by Gerri Hill
Had. She had an older brother. Their eyes held, Andrea silently asking the question.
“He was killed in Afghanistan,” she finally said. “I have a grandfather still living, but we don’t speak.”
“Your dad’s father?” she guessed.
“Yes. He thinks I should forgive my father, that I should go visit him in prison.” She gave a quick smile. “Like hell I will.”
“No, I don’t blame you.” Andrea hesitated before asking her next question. “How long have you been alone? I mean, since your brother—”
“He was killed eight years ago. Andrea, it’s hard to explain, but when you’re both on assignments, there’s not really time to have a relationship. There are so many normal things you miss out on. When we were younger, at home, we were brother and sister. But once we went our separate ways in life, we just lost touch, you know. A year would go by and we hadn’t spoken. I hate that he was killed, of course, but he wasn’t really a part of my life, other than he was my brother. We didn’t really even know each other anymore.”
“So you’re just used to being on your own? Used to being alone?”
“Yes. I try not to become dependent on anyone. Besides, when you have to pack and leave on a moment’s notice, you really never have time to get dependent on anyone.” She shrugged. “The people in my life that I’ve let get close to me are gone. My parents, my brother. Lovers. Teams. It’s always a tragic ending. I think I’d rather be alone than suffer through any more of those. Any adventures I have now, I prefer to do them alone.”
Andrea watched as she continued to stroke the kitten, wondering if Cameron really believed her own words. She supposed Cameron did believe them, but it made Andrea realize she was living pretty much the same way. Alone. Since the ambush, she’d shunned nearly all contact, leaving behind good friends in Los Angeles without even bothering with goodbyes. She’d settled here in Sedona, but she still kept to herself, trying not to get too involved in anyone’s life—and keeping them out of hers. But were they both sacrificing too much? Were they merely existing in life and not really living? Yes, Andrea knew that was the case for her. For some reason, the thought that Cameron had been doing the same disturbed her. Cameron was a beautiful woman with—once you got to know her—a charming personality. She suspected the arrogant and conceited sides of her were mostly for show. And mostly to keep people away. A lonely existence, but one which Andrea could definitely relate to.
Tonight though, she decided she didn’t want to be alone. She reached over, stilling Cameron’s hand as it moved across Lola’s soft fur. When Cameron looked up, meeting her eyes, Andrea leaned closer. Their kiss was soft, lips barely touching. Then Cameron shifted, bringing her closer. Andrea moaned at the contact, opening to her, the lingering taste of wine still on Cameron’s tongue.
“You want to stay with me tonight?” Cameron whispered, her lips still hovering over Andrea’s.
“Yes.” Then, “Do you want me to?”
As if reading her thoughts, Cameron nodded. “I don’t want to be alone tonight either.”
There wasn’t any preamble as Cameron led her through the motor home and into her bedroom. Andrea stood still as Cameron slowly unbuttoned her blouse. Silly, but Andrea was thankful she’d worn the tiny red bra when she saw Cameron’s eyes travel across her bared torso. When Cameron’s fingers went to remove the bra, Andrea stopped her, tugging at Cameron’s T-shirt instead. Cameron lifted her arms, letting Andrea remove it. She would have expected nothing other than the sleek black sports bra that greeted her, but her gaze was fixed on the nasty scar slashed across Cameron’s shoulder as it disappeared under her bra. She raised her eyes, meeting Cameron’s, but Cameron shook her head, leaning closer for a light kiss.
“A story for another time,” she said, letting her lips linger.
Andrea pushed the thought of the scar away, giving in to her desires. They’d had enough stories for one night. Now, she just wanted to lose herself in Cameron’s arms and forget about everything. She suspected Cameron wanted the same.
She didn’t protest when Cameron’s fingers unsnapped her bra. Their eyes held as Cameron’s touch moved across her skin, slowly pushing the garment aside. Despite knowing where those fingers would end up, Andrea gasped when they touched her. Involuntarily, her eyes closed and she moaned, loving the way her body responded to Cameron’s hands on her breasts. Her nipples were rock hard from Cameron’s touch, aching for more. Again, as if reading her mind, Cameron ducked her head, her warm breath fluttering across Andrea’s skin. Andrea leaned her head back, offering herself to Cameron.
She groaned loudly when that hot mouth finally settled over her, Cameron’s tongue snaking out to twirl around her nipple.
“Feels so good, Cameron,” she murmured, letting her hands thread into Cameron’s hair as she held her tight against her breast. “So good.”
And, oh, so long since she’d made love with anyone, her body was on fire. Cameron’s hands slipped down to her hips, pulling Andrea against her body and Andrea let herself be molded to Cameron, again moaning at the intimate contact. She could feel wetness between her legs and she welcomed it, having gone so long without this kind of touch.
Cameron’s lips left her breast, returning to her mouth. Their kisses were fiery hot now, wet and hard as hands moved freely across the other’s skin. Andrea impatiently shoved Cameron’s bra up, exposing her breasts. Cameron pulled away enough to slip it over her head and Andrea’s hands cupped her. Cameron’s breasts were small and responsive to her touch, the nipples cutting into her palms. Her eyes were glued to the nasty scar that stopped an inch from her nipple. She wanted to touch it with her mouth, but Cameron had other ideas as fingers fought with the button and zipper of Andrea’s jeans, loosening them enough to allow her hand inside.
They were within feet of the bed, but Cameron couldn’t wait. Andrea spread her legs, feeling Cameron’s hand inside the protective layer of her panties. She clung to her, accepting Cameron’s tongue into her mouth at the same instant long fingers slipped into her wetness. She pressed hard against those fingers as they filled her. It had been so long, she’d nearly forgotten the sensation of having someone inside her.
“You’re so wet,” Cameron whispered, her mouth nibbling at her neck, causing Andrea to moan with pleasure.
“Yes. Are you?” Andrea gasped as her hips jerked, meeting Cameron’s thrust.
“Yes. I can’t wait for you to touch me.”
Andrea bit down against her shoulder as Cameron’s fingers slipped out of her, moving over her aching clit instead. Andrea moved wildly against her fingers, panting against Cameron’s skin, feeling the first signs of her approaching orgasm. Yes, it had been so long and she wanted to draw it out, savor it, make it last. But her body—apparently starving for release—wouldn’t prolong her pleasure. Her breath caught, held tight within her as she climaxed. She covered Cameron’s hand with her own, pressing fingers hard against her, pulling out every last ounce of pleasure as her hips slowed their movements, rocking gently now against Cameron’s hand, finally stilling altogether.
“Cameron,” she said quietly, her mouth moving, finding lips waiting. Soft, slow, gentle kisses now, nothing hurried about them. “That was wonderful,” she murmured.
“We’ve got all night, if you want.”
Andrea’s hands found Cameron’s jeans, slowly sliding the zipper down. “Let me make love to you,” she whispered, guiding Cameron to the bed. “I so want to touch you, be inside you.” She paused. “It’s been so long since—”
“I know.” Cameron smiled gently against her lips. “And we’ve got all night.”
Chapter Nineteen
“Are you sure this has a high probability?” Andrea asked as they stood at the trailhead. “The trail is brutal after the first mile. Rocks. Boulders. The trail is hardly visible.”
Cameron stared at her, letting her eyes travel freely now. After the way they’d spent the night—and morning—Cameron thought she had the right. And
rea turned, catching her watching. She cocked an eyebrow, waiting.
“Yes,” she said, clearing her throat. “Yes, high probability.”
Andrea walked slowly toward her, their eyes locked together. “Seriously? You have the energy to check out my ass?” Andrea asked.
Cameron grinned. “I have the energy to do much more than just look.”
“How can you possibly?”
“Want me to show you?”
Andrea smiled, reaching out to touch her arm. “Surprisingly, even in my exhausted state, that thought is alluring,” she admitted. “But no. Let’s climb some boulders in the heat of the day. We’ll try to kill ourselves that way instead.”
Cameron laughed and followed her along the trail. “I told you we should have come out at daybreak.”
“Don’t start with me. It was you who wouldn’t get out of bed.”
Cameron didn’t contradict that, but they both knew it was Andrea whose hands and mouth wouldn’t stay still this morning. Not that Cameron had minded, of course. The night had been far too enjoyable to bring it to a close. And as much as she’d professed to enjoy her solitude, it was nice waking up with Andrea in her arms, nice having her there as they showered and then shared muffins and coffee.
The algorithm she’d set to run before dinner the night before had returned some results. Devil’s Rock Trail ranking a whopping seventy percent. As soon as she mentioned the trail name, Andrea told her that her algorithm “sucks.” No way would he use Devil’s Rock Trail, she said. But results are results and Cameron didn’t even pretend to be smarter than the guys who’d written the programs in the first place. She’d talked Andrea into at least taking a look.
Now here they were, the trail taking them up the edge of Coyote Canyon. As Andrea had warned, after the first mile—which wasn’t easy in itself—the trail deteriorated drastically. Cameron was having a hard time keeping up as Andrea scampered over the rocks like a mountain goat.
“Come on, Agent Ross, you’re lagging behind,” Andrea called.
Cameron stopped and looked up, finding Andrea standing proudly on a huge boulder some fifty feet above her. “Show off,” she muttered. She struggled over the rocks, finally reaching Andrea. She rested her hands on her hips, taking in big gulps of air. “I guess you’re right,” she said. “This trail sucks.”
“I’m sorry. Perhaps your algorithm didn’t account for the difficulty of the terrain.”
“No, it should have. I entered all that data. Elevation gain, trail rating, altitude, everything.”
“Well, then maybe the coordinates are off. This trail doesn’t dead end. If we follow it long enough, it goes into Coyote Canyon where the rock slab—Devil’s Rock—is. Maybe we should have started on that end, near Oak Creek,” she suggested.
“No. The program accounts for that.”
“Okay, then—” Andrea stopped, looking past her, her eyes to the sky.
“What is it?” Cameron asked, turning.
“Vultures. Maybe your algorithm wasn’t that far off.” Andrea climbed higher. “Let me have your binoculars.”
Cameron pulled them out of her pack, handing them up to Andrea.
“That’s the Devil’s Playground over there,” she said. “Even though it’s close to this, the trailhead starts on the east side of the canyon.” She lowered the glasses. “Maybe that’s why your algorithm picked this trail. It’s closest to the target.”
“Just because there are vultures, that doesn’t mean there’s a body,” Cameron said.
“No. That trail is pretty popular. Especially in the mornings. The rocks make a great backdrop for the sunrise.”
Cameron held her hand out to Andrea. “Okay, come on. Let’s go take a look.”
Andrea took her hand, sliding off of the boulder beside her. Totally unprofessional, yes, but Cameron couldn’t help it. She tugged on Andrea’s hand, pulling her closer. She didn’t ask. She simply lowered her head, kissing Andrea hard on the lips. That proved to be a mistake as one kiss brought back all the desire, the arousal, from last night. Andrea moaned, deepening the kiss. Before Cameron knew what was happening, they were locked in a tight embrace, hands moving freely, tongues battling.
Andrea boldly cupped her hips, pulling their lower bodies together. Cameron groaned at the contact, all of her senses coming alive again. She wanted to rip Andrea’s clothes off right then and there and make love to her. She didn’t care that they were standing in the middle of a rock pile, the midday sun blazing down on them.
Andrea must have sensed her intentions and she pulled away, her breath coming fast, as was Cameron’s. “Damn.”
“Sorry.” Cameron took a step back, away from her. “Way unprofessional. It’s just—”
“I know. Me too.” Andrea took a deep breath then motioned down the trail. “Shall we?”
Andrea had a bad feeling as they took the more moderate trail to Devil’s Playground. It was easy hiking, the trail wooded, not exposed like Devil’s Rock. But she was having a hard time keeping focused. She could feel Cameron’s eyes on her, and it made her heart beat just a little faster. She had to admit that she was the one who kept them in bed that morning, not Cameron. Andrea didn’t know if it was just the fact that she’d gone three years without intimacy or what, but she simply could not get enough of Cameron Ross. Even earlier, on the trail, she wanted so badly to slip her hands under Cameron’s shirt and touch flesh. She could imagine her wetness and in her mind, she remembered the way it felt to go inside her, feeling Cameron tighten around her fingers. She remembered the hardness of Cameron’s nipples and how they felt in her mouth. And she remembered the taste of Cameron as she went down on her, the glorious sounds Cameron made as Andrea had feasted.
She nearly stumbled as her vision blurred, her mind’s eye seeing them as they’d been in Cameron’s bed—naked and uninhibited.
“You okay?”
Andrea nodded but didn’t dare turn around. She knew Cameron would read her thoughts in an instant. “This trail is about four miles in,” she said, trying to stay focused on the case.
“Easy walking?”
“Yes.”
“Andrea?”
“Yes?”
“Can we stop a second?”
“No.”
“Please?”
Andrea stopped but still didn’t turn around. Cameron walked in front of her, meeting her eyes.
“It’s okay what we did, Andrea,” Cameron said, her voice quiet. “You’re not...you’re not regretting it, are you? You’re not feeling guilty over it, right?”
Andrea smiled. “No. But thank you.” She took a deep breath. “Quite the opposite, actually. I’m trying to stay focused on the case and not on the fact that I want to make love with you all over again.” She was surprised by the relief Cameron showed.
“Oh. Good. Because, earlier, I was out of line. And I didn’t want you to think—”
“Cameron, last night, I needed that. I think we both needed that. I just didn’t realize I would enjoy it so much,” she admitted with a quick smile. “Or that I might want to do it again.”
“Okay. I’m glad you feel that way. But I just want us to be able to work together too. I don’t want this to be a distraction.”
“Then quit kissing me in the middle of a rock field,” Andrea teased. “Now come on. Let’s see what the vultures have found.”
They walked on in silence, side-by-side, stopping occasionally for a sip of water. When they were nearly three miles in, Andrea pointed across the ravine.
“That’s where we were earlier,” she said, spotting the rock pile off in the distance.
“That is close. But that trail doesn’t hook up with this one?”
“No. That one goes up the side of the canyon then drops down into it. Great views, but it’s rated difficult, especially from this end. Where the trailhead starts on the other end of the canyon, it’s a lot easier hiking. This one dead-ends,” she said. “It goes to the base of the canyon. Its lure is the Playground w
ith all the different rock formations. Devil’s Kitchen, Devil’s Piano, Devil’s Bridge,” she explained. “But it’s an easy hike all the way in.”
As they got closer, the smell of rotting flesh hit them. She glanced at Cameron, who nodded.
“Decomp,” she said.
The vultures took flight as they approached and Andrea’s gaze landed on Devil’s Bridge. A body was laid out on the rock slab.
“There,” she said.
They hurried, climbing over the fallen rocks of the ages-old arch that had fallen, making the bridge. Cameron stopped up short, her gasp loud, the sound hanging around them in the still air.
“Oh, my God,” she murmured.
She turned around quickly, away from the body, and Andrea noticed the color had faded from her face. She was ghostly white.
“Cameron? What is it?”
Cameron just shook her head, moving farther away. She took her cell phone out, then paused before connecting, her eyes squeezed closed.
Andrea glanced at the body, finally realizing that it was a man, not the young college student they were expecting.
“Murdock? We found Collie,” Cameron said, her voice thick with emotion.
Andrea jerked her head around, finally understanding Cameron’s reaction to the body.
“He’s...Christ, Murdock, he’s out here like the others. We found him. The goddamn son of a bitch killed him.”
Andrea stared at the body, seeing the now-familiar gaping hole where his throat had been sliced, just like the others. It was shredded, as the vultures had started in on it. She took a deep breath, her eyes still glued to the body. This was intentional. Surely it wasn’t just a coincidence that Agent Collie was a victim.
She walked closer to Cameron, the sound of her voice agitated now as she explained how they’d found him. Andrea noticed the tight grip Cameron had on the phone, the furrowed brow, the clenching of her jaw. She was about to reach out a comforting hand when her own cell rang. She took a step away, answering quickly.
“Sullivan.”