Taken Identity

by Raven McAllan

  Kisses followed, and his fingers touched her where she reacted most. If only she wasn’t desperate for something else.

  “Okay, I will, but I must go. To the loo. Now. Or…” Jules let her voice drift off as he let her go and she moved. Fast.

  She was humming as she made the coffee. Hearing herself, she stopped short. Humming? Where the hell had that come from? She never hummed, because she couldn’t hold a tune. Just because she’d broken the drought, and, well, she thought with a wry smile, had experienced the best sex of her life, was no reason to try to start now. Okay, on second thought, maybe I should hum. Better than shouting, “Yee-hah, I got laid,” from the rooftops.

  Standing, looking out at the garden as the rising sun began to burn off the dew, waiting for the coffee to percolate, she heard the church clock strike eight. Much clearer in the kitchen than any other room, the chimes sounded their message, reminding her of the message they had received earlier. What would they do? She mused as she poured two mugs of coffee and took them upstairs. Would Gray do anything or advocate wait and see?

  She found the answer to that as she re-entered her bedroom. Gray was sitting up in bed, with soft squishy pillows propped up enticingly for her next to him. He had her mobile in his hands as he listened again to the voicemail. He mimed blowing a kiss as she set his mug on the table before walking around the bottom of the bed to get back beside him.

  Gray smiled as he listened, his focus on the voice on the end of the phone. When at last he pressed the End button, he turned. “Sorry, just had a thought. He said ‘when they found you, it was supposed to end’. So, I was deliberately set up to find you, not Julia, and give up. But I didn’t—we didn’t. How did they know that, I wonder? And why bother at all? I wasn’t getting anywhere before they sent me on what they thought was a wild goose chase. In reality, it was a wild Jules chase. Much better.” He winked.

  She laughed, almost spilling her coffee.

  “Oops, don’t want to heat you up for the wrong reasons.” She moved her mug away from his anatomy. “I think they were worried that if you really started to hunt for her in earnest, you’d find her. You said you hadn’t done so earlier, before she asked for a divorce, even though you thought she had the jewels. Now, just supposing she doesn’t have them. Your demand probably would have scared her witless. I know it would have done me. So she and whoever panic. Set you up to find me, while they sort out whatever it is they need to sort out. The only thing I can’t understand is the pregnancy thingy. I mean, why say that? It’d be obvious once you found me that I wasn’t.”

  “But it might be guaranteed to give me a push to find you. After all, she’d know she wasn’t pregnant from the last time we—er—met.”

  That’s for sure. Jules hoped her thoughts of one very memorable night didn’t show on her face.

  Gray, however, seemed oblivious as he continued.

  “She knows I’m for the divorce and she wants it, but obviously, something is holding things up. If it isn’t the blasted jewelry, what the hell is it?” His frustration was obvious.

  “Well, until we find them, or they contact us because I’m thinking them now, not just Julia, we don’t know. And I’m stuck as to what to do next. It’s annoying me.” That’s an understatement if there ever was one. “I’m trying not to go off on one and lose my temper. It’s so unproductive and tacky. Are you still going to keep Sean working on tracing her?”

  “Too bloody true, I am. I’m not giving up on the say-so of someone who doesn’t have the guts to introduce himself, herself, whatever. Do you mind?”

  Jules shook her head, pleased he had asked. “Nope, I’m fine. I’d mind more if you didn’t. I have a deep desire to punch him on the nose, and, oh, I dunno…ask her what the fuck she thought she was doing. After all, I can’t thump a pregnant woman. And violence is allegedly not the way to resolve things.”

  Gray grinned. “Only allegedly?”

  “Yep, for some people I’d make an exception.” She sipped some coffee. “Didn’t he say it could cause trouble if you kept digging though?”

  “Not exactly. Just that they needed space. Well, tough shit. So do I. Space without her bloody specter in it. I’ll ring Sean soon and tell him what’s happened. But first.” He stopped.

  “First?” Jules prompted.

  “This!”

  She was flat on her back, his fingers inside her, teasing and tormenting, his mouth sucking her breasts, before she drew a breath. Her hands tightened in his hair, then slid lower to hold his penis, surrounding it, rubbing and caressing it, feeling hardness under silk. Gray moved his fingers. He put them to her mouth so she could taste herself on him and kissed her to receive the flavors. Then he moved fast, shifted his position and thrust into her. Jules moaned and screamed his name. She had the fastest, hardest, deepest climax ever.

  Hardly had the waves begun to roll over her, increasing in intensity, than she felt him fill her. His climax came fast and furious. She could feel the warmth as his sperm found their home, as their climaxes merged and continued and she felt more of a woman than ever before. Probably, she mused as she slowly began to get clarity in her mind, something to do with the making baby thing that you felt when… Oh fuckety fuck.

  She looked at the bedside table, picked up the slender packet, and read the damning words. “To be taken at the same time each day or effectiveness may be reduced.”

  “Oh, fuck.”

  “We did.” His voice was sex-slurred and satisfied. “Amazingly well. Incredibly well, magnificently well. Fucking well.”

  Her voice was tart. “Baby making well?”

  “What?” There were no sexual tones now.

  “Baby making well. As in, I forgot to take my pill. As in bareback. No raincoat. No condom.” After checking she had enough to go at it like rabbits for a week, they’d forgotten the bloody thing.

  “Oh, fuck!”

  “I’ve just said that. We did.” In spite of the seriousness of the situation, Jules was hard-pressed not to snigger. She’d gone from sexually sated to horrified in two seconds flat.

  Gray ran his hand through his hair. Jules watched, wondering what he was thinking.

  “There is the morning after pill,” she ventured, but he shook his head.

  “I’d prefer you not to.”

  “Good, ’cause the next bit was I don’t fancy taking it anyway.”

  “So we wait? How long?”

  She calculated. “Actually, only three days. Unless I’m late with all this hassle.” It wouldn’t surprise her. Stress played havoc with her hormones.

  Gray sounded philosophical. “I’ll just have to make sure that the only hassling is from me, then. In the nicest possible way.” His matter of fact attitude went a long way toward calming Jules. After all, didn’t she advocate not worrying until you had to?

  “Oh, yes. Gonna show me?” Jules did her best come hither look.

  “Not without a bloody condom.”

  She found one, and to her delight, he showed her. Jules had had no idea just how inventive one man could be. No fast and furious coupling this time. A slow arousal of the senses. A long, loving exploration of two bodies molding as one. A gradual building of emotion, then a steady, continuous roll of ecstasy, a slow, long, lingering return to total satiation.

  “All a girl needs,” she said dreamily as Gray rolled off her and held her to his side.

  “What is?”

  “You are.” Thank goodness she’d thought before she’d opened her mouth. Her first thought had been a fabulous fuck. Not what a man who had just surpassed himself would want to hear.

  “Ah, well,” he said in a smugly self-satisfied tone. In a nice way. “I aim to please.”

  “Oh, you certainly do that, Gray. Your aim is very pleasing.”

  He laughed and swatted her gently on her backside.

  “Better move, I guess. I need to ring Sean, let him know what’s happening and get his professional opinion on what we should do next.”

  Jules
raised her eyebrows interrogatingly, and he laughed.

  “Not that. Bloody hell, I’ve created a sex monster.”

  “Not created it, Gray. Released it. And thank you.”

  “My pleasure.”

  She watched him as he swung out of bed.

  “May I use the shower?”

  She nodded. “Go ahead. Towels on the shelf. Fresh toothbrush, razor, et cetera, in cabinet. I’ll just have another snooze. I seem to be incredibly tired. No idea why.”

  She watched his tight butt and taut legs as he left the room and sighed. The man was what memories were made for.

  The man, meanwhile, was whistling, she could hear him over the noise of the shower. Jules grinned. Suddenly in a great mood, ravenous and ready for more coffee, she hurried into the main bathroom and showered as fast as possible. Then she grabbed the first T-shirt and skirt she found—she didn’t bother with underwear—then made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

  * * * *

  Jules stood in the kitchen, in front of the open patio doors, and cradled a cup of coffee. The light shone through the flimsy material of her skirt, but she couldn’t have cared less. In fact, she hoped Gray would notice. This sexual teasing was great fun.

  “Great minds think alike,” he said, as she swung round to look at him, standing in the doorway, with sexy stubble on his chin. Happily, it seemed he hadn’t bothered with her razor.

  Whew, down, girl. Let the man in.

  “Coffee, you mean?” She held her cup out to him.

  Gray took it with a word of thanks and took a gulp. He shook his head. “No, although that hit the spot. I meant in dressing.”

  At her look of incomprehension, he elaborated.

  “Underwear, lack of. Great minds.”

  He paused, and she took in what he said, letting her gaze drift down his body. She could see his cock swell, just with that look.

  “Either that, or you’re a bad influence on me.”

  “Perhaps you should change that to a good influence?” Jules suggested. “Less stuffed shirt and Rah, more T-shirt and hey.”

  Gray laughed. Did he feel as much less stuffed shirt—and the rest—as he was acting? He looked to be enjoying himself. He said as much as Jules handed him a roll and bacon.

  She hoped he could see she was pleased.

  “Are you going to speak to Sean?”

  “Of course. I’m not going to be dictated to by a voice on the phone. Although, I think I’ll use email. And be cryptic as I do it. This is the time to cover our tracks.”

  Typical male. It was the ‘my dick is bigger than your dick’ scenario.

  “Boys and their toys.” Even so, she was amused. The look on his face was priceless as he realized what she had said.

  “Exactly, pet, and don’t you forget it. Don’t you just love ’em though?” His smirk was pure theater.

  So was her reply. Fluttering eyelashes, simper and, “Lordy, I do so lurv a boy’s toys.”

  “Thank goodness for that,” he said, giving her no other answer. He put his plate in the dishwasher. She didn’t think he realized she saw the tiny, ‘down, boy’ look he gave his cock.

  “Now, shall we use your laptop? Easier than the phone, and my laptop is in my hotel room.”

  Jules walked to the coffee table where her computer rested from the night before and switched it on. She gestured. “Be my guest. I’ll make more coffee.”

  Gray was waiting when she returned with two fresh mugs, and he pointed to the screen as she plonked the cups down on the table. His hand crept up her thigh, and he rubbed a finger over her clit. His smile was wicked, his finger arousing and her libido on the boil. How the hell was she supposed to concentrate now?

  “What do you think? Is that everything that has happened?” His tone was innocent, belying his actions.

  She looked over his shoulder. “No, not really.”

  “No?” Gray had clearly realized what she was getting at. “And you want me to put that in? ‘Jules climaxed with and without help several times. She played beautifully, and took charge exactly as I demanded. Gray also came in the best way possible, as well as getting a great thrill out of being tied up and…’”

  “Gray Reynard. Enough. I’m scandalized.” She knew she didn’t sound it. “I merely meant, er, well, ah…” She sighed. “Just, ahhh, yes, Sir.”

  “I know just what you meant. You are such a good little subbie, and switch for me so beautifully when I ask. Retribution later, pet. And oh, are we going to enjoy it. Right.” He pressed send. “Now, I guess we wait. Any idea what we can do to pass the time?”

  The fingers inside her began to move.

  “Well, I don’t know about you,” Jules said pseudo-primly, trying, without much success, not to wriggle. “I need to check my emails, see if I need to answer any. Then do some washing, weed the garden, write a shopping list…”

  “No more.” He held his free hand up in mock horror. “I think I get the picture. You’re busy, and you don’t want me around.”

  He contrived to look hurt. The ploy worked, and Jules tried to appear contrite. Instantly, his look grew remorseful. So it should be. He had just erupted into her life and all but taken it over.

  “Maybe I should give you some breathing space? Give you time to take a step back, if you want to. The thing is, Jules, I’m scared to do so. Not because I think you’re in any danger, but because I don’t want to. I don’t want to be away from you, give you the chance to realize you didn’t need my problems or me in your life. I need my pet. So, although I could offer to go back to the hotel, to work alone from there, I’m not going to.” His expression was one of hopeful interest. “I can weed. I’m at a bit of a loose end until Sean gets back to me. Or I could read some more of your diaries. I still haven’t found the entry about the pool table.”

  Jules’ eyes twinkled. “Oh, haven’t you? Not a patch on last night, I can assure you. There’s very little room on a pool table, and way too many balls. Let’s face it, two well-placed balls are better than several scattered ones.”

  Gray choked on the coffee he’d just picked up and sipped.

  Jules patted him on his back. “Dear me, Gray. Got something stuck in your throat?”

  His eyes streaming, he glared at her. “No, you little tease, but I can think of something I’d like to stick in yours.”

  His fingers moved in ever exciting circles inside her, his thumb rubbing her clit.

  It was her turn to splutter. Oh, yes please!

  “Ah, oh, well, good,” she managed to say. Sheesh, Jules, lame or what?

  “Right, sexual suggestions over. Seriously, though, Jules, I think I’m as well stopping here, at least for a while. If you don’t mind. It’s, um…easier to brainstorm when we are together.”

  Jules decided she was not going to think about what else it was easier to do. She nodded.

  “Thanks.” He sounded relieved. “I’ll nip back to the hotel to grab a change of clothes.” He rubbed his chin. “And a razor. I decided against using your spare. Lady shavers just don’t really work on my stubble. Before you ask, it was all a hotel shop had the one time I forgot to take mine.”

  Slowly, his fingers moved from inside her, and with that wicked grin, she was beginning to associate with him, he put them to his mouth and sucked.

  “Mmm, nice. A reminder to keep me going.”

  “You’re welcome.” Well, what else could she say? Can’t we just carry on and sod the rest? “No probs. I’ll carry on with my spreadsheet anyway, I think. The more info I can collate, the more aware we will be, if necessary. Oh, can you grab some milk from the shop, please? We’re nearly out. I can manage black tea, but need my milk in coffee. And somehow there seems very little left. Someone must have been using it.”

  “It’s the fairy folk,” Gray proclaimed.

  Jules sniffed, hiding a grin. “Well, they drink bloody great cups of coffee with their milk, that’s all I can say then.”

  He gave her a hug. “I’ll make sure there�
�s plenty for the wee darlins,” he said in an atrocious Irish accent. “Sure, indeed I will.”

  Jules shoved him toward the door. “Indeed, sure.” She sniggered. “And be off with ye. Too much blarney is not a good thing for a poor, defenseless girl. Sure it’s not.”

  Gray kissed her, and she could feel his eyes on her, watching, waiting.

  Jules sighed. “Not the way to help me push you out of the door. Go on. Get your stuff, and thanks to our supermarket shop I’ll be able to think of something nice for dinner.” At his lascivious grin, she added, “As well as that.”

  She shut the door behind him and lay back on the wood. The doorbell rang, reminding her of when she’d first met Gray. Good God, had it only been two days before? A hell of a lot had happened since then. She put the chain on and opened the door. A hand snaked in and pulled her to the opening.

  She caught her breath. Her heart pounded, her lungs tightened and fear made her give short, sharp gasps.

  “One more kiss, please.” His lips brushed her hands. “And check before you open the flaming door, pet—chain or no chain.”

  With a sketchy wave, he loped down the path.

  It took a while for Jules’ breath to return to normal. She felt gloriously, deliriously happy as she headed into the garden to give serious consideration to the weeds. Jules loved the feel of the earth on her hands, the satisfaction of seeing flowers and vegetables flourishing due to her care and attention. Okay, her life had spiraled out of control, but she’d reined it back somewhat. As much as she thought she should be rushing all over the place and regaining the rest, there was nowhere to rush to which would achieve that as the end result—not yet. Therefore she’d do something she did have control over and would achieve the desired end result.

  She turned on her iPod, put in her earphones, dug and tugged at the recalcitrant weeds around her carrots. Pushing her hair back from her face left a smear of mud she felt on her cheek. Overstretching to reach around a cabbage had her slipping and gaining muddy knees, but in her buoyant mood, she could not have cared less.

  She glanced at her watch. Nearly time to stop for lunch. She would just weed one more row. The song on the iPod changed to an oldie, The Killers and Human.