Her eyes popped open when she felt his hands on her waist. Unbelievably, her whole body tensed even more than it had been.
“What are you doing?” she asked, trying to push herself upright.
“Relax, babe. I’m gonna get rid of your tension. You look about to snap.”
“I’m…fine,” she said.
“Liar.”
She huffed. “Even if I am, you…you shouldn’t be…uh…lessening my tension.”
“What’s the problem?” He undid the button on her shorts.
Yes, what was the problem? As Sean probably remembered from years ago, sex had always been a wonderful stress reliever for her. And honestly, she might be tempted—if he wasn’t Sean Burke. Anyone but him. Because no way in hell would she, could she, or should she have sex with him.
“The problem is you,” she answered. The flash of pain in his eyes stabbed her with guilt. Mentally, she shook it off. He deserved it after the pain he’d caused her. “Besides, my daughter is in the bedroom.”
“You closed the door. I’ll hear her if she comes out. Anything else?”
When she didn’t respond, he stared directly into her eyes and unzipped her shorts. Her breath caught.
“If you want me to stop, Jess, tell me and I will. Instantly.” He slipped his fingers beneath the elastic band of her panties, slid them back and forth, back and forth, moving the sides of the shorts more out of the way each time.
Her gaze dropped to watch his fingers. Her breathing quickened.
Cupping her with the palm of his hand, he moved his fingers to where the panties circled her thigh. He traced up to her hip, down to her groin. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up…down.
She should say stop. Really she should. But his touch felt so damn good that her mouth wouldn’t cooperate.
His fingers mesmerized her. She got lost in the sensations.
When his finger ducked under the crotch of her panties, she gasped. Deftly, gently, he separated her folds and stroked her center. He groaned right before she did.
He raised his eyes to hers. “Hot. Wet. Ready…for me.”
Two fingers probed until she spread her legs and opened for him. Without hesitation, they thrust inside. In. Out. In. Out. His wet thumb found her sweet spot, pressed, circled.
Her head lolled to the side. Her eyes closed. Her lips parted to release her panting breaths.
Faster. Deeper. In. Out. Press. Circle.
Inside, she coiled tighter and tighter around his fingers. Release, oblivion, beckoned.
Her orgasm exploded with such massive spasms that her thighs clamped together around his hand.
“Sean,” she cried.
Waves of pleasure washed over her for the longest time. She floated, weightless, relaxed.
She didn’t even open her eyes when Sean lifted her from the couch, carried her to the bedroom, and laid her on the bed. He fluffed the sheet over her before kissing her forehead.
And then left.
Chapter 10
At 6:00 Sunday morning, Sean sat at his brother’s kitchen table, watching a four-year-old scarf down a bowl of Cheerios. This was a first for him. Not the time or location, but sitting alone with a little girl. One who talked incessantly, often leaving off the first syllable of words, making comprehension difficult.
He yawned and scratched the stubble on his cheek. Would he and Jess have had a child by now if things had gone according to his plan? Their daughter wouldn’t have blond hair, though. That gene had definitely come from Drake Hargrove. Callie Burke would have had darker locks like his deep red or Jess’s rich brown.
Resentment bit him in the ass. The same emotion had kept him awake most of the night. Of course, last night’s sleep deprivation was also the result of several other issues: Molly’s disappearance, Drake’s threat, Hal’s hard drive, Jess’s proximity, and the futon’s size, to name a few. But resentment at the developing solution to the eight-year-old puzzle of why they broke up was definitely high on the list.
How was he going to confirm his suspicions before discussing them with Jess? He suspected only one person—the guilty party—knew the truth. And the bastard would never confess. Would Jess believe Sean without objective evidence or would she conclude he was lying in a case of Hal-said versus Sean-said? Every attempt he’d made with Jess, Luke, Nate, and Chad in the last two days to declare his innocence had been met with disbelief or disgust. Was there any way to convince them without the testimony of the one responsible for their breakup?
The sound of water running in the master bathroom pulled him from his thoughts. He shook his head and refocused on the babble pouring from the miniature person beside him. What was Callie saying? What the hell were “efants”? Did she mean…?
Several minutes later, footsteps in the hallway warned him of Jess’s approach. Despite bracing himself, seeing her sleepy and tousled in the doorway almost drew a moan from him, a sound of longing for what might have been.
“How long have you two been up?” Jess asked around a yawn.
“Mommy, Mommy.” Callie scrambled from her chair and wrapped herself around her mother’s legs.
“Morning, munchkin.”
“Guess what? Mr. Sean is gonna takes me to see the efants.”
Jess arched her eyebrows in question.
“Elephants,” he translated proudly. “But, Callie, remember I said I couldn’t take you today. It’ll probably be next weekend.”
“I ’member. Can Mommy come?”
His eyes connected with Jess’s. “Sure. I think she likes to come.”
A bright blush blossomed on her cheeks, and her eyes darted away.
Sean pushed back from the table. “Callie, let your mommy sit down while I get her some coffee. She looks like she could use it.”
Callie stayed in the doorway as Jess shuffled to the table and plopped into a chair. “Do you have ’toons?”
“Yeah. I have an iPod, and Glenn has a stereo. What kind of music do you like?”
She looked at him like he was speaking Greek.
“What?” he asked Jess.
“Cartoons.”
“Oh. Do I? Have them, I mean.”
Jess rolled her eyes. “Does Glenn have the Disney channel?”
He shrugged.
“Nickelodeon?”
“Nickel what?”
“Netflix?”
Relief. “Yeah.”
“Good. Find the children’s movies category, and she’ll pick one.”
Ten minutes later, he returned to the kitchen. Mission accomplished. After refreshing her cup and pouring himself another, he joined Jess at the table.
“What’s the deal with dropping the first syllable?”
“Her mouth can’t keep up with her brain, so it takes shortcuts.”
“Hmmm. Interesting.”
Silence settled around them. Too long to be comfortable.
Sean pretended to listen to the TV noise emanating from the living room. Jess seemed fascinated by her coffee mug. Was she going to say anything about last night? How good it felt? How he still knew how to pleasure her? Was she angry, grateful, embarrassed or some combination of all three? Seconds stretched on…
“I—” they said at the same time.
“Ladies first.”
“Okay.” She gulped. “I…I need to tell you something about last night.”
Her expression was cautious, not angry. Good sign. Instead of prodding, he waited for her to continue.
“Last night…” She faltered, stopped.
His hopes rising, he held his breath.
Looking past him at the cupboards, she tried again. “Last night, while we were packing up to leave the house, I went into my parents’ room to borrow forty dollars from their ‘quick cash’ envelope.”
His hopes collapsed.
“They always keep two hundred dollars on hand for…you know, quick access or emergencies.” She sighed. “Anyway, the envelope was empty.” Her eyes came back to him. “Do you think Nate…?”
She quit speaking as if the thought was too difficult to voice.
He took pity on her. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Did I tell you about the earrings?”
He went still. “No.”
“Yesterday morning, Dad asked if I’d seen the gold earrings that had been on Mom’s dresser. Apparently, they’ve disappeared, too.”
“Could she be wearing them?”
“She’d never wear anything that expensive to run errands.” Jess buried her face in her hands. “Nate was there, in the kitchen, when I got home Friday night after…you know, hitting you. Hal and Callie were asleep. He admitted coming over that afternoon to apologize to Mom for the fight they’d had on the phone that morning. He’d waited on the patio because he thought Hal was home. He claimed he never came inside. But what if…?” Her voice trailed off.
Sean’s pity dissolved. Finding Molly took precedence over maintaining Jess’s opinion of her brother. “What if Nate actually did come in and steal the earrings and cash?”
Her hands dropped to the table. Disappointment lined her face. “I don’t want to believe it.”
His mind produced another scenario. “You also have to consider that he could’ve been here when Molly walked home. Maybe she caught him leaving with the stuff and confronted him.” Sean paused. His words were going to hurt, but Jess had to face the facts. “They could’ve gotten into a fight, something snapped, and things went terribly wrong.”
Jess blanched whiter than Glenn’s walls. “Oh my God. You think Nate killed Mom.”
* * *
The roaring in Jessie’s ears drowned out all other sounds. She scrunched her eyes shut. Just the idea that her brother might have killed their mother made her head spin and her stomach roil.
“Don’t panic, Jess. I’m only theorizing. We don’t know anything for sure,” Sean said.
Panic? I can’t panic. I have to be strong. To take care of Callie. To find Mom.
Jessie fought her way through the haze of shock. When she turned her head and blinked her eyes open, Sean was kneeling beside her.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you,” he whispered.
Her head shake was more of a wobble, so she added, “No, I have to deal with all of it.” She drew a deep breath. “It’s on my shoulders.”
He stroked her cheek. “You’re not alone in this. I’m here for you.”
“You don’t understand. It’s not about me. Once you’re a parent, your first thought is always how something is going to affect your child. I know I’ll be able to…to handle whatever happens, but I’m terrified about how this might affect Callie…for the rest of her life.”
“She’s oblivious—”
“No, she’s not. She may not know exactly what’s happening, but she can feel something’s wrong. I believe she isn’t insisting on a full explanation about her grandmother because the last time she felt something was wrong, her world collapsed.”
“The divorce?”
“Yes. It’s been really hard on her.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I don’t expect you to understand. You’re still single, only looking out for number one. I’ve been a wife, now an ex-wife, a mother. We live in separate worlds.”
Concern creased his forehead. “You haven’t changed that much, Jess.”
“Yes, I have, Sean.” Her eyes filled. “I’m not the Jess you knew. And our time together is ancient history.”
He stared into her eyes for the longest time. She struggled not to look away. The emotions changing his expression were indecipherable. He seemed to battle with himself. Finally, he shook his head and stood up. He’d obviously decided against saying what was on his mind.
“I need to go see a friend of mine,” he said instead.
She hated the disappointment his statement prompted, the briefest twinge of panic that he was leaving her. Again. And why did he say “friend” instead of naming the person? A tendril of jealousy wound through her.
She lifted her chin. “Fine. It’s daytime now. Callie and I will be okay at the house.”
“I don’t think so. After I arrange for a tow truck for your car, I’m calling Luke to come stay with you.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Not to protect you from Drake. He can’t find you here. It’s to protect you from yourself. I don’t want you going anywhere on your own.”
She sighed. “Other than buying new tires, I don’t know what else to do. I’m all out of ideas.”
“Use the phone. Keep calling people. Motivate them. Call the station or have Luke call for an update. Just don’t tell anyone where you are.”
“Fine. Go see your ‘friend.’” She cringed at her catty tone.
He peered at her oddly and then smiled. “In a minute. First, I gotta show you something. C’mere,” Sean said, moving to the refrigerator. He stepped to the side away from the cabinets and placed his hand halfway across the top. “Can you reach up here?”
She had to stand so close she could feel his body heat. When she stretched up on her tiptoes, her backside brushed against his front. Her body’s awareness of him was unsettling, but she vowed to ignore it.
Her fingertips touched something cold and hard. She jerked her hand back.
“It’s not gonna bite you, Jess. I might, but it won’t,” he said from close enough behind her that she felt his breath in her hair. “Can you grab it?”
Her fingers wrapped around the grip. “Yeah.”
“Good.” His warm, large hands grasped her waist to move her aside. “Follow me.” He led her into the master bedroom and opened the closet. “Up here,” he said, pointing to the highest shelf.
She stood on tiptoes again but couldn’t get her fingers high enough. “I can’t.”
“No problem.” He moved the gun to the lower shelf. “Still way out of Callie’s reach.”
Jessie surveyed the closet for things her daughter could climb up on and found none. “Should be fine.”
He guided her out of the closet and closed the door. “Luke will bring his own but show him where these are.” He studied her. “You still know how to shoot, right?”
She stiffened. “Of course. It’s like riding a bike, only deadlier. You may get rusty, but you don’t forget how. Anyway, because of the high crime rate, Drake had me take a class in Chicago.”
Sean smirked. “Good. Maybe it’ll help you shoot him if necessary.”
* * *
“I’ve been looking at prison escape records for so many hours I’m about to go blind,” Jake Stone said after he’d locked them in the safe room. “What’ve you got?”
Sean withdrew the baggie from his pants pocket. “An external hard drive. Belongs to Hallelujah Freeman.”
“A backup?”
“I’m not sure. He keeps two of them in the house. This may be stuff Hal doesn’t ever actually allow on his computer, so technically not a backup,” Sean explained.
Jake peered at the dirty plastic bag. “I take it this one wasn’t in the house.”
“Nope. In the bottom drawer of a chest in Hal’s workshop.”
“Hidden?”
“Definitely.” Sean paused. “I also want to check it for fingerprints. Maybe we can nail the sucker’s identity that way. But I’m hesitant to involve Luke and the sheriff’s department since they haven’t officially identified Hal as a person of interest or suspect. You don’t have a fingerprint kit, do you?”
“Of course I do. I’ve got all kinds of CSI equipment. Let’s see if we can pull a print off this baby.”
With skill earned through experience, Jake managed to get two partial prints. Afterward, they stopped to celebrate with a beer.
“If Hal was incarcerated, his prints will be in the FBI’s system. I could run the prints myself if I was in LA, but since I’m not, I need to come up with an alternative,” Sean said.
“You’re looking at it.”
“Are you telling me you can access the FBI fingerprint identification s
ystem?” Sean asked incredulously.
“Hell no, but I’ve got friends everywhere. Let me handle it.”
“Okay.” Sean glanced at his watch. “We better get busy. I have to get this back in the workshop drawer before Hal gets home tonight.”
“Right.”
Jake connected the external hard drive to one of his computers and hit the appropriate commands. A box appeared asking for a password.
“Fuck,” Sean muttered. He jammed his fingers through his hair.
“Let’s try the obvious. Open the Freeman file on that laptop. We have all kinds of the common possibilities: address, phone number, social, birthday, anniversary.”
Two hours later, both men were ready to tear their hair out. Sean checked his watch again. “I gotta get that damn thing back. Can we copy it onto one of your hard drives?”
“I’m not fond of downloading unknown data. Besides, often these external devices can’t be copied if you don’t know the password.”
“Just try, damn it.”
“Down, Burke,” Jake said in a warning tone.
“Let me outta here. I need to call Jess.” Sean stomped to the vaultlike door and waited for Jake to open it.
“Use my phones.”
“No. I want to call her on my cell.”
Jake glared at him. “Don’t trust me now?”
Sean returned the steely gaze. He didn’t know what he felt at the moment. Distrust? Yeah, of the whole world. Frustration? Yeah, at everything going on. Concern? Yeah, for Jess and Callie’s safety.
“Just let me the fuck out.”
Jake waited another few seconds before tapping the commands on the remote. “Why don’t you go cool off by the pool?”
Sean trudged through the empty house, worry gnawing at his gut. Their progress was too slow. Molly had been gone almost forty-eight hours, and they hadn’t found a single trace or any evidence. All he had were theories.
“What’s happening?” he asked without greeting when Jess answered her cell.
“A lot, but nothing’s yielding any results.”
“A lot? Meaning what?”
She sighed. “Luke and I talked to the sheriff’s department. We met the deputies at my parents’ property so they could look around. From there, they went to interrogate Nate and Uncle Chad. Both of them also voluntarily consented to searches of their places. The deputies called Luke afterward and said they didn’t get anything helpful from any of it. I’ve talked to everyone about Mom so much they’re sick of hearing from me. Karla called to check on us before she headed up to LA with her boyfriend for a show they’ve had tickets to for months. She offered not to go, but I said no way. She’ll be gone until Monday afternoon.”
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