Scene of the Crime: Bridgewater, Texas

by Carla Cassidy

  Matt smiled. “If I started arresting all the men guilty of that, my jail wouldn’t be able to hold them all. One thing that will make your day—according to Marianne’s friends, she was getting ready to kick Glen to the curb. The farm and pretty much everything they owned was in Marianne’s name. It seems she bought the place before they got married with inheritance money she’d received.”

  “So if there had been a divorce Glen would have walked away with nothing. Sounds like a motive for murder to me,” she replied.

  He nodded. “We’ll work at getting our ducks in a row and I’m figuring we can make an arrest in that case within a week or so.”

  “But that gets us no closer to solving Miranda’s and Carolyn’s murders.”

  “Nor does it get us any closer to who has left you two roses.” He took a sip of his coffee, needing the warmth to ease the chill that swept through him as he thought of somebody harming her. “I don’t suppose you’ve considered leaving town?” Although he wasn’t ready to tell her goodbye, if that’s what it took to keep her safe, then he’d help her pack her bags.

  She leaned forward, bringing with her that evocative scent that stirred a primal lust inside him. “To be honest, I’ve spent the day considering all my options and leaving town was definitely one I considered, then dismissed.”

  “Why not leave? Why not assure your own safety?”

  He watched the play of emotions that raced across her features. There was a whisper of fear, a hint of sheer stubbornness and something else, something that gave Matt hope.

  “Two things made me decide to stay. I hope that as long as I’m the target, then he isn’t targeting any other woman,” she said.

  “You said one of the things. What’s the other?” he asked. His breath caught in his chest as he realized he wanted her answer to be him.

  “I’m not a quitter,” she replied. “I don’t give up when things get tough. I want to see this thing through to the end.”

  At that moment Matt’s cell phone rang. He plucked it from his pocket and answered to hear Joey’s voice. “Sheriff, it’s here, a rose at Miranda’s. It was on the front porch when I got here. I bagged it and tagged it.”

  “Thanks, Joey.” Even though Matt had been expecting it, his heart beat a heightened rhythm of anxiety as he clicked off and looked at Jenna.

  “What’s up?” she asked.

  “Joey checked out Miranda’s place for me and he found another rose.” He watched as her eyes deepened in hue. “That makes three, Jenna. If our killer maintains his routine, then within three days, this will be over.”

  Neither of them spoke the words that he knew they were both thinking, that in three days’ time either the killer would be caught or Jenna would be killed.

  Chapter Ten

  “Maggie Wendt insists she never gave the key to Miranda’s house to anyone and she has no idea who Miranda might have given a copy to,” Matt said.

  Darkness had fallen outside and he’d just returned from Miranda’s where he’d met Joey.

  “Leroy might have had access to her keys at the café,” Jenna replied, as she thought about the young waitress who had found Miranda’s body.

  “It’s possible any number of people might have been able to get to them at the café. I’ll need to find out where the waitresses store their purses and other personal things when they’re working.” He leaned back in his chair and swept his fingers through his thick dark hair.

  For a moment his eyes held hers, and in their depths she was a simmering fire that had nothing to do with the facts of the case.

  Jenna’s fingers hummed with the memory of how his hair had felt, so rich and silky when she’d tangled her fingers in it when they’d made love.

  It was almost ten o’clock and for the last several hours they had chewed over the case, thrown around ideas and argued theories, and through it all there had been a simmering tension between them.

  Jenna knew it was desire, a desire built on the realization that her time here with him was quickly coming to an end.

  She’d told him she wanted to see this through to its conclusion, but in reality she had a job to get back to and she couldn’t remain in the town of Bridgewater, Texas, forever.

  She hoped that the killer would come after her and she’d manage to get him under arrest. If she survived an attack and for some reason the killer got away, she believed it would still be time for her to leave Bridgewater.

  Eventually Matt and his men would get the guilty and if Matt decided he wanted official FBI involvement, then he could send in a request and agents would be dispatched to help him with the investigation.

  In any case, she felt it in her heart, in her soul, that it was time to leave and get back to her real life and leave this charming little Texas town behind.

  “I’m calling it a night,” she said as she got up from the table. “I can’t think about all this another minute. My brain is completely fried.”

  “I feel the same way,” he agreed. He got up and carried their cups to the sink and then shut off the coffeepot.

  Moments later as she climbed the stairs to the guest bedroom she was acutely conscious of Matt just behind her. One more time, she thought as she reached her bedroom door. Was it so wrong of her to want one more time in his arms, to desire the feel of his heartbeat next to hers? She might be dead in three days. Why not steal one last moment of pleasure with him.

  She turned to face him. “If you’re fairly certain that Glen Talbot killed his wife, then doesn’t that mean I won our little bet?”

  His gray eyes flared with a hot shine that nearly scorched her. “I think you’re right,” he said and moved a step closer to her. “So I guess I have to pay up. I wouldn’t want to renege on a bet. Although we didn’t say specifically what the bet was for, I think a kiss would be appropriate.”

  Her knees weakened as he took another step toward her, so close that her breasts touched his chest and she fought against a shiver of pleasure that threatened to sweep up her spine.

  “You know if I kiss you I’ll want more,” he said, his voice low and husky.

  “I know if you kiss me, I’ll want more,” she replied and raced her tongue over her upper lip in anticipation of what was to come.

  She didn’t know for sure if it was the words she’d spoken or the slide of her tongue, but one or both seemed to enflame him, for he grabbed her to him and crashed his mouth to hers.

  The kiss was hot and hungry and just that quickly Jenna felt her bones melting as hunger for him flamed inside her.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and molded her body to his and as always when she was in his arms she felt safe and right.

  When the kiss ended she took a step into her bedroom, but he caught her by the arm and shook his head. “No, I want you in my room. I want you in my bed.”

  He didn’t give her a chance to reply, but instead scooped her up in his arms and carried her down the hallway toward the master bedroom.

  She’d been in there earlier in the day, wanting to see his personal space. She’d never tell him that she’d hugged his pillow, smelling the scent of him and that it had calmed her nerves.

  Now the last thing she felt as he laid her on the bed was calm. Every muscle in her body ached for him, every nerve ending sang with the anticipation of the pleasure she knew was about to come.

  He stood by the side of the bed and ripped his T-shirt over his head and then as he took off his jeans, she sat up and pulled her sundress over her head.

  The only illumination was a stream of moonlight playing through the thin, gauzy curtains at the bank of windows. He was stunning in the moonlight, a study of sinewy muscle and want.

  Her heart beat frantically as he joined her on the bed and their lips met once again in a kiss that stole all rational thought from her mind.

  It was impossible to think as he removed her bra and gently cupped her breasts and his mouth kissed down the length of her neck. It was impossible to think when his hands swept down he
r stomach and slowly pulled off her panties.

  The last time they had made love it had been frantic and fast with little time for foreplay, but this time it was slow and easy, as if they had the rest of their lives to complete what they had started.

  She discovered all the places on his body that made him groan with pleasure when she touched him. In turn he found those sensitive spots on her that electrified her.

  No matter how she tried to keep her mind disengaged and focus solely on the physical pleasure of making love to Matt, she couldn’t stop the mental connection with him from happening.

  He seemed intent to hold her gaze as he caressed her, as if making love to her mind as well as her body. Even when she closed her eyes she could feel him not just against her body, but touching her places inside where she’d never been touched before.

  Matt was a silent lover, saying little with his lips but speaking volumes through his caresses and kisses. He made her feel beautiful. He made her feel special and that was as seductive as anything he could have done.

  He brought her to climax and while she was still shuddering in the throes, he entered her. She wrapped her legs around his back, pulling him deeper inside her as wave after wave of pleasure overwhelmed her.

  He whispered her name and then began to move against her, stroking in and out in agonizingly slow, exquisitely exhilarating movements that had her once again climbing to a peak.

  Sex had never been this way for her, so intense, so personal and she knew it wasn’t the act itself but rather the man she shared it with that made the difference.

  When she reached her peak again she felt as if she had shattered, and as he stiffened against her and hoarsely cried her name, she captured the moment in her memory to keep forever.

  Afterward, when they were both spent and their breathing had returned to a more normal pace she started to get up, but he held her tight.

  “Why do you have to run off?” he asked. “Stay here with me. Sleep with me.”

  She rolled a few inches away from him and propped herself up on one elbow. “I never sleep with a man.”

  “Why not?” He propped himself up on his elbow to face her.

  “I don’t know. I guess I’ve never been with a man I wanted to wake up to in the morning,” she replied.

  “If you think I’m charming late at night, you should see me first thing in the morning,” he exclaimed.

  She smiled. First the man had charmed her right out of her dress and now he was seducing her to break all her own rules and spend the night in his bed.

  “Come on, Jenna,” he whispered. He reached out and stroked a thumb down her cheek. “What are you afraid of? That we might cuddle in the darkness? That you might feel safe and warm?”

  “I’m not used to feeling that way,” she replied after a moment of silence.

  He pulled her against him, her face in the warmth of his chest. “Maybe it’s time you get used to it. Just let yourself go, Jenna. Don’t think, just relax.”

  His hand stroked softly down the length of her back and to her surprise she found herself relaxing, melding into the mattress, into him.

  Don’t think. Listen to what he said, she told herself and closed her eyes. It felt good, to be cradled in his arms with his body heat warming her.

  A sweet drowsiness swept over her and she’d nearly fallen asleep when she felt his breath close to her ear.

  “You know, I could be in love with you if you’d let me,” he murmured.

  She stiffened and raised her head to look at him. “Oh, Matt, don’t. Don’t fall in love with a woman like me. Don’t you remember, I have no hopes or dreams for the future?”

  He pulled her close and once again stroked down the length of her back. “Don’t worry about it, I have enough hopes and dreams for the both of us.”

  He fell asleep almost immediately, but she remained awake, a terrible dread filling her. She was going to break his heart and it didn’t make her feel any better that she’d warned him ahead of time.

  What was worse, she had a feeling that his wasn’t the only heart that might be broken when this was all said and done.

  MATT WOKE UP at dawn and she was gone, the part of the bed where she had been cold to his touch. There had been several times in the night when he’d reached out and been comforted by her warm body close to his. Still, he wasn’t surprised that with the dawn she was gone, as if she’d only been a wonderful dream.

  He remained in bed thinking about Jenna and his feelings for her. He’d probably scared her off by baring his heart the night before.

  And yet he knew she had a depth of feelings for him, too. She might try to deny it, but he felt it emanating from her whenever they were together; he saw it in her eyes when she thought he wasn’t looking.

  They were good together, both as partners and as lovers, and he wanted more. He wanted a lifetime with her. Whether she knew it or not, she needed him. She needed him to give her dreams, to give her laughter, but more importantly he’d never met a woman who so desperately needed to be loved. And he was just the man to do it.

  All he had to do was convince her.

  He smelled coffee, letting him know she’d been up for a while. He got out of bed and padded into the bathroom for a quick shower.

  Twenty minutes later he entered the kitchen to find her dressed for the day and seated at the table. “Good morning,” he said.

  “Morning,” she replied.

  Instantly he felt the distance wafting from her, an invisible wall that kept her from looking at him in the eyes, warning him not to tread too close.

  “Did you sleep well?” He walked to the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee.

  “Not really.” She finally looked at him with cool blue eyes. “I have no intention of hanging out here all day. I’m going to walk around a little on Main Street, talk to some of the people and see if I can learn any more information than what we already have.”

  “Do you really think that’s a good idea?” He sat at the table opposite her.

  She shrugged. “I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad idea. There are still three roses to go. I’m betting our killer won’t jump the gun and that he’ll stick to his ritual and need to deliver them all over the next three days.”

  “And what if you’re wrong?” he asked.

  “Then I guess I’ll lose the bet.” She turned her gaze out the window.

  Matt studied her profile, loving the way the sun caressed her features, discouraged by the stubborn thrust of her chin. He knew that it was futile to try to argue with her. She would do what she decided, not what he wanted her to do.

  Love for her swelled in his chest. She was what he wanted in his life and he knew that he was what she needed in hers.

  “You know, there’s an FBI field office in Dallas,” he finally said. “It wouldn’t be such a bad commute from here.”

  She shot her gaze to him. “Why would you tell me that?”

  Matt drew a deep breath and decided to speak from his heart. “You know that I’m falling in love with you and I think that if you look deep in your heart, you’ll know that you’re falling for me, too.”

  “That’s crazy,” she replied quickly. “We’ve known each other for only a week.”

  “It’s not the amount of time that matters, it’s the depth of the emotion. I know what it feels like to be in love and I know what’s in my heart for you. Jenna, open your heart and I think you’ll be surprised to find what’s inside.”

  She scooted back from the table and jumped up as if on fire. She strode to the counter and stood with her back against it, a deep frown on her face. “I warned you, Matt. I told you that I’m not the kind of woman you need in your life. There was only one time in my entire life I hoped for something and I hoped for it with all my heart and all my soul, and that was for my mother to relinquish her rights to me and let me be a part of a real family.”

  “But whether your mother gave up her rights or not, you were part of the Harris family,” h
e replied as he got to his feet.

  She shook her head. “It wasn’t the same. To the outside world I was their foster kid, not their daughter. I needed it to be made legal. I needed to know that nobody could come back in and take me away. The Harrises tried for four years with my mother and every time they told me they were going to ask her again, my hope built that maybe this time my mother would love me enough to let me go. Finally I stopped hoping.”

  Although her words were said calmly and without emotion, Matt saw the tremble in her lower lip, the edge of pain that laced her eyes.

  The wound inside her was deep and had festered for a long time and Matt wanted to rip it open in an effort to allow it to heal, but before he could say anything she continued.

  “I don’t let people get close to me, Matt. I decided a long time ago that I’d never let anyone be important in my life. Miranda sneaked in beneath my defenses, but I won’t allow that to happen again. It’s how I live. It’s how I survive. I have my work and that’s all I need.”

  He stepped closer to her and her eyes flared slightly at his nearness. “Okay, you had a crappy childhood and your mother was a selfish jerk who couldn’t or wouldn’t give you what you needed. Lots of people have terrible childhoods, but that doesn’t mean they close themselves off from life…from love.”

  He raised a hand and swept a strand of her soft hair from her shoulder and then stroked his thumb down the side of her face. “Jenna, you have a great capacity to love inside you. I know you do, all you have to do is let it out.”

  She scooted away from him, away from his touch and her features were a cold mask. “I’ve already made up my mind that I’m leaving here in a week, whether you catch the killer or not by that time. I have a life to get back to.”

  “That’s not a life, that’s just an existence,” he replied tersely. He wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her, he wanted to scoop her back up in his arms, run with her to the bedroom and make love to her until her heart opened to him.

  “Jenna, I know you care about me,” he continued. “And I just wish you’d give me a chance, give us a chance.”