“Were you expecting company?”
“I like to cook. No matter if it’s only me.”
“How can I help?”
“You’ll find all the ingredients for a salad in the refrigerator. Help yourself.”
Once she had made the salad, Amy joined him at the grill. “I found these beers in the fridge.” She handed him one.
“That hits the spot.”
She watched the muscles in his throat as he took a deep swallow. Every nuance about this man fascinated her. But so had the detective and apparently they were friends. Chad and Tor were different though. Chad didn’t have the tension and mystery about him. He expressed himself much more openly. But Chad had an air of authority and his presence was compelling. With Tor, as he called his friend the detective, there was a sense of a tight leash holding him in and a hint of cool urbanity with a touch of wildness underneath.
Wow, I didn’t know I’d studied him so deeply the few times I saw him.
“You’re deep in thought.”
“Sorry, I tend to let my thoughts wander at times.”
“I’m not sure if I should be insulted,” he said with a smile.
“I only do that when I’m relaxed and let my guard down. It’s a compliment to you.”
“Well said. The ribs are done. We’ll eat on the porch.”
“I’ll get the salad and dressing and the potatoes I put in the oven.”
“Good. I forgot.” He winked at her. “I guess my mind was wandering, too.”
Chad poured a glass of merlot for them, and they settled at the table to eat. They were both hungry and ate in comfortable silence. Chad’s cell phone rang startling them.
He glanced at the number. “I have to get this. Excuse me a minute.” He took long strides across the porch and into the living room area.
* * * *
“Hi, Tor, what have you found out?”
“It was the mistress. Dan and I visited the town where she was living when murdered. There’s no evidence, no weapon or fingerprints. The only missing items were jewelry and all her pictures. They police talked to the parents. She had a grown son. No one has heard from him since before his mother died. Her parents said the victim and her son were estranged the past year.”
“How can you be sure it’s the mistress?”
“I’m almost positive, and my gut says I’m right. But Dan and I are flying to Ohio tonight. We have an appointment with the parents of the victim tomorrow. Something else strange happened. About a week before their daughter’s murder their house was ransacked. Whoever broke in took jewelry and all their pictures.”
“But they weren’t hurt?”
“No. They had gone to church. They go every Sunday.”
“Interesting, he didn’t want to kill them. He must have some human feelings buried deep inside.”
“Keep Amy with you. This is a wicked, clever killer.”
“I suggested it, but she wasn’t keen on the idea. I’ll share this information with her and maybe she and her aunt will stay here until the guy gets caught.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow with more info. I’ve got to go. They’re calling for us to board the plane.”
Chad clicked off and turned to go out and join Amy. She stood in the doorway.
“What’s happened? Did he kill another person?”
“Yes. But it was before he murdered the witness.” Chad explained all the new information.
Amy sank into the nearest chair. “He stabbed his mom to death? I can’t think of how twisted you’d have to be to kill your own mother.”
“Please agree to stay here with me. We’ll bring your aunt to the house, too, and she can chaperon.”
“A lot of good she’d do. She’s on your side.” A wry smile brightened her pale face. “But if she agrees, I’ll come with her.”
“We’ll go talk with her before it gets any later. I’ve rather explain in person than over the phone.”
Amy agreed. “I’ll drive her truck home. You can follow me.”
It didn’t take long and they were parking at Aunt Janie’s place. A light still burned in the living room. Aunt Janie peeked out of the window.
“She’d probably rush to bed if she hadn’t seen you. She knows we have a talk pending,” Amy said.
Aunt Janie greeted them at the door. “Come in. I didn’t expect to see you, Chad.”
“We have a problem to discuss with you.”
“You want to marry my niece.”
“Aunt Janie!”
“Actually, I do. But she’s not ready to accept my proposal yet.”
“She was always a bit stubborn. How can I help you?”
Chad had her sit and he took the hassock in front of her for a seat. Then he explained what was happening with the case. “I’d like you and Amy to stay at my ranch house. There’s lots of room, and I can protect you better that way.”
“I have an idea.” Aunt Janie smiled from him to Amy. “My sister and brother-in-law, from my deceased husband Mark’s side of the family, have been after me to visit. Mark’s brother is a retired military man. He’ll keep me safe, and few people know about them or where they live.” She glanced across at Amy. “They retired in Florida. I’ve always wanted to visit since they moved there, but I kept putting it off.”
“Then call them, pack, and we’ll take you to the airport tomorrow to catch your flight,” Chad said.
“What about me?” Amy asked.
“Why you’ll stay with Chad and get to know him and his friend. You’ll have a lovely time and be quite safe.”
Stunned, Amy stared at her aunt. “Does Mom know you are encouraging me to consider two men?” Amy blushed and put her hand to her mouth. “I mean Chad hasn’t ever mentioned such a thing.”
“I planned to when you were ready to hear me.”
“See, I can’t stay with him. I’m not ready for one man much less two. My career is climbing upward, and I’ll be a partner soon.”
Aunt Janie smiled at Chad. “She talks fast when she’s nervous. She’ll be all right in a minute.”
“I’m right here. You’re talking like I’m not in the room. Have you gone crazy? I did think you were my only sane relative.”
“She’s very scared. That’s good news for you and your friend. Otherwise she’d be calm and tell you both to shove off, but not in such polite terms.”
Chad had a wide grin on his face. He glanced from Amy to her aunt. He reached out and pulled Amy up and against him. Then he kissed her hard, conveniently shutting her up in the process.
When he pulled back, she stared blankly at him. “Go pack. We have plenty of time to discuss other problems later.”
“I’m a problem?” she mumbled.
“Not unless you don’t marry me. Then my problem will be trying to forget you. Your aunt already went to pack.”
Amy looked around. “I want to go with her.”
“You can’t, and you know it. You take danger with you.”
“I’m going to get a gun, find this guy, and shoot him dead. He’s made a mess of my life and killed too many good people.” She stalked out of the room.
* * * *
She closed the door behind her and pulled her suitcases out of the closet. Amy wasn’t sure who she was most angry with, her aunt or Chad. Mixed with the anger was fear of the killer and fear of the effect Chad and Tor had on her body. Being with Chad alone was bad enough. But could she resist the two of them when Tor arrived?
I have to stay focused. They’ll get this killer, and I can go home. Then I’ll get over this crush I have on them and get involved in my cases. I hope.
A knock on the door brought her attention to her packing. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Hurry,” her aunt said. “I checked and I can get a plane to Atlanta in the early morning hours, and then a connection to Florida. I called Gray Callahan and he’s willing to fly me to Minneapolis to catch the flight.”
Amy opened the door. “Are you sure you want to do this
? I hate that I’ve disrupted your life.”
Aunt Janie patted the side of her face. “Don’t worry. I’m looking forward to the trip. I’ll miss not having more time with you, but perhaps you’ll stay a bit longer after this is over.”
“You’d have to promise to stop all this matchmaking.”
Her brown eyes twinkled. “I’ll try. Enjoy yourself and see what you really want out of life.”
“I know what I want. I worked hard for it. I can’t change my mind when I’m so close to reaching one of my highest goals.”
“What’s your highest goal?”
“Ultimately, I’d like to be a judge. But first, I want to be a partner at the firm where I work.”
“You don’t want love, or a family of your own? What satisfaction will you get from defending people whether they’re innocent or not and having a fancy office in a high-rise office building?”
“You don’t understand. The opportunities for women are greater than when you were young. Still, you have to be willing to make sacrifices for the rewards. I’ll have achieved an immense sense of accomplishment when I reach my goals.”
“Will that keep you warm at night or hold you close when you’re sad or sick? I don’t think so.” Aunt Janie walked away.
Amy hurried to finish packing and join her and Chad. She pushed the words Aunt Janie said down deep to think about another time.
“I’m ready.” Amy stood in the doorway with her wheeled luggage beside her.
Chad walked to her side and studied her face. “Are you all right?”
“Sure, I’m fine.” She followed her aunt out to the truck. Chad loaded their luggage in the back. Then he swung into the driver’s seat.
“We’ll drop you off,” he told Aunt Janie. “I’m sorry you’re being inconvenienced.”
“I’m not. This is an adventure. I just needed a push and a good reason to go.”
“What better reason than a killer may be stalking your house,” Amy teased, trying to lift the mood in the truck. “Not that I believe he is. The guy may be smart, but he won’t have found me yet.”
“Don’t be too confident. It can get you killed,” Chad said.
“What? How? I have an FBI agent and soon I’ll have a detective guarding me, too. I hope at least one of you is smarter than the killer.”
But Chad had gone back to looking serious. He glanced at her. “I hope we are, too.”
Chapter Six
Chad carried Amy’s suitcases in his house. “I thought you might like this guest room.” He opened a door at the end of the hall. The room had been painted a light-mauve color and the curtains and bedspread were white with violet flowers.
When she stepped inside her feet sank into soft carpet a slightly darker color than the walls. Two large windows framed the night sky with a million stars and a sliver of moon.
“It’s a wonderful room. Thank you.”
“Mom decorated it for the daughter she never had. They’d hoped to have one more child, a girl, but it wasn’t to be. She’d love for you to use it.”
“Did you feel rejected because you weren’t the girl they wanted?”
Chad laughed out loud. “Oh no, they wanted a boy, and then a girl. I was lucky to be much loved. They were great parents.”
He put the suitcases down on a low table and walked with her to the windows. “In the morning you’ll see the sunrise and a wide prairie filled with wild flowers. Mom had this small table set by the windows so a guest could have their morning tea or coffee and enjoy the view.”
Chad’s hands held onto her shoulders. The warmth seeped into her skin and her heart fluttered at his closeness. When he bent and kissed the side of her neck, she fought her desire to be closer to him, to let her body rest against his.
“I want you,” he whispered into her hair.
His simple words, his intoxicating scent, and the touch of his lips had her caught in a web of desire. He swung her around to face him.
Chad’s gray eyes had darkened as he stared at her intently. She buried her face in his chest and his strong arms encircled her. One hand held her lower abdomen against his hard, pulsing cock.
She raised her head. “I can’t make promises. My world and yours are far apart.”
“Maybe not as much as you think.”
“You’re kidding yourself or me.”
“No. I’m honest to a fault.”
He swung her into his arms and took long strides down the hall and into another bedroom. This one was larger and masculine. She’d started to look around when his hands cupped her face and he kissed her hungrily. His tongue swept into her mouth and tasted and teased. Feverish desire swirled in her veins and her legs trembled. Her body’s eager response to his touch stunned her.
It’s as though I’ve been starved and can’t get enough of being close to him, having him touch me, kiss me, and still, I want more.
Her body curved closer into his and she brushed her breast against his muscled chest. Her peaked nipples ached for his attention. He gripped her buttocks and brought her up and harder against his dick. Her juices flowed from her pussy as her desire grew more intense.
“You want me, too. Admit it.” Chad stared into her eyes.
“I do, but I’m puzzled. I haven’t been interested in any man for a long time until I met Tor and you. I have no idea why my body is responding so crazily to you two.”
“I’m just glad it does.” He pulled off her T-shirt and then removed her bra in one smooth move. Cool air made her shiver, but when his hands wrapped around each breast her heart hitched a beat and warmth raced through her body.
His mouth closed around one nipple as she watched. A thread of ardor shot from her nipple to her core. Her hunger made her lower lips clench with the yearning to have his cock fill her.
She unbuttoned his shirt and put her hands on his chest. His swift intake of breath pleased her. When her fingers rubbed across his nipples, his smoldering glance had her pulse leaping with excitement.
He quickly undid her jeans and removed them and her bikini panties. Then he undressed and placed a condom package by the head of the bed.
Amy stood transfixed by the sight of his naked body. His skin was tanned, and black hair covered his broad chest. He had flat abs and long, well-muscled legs. His cock jutted out and curved toward his abdomen. Her face went hot when she realized she’d been staring. She raised her head and found him smiling.
“It’s all right to look. I’m certainly looking at you.” He walked closer and ran his warm hands over her shoulders. “Your breasts are beautiful with dusty-rose nipples begging to be tasted.”
Chad put his hands back on her breasts. “They’re just the right size.” He bent his head and slid his teeth lightly across each peak. “They taste like the sweetest strawberry.” He sucked, and the craving for him went all the way to her pussy.
Then he knelt in front of her and nuzzled her abdomen. His five-o’clock shadow raked across her skin and shivers of delight followed.
“I’m amazed and pleased at how responsive you are to my touch.”
When he got to her mound, he took a deep breath. “Your arousal scent is musky and ratchets my desire out of sight.” He separated her folds and licked across her bud and then down her pussy lips.
Her body trembled. She grabbed hold of his head to keep from falling. Chad stood and swept her into his arms. He laid her on the bed and followed her down. Then he pulled her legs wide apart and his tongue brushed across her nub and kissed and tasted her juices before flicking inside her pussy opening.
Chad looked up at her face. “I can’t wait to feel your sweet pussy enclosing my hungry cock.” He grabbed the condom package from the bedside table and tore it open. He handed the condom to Amy, and she rolled it onto his dick.
Then he placed himself at her opening. Chad watched her expression while he slid in slowly.
Pleasure swallowed her up as his cock stretched her pussy walls to the max. It was the most seductive experience. His ey
es had gone silver, his firm jaw tensed, and he was tight-lipped as he moved further into her pussy. When he was fully seated, he held still. She reveled in his powerful control that was part of her attraction for him.
Slowly, he began to move back and forth. When he speeded up, he thrust harder and raised her hips to take him in farther.
She moved in tandem with him. Each of his strokes intensified her craving. Her pussy was slick with her juices.
His passion showed in his eyes and his quick movements. Chad reached out and pinched her nipples.
Amy screamed with the almost-painful elation swallowing her up. She wanted more, and she yelled at him to not stop.
“Honey”—Chad gasped—“I couldn’t stop if I had a gun at my head.”
Suddenly, he moved a certain way and a wave of joy rolled from her feet to the top of her head. She bucked under him and her pussy tightened then pulsed around his cock. He yelled her name as he reached his climax. His cock continued to pulse against her tight pussy walls and another smaller orgasm rolled through her.
Chad kissed her neck. His heart pounded against her chest and his warm body comforted her.
“I’m heavy.” Chad slid to her side. He put his arm over his eyes and took several deep breaths. He reached out and took hold of her hand.
She was surprised how much that little gesture meant to her. Her pulse slowed and her thoughts returned to reality. What happened was the most incredible sexual experience she’d ever had, and yet she remembered such an attraction could be perilous to her plans. But her plans seemed far away and unimportant at this moment.
“You’re thinking too much.”
His soft smile seduced her heart into ignoring the warning signs blinking inside her head. “What can we do to stop my thinking?”
His gaze moved slowly over her body. “I have a few ideas.”
In one move, he got out of bed and took her hand to pull her up. “Have you ever made love in the shower?”
“No.”
“My poor darling, you’ve been deprived. We must rectify that neglect in your experience.”
When they got in the large shower, Chad verbally told the faucet to turn on and directed the water temperature.
Treasured Temptation [Triple Dare County, South Dakota 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) Page 5