The Deputy's Proof

by Carla Cassidy

  Twin tears trekked down her cheeks and she shook her head and gave a forced laugh. “I must sound crazy. Sometimes I feel like I’m crazy even to consider such a scenario. Most days I don’t believe it’s possible that he had anything to do with the murder, but other days I can’t help but wonder.”

  Josh’s heart squeezed tight at the sight of her tears. “Do you really believe that your brother is capable of killing your sister?”

  “That’s just it. I don’t know. All I know for sure is that the wrong man was accused and that the killer is still walking free.” She waved her hand as if to dismiss the topic, but tears ran faster down her face, and Josh could stand it no longer.

  He reached out to her, and she came into his arms. She cried only a brief time and then raised her head to gaze at him. “I don’t want to believe that Mac is capable of such a thing. I just wish I knew who killed Shelly and who wants me dead.”

  Josh swept several strands of her silken hair away from her face. “I wish I could give you the answers to all of your questions,” he said softly. Then he did what he’d desperately wanted to do for the past week. He kissed her.

  Rather than shying away from him, she leaned into him, opening her mouth to allow him to kiss her deeply, soulfully. Just feeling the heat, the softness of her lips, turned him on full force.

  However, he had no intention of taking it any further unless she initiated it. He knew what he wanted, but he cared enough about her that it had to be on her terms or not at all.

  As she continued to cling to him, as the kiss deepened and went on, he was conscious of every soft curve pressed against him, the heady scent of her that swirled in his head and increased his want.

  She finally broke the kiss, her eyes dark and glazed with a desire that fed his own. “Make love to me, Josh.”

  He looked deep into her beautiful eyes, seeking any doubt she might have after what she’d just asked of him. He saw none, and when she stood and pulled him up off the sofa, his heart pounded with sweet anticipation.

  He’d wanted her two years ago, and spending this past week with her had been more than a little bit of torture as he fought against his desire for her. That desire now roared through him as she led him to her bedroom. The bed was neatly made, and he scarcely got inside the door before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him tightly against her as she sought his lips for another kiss.

  He didn’t hesitate to comply. He took possession of her mouth as he tangled his hands in her long silky hair. She molded her body to his and moved her hips just enough to set him on fire.

  The spill of illumination from the hallway was the only light in the room, but it was enough for him to see her beautiful features as she broke the kiss and stepped away from him.

  He stood perfectly still, watching her walk to the opposite side of the bed and pull down the spread to display pale pink sheets.

  He stopped breathing as she reached down, grabbed the bottom of her T-shirt and pulled it up and over her head, revealing bare skin and a lacy bra. He still didn’t breathe when she kicked off her sandals, unzipped and stepped out of her capris and then got into bed and covered up with a sheet.

  “Aren’t you going to join me?” she asked, a sexy huskiness in her voice.

  He finally breathed, drawing in a deep gulp of air as he sprang into action. He yanked off his T-shirt and stepped out of his shoes. His socks followed, and he nearly fell over getting out of his jeans.

  The minute he got into bed and under the sheet, he was surrounded by the scent of her, a fragrance he never wanted to get out of his head.

  Their bodies came together at the same time they kissed once again. He marveled at the softness of her skin, the fire in her kiss.

  He’d wanted her to come alive, to feel, to be more present, and she was definitely present in this moment. She stroked down his bare back, and at the same time he reached beneath her to unfasten her bra.

  When he had it unhooked, she moved her shoulders to allow him to pluck it off her. He pulled his mouth from hers and instead began to blaze a trail of kisses down the length of her neck.

  She grabbed his hair, and a gasp escaped her as he covered one of her nipples with his mouth and used his tongue to lick it into a hard pebble.

  She moaned his name. He moved to her other breast, taking his time to give her the most pleasure. He wanted this to be an experience she would never forget, a gentle, tender loving that would banish whatever Neil Sampson might have done to her.

  He wanted to brand her as his, to make it impossible for her ever to want to make love to any other man. It was with this thought that he recognized the depth of his love for Savannah Sinclair.

  * * *

  A HAZE OF pleasure swept over Savannah, a pleasure she had never known before. His hands and mouth moved over her body in a languid fashion, as if he were in no hurry to finish.

  He held his weight on his elbows as he slowly kissed down her stomach to the edge of her panties and then back up again. Her entire body pulsed with need, a new feeling for her.

  She’d wanted him since they’d shared their first kiss, since she’d seen him in that low-slung towel, but she couldn’t believe she’d made the brazen request that he follow through on giving her what she wanted.

  She’d known he wouldn’t deny her. She’d felt his desire for her almost every moment they had spent together. She was thirty years old and had experienced sex only once before, with Neil Sampson. And what she’d gone through with him wasn’t even remotely close to what was happening now with Josh.

  Josh was focused solely on her pleasure, and oh, what pleasure he brought her. When one of his hands slid down her stomach and over the silk of her panties, she instinctively moved her hips up to meet his touch.

  Her silk panties became hot, an irritating barrier she wanted gone. As if he read her mind, his thumbs hooked on either side and he slowly pulled them down, moving his body as he tugged them down her legs and off her feet.

  Her heart pounded and her breathing became even more rapid as he crawled back up and captured her lips with his. At the same time, his hand slipped down to touch her where her panties no longer shielded her.

  His fingers found her most sensitive spot and began to rub back and forth in a rhythm that swelled up sensations inside her, sensations that climbed higher and higher, until she could stand no more.

  Her release crashed through her, along with an uninhibited gasp of laughter and a surprising sob. She gazed up at him in wonder, having never experienced that kind of sexual fever and overwhelming loss of control before.

  “Can you do that to me again?” she asked breathlessly.

  He laughed and kissed her cheek. “I can definitely try.”

  And he did. Twice more she rode the waves of intense climaxes, and after the last one, while she was still gasping and boneless, he slid off his boxers and positioned himself between her thighs and entered her.

  He remained unmoving, as if making sure she was comfortable. She was more than comfortable. Her entire body was on fire. She wrapped her arms around his back, wanting to keep him that close to her forever. He began to move his hips against hers, and they quickly found a rhythm that stole her breath away and forced all thoughts out of her head.

  There was just Josh, filling her, surrounding her and kissing her with a tender passion as their bodies moved in unison.

  She was shocked when the waves of sensation began to build yet again, sweeping her up in an intense sensual haze that washed over her. At the same time she felt him stiffen and moan her name as he found his own release.

  They remained interlocked for several long minutes, too breathless to move, neither willing to break their intimate connection. “That was better than amazing,” he finally said.

  “That was better than awesome,” she replied with a smile.

  “I don’t even think there’s a word in the English language to describe what it was.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb, and for a brief moment, in the
faint light of the room, she saw a raw, vulnerable emotion in his eyes.

  It was there only a moment and then gone. She tried to convince herself she’d just imagined it. It had just been a trick of the light. That look of pure love had been nothing but her imagination.

  He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose, then rolled from the bed and to his feet. “I’ll be right back,” he said.

  He padded naked out of the room, and Savannah stared up at the ceiling, thinking about what had just happened. She’d never known that making love could be such exquisite pleasure.

  The night she’d spent with Neil had been filled with pain and shame. Josh had given her something far different. Josh had given her pure and unadulterated pleasure. He’d gifted her with sweetness and gentleness that had touched not only her body but also her soul. Her body still hummed with a contented relaxation she hadn’t felt in years, perhaps had never felt before.

  He returned to the room, smelling of soap, with his gun in hand. It was obvious he meant to sleep with her for the rest of the night.

  “My turn,” she said and slid from the bed. She hurried into the bathroom. She knew it was a bad idea to allow him to sleep with her, but the idea of having him right next to her in bed for the entire night was both provocative and comforting.

  One night, she told herself as she left the bathroom and headed back to her bedroom. One night of lovemaking and one night of sleeping together and that would be the end of it.

  She couldn’t afford to let it happen again. She didn’t have the desire or the strength to love anyone again. But for just this single night, she’d let go of her fear and allow herself to feel. Then tomorrow she could crawl back into her cocoon of isolation and self-protection.

  She was grateful that when she got back into bed, he didn’t seem inclined to talk. He just pulled her close to him, close enough that she thought she could feel his heartbeat against her own.

  When she was almost asleep, she turned over with Josh spooned around her back, his breath warming the back of her neck. Nice, she thought. So nice...and that was her last thought.

  When she awakened the next morning, she was in bed alone.

  The smell of frying bacon and fresh brewed coffee drifted down the hallway from the kitchen. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, where the morning sunshine danced through a slit in the curtains.

  Instead of stretching like a satisfied cat, she turned back on her side and curled into a fetal ball. Mistake... As magnificent as last night had been, it had been a huge mistake.

  She knew that Josh had a romantic interest in her, and last night had to have given him all the wrong impressions. She thought of that moment when she’d believed she’d seen raw love pouring from his eyes.

  It had awed her. It had frightened her. She didn’t want him to love her, and she definitely didn’t want to love him. He’d already forced her out of her home and into town, something she hadn’t wanted to do. She’d been like a snail, perfectly happy and safe in her little shell, but he’d pushed and pulled her out into the dangerous world of emotional vulnerability once again.

  It had been over a week since the attack on her at the inn, and nothing more dangerous had happened to her than a hangnail. There were long periods of time as she and Josh were just walking the streets of Lost Lagoon when she forgot that somebody wanted her dead.

  In fact, there were long periods when she was with Josh that she forgot to be unhappy and didn’t think about her grief or the loss of her sister.

  It felt like a betrayal to Shelly, as if she were on the verge of forgetting one of the most important, most beloved persons in her life.

  She finally unfurled and got out of bed. She grabbed her nightgown, pulled it over her head, topped it with her robe and headed for the bathroom, where she brushed her teeth, washed her face and pulled a brush through her hair.

  She felt unaccountably shy about seeing Josh this morning. He’d not only given her sexual pleasure she’d never known existed but also been like a warm, comforting blanket she’d snuggled into as she’d fallen asleep.

  With a final flick of the brush through her hair, she set the brush down and left the bathroom. She heard him before she reached the kitchen. He was singing a popular tune slightly off-key but with cheerful enthusiasm.

  He stood at the oven, using a spatula to stir scrambled eggs in her iron skillet. He was clad only in a pair of jeans, looking hot with his bare torso and totally at ease and at home with his bare feet.

  “Good morning,” she said.

  He jumped and turned around with dismay creasing his forehead. “Shoot, I was going to serve you breakfast in bed this morning.”

  “That’s sweet, but I’m up now.” She walked over to the counter with the coffeemaker and poured herself a cup. “But you can serve me at the table.”

  “It’s just not the same,” he replied with a pretend pout. He whirled back around as the toaster popped. She sat at the table and watched in amusement as he tried to juggle buttering the toast and taking the eggs from the skillet and getting it all, along with the bacon, on two plates.

  He set her plate in front of her and then sat down across the table with his own. “I was going to make you pancakes, but I didn’t see any pancake mix in your pantry.”

  “I don’t use a mix when I make pancakes,” she replied. She was grateful that, other than his breakfast-making, things appeared normal between them.

  She just hoped she could make him understand without hurting him that last night was a one-time deal and wasn’t going to be repeated.

  As they ate, he talked about the different kinds of pancakes his mother used to make when he was young. Once again Savannah was struck by the domesticity of the scene.

  What scared her was that she’d grown accustomed to sharing breakfast with him, eating lunch out and returning home to cook him a good dinner. They had been living like a married couple, and it was all too easy for her to fantasize about it continuing on forever.

  It was time to pull away from him, to distance herself from the life she knew he could...he might offer to her. She knew he was here to protect her, but the lines had become blurred between them.

  She was no longer a victim waiting for an attack. She felt as if she were a woman who’d already been attacked...by a love she refused to acknowledge, a love she didn’t want to embrace.

  It was definitely time to withdraw, to crawl back into her shell of safety where she didn’t feel, where grief and heartache could never touch her again.

  Chapter Twelve

  By Tuesday afternoon, Josh knew that Savannah had gone back to the woman she had been when he’d first caught her crawling out of the hole in her backyard.

  Throughout the day before, as they’d gone into town and eaten lunch at Jimmy’s Place, she had been quiet and withdrawn, as if she wanted to be anyplace else but out with him.

  He’d tried to start several conversations but had finally given up when she hadn’t responded to any of his attempts. He could only guess that their lovemaking had scared her, while it had emboldened him.

  He was in love with her, and that night had only solidified what he already knew. He wanted to build a life with her, have children with her and have her embrace life and happiness once again. He’d thought their night together had been the beginning of all of that happening.

  But it had become obvious that for her, that night had been the end of anything between them. Fear and grief once again clung to her, and this fed his frustration.

  Over the last two weeks, he’d seen her laughter. He’d felt love flowing from her. He’d seen the potential future with her in it, and he’d liked what he saw.

  But this morning, she’d stayed in bed during the time they normally shared breakfast. Then, when she’d finally gotten up and he’d mentioned heading out into town for the afternoon, she’d refused to go. Instead she’d returned to her bedroom and he hadn’t seen her since.

  He’d made several phone calls, talking
to Daniel for a while to get his take on the investigation into the attacks on Savannah, and then calling Trey to get an update.

  An hour ago, Ray McClure had run by a copy of the most recent map of the tunnels. Josh had pored over the map, finding it interesting that Trey, the mayor and whoever else was involved had been working backward from the swamp, leaving several of the tunnels closest to Savannah’s house still unexplored.

  Once again his concern was that Trey was far more interested in the tunnels than he was in solving any crime or helping to protect Savannah.

  He’d finally rolled up the map and carried it into the guest room where he’d been staying. He returned to the kitchen, surprised to find Savannah there, rummaging in the refrigerator.

  “I had a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch,” he said. “There’s still plenty left if you want one.”

  “Thanks.” She pulled out the packages of ham and cheese and a jar of mayo. He sat at the table and watched as she made her sandwich, wondering if she intended to take it back to her bedroom to eat.

  He was ridiculously pleased when she carried her plate to the table and sat across from him. She took several bites and chased them with drinks of sweet tea.

  She didn’t speak, nor did she look at him. She kept her gaze focused on her plate as if he wasn’t in the room at all. His frustration grew. He felt as if she was punishing him for a decision that had been her own.

  He hadn’t taken her down the hallway to the bedroom to make love to her. She’d been in charge of the whole thing, and now she acted like he was the one at fault.

  “Nice day,” he said, breaking the silence.

  “Who cares?” she replied.

  He leaned back in his chair and released a deep sigh. “What’s going on, Savannah?”

  She finally looked at him, her eyes dark and fathomless. “This isn’t working for me.” She pushed away her plate with her half-eaten sandwich.

  “What isn’t working?” he asked, wondering if she wanted something else to eat.

  “This...” She pointed to herself and then to him. “You being here. We haven’t learned anything worthwhile about who attacked me. Nothing else has happened to make me think I’m in imminent danger.”