Worth Any Price

by Jacqueline DeGroot

  Once he had been quite the catch, tall and handsome with a thick head of hair and twinkling eyes, as all the girls had said. He’d had plenty of wavy hair into his thirties, but then it suddenly started receding and getting thinner. And the rangy, youthful physique he’d taken such pride in was considerably diminished, he supposed the beer might have had something to do with that. His stomach was no longer flat, and his waistline had grown considerably. But he still had that twinkle, and he knew that it would still work its magic on the ladies, and one in particular. He smiled and tucked the keys into his pocket. Laura was going to be one well-fucked lady when he was through with her.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Paige used the keys Cayce had given her to open the door and was surprised to find Cayce sitting in a big overstuffed chair, his chin propped on his turned-in fist, just staring into oblivion.

  It had been two days since he had insisted she and Joshua move in with him to avoid the media camping out at her apartment building. He had promised her at the time that he would not touch her, and every day his promise was getting harder and harder to keep.

  “Cayce?” It took a moment for him to register her presence, blink, and turn to look up at her. “Are you okay?”

  He simply nodded.

  “Joshua asleep?”

  He nodded again. “Upstairs in his room and the monitor’s on.”

  “What were you thinking?” she asked as she lifted her briefcase strap from her shoulder and placed it with her purse on the floor against the wall. She walked into the room and stood staring down at him, more than mildly concerned by the haunted look in his eyes.

  He put his arms on the sides of the chair and effortlessly lifted himself out of it. She was standing just inches from him and he was touched by the worry lines wrinkling her brow.

  “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

  “No, really. Tell me. What’s on your mind?”

  “Do you really want to know, Paige? Do you really want to know what’s on my mind?” he said, his voice suddenly gruff.

  “Yes,” she said, trying not to draw out the word despite her sudden hesitancy. The way he was looking at her was reminiscent of a wolf circling his prey.

  “It’s your breasts. That’s what’s on my mind. Your beautiful, full breasts. Crested by the most tantalizing pink-tipped nipples I’ve ever seen.” His eyes looked pained when he met hers. “And I want desperately to see them again,” he whispered. “It’s all I think about.”

  Her eyes held his as she drank in the pools of lapis blue. She watched them slowly darken to a rich, deep sapphire. Slowly her hand went to her blouse, and she began unbuttoning it. He watched as her fingers undid the center clasp of the lacy bra she wore and the cups fell away from her breasts.

  Lovely white globes stood firm while pink nipples ruched and hardened.

  He gave a low groan and bent to caress them with his hands, then his mouth. Within seconds she was on fire, burning so hot that she could barely stand it.

  His hands moved to her face and he cupped it, kissing her wildly on her lips, her cheeks, and her eyelids. He backed her up against the wall, and with his large hands, he lifted her hips so he could press his pelvis into her and immobilize her against the wall. He reached down and grabbed a fistful of her skirt and momentarily paused while shutting his eyes and clenching his jaw. The decision finally and irretrievably made, he pulled her skirt up past her thighs to her waist. Strong hands molded her body to his as he caressed her thighs, her hips, and gripped her buttocks. She was wearing thigh-high stockings and he let his fingers toy with the smooth flesh at the edges. He was stroking her in ultra sensitive areas as he worked toward his goal, the place from which a heady muskiness was already emanating. When his fingers stroked her wet warmth, she gasped and buckled, and had it not been for his support, she would have crumpled onto the floor at his feet. He braced her with his knee long enough to remove her panties and unzip his pants. He hoisted her higher, spread her thighs so she straddled him and thumbed himself to her opening. He was inside her, fully sheathed before she could protest. God, it felt wonderful. His loud groan attested to the sublime pleasure he felt at just being inside her. Then the thought came to him that no one had been here, in this way, enjoying her like this for over six years. It was a heady feeling and he became so utterly possessive that he couldn’t control himself.

  He thrust into her, taking her hard against the wall and reveling in the feel of her tight slickness and the hot, incredible softness of her. Her vagina felt like fine velvet that had been left to warm in a sunny window. Total mindlessness came over him and he primitively gave in to the needs that had been battering him for almost a week. To say he took her would have been accurate, if not understated. He took her like a crazed demon, stroking in and out of her while he gripped the backs of her thighs; he took her to the precipice, and when she arched her body against his, he reached between them and touched her where they joined. When she collapsed against him and fell over the edge, he followed. They remained in their own private world until her gasps and pants eclipsed his consciousness and he allowed her legs to slowly fall to the floor on either side of him.

  “Sweet Jesus,” he muttered under his breath against her neck.

  “Yeah,” she whispered, still stunned by all that had happened between them in the few short minutes since she’d come through the door.

  They were silent for long moments while he kissed and licked her neck. Then he removed his hands from her hips and separated from her. She turned to move away, but he grabbed her by the wrist.

  “Hey,” he whispered, his voice husky against her ear. “I finally succumbed, and justified or not, if you think I’m not going to repeat this breach of trust, faith, or whatever the hell it is, you’re mistaken. I know I can’t stop now, not now that I’ve had you. You were addictive before, it’s only going to be worse now. Let me stay the night in your bed. I’ll beg forgiveness in the morning, whether it’s once or a hundred times, it won’t matter, so I’d rather have the hundred times if you don’t mind. I know I did wrong by you, but by God and all that’s holy, I’m not sorry. Not right now at least.” His mouth covered hers and he crushed her to him.

  When he pulled away and looked into her face, her liquid, sated eyes met his and she smiled. She gave him a tiny nod and said, “It’s actually your bed, but I’d love to share it with you.” He bent and scooped her off her feet, took her mouth greedily, and carried her to the Master’s bedroom— his, then hers, now theirs.

  He was standing at the foot of the bed, between her splayed legs, looking down at where they had just been joined. He had separated from her because he wanted to watch her come this time. And, he wanted her to know how skilled he was with his fingers alone. For some reason, he felt as if this night was an audition of sorts, and he was trying out for the role of a lifetime—that of her lover, and he was desperate to get the part.

  He reached under her and with just the tip of his middle finger, he stroked her anus. She moaned no, pulled away and slid further up on the bed. He grabbed her ankle and gently pulled her back down.

  “Please let me,” he urged as he continued to press against the tiny opening of her orifice, not venturing inside, just putting the right amount of pressure on a certain nerve ending he knew was secretly begging to be activated. Most women didn’t even know that they had a very erogenous nerve hiding there, unless a thoughtful man cared to show them. She stilled and he continued the steady pressure. With his thumb he rubbed her labia, gently circling the tiny nub that intermittently surfaced until he had coaxed it out completely. When he leaned forward and added plucking on a nipple, she shattered. Her face fracturing with such intense pleasure was the sweetest thing he had ever seen.

  When she got up to make a phone call an hour later, he wondered who she could possibly be calling at a time
like this, but he wasn’t going to ask. Thank God he didn’t have to, she volunteered the information when she came back to bed. He wrapped her in his arms as she slid in beside him and said, “I just called Laura Wyndham. I think I need to talk to somebody and maybe she does too.” He kissed her on the temple and told her that was a nice thing to do. But inside his head he was high-fiving himself. This lady definitely had the making of a pastor’s wife. How did I get so blessed?

  Chapter Thirty

  Kel stood outside Cayce’s office for twenty minutes waiting for him to finish talking with a parishioner. When the door finally opened and Cayce ushered the frail old man out, Kel quickly slid into the office behind them. He wasn’t waiting for anyone else to unburden themself before he got Cayce’s attention. A few minutes later Cayce returned from walking the old gentleman to his car. He took one look at Kel and firmly closed the door.

  “What can I do for you detective?”

  “I need to ask Paige a question and so far I haven’t been able to find her.”

  “She moved.”

  “I gathered that. I was hoping you could tell me where she went.”

  “I’m not inclined to, what do you want her for?”

  “I need to ask her a question.”

  “What is it, I’ll ask her for you.”

  “You’re making this a bit difficult.”

  “That’s the idea.”

  “You’re protecting her from me?”

  “I’m protecting her from everyone right now.”

  “Why, has anything else happened?”

  “She just can’t deal with it all. The media, the boy, his problems, the fear someone’s going to find pictures of her on the Internet, the nightmares, that it could all happen again.”

  “Is she getting help?”

  “Yeah, me. I’m helping her.”

  “I mean a professional.”

  “I am a professional! This is what I do!”

  “Look Cayce, I don’t mean to butt in here, but I think you might be too close to the situation. You could be a part of what she’s trying to forget. Don’t you think someone else might be better for her under the circumstances?”

  Cayce did not like hearing that the detective thought he could be part of what Paige wanted to forget. “No! I can take care of her just fine. And please do butt out, I have a handle on this. And I’m not stupid, I’ve talked to specialists, I’m getting good advice.”

  “Okay, fine. In the meantime, I have to talk to Paige. Just for a minute.”

  Cayce looked at Kel with narrowed eyes, then he shifted on his hip and put his hand in his pants pocket. He pulled out a small cell phone, flipped it open, and with his thumb punched in a series of numbers. Then he put it to his ear.

  “You’d better not upset her. Man to man, you don’t want to tangle with me on this.” Then at the sound of a voice on the other end, his stern, set jaw softened into a bright smile and it transformed his face.

  “Hi sweetie. Josh home from school yet? Yeah? How’d he do? That’s wonderful. Tell him to be sure to save it for me, I want to see it. Paige, Detective Vain is here. He has a question he needs to ask you. Yes, I know. I will.” Then he handed the phone over to Kel.

  “Paige, I need to know if you’ve had a chance to go over that list of questions with Joshua yet. Yeah. Uhhuh. I understand. Okay, I will. Uh, by the way, remember I talked to you about that counseling service?” He heard Cayce mutter “Shit,” and watched him as he sprang forward. Kel stood and moved with the phone to the other side of the room. “Yes. Yes. Oh good, I’m glad you connected because Laura could never get anybody at the other number. Yes, I’ll give her your new number in case something comes up. Well, actually I can’t. Cayce won’t give it to me. Yes, I will. Thanks.”

  He closed the phone and tossed it back to Cayce.

  “What the hell was that counseling service shit about?”

  “Are you supposed to be talking like that, you being a pastor and all?”

  “I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing anymore! Excuse me,” his voice lowered to a whisper, “I don’t know what the fuck I’m supposed to be doing any more!”

  “What is your problem?” Kel asked, in shock.

  Cayce ran long fingers through his thick hair. “I don’t know. My emotions are on a seesaw. Ever since I met this woman, I don’t have a clue whether I’m coming or going!”

  “Join the club. I’m in the same boat.”

  “Pardon?”

  “You are a real pastor right, not some fly-by-Internet praise jockey?”

  Cayce stood and magnanimously bowed as he gestured to his credentials on the back of his office wall. “Help yourself, I think you’ll find they’re legit. Duke University.”

  “Then I can tell you things that you can’t repeat, right?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Then let’s go have a beer. You do drink don’t you?”

  “Hell yes.”

  Kel stood, rubbed his jaw, and looked around the office. “What denomination is this, anyway?” The look of chagrin on his face was priceless and Cayce let out a loud hoot. Then he grabbed his blazer, took some keys out of the drawer, and opened the door for Kel.

  They sat in a booth at Henry’s sipping on their drinks and eating a double order of loaded potato skins.

  “I think about Laura everyday. Most days, most of the time. There are some days when I manage to put her out of my mind for a few hours, then someone walks past wearing a scent reminiscent of hers and I remember. Or I see a couple walking hand-in-hand or kissing, and I start to burn for her. But the nights are the worst. Those, I spend tossing from side to side and twisting the bed linens into huge knots.”

  “If you’re asking me, I’d say you’re a man who’s in love.”

  “No, I’m sure I’m not that far gone.”

  “Hey, just two days ago, I was a basket case myself. I was at the computer, prepared to delete the pictures, but the temptation was just too great, I had to view them one more time. I was fascinated and titillated, and just plain overcome with lust. I could think of nothing else but her and as I sat there looking at the pictures that had hurt her so much, I was disgusted with myself, disgusted beyond belief. I was crying as I dragged and dropped each one into the trash can. Then after I had deleted them I curled into a fetal position on the sofa in my study and cried. Then I asked for forgiveness. But the lust I had for her was overpowering. And last night when she came home from work—in case you hadn’t figured it out, she’s living with me—I overpowered her. I took her Kel, I just took her. I didn’t even know if she wanted to be taken. I just took her. Now what kind of a man does that after what she’s been through?”

  “Well that’s just the thing. At what point is it love? When does lust turn to love?”

  “I think that one’s going to take another beer.”

  “Yeah. Me, too.”

  “So when are you going to realize you’re in love?” Cayce asked.

  “Oh, I’m still in the lust stage. Definitely.”

  “Take it from me, don’t be so sure. It sneaks up on you.”

  “So you admit it? You’re in love with Paige?”

  “I don’t know what I am. But I do know that I am going to marry her.” Cayce tipped his bottle and drained it, then he signaled the waitress for another round.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Kel was sitting in his car, deciding where to go next when he heard the radio crackle. He normally didn’t listen to the dialogue, it was the dispatcher talking with the beat cops. They had portable radios, but since he was a detective, if they needed him they paged him or called his cell phone. But this particular conversation was hilarious. An officer was citing a woman for throwing litter out of her
car. After pulling her over he was flabbergasted to discover that the litter she had left on the side of the road was a used tampon. The young officer was completely dumbfounded and had no idea how to handle the situation. Kel could hear the sergeant on the squawk box trying not to lose it as he advised the officer. “If there’s no danger, make her get out of the car and go pick it up. Then write her a ticket. But don’t you dare bring that thing back here as evidence.”

  Comments, and every kind of zinger you can imagine came over after that and Kel could just imagine how red-faced the officer must be. Even he had to know he’d just earned himself a new nickname for the squad room.

  He chuckled and turned the volume down and started the car. Then an odd thought occurred to him. A very odd thought and he was surprised it hadn’t occurred to him or anyone else up to this point. None of the women had been on their periods.

  He made a mental note to call each one and verify that, except Laura of course—he knew without a doubt that she hadn’t been. But, if that were true, how would The Voyeur have known that?

  He turned off the car and sat there in Henry’s parking lot, watching people go in and out of Port City Java, and mulled that thought over. How indeed? From a doctor’s office? Through a nurse? Using medical records and extrapolating? A hidden camera? He’d had his tech team do a complete electronic search of all the homes and no hidden cameras or bugging devices had been found anywhere. What other ways were there? Checking their trash? What was it that women did consciously or even unconsciously that could let on that they were menstruating? He pulled out his notebook and started making a list: