Keepers of the Cave
Page 30
Paige handed Don her business card. “If you need anything in the next few days, don’t hesitate to call me. I’m going to take advantage of Howley’s offer of three days off, but I’ll be around.”
“Thank you. I’ll try to stay out of trouble.”
“We’ll take care of him,” Billy said.
Ice watched as Paige glanced once more at CJ, who was pretending to ignore her.
“Okay then. I guess I’ll see you guys later.”
“Yeah. Later,” CJ said, never taking her eyes from her computer monitor.
Billy shot him a look, but Ice only shrugged. A mere two minutes later, CJ got up, a smile still stuck on her face.
“I’m out, girls,” she said with a wink. “Don’t call me. I won’t answer my phone.”
She was actually whistling as she walked away.
“What the hell is wrong with them?” Billy murmured.
“What do you mean?” Don asked.
Ice pulled out his visitor’s chair with his foot and shoved it toward Don. “Sit down. Gonna be a few minutes before we can split for lunch.”
“Thank you,” he said. “I really like them. They’re nice. Paige more so than CJ, but still.”
“Yeah. Paige is a sweetheart,” Billy said. “CJ grows on you.”
“They play this game with us, see,” Ice explained. “They pretend to flirt and tease with each other, but I’m not sure they even like each other.”
Don frowned. “What are you talking about? They’re together, aren’t they?”
“Together?”
“You know...a couple.”
“Oh, that. Well, this assignment, yeah. They were posing as a couple, sure. But neither of them wanted to do it,” he said.
“That’s odd. Fiona said they were...lovers,” he said in a whisper.
Ice and Billy looked at each other, eyebrows raised. Then Ice shook his head. “No. No way.”
“But they’ve been acting strange,” Billy said.
“No. They’re just messing with us.”
Don looked at them thoughtfully but said nothing. A few minutes later, just as Ice was about to submit his report, the elevator opened and an attractive woman with a younger man in tow got off.
Ice frowned, wondering who’d given them the okay to come up. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, please. I’m looking for Paige Riley,” she said.
He shook his head. “You just missed her.”
“I was told she was back. Do you know where she is?”
“Excuse me, but who are you?”
The woman held out a nicely manicured hand to him. “Elana Riley. I’m her mother.”
“Oh, well, pleased to meet you,” he said as he shook her hand. He glanced at the man beside her, waiting for him to speak.
“This is Seth Buchanan, Paige’s fiancé,” she said. “Do you know where we can find her?”
“Fiancé?”
“Yes. I’m sure she’s told you about him.”
Billy walked over, sizing him up. “Don’t think she’s mentioned you,” he said. “But I think she went home. She’s got time off the next few days.”
Ice glared at him as the woman nodded curtly and spun on her heels. Seth gave a slight nod, then followed. As soon as the elevator door closed, Ice punched him in the arm.
“What’s wrong with you, man?”
“What do you mean?” Billy said as he rubbed his arm.
“Fiancé? Come on.”
***
“I love your place,” CJ said as she grabbed Paige, pulling her closer. “Really. But now I want to see your bedroom.”
Paige laughed. “How long did you wait before you left?”
“A couple of minutes.”
“I’m surprised you made it that long,” she murmured as she closed the distance between them, kissing her hard. “Bedroom.”
“Absolutely.”
She kicked the bedroom door closed behind them, then reached for CJ’s shirt, pulling it over her head in one motion. “God, when did you lose your bra?” she asked as she cupped her bare breasts.
“In the car,” CJ said, her own hands busy with Paige’s blouse.
Pants followed and Paige moved to the bed, pulling CJ down with her. She moaned with pleasure as CJ settled between her legs. “I missed this last night.”
“You and me both, baby,” CJ said as her mouth closed over one aching nipple.
Paige held her closer, her fingers threading through her hair, her hips beginning a slow roll. The sound of the doorbell made her groan in frustration.
“No, no, no,” CJ said as she left her breast. “Don’t answer it.”
“It’s probably my neighbor. She was keeping my mail for me.”
“She’ll come back.”
The doorbell sound again. “She knows I’m here.”
CJ rolled off her, her eyes dark with desire. “You have one minute.”
Paige smiled. “Thirty seconds. You don’t move.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Paige grabbed her robe and slipped it on, then tried to smooth her hair as she walked barefoot through the house. She opened the door without thinking, expecting her neighbor. Her mouth dropped open instead.
“Hello, darling.”
“Mother? What are you doing here?” She turned slowly, eyeing the handsome man by her side. “And with Seth, no less.”
“What are you doing in a robe?” her mother asked as she pushed inside. “It’s the middle of the day.”
“Oh, God,” Paige whispered. “Seriously?” She glanced down the hallway, toward her bedroom...and to where a very naked woman waited for her.
“You looked flushed, my love,” Seth said quietly. “Are we interrupting?”
She let out a short laugh. “Oh, you have no idea.”
She closed the front door, silently watching as her mother headed into the kitchen and Seth made himself comfortable on her sofa. Paige stood rooted to the spot, her robe covering her nakedness. Could it get any worse?
She turned as she heard shuffling down the hallway. CJ came sauntering in, a sheet wrapped adorably around her body, her hair still disheveled from Paige’s fingers.
“Paige? Everything okay?”
Paige covered her mouth to hide her smile, then laughed outright. “Okay?” She bit her lip. “Yes, everything is...perfect.” She held her hand out. “Come meet my mother. And Seth.”
CJ’s eyes widened as her gaze slid past Paige and landed on a very amused looking man lounging on her sofa. “Oh...fuck,” CJ whispered.
Seth stood and came closer, a grin on his face. “Yes, I suppose that is what we interrupted.” He leaned toward Paige. “She’s hot.”
“You knew?”
“Of course. Only a lesbian could resist this,” he said, motioning at himself in his usual arrogant manner.
Her mother returned holding three glasses of wine. “You knew what, darling?” Her glance moved from Paige to Seth, finally landing on CJ. She looked her up and down, from her bare feet sticking out below the sheet to her tousled hair. “Who in the world...are you?”
Oh, this isn’t going to end well.
Bella Books, Inc.
Women. Books. Even Better Together.
P.O. Box 10543
Tallahassee, FL 32302
Phone: 800-729-4992
www.bellabooks.com
Table of Contents
About the Author
Also by Gerri Hill
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Table of Contents
About the Author
Also by Gerri Hill
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE