WindSwept Narrows: #21 Charlotte Bell & Natalie Templeton

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

Natalie bounced into the corner of the large walk-in closet, his hands pulling the shirts free and over her head. His mouth cruised along the simple, smooth edge of her bra, strong hands holding firmly to her waist while his tongue dipped inside.

  “Tre…” Natalie let the groan free when his mouth traveled over the thin fabric of her bra and bit down on the nipple thrusting toward him. His hands moved to the button of her jeans, opening it and quickly making short work of the zipper and pushing them down her long legs.

  “I couldn’t think of anything but you today. I know I was operating totally on textbook and it was driving me nuts,” Tre trailed his kiss along her stomach, Natalie’s fingers caught in his hair, a shudder of hot desire ripping through her. “I seriously wanted to take the rest of the day off and lock us both in the bedroom.”

  “It’s tough being a responsible adult,” Natalie managed to somehow get the words out, though she wasn’t sure how. The man had hands and mouth moving over her like he’d been starving for months. Her palms moved from his shoulders, shoving the open shirt down his arms.

  “Then I find out my new wife has already thrown me to the wolves,” Tre growled, nipping at her throat before sliding down her body and pulling her feet from her boots. He helped her step from her jeans before sliding his palms heavily up her long legs and onto her behind. He lifted her against him, wrapping one of her legs around his waist.

  “I’m getting the distinct impression you like that single word,” Natalie gulped in air, his fingers gripping tightly and holding her against the hard length of him. “Oh, god, Tre…” she rotated and dipped her hips, thrusting that swollen nub against his cock with a deep mew of hunger.

  “My wife…hell, yes,” he responded, his mouth covering hers before he turned and walked them to the bed. “I plan on using it every chance I get,” he promised, kissing his way along her throat. “I like the sound of it next to your name, Natalie.”

  Natalie laughed, her arms wrapped around his shoulders when he stopped by the bed.

  “You’re adorable, Tre Thorne. Put me on the floor, please,” Natalie watched the gold flecks in his eyes as he reluctantly lowered her. “Now…you seem a little tense,” she said softly, turning him while her fingers opened the snap on his jeans.

  “Adorable and tense? Yeah, that pretty much describes me at the moment…” Tre groaned when her fingernails grazed down his cock, thick and hard. “Is it your intention to have an insane husband?”

  “Do I have the kind of power to make you insane, Tre?” Something about that seemed to send a sharp tingle through her. She swallowed, determined to finish what she started the other night, and tugged his pants out of the way.

  Talk about up close and personal!

  Tre bumped against the bed, groaning at the portrait she offered up, in nothing but panties and bra, on her knees with her warm, stroking palms on his cock.

  Oh, no, she didn’t have power at all!

  “I was supposed to feed you first,” Tre groaned, his hands tangling in her hair after she pulled the band free on her ponytail. His fingers let the long silk flow over them until her mouth covered him, sliding her tongue around and down and suckling until he through his eyes would cross.

  “Oh, I plan on gobbling you up,” she said with a sexy laugh. She pushed until he sprawled out on the bed, her knee going to the surface first before she lay on her stomach. Her fingers stroked and caressed along the hard length; tracing sensual circles just under the ridge and down to gently tease the soft skin below the heavy sacks.

  Heat soared through his body, the sensations she was creating in him building, one teasing stroke at a time. Only it was becoming too much, too hard to keep control. His hands were wrapped in the long, thick hair, her lips kissing down the length before she took him deeply inside her mouth, her tongue swirling and stroking as she angled her body for more.

  More of him and more of the hot pulsing. His groan wasn’t contained; wasn’t throttled in any way, her name echoing and breaking against the walls as he exploded deep in her mouth. His head pushed into the mattress, his body arched as jet after jet of semen shot violently from his cock.

  Hard spasms wracked his body, every muscle of his taut as breath locked in his throat while several more pulses struck, releasing and sending ragged shudders through him.

  Never had he known sex could be so incredibly good.

  No, he thought as he drifted back to earth, good just wasn’t the right word.

  He pulled Natalie to him, hands stroking over the almost bare flesh. One hand slid up her back and into the hair at the back of her head, hungrily devouring her mouth and the softest mewl that came from deep in her throat.

  He needed her. Wanted her.

  His hand slipped down her back, easily parting the small clasp holding the scrap of lace and nylon in place. He urged her up and tugged it free, his mouth watering for the sweet pink nipples that had hardened for him.

  “You’re beautiful, Natalie…so sexy,” he whispered, lifting her hips and sliding the damp panel of her panties to the side.

  Natalie straightened above him, her palms stroking along his chest.

  “I never thought so…” Dark violet eyes sparkled as she leaned forward, kissing him and rotating her hips, his fingers gliding through the syrup down the center of the silken cleft, sliding inside and retreating. “Tre…”

  “More…” he slid two fingers inside before guiding his cock to the hungry opening. “All yours, Natalie…”

  “Mine,” she whispered and let her weight slide down, a soft whimper deep in her throat when he reached between them and stroked over the swollen nub of her clit. Her body jumped, her breathing caught and the eroticism of the last hour began coiling inside her.

  Tre watched the light flare in her eyes as she rose and rode his cock, taking him deeper with each thrust. He couldn’t take his eyes off her body, her head back and long hair swaying teasingly as she rocked her body over his. He let her set the pace, his hands busy stroking an aroused nipple and flicking and massaging her clit.

  Natalie felt the splinters beginning. Felt the bright shimmering explosion that rippled inside her and made her hands flex and press against Tre’s chest. Pushing down and thrusting hard down his length, thrusting and holding her body still while the convulsions swept through her, sending a flush of heat searing all of her.

  She felt his body shudder beneath her, his hands moving to grip her hips before he thrust several times before a hard, deep groan filled the room. Tre wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him and refusing to release her for several long, minutes, his mouth moving softly against hers.

  “My adorable, sexy wife…” His body offered a weak shiver when she giggled and slid to the side, laying spread out and sighing thickly.

  “Amazing, my sweet, loving husband, amazing,” Natalie breathed deeply.

  “I think we have food downstairs,” Tre said after a few minutes, their fingers clasp between them. “I have a vague memory of it when I came in from work.”

  “I suppose we should keep our strength up,” Natalie rolled lazily to her side, her head finding a nice niche against his shoulder, his arm holding her close. “How long does a honeymoon last?”

  “Till one of us dies, I think,” Tre teased, laughing with her and rolling to face her. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to be on our honeymoon for a long, long time.”

  “Promise?” Natalie kissed him softly.

  “I can give you that promise easily, babe, easily,” he whispered against her mouth.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Tre was ready to bite into the slice of jam covered toast when it suddenly vanished from his fingers and danced toward the door.

  “Running late because of you! Stealing toast is justified!” She called and went through the door to her car, Tre following close behind. “I’ll be home before four to get ready for the party.”

  Tre managed to snag her around the middle, his teeth snapping out and taking the last corner of the
toast before sweeping in and kissing her.

  “You just look too sexy to pass up in the mornings,” he told her, closing the car door and stepping back. “See you tonight, babe. Be careful.”

  Natalie nodded and headed toward the gates, watching them swing open and sighing. Her eyes swung to the read out of her phone after she’d stuck it into the dash holder.

  “Hey, toast thief…I love you. Tre.”

  Natalie laughed, her head still shaking as she pulled into the parking lot of the station. Friends greeted her, some asking if she was alright, the bruise on her temple still vivid, especially since she wore her long hair pulled back into a thick ponytail today.

  She managed to work through a stack of reports before heading out to question people and try and make sense of the missing bride. The news was making a very big deal of it, something irksome because there were dozens of missing kids that never made it to the local stations. But one rich, pretty blond bride whose father controls a lot of business in the area and poof, instant news item.

  The nagging thought inside her brain said she had seen the woman before.

  Natalie sat in her car, foot propped up and note pad on her knee. She was making a list of the places she’d been. The people she’d met in the last ten days. Places she’d been. She envisioned each place as she wrote, tapping the pen against her cheek and frowning at the last entry.

  The sandwich shop by the Point.

  Xavier ‘Zee’ Moore watched the blonde at the table furthest out from the shop.

  She’d been there every day and spent most of the day there with either books or a laptop open and fingers flying over the keys. She bought things through the day so he really didn’t have a reason to complain. The staff hadn’t said a thing about her.

  Until now.

  The only glimpse he had of her hair were the thick bangs she kept shoving out of her eyes and off her glasses. She wore a Greek fisherman’s cap in black over her head and never took it off.

  He had an idea she was slim but she always wore the same thick Irish crème sweater that looked about three sizes too big, a pair of worn jeans and sneakers. She had a large cloth tote at her side, always tucked between her knees as she sat back and stared a lot of the time out into the stretch of Puget Sound laid out before them.

  He looked out at the dark lenses of her glasses, watching them deepen in color as the clouds parted and bright end of April sun made an appearance. Zee slung the once clean towel over one shoulder and went toward the door, the hard clap on his shoulder jolting him.

  “It’s a tough job, boss,” Kyle Danvers chuckled.

  “Yeah…then I should be delegating it to you,” he grumbled.

  “To the victor go the spoils,” Kyle tossed back. “Besides, it’s not in my job description to tell a pretty blonde she needs a bath.”

  Zee let loose with another low growl before shoving his shoulders back and striding out of the comfortable sandwich shop. He was rubbing the back of his neck as he approached, watching her chew on the corner of a full lower lip. She looked up when his shadow fell over her book, wide pale lashes and bright blue eyes blinking repeatedly, simply returning his stare.

  “Can I help you?” She finally said when he didn’t move.

  “I hate to lose a good customer but…there have been a few comments…less than…good comments…”

  Erika Vincent listened to the deep, soothing voice; a pair of hooded blue eyes and hair that was way too short for all the surfer awards decorating the inside of the shop. She sat up and sighed.

  “I’m sorry. I probably should have found a motel,” she packed her tote, both of them bending to pick up the keys that fell from her bag. “Had to give up the car…”

  “Give it up?”

  “People following me,” she murmured, her head shaking. “I know I need to wash some clothes somehow. And me…” She stood up and flashed him a smile. “It’s okay. You have a nice shop.”

  “Umm…thanks…wait…” he met the curiously arched brow. “Upstairs. Big bathroom and washer and dryer. I won’t be up there until after five.”

  Silvery laughter made her glasses jump on the small nose.

  “That is the sweetest thing. Napping on park benches leaves a lot to be desired but I couldn’t impose…”

  “It’s an offer. No imposition at all,” he held out his palm. “Zee Moore. Owner and it’s my apartment upstairs.”

  “Erika…and you’re awfully trusting, Zee Moore,” but she looked longingly toward the second story with windows opening toward the beach.

  “I’m pretty sure you’re a safe risk,” he’d seen the laptop she used, a very high end one that she worked with ease and familiarity. He also recognized the master car key on her ring and knew there was a bit more to the mysterious Erika than he knew. “You don’t look like a drug user or dealer,” she only offered a crooked grin at him. “And if you were going to steal things, there’s plenty of dumb people wandering the streets.”

  “Your confidence is…interesting,” she said dryly, her head shaking. “It’s kind of you to offer and I really appreciate it, but it would be best if I…”

  “There’s shampoo and stuff in the bathroom, help yourself,” Zee put an arm around her shoulders and led her to the side of the building. “Friends just don’t friends wander around stinking and scaring the customers.”

  “And subtle,” she murmured, clearing her throat and trying again. “Mr. Moore, while your offer is very kind,” she repeated firmly, her feet unable to find a good grip when a man built like a professional ball player.

  “I’m sure I can hide you from anyone who comes asking, Miss…”

  “Erika,” she repeated quietly, climbing the stairs to avoid falling on her face. She was so tired.

  “Clean towels in the cabinets, help yourself. Soap in the laundry room and the spare room is down the end of the hall,” Zee continued propelling her forward, briefly wondering where his sanity had gone.

  “This is a really bad idea,” Erika stumbled on the landing, her hand on the wide wooden railing.

  “For who?”

  “Believe it or not, for you,” Erika couldn’t stop the long yawn from breaking free, her body wedged against the railing.

  “Whatever you’re running from, I’m pretty sure I can handle it,” he told her easily, shoving his key into the door and pushing it open. “Please. Even people hiding from things need a friend.”

  “Even friends can be bought,” she said almost to herself.

  “Then consider yourself lucky, Erika, because I’m giving it away for free today only,” Zee gave her a little shove inside and saw the indecision in her eyes. “I’m downstairs if you need anything.”

  “Thank you.”

  Zee just nodded and closed the door. He made it to the ground level, cleaning tables and tossing trash into the bins when Kyle gestured him to the counter.

  “Cop. Said she had some questions,” he said softly.

  “Pretty sure we’re legal, Kyle,” but Zee had a feeling what the lady cop was there for and went to talk to her, Erika’s words echoing in his mind and making him frown. Even friends can be bought.

  “Xavier Moore?” Natalie Templeton showed him her badge before sliding it back into her pocket. “Detective Natalie Templeton. Do you have a few minutes for some questions?”

  “Detective,” he gestured to an empty table. “I’m the owner. Privileges. Can I offer you a cold drink? On the house.”

  “I’d love an icy root beer,” she said, waiting while he called Kyle over and made the request. “Thank you,” she pulled a large photo from the folder she carried. “Have you seen this woman?”

  Zee looked at the photo and kept his features perfectly still, his shoulders up and down in a slow, practiced move.

  “We get plenty of customers that could fit that look,” he kept staring at the too flouncy wedding gown, long golden hair and very sad blue eyes. “Who is she?”

  “Erika Vincent.”

  “Doesn’
t look the criminal type…never seen a mug shot in a wedding dress before,” he said casually.

  “She’s not a criminal, Mr. Moore. According to her parents, she’s missing,” Natalie had seen the recognition in his eyes.

  “Parents…not husband?”

  She almost laughed at the attempt to be casual, his eyes not leaving the photo.

  “She isn’t married. She vanished two days before the ceremony,” Natalie slid the photo back into the folder.

  “Vanished or got cold feet? Maybe she had a boyfriend and changed her mind,” Zee rationalized thoughtfully.

  “I was here getting sandwiches the other day and I was positive I saw her sitting at one of your outside tables,” Natalie put the straw in her mouth and drank the cold soda.

  “I think I’d remember her,” Zee met the violet eyes with a shrug.

  “I think I need to find out what Miss Vincent is running away from,” Natalie stood up and extended her palm. “Thanks for your help.”

  “If I see her, what should I tell her?” Zee walked with her toward the small parking lot to the left of the shop.

  “If she’s afraid and needs, help,” Natalie handed him her card. “Have her call me, and only me. Until I find out the why, and I’m pretty sure I’m missing a big piece of the puzzle, I’m going on the assumption that she chose to leave. And since she’s well over eighteen, I can’t very well force her to go somewhere she doesn’t want to be. Have a great day,” Natalie waved and pulled keys from her pocket, humming to herself as she went to her car.

  Zee went back to the counter, sending Kyle to making the subs and pulling drinks for the lunch crowd filtering in on a bright and sunny spring Friday.

  He was itching to go up and make sure she hadn’t run when he came back to the shop, but continued working until five. He closed out the register and prepared the deposit, sliding it into the safe in his office and making sure the alarms and doors were locked. He checked his watch on the way upstairs. He had half an hour to get ready.

  Zee stared down at the woman stretched out on his bed.