9781618850034TroubleHunter

by Unknown

  “Did you ever report the abuse to anyone?” Ty spoke so matter of fact that Ky felt Cooper shudder at the cold hard truth. She was a battered wife, a victim of domestic abuse.

  “I tried, but most of the people listed in the book served in positions of authority. If I ran away, the deputy or highway patrol would bring me home. If I tried to tell them about what Richard was doing to me, they pretended to listen, pretended to be sympathetic. But, no report was ever filed. No action was ever taken. The district attorney was his first cousin; the county judge was his brother. And on and on.” Ky took her hand, trying to transfer some of his strength to her.

  “Was your husband sexually abusive?” Kyler bristled at the question his brother posed to Cooper. But Cooper seemed to take it in stride

  “I never had sexual relations with Richard.” Cooper spoke coldly. “I believe the term that would describe his condition best would be a sadist. The only way he could find sexual release was by causing pain to another human being. Me. He would strip me, humiliate me, and beat me, then…uh…see to his own sexual needs. His sex organs were damaged. I believe it was from huge doses of steroids, which also went a long way in explaining his temper and the tempers of all the men involved. They were all muscled up and angry.”

  Ky knew that this conversation embarrassed Cooper, and he wished to high heaven he could spare her the questions, but he couldn’t – not if they were going to get to the bottom of this mess.

  Ty thought a minute, then he looked straight at Cooper and announced. “If you never had sex with Richard Hawkins, Cooper - that means your marriage was never consummated. He was never really your husband.”

  Chapter Eight

  At Tyler’s statement that Hawkins wasn’t Cooper’s husband, Ky breathed a sigh of relief. “I like the sound of that.”

  “Cooper, I want you to write down everything you can remember about Richard and any suspicious activity. About any of his friends or cohorts and whatever you might have seen or overheard.” Ty stood addressing Ky. “Let me take this, run some names and dates through the computer and I’ll let you know what I find.” He tipped his hat at Cooper and smiled. “It was a pleasure to meet you. I’m glad Ky found you. Frankly, I’ve never seen him like this.” He gave his brother a funny look. “Do you want to walk me out, brother?”

  “Sure.” He turned to Cooper, “I’ll be right back, sweetheart.” Ky followed his brother out on the wide front verandah of his home. They stood, looking off in the distance at the herd of Beefmaster cattle that grazed contentedly in the pasture.

  “She’s lovely, Kyler.’ Ty looked at him pointedly.

  “Yes, she is.”

  “This is important to you isn’t it?”

  “She’s important to me, Ty.”

  “Well, then, it’s important to me, too.”

  Nothing more needed to be said.

  When he returned to Cooper, she was busy in the kitchen preparing them something quick to eat. “I love to see you in my kitchen. What did you find to fix? I’m starving.” He came up behind her and kissed her sweetly on the neck.

  “How does a frittata sound?”

  “Heavenly. I’ll take care of the animals, while you finish up. Then we can go to bed. It’s been a hell of a long day and I want you so badly, I can’t see straight.”

  Giving him a radiant smile, she assured him, “I’ll hurry.”

  * * * *

  Ky stood at the bedroom door and looked at her. She was waiting for him. After their meal, she had come up to shower while he had locked up and set the alarm. He had been back to her house every day, but there had been no more footprints or any sign of tampering at her house. It was probably safe for her to go home, but that was not what he wanted. He wanted her here. In his bed.

  The moonlight played on her beautiful face, filtering through the curtains, moving gently in the evening breeze. She was naked. In his bed. He walked up to her, shedding clothes as he went. “You in my bed, is undoubtedly the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.” He rested one knee on the mattress, relishing what he was about to do. “The night before the snake incident, I remember standing at this window and wishing I had someone to be with. I dreamed of a woman in my bed who would want me as much as I wanted her; a woman who would welcome me, unconditionally. Look at you, Cooper. You are a dream come true.” At his words, she opened her arms, and her thighs, welcoming him home.

  * * * *

  “Turn on your side, love. I want to spoon.” His request was met with surprise.

  “Ky, I want… “Cooper began to protest.

  “Patience, love.” She followed his guide. “Let me show you what I can do from this angle.” Eagerly, she allowed him to position her so she lay within the circle of his arms, her back against his chest. “See, this way, I can kiss your neck.” His lips sent shivers racing over her skin as he nuzzled the soft skin of her shoulder. “One hand can cup and play with one of your incredible breasts,” he breathed the words into her ear, as he petted and pulled at the sensitive, puckered tip. “Meanwhile, this hand can have the best time in the treasure trove between your legs.” He began a triple assault on her senses.

  “Put him in Ky, please put him in.” She pushed back against his groin with her hips. Ky chuckled at her referral to his manly rod as ‘him’. He picked up one of her legs, slightly, to aid his path to paradise. He pushed his hips upward, thrusting his shaft up into her waiting warmth. “Oh yes, baby,” Cooper moaned in ecstasy. “Ky, you are so good. So big.” She touched him everywhere she could reach, rubbing his hair-roughened thigh; next touching his face. When her fingers came near his mouth, Ky captured one between his lips and sucked on it. Cooper swooned and an orgasm hit her with an intensity that shook her to her core.

  “That’s my baby. Oh Coop, you are so hot!” Ky talked love to her as she rode out the climax. “You squeeze me so good, love. I want you all the time.” Cooper was completely satisfied, but she enjoyed Ky’s finding his own release almost as much as she did finding hers. He rammed into her, plowing his way to a heaving explosion. Afterwards, he enfolded her in his arms, holding her tight. She loved the way they fit together.

  As they cuddled, out of the blue, Ky ask, “Cooper, tell me, what does an orgasm feel like for you?”

  She lay with her head on his shoulder, her hand splayed on his chest. Taking a deep breath, she smiled up at him and began to talk. “It feels like the earth is pulled out from under my feet. Gravity doesn’t exist for a few heart-stopping seconds. I am awash in every color of creation and the colors tingle and dance within my soul. Intense pleasure radiates up from my sex, through my nipples, and out every single cell in my body. For a few moments, I walk among the stars—and it’s all because of you, Ky. All because of you.”

  “I’ve never heard it put more beautifully, baby. You are so precious.”

  She turned slightly, laying half on top of him. “The orgasms are incredible, but they’re not the most important—not the best part.” As she talked, she traced his beautiful, chiseled lips.

  “Better than an orgasm, what are you talking about?” He watched her eyes, hanging on every word.

  “Ky, it’s you. When I want you, when I’m so hungry for you that I could scream…what I want more than an orgasm—is you. You. Inside of me. That moment when you push into me, stretching me, filling me with your manhood is the most wonderful moment of all. I’m empty without you—incomplete. It’s as if I’ve lived my life with a piece missing, and I didn’t know what it was. But the moment you made me yours, I knew.”

  “I feel the same way, baby. Being inside of you is absolute heaven.” He edged to his side, bringing his face in line with her face, letting his lips caress her lips.

  “I just wanted you to know. Finding you, being with you, has been such a sweet surprise. I’ve known so much pain in my life, I never expected the pleasure.” Reaching down between them, she boldly caressed his penis. Ky was not erect, but even at rest, he was impressive. At her touch, Ky groaned. Slidi
ng down, she laid her cheek on his organ, tenderly rubbing against it. Placing a small kiss on the now growing member, she assured him, “You are so wonderfully made.”

  Pulling her up, Ky kissed her passionately. “You are magic. I want you again, and it hasn’t been ten minutes.”

  “Take me,” Cooper encouraged. “I’m always ready for you.”

  Easing her on to her back, Ky spread her legs wide and slid into her liquid heat. “Oh, baby. Talk about being wonderfully made. Your sweet place is perfect for me.”

  Cooper was so happy, she felt like teasing him. “There’s no comparison, sweetie. My sweet place is basically, just a hole.”

  Ky rose up on his arms. Staring straight into her eyes, he set a delicious, sensual rhythm. “I beg to differ, my love.” As he rocked inside her, over and over, he explained. “It’s different with you.” His breath was coming in uneven pants. “Everything’s different with you. This,” he punctuated his word with a pointed thrust, “is my sanctuary. This,” he slowly rotated his hips, making her clutch his shoulders in ecstasy. “This is my haven. Cooper, this is paradise.” Ky thundered against her, their mutual excitement triggering a tidal wave of rapture. Pushing into her a final sweet time, Ky collapsed on top of her, “You are home to me, Cooper. Home. Sweet. Home.”

  * * * *

  He couldn’t wait any longer. Richard Hawkins had been wandering around in these backwoods for almost three weeks. Something was wrong. He had tried to call his brother last night and there had been no answer. There had been no one at his old office and his cell had gone immediately to voice mail. Steve knew what a mess they were in and he knew how important it was for them to keep in touch. Very strange. And he was running out of money. Damn him.

  Worst of all, he hadn’t been able to find the stupid book. The slut had moved in with that cowboy, and apparently, she had taken it with her. Just this morning, he had gone back to her cabin. He had spent as much time there as he had needed to look in every nook and cranny. He had even looked in the walls. It had been a devil of a time to leave no trace, no damage. But the shittin’ book just wasn’t there. Careful to wear gloves, he was sure he had left no prints. He had even brushed away his tracks from the sand in the front driveway.

  He couldn’t put it off much longer. If his wife didn’t go home soon, he was going to have to go get her.

  * * * *

  Two days later, they heard from Ty. It was good news. With the help from the information in the book, warrants had been easy to obtain. The Rangers had drove into town and raided the County courthouse, City Hall, even the local hospital. Three hundred thirty pounds of cocaine, five hundred pounds of heroin, and crates of ecstasy had been seized and there was ample evidence of money laundering. Eight people had been arrested and Cooper had been right, the town officials had been totally corrupt. Everyone was rounded up and arrested, except the late Richard Hawkins, of course.

  Ky had received the call right after breakfast. His sweet Cooper had crawled from their bed before daylight and surprised him with a Denver omelet. It had been great, and he didn’t have the heart to tell her he would much rather have forgone breakfast and feasted on her instead.

  After Ky hung up the phone, he went in search of her. He found her sitting in the front hall playing with the kittens. She had named them one night while sitting in his lap, cradling all five of them to her breast. The orange one was Monkey Boy, giving a nod to how he had always addressed the little guy back at the shelter. The white ones she had dubbed Angel and Juice—he had no idea why, but then it wasn’t required to make sense. The black tailless ones were Bear and Shaq. They were growing like weeds. ”Baby, Ty just called. It’s over.” He went on to explain to her the information she had possessed had put all of her tormentors behind bars.

  “Then, I have no enemies left free?” The words sounded good, but what it meant, didn’t.

  “No, you’re safe.” Both of them had concluded that the chance was great one of the men from her hometown had left the footprints at her door. Cooper told him she didn’t know if any of the others would have had any idea of the book’s existence. But the possibility had made sense.

  Putting the kittens down, Cooper stood. Ky looked so happy. Pushing away from his embrace, she kept her eyes on the floor. “What’s the matter, babe? You should be ecstatic.”

  “I am.” She tried to smile at him. “But, that means it’s time for me to go home. I can’t continue to take advantage of your hospitality and your good nature.” Ky looked stricken.

  “No.” He was emphatic. “I don’t want you to go.” He looked at her carefully. “Cooper, do you want to leave me?”

  She shook her head. “Of course not. But, I would never want you to think I was trying to take advantage of you.” Nervously, she pulled at his sleeve. It dawned on him she didn’t even realize she was doing it. “Your invitation was for a night, and one night has turned into twenty.”

  “What if I want twenty nights to turn into a hundred or a thousand or more?” Ky asked carefully.

  Cooper leaned her head on his strong chest. “That sounds wonderful,” she spoke barely above a whisper. “But, I don’t want—”

  He didn’t let her finish. “But, I do. I want you. Here. With me.” He held on to her, forcefully, but gently.

  She eased the pain in his chest, when she let herself sag against him. “I’ll stay, Ky. I’ll stay as long as you want me. But, when it’s time for me to go…tell me. Please. I couldn’t bear to become a burden to you.”

  “Impossible. You’re staying with me. Okay?”

  Cooper let out a deep breath of relief. There was that sigh again.

  “Good.” A plan began to formulate in his mind. It was time to make her his. It was time to tell her he loved her.

  He loved her.

  He loved her.

  It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her right at that moment, but then it hit him. He needed to make this special. Something she would never forget. Cooper had lived a hellish nightmare and she deserved a moment of supreme happiness. Ky immediately made up his mind to create the perfect night with a ring and a promise.

  * * * *

  Letting her guard down was a relief for Cooper. To not be looking over her shoulder, expecting the worst was wonderful. Ky went with a salesman to check some tracks of timber one day and then baled hay the next. Before, Cooper had stayed right with him. He hadn’t let her out of his sight. Now, they were operating like any other normal couple. He did his thing. She did hers. But their evenings and nights belonged to each other.

  Ky helped her turn a corner of his Saddlery shop into a jewelry station, and they spent many hours working side by side. She filled all of her orders from the Boutiques in Albuquerque and picked up two more distribution customers in Denver.

  Some days were surprise days. Ky adored coming up with things for them to do together. Today would be one of those times. Racing up behind her, he picked her up and swung her around. “Hello, beautiful.”

  Cooper squealed with delight as she clung to him. “Ky, put me down. You’re making me dizzy.” She was only teasing, but she had been feeling lightheaded and nauseous in the mornings. Nothing that worried her, she just noticed. He let her slide sensuously down his body.

  “Guess what?” His smile was infectious.

  “What?” she asked, enjoying his happiness.

  “We’re going on a picnic, and you don’t have to do a thing. I’ve taken care of all the details.”

  “Ky, how wonderful. Where are we going?”

  “To my special place, which I hope becomes our special place.” He gave her a hot look, sending her heart rate into orbit. “It’s here on the properly, but secluded.” Taking her left hand in his, he tied a yellow ribbon around her ring finger. “Keep this on to remind you to meet me in the barn at seven this afternoon. I have to run some errands that will keep me busy until then, but I’ll be counting the seconds until we’re together.” Rubbing his lips across her cheek, he teased her into
turning her head and seeking his kiss. Fisting his hair in her hand, Cooper leaned into him and drank from his lips.

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she assured him between kisses.

  “And think of me, every time you look down at the string.” He brought his hands up to cup her breasts. “God, baby. You’re not wearing a bra.”

  “I will think of you. And no, I’m not wearing a bra.” Her voice shook as he kneaded her nipples.

  “And don’t take the string off. I want you to still have it on when you come to me at seven.”

  “Is that all you want me to be wearing?” she tortured him.

  “Oh, sweet Lord, I’ve created a monster.” He smiled, not looking sorry at all. “Come dressed, love, then I’ll strip you down to your string.”

  * * * *

  Ky was proud of himself. The string was going to serve more than one purpose. First, it would remind Cooper to join him for the picnic. Second, it would hopefully, keep her hot and bothered until they could slake their thirst for one another down by the pond. Last, but nowhere near least, when he slipped that little piece of yellow string from her finger—he would know the exact size for her engagement ring.

  * * * *

  Cooper stared at the string for what seemed like hours. If he hadn’t put it on that finger, it wouldn’t have been so bad. Heaven help her, she loved him. For years, she had dreamed of having someone to love and now when it seemed her dreams were coming true, she couldn’t shake the doubts.

  Forcing herself to act halfway normal, Cooper puttered around Ky’s house and indulged her fantasies by pretending it was really and truly her home. She made the beds, taking time to lie on his side and smell the pillow where he had laid his head. She cleaned his boots and took pride in making them shine. Even doing his laundry was a sensuous experience, folding his underwear, imaging him in it and nothing else.