by Ali Vali
She moved her hands constantly, never keeping them in any one place too long, which seemed to be driving Emma crazy. “I can’t help myself, you feel so good,” she said as she stopped short of where Emma seemed to want her most when her hips came off the bed. Emma seemed to freeze momentarily when she sucked on her right nipple until it grew hard.
“Oh my God, please don’t stop.” Emma clamped her hands around Cain’s head and held her in place.
“I want to make you feel good, baby, so relax for me.”
“Cain, relaxed is the last thing I’m feeling right now. And if you stop right now I’m seriously going to whack you in the head,” Emma said, tugging gently on her hair when she chuckled. “Could you take your clothes off for me? I want to feel all of you.”
Cain pulled her mouth away, getting Emma to open her eyes. She wanted nothing hidden in this part of their relationship. “I love you.” After she made the declaration, which was a first to anyone outside her family, she unbuckled her belt and shed the rest of her clothes. When she lay back down, Emma moaned as she moved her hand down to her most intimate place.
She took her time running her fingers through the silky wet heat, encouraging Emma to move with her to increase her pleasure. Emma’s clit got steel hard as she very gently stroked it, dipping lower with each pass. She wanted to ramp up Emma’s need to help ease any discomfort Emma might feel.
“Look at me, lass. This is the first night we give ourselves to each other, but I’m going to take a lifetime living up to the commitment that goes with this honor.”
Emma gazed up at her and pulled Cain’s head down so she could kiss her. “This is how I dreamed this night would be,” Emma said as she slid her fingers into Cain’s hair. “I want you to take what’s yours.”
“This is ours, my love, for now and for always,” she said as she very slowly pushed past Emma’s innocence and held her hand still, but not her thumb, which was still stroking her clit. “Okay?” she asked when Emma closed her eyes for a long moment, but Emma nodded.
“I’m okay,” Emma said as she pressed her hands to her face. “And I love you.”
“Look at me, love, and see how much I love you and want you,” she said as she started to move her hand slowly.
At first Emma simply held on to her and didn’t move much, but then the passion seemed to build enough that she pushed up into her, and her breathing grew deep and unsteady. “Let it go, lass. I promise I’ll be here to catch you.”
“Oh…oh,” Emma said as she clutched at her and pushed her away at the same time. “You’re making me crazy,” Emma said loudly.
“Relax and let me in.”
Emma tightened her hands on her shoulders, and she became taut and rigid as the orgasm reached its peak. “Wait,” Emma said, out of breath now. “Wait,” she repeated, and she began to pull out, but Emma grabbed her wrist.
“I love you, lass.”
“After that, I believe you,” Emma said and laughed. “I’m so sorry, honey.”
“For what?” she asked, panicked. If Emma felt this was a mistake, she might not be able to come back from that.
“You feel so good, so I’m so sorry I made you wait this long,” Emma said and reached up to kiss her. “Do you forgive me?”
“I’ll think of some way for you to make it up to me,” she said, smiling, and repositioned her hand just a little, making Emma gasp but not tell her to stop. “What’s the old saying, love? Good things are worth waiting for,” she said and kissed her in a way that was meant to start the fire in Emma again.
“I want to touch you,” Emma said, her hips starting to press into her again.
“I’m all yours, so you don’t have to ever ask me that,” she said and rolled to her back without moving her hand.
Emma started off slowly and almost shyly, but as Cain increased the pressure, Emma reciprocated and slid her fingers over her clit like they’d been lovers for years. The sensations seemed to be multiplied by the fact that she was deeply in love with Emma, so Emma broke through every defense she’d ever put up.
“You have to admit I’m a total idiot,” Emma said when she fell completely relaxed against her.
“You’re actually the smartest woman I’ve ever met.” Emma lifted her head and peered down at her as if to see if she was serious. “You’re so deep in here now that I’ll never let you go,” she said, tapping over her heart. “If we’d started here first, maybe that wouldn’t have happened.”
“So you’re not sorry?”
“I’m in love and happy, so there’s nothing for me to be sorry about. We started in a way that our grandchildren will love hearing about, and we’ve built to where we are a day at a time.”
“I can’t wait to see where we go from here,” Emma said, lowering her head when she ran her hands down her back.
“Wherever that might be, we’ll be together, and that’s all that matters.”
They spent the rest of the night talking and getting to know each other intimately. Emma sighed as she pressed up against her back and put her arm around her. Cain was right. She’d never walk away from this union unscathed if something broke them apart.
* * *
Emma woke first but didn’t open her eyes so she could enjoy the sensation of having Cain in her bed and pressed against the length of her. Their first night together hadn’t been at all what she’d imagined in that she hadn’t been as nervous as she thought she’d be. Cain had let her explore and do whatever she’d wanted at her own pace.
“I love you so much,” she whispered, moving closer and putting her hand on Cain’s abdomen.
“That’s an inspiring message to wake up to,” Cain said, tickling her side.
“Faker.” She laughed and crawled on top of Cain so she could pretend to hold her in place.
“I’m not faking when I tell you I love you too.” Cain hugged her and kissed her chin.
Emma decided then that hugging naked definitely was different and somewhat addictive. “You’re probably becoming diabetic by now with all these romantic declarations, so how about I make you breakfast?”
“We’re taking a shower and going out for breakfast,” Cain said, slapping her ass.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay in?” She kissed Cain before sitting up and straddling her hips. “So much time to make up for.”
“You are absolutely beautiful.” She smiled as Cain started at her knees and ran her hands up until they were over her breasts. “A lifetime will never quench my thirst.”
Cain sat up as well so she could reach her mouth, and Emma got instantly wet. She moaned when Cain put her hand between them and flicked her fingers over her clit. “You need to finish what you started,” she said, moaning again when Cain pinched her nipple.
“Believe me. I’m planning to.”
They kissed and Cain lay down, taking her with her. She went with it when Cain rolled them over and hovered like a predatory cat. Cain kissed her before starting down her body, stopping to suck both nipples until they were hard and dark pink.
“Tell me what you want, baby?” Cain asked as her fingers moved easily over her sex.
“I need you to go inside,” she said, ready to beg.
“I promise I will, but not yet.”
She would’ve complained, but it seemed like a moment later she opened her legs wider when Cain put her mouth on her.
If she had any shyness left, she lost it when she bucked her hips up to encourage Cain to suck harder as she slipped her fingers inside. It was like rattling apart, but Cain was there to drive up her need more than she thought possible. She arched her back and held on to Cain’s hair, not thinking it could get any more intense until Cain pulled out and slammed her fingers back in.
The orgasm started, and Cain seemed to know how long to stroke until she stilled her hand but not her mouth. Touching herself never brought this kind of intense crescendo, and she started crying. That didn’t seem to bother Cain as she came up to hold her, not needing to fill the v
oid with unnecessary words.
When Cain cradled her a while later and carried her to the bathroom, she went willingly. She didn’t want to go outside, but she didn’t want to keep Cain locked up.
“I’m done for a few days, so do you want to do something later when you’ve finished work?” she asked after touching Cain until she came close to ripping her shower curtain off.
“I was planning to spend the day with you, but I can go in if you want some time to yourself. I just have to check with Billy about a project.” Cain stood behind her and gently washed her hair for her.
“You’re taking the day off for me?”
“I’d planned to, but not because of last night. You’re starting your semester soon, so I wanted to enjoy your time off with you.”
“Really?” She was thrilled at the thought of Cain’s complete attention for that long.
“Really, so don’t sound so surprised. How about a short trip now that you’ve seen me naked?”
She laughed and pinched Cain’s butt. “Where would we go for only two days?”
“I’ve got a place in mind, so pack a couple of shorts and your bathing suit.”
Someone came for the bike and dropped off a car so they could store Emma’s bag. Cain drove home to pack, but before they could make it inside, a large number of agents blocked the gate and demanded entrance. “Cain,” she said, worried when they headed right for her lover.
“Go inside, love, and tell Mum to call Muriel.”
“I don’t want to leave you.”
“Go on. I won’t be long,” Cain said, and a couple of agents laughed.
“You’re going to be forty years to life, so don’t give the girl false hope. But maybe they’ll let you have some special visits,” the closest agent said.
“You’ll have to do better than that to get a rise out of me, Agent Kyle,” Cain said, all her humor seemingly gone. “But we can’t expect much from a guy who has to pay for company. You do know that’s illegal, right?”
“Shut up and get in the car. You’re coming in for questioning, and it’s not voluntary.”
“Emma, go make that call, and have Mum pack my bag for later. I promise this won’t take long.”
Emma nodded and was stopped from coming closer.
“Don’t be too late,” Emma said, trying to prove she had all the confidence in the world that Cain was right. “I’ll be waiting here.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
Barney Kyle did all the talking on the way back and finally turned around when they reached the federal building. “Enjoy your last taste of freedom before I lock you up. I can’t believe you made it this easy for me.”
“What? Nothing to say?” the young agent driving said.
“What’s your name again?” Cain asked, drumming her fingers on her knee and trying to not lose her temper.
“Agent North,” he said and laughed. “It’s going to look good alongside Agent Kyle’s on the warrant for your arrest.”
“Or the direction of your transfer once we’re done,” she said, smiling. “It’s a toss-up at this point.”
They led her to an interrogation room and left her alone, staring at the two-way mirror until Muriel joined her. She locked eyes with her cousin and didn’t say anything when she arrived. This wasn’t the time for talking, and all they could do was wait. Muriel took the hint and sat back, appearing as relaxed as she did.
Cain stared at the mirror and smirked. Whoever was on the other side thinking they were in charge was about to find out differently. To show how worried she was, she closed her eyes and thought of her few days away with Emma.
* * *
Annabel Hicks watched Cain from the other side and waited for Kyle to finish putting together his case that he swore would lead to Casey’s arrest and conviction. She knew from experience not to count on that, but maybe the new guy had gotten lucky in the year he’d been at it. She wasn’t hungry but thought Barney would love to serve a bonanza of crow when he was done.
“Ma’am, if you’re ready,” Logan North said, holding the door for her, “Agent Kyle is ready in the conference room.”
She entered and sat at the head of the table, then waved them on. The explanation of facts was concise and made sense, but it was missing some connections to tie it all together.
“I’m anxious to see how you get a conviction from this because, on the face of it, you’ve got some holes,” she said when Kyle was done.
“The finishing touches are waiting in interrogation room five, but we’ll start with Casey. I’ll begin the questioning while my team finishes serving the warrants that were issued earlier.”
She nodded and dismissed everyone but Kyle. “I’ll be sitting in to observe, but it’s your show.”
They had to sit down before Cain opened her eyes and acknowledged them. Kyle put down a series of pictures and tapped his finger on the first one. “Do you recognize these guys?”
“The guy on the left—I’m not sure about the other one,” she said as Muriel looked on.
“If you’re going to play the stupid card, this is going to take forever, but we’ll end up in the same place,” he said, raising his voice. “You broke this guy’s nose, so I’m sure you know him.”
“Martin III? That’s him?” Cain asked, shrugging.
“So you know him?” Annabel asked.
“He put his hands on someone I care about without her permission, then tried to attack me, so I broke his nose. He sued me and lost, and Ms. Verde sued him and won. It’s not all that complicated, but we don’t have a relationship.”
“Cut the bull. These guys work for you,” Kyle said, showing her another picture.
“They do? I don’t think that’s right, and I’m sure I’ve got a good reason aside from their bad manners,” Cain said, and Annabel’s gut clenched when Cain tapped on her chin as if thinking about it yet obviously toying with them.
“Let’s see how funny you’ll be when we finish searching the locations we have warrants for,” Kyle said.
“So you’re keeping us here while you conduct some kind of scavenger hunt?” Muriel asked. “Are we free to go?”
“Ms. Casey, if you can be somewhat patient, we’ll get through this as soon as possible,” Annabel said to Muriel, and Cain just spread her hands and shrugged again. “Thank you. I appreciate your cooperation.”
She pointed to the door and Kyle followed her out. “What?” he asked.
“Let’s go.” She called for her car. The warehouse that Kyle’s team was searching wasn’t that far away, so they headed there. “This is the crux of your case, so if it’s not here, she walks.”
“Sir, it’s all there,” one of the agents said when they arrived. “We had to take the supposed owner of the place into custody to get in. He was bitching and trying to bar our entrance.”
The open space, as well as all the side offices, was full of crates and boxes with the labels of different liquors. “It’s all here?” she asked, confused by the amount of product and the time it’d taken to accumulate it.
A man walked up and offered her his hand. “Agent Hicks, I’m Agent Jake Benton, ma’am, and this is my partner Agent Bradley James. We arrived a few months before Agent Kyle and set up our undercover operation to make contact with Casey and her family.” Bradley shook her hand as well. “We started in Atlanta to establish our business contacts.”
“Yes, ma’am. This appears to be everything we sold her. She knows us as Jake Kelly and Bradley Draper. We started doing business with Casey through the two surrogates she decided to go with so this represents millions of dollars of product we purchased from the manufacturer and left them unstamped. Each box, though, has been embedded with a location chip.”
“So you sold her the boxes, and she stored them here and hasn’t moved any of them?” she asked.
“What are you getting at?” Kyle said.
“If, as we suspect, she’s a bootlegger, why not move any of this to whoever she’s selling it to?”
&
nbsp; “We analyzed the money, but that was a dead end,” Jake said. “But you’re right in that the boxes haven’t moved. She does, though, have a reputation for cautiousness.”
“The transponders haven’t been removed?” she asked.
Jake shook his head. “We’ve had this place and her two guys under constant surveillance since our first sale.”
Bradley moved in and opened a box, making it fall to the ground from his forceful yank since he’d expected it to be full. It was empty, as were the next ten he picked up. A frantic search to the back of the space yielded the same thing. Every single one of them was empty.
“Who owns the building?” she asked the agent who’d bragged about subduing the guy.
“He said his name was Jonas Belson, ma’am.”
“As in Senator Jonas Belson?” she asked, walking outside to see where Jonas was. The guy she’d met at a dinner honoring law enforcement was handcuffed in the back of a car. “So one of the buyers was his son?” she asked, but no one answered. “Where is he?”
“We picked up Belson’s kid and the other one before we nabbed Casey,” Kyle said. “They were our next interviews.”
After releasing the senator, Annabel read through the file on the way back. She wanted to gut Kyle for going over her head for this operation because, while the product had made some revenue, they were still in the red. If none of the money was recovered, Kyle’s little party would cost the bureau a minimum of three million dollars.
Jonsie and Marty had obviously spent some of the money from their sales on a good time and flashy cars, but Kyle and Jake had no idea where the rest was, since a search of both their homes had yielded no clues. Annabel was informed that the two young men were indeed waiting on them, and the biggest surprise was that they hadn’t asked for an attorney.
She walked in and stared at Kyle when he started to say something. “I’m not going to waste my time on trying to play games with either of you idiots.”
“Hey,” Marty said and laughed.
