“Then don’t. Decide you’re going to learn from it. Move on.”
“Is that what you’ll do if we don’t find Ashley? Move on?”
Elise couldn’t go there. Not if she was going to be of any use to Trent. She pushed away the fear and panic his words evoked and refused to give up. “What will it take for you to forgive yourself? Do you need to save a life to balance things out?”
“It doesn’t work like that.”
“Then how does it work? If you were the one sitting in John’s wheelchair, and he’d been the one who accidentally shot you, would you want his life to be over? Would you want him to be miserable?”
“Of course not. This is not about revenge, or evening the score. I just can’t take that kind of risk anymore. If that means I plant bushes for the rest of my life, then so be it. It’s honest work.”
“But not the work of your heart.”
A bleak laugh fell from his lips. “Good thing I’m not some starry-eyed teen who thinks that’s the end of the world, then.”
“You’re giving up on yourself.”
“Why do you care? It’s not like we have a future together.”
She let go of his hand, rolled over on her side and leaned on her elbow. “First, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to make you see reason. Second, who says we don’t have a future?”
“Anyone with half a brain. You have a job you love, traveling around the world, doing important work. I don’t.”
“You could.”
“Could what?”
“Have a job you love. Even if you’re unwilling to wear a badge, you could do something else. You could go into private security, or become a PI.”
“I’m not going to carry a gun.”
“So, don’t. Find another way. If this thing between us turns out to be more than just sex, then we’ll make it work for as long as we can.”
He shook his head in grim amusement. “I could just see it now. You come back to Haven three weeks out of the year, spread out here and there, and I sit at home, waiting for you to show.”
“Yeah, okay. Maybe the long-distance relationship thing isn’t for us, but we won’t know until we try, right?”
“You deserve a husband who isn’t fucked up.”
“Whoa. Who said anything about marriage?”
“That is the logical progression of a lasting relationship.”
“Not with me, it’s not. As far as I’m concerned, marriage is an invitation to misery.”
“So, you don’t believe in commitment?”
“I never said that. I just don’t believe in standing up in front of the world and declaring something will last forever when everyone knows that’s a huge, steaming pile of shit.”
“Wow. And you thought I was cynical.”
“I’m realistic. Marriage doesn’t work. Why bother?”
“It can work, at least when people love each other.” Something desperate and hopeful shone in his eyes. Maybe he was simply looking for something to distract him from all the guilt he suffered.
“People always love each other at first. But it goes away. It fades.”
He shook his head. “Not the real thing. It’s rare, so maybe you’ve never seen it, but I have. I see it every time I visit my parents.”
Elise wanted to believe, but she knew better. Like the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny, true love was just a pretty story told to young children—one they learned was a lie as soon as their parents split up.
Still, she couldn’t stand the thought of destroying the lie for Trent. She remembered how good that lie felt. “That must be nice.”
He studied her face for a moment, frowning. “You don’t believe me.”
“I believe you believe it.”
“Here I was, feeling sorry for myself when you’re the one who’s really got issues.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You may not realize it, but somewhere along the way, you got your brain scrambled. When all this is over, I’m going to take you home to my folks and show you how wrong you are.”
He could show her whatever he liked. It wouldn’t change anything. At most, he’d show her two people who tolerated each other out of convenience or habit. At worst, he’d see through the childish illusion and become even harder and more cynical. “No, thanks. I’ll pass.”
“Are you afraid you’re wrong?”
“No. I’m afraid you’ll figure out you are. I don’t want to do that to you.”
He had the gall to smile at her like she was some kind of foolish kid. “It’s going to be fun to watch you eat those words.”
“If you say so.”
“It’s going to be even more fun to show you how good a marriage can be between two people who love each other.”
“You are the most marriage-minded man I’ve ever known. We haven’t even been on a date yet.”
“My talk of marriage makes you nervous because a woman like you could never love a man like me.”
He was wrong. She realized it then. It jumped out at her, scaring the hell out of her. She could love him, despite his bout of unreasonable self-doubt and his foolish beliefs about marriage. He’d been kind to her, kind to Ashley. He took care of the people around him and when he messed up, it hurt him deeply. He wasn’t the kind of man who gave up on other people. Just on himself.
Elise didn’t want that for him. Even if what they had was a product of stress and adrenaline, she didn’t want him to suffer once this thing between them was over, and she was gone. He deserved better than that.
Maybe, if she tried hard, she’d find a way to show him that—to prove it to him. Until then, all she could do was prove to him how much he meant to her, how much she cared for him.
She climbed on top of him, straddling him, and forced him to look into her eyes. The golden chips swimming in his eyes glowed with self-doubt, but Elise was going to find a way to change that. “You’re wrong,” she told him, letting him see the truth in her words. “A woman like me would be lucky to love a man like you. But even that won’t matter if you don’t love yourself.”
“That sounds a hell of a lot like bullshit. But I like it anyway.”
“Good.” She kissed the tip of his nose.
“Sweetheart, when you look at me like that, it makes me forget all the mistakes I’ve made.”
“And what happens when I do this?” She kissed his mouth, nibbling at his firm lips. His body went tight beneath hers, his penis thickened and hardened against the gusset of her panties, but she tried valiantly to ignore it.
“I forget what day of the week it is, or why I should care.”
“And this?” she asked, deepening the kiss, tasting the warmth of his mouth, feeling the sharpness of his teeth against her tongue.
“I forget my own name.”
“But do you know mine?”
“Elise,” he said, as he cradled her head in his hands and kissed her back. “Elise McBride.”
She smiled down at him. “I’m glad you remembered.”
He stared at her mouth. “If you don’t get off me, I’m afraid I’m going to forget we’re sleeping in someone’s guest room.”
She wiggled her hips against his groin, feeling his erection twitch. Only the thin cotton of their underwear separated them. “Maybe that’s what I want.”
“To scandalize Carol?”
She ran her hands over his chest, feeling the hard contours of his muscles gliding under her fingers. “She went shopping. John’s gentleman enough not to listen, or at least to pretend he didn’t.”
“We’re not going to do this here.”
That sounded too much like a challenge for Elise to resist. She whipped her shirt off over her head, making her blond curls fly around her face.
Trent’s gaze honed in on her breasts and his hips bucked beneath her.
Her blood went thick and hot in her veins, making her feel languid and breathless. The only time she truly stopped thinking about all the danger and worry was when Trent made her come. Al
l she could think about then was surviving the rush of pleasure long enough for him to do it again.
He gripped her hips, but his arms froze, as if he wasn’t sure whether to pull her closer or lift her away. “We’re not going to do this,” he whispered.
Elise merely smiled and cupped her breasts in her palms, offering them to him in open invitation.
Trent groaned and closed his eyes.
As if she’d let him escape that easily. The man needed to have a little fun, to let go. And she was just the woman to make it happen.
She leaned down so that her nipples grazed his chest and pressed her open mouth against the side of his throat.
Trent sucked in a breath and let it out in a harsh curse. “You play dirty.”
Elise grinned against his neck and flicked her tongue out to taste his skin. His taste went to her head. He made her feel sexy. He made her feel unstoppable, like a force of nature. With him at her side, there was nothing she couldn’t do.
In that moment, Elise realized that she was going to do whatever it took to keep him. They’d deal with whatever problems they had to, but in the end, he was going to be hers for as long as they could make it last.
“I’m not playing at all,” she said.
He rolled her over and covered her nipple with his mouth. He drew her deep, making rocketing streaks of sensation rip through her until they pooled in her womb. Trent’s fingers slid over her ribs and belly, and snaked down to her labia. He didn’t need any help finding the spot that made her squirm. His aim was perfect. She was moments away from making John blush with her screams, and all it took was the tip of one finger.
He stopped at the last second and said, “Oh, no, you don’t. I’m not letting you get away that easily—not after the way you teased me.”
“Teasing is when you’re not willing to follow through. I’m willing.” Ready and eager.
Trent’s fingers moved, leaving her hanging. Sexual need gripped her by the throat and didn’t let go.
He slid his hands beneath her panties and pulled them off, then he settled down between her splayed thighs. The first flick of his tongue had her lifting up off the bed. The second had her jerking the other pillow over her face to keep from embarrassing them. After that, she lost count.
Trent teased her, tortured her, and nearly made her beg to let her come. Every time she got close, he backed off until she was ready to scream.
Elise wasn’t the type of woman who begged, but she was seriously considering it when he moved away, leaving her panting and covered in a sheen of sweat.
Her arms were almost too weak to move, but she managed to get the pillow off her face long enough to see him get a condom out of his bag. He rolled it on and came back to her, giving her no time to change her mind.
Not that she would.
She thought he’d cover her body with his and take her, but instead, he lifted her up until she was straddling his hips again.
“Like this,” he told her. “I want it like this.”
Elise was more than happy to oblige.
Trent’s head was about to explode. Elise was the most beautiful, sexiest woman he’d ever seen.
She sank down on him, taking him slow and deep. Each rocking motion she made as she worked to join them fully made her breasts jiggle enticingly. He liked breasts as much as any straight man, but Elise’s drew his attention like no other woman’s ever had. They made his mouth water and his palms ache to touch.
Her eyes were closed and her head was thrown back as she rode him. Each graceful curve and soft hollow of her body called to him to touch and taste. Her skin was softer than any he’d ever touched, and the scent of it drove him wild.
His body hummed with need, demanding release, but he held it back and enjoyed the view. He could watch her like this—all pink and blissed out—forever. It was the kind of sight a man could drown in and be happy he’d had the chance.
Her pace sped, and the soft sighs escaping her lips became needful cries. She was close. He could feel the fine tremors inside her, vibrating along the length of his cock, and he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer either.
Her fingers curled against his chest, clutching and releasing in time with her strokes. Her thighs clamped his. She held her breath, pressed down fully, driving him as deep as he could go, and then she flew. Her cry of release was sweet and clear, filling his head and making him feel complete somehow.
There wasn’t time to figure it out, though. His dick had other plans as his climax slammed into him and shoved him over the edge of pleasure. His muscles locked down as he throbbed in time with Elise’s body. Each milking squeeze made him gasp and jerk as he came inside her.
Finally, when his lungs were burning and his throat was raw, the climax slowed and gave up its stranglehold.
Elise collapsed against him, panting. Trent stroked her back with clumsy hands. He wanted nothing more than to give into the pull of sleep, but he couldn’t risk the condom leaking.
He lifted her away and eased her down onto the bed. She didn’t bother to open her eyes.
Trent pulled the sheet up over her naked body, took care of the condom, and went right back to her side.
He belonged here with her. Maybe it was the sex talking, but he felt right here, stroking her cooling skin, feeling her slowing heartbeat.
He wasn’t much of a believer in perfection, but as far as he was concerned, Elise was the perfect woman.
Gary was back. Ashley heard his steady, even gait outside her door.
She pressed her ear against the cold metal, listening. She heard his voice, then the sound of another heavy metal door shutting. Another door opened, he spoke, closed the door.
There was at least one other woman down here—one woman who was going to die tonight by her hand.
Ashley stifled a shiver and glanced at the table where her tools lay. She’d made sure not to leave any obvious signs of what she intended to do, for fear he’d stop her. Gathering everything from her hiding place under the blankets would take precious seconds, but she had no choice. She had to risk those seconds and hope that Gary wasn’t able to escape this building before it was too late.
A key slid into the lock and she jumped back away from the door. A second later, Gary appeared, holding a tray of food.
He shut the door behind him and set the tray down on the table. The whole time, he watched her, his oil-slick eyes narrow with suspicion.
“What has my pet been up to today?” he asked her.
“Nothing,” she said, a little too quickly.
His brows lifted. “Really? Why don’t I believe you? And why are your cheeks pink?”
Ashley’s hands flew to cover her cheeks, cursing herself for allowing a guilty blush to give her away. “Maybe I caught Constance’s fever.”
A slow, sinister smile twisted his mouth. “Not yet, you haven’t.”
He stepped toward her and Ashley backed away, unable to stop her instinctive reaction. She bumped into the wall and pressed herself against it.
Gary closed the gap between them, almost touching her. “But you will. Soon.”
He cupped her cheek in his hand. She caught the scent of something harsh and floral, like rubbing alcohol and perfume. Or fingernail polish remover.
Ashley’s stomach heaved, and she ground her teeth to keep from throwing up. She couldn’t stand the thought of being any weaker than she was.
She tried to jerk her head away from his touch, but his fingers slid through her hair, holding her in place with a tight grip.
“You never told me you had a sister,” said Gary.
It took a moment for the meaning of his words to sink in. “You stay away from her,” warned Ashley.
Gary let out a laugh that sounded cultured and elegant, like he was at some kind of cocktail party. “She’s looking for you. I think I’m going to let her find you.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“She’ll take good care of you, I’m sure. Right to the very end.”
Gary leaned forward until his nose was against her neck, and he breathed in deeply. “I love that smell,” he said. “Terror and helplessness. I just can’t get enough.”
He pulled back to look down at her. “I’m not going to be able to wait much longer. Good thing your sister is clever and resourceful. It won’t take her long to figure out the clue I left her.”
“What clue?” asked Ashley, dreading the knowledge even as she asked for it.
“The one I carved into Constance’s stomach.”
Elise woke up to find Trent watching her. Judging from the fading light outside, she’d slept the whole day away.
“Did you get any rest?” she asked him. He was fully dressed, unlike herself. It had been hot in the bedroom. The southern windows had allowed the sun to heat the room all day, and now it was nearly stifling. She’d kicked the sheet off at some point, leaving her completely nude.
“Enough.” The golden flecks in his eyes were glowing bright as he stared down at her naked body.
“What time is it?”
“Almost seven.”
She’d been asleep for hours, despite the heat. Apparently, she’d reached the end of her strength and needed to recharge. She only hoped it made a difference in the search for Ashley. “Has Detective Woodward called?”
“Not yet. He probably didn’t have anything new to report.”
Disappointment rose in the back of her throat, bitter and searing. “I was hoping he would. I’m not sure where we go from here without any leads.”
“I’ll call him for you.” Trent fished his phone out of his pocket and dialed. “Hi, Ed.”
He listened briefly and from the way his face hardened, Elise knew it wasn’t good news.
She pressed a hand to her mouth to hold back the cry of denial. She was tired of jumping to the conclusion that Ashley was dead every time the phone rang, but she couldn’t seem to make herself stop. Her mind just went there of its own volition, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
“It’s not Ashley,” Trent said to her. Into the phone, he said, “We’ll be there as soon as we can.” He hung up.
Love you to Death Page 22
