“I said I would be there soon,” Alan continued. “You’ve been waiting all year for this information, a couple of hours is not going to kill you.” He cut the phone off, cursed to himself, and then went downstairs.
When the coast was clear, Skye stepped to the bed and began to search in the pockets of Alan’s coat. In the inside coat pocket her fingers touched some paper. Pulling it out, she began to read the dot matrix print out.
There were names of women. She wondered why Dr. Himes would need this? Skye also noted that at the top of the paper read 'Family Independence Agency High Thyroid Cases.' Beside the women’s numbers were case numbers. Suddenly, it dawned on her what this contained.
These women were going to become candidates in Dr. Himes’ Depro Second Phaze Study. Of course this was all an assumption. Yet there was a nagging thought that the doctor planned to administer the drug to all these women. Why did she have a feeling none of these women would know they were being tested on?
Remembering Trisha’s mother telling her that she ran a home business and her office was upstairs in the attic, Skye made her way up the attic stairs. Quickly she made a copy of the paper and went back in the coatroom.
Unfortunately her previous luck ran out, because just as she entered the room, Alan and Trisha came in speaking heatedly to each other.
“Why do you have to go now?” she complained. “You promised to speak with Daddy tonight, Trevor-” they both stopped seeing Skye in the room as he turned on the light.
“Thank you,” Skye said pretending to be relieved. “I was wondering why I couldn’t find my things.” She hid both hands behind her remembering his papers were in her right hand. “It is rather late. Way past my bedtime.”
Alan looked at his watcht late?”
Alan ignored her turning to Trisha. “Trish, I have things to do,” he said irritated by her constant complaining. He moved by Skye and picked up his coat.
Skye dropped his paper as soon as he lifted the coat from the bed, then immediately reached down, stuffing her copy in her coat quickly while picking up the dropped copy at the same time. “You dropped this, Alan,” she said handing the paper to him.
He almost gasped, but stopped himself. Meeting her gaze, those beady black eyes peered her over distrustfully.
Skye picked up her purse off the bed and moved to the door by Trisha trying not to look guilty. “Is Alan going to walk me to my car while he's going out?” she asked innocently.
“That would be no problem,” Alan agreed.
Skye hugged Trisha. “Thank you for not convincing me to stay. I don’t think my nerves could take it.”
“You’re quite welcome. Your presence was certainly appreciated. Aunt Vera will have something to speak about for years to come at all the upcoming family gatherings.”
Skye laughed genuinely delighted that her presence had brought some happiness to someone. “Goodnight.”
She left out the room to give the couple some privacy, but she took her time to going down the stairs listening intently to them. As soon as she was out the door, they began to speak again in the furious tones to each other.
“...invite her here? You go through all the trouble with me to make sure... Now you do what you want to do anyway. You’d better stop it, Trisha. If my father knew what you were doing...”
“I know and I will. You will call later?” Trisha asked with desperation in her.
Aunt Vera stepped up to Skye suddenly. “You’re leaving?”
“Unfortunately,” Skye acknowledged the older woman, knowing she could not listen to them anymore. “I loved the company, but I have so much to do. Thank you so much for having me.”
“Thank you for coming. We are all so glad to have you.”
Skye patted her pocket to make sure the copied paper was deep in there and secure.
Alan came down the stairs with Trisha trailing him, looking ready to protest. Stayed inside as Alan escorted Skye out.
Skye feeling uncomfortable pulled away from his gentlemanly gripped as they went down the stairs. “You work on your own, Alan?” she asked when they got to her car.
He seemed surprised she would be interested in something he did. “N-No,” he stuttered quickly off beat. “You could say that I handle my father’s international interest.”
“You must lead quite an interesting life.” She slid to the car door, unlocked it and then backed into the car. “Good night.”
Alan’s beady black eyes were filled with distrust and she had a feeling he wanted to hurry to get that list to the doctors. “Goodnight,” he said abruptly.
Skye got in her car and watched Alan walk away.
***
Trisha walked up behind Thaddeus, who stood at the window watching the black Escort disappear in the night.
“Did you cancel my flight to Florida for tomorrow night?” he asked.
“Yes, but I did want to ask you why? You’ve always gone the two days prior to see Mr. Blair, before your scheduled appointment with him every year.”
“Unfortunately this one falls on a Saturday and I have another appointment tomorrow night.”
“With whom, if I may be so bold to ask?”
Thaddeus faced her. “None of your business if I may be so bold to answer.”
Her father interrupted them politely to hand Thaddeus his coat. After the older man thanked Thaddeus for coming, he walked away to leave Thaddeus to speak with Trisha alone. “It’s a young woman if you must know.”
“A woman? I thought your interest in Ms Patterson, was serious.”
He blew it off as nonchalantly as possible. “It is. I am man hear me roar. I have needs like any other man.”
“Did you want me to do anything?”
“If you could have some red wine delivered to my apartment tomorrow and scented candles again – a lot of them this time. I had a hell of a time picking out just one and I don’t think I did a good job.” He passed her a non-duplicable key. “Leave this key on my bedside table please. I’m trying to create a mood if you get my drift.”
She nodded in understanding. “I do. You won’t mind if I help you out a bit? You know, go an extra mile thing?”
He raised a dark brow. “How?”
“Trust me. I am woman, hear me roar,” she said throwing his words back at him.
They were interrupted again, as her mother brought over a large plate of food all wrapped up for him. Walking to the door with Thaddeus, Trisha’s mom let him know that he was always invited and she hoped he had a happy birthday. Trisha looked down at the key and smiled devilishly. He would tomorrow night.
Chapter 10
When he arrived at his apartment the next night after spending all morning at a videoconference downtown with Mr. Thomas Blair, he was rather shocked to see the place glowing with candles in the front room, but still only one candle lit in the bedroom.
Did Trisha know something he didn’t? Nah, it was just his paranoia kicking in. Of course Trisha wouldn’t know a thing. He put some of the candles in the bedroom to give himself more light to see the “case” when she arrived.
Thaddeus was up since six that morning where he met Craig at a coffee shop in Highland Park to discuss the blood test they took from his mystery woman last week.
“She’s got a clean bill of health according to the doctor. Fingerprints show she doesn’t have a record.”
Thaddeus cut him off. “Who is she?” he demanded to know.
Craig held the folder close to his chest. “Sergeant Nolan made me swear not to reveal her identity or any of the other girls. The less you know about her the easy it will be to tear yourself away
from this case.”
“Tear myself away? You act as if I’m obsessed about her.”
Craig leaned into the table to Thaddeus. “If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be so damn demanding.”
Thaddeus forced himself to relax and take control of his temper. “You’ve never listened to your sergeant before this. Why is it so critical that her identi
ty be hidden from me?”
“Look Thad. When this is all over you’re never going to see her again. I thought you could stay apart from the whole situation and use it to your advantage. What is now happening is all that it, which is nothing. There won’t be any memory of you in her life according the Dr. Johnson and if there is it won’t be enough for her to remember clearly. There’s not going to be any riding into the sunset of knight in shining armor to rescue her or everyone will live happily ever after. You can’t force or browbeat me in any kind of way to get me to reveal anything about this young lady because I know you and how you get obsessive about thing. Although I thought a woman would be the last thing you’d get obsessive about. If you feel it’s that important then you can step out now.” Craig regretted the words as soon as they left this mouth, and prayed Thaddeus wouldn’t pull his card again.
Thaddeus sat back thinking. Craig was right. This was the now and to pull out would be ridiculous, immature, and could jeopardize lives. “Fine! No identities need to be told—for now.”
He left it open intentionally to put Craig on the edge. He knew he was being ridiculous, he had no intention of pulling out. He wanted to know more about this case and if Craig wanted to just use Thaddeus to get information out the girl, then Thaddeus could use that information to get knowledge of his own.
“Aside from all of it, you’re doing an excellent job. Fats has put his guard down, but I don’t want to push it. Do you have the form we asked your doctor to fill out?”
“Yes, but why did I have to have him fill it out.”
“Mainly for peace of mind, in case you... slip up.”
“What? I don’t slip up and I could have told you I’m clean.”
“For mistakes, temptations, that sort of thing. And just in case... well, just in case she asks if anything happened and if so was she protected?”
Thaddeus angrily handed the form to Craig. “This is really starting to get on my nerves, Craig.”
“Didn’t seem that way last week,” Craig teased ignoring the vicious glare he received for that remark and whooped with laughter loudly drawing attention to them. No one else would dare rile Thaddeus so dangerously, but Craig had known him for so long, it was normal for him to do so.
“Remind me to beat your ass. If I do it now I might cause your death and I won’t have the pleasure of seeing you suffer for the rest of your miserable life.”
Craig chuckled some more. “Get on down the road, Bro.”
That had been the gist of conversation, but it had pretty much been on Thaddeus’ mind all day. His mystery woman would be here soon and it pleased him to know he could do whatever he wanted. Anything!
It wasn’t until now that he realized this. Damn! Knowing he could make hard passionate love to her aroused him even more.
‘Are you crazy?!’ his conscious raged.
Thaddeus was past crazy. He was driving himself mad over Skye and this case.
He was horny and he wanted his mystery woman to quench his lust. The entire apartment was scented with lavender a rather exotic smell that he enjoyed. Trisha wrote a Post-it-Note hanging on his bedroom door.
Mr. Newman, Only enter this room with the intentions of coming out and spending the night with your mystery woman on the couch. You need a change of environment to relax you. Try it and I swear it will be a night you will never forget. See you in the morning, Trisha
That feeling that Trisha knew something he didn’t came on strong again in Thaddeus’ gut, but he shook this off. Entering the bedroom, he saw the package on the bed. Opening it, another note from Trisha was there above the tissue wrapping.
Put it on and get out of here!
Pulling the tissue wrap off, there was a black silk robe, matching boxers, and some nice black bedroom shoes. He showered quickly and then stared at the outfit for a long while, before he gave in and put it on. For whatever reason, he succumbed to Trisha’s orders. For some strange reason the young woman had been on his mind all week. Seductive and enticing, he wondered why he had thought about her with as much thought as he’d thought about Skye. Her face didn’t even matter, but what she made him feel did.
Tonight Thaddeus had decided he would go ahead and please her. After dressing, he went to the kitchen to prepare the glasses of wine. Trisha had put a bottle in the refrigerator to chill.
Marking the sleeping potion glass with a scratch, he went into the living room. The fist thing he noticed was that all but one candle was lit.
Stopping short in his tracks was the young lady with her back to him putting a nice classical piece on. He placed the glasses down on the coffee table and joined her by the stereo pressing his front against her back. She leaned against him feeling so natural to touch.
She took one hand and placed his palm on her breast, and then she took the other hand and placed it on her crotch. He could feel his manhood rise in his next quickening breath. He closed his eyes and allowed her body to caress against his. He could feel her nipple tight in his palm until it was a hard nub.
“Why did you come back?” he asked
“I wanted to be with you.”
“Who sent you?”
She turned and tucked her face in the crook of his neck. He could smell her essence of lavender. “You should know all this.”
Thaddeus had every intentions of finding more candles or getting the rest out the bedroom, but for some reason, his body didn’t want to be two seconds away from her. She was a sensually exciting woman with this erotic air of innocence about her.
Asking her questions seemed better than trying to mentally push away the lust filling him. “Where did you come from?” It was a silly questioned and she chuckled sensuously in response.
“Where everyone else comes from I hope,” she teased as she stood on her tiptoes and put her arms around his shoulders. “Will we make love tonight or will you just hold me again? I want you so much more now.”
In one swoop he picked her up and carried her to the couch.
Laying her down, their lips melted together perfectly. His whole body seemed to tense then relax as her warm tongue pushed against his lips. He parted his own to welcome the moist oral muscle in. She deepened the kiss wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. He could feel her body shudder in his arms. Her wantonness for him stirred him to great heights of passion. The more she was pleased the more it urged him on to please her even more.
He pushed the robe off her shoulders pulling the straps down from her gown in this same movement. Reluctantly, his lips parted from hers. She whimpered in protest, and then moaned in pleasure as he found the aroused firm dark brown nipple and suckled the tempting flesh.
She gasped as her fingers tightened in his hair. Her head went back as her body leaned into his mouth. He smiled when he heard her whine as his lips moved over to her other nipple. Her sexual frustration was evident as her hips rubbed against his thick strapping thigh.
Pushing the gown past her knees in one fluid movement was easy. Her passion aroused him to an unbelievable level of unguided ardor. His lips followed his hands downward, pressing hot wet kisses against her skin. He didn’t know what he was doing or even want to think about making sense. All he knew was he wanted to give her pleasure. He wanted to know that her wantonness was because of what he did to her. It felt wonderful to know whatever he did to her or touch of her, made her crave more of him.
Gently nudging her body prone, his mouth descended to the soft brown thatch of hair. The tip of his tongue made a trail from her belly to the forest of thick hair, until wetness met his own. Her hips lounged off the couch. Thaddeus took this opportunity to skillfully wrap his arms around her thighs and clamp his hands around her hips to control her powerful waist. Her back was fully arched as his mouth began to draw the essence from her body. She tried to twist, but he was tortuous in his pleasure giving until she could only whimper her protest. Soon her whimpers turned to begging as his tongue assaulted her repeatedly until he too could feel pleasure racking ev
ery nerve in her body.
She shook uncontrollably as every nerve peaked simultaneously taking her high above the heavens, wrapping her in glorious sensations, then enveloped her body with the most pure form of pleasure a man could give a woman. She felt loved through every inch of her body and no one could tell her this experience had not happened to her.
He knew the orgasm had blown her mind and helped her body come down slowly from the pinnacle he had taken her too.
Thaddeus made another trail of kisses until his mouth was above hers.
The only candle in the room left on was almost out, yet he could make out her eyes sparkling darkly up at him and for a moment he thought he was looking at Skye. He told himself he was crazy as she cupped his face in her palms and brought him down to her lips. He kissed her with all the force of passion he felt right now, because he could almost imagine this was Skye. He could almost imagine Skye being here with him, feeling the intensity. He wanted so much for this to be Skye, but he knew it would never be, not until she could even like him. Hell, maybe even longer.
Lord what had he done? He’d used a woman to replace another.
Craig was right. It wasn’t fair to her and he was a bastard to put this woman who had no idea what she was doing through this.
Moving away from her feeling guilty, he grabbed the unscratched glass and gulped it down. She watched him. He was deeply troubled at this point, but she didn’t know how to take his troubles away.
Standing up, he went to the kitchen to pour himself another glass. If he really thought about it, he hadn’t done anything wrong.
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