by Lisa Kessler
He grabbed one of the foil packets and returned to find Lia lying on her side facing him, her head propped up in her elbow. Her naked body invited him to touch and taste her all over again.
His erection hardened even more as he came closer to the bed. “Found a condom.”
She smiled. “Good. I was keeping the bed warm for you.”
He lay down beside her and kissed her lips, savoring them. He opened his eyes and traced her curves with his fingertips. “I want this to last all night, but other parts of me want to see how fast I can make you forget your own name.”
Her grin had his heart racing. She rolled him over onto his back and took the foil wrapper from his other hand. “Maybe I can keep things slow if I’m on top.”
She straddled his legs, opening the condom while he looked up at her, memorizing every inch of her body. Her free hand moved up his leg, her fingernails teasing his balls until his erection jumped in answer. She gripped his shaft and stroked him as she slid the condom over him.
His eyes drifted closed, a moan escaping his throat.
She ran her hands up his chest, and he opened his eyes. Gripping her hips, he guided her over his erection. She lowered herself onto him, the warmth of her body making it tough not to roll her over and pound into her until he exploded.
“You drive me crazy,” he growled.
She leaned down, her breasts brushing against his chest. “It’s a good look for you.”
He grinned, chuckling as he wrapped his arms around her and fused his lips to hers. He’d been with plenty of women in his life, but he’d never had this much fun in bed. Smiling and laughing while having sex was a totally new experience.
She rocked her hips into him, teasing him with long, slow thrusts. He broke the kiss. “Sorry.”
“For what?” she gasped.
“This.” He held her tight and flipped her over onto her back.
She grinned, her hands sliding down to his ass. “You’ll have to make it up to me.”
He moved his hand between them, rubbing her in time with his thrusts. “Will this do?”
“Oh yeah.” Her fingernails dug into him as his hips picked up speed driving him even deeper inside of her.
Her inner muscles tightened around him, taking him right over the edge with her. He erupted and froze while colors danced at the corners of his vision.
She ran her hands up his back, her voice a breathless whisper. “Wait until I wear my sexy underwear.”
He laughed, catching his breath as he rested his head on her chest. “I think we just proved that you don’t need sexy underwear. I’ve never been so turned on.”
Her fingers slid through his hair. “I’m with you there.”
When he was fairly confident he could stand, Cooper got up and took the condom off. “Be right back.”
He dropped it in the trash and turned out the bathroom light. When he got back in bed, Lia snuggled into his arms. She fit perfectly, as if she was made for him.
She made him so damned happy.
And now that he’d had a taste of the joy Lia infused into his world, guilt lingered in the shadows of his mind like a golem, ready to overpower him and steal away this happiness. Being with Lia made it easy to forget the grief he’d carried for years.
And he didn’t want to forget it. He didn’t deserve to forget.
Pushing the dark thoughts from his mind, he closed his eyes and kissed her hair. “I know there’s chaos surrounding you and all your sisters, but right now, this feels right.”
“Same here.” She nodded and lifted her head. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why did you become a paramedic?”
He ran his hand along her back. “I already told you I’m working my way through medical school.”
“But why? Your grandmother told me you don’t have to work, that your schooling is paid for. Wouldn’t it be faster to go to school full time?”
Blood money. He’d never accept it. Memories of the last time he saw his sister clawed their way forward, hungry to consume him. It was his fault she never got to use her college fund. His fault she was gone.
He ground his teeth, grateful now that he had turned out the light. “Why does it matter?”
“It doesn’t. I’m just trying to understand you better.”
“I wanted to earn it.” That was true enough. “We should get some sleep.”
She kissed his chest over his heart. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
“I know.”
She lifted her head. “Do you?”
He cupped her cheek. “I have some things to atone for. Can we just leave it at that?”
She searched his face in the dim light. “I won’t judge you.”
“Let it go.” He cleared his throat. “Please.”
“All right.” She lay down beside him, untangling her legs from his and leaving him feeling more alone than he’d felt in years.
CHAPTER 13
Light flooded the room as Lia woke. She squinted, stretching. She was sore in the best kind of way. Cooper lay dozing beside her, his arm around her waist. Gradually, the memories crept in. The good, and the not-so-good. He’d shut her out, but why?
To be fair, she probably shouldn’t have pressed so hard, and her timing could have been better, but she couldn’t help it. She was falling for Cooper Hanover, and she didn’t really know him. Not all of him. Not yet.
She carefully started extricating herself from his grip, but instead of breaking free, it tightened. “Morning,” he said.
She looked over her shoulder. “You’re awake.”
“Yeah. Have been for a while.”
She tried not to frown. There was no trace of the easy smile he’d worn the night before.
“I’ve got to get home,” she said. “I’m in desperate need of a shower and change of clothes.”
He nodded and slowly removed his arm from around her waist. She got out of bed and collected her clothes before disappearing into the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, she did her best to finger-comb her mussed hair, but her curls were winning. Ugh. She needed her flat iron.
She got dressed and helped herself to some of his mouthwash. That was as good as it was going to get. She opened the door and found Cooper sitting on the edge of the bed in a pair of running shorts and nothing else.
He looked up into her eyes. “I don’t want you to go while things are…weird between us.”
“I had a blast with you last night, Cooper.” She leaned against the doorframe. “But there’s this other side of you that I can’t figure out, and that makes me nervous.”
He stared at his feet. “I can’t let it go. I’ve tried.”
She walked over and sat beside him. “Let what go?”
He lifted his head, regret lining his eyes. “The guilt.” He shook his head. “You make me happy. Happier than I’ve been in a long time, but…I’m stuck in this…” He shrugged. “I guess part of me isn’t willing to let it go. It feels like I’d be letting her go. I can’t.”
She reached over to cover his clasped hands. “Who? An evil ex?”
He chuckled, but there was no joy in it. “Nah. Nothing like that. It’s a family thing.”
She wanted to shake him and tell him to stop speaking in riddles, but it wouldn’t work. Lia was a sucker for a project, but she’d been friends with Callie long enough now to know that “fixing” someone was impossible. Until he took the millstone off his neck, there was nothing she could do. He had to do it on his own.
She forced herself to move. “When you’re ready to talk, you know where to find me. I’ve got a date with the poker group today. Mrs. Zervos’s hair isn’t going to color itself.”
He got up. “Give my grandmother a hug for me.”
“Will do.” She stopped at the door and rose up on tiptoe to brush a kiss to his cheek. “No pressure, but I hope we get to have another date night. I’ll dig out my sexy underthings next time.”
An honest smile cur
ved on his lips as he shook his head. “I don’t know how you can make me smile when I feel so shitty.”
She chuckled. “Muse of Comedy, baby.”
“The gods have a sick sense of humor pairing you up with me.”
She raised a brow. “Or maybe they knew you just needed a kick in the ass.”
Cooper pulled into the parking lot of the theater. He hadn’t been to the site since the fire. His shoulders were tight as he walked across the grass where he’d treated Reed. No sign of Apollo, although that didn’t mean he wasn’t around.
The concrete foundation now had a few walls of framing jutting up toward the sky like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Nate saw Cooper first and rose a hand. “Good to see you, Cooper.”
Hunter and Reed were over by the white MASON’S CARPENTRY truck talking to a guy wearing a tool belt.
Cooper approached Nate, tipping his head in the direction of the truck. “That’s the carpenter?”
“Yeah. Mason Knowles. He’s not from around here.” Nate chuckled. “He may be wishing he never headed west. He didn’t know what he was getting into with the muses.”
“Does he know the muses are real?”
“Nope.” Nate met his eyes. “No one does except the muses and the four of us.”
Cooper nodded. “Gotcha.”
The three of them came over. Reed grinned and pointed at Cooper. “Mason, remember Cooper from the fire?”
Now that they were closer, Cooper recognized him. “You’re the one who broke through the metal security door.”
Mason held up his hammer. “Had a little help.” His southern drawl was unmistakable. “Y’all ready to put up another frame?”
“Let’s do it,” Hunter said.
Mason pointed to a big, yellow bucket. “There’s some spare gloves in there.”
Cooper went over to grab a pair. When he came back, Nate was on his cell, frowning.
“You’re sure? Dammit. Okay. Don’t let him go anywhere until I get there.” He stuffed his phone in his pocket. “I’ve got to get over to the station. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He looked at Cooper. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure.” He followed Nate to his car, pulling on the gloves on the way.
When they were a good distance from the carpenter, Nate stopped. “They found some hair on both the front and passenger seats of the Mercedes that hit you. None of it belongs to Mikolas.”
Cooper crossed his arms. “So you were right. Someone else was driving.”
“We don’t know that, either, but it’s enough for his attorney to get him bail.” Nate raked his hair back from his face. “Every time I think we’re getting somewhere with the Order, we slide back.”
“Anything I can do?”
“Once he’s out, I’m going to put a tail on him, but keep an eye on Lia. If she was the intended target that night, they could go after her again. And if this Philyra is hungry for revenge for her son’s death, she’s going to be sure they don’t stop coming for us. Pair that with Ted Belkin blaming the muses for his father’s death, and it’s a recipe for murder.”
The thought of anyone hurting Lia had rage festering in his gut. “Lia’s cutting hair and playing poker at the Blessed Mary Village today.”
“Good. After we started airing the security footage, showing their Kronos masks to the world, the Order backed off for a while. I don’t think they’re eager to be exposed. They won’t attack in a public place.”
Cooper glanced at the three guys tipping the wood frame upright and then back to Nate. “Don’t forget the warning from Apollo. Kronos is among us now. And he could be anyone.”
Nate nodded. “Yeah, like we didn’t already have enough enemies in this shitshow.”
Cooper dropped his hands to his sides, a crease forming on his forehead. “When did this Mikolas guy come to town?”
“After Belkin, Sr. died. The board of Belkin Oil elected Mikolas Leandros to be CEO.”
“Was that after the oil rig exploded?” Cooper’s hands tightened into fists as he put the pieces together. Kronos.
“Dammit.” Nate’s shoulders tensed up. “You’re right. And this guy is Greek, too.”
“Would Kronos really allow himself to be tossed in jail, though?”
“Hell if I know.” Nate shook his head. “But I’m going to find out.” He turned for the car. “Keep your eye on Lia, and watch your back.”
Cooper jogged over to the theater, offering his shoulder to brace the framing while Mason attached it to the foundation. Cooper’s thoughts raced like a hamster in a wheel. He hoped the manual labor would help him get a grip.
Mason finished with the toggle bolts and stood up straight. “Should be steady now.”
Cooper, Reed, and Hunter cautiously took a few steps back. Nothing fell over.
Score one for the team.
Mason glanced at the parking lot and back to Cooper. “Nate’s got his hands full.”
Cooper nodded. “Yeah, he does.”
“Appreciate you helping out.” Mason slid the handle of his hammer through the loop in his tool belt and lifted his arm to wipe his brow. “We better make use of the sun while it’s up. This theater’s not going to build itself.”
Cooper embraced the hard labor. It took his mind off Kronos and whether or not he had tried to run over him with a car, or counting the minutes until he could see Lia again.
“What do you mean he got out on bail?” Ted growled into his cell. “I thought you said Malone was a good detective.”
“M-Malone had h-him,” Ted’s inside man in the Crystal City police department stammered, “but the crime lab found DNA that didn’t belong to Leandros, so his lawyer convinced a judge to grant bail. He had to turn over his passport, though. He’s not going anywhere.”
DNA? But they wore gloves.
“I don’t care about his goddamned passport.” Ted rubbed the back of his neck. “What kind of DNA did they collect?”
The voice on the other end got quieter. “Hair. Why?”
Ted didn’t answer the question, instead saying, “If anything changes with the investigation, I want to know right away.”
“It’ll cost you.”
Ted rolled his eyes. “We both know I’m good for it. Keep your ear to the ground.”
He ended the called, pacing in front of the window in his office. Hair. How could he have been so stupid? They had taken off their masks in the Mercedes. The strap that held them in place must’ve taken some hairs with it. Shit.
Ted froze. Mikolas would suspect him. He needed to get out of the building. Ted hurried to the door, just as it flung open. An angry Greek filled the doorway.
“We need to talk,” Mikolas growled.
Ted shook his head, adjusting the cuffs on his shirt. “I’ve got an appointment.” He met the Greek’s eyes. “And you should probably make some phone calls to the board and the shareholders. Being thrown in jail twice in one week has them restless.”
Mikolas stepped inside and closed the door. “Pamela is helping you set me up.”
Ted’s heart began to race, his blood pressure skyrocketing. He struggled to maintain a puzzled expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You banished me from the Order.”
“Drop the act.” Rage pulsed off Mikolas, but he didn’t come any closer. “She came over to meet with me about my stance on handling the muses. Next thing I know, there’s a police detective at my door and a Mercedes that needs body work in my garage. It doesn’t take a genius to put the pieces together.”
“You don’t have any proof.” He cleared his throat. “Besides, Pamela was my father’s mistress. Why would she help me with anything?”
Mikolas’s voice dropped to a feral hiss. “They found hair in my car that didn’t come from my head. It won’t be long before they trace it to you.”
“If that were true, why are you warning me?”
“Because Pamela isn’t who, or what, you think she is.”
C
HAPTER 14
Mrs. Zervos was well past her seventieth birthday, but she still had a thick head of hair. Gray hair.
Not anymore.
Lia handed her the handheld mirror. “Well?”
She fluffed her raven hair with silver highlights and smiled. “You’re a miracle worker, Thalia.”
Lia buffed her nails on her shoulder. “I do what I can.”
Cards shuffled behind them. “Ante up, ladies.”
“Deal me in. I’ll be there as soon as I finish sweeping up.” Lia brushed the hair into her dustpan while Mrs. Hanover dealt cards.
“Agnes must’ve dealt herself a straight,” Mrs. Spanos taunted. “She’s too eager.”
Agnes rolled her eyes. “I haven’t even looked at my hand yet.”
“See? She knows it’s good without looking.”
Lia chuckled. “Good thing I know you’re all friends, or I’d be worried I fell into a scene from Tombstone.”
Mrs. Zervos flipped her perfectly coifed hair. “There were no Greeks at the O.K. Corral.”
“That you know of.” Lia took her seat, enjoying the moment of silence while the geriatric poker group pondered her words.
She tossed in her quarter and picked up her cards. A stinker of a hand. Maybe Cooper hadn’t been joking when he interrupted their poker game and tipped everyone off that his grandma dealt from both ends of the deck. She glanced over at Agnes.
Cooper’s grandmother smiled. “How’s my grandson?”
Lia discarded four cards. “He cheats at pinball. Wonder where he learned that?” She winked as laughter erupted around the table.
Agnes gave her four more cards, not ruffled in the slightest by the playful jab. “Are you going to see him again?”
Lia reorganized her hand. “Hope so.” Her phone buzzed with a text from Cooper. “Speak of the devil…”
One of the ladies at the table crossed herself.
Nate had to let Mikolas go. There was DNA in the car that points to another driver.
Lia frowned and quickly fired back, Any leads on the guy driving?