by Vella Day
Chapter Nineteen
On the drive home, Ellie told herself she wasn’t going to make love with Vic again. It caused too much anxiety. Every time they were together, she fell for him more. His touch seemed to alter her insides. This had to stop. When she was finally able to go back home, the separation anxiety would be bad. Charlotte would bug her, but Ellie had to stay strong.
When they entered his house, she faced him. “Dinner was wonderful. Thank you, but I’m tired. I’m going to shower then hit the hay.”
“Sure.”
He stepped into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Hmm. That was a bit odd. Usually, he made up some excuse as to why he needed to take off her clothes and ravish her. Perhaps he, too, had realized that no good could come of it.
In the past, he used to seek out his alone time. Maybe he was trying to figure out what came next.
Once in the bedroom, she undressed and placed her clothes back in her suitcase. If she had to stay another week, she’d need a few more things. She’d only brought one top that she wouldn’t mind getting paint on. Perhaps she could ask Sharon to take her clothes shopping during their lunch hour tomorrow.
Bolstered by that thought, Ellie grabbed her nightgown and stepped into the bathroom. If she could finish and crawl into bed before Vic came in, he might be convinced she was asleep. Truthfully, Vic wasn’t always the one who initiated the lovemaking. She was equally at fault—or should she say, equally weak.
Vic’s kisses were familiar, comforting, and quite wonderful. They reminded her of the days when love was in the air, before he joined the FBI.
Ellie let the water warm then stepped in, the heat soothing her muscles and helping relax her mind. Nothing bad could happen while she was here. Vic wouldn’t let it. She had washed her hair and was lathering her body when the bathroom door opened. She stilled. Without thinking, she covered her breasts with her soapy hands.
“Vic? What are you doing in here?”
“What do you think I’m doing? Sharing a shower. I thought you could check my back to see if it’s good.”
“You are so full of shit. A mirror can tell you that.”
He laughed. “Can’t twist that far.”
Apparently, he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Without waiting for her approval, Vic stepped in the large stall and moved next to her, sending the spray in every direction. “I’m not having sex with you,” she announced.
“Sex? Did I mention sex? You have a dirty mind.” He held up a hand. “Now, if you really want to make love, I won’t turn you down.” He winked.
He was too much. Ellie chuckled and shook her head. “Let me rinse, and then you can have the shower to yourself.” She dropped her head to finish cleaning her hair.
He wet his body and stepped back. Casually as could be, he rubbed the bar of soap over his pecs and down his abs. “You look incredible, all soapy and wet and enticing,” he said, never taking his gaze off her.
She was about to say her hips were too wide and her belly was too flabby, but then he’d want to show her how much he desired her. Hell, his cock was growing by the second. Damn man had to go and pick up his dick and rub it. If she asked exactly what he was doing, he’d say he was getting it clean.
Stepping away from the warm flow, she motioned it was his turn. “If you give me the soap, I’ll do your back.”
As he handed the bar to her, he smiled. Resist! She rubbed his back, once more enjoying the dips and valleys between his spine and his flared lats. Vic was honed, strong, virile, but sleeping with him every time they were together made her appear weak. Who was she kidding? She was weak.
Spotting no more redness around the cut, she touched his stitches, but he didn’t flinch. “This is healing well.” The gash on his forehead didn’t even need a bandage anymore. “How’s the shoulder?”
Without turning around, he lifted it parallel to the floor then lowered it. “Good.”
“Liar.”
He raised his left arm above his head. He didn’t groan, but she bet he was in pain. “Satisfied?”
“Turn around and do it again.” Oh, damn. That was what he wanted.
He did as she asked and then grabbed his cock with his left hand. “You just want to look at this, don’t you?”
Step out of the shower now.
“No. Are you finished? I need to rinse.” Just as soon as I soap up again.
Vic moved out of the way and she stepped past him, but not before he grabbed her by the waist and pressed her against the wall. Water hit her leg. She wanted to tell him not to kiss her, but her lips refused to comply.
“I can’t resist you, El. I’ve never been more alive than when I’m with you. We’re good together.”
It would be a lie to say she didn’t enjoy his company. “It’s too soon.”
“Too soon? I’ve waited five years to get my life together. Now that I have, I want you back. We’re good for each other. We have fun, right?”
The words were ones she’d dreamed of hearing—back when they were married. “This madman has forced us together. This isn’t normal. If I’d moved out here, we wouldn’t be naked in a shower right now.”
“Perhaps, but I’m glad we are. Can’t you feel our passion growing?”
Yes, but she wouldn’t admit it to him. “Let’s see what happens after you get this guy, okay?”
“Deal.”
Instead of stepping back, Vic dragged a thumb across her nipple, and it was as if he’d plugged in her virtual electric cord. Damn him. Despite the heated steam, the tip puckered. “What are you doing? I need to get out.” Didn’t that sound forceful? Hardly.
“Don’t you like it in here?” He leaned forward, dipped his head, and tugged on her nipple.
She pressed her palms against the wall in an attempt to stop the streaks of pleasure from eating away at her willpower. “We can’t…keep….doing…this.”
“Yes, we can. We’re consenting adults. There is so much darkness out there, and we deserve a little light. What can one more time hurt? Huh?”
That was the problem. If she gave in now, she might never stop. The second his hand slid between her legs and pressed on her pussy, her willpower dissolved like water on hot asphalt. Aw, fuck.
Her tiny button throbbed and she wanted more. Vic stepped back, grabbed the showerhead off the hook, and aimed it at her, one breast at a time.
“Don’t move, or I might have to arrest you for obstructing justice.”
She laughed. “What justice?”
“I deserve to enjoy that sweet pussy of yours, and if you try to stop me, I’ll have to take you in.”
He always did have a sense of humor—at least in the beginning. “I’ll try to be good, officer.”
“Good girl.” Vic lowered the spray. “Open your legs. I want to make sure you’re clean.”
He grabbed the soap and swiped it across her slit. After he set the bar down, he dragged his palm across her opening, making sure to dip his finger in her pussy over and over again.
“I think I’m clean,” she panted.
“Not yet. You keep leaking.”
“Ew. Am not. If you want to stop that from happening, don’t keep turning me on.”
He grinned. “I’m exciting you?”
“A little.” She’d had enough of his flirting and grabbed his cock.
He lifted her hand off his shaft. “Not yet.”
He turned the nozzle upward and aimed the water right up her pussy. It tickled and excited her at the same time. She shrieked and he stopped.
“Turn around and plant your hands on the wall,” Vic commanded. “I want to play with your tits.”
The angle would be better anyway. Besides, she liked it when he took her from behind. There was more friction and her climax was more intense. Ellie turned around, stuck out her butt, and wiggled her hips.
“You’re asking for it.”
“As long as I’m going to hell, I might as well enjoy the ride down.” She’d pay for this slip in resolve
at some point, but Vic was right. Life was fragile and she needed all the goodness she could grab.
His palms cupped her breasts, and when he rolled her nipples between his forefinger and thumb, shards of bliss shattered her. How could his one touch undo her like that?
Am I falling in love with him again?
Ellie didn’t want the answer to be yes. Vic was a complicated man. Once the danger passed, he’d go back to his workaholic self, and she’d be forgotten. And Charlotte? Now that he’d won her back, how much time would he give her?
Pleasure was fleeting, so she needed to take it when and where she could. That would be her new mantra until she left for Virginia.
His cock slipped between her legs and Vic’s chest plastered against her back. “I need you.”
Over the roar of the water, she couldn’t be sure, but she thought his voice cracked. She prayed Vic could let her go when the time came. His slid a palm down her belly and teased open her pussy lips.
He slowly massaged her opening but didn’t give her the release she desired. Needing to urge him on, she reached between her legs and grabbed his dick. His pecs tightened on her back.
“You’re tempting fate,” he said.
“I’m trying to tempt you into giving me that big cock of yours.”
“Don’t you worry; I just want to make sure you’re ready for me.”
She was already teetering on the edge. After being together for so many years, he knew she was easy. What he might not know was that she was that way only with him.
She pumped her hand up and down and would have suggested she suck on his cock had he not pinched her nipples and short-circuited her brain. The delightful surprise made her loosen her grip enough for him to slide out of her palm.
Vic nudged her legs wider and pressed on her back so that she was level with the floor. He reached between her legs and strummed her clit.
“Vic!”
“Just seeing if you were paying attention.”
“Damn you. Give me that cock.”
“Patience.”
Not going to happen. She’d finally agreed to give into her desires and now he wanted to torment her? Ellie twisted around and flattened her back against the wall.
“What are you doing?” Vic looked crestfallen.
“This.” She grabbed his cock, leaned over, and drew him into her mouth.
“Jesus, El. You don’t want me to go off, do you?”
Why was it okay for her to be on the edge and not him? “You’re the soldier. Suck it up.”
She went back to work, rolling his balls and dragging her tongue down his length. Because she could only fit half of his dick in her mouth, she clasped the lower half and pumped her fist again. He groaned and grabbed her wet hair and tugged.
“I forgot how wicked your mouth was.”
She smiled and lost suction. Damn. This was her chance to bring him to his knees. She bet every criminal Vic ever brought to justice would line up to see him beg. And beg he would. Five years was a long time, but some things she’d never forget—like how to drive him wild with need.
Using every technique she’d ever learned, she dragged her tongue up and down his length, swirling it around and sucking hard. The tension on her scalp increased. She was loving this. From his moans and the hint of cum on her tongue, he was about to lose it. It would almost be worth it to have him blow.
“Enough,” Vic gasped. “I have to have you.”
“Patience.”
Vic withdrew from her grasp and lightly tapped her nose. “Patience, my ass.”
He pressed her against the wall, aimed his cock at her pussy, and drove up into her. Explosions detonated everywhere. Sparks flew. Oh, my fucking Lord. Ellie cupped his face and kissed him with more passion than she ever had before.
His hands roamed over her hips and up to the sides of her breasts as he pounded into her over and over again. She couldn’t get enough of him, and only broke the kiss when she needed air. He plastered his chest against hers and as his cock exploded, he dropped his head on her shoulder, taking her over the edge with him. It was as if they were holding hands in a free fall.
The power, the lust, and the emotion were so strong that her mind blanked. He held still and eventually the pulsing slowed.
Vic withdrew and stepped back. “Okay, maybe I’m too old for this. I think that took five years off my life.”
Ellie didn’t know why that was funny, but she laughed and couldn’t stop. Vic joined in, and side-by-side they planted their backs against the wall then slowly slid down to the floor.
“Aren’t we a pair?” she asked.
His picked up her hand and kissed each knuckle. “That we are.”
Chapter Twenty
Ellie was in the back room painting when Sharon knocked. “I finished my work. You said you wanted to go clothes shopping?”
“Fantastic. Yes.” Ellie had already gotten a paint stain on this shirt, and she needed a few more tops she didn’t mind messing up. “Let me rinse my brushes and then tell Vic we’re doing a girls’ day out.”
“Cool.”
Ellie used the bathroom sink to rinse her brushes, and then wiped the porcelain clean. This setup wasn’t ideal, but it worked. After she returned her supplies to the back room, she gathered her purse and coat and headed into Vic’s office.
He looked up, smiled, and took off his glasses. She wished he’d keep them on as he looked scholarly, but he said he was self-conscious. Men. Go figure.
“Sharon and I are going to do a little clothes shopping. I don’t imagine we’ll be too long.”
“I’m glad you’re making friends here.”
She bit her tongue. He was trying to make her see she could have a life in Rock Hard. While that might be true, she also had a job and friends in Virginia. It was the only place she’d ever known. “I’ll text you when we’re done so you don’t worry.”
“I appreciate it. Just keep your phone on.”
She remembered that he could always locate her because of her phone. That comforted her. “Will do.” She shoved her hand in her purse and extracted her keys. He hadn’t asked to borrow her rental even though his shoulder had healed enough for him to drive. She didn’t want him stranded should something come up. “Just in case.” She dropped them on his desk.
“Thank you.” He winked. “Be vigilant.”
“Always am.”
Ellie left with Sharon, ready to enjoy a day out. Sharon drove, not only because she’d parked in front, but also because she knew the roads.
“I’m thinking we’ll head over to Dayton. They have a nice mall.”
“How far away is it?”
“Thirty minutes, tops.”
Ellie wasn’t sure Vic would want her to be so far away, but Sharon did have her gun. “As long as you park close to the entrance, I don’t think Vic would mind.”
Sharon reached over and clasped her hand. “You’re safe with me and Annie.”
Ellie laughed. When they arrived at what Sharon called The Mall, Ellie said nothing. Ten single-story stores in a row wasn’t her definition of a shopping mecca, but for now, it would do. One consolation, it would be hard for anyone to sneak up on them. As long as they’d come this far, Ellie was going to enjoy shopping.
* * *
Vic was making good progress on the potential candidates when his cell rang. He smiled. It had to be El telling him she was on her way home. She’d been gone a few hours already. He wasn’t worried, though. He’d checked her location several times. They were in Dayton. Not his first choice for haute couture, but what did he know about women’s clothing?
The call wasn’t from El’s phone. He didn’t recognize the number. Tension rippled through him. “Hello?”
“I have your daughter.” The voice came out distorted.
His heart nearly exploded. Stay cool and think. Vic had checked on Charlotte’s location when he’d looked up El’s. His daughter was in Billings where she was supposed to be. Trent said he was calling his c
ousin every few hours to make sure all was okay.
“What do you want?” He’d play along. It didn’t help that his heart wouldn’t stop banging against his chest, which made it very hard to talk.
“I want you in exchange for your daughter.”
It wouldn’t be the first time a criminal had asked for such a swap. “Let me speak with her.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t do that.”
That was because he didn’t have her. Vic wanted information about this guy. “Were you the one to set the garage on fire?” He knew damn well it was a porch, but maybe this clown didn’t.
“Nice try, Agent Hart. It was Detective Lawson’s front porch. And, yes, I did.”
Bile raced up his throat. “Who are you?”
“Meet me at the picnic tables at Harmes River Park in thirty minutes. Bring the cops and Charlotte dies.” He disconnected.
Vic’s mind raced. The stalker was the only one who could know so much, yet there was no way he had Charlotte. Damn. He immediately dialed Trent’s private number, hoping this creep hadn’t somehow figured out where Charlotte was.
“Hey. Can I call you back?” Trent asked. Noise sounded in the background.
“No. The stalker called. He said he has Charlotte. Is that possible?” His words rushed out.
“No.”
“You sure?”
“I just called Annetta. Charlotte is at the station house in Billings. What did he say?”
Vic told him then checked his cell for the time. “I have to leave now or I won’t make it in time.”
“Fuck. I’ll organize everyone on my end. When you get there, stall if you have to until we arrive. He doesn’t have your daughter so there’s nothing he can do even if you come in with a squad of cops, guns blazing.”
“I want this fucker alive. I want to know who he is and why he’s targeting my family.”
“We’ll meet you there, and we’ll get him. I’ll have every exit sealed off if he attempts to run for it.”
Vic blew out a breath, appreciating that Trent had his back. “Thanks.”
As soon as he disconnected, Vic shrugged into his vest. No telling what this fucker had in mind. He slid on his gun belt and added an ankle holster for his knife. Vic was certain he was missing something. Since his retirement from the FBI a year ago, he had softened. Mentally, he raced through how he wanted to do this. He debated going in the back way and hiking in the last mile, but that would take too long. However, since this guy did not have Charlotte, what difference did it make?