Joy shook her head. “What was his beef with Dak Navarro to the point that he wanted him dead?”
“The dude lost his job during one of Dak’s company mergers. The man found himself down on his luck and blamed Dak for it.”
“That’s unfortunate, but you can’t retaliate by trying to kill someone. You apply for another job or get retrained.”
A few moments passed and then she asked, “Does that mean you’ll be returning to Charlottesville sooner than planned?”
“If things work out, I’ll be back this weekend.”
It seemed the moment he said it, the area between her legs began throbbing mercilessly. “This weekend?”
“Yes, this weekend. Saturday morning, in fact.”
The low rumble in his voice set her stomach to turning a series of slow rolls. “Saturday morning?”
“Yes, Saturday morning. So, tell me, Joy. Will you be in need of a diversion then?”
Breath lodged in Joy’s throat with his question. As if her body wanted to respond for her, it throbbed even more, making her wet and ready when he wasn’t there to do anything about it. “A diversion?”
“Yes. You wanted to call the shots about our non-relationship, and I accepted your terms. I don’t want to keep you from your work or anything you might have planned this weekend. Besides, I have no idea if you need the edge taken off.”
She definitely needed to take the edge off, and it had nothing to do with how things were going at work this week. However, she was certain by Saturday she might be ready to pull her hair out.
“Depends on what you have in mind.”
He chuckled, and the sound sent a heated ache to the tips of her nipples. She’d worn a gown to bed, but now it felt confining. She felt the need to get naked. “What if I want it to be a surprise, Joy?”
She squeezed her legs together. Lordy. “A surprise?”
“Yes.”
“Um, you know how I feel about surprises.”
“Yes, but you liked my last one, didn’t you?”
Joy thought about it in its entirety. From the moment she’d arrived at the airport to board that private jet until the moment he’d walked out her door the next day. He had certainly rocked her world. “Yes, I did,” she said honestly, knowing she couldn’t be anything other than honest. He had made love to her in a way that still had her panting whenever she thought about it. Thinking of him hadn’t interfered with her work, but she’d found herself sighing a lot during the day.
“Stonewall?”
“Yes?”
“Yesterday your text said...”
“That I was missing you like crazy. And I meant it.”
She shouldn’t let his words stir her in such a way that even the air in the room seemed to shimmer with need. “Dak Navarro doesn’t have enough for you to do to stay busy?” she asked him.
“I have plenty enough. But when it comes to you, I can’t help it, baby,” he said in a low tone. She was holding her cell phone close to her ear, and if she hadn’t known better she would have sworn he was right there in bed with her, holding her close, with his mouth whispering those words against her ear. She squeezed her legs tighter when the throbbing between them intensified.
“I do miss you, Joy.”
She swallowed tightly. She felt the same way about him. Why was she not willing to say it? To tell him the feelings were mutual? “It’s nice being missed.”
“And you know what else?”
She licked her lips, wondering why she suddenly felt so hot. Putting the cell phone on speaker, she placed it on the nightstand to pull her nightgown over her head. She tossed it across the room to land on the chair.
“No, what else?”
“I’ve replayed moments in my mind of making love to you.”
Lordy. “Again, it sounds like you have too much time on your hands.”
He chuckled, and the sound sent shivers up and down her body, made her shift again in the bed. Her naked body felt sensitive against the bedcovers. “I love to hear you laugh,” she said, truly meaning it.
“You do? Then tell me something amusing so I can laugh again.”
“That’s easier said than done.”
“Hey, did you put me on a speakerphone?”
“Yes. How can you tell?”
He laughed. “I just can. Why did you do that? Put me on speaker?”
She saw no reason not to tell him the truth. “I needed to put the phone down while I took off my gown. I was getting hot.”
He was quiet for a moment and then said, “Are you telling me that you are talking to me naked?”
It was her time to chuckle. “Afraid so.”
“Now is not the time to be afraid, Joy. Save your courage for Saturday. And by the way, you do have a pair of handcuffs, don’t you?”
* * *
STONEWALL HEARD JOY’S sharp intake of breath and smiled. Her breathing was becoming labored. He heard that, as well. Like her, he was in bed, but he wasn’t naked since he was wearing pajama bottoms. He felt hot as well, but he felt horny even more. Hell, Saturday couldn’t get here fast enough to suit him, and he had no problem letting her know that.
“Just so you know, Joy, I can’t wait to make love to you, get inside you again. Your taste is still on my tongue. Your scent in my nostrils. I want you again so much I ache.”
She didn’t say anything at first, but then she asked in a low tone, with surprise in her voice, “Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. I want you in a bad way.”
He heard her swallow. “Do you?”
“Yes. And I want you to want me just as much, Joy.”
And he meant that. He wanted to be more than a diversion for her. He wanted to be the man she was glad to see again no matter what. The man she needed.
And right then and there, he decided he was going to make that his next assignment.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“HEY, WHAT DID I tell you?” Sanchez said, grinning as he rounded Joy’s desk the next day. “You can make it up to me by buying me breakfast tomorrow. I don’t know what type of reward Ms. Stone would want, though.”
Joy closed the folder on her desk, tired of reviewing the gory details anyway. A man who’d been cheating on his wife was dead. It seemed the wife found out and took matters into her own hands, literally. Pretending she was about to give him a treat, she had handcuffed him to the bed, then blindfolded and gagged him. After giving him his last blow job she removed the blindfold and proceeded to cut off his balls while he watched in hysteria, unable to do a damn thing about it. If that wasn’t bad enough, she’d then driven a butcher knife in his heart, killing the man. The woman was now behind bars, and of all things claiming self-defense.
Joy glanced up. “What are you talking about, Sanchez?”
He was still grinning when he sat down in a chair next to her desk. “I’m talking about the picture of our Jane Doe that appeared in this morning’s paper, where we asked anyone to come forward who might recognize her. Well, evidently quite a few people did. They, like me and Ms. Stone, thought she bore an uncanny resemblance to Sunnie Clay. It was picked up by the AP, and someone got word to the Housemates diva about it. Seems the two are related.”
Joy sat up straight in her chair. “Are you saying Jane Doe is really this actress’s twin?”
“No, but she’s her younger sister by three years. Chief Harkins has received word from the San Diego Police Department that Sunnie Clay is arriving in town tomorrow to identify the body. If she really is Sunnie Clay’s sister, then Sunnie intends to claim the body and take it back with her to San Diego.”
Joy picked up a paper clip off her desk and toyed with it for a few moments before tossing it back down. “So our Jane Doe now has a name.”
Sanchez nodded.
“Yes. If she is Sunnie Clay’s sister, her name is Samantha, but she went by Mandy.”
Joy nodded. She could visualize Jane Doe being a Mandy. She glanced over at Sanchez. “What kind of show is Real Housemates of San Diego?”
He chuckled. Evidently she was an oddity by not being a fan. “Similar to the housewives shows, but I doubt you’ve seen any of those, either. What you have are women involved with their long-time lovers. They’ve been living with the men for quite some time but haven’t managed to get a ring on their fingers to change status from housemate to housewife. It’s reality TV, and the women get all catty and shit when one of them gets close to becoming engaged and the others are left as wannabes—still vying to become a wife.”
“And people tune in to watch it each week?”
“Yes, it has high ratings. Sunnie is the most popular of the four women on the show because she can be a real bitch. A first-class manipulator and schemer.”
“And that makes it interesting?”
“Yes. When Sunnie thought Mia was going to get a ring before her, she sabotaged Mia and Derek’s engagement. Derek plays pro football and Andre, Sunnie’s man, is a real estate tycoon. This season Sunnie is trying to make waves with Derek behind Mia’s back.”
Joy held up her hand. “Enough. I get the picture.”
“I suggest you check out at least one episode so you can be prepared when we meet with Sunnie Clay tomorrow. I heard she’s worse in person than she is on television.”
Joy shook her head. That was all she needed. Some diva coming to town thinking she could throw her weight around.
* * *
DR. KELLY LANGLEY angrily slapped the newspaper down on her desk. How could this happen? Anderson had all but assured her the matter with Mandy Clay was taken care of and wouldn’t come back to haunt them. Now she was staring at Mandy’s picture next to the article that not only identified Mandy, but also stated she was the sister of reality TV star Sunnie Clay. Had Anderson known that when his men had snatched Mandy Clay off the streets of New Orleans? And where was Anderson? She’d been trying to reach him all day.
Kelly got up from her desk and began pacing. This was not good. She could lose everything. Her medical practice especially. None of her partners knew what she’d been involved in. And all because Anderson had managed to manipulate her at a weak moment.
Her cell phone ringing interrupted her thoughts and she quickly picked it up, releasing a deep sigh upon seeing Anderson had finally called her back. “Where are you, Anderson? I’ve been trying to reach you all morning.”
“I had to take a business trip to Seattle. I’ve been in meetings all day and saw you’ve been blowing up my phone. What’s going on?”
If he was in Seattle, chances were he hadn’t a clue as to what was going on. “Mandy Clay’s picture is in the local newspapers. She’s been identified, and of all things, she’s the sister of some hotshot reality TV star who is quoted as saying she won’t rest until the authorities find out what happened to her sister. What if their investigation leads to us?”
“It won’t.”
But she could hear the agitation in his voice. “That’s the same thing you said about the authorities identifying Mandy. You said it wouldn’t happen. I’ve worked too hard to become a partner at this medical practice. I can’t let my association with you ruin everything.”
“Calm down, Kelly. Don’t you know I won’t let that happen? I care about you too much. Damn, I’m going to fix this.”
“You’d better.” And she hung up on him.
* * *
ANDERSON FROWNED AS he clicked off his phone. The bitch had given him a damn order and then hung up on him. Who the hell did she think she was? He rubbed his hand over his face, definitely not liking the news she’d delivered about Mandy Clay. Not only had Mandy been identified, but she was the sister of some damn actress? Damn! If that was true, it meant Mandy’s death would get national attention, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen. Mandy had escaped on his watch, and the people in charge would blame him. Norm Austen was the new man in charge of the territory and he didn’t like mistakes. He hadn’t liked it when Mandy had managed to escape, and he wouldn’t like hearing the body had been identified. Damn. Anderson had to handle matters and quickly.
Ever since Mandy Clay was found dead, Kelly had begun growing a conscience, and now he knew she had become a liability they didn’t need. He could tell from the sound of her voice that she was freaking out. He’d picked up on it the night they’d been together before he’d left town. He figured just a reminder of how deep she was in the operation would curtail any ideas about getting out. But now it seemed Kelly was going to have to be dealt with. He couldn’t risk her running to the authorities just to redeem her soul or any of that bullshit.
At that moment, he knew what he had to do, although he regretted it. Damn, he enjoyed her in his bed, but all good things had to come to an end.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
WHEN JOY ARRIVED to work the next morning she was summoned to Chief Harkins’s office. She knocked on the door. “Come in.”
She entered to see Chief Harkins pop several aspirins in his mouth and then wash them down with water from a bottle. Then, as if he abhorred the bitter taste the pills left behind, he took several sips of coffee before glancing over at her. “Come on in, Detective Ingram. Please take a seat.”
She nodded and took the chair in front of his desk. Unlike her cubicle, his office was large with a nice view of the Charlottesville skyline. “You have a headache already this morning, sir?” she inquired.
He chuckled. “I give you till noon and you will, too. Sunnie Clay was here when I arrived this morning, with her film crew and all.”
Not believing what she’d heard, Joy leaned out of her seat. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me right, Detective. The woman is a real piece of work, so be prepared. She thought she could capitalize on what happened with her sister and use it in a segment of that television show she stars in. When I shut the attempt down, the lady—and I say that rather loosely—got downright nasty. So, yeah, I got a damn headache.”
Joy frowned. “I figured most divas thought they had the right to sleep until noon. Where is she now?”
“Apparently she wanted to get an early start turning this place into a circus, but I wasn’t having any of her BS. Needless to say I’m not one of her favorite people. I hope you’re not her fan.”
Joy shook her head. “No. Never watched the show until last night.” She’d wanted to see what she would be up against today. Chief Harkins was right when he said the woman was a piece of work. Joy often wondered how much reality television was real. She figured no matter what you might want to think, people acted different when they knew the cameras were rolling. From all accounts, it seemed that Sunnie Clay was acting as her true self.
“And as far as where she is now,” Chief Harkins broke into Joy’s thoughts to say, “she left to compose herself after positively identifying Jane Doe as her sister. I honestly think up until then, she believed it was all a mistake. When she saw that it wasn’t, she showed the first signs of any real compassion. She was shaken up pretty badly, and her producer rushed her out of here.”
“When will she return, sir?” Joy asked.
“In about an hour, so get ready. I don’t know how she will behave once she gets herself together. Now that she knows Jane Doe is really her sister, she might be worse than ever, or she may show us her human side.”
He took another sip of coffee before adding, “I suggest you and Sanchez use one of the conference rooms for your interview. I refuse to let her sit in your cubicle and put on a show for everyone who wants to listen and watch.”
“Yes, sir. I understand,” Joy said, standing.
“And no cameras are allowed during your interview with her.”
&nbs
p; “Yes, sir.” Joy hadn’t intended for that to happen anyway and was glad she and her boss were in agreement.
“Good luck with her, Detective Ingram. You might very well need it.”
* * *
“IF I DIDN’T know better, Stonewall, I’d think you were anxious to leave.”
Stonewall glanced up and chuckled when he saw Dak standing in the doorway. Although Stonewall wouldn’t be leaving until early Saturday morning, he’d started packing already. “I do miss home,” he said.
Dak came into the room and dropped down in the wingback chair. “Tell that BS to someone else. There’s more to it than that, and you know it. You miss your detective.”
Stonewall shook his head. “Now you sound like Striker and Quasar. They like referring to Joy as ‘my’ detective.”
Dak rubbed his chin as he continued to stare at him. “You ever think there’s a reason why?”
“Nope.”
“Maybe you should.”
Stonewall stopped packing and glanced over at the man he’d been assigned to protect. Somewhere along the way a friendship between them had developed, one that had gotten so secure it surprised the both of them. Dak Navarro was not a man who solicited friendship. In fact, he had a knack for pushing people away, maintaining a wall so high very few men could effectively act as bodyguard to him.
But Stonewall wasn’t having any of that. He of all people respected a man’s right to privacy; however, he refused to be ignored like he was some piece of furniture. Little by little he’d brought Dak out of his cold and hard shell. Showed him he was a person who could be trusted. But then Dak had to show Stonewall he was someone who could be trusted, as well. Stonewall was reserved, but not to the degree Dak had been.
“Sounds like you think you have all the answers,” Stonewall said.
“No, I don’t. But you do.”
Stonewall didn’t say anything because he knew what Dak was getting at. Late one night in Dubai, over a bottle of bourbon that had given Stonewall one hell of a hangover, Dak had shared a lot about himself, and Stonewall had done the same. During their lifetimes, they had both lost people who’d meant a lot to them, people they’d assumed would be around forever. They weren’t. To them, forever didn’t mean a damn thing because it didn’t exist. Not for them anyway. They lived for today and not for tomorrow.
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