“Hmmm.” His deep rumble vibrated an extremely sensitive spot, making me catch my breath in hungry anticipation. “Look what I found.”
The first delicate touch of his tongue wrung a cry from my throat, every nerve ending pleading for more.
He chuckled. “Little sensitive yourself, darlin’?”
“It’s been…” Another gasp stole my breath as his tongue did something that should have been anatomically impossible. “…too long,” I managed before my eyes rolled back in my head and I ceased to think.
Luxuriating in the safety of trust, I gave myself utterly to his hands and mouth. Sparkles of delicious sensation swirled and gathered fast. Tingles sizzled inward, coalescing in my centre only to explode like fireworks.
Bucking mindlessly in the grip of ecstasy, I floated for endless moments before returning slowly to a deeper ache of hunger.
“Arnie…” I panted. “I need you…”
His chuckle was full of joy. “Got ya covered, darlin’. Just wait’ll I get covered…”
The sound of a condom wrapper promised the reward I craved. A moment later strong arms lifted my hips and my eyelids fluttered half-open to see him kneeling between my legs, his hot gaze stroking my body.
“Please…” The word wrenched out of me.
Holding my lower body off the bed, he slid into me. Slow, easy strokes filled me while he adjusted the height and angle of my hips until I cried out in sudden bliss.
“There! Ohmigod, there! Yes… harder… ohmigod… Arnie…!” My words blurred into inarticulate cries while he increased his tempo, thrusting home again and again until my mind shattered into brilliant points of ecstasy and my body spasmed out of control. In the last bare moments of awareness I heard his deep-throated groan as he reached his own climax, and then there was nothing but hot sensation and glorious release.
Sometime later I eased out of his embrace, my body rubbery with satisfaction.
“Goin’ so soon?” he mumbled, his eyes half-closed.
“Yeah. I need a shower, and we can still make it to the farm by ten-thirty.”
“Mm.” He rolled over and sat up, grinning. “Seems to me I still owe ya a nice long hot shower.”
I eyed him appreciatively, taking note of an outstanding portion of his anatomy. “Okay, as long as we’re at the farm by eleven.”
We made it by eleven-fifteen. Chagrin gripped me as I surveyed the numerous cars already parked in front of the house.
“Shit, what…?” I began, only to slap my forehead. “Oh shit! I forgot all the bridesmaids and groomsmen would be coming here, and there’s probably a hairdresser and a florist and God only knows what else…”
In the driver’s seat of the Forester, Hellhound shifted nervously. “I’m, uh… gonna go check the perimeter.”
“Good plan. I’ll come with you.”
He shook his head, grinning. “Sorry, darlin’. Ya gotta go in there. This’s your show.”
“Not my circus; not my monkeys,” I objected. “I’m just the security detail.”
“Nice try.” He leaned over and kissed me. “Go on. I’ll be out here if ya need me.”
Heart thumping, I trudged toward the front door.
Dammit, I should have told Brock to arrive earlier with the security scanner. Karma’s plan to keep vehicles away from the house had already gone down in flames, and any number of bombs or weapons could have been smuggled inside under the cover of gifts or wedding paraphernalia.
Inside, it was just as bad as I’d expected. Far too many bodies; all of them in a state of nervous anticipation. Over in a corner of the kitchen I spotted Karma and Moonbeam, even their massive equanimity looking frayed around the edges. Daniel was whooping and running up and down the hall again, dodging young men in boxer shorts and tuxedo shirts and young women in dressing gowns, full makeup, and curlers.
Alicia emerged from my bedroom, turning to say something to Kane behind her. He nodded and scooped Daniel up and the three of them went out the back door, lowering the decibel level only slightly.
I was sidling toward Karma and Moonbeam when Lola popped out of one of the bedrooms and hurried over to buttonhole me, her eyes sparkling with unholy glee.
“What?” I asked warily as she tugged me out onto the front porch.
She pulled the door closed behind us, mercifully cutting off the bedlam within, and motioned me down to her level.
“It was awesome!” she chortled. “You should have seen it! It was a triumph of CRAPS! Our finest moment!”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, trepidation coiling into a squirmy ball in my stomach.
“We caught the saboteur! Oh, Aydan, it was so badass!”
“What?” Worry and relief fought for ascendancy. “Please tell me you didn’t go vigilante on somebody’s ass.”
“Oh, we did, we absolutely did!” She was practically vibrating with glee.
“Oh, shit.” I tottered over to the nearest patio chair and sank into it, visions of arrests and lawsuits dancing in my head. “Tell me what happened. Don’t leave anything out.”
She plopped into the chair beside me, her eyes sparkling. “It was Claire!” When I gave her a ‘who-the-hell-are-you-talking-about’ look, she added impatiently, “Claire! You know, the second bridesmaid.”
I had no idea who the second bridesmaid was, but I nodded anyway. “Are you sure it was her? Why did she do it? Did she set the hall on fire and sabotage Spider’s brakes, too?”
“No, we just found out this morning that the fire was caused by faulty wiring. And Spider swears he wrecked the brakes himself.” Lola waved both away as irrelevant. “But it was Claire who threw the dye on Linda’s dress and put the dead bird in her car and left the black roses on their doorstep. She said Linda had spoiled her wedding so she was paying her back.”
“Linda spoiled her wedding?” I frowned. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Oh, Claire’s crazy,” Lola said airily. “Her wedding was a couple of years ago and apparently she’s been harbouring a grudge ever since.”
“Because… why?” I inquired, massaging my temples. Less than five minutes, and I had a headache already.
“Well, there was a contagious bug going around the hospital at the time,” Lola explained. “I can’t remember what it was, but it gave people really bad diarrhea. Somehow the whole wedding party ended up with it. It was so bad they had to postpone the wedding for two weeks, and then the groom got it again on their honeymoon, and then to top it all off he decided he was in love with somebody else and ran off three weeks later.”
“I’m still not seeing how that was Linda’s fault,” I said.
“Linda was a bridesmaid. Claire blamed her for carrying the bug back from the hospital, but Linda’s a good nurse and I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have. And anyway, Claire was the first to get sick after she’d been visiting her grandmother in the hospital.”
I began to speak, but Lola held up a restraining hand. “But wait, there’s more. The girl the groom ran off with was a friend of Linda’s, and she had introduced the two of them at Claire’s wedding shower.”
“Ouch,” I agreed. “But how did you find out all of this? She just stood up and confessed?”
“Oh, she confessed, all right.” Lola’s eyes lit with an evil gleam. “After Moonbeam and I waterboarded her.”
“YOU DID WHAT?” I bellowed. “ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NUTS?”
Across the yard Hellhound glanced over, alarm in every line of his body. I waved a reassuring hand at him and managed to bring my voice under control. “You do realize that’s illegal and you’ll probably go to jail for it,” I said in my most reasonable tones. “She’s probably reporting it to the police right now. Unless…”
My heart skipped a beat and sank into the pit of my stomach. If Moonbeam was involved…
“You didn’t kill her and hide the body, did you?” I whispered.
Lola’s big laugh burst out. “No, of course not. And she won’t go to the poli
ce. We told her she could go to jail for what she did, so she won’t say anything because she knows we’ve got something on her.”
“Lola…” I massaged my aching head again. “Dropping a dead bird in somebody’s car is not on the same level of criminal activity as waterboarding.”
“But breaking and entering is illegal,” Lola countered eagerly. “And then there’s the vandalism to Linda’s dress, too.”
“Except for the small issue of no evidence.”
“Yep, and she has no evidence, either,” Lola said smugly. “She never saw our faces so she can’t say for sure that it was us, and nobody else knows what happened. Well, except Karma, and he won’t blab.”
I pressed my eyes shut, deciding for the sake of my blood pressure not to inquire about the details. “So how did you figure it out?” I asked instead.
“We caught her this morning. All the bridesmaids and groomsmen came to the house, and Claire said she was making a special cocktail for the wedding party. I thought it was pretty early for drinks, but…” She shrugged. “It was sheer luck that Karma walked through the kitchen just as she was mixing it up, and he recognized Citro-Mag.” She gave me an accusing look. “You didn’t tell me he’s a doctor.”
“What’s Citro-Mag?” My pulse quickened. “Is it poisonous?”
“No, it’s a super-strength laxative. Claire was planning to re-enact her wedding woes.” Lola snickered. “And she did. Or she will, very soon.”
I stared at her, slow comprehension dawning. “You made her drink the Citro-Mag, didn’t you?”
Wicked satisfaction glinted in Lola’s eyes. “Oh, yes, indeedy! That’s what we used for the waterboarding. Karma said it was the same dose people would normally take for a colonoscopy prep.” Her smile widened. “She’s going to shit herself cross-eyed.”
The next forty-five minutes were a chaotic whirl. To my surprise, Brock actually arrived on time at noon, looking just as petulant and annoying as usual. I met him in the driveway, glancing over my shoulder to make sure we couldn’t be overheard. “Thanks for coming. Have you got…?”
He hefted his man-purse, exactly the right size to hold a laptop. “Of course. There wouldn’t be much point in me coming otherwise, would there?”
His snotty tone ratcheted my already high blood pressure up another notch, but I managed to keep my voice level as I handed him his cheque. “Okay, that’s great. It’s pretty crazy inside the house, but check the vehicles out here first and then just do the best you can with the wedding party and everybody in the house. The rest of the guests shouldn’t be arriving for at least another hour or so. Oh, and…” I slipped the book out of its bag and handed it to him. “This is from Spider and Linda, to say thank you.”
Actual pleasure warmed his eyes. Then he opened the cover and his mouth fell open at the sight of the signature.
“The autograph is a gift from me,” I said quietly. “In exchange for the favour which I’ll now consider discharged.”
His pierced brows snapped together. “Nice try, Kelly. This is fake. Everybody knows Murray Stout doesn’t autograph more than three books from each release.”
“It’s authentic. I know Murray Stout personally.”
He snorted. “Nobody knows Murray Stout personally. He’s a recluse. That isn’t even his picture on the cover of the book; it’s just some random guy who won a contest at one of the conferences.” His lip curled. “And before you try to feed me any more crap, yes, I know the guy in the picture is one of our researchers at Sirius, and I know he’s not Murray Stout. I’ve run an analysis on his reports and he couldn’t write his way out of a paper bag. This is bogus.”
“That guy didn’t sign it,” I said, holding onto my temper for all I was worth. “Look closer. If you’re that big a fan, you know what his autograph looks like. And it’s an original signature. You can still smell the ink. He just signed it last night.”
Hesitantly, as though expecting me to laugh at him, Brock brought the book to his nose and sniffed. His eyes widened.
“Original,” I repeated. “The third of three autographed books.”
“But…” His voice wavered, then firmed into his usual irritating nasal drawl. “Fine. Thanks, Kelly. But you still owe me a favour.”
Channelling Kane’s lightning-fast reactions, I snatched the book from his grasp. “Okay. I’ll return this to Murray and replace it with an unsigned hardcover from Spider and Linda. See you later.”
I turned and walked away.
I had only taken a couple of steps when Brock bleated, “Wait!”
When I turned, his mouth worked for a few moments as if struggling to form words. With a tremendous effort of will, I managed not to taunt him.
“Do we have a deal?” I asked instead, holding out the book.
“Yes!” He snatched it back and held it against his chest with both hands. For a moment we stood looking at each other, then he said, “I’ll get started now,” and strode toward the house, slipping the book reverently into his man-purse.
I drew a deep breath and let it out slowly.
So far, so good.
At least after Lola’s revelation, I was less concerned about guests with weapons, but if Labelle decided to strike today…
I eyed the rolling hills around my farm with a shiver. Outdoor wedding. Perfect opportunity for a sniper.
Chapter 51
Forty minutes later I was thoroughly impressed with Brock. Whether due to euphoria induced by the autographed book or through supreme acting talent, he had managed not only to act like a normal human being, but also to discreetly scan everyone in the house.
Circulating with his phone on video, he encouraged everyone to hold the explosives-detection wand like a microphone while recording good wishes and bad karaoke for Spider and Linda. He even managed to scan a full three-sixty of each person by swooping around them like a hyperactive cameraman.
At last he faded back to the corner of the kitchen where I was trying to stay out of the way and nibbling on the platter of cold cuts and cheese someone had thoughtfully provided.
“I got everybody except the old lady in the nightgown and that cross-dressed old fart,” he muttered, nodding toward Moonbeam and Karma. “I can’t get near them.”
Shit, that hadn’t even occurred to me. Of course they were both armed, so they’d use all their spy-skills to avoid triggering his scan. And knowing Moonbeam, she probably had residue from explosives on her hands, too.
“Don’t worry about them,” I whispered back. “They’re harmless. You’re doing a great job. Did you get something to eat? Help yourself to that platter if you want.”
He stared. “Why are you being so nice to me? What do you want?”
I sighed and told the truth. “All I want is one day with no hostilities or bloodshed. I’ve seen so much scary awful shit in the last twenty-four hours, I just can’t take any more.”
“Oh…” His nonplussed expression might have been funny if I hadn’t been so stressed. He nodded. “I’ll go and start setting up by the gate so I can catch all the guests.” Scooping up a few crackers and cold cuts, he made for the door, leaving me staring after him and wondering what benevolent aliens had snatched the real Tyler Brock and deposited this stranger in his place.
An hour later the guests had all been discreetly scanned and ushered to my lawn, where they unfolded their lawn chairs and took seats. Touring my garden for a last-minute inspection, I noticed that someone, probably Karma, had deadheaded my flowers and lightly watered everything so the blooms glowed fresh and radiant in the afternoon sun.
Then tinny strains of music from a portable boom-box produced a flutter of anticipation among the seated guests. Spider and his groomsmen marched down a makeshift aisle between the lawn chairs to take their places beside the justice of the peace who waited under the rose arbour.
A suspenseful moment later, the wedding march filled the air and the first of the bridesmaids came down the steps of the house. When Linda emerged, her eyes sparkling a
nd her delicate pink hand-painted gown floating on the warm summer air, murmurs of appreciation rose from the guests as they stood to greet her.
As she joined Spider at the front and the words of the simple but meaningful ceremony began, I stood at the back of the assembly surveying my yard and the rolling fields beyond.
No sign of trouble. No weapons on the guests; no bombs in the gifts; no snipers on the hills.
To the side, Moonbeam and Karma stood watching, too, and we exchanged a nod.
Hellhound had been circling the perimeter, but as the vows began he drifted closer to stand behind me and slip an arm around my waist. “All clear so far, darlin’,” he rasped in my ear.
I leaned back against his solid warmth, hugging his arm to me and letting my vigilance relax for a moment. All eyes were riveted on the couple under the cascade of roses. Linda said her vows in a clear voice ringing with joy. Spider choked up and muddled through his vows, dabbing at his eyes. Watching them, my throat tightened and I had to blink rapidly to clear my vision.
A movement made me glance back in time to see Hellhound gazing at the sky and blinking rapidly, too. “Fuckin’ bug flew in my eye,” he muttered.
Then the justice of the peace pronounced Spider and Linda husband and wife, and peals of joyous music accompanied them down the aisle in a shower of rose petals flung by a pair of enthusiastic little girls in ruffled white dresses.
My yard erupted in cheers as everyone converged on the happy couple to offer their good wishes.
Later, after the buffet had been eaten and the toasts had been drunk and the evening sun had mellowed to warm gold, I leaned against the side of my garage dividing my attention between watching the happy crowd and scanning for potential threats.
Still uninformed of our worries, Kane was doing his best to visit with the other guests but his gaze kept straying to Alicia and Daniel, his eyes soft and a smile hovering on his lips. Spider and Linda circulated, laughing and beaming and holding onto each other as though they’d never let go, and I sent up a brief but fervent prayer that they’d never have to.
The Spies That Bind Page 41