She turned back to Gavin. “Will you stay with me?”
What did that mean?
“Always, baby.”
She lowered her arms to her side. Riley’s balls clenched and turned painful. He adjusted them, but the relief was short-lived.
She looked up at him. “Maybe just a few licks. I’m kind of sore.”
He wasn’t sure he could do just a few. Letting her decide the scope of what he could do wasn’t his style, but she didn’t know that. Using every ounce of control he possessed, he eased toward her, keeping his gaze on her face and not on her magnificent tits.
His heart slammed against his chest as he gently cupped them. He was in heaven. Her slightly swollen lips gapped opened and a tiny pink tongue darted out as if she wanted to lick him or kiss him. His balls turned to rock.
He inhaled to gain control, and as he rubbed his thumbs across her distended nipples, he closed his eyes and ground his teeth to keep from taking her.
My God, but her breasts were the perfect weight and the perfect size. His cock turned harder than the cement floor he was standing on, and desire swept him so hard he almost lost his balance.
When she opened her mouth and closed her eyes, he lost it. In a flash, he swooped down and devoured her luscious lips. He told himself it was to see how well she’d fit in his life, but if he was honest, he just wanted to taste her.
To his delight she welcomed him in, and his inner Dom raged. His tongued darted in and swept her mouth, loving her innocent sweetness.
He broke the kiss and stepped back, unable to calm his racing heart. He had to stop, had to step back. Riley swallowed hard. “We’ll continue this later, sugar.”
Blood pounding in his cock, he drew on his military control to walk away from her.
This wasn’t good. Brooke Armstrong was the first woman to make him lose all control and he wasn’t sure what to do about it.
* * * *
Gavin was thrilled at Brooke’s openness and willingness to kiss Riley in front of him. From the way she pressed her body against his roommate, she might be receptive to making love with them both. Knowing how timid she could be, those two needed to spend some quality time together.
The timing worked for him. He needed to follow some clues today anyway.
Gavin patted her butt. “Get dressed, baby. I need to see what Riley found out when he was in Bozeman.”
What he really wanted was to ask if she’d liked it when Riley touched her breasts, but she might be too shy to tell him the truth. She wasn’t as comfortable in her body as he would have liked, but she was making strides. He didn’t understand her issues, as he loved her lush breasts and ample ass, but if she didn’t think she was perfect, it was his job to change her mind. Soon, she’d learn that skinny women turned him off. Riley, he knew, felt the same way.
Gavin pulled on his shorts and gathered the rest of his clothes while Brooke hurriedly dressed. Once she went upstairs, she headed straight to her room while he ducked in his to change into non-workout clothes. He was quick about it, and then gathered his coat and weapon. As he stepped from his room, he shot a glance down the hallway. Brooke’s door remained closed. Good.
The refrigerator door banged shut, as Gavin strode into the kitchen. He needed to speak with Riley before Brooke appeared. She didn’t need to learn anything else about the case.
“What did you find out in Bozeman?” Gavin poured water into the coffeemaker and popped the coffee disk in the machine for a drink to go.
“Not much. Mason and Liam are working on drug contacts. They have one informant, but the guy hasn’t been all that forthcoming. It’s possible this killer isn’t from Bozeman.”
That was not what he wanted to hear. “That’ll make it harder to find him.”
Riley nodded. “So now what?”
“I want to stop by Justin’s. If Culver had a cell phone on him, maybe we can get a log of his last calls.”
“That’ll take a warrant.”
“I’ll have Justin ask Judge Williams to issue one.”
Riley smiled. “I like it. While you’re investigating, I’ll be sure to take good care of our woman.” He slid onto the stool and propped his elbows on the counter. “I hope Brooke isn’t upset that I didn’t stay longer.”
That had made him wonder. “What happened to you anyway? Couldn’t keep your dick under control?” The coffee finished brewing and he poured the contents into a small thermos.
Riley dragged a hand over his head. “No. There’s something about her that calls to me. She’s like one of those mythical sirens who hails sailors.”
Gavin chuckled. “That’s a first. You’re normally the man of steel.”
“Apparently not around Brooke. We’ve been hanging out with the wrong kind of women I guess.”
Gavin wasn’t quite sure what he meant. “What kind is that?”
“Too thin and too dumb.”
“You got that right.” The door to Brooke’s bedroom opened. “I gotta boogie. She’ll be less upset if I’m gone when she gets out here. I’ll be in touch.” He grabbed the coffee and split before Brooke reached the kitchen.
As he headed to town, he sorted through his options. On the way, he called his cousin to let him know he needed his help.
“I’ll be at the office for another hour,” Justin said. “Want me to call the morgue to see if they retrieved Culver’s phone?”
“That would speed things up. Thanks.”
The day was overcast, and it looked like it might snow. He turned up the heat just because he could. The last time he’d had it this high, he’d had a very cold Brooke in the front seat. He smiled just thinking how far they’d come since that evil night.
From way his body throbbed every time she came into his thoughts, he was falling hard for her. Did she yearn for his touch as much he needed hers? Gavin never worried about how a woman would respond to him, but with Brooke it was different. He wanted her.
The wind whipped across the barren plains and jostled his car, drawing his attention back to the road. Clearly, today wasn’t a good time to be outside, but he had little choice.
With no traffic to speak of, he reached Main Street rather quickly and was able to grab a spot close to the Sheriff’s Department. Keeping his head down, he rushed inside. Out of habit, he stomped his boots on the welcome mat.
“Hey, Connie.”
She looked up and smiled. “Hi, Gavin. Justin said to go in.”
One man was asleep in one of the two holding cells while another was sitting on the bunk, his head in his hands. Last night must have been an active one.
“Justin.”
His cousin looked up and motioned he sit. “I called the morgue. Culver did have a phone. The judge said he’ll send someone over with the warrant for all of Culver’s possessions as well as for the phone records.”
“Great.” Pleasure sure worked faster than Denver. He liked that.
“If the guy’s a mule, he probably wouldn’t use a traceable phone.”
He expected that to be the case. “Burn phones aren’t always untraceable. Besides, he might not be that smart.”
“Let’s hope.”
While they waited for the warrant, they shot the breeze. He told him about Dylan and Gabe keeping an eye out for Ceci Armstrong. “The parents said they don’t need protection.”
Justin leaned back in his seat. “The Armstrongs have quite a large operation. If they’ve been forewarned, no harm should come to them. Their men will see to it.”
That eased his worries. “How’s Lydia doing?” He hadn’t had a lot of contract with their wife, but he liked her down-home quality.
“She loves working at the clinic. She’s still in school, but she’ll be a nurse before long.”
“Any thoughts to kids?” Of late, his mind had wandered in that direction.
“I wish, but Lydia is determined to get through school first. She’s still best friends with Chelsea who somehow is amazing at juggling a full-time job and having kid
s under foot. Having her mom around helps though.”
From what he’d heard, Lydia’s mom would be no help. The front door opened, and a young kid who looked no older than a high schooler trotted in. Connie stood, and the two chatted. A minute later, he handed her a piece of paper, and then disappeared out the door.
Eager to investigate, Gavin pushed back his chair. “I’m betting that’s our warrant.”
“Keep me in the loop.”
“Always.” They shook hands and Gavin stepped from his cousin’s office.
Connie waved the paper at him. “I think this is what you’ve been waiting for.”
He took the proffered paper, glanced at the contents, and smiled. “You bet.”
The morgue was located in the basement of the Pleasure Hospital. As he entered, an ambulance sat in the emergency entrance, the back doors open. He hated hospitals. Not only did they remind him of his many stays but of the months he watched his younger brother wither away and die. Even the antiseptic smell sickened him now, as it made him think of all he’d lost.
Brooke’s question about what Chandler’s death taught him had caught him off guard at the time, but the more he thought about it, the more he began to realize there was a reason for all things. For one, he might not have entered the service if cancer hadn’t taken his brother from his family. Gavin had been so lost after his death that the discipline of the military drew him.
Without the military training, he doubted he’d have started his own detective firm, which meant he never would have met Brooke. Life sure was strange.
He shoved aside his personal issues and headed to the receptionist’s desk. Once he showed the warrant to the lady, she directed him where to go. As soon as he stepped out of the elevator two floors down, he was glad he had on a coat.
The walls were a dead-pine-tree green and the recessed lights cast harsh shadows. Come on, people. Even though it was a morgue, make it a little cheerier.
He knocked then entered the door that said Director. A man with stooped-shoulders and wire-rimmed glasses looked up. “Give me a second.” He placed the paper he was studying in the folder and closed it.
“I trust you were the one who called about the Culver body?”
Actually it was Justin, but it didn’t matter who’d placed the call since Gavin had the warrant. “Yes.” He handed the paper to him.
The man pushed himself to a stand, grabbed his cane, and stepped from behind the desk. “Come this way. I had Helen pull his stuff.”
“What can you tell me about cause of death?”
“I put the report with his belongings, but in a nutshell, he bled out from the stab wound.”
“Could you identify the type of knife?”
“Sharp.”
Gavin smiled. “Anything else you can tell me?”
“The killer knew where the stomach was. His one swipe cut the stomach lining precisely at the midway point. Upon further study, I found perforations in the back of the stomach lining.”
“From fingers digging around?”
“Possibly. The body only had three small sacks of drugs inside. From my experience working in Los Angeles, mules often carry more.”
“Our witness saw the man reach into the victim’s belly, but it was too dark for her to tell if he retrieved anything.”
His brows rose. “Perhaps the killer was interrupted and didn’t have time to find all of them.”
“That would be my guess.” Gavin held out his hand. “Thank you.”
“Anytime. I don’t get many visitors. On your way out, stop by Helen’s desk. She has what you need.”
He signed release the papers. Gavin had promised to return everything to the Bozeman PD after he was finished looking through the man’s possessions. Justin had already cleared it with them. Because their police department was understaffed, they were happy to have the help.
Snow flurries greeted him as he stepped outside. He had Mr. Culver’s home address and decided to question the wife, hoping she’d have an idea about her husband’s drug connection. If not, he dreaded making her bad day worse.
Chapter Ten
The trip to visit Mrs. Culver went about as expected. Full of denial, Amy Culver was adamant that her husband was a medical equipment salesman and nothing more. He hated drugs, she said.
What Gavin did learn from the wife, after many tears, was that they were late on their house payment, and her car had already been repossessed. Chris Culver was probably a desperate man forced to find a way to make money. That sickened Gavin. Culver made a bad choice to run drugs, but he didn’t deserve to die.
Next stop was to speak with his two partners who ran the Bozeman office. Before he went inside to speak with Mason and Liam, Gavin sat in the parking lot, anxious to check Culver’s last call. Unfortunately, the cell was dead. Damn. Since the phone had sat in the morgue, searching for a signal for a few days, he wasn’t surprised it was out of juice.
Only Mason Sax was in the office when he arrived. They shook hands. “Where’s Liam?”
“Running down a clue on another case.”
Gavin was happy they kept so busy. “Let’s chat.” They went into Mason’s office and Gavin pulled up a chair. “You got anything?”
“As soon as Riley filled us in about the murder, I made some calls.”
It made it easier that Mason was up to speed and on the case. “And?”
“Our snitch has some interesting information about some of the pushers. I’m meeting with him at the Sideline Grill in a few minutes.”
“That’s great.” Things were coming together better than he’d hoped.
“Want to come?”
Gavin grinned. “Can drugs kill?”
Even though their office sat on the edge of town, they drove the few blocks to the restaurant, which was situated in the back of a bar. Mason held open the front door and Gavin entered. “Don’t expect too much,” Mason said. “Billy is often a little under the weather.”
Gavin laughed. “Makes him blend in better.” It would be difficult to find out about drug shipments and who bought the drugs without using on occasion.
Mason smiled. “Let’s do this.”
* * * *
Brooke stepped out of the hot shower, and once more recreated what had happened in the basement. Remembering Gavin’s amazing hands, mouth, and cock, her pussy pulsed, and her sore tits throbbed. She didn’t care if her body ached from here until eternity. Gavin had been amazing—better in fact than she thought possible. He was gentle when she needed him to be and rough and tough when her desires soared. She was still riding on a high from the incredible sex. If she had a vote, his cock belonged in a museum. Okay, that was an exaggeration, but his size had stretched her to the point of delicious pain.
And then there were his kisses. Yum. The man could make her melt where she stood, and the moment his tongue explored her mouth, her body had exploded with need. He seemed to know every sensitive spot and erogenous zone on her body.
Then Riley had come in. She’d been shocked, that was for sure. Gavin had asked her before if she wanted to make love with him, but he hadn’t had time to tell Riley she was willing.
She inwardly chuckled. The man sure did seem to have radar every time she was naked. At least this time she’d had on her glasses, so she could see his reaction. He looked liked he wanted to pounce, and she thought she’d struck gold. The kiss they’d shared had been as amazing as any with Gavin, but as soon as he rubbed her breasts, he stepped away and hurried up the stairs.
His reaction hurt at first then perplexed her. A week ago, if he’d kissed and run away, she would have concluded he didn’t find her attractive. But after being with Gavin, she believed that both he and Riley loved her lush curves, and even liked her wild hair.
Riley’s bulging erection confirmed that fact, too. So why did he leave her wanting more? Aargh. Men.
So now what was she to do? Let him come to her, or tell him how she felt? She sucked at expressing her desires to a man.
To further prevent any incidents, she’d used Gavin’s shower. With her glasses off, she couldn’t see the dirt on the floor he’d alluded to.
Now dressed, she had to face both men. In a way, she should just make love with Riley and get the awkwardness out of the way. It was what she wanted anyway.
She stepped into Gavin’s room and smiled at the way his bed was unmade and the clothes he’d worn downstairs had been flung over a chair. As soon as she entered the hallway, noise from the television bled toward her. Maybe Gavin was in the kitchen. She could use something to eat and rushed in to see a friendly face.
The television clicked off. “Gavin went to check on the dead man’s cell phone.”
She spun to face Riley. Her mind raced. She probably should talk about the kiss, but discussing facts instead of what was in her heart was easier. “You think the last call might have been from the killer?”
He held her gaze as if he, too, wondered if he should bring up the kiss. Riley slapped his thighs. “We can only hope.”
His cell rang. Riley pulled it from his pocket and looked up at her. “It’s Gavin. Excuse me.” He placed the phone to his ear. “Yo. Uh-huh. What are you thinking?” He leaned back against the sofa and propped up his feet. “Where? I’ll figure something out. Keep in touch.” He disconnected and tossed the phone down next to him.
She moved in front of him. “What did he say?”
“How would you like to get out of the house?”
He didn’t answer her question. “Something’s wrong isn’t it?” Her stomach coiled and her pulse rose. She adjusted her glasses higher on her nose.
Monroe, Melody Snow - Bodyguards of Pleasure [Pleasure, Montana 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 10
