Sultry

by Mary Lynn Baxter

  Shifting, he thrust into her, and, knowing what she wanted from him, rose high inside her. Her eyelids fluttered at the same time that she lifted her legs and clamped them against his hips, as if determined to hold him inside her.

  Mitch tensed, then let go, every muscle in his body giving way, only to tense again. Though he felt as if the top of his head might explode, he withdrew in order to prolong the sweet agony.

  “Oh, please, no!” Her words came out on a gasp as she reached for him, touching the moist tip of him.

  Hard spasms racked him as he rammed back inside her, higher and harder than before, filling her totally and completely.

  Her cry, followed by his name, sent him over the edge. A fireball of intense heat shook them simultaneously. He expelled an indrawn breath as she sobbed into his sweat-soaked chest.

  “Mitch,” she whispered, swinging around and watching him.

  No response. He appeared to be as deep in sleep as he had been when she’d untangled herself from his warm limbs and gotten up. Using his shirt to cover her nakedness, she had walked to the window, where she now stood.

  She continued to stare at him, unable to take her eyes off that hard, muscled body that could do—had done—such wicked but incredibly heart-stopping things to hers.

  His lips, tongue and hands had investigated every inch of her. A stab of heat suddenly forced her to squeeze her thighs together. How could she still want him?

  They had made love for hours, with her giving back as good as she’d gotten, using her own gentle weapons to wreak havoc on his body.

  Her misty gaze softened on him as she caught her lower lip between her teeth to head off an oncoming sob. She needed him. She loved him. Suddenly she felt the urge to wake him up with that declaration of love.

  Yet the words still wouldn’t come—not when there remained so much unopened baggage between them.

  In order to fully commit herself to him, she would have to give up her family. And while Cooper and Tim might be unworthy of her loyalty right now, she still loved them, in spite of their failings.

  And what about Mitch? He certainly wasn’t without blemishes.

  But then, neither was she.

  God, why did life have to be so complicated?

  “Lindsay?”

  At the sound of Mitch’s voice, she swung back around. She saw him swallow hard as he looked at her.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice now thicker than churned cream.

  “No,” she whispered.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Yes, but I can’t.”

  Their eyes held for a long heartbeat.

  “You still don’t trust me, do you?”

  Despite the sad look in those sea-blue eyes, there was no bitterness.

  “I—”

  “I won’t hurt him unless I have to. You have to believe that.”

  Her thoughts jumped to the ledger on the seat of the car. For a second she was tempted to go get it, to give it to him. But that temptation fled just as quickly as it had hit her.

  That ledger was exactly what Mitch needed to hurt Tim, to destroy her family. Sooner or later he would have to know about it, only not right now. For a reason she couldn’t identify, she couldn’t unburden herself to Mitch.

  “Lindsay…”

  “I do believe you,” she said at last.

  He seemed to wilt with relief as well as an emotion she couldn’t interpret. Then he patted the place beside him. “Come back to bed,” he muttered hoarsely.

  Shedding his shirt, she closed the distance between them and dove into his arms.

  What a day.

  Mitch couldn’t say it had been a good one, either. Yet he’d accomplished a lot. First he had located the elusive witness he’d promised Avery he would find—and with relative ease, too. Only problem was, the man was adamant about not testifying.

  “You mean you didn’t bring him in?” Avery had demanded, his voice rough.

  “Nope.”

  “Dammit, Rawlins, that wasn’t the deal.”

  “Excuse me, but it was the deal. You said find the man, and I did.”

  “Well, just finding him doesn’t quite cut it, and you know that.”

  “Then you’d best get your top negotiator’s ass to Texas and talk the man into spilling his proverbial guts.”

  “That’s your job,” Avery said hotly. “I had no idea you’d come back without him.”

  “The man’s scared, Ken. After all he’s been through, I don’t blame him.”

  “But if he doesn’t testify against that gang, then his wife’s death will be more meaningless than it already is.”

  This had been one of the saddest cases Mitch had ever worked. Or maybe he’d just been out of the business too long and forgotten how sick the world was. A gang of boys had surrounded a young couple’s car after it had stalled in a not-so-good area of town. While they held a gun to the man’s head, they jerked his wife out of the car and raped her, then killed her.

  The man, left with two kids to rear alone, had been traumatized, and still was. Yet, like Ken, Mitch knew the man had no choice but to testify against the gang leader, whom the FBI had taken into custody—that is, if he wanted justice done.

  But Mitch had done his part. He had found the man, and that was all he intended to do.

  “We had a bargain, Ken. You’re not thinking of reneging, are you?”

  Avery’s expression soured. “No.”

  “Good. So if you don’t mind, I’ll get the info your boys got on Tim Newman and go about my rat killing.”

  Avery cut him a look from under thick brows. “You’re out of luck there.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “So far the good doctor’s as clean as the early morning dew. If he’s hooked up with someone peddling dirty prescriptions, then he’s steering clear of ’im.”

  “And your boys never lost sight of him.”

  A beat of silence followed.

  “Well now,” Avery said, “I won’t swear to that. But if they lost Newman, it wouldn’t have been for long.”

  “Shit!”

  “I knew you wouldn’t be happy. However, we’ll keep tabs on him longer, if you’d like.”

  Mitch rubbed his chin. “Now that I’m back, I’ll take over.”

  He hadn’t let any grass grow under his feet, but had immediately taken care of his second mission. On leaving the Bureau, he had gone to the doctor’s office, where he’d picked up a copy of Lindsay’s official lab report.

  He had waited until he walked into the cottage to read it, then felt the blood pound in his head like the beat of a drum.

  Tim Newman’s ass belonged to him. And now was as good a time as any to collect that prize.

  Thirty-Six

  “I’m so proud of you, kiddo.”

  Lindsay smiled at Mary Jane, whose eyes were filled with admiration. “I can’t believe the facility’s finally becoming a reality.”

  “Well, the proof is in the pudding,” Mary Jane replied. “Or so they say. And the proof is right here in front of us.”

  “So it is.” Lindsay knew she sounded a bit awe-struck by it herself. And she was, even though the project had been her baby from conception to birth.

  The land in front of her had been cleared and the slab poured, which was a major milestone. She had hoped this day would come, but until the contractors actually got started, the uncertainty of it all had niggled constantly.

  What if she couldn’t pull it off?

  Now she didn’t have to worry about those “what ifs” keeping her awake at night. The money to complete the project was in the bank, with more to come. Of course, the work was just beginning in other areas, but the biggest hurdle had been jumped, and she could rest easier on that score.

  She wished the other areas of her life were similarly on track.

  “Why the sigh?” Mary Jane asked. “It’s a glorious Saturday afternoon, and you should be singing the Hallelujah Chorus over what y
ou’ve accomplished.”

  Lindsay shook her head to clear it. “Oh, I am.”

  “Couldn’t have proved it by me. You look like someone just kicked you in the tummy.”

  “I was just thinking how nice it would be if the rest of my life was this together.”

  “I can remember when this wasn’t.”

  “Your point, my friend?” Lindsay asked, jabbing Mary Jane on the shoulder.

  “Simple. You just hung in until it worked and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

  “So you’re saying I should do the same with Mitch?”

  “And your daddy,” Mary Jane added.

  Lindsay adjusted her sunglasses, then said in a solemn tone, “I haven’t told you the latest.”

  “Then I suggest we head back to my place so you can do just that. I’ll make us some tea. Hey, I even have some tea cakes my mom made and sent over.”

  Lindsay smiled again, thinking how Mary Jane never failed to bolster her sagging spirits. And coming here to the site of the new care facility had also contributed. Yet the pain of what was happening with Mitch and her family never left her. It haunted her dreams at night and dogged her steps by day.

  She knew it was only a matter of time—a short time—before she would have to confront the situation head-on herself, and do what she knew was the right thing.

  “So what’s it going to be?” Mary Jane asked, already starting to inch toward the car.

  “You’re on,” Lindsay said. “Let’s go.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they were in Mary Jane’s apartment, curled up on the sofa with two full glasses of mint-flavored iced tea in front of them, along with the plate of decorated tea cakes.

  “So what’s the verdict?”

  Lindsay swallowed a last bite, then said, “Yum.”

  “Are they as good as Dolly’s?”

  “Well…”

  Mary Jane’s lips curved down. “You’re right. They don’t even come close.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “I did. Mom’s not even in the ballpark with Dolly.”

  “They’re pretty.”

  Mary Jane giggled. “Only they taste horrible.”

  “You’re horrible,” Lindsay said, smiling in spite of herself.

  Mary Jane took a sip of tea and stared at Lindsay over the rim of her glass, her eyes no longer smiling. When she sat the tumbler back down, she said, “So fill me in.”

  “I told you the last time we talked, which was here in this very spot, that I couldn’t leave matters totally in Mitch’s hands.”

  “That you did.”

  “Well, I went to my brother’s office.”

  “Oh dear. What happened?”

  Lindsay told her. When she finished, tears were swimming in her eyes, and her fingers were balled into fists.

  “Holy moly, Lindsay! Have you told Mitch? More to the point, have you given him the ledger?”

  “No, although I went to him with that intent.”

  “What happened?”

  Lindsay flushed and shifted her gaze.

  “Ah, I get it,” Mary Jane responded, a hint of amusement in her tone. “You got sidetracked.”

  “Sort of,” Lindsay admitted in a breathless voice, remembering how hot, passionate and desperate their lovemaking had been.

  “So what are you going to do? I know you’re caught between the rock and a hard place, but if that medicine in any way caused your baby’s death…”

  Though Mary Jane’s voice faded, her meaning was quite clear.

  “It did,” Lindsay said, a sense of horror infiltrating her tone.

  “In that case, Tim will most likely be in trouble with the law.”

  Lindsay’s features were grim. “Exactly.”

  “Jeez, what’s your daddy going to do?”

  “Let’s not even talk about that.”

  “What I hope is that when this is all over, there’s something left of you and Mitch.”

  “Me, too, M.J.,” Lindsay whispered around the sudden and stabbing pain in her heart. “Me, too.”

  “Know what? I think you need a hug.” Mary Jane opened her arms. “Come here.”

  Perfect.

  Or nearly, Mitch told himself, watching as Tim maneuvered his Mercedes out of the bar parking lot and headed in the direction of his house.

  Instead of going home, however, Tim turned in to the driveway of the mansion. Mitch snapped his fingers. Bingo. If the old man was there, then Mitch could kill two birds with one stone. Cooper had to know, and the sooner the better, too.

  Mitch was itching to get his hands on Tim, yet he wouldn’t resort to physical violence. He would do this by the book so as not to mess up the police investigation, which was underway, albeit slowly.

  He had spoken to the detective working the case, who had assured him they were looking into the situation.

  Don’t get yourself all worked up over it, Mitch had wanted to say, pissed off by the detective’s lazy attitude. But he’d held his tongue, even though he’d almost had to bite it off in order to keep his mouth shut.

  He didn’t want to push his weight around, use his Bureau connection to expose Tim and his dirty dealings, but he would. He would do whatever it took to see that justice was done.

  Except lose Lindsay.

  He prayed he wouldn’t have to make the choice. Surely to God she would rally around him, even though exposing Tim wouldn’t bring their child back. He suspected that was what she was thinking. And her ties to her family, especially her daddy, were exceptionally strong. And of much longer standing than her ties to him, he reminded himself bitterly.

  Still, Tim’s pharmacies couldn’t be allowed to continue selling impure and mislabeled drugs. When all the dirty linen was aired, he had to believe that Lindsay would see things his way. If Tim and his cronies were stopped now, no one else would suffer.

  He might as well be the one who got the ball rolling.

  That thought was uppermost in Mitch’s mind when he parked his vehicle, got out and walked up to the house. Tim and Cooper were already outside on the porch, drinks in hand.

  A smirk disfigured Mitch’s lips. Tim might be drunk; after all, he’d stayed at the bar for quite a while. So if ever there was a perfect time to dangle the poisoned carrot in front of his face and see if he would bite, it was now.

  Mitch stepped up to them unannounced.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Rawlins?” Cooper demanded, his eyes sparking.

  “I came to talk.”

  “Not to me, you didn’t.” Cooper’s tone was nasty. “You couldn’t possibly have anything to say that I want to hear—except that you’re finally getting off my property.”

  “Sorry, no can do. Not without Lindsay, that is.”

  Cooper’s features turned menacing. “As I’ve told you before, she’ll leave with you over my dead body.”

  Tim cut Cooper a look. “Hey, Dad, take it easy.”

  “That’s good advice, Doctor,” Mitch said to Cooper in an easy drawl, refusing to let himself get riled to the point where he was no longer in charge of the situation. “You’d best listen to your son.”

  “Now, see here, you lowlife bastard,” Cooper declared, stepping toward Mitch. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before you tell me what to do!” He swung his gaze to his son. “If you were worth your salt, you’d do whatever it took to get his ass off this property.”

  Mitch felt the icy jab of Tim’s eyes.

  “He’s not worth it, Dad.” Then, to Mitch, he said, “Look, obviously you’ve got something on your mind and aren’t going to be happy until you get it off. So spit it out.”

  Mitch leaned against the rail in a nonchalant fashion. “Glad you picked up on that, Timmy boy, since it has to do with you.”

  “Enough!” Cooper ranted. “I don’t want to listen to anything you have to say.”

  Tim’s face was now a sickly shade of green, and his body seemed suddenly to have shrunk in size. Out of dazed eyes, he stared first at his
father, then at Mitch.

  “Your son here is mixed up in some pretty heavy stuff,” Mitch said.

  Tim sucked in a breath, while Cooper swung his gaze to his son. “What the hell is he talking about? If you’ve gotten yourself in—”

  “I haven’t,” Tim said quickly. “Don’t pay any attention to him. He’s just got a hard-on, probably because Lindsay’s still living with you rather than playing house with him.”

  “Your boy here is dealing in bad drugs, Cooper.”

  Once Mitch had lit that giant firecracker and dropped it in the middle of the tiled floor, he sat back and watched it pop, shattering the silence to smithereens.

  Cooper jerked his chin up and turned to stare blankly at his son. “Why, that’s the most preposterous thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “You’re right, Dad,” Tim said. “He’s just trying to stir up trouble because he’s jealous.”

  “The drug Lindsay took from Tim’s home supply was mislabeled. The short version of that long story is that it caused her to abort the baby, and I can prove it.”

  “That’s a lie!” Cooper cried, red-faced.

  “The police will be crawling all over his pharmacies and his home before long, checking on all his drugs,” Mitch said, having no qualms about lying through his teeth.

  A white line had formed around Tim’s mouth. “The bastard’s lying, Daddy. You’ve got to believe that.”

  Mitch could see the desperation clawing at Tim’s insides as he practically groveled at Cooper’s feet. Sickened by the show, Mitch turned away, only to feel as if he’d been karate-chopped from behind.

  Lindsay stepped out of the shadows.

  Thirty-Seven

  “May I join the party?”

  Lindsay hadn’t intended to keep her presence a secret. But when she had gotten home from Mary Jane’s and stepped out of the car, she had heard the raised voices. Sensing something was up, she had dropped her purse and headed for the porch, only to pull up short and listen.

  Then she couldn’t move. A sick feeling washing over her had paralyzed her limbs, especially after she heard Mitch hurl accusations at Tim—accusations that she could back up with solid evidence.

  Obviously Mitch was on a hunting expedition.