Forever Eva [Sequel to When Kat's Away] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Missy Martine

  His thumb glided along her lip, coaxing her to open. When she did, he pulled her closer, murmuring her name against her mouth. Groaning, he licked her lips and then gently took her bottom lip between his teeth. When she cried out, he captured her mouth in a hot kiss, his tongue swirling against and twining with hers.

  * * * *

  When Tony thrust his tongue into her mouth, claiming her with such passion, Eva felt lost, sucked under, and left gasping for breath. She opened her lips wider, mating her tongue against his. After a moment, he ended their kiss and leaned in close to whisper in her ear, nibbling softly at the lobe. When the pounding of her heart kept her from hearing his words, he pulled back to cup her face in his hands and bring his lips down to hers. He captured her lips in a kiss, his tongue swirling languorously inside her mouth, moist and hot.

  Moving restlessly against him, she caressed his arm, his shoulders, his back, every part of him she could reach. “Tony,” she groaned.

  Tony nipped her bottom lip with his teeth and then moved up to press a soft kiss against each of her eyelids. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. He nibbled kisses into the crease of her neck and then ran a shaking hand almost reverently from her shoulder to her hip and then up again, cupping one breast.

  Eva gasped, her hand moving up to grasp his wrist, but not holding him hard enough to stop him. Her skin tingled, the tips of her breasts begging for his attention.

  His tongue slid down the side of her neck. “Your skin is like silk, warm silk—I wanna feel it all. His fingers sneaked beneath her shirt where he drew little circles on her heated skin. “Will you let me look at you?”

  Eva gave him his answer by releasing his wrist. He peeled her shirt away and raked her skin with a heated glance, and then yanked his own shirt over his head. She glanced down to see her nipples, rosy and tight with need. She could feel moisture slowly easing out of her body and dampening the area between her thighs.

  Tony’s lips worked their way down her neck and across her collar bone before moving to the aching tips of her breasts. He palmed the round globes and began to knead and pull gently at her nipples. Her breath caught as she arched to push more of her breast into his hand. No fantasy she’d ever had prepared her for the touch of his fingers against her skin.

  He pinched each nipple in turn before his mouth took over and the sucking began. Bowing his head to one breast, he laved the nipple hungrily with his tongue while kneading the other one between his fingers.

  “Oh, God, Tony!” She threaded her fingers in his hair, directing his mouth to her other hungering breast. She felt tears fill her eyes when he teased the sensitive bud of tight flesh and then captured her nipple in the moist, warm suction of his lips. When he tugged too hard, she flinched, her nostrils flaring. With a sound of apology deep in his throat, he suckled more lightly. Pulling back a little, he traced around her areola with the tip of his tongue.

  “We have to stop, soon.” Despite her words, Eva moved closer and rubbed her taut nipples against the hair-roughened skin of his chest. Enjoying his harsh growl, she sucked his small brown nipple between her teeth, alternating between sucking and flicking it with her tongue. She gasped when he grabbed her hand and brought it down to cup him intimately.

  “Stroke me,” he begged, guiding her hand up and down the hard bulge of his jeans. He gave a growl of satisfaction when her fingers tightened. Before she knew what was happening, his fingers slipped beneath her waistband and moved swiftly to the area between her thighs. He wrapped his other hand in her hair and jerked her head back, forcing her lips open with his tongue. The kiss was brutal in its intensity while his fingers combed through the hair covering her secret woman’s place.

  Abruptly, he tore his mouth from hers and rolled, carrying her with him until she was straddling his belly. She could feel a blush creep over her as he traced the flush of her cheeks with one strong hand. He urged her head to move onto his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. Using his thumbs, he dug into the tense muscles of her neck.

  “I know you’re not ready for this yet, so be still, sunshine. I don’t wanna do anything you might regret.”

  Eva raised her gaze and watched him. His eyes were shut, his teeth clenched, as he breathed shakily. A warm feeling of love swept over her as she realized the sacrifice he was making for her feelings.

  “Eva, I know you wanna wait for the three of us to be together, but I have to be honest with you.” He raised a hand and smoothed back the hair that had blown into her face. “I’ve never been part of a ménage a trois, and I’m not sure I ever could.” A dull-red flush began creeping up his neck. “I mean, I could share you, but separately.” He swallowed hard. “Can you accept that?”

  Eva smiled and reached for her shirt. She wanted a life like her mother had, always surrounded by love and family. Sliding her shirt over her head, she moved off of Tony and stood up. Grinning, she held out her hand. “Time will work out all the little problems, Tony. I’m just happy you’re really considering us being together now. Come take a walk with me.”

  “I’m definitely considering it.” He picked up his own shirt and quickly dressed. Taking her hand, he pressed a kiss against her fingers. “Just don’t give up on me, sunshine. I just need a little time.”

  Eva smiled and kicked off her shoes. When Tony frowned, she grinned. “Haven’t you ever walked barefoot, Mr. Policeman?”

  Scowling, he pulled off his shoes and grabbed her hand again. Together, they walked barefoot along the creek bed, hand in hand.

  Eva felt peaceful, watching the leaves meandering on the swirling water. The air was alive with the trilling of birds, the hum of insects, and the nickering of the two horses. Butterflies hovered over a patch of wild strawberry near the creek’s bank. The smell of sweet clover, pine, and spruce filled her senses. She let Tony lead her closer to the water’s edge. Taking one step forward, the cool water slipped over her skin, the mud squishing between her toes.

  “Here you go.” Tony handed her a brightly colored wild flower. “You can play the love game.”

  “What’s the love game?”

  He took the flower back and began to pull the petals off one by one. “She loves me, she loves me not, she loves me, she loves me not.” When he got down to the last petal, he gazed into her eyes. “She loves me.” Holding her gaze, he tossed the silky petals into the water.

  “I do, you know.” She hesitated and took a deep breath. “Love you.” When he drew in a quick breath, she raised her gaze to look at his eyes. “I love you and Zach very much.” A frown spread briefly across his face, to be replaced quickly by his eyes darkening with what she now knew was passion. While she still had the courage, she threw herself into his arms.

  Tony pulled her tight then lifted her off her feet and swung her around. Stopping, he set her on her down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. After a moment, he studied her face. “Woman, you’re gonna be the death of me. As crazy as it sounds, I’m beginning to believe you really are from the past.”

  Feeling like her heart would burst from happiness, Eva laid her cheek on his chest and breathed in his scent.

  Tony hugged her tight and then took her shoulders in his hands and moved her back to look into her eyes. “Honey, we’ve been here quite a while. Sooner or later Andrew’s dad will probably send him to look for us to make sure we’re okay. Why don’t we pack up and take his home where we can share it with Zach?”

  “I’d like that.”

  “Okay, I’ll pack up the lunch we never got around to eating while you get your shoes on.”

  Eva laughed. “You’ve got yourself a deal, cowboy.”

  “Cowboy?”

  She giggled. “Yeah, you looked just like a cowboy riding that horse today.”

  He grinned and wiggled his brows. “You’re turned on by cowboys, huh?”

  “Oh, yeah, very much so.”

  He laughed, scooped all the picnic food up in the blanket, and took it over to Wanderer.

>   Eva rinsed her feet in the water and then sat down in the grass and started pulling her shoes on. She glanced up and saw a lone figure standing next to a horse. He was too far away for her to see his face, which was mostly hidden underneath a cowboy hat, but she could tell it was a small person, maybe a young man. There was no doubt in her mind that he was watching them. “Tony?” Her voice came out weak and garbled, so she tried again. “Tony!” She heard something drop, and he was suddenly by her side.

  “What is it? Is something wrong?”

  She moved her gaze to Tony. “Up on the ridge, someone’s watching us.”

  He stood and glared up at the stranger. “What the hell? I can’t tell who it is.” He took one step forward, and the person jumped on his horse, yanked the horse’s head to the side, and galloped away.

  Eva trembled. “Do you think he watched us, while we, um, you know.”

  Tony turned and pulled her into his arms. “I don’t think he could really see anything from that far away, at least he couldn’t see any details.” He stroked along the length of her back, letting his hand glide over her bottom. “Don’t worry, honey. I’m gonna talk to Andrew and make sure he knows he’s got somebody prowling around their land.”

  She pulled back. “Let’s get out of here. I’m ready to go home.”

  Tony smiled. “Okay, honey. Come on and get mounted up. I’ll have you home before you know it.”

  * * * *

  Laura galloped toward the barn where Andrew was grooming one of the horses. He looked up and frowned. “What are you doing back so soon? Is anything wrong?”

  She ignored him, her muscles quivering as she dismounted. She’d heard Tony ask if it was okay to come riding today, and it had been her plan to surprise him and spend the afternoon together.

  “Ohhh, I see.”

  “You see what, Andrew?”

  He gave a snort of laughter. “I’ll go out on a limb here and guess you didn’t find what you were looking for on your ride.” He moved closer and leaned on the fence rail, his eyes lit with a twinkle of mischief.

  She clenched her fists and glared at her coworker. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  He gave her a bemused smiled that morphed into a wide grin as he chuckled. “Come on, Laura. Everybody knows you’ve got it bad for Officer Grandy. You must’ve seen him and his lady on your very brief ride.”

  She narrowed her eyes as she tied the reins to the fence rail. “I don’t have time for your foolishness, Matthews. I just remembered an appointment I can’t miss.” She started walking toward her car and stopped when Andrew stepped in front of her.

  “I don’t know how you found out Tony would be here today, but let me give you some friendly advice.”

  She gritted her teeth and raised her gaze to meet the pity in his eyes.

  “He seems pretty taken with his new lady. You won’t win any points with him, or the guys on the force, if you cause him any trouble.”

  She took a deep breath. “Is that all?”

  “Do yourself a favor, Laura, and let this go.”

  She moved around him and went to her car. Feeling herself blush, she clenched her jaw and dug her keys out of her pocket. When she got the door open, she yanked off her hat, threw it in the backseat, and climbed into her car. Not wasting a minute, she started the engine, put the car in gear, and peeled down the drive toward the county road, leaving a cloud of dust blocking her view in the rear window. What the hell does he see in her? She’s so damn plain it’s not funny. Where did she come from? Hell, she and that damn park ranger are living in his house. She’d run Eva through the system and couldn’t even find a birth record on her.

  “I’ve got to find out what she’s hiding, but I think I’m gonna need a little help.” She pulled to the side of the road and picked up her cell phone. Searching through her contacts, she pressed one of the names. It was answered on the third ring.

  “Hey, doll. Long time no hear. What’s happening?”

  Laura smiled. “I need your help, big man. Are you up for a little sleuthing?”

  “Sure, baby. You know I’d do anything for you. What’s it about?”

  “Not on the phone. I can be at your place in a half hour.”

  “Bring it on. I can use a new challenge.”

  Laura grinned and ended the call, tossing the phone onto the seat. “Okay, Miss Eva Bennington. Let’s see what you’re hiding.”

  Chapter 8

  Zach glanced around the records department but didn’t see the woman he’d dealt with before. The young woman talking on the phone held up one finger, motioning for him to wait. When she finished her call, she walked over and gave him a bright smile. “Can I help you?”

  “I’m looking for Mrs. Hadley.”

  The young woman frowned. “I’m sorry, but she’s away visiting family at the moment. Is there something I can help you with?”

  “She’s doing some research for me. Do you know when she’ll be back?”

  “It could be several days. She had a death in her family.”

  “Damn!” Zach cut his eyes up and flinched. “Sorry, ma’am.”

  She laughed. “No problem. I’ve said worse.” She held out her hand. “I’m Lisa Martin.” She shook his hand and then paused. “Just a minute, please.” She walked over to a desk and pulled open a drawer, taking out a sheath of papers. She glanced at it and then looked up. “You wouldn’t be Zach Carlson, would you?”

  “Yeah, am I supposed to know you?”

  “No, but Mrs. Hadley left me your name. She’s had me searching for the records you want.”

  Zach felt his heart beat speed up. “Are you saying you found Eva’s birth records?”

  Lisa frowned. “Yes and no.”

  He blew out a breath. “What the hell does that mean?” When her eyebrows shot up, he cursed under his breath and lowered his gaze to the scratched countertop. “I’m sorry. This is just really important to me.”

  “I understand.” She brought the papers to the counter. “Let me show you what I’ve been able to find.”

  Zach moved closer and glanced at the pages.

  “When Mrs. Hadley told me to search for the birth record of Evalina Katarina Bennington-Martinson, she indicated the birth to have been in 1876. I did a brief survey of our records, and then decided to go about it in a different way.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Birth records back then were haphazard. With so many babies born at home, with no medical attendant, the records are sparse. Many people, especially the lower classes, didn’t take the time to register births with the county courthouse.”

  Zach groaned. “So you’re saying there’s no birth certificate.”

  Lisa smiled. “Like I said, I decided to approach the problem from a different angle. They might not have kept meticulous birth records, but later on, people kept accurate death records. I figured if she was born in 1876, she would have a death record somewhere, so I started with the Social Security Administration and hit pay dirt right off.” She pulled a single sheet of paper and laid it in front of Zach. “This says that Eva Katarina Bennington Martinson died on December 1st in 1958.

  Zach picked up the sheet as he felt his stomach drop, a feeling of nausea rolling through him. He felt his heart sinking as he rubbed the back of his neck. She had to have been lying all along. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and then shoved the paper across the counter, making a tight fist with his hand.

  She moved the paper aside and set another one in front of him. “Seeing the death record gave me what I needed to go back and find a birth record.”

  Zach frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  “Look again at the death record, Zach.”

  He pulled the sheet closer and studied it.

  Lisa reached over and pointed to the name. “See how they spelled her name?”

  He looked again and caught his breath. “They left out the hyphen and made her last name one whole word.”

  “Exactly. So, I w
ent back to the old files and found this.” She pushed a third paper forward.

  Zach reached a shaky hand to pull it close enough to read. It was the record of the birth of a baby girl to Anna Bennington Martinson, Beauregard Martinson, and Ezekiel Bennington.

  “It’s kind of strange for a birth certificate since it lists more than two parents. I’m not sure what it means.” She laughed lightly. “Everyone in the office has been speculating since I found it, and the most popular theory is the lady in question might not have known which one was the father so she put both names.” She pulled another sheet from the stack. “The strangest part of all this is the timing of the records.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The records are filed by dates, but it’s by date of entry. Usually, that works out fine. The births that take place on January 1st are filed on January 1st.”

  “But not in this instance.”

  Lisa snorted. “Not hardly. It’s like somebody went to the courthouse in the year 1900 and decided to file an official report of a birth from 1876. Like an afterthought, if you will. For some reason, this young woman, or a member of her family, decided to record her birth with the courthouse twenty-four years after she was born.”

  What the hell does it all mean? “Can I have these?” Zach asked.

  “Sure.” She handed him the papers. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

  “No, thanks so much for this.” He took the papers and hurried out to his truck. He sat there for several minutes. “Why would somebody register a birth twenty-four years later?” He thought for a moment. “Somebody figured out there would need to be a record later on.” He looked down at the papers and his breath caught. “Eva would know to file those papers if she managed to get back to her own time. She knows I’ve been looking for proof. If she had the chance, she’d leave something for me to find.” He started the engine and began to back out of his parking place, only to slam on the brakes a moment later. “Son of a bitch! She’s going back to the past.”