“All right,” Matt murmured, kissing her brow, “let me get a bath drawn for you.”
Casey moved into the kitchen. She knew Matt always kept a bottle of wine in the fridge. And then she remembered the doctor had said no alcohol with the drug still in her bloodstream. It would take twenty-four hours for it to work its way out of her system, she had been told. Grimacing, she decided on hot tea instead as she waited for the bath to be ready. Her heart sang even though she was exhausted. Matt loved her. And she loved him. And Megan was speaking. Looking around the quiet kitchen, Casey realized that it had been a day of miracles despite it being fraught with danger.
She pulled down two mugs from the cabinet and opened up a box of tea bags. Everything she did seemed to quell her anxiety. After finding out more about Benson, Casey found herself grateful to be alive. She should be dead. But she wasn’t. Tomorrow morning, she would call her parents and her sisters. Casey was sure that if Peyton was arrested on murder charges, the news would be splashed across every national television program. And she wanted to get to them first to prepare them—but also to give them good news.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CASEY AWOKE SLOWLY. She was sleeping on her left side. She became aware of Matt’s hairy arm resting around her waist. Her mind was clear now, not fogged with drugs as before. Lying there, feeling beneath the T-shirt fabric the slow rise and fall of Matt’s chest against her back, she smiled to herself. How good it felt to be warm and to have him curved protectively around her body. Last night he’d loaned her a set of his light blue pajamas to wear. She remembered climbing into them, drunk with exhaustion. Then, she’d padded down the hall to Megan’s room once more to make sure the child was sleeping. She was.
The scent of Matt entered her awakening state. The spicy pine soap along with his own unique male fragrance made her sigh inwardly. This was what she wanted. This was what she’d dreamed of so often since meeting him. Her mind ranged over how much she loved him. Casey didn’t know exactly when she’d fallen for the rugged firefighter, only that she had. And Megan had bonded with her from the beginning. The realization that she was walking into an already-made family didn’t bother her. She came from a large family herself and knew the benefits and support of others.
Feeling his moist breath against her neck, Casey simply absorbed the quiet, intimate moment. Her past seemed to be exactly that: in the past. A part of her life, but not controlling it any longer. Casey wondered if her latest brush with death had cleaned her slate. This time had been different. She’d been proactive and had actually saved herself. That was why she felt so strong and confident as she woke up. Today was the first day of her new life. A better one. A new chapter.
With that, Casey turned over. As she did, Matt awakened, his eyes clouded with sleep as his lashes drowsily lifted. And then his pupils grew larger and his eyes narrowed on Casey. She smiled softly and moved against him, feeling the latent strength in his strong male body flowing up against her own. Without a word, she eased up on her elbow, leaned over and captured his mouth. Putting all the tenderness and love Casey felt for this heroic man into her kiss, she felt him smile beneath her lips.
Without a word, Matt moved onto his back and pulled her up across him, his arms guiding her so that she settled fully on top of him. Their mouths clung to one another. Casey’s hair tickled his face and his flesh tingled in the wake. Her mouth was hungry and he moved his in concert with it. Lifting his hands, Matt threaded his fingers through her silky, mussed hair. Groaning as Casey moved her hips provocatively against his own, he lifted his mouth from hers.
Looking deeply into her sultry gaze, Matt smiled up at her. “I love you, Casey Cantrell. You need to know that.” His voice was roughened. “I was sorry I hadn’t told you how I felt before Benson captured you. From now on, you’re going to know every day how much I love you…” He guided her mouth down to his. He captured her with a fierce intensity, their breaths growing ragged, their hearts pounding in unison.
His words flowed through her, opening her heart. Casey drowned in Matt’s mouth, as his fingers trailed along her jaw and moved like a tantalizing whisper across her shoulders. In a few deft movements, he moved her beside him and had unbuttoned the loose pajama top. The fabric brushed her awakened flesh as he pulled it off and allowed it to drop beside the bed. Casey moaned with anticipation.
Matt saw her eyes open, a gleam in them he’d never seen before, but that he liked. She was his equal in every way as her long fingers sought and found the edge of the dark blue T-shirt he was wearing. In a few moments, it had been removed. He absorbed the look in her eyes as she ran her hand slowly across his darkly haired chest intimately, memorizing him. Every grazing touch incited Matt and made him want her even more than before.
“I love you, Matt,” Casey whispered, nuzzling his cheek and sending a cascade of small kisses down the side of his neck to his chest.
The graze and nip of her lips against his flesh tightened it and sent a sheet of wild flames roaring out across his chest. Groaning, Matt reveled in her courageous and bold actions. He absorbed her smile as Casey lifted her head, her lips parted and begging to be kissed. Without a word, Matt slid his hand down from her shoulder, cupped her breast and leaned down to capture the puckered nipple. As he did, she moaned and closed her eyes, joy radiating from her expression. Nothing had ever seemed so right. He suckled her, teethed her and felt her become like lava flowing and molding through his hands as he maneuvered the pajama bottoms away from her long legs. As Matt coaxed her onto her back, he took advantage and lavished attention upon her other breast.
The heat and urgency built in Casey’s lower body. Her mind was reeling and she was barely coherent, so involved was she with the pleasure Matt was giving her with his hands and mouth. Somehow, she pushed off his pajama bottoms and they ended up at the bottom of the bed. Now naked, she moved up against his body as if she were more cat than human. His muscles leaped and tensed. When her hips brushed against his, he was more than ready for her. That discovery excited her as nothing before. Looking deep into his eyes, watching the way his mouth flexed, Casey felt herself being lifted and brought on top of Matt. She smiled as she leaned down, met and moved against his male mouth. She felt him tense, felt a tremor pass through him as she settled against him. Her heart flew open.
For so long, Casey had hidden from men because of her traumatic past. Meeting Matt was like meeting the sun after a dark, hellish time in Hades itself. He reminded her of Apollo, the sun god from the Greek myths. Yes, Matt was her sunlight. He fed her hope with every small kiss against her face, neck and shoulders. His body was powerful, yet he was tender with her. All of that conspired in Casey’s whirling mind and scintillating emotions as she captured him within her woman’s confines and loved him.
The moment Matt felt her move, he groaned and closed his eyes. He didn’t know who was absorbing more pleasure in that moment—him or Casey. It didn’t matter. The heat, wetness and sleekness of her moving against him erased every thought. Drowning in her strength as a woman as she moved her hips against his, her mouth wreaking fire from his lips, Matt felt the past slip away with finality. He was here, now, with a new love of his life, a woman who was incredibly courageous, giving and loving despite all that had happened to her.
The building inferno within Casey exploded and she felt bathed in rhythmic pulses that made her moan over and over again with pleasure. She could feel the unleashed power of Matt’s body as he moved with her. And then, just as her orgasms were diminishing, she felt him tense, growl, and the flow of his life joined hers. Later, as she fell exhausted against him, the thought that they were one, that this mingling of love between them could create a child, didn’t bother her. As she nestled her face against his cheek and jaw, her arms around his shoulders, Casey had never felt as fulfilled as she did at that moment.
“MOMMY?” MEGAN CALLED. She stood on a stool at the kitchen counter where Casey was making them a breakfast of French toast. Matt was at the stove frying
the bacon.
“What?” Casey asked, whisking the eggs and milk in a bowl. She thrilled to hear Megan’s high, squeaky voice. The girl was in a bright green T-shirt, jeans and matching sneakers. Megan had brushed her hair earlier in the morning and brought it into a cute ponytail, replete with a yellow and green ribbon.
“I want two.” She held up her fingers. “Please?”
“Two?” Matt called, looking over his shoulder at his daughter. He smiled at Casey, her cheeks still stained red from their lovemaking. His own body glowed and pulsed in memory of their time together in the bedroom. “You’ve never eaten two before,” he noted, teasing Megan.
“Well,” she said, “I’m really hungry this morning!”
Chuckling, Casey leaned over and placed a kiss on Megan’s head. “Eat one and then if you’re not full, I can always make another. Okay?” She searched the child’s upturned face for any signs of trauma. All Casey saw was a child who was completely happy. Shortly after she’d showered and dressed, Casey had met Megan out in the hall. The little girl gave a cry of delight and threw her arms around her. Casey had knelt in the hall, holding Megan and reassuring her. What made it an incredible and magic event was Megan talking to her for the first time. And since that moment, the girl had been a nonstop chatterbox, but that was fine by Casey. She would much rather hear her talk than remain mute.
“Okay,” Matt called. He lifted the black iron skillet off the stove and walked to the counter. “Bacon is ready. How’s the French toast gang doing?” He grinned as he put the bacon into a paper-lined basket.
“We’re ready to go,” Casey promised. There was such joy this morning in the kitchen. Megan was speaking. She was engaged and happy. Weren’t she and Matt, too? Oh, yes! As Matt replaced the skillet on the stove, Casey moved the bread and bowl to it. They traded places and Matt got Megan to set the table with him.
As she made the French toast in the large skillet, Casey replayed their conversation after they’d made love to one another. Matt wanted to marry her whenever she wanted. Casey wanted her family here to be part of their wedding and that would mean next June. Until then, she would move in with Matt and they would live together. He saw no harm in that and felt Megan would really bloom because Casey would be there full-time. Casey agreed, but she also said that it would be good for the two of them, too. Matt smiled a very male smile and agreed.
The phone rang. Casey frowned for a moment. Matt went to the wall and picked it up. Just as she’d thought, it was the sheriff’s department. Trying to hold on to her happiness, she knew they would both have to probably go down to the office and fill out more paperwork sometime today.
Hanging up, Matt turned. “That was Cade. He’d like to see us at 1:00 p.m. today. Any problem with that?” Above all, he didn’t want his daughter to know the details of what had happened.
“Sure,” Casey said. Using a spatula she put the French toast on three plates. “Come and get it.”
“SENATOR PEYTON IS IN custody,” Cade Garner told them. He was standing next to the commander’s desk. “And he’ll be arraigned in Washington, D.C.”
Matt sat next to Casey, her hand in his. “And Benson?”
“He’s in jail. Basically, with his lawyer, he made a plea deal. He gave us the whole scenario for a shorter sentence to be determined by the court later on.”
Shaking her head, Casey said, “Wow…this is just too incredible. Who would ever think a U.S. senator would do something like this?”
Matt squeezed her hand. He glanced over at her. “He lost his family, Casey. I’ve tried to put myself in his place a thousand times since it happened. I know how I felt about losing Bev and almost losing Megan. Those kinds of losses do funny things to people.”
Cade nodded. “That’s true,” he said. “But most don’t go ballistic like Peyton did. You didn’t,” he said, looking grimly at Matt.
Nodding, Matt said, “But it ate at me, Cade.” He touched his stomach. “I never knew who had killed Bev.” He flexed his mouth and his voice lowered. “Now, I do. Now, I can get closure.”
Squeezing his hand, Casey whispered, “It’s over, Matt. Really over.”
“Yes,” Cade said, “for the most part, it is. You’ll both be in court as witnesses and that will be rough enough, but at least you know who the killers are. And they’re going to get the justice they deserve.”
“I feel sorry for Clarissa Peyton,” Casey murmured. “She must feel so torn up and confused. I can’t imagine how I would feel if the man I married was a killer in disguise.” She shivered and gave Matt a sorrowful look. “Clarissa is a victim in this, too.”
Cade nodded. “What you don’t know is that Clarissa is waiving spousal privilege. She’s going to testify against her husband. That took real guts.”
“Clarissa is a tough Wyoming-bred woman,” Matt said. “Out here in the West there’s an unspoken cowboy code of conduct. You don’t cross those lines and her husband did. I’m not surprised by her decision.”
“I thought of that, too,” Cade admitted. He picked up some papers and walked over to Matt and Casey. “Still, it has to hurt her a lot. Her life, as she knew it, is over. In the blink of an eye.
“Here, I need you two to read through these papers and then sign them if they’re okay.” He handed each of them a set of documents and a pen.
As Casey read the report she’d given the night before, she felt deep sadness move through her. Clarissa, for all her airs, was a decent person. She wondered, as she signed the papers, what would happen to her. She looked up at Cade. “Do you think Clarissa will divorce him?”
“Yes,” Cade said. “And knowing her, she’s a rancher’s daughter and will grab the bull by the horns and make things right for all involved. Clarissa comes from money. And I’m sure in this divorce, she’ll get half of Peyton’s money, which will be considerable. She’ll make out all right.”
“I wonder if she’s going to stay here at their home or not?” Casey mused.
Shrugging, Cade said, “That’s anyone’s guess. Her family’s ranch is near Cheyenne.”
“But she loves it here,” Matt said. “All her friends, the clubs and charities she manages are here in Jackson Hole. My money is on her to stay.”
“I hope she does,” Casey murmured. “I’d like to get to know her as a friend. She’s done so much for us.” She glanced over at Matt.
“The whole town is in shock about this,” Cade said, gathering up the reports and setting them on his commander’s desk to be initialed.
“Yes, it’s all over the news,” Matt said, standing. He held out his hand and Casey took it.
“You two take it easy,” Cade said. “You’ve been through a lot.”
“The chief is giving me a week off,” Matt told his friend. “And Charley is giving Casey the same amount of time off.”
“Hey,” Cade teased, “seven days. Make the most of them.”
Grinning, Casey said, “We will, Cade. Thanks for everything.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll be seeing you.”
Walking out of the sheriff’s office and into the afternoon sunlight, Casey sighed. She liked walking next to Matt, their coats against one another, their hands entwined. “What now?” she asked, gazing up into his strong, rugged features. Matt looked like a knight to her in his bright red firefighting jacket, dark blue jeans that hugged his long, powerful legs, and cowboy boots. The breeze was cool, the sky spotted with white clouds that hinted at a front coming in. It would snow tonight, the radio weather forecaster had promised.
“We need to move your stuff from the apartment you’re renting with Cat over to my house.” Matt walked to his truck and opened the door for her to climb in. “I think we can get most of it today before the snow storm hits tonight.”
Casey waited until Matt slid into the cab and shut the driver’s-side door. “Sounds good to me. I know Cat will need to get a new renter, but that will be easy. And I like the idea of being at home to meet Megan at the bus stop. I really want these
seven days to cement some kind of constancy in her life.”
Brushing her cheek, Matt murmured, “For all of us,” he said, his voice husky with feelings.
Casey sat back after putting on the seat belt. She’d called her parents and sisters after breakfast this morning, before the news spread about Senator Carson Peyton being arrested for murder. Her parents were relieved. So was she.
Matt backed the truck out of the parking space and wheeled it around in the asphalt lot. His heart was full of happiness. Megan was speaking nonstop. He’d called her psychiatrist in Idaho Falls and told her the good news. Even better, the therapist had told Matt that the worst was over. Megan was bonding with a new mother, Casey, and by speaking, her healing was well under way.
Turning onto the tree-lined street, two-story Victorian homes on either side, Matt was stunned by the turnaround in his life. He felt like the luckiest man in the world. So much had been taken from him, his daughter and Casey. They had all lost so much. Yet, life had conspired to give it back to them in a new and wonderful way.
Reaching out, he gripped Casey’s hand. “I love you,” he told her. “I’m going to spend every day of my life showing you that.”
ISBN: 978-1-4592-0770-7
DEADLY SILENCE
Copyright © 2011 by Lindsay McKenna
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 3K9, Canada.
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