Little Bird (The Tangled Series)

by Gaines, Liza

  Jesus. That “sweet kid” was currently giving him the best blowjob of his life. It wasn’t the most artful blowjob he’d ever had, but it was certainly one of the most enthusiastic. The way she’d crawled over there, bold as could be, to suck his dick combined with the tentative way she touched him, lusty and eager, but still a little cautious, was making for a very memorable experience.

  “No problem, Hoss. She’s like a little sister to you and all that. I got it. Believe it or not, I can control my dick when I want to.” Lee almost laughed because he definitely did not have control of it now, throbbing in her mouth.

  “Great, thanks. Give me a call later and let me know what you two come up with.”

  Lee hung up the phone and tossed it on the floor next to them, his fingers tightening in Savannah’s hair as he pulled her mouth off his cock.

  “I don’t suppose you have condoms here?” He cocked a brow at her, fairly certain she would say no, and wishing like hell he’d had more than one in his pocket. As he’d expected, she shook her head and he sighed. “Are you clean? And on birth control?”

  “I don’t have anything but no, I’m not on birth control.” Savannah’s voice was quiet, her cheeks blushing a pretty shade of pink. It amused him that she was apparently shy about discussing this but had masturbated in front of him while he was on the phone. A lot of women were shy about masturbating with an audience but it hadn’t seemed to bother her a bit. She was turning out to be such a fascinating bundle of contradiction, alternating between bold and shy, and he found it utterly charming.

  “Well, fuck.” Lee leaned his head back against the wall, considering his options. He could let her suck him off, she’d been doing a stellar job of it anyway, or he could take her over to his place where he had plenty of condoms. Or he could just walk away, given that fucking her probably wasn’t the smartest thing he’d ever done anyway, no matter how much they’d both wanted and liked it. Making up his mind, he pushed himself to his feet, pulling her up with him. He bent again, retrieving her pajamas from the floor and tossing them to her. “Put these on.”

  Savannah quickly did as he asked while he refastened his pants and retrieved his cell phone from the floor. She’d barely gotten her clothes back on when he grabbed her arm and started for the door, pulling her along behind him.

  Savannah hurried after him as he all but dragged her across the yard from the rental cottage to his own home. She didn’t say anything because it was obvious where he was taking her and why. She didn’t trust herself to speak anyway. Her heart raced, her pulse jumping at her throat. She knew Lee intended to fuck her again and, despite knowing they shouldn’t, she was glad. She’d never had sex like that. It had been urgent and frantic, both of them not just hungry, but starving for the other. She’d never felt so sexy or desired in her life and she wanted more.

  Lee took her straight to his bedroom, turning her to face the wall. “Hands on the wall, Little Bird.”

  Savannah gave him a questioning look but did as he asked. He went to his bedside table, pulled open the drawer, and grabbed a condom before returning to her. Standing behind her, Lee opened his pants and put on the condom, tossing the wrapper on the nearby dresser as Savannah watched over her shoulder with anticipation. He yanked her pants over her hips, not even bothering to remove them, instead pulling them down just far enough to give him access to the warm, wet space between her legs. Pushing his chest against her back he nudged her legs apart with his knee, and then entered her with one quick thrust.

  Savannah moaned, pushing her forehead against the wall, her hands fisted and banging against it as Lee drove into her.

  With both hands on Savannah’s hips, he groaned into her hair. “Did you like that, sweetheart? Teasing me like a whore while I was on the phone with your boss? Did that turn you on?”

  Savannah’s breath caught on a strangled gasp. Had he really just called her a whore? Holy hell! And what the fuck was wrong with her? The sound of his voice, deep and gruff, panting against her ear as he called her a whore, yeah, that was hot, heaven help her.

  “Answer me, Savannah.” When she nodded her head, Lee growled, wrapping one arm around her waist and pushing his hand between her legs to find her piercing, rolling it between his fingers. “I should have known when I found these you were a little slut. I wonder what you’d have done if I’d told Mike you were sucking my dick like an eager little bitch in heat while I was talking to him?”

  “No, no. Can’t tell, Mike!” Savannah gasped, her voice halting, her pussy gripping him as he thrust into her.

  “If I’d had another condom with me I’d have let you ride me while I talked to him. Let you get yourself off on my cock while I swore to him I wouldn’t touch you. Maybe I’ll do that next time we have to call him.” Lee laughed, a ragged sound that Savannah felt all the way to her toes. Grabbing a handful of her hair, pulling her head back, his lips brushed her jaw as he added, “Do you like it when I talk dirty to you like this?”

  “Uh-huh.” Savannah nodded her head, helplessly gasping against the wall. Probably he could read the phonebook to her and she’d like it, so long as he was touching her like this.

  “We don’t have time right now because we need to accomplish something other than fucking today, but later I’m going to punish you for teasing me while I was on the phone.”

  Lee fucked her mercilessly, grunting with each driving thrust, and Savannah pushed back against him, her body trembling. When he started to rub her clit with the pad of his middle finger, Savannah cried out, her hips jerking wildly. She closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against the wall, certain her knees would have given way if he hadn’t been behind her. A moment later Savannah came, her body wracked with pleasure. Lee was only seconds behind her, groaning loudly and biting her neck as he came, his teeth digging in as he sucked her flesh. In the throes of climax, Savannah let out several whimpers. He bit her so fiercely it hurt, but the pain was all mixed up and confused with the pleasure. Savannah thrilled at how primitive it felt.

  Releasing the grip of his teeth, Lee grumbled, a deep sound low in his chest that made Savannah shiver. He licked over the marks he’d left, nuzzling her and soothing the sting on her already bruising neck. That gesture, so tender and attentive, was a little jarring so soon after the practically savage sex and she arched into it, reveling in it.

  Savannah couldn’t believe what had just happened. The raw intensity of it had left her shaken. Fuck Mike. She didn’t care if Lee broke her heart into a million pieces, it would be worth it to have been fucked like that.

  Once Lee’s breathing slowed, he took a step back and swept her into his arms, carrying her out to the living room and laying her down on his couch.

  As he straightened and turned to leave the room Savannah called after him, “Your bed looks more comfortable.”

  Lee returned a moment later, having taken care of the condom and rearranged his clothes, and smirked at her. “If I put you in my bed we really won’t get anything done today. I’m going to go check out Cara’s place. Once you pull yourself together you need to start looking at the stuff Mike sent you. Coffee’s already made in the kitchen, help yourself to whatever you want if you’re hungry.”

  Savannah nodded but didn’t say anything for fear she’d make a fool of herself and beg him to take her to his bed. Lord knows she was far more interested in spending the day having sex with him than she was in actually getting any work done.

  Lee bent, brushing his lips across her temple before straightening and heading for the door. Savannah shivered, a content sigh escaping her lips as she watched him go.

  Lee stood in front of Cara’s closed apartment door, staring blankly at it. He’d knocked and now he waited. Of course, she wasn’t going to answer but he didn’t feel quite ready to try the key in his hand just yet.

  The end of their marriage hadn’t been so much a divorce as it had been an amputation. The limb had been diseased for so long there was no slow or gentle way to cure the sickn
ess. When the end finally came, the only option was surgical. It was fast and final, more than a little brutal. Even though it was for the best, there was still the occasional phantom pain. Unfortunately, Lee was wrestling with one of those phantom pains just now.

  Lee didn’t miss their marriage and he didn’t miss Cara. By the time the end came, there hadn’t been anything worth missing in a very long time. No, his phantom pain was missing the man, the boy, he used to be before he knew what he was capable of doing to someone he was supposed to love. That’s what their marriage had really cost him—any delusion he might have had that he was a decent guy. Somehow, going into her apartment felt like having to confront that fact all over again and he really fucking hated the way that made him feel.

  “Hey, can I help you?”

  Lee looked up, startled to see an elderly woman standing in the hallway watching him suspiciously. Right, of course. He’d been staring at Cara’s door like a damn idiot for who knows how long. If that didn’t look suspicious, he didn’t know what did. “Uh, sorry, I was just looking for Cara. You know her?”

  “Of course I do. Who the fuck are you?”

  Whoa. The old lady was cursing at him, which was more than a little unexpected since she looked like your average sweet little grandma type. “I’m her ex-husband, Lee.”

  “Oh, you’re the cheating fuckhead. What do you want with her now?”

  Lee flushed, gritting his teeth. Jesus, he knew he’d been an asshole but did Cara really have to tell everyone about it? And what was with this woman’s mouth? Not that he was a prude, he cussed as much as anyone, but hearing it from her was just weird. With a shake of his head he held up his hand, dangling the key they’d found in the box last night and hoping like hell their guess it was for her apartment was correct. The last thing he needed was one of her neighbors calling the cops on him. “I have a key, she gave it to me. I think she’s in trouble and I think she needs help. Have you seen her recently?”

  “Not since Sunday.” The woman narrowed her eyes, obviously still trying to decide what to make of him. “She visits her folks on Sundays and she hasn’t been back since.”

  “Is that normal?” Lee was putting every effort into looking calm and non-threatening but his patience was wearing thin. This was his own damn fault. If he’d just tried the key first thing instead of standing there like a fool, he wouldn’t be stuck having this conversation now.

  “No. Not usually. She stays with her folks every now and then but not this long and not without letting me know. She’s real good to me. My kids don’t come around much and she looks out for me.” Affection and appreciation were evident in the woman’s expression. “I try to do the same for her.”

  “Besides me, have you seen anyone else hanging around her apartment lately?”

  “No.” The woman shook her head.

  “Okay, well, I’m going to go in, all right?” Lee shook the key in his hand. “I just want to check on things.”

  “Okay.” The woman edged closer to him, obviously still not trusting him and intending to keep an eye on him.

  With a sigh, Lee turned back to the door and slipped the key in the lock. Holding his breath, he turned the key and felt a surge of relief when the lock clicked free. Ignoring the woman, who stood just behind him, he swung the door open and felt his stomach sink, his relief evaporating instantly. Cara had never been a great housekeeper and seemed to actually prefer a little bit of disorganized clutter in her life, but the mess in her apartment now was worse than that. In fact, it was worse than what his own house had looked like after he’d interrupted the intruders ransacking it.

  “Oh, my.”

  Lee glanced over his shoulder at the old woman hovering behind him and stated the obvious. “Someone’s been here. I’m going to go in and have a look around.”

  “I’m coming with you.” The woman took a step forward, running square into his back when he didn’t move.

  “No, you wait here. I’ll just be a minute.” He was fairly sure whoever had searched the apartment was long gone. Hell, they’d probably come here long before they ever came to his house. Regardless, he’d feel better if she waited outside.

  For a minute, he thought she was going to argue but she didn’t, instead nodding her head and taking a step back. Lee nodded at her and went in, leaving the door open behind him.

  The apartment door opened into the living room and Lee took a brief look around as he stepped inside. The place had been so thoroughly searched even the furniture had been moved and the floor was strewn with Cara’s belongings. At first glance there didn’t seem to be anything of interest in the living room. He wanted to get the lay of the land and see if anything immediately jumped out at him before he started to search through the mess more carefully, so he moved on to the kitchen.

  Just like the living room, the kitchen had been turned upside down in a search but the first thing he noticed was a book lying open on the counter. As he stepped closer, looking down at it, his blood ran cold when the first word that jumped out from the scribbled pages was his own name. It was a diary. He quickly read the short entry on the open page.

  I’m not sure who I can trust. No one, that’s who. But I’m going to make sure Lee has access to everything. The bastard might not be able to keep his dick in his pants but he wouldn’t screw me over in this. If nothing else he’ll understand how important it is and I have to tell someone. He’s my only option anyway. He won’t like it but he’s just going to have to deal.

  Lee checked the date on the page. It had been written right around the same time she brought him that stupid box. Well, at least this explained why the thugs came to his house.

  Leafing through the rest of the book, Lee laughed. It was bullshit; it was all bullshit. Most of the other entries in the diary were copied from books. At a brief glance he recognized passages from To Kill a Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye, and what he guessed was some romance novel. All written in first person so at a cursory glance it looked like something that belonged in a journal. That entry about him, conveniently dog-eared with the ribbon bookmark holding the page, was the only real entry. Were the intruders really so stupid they hadn’t recognized that? Cara had intentionally led them straight to him and they’d taken the bait—hook, line, and sinker.

  Lee looked around the kitchen and didn’t see anything else worth noting, so he headed down the hallway. Sticking his head in the bathroom, he didn’t see anything interesting and moved on to her bedroom, more than a little reluctantly. Her clothes had all been taken from the closet, strewn about the room, and the dresser and bedside tables emptied on the floor. There didn’t seem to be anything worthwhile here, either.

  It was when he left the bedroom that he noticed all the family pictures hanging on the wall in the hallway. There were pictures of Cara’s parents, her sisters, her nieces and nephews, a few of her friends. But it was the picture of his own parents hanging prominently in the center of the wall that brought him up short. What. The. Fuck. Cara hadn’t even liked his parents. His Dad had died shortly before he and Cara divorced, and his Mom had died less than a year later. Why, after all this time, would Cara have a picture of them hanging up? Unless she’d meant it for him. She’d left him a key to her apartment, she must have known or hoped he would come here. What better way to get his attention than a picture of his parents? Lee reached up and grabbed the frame, pulling it from the wall and heading for the kitchen.

  Laying the frame face down on the counter, he popped open the back. Reading the note scribbled on the back of the photograph in Cara’s rushed cursive, Lee found himself laughing for the second time since he’d entered Cara’s apartment.

  Middleburg Bank, you idiot! Have you called Mike yet?

  Clever girl. He could have done without being called an idiot but then again, she wasn’t really wrong this time. He and Cara had kept a safe deposit box at Middleburg Bank with their passports, birth certificates, and other important documents in it. When they divorced, he’d
taken his things out of the box but he’d never thought to actually ask Cara if she’d closed it or taken his name off of it. It appeared she hadn’t closed it and he could only hope she’d left his name on it, too, otherwise he wasn’t sure how he’d get a look inside. If the box were with a larger bank, in a larger community, he’d take Savannah with him and see if she could sweet talk her way into getting in the safe deposit box by pretending to be Cara. But there was no chance of something like that working in Middleburg where people would know and remember his ex-wife.

  Digging around on the counter Lee found a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled his phone number on it. Taking one last look around the apartment to make sure he hadn’t missed anything, Lee gathered up the diary and the picture of his parents before heading back to rejoin Cara’s neighbor.

  After locking the door behind him, Lee turned to face the old woman who was anxiously shifting her weight from one foot to the other while she waited for him to say something. She was far less argumentative now and nodded when Lee pressed the paper with his number into her hand and told her to call him if she saw anyone else hanging around Cara’s place or thought of anything that might help him find Cara.

  His next stop was the bank and he was relieved to discover Cara had in fact left his name on the safe deposit box, but he found its contents more perplexing than helpful. There was only a manila envelope with a bunch of pictures in it and another note from Cara indicating he should keep them safe.

  Flipping through the pictures, Lee realized they were all taken outside the same building, which looked like a warehouse and had a Treasury Department sign next to the door. All the pictures were of couples coming and going from the building. There were three different men featured in the photographs but the women with them varied and the same woman was rarely pictured twice. He had no idea what any of this meant, but Lee frowned when he recognized one of the men in several of the photographs was Charles Hartwell, a United States Senator from Texas.