by Piper Stone
She clenched her feet together, arching her back and meeting every hard plunge. When she was certain she was going to come, he rolled them over until she was on top. “Oh!” She giggled and used her hands, pushing back on his chest.
“Ride me,” he whispered as he cupped her breasts, squeezing and flicking his fingers back and forth across her nipples.
“Can you handle me?”
Crack!
The single slap across her backside made her jump, her pussy tingle. She shook her head before kissing his lips then began to move up and down in an orchestrated pattern, her heart raving, her nipples tingling from the slice of pain.
He grunted and twisted her nipples.
She licked the tip of his nose before tossing her head back. Pain and pleasure became one as she clenched her pussy muscles, riding him until she was left breathless.
“Come for me.”
“Not…yet.”
“When I say. You’re not in charge.” Using his powerful leg muscles, he flipped them over then yanked her legs up and around his neck.
“Oh God!” The angle changed, the moment he began thrusting in hard and fast plunges, she gasped and gripped the comforter. Tossing her head back and forth, she was unable to hold back her climax. “Oh…oh!”
Stoker pumped and lowered his head, peppering her mouth with kisses. “Come with me.”
She gripped his shoulders and closed her eyes as the most powerful orgasm she’d experience rushed up from her toes. “Aahh!”
“Yes!”
As they clung together she studied the man she’d fallen in love with, her heart swooning. When he stopped shaking and lowered her legs, cradling her into his arms, she heard the words that would forever still her.
“I love you.”
Stoker rested his eyes as he stroked Jessica’s arm. The intoxicating scent was almost overwhelming, leaving his cock in a constant state of heightened need. She was nuzzled under his arm and against his chest, her long hair splayed out in a fan. Content, he inhaled and couldn’t think of another place he’d like to be. After a few seconds, he glanced at his watch. After eight-thirty. Had Cooper knocked on the door and they hadn’t heard?
A sixth sense kicked in as he thought about the possible intruder. Had someone been outside, either having followed Jessica spying on his home? The question remained as a sickening feeling settling in the base of his stomach. When she stirred, lifting her head, he peered down, a smile cresting his face. “You were dozing.”
“You are comfortable. Amazing how my body fits against yours.” Pressing kisses across his upper chest, she leaned up on her elbow, her eyes twinkling. “That was amazing.”
“Very much so. Hungry?”
“Very. The question is, do you have any food?”
“Oh, you are so bad.” Rolling on top of her, he pushed her arms over her head as she wiggled. “Do I need to remind you who’s in charge?”
“Threatening another spanking again?”
“Come to think of it, yes.” He gave her a long, French kiss then eased up, swinging his legs over the side. “Come on, let’s get something to drink.” He glared at his watch this time and tried to remember where he’d left his phone.
“Some where you need to be?” she asked, her expression playful.
He shook his head and rubbed the side of her face. “Cooper was supposed to come over.”
“Maybe he heard us and was terrified to interfere.” Giggling, she sat up, covering her breasts. “You wouldn’t happen to have a tee-shirt I could wear, cowboy?”
Grinning, Stoker tousled her hair. “Comin’ right up, sunshine.” His thoughts drifted as he moved toward the dresser, selecting a shirt. “I have a bad feeling.”
“Uh-oh. Your instincts are pretty much on the money. What’s wrong? Worried about Cooper?”
He sighed and tossed her the shirt then grabbed his jeans. “I want to believe our ridiculous feud is over, that things will go back to normal.”
“He seemed very much longing to be your friend again. Why are you questioning?”
“I don’t know. Just a gut feeling. Cooper has always been a complicated man.” He thought about the conversation and what little information he knew about the arsonist.
She slipped into the shirt and walked toward him, folding her arms. “Wait a minute. You don’t believe he has anything to do with the fires, do you?”
“I pray to God he doesn’t, but you didn’t see him and the way he acted before today. He was filled with anger, the kind that ensues revenge.”
“Yes, I did. I was at his house and talked with him for a few minutes, if you can call what we did talking.”
“Meaning?” Stoker asked as he raised an eyebrow.
“He was furious, much like you were but there was more. He is a haunted man, anger fueling everything about him. The way he looked at me was practically evil. I hate to say that because I know he’s your friend, but I had a terrible feeling when I left.”
He looked away, her words reverberating. “The change is extraordinary.”
“People can change,” she said as she rubbed his arm. “Granted, very few I know but he is a different man.”
“Or one hiding a terrible secret.”
“You really believe he is an arsonist.”
“Or a part of an operation. Maybe.” He threw on his shirt and brushed his hands through his hair. He was going to get to the bottom of it. “I talked with the Sheriff a few days ago.”
“Is that why Cooper was arrested?”
“I hate to say it, but no doubt. I don’t know why Cooper is now under suspicion, but the Sheriff had to have found some evidence.”
“Like what?” Jessica’s face was pensive.
“Accelerants. Timers. Bomb making items like wires, metal boxes.” He noticed the dark expression crossing her face. “What?”
“No.” She shook her head.
“Talk to me.”
“When I was at his house, in the garage. Well, when I left I could see a massive table full of various items: boxes, plastic parts, wires. I walked just close enough to see…” Her words trailed off.
“What? Tell me what you think you saw.” His heart was racing.
She bit her lip and gazed into his eyes. “Metal cans like the kind that holds gasoline, but not just one or two. There were at least six, maybe seven.”
“Interesting. Chemicals won’t eat through metal. Shit. Follow me.” He stormed into the living room and toward the maps. He tugged one on top of the other, unrolling and piecing them together the best he could.
“What is this? Looks like a pattern of some kind.”
Stoker nodded. “Bingo. See these dots? Where the other arson sites originated, at least from what the Fire Investigator was able to determine.” He moved his index finger from one to the other.
Jessica peered down, using her finger to follow his. “Looks like a square or maybe a triangle possibly?”
He exhaled as he studied the map. “Wait a minute.” A ruler. He had to have a ruler somewhere in the house.
“What are you looking for?”
“You’ll see. I have an idea.” He rummaged through two kitchen drawers then hissed. Pacing back and forth, he grabbed a cereal box and rushed back to the map. He placed the box over the first and second fires, but making the connection to the third was not happening. “Shit. There has to be a pattern here. I’d bet my smokejumpers patch on it.”
“Let me try.” She moved the box in several positions then stood back. “Can’t make heads of tails.” She took a step back. “I need wine for this.”
“That I can do.” He moved toward the kitchen, his mind reeling with possibilities. What if Cooper was the arsonist? What was his level of revenge? What was the ultimate motive? Antonio could certainly have access to the fuel, but given the extensive fires, the man would have little time unless he’d planned for months ahead.
“Do you have a badge like the Sheriff does?”
“I have a badge as a fireman
and right now a decal as a jumper I haven’t installed on my truck. Why?”
“What does the badge look like?” Jessica asked after wrinkling her nose.
He narrowed his eyes. “A picture on a card in a wallet.”
“Hmm. Okay. How many points on the Sheriff’s star?”
Stoker looked in her direction as he pulled out a bottle of wine. “Seven. Where are you going with this?”
Jessica sighed and looked back at the map. “What about your decal? What does it look like?”
“A parachute in the middle with angel wings. What are you getting at?”
“Do you have a picture?”
“I can do better than that. I have an extra one in my desk drawer over there.” As he opened the wine, he watched the way she was moving, working and could kick himself in the gut for being such a fool. Now he had to convince her to stay.
She found the decal and held it into the light.”
He remained quiet as he poured two glasses, sauntering over as she placed the colorful paper in the center of the activity. “You have me more than curious.”
“Four fires so far.”
“Yep.”
“Everyone thinks there is going to be at least one more. Correct?”
Placing both glasses on the table and away from the maps, he nodded. “Yeah, that’s what the experts say.”
“Bear with me. Do you have a pencil?”
“Sure.” He grabbed one out of the kitchen, his curiosity turning to anxiety.
“I’m going to draw on the map. I’m not a great artist but here goes.”
As she began to use the box, drawing first one line, then a second, he peered over her shoulder, unable to decipher what she was trying to do. When she connected the third dot, the hair stood up on the back of his neck. “Shit.”
She gave him a quick glance before connecting the forth then moved the decal, drawing a crude parachute in the middle of all the dots. “Do you see the resemblance?”
Stoker blinked twice before he realized she’d done an exact outline of the symbol. The middle, where there were no fires, was… “Oh God. If you’re right. Shit.”
“Where is this?”
Grabbing the red pen, he redrew the lines, circling the area of the makeshift parachute. “Right here is the hanger and see this clump of trees and all the land surrounding?” This couldn’t be the case, but everything made perfectly good sense.
“Yes, but I don’t under—” She lowered her head then placed her hand on his chest. “This is where your house is. Right?”
“Yep as well as where at least two of the guys from the team live as well. If the bastard is trying for revenge, he wants to burn down anything having to with…”
“Smokejumpers,” she whispered then looked into his eyes. “You don’t really think that this is Cooper?”
Before he could answer, he heard his phone. He grabbed it on the third ring. While not recognizing the number, he knew instinctively he should answer. “Hansen.”
“Yes, um is this Stoker Hansen, the smokejumper?”
“Yes, who is this?”
“I’m Robert Walker, from Walker and Frick guns? We met the other day?”
“Oh yeah, what can I do for you?” Stoker barely heard the man, his mind reeling from the information. Who the hell should he call first? What if they were on a wild goose chase? Shit. This was unbelievable.”
“Well, I talked to my boy, the one who usually comes in on Sundays and he remembered something.”
“Uh-huh.” He walked back toward the map, studying the outline. This was too good not to be true.
Robert laughed. “This might seem crazy but he remembers a guy asking about accelerants just like you did, Ethyl Ether to be exact. Funny thing too.”
If another fire started in the forest, depending on the bomb, the entire area could go, including his home.
“Mr. Hansen?’
“I’m sorry. You were saying?’
“Yes, sir. Funny thing is the guy asking?” Robert continued. “The kid remembered this because of a patch the guy was wearing on his jacket. Something about angel wings.
“Yeah?” What did the man just say?
“He was a smokejumper.”
Chapter 17
“I can’t believe this,” Stoker said, his legs shaking. He dropped the phone on the table and backed away. Swirling memories, visions of specials days spent with Cooper, times by the river, double dating, serving in the war rushed past him like a fast forward movie.
“What’s wrong?” Jessica flanked his side, concern riding her face.
Stoker shook his head then pressed his palms against his forehead. “I went to this gun store. I knew they sold various fuels. I asked around about anyone purchasing. That was the owner. He said a jumper with credentials came in to ask about accelerants.”
“Did he identify this jumper?”
“No, just said he had a badge and a patch on his jacket with wings. A kid that works for him remembered.”
“So, he’s not certain.”
He snapped his head up. “Everything is too coincidental. Too many pieces are fitting together. A patch with wings? No one gets a patch or a jacket unless they’re a part of a team. That’s the unstated rules.”
She placed her hand on his arm. “Okay. That’s the problem. Everything is fitting together too well. Did he say what the guy looked like?”
“Just said he was tall and muscular.” Why didn’t he ask additional questions?
“That could describe every single Jumper I’ve met so far.”
“Goddamn this shit! Why is it happening?” Stoker pounded his fist on the wall.
“What if Cooper is being framed?”
“But he was supposed to be here. Why isn’t he here?”
“Do you really think if he’s the one doing this that he’d suddenly not come and see you, especially after you two had this bloodbath of hatred for almost two years? Don’t you think it would look more than a little suspicious?”
He hadn’t thought about the situation this way. “I see your point.”
“Look, Cooper explained to me about the various tests that are taken during training to be a smokejumper. He said there’s a way to know whether someone has a penchant for starting fires, not just putting them out. Is that right?”
Stoker had forgotten about the entrance tests. “Yeah. They’re pretty stringent tests from what I can remember. I took mine years ago. Thank God, they didn’t make me go through that again.”
“Does your Captain still have access to ones from a few years ago?”
A ripple shifted in his veins. “That’s an excellent idea and I don’t know the answer.”
“Maybe you should find out but call Cooper. Make certain he didn’t have an accident or worse. There has to be a logical explanation for why he’s not here. Trust me on this and hear me. Cooper is your friend. You’ve both changed because of trauma and the horrors you went through apart and together. Don’t allow guilt, blame or any other past emotion to cloud your judgement. The man I spoke to had come to terms with his injury and the fate he’s been dealt. I honestly don’t believe he could do something to hurt the town he so obviously loves.”
Hearing her words, the strong conviction gave him pause. He refused to follow the path of being a fool again. “Okay. Okay. You’re right, but we still have to be cautious.”
“I understand. Just remember what I’ve said,” Jessica said as she locked eyes with him.
“I will.” Stoker hesitated before making the call. Perhaps he was afraid to hear his voice, terrified he’d know the truth.
“Anything?” she asked.
“Second ring.” A terrifying feeling rolled through the pit of his stomach. “Third. Voice mail.”
Sighing, she folded her arms. “Leave a message.”
“Hey Coop. I thought you were going to be here at eight. I’m getting kind of worried. Let me know what’s going on.” Ending the call, he turned in her direction. “He’s responsi
ble. I know it.”
“Stoker, please don’t jump to conclusions. Maybe whoever this person is, he or she wants you to believe Cooper is the problem. If all eyes are turned in his direction, the real person has a clear path to get away with this. Also remember, ID’s can be faked, especially to present in front of a kid who has no clue. Even the jacket could have been stolen.”
“Maybe.” He debated his next move. What if Jessica was right and Cooper was being framed? Who? There were several jumpers left from past teams residing in Missoula, but he knew none of them. Could it be possible someone on the current team was doing this? No, that he doubted, even though Antonio was a wild trigger. The man was reliable. A fake ID. Yeah, the concept was worth checking into. The Sheriff. At least he could present his information. He grabbed his phone.
“Who are you calling?” Jessica asked as she paced back and forth.
“This might seem far-fetched to the rest of the world, but I’ll bet money on the fact you’re right about the next location. If we are, I’ll venture a guess that the next fire will be soon. I’m calling the Sheriff,” Stoker said and walked to the window. He no longer had any idea what to think or if he could even trust his instincts.
“Do you think he’ll believe you?”
“I don’t know, but I have to try. There are missing pieces of the puzzle but what there are indicate a previous jumper is to blame. He dialed the number and held his breath. Every nerve was standing on end, his heart racing. Cooper. Could his best friend have gone down the absolute road of madness? “Sheriff James. Yes. This is Stoker Hansen.” He glanced out at the darkened night, wondering if Cooper was studying their every move. Stars floated against the backdrop of the moon, a beautiful setting. There was no rain in the forecast, only light winds and crisp air. The perfect scene for a massive fire.
Jessica walked back toward the map, fingering the design. “Maybe we can narrow down the blaze.”
He glanced over his shoulder, watching the way her fingers moved, the way the dim lighting seemed to add a shimmer to her hair. Shit. He was hooked. Exhaling, the single realization gave him a slight smile. “Yes? Voice mail is fine. Thank you.” Groaning, he rubbed his eyes. There would be no immediate help. “Sheriff, this is Stoker Hansen. I know its late and I realize this might sound insane, but I think I might know where the next location of the fire is going to be. I also believe I can give you additional information. Please give me a call as soon as you can.”
