by Kat Martin
Walking through the brass front door, Ellie felt as if she were stepping into the age of Old World glamour. Kade’s big hand rode at her waist as they traveled the open corridor, following the bellman toward the suite Kade had reserved.
He opened the door, and they walked into a living room warmed by pale yellow walls, molded ceilings, and Persian carpets. A traditional sofa in soft shades of amber sat in front of a mantled fireplace. In minutes, they were settled, their clothes unpacked in the bedroom.
Kade flashed a look at the huge four-poster bed, hand-carved in a West Indies design. Graceful, gold-silk draperies hung at the windows. Ellie’s gaze met Kade’s across the room. She could almost feel the heat simmering beneath his surface calm, and her stomach lifted.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said. “But we have work to do before we can . . . umm . . . relax.”
Kade chuckled. “Always practical. Fine, we’ll wait. For now.”
Ellie just smiled. “We’ve got an appointment with Bryan Meeks in forty-five minutes, and it’s a twenty-minute drive. We need to get going.”
She was already dressed for today’s meeting in a forest-green, knee-length skirt suit, cream silk blouse, paisley scarf, and heels. Kade wore crisp blue jeans, a pale yellow western shirt with pearl snaps, and his dark brown, western-cut tweed jacket.
The valet had kept the Mercedes waiting out front, and they settled themselves inside, out of the frosty cold. Kade followed North Broadway to I-25, then merged south toward the Denver Tech Center in Greenwood Village.
Red Tag Advance Software Developers was a multistoried building on a grassy knoll in the 4600 block of Ulster Street. In the two-story lobby, a security guard behind the counter checked to see if they had an appointment.
“Yes, here you are.” The guard, a chubby little man with a beard, scanned the computer screen in front of him. “Eleanor Bowman and Kade Logan to see Bryan Meeks. You can go right on up.”
The elevator ride was brief, the doors opening onto the eighth floor, where a receptionist with a cap of short blond hair sat behind a desk with a black granite top.
The blonde stood up behind the desk. “Mr. Meeks is expecting you. If you’ll please follow me.” She led them through one of the double doors leading into Meeks’s massive office. The view through the big glass windows reached all the way to distant, snow-topped peaks.
Meeks rose from his chair and strode toward them, a handsome dark-haired man with sad brown eyes. “Mr. Logan. Ms. Bowman.” He extended his hand to each of them, and they shook. “I understand you wanted to see me about what happened to my wife.”
“Ms. Bowman is a private investigator,” Kade said. “I hired her to look into the murder of my wife, Heather, which, according to police, has a number of similarities to the recent murder of your wife, Barbara.”
Meeks’s shoulders sagged. “Why don’t we sit down?” He led the way to an ultra-modern, black leather sofa and matching chrome-and-black chairs in front of a glass-topped table. All of them sat down, Kade next to Ellie on the sofa. He rested his Stetson on his knee.
Bryan leaned back in his chair. “So, Mr. Logan, apparently we share a similar pain.”
“It’s just Kade, and it looks that way.”
“We’re here to see if we can find a common thread between the two women,” Ellie said. “Something that could link them to the man who killed them.”
Meeks frowned. “I don’t understand. From what I was told, your wife was murdered eight years ago. You don’t really think there’s a chance it could be the same man, do you?”
“The police think it’s possible,” Kade said. “Maybe you can help us find out if it’s true.”
Bryan’s features tightened. “I want to find out who killed her. What would you like to know?”
For the next twenty minutes, Ellie asked questions, everything from the names of Barbara’s closest friends to her activities, both as an individual and with her husband. She made a few notes on her phone.
“What about sports?” Ellie asked.
“Barb played golf and tennis. She was a really good tennis player. And skiing. She loved the winter as long as she could spend some time on the slopes. She was a pretty good athlete all around.”
“Barbara liked to snow ski?” Ellie asked, picking up on the only possible link between the two women so far.
“Yes. We skied every winter. I didn’t go the last couple of years. The company was expanding. I had too much to do.”
On the sofa beside her, Kade’s tall frame shifted forward. “So Barbara went skiing alone?”
“With her friends, yes. Why?”
“My wife often went skiing with her girlfriends. Like you, I was too busy working.”
The unspoken question hung in the air. Bryan held Kade’s stare, then glanced away. He took a deep breath. “You think my wife was cheating.” It was more a statement than a question.
“Mine was, and it’s not an easy thing for a man to admit.”
“No, it isn’t,” Bryan agreed. “Truth is, it’s possible. We were fighting a lot toward the end. I wasn’t giving her as much time as she wanted. I began to suspect something was going on, but I didn’t know for sure. Now it doesn’t matter.”
“Maybe it does,” Ellie said. “Heather Logan’s been dead eight years, but your wife’s murder is recent. We’re going to focus on her death, see if we can find out who killed her. If we find him, there’s a chance we’ll also find the man who killed Kade’s wife.”
“Maybe we’ll get lucky,” Kade added. “Get justice for your wife and for mine.”
Bryan swallowed. The glint of tears appeared in his eyes. He blinked, and it was gone.
Kade rose. Ellie stood, and so did Bryan. “One last question,” she said. “You mentioned Barbara loved to ski. There are lots of places to ski near Denver. Was there any place she preferred?”
“Barbara liked Aspen. Breckenridge is a little closer, but Vail was her favorite, and she had friends there. Tom and Judy Springer. Their names are on your list.”
Ellie’s gaze locked with Kade’s. “Thank you again for your time, Bryan, and for being so honest.”
“If there’s anything else I can tell you, please call. I want this man found as much as you do.” He stuck out his hand. Kade gripped it, and a look passed between the two men.
Ellie led the way out of the office. Kade put on his Stetson and followed. They didn’t speak until they reached the car and were settled inside, out of the blustery cold.
“Vail,” he said, cranking the engine, the heater roaring to life.
Ellie nodded. “It keeps popping up.”
Kade’s features darkened. “From the start, people said Heather ran off with some guy she met in Vail. The gossip was all over Coffee Springs. Even I believed it.”
“You reported her as a missing person. Didn’t the police check it out?”
“I’m sure they followed up on the rumor, but they never came up with anything.”
“After her body was found, you hired a private detective. Did he check it out?”
“Boulder County’s a long way from Vail. It changed the direction of the investigation. The detective never came up with anything, and neither did the police.”
“Doesn’t mean Heather couldn’t have left with a guy she met when she went skiing. There’s no way to know how she ended up where she did.”
Kade’s hands tightened around the steering wheel. “Looks like we’re going to Vail,” he said, and drove the Mercedes out of the parking lot.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“I’D LIKE TO STOP BY MY APARTMENT WHILE WE’RE IN TOWN,” ELLIE said as Kade drove back to the hotel. “I need to check, make sure everything’s okay.”
“No problem. What’s the address?” It was getting late. Kade had promised Ellie a night on the town, and he was looking forward to it. After everything that had happened, they both needed a break. They would head for Vail tomorrow to continue their search.
�
�My apartment’s on Speer Boulevard. It’s only a ten-minute walk from my office.” She gave him an address in the 200 block, and he punched the number into the Mercedes’s GPS system. A soft female voice guided him directly to the location.
Kade pulled into a guest parking space, and they took the elevator up to Ellie’s third-floor unit. She used her key to let them in, then began a quick check to make sure everything was in order.
“There’s a couple of things I need to grab while I’m here,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”
Ellie disappeared into the bedroom, leaving Kade to survey the apartment, a basic one-bedroom, one-bath with dark hardwood floors and windows opening onto a courtyard with a pool. A compact living room with a dining area contained a built-in desk and bookshelves, which, by the look of the stack of files and the reference books on the shelves, Ellie made good use of.
The place wasn’t fancy, and decorations were sparse. Clearly she didn’t spend a lot of time there. He wandered toward the open kitchen, which was roomy and modern, with granite countertops and stainless appliances, the best feature of the apartment. Ellie was a good cook, so it made sense.
She walked out of the bedroom smiling, a garment bag in hand. “I thought I’d pick up something a little more interesting to wear tonight.”
Kade thought about the evening he had planned and what she might be wearing, and his blood headed south. “I can’t wait to see you in it,” he drawled. Meaning I can’t wait to strip you out of it.
Ellie glanced around. “Everything in the apartment seems to be okay.”
“Doesn’t look like you spend much time here.”
She laughed. “That’s why I have artificial plants.”
He took the hanger from her hand and started across the living room. Before he reached the door, a solid knock sounded.
Ellie walked up to check the peephole, then pulled it open. “Justin.”
“Hi, Ellie, I thought I heard you in here. Haven’t seen you in a while.” He was younger than Kade, maybe thirty, with thick blond hair a little too long and a pale, close-cropped beard. The T-shirt he wore showed off a sculpted body and solid biceps. GYM RAT was printed on the front.
Kade disliked him instantly.
“Justin, this is my friend Kade Logan.”
Friend, my ass, Kade thought.
“Kade, this is my next-door neighbor, Justin Cooper.”
Justin’s lips barely curved. “Logan.”
Kade tipped his head. “Cooper.” Neither offered a handshake. A look passed between them that said Justin wasn’t pleased to see Ellie with another man. Kade wanted to take the damn garment bag and wrap it around surfer boy’s blond head.
Ellie must have felt the tension. “I’m sorry, Justin, we were just leaving.” She walked over to the still-open door and waited for her neighbor to walk past her into the hall. “Thanks for stopping by,” she said.
“Way it goes, I guess. I’ll see you next time.” Justin sauntered away.
Ellie waited for Kade to walk out and joined him in the hall. Justin’s door closed behind him as they headed for the elevator.
* * *
It was quiet in the car on the ride back to the hotel. Ellie could tell by the knot in Kade’s jaw exactly what he was thinking.
“Justin is just my neighbor, okay? Nothing more.”
He flicked her a sideways glance. “So you two never dated?”
“He took me out for pizza a couple of times. If you’re asking if we’ve had sex, the answer is no.”
Kade grunted. “Not because he doesn’t want you. He hardly took his eyes off you the whole time we were there.”
“That’s his problem. I’m not interested in Justin.”
Kade pulled the car up in front of the hotel, and the valet opened her door. They walked through the gleaming brass doors into the lobby, but instead of looking up at the colorful skylight or the wrought-iron balustrades that wrapped around every floor, she headed straight for the elevator.
When they reached the suite, Kade carried the garment bag directly into the bedroom. He had only said a few short words since they’d left her apartment.
Ellie eyed him across the bedroom. “Surely you aren’t jealous of Justin Cooper? You make him look like a little boy.”
She thought he would smile, maybe even laugh. But the brittle look remained on his face. Ellie walked over, took off his hat and tossed it on the bed, dragged his mouth down to hers, and very hotly kissed him.
It took a second for his cool demeanor to melt. Then he was kissing her back, hauling her against him and ravishing her lips. His tongue swept in, and the heat intensified, spreading like flames through her body.
Kade shoved her jacket off her shoulders, unbuttoned her blouse, and stripped it away. In seconds, her bra was gone, one of Kade’s big hands cupping her breast. Then his mouth was there, sucking hard, spiking need into her core.
“Kade . . .” She arched her back to give him better access, and he turned his attention to the other breast, suckling and tasting until she started to tremble. He shoved her skirt up around her waist and slid her pink thong down over her hips to the floor.
She barely noticed when he turned her around, bent her over the bed, and came up behind her. Big, talented hands aroused her, stroking till she was repeating his name and begging him to take her. Buzzing down his zipper, Kade freed his erection and buried himself to the hilt.
Ellie moaned. Distantly, she heard herself begging him not to stop, but the words got lost in a jumble of pleasure as Kade gripped her hips and took her deeper, pounding into her until she couldn’t think of anything but him. Nothing had ever made her feel so hot, so wild, so desperate.
She rushed headlong into climax, then came again before Kade followed her to release. Still trembling, she leaned back against him. Who is this person I’ve become? she thought, a thread of worry slipping through her at the power he held.
Kade eased her back against him, and his arms tightened around her. She could feel the drumbeat of his heart, the brush of his lips on the nape of her neck.
Long minutes passed. Kade pulled her skirt down over her hips and turned her to face him. She heard his deep sigh.
“I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard. I meant to slow down, take things easy, but somehow . . .” He raked a hand through his hair. “You were right. I was jealous. I don’t know what’s the matter with me. I’ve never been a jealous man.”
She reached up and touched his face. “What about Heather? Surely it bothered you the way she behaved with other men?”
“I learned to ignore it. With you, it’s different.”
Ellie slid her arms around his neck. “I’ve never been with a man who cared enough about me to be jealous.” Still, it bothered her.
Kade bent his head and softly kissed her. He hadn’t worn a condom. They had discussed it. She was on the pill, and both of them were medically safe. Surely that was the reason the sex had been so good.
Or maybe it was just Kade. She was falling for him. Falling hard. But the closer they got, the more control he seemed to want. Ellie wasn’t willing to give up the independence she had carved out for herself. Not for Kade or any other man.
“Why don’t we take a nap before we have to get dressed,” he said as she returned from the bathroom.
One of her eyebrows arched up. “A nap? That’s what you’re calling it?”
He chuckled. “The suggestion was sincere. If a nap is what you want, that’s what we’ll do.”
She shouldn’t encourage him, not when every day with him pulled her deeper under his spell. But she really wanted to curl up with him for a while.
Ellie stripped off her clothes and climbed up in bed, and Kade undressed and joined her. At first they snuggled, then things got heated. As always, making love seemed the most natural thing in the world. Afterward, they actually did get a little sleep.
Then Kade’s phone signaled an incoming text. Will Turley, with a list of names, everyone who had work
ed at the Red Hawk Mine for the last twelve months, including support personnel, along with a list of people in management: regional, state, and international, all the way up to the CEO.
The hunt for Heather’s murderer would have to be put on hold once more. Kade held up his phone, showing her the list. Will Turley was nothing if not efficient.
Nap time was over.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
THEY DIDN’T LEAVE FOR VAIL THE NEXT MORNING, AS KADE HAD planned. Instead, Ellie set up appointments at the headquarters of Mountain Ore Mining. Last night, after he’d received Will Turley’s text message, Kade had spent an hour going over the names on the list. Nothing popped.
He’d pondered the information throughout the dinner he’d shared with Ellie at John Elway’s swanky downtown steakhouse and done his damnedest to enjoy the meal. In a sexy little black number that showed off her cleavage as well as her pretty legs, Ellie had managed to distract him enough from the murders to actually taste the food.
They had lingered over after-dinner brandies, and by the time they got back to the suite, he’d been relaxed enough to make slow, leisurely love to her—the way he should have done that afternoon. He’d slept better than he had in weeks, but by morning, his thoughts were back on Frank Keller and Earl Dunstan and whoever had murdered them.
Kade had never believed Keller had been hired by one of the Red Hawk miners. According to Turley, he wasn’t the sort to make close friends. If Keller was shooting steers, Kade’s dog, and one of his ranch hands, he wasn’t doing it as a favor to someone. Keller had been paid, and for a high-risk job that could land him in prison, the payment would have been substantial.
Whoever had hired him was someone with plenty of money. According to Earl Dunstan, that same man had killed him. Killed them both.
“I’ve been thinking,” Kade said as he closed the snaps on the cuffs of his western shirt that morning. “If Keller wanted to kill me, he had every opportunity to do it. I wasn’t hiding. I was out with my men almost every day. Even Alejandro. I think Keller could have killed him if he’d wanted to.”
