Deceptive Truth: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 4)

by Olivia Jaymes

  Leaning her cheeks against his chest, she snuggled closer, close enough that he could smell the scent of the bubbles she'd used in the bath. Lavender, maybe? He wasn't an expert.

  "So what happens now? What do we do?"

  "We get a good night's sleep," Knox replied. "One of my co-workers is digging deeply into Hedgcock's background. We should know more before morning. They're also working on getting a warrant for the property."

  He didn't say out loud that a warrant was a long shot. They didn't have much evidence. But he'd seen warrants issued for far less many times. It simply depended on the judge. Would this go in their favor?

  "And the texts?"

  "Jared will try and get the phone's location. It was a mistake for them to use it. They must be getting desperate."

  Straightening, she blew out a breath. Jenna was wearing a frown. No, scratch that. She was wearing a frown directed at him.

  "Can I say that I'm getting a little tired of you constantly saying how scared and desperate they are and how they're making all of these mistakes? So far, I haven't seen it. When do we get that big break in the case from one of those supposed mistakes?"

  It was good that she was still feisty, still pushing forward.

  "It's not like on television, babe. It often happens slowly. It's like we're untangling a knot and we pull a string here, and another there, and we keep pulling strings and unwrapping them until finally we find one that loosens it all. Then we follow it."

  "Are you saying Brett Hedgcock is a loose string?"

  "For want of a better analogy? Yes."

  She held up her glass. "I think I'm going to need another drink."

  "You've got it."

  He poured each of them another shot, but not a full one. Although she might want to get drunk, he didn't think it was a good idea. Not for her, and definitely not for him, although two shots weren't enough for him to even get tipsy. He could hold his liquor.

  "What about Eli? Is he coming back?"

  Knox threw back the shot and slapped the glass down on the counter, enjoying the burn all the way to his belly.

  "He says that he's wide awake so he's taking the night shift watching the house."

  "I'm not sure what that means."

  "It means he's in the garage, watching all the camera feeds from around the home. From there he can also see if there are any cars driving by, maybe slowing down to take a look."

  "Should we take him a snack?"

  "I will definitely take him drinks and food before we go to bed. He's not the only one out there, by the way. We have a few guys patrolling the neighborhood. No one is going to get close to you."

  "I didn't mean for all of this to blow up so seriously. I didn't want to put anyone in danger."

  "You didn't do this. The person that's responsible for Lori's disappearance did this. It's on them."

  "I still don't want anyone to get hurt."

  "We're not planning to get ourselves - or you - hurt. Trust us."

  "I do trust you."

  His chest squeezed tightly at her words, far more powerful than she knew. It meant for more than it should to hear that she trusted him.

  She rinsed out their glasses and placed them next to the sink. "I'm going to be honest. I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep."

  "We can watch television," he suggested. "I think I saw some board games and a few jigsaw puzzles in the entertainment center."

  "I haven't done a jigsaw puzzle since I was a kid."

  "It's been about that long for me too. Want to give it a go?"

  "Why not? It's better than lying in bed staring at the ceiling."

  He had one mission tonight. Distract Jenna.

  Tomorrow they'd dig deeper into Brett Hedgcock.

  23

  Jenna tapped at Knox's knuckles. "You have to do the border first. You don't get to do the fun part until the hard work of separating the border is done. Don't you know the rules?"

  Knox snickered and popped another fluffy piece of buttered popcorn in his mouth. They'd settled in at the coffee table to work on the puzzle. Knox had pulled the cushions from the couch down to the floor so they could be comfortable. They lounged next to one another their backs against the sofa, the table in front of them, and a giant bowl of popcorn in between their bodies.

  "There are jigsaw puzzle rules? I didn't see any rules in the box."

  "They're unwritten rules but everyone knows them. You do the border first. That's how it's done."

  "Yes, ma'am. I didn't realize that putting together this hot air balloon could involve such a faux pas."

  "You separate the border, put it together, and then you separate the pieces by color family. Then maybe by shape, if you want to."

  Knox's brows were almost at his hairline. "For someone that hasn't done a puzzle in years, you certainly take this seriously. You're one of those list makers, aren't you?"

  Guilty as charged. She liked her lists. And her planner. Her job was often hectic and it helped her keep everything straight.

  "So what if I am? You might want to try it. It's very freeing."

  "It's freeing to write up a list?"

  "Yes, then you can sit back and relax by not having to worry about remembering things."

  Knox grinned, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. "I like to challenge myself by making grocery lists, leaving them on the counter, and then trying to remember what was on them while I'm at the store."

  "Then make them on your phone. I know you always have it."

  She'd reached over to tap his phone and he placed his hand over hers, rubbing his thumb against the palm.

  Yikes.

  He'd barely touched her and yet he'd sent a lightning bolt of energy down her spine, settling in her lower abdomen. Their gazes clashed and if she didn't know better, she would have thought the temperature in the room climbed about twenty degrees in ten seconds.

  It couldn't do that. Could it?

  His thumb continued to stroke her palm while his other hand reached up and caught a stray strand of her hair, tucking it behind her ear. His fingertips tickled her cheek softly, barely glancing the skin but leaving behind a trail of heat in their wake. A delicious tension had built between them, bouncing back and forth and raising the energy in the room. She was so aware of him she could feel his every breath.

  She didn't remember making any conscious decision but she found herself moving the bowl of popcorn situated between them to the table, knocking puzzle pieces to the floor. Pressing her body against his, she kissed his lips, tasting the butter and salt on his tongue. He must not have minded her sneak attack because instead of pulling away he laughed and tangled his fingers in her hair, gently tugging her even closer until they were lying on the cushions.

  He lifted his head and dropped kisses on her nose and cheeks. "I like a woman who knows what she wants."

  Jenna wasn't fooling anyone. She wanted Knox. He wanted her too. She could feel how hard he was against her hip.

  "I hope I'm not alone here."

  "Are you kidding? I've been grappling with myself to keep my hands off of you. I didn't want to take advantage of you when you were so upset. I don't want you to do anything that you'll regret later."

  "You wouldn't be taking advantage of me, Knox. I'm a grown woman and I make my own decisions."

  His smile grew wider and a frisson of awareness flew through her veins. Damn, this man was far too gorgeous for his own good.

  "Am I one of your grown woman decisions?"

  Denying it would be a lie.

  "You are, but don't let it go to your head."

  He threw back his head and laughed. "I like your style, Jenna. Take no prisoners. But maybe we should take this into the bedroom. We don’t want to shock Eli should he need to use the bathroom.”

  Her eyes widened at the thought. “Didn’t think of that. Yes, let’s take this behind closed doors.”

  Giggling like two teenagers, they jogged into his room, falling down onto the bed and pushing t
he covers back after they’d locked the door. She slid her hands down his back, exploring the dips and planes she found there, and loving how hard and solid he was in contrast to her own softness. He nuzzled at her neck, finding that sensitive spot that had her eyes rolling back in her head and leaving her gasping for air. His fingers played delicately along her ribcage under her shirt, stroking the skin until she thought she might lose her mind. She needed to be closer, as close as she could get.

  "Knox," she breathed as his lips ghosted over her collarbone. She could feel his chuckle against the sensitive flesh where her t-shirt had been pushed aside. "Knox."

  "I love it when you say my name like that. Say it again."

  Saying no to any of his requests had never crossed her mind.

  "Knox," she said again, the word coming out breathless and needy.

  Her fingers had curled into his thick hair, and she arched her back as he nipped at her skin then soothed it with his tongue. Her hands moved to his chest, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. They were simply in the way.

  He helped her impatient fingers when she would have ripped the offending material to get rid of it, tossing his shirt aside before going to work on the button fly of his jeans. In mere seconds he was gloriously naked. Knox was a beautiful man, his body almost carved from marble.

  "You're wearing far too many clothes," Knox said, capturing her lips for another soul-searing kiss. "Let's see what we can do about that."

  His hands skimmed up her sides and then down to the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head with smooth expertise. He pressed his lips to every single newly exposed inch of flesh until she was a writhing mess, whispering his name under her breath. A bar of arousal building in her abdomen, and a liquid heat winding its way through her veins.

  "You seem to know how to undress a lady."

  She felt his smile against her skin. "I can do buttons all by myself. I can tie my shoes too."

  "Then get to it."

  "Yes, ma'am."

  He took his ever-loving sweet time, making sure to kiss, caress, and worship her body as it was exposed to him. By the time she was naked, she was hot and needy, wanting him inside of her now. He dropped butterfly kisses on her belly, his fingers tickling her rib cage.

  "You're making me crazy," she moaned as he pressed open-mouthed kisses on her hip bone. She closed her eyes and savored the simmering heat, letting it wash over her like the tide.

  "Honey, that's the point."

  He pushed her thighs apart and began to trace patterns on her inner thigh with his tongue, almost sending her into the stars. She didn't know whether to giggle from being ticklish or scream from the sheer pleasure. Before she was able to decide, he'd placed his mouth exactly where she needed it most, his devilishly talented tongue flicking around the pearl and sending her skyrocketing into the stars. Her thighs clamped onto his head and her nails dug into his shoulders.

  By the time she came back to earth he was hovering above her, their foreheads pressed together. His weight on top of her was delicious, and she wrapped her arms around his to pull him closer. She could feel his hard length pressing into the softness of her belly.

  "Are you ready for me?"

  "I was ready ten minutes ago."

  Chuckling, he kissed her again. "Do I need to–"

  "I'm healthy and I'm on the pill. Are you okay?"

  "I'm good, but I have a condom if you'd be more comfortable."

  It didn't seem weird to have this intimate conversation with Knox. He was his usual caring and protective self even at a moment like this when he could have been selfish.

  "I trust you."

  Those weren't words she used easily. Or often, to be honest. She did trust this man, with her life.

  He pressed forward, his lips and tongue playing with a pebbled nipple while he entered her slowly, giving her ample time to get used to his size or to even say stop. Not that she was planning to do anything of the kind. If anything, she wanted to urge him to go faster. And she would have too if he hadn't completely taken her breath away. She couldn't have formed sentences if her life depended on it.

  Once he was into the hilt, he stayed there for a long moment, his eyes closed, as if he was savoring the sensation. He began to move, pulling out and then thrusting in, slowly and gently at first, but then building up speed. With each clever stroke, he rubbed that spot inside of her that sent her into the clouds. It was as if they were hovering in the sky, zipping from star to star, making circles around the moon. The world had come down to only the two of them and the pleasure they created together.

  Running her hands down his spine, she wrapped her legs around his trim waist. "More, Knox. I need...more."

  It wasn't the most articulate of pleas but Knox seemed to understand, stroking that spot inside of her faster while using those talented fingers on her clit. She was close to exploding, her body bowed and her toes curled. At any moment, the world might shatter and break into pieces. Their damp flesh slapped together lewdly and the air was filled with the smell of sex and their breathy moans. They'd found the perfect rhythm and they would ride it over the edge.

  When her orgasm hit, heat poured through her body like rivers of fiery hot lava. Throwing her head back, she whispered Knox's name as he, too, fell over the edge. She had to force her eyes to stay open so she could watch him, his expression one of agony and ecstasy all at the same time.

  Eventually they collapsed, their damp limbs tangled together. Knox pulled the sheet over their rapidly cooling bodies as he tucked her into his side. Jenna wanted to say something, but she didn't have the words. How did she express what she was feeling when she barely understood it herself? It was so much more than anything she'd experienced before. Honestly, Knox was more than she'd ever expected. She'd grown weary and pessimistic these past few years regarding relationships, wondering if they were even worth the effort.

  "Do you need anything, babe? Are you warm enough?"

  She snuggled closer to him, his body heat keeping her cozy.

  "I have everything I need."

  Tomorrow they'd have to face the world, but tonight she'd pretend that they were the only two people left on earth. Just Knox, Jenna, and their love.

  24

  During the drive to Randy's house the next day, Knox changed his mind about a dozen times about even going there. He had to keep himself from turning around and heading back to Tremont and the safe house. He didn't fucking want to go to this stupid birthday party, but he did want to be there for his nephew's big day. Dylan was turning ten and the first double-digit birthday was always an event in a kid's life.

  Randy had assured him that their dad was going to show up later in the day, which meant that Knox was going to be early to the damn party. Early to show up, and early to leave. It was a plan. But just because his dad wasn't going to be there didn't mean that Knox was anxious to deal with any of his other family members. By now, they all had to know that he'd questioned Cal about Lori's disappearance.

  "We don't have to go. You can call them and tell them I got sick or something. You can blame it on me."

  Bless his sweet Jenna. She was willing to be thrown under the bus so he didn't have to spend any time with his dysfunctional family.

  "It wouldn't matter because they wouldn't believe me. I've avoided far too many family get-togethers for them to buy any story. The last few years I just stopped telling any story at all except that I didn't want to be there. That was the truth, after all. They didn't like it, but they couldn't argue except to tell me that we were family. For some bullshit reason that I'm still not clear on, a person is apparently supposed to put up with anything short of murder if it's from a human that you might share some DNA with. I'm perplexed about the whole thing but they seem quite sure about this rule. It's almost all they talk about. That and what a disappointment I am to the family."

  Shit, he hadn't wanted to say that much. He sounded bitter and he really wasn't. He'd grown used to his relatives being crappy.


  "I can't imagine how they could say that you're a disappointment. You're successful. And they do talk about that. What a great cop you are and all."

  "They don't care about my job. They think being a cop is terrible. They only care about loyalty."

  "They sound like the mafia."

  Laughing, he couldn't disagree. "They would have made the Corleones proud. But enough about how I don't want to go. I'm guessing you don't want to go, either. This isn't going to be any fun for you. You probably should have stayed home with Eli."

  "I couldn't let you do this alone." She stuck out her lower lip playfully. "What kind of girlfriend would I be to let you walk into this without anyone by your side?"

  "A smart one. This isn't going to be pretty, babe. Don't say I didn't warn you."

  "I've been warned and I ignored it of my own free will. Feel better now?"

  "Not particularly. I won't be in a good mood until we're done and on our way back."

  "You are the biggest pessimist. Maybe they'll ignore you and corner me. You know, question me to see if I'm good enough for you."

  "They'll question you but not because they think you're not good enough."

  She placed her hand on his thigh, giving it a squeeze. "Listen, if it starts getting bad just give me a signal and I'll do something loud and outrageous. Start dancing and stripping or something like that. Start whooping it up and calling everyone an asshole. I'll take all the focus off of you and put it in myself."

  "Stripping?"

  "I'd totally do it." She held out her hand, pinky finger extended. "Pinky swear."

  "You don't need to swear, and you don't need to rescue me. I can handle my family. But it is nice that you'd want to help. Even strip. But my family doesn't deserve it. Just ignore them like I do."