A Dash of Desire (Spiced Life #2)

by Charity Parkerson

  Too late, Riley realized what was out of place. There was no paper lining her windows. The clothes she’d left in a pile where now neatly hung in the closet. For a moment, she simply stared at the empty space upon the carpet before slowly lifting her chin, allowing her gaze to land upon the bed. She knew what she would find. It was back on its frame. She wondered if the extra locks were already gone from her door. No alarms would sound other than the ones going off inside her head.

  The bedroom door closed behind her. Riley didn’t turn. It was unnecessary. The scent of Graham’s expensive cologne hung in the air, coating her taste buds and making her muscles tense even before his lips touched her bare shoulder.

  “The room was a mess,” he said against her skin. Graham’s arms encircled her waist, drawing her back into his embrace. She didn’t struggle. There was no point. “I set it to rights. Even though you won’t be staying here long, you should always have the best.” A tremble began in the pit of her stomach, but Riley refused to allow it to surface. Graham thrived on the weakness of others. She’d survived this long by showing none. One of Graham’s arms tightened at Riley’s waist, holding her in place as he dug around in his pocket at her back. Her lungs refused to work until his phone appeared in front of her. She was only slightly disappointed when she realized he wasn’t going to kill her…yet.

  Resting his chin on her shoulder, he scrolled through his pictures. He didn’t need to threaten her not to move. The images of her in several different locations and on various days since she’d arrived in Christiana held her captive. Somewhere deep inside, she’d known he was there—watching. Graham scrolled backward, starting with today and ending before she’d left California until settling on a picture of the two of them. Her eyes were closed. His bare shoulder supported Riley’s head. He was staring down at her with such passion even as he snapped a shot of them in their bedroom mirror. Riley remembered that night. It wasn’t one she’d likely forget. He’d spent six solid weeks at home with her. Things had been almost normal. That night, in Graham’s arms, she’d come scarily close to loving him.

  “I love the expression on your face in this one.”

  Riley took note of her flushed cheeks and parted lips. Damn. He’d captured her in the throes of release. Almost as if he’d been waiting, calculating. She wanted to shove the phone away from her.

  “I stare at this picture all the time. Sometimes, I even consider deleting it.”

  “Why?” It was all Riley could push past her dry throat.

  “Why do I stare at it or why do I consider deleting it?” Riley didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Graham moved closer, making sure she felt his erection. “I stare at it because I’m addicted. I can’t delete it because I’m addicted.”

  Her nose stung. Tears pricked at the backs of her eyes. She’d never be free. Graham would never let her go. Her mind rebelled at the thought. Before she could think better of it, Riley hit the trash icon, deleting the picture. A low chuckle caressed her ear.

  “There’s my passionate girl. A warrior.” His warm breath fanned across her cheek as he spoke. “Lucky for you, it’s saved to my digital locker and several other places,” he added, taking away the last wisps of her hope. “Surely, you didn’t think I’d risk something so precious to me. You should know how careful I am with my possessions.”

  “Hope springs eternal,” Riley said, and showing a bravery she was far from feeling, she stepped out of his hold. The room reversed as the back of her head made contact with the wall. As hard as Riley tired, she couldn’t draw air into her lungs after the impact knocked the wind out of her. In spite of Riley’s inability to breathe, she couldn’t look away as Graham’s face came within inches of hers. The muscles in his jaw flexed, and his eyes hardened. Concentrating on their amber depths, she finally managed a small gasp. His gaze moved to her mouth at the sound. When his palm touched her cheek, Riley couldn’t contain her flinch. Graham smirked. His thumb brushed her bottom lip.

  “I could kill you right now, Riley. Nobody would miss you.”

  “Do it,” she taunted, unable to keep from doing so. “I’d rather be dead than live another day like this.” His weight leaned into her, cutting off her oxygen along with her dare. It was almost odd the thoughts she experienced as the room darkened at the edges. There wasn’t a single dark hair out of place on Graham’s head. It was true what they said. The devil did indeed come in a beautiful package, bearing gifts along with the promise of suffering.

  ***

  Tristan’s gaze slid to the empty spot at his grandmother’s side for the hundredth time during his sermon. He couldn’t decide if he was angry, worried, or disappointed. A little of all three emotions ate at him. The hour ticked by slower than any he could remember. If anything he said made sense, he wouldn’t know it. His mind remained firmly locked on Riley or the lack thereof for the entire service. He was almost certain he snarled at an elderly couple who lingered too long afterward. The second he was able to break free, Tristan tried her cell. When it went straight to voicemail, he tried the house. He drew the line at calling Billy’s cell phone. Surely if anything had happened, Billy would’ve called. After all, she called about everything else.

  By three o’clock, Tristan had settled on anger. Riley was so set in her ways, she couldn’t give him an inch. It wasn’t as if he’d asked her to change in any way. He just wanted her at his side. When evening service came to a close, Tristan was back to waffling again. Billy hadn’t called with any terrible news, but neither had she shown up to church. It was rare, even when the hospital had her working her tail off, for her to miss a morning and evening sermon. After trying Riley’s phone once more without success, he gave into temptation and called Billy. She answered on the second ring. At her tired sounding hello, Tristan drew a steadying breath.

  “Hello Mrs. Upchurch. We missed you at services today.” Well didn’t that sound all stalkerish? He toned it down. “Not that God won’t understand.” Tristan covered his eyes. He was such an idiot. A very uncomfortable idiot.

  “Oh, Brother Tristan.” She sounded distracted. “I’m sorry about that. It was a long day.”

  He waved away her apology as if she could see it. It seemed it was going to be a day of dumbassery that wouldn’t stop giving. He stuffed his free hand in his pocket to keep from doing it again. “Don’t worry over it at all. I was only worried about you. I know you’ve been pulling a lot of double shifts. That’s the sort of thing that can wear you down.”

  She chuckled sounding more like herself. He bit back a sigh of relief. “No need to worry. Riley makes sure I’m fed and sufficiently fussed over.”

  Since she’d opened the door, Tristan jumped through it with both feet. “Speaking of Riley, is she around?” Billy cleared her throat, sounding on edge again and making Tristan nervous.

  “Um. Last I saw, she was headed out toward Hunter’s place.”

  Huh. Wasn’t that some shit? He knew the two had become fast friends and spent a lot of time together, but still. “Do you know when she’ll be back?”

  “Not a clue. She only left here about twenty minutes ago and she was on foot, so I couldn’t even venture a guess.” Tristan sort of wanted to put his fist through the wall, but he held it inside.

  “Well, I’m grateful you’re okay. Don’t work too hard, and seriously, don’t worry over missing church. I was just…”

  “Missing Riley,” Billy interjected, helping him out. In spite of his anger, Tristan released a low laugh. “Hmm, I imagine if you head out now, you could probably bump right into her.”

  “Maybe so,” Tristan agreed, grateful she didn’t rub salt in his damaged pride. “I think I’ll do that.”

  “Have a nice night, Brother Daniels. I promise I’ll try to do better next week.” Billy disconnected the call while her laughter still rang through the line. He wasn’t too worried about it. It was worth it to finally know Riley was okay and where he could find her. Crazy or not, he was about to bump into her in the middle of the woods. God
help him.

  He found her at the edge of the pond. Her light-pink t-shirt and white shorts made her stand out in the moonlight. She was staring at the water. He was standing mere inches from her before she noticed his presence. It took him a minute to realize she’d been drinking. She startled at his arrival clutching her chest, and losing her balance. He snagged her upper arm, steadying her.

  “I missed you at church this morning.”

  “Is that disappointment I hear in your voice?” There was a slight slur to her words. She stepped out his hold, losing her balance again but waving away his help. She turned back to face the water. “Get used to it. That’s what I do. I let people down.”

  He had no idea what was going on. In all the time he’d known Riley, he’d never seen her like this. “I think I’ll survive it,” he said, attempting to read her mood. “Maybe next week.”

  She shot him an exasperated look. “Quit trying to save me, Tristan.” Before he had time to argue that he was doing no such thing, Riley spread her arms wide and tilted her head back. “I don’t need to be rescued,” she yelled. The words echoed across the field and water before being carried away on the breeze. “And why is it so hot?” she growled, tugging at the neck of her shirt. “It’s nighttime for fuck’s sake.”

  “I imagine the liquor has something to do with it,” Tristan muttered under his breath. With her fingers still curled around her collar, Riley froze. Her slightly unfocused gaze met his.

  “I’ve just realized something. You don’t think much of me.” It hadn’t been a question, but a statement of fact. The hurt in her voice let him know, even though it was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard, she’d already made up her mind. He opened his mouth, intent on telling her he thought she was the best person he’d met in a long time. She whipped her shirt over her head and unsnapped her bra, causing the words to die on his lips. Snapping his teeth together, Tristan tore his gaze away, but he could still see her wiggling out of her shorts from the corner of his eye. The split second of pure decadence, before he’d turned his head, would forever be seared into his mind.

  “You should save me then if you’re so determined,” she said, sounding unnaturally calm for such a ridiculous moment. “There’s water right here. Baptize me, Mr. Holier-than-thou. Save me from myself. Come on, Tristan. Don’t back down now. Do your Christian duty by me.” He couldn’t speak. His throat wouldn’t work. The pain in her tone tore at his heart in a way he couldn’t describe, but he couldn’t be a part of whatever self-destruction she had going on. He didn’t have the strength to withstand that bullshit twice in one lifetime. When he didn’t speak, she huffed. “Fine then. I’ll do it myself.” The splashing of water followed her statement.

  In spite of his best efforts, Tristan wasn’t strong enough to stop his head from turning in her direction. She was floating in the water, silently staring at the sky. Her gorgeous breasts were bathed in moonlight. His cock lengthened. The sight was too much for a man too long starved. He gave up trying to look away. He moved closer to the water’s edge. Even though he wasn’t sure if she could hear him, Tristan still said her name. Either she was ignoring him or her ears were full of water, because she wouldn’t look at him.

  “I have an issue with alcohol. I don’t deal well with people when they’re drinking.”

  She snorted at his admission, proving she had been ignoring him. “You’re a fucking idiot.” Oddly, her insult made him chuckle. This was the version of Riley he knew how to handle. He’d rather have her anger over whatever this was any day.

  “You’re not the first to say so.”

  She finally stirred, standing in the water and facing him. Unfortunately, her breasts still bobbed above the water, doing nothing to alleviate his lust. He sat down before she could catch sight of his erection. He might want her, even when she was like this, but he didn’t have to let her know it.

  “It’s especially true tonight. You’re so damn determined to find fault in me that you didn’t even consider I might have a good reason for not being there today.” Droplets of water flew through the air, sparkling as they caught the moonlight when Riley raised her arms above her head. Even in the dark, Tristan couldn’t miss the large bruises marring her skin. They ran from elbow to wrist and looked painful. He had no idea how he’d missed them. Before he could ask how it happened, her breath shuddered, wiping his brain clean. She sounded like she was crying. With water running down her face from her hair, he couldn’t be certain. Since it was obvious she had his full attention, she dropped her arms.

  “Maybe if you cared about me at all beyond your belief that I need a fucking keeper, you’d know that I’m allergic to pain medicine but that didn’t stop them from pumping me full of it at the ER this morning. That’s why I’m out of sorts. My brain is still trying to shake off the aftereffects.”

  He felt sick, and furious. “Yet you’re splashing around in a pond, where you could drown.” His voice rose with every word until Tristan was certain he was screaming at her. At some point in his rant, Tristan had come to his feet. The scariest part was that he didn’t remember doing so. Something warm pressed against his leg causing his heart to slam against his chest. His eyes shot to the ground. A groan rose in his throat. Hunter’s dog Brutus sniffed at his shoes. His owner wouldn’t be far behind. Sure enough, the glow of a flashlight moved across the grass before landing on him.

  “Tristan?”

  Damn. There was no way he could explain a nude Riley. He could kiss his job goodbye. “How’s it going, Hunter?”

  As the man closed the distance between them, Tristan could see the frown marring his brow. “What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?”

  “Just out for a stroll,” Tristan answered immediately, thankful it wasn’t a complete lie. “I didn’t realize how far off my own property I’d gone until I reached the pond. Guess I was lost in thought.” Tristan cast a nervous glance at the water while trying not to draw too much attention to the action. He wasn’t quick enough. Hunter shined the light across the water. Riley was gone. Keeping his features carefully blank, he searched the pond with his gaze, hoping she hadn’t drowned while his back had been turned.

  “Couldn’t sleep, eh? Same here.” Tristan turned his attention back to Hunter at the man’s words. He obviously hadn’t spotted anything out of the ordinary. Tristan was trying not to panic. Where was Riley? Hunter shook his head. “It’s hard to believe Harmony’s been gone for years now, but I find myself out here more and more often at this time of night. Guess that night will always stick with me. Now, I find myself wandering out this way at the oddest hours.” Tristan couldn’t say a word. For the first time since Harmony died, Tristan hadn’t been thinking about her at all when he’d come here. Riley filled his head now. Even as she splashed in the same water that had claimed his wife and in-laws, he hadn’t spared a thought for them. Of course, now that Riley was missing and Hunter raised the topic, he couldn’t stop worrying about Riley’s safety.

  “What you got there boy?”

  Tristan had become so obsessed with Riley’s whereabouts, he didn’t understand Hunter’s question right away. His confusion turned to horror as Hunter stooped and pried something from Brutus’ mouth. The white lace bra and pink t-shirt Hunter held between his hands were unmistakably Riley’s. Tristan bit back a groan. With his eyes locked on his hands, Hunter seemed to weigh the scraps of material he held, moving a few feet away, he found the other half of Riley’s clothes. Tristan stared at the top of Hunter’s bent head, praying harder than he had in years, and that was saying something.

  “I know I’ve seen these before but darned if I can remember where.” Lifting his gaze, he flashed the light around the surrounding fields and into the nearby tree line. “I wonder what they’re doing out here?”

  Luckily, Tristan didn’t have to pretend as if he was searching out the owner of the clothes, as well. He really was. “I have no idea,” he muttered under his breath, before saying louder, “It looks as if thei
r owner is long gone now.”

  Tristan watched in horror as he stuffed the clothing under his arm. “I’ll just take them with me. Maybe their owner will turn up wanting them back, or I’ll remember who they belong to if I stare at them long enough.” That was a bit creepy. All Tristan could do was nod. Inside, he was dying. No doubt there were a million ways the night could continue its downhill spiral, but wow, at the moment, he couldn’t think of many. Hunter shook his head again. “Well, Brother Daniels. I’ll leave you to your walk and don’t worry about having wandered off your land. You know you’re always welcome here.”

  “You have a good night,” Tristan said, shaking hands and rushing him along. Hunter paused, casting another sad look toward the pond.

  “Yep. I think about that night all the time,” he muttered as he walked away, finally leaving Tristan alone with his panic. He watched the other man’s form fade away, trying to wait until he was certain he was alone before freaking out.

  “He took my clothes.” The matter of fact words floated from inside some nearby bushes, bringing an immediate smile to Tristan’s face.

  “Yes, ma’am. He sure did.”

  “Well. Damn.”

  Tristan snorted. The instant the sound left him something inside him snapped, and a low chuckle left his lips, followed quickly by a roar of laughter. Relief and adrenaline pooled together in his blood making Tristan almost delirious. This was easily the most ludicrous thing he’d experienced in a long time. He’d never felt more alive.

  ***

  Tristan’s deep laughter poured through the woods, caressing Riley’s ears. She pressed her forehead against the tree she hid behind, allowing the bark to bite into her skin. The smile pulling at her lips was beyond her control. Tristan did something to her on the inside. He touched her in some way. She very much feared it was her heart. Making him happy, if only for a minute, made her night. With a deep breath for courage, she stepped into view. The laughter died on his lips. This time, he didn’t look away as she moved toward him. Even in the dark, she could see the way his eyes flashed with lust. Before she reached him, Tristan tugged his shirt over his head. Her steps faltered. His body was even better than she imagined. When she didn’t move any closer, Tristan closed the distance between them. Rendered mute, she could only watch as he pulled the shirt over her head and tucked her arms inside the sleeves as if dressing a child.