She stored the memory of Ben and Dan’s colds all those years ago, when in fact, they had been very sick with influenza.
Carlee had been lucky—very fortunate not to catch it.
Then again, her family could afford doctors and vaccines…
She shoved that thought aside, choosing to gaze at Ben’s nude body.
The tick of the clock on the wall was the only sound she heard.
Ben was sleeping right down the hall. Dan was probably downstairs, in the kitchen or den.
The only person she really missed being Marlene. It weighed heavily on Carlee’s mind that Marlene must be frantic with worry, not knowing where Carlee was.
Carlee chewed her lower lip.
Another thought popped into her head.
She would call Marlene and at least ease her anxiety.
“That’s what Marlene would do if she were in my shoes,” Carlee said to the empty room.
She got up off her bed and opened her door a crack. Peeking outside, she saw the hallway was deserted.
Remembering that Dan confiscated her cell phone, she thought he probably still had it somewhere—maybe in his room.
She padded down the hall, stopping by his door. Glancing right, then left, she opened the door and walked in, shutting it behind her.
Carlee did a quick search, a smile lighting her face when she found her cell phone stashed in a bag in the closet.
She reached for it and dialed Marlene.
“Hello?”
“Marlene,” Carlee whispered. “It’s me, Carlee.”
“Oh my God! Carlee. I was so worried.”
“I thought you might be.”
“When you didn’t answer your cell phone and when you didn’t answer at Ida’s, I went to see that Lieutenant McGee. He told me not to worry, that the Montauk Police Department was keeping you safely hidden, but he wouldn’t say where.”
“And I can’t, either. I just wanted to tell you that I was okay, and not to worry.” Carlee took a breath. “How are you doing?”
“Todd and I are probably getting a divorce.”
Carlee heard the catch in Marlene’s voice. “Oh Marlene, I-I’m sorry.”
Marlene sighed. “It was coming. I knew he was cheating, I just didn’t know the extent.”
Carlee heard a door close, then footsteps.
“I have to go, Marlene.”
“All right. I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Yes. Hopefully, I’ll see you soon.”
Carlee ended the call then tossed the phone into Dan’s bag.
She opened his door just a bit to peek out. She didn’t see him, so she scooted into the hall, closing the door behind her, being careful not to make noise.
She stayed in her room for quite some time, listening while Ben and Dan switched their shifts.
It was Dan’s turn to sleep.
She hoped and prayed he wouldn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.
She settled on the bed and drifted to sleep, her mind filled with the image of Ben’s nude body.
Now, she just had to sketch Dan that way.
* * * *
That night, Carlee woke to the sound of wind howling through the trees outside. She looked out her bedroom window to see rain pelting the glass.
She sat up and hugged her knees.
A flash of lightning lit up the sky.
BANG!
She looked out to see a shutter hit against the house, then the wind tore it loose, sending it high in the air.
Her door opened. Dan stood at the entrance to her bedroom.
“You okay?”
She shuddered. “I-I’d feel much better if I wasn’t alone.”
He held out his hand.
She tossed back the covers and ran to him.
He led her out of the room. “You’ll stay with me. Ben’s doing a once around the house, then he’s coming in.”
“Someone would have to be crazy to be out on a night like this.”
“We’re not taking any chances, Carlee. A night like this is perfect for someone who might want to do you harm. They would hope you would be thinking what you just said—and it would give them the opportunity.”
She shuddered. Carlee wasn’t sure if she was cold or scared.
“But this is a ‘safe house.’ I thought nobody knows where I am.”
“Better to be safe than sorry.”
She squeezed Dan’s fingers. His hand felt wonderfully warm and protective.
He brought her to his room.
She got into his bed and drew the covers around her. “I like it here.” She smiled at him.
“Well, don’t get used to it, it’s only for tonight.”
“Right.”
“Carlee…” He raised a brow. “Don’t get any ideas.”
He walked over to a chair and eased his tall frame into it.
She snapped her brows together. “What are you doing?”
He sighed. “I’m trying to get some rest, but if you keep talking, I won’t.”
“In that chair? It must be so uncomfortable.” She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.
He laid his head back and shut his eyes. “Go to sleep, little warrior.”
“How can I sleep when you’re crammed into that chair?”
“I’m not crammed into it.”
She tossed back the covers and patted the mattress. “Come sleep here. I promise I won’t bite.”
“It’s not your bite I’m worried about.”
“I promise not to break any rules.”
“Hell, you broke them all, woman. There’s none left.”
She started to roll her eyes then stopped.
This would be the perfect opportunity to see Dan naked again. This was a study in art, after all…
Oh, who was she kidding? She just wanted to make love with him again.
Ben knocked on the door. “Everything okay?”
“Come in!” she called out.
This time, Dan rolled his eyes. “Would you mind if I answered?”
She just gave him a sour look.
Ben strode in. He stopped when he saw Carlee in the bed.
“What are you doing in here?” he asked, frowning.
“She was scared.” Dan replied around a yawn. “I told her she could sleep in here.”
“Okay.” Ben nodded. “I’ll be downstairs.”
Dan looked at his watch. “I’ll relieve you in three hours.”
“Perfect.”
He walked out.
Oh, yeah! This was perfect. She had plenty of time with Dan.
He tipped back his head, letting go of another yawn.
She couldn’t interrupt his sleep. He needed it. She glanced at his crotch, at his muscular legs, his wide chest, his…
Fuck sleep.
“Dan, please come to bed. I-I won’t rest if I know you’re squished into that chair.”
“All right, all right!” He bounded up from the chair and got into bed.
Yanking the covers up to his chest, he said, “Now go to sleep.”
She snuggled down next to him.
Placing a hand on his chest, she skimmed her fingers across it. The muscles rippled, he felt so…hard.
“You’re tense,” she whispered.
He opened his eyes and looked into hers.
“I know one way we can relax.” She smiled at him, massaging his balls through the fabric of his sweat pants.
He pushed her hand away.
She put it back.
“Carlee, I’m trying to sleep.”
She placed a hand on his chest and rolled him onto his back. “But it won’t be a truly restful sleep unless your body is stress-free.”
She straddled his crotch and untied his sweat pants. He helped her pull them off, then they went to work on his shirt.
Carlee took a few minutes to view his naked form.
He placed his hands behind his head. “I’ll never win this argument.”
She gave him a mo
cking look. “You certainly didn’t try all that hard.”
He lifted her nightshirt and grasped her hips. His cock brushed her entrance. She squirmed against him.
He snapped his brows together. “Where in hell are your panties?”
“I don’t sleep with panties on. And for your information, I don’t wear panties. I wear thongs.” She remained straddled across him, but folded her arms beneath her breasts. “Does this mean you want me to go put on panties--I mean my thong?”
He shifted, reaching for his cock. He placed it inside her.
Carlee threw her head back and moaned when the tip of his dick slid inside.
He moved once, twice…
“Just make sure that in the future, you’re displaying that adorable bare ass and pussy just for me and Ben.”
She smiled, moving her hips, matching his rhythm, reveling in the fact that he even mentioned the future. “Only for you…and Ben,” she agreed.
He pulled out of her and flipped her over on her belly.
“Get on your knees,” he whispered in her ear.
She did as he bade. “Are you an ass man, too?”
“Nope.”
She frowned. “Then, what are you…oh!”
He pushed into her pussy from behind, riding her doggie-style.
“I like your sweet cunt too much to go in the back door,” he replied, his voice low, his lips right next to her ear.
He held her around the waist, trailing his fingers down her abdomen. He rubbed her clit, massaging it gently in a circle with the tip of his index finger.
Carlee ground against his hand.
“Harder,” she begged.
Her juices flowed. Dan used them as lubricant, sliding his fingers across her wet little nubbin of flesh.
He kept riding her, pushing in and out with long, slow strokes.
“You’re right.” He chuckled. “I have no stress at all.”
She felt all the anxiety! If she didn’t come soon, she thought she would shatter into a million pieces.
The last thrust of his cock put her over the edge.
She fell down the great wide abyss of sexual pleasure while Dan stroked her wet clit with his fingers.
He pulled out of her, swatting her pussy with the flat of his hand. That only started the tailspin of desire all over again. Her clit throbbed sweetly from the contact.
“I’m strictly a pussy man,” he told her.
She felt him smile against her neck.
Tugging her nightshirt over her hips, he settled her body next to him in the crook of his arm.
“Now, I’ll sleep like a baby.” He smiled into her hair.
Great! She was wide-awake and listening to every sound outside.
He tugged her closer. “Get some rest.” He yawned.
His heart beat against her back.
It was the last thing she felt before she drifted off to sleep, the howl of the wind right outside the window.
Chapter Sixteen
Carlee thought only a few minutes had passed when she heard Dan up and moving around the small room.
He stood by the bureau, fully dressed, his ever-present gun and holster strapped to his shoulder.
She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the darkness.
Outside, the wind still howled.
He glanced in that direction. “There’s a high-wind advisory until six this morning.”
She yawned and sat up. Scrunching her fingers through her hair, she replied. “Do you and Ben have to go outside in this weather? You might blow away.”
He chuckled and walked over to her. “We won’t.”
She hugged her knees. “I-I don’t know what I’d do without the two of you.”
Silence filled the small room.
Dan removed her hands from around her knees and pushed her back down under the covers. “Go back to sleep, little warrior.” He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Stop worrying.”
She rolled over onto her side. “Please be careful.”
He nodded. “I'm always careful.”
Dan walked out.
She could hear noises coming from Ben’s room.
Carlee got up and padded over to the door, a blanket bunched around her shoulders. Cold air snaked up her bare legs, so she pulled the blanket tighter across her body.
She crept down the hallway to Ben’s room and knocked on the door.
“It’s me,” she told him. “Can I come in?”
He opened the door, his hand on his gun. “What’s wrong?” His scowl was deep.
“N-nothing. I mean…Dan left and I can’t seem to fall asleep again.”
He opened the door wider allowing her access.
She stepped inside and he shut the door behind her. The cold air swirled around her again. She tried to adjust the blanket, but it slipped and fell to the floor.
Ben reached for it and draped it around her body, tucking the ends together across her chest. “Better?” he asked. Then he scowled again. “You should be wearing something warmer.”
She grinned. “How about I wear you?”
He just shook his head and walked away.
Carlee prowled around his room, touching the bureau, fingering his watch. It sat on top of the bureau, along with his wallet.
“I want to ask you something.”
She turned to see him sitting in the chair on the other side of the room.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me about your parents dying?”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I knew the minute those words left my mouth that you wouldn’t let it rest.” He shook his head. “I shouldn't have said anything.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Maybe, you had to. Maybe…you needed to unburden yourself.”
“I told you, it’s water under the bridge.”
“Is that why you and Dan sent me away that summer?”
He nodded. “It was part of the reason. We didn’t want you mixed up in, well, we didn’t want you to know how bad it really was on the reservation.”
She shook her head. “You were protecting me.”
“I guess.” He got up from the chair and walked over to her. “A rich, white girl like you—”
She held up a hand. “Enough with that.”
“You asked.” He aimed a finger at her. “So I’m going to tell you. Dan and I figured a rich, white girl like you shouldn’t see what we really were.”
“I saw two nice Indian boys who I thought were my friends.”
He stopped walking and raised a brow. “Your friends?”
Her voice cracked. “You didn’t think enough of our relationship to tell me about your parents.” She shook her head. “I-I could have offered you comfort.”
He snorted. “I got plenty of comfort, from Dan’s family.” He ran a hand through his hair, frustration making his face taut. “You have no idea, Carlee, what that influenza epidemic was like.” He narrowed his eyes. “Dan and I never figured out how you managed to sneak in during that time. The reservation was quarantined.”
She shrugged, lifting a corner of her mouth. “I had my ways.”
“Of course. A spoiled, rich kid like you could always manage to get her way.”
She balled her hands in fists at her sides. “Stop calling me that.”
“It’s the truth!” His eyes blazed.
She aimed her chin at him. “People have a lot of sides to them, Ben. Many layers. You and Dan just didn’t bother to stick around and peel mine away. Instead, you both passed judgment and that was that.” Her throat filled with tears. “You broke my heart,” she whispered.
Silence ensued.
“Maybe you’re so hung up on the differences between us that you can’t see the similarities.” Her voice shook. “You never gave me a chance.”
“A chance for what? To comfort me? That’s the last thing I needed.” He paced back and forth, his body stiff with anger. “You talk about chances. What Dan and I needed more than anything back then was a chance to get the
hell off that reservation permanently.” He stopped pacing and faced her, his eyes sad. “If we hurt you in the process, all I can is, I’m sorry.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “You hurt me all right.” She lifted her nose in the air. “And I’m sure you found comfort with lots of other women, like Marjorie—that paramedic who seems to know you quite well.”
A corner of Ben’s mouth lifted. “Jealous?”
“Certainly not.”
But inside she quaked. Insecurity bloomed—it felt like a hundred moths beat their wings deep in her gut.
He took a few more steps toward her then grabbed her shoulders between his hands. “Marjorie’s kid brother got into some trouble awhile back—vandalism, petty theft. I did her a favor and gave him a good talking-to, then I took him on a little tour of the Suffolk County jail.” Ben released her shoulders. “He’s been on the straight and narrow ever since.”
Her body relaxed. “Oh.”
“I didn’t sleep with Marjorie.”
Carlee stuck her chin out. “I’m sure there have been plenty of other women.”
He laughed this time. “Typical female. You want to know everything”
She nodded. “That’s right. I’m a female. Just not your typical garden variety.” She licked her lips. “Maybe you’ll stick around this time and find out just how a-typical I am.”
He gave her a sour look. “To answer your question—yeah, there have been a few women for me and Dan. Very few. Our profession doesn’t exactly make for a great love life.”
She took a deep breath. “Or maybe you’ve always been holding out for me.”
Silence filled the room.
“Yeah, maybe there’s that, too.”
“Would you promise me something?”
He frowned. “What?”
“Please don’t feel you have to protect me from the big, bad world.”
He shook his head, no. “I can’t make a promise like that. I’m sworn to protect you.” He drew his police badge from his pocket and showed it to her. “Remember? I’m a cop.”
She gave him an exasperated look. “I’m talking about…sharing something as important as your parents’ death.”
A shadow crossed his face. For a few seconds, she couldn’t discern the look that came over him. “All right. I’ll try.”
“Promise me.”
“Carlee…”
“Promise!” She held up a hand.
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