Blackhawk experienced the rush of excitement. She had believed him, accepted all he said, and didn’t run from him. Ethan pushed them both up from the couch, lifting her into his arms, and carrying her to his bedroom.
Today he could start living, and start making it work for both of them.
His life began now.
Monday Afternoon
Elizabeth lay awake beside him, listening to his deep breathing, and she couldn’t help but just stare. When he wasn’t sleeping he was sexy, but asleep he was enthralling. She just wanted to touch every inch of him with her fingertips, tracing the lines and angles. She watched the slow easy up and down motion of his chest, and she couldn’t help but be drawn in by his handsome face. He was strong, masculine, and incredibly sexy. If he wasn’t so exhausted, she would have gently nudged him awake, just to show him how incredible he was to her.
Elizabeth smiled, deciding to just let him rest. He was in a deep sleep, already spent from their voracious love making earlier.
When he carried her to his bed, he gave her everything he had in the most mind blowing sex. It was if he was trying to tell her something out of sheer desperation. Now he looked peaceful, and she didn’t want to ruin it.
Elizabeth looked over at the clock. She wanted to wander the old neighborhood and do some exploring. Slipping out of bed, she noticed he didn’t even move, this was his safety zone. Here he felt safe, and she was glad that she was able to be part of it. Everyone needed a place to rejuvenate, and this was his. It occurred to her that she wasn’t sure how they would make it work, but they would. For now, they had to live for the moment as the future was cloudy.
Elizabeth dressed quickly and wandered back out to his kitchen. She found paper and scribbled him a note not to worry, she was running out. Elizabeth knew the neighborhood and checked his refrigerator for supplies.
Why not kill two birds with one stone while she was out exploring?
They would need to eat tomorrow morning, so she made a list, and picked his keys up from the bowl by the front door. Making sure the alarm wasn’t on, Elizabeth wandered out, locking up behind her.
Out in the hall she put the keys in her pocket, and turned around only to be startled by an older woman staring at her.
“Who are you?” The elderly woman demanded, suspiciously.
She took in the weathered old face. “My name’s Elizabeth.”
“You know he’s an FBI agent, and you shouldn’t break into his house.”
Elizabeth laughed at the thought of that and reassured her, “Ethan’s my boyfriend.” She didn’t know what else to call him. Lover sounded crass, even to her. “I’m not breaking into the place; I’m locking up and running some errands for him.”
“You don’t look like the last one,” she answered, leaning on the doorframe. “She was a blonde who wore too much makeup.”
Elizabeth knew what would relax the woman. She reached into her purse and pulled out her badge. “I’m from a town down south. I’m the sheriff there. I used to work for the FBI once too.”
The woman took it and touched it with her gnarled fingers. “Take care of him. Ethan’s a good man. He shovels my snow for me and runs to the store for me when he’s home, if I need anything.”
She had an idea, “I’m going shopping for him now. Do you need anything?” Immediately, the woman’s face changed. “I could use a few things,” she said, and watched as Elizabeth pulled out the list she made.
“Eggs and milk, and also there is a bakery on the corner, and they make the best cupcakes,” she said, happily thinking about the baked treats.
“I used to live on the red velvet myself,” she said, putting the list away. “I’ll be back in an hour, okay?”
The woman nodded and closed her door, peeking out at her. She watched the raven haired woman curiously. Ethan Blackhawk picked a beauty this time, and she already liked the gorgeous woman. It would be interesting to see where this went, and if she would be nicer than the last one.
Elizabeth walked down the sidewalk, to the bakery, then the florist, and finally the grocery on the next street. She was glad to see the streets again.
Strolling past her old house, she smiled. The good memories came back, and she remembered loving it here in Georgetown. If she had to, she would come back willingly to be with him.
That thought caught her off guard, and gave her pause.
Oh yeah, she’d come back to be with him in a heartbeat.
* * *
“How far back did Blackhawk want the deep searches?” asked the tech, holding the papers.
Christina laughed. She’d been working with Special Agent Blackhawk for over six years. “I’m going to guess to birth.”
“Oh good and here I was worried it would take days,” quipped the other agent, teasingly. “Is this a complete list?” he asked.
Christina looked over his shoulder, scanning the names. It was everyone on the sheriff’s team, including the woman herself. “Yep, that’s everyone. Now that we know that her father was a victim, we need to do a search on him and everyone he was married to or related to also. Blackhawk wants it thorough.”
“Does the sheriff know he’s searching everyone on her team, including her?”
Christina chewed on the end of her pen thoughtfully. “From what I heard, she was FBI for over ten years, so I don’t think she’ll be surprised. That is, unless we uncover some skeletons.”
“I’ll have it done by Tuesday at the latest,” he said, heading back to the alcove to begin eliminating the key players.
* * *
Something was off, and it was too quiet.
Ethan Blackhawk opened his eyes, and she was gone. Immediately, he panicked and his heart started pounding in his chest. The last thing he remembered was that they made love, and he must have fallen into a deep sleep. He rushed into the living room and still more silence waited for him. He checked the kitchen and found her note.
As he read it over and over, Ethan was reassured that she wasn’t running from the secret he told her, and that she didn’t abandon him while he slept. He was about to call her cell when he heard voices outside his door, and he rushed to peek out the hole.
There was his elderly neighbor.
And the woman he loved.
Blackhawk watched in fascination at how, in a matter of hours, Elizabeth managed to make friends with the older woman, a complete stranger.
Unlike the last woman in his life, Elizabeth LaRue wasn’t high maintenance; she could entertain herself and not be bored while he took a nap. With the ex, he once fell asleep, and there had been hell to pay when he woke up. His good fortune and sheer luck amazed him.
“Mrs. Feinstein, they didn’t have any more red velvet, but they had chocolate with butter cream. I hope that’s okay,” she said, handing her a box of cupcakes.
“Oh, that’s okay, sweetheart. Chocolate makes the world more exciting. Well, chocolate and a sexy man.”
Elizabeth laughed and agreed completely. “I’ll take the sexy man over the cupcakes any day, Mrs. Feinstein. Well, one sexy man in particular. I’m picky when it comes to men and cupcakes,” she teased the older woman.
Mrs. Feinstein laughed, “Oh yes, sweetheart, I forgot that you have the sexy man waiting for you. You don’t need cupcakes, but wait until you're my age.”
“I know for a fact that Ethan will still be sexy and hot even then. In fact, I’d bet my badge on it.”
Blackhawk’s heart raced as she was speaking candidly to his neighbor. It astounded him that to her, his sex appeal was a normal everyday topic of conversation. Yeah, he was crazy, madly, insanely in love with her.
Elizabeth had told the truth. She didn’t give a shit about his job or home, she only wanted him. His attention was pulled back to the two women, even as his heart pounded in his chest.
“Here are the eggs, and milk you wanted, and I also got you some flowers,” she handed her the bunch of bright flowers and enjoyed how her face lit up.
“Oh my! No
one has given me flowers in a long time,” she took a sniff and smiled. “You are nothing like his last girlfriend. Nothing at all!” she exclaimed. “I hope he has the common sense to marry you.”
Elizabeth smiled at that. “Well, you know men, Mrs. Feinstein. They usually find a way to screw it up, when it’s incredibly simple. Ethan’s a smart man though; I’m betting he figures it out first try. I have complete faith in him.”
“Isn’t that the truth, dearie?”
“I’ll check on you tomorrow to see if you need anything. I need to go wake Ethan up. We have dinner plans with his boss this evening.”
“You have fun, sweetheart.” She pulled her down to kiss her cheek. “Just so you know, you are more far beautiful than the last one too. She looked a bit too frigid and like a scarecrow in high heels. I have no idea what he saw in her.”
Elizabeth winked as she took a bite of her apple. “She was a frigid scarecrow, huh? Good night, Mrs. Feinstein.” Elizabeth opened the door and turned to wave at the woman, making sure she got back inside safely.
Blackhawk had just enough time to make it back to the kitchen. His heart was pounding at what he just witnessed. He heard the keys being placed back in the bowl by the door, and footsteps towards his kitchen.
Elizabeth came around the corner and nearly jumped. “Ethan, you’re awake!” she smiled, not expecting him there. Reaching into the bag she tossed him a shiny green apple. “Have something healthy,” she winked, as he snagged it easily out of the air and took a bite.
“You ran out?” he inquired quietly, watching her put the bags on the counter as he chewed.
“I did, because we need to eat tomorrow morning. I remembered the bakery around the corner, and wanted to get some cupcakes for your neighbor. Plus, I needed to grab some wine to take to Gabe and Livy’s house for tonight.”
He smiled with his heart full of love. She had to be the best thing his life ever had the chance to brush against. Mrs. Feinstein was right, and he was taking the first step.
“By the way, you have a very sweet neighbor. Oh, and these are for you,” she continued, pulling bright red flowers from her bag. “They reminded me of you.” She handed him the bunch and kissed him on the cheek. “They were bright and exciting.” Elizabeth put the eggs in the refrigerator, and dropped a loaf of bread on the counter. It was then she realized he was holding the flowers and staring at her. “What? You don’t like flowers?”
“These are for me?”
“Yes, I figure all this organized black needs some chaotic color.”
“I love you.” It sounded foreign to him. It had been more than two decades since he’d said those words out loud.
She paused and just stared at him, unsure she heard him correctly. “I’m sorry, Ethan, but I think I need you to repeat that, because I don’t think I heard you.”
“I love you, Elizabeth LaRue.”
She stood up straight and walked towards him, touching his cheek and going up on her toes to kiss him gently. “I love you too, Ethan,” she smiled, running the pad of her thumb across his lower lip.
Blackhawk pulled her into his body, holding her tightly against him, as he buried his face in her hair.
It felt damn good to be home, and he didn’t mean the brownstone.
After they both showered, Elizabeth took over the bathroom, so she could do her hair and put on some makeup. Blackhawk didn’t mind offering it up. As far as he was concerned he got the better deal. He was able to watch a very sexy woman apply lipstick and lean over his counter. His view was far more appealing, and he found it was making him crazy. If he didn’t stop leering at her, they were going to be very late to Gabe’s house.
“I can’t wait for you to meet Livy. She’s amazing,” Elizabeth said from the bathroom.
Blackhawk didn’t hear a word she said, he was too busy standing in the closet, feeling very lost. His first thought was to grab a black dress shirt. It was a safe choice and after all, he had quite a few of them. Black was safe, it matched everything and it was his standard attire. The only problem he was having was he didn’t feel like he wanted to be ‘FBI Ethan’ tonight. He wanted to be ‘date Ethan’ for a change.
“Lyzee,” he yelled in to her. “What do I wear to Gabe’s?” He heard her laugh as she came to his rescue.
When she entered his closet, it smelled just like him, and was ordered by color. “Well, surprise, surprise, Mr. Blackhawk. The closet is organized to the extreme.” She gave him a kiss, and whispered in his ear, “Let me pick your clothes out.”
Elizabeth walked right to the blue section of his closet, and decided on a very dark blue polo shirt. It almost matched his eyes, and she knew it was just perfect for him.
Blackhawk couldn’t help but watch her, as she navigated his things. His heart skipped a beat when he took in her simple red dress. It was ideal for summer and even more perfect for a day with kids. How had he never noticed the sexy red polished toes before now? This was the first time he had ever seen her in a dress, and he was enjoying it. Maybe he was enjoying it a little too much, as his body tightened in response.
“Here,” she handed him the blue polo shirt, and kissed his cheek adding, “jeans,” she patted his boxer clad ass, and went back to her makeup.
It all seemed very wifely, and his heart started pounding. Suddenly, he had a fondness for that word.
“I’m just about ready,” she called to him, as she fastened her earrings. All that remained was slipping into a pair of sandals, and she was finished. When she walked out, he was on his smart phone, typing furiously.
“Any problems, Ethan?”
“No, nothing baby,” he replied, absently. “I’m just getting an update of all the things they accomplished today. When we get in the car you can read over it, or later if you want,” he slipped into his shoes.
Elizabeth’s heart skipped a beat at being called ‘baby’. She couldn’t remember anyone ever calling her that before, and she liked hearing it from him. “Okay.” She leaned against the bed, watching him finish dressing. Just the way he tucked in his shirt, and buckled his belt completely turned her on. It amazed her that he wasn’t aware how sexy he was.
“Am I presentable?” he asked, waiting anxiously for her approval.
“One thing I have to fix,” she stated, walking towards him. She tugged on the tie holding his hair, and it fell around his shoulders like black silk. “Now you’re perfect!”
Blackhawk laughed and took her hand, leading her to the door. “Gabe said you knew where he lived,” he picked up his keys and set the alarm.
“I do, it’s on the outskirts of the city more towards the burbs in Virginia- I’ll point,” she added, walking down his steps, still holding his hand.
“You can drive,” he said easily, watching her face to see if she remembered what he once told her.
Elizabeth was profoundly touched. “You’re giving me, a woman, the keys to your car? Wow, when you said love, you meant love,” she laughed, taking the keys from him and hitting the auto unlock on the one remote. The lights on a shiny, sleek black mustang clicked on and off. “Black? Really Ethan?”
Elizabeth couldn’t help but laugh. She should have known that the man’s car would also look just like him, sleek and sexy. Kissing him, she left red lip marks on his cheek, and she hoped they stayed there.
“I’m a creature of habit,” he answered jovially, walking to the passenger door. “Just keep in mind, there is only one thing, in this world, that I love more than my car, Elizabeth,” he said seriously.
“And that is, Mr. Blackhawk?”
“You, but if you scratch it, you’ll never drive it again,” he laughed, his eyes sparkling. “Love or not, those are the rules.”
“Oh, Ethan, if you only knew what you just did by giving me the keys to your car,” she grinned wickedly. “You should have done your research on me. I’ve wrecked quite a few FBI vehicles in my decade there,” she teased. “I can’t wait to see how fast we can go. Since I’ll never be driving it
again, I need to make it an adventure you’ll never forget.”
“Lyzee, take it easy, my heart!” Ethan grabbed his chest mockingly, wondering if she was serious or just trying to tease him.
God, he loved her laugh and smile.
“Okay grandpa! I suggest you buckle up and hold on,” she laughed, revving the engine and popping it into gear. She thought he was going to cry, as she tore down the street.
Blackhawk laughed the entire way there. He couldn’t remember ever being on a date, and feeling so free. She teased him and drove like a hellion, but he couldn’t help but feel light. When they almost got pulled over, he never felt so alive and free in his life. She amazed him and lessened the stress that always threatened to crush him.
As she pulled into a driveway, Elizabeth glanced over smiling. “We’re here.”
“This can’t be it,” he answered in amazement. “It looks too damn normal, like he’s human, and we both know he isn’t. Gabe was created in an FBI lab somewhere.”
Elizabeth laughed and pointed as the front door opened.
Blackhawk gawked as there stood his boss and a pretty red headed woman. His arm was draped over her shoulders, and her arm was around his waist. Both were smiling and looked very domestic.
“Told you so.” She exited the vehicle, grinning at the genuine look of confusion on his face.
“I don’t know how to process all this,” he followed, getting out of the passenger side. He held out his hand to her, linking them together.
“Lyzee!” yelled the woman, running down the steps. She slammed into her with such force that she almost took her down.
“Livy! Oh God, I’ve missed you,” she said, her eyes filling with tears, as her friend just held her.
They were opposite sides of a coin, Elizabeth LaRue tall and raven haired, Livy Rothschild, shorter with red hair, freckles and green eyes. Blackhawk must have looked panicked that she was crying.
The Killing Times (An FBI Romance Thriller (book 1)) Page 26