by Tina Michele
Tara slipped the blanket from the back of the couch and covered them both with it. Belle slid her arm around Tara’s waist and settled into her side. Tara’s skin tingled under the intimate contact of Belle against her body. When Belle’s hand moved down to the top of her thigh, Tara felt a heat rise within her and her tired muscles tightened. She pushed it to the back of her mind and tried to focus on anything else. She clicked the buttons on the remote and flipped through the stations.
“How do you even know what you’re looking at?” Belle whispered into her ear.
Tara’s stomach fluttered as Belle’s breath brushed over her neck. “I don’t know. I’m just flipping.”
Belle ran her finger along the outside seam of Tara’s pants and her leg shuddered. “What are you doing?” Tension and desire was building deep inside Tara.
“I was so scared, Tara. While I was lying on the floor in the lobby all I could think about was you.” Belle ran her hand from Tara’s thigh to her side. She slowed around the outside curve of Tara’s breast, and her nipple tightened. Belle’s thumb flicked over it as she moved her hand up to her neck. “I had to find you. I had to know if you were okay.” Belle drew a finger over Tara’s swollen lip.
“Belle. I…” Tara fought the need that burned in her belly. Her breaths grew quick and shallow as her pulse throbbed between her legs. “I don’t think we should.”
“Tara, I don’t want to think.” Belle cupped Tara’s cheek. “Just kiss me, please,” she whispered against her lips.
Belle’s plea was irresistible, and Tara wanted nothing more than to give her what she asked for. Tara turned toward Belle. She grabbed her hands, held them down between them, and looked into Belle’s darkened eyes. “Are you sure?” Tara had to hear her say it.
“Yes. I want you, Tara.”
It was all she needed. Tara released Belle’s hands and slipped hers under the hem of Belle’s loose nightshirt. Her palms slid up Belle’s smooth skin and grazed the side of her soft breasts as she brought the shirt up. Belle lifted her arms and Tara raised it up and over Belle’s head, then tossed it to the floor. She ran her palm down the center of Belle’s chest and pushed her back.
As Tara stared at her beautiful body, Belle took her hands and moved them from her belly to her breasts. Tara took a nipple in each hand and twisted them into two hard peaks between her fingers. Tara’s mouth watered. She bent down over Belle and wrapped her legs around Tara’s hips. Tara teased the rosy pink nipple with her tongue before she took it into her mouth. Belle clutched Tara’s head as she pressed herself up into her mouth. Belle’s whimper of pleasure fueled Tara’s desire. Belle ran her hands down Tara’s back and pulled her shirt up and over her head.
Tara sucked and teased Belle’s breast with her mouth as she slipped her hands down into the waistband of Belle’s pants and pushed. Belle raised her hips and kicked out of them. Tara removed her own and pressed herself into Belle. Tara groaned at the pure pleasure of Belle pressed into her. Belle grabbed her hips and pulled her down hard. The pressure on her clit made her cry out.
Tara cupped Belle’s face and pulled her up. She licked her lips, and Tara needed to taste them. Tara took Belle’s mouth ravenously with her own. Their tongues tangled together as Tara thrust her hips into Belle.
She had to feel her. She needed to be inside Belle drawing out every ounce of pleasure from her body. She slipped her hand between Belle’s thighs and dipped into her. Tara groaned and Belle cried out. She circled her clit, and Belle bucked under her touch.
“I need you inside me,” Belle said breathlessly.
Tara gave her what she wanted, and she slipped her fingers deep inside Belle. Belle opened herself up for Tara, and she took it. Tara thrust in and out of Belle as she stroked her clit with her thumb. Tara set her head on Belle’s belly as she watched herself bring Belle to the brink of ecstasy.
“Oh God, please, don’t stop.”
Tara could feel Belle tighten around her hand. She was close. “Come for me.”
Belle’s whole body bucked and shuddered beneath her as Tara pulled her to the edge. Just as Belle reached the peak of pleasure, Tara took Belle into her mouth. Belle raised her hips and stiffened around Tara’s hand as she cried out her name.
Belle pulled Tara up and kissed her. First sweetly and then with a renewed heat as Belle slid her hand down between Tara’s legs. Tara bucked as Belle slid her finger over her throbbing clit. Belle stroked several times before Tara stopped her hand.
“I want to touch you.”
“I know. I’m tired, though. We should get some sleep, sweetheart.” Tara spread the blanket over them as she pulled Belle close.
“Oh, okay.” Belle settled into Tara’s embrace.
Tara stayed awake long enough to hear Belle’s breathing slow to a soft and gentle cadence.
Chapter Twenty-three
Belle woke to the fresh scent of brewing coffee. She opened her eyes and stretched her arms and legs. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and focused on the ceiling. It took her a moment to realize that she was not in her own bed. Confused, Belle rolled over, and before she could stop herself, she tumbled off the couch onto the floor. She hit the floor with a thud. It was then that she remembered where she was, and why she was stark naked save for the blanket that she landed on.
“Ow. Shit!” She struggled to roll herself off of the blanket, but found it easier to roll up into it like a burrito. She wrapped the blanket around her body and squirmed into a sitting position. She could imagine how entertaining and embarrassing that scene would’ve been for herself and anyone watching. For a brief instant she was thankful no one had, until she saw Tara standing over her with two cups of coffee and a face red with stifled laughter.
“Everything all right down there?” Tara smiled.
“Yes. Just showing my ass.” Belle was officially the most awkward person on the planet.
“Literally.”
“Kill me.” She covered her head with the blanket and smooshed her face into the couch. She thought she might die of embarrassment that time.
Tara set the cups on the table and knelt down beside her. “It’s a beautiful ass, if that helps.”
“No,” Belle said from her muffled cocoon.
“Come out. Or I’m coming in.” Tara peeked through the blanket as Belle looked up at her.
“Can I have my clothes?”
Tara raised an eyebrow and appeared to contemplate the question for a moment. She smiled and said, “Okay, if you must.” Belle stuck her head out and watched Tara gather Belle’s clothes from the floor and set them next to her. “The bathroom is right over there. I’m making breakfast. Is there anything you don’t like?”
“I don’t care for embarrassment, but I got a full helping of that already this morning.”
Tara leaned down and kissed Belle on the lips. “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s you. And you are beautiful.”
Belle blushed, and her stomach fluttered to life. She wriggled herself up onto the couch and headed off to the bathroom.
Tara cleared her throat, and Belle turned around to see her holding out the pile of clothes that Belle had forgotten to take with her. “Right.” She reached back for them and then shuffled off to the bathroom.
Belle washed up and got dressed. Every muscle in her body ached and she noticed several bruises the size of fingers on the side of her face. She remembered vividly how tight the man had gripped her face, and now she had the physical signs as a reminder. She hoped makeup would cover the outward marks of the attack. She pulled back her hair into a long braid that fell loose at the end. Without a hair tie, it would work its way out, but it would do for a bit. The scent of bacon wafted in from the kitchen, and Belle’s stomach rumbled. She folded the blanket on her way out and set it on the couch before following her hunger to the kitchen.
Belle had seen Tara during their awkward morning moment, but she hadn’t noticed her face until she stood and stared at her from the doorway. Tara was black and blue from
her lip to her right eye that was spreading like a watercolor toward her left. The red and swollen gashes crisscrossed with white Steri-Strips made Belle’s legs wobble as the memories of the night before came flooding back. Tara looked over and smiled. Even battered and bruised, Tara could melt Belle’s heart. “Shouldn’t you have ice on that?” Belle asked as she sat on a stool on the other side of the island.
Tara turned out the bacon from the pan onto a plate and paper towel before she grabbed an icepack from the countertop and held it up. “Right here.”
“Lotta good it does not on your face.” Belle grinned slyly.
“It’s fine. Besides, I heard battle scars were sexy.”
Belle couldn’t deny that. Tara was always deliciously handsome, but knowing what she’d gone through to get those injuries did add an extra level of allure. “I suppose so.”
Tara rounded the island and pressed herself against Belle. “You should see the other guy.”
Belle had seen him, and the memory of his face was still fresh in her mind. “I did.”
“Oh, Belle. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
Belle knew what she had meant by it and she brushed it away. “I know. It’s okay. But did you get any hits in, because from what I remember…” Belle found it not so hard to make a joke of the scariest moment of her life.
“Hey! Yeah, not so much. He was a huge bitch.”
“You’re not kidding.” She needed to be grateful that she and Tara were still alive and able to make light of what had happened, even if she knew nothing would ever be the same. “How bad do you think it is?”
Tara stroked Belle’s arm. “I’m not sure. But when we head over there in a bit we’ll find out.”
Belle took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I don’t know if I can do it alone.”
“You won’t. I’ll be there, and I’m sure Kyle will be there. I’m here for you, Belle. We can deal with this together.” Tara reached out for Belle’s hand and held it against her chest.
Belle looked up at Tara with surprise. Together? No one except Kyle and Andrew had ever offered such a thing to her, not family, friend, or past lover. It was just a word, but to Belle it was more than that, and something she never expected from anyone, least of all Tara. “Um. Okay.”
“Whatever happens, I’m here.”
If Belle thought she could be any more overwhelmed she was wrong. Tara’s unexpected offer of togetherness was more than she was ready to deal with. Belle pulled back her hand and offered a simple, “Thank you.” A part of her wanted to jump into Tara’s arms and spew promises of her own devotion, but it was not the time or place when in reality her entire life had just been trashed and tossed on its side. Reading too far into Tara’s spontaneous words was reckless and imprudent, and no one could be held accountable for the things they said or did in times of trauma. Belle had proven so with passion a few hours earlier.
They ate, dressed, and headed over to Belle’s apartment so she could change into her own clothes before they drove to the museum for a heavy dose of heart wrenching reality.
*
Tara waited in the Jeep for Belle to change. She had gotten enough of a look at the destruction the night before to know that Belle was going to need every bit of support that Tara could offer. And for once she was giving it without care or concern for what she could get out of it. Belle hadn’t asked Tara for any help, which made it that much easier for her.
Tara looked at her face in the rearview mirror and lightly touched her swollen injuries. She was so thankful that Belle hadn’t received the same brutal beating, but she believed Belle’s might have been far more traumatic. Tara received her injuries from fighting back as he attempted to overpower and restrain her. She never believed his intention had been to kill her. However, she couldn’t say the same for Belle.
Tara had seen the bruises on her face of the distinct hand- and finger-shaped marks. He had applied more than enough pressure over her mouth and nose to smother her. In mere minutes, Belle would’ve been unconscious, and he released her because he believed she was dead. Why had his attack on Tara shown more restraint than with Belle? If their intention had been to kill, why had they wasted time locking her and Xander up in the vault? Tara’s conclusion was that Belle was an unexpected interruption, and he had reacted out of fear and instinct.
As Tara stared at her face, Belle returned and startled her out of her thoughts. She readjusted the mirror and smiled. “Hey. All set?”
“As I can be, I suppose. Is everything okay? Do you want me to go get you some ice or anything?”
It looked far worse than it felt, but Tara adored Belle’s concern. “Nope. I’m good.” Tara took Belle’s hand and kissed it before she set it down onto her thigh and held it there. Only when they arrived at the museum did she let her go.
Kyle was waiting for them at the front entrance where various police and unmarked vehicles lined the block. Crime tape stretched from tree to tree around the front and side of the building. Belle stared in shock and stood paralyzed on the sidewalk. Tara interlaced her fingers with Belle’s as Kyle approached. He saw the move and raised a curious eyebrow but said nothing.
“Hey. How are you doing, love?” he asked Belle as he kissed her hello.
“I was okay before right now.”
“I know. And you? Yikes, girl, you’ve been in the wars.”
“No kidding,” Tara said.
“What did they get?” Belle asked as she stared past them both toward the front door. Men in fabric boots and gloves went in and out carrying bags and boxes marked “evidence.”
“All right, sweetie. I need you to listen to me. Belle?” He waved his hand in front of her face to get her attention.
“Yeah,” she said as she looked over at him.
Tara squeezed her hand as Kyle explained what she was about to see. “They haven’t gotten the glass up, most of the frames are still hanging on the walls, but a few were smashed on the ground to get the canvas out. They seemed to have kept to a few rooms in the east wing, and so far it appears random.”
“Okay,” Belle acknowledged.
Detective Campbell and another man approached them. Tara recognized the second man as the agent who had questioned her the night before. FBI Agent Nicholas Gulker greeted Kyle and Tara before he introduced himself to Belle. “Good evening, I’m here with the FBI Art Crimes Division. We’re going to take you through the scene step by step so we can piece together what happened last night. Hopefully, we can fill in some of the blanks that we are missing at this point.”
Kyle and Tara agreed, but Belle said nothing.
“Ma’am?”
Detective Campbell handed them a couple of pairs of protective shoe covers and they slipped them onto their feet. “Do not touch anything, unless it’s necessary. We need you to stay back away from pretty much everything.”
Tara, Belle, and Kyle followed Campbell and Gulker under the tape and into the building. Belle’s grip around Tara’s hand tightened with every step. Tara could hear the intentional cadence Belle had set for her breathing. They skirted the edge of the room to keep out of the way. They stopped against the wall with a straight line view down the main hall. Belle swerved and strained her neck to see what was happening.
“Let’s begin down that way, but I need you to stay close and don’t touch anything.”
Most of the activity was focused in the Grayson and the Impressionist galleries. When they stopped near the doorway, Belle gasped. “Oh God,” she whispered.
“What is it?” Tara asked.
“They took them all.” Belle’s eyes welled with tears that threatened to spill over. She covered her mouth in shock and took off toward the other room. Tara couldn’t hold her back as she ripped her hand away.
“Belle!” Kyle and Tara called after her as did the detectives. They all followed after her.
She skidded to a stop at the next room and cried out. “No. No!” She stumbled back against the wall, and the tears fell down
her face.
Tara was awestruck by the damage. She couldn’t believe how someone could have so little regard for the beauty and worth of the world’s most priceless art. The paintings were cut and sliced so indelicately that pieces of the painting fabric were still attached where the men just ripped it away. A couple of original giltwood frames were smashed onto the floor in glittering fragments of their former glory. It made Tara sick to her stomach, so she couldn’t imagine what Belle was feeling.
Tara looked at Kyle. It was clear that his heart was breaking the same as Tara’s as they watched the understanding and acceptance wash over Belle. Belle stood up, cleared her throat, and wiped away the tears. “How many, Kyle?”
He didn’t hesitate with his answer. He might have been just as surprised as Tara to see the instant change in her demeanor. “Eleven.”
“Who?”
“Four Monets, two Van Goghs, one Matisse, Cezanne, Klimt, de Lempicka, and a Vermeer.”
Belle’s tears began again, but her expression remained unchanged.
Tara’s heart dropped in her chest. She might not have known much about art, but that was an extraordinary amount of money. “How much is that?” Tara whispered.
“Between three hundred and four hundred and twenty million, depending on the market.”
“Holy shit!” Tara was rich, and that number still astounded her.
“Did they take anything else?” Belle asked as she stared off into the distance.
“Not that we’ve discovered.”
“Sunshine,” Belle said under her breath.
“What?” Kyle asked.
“Those are the paintings in Giles’s Sunshine Collection. Les Barques de Peche, Auvers sur Oise, Charring Cross Bridge, Impression Sunrise, The Concert, Marina, La Musicienne, Portrait of a Lady, Pastoral, View of the Sea of Scheveningen, and Poppy Flowers.”
Tara was in awe that Belle could name each of the missing paintings without batting an eye. “Poppy Flowers?” Tara knew that Eden and Olivia would be devastated. “Why would—I failed.”
