The Widows of Sea Trail (The Widows of Sea Trail Trilogy)

by Jacqueline DeGroot

  “Hmmm,” he said as he looked around, “maybe we might want to consider getting respectable before pulling up in front of your house.” He lifted off of me and took care of disposing of the condom.

  I moved to sit up and he reached to get my sweater from where it had fallen on the floor. He handed it to me but stopped me before I could put it on. His hand reached out to caress one full breast. “You have the loveliest breasts I have ever seen.”

  “Really?” I asked, utterly and thoroughly pleased.

  “Really. You are quite magnificent.”

  I flushed with pleasure. He bent to kiss me on one of the upper swells. Then the lights flashed overhead. The meaning that Jax conveyed was quite obvious.

  “You two seem to have this all planned out, all the way down to special signals. Do you do this often?” Aquiver of fear went through me, as I was all too aware that we had not had that safe sex discussion. But at least I had remembered to make sure he had used a condom.

  Matt chuckled. “Jax is my driver, Jax is short for Jackson. This is my car. And yes, we do have a few prearranged signals. And no, I don’t do this often, at least not anymore.”

  I wanted to ask when the anymore part had started but I didn’t dare. If this was the beginning of his not doing it anymore period, I was happy with that. Instead I focused on the other part of his revelation. “Jax is your driver? Why do you need a driver? And why do you need so many cars?”

  He was putting himself back together and I couldn’t see his face. At first I didn’t think he was going to answer, but then he did. “I need a driver because I don’t like driving in Washington or New York, or any of the major cities really. And I find if someone else drives, I can get a lot of work done, and I have many cars and trucks because when I do drive, I like to drive different things.”

  “How many do you have?” I was almost afraid to hear the answer.

  “Mmmm, twenty-three I think.”

  “You have twenty-three cars?” I was astounded.

  “I like to collect them. Some are investments that I don’t really drive all that much.”

  “I had no idea you were wealthy.”

  “Good. I don’t like women who count my money.” It was curt, off the cuff and to the point. But I didn’t like what he was implying.

  “I don’t care about your money.”

  “I know,” he said as he buckled his belt. “I wouldn’t be with you if you did.”

  Jax pulled into the driveway and the car came to a halt.

  “Do you want to come in,” I asked knowing full well that he did not. He’d accomplished what he’d meant to do tonight. What reason would he have to come in?

  “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do,” he said with a smile.

  There was a discreet knock on the door followed by the door opening. As Matt was on that side he got out first then reached back to pull me out. He kept my hand in his when he turned back to Jax.

  “Come back in the morning Jax and bring my burgundy bag. We can leave for Raleigh from here.” He turned to me and asked, “If that’s okay with you?”

  My heart soared. He hadn’t just wanted sex with me. He wanted to sleep with me! I smiled and simply nodded as I fished my keys out of my purse. I was ever so thankful that I had put Stephen’s pillow away. Now all I had to worry about was how I was going to handle being with Matt in the same bed that Stephen and I had slept in.

  As we walked up the steps he sensed something change in me. “Something wrong?”

  “No, I’m just not sure how my mother would feel about me having a sleepover with a man.”

  He smiled over at me as he took the keys, “If it helps, you could tell her that I don’t plan on getting much sleep.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Waking Up Is Hard To Do Iwoke to a tinny version of Flight of the Valkyries reverberating around the room. I opened one eye and noticed a light coming from under the bathroom door. Over the call to battle I heard the low hum of an electric razor and I smiled remembering the places those whiskers had been. I stretched out my arm toward the opposite nightstand to find the source of the rude wake up call. The music was coming from Matt’s watch. It stopped just as I picked it up. When he’d had the time to set it, I couldn’t guess. From the moment he’d tossed me onto this bed last night, he’d been singularly dedicated to one task—drawing pleasure out of every cell in my body. As each wave of pleasure had engulfed me, he concentrated on bringing me to the next. When we had come together, his legs between mine, his back arched for one last penetrating thrust, I wondered how I had lived without this for so long.

  The bathroom door opened and he stepped out, a towel slung low on his hips, his chest hairs still damp from his shower. He looked amazing. His smile sent shivers through me. God, he was so good looking. I wanted him back in bed with me.

  I thought I was getting my wish when he sat on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through my tousled curls. I stretched and arched, enjoying the feel of my loose-limbed body coming back to life, every inch had been sated and I was practically purring.

  “Uh uh uh,” he chided. “Don’t be thrusting those marvelous tits up at me, I have to go to work. Jax is already in the kitchen waiting to take me to Raleigh.” But despite his words, his hand stole down my neck to cover and squeeze one firm breast.

  “Jax?” I asked, still in a lazy stupor. “Yes, he came with my clothes about an hour ago. I have to be in my office in Raleigh for a meeting at 10:30.”

  “What time is it now?”

  “6:30, so kiss me goodbye. I’ll call you tonight.” He leaned in to kiss me, but I fended him off with a hand on his chest. Sliding under his arm I made for the bathroom and my toothbrush. When I came out a few minutes later he was dressed and looking every inch the businessman. I had slipped into my pink, fluffy, cloud-like bathrobe and Stephanie’s lime green slippers. Why was he always GQ while I was Mary Poppins?

  “Jax made some coffee for us, there’s still some in the pot and I believe he brought some fresh bagels. I wish I could stay and have breakfast with you, but it’ll be tight getting there on time as it is.” At the bedroom door he pulled me to him and kissed me thoroughly, his lips firm and demanding. Then he held me at arm’s length and looked down into my face.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

  “I was just wondering how you’re doing with all this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, the reason I, umm, took you in the limo was because I didn’t want our first time together to be in the bed you had shared with your husband.”

  “I only thought of him once.”

  He looked chagrinned. “Really, and just when was that?”

  “When you were, uhh . . . I waved my hand somewhere above my pubic region.

  “Yeah? And why was that?”

  “He’d never done that.”

  “Really?” The surprise was evident in his eyes.

  “Uh unh.”

  “Judging from your reaction, you missed out on a lot.”

  “Had I only known . . .”

  “Not to worry, I plan on making it up to you.” He bent to kiss me again, pulling me close by grabbing one of my ass cheeks. A quick squeeze and he was walking me out to the kitchen with an arm around my waist.

  I blushed when I saw Jax standing in my kitchen filling a travel mug for his boss.

  “Ready Jax?”

  “Yes, sir. Your coffee sir.” The coffee smelled heavenly and I knew it wasn’t something that I’d had on hand.

  Matt took the mug, grabbed his briefcase off the dining room table and kissed me on the forehead. “I’ll be back sometime on Friday. But I’ll call you tonight. Go back to sleep, you didn’t get much last night.”

  I flushed crimson knowing Jax was listening. Was this a common occurrence, I wondered. Was Jax used to coming around in the mornings with clothing, a razor, and fresh bagels? I had a moment of trepidation realizing just how efficient all this was.
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  I walked them to the door. Jax nodded to me as he picked up a bag that looked like it contained the clothes Matt had worn to the dance club last night. Oh yes, they definitely appeared to have a system. Even though I had been used very well, very well indeed, I felt used just the same.

  Watching Jax load up and situate his boss, I realized that I might definitely be out of my league here. A rear window slid down and Matt gave me a little wave. Then he winked at me and I realized with alarm that I just might be a little bit in love, too.

  Chapter Eighteen

  A Whole New Reason to Love Ma Bell Ispent the day catching up on my correspondence, driving to Holden Brothers for fresh fruit and veggies, calling Stephanie and Mom, and reliving every single moment of the night before. I actually tingled all over when I recalled Matt’s passionate kisses and his ardent possession of my body. Picturing him over me, his arms supporting his body over mine as he thrust and matched the rhythm of his hips to mine, sent me into daydreams that stopped me in my tracks all day long. It was a good thing I wasn’t doing anything of any consequence, as I doubted I’d have had the necessary concentration. I mumbled through conversations with Tessa and Vivienne and ignored their pointed questions. I wasn’t ready to share anything Matt and I had done with anyone.

  Later I went grocery and wine shopping at Food Lion and just happened to be in line behind Lisa Massey, our police chief. We started up a conversation and I asked about the man from Virginia and whether or not the wallet had helped. She told me they didn’t have much to go on yet except that the coroner had placed his time of death sometime Friday evening, which made sense. It was a time that the workers weren’t around to witness anything and it allowed time for him to bake in the summer sun on Saturday alerting everyone to his presence under the scraps of sheetrock by the smell and the swarms of flies. And no, there were no prints on the wallet.

  “Do you think he might have climbed in for any reason?” I asked.

  She flashed a beautiful smile that was gracious and sincere. A lovely woman, I had often wondered why there wasn’t a tall, dark, and handsome sort following her around possessively. Not that that was an indication that there wasn’t one, I just hadn’t seen him.

  “Nah, we’re pretty sure that’s not what happened. It looks like foul play, he was probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time. That, or someone nefarious came upon an opportunity and took it. We’ll know more in a few days, the remains were sent to Jacksonville and we’re hoping to get a few leads from the autopsy in the next day or two.”

  She was aware of my background as an insurance investigator and that previously I’d been in law enforcement for a few years so she knew that my interest wasn’t morbid curiosity, that I was intellectually challenged by this as much as she was. “So did the fact that he was a property owner help out any?”

  “No, not really. He owned a lot over in one of the new sections, I went over to check it out, but there’s nothing there, just trees and weeds.”

  “Did you ever find a car?”

  “Yeah, we did. He was staying in one of the Champion condos, close enough to walk to that house that was being built. We gave it a thorough going over but here was nothing in it that we could find. His son came and got it.”

  “Well, it’ll be interesting to see what turns up then, huh?” I said,

  “Yeah, it always is,” she replied before turning back to the cashier and checking out.

  I spent the evening waiting for Matt’s call. I had just about given up and was readying myself for bed when he called at close to 11:00.

  “Hi,” he said in a soft voice that was so sexy it practically melted me into the sheets.

  “Hey.”

  “How are you?”

  “Good. You?”

  “I’ve had a lousy stinking day. But now it’s getting better.”

  “What happened. Did you have a bad meeting?”

  “That would be an understatement.”

  “Tell me about it.” I reached behind me and pulled my pillow upright so I could lean back against it.

  “When I got here I had angry strikers, irate mothers, testy daughters, bitter wives, and one state senator waiting for me. The plant I won the right to buy last week has already become a colossal headache.”

  “Really? Wow, that doesn’t sound good.”

  “It isn’t. One wife threw an egg on me, another called me a billionaire bamboozler.”

  I gulped. “Are you a billionaire?”

  There was a long hesitation. “Uh, no,” he said succinctly.

  “A bamboozler?”

  “I have no idea. I don’t even know for sure what that means.”

  “Something akin to trickery or deception comes to mind.”

  “Well, I knew it wasn’t good. They don’t seem to grasp the crux of the matter here.”

  “Which is?”

  “Which is, that the plant was failing, that it was going to close in a matter of months, anyway. I haven’t done anything to precipitate this.”

  “What are they griping about exactly?”

  “The fact that I have to close the plant to retool it.”

  “I take it that means no pay for them while it’s down.”

  “That, and that not all of them can come back when it’s up and running again.”

  “Wasn’t all this spelled out when the plant was sold?”

  “No, the original owner lied to his employees. He never told them that the factory was no longer viable, that in its current state he took a big loss. He still lives here so he’s made me out to be the bad guy in all this.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “For starters, take my suit to the dry cleaners.”

  “Then?”

  “I thought the next thing on my agenda should be to have phone sex with you.”

  “What?”

  “Phone sex, don’t tell me you’ve never heard of it.”

  “I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know how to do it,” I said. I was thrilled that he had apparently missed me but I was very unsure of myself in this realm.

  “I’ll teach you, it’s easy. First I tell you what I want to do to you. Then you tell me what you want to do to me. We imagine it in our minds, and if your hands are free, you can even help it along.”

  “I don’t think I can do all that.”

  “Sure you can,” he said and there was a husky quality to his voice that had me reaching for the wine on my nightstand.

  “No,” I said. I wasn’t at all ready for this.

  “Yes. I want you and this is the only way I can have you tonight, so I’ll go first.” The heady, low baritone of his voice was mesmerizing. I so wanted to do what he wanted me to do, but I was afraid, and not just a little embarrassed at what he was proposing.

  This was so strange. I thought for a moment, then decided I could humor him and he’d probably never know the difference. Besides, I wanted to know just what it was he wanted to do to me. “Okay. Give me a minute to gulp down some more wine, I have a feeling I’m going to need some fortification for this.” I watched the digital clock count off fifty-five seconds and then said, “Okay, now what?”

  “Take off your clothes, I want to see you naked. Totally.”

  “Oookay,” I whispered. “That’s going to take a few minutes and I have to put the phone down.”

  I watched the clock for three minutes then said, “All right, I’m naked.”

  “Describe your breasts.”

  “Describe my breasts?”

  “Yes, describe your breasts to me. And no cheating, remember I’ve already had the privilege and gut-wrenching thrill of seeing them.”

  I took a deep breath and felt a warm tingle go through my body, it was caused by not only his voice, but by his words, he was thrilled with my breasts! I set the phone on the nightstand then I pulled out the neck of my nightshirt. I looked down at myself, studying my chest for the first time as I thought a man might see it. It made me flush and I almost wished I was
naked.

  “Well?” he asked. I could hear what he was saying even with the phone down.

  I picked it up and said, “Well, they sit like two mountains with a deep valley in the middle. They’re kind of creamy looking with a few little freckles toward the center. They look soft, yet firm at the same time. I would say they’re just hanging out there, but really it’s more like they’re projecting and aiming dead ahead, pointed, but not severely so. More like dumplings with peaks, just sitting there on my chest. And by the way, they feel heavier than they did a minute ago, it’s like they’re plumping or something.” I heard him groan.

  “Tell me about the nipples, what do they look like?”

  “Uh, the nipples,” I said looking over at my nearly empty wineglass. I wished I had brought in the bottle. I quickly took another look down my front. “Light mauve about the size of quarters, puffy around the edges with blue veins crossing to the tips.”

  “And the tips are they hard or soft right now?”

  “Mmmm, sort of in between I think.”

  “Take your fingers and lightly stroke each breast, being careful, very, very careful not to touch the nipple.” I heard him take a swallow of something.

  What he was describing would take two hands. I used my left shoulder to hold the phone to my ear and that hand to hold up my nightshirt while I used my other hand to caress my breast. I did as Matt said, I was careful not to touch the nipple. I hefted my right breast running my fingers around the bottom and across the top. I stroked in long, languorous sweeps as he told me how lovely I was, how soft and fleshy and delightful my breasts were. I used the backs of my fingers over the fullness of my breast as he said the skin there was more sensitive while he encouraged me to imagine that the touches I was giving myself were from him. Acharge as hot as an electric current went through me and I shuddered in my bed. I felt a heavy weight tug at my womb and warm liquid coursing between my labial lips. I gave in to my wild desires. I whipped off my nightshirt and allowed both hands to be his.