Swindled
Page 18
“Exhibit A,” he said nodding his head toward her sprawled on the couch. He gave a cheeky grin and Beth noticed a small dimple near the corner of his mouth. He looked relaxed and laid back. He also seemed to be enjoying teasing her far too much.
“Not my fault,” she said “I tripped over a bag. A bag I might add that is not usually sitting in the middle of my floor.” Beth looked back at David. There was something so appealing about him. He sat back into the chair across from her. He smiled a very slow and predatorily type smile.
“Its mine,” he said.
“Well I figured that out thanks,” Beth retorted with a grin. “What is it doing in the middle of my living room?”
“I’m moving into a friend's spare room this afternoon and just stopped by on my way there to see if that idiot was trying to pull another fast one. The fact that you are here is an added bonus to my day.” He gave her another smile and continued, “the bag just came with me.”
“And you decided to leave it there?” Beth asked trying to stop her lips from quirking into a smile in response.
“I came up here to see if I could get to see you face to face without the posse of friends,” David replied showing off his dimple.
“Did you meet them then?” Beth asked curious to know how he had fared among the mad and insane.
“I just followed the revealing tops until I met them all,” he said with that same cheeky grin. “Karin and Charlotte were easy to find in the middle of a circle of men lapping it up. Bee was harder. She had been shanghaied by a guy in a really awful suit,” he explained.
“Oh no, poor Bee.” Putting her hand over her mouth Beth remembered that she had been on her way to save her friend before being waylaid. Trust Karin and Charlotte to let it get out of hand.
“Never fear. I delivered her to the other two for protection and threatened dire consequences if they abandoned her again.”
“Thank you,” Beth said and smiled back. “So you wanted to talk?” Beth tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder and looked him in the eye. There was no way she was going to make a fool of herself in front of him again, she decided. The only way to do that was to stay as still as possible and let him do the talking.
“Look the last time you and I were together it was… satisfying,” he paused and looked her in the eye. “But…”
“But?” Beth raised an eyebrow. Where was he going to go from here and did he really expect to survive what ever comment he made? And come to think of it did she want to hear what he might say next?
“Look we were both scratching an itch,” he said in a reasonable tone of voice.
“Scratching an itch?” Beth said widening her eyes. Okay it might be true but said out loud it just sounded sordid and mortifying. In her mind she had practically planned a life together with him over the past week and he was talking about scratching an itch.
“It was hot, it was sexy and it was one night stand sex,” David said, his voice deepening and his eyes darkening as he reminded her of their night together. “Neither of us planned on seeing one another again. Neither one of us thought it was anything more then it was. Am I wrong?”
“No,” Beth grudgingly admitted twitching her nose. “I’d have to agree.” Beth decided she didn’t want to hear what he said next. Didn’t want to hear how he wasn’t planning on seeing her again. That the only reason she was seeing him now is that David had inadvertently bumped into her here. She wondered if humming loudly would be considered immature in these circumstances.
“Well after our one night stand, a policeman woke me up to ask me to confirm your alibi because you were or are a suspect in your brother’s murder,” David continued looking intently at her.
“And that makes a difference to the whole one night stand uncomplicated uncommitted angle?” Beth asked raising an eyebrow at him. Deciding she could take her medicine even if it was a bitter one, she thought she may as well make him spell it out. Maybe it would make him a little uncomfortable.
“Well you intrigued me,” David admitted taking the wind out of her sails.
“What?” Beth squeaked as warmth flooded her body. She suddenly realised that the sexy man in front of her had grown intense and focused on her. Beth never had a low self-esteem but for a man to admit to attraction, without being naked, was… well something more serious relationships were based on. Wasn’t it? Could he also be feeling an attraction?
“And I think that I intrigue you,” he continued.
“What makes you think that?” Beth asked making a bid for time to think about what he was saying. Was the feeling mutual?
“I just saw the pulse in your neck jump and you are panting,” David replied cheerfully drawing her back into their discussion. He looked entirely comfortable sitting in her easy chair in jeans and a loose green sweater.
Beth snapped her gaping mouth shut and told herself firmly that panting was not appropriate behaviour at this juncture of time. Her body was not helping in calming herself down, it seemed to have developed a mind of its own. Every nerve she had felt like it was jumping for utter joy.
“I want you,” David ended confidently sitting forward in his chair and keeping his eyes firmly on her.
“Yes we’ve established that we have a mutual attraction,” Beth said faintly.
“It’s more then that. I want to find out who you are, what you think about, what makes you give that little smile that you are smiling now.” David moved to sit next to Beth on the couch. “I don’t know what it is but I just keep thinking about you.”
“I know. I have the same problem,” Beth admitted as she watched David move closer to her. She felt wary, almost like a hunted animal being stalked by a predator. A large predator she amended to herself as he sank into the couch next to her.
“You can’t get yourself out of your mind?” he asked teasing her.
“No… I think about you,” Beth slapped a hand to her forehead. “I can’t believe I just admitted that.” She was laying herself open now and with her luck that was never a good idea.
“Why not admit it?” David shrugged. He met Beth's eyes
“You’re a complete stranger,” Beth pointed out.
“This has stopped you from showing your appreciation for me, or at the very least my body, before?” he asked pointedly with an arched eyebrow and an exaggerated lecherous grin.
“Oh stop!” Beth laughed. “Okay you aren’t a complete stranger and yes I admit that you intrigue me. What does it mean? What now?”
“Well. Why not just try getting together?” he asked. “Dating or seeing each other.” David ran a hand through his hair looking disarming and charming. “Whatever they call it these days. We just need to get to know each other and see where it takes us.”
“Okay,” Beth smiled and reached up to brush a stray hair from his forehead. She leaned closer to him enjoying the heat emanating from his body.
“So what are you doing up here while the party is in full swing?” He asked leaning closer. His face grew more serious and focused.
“I came up for a shower. All those thieves and business piranhas have left me feeling slimy,” Beth admitted distracted from the conversation by the way his blue eyes caught the sunlight.
“Then let’s have a shower,” David said with a quirk to his lips as he stood up. “And you can explain that story about Brian’s closets and lingerie.”
“Pervert,” she replied laughing looking up at him.
“I can’t help myself,” he said shrugging. “Look at what you’re wearing.”
As she watched him Beth realised she felt calmer then she had in a long time. Somehow having everything out in the open made it easier. David reached a hand down and pulled Beth up to him.
He leaned forward and gently kissed her on the lips. Beth inhaled the scent of him and felt her knees weaken.
“I know most first dates start with dinner or a movie but I’ve never been one for doing what everyone else does,” he said gently as he pulled her against his chest.
David leaned down and said, “What was that?” with a grin on his face. He knew exactly what she had been thinking. Beth felt the blood flood her face.
He laughed down at her and kissed her again. Beth laughed back. Slowly stripping they moved toward the bathroom together. Every other moment they paused and kissed and laughed. The first time together had been thrilling but fast and half the excitement had been the whole one night stand element. This time around it was more an acknowledgement that it could be the start of something. Maybe nothing serious but the romantic in Beth’s soul was starting to dance around with her nerves. Maybe this might turn into something dreams are made of. Maybe David was right. Maybe it could work out between the two of them.
Standing with her back against David’s naked chest, she looked at their reflection in the bathroom mirror. They fit. It quite simply looked right. David’s hands slipped down to cup her breasts in their red wrapped elegance and Beth caught her breath. She leaned into his body and reached back to hold him more tightly to her as he slipped her bra down her arms and off. He felt tall and lean and strong against her sending warmth through her body. He gently rubbed her nipples between his thumb and forefingers.
Beth caught his heated gaze in the mirror. He was as turned on as she was watching their reflection she realised. David slid a hand down her front and into her panties watching her face’s reaction. Beth’s back arched. Her head fell back and she shut her eyes relishing the feel of him. All she could feel was David hot and warm against her. She slid her hands down into his briefs pushing them down behind her. He helped, taking her panties at the same time.
Turning Beth kissed David sucking for a second longer on his bottom lip she pulled him into the shower with her. Under the spray of warm water they kissed and stroked each other, slipping the condom on. The deliberate calm that had let them enjoy each others bodies began to fade and there was a frantic increase as the passion began to consume them. David reached down and lifted Beth up against the tiled bathroom wall.
Their hips met and he pushed between her thighs. He thrust against her and in her. She wrapped her legs around him. Both gasped as the exquisite pleasure consumed them. David tightened his grip and shifted her, changing the angle and suddenly Beth’s whole body convulsed as the release hit her. Heat melted her muscles and she tightened her legs around him as he thrust into her body. She undulated her hips drawing a strangled groan from David’s mouth. His climax pulsed through him. Desperately trying to catch their breath both leaned into one another against the bathroom wall, hot water showering down on them.
“I think I’m dying,” David sputtered.
“Don’t even joke!” Beth groaned back and moaned again as he pulled back from her body letting her legs down. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to carry her own weight but if they stayed in the shower much longer they would start looking like raisins. Drying him off would be far more fun.
David and Beth spent the next two hours together, the funeral downstairs forgotten. They talked, laughed and generally got to know one another. Beth was surprised how much they had in common. By the time they surfaced again she felt like she had known him forever and yet it was just a few short hours. They headed back down to the funeral to catch the tail end of the celebrations or rather commiserations. Luckily by four o’clock even the most diehard of funeral goers had given up. The funeral director, who had ended up a jittering wreck by lunchtime, pulled himself together enough to sort out the retrieval of Brian’s body. By early evening the house was thankfully peaceful and dead body free.
Chapter 32
Spending the evening over pizza with Scott and Vickie, Beth realised that David fit. He talked about sports with Scott while Vickie regaled him with tales of scheming woe from the funeral. Together they all sat laughing late into the evening. It felt nice to be a part of a couple. Beth watched David’s face while he talked. He enthralled her. By the time the two of them were tucked tightly up against each other in bed Beth realised that he made her truly happy. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep content that he was here with her.
It seemed like minutes later that she woke again. There was a light spilling in between the cracks of the curtains so she must have slept well. It was morning and snuggled against the warm body sleeping next to her, Beth couldn’t for the life of her understand what had woken her up. Her body felt stretched and muscles relaxed. She felt content and happy. Dragging her eyes open she realised that there was someone in her flat. That’s what had pulled her from her dreamless sleep. Beth thought about it. It wasn’t unusual for Vickie in full nesting urge to wake her with hot coco these days but it seemed early in the day for that. Giving up on getting back to sleep, she slipped out of bed and went out into the sitting room to see what was going on. Scott was waiting for her in his robe looking half asleep and grumpy. With his morning shadow he looked more menacing then she would have thought possible. No doubt about it Scott was not very happy.
“Those investigators are back. They want us all downstairs,” he spoke quietly trying not to wake David while keeping his temper under control. Beth felt all the breath leave her body as he said it.
“Again?! What’s going on?” Beth whispered back wrapping her robe more tightly around her. Suddenly the relaxed warm glow that her body had woken up in was gone. She felt cold and anxious.
“I don’t know. He wouldn’t say,” Scott ran a hand through his hair. He was helpless to stop the police from harassing them and it was starting to bother him. What could they do Beth wondered? It wasn’t like they could kick the police out of the house. What was the world coming to that they seemed to have less rights then a common criminal when none of them had done anything wrong?
“We’ll be down in a minute,” David said from the doorway of her bedroom making both Scott and Beth jump. He had pulled on a pair of jeans and looked wide awake which was more then Beth could say for herself. He and Scott shared a significant look as Scott headed back toward the stairs. She frowned trying to concentrate on the seriousness of the situation, on the fact that there were policemen once again waiting downstairs but Beth couldn’t keep her eyes off of David. He looked warm, rumpled and rugged. Standing in the doorway of her bedroom he looked delicious. Watched her he had a heated look in his eyes and a smile on his face.
“Is this going to become a habit?” he asked tilting his head to the side. It made him look disarming and sweetly boyish.
“What’s that?” Beth asked him as she walked toward the door. She was having a hard time keeping track of her thoughts.
“Being woken up after a night with you by the police?” David replied with a steady grin. She could tell he wasn’t overly worried by the situation. The serious in his look had faded as Scott had left. No doubt the police would bare the brunt of it if they suggested anything remotely untoward. Beth felt warmth fill her again chasing away the chill in the morning air. She had someone on her side. She smiled realising that his support meant more to her then anything else. She wouldn’t have to face it alone and be the strong one. She had someone to share her worries with. It felt exhilarating.
“Very funny,” she said. She put her hands on his shoulders and leaned up to kiss him. Beth couldn’t help it. Having him there was a dream come true. His very presence made her feel safer and protected. It was heady stuff.
“Good morning,” she said and moved away. David reached out to grab her hand and pulled her back against his chest. He cupped her face with his other hand and leaned down to kiss her more deeply. “Sorry about the wake up call. Again.”
“It makes it memorable, I’ll give you that,” he said. “Of course you are memorable without the police alarm clock.” She smiled up at him and together they pulled on more clothes and headed down the stairs.
Minutes later they were all to
gether in the sitting room. Joseph Serrate was looking very serious as he sat opposite the couch. His partner couldn’t take his eyes off David. The man was practically drooling. Must be a rugby fan Beth thought. She looked back at Joseph. There was something in his face that made a shiver run down her spine. This was not going to be good news.
“Has something happened?” Beth asked feeling faintly sick. She didn’t know if she could take more accusations today.
“I’m afraid that Tina Shuler was found dead last night,” Joseph leaned forward to reply. He looked from Beth to David and back again. He continued, “She worked at your brother’s firm. We are investigating any potential links between it and Brian’s death.” His voice was quiet and respectful. He must have an inkling, Beth decided, of just what this was doing to their family. Even he must see that coming back to them over and over again was taking its toll. They had done nothing and even if he thought they had there was no evidence to suggest they were linked. Beth looked again at the detective. She noticed he was very pale and his eyes looked sunken like he hadn’t slept. This was not a good week to be a detective.
“Oh no. That’s terrible.” Vickie said sitting with Scott on the end of the couch. She was pale herself and looked tired which given that she was uncomfortable in any one position for long was not unusual. Beth wished she could spare her sister this but another murder meant serious business. How awful.
“What can you tell me about her?” Joseph asked. He had his notebook out and despite his obvious exhaustion he looked alert.
Beth and Vickie shared a glance. What could they say about Tina other then that she was very much like every other girlfriend Brian had hired over the past two years? Vickie frowned and Beth said, “She was very young.” It just sounded horrible to describe someone as a floozy even if that was the case. She wasn’t going to do it and it looked like Vickie wasn’t either.