Arsonists Anonymous

by Nora Snowdon

  All her insecurities rushed in again and she hurried to get ready. When the phone rang, she considered not answering it for at least a second before snatching up the receiver.

  “Lu speaking.” Please be him. Please.

  “Hey, sleepyhead.” His voice was beautiful. “Hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “No. I’ve been up for a while.”

  “Oh.” There was a pause on the line. Was he silently wondering why she hadn’t called? He continued, “I’ve been thinking about you all morning. Can I see you tonight?”

  “Sure. I’d like that.” Talk about an understatement. She could finally understand Tom Cruise’s crazy couch jumping. Lu giggled.

  “What?” He sounded defensive.

  “Nothing. I’m just glad you called.” Couch-jumping happiness was definitely not something she could admit to.

  “Me too. I’ll pick you up at five-thirty.”

  “Great. I’ll see you then. Bye.”

  “Bye.” Lu waited until she heard his phone disconnect. She’d been stupidly hoping for even a casual “love,” but she should’ve known better. Guys went at their own pace.

  *

  Mid afternoon the phone rang and Lu wondered if it was Byron again. Hopefully not cancelling. “Lu speaking.”

  “Hi. Lu Dawson?” The voice sounded too immature to be a telemarketer.

  “Yes.”

  “This is Kaitlynn Miller. Um, is this an okay time to call?”

  “Sure, Kaitlynn. What’s up?” A feeling of dread washed over Lu. The kid probably wasn’t just calling to chat.

  “I need to borrow twenty-five thousand dollars.”

  “What?” Lu hoped she’d misheard her.

  “The cops have Jason in jail and they’ve asked for that much money to let him go.” The girl hurried on before Lu could interrupt. “It’s okay. I mean, they say we get the money back when he goes to court. You’ve got to help me.”

  “But—”

  “It’s not fair. They say if he doesn’t give them names, they’ll nail him for the whole thing. But you know he wasn’t growing the drugs. You were there.”

  Oh shit! “Look, Kaitlynn, he should just tell the cops everything he knows and I’m sure they’ll let him go.”

  “No! Then the drug guys’ll kill him. You have to tell them Jason was just there to buy. They’ll listen to you because you’re a fire fighter.”

  “I can’t—”

  “Whaddya mean you can’t? You saw all those other people run out of the building. You have to tell the cops.”

  “It’s not that simple.”

  “Sure it is. Oh crap.” Kaitlynn’s voice lowered to a whisper. “I gotta go. My dad’s home. I’ll call you later.”

  Lu stared at her phone for a moment before disconnecting. Now what? Giving the kid the money was out of the question, even if she had it. But should she tell Byron that she’d been at the fire spying on Kaitlynn? Then he’d wonder why she hadn’t told him right away. And why she hadn’t phoned 911. Running from the scene of a crime could destroy her career, her reputation, and whatever scant hope she had for long-term love with Byron. But not telling him would only make her seem guiltier if he ever found out. And what if he figured out she started the fire?

  *

  After checking the kitchen clock for the fourth time, Lu went back to the bathroom and reapplied her lipstick. At five-thirty on the dot, the doorbell rang and she buzzed Byron in.

  Breathe. Dress looks fine. Apartment’s clean. Let’s do this.

  She opened her door just as he was exiting the elevator and his smile lit up when he saw her. His long strides brought him swiftly to her.

  “Hey there.” His eyes slid from her face to her feet and back up again. “You look beautiful, as always.”

  “Thank you.” Lu pushed her bangs back from her face.

  “C’mere.” He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her in for a kiss. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

  With a sigh, she melted into his embrace then snuck her hands under his jacket to hug him. “Me too,” she admitted.

  “How hungry are you?” His voice rumbled in her ear, his warm breath igniting nerve endings down her spine.

  “It depends.” Lu nipped the side of his neck. Mmm, his skin had a slightly salty taste, but still had that warm vanilla scent. She kissed up his neck to his smooth jaw line. He’d obviously just shaved. “What else do you have in mind?”

  She giggled as he pushed her backwards into the apartment and closed the door. “I thought maybe I’d ravish you a few times first, just to build up an appetite. You don’t mind, do you?” His hand had already worked its way through her buttons and was caressing her breast while he continued to kiss his way down her neck.

  “Well, since you asked nicely …” Lu was finding it difficult to think. She put her hand between his legs and cupped him. “You are ready to play.”

  “Oh yeah.” Byron bent over and scooped her up into his arms.

  “Aaghh! You can’t—I’m too—” Lu protested as he started running with her to the bedroom.

  “It’s okay,” he reassured her. “I don’t have scissors.”

  “What?” Lu shook her head. “You’re crazy.”

  “Yeah.” Byron threw her on the bed and then pounced, just catching his own weight on his arms before he landed on top of her. “You make me crazy.”

  He kissed her nose and then brushed her hair off her face.

  “Hey. Wait a second.” Lu pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him. “That’s not ravishing. I want an all-out, no-holds-barred ravishing, mister.” Lu looked down at him with a challenge in her eyes.

  “Are you saying you want it rough, baby?” His lips quirked up in a surprised smile.

  Lu paused a moment. Uh-oh, is that what I want? Ignoring the dangerous glint in his eyes, she nodded slowly. “Yup. Bring it on,” she whispered, wondering how far he’d take it.

  “If you insist. But first we need to take off your clothes so we don’t mess up your outfit.” Byron carefully undid the rest of the buttons on her dress and slid it off. Then he removed her bra. He placed a soft kiss on each breast. Lu watched him in surprise. It wasn’t quite what she’d been expecting. He half sat up and removed his shirt. Then he undid his pants and inched them down while she still hovered above him uncertainly. What he was playing at? He caressed from her breasts to her hips then suddenly his grip on her tightened. A lightening quick action—either something from judo or else a wrestling move—and she was flying through the air.

  She hadn’t even noticed his legs move until they’d flipped her feet from underneath her. He turned her body mid-air and then her back was bounced on the bed. He immediately pinned her beneath his body and one hand locked her wrists together above her head. His other hand dragged her underpants down and delved between her legs. She jerked up in surprise and he used her movement to slide in deeper, his finger rubbing a spot that she didn’t know about. An electric current shot through her body.

  “Oh God, yes,” she groaned.

  His mouth tugging on her breast was almost painful as he scraped his teeth against her hardened nipple. He was everywhere on her body, stroking, pulling, kissing and she was quickly losing control. She swung her leg up over his waist, needing more. Her hands were now free and she grabbed his erection, squeezing it in her hand. She sensed his urgency as he increased his own movements to match hers. Suddenly he broke free from her grasp and panting heavily grabbed a condom and slid it on. His fingers plunged back inside her and again she jumped.

  “Rough enough, baby?” he growled, his fingers invading her relentlessly. His other hand squeezed her nipple, turning it between his fingertips.

  “Yes! More!” Lu screamed, not even recognizing her own voice.

  He grabbed her ankles, swung them up over his shoulder and drove himself deep inside her. The intensity was overwhelming. The pressure built up inside her begged for release and yet it felt so incredible. Like a hurricane of
excitement rampaging through her center, the only part of her body that still existed. Her fingers clutched the bed sheets, needing to clasp something to hold on to her sanity. She almost blacked out before she remembered to breathe. Her orgasm hit, then her body seemed to be flying in every direction in sheer ecstasy. Her scream caught her by surprise and she jammed her hand in her mouth to muffle it.

  “Oh, Lu,” Byron groaned as he ground his last thrusts deep inside her, his body shuddering with exertion. He lowered her legs from over his shoulders and rested his forehead on hers. She wrapped her legs tightly around his butt, still feeling the beating of his pulse, reverberating within her.

  “Holy fuck.” Lu panted. “That was incredible.”

  “Oh yeah,” he agreed. Then he slowly rolled off her. “But I may not be able to do it a few more times as I promised. You wore me out, woman.”

  “Sorry.”

  “I’m not.” He pulled her to him for a kiss. “You are wild.” He smiled and fell back onto the pillow cradling her on his chest. “I need a moment to recuperate.”

  “Mmm. Me too.” Lu kissed his chest, his heartbeat thumping against her lips. She let her fingertips trail down his hard stomach, following the lines of his muscles. God, the man was in good shape. She cuddled closer and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his breathing slowing down. She purred as his hand lightly stroked her back.

  “We need to talk.” Byron’s quiet voice broke into her relaxed state.

  “What?” Lu’s stomach tightened with fear.

  “You’re not seeing anyone else, are you?”

  “No.” Lu leaned up on her elbow to see his whole face. “Why, are you?”

  “Nope. And I don’t share. If we’re going to see each other, it’s gotta be exclusive.”

  “Are you asking me to go steady?” Lu asked with a grin.

  “Maybe.” He returned her smile. “I like having you around.”

  “Aw shucks.” Lu crawled up his chest to kiss him on the lips. “I guess I could put up with you, for a little while. At least until after dinner, then we’ll renegotiate.”

  “You’re a hard woman.” He slid out from under her. “I need a shower and you need to get dressed as I believe that most restaurants require clothes. Stupid dress codes.”

  “I need a shower, too. Can I join you?”

  “Nope. I’m hungry. And if you shower with me, I’ll get distracted. Just the thought of your gorgeous body lathered in soap is turning me on again.” Byron trailed his hand over her breast, down her waist and along her leg until he reached her foot. He bent over and kissed her toes, then looked up at her with a sneaky grin. “But after dinner, I’m hoping to get distracted for a while.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Lu watched him walk out into the hallway. He looked so at ease being naked. Then again, with his beautiful lean body, why wouldn’t he be comfortable? She stretched out, amazed at how good she felt. If everyone had great sex regularly, they’d probably put massage therapists out of business. The shrill ring of her phone jolted her out of her musing.

  “Lu speaking.”

  “Hello. This is Kaitlynn.” The kid’s high-pitched voice sounded different.

  “Hi, Kaitlynn.” Lu turned toward the hallway and listened. Byron was humming in the bathroom.

  “Look, Lu, you’ve got to get Jason out of jail, like right now.” The steely resolve in the kid’s tone seemed at odds with her childish voice. “He’s going nuts in there.”

  “I’ll do my best.” Could she talk Byron into releasing the boy? “But you tell him to answer their questions. That’ll get him out the fastest.”

  “No.” The loud screech made Lu pull the receiver away from her ear. The girl continued, “He can’t rat. They’ll kill him. You have to get him out. Or I’ll phone the cops and tell them you were there buying drugs. They’ll find your car on the neighbors’ security cameras.”

  “But—” Lu heard the loud click on the other end of the phone. Shit! She’d been outmaneuvered by a sixteen-year-old. Even if there were no cameras, Kaitlynn telling the cops Lu was there would cause a hell of a mess. Lu looked up to see Byron standing in the bedroom doorway.

  “Everything all right?” he asked with concern.

  “Yeah, fine,” she lied. “Just an annoying telemarketer.” She could tell from his raised eyebrows he didn’t believe her. How much had he heard? “I’ll just be a minute in the shower.”

  Lu sidled by him and playfully grabbed his butt. Hopefully that would get his mind off the phone call. Now she just needed to figure how to fix the problem with Kaitlynn.

  *

  Lu waited until they’d gotten to their after dinner coffees before she dared bring the subject up.

  “So, what happened with that kid you caught at the last fire scene?”

  “What a pain.” Byron rubbed at his eyes in frustration. “These stupid teens watch a few TV shows and think they know everything. All of a sudden you get perps quoting CSI and Law & Order and thinking they can outsmart you.”

  “How long are you going to hold him?”

  “As long as I can. He had enough for a trafficking charge. I don’t think this kid’s been at it long. If I can scare him enough, maybe he’ll consider a different career plan.”

  Damn. “What about his parents?”

  “Another Hollywood cliché. Single mom in denial, but at least she can’t afford to spring him.”

  “Shouldn’t you let him go to see if he leads you to the actual drug dealers?” If only she could tell him about Kaitlynn, but how would she explain her two days of silence?

  “Hell no. They’d think he was a cop plant and probably blow the kid away, and he knows it. He’s more scared of the drug gang than the cops, unfortunately.”

  “Oh.” She sipped her coffee while her mind raced to find reasons for him to release Kaitlynn’s boyfriend. Lu was pretty sure that Kaitlynn wasn’t bluffing with her threat. Like mother, like daughter.

  “Byron and Lu. What a surprise.” Lu jumped at the familiar voice behind her. Shit, what the hell was Reynolds doing here? And in his expensive “dress to impress” suit? There was something off about him tonight.

  “Josh.” Byron’s casual smile seemed forced. “What brings you here?”

  “Dinner with an old friend.” Reynolds tilted his head back to indicate the man in a dark suit seated a few tables over. He had the camera-ready look of a politician.

  Lu realized what was odd about Reynolds. He seemed clumsy in his movements. Could he be drunk?

  “Always schmoozing,” Byron commented dryly. “You sucking up for extra budget lines?”

  “No, like I said, Bob’s an old friend,” Reynolds answered. The slur in his speech confirmed her suspicions. In all the time she’d known him, she’d never seen Reynolds even slightly inebriated. “What about you Byron? Still scrounging for help with your investigation?”

  “No. Actually, I’m just out for dinner with a lovely companion.”

  “Right. And there’s no underlying motive here?” The degree of hostility in Reynolds’ voice surprised Lu.

  “I believe any underlying motives are a private matter between Lu and myself,” Byron replied. He casually covered her hand with his own, the implication making her blush.

  “What Dawson does on her off-duty times is her own business.” The look Reynolds gave her was laced with anger before he turned his attention back to Byron. “But I’m surprised at you, Morgan, settling again for sloppy seconds.”

  Byron jumped to his feet but was quickly held back by Lu’s hand on his stomach.

  “As you said Reynolds,” Lu said keeping her voice low and even. “Tonight I’m off-duty. So, keep the fuck out of my private life.” She sat back and tugged on Byron’s hand until he sat as well. She mentally started counting backwards from a hundred to get her temper under control. Not the time or place for a fire.

  “Oh, so this isn’t your doing after all, Morgan,” Reynolds crowed. “She’s using you to get back at me. Hell hath
no fury. What a pair.” He turned, throwing his parting shot over his shoulder as he walked away. “You two deserve each other.”

  Lu closed her eyes. Eighty-four, eighty-three, eighty-two, eighty-one. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes again. She saw Byron’s look of concern and smiled wanly. “That was fun.”

  “I’m sorry, Lu.” He signaled to the waiter. “We’ll go somewhere else.”

  “No.” Lu snuck a look at Reynolds paying. “He’s leaving. Besides, I could really use a drink about now.”

  “Sure.” He ordered more drinks and watched her silently. Lu realized she was going to have to explain Reynolds’ comments.

  “It wasn’t much,” Lu admitted. “I was upset and Reynolds comforted me. We wound up kissing. Luckily we came to our senses and it never went any further.” Lu decided that sounded better than they stopped because they thought they might get caught. Jeez.

  “He shouldn’t have put you in that position. If he tries to make it uncomfortable for you at work, let me know. He knows he’s in the wrong.” He nodded his thanks as the waiter deposited two glasses of brandy in front of them.

  “It’ll be fine.” Lu shook her head. God, one more thing to worry about. Still, it was nice having someone rush to your defense. She took a sip, enjoying the warm liquid sliding down her throat.

  “When did this all—?”

  “Um, after the Baker Street fire.”

  “And then I came along right after …” Byron trailed off and the conversation died.

  Lu sipped her brandy again, wishing she hadn’t requested the drink. Right now she just felt like going home and crawling under the covers, alone. And she had no idea what Byron wanted or was thinking. He couldn’t really believe that she was trying to make Reynolds jealous by going out with him. Could he? Unless he thought—Shut up!

  “I think I’m about ready to leave,” Lu told him with a smile. She’d play the rest of the evening by ear. Maybe they could pretend this whole ugly incident never happened. She watched Byron hand the waiter his credit card and wondered if there was something she should say or do.