Bayou Heat

by Georgia Tribell

  The woman laughed as she slid off her stool. “Don’t worry, hon, I’m sure your man will show up soon.”

  “It’s not what you think.”

  “No.” She gave an elegant shrug. “Things usually aren’t as they appear, are they?”

  Eris watched as the woman walked away and knew she had to do one of two things—return home empty-handed or open her feelings to the people around her. In a crowd such as this, sensory overload was quite possible, but what choice did she have? It was obvious the caller wasn’t going to show and she hated to think about returning home with nothing to show for this outing. If, by some miracle, the killer had been here recently, she could pick up on that aura and maybe find the clue they needed to capture Orbit’s killer.

  Concentrating, she reviewed the feelings she felt when tracking a victim—the underlying anger, the confusion and the overpowering lust for revenge were always present and belonged to the murderer. With that combined essence strong in her mind, she opened herself to the people around her. The onslaught of feelings hit her like a powerful wave.

  Years of training took over and slowly, methodically, she started sorting through the individual auras. It was like sorting through a laundry basket, trying to find the mate to a sock. In this case though, the laundry basket was the size of the bar and the match must pair up perfectly. There was no settling for a mismatched pair.

  She narrowed her search down to two auras, each containing traces of what she was looking for, although neither matched exactly. They were both hazy and fragile. Following the weaker of the two, she worked her way through the crowd, coming to a stop at a table. Seated there was a group of old men, the youngest looking close to seventy.

  Eris turned away from the group, figuring none of them were physically capable of killing in the style of the killer. Working her way back into the crowd, she found the other trail and followed it for as long as she could before it faded out.

  She stopped and looked around, wondering if she’d lost her mind. Auras didn’t fade away, not like this. Admittedly, it wasn’t the best trace she’d ever followed, but it was there and now it wasn’t. She rubbed her temple and felt the beginning of a headache taking root behind her eyes.

  Maybe she was losing her ability, she thought, as she moved toward the doors of the bar. First there was the morphing aura at Indulgence then there was that single spot of evil at Rob’s office and now this. She wouldn’t be the first person to lose their gift.

  Eris looked around the club and realized how stupid she’d been to think this would lead to anything. She glanced at her watch. It was very late and an hour past the time she was to meet the caller. Time to head home. With any luck she’d make it back through her window and into bed without the warden learning of her escape. The man was way too serious for her taste—but tasting him was something she wouldn’t mind doing.

  She turned down a narrow alley and continued walking. Several businesses used this area for deliveries and trash pickup. The smell wasn’t the best but it was the quickest way home and right now, she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed. The problem was she didn’t want to crawl into bed alone.

  She wanted a tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed Viking to fall into bed with her. She’d never lusted after someone like this. Not even Jeff, her slimy ex-fiancé. She totally didn’t understand her attraction to Rob because he was so un-Eris. He was uptight, fact-oriented and liked having days planned in thirty-minute intervals.

  Eris paused when she thought she heard her name being called then looked behind her when she heard a rumbling sound. The street lamp was out at the end of the alley, but the moonlight reflected off the windshield of a large, dark truck. She stood perfectly still, watching it move toward her, hoping the driver would spot her soon. She was only a quarter of the way through the passage and knew she wouldn’t be able to outrun the vehicle.

  Then suddenly the engine gunned and tires squealed as the truck lunged toward her. Eris broke into a dead run, hoping to reach the opposite end of the alley—alive.

  “Help!” She wasn’t sure if anyone would hear her, but making noise couldn’t hurt.

  There were no doorways for her to duck into and piles of trash impeded her escape. Heart pounding, Eris cursed the Fates as the clouds opened up, soaking her and making the pavement slick under her feet.

  Twenty yards in front of her she spotted a beat-up trashcan and headed for it. Above the can hung an old, rusty fire escape ladder. The sounds of the truck grew louder as they bounced off the brick walls of the alley. Rain now pounded down on her as she raced toward the tin can.

  Ten more yards.

  If she reached the trashcan in time, maybe she could use it to springboard the short distance to the ladder. The sound of metal against concrete rang through the air as the truck kissed a wall behind her, spurring her to move even faster.

  Five yards.

  With rain in her eyes, her left foot hit wet, loose gravel, causing her to slide sideways. She cried out as pain shot up her leg, but immediately blocked it out of her mind. Regaining her balance, she raced toward the trashcan.

  Three yards.

  Eris swiped a hand over her eyes, attempting to remove the mixture of sweat and rain that blurred her vision.

  Two yards.

  She could feel the heat of the engine on her back.

  One yard.

  On blind faith, Eris leaped toward the trashcan, pushing off the ground with her left leg. Tears of pain blurred her vision but she blinked furiously and kept her eyes on the ladder’s bottom rung. She landed on the lid of the can and immediately pushed off with her right leg with all the force she could muster.

  As her body flew through the air, she prayed her aim was true and her years of gymnastics would finally pay off because if they didn’t—she was going to be roadkill.

  Chapter Eight

  Her hands hit the bar with a force she hadn’t anticipated, but she managed to maintain her hold even as the rusty metal bit into her palms.

  Below, a crash sounded and she pulled her feet up in time to see the trashcan fly down the alley and land close to the corner. The truck passed under her and continued down the street. This time it rolled right over the can, flattening it like a pancake.

  Eris hung there weakly as the truck’s taillights disappeared around the corner. That’s exactly what someone wanted to do to her, she thought as she looked down at the now flat piece of metal. They wanted to squish the life right out of her.

  “Eris…”

  At the sound of her name being called, she looked over her shoulder and watched as Rob sprinted across the street. She was so glad to see him she didn’t know whether she should laugh or cry.

  She could see the frantic movement of his head as he continued to look around.

  “Eris!”

  This time there was an unmistakable note of panic in his voice. There was a part of her that wanted to hang around and see how long it would take before he looked up. He was a man though, and she figured her arms wouldn’t hold out that long because they were already starting to burn.

  “Up here.”

  In the shadowy light, she watched his head snap up and felt his gaze as it locked on her. He stood there frozen for a few seconds, and then she thought she heard him say “thank you” before he ran toward her.

  “What did you say?”

  “Nothing.” His voice now carried an edge she couldn’t decipher. “How the hell are we going to get you down?”

  “I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about that.” Her fingers slipped on the wet bar and she felt her body jolt slightly.

  “Why not?”

  “Because—” Her words turned into a scream as her grip gave way and she dropped straight down.

  She figured she was about to break a bone or two but then strong arms grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close.

  Her chest made contact with Rob’s and she felt him stagger backward. His back hit the brick wall, jarring her hard eno
ugh to rattle her teeth and elicit a groan from him. The landing wasn’t the smoothest in the world, but his hard chest was better than the rough pavement any day of the week.

  Rob maneuvered her down his body until her good foot hit the ground and she was nestled between his legs. Without thought her arms went around his waist and she rested her head against his shoulder.

  For several minutes they stayed there with one of his large hands stroking up and down her spine as the warm summer rain surrounded them. No man had ever provided her with so much comfort without there being strings attached. The gentle caresses stopped and a shudder passed through Rob as he slowly put some space between them.

  She instantly missed the contact of his body as he turned them around so her back was to the wall. His hands went to her shoulders and lightly he started skimming them down her body. The feeling was incredible even through her rain-soaked clothes.

  “Where are you hurt?” His words were cold and detached but his hands were warm as they glided down her ribs, brushing the sides of her breasts. She inhaled sharply as heat pooled deep in her body.

  “Did you hurt your ribs?”

  His hands went back to exploring the area and it was all she could do not to moan in ecstasy.

  “Eris, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. My ribs aren’t injured,” she said between clenched teeth as his hands dipped to her hips and he knelt in front of her. If his tone had given her any indication he was interested in her, she’d be all over him in a heartbeat. But he was so professional about what he was doing that she knew this was business to him, nothing more. As his hands moved lower over her butt, she jumped. “There’s no reason for this. I’m perfectly okay.”

  “Liar. I heard you stifle a scream of pain as you landed. So either tell me what’s hurting or I’ll keep exploring until I find it.”

  “My left ankle. I twisted it while running.” His hands moved from her upper thighs to her ankle and she sighed in relief as she attempted to slow her pulse. If he kept up the exploring much longer, she’d have pinned him to the ground and had her way with him. She was extremely thankful the alley was dark; it saved her the embarrassment of him realizing she was so turned-on.

  His fingers deftly probed her tender flesh through her ankle-high boots. “Ouch, that hurts.”

  He paused, cradling her foot in his hands and looking up at her. “Thought you weren’t injured?”

  “I lied.”

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

  She tried to think of some smart remark to come back with but couldn’t, so for once in her life she remained silent.

  Rob gently lowered her foot to the ground. “There’s some swelling already. Can you stand on it?”

  Eris tested her foot and grimaced as she did. “It hurts, but I don’t think it’s broken.”

  “I’m glad.”

  Eris was touched by the concern in his voice.

  “Now do you mind explaining what the hell you were doing?”

  The worry she heard in his voice transformed to a growl of anger faster than one could flip a light switch. “I was following a lead.”

  “Alone?”

  Their eyes connected and she knew he was waiting for an answer. She tried not to respond but her mouth had a mind of its own. “Is that a rhetorical question?”

  He stood in one swift, graceful motion, placing a hand on each side of her shoulders and pinning her with his glare. “Jesus H. Christ, Eris, do you have any idea what went through my mind when I realized you were gone?”

  “I’m guessing your ego was bruised because I gave you the slip so easily.”

  “I could care less about my ego. Try again.”

  Even through the darkness and rain, she felt his eyes boring into hers. She knew he was waiting for the correct response, and she wasn’t about to give it to him. She wanted to see where he would go with this. “Titan’s company image is going to be tarnished if anything happened to me?”

  “Not even close, princess. I was terrified I was going to find you like all the other victims. Even though that frightened the hell out of me, there was one thing I knew I was going to regret and have to live with for the rest of my life. So why don’t you try again to figure that one out?”

  Eris looked up into his face and, through a slow, warm drizzle of rain, tried to read his expression but couldn’t. Whatever he was feeling was masked behind a face of granite. For the first time since she’d met this man, uneasiness skittered through her. He was so intense it was frightening.

  “Aren’t you going to guess?”

  His voice was steely cold, making her insides jump with uncertainty. “I haven’t a clue.”

  He lowered his mouth closer to hers. She felt his breath brush across her face.

  She couldn’t have formed a coherent word if her life depended on it. She felt rather than heard his reply in the deepest part of her.

  “That I wouldn’t get to do this again.”

  The terror and panic he’d felt since finding her gone transformed into an overpowering need to feel her alive, naked and under him. Not knowing how, Rob managed to resist the urge to take her mouth in the hot, plundering, brutal kiss he wanted. Instead he placed a gentle kiss on her luscious full lips. Then he continued to play with her mouth, dropping kisses on each corner, nibbling on her lower lip until she wrapped her arms around his neck.

  He continued with the soft, sensual kisses, even though she rubbed her body against his and fisted her hands in his hair, pulling him closer. He was determined to make her take this mismatched attraction to the next level. His body burned and he was sure he was about to lose his mind. Then he felt her tongue skim the seam of his lips.

  That was all the invitation he needed. Soft and gentle turned into hard and furious. His tongue entered her mouth as he leaned into her, pushing her into the wall as he ground his hips against her warm center. One hand skimmed down her to caress the curve of her hip while the other captured one perfect breast.

  She gasped at the onslaught but didn’t fight him. No, the little temptress moved one hand down and cupped him through his jeans. A moan ripped from his chest as she continued to move against him.

  She whimpered as his fingers grazed the underside of her breast through the wet material. The pressure to his rock-hard member increased, making him crazy with need. He took the pearl-hard nipple between his fingers and twisted ever-so lightly.

  Eris’ body trembled in his arms as she moved both hands to his hips, jerked his pelvis to hers and started rubbing against him. It was a take-no-prisoners kind of night, he thought as he broke the kiss and raised her shirt so he could suckle.

  The rain started to fall harder again and the sounds of people laughing and running for cover drifted down the alley, breaking the spell. Lifting his head, he rested it against her forehead as he reluctantly tugged her shirt back down. He could feel her breathing soft and fast as she fought for her own semblance of calm. “I think we should go someplace dryer and a lot more private to finish this. Would you like that?”

  Eris gently brushed Rob’s wet, tangled hair back from his face and gazed up into his eyes. For several long seconds she scanned his face as if she were looking for some magical sign. “I’d like that very much.”

  It wasn’t until he heard her soft, almost shyly spoken response that he realized how much he feared her rejection. Her words were like balm to his battered soul, healing a spot inside him so deep that he’d forgotten it’d been broken.

  Before he could answer her, she continued, “Shouldn’t we call the police or Tarrington? This is a police investigation after all.”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “All I can tell them is that it was a black truck with no distinguishing extras. The light for the rear plate was conveniently out, so I didn’t get the number. Can you add anything to that description?”

  “No.”

  If he hadn’t been standing so close to her, he’d never have heard the dejection i
n her voice or the whispered response. She turned her face away from him and that bothered him more than if she’d ranted and raved about the injustice of it all. “Neither can I, but I do know some friends who will cover heaven and hell looking for it.”

  Her self-pity lasted for about ten seconds and when she turned back to him he could see her determination was back. “So what are we going to do next?”

  Rob actually laughed at her audacity. “We are going to do nothing right now. After I’ve finished ravaging you, you’re going to tell me every detail that transpired this evening. You’ll start with that phone call you answered before you disappeared. Then I’m going to make some phone calls.”

  “Shouldn’t we go look for the truck?”

  “No, you’re hurt.”

  “But there might be critical evidence in the truck.”

  “I seriously doubt there is any evidence in the truck. The killer has been too smart to make a stupid mistake now.”

  “True, but this could be the time she slips up and it could be the lead we’ve been looking for.”

  He heard the edge of uncertainty in her voice and knew she was barely holding it together. It took more willpower than he thought he had to contain the rage that flowed through his body. “After I make my phone calls, the truck will be found and, when it is, every millimeter of it will be searched, printed and DNA tested by the best lab techs I can bring in. When my people finish with the vehicle, we’ll call the cops. Because I will find the SOB and he will pay—and that’s a promise, princess.”

  Rob turned his back to Eris and squatted down. “Hop on. I’ll give you a ride.”

  Eris settled herself onto his back. Then he stood and started walking. When he reached the end of the alleyway, he turned left.

  “My apartment is the other direction.”

  “I know.”

  “Then turn around.”

  “Nope.” An exasperated sigh sounded in his ear and Rob barely managed to contain the chuckle that formed in his chest.