by Rita Karnopp
“Is that our last hurrah, or do you want to go to the bed and I’ll give you a little mouth action?”
Megan smiled, then glanced back through the blinds. The dark figure was gone. Her lover must be sorry, he never asked, he just did. “I’m all for more than a little. After your hurtful comments, you have a lot to make up for.”
“Oh, now you don’t want me to fuck off?”
“No, I just want you to fuck.”
“That’s my Megan.”
He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. She wondered if he really didn’t know about the caller and the case files. He still could be the killer. His kisses heated a path … lower … lower … she could think of nothing but the pleasure he gave.
She woke to the stillness of morning. No startling phone call, door knock or alarm. Thank God for small favors. She drew in a lazy breath and moved her arm across the left side of the bed. She knew he wouldn’t be there. She wasn’t convinced he wasn’t the killer. He didn’t really seem all that surprised about the case files or phone calls, although he tried to act like he was. Until she knew for sure, there was no way she could keep him from her bed. She may not be the mother of the year, but she wasn’t taking any chances they or her mother might be hurt.
“Where the hell did you get these?”
Megan jumped and sat straight up in bed. “You scared the hell out of me. I thought you were gone. You’re always gone.”
“The files, Megan. Where did you get them?”
“I told you … I mean … I thought they came from you.”
“Bullshit. You also told me you made it all up. These are the entire original files, Megan. The other files were copies. I’m not taking the blame for this. Now tell me where did you get them?”
“One appeared on my computer and the other under my door. I get … phone calls and directions what I can and cannot do. He’s threatened Tina and Tucker and even my mother.”
“And you seriously think I would do that? Goes to show how much you know about me. I wouldn’t threaten the twins. I actually think they’re mine.”
“So you’ve said. You can apologize when the test results come back.”
“Apologize for what?”
“I take a morning after pill after every time you visit me. When I got pregnant with the twins, it was on purpose.” She tossed the blankets aside, slipped her naked body out of bed and into a house robe. “Cooper is their father.”
“We’ll see. You’re very good at side-tracking the purpose of my staying this morning. The files, Megan?”
“You’re better off not knowing. I can’t tell you anything more … I’ve told you too much already. “ Brushing past him, she went into the study and stopped dead in her tracks. “How did these bagels and coffee get here?”
“I don’t know. They weren’t here a few minutes ago. Who besides me knows you are here? What aren’t you telling me, Megan?”
She hurried to the bathroom, closed and locked the door. She sat on the stool and rubbed her forehead. Things were getting too complicated. Her lover knocked, but Megan didn’t give him an answer. She flushed the toilet and reached for her sonic toothbrush. After rinsing, she realized silence answered. With every fiber of her being, she hoped he had left the suite.
Unlocking the door, she went back to the study. After spreading whipped cream cheese on her bagel, she sipped the hot, almond latte.
“You ready to talk now, Megan?”
She hadn’t noticed him leaning against the wall, next to the window. She wondered what he found so fascinating. “He knows you’re still here. He left two bagels and two coffees. This is not good.”
“Who is he?”
“The killer, if you must know.”
“What killer? The Malicious Intent killer? The one our team is after? Don’t be ridiculous.” He slowly took another sip of coffee. The mask moved slightly. “There’s a guy leaning against a tree across the street. He’s been staring at this window for at least fifteen minutes.”
Megan bolted to the window and slightly raised the mini blind. “I saw him there yesterday when you … when we were enjoying ourselves. I don’t think he can see inside. I can’t see who he is, but he’s definitely watching my suite. I’m guessing the killer hired him to watch me and make sure I stay put and keep writing.”
“I think you’re really in some deep shit this time, girl. Do you think Cooper has anything to do with it? He must be totally pissed with you. I know I would be.”
“Who are you … and why do you even care?”
“I’m the guy who likes fucking you. Nothing more and nothing less. Once my wife has her baby, you won’t see me again. Simple as that.”
Megan stomped within inches of him and jerked the mask from his face. “I knew it was you, Sparks. You shouldn’t have mentioned your wife having a baby.”
“What the hell did you do that for? Christ, Megan, this changes everything.”
That seemed much too easy. She’d tried taking the mask off him so many times and he’d been ready for her. Megan placed her palm on his cheek. “I think you wanted me to see you. Do you know how long I’ve wanted to touch your face? To feel your lips against mine without these restraints? I’ve tried imagining what you’d look like. I’ve longed to have the cold, impersonal mask gone … replaced with tenderness and honesty.” Sliding her hand behind his neck, she pulled his lips into hers. Slow and tender quickly turned into devouring and demanding.
He moved his palms inside her robe and quickly tossed it to the floor. She tore at his shirt, throwing it with one hand while working at his belt buckle with the other. They didn’t stop kissing as though it was the one thing they’d deprived themselves of for four years and they couldn’t get enough.
They stood naked, devouring each other as though for the first time. He may have said she would never see him after the baby was born, but his kisses told her the truth. Dennis Sparks was in love with her. She was stimulated by the idea. Cooper’s brother-in-law had been her lover and no one suspected a thing. This was exciting, naughty, and forbidden … making it totally an aphrodisiac.
He touched her everywhere with urgency and tenderness. She sensed a difference in how he made love, this time with purpose. She responded to his needs as well as encouraged those of her own. They were sexual soul mates. He lifted her and pushed her into the wall. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him in as deep as she could. His thrusts banged her in a rhythmic beat and their lips never parted. Together they danced harder than ever before.
It went on and on … they couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. Finally they shuddered in unison. Breathing heavily and panting he remained inside her. Usually, to her disappointment, he’d pull out and disconnected the intimacy. Today he was giving her more than she’d ever asked for. She responded to his kisses, some soft, some hard, all with the unspoken words of branding. “You will never stop coming to me. Tell me you love me, Dennis.”
“I love your lips. I love your breasts, hips, legs and butt.” He gripped her buttock and pressed into her. “I love the taste of you. I love being inside you. I love the heights we reach when fucking. I can’t get enough of you …and you can’t get enough of me. I don’t think that’s love. I don’t want to have a home and babies with you. That’s not who you are. Candy is.”
“Your kiss says otherwise. I feel your passion and you can’t make love to someone like you just did … without loving them. I felt your love, Dennis. Don’t tell me it was just sex, because I don’t believe it.”
“Believe what you want. I won’t leave Candy for you.”
“So what are you saying?” She unhooked her legs, pushed him away just enough until her tip-toes reached the floor, sliding against his skin all the way. His excitement throbbed between them as she seductively moved. “I can guarantee you right now that you couldn’t stay away from my bed for more than one week. It’s not just my body, but the excitement of me that brings you back. You may not want to love me … but
you do. You want to be that perfect husband and father. Your marriage has been crumbling for years. Why else do you think you come to me seeking comfort, passion, and a friend?
“You really think a lot of yourself, don’t you? I’m not going to hurt Candy by letting her know about us. If anyone at the station found out, I would be an outcast. Even worse, they’d know it was me who gave you the files for Malicious Intent. I won’t put myself in that position.”
“But you do love me, don’t you, Dennis?” She leaned into him and pulled his lips into hers. He responded with a kiss that nearly triggered a climax. He pulled her into his arms and carried her to the bed. They fell together and drowned in the pleasures only they could give each other. Better than words, Dennis showed her his love.
* * *
“I have no idea what someone would wrap in a buffalo skin,” Dallas said, leaning closer. “I mean … this is a cabin, so it must be something important to the settler to have hidden it there. I love Native American things … so I’m hoping for an artifact of sorts. How about you?” Dallas glanced over at Cooper. He looked as tired as she felt.
“I’d be mighty happy if it’s not the skeleton of a beloved dog or … fetus. I’d guess this is too small for either, though.”
“Eww, Cooper that’s a dreadful thought. Now I’m afraid to look.” She leaned her right shoulder into him, and watched as he slowly unfolded the skin.
“Would you look at the size of this nugget?”
“Is that thing really a gold nugget?” She gripped it into her palm and flipped it over toward the firelight. “Look, there’s some quartz on this side. Holy crap, this is gorgeous. You have any idea how much this weighs?” She handed it back to Cooper.
“Wow. I’ve done some prospecting and have only dreamed of finding such a fine specimen. I’d guess it weighs a bit over a pound.”
“Do you realize what it’s worth? Gold is running around eighteen-hundred dollars an ounce.” Dallas reached over and picked up the hide. “Look at the underside of the buffalo skin, Cooper.” She spread it out on her lap the best she could.
“Here,” he handed her the nugget. “It looks like some sort of map. Damn, this thing really looks old.”
She laughed and pointed to the drawing. “And X marks the spot,” she shook her head and laughed again.
“Hey, don’t laugh. Where do you think they got expressions like that from? Look at this thing. This here is a rock outcropping and over here is a grove of cottonwood trees. This here says Cadotte Pass, and over here Blackfoot River, and to the left here its looks like … can you read that?”
Dallas turned the skin toward the fire. “I think it says Beartown Mining Camp. Dang, I don’t remember a camp named that in this area. I love studying old ghost mining towns. Are you familiar with it?”
“We have one more thing in common. I love going to ghost towns. I was planning on picking a couple to check out this summer. Before the kids were born, I would pick three every summer and check them out.”
Dallas smiled and traced a line running west. “Did Megan like going?”
“Hell no. Her idea of a trip was to Hawaii or Vegas. Hotel not a tent. A plane not a canoe. Why I every married her … I’m sorry. I shouldn’t say things like that.”
“It doesn’t really bother me, Cooper. You have a right to say how you feel. You’ll heal a lot faster if you let it out. There’s a reason the marriage failed. Compatibility is a biggy.”
“Faithfulness is an even bigger biggy.”
Dallas laughed. “We’re clear on the biggies then.” Cooper laughed loud and heart-felt.
“You know what we got here, don’t you?”
“Let me guess—an old map of this area … let’s say in 1892,” she pointed to the date in the upper right corner.
“Right—a map. But this is a gold map.”
“Gold map?”
“Dallas, this nugget came from some place on this map. And as you so cleverly pointed out earlier—X marks the spot.”
“No way. You really believe we’ve found a genuine map where there is gold the size of this nugget?”
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you. When this case is over and behind us … I mean really way behind us … you, the twins and I are going to check this out.”
“Oh, we are, are we? You might consider asking me if I’m interested or would even want to be a part of this venture you have in mind.”
“Well?”
“Well what?”
“Well, would you consider doing this with Tina, Tucker and me?”
“Hell yes. But we’ll have to do a lot of investigating first.”
“Investigating?”
“You know, check out these towns and the notes on the map. Things change over the years. These streams shown here, as well as the Blackfoot River … may have moved and changed in terrain over the past … what … hundred and twenty or so years.”
“Wow, this is fascinating. I wonder who this cabin belongs to.”
Dallas leaned into Cooper. “I’m guessing it falls in Bureau of Land Management or it could be county property. I’m hoping it’s not privately owned.”
“I’m beat. Let’s zip this nugget in my jacket pocket and we’ll stuff this map inside your jacket pocket.”
“What about the fleas and spiders you warned me about?” She couldn’t help smirking.
“Yes, well about them … I hadn’t considered the frozen ground. I can safely say you shouldn’t have to worry about them.”
“Why do men always have an answer for everything?”
“Would that be considered a sexist comment, the exact kind of thing you so thoroughly chastised me for earlier today?”
“Fair enough. Let’s call us even, then. I hate to admit it, but if I don’t get some sleep pretty soon, I’m going to just drop from exhaustion.” Without a word he lay down and offered his arms up for her to snuggle into. With her head across his arm, she pressed her back into his chest and curled her legs into the curve of his. He conveniently, or possibly by accident, allowed her injured shoulder to rest against him, away from the hard board wagon. It beat the crap out of the dirt-packed frozen floor. The warmth and sound of the fire worked its magic and she allowed herself to drift away from it all.
* * *
Cooper worked the boards loose from the window area. Did the killer expect us to freeze to death during the night? Did he think we wouldn’t notice the rigged door in the dark and we’d blow ourselves up? Either prospect wasn’t one Cooper cared to think about. What the killer hadn’t expected was for them to have the means of light and seeing their predicament. Also the killer wouldn’t have expected them to build a nice fire that not only kept critters at bay, but kept them from freezing. After removing the fifth board, Cooper was ready to wake Dallas.
He wanted to let her sleep more, but the early morning light reminded him they needed to leave and put as many miles away from the cabin as they could. “Wake up, Wonder Woman. Your escape awaits you.” Her groggy, where-am-I expression made him smile. “I woke thinking ‘oh shit it’s not a dream’, too.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself. You wouldn’t happen to have an egg sandwich and cup of coffee by any chance?”
Cooper couldn’t help laughing. “I’ll get right on that. In the meantime, I do have an open window that beckons our departure.”
“You’re kidding.” The pain in her shoulder showed in her face as she sat, then rose from the makeshift bed.
“There’s a road out around front and I figured we’ll follow it. I mean, it has to lead to civilization somewhere. First sign we find will help us get our bearings.” He waited for her to move to the open window.
“Not bad for a city boy. If you want to go through first, I’ll let you help me out second. Please don’t drop me this time.”
“Now wait one minute,” he said moving through the rough opening and edging to the ground outside. “I didn’t drop you either time. You need to work on your grateful skills.�
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“My grateful skills? Now I think I’ve heard of everything.”
Cooper loved the sound of her laughter. He waited for her to sit on the sill edge then reached for her waist and pulled her through, careful of her injured shoulder. She nestled against him and he drew her close. She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. “That beats breakfast any morning.” He set her feet on the ground.
“Can’t say I agree with you there. I’m starving.”
He headed for the road in a fast pace, knowing their stamina would deteriorate as the day and grueling terrain took its toll. Dallas followed stride for stride. “You okay? You’re awfully quiet.”
“Let’s see, my shoulder is killing me, it’s colder than my freezer out here, I’m tired at what … five fricking in the morning, and I’m hungry. What could possibly not be okay?”
Cooper burst out laughing without losing a step. “Don’t hold back, Dallas. Tell me how you really feel.” He continued chuckling, then stopped dead in his tracks. “Up ahead,” he pointed. “The dust says someone is heading our way. Let’s hide in that culvert up there,” again he pointed, this time a short distance up the road. “We’d better run like hell.” Cooper grabbed her right hand and led the way. They slid down the slight embankment together. Squatting, they waddled into the metal cylinder, staying somewhat close to the edge. A steady stream of cold water splashed against their shoes.
“Damn, if I wasn’t cold before, I sure as hell am now.”
Cooper nodded and pulled her against him. “Sounds like the vehicle is getting close.”
“You think it’s the killer? Maybe we should have stayed at the cabin and set an—”
Cooper held up his hand, then whispered, “It sounds like they’re stopping. Be ready to fight him.” He noticed her nod in agreement. Could the killer have seen them duck into the culvert? There was no way, Cooper told himself.