Suddenly, she wished she’d ordered the wine to get through the evening. She’d excuse herself and go home if she didn’t think Trace would insist on going, too, since he was afraid someone planned to target her.
“Have you talked to Rayland, yet?” Regina hoped changing the subject would deter him from what he was planning.
“No. I intend to tomorrow.”
“Rayland?” Nathan asked, frowning at Tiah across from him.
“Grimes. He was standing outside Keith’s house the night he was killed. I want to find out what he was doing there.”
“You know why he was there.” Regina stared hard at him. “He was watching me.”
Nathan sat up straighter and narrowed his gaze on Tiah. What the heck was she doing? Playing footsie under the table? The man didn’t seem like the type to take kindly to the gesture from the look on his face. He appeared to be all-business, and Tiah had better back off or she might get shut down in front of everyone.
“Do you think he might have had something to do with Keith’s murder?” Nathan asked.
“I’m not sure. Rayland and I have never gotten along. He sticks his nose into things he has no cause to, and we’ve clashed over the past eight years. So, I might not be too objective when it comes to Grimes.”
“You want me to talk to him?”
“I think you should. He might be more forthcoming with you.”
Nathan nodded. “We’ll call him in the morning, and I’ll chat with him. If he’s involved in this murder, I’ll find out.”
“Don’t be so sure about that. Rayland Grimes isn’t easily manipulated.”
“We’ll see how it goes.” Horn shoved his plate away and rose. “I hate to, but I’m going to retire for the night. I have some calls to make and then need to get some sleep. I want to be sharp for that meeting in the morning. Ladies,” he said, then turned and left.
Regina glanced at Tiah, who looked angry at the man’s departure. But then, what did she expect? She couldn’t catch Nathan Horn’s attention the way she did most men. He was complicated, and she’d need tact if she were seriously interested in him.
“Let me pay for dinner, and I’ll drive you ladies home.” Trace’s comment drew Regina back to him.
Was he going to question her once they got back to her place? Would she have to tell him her secret?
Maybe she could stall a little longer—perhaps distract him from his mission.
Regina smiled. She could think of a few things they could do, and it’d be so much more enjoyable than talking about her wicked Wiccan ways.
* * *
Trace parked the cruiser in the alley in back of Regina’s and cut the engine. “I think it’s best if we all go in. I need to talk to you, Regina.”
“O … kay.”
From her slight hesitation, he could tell she wasn’t keen on the idea, but some things needed to be straightened out.
Inside, Trace locked the door behind them and turned to look at the women.
Both fidgeted, and tension filled the air. Time passed in silence, the only sound the ticking of the clock on the wall.
“I’m going to bed.” Tiah shot from the room as if hounds were on her heels.
Regina glanced at Trace, obviously wishing she could do the same.
“Look, Regina, I’m not going to interrogate you if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Some of the stress left her face.
“I did notice you seemed angry when Nathan asked if you were into black magic. Why?”
The lines that had eased around her eyes returned, even more pronounced than before. Something about this subject matter made her nervous. Was it possible the woman dabbled in dark forces?
“What kind of person do you think I am?” Tears filled her silvery eyes, and Trace felt his heart rip in two. How could he even think such a thing about her?
He pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, Regina. Please, don’t cry.” He rubbed her back, hoping it would calm her.
She wrapped her arms around him and held tight.
A sudden awareness of her body next to his ignited something primal in him and sent heat to his groin. This woman had some strange power that had him thinking with his libido and not his brain.
He stole a glance at her, and what he saw in her watery eyes seared his soul.
He crushed his mouth onto hers and backed them up to the nearest wall, grinding his pelvis into her belly. She moaned, stirring an inferno deep inside, and his hands took on a life of their own, roving her back, then her shoulders. He found the buttons at her collarbone and fought to release them. When they wouldn’t give, he tore them from the loops, the sound of a few buttons rolling across the hardwood floor.
Trace dipped his tongue inside her mouth, muffling her sighs of pleasure. Regina Moon had him on fire, and he couldn’t think straight.
He worked his way down the soft column of her neck, thumbing at both nipples with his fingers. She arched her back, giving him an opening to lean farther and suck one pink tip into his mouth, causing her to squirm with delight.
Trace reveled in their shared sexual desire. It was as if the two were predestined for one another, and that’s why they couldn’t fight the overwhelming passion any longer.
He slid a hand down her hip to her thigh and slipped it beneath the knee-length skirt she wore, drawing it up until his fingers connected with silk and wet heat. Her obvious arousal sent his self-control out the window—had him bucking against her in response and made her groan with pleasure.
He pushed aside her panties and played with her, plunging a finger inside, then another, until she was panting with desire. Trace needed her now, but first he had to find the condom he’d checked for in his wallet that morning. He covered her mouth with his as he reached for the leather billfold in his back pocket and found the foil wrapper.
With little care, he tossed the wallet on the floor, forcing his lips from hers long enough to tear the package open with his teeth. He smiled at Regina, who took the condom from him. Trace was confused until she unzipped his pants and found his hard cock, rolling the rubber onto him.
He kissed her again and moved between her silken thighs to push into her heat, the pleasure just about buckling his knees. He’d never felt so at home in a woman’s body. They had to be meant for each other.
Trace started to move slowly in and out, until she met each thrust with her own. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as he rocked into her, his control slipping a little with every second, but he was determined to have her come before he did.
He slid his lips to the lobe of her ear, sucking it into his mouth as he inhaled her glorious scent. Everything about this woman heightened his senses, had him reveling in this experience like no other. Regina had bewitched him, and there was no turning back. Her breathing grew shallow, and she shuddered in his arms, her womb convulsing around him, causing him to buck up and come so hard, he just about dropped her.
Trace held her tight, fighting to regain his composure. He’d never experienced anything like what had just happened, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. The last eight years had been all about regaining his strength—to never let another woman cause the pain his ex had. But Regina changed all that in the short time he’d known her, and he didn’t know how that would affect his life. Was he was happy about it or more vulnerable?
Once he had his breathing under control, he glanced at her and reveled in the look of ecstasy on her beautiful face. He’d given her pleasure, and he was happy about that.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she stared at him, then smiled.
“I, ah,” he mumbled, not sure what to say.
She placed a finger over his lips to hush him, shaking her head.
She was right. Why even talk? What needed to be said?
Trace placed her on the floor and slid away, regret instantly hitting him. He knew they couldn’t stay as one, but he sure as hell wished they could.
After they’d redressed, Re
gina left the room and came back a few seconds later with a blanket and pillow. “The sofa is pretty comfortable.”
Trace grinned. “Will you join me?”
Her cheeks colored, and Trace had to smile again. Regina Moon had to be the sexiest, most intriguing woman he’d ever met, and yet, that made him nervous. He could seriously fall in love with her, and that thought only left a bad taste in his mouth after the mess with Brianna.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Regina woke. The warmth of Trace’s body was gone. How had he slipped out from behind her on the couch without her knowing?
Where had he gone?
She rose and stretched, trying to work the kinks out of her body, a slight achiness between her legs making her smile. The man was insatiable.
Regina walked to the picture window and looked out. Trace’s cruiser was sitting in the driveway, so he was still there.
She turned to find him standing in the hall with a strange look on his face.
“What’s wrong?”
“What are you into, Regina?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“What is this?” He opened his hand to reveal a pentagram pendant hanging on a chain.
Regina literally felt the blood drain from her face. She knew what he’d assume, and she didn’t think she could convince him otherwise.
“No answer?” he asked in a tone she’d never heard from him. “What are you, Regina? Some kind of witch?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m Wiccan.”
“What the hell is that?”
“It’s a religion, Trace, and it has nothing to do with black magic.”
He stared at her in disgust. “I need to go.”
Tears filled her eyes as she watched him leave. He thought she was evil, exactly what she had worried about. The look he gave her would forever be etched into her memory. He’d never again gaze at her the way he had the night before, with passion and warmth.
Too bad that won’t stop me from loving you. Their night of ecstasy sealed that fate, and now her heart was broken.
She sucked in a sob and raced for the bathroom. She’d take a shower and wash his scent off her body. Maybe it’d help her forget about him.
Inside the small room, Regina turned on the hot water and stripped out of her clothes. Under the spray, she allowed herself a good cry. Trace was lost to her, and she needed to get that through her head.
She slid down to the floor of the tub and let the water course over her, her tears mingling with the spray.
A knock at the door gave her a start.
“Reggie, are you all right?” Tiah asked.
She knocked again when Regina didn’t answer.
Regina rose and turned off the faucet. She reached for a towel, feeling as if her world had screeched to a halt. Yet again, she’d allowed a man to hurt her. But could she blame Trace for not understanding what she was? Most people didn’t. One mentioned Wiccan, and people thought “witch.” That was so not the case. She couldn’t hurt a fly, let alone a person.
Heavens.
Would Trace now think she’d killed Keith? His murder sounded as if some supernatural elements were involved. So, he’d probably think she had something to do with it and have her arrested as soon as he could.
She quickly wrapped the towel around her and unlocked the door. When Tiah saw her, she knew instantly something was wrong. Instead of asking what, she pulled her into her arms and allowed Regina to cry. This was why she loved her best friend. Words never had to be spoken. They both knew when the other needed a shoulder, and Tiah had the best of them.
Regina took in a ragged breath and knew she had to go on. She loved Trace, and all she could do was pray when he thought things through, he’d come back and ask questions. Or maybe he’d go looking for answers himself and realize being Wiccan didn’t mean what he thought.
She pulled back and looked at Tiah. “He knows.”
“How? Did you tell him?”
Regina shook her head. “No. He found my pentagram necklace. He thinks I’m into something sinister.”
Tiah’s eyes widened. “Why would he think that?”
“Because he doesn’t know any better. I hope when he learns what Wiccan is, he’ll come around. Right now my biggest concern is that he’ll arrest me for Keith’s murder.”
“Why?”
Regina shrugged. “I’m just thinking worst case scenario here. Maybe he won’t. But if he does, you’re going to have to find out who killed Keith, so I don’t sit in jail forever.”
“You know I will.”
Regina hugged Tiah again. She could always count on her. Her best friend would stop at nothing to help her.
“So, instead of sitting around waiting for your lover to come arrest you, let’s find out who this gal was Keith went to prom with. See if we can’t locate her. Maybe she can tell us something about the man.”
“Do you remember what her name was?” Regina asked, because she couldn’t.
“Kelly something. Her last name started with an M.”
“Marley, wasn’t it?”
“That’s it. Kelly Marley.” Tiah grinned. “Let’s see if we can find something about her online. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
They trudged into the store and turned on the computer. “What if we can’t find anything?”
“Then we ask around. Surely someone knew the woman. Maybe even tell us where we can find her,” Tiah reassured.
“I hope you’re right, because if we can’t, then what?”
“Let’s think positive, okay?”
“Sorry, but after this morning I’m not in a good frame of mind.”
“Yeah, I understand that, but you’re going to have to pull yourself together. We know you had nothing to do with Keith’s death. We also know Trace will find out what being Wiccan means and come crawling back. So try and relax.”
Regina frowned. “I wish I could be as sure as you about that.”
“Hope for the best,” Tiah said, typing in Kelly Marley’s name. Thousands of links were connected to the name.
“Maybe we should narrow the search to this area.” Regina glanced at her friend.
“Right.” Tiah typed in Grove, Arkansas. What came up on the search had both of their mouths dropping open.
* * *
Trace stalked into the office, still reeling from what he’d found at Regina’s. The symbol on that necklace matched the one on the wall at Keith’s. But did that mean Regina killed him? Highly unlikely, since she wasn’t strong enough to have done it. Besides, things were taken from her place. He seriously believed she was being set up.
Or was he wrong? Maybe she’d lied about the whole thing, staged the burned, red-headed doll in her sink. But then, how could she have known he’d stop by that day? The night the rock was thrown, there had been shoe prints and cigarette butts outside her place. Could she have planted that evidence, too?
Damn it.
Traced threaded his hands through his hair. He didn’t know what to believe. One thing he did know; he’d need to do some research on this Wiccan religion. She said it wasn’t dark. Was she telling him the truth or lying? That was the million dollar question.
“You okay?” Nathan asked from the doorway, the deep-set lines around his eyes showing concern.
“Not really. Hey, you know anything about Wiccan beliefs?”
Hall shrugged. “A little. They live and breathe the earth. They believe everything, everyone is connected. There has never been anything dark in the religion, as far as I can tell.”
“So what kind of things do they do?”
“They feel the energy of certain stones. They have rituals for protection and do spells.”
“What kind of spells?”
“I’ve heard they have a love spell.”
Trace’s jaw dropped. “Seriously?”
Nathan shrugged again.
“They think they can conjure up love with a spell?”
“Supposedly. I’ve never seen it done. But the
n, how would you know?”
Trace’s mind started to spin. The minute he’d met Regina, strange things had started to happen. He’d gone against everything he’d pledged in the past eight years. Could she have put some kind of spell over him? And if that were the case, could he break it?
“Why are you asking about Wiccans?” Nathan studied Trace closely.
“I was just wondering.” Trace wasn’t sure he should tell Horn about this, yet. Nathan might insist they have Regina brought in for questioning, and he wasn’t ready to see her right now.
Nathan continued to stare at him. Clearly he didn’t believe Trace, but he wasn’t going to pry.
“Let’s call Rayland and see why he was outside Keith’s house the night of the murder.” Trace thought changing the subject would be best.
“Dial his number and I’ll talk to him,” Nathan said.
Trace found the man’s home number and punched it into the office phone before handing it to Nathan.
He was glad to get a few moments of reprieve from Nathan’s inquires. He was hurting, yet, he didn’t want him or anyone else to know, and to think this feeling could have been conjured up in some way pained him even more. Could Regina have actually made him feel this way with some kind of witchcraft? Some kind of mumbo-jumbo?
The idea made him sick. If she had, he was going to be strong enough to fight it. No woman was going to make him feel things he didn’t.
“He’ll be by in an hour,” Nathan said, drawing Trace back to reality.
“Great. I want you to be prepared for evasion. Rayland Grimes is no dummy. He’s probably already drumming up ways to fool you into thinking you’re his best friend.”
“I’m no dummy, either. I can read people pretty well. That’s why I know you’re keeping something from me. But I’ll allow it for now, since I have to prepare for Grimes.”
Trace saw determination on Horn’s face and knew he’d be in for his own interrogation later. He might as well be resigned to that and try and do some research on being Wiccan. He was going to know what he was up against before he made another move.
He rose from his desk. “I’m going to run home and clean up. I’ll be back in an hour.”
Dark Moon Magic Page 9