by Alexa Grace
Dr. Caine couldn't get off the terrace fast enough, and bumped into a waiter holding appetizers as he raced toward the kitchen.
"May I have the drink?" Frankie asked.
When he handed it to her, she placed it on the nearest table and walked back to him. She used his tie to pull him to her, then went up on her toes and kissed him, moving her lips over his in a sexy tease until lust quaked through his system. He deepened the kiss, crushing her against him. After a long moment, she pressed against his chest, so he opened his eyes and eased back.
"I just wanted to remind you who you were taking home tonight," she whispered.
After dinner, with a beer in his hand, Lane leaned against the wall watching and listening. A man and woman nearby were talking to another couple about their impending adoption. Dr. Caine had promised them a baby boy with blue eyes and dark hair like the husband. Two women near the couple were talking about the doctor's wealth and availability in the dating arena.
Lane searched the room for a stunning woman in a red dress, but Frankie was nowhere to be seen. He moved slightly so that he could see the foyer and noticed Frankie sneaking up the spiral staircase to the upper level of the house. She kept glancing toward the crowded room as if to see if anyone noticed her, which made him suspicious. Why was she going upstairs?
He took a swig of beer, and then wandered toward the foyer pretending to admire one of the doctor's expensive paintings. Scanning the room for the doctor, Lane noted he was on the terrace talking with a tall man who was clinging to his date.
Lane headed up the stairs, periodically checking the crowd. He reached a long hallway and noticed Frankie entering the third room on the right.
As luck would have it, Dr. Caine's home office was behind the third door Frankie tried. She slipped inside and quietly closed the door behind her. She crept to his desk, turned on a small lamp, and fired up his computer. She withdrew a lipstick case from her purse and removed the cap revealing the flash drive inside.
Frankie froze when she heard a sound in the hallway and looked at the crack of light beneath the office door for shadows. None appeared. After a moment, she went back to work and inserted the flash drive into the USB port of doctor's hard drive. She nervously glanced at her watch. She'd been away from the party maybe two minutes, three minutes tops. She counted to ten to calm herself. By the time she got to number seven, the surveillance software was installed and she’d now be able to review Caine’s emails sent from this computer as well as chats through the special email account she'd set up on her laptop. Just as she reached down to pull the flash drive out of the hard drive, she heard voices just outside the door.
Lane's hand was on the door of the room he saw Frankie enter when he heard the footsteps of someone climbing the stairs. He leaned against the wall in a lazy stance that defied the anxiety that ran up his spine. Eric Caine was heading toward him and the suspicion in his eyes was unmistakable.
"Mr. Henderson, is everything all right?"
"Yes, everything's fine. I saw my wife slip up here to use the ladies' room and I'm waiting for her."
"Oh, you're waiting in front of the wrong room. That's my office. The bathroom is down here." He waved for Lane to follow him down several doors to the left. "I forgot something in my bedroom. You can wait here for her."
Lane stifled a sigh of relief and leaned against the wall. In seconds, he heard the doorknob of the office door twist and Frankie emerged. He raced down the hall to her and nearly slammed her against the wall.
"What the hell were you doing in there?"
Before she could respond, Eric Caine stepped into the hallway from his bedroom. Lane pushed her against the wall with his body and kissed her so hard she bumped her head. The doctor walked past them without saying a word.
Lane wouldn't let her go until he heard the doctor's footsteps on the stairs. He ended the kiss and glared at her. "So what were you doing in there?"
"I was looking around. What's the big deal? Isn't that why we're here — to look around?"
"Do you realize how close you came to getting caught?" He was incredulous. Her risk taking was unnerving. First, she was nearly discovered by David Chambers while photographing his license plate and now this. Lane’s mind took a turn and he remembered Sheriff Brennan's warning about how letting things get personal between partners changes things. He hated to admit it but the sheriff was right. One thing the tornado experience had taught him was he was terrified that something would happen to her. Whether he'd told her or not, he was deeply in love with her and didn't know what he'd do if anything happened to her. The risks taken by a partner were one thing, but the risks taken by Frankie were quite another.
"But I didn't get caught, did I?"
He just stared at her for a moment, and then led her by the arm down the hall to the stairs and back to the party.
Frankie tried to make small talk during the drive home, but Lane seemed distracted. Once they got inside the house, he stood at the door with the car keys in his hand just staring at her. Though she was desperate to, she couldn't read his expression. Did he realize she'd bugged the doctor's home office without telling him? Was he angry? Was it something else?
She gambled. She stepped toward him, went up on her toes, grabbed his tie, and kissed him roughly, as she pulled his shirt out of his pants. Lane tensed for only a second until lust took over and he pulled her off her feet, spun her around, and pressed her against the front door.
He was breathing hard. She could feel his chest rising and falling against her breasts. There was no mistake he was turned on — hot and hard —pinning her to the door and kissing her until she thought her body would burst into flames.
He reached around her, found the dress zipper, pulled it down and pushed her dress to the floor, spilling around her ankles.
"Red lace bra and panties? You're killing me, Frankie."
He took her lips again hard and pressed against her, running his hands against the silk of her body, driving a sense of urgency through her. She pressed her breasts against him, her nipples hard and aching.
He unhooked her bra and dangled it by his thumb. "This I like."
He bent and blazed a trail of kisses down to her breasts and licked each one as he looked up at her. "But these, I love." Then his mouth was on her breasts sucking each of her tender nipples. She gasped in sweet agony and knotted her fingers in his hair.
Licking and kissing, his mouth slid down her flat tummy teasing her belly button then down further until he placed a soft kiss on her mound. His voice was husky as he whispered, "This I love, too."
He cupped her sex, gently massaging until the tension building inside her became unbearable. Heat pooled between her legs. If she got any hotter she was sure she'd melt. Waves of ecstasy throbbed through her, hotter and hotter, until she gasped in sweet agony.
"Oh, my God. Lane, I need you inside me."
"Baby, let me kiss you all over until you scream your pleasure. Don't make me stop."
"I need you NOW. Please," she begged.
"Where?"
"Upstairs."
"I hope you're not tired, sweetheart, because we are going to have a long and very active night."
With that, he scooped her into his arms and climbed the stairs to his room. "Oh, and you can leave on those hot leopard heels."
Chapter Eight
“I thought a cheese omelet, whole wheat toast, and coffee was your favorite breakfast? You’re hardly touched your food, Dr. Caine.” asked Miriam, the housekeeper, as she approached him on the terrace. “Dr. Caine, would you like more coffee?"
"Yes, please bring the entire pot as well as some aspirin. I think I'm getting a migraine from all the pounding in the basement."
He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Actually, the pain had started last night when he'd broken up with Candace. The sobbing, screaming, and the rest of the drama had gotten so bad he'd called a cab to take her to the airport. He would've done anything at that point just to get her out of
his house. The things women believe. She actually believed him when in a fit of passion he had said he wanted to marry her. Seriously? Candace was gullible and stupid and he was glad to be rid of her. There was only one woman in his fantasies now and that was Frankie Henderson. It was only a matter of time until she replaced Candace in his bed.
Miriam quickened her steps to get to the kitchen and back with his coffee and aspirin. She'd experienced early on how his mood darkened when he had a headache. She remembered too well the time she used the wrong sheets on his bed and he'd thrown a vase at her barely missing her head. Her husband had wanted her to quit after that, but the money was too good.
His head hammered with pain, throbbing as each nail was pounded in the basement as the workers completed the room he was building for Jennifer Brennan. Yesterday morning, before his dinner party, the plumber installed a sink and toilet. The furniture company delivered the twin-sized bed that he'd bolted to the floor. Once the workers finished today, the room would be finished and ready for its occupant. Jennifer had become an expensive annoyance.
He was amazed at his luck, that she'd come to him about David Chambers and Ally Black instead of going directly to the police. Stupid, nosy little bitch. Once he had her locked up in her room downstairs, he wouldn't have to worry about her running her mouth to the wrong people. Christ, how long could she have known Ally Black? Five minutes? According to her records, she'd moved into the apartment with Ally the day the girl gave birth. All this carrying on about a woman she barely knew was ridiculous.
He congratulated himself on what he considered the brilliant plan of locking Jennifer Brennan up until she gave birth. What he'd told Frankie Douglas the night before was true. There was an amazing resemblance between Jennifer and Frankie. He thought it might please Frankie that her new baby looked like her. Perhaps, the Hendersons would be so pleased that they'd cough up more money. Not that $100,000 was anything to sneeze at. Still one could only hope. Maybe Frankie would be so pleased she'd want to grant him a sexual favor or two. Yes, one could hope.
The morning sun had shifted so he put on his designer sunglasses. He unrolled the local newspaper and read the front page. He'd opened the second page when Miriam arrived with the coffee pot and aspirin. Taking the pot from her, he was pouring hot coffee into his cup when he noticed Ally Black's photo in the middle of page two. He dropped the glass pot which shattered into a million pieces, splashing coffee that scorched him through his pant legs. Miriam came running with a kitchen towel and wiped up the hot liquid from the table. She tried to dab the liquid from Dr. Caine's legs but he pushed her away.
"Why the hell did you hand me the pot like that? You made me drop it and now I'll be damn lucky if I don't have third degree burns. Go get my medical bag, you fool!" he screamed. She dashed out of the room and returned with his bag. "Get out of my sight!"
He threw the bag in a chair and went back to the paper to read the article. Jesus Christ! They'd found Ally Black's body. His heart raced and he held his breath as he read.
The body of a sixteen-year-old girl found in a wooded area near Kramer has been identified as Ally Black. The medical examiner reports her death as a homicide. The Sheriff's Department will not release additional information about the homicide at this time. Area residents are becoming more and more fearful that a serial killer may be at work. The body of another young girl, Mandy Morris, was found in the exact location not even a month ago.
What in God's name was David Chambers thinking dumping both bodies in the same place? The man was a moron. Damn it. And now he was in so deep with Chambers he'd undoubtedly go down with him if he didn't do something. He needed to have a strategy but how could he plan when he was so freaked out. He inhaled a deep cleansing breath and exhaled in an attempt to calm himself.
Maybe the situation was not as bad as he imagined. If the sheriff had anything substantial, they'd have it in the paper. At the very worst, the police would've already pounded on his door. The thought sent a chill down his spine.
Suddenly, he knew what he'd have to do. He had to eliminate the link between David and himself. He'd have to eliminate David Chambers. But not before Chambers killed Jennifer Brennan for him.
He threw his napkin on the table and headed for the basement to see how far along the workers were. He needed to make sure Jennifer Brennan kept her mouth closed and the only way to do that was to lock her in that room just as soon as he could manage it.
Frankie Douglas woke up in heavenly bliss with Lane's long, hard body spooning her, his arm possessively thrown across her, holding her in place. She listened to his even breathing and smiled. She'd never had a lover like Lane. Sex with him was an athletic event.
She hoped the house was insulated well, because Lane, true to his promise, had kissed each part of her body, and did some other equally erotic things until she gripped the sheets in both hands, arched her back, and screamed.
His arm tightened around her, letting her know he was awake. Then she felt him plant soft kisses on her neck and shoulders as his warm hand flattened on her tummy. She felt like purring like a cat as she snuggled closer feeling his erection. Let the athletics begin.
David Chambers pounded the hood of the Lincoln Town Car in a fit of rage. His wife and kids had not checked into the Nashville hotel. They'd cancelled their reservations. Now, he had no freaking idea where she was headed. Added to his anger was the fact that he was quickly running out of money since his wife had drained their joint bank account. He got in the car and punched Eric Caine's phone number into his cell.
"Hello."
David knew the doctor always checked his display to see who was calling him so why was he answering the phone like that?
"It's David. My wife took my kids and left me. I followed her to a hotel in Nashville, but the bitch cancelled her reservation. I have no idea where she went and I'm out of money."
"And that's my problem, why?"
"I'll tell you why. I need money and you're going to wire it to me." What was with the attitude?
"What if I don't?"
"If you don't wire $5,000 to me within the next hour, you're going to wish you'd never met me."
"I already do."
"What are you talking about?"
"A little article in the paper caught my attention this morning, David. It seems the body of a young woman was found in a wooded area near Kramer."
"Shit."
"Oh, and that's not all. It seems the body was found in the exact place another young woman's body was found. Does the name Mandy Morris ring a bell?"
"You're kidding. I didn't think either one of them would be found for years."
"You were wrong, you freaking idiot! What the fuck have you done?! I only wish that were the only thing going wrong. Jennifer Brennan came to see me about her theory that you did something to Ally Black. If she runs her mouth to the police, it's over — the adoption agency, the clinic, the money, cars, and houses. I'll lose it all."
"I'll head right back and take care of Jennifer Brennan."
"No you won't. I have plans for her that don't include you at the moment. Stay away until I call you to come back."
"But what am I going to do about money?"
"Figure something out. I'm not giving you squat."
Paul Vance stood outside Jennifer's dormitory and just stared at the building while he cursed himself. It was his fault things were such a mess.
He should've proposed to her the minute he found out she was pregnant with his child. Hell, he should have asked her to elope. God knew how much he loved her. He'd come close to proposing to Jennifer at least a dozen times the past two years. He knew by the third date that he wanted to spend his life with her. So what did he do when she needed him most?
He turned his back on her. First he accused her of getting pregnant on purpose. That was a laugh. He was the one who forgot the condoms that night. He was the one who was so turned on he couldn't stop.
But even worse than the accusation, he'd suggested she
have an abortion. He actually told her to kill his baby that was growing inside her. What kind of monster was he?
When was he ever this miserable and filled with self-pity? Never. Of course, he'd never made a mistake of this magnitude before. His parents would disown him if they knew what he'd done. He'd deserve it. If Jennifer never forgave him, he'd deserve that too.
Paul leaned against a tree. He knew he looked like crap with dark circles hovering beneath his eyes and he'd lost weight. Even his coach had made a comment about his appearance and had asked if he was sick. Paul couldn't sleep because every time he did he dreamed of Jennifer and that last night together. He was having trouble with his grades because he couldn't concentrate on his studies. Paul could do nothing but think of Jennifer and how he might never see her again.
