Raspberry Crush

by Jill Winters

  It was suddenly hard to breathe—to think. Somebody had been in her building. Of course, Lady McAvit had a key, but Billy didn't believe in her heart that her neighbor was the culprit. So who else could've gotten in? She supposed that whoever it was could've slipped into the brownstone when a resident came in or out of the front door. But the thought of someone lurking there, waiting for an opportunity to slip inside, sent shivers all through her. As she shuddered, Seth slipped his arms around her.

  "C'mere," he said in a low, soothing voice, pulling her to him so her back rested against his chest and his arms coiled around her waist. Softly he spoke into her ear: "Don't be scared. We're gonna figure this out, I swear. Joe will check the note for fingerprints and interview your neighbors to find out if they saw anyone strange in the building tonight."

  Billy nodded and leaned back, letting Seth's chest take her weight. "You're right," she mumbled. "I just hate this. Do you think Joe was right? That none of this is related to what happened to Ted?"

  "I honestly don't know what to think at this point."

  "It has to be related, Seth—I know it is."

  "Maybe, but I think Joe's right. We have to lay off the investigation and just let the police take things from here."

  Sucking in a breath, Billy straightened up and turned around. "What are you talking about? I thought you were only agreeing with Joe at the restaurant to humor him and Corryn. You mean you don't want to talk to Claudia Dibbs anymore?"

  Seth sighed and ran his hands along her upper arms. "Billy, it's not that I don't want to, but I don't want you getting into danger—"

  "I'm already in it. What harm can it do now?" Before he could argue, she said, "Look, this started out being about my aunt Pen—trying to bring some closure to her relationship with Ted and why he left her—but now it's about more than that. If somebody out there is threatening me, I have to figure out what's going on. It's self-preservation."

  Seth paused.

  "If you don't want to help me, I guess I'll do this myself," Billy said, praying that wouldn't happen. She didn't want to do this alone; Seth was her partner, her support, and he made her feel safer.

  "Okay," he said finally. "We'll talk to Claudia Dibbs, find out if she knew Ted, see what she has to say, and that's it, right?"

  "Right," Billy said. "But... well, a lot depends on what she has to say."

  Silently, Seth relented.

  As Billy led him farther into her apartment, he said, "This place is great. A lot bigger than your old place downtown."

  "Thanks, I really love it here," she called over her shoulder on her way to the kitchen.

  He stopped to peruse some of her paintings that were leaning against the wall. One in particular caught his eye. It was of a man resembling himself, except he had a black mustache, horns, and a serpent around his neck.

  Seth let out a laugh.

  "What?" Billy said, coming back into the room with a bowl of food for Pike.

  "What's this?" he asked, holding the painting up to her.

  "Oh... uh..."

  "Why do I have horns?"

  "Well... I've never been good at drawing ears," she said, and took the painting from his hand. It was a silly picture from four years ago—but, okay, she supposed she didn't have to have it framed.

  Seth stepped closer to her, and suddenly Billy felt his heat—the potent energy that lifted off his body in strong, intoxicating waves. He didn't even have to do anything; just his being there aroused her senses, making her want nothing more than to hold his naked body in her arms... and to feel his hot, wet mouth tugging on her nipple.

  But would she hate herself in the morning?

  Probably.

  Though she really did not want to, it was best if they said good night. "Well, thanks for seeing me home," she said, breaking the charged silence and motioning toward the door. "I'm pretty tired, so I'll just walk you out. Thanks again," she added brightly, then stupidly held out her hand for a shake.

  Understandably, Seth didn't take it.

  "What?" Billy asked, trying to act casual, even though her apartment suddenly felt as hot and sticky as last night's sexcapades.

  "I'm staying here tonight," he said simply.

  "But why?" she asked, feeling her pulse kick up and her stomach tighten with anxiety... or was it anticipation? "I-I thought you just wanted to make sure I got home safely."

  "That was before we found a note on your door. Now I'm staying. Please don't argue."

  Please, how could she argue? She was scared out of her wits, and only Seth seemed able to calm her nerves these days.

  "Actually, I'd love it if you stayed with me." Seth's face brightened. "Stayed here on the couch," Billy finished, and headed to the bathroom.

  "But—"

  "Please don't argue," she called out, and shut the bathroom door with a thud.

  Inside the bathroom she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and slipped out of her clothes and into her pink-and-purple kimono. After she washed her face and brushed her teeth, she came out and stopped in the entry hall to check her messages. "Hey, doll, Kip Belding here. Something sweet's just come up. Call me." She pressed save, figuring it wouldn't hurt to give him a call tomorrow. The next one was from Mark. "Hi, cutie, it's me. Gimme a call back—oh, wait, what time is it? Almost ten, that's too late. Okay, if you get this message, call me back before ten. But not after ten, okay? I have to get up early tomorrow. Anyway, I'm so glad we talked and had dinner together under the stars! Can't wait to see you soon for some more great times! Bye-bye!"

  She braved a glance over at Seth, who was sitting on the couch, looking off to the side as though he were oblivious, but his jaw was clenched.

  The couch was not exactly what he'd been hoping for. But he wasn't too surprised; she'd told him this morning that sex had been a mistake. Jesus. He ran a hand over his face with frustration, and tried to swallow his fierce jealousy of the guy who'd left a message on Billy's machine. Mark. This other fucking guy. The thought of Billy passionate and naked with any other man made Seth's blood boil. But how serious could Mark and Billy really be if Billy had slept with him last night?

  As Billy walked into the living room, she smiled gently at him. "Thanks for looking out for me. And thanks for... everything."

  "No problem," Seth replied curtly, kicking off his shoes.

  "I mean it. I really appreciate all you're doing to help me with the Ted Schneider case. I just don't know why you're doing so much."

  "I just want to see it through," was all he said.

  "Okay. I'll get you a blanket and a pillow," she said, and went into the bedroom. Pike Bishop didn't follow her into the bedroom; instead he kept hovering around Seth—sniffing his shoulder and his neck then letting out a sudden bark.

  "I knew her first, you know," Seth muttered wryly, and Pike barked again. "Okay, okay, boy," Seth said, patting the dog's head until he warmed back up to him and quieted down.

  Billy returned with a pillow and a blanket. Her kimono covered her whole body, so why did she look so fucking sexy right now? Maybe it was just the vivid memories that kept pounding through his brain—of Billy's full breasts jiggling and bouncing in passion, of her hard nipples in his mouth, of his hands up her—

  "Here you go," she said as she spread out his blanket. Tossing the pillow behind his head, Seth leaned into the sofa cushions, fighting the burgeoning erection he feared was futile tonight. "Okay, well... see you in the morning," Billy said, now on the threshold of her bedroom.

  "Okay—oh, wait. Billy?"

  "Yeah?" she said, peeking her head out her bedroom doorway.

  "Before I go to bed, can you do me a favor? A really small one, I swear."

  "What?"

  "Kiss me," he said. "Just a kiss good night."

  The suggestion hung in the air, and Billy swallowed, feeling her mouth run dry. Of course, she wanted to kiss Seth again, but this was forbidden territory.

  Then again... she'd vowed not to have shameless, uninhibited sex
with Seth, but she'd never said anything about kissing.

  "C'mon," he said huskily, his voice thick and full of desire. It was the voice of her mind—the desire of her body. "One kiss."

  "What are you, Willy from the Rusty Canoe?" she said, trying to lift some of the tension that hung heavily between them. The air in her apartment felt thick and almost oppressively humid—stifling. Tightness pulled between her legs, tearing her body with keen arousal. She desperately wanted to feel him inside her, like the night before.

  Well, in all honesty, she still could feel him inside her from the night before.

  "Billy..." he said, his eyes dark and hungry. As if magnetically pulled, Billy walked over to him. Sitting gingerly on the tip of the couch, she leaned down and pressed a light, sweet kiss to his mouth.

  Light and sweet was okay with him, too, it seemed, as Seth tipped his head and feathered his lips across hers. Cupping her arms gently with his palms, he rubbed his thumbs in circles that burned right through the flimsy fabric of her kimono.

  Then, slowly, he folded his mouth into hers, drawing her into a deep, sensuous kiss. It was slow and wet and drugging, and when he pulled back Billy staggered a little, feeling the dazed expression on her face.

  Heat crackled in the scant space between them, and neither pulled away. Seth was still rubbing her arms, holding her close. Damn him—just the touch of his soft, seductive lips on hers, and Billy was aching for more.

  So in the spirit of being a sex-hungry martyr, she wrapped her arms around him. Seth cupped the nape of her neck and kissed her. Soon she was totally lost in the sensations of his hot, probing tongue and his choppy breath intermingling with hers as they kissed hungrily.

  "Oh, God," she whispered brokenly, and Seth bounded off the couch, lifting them both to their feet and walking them backward toward her bedroom.

  Seth had her robe off before they reached the bed. She had only a tank top and panties on underneath, and just as the backs of Billy's knees hit the edge of the bed, Seth dropped to his knees, yanked her panties down, and buried his face between her legs.

  Billy cried out in surprise—in ecstasy—and fell flat back as soon as he slid his tongue inside her. With her neck arching and her head lolling on the comforter, Seth gripped her hips and made love to her with his mouth. Then he drove two fingers inside her, and she nearly screamed.

  She moaned in response as her knees shook and her hips writhed on the bed.

  Eventually Seth rolled over, taking her on top of him, and somehow she rolled again, as shuddering wracked her body, and panting hard, they both fell onto the floor. Hurriedly, Seth reached into his back pocket and took a condom from his wallet. Billy helped him off with his pants. Panting, Seth coaxed her to sit astride his lap, and in a giddy delirium Billy murmured, "Not the floor again..." as Seth's erection slid inside her.

  Her eyes drifted shut as heat exploded in her veins, and everything else blurred out.

  * * *

  "So this is it," Joe said as he turned the lock on his front door. Corryn walked inside his apartment along the hardwood floor into the living room. Her shoes were high-heeled boots that clunked loudly as she moved, and she could feel Joe's overwhelming presence right behind her.

  "It's nice. You live here alone?" she asked, turning to face him.

  "Yeah, I live alone," Joe said, grinning. "My wife doesn't want to cramp my style, so she lives in the suburbs."

  Corryn smirked. "Funny."

  "Hey, can I take your coat?"

  "Oh, yeah," she said, sliding the leather jacket off her shoulders and handing it to him. She was feeling nervous—too nervous for what the situation called for. Why had she agreed to come here? Joe had said maybe they could watch a movie and talk. Was that really all he wanted? But she didn't believe he'd lured her here just to get laid, because he'd originally suggested taking her to a movie.

  She'd come here tonight for the simple reason that she was so physically attracted to this guy, like nobody ever before. And while she couldn't deny that the thought of ending up alone held no appeal to her, the thought of ending up with someone like Roynald Membrano from cooking class held even less appeal than being alone. Not that Roynald was a bad person, but he'd spent the whole last class asking her all kinds of nosy, prying questions, in between juicy sneezing fits, and her mother kept ogling them from across the room, desperate to believe it was the love connection of the century.

  Positioning herself gingerly on the arm of the couch, Corryn said, "So how long have you lived alone?" She'd meant to ask how long he'd lived here, but alone had just slipped out.

  "Uh, almost ten years now, but I'm kind of getting sick of this place, actually," he called from the kitchen. "I'm divorced. You are too, right?" Joe said, coming back with a bottle of water for each of them.

  "Yeah, how did you know that?"

  "I did some checking," he replied with a grin.

  "Oh, I see." So he'd asked Seth about her. Suddenly her heart kicked up, and she just barely suppressed her smile.

  "What happened with you guys?" Joe asked casually, referring to Corryn and her ex-husband, Kane, whom she rarely felt like discussing unless she could curse up a storm.

  "He was a cheater," she replied simply, and hoped Joe would leave it at that.

  "Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "I can sympathize."

  "What, with being a cheater?" she said, her defenses on full alert.

  "No, no," he said quickly, sitting down on the love seat across from her. "I mean my ex-wife cheated on me, too."

  "Really?"

  She hadn't meant to sound that shocked, therefore revealing how unbelievably sexy she found him, but Joe just nodded. "It sounds clichéd, but I really think she couldn't handle being married to a cop. My hours were a lot crazier before I made detective, believe it or not." He shrugged. "She got lonely apparently."

  "Oh... that sucks. I'm sorry. How long have you been a cop anyway?"

  "Sixteen years. Eight in homicide. What about you? Tell me about real estate. How do you like that?"

  Grimacing, she said, "It's okay, if you like dealing with the public all day."

  "Tell me about it," Joe said. "I pretty much hate the public now. The first thing you learn as a cop is that everyone is lying."

  "Really? Everyone?"

  Joe nodded. "Yeah, it's Academy 101. You can't believe anyone. The suspects, the perps, the victims on the scene, no one. That's the only way not to be surprised or taken in. Assuming people are lying is the only way to keep a cool head—kind of like that old riddle about the two guards."

  "Oh, wait. One always lies, one always tells the truth?"

  "Right. Even in that, the only way to figure the answer is by focusing on the guard who's a liar. Only using logic with the assumption that being lied to is the only way to deduce the truth." So far Joe was refreshingly easy to talk to, and it threw Corryn's wisecracking defenses out of whack.

  Relaxing more, she said, "Well my boss's 101 is ABC."

  "Always be closing?"

  "No. Apartments before condos." Joe tilted his head. "It's true for the most part," Corryn said, "at least in this town." Annette Beefe's theory was based on Boston's constant inundation of college kids, who were always looking for short-term leases. Corryn's boss, Annette, was always looking for a quick score.

  "By the way, are you still up for a movie?" Joe asked. "We could see what's on TV. Or I'm sure I have some videos around here...."

  "Okay," Corryn said, sinking into the couch cushion, feeling more at ease. Joe flicked on the TV and sat next to her. Glancing over, she noticed the curve of his biceps, which were powerful beneath his shirt.

  As they sat in silence, Corryn could feel the heat rising between them, the cloying feeling between her legs, and suddenly Joe leaned over. She turned her face, and just like that, he kissed her. It was very gentle, just a brushing of his lips across hers, and afterward she ducked her head, then refocused on the screen.

  She just wasn't ready for anything more, and J
oe seemed to understand, because he draped his arm along the back of the couch and seemed perfectly content to watch TV by her side.

  * * *

  The next morning Billy heard the crinkling of the shower curtain, and Seth climbed in behind her. Just as she turned to face him, he pulled her into his arms. "Wait," she said.

  "For what?" he mumbled into her neck.

  "Just wait." She'd woken up that morning limp and sore and very much in need of a reality check. She and Seth were turning into a fling, and she hated that. It was a cheapened version of an actual relationship, and that left her feeling... sad. "It's just that everything's happened too fast with us, and... well, it's not like you have any plans to move back to the East Coast, right?"

  He hesitated, pulling back a few inches. "No," he said finally. Of course, he fantasized about it sometimes—about selling the company to Lucas, about living in Churchill, about starting over with a new company that wouldn't take as much of his time—but ultimately he wasn't ready to do it. It was too big a change—too risky, too unstructured. He hadn't even laid the groundwork for a new company. No, it just wasn't realistic.

  Even though Billy was expecting Seth to say no, her heart plummeted. A tiny part of her had imagined him saying yes, or at the very least, saying maybe.

  "So then where is this going?" she asked, feeling inexplicably defensive, yet trying to sound casual, as if she weren't on the verge of tears.

  "I don't know... I mean... I just like being with you. Obviously I'm extremely attracted to you. And it's not like you're gonna leave Boston anytime soon, right?"

  "No," Billy said, even though she might if he asked. Or she might be willing to try a long-distance relationship for a while—but she already felt too vulnerable and exposed to propose all this when she didn't even know where Seth stood on their future. She was waiting for him to say something.

  Meanwhile, Seth paused as though he was about to speak, but then stopped himself.