Uninvited Visitors

by Savannah Maris

  Uninvited Visitors

  A Riverton Crossing Novel - Book 4

  Savannah Maris

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events portrayed in this book are the product of the author’s imagination or are either fictitious or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  ISBN-13: 978-1719434225

  ISBN-10: 1719434220

  Copyright: Copyright © 2018 Savannah Maris

  All Rights Reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in whole or in part by any means.

  Author: Savannah Maris

  Editor: Jennifer Roberts-Hall

  Cover Photo(s): FuriousFotog

  Cover Design: MadHat Books

  Books By Savannah Maris

  RIVERTON CROSSING SERIES

  Unwelcomed Greeting, book 1

  Unfinished Business, book 2

  Unexpected Guest, book 3

  Uninvited Visitors, book 4

  Unbridled Passion, book 5 (coming fall 2018)

  Crossroads of the Heart (coming August 2018)

  Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this book. From my husband who supports my decision to pursue something I didn’t realize I’d love so much to my beta readers to the readers who have fallen in love with these characters. I can never thank you enough for helping me accomplish something I never knew was possible. Every one of you make my heart happy.

  Much love,

  Savannah

  1

  “Are you crazy, Cat?”

  Dr. Thomas Gregory pulled his girlfriend, Catherine Livingston, to the side where they could speak with a little privacy. The scowl on his face was severe, and she knew he was angry.

  “What? They need help, and I’m already inside and have seen things.” Her eyes bounced between his, begging for his understanding and support. “Thomas, this is important.”

  “I thought we were important. The only way for you to get this information is to work even later. Hell, on the best of days you don’t leave the bank before I have to be at the hospital. How are we supposed to make this work?” He threw his hands up in frustration.

  “It won’t be forever. I’ll only stay late on the nights you work and then I’ll meet you on your dinner break.” She laid her hand on his arm as her chin quivered. “We’ll figure it out, I promise.”

  “Whatever.” He turned and stomped toward his car.

  Cat watched him walk away with tears rolling down her face. Someone is using my bank for illegal operations, she thought. How can I not help? How can he not understand? What am I going to do?

  As she brought her hand to her mouth to conceal her sob, a gentle hand squeezed her shoulder. “Cat?”

  She hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Yeah?” Plastering a fake smile on her face she turned.

  “I don’t want this to cause issues between you and Thomas. It’s taken y’all a long time to work your shit out, and you don’t have to do this. We’ll find another way,” Evan Riverton, the chief of police, said.

  Cat gave a sarcastic chuckle. “There were already issues, Evan.” She buried her face in his chest and cried.

  He rubbed her back trying to calm her. “Come on, I’ll ask Nathan to take you home. We can talk when I get back from my honeymoon. Ginger and I are only going to be gone a few days because she wants to see her old doctor in North Carolina once more. Her appointment is Monday, but we’ll be back Thursday afternoon. Can you hang on ‘til then?”

  Cat nodded. “Yeah. He doesn’t go back to work until Tuesday. Maybe he’ll be calmed down enough to talk tomorrow.” She allowed Evan to guide her toward Ginger and Nathan who were still on the dance floor.

  Nathan Cox, the new assistant chief of police, was dancing with Ginger. The music stopped, and Nathan turned toward them. “Why don’t I take you home, Cat?”

  “Thanks, man. I was going to ask,” Evan said. “Thomas got pissed when we requested Cat’s help.”

  “No problem.” Nathan pointed between Evan and Ginger. “How long will you be gone?”

  “We’ll be back Thursday afternoon,” Evan said. “I’ll call you when we get back to the ranch.”

  “Cat, are you okay?” Ginger’s brows furrowed with concern.

  Cat nodded. “Yeah, it’s just that our schedules have been crazy and we haven’t seen each other much. I thought he was staying at my place tonight since he doesn’t have to work tomorrow.” She shrugged. “I guess I was wrong.”

  Ginger hugged her. “You’re both ambitious with your jobs and just need time to get a routine. You’ll figure it out.”

  “Maybe,” she sighed.

  A friendly smile stretched Nathan’s lips. “Come on, Cat. Let’s get you home.”

  2

  How could she think this would be okay? Thomas thought as he stormed to his vehicle. Not only will she work more hours, but she’s putting herself in danger if she gets caught.

  Thomas thought Cat was smarter than that, especially after seeing the shit his sister just went through as well as Ginger. Why would she want to put herself in the same situation?

  Just as he reached for the handle of his car, he heard someone call his name. Maybe Cat decided to leave with me, he thought, but he looked up to see Jamison Moore waving her hand. Fuck, he silently cursed to himself. Jamison is the last person I want to see. Ginger had already pointed out her behavior, and he was surprised she hadn’t told Cat.

  “Jamison.”

  “Thomas, are you okay? You seemed a little upset earlier. Want to grab a drink and talk about it?”

  “No thanks.” He rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath. “I should go back and get Cat.”

  “She left with a big blond guy.” Jamison walked closer to Thomas. “I think she’ll be occupied for a while.”

  There was no misreading her flirty smile, but Thomas leveled Jamison with a stern look. “I’ll see you at the hospital, Nurse Moore.” He opened his car door and slammed it behind him.

  Un-fucking-believable. He couldn’t believe Jamison would stoop so low as to insinuate Cat was cheating. He should have been the one taking her home, but if it couldn’t be him, he was glad the person sounded like Nathan. Evan wouldn’t let her leave with anyone he couldn’t trust. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about anything happening to her.

  As he drove around town calming down from their argument before venturing to her house, he thought about Cat and all she’d been through, all she meant to him.

  She had been Kayla’s best friend for as long as he could remember. The girls were sixteen, and he’d come home one weekend from college. For the first time, she didn’t look like his little sister’s friend but like a woman. And for the first time, his heart raced at the sight of her, not to mention his pants felt a little tighter. She was forbidden, and he needed to remember that.

  “Catherine Livingston, is that you?”

  “Hey, Thomas.” Her cheeks turned pink, but she looked beautiful.

  “Don’t be hitting Cat, bro.” Kayla nudged her elbow into his arm.

  “Catch you ladies later.”

  When Cat’s eyes met his, he winked but went to his room.

  The sight of her approaching driveway snapped him from those thoughts and reminded him of the tears he’d seen in her eyes and the quiver of her chin before he turned away. He was glad he didn’t see them fall. Her tears gutted him every time.

  As he pulled into the driveway of her little yellow house that sat off the road with a white picket fence, he noticed the only light was coming from her bathroom. He sat in the driveway and through her shades watched her silhouette draw her curtains clo
sed before he got out of his car. Since she didn’t leave the front porch light on, maybe she didn’t think he was still coming over after their argument.

  I almost didn’t, he thought to himself.

  He fumbled with his keys as he walked toward the door, unlocked it, and turned the knob, but the door didn’t budge. She’d locked the deadbolt which she only did at night, and he didn’t have the key.

  Obviously, she doesn’t want to see me. I should just leave.

  No, we need to talk.

  He moved his finger to hover over the doorbell. Moved it back and did it again. He forced his finger to press the button and waited.

  “Come on, Cat. Open the door,” he mumbled. The longer he waited, the more his anger rose again. Maybe their relationship wasn’t as important to her as he thought.

  Wanting answers, he banged on her door. “I know you’re in there, Cat!” Bang, bang! “Open the damn door!” Just as he was about to bang again, the sound of metal rubbing against metal came through the door. The chain was attached, so the door only opened a few inches. The smell of alcohol and toothpaste drifted through the opening.

  “It’s late. I didn’t think you were coming over,” she quietly said. Her eyes were red and puffy. Her makeup had been washed off, and now she looked lost as she sniffled.

  He closed his eyes to block out seeing her like this. “Cat, I’m here. I’m sorry I left the dance without you. Can I come in? Please.”

  Without a word, the door shut in his face. Then the chain slid, and the door reopened, but she wasn’t standing there. He pushed it open so he could enter as she was walking away like a waif in a tank top and boyshorts. His eyes lingered on her ass, and he started to thicken. This wasn’t going to end in sex, and his body needed to understand that. He had some making up to do, and they needed to talk.

  He locked the door before he followed her to her room. As he walked, he took in the condition of her house. One shoe at the beginning of the hallway, the other in the bedroom doorway, her dress just a few inches inside of it, and a wine bottle sitting on her dresser with no glass in sight.

  How did she get her dress unzipped?

  She was already curled in bed with her back to him, so he went into the bathroom to strip and brush his teeth and then slid in behind her. When his arm slipped around her, she tensed. Was she already shutting him out? Preparing for the worst?

  He pulled her closer with her back to his front and whispered in her ear, “I love you, honey. Always.”

  He closed his eyes but didn’t fall asleep until he felt her body relax which caused him to relax, and her breathing level out allowing him to fall asleep.

  3

  The following morning Cat woke with a slight headache. Drinking wine straight from the bottle was never a good idea. When she moved, she felt a heavy arm over her—Thomas. She vaguely remembered him coming over, but her head hurt too much to try to recall much of anything. She needed to pee and find some coffee.

  Removing his arm, she made her way to the bathroom down the hall and then into the kitchen. As she walked, she made note of the messy state of her house, but she needed Advil and coffee for the conversation she knew was coming. Cleaning the house would just have to wait.

  She sipped her coffee as she looked around her little home. She loved the feel of her little farmhouse that she’d bought with the life insurance money she received from her parents’ untimely death. When she purchased the place, it had three small bedrooms and two small bathrooms, but she’d quickly renovated the space and made a nice master suite by combining two of the bedrooms and enlarging a bath. Cat was proud of how she’d used the money and knew her parents would have approved of her decision.

  She poured another cup of coffee and walked outside to look over the pond while she wrapped her head around Thomas being in her bed after their argument. Did he plan on ending things last night but didn’t because she was intoxicated by the time he’d arrived? It would be interesting to see how things went when he woke up.

  She sat on the swing that overlooked the pond. It was her favorite place to drink coffee on the mornings she wasn’t rushed for work. Work…

  She didn’t know what she was going to do. She had seen some questionable activities involving Redline Trucking Company (there were deposits and wires that didn’t make sense), but since her boss was the senior vice president assigned to that account, she hadn’t said anything until she filled out the report last week. Now, Evan had offered her a chance to work with someone who could tell her what to look for so she could find the answers. Did she want to risk the danger that could be associated with looking into this account? Was looking into it worth losing Thomas?

  As she rubbed her forehead trying to come up with the right decision, he cleared his throat. Just thinking about him made him appear.

  “Thomas,” she whispered.

  A steaming mug of coffee was in his hand. “Good morning, honey. How are you feeling?”

  She untucked her legs and slid to make sure he had enough room to sit. “I had a slight headache this morning, but I’m better now.” She smiled and held up her coffee mug to emphasize the effects of its contents.

  Thomas kissed the top of her head before he sat beside her. “You seemed deep in thought when I walked up. You didn’t even hear me, and that’s not like you. What were you thinking about?”

  A sad smile crossed Cat’s face. “Us. My job. The offer Evan proposed last night.” She knew the last one would piss him off and take them right back to their argument.

  “I see.” He placed his finger under her chin and turned her face toward his. “Cat, I think we need our connection. It’s been a while since we’ve had a full day to just be together. Can we please have that today and discuss everything else tomorrow? I’ve missed you.” He gently kissed her lips, and Cat melted just like always.

  “Yes.” She slowly nodded for emphasis.

  “I need our full-day off activities, Cat. I think you do too.” He pulled her feet into his lap and rubbed one against his hardening cock. Cat closed her eyes as her foot moved against him. Her mind drifted back to Thomas introducing her to Tantric Sex.

  “I had a lab partner in medical school who was Hindu. She enjoyed their sexual rituals which she described as a way of healing a weakening mental state and old emotional wounds. During stressful times, she showed me a way to help relieve some tension. I still use parts of it in my daily life. Controlled breathing comes in handy before I give a family bad news or any time I need a moment to relax before I do something stressful. Having us match our breathing will bring us closer in a way I can’t describe, you just have to experience it, and delaying my gratification until I can be with you only builds my desire. So today, I’m going to show you what this means. You can, and will, come often, but I will hold off for one hell of an orgasm at the end.”

  Just thinking back to that day made her hot all over. She remembered how she’d felt the heat radiating from his cock while he was still inside her, and the look of pure pleasure when he finally came, not to mention his moans. Yes, she missed it too. Maybe that was what they needed to get on the same page.

  “Yes, I want that too.” She opened her eyes and gazed directly into his.

  He released her feet. “I’ll be right back.” He took her coffee mug and walked into the house.

  She heard the door close and squeezed her thighs together. Just the thought of what today held caused her need to rise. She knew she’d be naked the rest of the day and they’d be continually touching in some way, whether it was massages, cuddles, masturbation, or intercourse.

  As she relaxed back into the swing, he came out with a blanket wrapped around his body and tucked under his arms with two fresh mugs of coffee in his hands.

  “Strip, honey.”

  He set the mugs down and stretched his arms with corners of the blanket in his hands as he stood in front of her. Even though they were toward the back of her house overlooking the pond, he made sure no one could see her strip, and
she made sure to take in the new view he was giving her. When her eyes made contact with his, the smile stretching across his face was breathtaking.

  As soon as Cat slipped out of her tank top and boyshorts, he wrapped them in the blanket and they sat back on the swing with his back against one of the arms and their legs stretched out. Cat wiggled her ass between his legs and leaned back against his chest. Once they were comfortable, Thomas gave her the coffee and kissed the top of her head.

  Cat melted against him matching her breathing to his. This is how they were supposed to be.

  “God, I’ve missed this.”

  “Me too,” she quietly said. In fact, she just missed him. They agreed to give each other today and talk tomorrow, but she needed him to know unequivocally how she felt.

  “I love you, Thomas. You know that, right?” She held his hand that rested on her chest and entwined their fingers.

  He squeezed her hand. “I know, and I love you too. That’s what today is about. Reconnecting and showing each other.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Have you bought new candles for your bathroom?”

  “Yes, and new bath salts and massage oils.” She turned her head and kissed his hand. When she tilted her head, she could see him out of the corner of her eye. The expression on his face was pure love.

  He set his coffee down and pulled her up his body so he could cup her breasts and kiss her neck. As he massaged her breasts, she felt his cock stiffening again.

  “Oh, Thomas,” she whispered as her eyes closed and her head rolled to the side to give him better access to her neck.

  “Let’s take this inside where we don’t have to worry about the blanket.” He kissed her ear.

  “Yes.”

  4