aren’t you?” she said to him sedately.
“You’d better believe it,” he said.
He buried his hands in her hair, drew her to him forcefully and kissed her passionately. He continued to tantalise her tongue and lips with his own for a few moments and then stopped so he could stare into her chocolate depths and enjoy the feel of her in his arms.
Her body tight against his was doing peculiar things to him, things he was not familiar with. He instantly recognized how easily it would be to fall in love with her. What he had mistaken for superficiality had actually been confidence hiding modesty and vulnerability. He was beginning to experience protective feelings towards her which were totally new and different. The overwhelming urge to shelter her was suddenly of the upmost importance, his mission in life. Wow, how corny was that? He wanted to kiss her again.
Reluctantly he pulled back after taking her lips again, to return his gaze to her face. The unwillingness to leave her mouth was rewarded by her expression. The pink flush in her cheeks was alluring and he agonised over the prospect of preventing their attraction going any further. He did not want casual with this girl, he did not want to enter into anything carelessly, even though for the first time in his life he craved with every cell of his body to ignore the cautious warnings in his mind.
“You are driving me wild, babe. I don’t want to enter into anything thoughtlessly and right now I cannot think.”
“Neither can I. I know you’re not interested in anything casual and for the first time I’m not either.”
They stood holding each other for what they wished were endless minutes as neither of them wanted the evening to end. They shared intense kisses as they stood entwined together.
Charlotte realised suddenly the emotions emanating within her were something she’d never encountered before. How was it possible that this was the same man she’d thought to be so abrasive when, in fact, he was the most passionate, romantic and intense man she’d ever come across? What she’d thought was a judgmental attitude had merely been honesty.
“I really don’t want to break up the party, gorgeous, but it’s getting late and I think I should take you home.”
They drove in comfortable silence and it remained as he walked her to the door. He kissed her tenderly on the lips and told her he would call her the next day.
Charlotte floated up to her room and lay in bed thinking about the things they'd wanted to do to each other but resisted.
All the way home Jared thought about the pleasant dreams he hoped he would have that night.
Chapter 11
Faith
Charlotte glided through work the following day as if in a dream while waiting nervously for the phone to ring. When it shrilled for what felt like the hundredth time at three, she’d given up expecting to hear the voice she longed to hear.
“Good afternoon, Charlotte. How did you sleep?” Her heart fluttered when she head his deep serious tone.
“Restlessly.”
“Me too,” he continued softly. “What are you doing tonight?
“I was thinking about inviting this sexy guy I know over to cook for me but he was busy, so I might ask you instead.”
He laughed a deep throaty sound and she felt her blood turn to liquid fire.
“Don’t tease me, babe.”
“I guess this means I’ll see you at my house after work?’ she grinned.
“I’ll be there by seven.”
“Looking forward to it.”
As soon as she’d hung up, Martin sauntered over.
“It sounds to me like your love life is looking as bright as mine.”
“Have you met someone too?”
“Yes, I’m hoping to go out with her this week sometime but she is playing hard to get.”
“Oh, well, keep at it.”
“I intend to,” he replied with a devious smile.
Charlotte wasn’t sure what to make of Dr Shaw. He appeared to have backed off and given up on his pursuit of a flirtation with her. His smile and words however left her feeling a strange uneasiness she couldn’t quite comprehend.
* * *
When Jared’s phone rang on his desk, he was completing his monthly crew member evaluations and was happy for the disruption; the reports were tedious but necessary.
“Captain Montgomery.”
/> “Hi, sweetheart.”
“Hi, Mum. Sorry, I was going to call.”
“I know you’re busy and with a new girl, I hear.”
“If you’re talking about Charlotte, then, yes, I have met someone but we’ve only had dinner.”
“Yes, Mitchell informed me you seem very interested.”
“Yeah, I think I am, Mum.”
“I’m so pleased to hear you’re happy, Jared. You are the sweetest boy, you always have been, and you deserve some happiness.”
“Thanks, Mum. I was a little concerned about her at first.”
“Why is that?”
“She reminded me of Emma.”
“Does she still?”
“No, she’s different from what I first thought”
“Do you think she will make you happy?”
“She already is, and I hardly know her.” He doodled on paper as he spoke, Charlotte’s face filling his mind.
“Be open to it, darling. You are too shut off sometimes.”
“Yes, I know, Mum. I’m just afraid of falling in love with her and finding out I was right about her.”
“You can’t be afraid of what might happen. If you feel strongly about her, then you have to try.”
“I will. She’s Chelsea’s sister.”
“Oh, Lucas’ new wife, lovely girl, I’ve met her once. She comes from nice people, Jared.”
“I know, I just hope she … anyway she’s amazing and I really like her.”
“I like hearing the light in your voice, sweetheart. Your dad and I will be visiting in a couple of months. Maybe we’ll meet her then.”
“I expect it might be a possibility.”
“Good, take care, Jared. Love you.”
“Love you too, Mum.”
Talking to his mother reminded him about having faith in people. She’d always believed one should look for the best in people and never be judgmental. He’d always valued this philosophy himself until he had had his faith destroyed. He was ready to trust Charlotte and hoped she wouldn’t shatter his return to hope.
Shaking his head to clear his mind, he spent the remainder of the morning trying to concentrate and contain his urge to call her. Although he was eager to hear her voice, he didn’t want to appear too enthusiastic. He didn’t want to frighten her off by being too pushy as he was known to be.
After completing his evaluations, he decided to re-read the arson files to have everything clear in his head for when Maggie arrived. She was coming to see him about one and he decided he would make the call to Charlotte after that.
Concentrating on the task at hand, he began to read. Both fires burned hot, fierce and fast which indicated the blaze would have spread quickly. This meant something fuelling the blaze. Both had been ignited in the same manner using an accelerant on the curtains and floor from the front to the rear exit, which he’d probably left from.
Both girls were most likely unconscious when the fires were lit and were concealed, making it difficult to locate them quickly, thus exposing them longer to the blaze. This was a deliberate act and would suggest the perpetrator certainly didn’t want these girls to survive.
When Maggie arrived promptly at one he was prepared with the two files on his desk, ready to assist in any way possible.
“Good morning, Jared,” Maggie said to him as she entered his office. “Wasn’t it a lovely wedding on the weekend? Always reminds me I have a romantic side.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“So, I thought I would come by and update you on the Medical Examiner's findings on both girls and see if this corroborates with your findings.”
“Go ahead.”
“Ok, both girls were rendered unconscious with a blunt object. The ME concluded the impression left indicated that the butt of a pistol was used. The blow alone wouldn’t have been enough to kill them. The cause of death for both girls was smoke inhalation. If the girls had regained consciousness, or been conscious and able to escape the blaze, with the third degree burns they sustained to approximately 60% of their bodies, it may not have been enough to kill them – as you would know from experience – but would cause significant damage. This would indicate to me the perp wanted to ensure they wouldn’t make it out alive. These murders were planned and definitely appear to be premeditated and not just a murder of opportunity.”
“This seems consistent with my findings. The fires both burned intensely and generated a lot of heat as indicated by the colour of the flames. Even though the fire was lit a few rooms from where they’d been positioned, they both would have been exposed to a lot of smoke and quickly. Dense smoke would have reached them before the flames did. This guy knows how a fire burns and knew where to light it so she would be exposed to large amounts of smoke before the flames reached her. He has probably started many fires before this one. I have gone back through our database for you, to see whether any fires have been logged with a similar MOs and I wasn’t able to find any here which resulted in a death. There have been numerous arson fires over the last few years without a victim. He could be responsible for one of dozens logged in the system, possibly more. I wouldn’t rule out he may have been doing it elsewhere either.”
“Good and bad news, eh? We may be able to trace him if he has used the same MO with a victim somewhere else. I will run the information through our databases to see if there have been any incidences in the surrounding areas or interstate.”
“I will see what I can find out for you as well.”
“Great, much appreciated. Is there anything else which might help us?”
“Well, I saw no indication of forced entry. Even though sometimes the fire damages evidence of this, signs can still be discovered. The doors to the house, apart from where he probably exited, were all closed and locked and they appeared to be intact. All the windows that were broken had been broken by the fire and hadn’t been broken prior. In my experience, I would say these girls probably let the guy in. I’m not absolutely certain of this but from the evidence I found and examined, this is my assessment.”
“So they possibly knew him quite well?” Maggie brought a hand to her chin as she absorbed the information Jared gave her before jotting it down in her notebook.
“That would be my guess.”
“Even if he did break in, doesn’t mean she didn’t know him. This is the direction we’re going at the moment, how the girls knew each other or how they were connected.”
“Let me know if you need any clarification on any leads or information you might find. I have seen quite a few arson cases with and without victims involved and sometimes little things can indicate a fire bug.”
“Will do, thanks for your info, Jared.”
“No problem, I hope you catch this guy. My job is hard enough without someone deliberately setting things alight.” He offered a brief sombre half smile followed by a frown.
After Maggie left, Jared rang Charlotte and was pleasantly surprised at his physical reaction to speaking with her again. He was overwhelmed by the incredible connection he was having with this girl.
Once he finished for the day he went home to change and then headed to the store to purchase what he needed to cook for her again. With an elated smile on his face he headed towards Charlotte’s house.
Chapter 12
Pampered
The knock at the door just before seven sent a thrill of anticipation through Charlotte. She was still astonished by the strong attraction and connection she felt toward Jared.
In the past she’d kept her relationships fairly casual as she’d usually liked to leave her options open but, for the first time, she looked forward to getting to know one man and wasn’t even interested in looking elsewhere. This was a new experience for her and she was enjoying the ride. Open to the possibility of a long term relationship and filling the void of loneliness she’d been experiencing of late, Charlotte was excited about the prospect of falling in love for the first time. She knew it was too soon to think that far ahead but she was o
pen to the new experience nonetheless.
“Hey there, handsome,” she said enticingly as she opened the door. “Oh, sorry, I was expecting someone else.”
“You better not be,” he replied.
He dropped his shopping bags, drew her into a strong embrace before kissing her tenderly on the lips.
“Which way to the kitchen, I’m hungry?” he said once he’d released her.
She walked towards the back of the house and to the right. The kitchen was separated from the sitting room by the stairs which went up the centre where they also divided the top half of the house.
From the kitchen to the right was the dining room with a sliding door leading out to the back patio and a beautiful garden matching the front. It was a modern, comfortable and charming house.
“Nice place.”
“Thanks, but its Chelsea and Lucas’s. Oh, but you already know that.” She blushed. “I’m just staying here until I can find a place. I kind of feel like the fifth wheel around here. At least I have the place to myself until they get home next Monday afternoon.”
“When they do, you will just have to spend more time at my place.”
“Oh, will I now, big man? You are jumping ahead aren’t you?”
“I like to plan ahead and I like the idea of seeing more of you.” His intense gaze sent shivers over her skin and desire to haze her mind.
“I bet you do,” she said. She took the bottle of wine from his hand and proceeded to open it. “Well, get to work.”
He placed his shopping on the counter, strode over to her and kissed her intensely.
“Stop being cheeky, young lady, or I won’t feed you.”
“Ok, you win. I’m famished and need to be fed.”
Charlotte poured them both a glass of wine and watched him working his magic on the stove. This only caused her blood to run hot again. She was amazed that a sexy, sweet, romantic man was in her house cooking her a fabulous smelling dinner.