“Okay, okay, if you say so. I’ll get back to you about what I find out about this Nissa.” The snicker by Valberg infuriated Mikael.
Following his deputy, he took one more glance back into the bedroom. Silence and no signs of the young woman. Where the hell did she go?
As the two men descended the stairs, Valberg stopped on the last step. “I just remembered. If you want to know more about the boat that went down you can ask Wayne over at Moore’s Bait Shop. He’s related to the family. The woman who was in your bed might be related. She has the same name and all. Although there are a lot of Moore’s in Marneport.”
“Old Wayne? I’ve met him. I’ll stop by later.”
“Is that it, Sheriff?”
“Yes, for now.”
Chapter Three
Where did she go? He wasn’t crazy. The woman slept in his bed. He kept a vigilant eye on her all night, barely getting enough sleep himself. This morning she spoke. How else did I know her name if she didn’t tell me? Nissa Moore.
No way could this be a prank orchestrated by his deputies and staff. If it were, why? Seems like an awful lot of trouble just to jerk his chain, and the woman was no figment of his imagination. He shut the front door and ran up the stairs toward his bedroom.
“Nissa,” he called out as he walked around the room. “Answer me. Are you here?”
Peeking into the bathroom, he didn’t see her there. Then, he left the room, calling out for her, and walked down the hallway toward the other bedrooms.
“Were you looking for me?” the soft female voice asked from behind.
Startled and angry, he turned on his heel ready to fuss at her for not answering. “Nis…sa,” the rest of what he wanted to say couldn’t pass his tongue at the sight of her. She stood in nothing but a long sleeved shirt hanging loosely over her petite body with the top three buttons unfastened revealing the swell of her breasts. Her wavy dark blonde hair tumbled loosely over her shoulders. Pale skin enhanced the long legs poking out from under the thigh-length shirt. The full breasts with the rosy hard nipples he remembered rose and fell with harsh breathing and pebbled, poking through the thin fabric. Although he couldn’t see the outline, he also recalled the narrow waist that tapered to flared hips.
Familiar, heavy pressure exploded in Mikael’s groin. Standing still, he wetted his bottom lip then sucked it between his teeth. The vision of her manifested itself in a picture of innocence. His heart skipped a beat as his dominant-take-care-of-my-woman impulses fired up again. Except unlike last night, he wanted more than to just take care of her. He just wanted to possess.
“That’s my name. Don’t wear it out,” she said coyly, then giggled. “Did you find Edmond for me?”
“I…uh…no, no I didn’t.” The distance between them shrunk. “Where were you?”
“Oh I thought I’d look around. Did some exploring. I couldn’t find Edmond, but I found this.” She held up his cell phone. “What is it?”
“My phone,” he said matter-of-fact. He grabbed the phone and flipped the cover.
“I thought it looked more like a calculator. I pushed the buttons, but it didn’t add up the numbers. Then it started to talk.”
“Shit, you probably called someone. Did you answer them?”
“No! I was shocked and dropped it on the floor. I don’t think I broke it.”
Mikael stepped back, turning and punched in a few numbers. The clicking noises indicated the phone worked, so he closed and shoved it in his jeans pocket. Turning his attention to her, he said, “We need to get your clothes back on you. I washed them and they should be dry.”
“Okay. I hope you don’t mind me wearing your shirt. The T-shirt was itchy and didn’t cover me as much as this does.”
Not covering much now. “No, that’s all right. Why don’t you stay here and I’ll get your clothes.”
“But I’m hungry. Can I get something to eat?” She stepped closer. The batting of her long lashes and the slight tilt of her head had his cock jumping to life of its own accord, painfully straining against his pants. Fuck, she’s killing me here. Keep control Mikael, keep control.
Letting out a sigh, he turned and rushed down the stairs, the half-naked woman following on his heels. After he retrieved her clothes, he found her in the kitchen sitting at the small table recessed in the bay window. The expression on her face was one of sadness.
“What’s the matter? Are you all right?”
“This isn’t Edmond’s house.” Her head lowered.
“I don’t mean to pry, but if I’m going to help you, I have to hear everything. Who is Edmond and what happened to you, Nissa.” Placing the dried clothes across one of the wooden ladder back chairs, he sat in another across from her.
“Edmond is my boyfriend. I don’t know what happened to me. I remember the storm, the wind and rain was fierce. We had an argument and he left the house. I…I looked for him everywhere and couldn’t find him. We were supposed to go out on Valentine’s night. Edmond said he had something important to discuss with me, but…everything goes black after that.” She glanced up and met his eyes in an intense look. “I remember wandering the streets for hours and didn’t find him. I came here and waited. Then…”
“And then, I showed up and you thought I was Edmond.”
“Edmond is gone. He gave up on me, didn’t he? That’s why you won’t tell me where he is. You’re being gentle and nice because you know the truth.”
Mikael reached across the table and touched her arm, rubbing his thumb over her wrist. “Nissa, I don’t know. Truly. I told you I’m the sheriff and I can help you find your Edmond, but I need more information. Can you do that for me?”
Through sniffles, she nodded. “Yes.”
“What is Edmond’s full name?”
“Edmond Fowler. Edmond Daniel Fowler.”
“Okay. That’s good. I’ll call my deputy and see if we can’t track him down. When was the last time you saw him?”
“Um, yesterday afternoon. We had lunch at the diner.”
“Which diner? Casey’s on Brambleton or Stella’s Pizza at the harbor?”
“Huh? Neither. The Harbor Breeze Diner.”
“That’s a new one on me. Where’s it at, here in Marneport or Hammond, or…”
“Here in Marneport. Everyone knows Harbor Breeze. It’s the only one in the village.”
How strange, he thought. Nissa had to be confused. Maybe she suffered from some trauma. She did say she was caught out in the storm. Perhaps she got hit on the head and lost some memory. He’d tread lightly until he found this Edmond Fowler. “Okay let’s leave the discussion at that. I’ll contact Deputy Valberg and have him work on finding Edmond and in the meantime, I think I promised you something to eat.”
“Oh yes, I’m starving. I can’t remember the last time I ate. Do you have eggs? I like them scrambled. Oh and toast with jam. I love strawberry.”
Mikael chuckled, watching with amusement as a blush began at Nissa’s chest and creep up her neck and onto her face. Her innocence made his heart thump hard in his rib cage. He cleared his throat and spoke. “I think I can do that for you. Do you like cheese or any other extras in your scrambled eggs?”
“No, plain and ordinary.”
Nothing about Nissa is plain or ordinary. Gorgeous and extraordinary maybe. He smiled and turned his attention to fixing breakfast.
During the lingering feast of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast with strawberry jam, Mikael learned more about the mysterious woman who walked into his life. She grew up in Marneport and worked at the bait shop, but she yearned to see the world. Life in the coastal village was boring, she said. Adventures awaited her on the outskirts of town, she sensed it. The excitement in her face shown brilliantly and Mikael remembered such innocent joy at her age. The ravages of war had all but stripped those feelings from him so for a few stolen moments he basked in her enthusiasm.
Time seemed to have ceased for Mikael, enthralled by Nissa and her stories. Then the shrill ring o
f the phone startled both of them from the intense conversation. Deputy Valberg had information on the missing Edmond Fowler. The shock of the answer twisted Mikael’s insides and raked confusion in his brain.
Hiding his feelings had never been difficult, but he failed at that moment. From the expression on her face, he definitely failed.
“What is it Mikael. Is it Edmond?” She rose abruptly, scooting the chair back with force.
“Yes,” he said closing the distance between them. Reaching out to comfort her, he pulled her close against his chest. “I’m sorry, Nissa. He died.” He died years ago, fifteen years to be exact. What the fuck is going on?
“No, no,” she said between sobs. “How? I don’t understand.”
“Valberg didn’t say. He found the records in Bangor. He lived there. Is that where you’re from Nissa?”
“Bangor? No, I told you I was born here in Marneport. Why was he in Bangor? This is his house.”
“Maybe a summer home?”
“No, I don’t think so, but maybe.” She rubbed her temples. “I think his parents live in Bangor. I don’t know anymore.”
Her arms tightened around his waist and his mind raced. How could she be crying over a man dead for fifteen years? From her appearance she didn’t look more than twenty-five years old. No, she looked more like twenty-one or twenty-two max. Maybe Valberg had the wrong Edmond Fowler. The possibility existed especially in today’s climate of identity theft. Perhaps the man was a fugitive and hiding in Marneport under an assumed name, stealing the real Edmond Fowler’s name. Yes, that has to be it.
Dizzy with need and the desire to have her, the logical side of his brain told him he shouldn’t be feeling this overwhelming need to have her. He barely knew the woman. But what did that matter? He pushed aside the doubts and questions he had about her. Was she crazy? A victim of a crime and the trauma so bad she blocked out the memory and created new ones? At this moment he didn’t care. All he wanted was to remain in her embrace, to smell the fresh scent of innocence, to feel her silky skin brush against his, and enjoy the perfect fit of her body enveloped in his. Damn, she was perfect! He wanted her more than he had any other woman in his entire life. The two serious relationships he had, the ex-wife, this had been a big mistake at eighteen, and Paula, who had the most recent tug on his heart, proved he could have a committed relationship.
Nissa raised her chin and stared unflinchingly into his face. Then her eyes widened with shock most likely when she saw the passion burning in his and the slight upturn of his mouth. The lust must have shown through in more ways than from his eyes.
Slowly, Mikael lifted his right hand and brushed her cheek lightly. “You are a beautiful woman and shouldn’t be hurt like this,” he said softly. “You should feel alive and taken care of. Make love with me.”
Nissa gasped. Her mouth parted and she pulled back slightly, but his delicate caress trapped her, leaving her unable to escape.
As she trembled beneath his gentle touch, Mikael cursed silently. Damn it, she’d just found out her lover, imaginary or real, died. Her fantasy lies in ruins. She was frightened, confused and he was taking advantage of her distress. What the fuck is wrong with me? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
“Y-you want me?”
He traced small whorls on her cheeks, barely touching her skin with his fingertips. “I want to protect you.”
Nissa closed her eyes and leaned her head on his chest again. Her breath quickened, and he could feel her nipples pebble hard against him. He slid his hand under her chin and stroked her neck. After a nervous swallow, he trailed his fingers down the length of her arm until he reached her hand. Lifting it to his mouth, he kissed her palm and then cradled it against his chest.
Leaning forward, he brushed her lips with his. Electricity pulsed in the air between them. He plunged his tongue into her mouth. With each dip and stroke, he tasted every tiny bit of her while kneading her soft backside. He ground his cock into her soft belly with slow, rhythmic thrusts. Much to his pleasure, she returned his kiss, her lips pliant but her tongue demanding. It stroked his, performing a frenzied dance in his mouth that took his breath away and made him so hard he wanted to take her right on the kitchen table. Breaking the kiss, he traced his tongue in a gentle line along her jaw and down the side of her neck.
Lifting a hand, Mikael traced her jawline back to her ear where he threaded his fingers through her hair and cupped the back of her head. He pulled her closer, exerting gentle pressure. Lowering his head, he nibbled and nipped her ear and neck until her body relaxed. She shivered beneath his hands, then sighed and turned her mouth to his.
Settling his right hand in the small of her back, Mikael pulled her closer nuzzling and sucking her lips with the passion and ferocity of a man long without a woman.
With a low moan, Nissa opened her mouth, and his tongue swept in to mate with hers in a kiss that became more intense as they tangled in the warm wetness.
She slid her hands upward and clasped them behind his neck.
She wants this too! Mikael cupped her buttocks, lifted her hips, and pressed her rhythmically against his aching erection.
Sighing, she tilted her head as he kissed a passionate wet trail down the side of her neck.
Breaking his kiss, he murmured, “Come with me. I want to do this right. The first time shouldn’t be in the kitchen.”
She tensed and pulled back. Breathless, she eked out, “I…I can’t do this. I’m sorry. I can’t do this.” Then she turned and ran from the room.
Mikael stood dumbfounded. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Then he heard the front door open and close. He regained his senses and ran through the kitchen to the porch, calling her name.
Chapter Four
Mikael spent days searching for Nissa. After a week he stopped, accepting she’d left his life the same way she came in, with a whisper and a kiss. Actually, the search stopped, not from finding anything, but because of what he did find. After several days of waiting, he went to meet up with the owner of the bait shop, Wayne Moore the one Valberg told him about. He sat down with the aged man and heard a story that sent shivers up and down his spine.
The woman lost at sea fifty years ago, on Valentine’s Day, was named Nissa Moore, his older sister by four years. The boyfriend Edmond Fowler arrived back in port a few hours after she left in search of him. A mild winter rain turned into a violent nor’easter. The small boat and woman were never found. Edmond Fowler pretended to mourn, but Wayne Moore found out the truth months later. The two had an argument over the fact his parents did not want him to marry the small village girl, Nissa. Turned out Edmond Fowler was from a wealthy family and the home in Marneport was a family summer home, one of many. In Wayne’s opinion, Edmond used Nissa and when the parents put pressure on him to break off the relationship, he did what they said. Wayne’s older sister hinted to him that fateful morning she thought Edmond was going to propose since it was Valentine’s. Edmond never returned to Marneport after that day, the house was sold many times, and went into foreclosure about five years ago. No one ever heard from Edmond again. Wayne still blames Edmond and his family for his big sister’s death. The venom he spouted surprised Mikael.
The amazing story shocked Mikael even more. Had he hallucinated the entire two days? Did he experience a paranormal phenomenon? Was Valberg’s joking suggestion possible? I don’t believe in ghosts. Then, how could he explain what happened? He touched her, he heard her, and he wiped her tears. And he kissed her. Passionately. And she returned the kiss.
On Valentine’s Day he had joked about Cupid intervening in his love life bringing Nissa to his doorstep. Good idea, but he didn’t believe in little naked babies flying around shooting arrows at unsuspecting humans either. No, the last week never happened. It was all a dream, a merciless attack on his sleep Mikael couldn’t avoid.
Unconsciously, he craved her, though he denied his obsession in the light of day. Nissa’s siren call plagued him over the first few months. The angelic face, and eyes th
e color of soft brown, with flecks of gold like amber, melted his heart. Helpless in his sleep to deny her allure, he tossed restlessly as the image of the woman enthralled him, made his blood burn, creating sparks of flaring need that never really faded.
This woman had become an enchantress, a temptress of unfulfilled desire as he slept. She beckoned to him, calling to him in a seductive whisper winding over his ear, a sultry sound that made him ache and reach for her. The dream was relentless. Night after night he’d take her into his embrace and make passionate love until the early morning hours. Over the long months that followed, her face began to fade and the frequency waned, until all he imagined was a woman of pure make-believe.
As life went on, he plowed headlong into the renovation of his Victorian home, finishing the tile in the guest bathroom, painting, and finally decorating a few more rooms. With the onset of spring, he decided to hit the attic space and clean out the area filled with boxes and crates of discarded items from the previous owner.
Just when he thought he’d put Nissa and the Valentine’s Day incident behind him, the pictures and diary he found returned all those feelings. As he sat down to go through the boxed contents, he removed several framed pictures of a woman and man. One of the shots had shown the two standing beside a boat. The Helga. Nissa. Edmond? He dropped it in shock and disbelief, shattering the glass. Now he realized why she looked familiar and he recognized the name of the boat. When he purchased the property, he collected all the random items scattered throughout the home, boxed them and put them into the attic until he could go through them at a later date.
This was the later date and he vaguely remembered the picture of the man and woman beside the boat. Fuck! I saw a ghost, a real apparition of the paranormal kind. Shit! I’m really losing it now. A shiver ran down his spine. Valberg jested about the house being haunted and he had disregarded his deputy’s observation as a joke. But, this wasn’t a joke. Mikael didn’t feel haunted—no fear, no shaking chains or rattling pictures on the wall or floating apparitions at night since the day she vanished. Or, even before she appeared. What kind of paranormal creature was she?
Five Hearts Anthology Page 6
