Bayou Heat

by Georgia Tribell

  “No, I picked it up from you. Eris has gotten good over the years at hiding her thoughts from me. As children, she and I would play a mental hide-and-seek game. I really didn’t think she’d ever be able to conceal her thoughts from me but now she can.”

  “So you can’t read her thoughts?”

  “Most of the time no, and even if I could I wouldn’t tell you what they were. I learned years ago not to interfere. In fact, I try really hard to avoid other people’s thoughts.”

  Zane’s words carried a note of melancholy, which was very unlike the man. “Obviously you don’t feel the need to block my thoughts.”

  “When it comes down to my sister and her happiness, I don’t feel one bit sorry about trespassing into other people’s thoughts.”

  “I’m sure she hasn’t always agreed with that philosophy.”

  “There’s an understatement, and from the look she’s giving me right now, I’m sure you’ll be getting the second degree about our conversation.”

  Rob turned and made eye contact with Eris, and he instantly knew she was going to quiz him about the exchange with Zane. He rolled his eyes, giving the impression Zane was boring him as he leaned toward the man. “If you swear not to tell your parents about Eris coming back for me, I’ll save your sorry butt from your sister’s temper.”

  Zane glanced over at his sister and flinched before turning back to Rob. “I’ll take that offer.”

  * * * * *

  Eris sat cradling a cup of chamomile tea between her hands and stared unseeing out the window into the darkness. Anger ran through her veins, making her edgy and restless. She’d managed to contain her rage until her family finally vacated her apartment. Then she’d turned to Rob, planning to give him a piece of her mind. But words totally failed her.

  What did one say to a person who thought their life could so easily be discarded? Was it even possible to change feelings that had been in place for years? From what little she knew of Rob’s past, she was fairly certain those emotions had been in place since childhood. She wondered if he was ever told he mattered. Or what a decent person he was. More importantly, was he ever told he was loved?

  Loved. Oh man, she loved him. When had that happened, and how? She thought back over the time since she’d met Rob and couldn’t identify a moment when rockets went off or music filled the air. The physical attraction between them couldn’t be denied. Even this afternoon when she could have happily ripped his head off, she could still feel the underlying sexual pull. It wouldn’t have been hard to have gone down that path, but he hadn’t allowed it.

  The feelings she felt went deeper than the physical level. Her heart ached for the boy he wasn’t allowed to be. For the hardships he’d suffered. Most of all she felt bone-deep sorrow for the man who didn’t think he was worthy of love.

  She raised her cup and took a sip of her now-tepid tea and wondered why she was destined to have a complicated love life. Her first love, or so she’d thought, had been nothing more than a ladder-climbing lizard who thought nothing of stepping on others to get what he wanted. Now it looked as if she were drawn to a man who didn’t think he was worthy of having the normal life most people took for granted.

  When she’d learned Jeff-the-lizard wasn’t in love with her but instead in love with her family name and the power it carried, she was sad. She hadn’t been heartbroken over the breakup like she should have been, but she had taken a blow to her self-confidence in reading people’s motives.

  Turning her thoughts to Rob, she wondered if she picked up on his intentions correctly. If so, she was sure he planned on protecting her until the killer was found then returning to his solitary lifestyle.

  Which meant she’d be back to her lonely life, and she didn’t like that picture one little bit. Despite his moods, lack of belief in the unseen and total dependence on facts, she still couldn’t imagine her life without him. From the kitchen she heard the sounds of him cleaning up the dishes from takeout. She couldn’t help but wonder if he ever got lonely. She sure knew she did.

  There were things a person could change and there were things they couldn’t, life was pretty much that simple. Loneliness is one of the changeable items, she thought as she put her cup on the end table and stood.

  She crossed the room to the small kitchen and stopped. Rob was putting away plates and seemed to sense her presence because he closed the cabinet door and turned to her without saying a word. She watched as he clenched the dishtowel in one hand but he didn’t move toward her. Slowly she raised her eyes to his and held his gaze as she crossed the room to him.

  The sexual energy that was always there between them felt as if it’d taken on a life of its own. Without speaking, Eris started removing her clothes.

  The cords of Rob’s neck tightened as her top came off. His eyes darkened as she slid her pants and panties down her legs together. She stood and watched his nostrils flare as he reached back and gripped the edge of the counter with both hands. For several long seconds he did nothing but study her from head to toe.

  His eyes finally made their way back to hers and when he spoke, his voice was rough and deep. “I don’t think we should be mixing business and pleasure. It will only muddy the water even more.”

  “Do you regret the other night?” If he said yes, she was going to be mortified, but she needed to know.

  A deep rumble made its way out of his chest that sounded more like a groan than anything. “Hell no, I’m not sorry about the other night. But we’ve been forced together 24/7 due to circumstances out of our control. If it wasn’t for this case we wouldn’t even be together. Logically, this isn’t a sound move for either of us.”

  Eris moved forward and cupped Rob’s erection through his jeans and smiled when he gave a deep-throated groan. “You aren’t going to try and deny this attraction are you?”

  Rob gave a half smile. “That would be difficult, now wouldn’t it?”

  She stopped what she was doing and ran both hands up under his t-shirt, pushing it up and out of the way. “There are times you should put logic aside.”

  Eris was pleased with the tension that exploded through Rob’s body as she licked a path from his bellybutton to the middle of his chest. “And this is one of them.”

  She pushed the shirt up over his head before leaning into him and flicking her tongue across one stiff nipple. Rob exploded in a flurry of action. He gripped her by the upper arms and pulled her up, crushing her mouth with his. She ran her hands through his hair, pulling him closer.

  Rob’s hands circled her waist and lifted. Eris wrapped her legs around his waist as his hands went to cup her bottom. His hands moved farther up her thighs, causing her to quiver and rock her hips. Heat traveled through her body in a way it never had before, taking away her ability to think about anything but Rob and her. Two fingers ran the length of her bottom, across her folds and slipped inside.

  Eris broke the kiss as waves of pleasure washed over her and a sound unlike anything she’d ever heard escaped. Rob moved his fingers ever-so slowly, keeping her distracted so that when he placed her on the couch and let go, she was surprised and disappointed. She watched as he unbuckled his jeans and pushed them and his briefs down over his lean hips.

  She didn’t think twice when she leaned forward and wrapped her lips around him. Rob gave a deep, low moan as a hand moved to the back of her head. She let herself enjoy the pleasure she was giving him. She felt his muscles tense and relax as she licked and played with him. The hand in her hair fisted as he pulled her farther onto him, holding her there for a few brief seconds before pulling her off.

  Rob didn’t say a word as he deftly rolled a condom on then took a seat next to her. “Come here,” he said as he reached over and pulled her onto his lap.

  Eris didn’t waste any time straddling his lap, and as she did, he guided her down onto him. She groaned as he pushed her all the way down. Rob’s hands stayed on her hips, holding her in place when she’d rather have been moving. “Let go, I need to feel
you moving inside me.”

  “Not yet. Move your legs so your feet are flat on the cushion and hold on to the back of the couch.”

  Eris adjusted her position and, as she did, Rob shifted his hips slightly. When she settled back onto him she was more open. He lifted his hips as he pushed her all the way down.

  “Oh my,” Eris hissed as she went perfectly still.

  Rob’s hands held her in place.

  “Let go,” she begged.

  His hands caressed her as he rotated his hips in maddening little circles. “Not yet. I want you totally crazy when I release you.”

  He emphasized his meaning by performing another magical movement that caused her to gasp and forget what she’d been complaining about. One of his hands caressed its way across her body to her back. Gently he pulled her forward until he could reach her breast. As soon as his mouth touched her, Eris forgot about everything but satisfying the unrelenting need exploding in her.

  Fisting her hand in Rob’s hair, she tried to dislodge his hands still holding her in place, but no matter what she said or did, he didn’t stop. It was only when he’d turned her into a quivering, quaking body of raw need that he turned her loose.

  “Now, Eris, now.”

  Their position on the couch gave Eris the ability to maneuver her body in a way that left her vibrating. She experimented with speed and position, learning what felt best for both of them. Rob wasn’t shy at all about letting her know exactly how good something felt. She never imagined such intense pleasure was possible. The tension in her body finally demanded release as she pushed them both closer and closer.

  Eris screamed as the pressure inside her exploded into a million stars. She felt Rob’s body shudder as hard as hers. Then she felt as if she were floating in a world she never knew existed. Slowly she became aware of Rob’s arms around her, holding her close as one hand caressed her back. Her face nestled in the crook of his neck.

  “Are you okay?” Rob’s voice rumbled in his chest.

  “Oh yeah.” She was more than okay. She would be perfectly happy if they stayed this way forever.

  “I think we should move.”

  “To where?”

  “The bed.”

  “Don’t think I can make it that far.” Eris attempted to raise her arm but it flopped back down like a limp rag.

  Rob laughed as he wrapped his arms around her tightly and stood. “Come on, princess. I’ll put you to bed.”

  * * * * *

  Rob woke with Eris draped across him and the sound of the front door closing. Eris grumbled and rolled over but never woke as he gently climbed out of bed. He pulled on his jeans and retrieved his pistol from the nightstand. Edging his way to the door, he glanced out in time to see a short form open the coat closet. Rob dropped his gun to his side as he stepped into the room and pulled the door closed behind him. “Bad night?”

  Drew jumped and swung around to face him. Even through the darkness Rob could see the fear in the young boy’s eyes. “I-I-I can leave.”

  Rob stayed where he was. “There’s no need for that. Why don’t you go ahead and fix your bed. If you don’t mind, I’ll sit out here and do some work on the computer.”

  For several seconds Drew stood there undecided and then slowly retrieved the blanket and pillow from the closet. Rob made his way to the kitchen and poured a diet soda before retrieving his laptop and making himself comfortable in the overstuffed chair beside the couch. By the time he was settled, Drew was in his makeshift bed with the covers pulled up to his chin. “My working here isn’t going to bother you, is it?”

  “No,” Drew said as he rolled onto his side, facing Rob. “My mom was having a bad night.”

  “I can relate. My mother had lots of bad nights also.”

  “Really, what’d you do then?”

  “I’d sleep on the street.”

  “I could do that.”

  “No, don’t you ever do that. I slept on the street because I didn’t have anyone like Eris who cared about me. If I had, things would have been a lot easier.”

  “But you made it out.”

  “Yeah, I did, but it wasn’t easy and there were hundreds of times I could have taken an entirely different path in life.” Rob watched as Drew yawned and rubbed his eyes. “Why don’t you get some sleep, it’s late.”

  “Yeah.” With that, Drew rolled over to face the back of the couch and in only a few seconds Rob could hear his steady breathing.

  Rob couldn’t help but wonder when the last time was the kid slept without worry. He could still remember the long, sleepless nights of roaming the streets. The fear that if he closed his eyes he’d never open them again. It took him well into his twenties before he’d slept through an entire night.

  Rob ran a hand down his face. Drew was right, he’d made it out for the most part, but he still let his old life hold him back. Opening the laptop, he wondered if he was ever going to totally let his past go or if it would haunt him forever.

  Several hours later Rob heard the bedroom door open and watched as Eris made her way out of the room. Her hair stood up all over her head more than normal, there were dark mascara smudges under her eyes and she looked totally sexy to him. He closed the computer and placed it on the end table. Eris stopped beside him and he grabbed her hand and tugged. She tumbled into his lap and snuggled into him as he wrapped his arms around her. They stayed there for several minutes, not saying a word, with her arms around his waist and her head resting against his chest.

  “How long has he been here?” Eris’ soft voice broke the silence.

  “Since about four thirty.”

  “Poor guy. I do what I can, but still it doesn’t feel like enough.”

  “Take it from someone who’s been in his shoes, it can make all the difference between continuing the bad life he’s been given or pulling himself out. Those few people who showed me there was another way to live really made an impact on me. Don’t stop what you’re doing no matter how small the gesture.”

  “I know, it’s just frustrating at times. I’ve called CPS about him several times, but the agency keeps returning him to his mother.”

  “People called about me also, but CPS never found enough reasons to take me out and I sure wasn’t going to talk. Despite how we lived, she was my mom and I didn’t want to leave when I was his age. That came later.”

  “You really do understand.” Eris moved around and looked up at him. “So what were you working on?”

  “I was going over some information that contacts of mine and Matt’s have sent us. I’ve found a couple of other cases that are very similar to ours.”

  “Really, can I see what you’ve found?”

  “Yeah, but I need to get back on the laptop to show you.” She pulled out of his arms and for a fleeting moment he wanted nothing more than to pull her back to him.

  “No problem. You can set it up at the table and I’ll put on some coffee.”

  She stood and the feeling of being alone hit Rob like an unseen freight train. He rubbed the back of his neck, pushed the feeling down and reminded himself he wasn’t going to be hanging around once this case was all wrapped up. Moving to the table, he started the computer back up and returned to the information.

  “So how’s Matt doing?” Eris asked as she placed two mugs on the table.

  “He’s better, but the full leg cast is driving him nuts.”

  She moved her chair closer to his and leaned into him so she could see the screen. “I’m glad Matt’s better, now show me some of these all-important facts.”

  The scent of warm vanilla wrapped around him and he knew he would never smell that scent again without thinking of Eris. Shoving that thought to the back of his mind, he turned his attention to the information displayed in front of him and tried to keep his thoughts from straying to the woman next to him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I’m hungry.”

  Drew’s voice pulled Eris away from the computer screen. She was stiff from all the
hours of internet surfing she’d done. Rob showed her the information he’d found this morning, but after an hour of staring at it she’d been ready to run screaming from the apartment. Instead she started up Orbit’s laptop and browsed the sites on it. This research was much more to her liking but now she was stiff and brain dead from information overload.

  “I’m with Drew, I’m starving.” Rob pushed his chair back and stood. “The sliced fruit and cheese you put out at lunch was good, but I need some real food.”

  “Yeah, real food,” Drew chimed in as he mimicked Rob.

  Eris shook her head and laughed at the pair. “Fine, but you two will have to pick where we eat.”

  “Not a problem,” Rob answered as he slipped the gun and holster into place at the small of his back and grabbed a light jacket.

  Drew was out the door, racing for the stairs before she finished gathering her purse or Rob had his jacket on. Over his shoulder, Drew called out to them that he wanted to eat at T’Roys then disappeared down the stairs. Eris waited as Rob locked the door and when he turned, he snaked an arm around her waist. Before she could utter a word, he pulled her against his rock-hard body and dropped his lips to hers.

  Instantly her body molded to his as fire flickered through her, making her very aware of the man. He kissed her slowly, but there was no mistaking the leashed desire the kiss held and the promise of what was to come later. When he finally released her, he looked deep into her eyes. For one fleeting second she got a glimpse behind the wall he normally kept erected to hide his emotions. She could see his confusion about their relationship, but there was something else there she couldn’t name then it was gone, leaving her feeling off balance.

  Rob muttered something under his breath as he took her hand and started walking. Thankfully he seemed as distracted as she and wasn’t in a chatty mood. Which was fine by her because she was starting to realize she’d fallen for a man who would never allow himself to return her feelings.

  She reminded herself that just because she caught a glimmer of his feelings didn’t mean they were written in stone. Sometimes she totally hated her gift and this was one of those moments, she thought as she walked into T’Roys and spotted Drew already at a table waiting for them.