by Liliana Hart
I felt the constriction in my lungs and realized I wasn’t breathing. And this time when I told myself to breathe my brain didn’t listen.
“Jesus, Jaye. I’m not asking you to join a cult or commit murder. Breathe before you pass out.”
I sucked in a deep breath and felt the tightness loosen in my chest. “I’m fine. I’m good,” I wheezed out. “You just took me by surprise.” The exasperation on his face was plain to see, and it reminded me of a similar look I’d seen from my father just hours before.
“I love you. And unless something has changed you love me too. This is just the natural progression of things. I’ve never said I love you to a woman before. Never wanted to spend my life with anyone or even think about marriage. Not until you.”
My heart did a long, liquid roll inside my chest and I sighed at the sweetness and sincerity of his words. I knew he spoke the truth. I didn’t want the magic of the moment to end between us, and I tried not to think about the future—about the possibility of Jack changing his mind once I told him the truth. But for now I could enjoy the fantasy—and be loved just a little.
“I’ll marry you,” I said, hoarsely.
I felt his relief and saw the quick flash of his smile. “I was hoping you’d say that. I didn’t want to have to resort to torture techniques.” Jack rolled us so I was on my back and he leaned over me, and the hardness nudging my thigh gave me a good idea what he had in mind.
My eyebrows raised at the feel of him. “It feels pretty torturous to me.”
He cracked out a laugh and I couldn’t help but grin, shifting beneath him so he fit more comfortably between my thighs, my ankles curling easily over his calves. I explored his skin with my hands—over taut muscles and scars, up his chest where the coarse chest hair curled around my fingers, and across the flat discs of his nipples that went rigid beneath my touch.
“God, you’re pretty.” I cupped his face with my hand and watched the uncomfortable embarrassment flash across his features. He looked like a man more suited to making action movies in Hollywood instead of reigning herd on citizens in bumfuck Virginia.
He had a chiseled, angular face and sensuous lips that constantly distracted me. His eyes were so dark they were almost black and thick brows winged above them. A thin scar slashed through his right eyebrow, giving him a somewhat disreputable appearance. And since it had been my cleat that had connected with his face while I’d been sliding into home, the mark made me feel somewhat sentimental. His hair was dark and cut close to his scalp, and over the last year or so his beard had become flecked with the occasional strand of silver.
“Flattery will get you everywhere,” he grinned. “And since you’ve decided not to tell me what’s bothering you, maybe I should go ahead and show you my interrogation techniques.”
I gasped as his hand cupped my breast at the same moment he slid deep inside me. My legs came up to tighten around his waist and my blood pumped with excitement. My nails dug into his shoulders at the abrupt invasion, and Jack held still as he waited for me to adjust to the intrusion. I was morning soft, but hardly prepared to take something of Jack’s size without a little preparation first.
He kissed me then, his teeth nipping at my bottom lip so he could drink in my sighs. His tongue danced with mine, stroking, soothing, until I’d relaxed beneath him and my hips began to lift on their own, meeting his as he began to move in long, slow strokes.
My hands roamed down his back and his buttocks, feeling the muscles bunch beneath my fingers and the dampness of sweat on his flesh. Soft sighs and the rustle of sheets filled the air and my skin tingled as I felt the beginnings of an orgasm gathering deep inside of me. Jack always knew just where to touch—where to kiss—to make me go liquid beneath him.
The climax rolled through me like a wave and I shuddered beneath him as he took me higher and higher, prolonging the sensations until I wasn’t sure I’d survive it.
“I can’t—”
My hands slid limply from his back and to the mattress and my breath labored while my heart thudded in my chest. I felt Jack’s heart beating against my breast—the same thumping rhythm in perfect sync with my own.
“Yes, you can,” he whispered against my ear.
He stopped moving, kissing me softly as I continued to spasm around him. He was still hard inside of me and I shifted a little, watching his jaw clench as he tried to stay in control. Thoughts of exhaustion evaporated and I felt the need surge inside me once again. I was insatiable. But only with Jack. It had never been that way with anyone before, and I knew there could never be anyone after.
“My turn,” I said, pushing against him so he rolled onto his back and straddling him. The angle was different—sharper—deeper—and I sucked in a breath as he hit a spot that made my eyes cross.
“Jesus, Jack.”
A laugh rumbled in his chest and was choked off when I tightened around him. “God, I love it when you do that.”
I placed my hands on his chest and did it again. “I know. I try to stay in shape. Exercise is important.”
“Mmm, I definitely know which of your muscles is my favorite.” Perspiration dotted his brow, and I could tell he was close but trying to hold off. There was nothing I liked more than watching him lose control. It so rarely happened. And I loved knowing I was the one who could make him. He flexed inside me and I lost concentration for a moment. But this time wasn’t about me. It was about Jack and the power we wielded over each other.
“Speaking of muscles,” I said. And then I began to ride, fast and furious as his fingers bit into my hips. My eyes never left his and I watched as the dark brown bled to black the closer he came to fulfillment. And then I was just as lost as he was as we went over the edge together.
I collapsed onto his chest and snuggled against him as his arms came around me. My eyes drifted shut and contentment washed through me. I felt the weight of the covers as he pulled them over us and he rolled so we lay on our sides, our bodies still joined. His breath fluttered across my ear.
“Just think of all the years we wasted not doing this.”
I grunted and wasn’t sure I was capable of speech. My leg was thrown over his hip and I was still having aftershocks of what had to be one of the most incredible orgasms I’d ever experienced.
“Maybe so,” I finally managed. “But I can’t say I’m disappointed you had all that practice in the meantime.” His laughter rumbled beneath my ear and I smiled.
“Sleep, love. I’ll hold on to you.”
That was all it took for me to drift off.
***
I hadn’t been asleep long when my phone rang. My head jerked up and hit Jack’s chin, and he swore as we tried to untangle ourselves from the covers. I rubbed the top of my head and looked at the clock as I crawled across to the nightstand.
“Shit, it’s barely five.” A call coming in at that time could only mean one thing—someone had died.
“Dr. Graves,” I answered.
“This is dispatch.” I recognized Barbara Blanton’s nasal voice without her having to tell me who she was. Barbara had been the dispatch operator for King George County since before I was born. “We’ve got a body over in Caledon State Park near Jones Pond. Police are already on the scene. You’re up to bat, Doc Graves.” She hung up the phone and I was already scrambling out of bed.
I had to figure there weren’t a lot of dispatch operators like Barbara—at least I hoped not. I knew as soon as she hung up she’d dial her sister to let her know what had happened. It was impossible to keep secrets in a community of this size. By dinner, everyone would know just as much as the police did.
“She said the police were already on site,” I told Jack as I ran into the bathroom and turned on the shower. “Why didn’t you get a call?”
“Colburn is on call tonight.” Jack followed me into the bathroom and got towels out of the cabinet. I never remembered to get a towel until I was out of the shower and dripping all over the floor. “Besides, I already put in f
or that vacation time I was telling you about.”
I stopped with one foot in the big, walk-in shower and narrowed my eyes at Jack. “Pretty damned cocky of you to assume I’d say yes.” His gaze was steady, but I could see the humor lurking in his eyes and around the corners of his mouth.
“I was SWAT for a lot of years, sweetheart. Cocky is my middle name.” He got into the shower behind me and closed the glass door, adjusting the showerhead for his height while I stood there with my mouth open.
Jack was already dressed by the time I came out of the bathroom. I had a towel wrapped around me and my hair dripped onto my shoulders.
“I’ll make coffee,” he said, looking up, his eyes going heavy lidded with arousal as he took in the sight of me. “Maybe we should just stop by the courthouse this afternoon and get the marriage license. Unless you want a big wedding.”
My back stiffened and that sense of panic started to creep up my skin, rendering me cold. And angry. “Don’t push it, Jack. I said I’d marry you, but I’m not going to be rushed into anything. Weddings take time to plan.”
“And long engagements would give you plenty of time to think of all the reasons you’re too afraid to make a commitment and to live again.”
I jerked back as if I’d been slapped and I felt the blood drain from my face.
“I’ll meet you downstairs.”
He left the room and I tried to focus on the present—on the body that waited for me—but there were too many other thoughts jumbled in my mind. My dad, the boxes he wanted so badly, the dead body I’d found in the Poconos, marrying Jack, and wondering what would happen if we got married and then he decided he couldn’t handle all the baggage I brought with me. There was fear inside me. I knew Jack was right. But that didn’t make the words hurt any less.
I dug in the drawer for clean underwear and a bra and then found a pair of jeans folded in a box of my clothes. The weather was still cool in the mornings, so I shoved my head and arms into a white T-shirt and pulled a gray long-sleeved Henley on top of it. I put white athletic socks on my feet and stepped into my worn hiking boots.
I didn’t waste a lot of time looking in the mirror. My black hair was short—chin length—and it would be dry by the time I reached the scene. I hardly ever bothered with makeup, mostly because I didn’t think of it. My face was angular—my cheekbones sharp and my chin slightly pointed. My eyes were big and gray and long lashed—a feature I now knew came from someone other than the people I’d called my parents—and the emotions swirling in them couldn’t be hidden. I was scared. And it showed.
I grabbed a windbreaker from the closet just in case I got cold and jogged down the stairs. The smell of coffee hit me full force and Jack had a to-go cup ready to put in my hand. His weapon and badge weren’t attached to his belt like normal, and the sight of him without them confused me for a moment before I remembered he was on vacation. But it was obvious he still planned to go with me to the crime scene.
My Suburban was parked in Jack’s driveway, just like it had been every night for the last several weeks. Jack and I had been fueling the gossip mill for a while now, and if we went onto the scene with our current moods, we’d be fueling it even more.
I’d had the Suburban outfitted especially to haul bodies and my equipment. There were no back seats, just a flat bed and a hidden compartment beneath for my medical bag, camera, extra blankets, and a coverall.
Jack got in the passenger side without saying a word and I took a deep breath before I got in and started the engine. My hands gripped the wheel and I stared straight ahead, trying to get my thoughts in order. I felt Jack’s gaze after a minute or two, but I didn’t look at him.
“You know I love you,” I finally said. “And I want to marry you.”
I felt more than heard his sigh of relief. “Then what’s the problem?”
“I’m afraid you’ll eventually realize you made a mistake. And then I’ll have to kill you for breaking my heart.”
“With a promise like that, you can see why I’m crazy about you.” His hand came up and rested on the back of my neck, squeezing at the tension that was sure to bring me a headache before the end of the day.
“I can see you’re crazy period. I mean it, Jack. This thing with my parents—the mess they’ve left behind. It’s not going to go away easily or quickly. It’s something people are going to talk about until we’re old and gray. It’s something that will follow around our children and grandchildren.”
“I like the idea of having children with you. Especially the part where we make them.”
The temperature was getting very warm in the car and I flicked on the air conditioner to full blast.
“I’m serious. You have to decide if it’s really worth it. It could cost you the election.”
His hand froze on the back of my neck and I winced as his grip got tighter. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. You think I give a shit about an election? You think it means more to me than you do?”
“I know you love being a cop. That you live and breathe it. I don’t want to be the reason you can’t be who you were meant to be.”
“That’s just bullshit, Jaye. I can be a cop anywhere. I’ve got enough experience to take any job I want. Believe me, I get offers all the time. And if you’re worried about our children and the whispers that might follow them around then we can say to hell with Bloody Mary and find some place else to live. We’re not tied here unless we want to be. My family will always be here when we need them, but my home will always be wherever you are.”
I felt the tears threaten to fall and blinked rapidly to hold them back. I wanted to tell him about my dad. Needed to tell him. But I couldn’t get the words past my frozen vocal cords.
“It’s okay, Jaye. Whenever you’re ready. Whatever it is we’ll deal with it.”
Jack knew me better than anyone else, and I knew he was referring to the secret I was keeping from him. I felt my muscles relax under his reassurance, and I promised myself I’d lay it all out for him soon.
I put the Suburban in reverse. “Let’s go look at a body.”
“It’s a hell of a way to start a vacation.”
CHAPTER TWO
Caledon State Park was a natural reserve along the uppermost edge of King George County. It backed up to the Potomac River and it was a good place for camping and fishing, and for boy scouts and school children to spend time learning about nature.
Two police cars blocked the entrance to the park and I pulled to a stop so whoever had guard duty could check me out. Officer Martinez carried his flashlight in his left hand and had his right resting on his weapon as he walked up to the Suburban. I’d worked with Martinez before and knew he was a solid cop.
“Doc Graves,” Martinez said when I rolled down the window, and then he turned his gaze to Jack. “Hey, Sheriff. I thought you were on vacation?”
Martinez was only a couple inches taller than me, putting him around 5’10”. His dark hair was cut stylishly and his face was shaved smooth. He was one of Jack’s recent hires to the department, and it hadn’t taken long for the word to get out that he was single. When he smiled, a dimple peeked out on his cheek and his eyes lit up with good humor.
“I am,” Jack replied. “I’m just here to help move the body.”
“You guys are weird. If it were me on vacation I’d be soaking up the sun on some tropical island, surrounded by smokin’ hot babes in bikinis who would bring me beer and rub my back with suntan lotion.”
“Given it a lot of thought, have you?” Jack asked dryly.
Martinez grinned unrepentantly. “It’s been a long winter, Sheriff.”
“What’ve we got?” I asked before things could go too off course. “Some poor camper keel over from a heart attack?”
“Nope.” Martinez shook his head. “A DB washed up on shore. Colburn is working it as homicide since the vic’s face is missing. I’ll let you see for yourself.”
My eyebrows rose almost to my hairline at the thought of a
victim not having a face. “Can’t wait to see this one.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re the only woman I know who would ever say that, Doc Graves.” Martinez got back in his squad car and backed up so I could get by, and I turned on my high beams as we rumbled over the rutted road that led into the preserve.
“Christ, why can’t people just die in their sleep anymore?”
“Selfish bastards,” Jack said, making me grin.
Tree limbs scraped the top of the Suburban as we jostled past empty campgrounds. “Don’t take this the wrong way,” I said, “but you don’t look right as a civilian. I can’t remember the last time I saw you without a gun at your hip and your badge clipped to your belt.”
“Honey, I’ll never be a civilian. I always have my badge and at least one gun on me at all times. Three-quarters of the state of Virginia is armed. I’d be crazy to go anywhere without one.” He lifted the pant leg of his jeans so I could see the clutch piece he carried.
“Good point.” Ever since I’d been attacked last winter I’d started carrying a gun—a black Beretta that fit my hand to perfection. I never left home without it. “When I was at the gun range last week Hilda Martin was in the lane next to me.” The Martins owned the only grocery store in Bloody Mary. “She took out two of the overhead lights and shot the shit out of a concrete post before she emptied her magazine.”
“Christ. Don’t tell me that.”
“Look on the bright side. If anyone robs the grocery store she’ll probably scare them to death instead of leaving us with a body.”
“Or take out six innocent bystanders.”
“I told you to look on the bright side. You’re on vacation. You need to lighten up.”
Even with the high beams on it was hard to see the road in front of us. The park was thick with tall trees and they canopied over the road so there wasn’t even a hint of moonlight. We passed picnic tables and a couple of cabins before the area opened up. Jones Pond sat dead in front of us, and the water was inky black and still. Police cars lined the road, their lights flashing a disorienting blue over the damp grass.