Obsessed by Darkness

by Autumn Jordon

  “Did you want to come up for a cup of coffee?” She unzipped her bag and rummaged inside.

  Was she being polite or was she coming on to him?” Chase kept his heart rate in check and studied her.

  “Or I have herbal tea.” She found her keys, zippered her bag and placed it next to the stair railing near her feet. “I could help you with any other questions.”

  And there was his answer, she offered more help.

  Staring down into her eyes that reminded him of all the good in the world, he knew without a doubt she wasn’t part of the drug production. Or Denise’s murder. The question remained: How could he prove it?

  His cell phone vibrated against his hip. He’d check back with the caller in a minute. He should say yes to Emma’s invite. He could look around her apartment. It would be one more base covered when he asserted his certainty of her innocence to Will. However, he would have to do a thorough search of her apartment and he couldn’t do it while she or her roommate were there. Over the years, he’d learned patience was a valuable trait. As was knowing when to act. “It’s late and a school night. I’d better not.”

  She didn’t smile or laugh at his clichéd line. In fact he saw disappointment turn her full mouth down at the corners.

  Damn he wanted her to smile again, and to hold her close. Inside, he shook against the restraints he’d mentally locked in place and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

  Emma stepped closer.

  He blinked.

  She stared at his mouth for a second before raising her gaze to his.

  He saw fire in her eyes.

  “I’m sorry you feel that way,” she said in a tone which left no doubt she wanted him.

  Before he could slip his hands free, she anchored herself to him by placing her hands on his shoulders. Then she stretched up on her toes and brushed her soft lips against his cheek.

  “Thank you for waiting for me,” she whispered against his skin.

  The bonds holding him back snapped like weathered strands of twine. Her scent became a riptide tearing at his stability, and he wobbled. He curled his fingers into the smooth nylon of her jacket, covering her arms. Her muscles tensed ever so slightly under his fingertips.

  He battled a thrashing swirl of emotions that ordered him to act like a warrior and take what he wanted. He knew kissing Emma was wrong, but his spirit dubbed him a fool for not claiming her as his. Right now.

  Emma rocked him back on his heels and took charge, totally swaying his assessment of her. Her soft mouth found his with such a sense of purpose he was swept away by her spirited passion. He had imagined she’d taste like honey, raw and sweet, but he hadn’t expected wild.

  Her tongue teased his lips and he willingly surrendered to her plea. Her soft curls trailed between his fingers and at the image of Emma’s rich dark hair cascading across his chest as they made love, Chase lost all sense of reason. He willingly partnered kiss after kiss until Emma pulled back.

  “You still don’t want to come upstairs?” The rapid rise and fall of her chest mimicked his own.

  He pressed his forehead against hers. Except for one muscle, the rest felt like yesterday’s oatmeal, there but without potency. All blood flow had gone south. He shifted a fraction of an inch away from her and fought to regain his faculties. The hot embers in her rich eyes, teased his burning desires. He shook his head. “I can’t.”

  “Didn’t you like what just happened here?”

  Instinctively he pulled her closer. “Very much. I can’t tell you how much.”

  “I understand.”

  “No. You don’t. I can’t tell you why I can’t, yet.”

  Under his hand, her spine stiffened. She had picked up on his reference to something more that held him back. Something he couldn’t tell her. He allowed a two-inch gap between them.

  Tiny lines formed at the corners of her eyes as they narrowed. “Are you seeing someone? I know you asked me if I was, but I hadn’t considered you were because you asked me to dinner. But dinner wasn’t a date, was it? It was just… What was tonight?”

  “No. I’m not married, engaged or seeing anyone,” he said, covering every base. Her muscles relaxed under his kneading fingertips. “Tonight was about a man. That’s me. Wanting to get to know a woman. That’s you. Better. And I wanted to make you forget the past few days.”

  She laughed. “You did do that. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He edged closer and wrapped his arms around her. Securely anchored against him, he kissed her. This kiss was different than the first. It had passion, but the urgency had been replaced with a promise.

  “Good night, Chase,” she said as they broke apart.

  Between dark lashes, her gaze dropped to his mouth which still felt warm from hers. A wicked smile played on her lips for a second before she trapped her bottom lip between her teeth. She pressed her body to his once more, for a second, but that brief contact was enough to jack up his heart rate again. Before he could tighten his grip on her, Emma turned out of his embrace, grabbed her bag from the sidewalk and slipped inside. A split-second later the night’s cool air returned along with his breath and his faculties.

  He backed away as if he recovered from a Taser zap. “What the fuck just happened?” he asked the night.

  He’d kissed Emma and with that kiss she unlocked his heart. The part of him he presumed was lost forever, lived. He bowed his head. His gaze crossed back and forth over the crevices in the concrete. He didn’t want to be disconnected from that part of himself again. He had to find the drug ring and prove Emma was undeniably innocent.

  ***

  Excitement made Emma’s steps light as she entered the dark apartment. She felt like she walked two feet above the floor.

  The television cast a glow over Nanette who huddled on the couch. Emma had a feeling her roommate didn’t watch the comedy sitcom playing. Nan’s face was edged with stone-cold lines while she stared off into the distance. It took a few seconds for Nan to realize the door had cracked open.

  “Are you Ok?” Emma wondered if she should leave the door ajar for a quick escape.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “You look upset. Is something wrong?” She searched the shadows for a cause to Nan’s state.

  “Just the usual bullshit,” Nan muttered, before her gaze followed Emma’s around the room.

  Nan’s tone revealed she was upset over something more than the usual BS. A letter lay on the coffee table. “What’s that?”

  “Oh. The rejection letter I received last week from the travel magazine. I guess I thought if I read it for the thousandth time, I’d be able to find an acceptance between the lines.”

  “Forget about it. They just didn’t need your pictures at this time. Next month, they will,” Emma said and closed the door. She crossed over and dropped her bag on the coffee table.

  Nan’s dark eyes turned up to her. “You’re good for my ego. You know that?”

  “And you’re good for mine.” She had to change the subject and get Nan’s mind off of the rejection letter. The first thing that came to mind was Chase and the kiss they’d shared. Hosting a grin, she posted her hands on her hips. “Guess what?”

  “What?”

  “I did it!”

  “Did what?”

  “Guess who showed up in my class today?” She had more to tell about her day, but after the hot kiss she and Chase shared, she didn’t want to think about anything else.

  “The guy you told me about yesterday,” Nan said as if there wasn’t another possible answer.

  Emma furrowed her brow. “How did you know?”

  Nanette shrugged. “The way you’re lit up it wasn’t hard to guess.” She muted the TV and patted the cushion next to her. “Tell me.”

  Nan’s tone lacked the usual enthusiasm. Apparently this last rejection had really bummed her out. More so than she had originally let on.

  Emma sat. “I walked in and there he was. Apparently the dean han
dled his entrance to class.”

  “The dean?”

  “Yeah.” She shrugged. “I thought it odd too but then I figured the dean stepped in since Chase was so late starting classes. I was so nervous teaching. He seemed to watch my every move.” She slapped her thighs. “Then the cops showed up.”

  “What?” Nan’s eyes bloomed to huge disks. “The cops? What did they want?”

  “Questions…and my car.”

  “Why in hell did they want your car?”

  “Covering their asses. Dotting their I’s.” She flung her hand in the air, brushing away part of the conversation. “Anyway, after they left, Chase asked me to dinner. Actually, he insisted I calm down and eat something. I was really upset. He made me forget everything bad that’s happened the past few days.” She chattered on, knowing she sounded like a teenager talking about her first crush. She didn’t care. She felt giddy.

  “You really like this guy, huh?” Nan leaned against the armrest and pulled her knees to her chest like she was settling in for a juicy story.

  Finally, Emma thought, she had something wonderful to share with her best friend. Nan has told her so many.

  She sat back on the cushions, angling to face Nan. She wanted to see her friend’s reaction. “We talked and talked. Then Chase drove me back to campus and waited for me while I held study group. He wanted to make sure I got home safely, so he walked me to the door downstairs, and that is when I kissed him.”

  “You what?”

  “I kissed him,” she enunciated each word to make it clear to Nan she’d made the first move. She was pretty darn proud of herself.

  “Wow.” Again Nanette’s eyes rounded, but this time she seemed even more stunned. Her jaw dropped, keeping her lips parted.

  “I know. I shocked myself.”

  Nan’s hands cupped her knees and Emma touched them. They were cold. She covered Nan’s fingers with her palms. “I kept thinking, what would Nan do?” She squeezed Nan’s hands. “You gave me courage.” She sat back. “I admit, it felt exciting to be so bold. I sort of liked it.”

  “It’s not easy changing who you are, but you can do it,” Nan said. “I have.”

  A little confused by Nan’s statement, Emma cocked her head to the side. “How so?”

  “Since moving in with you, I have goals. Like I said, you’re good for me.”

  Emma wondered if she could influence Chase too, to set goals. Would they be good for each other? Emma’s mind drifted back over their dinner conversation and she remembered how easily Chase had put her at ease. She also recalled how quickly Chase had changed the subject when speaking about his past.

  Nan’s brow furrowed. “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing.” She shook her head.

  “Sounds like you like this guy a lot.”

  “I do, but…” She tipped her head from side to side, weighing her thoughts. “I have this feeling he's hiding something.”

  “We all keep things hidden until we know and trust the person who we’re sharing things with. It's called getting to know each other.”

  “I guess you're right.” Emma agreed, however, she had an inkling Chase hid something important. She sighed. She guessed she’d find out soon enough, but for tonight she was going to go to bed dreaming of their kiss.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chase pulled his hood over his head and climbed out of his car. He surveyed the trash-ridden street in both directions, making sure no one had followed him. Not that there was a chance. No one on campus knew of their presence except carefully chosen law and university officials, which included Frank Knepper, who’d he’d met outside the cattle barn after leaving Emma. The campus security chief had nothing to report after searching the two barns and storage sheds located on campus. Chase would do a double check the next day. He didn’t think Knepper was bad, but sometimes bad fruit looked real good on the outside.

  Out of nowhere, an image of Emma popped into his mind and Chase’s chest lifted with an intake of air.

  In the distance he heard a pop, like a car backfiring and he quickly pushed Emma’s smile away and focused on his surroundings. There were lamp posts every thirty feet, but half of them had bulbs smashed out, leaving the double-lane street riddled with hiding places for trouble.

  Soulful music coming from the bar across the street provided a backdrop to the sirens that wailed in the distance. Maybe it hadn’t been a car backfiring.

  The joint Jolene suggested for their meeting was definitely a place no one from the university would patronize. A few neon lights, depicting frosty beer bottles, hung haphazardly in the windows. The blackened panes prevented anyone from seeing the transactions that went on inside the bar. Chicken wire protected the glass from flying objects coming from the outside. He’d bet his next month’s paycheck wire also shielded the windows inside. Saying the Fire Pit was a dive would raise the establishment four stars on a ranking chart.

  He chuckled while hitting the locking mechanism on his car. In this neighborhood, it wouldn’t make much difference. If anyone wanted the vehicle, they’d smash the window and hot wire the sedan without blinking an eye. Hell, they’d only lose the profit of a window.

  Upon entering the bar, reeling scents from decades of food fried in the same oil, and whiskey and beer spilled over nothing, hit Chase. The unambiguous urine smell came a few seconds later. He swiped his finger under his nose to ward it off.

  He darted a glance over his shoulder as he moved further into the room. His income was secure. He’d been right about the chicken wire.

  The trio of light bulbs that still worked above the bar cast enough radiance for him to see the old wooden floors beneath his boots actually had narrow gaps between them. He assumed the openings were the ventilation system. If the planks moaned under his weight, he couldn’t tell. The blare from the ancient jukebox that sat in the corner playing time-proven golden oldies covered their complaints.

  At the front end of the bar, a couple of old-timers ignored him, their shoulder blades pushed against thin cotton shirts as they hunched over their headless beers. However, anchoring the other end of the bar was a trio of gorillas, dock workers from the nearby warehouses, perhaps. They stared openly, letting Chase know he’d entered their turf.

  Feeling leather against his skin, reinforced Chase’s cool. If any trouble came his way, he had an ace cuffed near his ankle.

  He walked past the trio. He had to squint to see into the dark padded recesses called booths. He found Jolene lounging in the last booth with her back against the wall. Her steel-tipped boots, propped up on the cushion, signaled any unwanted visitors to keep on walking toward the rest room, kitchen or the backdoor.

  “Look at you all hooded up.” With a thud, she sat the beer she’d been nursing down on the heavy oak table. “It’s about time you got here. I thought you got lost. You know how many times I had to show these boots off,” she grumbled, lifting a foot. “Too many. You’d swear these yokels never saw a woman.” Her hot gaze remained fixed on him as she downed a gulp of her beer.

  Her irritation made him smile. He scanned the joint, ensuring the trio stayed put. He pushed the hood off his head. “Nice place. You come here often?”

  “Bite me, rookie. Next time, you choose the place.” She dropped her feet to the floor. “Where the hell have you been?”

  “I had a little detective work to do?”

  Before Chase slid onto the booth, a waitress his mother's age came from behind him to take their order, gave him a wink and asked, “What will you have tonight, sweetie.”

  “Anything on tap will do.”

  “You can bring me another too,” Jolene said. “And some cheese fries too. He’s buying.”

  “You got it, sweetie.”

  “Humph. She called you sweetie too. Here I thought she liked me.” Chase slid onto the wooden seat that had held more bottoms than Hugh Hefner. “I want to thank you, by the way.”

  “For?” Jolene cut her sip short, leaving a drop of the amber liqui
d on her lips. Quickly she licked it away, an action that would drive many men nuts, but Chase thought of Jolene more as a sister.

  He leaned over the table. “For giving me up to Will about the chemistry grad I zeroed in on.”

  “He has a right to know when one of his men is about to fall.”

  “I’m not going to fail.”

  “I said fall, not fail, you big dope. Anyone with a half a brain could see how taken you were with Emma Lewis.”

  The memory of his and Emma’s heated kiss popped into his head. He blinked away the image of her full lips, moist and swollen from their kiss, before his body reacted in a way that prevented him from sitting comfortably.

  “So I found her attractive. So what? Nothing is going to happen.” Not that he wouldn’t mind taking Emma up on an offer, if circumstances were different—but they weren’t. “She’s a suspect and that’s the way I’m working the case.”

  “Relax, big brother. I’m pulling your chain.”

  “Right.” He rubbed his sandy eyes, first the right, then the left. He hadn’t slept more than four hours in the last two nights. “Speaking of the reason we’re here, have you found anything?”

  “Possibly.” She shifted on the bench seat like she settled in for a long talk. “I got chummy with a few girls.”

  Momma waitress chose that moment to drop off their drinks and let them know the fries would be out in five. Chase took a draw on his beer while she picked up Jolene’s empty bottle and dropped two plates, napkins and plastic forks onto the table between them.

  As soon as she walked out of earshot, Chase looked at Jolene. “Ice users?”

  “Yeah, but not for highs. These girls are trying to lose weight.”

  “What?” He remembered what Emma had said about Denise.

  “Yeah. Ice ups the metabolism. The girls I talked to are being real closemouthed about it. They could get the boot from the college if they’re found taking the stuff. The university directors have a strict no-second-chance policy. The policy is probably one of the reasons parents are willing to pay the big bucks to send their kids to Tri-Penn.”