Deadly Secrets (New York State Trooper Series Book 3)

by Jen Talty

  “Look.” He put his arm around her and drew her close. “We need to spend some time getting to know one another again. Or rather, you, getting to know my history. I’m open to trying it out. Are you?”

  Every instinct told her to push him away, but her heart told her to pull him closer and never let him go. She’d never experienced making love the way she had with him. With other men, it had been an act of affection, neither good nor bad. With Reese? Sex was empowering. Satisfying. Sometimes downright blushworthy dirty.

  With Reese, making love came with no strings. It was unabated and raw, and that gave her the ability to let her hair down and do things she’d only fantasized about. They never had to carry on real emotional or mentally challenging conversations, and she’d felt no sense of having to tell him anything, though she told him everything.

  “I’ve already been open with you,” she said. “There isn’t much you don’t know about me or my family.”

  “There is a lot I don’t know about you.” He inched closer. The warmth from his body flowed over to hers. “I don’t know how you feel about a lot of things. The only thing I know for sure was that I was only meant to be a fling for you. You wanted nothing from me but a good time. You made that clear.”

  “So did you.”

  “We also said that when summer ended, we ended. We most certainly didn’t end, and I’m not the one who ended it.”

  “You didn’t do anything to keep it going.”

  They grew quiet for a long moment as Reese drained his glass, and then poured the rest of the wine. He swirled it, and as she watched him, she realized that should have been a clue: his taste and knowledge of fine wines. The way he swirled it. Smelled it. Even once sent a bottle back.

  She realized other things, too. Reese had always been the perfect gentleman. He never pushed. He was always respectful. She thought it had been some aspect of being a player, because he was smooth, and women flocked to him.

  But was it only that he was smooth, or just the way he grew up? Had his grandparents taught him manners? How to treat a lady?

  She sank into the arm he’d wrapped around her shoulder. It felt safe. Comfortable. It felt normal to be here, like this, with him.

  “We’re having a baby,” he whispered.

  “Tell me something I don’t know.” She meant it rhetorically, so she was surprised but happy when he responded.

  “My Nana lives in White Plains. She’s the only family I have, outside of you and this baby. If all goes as planned with The Heritage Inn, I want on bringing her here, and I want us all to get along with whatever scenario we put forth, preferably one where you and I are more than what we are now.”

  “I don’t know about that,” she managed. She hadn’t known what to expect when she told Reese about the baby, but this was not in even her wildest fantasies. “This is a lot to process.”

  “I understand,” Reese said. “To be honest, the night you told me about the baby, I was thinking about asking if we could pick things up again. I missed you. Then I had to go and act like some jerk.”

  “That you did.” She let him pull her closer as he rubbed her shoulder with one hand and rested the other on her thigh. It felt natural and real. As though they fit together. She wondered if she should tell him about Keith Holland and his quiet inquiry into the property, but Reese had already made the offer. He was staying. For his child. She could live with that. “I missed you, too.”

  Her body, however, demanded so much more than comfortable, and right now, she just wanted him. Needed him. Not the closed-off Reese she’d been messing around with, but this Reese. The one who was going to be a father. She knew it was a bad idea.

  Just one more time, she thought.

  She cupped his face and kissed him on the lips, first slowly, gauging his response, then more passionately as he began to respond. Everything about their so-called relationship had been simple, yet so complicated for her. Once again, she found herself in the arms of a man who knew every single physical button to push.

  Then he pulled away.

  “Just for tonight,” she said.

  “I don’t want it to be that way between us. I want to do this right this time.”

  “It’s the way I need it to be right now.”

  His lips brushed against hers, teasingly.

  She took his wine glass from his hand, placed it on the table, and then straddled him, holding his face, and looked deep into his eyes. She could see the passion, but she felt his trepidation. “We start over tomorrow,” she said. “But tonight, I need this.”

  It didn’t take long before they were naked in her bed, but there was no sense of urgency. He caressed every inch of her body. He kissed her shoulder. Licked her neck. Brushed his fingers across her breast as if she were a beautiful rose garden he tended to.

  Desperate to have him inside her, she coaxed, but he resisted, taking his sweet time making sure every erogenous zone she had, and few she hadn’t known she had, were fully engaged.

  “Now,” she begged.

  “No,” he whispered in her ear. “We start over tonight.”

  Her body and mind were wild with passion. She cared about nothing except the physical pleasure only he could give, that one last, non-committal encounter. A way to end the physical and begin a friendship, but the way he touched her felt so different from anything she’d ever felt before. “Please,” she begged again. “I need you.”

  Finally, he relented, entering her slowly, but she couldn’t take it any longer. She needed release. She lifted her hips over and over until he gave up and matched her pace. “This is the beginning,” he whispered.

  After they were both fully satisfied, he rolled to his side, turning her, and held her close. He said nothing, just held her, wrapping both the blankets and his arms protectively around her. He’d always been one to enjoy a good cuddle after love-making, but she’d always kiss him, then push him away. Being held in his arms all night was against one of her rules during their so-called fling. A way to protect herself from falling too hard and too deep for a man who wasn’t emotionally available.

  The man who currently held her body close, his breath slowing to a rhythmic sound of sleep was someone completely different. She relaxed in his arms, letting sleep come. Dreams of what could be tickled her brain while she slept in the protective presence of the man she loved.

  Chapter Five

  REESE HAD A LOT OF reasons to be ashamed, but none more pressing than the fact he had skipped out on Patty this morning without so much as a gentle peck on the check. Nana would have called him a coward, and she’d be partially correct. Work had called him away, but he could have said goodbye instead of sneaking out in a walk of shame.

  Last night wasn’t supposed to happen. She was impossible to resist, and she had basically begged him, but that was no excuse.

  He’d texted her, telling her he was sorry, duty called, and all that. But all he got was one quick text back that read, No worries.

  An unlikely response from Patty.

  Reese felt Stacey kick him under the table. “Did you hear me?”

  “Yeah,” he said as he went through the paperwork once again. Most of it was straight forward. “You’re dad is a good guy,” Reese said.

  “You can hire an outside attorney if you want to go over everything. My dad won’t take it personally. It’s business.”

  “I think I’ll have Patty take a look at it, but I can sign the estimate as well as the paperwork to have them file everything.”

  “For now that’s all you need. Essentially, you’re giving Sutten & Tanner permission to file for permits and variances, and naming Sutten & Tanner as the contractor for said work, and their plans as the intended construction, but nothing that bind either of you to each other right now.”

  “What I don’t understand is why do we have to rush this?”

  “In case anyone else is preparing to bid on the property, it shows your intention to the zoning board.”

  “Do you know if t
here are other interested buyers?”

  “Rumor has it that Holland Development is looking into various properties in the area, the Heritage Inn being one of them.”

  “That name sounds familiar.” Reese signed the papers, except the work contract. He trusted it was all in order. He knew he was in good hands, but due diligence as his nana always told him.

  “Big company with very deep pockets,” she said. “He was actually at Conrad’s office right before the altercation the other day.”

  “Why?”

  “Conrad is his attorney of record, and also, the shooter was his employee.”

  “Excuse me? Why is this the first I’m hearing about this?”

  “It wasn’t relevant—”

  “Anything to do with Patty is relevant for me to know,” he said with a sharp tone as he shuffled the paperwork around on his desk, looking for the case file regarding the shooting. “So, the shooter used to work for this Holland guy, who might want to buy the property I’m putting a bid in on?” Well that was interesting. That meant Patty had to have known about this other possible offer, but didn’t tell him. Maybe she couldn’t. Attorney-client privilege, and all. He pushed the paperwork for the Heritage Inn back in the envelope.

  “Okay,” Stacey said. “But its not connected to Patty at all, or what happened. The guy was a past employee. Fired. Because of Conrad.”

  Reese nodded, blocking out the memoires of seeing Patty held at gunpoint by a crazy man. At the time, he hadn’t known about the baby. But now that he did? It changed everything. “Do I need to drop these off?” He took in a deep breath, letting out slowly. Patty and his baby were safe. They had a chance at a new beginning. It was time he make that his sole focus.

  “My dad is on his way.”

  “That’s nice of him,” Reese said, still pushing papers around. He knew the file he wanted wouldn’t be on his desk since he’d been the one who had shot the gunman.

  “Yeah, that’s my dad. Mr. Nice Guy. Now, I just need to find him a good woman.”

  Frank entered the station house, closing out his shift. “Kind of a boring day out there,” he said as the main door flew open again.

  “Hey, Daddy,” Stacey said, greeting her father with a hug.

  Jim stepped back and shook his head. “I still can’t believe you carry a gun.”

  “I’ve had sex, too.”

  Jim closed his eyes and took in a long, deep breath. Reese figured raising that child had to be more than challenging.

  “Reese,” Jim said, his tone low. “Got the paperwork?”

  “Yep.” Reese handed Jim the envelope, forgetting Frank was even in the room. “You really think this land developer, Holland Development, could cause a problem with my offer?”

  “I wish I could say no. All depends on if they put in an offer. I’m sure by now they know when your offer expires.’

  “What are you all talking about?” Frank asked.

  Before Reese could cut Stacey off at the pass, she spilled the beans. “Reese just put in an offer to buy the Heritage Inn. Daddy is going to do all the—”

  “You’re joking, right? The man’s broke.”

  “No, he’s not,” Stacey said. “As a matter of fact—”

  “Now would be a good time for you to be quiet,” Jim said, “and for me to leave. I’ll be in touch.” The station house remained quiet until after Jim closed the door behind him.

  “How can you buy the Heritage Inn?” Frank asked. “Besides, didn’t you put in for a transfer? Aren’t you moving?”

  “Redacted,” Reese said. “I’m staying put.”

  Frank blinked a few times. “How in the hell can you afford to buy it?”

  “Well, let’s just say my family is has a bit of money.”

  “What family?” Frank asked.

  “My Nana.”

  “You have a Nana?”

  “Most people have grandparents.” Reese smiled. He could have some fun with this letting people in shit, just to see their reactions. Even Stacey gave him an odd look, like they all thought wolves had raised him.

  “The asking price on that place is over six mil.” Frank’s contorted expression was priceless. “It makes no sense at all. And why? Can’t do that and be a Trooper at the same time.”

  “Yeah, Reese. How is that possible? And why are you doing that? I mean, putting down roots and all?” Jared asked, and by the look on his face, he was enjoying adding fuel to the fire. So much for worrying about the drama in the office.

  “Not important,” Reese said. “But you all are going to have to get used to my ugly mug around here, because I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Then let’s get back to work,” Jared said, half laughing.

  Frank sat at his desk, filling out his paperwork. “None of my business,” he said, “but you spent the night at Patty’s place. Are the two of you back together?”

  “You’re right, none of your business.” Reese snagged the keys to the patrol car and nodded to Stacey to follow.

  “For someone who says he’s not relationship material,” Frank yelled, his tone teasing, “you seem to be unable to end a relationship with my cousin.” Reese just waved and left the station. It was going to take some getting used to living in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone.

  * * *

  “You’re fired.”

  Patty hadn’t expected those words when her boss stormed into her office.

  “Excuse me?” she managed.

  “You heard me,” Conrad said. “Pack your things and leave now.”

  “Why, exactly?”

  Conrad pressed both fists against her desk, leaning forward. His eyes were laced with anger and sadness, and perhaps something else, but Patty was too stunned to try to figure it out.

  “You’ve botched the Heritage Inn sale,” Conrad said.

  “How have I done that?” She also wanted to ask what sale, because last she heard their client hadn’t settled on any one property.

  “You were there yesterday with a different prospective buyer who, rumor has it, is your boyfriend. Right after you were in a private meeting with our clients, who were interested in that property. That’s a conflict of interest, on of which should have been handled before it happened. I’d also say that was grounds for firing.”

  “I see,” Patty said. “For the record, I was blindsided last night by a friend.” Not that it was any of Conrad’s business. “He put in the offer before I even showed up. I told him nothing of our client or his possible intent.”

  “Seems like too much of a coincidence to me,” Conrad said, “and our client is quite upset. So upset that if I don’t fire you, he will take his business elsewhere.” That explained Conrad’s tortured face.

  “So, he wants me fired…” She paused for a moment. “I told you first thing this morning that an offer had been made, which you already knew, because the realtor told you. That said, the property is not sold yet.” But Conrad was right; it was now officially a conflict of interest. “I get that keeping me on the case might be troublesome, since the other buyer is a friend. You could always move this case to Ben or Russ. Better yet, hire a temp. We could use the help, and I’ll just stay clear of it.”

  “I could do that,” Conrad said, “but Holland is insistent that I fire you.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I need this job. Firing me isn’t the answer.” She thought about mentioning the baby and needing insurance, but before she could open her mouth, Conrad slid papers across her desk. He frowned, looking as if he were truly sorry. “Severance package. And it’s a good one. I think it’s for the best.”

  “Could I at least talk with Mr. Holland?” Patty was dumbfounded. Conrad was always the kind of man who looked for a solution before pulling the trigger.

  “I’d take the severance package,” a voice echoed from behind Conrad. “The moment the offer went in, you should have notified me.”

  “It was late when I found out,” Patty said. “I notified Conrad fir
st thing this morning.” She still felt guilty about it. She wanted Reese to have The Heritage Inn if he wanted it, but he hadn’t told her in confidence, so she felt obligated to tell her employer.

  “A little too late,” Keith Holland said. “We had to find out when we put in our offer. Had we known, we would have sweetened our deal a little more.”

  Patty looked into Holland’s eyes, color identical to Reese’s, but the depth was quite different. She shivered. “I need this job, and I did nothing wrong.”

  “All right,” Keith said. “Get your friend to redact his offer, you keep your job.”

  Patty was too stunned to utter anything. She sat there, hands on her desk, as the blood running through her veins began to burn with fury.

  Keith and Conrad stepped out of the office. She couldn’t hear their whispered conversation, but Keith didn’t look thrilled. Five minutes passed before they returned to her office.

  Keith smiled. “I do want to make it clear that I have every intention of buying the Heritage Inn.” He pushed a card across her desk. “Talk to your friend. Ask him what it will take,” he said.

  “I don’t—”

  “Just ask him,” Keith insisted. “If he’s still hell-bent on buying, then it would be a conflict of interest for you to continue, so Conrad will then fire you, and you’ll get the severance package he offered.” Keith smiled widely. His eyes lowered, then came back up to catch her gaze as he leaned over her desk. There was nothing pleasant about this man at all. “You have until tomorrow, and in your condition and being single, I think this job would be top priority. So get it done.”

  As soon as she saw them turn the corner toward the conference room, she realized she’d been holding her breath. She let the air out in one quick whoosh. Her hands trembled, and her pulse pounded like a drum inside her head. It was a subtle threat. But a threat nonetheless.

  And how did he know about the baby?

  * * *

  Every little noise in the apartment set Patty on edge. She resented it, and probably should have told Reese to come over right away instead of waiting for his shift to end.