The Body Thief

by Chris Taylor

  His smile widened and she wondered why. “What’s so funny about Parramatta?”

  “Nothing,” he hurried to reassure her. “I used to live in Penrith. We were practically neighbors.”

  She laughed. “Well, if you ignore the thirty-minute commute in between.” She took a sip from her beer. “Where do you live now?”

  “Believe it or not, I don’t live very far from here. I have a house in Cremorne.”

  She raised her eyebrows, impressed. “Wow! A whole house? I didn’t realize the police service paid so well.”

  “Well, the privilege of owning it takes a hefty bite out of my pay each week, but it’s worth it. I’m not on the water, but if I stand on tiptoes on my balcony, I can catch a glimpse of the harbor.”

  “Nice,” she said and smiled.

  He stared back at her with such intensity, Sam’s heart kicked into gear with a slow and heavy thump. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach and she couldn’t think of a single thing to say. It was like the world had frozen in that moment and there was no one but the two of them. The pizza, the kitchen, the murmur of traffic outside—it all disappeared into nothingness.

  The tension continued to climb until she couldn’t take it anymore. It was too soon. They’d been friends and then they weren’t. Now they were… She didn’t know what they were now. She blinked and averted her gaze and the spell was broken.

  “Would you like another beer?” she asked, in an effort to break the uncomfortable silence.

  “Yes, thanks. That would be great.”

  She pushed away from the table and moved over to the fridge. Feeling nervous and edgy and out of her depth, she cast around for something else to say.

  “Why did you transfer from Westmead to the city?” Rohan asked, saving her from having to initiate more conversation.

  “I’d lived out west for several years. I loved working at the Westmead Morgue. I’m not sure if you noticed, but that part of town is very orientated toward families. There are lots of houses with large backyards and kids playing in the parks. I guess I kind of felt I didn’t belong. The city seemed to be a better option for a single, thirty-something woman and it means I’m closer to my mom. She lives in Lindfield.”

  He digested her answer and seemed satisfied with her response. “Fair enough. And you’re right about the western suburbs. It was the same out in Penrith. I felt strange not having to rush out the door to do the school run or to leave early in order to take a sick child to the medical center. I think I was one of a very few at work who was unattached.”

  “You were in love with Daphne. It must have taken some time to get over her. She treated you shabbily.”

  He snorted. “That’s an understatement. We’d been together a year and a half and then she decided to have a fling with an old high school flame. And a biker at that.” He shook his head as if still unable to believe it and Sam could see the irony. Bikers were renowned for living on the wrong side of the law.

  And Rohan was a detective.

  “Well, after hearing about her dishonesty and what she did, I’m sure you’re better off without her.”

  “I agree wholeheartedly.” He twisted the top off his second beer and held the bottle up in the manner of a toast. “Here’s to exes and accepting that sometimes things have a way of working out for the best.”

  Sam smiled and clinked her bottle against his. “To exes.” They both drank from their bottles and then simultaneously sighed in satisfaction. Catching his eye, Sam burst into laughter and Rohan joined her.

  It felt good to laugh and relax and forget about the complexities that filled her life, even for a moment. Her mother was dying of kidney failure; her brother was embroiled in… She didn’t even know what. She was thirty-four and didn’t have a significant other by her side. Nor was there one in sight. It was enough to turn anyone to drink.

  “I met your brother this week.”

  Rohan’s quiet statement registered in Sam’s brain a couple of seconds after he uttered the words and her heart skipped a beat. Rohan had spoken to Alistair? That couldn’t be good. Forcing a nonchalant tone, she asked, “Really? Where did you come across him?”

  “At the hospital. My partner and I set up a meeting with the general manager and she asked Alistair to attend. Initially I didn’t realize he was your brother but then I finally put it together. He’s obviously quite a bit older, but he looks a lot like you.”

  “Yes, he does,” she managed. “Why… Why were you meeting with the general manager? Have you discovered something else? Why did my brother attend?”

  Rohan looked at her. “It’s an ongoing investigation. I can’t really talk about it. Let’s just say I think you and your friend’s suspicions that something isn’t quite right with the donation process is spot on.”

  And just like that, Sam’s joy of the previous moment disintegrated. Dread weighed heavy in her belly. It was clear Rohan had discovered more evidence to support her and Hannah’s concerns. Rohan had gone so far as to meet with the general manager of the Sydney Harbour Hospital. A request had been made for Alistair to attend. The possibilities circled around and around in her head and none of them were good.

  Then, she took a moment to think about it. Alistair was the head of the Organ Donation for Transplantation Unit. It made sense that the police would want to speak with him and tap into his extensive knowledge of how the organ donation process worked. Perhaps that’s all it was.

  Feeling slightly better, she took another bite of her pizza and followed it with a mouthful of beer. Her gaze traveled over the white T-shirt that stretched across Rohan’s broad shoulders and hugged his chest.

  He’d arrived in a light Nike sweater, but had discarded that upon walking inside. Though the night was cool, it held more than the promise of spring and the temperature in the kitchen was pleasant. He’d always been fit, with a tall, athletic physique. Even when he’d been around in her apartment in his capacity as Daphne’s boyfriend, Sam had always been aware of his physical appeal. After all, she was a normal young woman and she certainly wasn’t blind.

  But a decade ago she’d never allowed her thoughts to wander in that direction. She had a strict moral compass as far as poaching someone else’s partner was concerned and though she could appreciate how effortlessly handsome he was, she’d never given in to a single naughty fantasy.

  But now he was in her kitchen and there wasn’t a girlfriend in sight. At least, not that she knew of. As if reading her mind, Rohan asked the question she was dying to ask.

  “So, Samantha, are you seeing anyone?”

  Heat crept up her neck. She kept her eyes averted and shook her head. “No, I’m not. How about you?” The words were out before she could stop them, but all of a sudden, she didn’t care.

  The truth was, attraction for him had been steadily building way down deep inside and she needed to know, for the sake of her own self-preservation, if there was a possibility of something more happening between them.

  “Nope. There have been girls on and off over the years, but no one serious.”

  “Why not?” she asked. “You’re good-looking, you have a steady job and you’re certainly of age. Why haven’t you found the right one?” Sam’s heart thudded at her audacity, but her gaze remained fixed on his. The answer had become more important than she imagined.

  “I could ask the same thing of you,” he murmured, staring right back at her.

  Once again, the air around them grew charged and the blood pulsed through Sam’s veins. Rohan leaned forward across the small table until his face was inches from hers. Her breath quickened and the butterflies in her stomach took off in a frenzy of flight, but she couldn’t move away. A moment later, his lips brushed hers, soft, slippery and tasting of beer and pizza.

  Tentatively, she returned the kiss and his hand came up to cup her cheek. Gently holding her head in place, he slowly explored her mouth. When at last he pulled away, their breathing was unsteady. Rohan stared at her. Filled with desire, his eyes had d
arkened to cobalt. Sam was powerless to look away.

  The kiss had been like nothing she’d imagined or experienced before. Though she’d dated in college and one relationship had lasted nearly six months, she’d never had the time or inclination to spend hours in the college bars, flirting and drinking like many of her friends had. She looked back now and realized her college days had been fairly boring. She’d go to class, study hard, enjoy the occasional social outing and then do the same things over again.

  “I probably should be sorry for doing that,” Rohan said, his voice husky, “but I can’t bring myself to apologize. I didn’t come over here with the intention of seducing you, but you are just too damned hard to resist. The whole time I knew you, I was with Daphne and I never really noticed you.”

  She was stung by his insinuation. “Gee, thanks.”

  “No, I don’t mean it like that,” he hurried to reassure her. “Of course I noticed you. You’re beautiful. No man could overlook that. But I was in love with Daphne and she was in love with me. At least I thought she was,” he added with a grimace.

  He reached out and took her hands. She resisted, but he merely tightened his hold. “I can tell that you’re mad and I didn’t mean to make you feel like that. This is coming out all wrong.”

  He drew in a deep breath and blew it out. “What I meant was I never noticed you in a sexual, available way. I was involved with another girl. Something in my head shut down the normal kind of response I might otherwise have had if we’d both been single.” He shook his head and sighed. “Is any of this making sense?”

  Sam squeezed his hands. “I know what you mean. I was having similar thoughts only a little while ago. I used to see you come and go with Daphne and sometimes you and I would play a game of chess. Even though I was aware of your good looks and easy charm, they didn’t get me all hot and bothered because it was like you said, my brain acknowledged you were with someone else. The time we spent together was fun and relaxed and carefree because there wasn’t the added pressure of sexual attraction. It can put a strain on things, especially if it isn’t reciprocated.”

  Rohan nodded in agreement. “I was like a brother.”

  “Yes! That’s exactly how it was!”

  His gaze shifted to her mouth, to her breasts and then returned to her face. Her heart skipped a beat at the heat in his eyes. “I don’t feel like a brother anymore,” he growled.

  “I… I see that,” Sam stammered, trying to catch her breath.

  “I want to kiss you again.”

  “I’d… I’d like that.”

  Desire flared brighter in his eyes. As if needing no further encouragement, he pushed back his chair and took her by the hand and drew her up close until she was pressed against him. His head came down and he captured her lips in a kiss that seared her brain and flustered her wits.

  While the first kiss had been sweet and tentative, this one was anything but. Rohan’s lips moved over hers like a man starving. Everywhere they touched, heat followed. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer and sighed with relief when he cupped her bottom and held her against his erection.

  The hardness of it strained against her belly and sent tingles of desire racing to her core. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt like this. She didn’t know if she’d ever felt like this. The few times she’d had sex with her one-and-only, long-term boyfriend, they’d come together, more often than not, late at night after quite a few drinks.

  It was always her boyfriend who initiated it. She’d merely gone along for the ride. While she’d found the encounters pleasant, her world hadn’t shifted off its axis. Not like it was with Rohan—and they’d only kissed. She couldn’t help but wonder how extraordinary it would feel to make love with him.

  “You taste so good,” he groaned against her lips and Sam opened her mouth and tangled her tongue with his. Emboldened by his desire, she slid her hands down his arms, across his back and finished at his butt. It was taut under her fingers. She cupped his cheeks the way he was cupping hers and pressed him closer against her core. Liquid heat flared to life and the blood rushed through her veins.

  His hands went to the hem of her sweater and he dragged it up and over her head. A moment later, he unclasped her white bra and dropped it to the floor. He stared at her with such need, she felt like she’d explode.

  Slowly, he lifted his hand and ran his fingers over one of her breasts. Her nipple puckered in response and she gasped from the heat of his touch.

  “You’re so beautiful, Samantha,” he murmured huskily. “I can’t believe I never looked at you like this before.”

  “Shh,” she whispered, pressing a finger to his lips. “Let’s not talk about the past. We’re here now—single, consenting adults. There’s nothing standing in our way.”

  He bent his head and kissed her soundly on the mouth. “You’re right and I intend to make the most of it. I want to feel you naked,” he growled. “Will you make love with me?”

  She stared at him and her breath came fast. Her body screamed out for her to say yes. She thought about her brother and the investigation, but just as quickly, pushed those thoughts away. She didn’t want to think about the complications. Right now, all she wanted to do was feel.

  Running her hands across his chest, she reveled in the feel of his muscles. Moving lower, she snagged the end of his T-shirt and tugged it out of his jeans. He stared at her as if he didn’t dare breathe. She eased the shirt upwards, exposing his taut flesh inch by inch. Her fingers skimmed over the flatness of his belly and he sucked in a breath.

  Slowly, the T-shirt and her fingers crept higher until they skimmed across his nipples. She flicked at the hard brown nubs with her nails and was rewarded with a groan.

  “You’re killing me, Samantha!”

  “Good things come to those who wait. Don’t you know that?” she smiled, feeling all-powerful and in control. It was intoxicating. At last, taking pity on him, she pulled the shirt over his head and discarded it.

  Her breath caught at the sight of his male beauty. His broad chest was almost hairless and rippled with definition. Even in late winter, he sported a pale golden tan. She could stare at him for hours.

  As if impatient, he stood on one foot and pulled off each shoe before tugging at his belt and loosening the clasp on his jeans. A moment later, he stepped out of them and stood before her, clad only in his underwear.

  The snug pair of briefs hugged his hips and stretched taut over his erection. Sam stared at the bulge in fascination, wondering how it would feel. She wanted to see him naked and to press herself against all that hard, warm male flesh.

  He must have seen the need in her eyes because he slowly drew her forward with his hands firm on her hips. Pulling her close, he rubbed against her and her knees went weak with need. She could feel the long hard length of him pressing into her belly.

  “I want you, Samantha.”

  She stared up at him and nodded. “I want you, too.”

  His hands went to the clasp of her jeans and he slid them down her hips. She toed off her shoes and then grabbed the bottom of her Levis and pulled them the rest of the way off. Clad only in their underwear, they stood and stared at each other, their breath coming fast.

  Then Rohan reached out for her hand and drew her slowly out of the kitchen. With her heart pounding in anticipation, Sam followed him down the hall.

  He paused at the spare room that was set up as an office and then continued on. Past the bathroom, he halted outside her open bedroom door. Turning, he took her in his arms and kissed her tenderly on the mouth. “Are you sure about this?”

  She gazed at him. She was unsure about a lot of things, but making love with Rohan wasn’t one of them. They might not have seen each other for a decade, but she felt like she’d come home to someone warm and familiar; someone she cared about.

  “I’m sure,” she whispered and meant it.

  “Do you have any condoms?” he asked and she blushed to the root
s of her hair.

  “No, I’m sorry. There hasn’t been any need… “Besides, I take oral contraception to help with my periods. They’ve always been heavy and I get cramping and… She dropped her gaze to the floor, beyond embarrassed. “Too much information, right?”

  With gentle fingers, he tilted her chin until she was forced to meet his gaze. “Hey, I see and hear a whole lot of things in my job that most men wouldn’t be able to stomach and I have three sisters. Talking about periods and cramping won’t send me running for the hills. And as for being without a supply of condoms, that’s nothing to be ashamed about. I like that you’re unprepared. It means you’re not into bringing men home with you too often and that makes me feel special.” He winked. “Lucky for us, I have one in my wallet.”

  “If you’re worried about disease, I assure you I have regular check ups and being in the police force, I assume you do, too.”

  He nodded. “Of course, but it isn’t only STD’s I’m concerned about.”

  His words took a moment to register inside Sam’s brain, but when they did, she tensed. Anger stirred inside her. “Thank you very much, Rohan Coleridge,” she snapped.

  He frowned in confusion and shook his head. “What did I say?”

  She was filled with disbelief. “Really? You’re really going to pretend you don’t know how much you just insulted me? There’s only one other thing that concerns a man when he’s about to have sex without a condom and we both know what it is.”

  She jammed her hands on her hips and her anger found its head. “Admit it! You think I’m lying when I tell you I’m on the pill! It’s the only reason why you still feel the need to use a condom.”

  “No! It has nothing to do with you, Samantha! You have it all wrong! Daphne’s the one who screwed with me. When I questioned her about how she could be pregnant, she gave me the story about the antibiotics messing with her on the pill, but later, she told me she’d stopped taking them. Apparently, the pill was making her fat. At least, that’s what she thought.”