by Sherri Hayes
What he wanted was a list of all the people she’d met since moving to Springfield, both new and old. He also wanted a list of everyone Chris had talked to about her.
It turned out to be a very long list once they’d put them together. She had almost forgotten about them going to Columbus all those months ago and meeting Bryan, Karen, and the various others who’d attended the meeting. Detective Stephens asked if anyone of these people stood out, and she brought up her confrontation with Karen.
Stephens called every few days to see if they’d remembered anyone else. Even though Detective Stephens was only doing his job, he was starting to get on Elizabeth’s nerves.
After one particularly grueling conversation, she was near tears. It wasn’t just the detective, but everything. The press had taken to shouting crass comments at her as she walked in and out of the office, and with her court appearance only days away, her lawyer called and made her go over her statement verbally, twice. It was exhausting.
The latest call from Detective Stephens was just the last straw. She wanted to cry.
“Come here.” Chris pulled her into his arms and for the longest time, he just held her. “Is there anything I can do to make it better?”
She shook her head. “No. I just have to get through it. There’s nothing you can do.”
Chris reached across the desk and forwarded the phones to voicemail.
“What are you doing?”
He kissed her and said, “Taking care of you.” Walking backward, Chris led her into his office and shut the door. He sat down, pulling her with him. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.” It made no rational sense to her, but suddenly she just wanted the kind of forgetfulness that only Chris could give her. “Love me,” she said.
He groaned. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Please.” She moaned and pressed herself against him.
Chris grabbed the back of her head and kissed her hard and fast before pulling back enough to looking into her eyes. “You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to make love to you in my office.”
“Really?” She grinned.
“Oh, yeah,” he said.
His lips were soft and sure as he laid her back, never breaking contact. It reminded her of their first kiss in front of the house. He’d been comforting her then too.
Chris followed her down, lying on top of her while supporting his weight on the couch.
He released her hair and combed through her curls before unbuttoning her blouse. When she’d gotten dressed this morning, Chris had commented that she looked like a librarian in her white button down blouse and black pencil skirt. She’d been tempted to change, but he’d assured her that he liked it—a lot.
Then he’d proceeded to show her just how much he liked it by nearly undressing her in the middle of the kitchen. She had to fix her hair, makeup, and clothing for the second time, but she didn’t complain. Chris made her feel like a sex goddess—beautiful and desirable and his.
His mouth blazed a hot path down her neck and collarbone and down to her breasts.
He took his time pushing her bra out of the way, releasing her breasts. To him her body was perfection. She was soft in all the places a woman was supposed to be.
Taking a nipple into his mouth, he worked on her skirt. As much as he loved her in it, he’d like her just that much more out of it.
He also knew what was hiding underneath. She wore the sexiest undergarments. They were all silk and lace and feminine. Chris usually had to leave the room while she was getting dressed or else they’d end up in bed again. This morning during their heated make out session in the kitchen, he’d gotten a glimpse of her white lace panties, and he couldn’t wait to take them off her.
Her hips rose from the couch as he ran his hand up the inside of her thighs. She gripped his hair, holding him to her breast. It was amazing seeing and feeling her body respond to him. He’d never enjoyed foreplay, or sex, this much in his life. Everything with Elizabeth was intensified, and he couldn’t get enough of her.
Her skirt was bunched up around her hips, his lower half pressing against her thigh as he reached the junction of her legs. By the time he stood to remove his pants, her entire body was flushed a pretty pink and her chest was heaving with her labored breathing.
“Beautiful,” he whispered and he lay back on top of her.
Removing the last barrier between them, Chris entered her and they both moaned before he kissed her again.
It was a slow joining. There was nothing rushed. The outside world didn’t exist. It was just them. Together.
After he reached down to where they were connected, it didn’t take long for her to fall, and her tears welled up as the emotions of the day finally found their own release.
Chris buried his head in her shoulder, holding her as tightly as he could while he continued moving toward his own fast-approaching climax. She was everything to him and he’d take her past, her present, and her future as long as he got her.
She caressed his back, making him feel loved and cared for, like he mattered to her. He turned his head to the side, brushing the tears from her cheeks.
“So did that live up to your office sex fantasy?”
He laughed. “It was one of them.”
Her eyes widened. “One of them?”
“Yes.” He kissed her. “The other involves you bent over my desk.”
“Mmm,” she said. “As much as I hate to say this, we have work to do.”
“Do we have to?”
She laughed. It was a wonderful sound. “Yes. Now get off me,” she said, pushing against him.
“Okay, okay.”
She kept her hair down. Knowing that she would have that disheveled look for the rest of the day made him grin like a schoolboy. She gave a final tug on her skirt.
“Elizabeth?”
“Hmm?” She stopped and turned.
“I love you.”
Her smile could have lit an entire city block.
The day had finally arrived. Elizabeth couldn’t believe she was on her way to Columbus to face a judge who would decide if she would pay damages to Jared’s family. It was like something out of The Twilight Zone.
Late last night, Paul had shown up with his backpack and informed her that he would be going with them tomorrow. Until then, she figured she would be going to Columbus by herself. She should have known better.
Chris was very protective of her. Whenever the reporters had gotten too close, he’d used his body as a shield. And whenever she was upset or hurting, he’d tried to make it better. He really was her knight in shining armor. So she shouldn’t have been surprised that he was coming too, but she was.
Chris had spoken to Mr. Frederick, who had told him he should not be in the courtroom if he couldn’t hide his emotional reactions to whatever was said. The solution? Paul was going to sit in the courthouse with Chris to help keep him calm if need be. She’d tried to argue that she’d be fine on her own with Mr. Fredrick there, but it was no use with Chris and Paul so determined. Neither would budge.
“You all right?” Chris asked, sitting in the back with her while Paul drove. They were only a few miles outside of Columbus and traffic was starting to pick up. Thank goodness they didn’t have to be at the courthouse until ten.
“I’m fine. Just thinking.”
“About today?”
“Last night, actually.”
He pressed his lips together in deep concentration. “Are you still upset that I’m coming with you today?”
She smirked, an impish gleam in her eye. “No, I was wondering how your mother dealt with four boys who were single-minded when they wanted something.”
Paul must have heard her because he began chuckling in the front seat. “Mom learned pretty fast that if she gave us an inch we’d take a mile, so it was pretty hard to get anything past her. That and she learned to pick her battles.” His voice softened. “Someone is after you, sweetheart. The two of us not coming with you wasn
’t an argument you were ever going to win.”
“I know,” she conceded. “I just don’t want to relive all this again. I feel helpless.”
Before Chris could answer, Paul spoke up. “You aren’t helpless, Elizabeth. Think about it this way. Do you think of police officers as helpless? Of course not. But most of us have partners, especially in situations where we know there is danger. This is no different.”
She thought about that for a moment. “You’re right. I just . . .” She let her voice trail off.
“You were a victim all those years you lived with your husband and don’t want to be ever again. I understand. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask for help when you need it. We all need help sometimes.”
“Thanks.”
“Anytime. Besides,” he said, glancing back at her in the rearview mirror and winking. “You’re my little brother’s girl.”
She blushed while the two brothers laughed. She looked up at Chris, who was smiling. Maybe this day wouldn’t be so bad after all. Paul had insisted on driving. He’d told her and Chris that it was to give them some time to relax on the way there, but that was a lie. Over the last few days, he’d been talking almost daily to Detective Stephens. In fact, it was his idea for Paul to accompany them.
At first the detective had seemed reluctant to share information with Paul, but eventually, as he kept hitting brick walls, he’d relented. The two had managed to narrow down the list to three women, two of which lived in Columbus.
The first person on their short list was Abigail Carter. She had the most obvious reason to go after the woman who killed her son. She also had the means to make things happen without actually doing it herself, making an alibi a moot point.
Carol was next on the list. As much as Paul didn’t think she would go as far as breaking into her house, he had to agree that they couldn’t rule her out after they’d caught her stalking Chris.
The third was the woman Jared had been having an affair with. She’d been smart enough to keep it discreet. No one at Jared’s firm seemed to know anything. Or if they did, they weren’t talking.
They pulled up to the hotel. While her lawyer was hoping for this to be a one-day ordeal, he couldn’t promise and suggested that they get a room just in case things ran over into the next day. She just wanted it to be over. Chris turned to her. “I’ll be right back, okay.”
“I know.”
Then he kissed her. “I love you,” he said and was out of the car.
Releasing a heavy sigh, she sat back in her seat.
“You okay?” Paul asked.
She met his eyes in the rearview mirror. “Not at all.” Then she smiled. “I just want to get this over with.”
“It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
Chris’s chest hurt. He didn’t like being separated from Elizabeth even for the few minutes it would take him to check in to their hotel and take their bags up to their room. Sure, she had Paul with her, and he was grateful, but it wasn’t the same. He’d had watched her struggle these last weeks. Today would be worse than all those combined.
After getting out of the car, he’d rushed inside the hotel, eager to get back to her.
Once he went upstairs to the room, he placed their bags against the far wall and took a quick look around.
He’d just turned to leave when there was a knock at the door. When he opened the door, his heart fell.
“Carol? What are you doing here?”
She was in a dress that left little to the imagination. Three years ago, it would have driven him wild, but now he was just repulsed, and he wondered what he’d ever seen in her.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in, Christopher?”
“Hadn’t planned on it, no.”
“Oh, come on. I just want to talk.”
“You aren’t dressed for talking,” he said bluntly. He’d learned a long time ago that beating around the bush with her got him absolutely nowhere.
She looked down at her clothing. “Don’t you like it?”
“Not really. Then again, I don’t have to like it, now do I.”
“Don’t be like that. The one thing that I could always say about you is that you were never rude. What’s that woman done to you?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
“So you admit it.” Her tone changed from sweet and flirty to that of a jealous lover again, and she poked him he chest as she said, “You admit that you’re with that tramp.”
Does she not understand we aren’t together anymore? “You’ll not speak about her that way,” he said through gritted teeth. “She is the most decent person I’ve ever met.”
Carol seemed undeterred by his display and slipped past him into the room, walking straight to the bed and sitting down.
Chris leaned his body back against the wall, letting his head fall back. Could this morning get any worse? He took two deep breaths. “What do you want, Carol?”
“You,” she said without pretense.
“Not going to happen.”
She looked like she’d just been slapped. “You . . . you’d rather stay with a murderer than me?”
He laughed. “She didn’t murder her husband, but if that’s the way you want to look at it, then so be it.”
“I bet I could change your mind,” she said, toying with the low dip of her top, trying to entice him. That might have worked once upon a time, but she had nothing on Elizabeth.
“You really think you can change my mind through sex? Have you forgotten that our marriage ended because I found you in bed with my best friend?”
Anger flared in her eyes. “You bastard! I would never have cheated on you if you could have pulled yourself away from your hammer and nails long enough to pay me a little attention.”
“That’s rich. You cheat and somehow it’s my fault. I can’t say I’m surprised, though. You never were one to take responsibility for your actions.”
She lunged at him, arms flaying. “I hate you! I hate you! I hate you, Christopher Daniels! I wish I’d never met you!”
It didn’t take much to contain her. She was wild and out of control, but she also had no fighting skills. He’d grown up with three brothers. Knowing how to gain the upper hand in a fight was sort of a prerequisite.
With her hands safely behind her back, he walked her out into the hall and down to the elevators where he pressed the down button.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping you leave.”
“I hate you.”
“You said that already,” he said as the elevator doors opened and he “escorted” her inside.
She glared at him as he stepped away. “I should have done more than slash her tires and egg her car. You were mine! Mi—”
Chris grinned as the elevator doors closed.
He quickly turned on his heel and crossed to the stairwell. The confrontation with Carol was unexpected. It had also kept him away from Elizabeth long enough.
When he reached the bottom, he scanned the lobby for any sign of Carol before crossing to the double doors leading outside. He spotted the car and quickly crossed the street.
“What took you so long,” Paul asked as he got in.
“An unexpected delay,” he said. “Let’s go.”
Elizabeth walked with Chris and Paul into the lobby of the brand new courthouse. It was quite different from the old building, very modern with large glass windows everywhere. Jared would have liked it.
She frowned as her thoughts drifted to her husband. He was her past. And even though he was ultimately the reason she was here today, she didn’t want to think about him. He couldn’t hurt her now and neither could his family.
Someone touched her arm and she jumped.
“Sorry,” Paul said.
“It’s fine,” she said, giving him a small smile.
“Everything okay?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Just . . . remembering.”
“Ah. Yes,” Paul said. “Your husband was a lawyer.”
She sighed. “Exactly. And most of those memories I’d rather not relive.”
“I understand,” Paul said as he scanned the crowd, his height giving him good vantage point. Without warning, he gripped her arm and said, “Walk.”
“What’s wrong?”
Chris was on her other side, and he seemed equally as alert. “Your in-laws just arrived.”
“Oh,” she said before coming to a full stop and digging in her heels. “I won’t run.” Her voice was determined. She wasn’t scared of Abigail Carter.
“I understand and admire your strength,” Paul said. “It would be better if we didn’t have a scene in the lobby. Mrs. Carter looks like she’s out for blood.”
She still felt like avoiding Abigail equated to running, but as she started to calm down, she realized Paul and Chris were probably right.
“Do you see Mr. Frederick?” she asked, trying not to let her emotions take over.
“There he is.” Chris pointed to her attorney weaving his way through the crowd.
“Good morning, Ms. Marshall.”
“Good morning.”
After a few introductions, Mr. Frederick led them upstairs to a sparsely decorated conference room with a large table and four chairs. It still had that new smell to it.
Mr. Frederick said, “Now, Ms. Marshall, I know we’ve gone over everything, but I wanted to know if you had any questions before we go before the judge.”
“No,” she said. “I can’t think of anything. I just want this over with.”
“I completely understand.” Then he looked over at Chris. “You’ll be in the courtroom?”
“Yes.”
“Am I going to have a problem with you getting out of hand?”
“No.”
“How about you?” he asked Paul.
“I’m a cop. I doubt anything will surprise me. I’ve dealt with their kind before.”
“Very well, then. Shall we?”
They stood and followed Mr. Frederick back out into the hallway and toward the elevators.
The minute they stepped into the hallway containing the various courtrooms, Elizabeth locked eyes with Abigail. Her blue eyes were cold and full of hate, reminding Elizabeth of Jared, and pricked her spine, but she refused to look away.