And the clock was high up on the wall. Fabulous.
Blowing out a frustrated breath, she reached up on tiptoe, snagged the clock, found the camera, waved at Kellan in case he was watching and shut it off. Mission accomplished.
She almost dropped the thing trying to get it back on the wall, but she was pretty sure she had it placed back in the same position. After tugging the dress down where it had ridden up on her thighs, she brushed dust off her hands.
“That’s one. Good job. Yay, me.” She whispered the mantra to herself and stepped back to make certain it wasn’t hanging crooked.
“One? You mean there are others?”
Well, crap.
The Avengers’ Black Widow would be so disappointed in you right now, Emma Marie Fisher.
Turning, she saw Noah propped against the doorjamb, watching her, still looking sexy and dangerous. “I can explain.”
Amusement sparkled in his eyes. “No need.” He straightened and moved forward. “I deserved it.” He rubbed a hand at the back of his neck. “If you could get rid of the other cameras, though, I’d appreciate it. I’m not into voyeurism.”
“Wait. You’re not mad?”
“How could I be?” He lifted his hands and shrugged. “Although I do feel obligated to point out that it’s not exactly legal to bug the inside of someone’s home without a warrant. You do know that?”
She snorted. “Of course.” Actually, she’d had no idea. Maybe that’s why they rarely did it.
He stood so close the scent of musky cologne teased her senses. Lifting a hand, he fingered the end of her hair, his knuckles brushing against her breast. “You really are something.”
“Something good or … something that needs to be reported to the police right away?”
His mouth curved in a sexy smile. “Good. Definitely good.” He kissed her, murmuring, “We’ll save the illegal stuff for our second date.”
Her shoulders relaxed, immediately tensing again when he took another step closer and slid his hand up, into her hair, before cradling her face in his palm. His eyes were dark, hot, full of adoration as they grazed her lips. That look paired with his gentle touch caused a tingling heat to spread through her body and pool between her legs. He bent and took her lower lip between his, caressing her mouth open with his soft, insistent tongue. Her hands slid around his neck. Enjoying the slow, unrushed connection, her heart picked up its pace and her body melted against him.
Oh, how easy it would be to lose herself in this man.
Her fingers gripped his shoulders, so solid and broad, as he slid his arms around her and walked her backwards. She fell onto the bed and he came with her, covering her gently, careful not to crush her beneath his weight. She tugged at his shirt, pulled it free from his pants, wanting to trace every delicious line and curve on his chest while she had the chance. He pulled away long enough to pull the shirt over his head and fling it across the room.
“Touch me,” he whispered in a voice so hoarse she barely recognized it. “Please.”
He buried his face against her neck, teasing feather-light kisses down the column of her throat as his hands slid the hem of her dress up higher and higher. Her fingers explored his tanned chest up to his shoulders and back again, his skin taut and yet as soft as velvet, scorching hot to the touch. She could sense the power his muscles held, yet he touched her with such tenderness she choked out a whimper at the thought. No one had ever treated her with such consideration. It had never felt this way with Paul.
Her nipples were hard against his chest through the material she wore, and she wanted it off, now. “The dress,” she managed to get out, and thankfully, he understood exactly what she wanted. He pushed away and helped undress her in a quick manoeuvre that betrayed the fact he’d done this before, probably numerous times, while she felt woefully inexperienced in comparison.
Shyness threatened to overcome her when she settled back down in only her matching black bra and panties, his heated gaze devouring the sight of her beneath him.
“You’re beautiful, Emma. Look at me.” His hand lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “You’re in control. Not me.”
“I am?”
“Oh yeah.” He rolled onto his back beside her. “Show me what you want.”
She wanted to lick every bare part of him she could see and strip those pants off so she could explore further. She reached a trembling hand out, touched the rippled muscles at his abdomen and hesitated.
“I’ve never … been on top before.”
Desire turned his eyes even darker. “I’m happy to be your first then. Come here.”
She crawled on top of him, straddling his hips, careful where she touched, half afraid she’d do something ridiculous and hurt him and half afraid she’d do something dumb and embarrass both of them. Leaning forward, she started with a kiss, teasing his tongue with her own until a groan vibrated beneath her hands on his chest. Empowered, she let her hands wander lower, finding the button of his pants, undoing them, and sliding her fingertips beneath the zipper that contained a hard, prominent bulge. His fingers speared through her hair, gripping the back of her head, and stilling her.
“Be gentle with me. I’m … sensitive right now.”
“Hmmm. You mean you don’t like this?” It was a rhetorical question. He was obviously enjoying her attention.
Licking her lips, she lowered the zipper, watching him carefully for a reaction. His jaw clenched as he met her eyes. “I want these off.”
“Then take them off.”
Delighted to have permission, she sat up and began tugging them over his hips. He wore a pair of boxer briefs beneath that moulded to his body in a positively indecent fashion. She couldn’t wait to get to that part of him. Later. Leaning over, she licked at his nipple, tearing a guttural groan from him and sending a thrill of pleasure spiralling down to her core. She trailed a line of kisses over his chest, licking and sucking the places that drew the strongest reaction from him. This was fun, exciting, empowering. She already couldn’t wait to do it again.
Feeling bolder, she crawled lower, grabbed the hem of his briefs and slowly pulled them down. Wow. He was … magnificent.
Sliding her hand around his erection, she thrilled in his sharp intake of breath. She moved her hand up and down and began to stroke its velvety length, setting a pace he seemed to enjoy. Groaning, he took her hand in his.
“We’d better save that for another time.” His voice was rough. Strained.
Oh. Poor man did look a bit tormented, veins standing out in his neck and all. She shifted to lie beside him, kissed his swollen lips in apology. “Too much?”
He slid his hand around to caress the nape of her neck. “I’d rather be inside you when I come.”
Oh. She licked her lips. “Do you have – you know?”
Pushing up, he kicked his pants free and reached toward his nightstand. Spider felt heat warm her face, but she was too far-gone to let shyness ruin this for her now. Swallowing hard, she laid back against the pillows. His eyes asked a question when he looked at her, and she reached for his hand.
“Maybe we should save the whole me-on-top thing for later, too.” Placing his hands on her bra, she murmured, “Finish undressing me.”
Sheer joy leapt into his eyes. Curving a hand over her breast, his thumb toyed with her nipple through the bra. He leaned down, kissed her again, drank from her lips while he removed the material with her hardly noticing. The man had some skills, that was for sure. His lips moved down her neck, greedily finding a new target in no time. Her fingers tangled in his hair, holding his head to her breast to keep him there. She squirmed against him, crying out when his teeth nipped her nipple and his tongue licked the spot. His hands slid lower, curving around her bottom, slipping inside the elastic of her panties. She instinctively lifted her hips so he could drag them down and off her legs. Seconds later, she felt something pressing against her moist, hot centre, his fingertips teasing the entrance, all-the-while he teased his li
ps down the hollow of her stomach, moving lower and lower until she cried out, not certain she was ready for that level of intimacy yet.
He lifted his head, smiling encouragement at her, and lowered his mouth back to the inside of her thigh, trailing kisses until he reached her core. She cried out and clutched the comforter beneath her when his tongue licked her, long and sweet, before probing deeper. Sweet mercy. She’d never experienced anything like this toe-curling pleasure. There was one spot he kept finding that drove her near to madness.
When he was done and she was spiralling back down from a massive orgasm, he crawled up her to claim her mouth with his.
A moan rumbled through her chest as his fingers teased her some more, shifting so that his erection took their place. All it took was one smooth push and he was inside her, throbbing and hot and oh-so-good. She gasped, grasping his shoulders and whimpering softly as he took her, each stroke long and hard, filling her completely. Then he rolled so that she was on top.
“Finish it,” he whispered into her ear, tonguing the lobe and sending a tremor through her body.
She rode him, slow at first, then harder, faster. Oh, yeah. She liked this position. Liked it a lot.
It didn’t take much to push her over the edge again, and she cried out in pleasure, clenching around him and urging him to join her.
Seconds later, he did.
***
Spider lifted her head from his chest and glanced at the clock. Almost three in the morning, So much for texting Kellan to let him know she was staying here for the night. Sliding her hand around Noah’s hip, she laid back down, grinning like Costello after he humped someone’s leg. Had this really happened?
Drifting back to sleep with that thought, she jerked awake sometime later. Only … she wasn’t in Noah’s bedroom anymore. It was dark. Trees surrounded her.
“Kate! Get back here!” A man’s voice yelled in the distance.
She found herself running aimlessly into the darkness, her breathing ragged in her own ears. Hands suddenly gripped her shoulders from behind, and she struggled, feeling her nails connect with skin. She fell backwards and a sharp pain lanced through Spider’s skull.
Gasping, rubbing at the back of her head, she sat straight up, blinking against the morning sunlight that cast shadows on the wall. Noah still slept undisturbed beside her. Leaning down, she kissed him softly and slid off the bed. After a trip to the bathroom, she picked up one of his shirts off the floor and slid it on. It took her a few minutes to find and disable the other cameras. Hopefully, Kellan didn’t see her prancing around half dressed in the process. He obviously knew what had been going on, but still. She tucked the equipment into her bag and went in search of coffee.
The dream she’d had still troubled her, even as she sipped a fresh cup of joe and nibbled on whatever she could find that was edible. Was that the same dream Noah had been having, or different?
The area where Kate had been running had seemed familiar, and not because Emma had been having this same dream for the past two nights. Familiar as if she’d been there herself.
“Darn you, Connor. Where are you?”
She had a feeling this would go much easier if he were here to communicate with Kate on their behalf.
Or maybe…
What if they didn’t need Connor to communicate with Kate? What if they had another tool at their disposal?
Setting her coffee aside, she hurried into Noah’s office, found his computer and booted it up. She carried the laptop into his living room and planted herself on his couch, using the flash drives in her purse to restore his previous files while she waited for him to wake up and hear all about her brilliant idea.
Ding dong.
At the unexpected sound of the doorbell, she heard movement overhead, meaning Noah must have been as startled as she was.
Ding dong.
Know what? That was probably Kellan, coming to check on her after seeing that she was awake. Or perhaps Kate was attempting to reach out to her again. That ghost seemed to have an affinity for doorbells.
She put the laptop aside and hurried to answer it. Looking out the peephole, she saw no one and figured her hunch was right about Kate. She opened the door and said, “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve got an idea on how we can – oh!”
An older woman with graying hair blinked in surprise. “Hello.” She tried to look past Spider into the house. “I’m looking for my son. Noah West. Isn’t this his address?”
Holy cannoli. It was his mom.
Chapter 17
“Can I get you something to drink?” Spider glanced toward the stairs for about the tenth time since letting Holly – Noah’s mother – and Larry Harwell – his stepfather – inside. She edged closer to the staircase, flames shooting up her face as she tried to tug the hem of Noah’s shirt over her bare thighs, and wondered why in blazes he hadn’t come down yet.
Already tidying up around the room, his mother had yet to meet Spider’s gaze. “No, dear, we’re fine.”
Relieved, she gestured toward the kitchen anyway. “Help yourselves. I’ll go get Noah.”
She hurried up the steps, praying she didn’t accidentally flash his parents in the process.
Noah was still sprawled across the bed tangled up in the sheets as if he’d been fighting with them for hours. Good grief. She hadn’t worn him out that much, surely? She pounced on him. “Noah, wake up! Your mom is here!” Straddling him, she shook his shoulder.
He grumbled something incoherent.
She shook him again. “Noah? What’s wrong with you?” His skin was hot to the touch, his face red. She pressed the back of her hand against his forehead. Oh, no. “Noah?”
His voice sounded weird as he whispered, more clearly, “Lake Allatoona. That’s where my body is.”
Spider sat back, shocked. “What did you say?”
“Old Highway 41. In the trees. My grave.”
“Kate?” Oh. My. Gosh. Stemming back the tide of panic clawing at her chest, Spider leaned down. “Kate, your body is buried at Lake Allatoona? That’s what you’re telling me?”
Noah’s eyes blinked open, slowly. “Emma?”
She shifted to his side, surveying his features closely. “Are you aware of what you just told me?”
“What?” He lifted a hand to his forehead and gave her a sad, pathetic smile. “Water?”
Bouncing out of bed, she found a cup by the bathroom sink. She handed him the drink. “Are you okay?”
His brow pulled together. “I’ve been dreaming. Different dreams. Intense.”
“About Lake Allatoona, by any chance?”
“About a lake. I don’t know which one.”
“Noah, I think Kate just used your vocal chords to give me a clue. A big one. Huge!” She shook her head and held up her hand. “Hold that thought. You did hear me when I said your parents are here, right?”
He pushed up on one elbow, eyes widening. “What?”
“I, um, made the mistake of opening the door. I’m pretty sure your mom thinks I’m a total skank.”
A husky chuckle escaped him. “I don’t think my mom has a clue what a skank is.” He tried pushing to his feet and fell back on the bed. “Whoa. Give me a second.”
“You were fine last night. More than fine.” His colour was strange. Splotchy.
“I don’t know. I feel like hell now.”
Oh, yeah. Kate had done something, used him somehow to get her that message.
She got him another glass of water and hovered around him, uncertain of what he needed. She found her underwear and dress and managed to slide them on, conscious of the fact she had an audience. She swore that she could feel heat where he looked at her.
“I’ve got to go call my father.” She sat and tugged on her socks and boots. “Hopefully I can convince him to go search Lake Allatoona for Kate’s body … although, I’m pretty sure it’s out of his jurisdiction. I should try calling Alexandra, too. You don’t look so good.”
“Emma.”
“Emma, I’m fine. See?”
Glancing up, she saw that he was standing beside the bed, buttoning his slacks from the night before. “That was some recovery.”
His weak smile betrayed the fact he didn’t feel well. “You need to explain to me what you’re jabbering on about, but I also need to talk to my mom.”
“Okay. I can go and change and come back later – if you want?” Uncertainty halted her steps.
His hand settled on her arm. “Why don’t you stay?”
“While you talk to your mom?” That seemed kind of serious. As in, official relationship stuff. But she really, really wanted to go talk to her dad.
He nodded and watched her closely while she processed the request. Oh, wow. Things were moving so fast between them. It felt … surreal. She smoothed out the wrinkles in the dress. Why, oh why, couldn’t she be wearing jeans and a casual t-shirt right now? She would feel so much better about this if she were.
“Okay.”
His eyes softened as he pressed a tender kiss against her lips. Closing her eyes, she leaned into him, thrilled at any chance to connect with him again. “Mmm. No!” She tore herself away. “Your mom.”
He chuckled and finished dressing while she combed her hair. That done, she stayed close to his side in case he needed her help getting down the stairs, but he seemed to grow stronger by the second.
“Noah, you look—” His mom took his face in her hands in greeting and frowned “—unhealthy. Have you been taking care of yourself?” She touched his forehead. “You’re burning up!”
“Mom, I’m fine.”
While his mother continued to fuss around him, he exchanged pleasantries with his stepfather. Spider did her best to stay behind Noah. Out of sight, out of mind.
“Mom, this is Emma.” Reaching for her, he slid a reassuring arm around her waist and pulled her forward. “She’s staying across the street for a few weeks. She’s pretty special.”
Spirited Away Page 19
