Next of Kin

by Jae

  "I broke it off when I realized marrying a man I didn't love wouldn't give me the independence I wanted," Aiden said. Thank God!

  Dawn sighed. "Then you were more mature than I was."

  "Hey, don't beat yourself up." Aiden stroked Dawn's cheek with the back of her hand. "After your father and your brother died, you needed the security and the feeling of belonging somewhere."

  "Yeah, and I searched for it in all the wrong places." Dawn sighed again, then smiled and wrapped her arms around Aiden, cuddling against her side. "But it doesn't matter anymore. I finally got it right. Tell me, how else did you try to achieve your independence when you were sixteen?"

  Aiden groaned when the memory resurfaced. "I stole my mother's car and drove around for hours. So Evan and I both were little thieves. I thought we're searching for a positive thing we have in common?"

  "That's not what I mean. Evan takes her skates everywhere, and I suspect she hitchhikes. I don't think she has her driver's permit yet." Dawn looked at her expectantly.

  "Oh, no! You don't mean...? You want me to let her drive my car?" Aiden didn't like the idea.

  Dawn nodded with amusement. "Help her get her driver's permit, and then supervise her driving. I don't think that's an offer any sixteen-year-old would turn down even if it comes from someone she's not all that fond of yet."

  "Hmm." Aiden rubbed the back of her neck.

  Dawn nudged her with an elbow. "Come on! What do you have to lose?"

  "My car?" Aiden didn't like the thought of giving her car into the hands of an impulsive teenager.

  "What's more important – your sister or the car?"

  Dawn's frank words made Aiden wince. "You're right. The car is just a replaceable thing. So what if it gets a few scratches, right?"

  Dawn chuckled and curled her legs under her, then quickly stretched them out again. "Who are you trying to convince – me or yourself?"

  "Myself," Aiden said with an embarrassed grin. She knew she sounded as if she cared more about her car than about her sister, but she couldn't help herself. She had seen Evan on her worst behavior, and now it was hard for her to trust her with her car and with her life. Still she was determined to try.

  Aiden frowned as she watched Dawn continue to wriggle and shift her position, as she had done since she'd sat down on the couch. "I thought I made it clear it wasn't really you I was angry at? Do I make you nervous for some reason?"

  "I'm not nervous," Dawn said.

  "You're wriggling around like a fish on a hook." Aiden said, pointing at Dawn as she did just that.

  Dawn made a face. "Nice comparison. It's just... I just can't seem to get comfortable on this couch."

  Something was off here. Dawn had always felt quite at home on Aiden's couch, and as far as Aiden could tell, it hadn't developed any sudden lumps. "Want to sit on my lap?" She winked and patted her thighs in invitation.

  Dawn smiled. "Normally, I'd love to, but..." She sighed. "Well, I fell, and I think I have a few scratches and bruises on my ass."

  "You fell?" Aiden looked at her in sudden concern. Why is everyone suddenly so accident-prone? Didn't Kade say Del took a fall too?

  "Nothing too bad. It could have been worse, considering I had never done something like that before." Dawn stared off into space, shaking her head at herself.

  Aiden wasn't sure what she was talking about. "Hadn't done what before? Falling on your ass?"

  "Maneuvering up and down a half-pipe on in-line skates," Dawn said, ruefully rubbing her backside.

  "And here I thought my job was dangerous. What kind of therapy is that?" Aiden shook her head in disbelief.

  Dawn laughed. "It's not a therapy... although it works quite well for downsizing a therapist's inflated ego. It's what I was doing with Evan when you called. You missed my graceful landing by mere seconds."

  Aiden let her gaze wander over Dawn's body, checking for further injuries. Anyone who had ever spent any time with Dawn knew she was not into sports. She looked fit and healthy, but she was not an athletic woman. Aiden couldn't see her racing down a half-pipe on skates. "You've never skated before, have you? You took a risk on that half-pipe!" She still couldn't believe it. She had done a few stupid things in her life because she refused to back down from a challenge, but Dawn was usually not like that.

  "Price of admission," Dawn said with a shrug. "When I was Evan's therapist, I made the rules. Now it's her turn."

  "Yeah, but you have a Hippocratic oath or something like that, and she doesn't. Evan risked you getting hurt. I don't like that at all." Anger stirred again.

  Dawn raised herself up on her knees and then climbed onto Aiden's lap, straddling her. She looked her right in the eyes. "It's not for you to approve or to disapprove. I'm an adult, and it was my risk to take. I appreciate that you care about my well-being, but it was my decision, not yours and not Evan's. Are we clear on that?"

  Dawn's index finger pressed into Aiden's chest in a playful manner, but the expression in the gray-green eyes was very serious. What Dawn demanded of her went against every instinct Aiden had. She was a protector at heart, and she had been more protective of Dawn than of anyone with whom she had ever been involved. She still wasn't entirely sure if that was because she loved Dawn more than anyone before or because she had met Dawn at a time when she was very vulnerable and needed the protection.

  Dawn's insistence that she let her make her own decisions and be her own protector made her feel frustrated, worried, and proud at the same time. Despite her gentle nature, Dawn was not a woman who would let Aiden dominate her – and she secretly liked that.

  "We're clear on that," she answered very seriously too. "It won't stop me from worrying, but I know it's your risk and your decision."

  Dawn nodded with grim satisfaction. "Good. Now that we cleared that up..." She started to get off of Aiden's lap.

  "Hey, not so fast." Aiden gently held her back by resting her hands on Dawn's hips, her grip not strong enough for her to force Dawn to stay, but firm enough to encourage her. "Don't you want me to kiss it and make it better?" She gently ran one of her hands over Dawn's hip and down her ass.

  "You'd have to be a contortionist to be able to kiss my booboo from your position," Dawn answered with a teasing grin. She leaned forward until Aiden could feel her body heat. Aiden's own body temperature shot up when Dawn's breasts pressed against hers. "But it's already beginning to feel better." Dawn moaned.

  "We could change positions," Aiden suggested, preparing to roll out from under Dawn and cover Dawn's body with her own, but Dawn threw her weight forward.

  Her body weight pressed Aiden against the back of the couch. "What if I like this position?" Dawn's voice was playful, but there was something else in her eyes.

  "R –" Aiden had to clear her throat as she looked into Dawn's now smoky-gray eyes. She hadn't expected to encounter the sudden passion. "Really?"

  "Yeah." Dawn leaned forward, pressing even more of her body against Aiden's.

  Aiden shuddered as gentle teeth nipped her earlobe. She slid her hands around the small of Dawn's back and pulled her in closer.

  Dawn fell against Aiden for a second, but then quickly braced herself with both hands on top of Aiden's shoulders. "Lean forward," she commanded.

  Aiden's brows rose in surprise. She wasn't used to Dawn giving orders and taking the initiative in their lovemaking, but she wasn't about to argue. She quickly leaned forward, away from the back of the couch.

  She felt the tips of Dawn's fingers trail down her back until they slipped under her sweatshirt and traced circles over bare skin. Aiden held her breath as Dawn quickly unhooked her bra. As Dawn's hands circled around to the front of her body, she could no longer stay still. She surged forward and captured Dawn's lips in a passionate kiss.

  Dawn's mouth melted against her own, soft and pliant, but after a few seconds, Dawn broke away with a gasp and took charge again.

  Dawn's insistence on challenging her for the lead in their lovemaking fueled Aid
en's passion. She kissed Dawn again, only wrenching her mouth away when Dawn ripped the sweatshirt over Aiden's head and separated their lips for a second. Aiden slipped out of her bra and dropped it, not caring where it landed.

  Dawn started to rock her hips. Aiden could feel Dawn's warmth against her abdomen. She tensed her muscles and pulled Dawn closer, not directing her movements, but encouraging them.

  Dawn's hips picked up a faster rhythm.

  Aiden squirmed under her. She wanted to feel more of Dawn's skin against her own. She began to undo the buttons of Dawn's blouse, but her fingers were trembling with excitement and not fast enough for her liking. With other partners, she would have just ripped the buttons off, but with Dawn, she forced herself to take the few extra seconds. Finally, she opened the last button and slipped the blouse from Dawn's shoulders, careful not to trap Dawn's arms in the material. Sharing this experience with Dawn was wonderful, and she didn't want it to end in a flashback and a panic attack.

  She leaned forward and kissed a rounded shoulder, tracing the freckles with her tongue.

  Dawn's fingers slipped into her hair and pulled Aiden even closer.

  Aiden leaned back a bit, making room between their bodies for her to reach down, unbuckle Dawn's belt, and pull down the zipper. Dawn mumbled her protest when Aiden's mouth left her skin, but Aiden quickly soothed her by kissing her again. She smoothed her hand down the soft curves of Dawn's belly. When she reached the edge of Dawn's panties, she stopped and looked up, searching for Dawn's hazy gray eyes. "Yes?" she asked.

  "Yes," Dawn answered without hesitation.

  Aiden kissed Dawn, swallowing her moan, as she slipped into her.

  They rested against each other for a few moments, panting. Then Dawn shifted and moaned. Passion exploded.

  Dawn buried her face against Aiden's shoulder as she rocked against her.

  Dawn's teeth raked over her skin. Aiden surged forward, driving deeper into Dawn without thought.

  "Aiden!" Dawn gasped.

  Aiden would have pulled back in panic, but Dawn's enthusiastic movements made it clear that it had been a moan of passion, not of pain. She let Dawn set the pace, intoxicated and enchanted by the way Dawn took her pleasure from her. Dawn's frantic rocking against her continued to press the seam of her jeans against Aiden's clit, but she held back and forced herself to concentrate on Dawn.

  She created a path of openmouthed kisses down Dawn's chest and stopped to taste the salty skin between her breasts.

  Dawn threw her head back with a moan, pressing her breasts against Aiden's face.

  Aiden turned her head and captured a nipple between her lips through the satiny material of Dawn's bra.

  "Oh! God, Aiden!" Dawn's rhythm faltered for a moment, then became even faster as Aiden sucked on her nipple. Dawn thrust her hips against Aiden's fingers, once, twice, before she cried out and collapsed against Aiden.

  A hot wave shot through Aiden. Blood rushed through her ears, almost blocking out Dawn's moans. Her whole body was pounding, so it took her a few moments to realize that some of it was pain, not just pleasure. Dawn had bitten her on the shoulder, and her hand was starting to cramp in its awkward position.

  She gently withdrew and eased both of them down to lie on the couch, their bodies still plastered together.

  Dawn's hand started to slip down her body, but Aiden quickly caught it and held it against her belly. "Give me a moment, please," she said breathlessly.

  Dawn raised herself up on her elbow and gazed down at Aiden. Her face was still flushed, and her red lips begged Aiden to kiss them again. "You mean you...?"

  "I'm not sure, but I think your little love bite drove me over the edge." Aiden laughed shakily.

  Dawn lay back down, snuggling against Aiden. "Love bite?" she asked drowsily.

  "Yeah." Aiden tugged her T-Shirt aside and craned her neck to look at the teeth marks on her shoulder.

  Dawn's gaze followed hers. Her eyes widened, and her fingers flew up to gently touch Aiden's shoulder. "God! I didn't even notice I had hurt you! I'm so sorry!" Her fingers stroked the red marks on Aiden's shoulder as if she could heal them by touch alone.

  Aiden laughed. "It didn't hurt at that moment, believe me. Quite the opposite."

  Dawn traced the mark with trembling fingers.

  "Hey, it's no big deal." Aiden directed Dawn's gaze to meet hers. "In fact, I think I like it. It's a sign of your love and your desire for me, so that's a good thing, right?" She tenderly stroked Dawn's face.

  "Right," Dawn said, but she still didn't look fully convinced.

  "You didn't even leave your little stamp of possession in plain sight for Ray and the guys to tease me about it for days," Aiden continued, trying to make Dawn feel better about the bite marks.

  "I totally lost control," Dawn said, still looking amazed. Then she smiled hesitantly. "I think that's a good sign, don't you?"

  Aiden kissed Dawn's throat, where her pulse was still pounding. "A very good sign," she hummed against the damp skin.

  CHAPTER 19

  "YOU KNOW THIS is blackmail, right?" Kade glared at Del. Her well-practiced glare usually worked on even the most hardened criminals, but Del met her gaze without flinching.

  "No, this is me caring about your well-being," Del answered calmly, gesturing for Kade to take a seat on the couch next to her. "At this point, we have to assume that the stalker found a way to get into your apartment building, so until you tell a few of your detectives and we start an investigation, it's not a good idea for you to stay in your apartment alone."

  Kade stopped her pacing and finally sat down at the other end of the couch. She knew Del was right. She knew this had already gone on for too long. She had to do something now, or she would risk getting hurt. Or someone else being hurt because of me. She still felt guilty every time she glanced at the now healing laceration on the back of Del's head. Still she was hesitant to approach the detective she trusted most. "I can't bother Aiden with this right now. She has enough on her plate as it is."

  "Why? What happened?" Del frowned, and Kade could see that she was already beginning to speculate about the possible problems Aiden could have with Dawn.

  "Before I got Laurie to tell me the truth about what happened, our ME ran Evan Whitfield's DNA," Kade said.

  Del shrugged. "Yeah, that's standard procedure."

  "But the results were not." Kade hesitated. Should she tell Del? She knew it wasn't her place to tell her, but at the same time, Del deserved to be trusted. She had been involved in the investigation beyond the call of duty, and she wasn't just a colleague to Aiden. She was practically her aunt-in-law. "The DNA analysis confirmed that Evan Whitfield is Aiden's half sister."

  Del leaned forward and stared at her. "What? How is that possible?"

  "It's not my place to tell you that. Needless to say, it threw Aiden for a loop. I don't want to bother her with my problems on top of everything else she has to deal with." Compared to what Aiden had to deal with, Kade's own family issues seemed minor.

  "All right. I'll accept that for the moment – under the condition that you stay with me until you get a more official investigation started." Del's dark eyes pierced into hers, waiting for her decision.

  Kade folded her arms across her chest. "What if I say no?" She knew Del was right, and she would probably end up taking her advice, but the way Del had formulated her condition was igniting the famous Matheson stubbornness.

  "Then I'll start watching your apartment from my car again," Del answered calmly. "Of course, it would be ill-advised with me not having fully recovered from my concussion, but I'll do it if I have to." She put on a pathetically brave expression.

  Despite her annoyance, Kade had to bite back a laugh. "This is blackmail!" she said again.

  "No, this is you caring about my well-being." Del grinned. "So, will you stay?"

  "I'll think about it. How's your head?" They had just returned from a checkup at the hospital when Del had decided that Kade shouldn't stay at
her apartment alone.

  "Well, that depends on whether you find people with bald patches attractive." Del winked and turned her head, showing off the spot on the back of her head where the doctor had shaved off a bit of her hair.

  Kade didn't care about the attractiveness of bald spots. She had been too worried about Del to think about anything else. She didn't say that to Del, though. "Sorry, that has never been one of my fetishes."

  "No? Haven't you heard that bald men are supposed to be more potent in bed? I'm sure the same is true for women with bald spots," Del said with a smug grin.

  Kade tilted her head to shoot Del a cool glance over the rim of her glasses. Del was clearly challenging her, and Kade wasn't about to back down. "And how, pray tell, would I benefit from that theory?"