Driftwood Cove Trilogy: Complete Series

by E. C. Towers

  He groaned as he gave one final shiver and fell back exhausted. She got up, not quite believing how amazing their sexual chemistry still was, even now when she felt the most distant from him. The air after their sexual trysts was cracking with intense energy, which lingered long after their lovemaking.

  Then she wondered if it was still lovemaking when he was the only one that was still in love.

  “So are you going to tell me what's going on, or am I going to have to make a scene?”

  As per usual, he was laid out stretching on the bed like a satisfied cat that had just enjoyed a big meal.

  “Derek, I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.”

  Her exasperation was subtle but still a little over-dramatic. Did Derek notice? She panicked that her fear might show on her face and headed towards the bathroom. Derek jumped up and blocked her way with amazing speed.

  “Not until you answer my question, dear. And no, playing stupid isn't working. I know you're lying… or stupid. That guy doesn't work at the florist, does he? I recognize him from somewhere. Now out with it.”

  Dalila didn't know what else to do but stick to her story. In fact, she managed to convince him so much of her lie that he questioned the soundness of his judgment and faculties. Was he paranoid? It didn't help that he couldn't place that guy's face. He fumed at his inability to think straight whenever she was around. Something had been amiss between them for the last couple of months, and it was affecting him. Derek could usually recall names and faces without skipping a beat. It wasn't like him to forget anything.

  “Damn it, D. What are you doing to me?” he sighed. “I'm turning into some stupid asshole who's jealous of anyone that walks by you.”

  “Derek, go to work. We'll talk tonight.”

  He stared at her and wondered what she had been keeping from him. He wondered briefly again if she was having an affair with the young florist, but laughed at the thought of Dalila being turned on by such a small child of a man. Sure she was petite, but her tastes ran big: cars, houses and men. She liked everything in her life to be supersized.

  “Are you sure this isn't something we can discuss right now? I can make time,” he tried to sound stern, but there was a hint of anxiousness in his voice.

  Deep down, he didn't want to see the picture that Dalila had been painting for him lately. She had been so distant, and her once loving words had turned into bitter, biting insults. And more often than not, whenever he spoke, he caught her rolling her eyes. He was convinced it was a rough patch in the relationship and was willing to do anything to make their relationship work, but deep down he was afraid to talk about it. He feared it would prove to be the first step towards her walking out on him.

  “I promise, mi amor. We'll talk tonight, and I will let you know everything.”

  Earlier that day, Linda and Dalila had decided that they were going to release Jacob and his brother after they swore up and down that they would not tell anyone about Linda kidnapping Jacob. Dalila threatened a horrible death at the hands of Mexican mafia members, too ghoulish to repeat to even each other if they told a soul. Not to mention, Jacob was positively enamored with Linda. Like a sick puppy, he was only too happy to be led by her, trying to sneak longer looks at breasts while they were all talking. Dalila was slightly annoyed with his sickeningly obvious schoolboy crush. But Linda pretended not to notice as she led them a dark and quiet spot behind the guesthouse that mostly out of view from the security cameras.

  The brothers moved to climb the wall, but Jacob dropped back without much effort as his brother pulled up and over the side.

  “Hold on man! I'll be right there,” he whispered out.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Linda sneered. “Get your ass up there before anyone sees you!”

  Jacob smiled. Despite her harsh words, he couldn't help but notice her fiery eyes, sneaking peeks at his body.

  “Are you absolutely sure?”

  “Absolutely sure about what?” she asked.

  “That you don't you know where Tim is?”

  Jacob's determination to find Tim had waned, and now he was only mildly interested in the matter. He was more interested in remaining with Linda as long as possible.

  “I don't know anything about what happened to Tim. Like I said, I barely knew him. I saw him a couple times at the restaurant he works at; that's it. Now, go!”

  Jacob smiled just to hear her voice again and scaled the wall. Linda watched his shoulders flex and tighten as he climbed over out of sight. She wondered how hot he would look jerking off his ginger cock, which led her to a half dozen quick ideas as to what his member might look like. She made a mental note to try and get in touch with Jacob as soon as she returned to Driftwood Cove. Jacob had asked for her cell, feigning concern about her well-being and wanting to “get back in touch” when she returned to Driftwood Cove. She pretended to fall for his lines to get her number, because truth be told, Linda wanted to see him again soon.

  Linda shook her head clear. What the hell was she doing? Daydreaming about some guy who had secretly tracked her down and could possibly pin her for Tim's murder? Deep down, she knew she didn't have anything to worry about. Jacob was sprung on her, and he wouldn't ruin her chances with her by blabbing to the police. Especially since he had her number. And what better alibi was there to have than a clueless lover who was also the only one encouraging the police to find her secretly slain victim? But still, this was not the time to be daydreaming about a potential affair.

  With an aggravated sigh, she walked back into the house and closed the door behind her.

  13

  Choices To Make

  Dalila walked back to the guesthouse after making sure Derek had left and found Linda slumped on the couch with a faraway look.

  “What's going on? Missing your boy toy already?”

  Linda ignored her and found her way to the bar to refill her drink.

  “Drinking already? Not a bad idea. You deserve it.”

  “Did we do the right thing?” she asked. As if reading her mind, Linda turned and handed Dalila the glass she had just filled.

  “I don't see that we had any other choice but to let them go.”

  She took a sip of the clear beverage, gin and tonic, hint of lemon. Not bad. Linda grabbed a new glass and made herself a drink as Dalila finished hers off and tapped the bar for another.

  “What are you so worried about? Jacob isn't going to say shit because he wants to get in your pants, and his brother was practically mute from fear after Derek got to him.”

  “I need to move on,” Linda said flatly.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I need to go. I need to figure out what I'm going to do next. I can't just sit around here. I need to get back to my life.”

  “You haven't been gone long enough. Remember, you murdered someone.”

  “Jacob told me everyone's already lost interest in this case. They haven't found a body; they figured he just bolted. His mom can't confirm if there's anything missing from his clothes or his stuff because his room is such a mess, and he never let her in there," Linda explained. "He's a missing persons case, and I'm the last person they would ever suspect. It was pretty stupid for me to come here. I guess I panicked. Jacob told me there would be nothing to worry about if I came back.

  “Jacob told you?” Dalila looked at her with mild amusement. "He would tell you anything if there was the promise of a little dick tickle with you afterward."

  “What is your obsession with that? So, he likes me, so what? I think in this case it helped me out quite a lot. So why are you making it out like it's such a bad thing?”

  “Because you like him, too? I can see it. So now he has that power over you. What if he's lying to you, just hoping to get you back to Driftwood Cove? You already made a rash decision coming here; don't make another rash decision going back.”

  Linda didn't say a word, confirming Dalila's suspicions of her hots for the redhead.

  �
�Do what you want, Linda, but if you decide to head back to Driftwood Cove based on what Jacob says, you're being foolish.”

  “Can you let yourself out, please?” Linda rubbed her temples.

  This was so unlike her: waiting around for the shoe to drop, being dependent on someone else, and essentially putting her entire life on pause. All this time, she had strongly felt that this was the wrong move, and she finally came to the realization that her gut was right, as usual. What was she doing here? Why get back in touch with the guy who screwed up her head and broke her heart? She could take care of herself. Linda had been doing it since her husband had died; she didn't need Derek to save her from anything. She had always been a woman of action, a woman to take whatever problems came head-on. So what had happened? Linda decided then and there that she was going to abandon her fears, as she had so long ago.

  Dalila was still standing there.

  “Please? Can you let yourself out?”

  Even though it was a question, Linda's stern tone turned it into a command. Linda walked over to her couch and sat down with her drink, closing her eyes as if Dalila had already left.

  “Don't go back, please.” Dalila's tone was soft, almost pleading.

  Linda opened her eyes, surprised by the vulnerability in her voice. She knew she needed to get out of here but with the way Dalila was looking at her, she became increasingly aware that she had the power to convince her to do otherwise. Being in limbo was stifling, but these odd feelings she had for Derek's wife also came with a healthy dose of anxiety. It was there, just bubbling at the surface, and if Dalila showed any signs of reciprocating her budding feelings, she would be unable to stop herself from acting on her secret passion.

  “Linda, you're going to get caught. You know you screwed it up by leaving right when it happened. They're going to put two and two together, eventually.”

  “You don't understand what happened, and you frankly don't have any right to give me advice. If I had known that Derek was married, I would have never asked him for help, to begin with.”

  “Why? Because you know you can't have him now?”

  Linda closed her eyes again, refusing to continue gazing in her direction. She took a long sip of her drink, nearly finishing it with one swallow, and felt the warm after-effects of the gin linger in her throat, making her cheeks flush. She welcomed her buzz and promised herself this was going to be her last drink for today. Linda would need a sharp mind in the next few hours as she planned her return to Driftwood Cove.

  Frustrated by her lack of response, Dalila pulled up an ottoman and positioned herself directly in front of Linda, who still had her eyes closed.

  “You can sleep with Derek, I don't give a shit. Will that make you stay?”

  Linda snapped back to the present and glared at the unbelievably crass woman in front of her.

  “What is your deal, exactly? First of all, I don't want to have sex with Derek, and second, why would you be okay with it, if I did? Don't you have any pride? Any self-respect? You would just let some other woman sleep with your husband so she might stay?”

  Dalila shook her head and smiled.

  “You really have been gone for a long time, haven't you? Pride? Self-respect? How much of that did you have when you were with Derek?”

  The silence from Linda was deafening.

  “You, of all people, should know why I'm acting the way I am. I've been married to Derek for a year. What did you do when you were with Derek for a year?”

  Just by looking at her, Linda knew she didn't need to answer the question.

  “I have to admit, you have more balls than I do. I've had a lot of chances to leave Derek, but… I just don't. I feel trapped here, but scared and afraid out there. I feel like every decision I make, every thought I have, isn't valid until it receives Derek's seal of approval. Your coming here was just another one of Derek's schemes, and now I’m in the middle of it. But now… well, now, you're my only hope for getting out of here, for finding the courage to leave him."

  Dalila had stopped herself before she said anything more. She could scarcely believe she had said that much to Linda. She wasn't even sure that she had truly felt this way until Linda declared that she was leaving. Right now, she felt like a world-class idiot, particularly since it hadn't garnered any response from Linda. She started to get up and leave, but Linda touched her wrist lightly, encouraging her to sit back down. This time, it was Linda who positioned herself in front of Dalila. She was now holding on to both her hands. Linda's fingers were long and smooth as she slipped them in between hers.

  “I don't know if I can help you,” Linda said to her quietly.

  “You can. You can help me. Just stay. We'll figure out how to leave together,” Dalila pleaded.

  Linda's eyes were hypnotic, staring at her from just a few inches away. It drew her in and before she could wrap her head around it, she put her lips on Linda and kissed her hesitantly, pulling back slightly after a moment, desperate for Linda to reciprocate.

  Oh, no, Linda thought. I can't do this. But despite the refusal in her head, she found her way back to Dalila's soft, full lips. She kissed her slowly, almost carefully, as if her lips were made of eggshells. Dalila followed suit and returned her kisses with the same tenderness, briefly pressing her lips against hers, slightly teasing with her tongue before pulling back and letting Linda take the lead.

  The air felt warm, almost cozy as they tenderly touched each other, not wanting to ruin the moment by going too fast. Linda gathered Dalila's hair into her hands and slowly pulled her head back, stretching and fully exposing her neck. She touched the fragrantly sweet skin there with her fingers before trailed her lips down along her exquisite throat. Letting out a soft moan, Dalila encouraged her to run her tongue to the gentle pool of flesh where her neck met her collar.

  As Linda tasted her, Dalila let her hands run down the curve of her back, lingering on the swell of her ass and slipping down to her thighs and back up to the small of her back. Dalila grabbed a handful of Linda's behind to bring her in closer, needing her heat now. Linda pushed away for a moment to take off her top. Dalila put her hands on Linda's and stopped her before she could pop her blouse open, moving them out of the way so she could finish unbuttoning her blouse for her. Dalila wanted to undress Linda herself.

  After slipping off her blouse, Dalila slipped her finger underneath her bra straps, slipping them off Linda's shoulders and reached around to unclasp them from behind. As her bra fell to the floor, Dalila captured Linda's erect nipple between her lips and sucked on it like candy.

  Linda moaned in ecstasy and held the back of her head, pressing her breasts into Dalila's hungry mouth. Her tongue felt slippery and wet as she circled her tongue around each nipple and bit them softly, sending a wave of pleasure down to her nether regions.

  Linda laid Dalila down onto the couch and undid her robe. She wore nothing underneath but a pair of purple cotton panties with white lace trim, which managed all once to be the perfect representation of the person wearing it: simple, cute and utterly sexy. Linda pressed her naked body to Dalila’s as they kissed, running her hands down between her legs, where it was warm and wet between her lips. She tickled and lightly brushed her hard clit, feeling Dalila buck with anticipation, wanting those soft fingers inside of her.

  Linda slowed her down with more kisses to her collar bone and light bites to her neck. She was wetter than ever, and as she relaxed with the sweet sensation of her kisses, Linda went inside her without hesitation, and a surprised gasp escaped Dalila’s lips.

  Linda’s digits slid in and out slowly and watched Dalila’s back arch seductively in pleasure, pushing her luscious breasts out with inviting arousal. Linda took the invitation and kissed her soft mounds as she fingered her a little faster with each lick of her suckling.

  Dalila slipped her hands underneath Linda and returned the favor, slipping a finger into her moist pussy, rubbing her rock hard clit with her thumb.

  They both worked each othe
r into a frenzy, timing each other's thrusts and intensity until Linda reached orgasm, clenching Dalila’s hand between her legs, sensing the pressure of another finger sliding in. Linda let out a loudly vocal groan as she felt orgasm on top of orgasm overtake her in electric waves.

  Linda couldn’t focus on how to behave now, and subconsciously sucked on Dalila’s breasts hungrily, driving the dangerous woman over the edge. A labored breath escaped her lungs with an agonized groan as Dalila came hard.

  When it was finished, both women lay back on the sofa with relaxed exhaustion. Even as they lazily fell, Linda never diverted eyes from Dalila, who was covered in a light sweat that made every curve of her body shimmer. After taking enough time to collect her thoughts, Linda opened up her thighs and let Dalila taste the pleasure between her legs, working herself into another orgasm as she felt the fluttered tip of the woman’s tongue on her still swollen, hard clit.

  They spent most of the day exploring and re-exploring each other, coming up for air a few times to have a drink before they immersed themselves into each other again. After making love in the shower, they stretched out on the guesthouse bed, too wet and too exhausted from their sexual play to get dressed.

  “I need to tell Derek something,” Dalila broke the satisfied silence between them.

  What?”

  "Derek, he's going to be home tonight, and I need to tell him something. Apparently, I don't lie as well as I used to, and he knows something is up.”

  “Well, what do you want to tell him? Are you going to tell him the truth about Jacob and his brother?”

  Deep down, Linda knew this wasn’t what Dalila had in mind. Something about the tone of her voice clued her in that something much deeper than Jacob was at issue between them.