by Joanna Wayne
But it wasn’t only about release for her. It was about Sean and the way he excited her by just brushing her shoulder when they passed in the hallway. About his blatant virility and the way he wore his jeans. About the way he handled Joey and looked after both of them.
She trailed her fingers down his abs. “Are you sleepy?”
“No, just regrouping.”
“Tell me about you.”
“There’s nothing to tell. What you see is what you get.”
“I know you’ve been in relationships. What happened that kept them from leading to marriage?”
“Nothing traumatic. I was engaged in college. We were planning to get married after we graduated and both got jobs.”
“That seems smart.”
“Real smart. It gave us time to figure out that we were heading in different directions. I couldn’t see myself in a life that didn’t involve horses. Once she got a job with a Madison Avenue advertising firm, she didn’t see herself living anywhere but New York.”
“So she called off the marriage?”
“It was a mutual parting of the ways.”
“Were there others? I mean, others you were serious about? I’m not asking for stats.”
“Good. I never kiss and tell—unless the kisses are as memorable as yours.” He smiled at her. “Right now I’m thinking I should probably call everyone I know and shout about the thrill of you.”
He kissed her again to make his point. Kissing made it really difficult to think coherently. But she did want to know why he was still single when he would have made such a marvelous husband and father.
“I’m being serious,” she said.
“So was I.” He stretched and put his hands behind his head, as if he needed to separate a bit from her before he could focus on the past. “I almost made it to the altar three years ago.”
“What happened that time?”
“That time it was all my fault. Angie was great. We were the same age, both twenty-eight. And we both loved horses. She managed the dude ranch her father owned up in Colorado. I was working for a privately run horse-abuse facility at the time. I figured it was time I settled down, and this time all the external factors were in my favor.”
“Only, you never married.”
“Nope. A week before the wedding, I realized I couldn’t go through with it. Something was missing. I had no idea what. I decided then that I was not meant for long-term relationships. So I paid all the nonrefundable wedding expenses, quit my job and moved on.”
“What happened to Angie?”
“She was furious with me—until she met her real Mr. Right. Then she called and thanked me. I went to their wedding. They have twin girls now.”
At least Eve knew where she stood with Sean. He was not available for a long-term relationship. So don’t go building a dream around him, she warned herself. She could get her head around that. It wasn’t as if she was already planning to pick out furniture with him.
But as for not falling for him, it was way too late to convince her heart of that.
Sean turned and pulled her close again, nuzzling his face in her cleavage. “Time to make up for shortchanging you.”
“You didn’t. I asked—” She stopped talking as he slid his hand between her legs and sent vibrations of anticipation dancing through every inch of her. He clearly wasn’t referring to their conversation.
“So show me the best you have to offer,” she teased, easily falling back into the pleasure zone.
The lovemaking started all over again, this time slower, but no less exciting. Sean cupped her breasts, licking and sucking the nipples until they tingled, creating sensations in them she’d never imagined possible.
Impulsively she arched toward him.
“I love the way you open up to me, Eve. Sensually. Uninhibited. Like a woman who knows what she wants.”
“What I want is you, Sean.”
He kissed his way to her navel, teasing it with his tongue while his fingers explored her most intimate niches. She opened her legs wide, crazy for every touch, giddy from the surges of desire that sprung from deep in her core.
The sweet ache between her thighs intensified. He moved until his rock-hard erection throbbed against them.
“I want you inside me, Sean. Deep inside me.”
“Once I’m there, I won’t be able to hold off long.”
“Then we’ll explode together.”
She was hot and slick and so ready for him that the first thrust almost sent her into orbit. Making love with Sean might not be this earth-shattering every time, but she couldn’t imagine that she’d ever not want him inside her.
His breath came in hard, quick spurts. She closed her eyes and let the thrill take her, riding with him, to the crest and beyond.
Time stopped for an instant and then started again as Sean’s spent body rolled off hers. He slid onto his back and pulled her into his arms.
“You’re something else,” he whispered.
“Is that good?”
“Nope. It’s perfection.”
The perfection was the two of them together. And even temporary perfection beat mediocrity hands down.
EVE SLEPT UNTIL SHE FELT A tug on her sheet.
“It’s morning, Momma. I gotta go feed the horses.”
Eve rubbed the dregs of sleep from her eyes, thankful she’d sneaked back to the room she shared with Joey and put on her pajamas in the wee hours of the morning. Eve glanced at the bedside clock and then back at her son.
It was indeed morning, ten before eight. Joey was already dressed in jeans, a blue pullover that was inside out and his boots.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed, biting back a groan at the unexpected ache in her thighs.
“Why don’t you go visit with Troy while I get dressed,” she suggested.
“I better go wake up Sean first. He’s taking me horseback riding.”
“What makes you think that?”
“He told me.”
“When?”
“Yesterday, when me and him had a glass of chocolate milk on the back steps. You were in the bathroom.”
That was the first she’d heard about it, but it made sense. Her leaving Joey with Collette yesterday had revived Joey’s separation fears. The only time Joey had let her out of his sight after she returned from San Antonio was when she was in the shower. Leave it to Sean to give him something to look forward to.
“If Sean said he’d take you for a ride, I’m sure he will. But don’t wake him. He’ll come find you when he’s ready.”
“Okay.” Joey picked up his hat and carried it with him. He wouldn’t want to waste time coming back for it when Collette showed up to get him for the feeding chore.
Eve owed Gordon Epps a big thank-you for suggesting she and Joey hide out at Willow Creek Ranch. Had she stayed in Dallas… The possible outcomes were too distressing to consider.
She rinsed her face with cold water in the bathroom and then hurried to dress, choosing jeans and a long-sleeved, turquoise shirt that was one of her favorites. Using the mirror in her compact to check the results, she brushed on a hint of blush and smear of lip gloss.
Once she brushed and smoothed her hair, she looked closely in the mirror, amazed that last night’s lovemaking didn’t make her face light up like neon. But if there was any visible sign at all, it was in her eyes.
Now all she needed was word that Orson Bastion had been captured. Her hand was on the doorknob, when the now-familiar cold draft of air swirled around her, as if the ghost of Helene Ledger was trying to warn her of something.
The coolness vanished and the room became almost suffocating in contrast. Apprehension prickled the flesh on the back of Eve’s neck. Rationality returned slowly. When it did, Eve dismissed all thoughts of ghosts and put in a call to Gordon Epps.
She was about to leave a message when he picked up the call. “Hello.”
“Hi, Gordon. Hope I didn’t disturb you.”
“I was on the
other line with Detective Conner.”
She took a deep breath and dropped to the edge of the bed. “Bad news?”
“No news, except that he thinks you should return to Dallas. And it’s obvious that he believes I’m in frequent contact with you. He pressured me again for a way to reach you.”
“I hate that I’m forcing you to lie.”
“I kind of got myself into that by calling you originally. But I think maybe you should listen to Conner, Eve.”
“You think I should return to Dallas.”
“Troy’s a good guy and a tough old buzzard, but he’s sick. It’s unlikely either Dylan or Sean have experience with men like Orson. Besides, I think it might take a whole police department to stop Orson Bastion. Conner sounds as if he’s ready to supply that now.”
“If I agree to be bait.”
“It’s just my opinion, Eve. You do what you think is best, but don’t ever start taking your safety for granted. You can’t when you’re dealing with Orson.”
“I know that.”
But she’d already given them bait. All they had to do was follow the money. She decided not to mention that to Gordon. She’d already involved him too deeply in her problems.
“I’ll give it some thought,” she said.
They finished the conversation, and this time when she started to the kitchen there were no cold drafts. Optimism filtered though the anxiety. With any luck, Orson would go to Alyssa for the money today and be back in prison before dark.
If not, she’d have to reconsider Gordon’s advice. If it came down to her having to face Orson, then Conner and the Dallas Police Department really were her best option for getting out alive.
“NOW, WE’RE TALKING serious psychopath.”
“None of this is etched in stone,” Wyatt reminded Sean. “It’s not even allegations at this point, but just findings I thought you might find interesting.”
Sean found them interesting, all right. Eve would find them bone-chilling. It was just one more thing he’d have to hit her with. But it shed even more light on the criminal mind of Orson Bastion.
“What’s the likelihood any of this will be followed up on?” Sean asked.
“The first drowning falls under my jurisdiction.”
“Does that mean you feel a cold case being opened?”
“At least a preliminary investigation. We’ll decide whether or not to move forward after that. A reopening of Brock Worthington’s murder trial would fall into the hands of the Dallas Police Department, unless there’s an excuse to bring the FBI in on it.”
Sean’s suspicions about Bastion being involved in Brock’s murder had led to Sean calling Wyatt this morning. The new information Wyatt had gathered had been lagniappe. If possible, the influx of data raised the danger bar even more.
He looked out the window and saw Eve and Joey returning from the horse barn. Joey was skipping along beside her, his boots kicking up dust. Sunlight shimmered in Eve’s hair. She was smiling.
He didn’t have the heart to chill her bones just yet.
“Gotta go,” Sean said.
“Yeah, me too,” Wyatt answered. “It’s hectic on the homicide front this morning.”
“Thanks for keeping me posted and for letting me bounce ideas off of you.”
“No problem. Just watch your step and keep a cool head on your shoulders. Duking it out with a psycho is never a fair fight.”
Eve and Joey stepped through the back door, lighting up the room as he broke the connection. A new plan was rapidly forming in Sean’s mind.
Joey raced over to Sean. “Can we go horseback riding now?”
“I don’t see why not, as long as your mother okays it.”
“Can’t my momma go, too?”
“Wouldn’t be the same without her.”
“Will you go, Momma?” Joey pleaded.
“Sure. Someone has to look after you hombres.”
Troy joined them in the kitchen, no doubt lured by Joey’s excited voice. “Did I hear someone say horseback riding?”
“Yes,” Joey said. “Do you wanna go with us? You can ride your own horse.”
“I’d love to, but I’m afraid it would go against doctor’s orders. But I’ve been thinking. Do you know what this house needs?”
“I bet I know,” Joey said. “It needs a dog.”
Eve put a hand on Joey’s shoulders. “Why do you think we need a dog?”
“When I wanted one for my birthday, you said our yard was too small and that we didn’t have a fence. But his yard is bigger than a bunch of parks, and it has lots of fences.”
“Good point,” Troy said. “We do need a dog around here, but I was thinking we need a Christmas tree. After all, it is December.”
Joey’s eyes grew wide. “Can we go buy a tree?”
“No need to do that,” Troy said. “Cedars grow like weeds around here. I noticed a patch of them on that knoll west of Dylan’s house. Several that looked to be a perfect size for a tree. I thought maybe you guys could pick one while you’re out riding. If you find one you like, you can go back later, chop it down and bring it home in the back of the truck. That way you won’t mess up the branches, dragging it behind your mount.”
“Not a bad idea,” Sean said. In fact, getting a tree for Joey was an excellent idea. It just surprised Sean that it had come from Troy. Seventeen years in prison, but he still understood what a Christmas tree meant to a kid.
“If you call, I can drive out and meet you with an ax and the truck,” Troy said. “As long as you call before two. Dylan’s driving me to the doctor shortly after that.”
“Are you okay?” Eve asked.
“I’m fine. This is just a routine checkup, so don’t go making a fuss. You just find us a tree,” Troy said. “Helene always liked one that was just an inch or so shy of the ceiling.”
His voice caught on Sean’s mother’s name. And a ridiculous knot formed in Sean’s throat. “We’ll find a tree. Now let’s get out of here,” he said, before he got tangled up in the facts, suspicions and bittersweet memories that would drag him back into his own nightmarish past.
There was already too much talk of Christmas, old memories and new horrors about a killer who wanted Eve dead. And the day was only beginning.
EVE FELT AS IF SHE WERE living in an alternate universe as she watched Joey dash around the deep green cedars, choosing first one and then another as the perfect Christmas tree. He’d made more emotional strides in the last week than he’d made in the past two years. And this at a time when he’d been ripped from his home and plugged into a group of strangers.
The wide-open spaces seemed to work like a safety valve, giving Joey room to let off steam without constantly being inundated by different people coming and going, as he was at the crowded park near their Dallas home.
He was mesmerized by the horses, so much so that he’d bonded with Collette in order to help her feed them. That, and the fact that she offered no threat. She didn’t bug him about being a baby when he wanted his mother around. She was loving and gentle and fun to be with.
Dylan and Troy were a different story. Joey was slightly wary around them, but if Troy kept coming up with ideas like Christmas trees, he’d move up the friendship ladder fast.
But Sean was the hero, the one to emulate. He had a way of making Joey feel independent without pushing.
Joey had stopped running around the trees now, and he and Sean were on their knees, studiously examining something in the grass. Eve left her comfortable spot on the grassy knoll and went over to join them.
“What have you two found so fascinating?” she asked.
“I saw a spider,” Joey said, “but it got away before I could show it to Sean.”
“Good,” Eve said. “I like spiders that run away.”
“Aw, I wanted to catch him and see if he was poisonous.”
“I have a better idea,” she said. “Let’s pretend he is and leave him alone.”
Sean gave Joey a very light but manl
y punch on the arm. “Women. They just don’t get bugs.”
“Have you decided on a tree?” Eve asked.
“We’re stuck between two choices,” Sean said. “Shall we let your mother have the deciding vote, Joey?”
“I betcha she picks the skinny one.”
Joey pointed out the trees. The choice was a nobrainer. “The fat one will take up half the family room,” she said.
“I told you she’d pick the skinny one.”
“The skinny one it is,” Sean said. “Dylan and I will come for it later today.”
Eve eyed the tree again. “I hope it’s not too tall.” But it wouldn’t be her and Joey’s Christmas tree. Surely Orson would be captured by Christmas and they’d be back in Dallas. Away from the horses and wide-open spaces of the ranch.
Away from Sean. He was not a forever kind of guy.
Joey pointed to an aging oak tree about thirty yards away. It had apparently been hit by lightning at some time in the past, and one huge limb fell almost to the ground before stretching skyward again. “Can I go climb in that tree?”
“You might fall and—sure,” she said, reconsidering. “Have fun, but be careful.”
“A giant step for mothering,” Sean said when Joey was out of earshot.
“I’m trying,” she said. “It’s hard to admit I got in the habit of being overly protective, especially with my being a psychiatrist.”
Sean took her hand in his and pulled her down to the grass beside him. “I can see how protection can get to be a habit.”
He toyed with a lock of her hair and for a second she thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he let go of her hand and stared into space.
“Is something wrong?”
“I talked to Wyatt this morning while you and Joey were helping Collette feed the horses.”
“Not more bad news. If it is, I don’t want to hear it. All I want to know about Orson is that he’s been arrested.”
“I don’t have any news that changes the current situation for the better or worse,” Sean assured her.