by Dover, L. P.
My whole body was on fire. “Well, now you can kiss me anytime you want.”
He brushed a hand down my cheek. “I’ll definitely be taking you up on that, sunshine. But the question is … where does this leave us? You have a home here if you want it.”
I snuggled into his chest and he wrapped his arms around me. “Thanks, Reed. I know whatever we decide it’ll be the right choice. I’m stronger because of you. I’m willing to consider all options.”
Reed held me tighter. “That’s all I wanted to hear.”
For the first time, I felt like I finally found my home.
*
I didn’t want to leave our secret haven, but the hours ticked by and we had to get out of the woods by dark. We spent hours talking and kissing to the point I thought we’d make love out there in the meadow. I wanted to, but I didn’t want to be stuck out there at night, knowing there were bears lurking about. Not to mention, I was starving and we’d already eaten most of our snacks.
Once we got back to the house, Reed played outside with Buttercup while I prepared the meatloaf. They came inside just as I placed our dinner in the oven. Buttercup raced over to her water bowl in the corner and collapsed on the floor as she drank it up.
I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. “Ran her hard, huh?”
Drenched in sweat, Reed laughed. “Just a little. She’ll be out for the rest of the night.” He glanced out the window at the pool and then back to me with that sexy smile of his. “Want to go for a swim while the meatloaf cooks?”
He took off his shirt, exposing those rock-hard abs of his. How could I say no? Plus, the sky was a beautiful shade of pink, orange and purple as the sun disappeared behind the mountains. A perfect night for a swim. “Let me grab my bathing suit,” I said, feeling everything inside of me tighten.
Reed went straight to the back door. “I’ll be out there waiting on you.”
Mouth gaping, I watched him take off the rest of his clothes and jump in the pool, butt ass naked. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach and I smiled. Two can play that game. Instead of finding my bathing suit, I went to my bathroom and took off all my clothes. I didn’t want to walk around his house naked so I wrapped a towel around my body and grabbed Reed a towel as well.
Steam billowed from the water and I was happy to see it was heated. Nights in Wyoming could get pretty chilly, even in the summer. Reed stared at me with a shocked expression on his face, but what I really loved was the raw, primal look in his eyes. I set his towel down on one of the lounge chairs and walked over to the pool stairs.
“Please tell me you have something on under that?” Reed said, his voice low and deep.
My whole body shivered. I bit my lip and smiled. “You’re not the only one who can let loose, Reed.” Unwrapping the towel, I let it fall to the ground. It was the first time I’ve ever done anything like this before. I slowly walked into the water, loving the way it felt like bath water against my skin.
Reed smiled as I moved closer to him. “You’re playing with fire, sunshine.”
I shrugged. “I love the heat.” I swam around him and traced a finger across the tattoos on his back. “Tell me about your tattoos. What does the sword and snake represent?” The only thing that really stuck out to me was the sword and weight scales with the snake wrapped around it, along with a date on the hilt. August 5th.
Reed gently pushed me over to the edge of the pool and caged me in. “The tribal ones are there because I liked them, but the sword, scales and snake are part of the Circle of Justice. Everyone who’s a part of it has the tattoo somewhere on their body.”
He moved closer and I wrapped my legs around him. “So your brother’s have it too?”
His gaze locked on my lips. “Yep.”
“What does the date mean?” I asked breathlessly.
“It’s different for all of us, but mine is the day I officially joined the FBI and the Circle of Justice. It’s the day my whole life changed.”
“Did you join the Circle of Justice because you wanted to or because your whole family was a part of it?”
There was no hesitation in his eyes. “I wanted to make a difference in this world just like my father and brothers. When I found out my dad started the group, I knew it was what I wanted to do. There was no doubt in my mind.”
His lips closed over mine and I moaned, especially when his body rubbed against me. It was as if every single nerve ending inside exploded with desire. I’ve never felt that level of heat before with anyone.
Reed moved his lips down my neck and I shivered. “When everything is said and done with my case, will you go back to killing again?”
He looked into my eyes and I could see his hesitance. “Would that bother you?”
With me wanting to hunt down my mother’s killer, there was no way I could ever judge him. I didn’t want to. The man I saw in front of me wasn’t a murderer in my eyes … he was a hero. He did a job that not many people could do, that most people would be afraid to do. There was no telling how many lives he saved just by doing what he did.
I cupped his face in my hands. “No,” I replied in all honesty. “You do what you need to do. I’m here no matter what.”
It was as if something ignited in him. His eyes blazed with such raw passion it made me tremble. “I want you so fucking bad right now. It took all I had to restrain myself earlier.”
My legs tightened around him. “Me too. What are we going to do about it?”
Keeping his gaze on mine, he brought his lips down to my breasts. He flicked his tongue across my nipple, his expression dangerously serious. “I think you know, sunshine.” Oh, and I did. He bit my nipple and sucked it feverishly, making my body break out in chills. “Cold?” he asked.
Closing my eyes, I breathed in deeply. His mouth felt so good on my body. “Oh, my God, yes.” I was on fire.
Reed massaged my breasts and kissed his way up my neck. “Getting warmed up yet?”
I bit my lip and moaned. “You have no idea.”
He pressed me up against the pool wall and hooked each of his arms under my knees, spreading my legs wide. He slid his arousal in between and thrusted against me, making my clit ache even more. I snaked my hand between us and slid it up and down his cock, hoping he’d quench my thirst. Entering me slowly, I held my breath, loving the feeling of being stretched. He picked up his pace once he was fully inside. Using his hips, Reed drove into me and I held onto his neck for dear life, his groans of satisfaction making everything inside me tremble. I didn’t want it to end.
“Ready to make things interesting?” he said, between thrusts.
“How so?”
Without answering, he gripped my waist with his strong hands and lifted me off his length, turning me around. I gasped at how quick he repositioned me, my heart thumping wildly in my chest when he lowered his lips to my ear, gently biting down.
“You’re going to want to hold onto the edge, sunshine.”
My insides tightened in anticipation, my nipples growing more sensitive as they brushed alongside the pool wall. I held onto the edge as he snaked his arms around me, pushing his rigid cock between my legs. I squeezed my legs around him as he fondled my breasts, then dropping his hands to my waist to pull me up and down upon him. The water sensitized everything making me feel even more. Just being with Reed was more than enough but the setting ignited something deep within me. I could feel my orgasm beginning to build and the moment my body clenched down, Reed changed angles and slammed inside of me, bringing me to the brink.
I bit my lip to keep from crying out as he rode me hard, rubbing his thumb achingly fast across my clit. The water sloshed around us and I was about to lose my hold on the edge of the pool, but Reed’s grip held me firmly in place. His thrusts went deeper and deeper, until it was too much to bear.
“Fuck,” Reed grunted. “I’m gonna come.”
Hearing him say that was my undoing; it was too late to hold back. The harder he pushed, the harder I came, trembling all aro
und him. My orgasm went on and on, only getting stronger when Reed dug his fingers into my hips and yelled out, his cock pulsing as he came inside of me.
Breathing hard and jerking with aftershocks, Reed kissed the back of my neck and rested his head against mine. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before,” he murmured.
Slowly, he lifted me off of him and I turned around to face him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and stared right into his emerald eyes. “Is that a good or bad thing?”
He kissed me gently. “I’m falling in love with you, Kennedy.”
The breath hitched in my lungs and all I could do was stare at him. I could see the truth in his eyes. What really hit home was that I was falling for him too. He was the first guy in forever where I could see myself actually spending my life with him.
Tears filled my eyes and he held me tighter. “Is it too soon?”
Shaking my head, I kissed him hard. “Oh God, no, Reed. I think I love you too. It’s just I always lose those I love in horrible ways. I can’t go through that again.”
He cupped my cheeks. “That’s not going to happen, sunshine. I promise.”
Hopefully, it was a promise he could keep.
Because I was definitely head over heels in love with him too.
Chapter Fifteen
Reed
“What are you and Ian going to do today?” Kennedy asked as she drank the last of her hot chocolate and set her coffee cup in the sink. She looked sexy as hell in her pink sundress, showing off those long legs of hers, but there was a worried expression on her face.
Pulling her into my arms, I kissed her. Last night was amazing. After dinner, we talked more about our day. Although I didn’t get the full confession of love, I knew she was all in anyway. Her life has been tough and she’s lost everyone that matters. I need to prove to her that she won’t lose me, and that she has a new family here in Wyoming.
Guaranteed, things happened fast between us, but I do believe there’s a point in a person’s life when you know what you want. The hard part is finding it. I thought Faith and I could’ve had that, but things didn’t turn out and I saw that she was better off with Dominic.
Last night was perfect and it was great being able to focus on just her and not the case, but now it was back to work and she knew it. I gently nipped her ear and sighed. “I’m going to look for clues around Ashley Burns. She’s all we have left.”
Kennedy nodded and pulled back. “I understand. You sure you don’t need me?”
“No,” I replied, cupping her cheek. “You need to spend the day with Faith and Grace. They want to show you around the resort.”
She smiled but there was a sadness to it. “I’m so ready for this to be over. Feels like I can’t fully live my life until it does.”
I kissed her again. “We’re almost there, I can feel it.”
“Knock, knock,” Ian shouted. Buttercup jumped up from her spot in the corner and raced into the hallway. Kennedy stepped back and quickly wiped her eyes before Ian and Grace entered the kitchen, followed by Buttercup who wagged her tail excitedly while Grace pet her. Grace squealed the second she saw Kennedy and rushed over to embrace her. Ian shook his head and laughed. “I swear, I’ll never understand women and their need to hug every damn body.”
Grace rolled her eyes. “It’s a woman thing. You wouldn’t understand.”
Ian leaned in close whispering to me, “Thank fucking God.”
Kennedy and Grace both giggled. “I heard that,” Grace snapped playfully. She took Kennedy’s hand with hers and waved at us with the other. “All right, we’re heading out. You boys get to work.” She blew Ian a kiss and Kennedy did the same to me.
I liked that. After the hot night we had, I didn’t know if she’d want my family to know what we’d done. Then again, I had no doubt my brother could see how I felt by the expression on my face. Once the ladies were gone, Ian and I went straight down to the media room. “Thanks for helping me today,” I said.
Ian sat down in the seat beside me and logged in to our confidential files. “No problem. Bryce and I gave the new recruits the day off. He wanted to spend time with Layla and get the nursery finished up.”
Smiling, I peered over at him. “Speaking of nurseries, when are you and Grace going to have kids?”
Ian gave me a side glance and smiled back. “Who says we aren’t trying now?”
“Are you?”
Eyes twinkling, he faced me. “Nobody else knows. We wanted it to be a secret. We’ve been trying for a couple of weeks now.”
Laughing, I squeezed his shoulder. “Ian, that’s awesome news. I’m happy for you.”
Ian nodded. “I’m happy too. Knowing my luck though, we’ll probably have twins. I don’t think I can handle a set of boys like me and Bryce.”
That made me laugh. “Nah, you won’t have boys. I foresee all girls in your future.”
He grabbed his chest. “God, help me now.”
Ian stared curiously at me. “You’re in a good mood today. What’s up?” I shrugged and focused back on my computer, but being Ian, he couldn’t let that slide. “Something’s different about you.”
God, I hated that look he was giving me, so I shrugged again. Best defense is to act dumb. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him still staring. I jerked my attention back to him and threw my hands in the air. “We gonna get to work or what?”
Ian’s eyes widened. “Holy shit … you slept with her, didn’t you? That’s why you’re so happy.”
“Not that it’s any of your fucking business,” I said, turning back to my computer. Brothers are a pain in the ass.
He burst out laughing. “Someone’s in love. Never thought I’d see it happen.”
I rolled my eyes. “Can we get to work now?”
“Sure,” he replied happily. A few seconds passed and he sighed. “I’m happy for you, Reed. You deserve it.”
Now that made me smile. “Thanks. I really care about her.”
“I can tell.” He typed away on the computer and I did the same. He already knew what to look for so all we had to do was keep a vigilant eye in hopes of finding some clues. The hospital where Ashley Burns worked was the prime place to look. If we could keep tabs on her, we could possibly find him. According to some of the reports from her co-workers, there were times her supposed boyfriend had come into the hospital to see her. Luckily, we only had a two-week window to search through.
On the first day, I watched Ashley walk into the hospital by herself, dressed in her pink scrubs. The rest of the day was uneventful. I fast forwarded through the feed to when her shift was over, unfortunately nothing there either. She ended her day driving away in her dark blue Toyota Corolla.
“What if we don’t find anything?” Ian asked.
One of the reasons I was so good at what I do is that I’m tenacious. I never consider failure as an outcome. I shook my head. “We have to. There’s no other option.”
I never backed down from a case, even when it proved to be difficult. The killer had to slip up somewhere. I couldn’t disappoint Kennedy now.
Continuing my search, there was nothing to find on day two, three, or four. Three fucking hours had passed with no trace of anything. I was never one to get impatient, but I was so livid I couldn’t see straight. It felt like I was getting close to something, only I didn’t know what.
With a heavy sigh, Ian ran a hand over his face. “We’ve never had this much trouble locating someone.”
I huffed. “I know. It’s fucking insanity.”
Ian patted my shoulder. “I’ll be right back. Want me to bring you something to drink?”
Eyes focused on the screen, I shook my head. “Nah, I’m good.”
Once he was gone, I started on day five’s surveillance video. It was the same as the other days. Ashley parked her car in the parking deck and walked into the hospital. The rest of the time was just normal hospital traffic, people coming
and going. However, at the end of the day when Ashley left, she wasn’t alone this time. She walked out of the hospital with a man who had his arm around her shoulders, matching what could be the description of the other victims’ boyfriends. He had light brown hair, but I couldn’t see his face. The video only showed them walking away from the parking deck, not to Ashley’s car.
Pulse racing, I froze the frame and stood. I didn’t realize Ian was right beside me until I heard his voice. “Is that him?”
I couldn’t take my eyes away from the screen. “We got the bastard. Now all we have to do is find out where they’re going and hack into every damn camera we can. I want to see his face.”
Ian rushed over to his seat and sat down. “Play it.”
I resumed the video and watched Ashley and the guy walk through the parking lot and down the street until they were out of view. There were so many businesses on that street I could hack in to.
“There’s a McDonald’s on that next corner. Hack into that,” Ian said, his voice clear and concentrated. I was so focused all I could see was the killer in my mind. I found the McDonald’s in my system, and with just a few keystrokes, I’d hacked their video feeds. When I got the right date and time, I could see them on the sidewalk, but the bastard’s face was turned from view.
“Dammit,” I growled. “I just want to see his fucking face.”
Ian huffed. “If we only knew where they were walking to.”
There were a couple of other fast food restaurants around, along with a pharmacy. I hacked into the other restaurants and it was the same damn thing. There was never a clear shot of his face, but from their angles, I could see both him and Ashley getting into a dark gray SUV in the pharmacy parking lot.
“Holy shit,” Ian said, pointing at the screen, “if you can get into the pharmacy’s system, we’ll see him. There has to be a camera right up there in the corner of the building.”
My fingers moved like lightning over the keys. We were so close, I could feel it. Once I was in, it took a couple of minutes to get to the right date and time, but when I did, everything fell into place. I could see him. As clear as day, I could see the cocksucker’s face.