Walking behind the desk, Vic helped himself to the coffee that was always ready. “That’s more of a woman thing. Men don’t really give a rat’s ass what a woman has.”
“And you and I both know that’s a load of bull. What do you think she’s having?”
“A boy.” He grinned.
“Typical.” She rolled her eyes.
“What man doesn’t want his first born to be a son? If she has a girl, I’ll buy you lunch. If she has a boy, you buy me lunch,” Vic said with a cocky smile, heading to his office. “I’ll be ready for my steak at noon.”
“If you think you’re getting steak for lunch, you got another thing coming. And I’ll be ready at eleven-forty-five for my turkey club and fries. No mayo,” Millie called out before he shut his door.
Laughing, Vic walked to his desk and nearly dropped his coffee cup when Julia popped out from under his desk. “Jesus Christ, woman! What the hell are you doing under there?”
“Waiting for you,” she said with a seductive purr.
“Millie didn’t mention you were here.” Vic set his coffee cup down before he did spill it on himself.
“I snuck in here when she went to the other office.” She walked up to him, sliding her hands along his tie. “I like you in your uniform. It makes you even sexier.”
“Cut it out,” Vic said under his breath, hoping Millie hadn’t heard him talking to Julia. “You need to go.”
“Oh, I need all right, and I’m not leaving until I get.”
He grabbed her hand when she reached for his pants zipper. “Stop it.” His pulse skyrocketed when someone knocked on his door.
“What?”
“I have a few forms here for you to fill out, Vic.”
When the door began to open, Julia darted under his desk, and Vic hurried to his chair. He knew perfectly well he was as hard as a steel pole, and Millie would definitely see it if he was standing when she entered the room.
“Last night’s reports,” Millie informed, walking to his desk, dropping the files on top.
“Okay, I’ll get right on them. Jesus!” he gasped when Julia drew his zipper down.
Millie’s brow creased. “You okay?”
“Yeah, leg cramp.” He reached down, trying to push Julia away from his groin. “I’ll call you when I’m done with this—with the files,” he corrected sharply, feeling his face flush.
“You really are in a mood today,” Millie added, turning to the door.
“Oh, my God!” His eyes nearly crossed when Julia slid his penis into her mouth.
Millie spun around looking baffled. “What now?”
“Cramp,” he groaned, biting down hard, trying not to pant with the motion of Julia’s mouth on his dick.
“You should massage it,” Millie advised as she left his office.
“Sweet fucking God, Julia!” He looked down at her and lost all thought at the sight of her head bobbing up and down. He couldn’t believe he was allowing this, but damn if he could do anything to stop it. Leaning back, he let her work him up into a frenzy, the orgasm building with each stroke of her mouth.
The telephone rang just as he climaxed.
Julia popped out between his legs, smiling. “I think you might need to get that.”
“I can’t believe I just let you do that.” Taking a few deep breaths, Vic lifted the receiver. “Staff Sergeant Davis, how can I help you?”
“I know how you can help me,” Julia whispered seductively, running her hand down her chest, stopping at the V between her legs.
“Stop it,” he mouthed, purposely looking away from her. “Yes, that would be fine. Okay, great. Bye.” Vic hung up and, turning, saw the big grin on Julia’s face. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Oh, I can think of so many things,” she purred.
“Stop it.” Vic slid his zipper up, careful not to catch himself. “Now, how are we going to get you out of here?”
“I’ll sneak out, like I did coming in.”
“Great, how are you going to do that?”
“You go distract Millie.” She leaned in and kissed his mouth. “What time do you get lunch?”
“Whenever I have a minute to take it.”
“I’ll be waiting in my hotel room for you.” She kissed him again. “I’m all hot and bothered now.”
“Lord, woman, you’ll be the death of me.” Vic smiled, kissing her back. “I’ll go out and distract Millie.” He scratched his head, thinking. “Wait, how did you sneak in without her hearing you? The front door has a bell announcing visitors.”
“I came in the back way.”
“It was unlocked?”
She nodded. “Yep.”
“Well that’s going to change.” It was too damn dangerous to keep the back door unlocked. “I can go out and refill my coffee cup. And while I am, you scoot out of here.” And lifting his cup, he saw it was still full. “Damn, okay, this is workable.” He gulped over half down then shook his head. “Damn, that’s hot.” He took a breath then continued. “Wait for my signal.”
“This is so exciting. Like spies,” Julia giggled, rubbing her hands together.
“Yeah, exciting.” Vic opened the door, saw Millie sitting at her desk. “That’s pretty damn good coffee, Millie.” Vic waved his hand at Julia as he left his office.
“No different than any other day. Did you get to the forms?”
“Not yet. I need more coffee first.” Vic reached for the pot and, sliding it out, let it slip from his fingers. It fell to the floor with a crash, glass shattering, coffee splashing everywhere. “Oh, hell.”
“What did you do?”
Millie rushed to him, kneeling down to the floor, and Vic waved Julia through. She blew him a kiss before she left, and he shook his head. Damn woman was going to be the death of him. “It slipped from my fingers. Careful with the glass.”
“I’m a grown woman; I know how to be careful. Grab me some paper towel from the washroom. With a smile on his lips, Vic headed to the washroom for the paper towels.
***
There was no way Vic could be responsible for her sister’s death. Alone in her hotel room, Julia looked at her sister’s picture, longing for something that was ripped from her life. Michelle had been the first person she’d told the very first time she’d had sex, and Michelle had been the one to make sure Julia carried condoms with her at all times. Michelle had explained to her that it wasn’t just the man’s responsibility to protect himself, a woman had to, as well.
There had been plenty of times when having her own condoms had come in handy as the man she’d had sex with hadn’t had his own.
Yawning, Julia reached out for the phone, determined to put an end to why she’d come to town in the first place. Dialing the number, collect, as he’d instructed, Julia waited for Marshall to answer. When a woman answered she thought for a moment she’d dialed incorrectly, until she heard Marshall’s voice on the line. “I’ll accept. I got it, Donna.”
“Marshall?”
“Hey, Julia. How’s it going?”
“Who was that who answered the phone?”
“No one important. What’s the word?”
She yawned again, shook her head clear. “I don’t know if I can still go through with it.”
“Why the hell not? He’s the reason Michelle’s dead, Julia. Remember that.”
Julia pursed her lips. “That’s the thing. I don’t think he was.”
“How can you be sure of that?”
“Well, he just doesn’t seem like the kind of guy that would do something like that.”
“Jesus, Julia. Don’t be stupid. He’s not going to come out and show how crooked he is or that he’s a killer.”
Julia hated when he called her stupid. “I know that.. Still…”
“Where are you?”
She didn’t want to tell him that, yet. “I’ll work on him some more, okay. Talk to you later.” She hung up on his protest.
How could someone as gentle and caring as Vic be
responsible for murder? It just didn’t seem likely. Yet Marshall’s words echoed in her mind.
How would she know, really, if Vic was crooked and a killer? Looks could be deceiving, and he’d been very short with her when she’d asked about the wound on his arm. She knew damn well he’d gotten it when her sister had been killed.
At least that was what Marshall had told her.
She just didn’t know what to believe. Or whom.
Laying the picture of her sister face down on the nightstand, Julia felt guilty for her thoughts. What would Michelle think if she knew Julia was sleeping with the man who had once been her lover?
The man suspected of murdering her.
Chapter 11
Vic stood in the brutal cold while the ambulance took away the surviving victims of the three-car accident on Highway 13. Two victims had not been so lucky. The occupants of the small Datsun hadn’t had a chance when the semi had veered into oncoming traffic. It had crumpled the tiny car like a can of sardines, leaving the driver and passenger dead. The truck behind the car had been caught in the crossfire when the Datsun had been pushed back by the semi. The driver in the half-ton truck hadn’t had anywhere to go. Staying in his lane he would smash into the car, veering into the other lane would put it in direct line of oncoming traffic.
The semi driver was shaken but not injured. The half-ton truck driver had rolled his truck trying to avoid the collision. He had a head injury and some minor bruising and, most likely, broken ribs. He’d survive.
Three hours after first arriving at the scene, Vic left feeling down and wanted nothing more than to relax with a cold beer. It was just past two in the afternoon, and he knew the beer would have to wait.
As he passed the hotel where Julia was staying, he remembered her promise to wait for him to come to her. He couldn’t have that beer, but he could have something better.
He pulled into the back lot, hoping no one would suspect anything by seeing his cruiser there, and walked around to the front of the hotel. He knocked on her door, keeping a watchful eye. He didn’t need people questioning what he was doing at her hotel room in the middle of the afternoon.
“Hi. Whoa!”
Vic shoved Julia inside the instant she opened the door, slamming it behind him. He didn’t give her a chance to speak. Clamping his mouth down on hers, he pushed her towards the bed. He broke away only long enough to pull the shirt over her head before smothering her mouth with his while he massaged her rock hard nipples.
She had a petite body; her breasts small, but they felt damn good in his hands.
He released the snap on her jeans, then the zipper, and thrust them down past her hips. While she wiggled out of them, he drew his own zipper down.
“Condom,” Julia reminded him, pointing to her nightstand, his mouth barely giving her time to breath.
He yanked one out and shoved it into her hand. He wanted his hands free to roam over her body.
She slipped it on him while he suckled her breasts, massaging the nub between her legs. She was hot, wet, and gyrating so hard he thought he might lose it here and now. Pushing her down on the bed, he lifted her legs, spreading her wide, then plunged in.
“Oh, God!” Julia gasped, her hands clawing at the sheets.
Vic felt wild with need, and he showed it in the way he pounded her into the bed.
“I’m going to come, Vic, oh, God, yes!”
He felt her clamp onto him, sucking him in with each contraction of her orgasm. And as the warm fluid gushed over him, Vic let himself go.
“Not quite a nooner, but just as good,” Julia giggled when he collapsed over her.
Vic realized now that he’d come in like some sex starved animal and had taken her with as much class as one. He lifted up, bracing himself on his hands to he looked down at her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m better than okay. I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything like that before.” She smiled deviously. “Can we do it again?”
Laughing, Vic leaned down to kiss her smiling lips. “Maybe later; I have to get back to work.” And he felt like shit leaving her right after. “Are you okay with this?”
“Hell yeah!”
“No, seriously, Julia. Are you okay with keeping us a secret? With me coming in here and pushing you on the bed and having my way with you, then leaving you right after? Because if you’re not, you have to say something now.”
“I’m okay with it, Vic.” She stroked the hair from his face.
“You deserve more than this.”
“I’m not complaining.” Julia glanced to the side when his radio went off.
“I need to get that.” He hadn’t even had the decency to undress before ravaging her.
“I know.”
He slid from her, removing the condom and tossing it in the trash as he sat on the edge of the bed. Pulling out his radio, he cleared his throat before responding. “Vic here.”
“Vic, Tom just called. I know what she had, and you’re going to have to come in and call him to find that out for yourself,” Millie gloated. “Where you at?”
He looked back at Julia, stretched out naked on the bed, looking utterly content. “I stopped off for a coffee. I’ll be right in.” He stood, pulling his pants on. “Last chance.”
“I’m good, Vic, really. Call me and tell me what Cassie had, okay?”
“I will.” But as he walked out of her room, he felt like a complete ass.
***
It was well after nine when Vic saw Tom pull into his driveway and into the garage. Throwing on his jacket and boots, Vic hurried from his house in a rush to see his friend.
“There’s big daddy. How does it feel to have a kid to deal with?” Vic embraced his friend with a solid bear hug and a slug on his arm.
“Like gold.” Tom smiled proudly, letting them into his house. “She is the most adorable thing I have ever seen.”
“A daughter. I was sure it was a boy.” And Millie had been more than eager to rub that one in and remind him he owed her lunch. “Elizabeth Rose. Your mom would be proud to have a namesake.”
“Yeah. The name was Cassie’s idea. She thought it would be nice to name her after my mom, and it suits her,” Tom said. “Oh, here. I almost forgot.”
Vic took the cigar wrapped in a pink bow and smiled. “I’m still trying to grasp all this. Not only are you a married man, but you got yourself a hot wife and now a daughter. Jesus, Tom.” He sniffled, fighting the emotions. “I’m so happy for you.”
“It’ll happen for you someday, Vic. Want a beer?”
“Aren’t you tired?” Following Tom to the kitchen, Vic thought of Julia and the tryst they’d had only hours before. He wasn’t ready for marriage, and he doubted he ever would be.
“I’m on my second wind. Damn, Vic, I’ve never seen anything as incredible as birth. Sure, it was hard, and Cassie was such a trouper, but when Beth—we’re calling her Beth—came out, I actually cried.” Tom took a seat on the sofa, Vic beside him.
“I had to deliver a baby once, a few years back. Woman flagged me down on the street. Her car broke down, and she was heavy in labor. I managed to get her into my car when she started pushing. I was scared shitless, but I helped deliver the baby, and it was pretty awesome.”
“Yeah.” Tom smiled, lifting the beer to his lips.
“When are they coming home?”
“In a few days. Cassie was having some trouble breast-feeding. They’re going to monitor her to make sure Beth latches on.”
“Oh, man, now I got that visual.”
“Stop thinking of my wife’s breasts, Vic.” Tom slugged his arm.
“Can I help it if I was given a glimpse of them, twice? What did you do with her portrait anyway?”
“How stupid do I look? I know damn well you’ll go check it out if I tell you. How has your day been?”
Tom was right, he would. “Busy. Three car accident on the highway this morning. One case of missing persons, which we found. Middle aged man steps out to find th
e dog that hasn’t come home and doesn’t come back. Wife gets upset and calls us. We searched the farm and finally found him frozen in the bush. His foot got stuck in his own trap, and he froze to death waiting for help.”
“That’s rough.”
“Yeah, and telling his wife and kids was even rougher.”
“Damn.”
“That was my day.” Vic conveniently left out his trysts with Julia. He knew Tom wouldn’t understand what he was doing, and he really didn’t want to deal with the accusations and advice. “I’ll send Cassie some flowers tomorrow.”
“She’ll appreciate it. How are you doing, Vic?”
“Me? I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, pal.”
“But I do worry about you. How can I not; you’re like a brother to me. And on that note, Cassie and I were talking, and we wanted to ask you something major.”
“We? She isn’t here, Tom?” Vic replied sarcastically.
“She asked me to talk to you, dumbass.” He said with narrowed eyes. “Will you be Beth’s guardian?”
His friend couldn’t have said anything more shocking. “Did I just hear you right?”
“We’d be honored if you would accept.”
He gave his head a shake, still trying to grasp what Tom had just asked. “You want me to be her guardian?”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Irresponsible?”
“You’re not that bad.”
Vic laughed, tipping the beer back. “Damn.” He took another swallow. “Yeah, hell, yeah.” He set the beer down and grabbed his friend in a strong embrace. “I am so damn honored.”
“I’ll let Cassie know. Damn, the beer’s going right to my head.”
Vic stood, still smiling. “I’ll let you get some sleep. Man, this is unreal,” He stepped into his boots, slipped into his jacket, and that’s when it hit him. “Wait,” he paused. “Does that mean that if you and Cassie die, I get Beth?”
“Yes.”
Vic’s smile widened. “And all the riches with it?” His friend was worth millions, and Cassie as well.
“Don’t be an ass, Vic.”
“Now all I have to do is figure out how to make the two of you disappear so I can haul in the cash and retire. Shit, I’ll be filthy rich.”
Escape in Passion Page 7