The Crimson Z

by Robert Cloud, Lee Rush, Richard Savage

  Even in sweats after a run, he'd always managed to look as if he'd stepped off a GQ page. His looks combined with his Adonis physic were a lethal combination, and the reason she'd been surprised when she'd learned he was a successful banker. In her mind, the word banker had brought to mind images of a grizzle-haired man with a paunch not an athletic, drop-dead gorgeous man.

  She took a soda from the tin washbasin filled with ice and cans.

  "A beer?” she asked, automatically reaching for the brand she knew he preferred. Strange the things people remembered. How you could know so much about a person without really knowing them.

  He nodded, his gaze drifting toward the v in her swimsuit. “Thanks."

  He popped the tab then took a drink.

  "So, I heard you bought a house,” he said as they strolled through the kitchen door onto the broad covered veranda overlooking a sloping lawn and sandy beach.

  "I moved in yesterday and found a skeleton in my basement this afternoon,” she said, with a wry grin, her gaze following a thin band of orange resting on the horizon.

  "Seriously?"

  "Really.” Their gazes met, and Anne didn't have any trouble reading the male hunger in his eyes. At one time it would have unsettled her, perhaps even sent her scurrying for cover, but this time it made her feel attractive and desirable.

  Muted melodies from speakers hidden in the foliage drifted around them. “Would you like to dance?” He offered her his hand, then looked toward the couples on the lawn swaying to the soft, sensual melodies. Some completely out of sync with the music, their hips creating a sensual rhythm of their own.

  "That would be nice.” Anne placed her palm against his, glad she had come. She had taken a new road, destination unknown, and she was happy to see where it took her.

  Virginia circled the couple moving with the music, anticipation humming through her. The virile hunger in the fellow's eyes could singe and satisfy all at the same time.

  "Annie, let's have some fun with this one. I have a feeling he knows how to take his time and savor the moment, and the fact that he's totally smitten with you doesn't hurt."

  All she had to do was to keep whispering suggestive remarks to help the cause. Anne seemed to be very receptive to her suggestions even though she was unaware of her presence.

  Virginia paused and studied Anne. She was looking at her partner with wide eyes full of lust and uncertainty. What had happened to make Annie-girl so insecure, so unwilling to take risks? The fact that she cared about Anne surprised Virginia. When she was alive, she probably wouldn't have given the retiring young woman a second look, writing her off as a prude, but spending decades with only her own thoughts as company had sobered her, softened her self-centered outlook on life. She sensed there was a lot more to Annie Kemper than met the eye. She suspected she was a woman worthy of a special man.

  Jason's hand slid to the small of Annie's back, drawing Virginia's attention back to the couple moving in time to the sensual tune. Invisible lips twitched at the sight of his arousal stretching the spandex of his scrap of a swimsuit. If he was any bigger the tip of his arousal would be peeking out of his suit. She drifted closer to them, leaning over Annie's shoulder. “He's hot to trot, girl. Give him a reason to hope."

  Annie closed the distance between them, sandwiching his arousal between their bodies.

  "That's it, Annie. Relax, have fun, let your hair down."

  Virginia floated on her back toward Jason until her head was level with his shoulder. “Treat her right,” she murmured in his ear. “And if you don't, you'll have me to answer to."

  Chapter Four

  Anne watched the slender fingers of the bonfire stretch into the inky black sky. Music drifted on the breeze, mingling with the sound of the water slapping against the dock. Couples had long since given up on dancing and had gathered around the fire on the beach. Some to kiss, others to stroke their bodies. Anne marveled at their lack of inhibitions. In spite of her actions this afternoon, some of her reserve still remained.

  The evening had played out pretty much as Anne had expected it would. Couples danced, touching, and teasing. Now, as midnight approached, couples wandered to secluded spots just beyond the reach of the light of the flames. What she hadn't expected was that she would have enjoyed the evening so much. Jason had proved to be a perfectly entertaining and provocative partner.

  Anne surveyed the scene, sliding the delicate pendant hanging from the chain around her neck back and forth. Debra was in the water with a new conquest. Their swimsuits dangled from the branch of a tree over hanging the water. Anne grinned, amazed at her friend's insatiable appetite where men were concerned. Perhaps it was catching if today was any indication.

  Anne snuck a glance at Jason who sat on the blanket beside her. His forearm rested on his knee, and his gaze was focused on the slender orange flames dancing along the huge logs of the bonfire. He'd teased and flirted all evening, delivering a subtle foreplay that had managed to both arouse and relax her at the same time.

  "Would you like to dance again?” he offered.

  "Not really.” Pushing aside doubt, Anne leaned forward, sliding her hand around the nape of his neck. Then, she leaned forward until she could touch her lips to the corner of his mouth. Her boldness surprised her. She wasn't sure what had happened today, but she was willing to ride the tide for a time and see where it carried her. She was changing and, surprisingly, she was enjoying the learning curve.

  She kissed him again, this time full on the lips. His lips parted slightly, and she touched the tip of her tongue along his lower lip. He opened, and she slid her tongue into his mouth, circling his tongue, then drawing back, hoping he would follow. He cupped her head with his hands, dipping and tasting, a full partner in a provocative and primitive dance, but not taking a lead.

  Anne placed her hands against his chest. His nipples, taught buds, pushed into her palms. The uneven plain of his chest intrigued her. The warmth radiating off his skin, the silky texture, and the silky abrasion of the soft whorls of hair, fascinated her. Her hands slid lower following the trail of curls leading to his groin. With the back of her first knuckle, she followed the outline of his arousal straining against the scrap of spandex covering his privates.

  Jason sucked in a sharp ragged breath, his hips twitched at the deliberately arousing touch.

  He pulled back just enough so that he could look into her eyes. “I really don't expect sex, regardless of the mood of the crowd."

  "But I want sex.” Anne recognized her voice and acknowledged the truth in her words. But still, it was still a surprise to hear the sentiment slide so frankly through her own lips.

  His expression sobered. “I'd rather make love, but I'm too horny to debate terminology,” he said, offering his hand. “Let's find some privacy."

  She took his hand. He brought her up with him as he stood. He cupped her face, then kissed her, a light brush across her lips, yet not tentative, but rather an invitation and a promise. She leaned toward him, aware of the heat and tension radiating from his body.

  His arm around her waist, they strolled along the beach. The muffled moan of pleasure rose from behind a granite boulder. Jason looked down at her then grinned. “Just a little further,” he whispered. He led her around a rocky point, to a small crescent beach with a granite pebble beach.

  He drew her toward a small private enclosure formed by the root of a fallen tree. Private, yet with a view of the cove. Moonlight danced on the rippling surface of the water. She placed her palms on the trunk of the tree, hoping he would make the next move. Her uncharacteristic boldness was starting to falter.

  "It's beautiful here,” she murmured, ill at ease with the silence swelling between them.

  "Not half as beautiful as you,” he whispered as he curled his hands around her shoulders, then dropped a kiss at the crook of her neck. The light caress shivered across her skin in lazy, yet exhilarating, ripples.

  Her breath hitched as each heartbeat seemed to explode in h
er chest, and her heart responded to the sincerity in the softly spoken words. “Are you sure you haven't been taken over by an alien?” she teased. “The Jason I knew was so cold I thought I'd get frost bite if I got too close."

  She felt the warm puffs of his breath against the nape of her neck as he laughed. “I didn't have a choice. I knew if I touched you or you touched me, I wouldn't be able to stop from making you mine."

  At his predatory and provocative words, her breasts started to swell. She looked down. Needy nipples pushed against the fabric stretched across her chest, the taut points clearly visible through the spandex of her suit. They felt heavy and anxious to be free of their thin restraint.

  His hands slid across her shoulders, dragging the shoulder straps slowly over her shoulders and down her upper arms, peeling the suit over her breasts until they hung free. His hands slid around her ribs, then under her needy breasts. Anne sucked in a soft breath as his palms circled the soft, curved flesh, and she arched, letting her head ease back onto his shoulder. A wonderful lethargy spread through her limbs while the pulse between her legs throbbed, moisture leaking out with each beat.

  "What I want to do right now is peel that suit off you and bury myself as deep, hard, and fast as I can ... but.” He paused, then exhaled slowly before he continued, “I've waited too long for this moment to blow it now."

  "Don't take it too slowly,” she murmured, moving her legs apart to ease the throbbing ache blossoming at the apex of her thighs. The cautious woman inside of Anne lost the war with her waking wanton side. The heat of his body fuelled the hunger taking root deep in her sex. She slid her hands inside her suit, pushing it over her hips until it slid easily down her legs to her ankles.

  Jason sucked in a sharp breath. The large hands sliding down her ribs paused at her waist, then turned her around.

  Instinctively, her hands grasped the elastic of his suit and eased it over the bulge in his groin and down his legs. In the moonlight, Anne could see the helmet shaped head jerk upward as if delighting in its freedom. With a fingertip she slid her finger over the swollen organ, fascinated by the silky warmth of the smooth skin of the tip.

  "Please tell me I'm not dreaming, and you will not disappear,” he growled and caught her wrists.

  "You aren't dreaming, and I'm definitely not going to disappear,” she whispered, curling her hand around his rod. He closed his eyes, his breath catching. He'd hidden his feelings and desires well. Perhaps that had been for the best. Visible desire would have only made her more uncomfortable with him than the distance he'd held between them. “I can't believe you wanted me so badly."

  "I fell for you from the first moment you strolled into Mark's life,” he murmured, backing up, then sitting on a granite boulder, drawing her along with him.

  His frank declaration washed over her. Anne smiled with pure feminine satisfaction as she raked her fingers through his hair and straddled his legs, then lowered herself until her moist crotch pressed against his arousal.

  Jason leaned forward then took a peaked nipple into his mouth. Anne arched backward, his hands supporting her.

  "God, that's amazing,” she moaned as he sucked and laved her breast. “Please, don't stop."

  Though Sam had caressed her breasts, Jason's touch opened a whole new world of sensations, touching places and sparking sensations she'd only read about. She'd thought the authors had grossly exaggerated their reactions.

  When he released the nipple, she mewed a protest. She raked her fingers through his short wavy hair and drew his head to her other breast, the nub hard and hungry for his touch. She shifted her hips, enclosing his erection in her labial lips now slick from her pre-cum juices then lifting her hips slightly to stroke him with the moist core, almost laughing aloud at his groaned gasp of pleasure.

  "I want you inside me,” she said. Impatient vaginal muscles quivered in anticipation. She wanted him filling her, stroking her intimately, carrying her to a climax.

  Jason lifted his head, his thoughtful gaze meeting hers. He leaned over and kissed the tip of her taut nipple. “Your wish is my command, but not like this.” With a sweeping glance, he scanned the beach then muttered under his breath. “Damn."

  "What's wrong?"

  "Not a soft spot in sight. And I don't intend on taking you on a rocky beach."

  Anne followed his gaze. “I don't care."

  "I do,” he returned. “I don't want your first memory of sex with me being stones sticking in your back.” He met her gaze. “But I have an idea. If you're game, that is?"

  Anne wasn't sure what he had in mind, but she was more than willing to give it a try if it satisfied the ache between her legs. “What did you have in mind?"

  "Better yet.” He lifted her off his lap. “I'll show you.” He picked up her suit and draped it over the fallen log. “Turn around.” His hands slid down her arms, then eased her forward until her forearms rested on the thin fabric. His swollen cock rested in the crack of her butt cheeks.

  He was going to take her from behind. Another first. A shiver of anticipation tingled through her body and she parted her legs and pressed back against his groin. His hands skimmed over her hips to her pubis, then into the already slick labial lips. He found her clit, sensitized and screaming for more.

  He shifted his pole until it burrowed between her legs. He stroked the length of her sex with the tip of his penis. Each time the smooth, warm skin grazed her clit, she arched, pushing back, rocking until she felt the tip at the entrance of her sex. He slipped into the well-lubricated canal, thrusting his hands and her hips. “God, I wanted to take this slow, but—"

  A breath-stealing climax rolled through her body, strangled cries of pleasure bursting through her lips and mated with Jason's deep-voiced growl of satisfaction. Her legs went weak as aftershocks rolled through her body. She and was glad that he was holding her hips because her legs wouldn't have supported her.

  Jason sucked in a ragged breath, his chest heaving. In the wake of passion, he laid his forehead against her back. Her intimate muscles tightened and relaxed around his shaft. Anne closed her eyes sinking into disbelief. Jason MacIsaac was probably the last person she'd ever expected to have sex with, but never had anything felt more perfect or fulfilling.

  "Yes!” Virginia's silent exclamation filled her thoughts. Sensual energy flooded her essence, and she'd barely stopped herself from materializing when Annie and her partner reached the explosive apex of release. She floated on her back, drinking in the last of the sexual energy radiating from them. She watched the couple exchange lazy caresses, then Anne picked up her swimsuit, Jason grinned and took her hand pulling her toward the water before she could put it on. She floated behind them as they strolled across the pebbly beach then dove into the water.

  Virginia turned away, fighting both envy and sadness. She'd had many lovers, but only one true love. Only one man had looked at her the same way this man looked at Annie. She'd never had the chance to tell him just how much she loved him before a faceless murderer had stolen her life from her. Annie had to help her set things right, to find her murderer and let her speak to Clay one more time.

  "Annie, my girl, this one is definitely a keeper.” It was more than just the raw emotion in his eyes when he looked at her. When their energies blended together, it was sweet and powerful. Whether she knew it yet or not, Annie had found her soul mate.

  Chapter Five

  Several hours later, Anne returned home, exhausted but completely sated. Without turning on any lights, she went straight to her room, then stripped, dropping her clothes on the floor beside her bed. She thought about pulling on a tee shirt, but instead tossed back the puffy comforter and slid her legs between the smooth sheets. All she wanted right now was to sleep.

  She glanced at the red digital letters of her alarm clock. “Four thirty-two!” she exclaimed softly.

  Anne laid her head on the pillow, her thoughts spinning in spite of her body's fatigue. Could the events of the last twenty-four hours have act
ually have happened? With a long sigh, she pressed the back of her forearm across her eyes.

  "Can this day get any stranger?” she muttered.

  "Well, yes, actually, it could, and it's just about to, Annie my girl."

  At the sound of a feminine voice responding to her rhetorical question, Anne flung her arm away from her face and bolted upright in the bed. She sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of a semi-transparent figure of a woman with long brown hair who was perched on the footboard of the bed.

  "Great,” she muttered, closing her eyes and pressing her fingertips to her temples. “Now, I'm seeing things.” Anne dropped back on the bed, then whispered, “This is a figment of my over-sexed, over-stressed imagination."

  "I'm nothing of the sort! I'm Virginia Marshall ... or at least I was thirty years ago."

  "Was?” Anne whispered. She peeked through slitted eyes. She could see right through the luminescent figure to the wall and window opposite the foot of her bed. Goose bumps rose over her bare skin.

  "I thought about breaking the idea to you that you're sharing a house with a spook gradually, but that just isn't my style.” Humor tinted the words. “Sometimes it's better to take the plunge and get the shock over with right at the get go."

  Her heart thundering in her ears, Anne shut her eyes then said, “I don't believe in ghosts, spirits or apparitions.” The mantra slipped through her lips again. “I don't believe in ghosts. I don't—"

  "Then, it's time you did because I'm not leaving here until you help me find my murderer."

  Anne opened one eye and then the other. The transparent, luminous form of the woman seated on the end of her bed grinned. Then, the specter's gaze dropped to Anne's bare chest. Realization that she was bare from the waist up prompted her to grab a handful of bedding and pull it up to her armpits. The action earned a hearty chuckle from the specter now floating above the foot of the bed.