The Pregnant Colton Witness

by Geri Krotow

  He moved backward on his elbows until he was at the headboard, watching her the entire time. Her breasts, full and luscious, swung in rhythm to her steps as her long, lean legs covered the distance to her end table in only a few strides.

  She climbed onto the bed and lay next to him. He ran his hands through her hair, kissed her deeply. Her taste and scent were heady, clearing his mind of anything but his unending need for her. He pressed her back into the mattress, covering her with his body.

  “Nash.” She tried to grasp his length, but he brushed her off, working his mouth and tongue on her skin, from her lips, her throat, lingering at her breasts.

  “Not yet, babe.” He suckled at her nipples, smiling against her smooth skin each time she groaned or cried out in clear delight. Tortuous pleasure; he knew it well with Patience. She always made him need her so much it hurt in its intensity.

  “Nash, I need you inside me.”

  “Patience, Patience.”

  He licked the valley around her navel, marveling at the soft curves where her belly had been washboard flat the first time they’d made love. It had been a detractor to him when women he dated, never seriously, alluded to having a family. He’d had no desire to be anything but a bachelor, and was holding out for all his siblings to be raised. Yet the physical evidence of Patience’s pregnancy, with a baby they’d made together, took his desire for her to a level he’d never experience before. It was a hunger, this need for the beautiful woman in his arms.

  He took in the very essence of her, and when he placed his mouth over her she writhed and gently moved her hips as he tasted her.

  He’d never satisfy his hunger for Patience.

  * * *

  Patience thought that Nash’s mouth on her nipples had been the single most sensual thing she’d ever known. Until he moved to the pulsing spot between her legs and devoured her with his hot, wet, eager mouth. There was no room for thoughts of anything but Nash, her need and the hope for mind-blowing fulfillment.

  The orgasm came fast and hard as he licked her, and she screamed her release even as she reached for him, wanting more. Nash didn’t fight her this time but knelt between her legs, his arousal insistent against her quaking center.

  “Nash, please.” She arched her hips, unwilling to wait a second more.

  “Babe.” He thrust into her, stretching her wide and filling her depths with heat that reached to her soul. They moved in perfect unison, their bodies resuming the pace that was uniquely theirs.

  Nash’s skin became slick with sweat and she loved that she made him want to work so hard for her, loved that he fought to please her each and every time. With him she was able to let go of any inhibitions she’d ever had and just be herself, let her body do what it needed to do for completion.

  Her release started in a low, forceful wave that rose to an untenable pitch until she shattered, shouting in pleasure with a breathless effort. Nash kept moving for a few more seconds, until he cried out, her name echoing about her room.

  * * *

  “We make a good team.” Nash stroked her throat, ran his hand down her rib cage, over her hip as they lay face-to-face, coming down from their most recent sexcapade. He knew it was more, that this wasn’t anything like the one-nighters he’d pulled with different women over the last five years.

  His “sexual maintenance” dating had ended with that night with Patience. And now this.

  She smiled in the dim light, two flickering battery candles making the room the perfect backdrop for such a sexy woman. “We are at that. When we’re working together.”

  He shoved himself up into a seated position, his back against the headboard. Patience followed suit. “About that. I’m not asking you to commit to me, or anything like that. But I’m going to be an active father for the baby. It’s not in my being to ignore a child I’ve fathered.”

  She looked at him, stroked his cheek. He needed to shave, but had loved rubbing his five o’clock shadow against the insides of her dewy thighs. “This is what’s so attractive about you, Nash. You always want to do the right thing.”

  “But? I hear the ‘but.’”

  “But you need to be practical. You’re a hard-core bachelor. You said so yourself the night we got together. In five, six years you’ll be free of raising your siblings.”

  “A lot has changed since we met. Since that night.”

  “Well, yeah. I’m pregnant.”

  He shook his head. “It’s more than that. You and I—we’ve gotten closer. Don’t you feel it?”

  She wouldn’t meet his eyes and he held his breath. He’d pushed too far. And while it should concern him that he was actually trying to prove to Patience that he wanted anything but freedom from being a father, it didn’t. It felt right.

  “I don’t know, Nash. What you said—about a lot having changed since we met. It’s true. And I so appreciate that you’re already preparing for the baby’s arrival. But it’s at least six months off, and then there’ll be so much round-the-clock care that it’s a tough time to try to figure out what either of us is going to do. I don’t know how I’ll be as a mother, but I do know I’m going to give it my best shot.”

  “That’s all I’m asking you for, you know. I need you to give me and the idea of us co-parenting a decent shot.”

  She met his gaze and beyond her trepidation he saw a glimmer of hope. Maybe the seed of trust. “I’ll try.”

  “That’s all we can ever do.”

  A low growl sounded in the front of the cabin and they both sat up.

  “Does she normally growl at deer or wildlife?” Patience’s hopeful question was laced with trepidation.

  “No.” Nash’s inner alarm screeched. Greta’s abilities rarely failed him. There was an intruder on the property.

  Chapter 13

  Greta’s sharp bark cracked through the air and Nash was up and dressed with his weapon in hand in under fifteen seconds. Patience’s eyes widened, but she didn’t show any signs of panic. She rolled toward the nightstand, where she’d put a gun safe, and punched in four numbers, unlocking it. When he saw the .45 in her hand, he motioned toward her clothes, strewed on the floor.

  “Put those on and only come out after I tell you it’s clear.”

  Greta’s barks grew more insistent and he shoved his feet into his shoes, then put on his body armor. There was no telling who or what was on the other side of the cabin door.

  “I’m going with you. Greta can guard the house. She can’t go back out on patrol with her cut.”

  “You are not going anywhere. Do you have any body armor with you?”

  She shook her head. “This weapon and the gun safe are all I took from my office.”

  “Then you do not leave this room. No matter what, Patience.” He couldn’t argue with her. There was an intruder and he had to take care of it.

  * * *

  Patience waited until she heard Nash shout and the front door open and close. Then she carefully crept into the short hallway and headed for the main room, her weapon in front of her as she cleared every nook and cranny in the cabin on her way forward. Just like her veterinary trauma training, the police training enabled her to perform as though she did this all the time.

  Greta mostly maintained her alert stance at the front door, but once or twice paced to the picture window, which looked out onto total darkness.

  Patience heard voices and Greta barked, two sharp, deliberate sounds. She jerked, unable to control her reaction. In the confines of the cabin, the big dog’s vocalization sounded like a thunderclap.

  She heard more voices as she waited, her weapon pointed at the door. With slow, deliberate steps she approached the kitchen sink and island counter and sank to her knees, using the granite surface for support. Anyone who walked into the cabin would have to get past her gunfire.

  Three loud bangs sounded on the front door. Patience ste
adied her aim.

  “Patience, it’s Nash. I’m coming in.”

  Okay, so why didn’t he just do so? She wouldn’t shoot him.

  The front door opened as Greta watched, and the dog didn’t bark or whine. But Nash was behind a man Patience knew too well. She stood and lowered her pistol.

  “Daddy.”

  Fenwick Colton’s face was partially obscured by the custom cowboy hat he wore, always a part of his wardrobe no matter if he was in sweatpants or a tuxedo. Tonight he was in his usual business suit with a lariat. The sterling silver hawk bolo tie at the base of his collar was his signature symbol. The raptor suited him, as she’d never known her daddy to be anything but focused and predatory.

  “Hey, short stuff. Since when do you have your own personal guard?” He shoved a thumb over his shoulder, indicating Nash.

  “What are you doing here, Daddy? You could have been killed by either one of us.” Typical of Fenwick, he hadn’t called first. If he wanted to see her, he just showed up on his own timetable. Although he usually asked her to come to the office or stop by his estate. And almost always passed the message through Layla.

  Concern ratcheted Patience’s tension tenfold. “Oh, no, is it Layla? Is she okay?”

  “What? Of course she’s okay. At least she was when I left the office almost an hour ago. Right before I came here. I forgot how crazy the turns are. Next time I’ll drive my four-wheel drive.”

  “How did you know I was here?” Layla must have told him, but Patience wanted to hear it from him. Fenwick loved nothing more than playing “I’ve got a secret,” being a disciple of the “knowledge is power” school since forever. If he’d found out she or her siblings were in trouble, or more likely planned to get themselves in trouble, when they were teens, he’d lord the information over them for the remainder of the time they lived at home.

  “Layla mentioned it. She said you needed some space, so I didn’t expect this young man to be here. You okay, fella?” Fenwick looked at Nash with genuine concern.

  Nash remained silent, but Patience was pretty certain she sensed the heat of his frustration and anger, for his eyes sparked and his mouth was pressed in a frown.

  “You should have called first, Daddy. We’ve been over this.” And they had. She’d told him not to visit her at her small townhome unless he called and they had standing plans. Same for the cabin. Fenwick thought the world revolved around him and paid little heed to his children’s, or their guests’, concerns. Not that she’d had a lover over lately, but Patience valued her personal space.

  “Do you have any bourbon?” Her father walked into the cabin. “And why the heck are you flashing a gun at me, Patience?”

  She sighed and put the weapon on the counter. She opened the cabinet over the refrigerator. “I think I still have the bottle you brought with you the last time you were here.” And the only time. Fenwick had checked out the cabin when she’d built it, but that was it. She found the bottle of his favorite drink and poured him two fingers.

  “Here you go, Daddy.” She placed it on the island and saw that Nash had quietly come in and closed the door. Greta lay against it, back to her preferred location.

  “Aren’t you going to join me?” Fenwick looked at her, and she saw how little he’d aged over the years since she’d left home. No wonder he never had a problem finding a date or his next wife.

  “No, but I’ll have a ginger ale.” She caught Nash’s glance and saw the surprise. Had he thought she’d told her family? Only Layla knew about the baby.

  “How about you—what did you say your name was?”

  “Nash. Nash Maddox. And I’m afraid I have to pass, too, as I’m on an active case. I’m with the RRPD.”

  “Haven’t we met? I have a few relatives on the force.” Fenwick’s attention went to Greta. “She’s beautiful.”

  “And a K9, too.” Nash looked like he’d rather converse with a billy goat.

  “Thank you for the work you do. Red Ridge is lucky to have such a fine police department, and we have the best K9 facility in South Dakota.” Fenwick’s skinny chest puffed at his boast. He’d funded most of the recent upgrades at the training center and clinic. And now Colton Energy faced bankruptcy.

  “The training center is vital to the county’s security, Daddy.” Patience couldn’t help the verbal prod. He threatened to cut off funding whenever Colton Energy hit a rough patch, which she found stressful and unnecessary.

  “Of course it is, but you know that if I don’t keep my company going, I won’t have anything to give. No worries, though. Your sister Layla is a true Colton.” He held up his drink to Patience, then nodded to Nash. “Cheers.”

  “Cheers.” She and Nash toasted with their sodas, but all she wanted to do was throw her drink in her father’s face. It wasn’t like she wasn’t used to his self-centered ways, but his high-handed manner was over-the-top, even for him. For him to throw Layla’s willingness to marry the creepy Hamlin around like a badge of honor made Patience sick.

  After he took a healthy swallow, Fenwick looked around the kitchen and living room. “I forgot how excellent a job you did on the renovation. This is a very nice getaway for you.”

  “Why are you really here, Daddy?” She knew how to pin him down after years of practice. Fenwick didn’t even bother to feign ignorance, or pretend he’d come on a friendly visit.

  “You know about your cousin Demi, right? The trouble she’s in?”

  “Of course I do. But which part are you talking about?” Demi Colton had been branded by the town as the most likely candidate to be the Groom Killer. The first victim, Bo Gage, had been her fiancé until he’d left her for Hayley Patton. The breakup gave Demi motive, along with some circumstantial evidence. Her name had been written in the first victim’s blood by his body, and a piece of her jewelry had been found near the crime scene. Plus, more than one witness put her at a few of the murder sites. But Patience liked Demi, and if her gut was correct, Demi was innocent. A couple months before she’d fled, Demi had brought in an injured animal for Patience to care for, and her demeanor bespoke her compassion and integrity. Not the characteristics of a serial killer.

  “You know very well I’m talking about the Groom Killer herself. Demi Colton.” Fenwick took another hefty swig before pointing his finger and glass at Nash. “Your colleagues need to get their crap together and arrest her. What the hell is taking you all so long? Now we have a second murderer on our hands.”

  Before Nash could respond, Fenwick turned back to Patience. “Finn filled me in.” No apology, no expression of concern for her well-being. Typical Daddy.

  She saw Nash’s spine stiffen and for a second Patience thought he might answer Fenwick with some hard words of his own.

  “You’re right, Mr. Colton. It’s a team effort, and the RRPD is working around the clock on this case. We’ll catch the murderer, sooner than later.”

  “‘Sooner’ is not soon enough. How many more innocent victims will it take? Demi’s clearly the one you want. What’s keeping you from bringing her in for questioning? She’s been spotted enough in town that no matter where she’s hiding out, it can’t be too far away. Do I have to remind you that you’re speaking to the mayor of Red Ridge?”

  “No, sir. But obviously you need reminding that as mayor, you need to discuss this with the chief of police.” A muscle strained in Nash’s jaw. Her father needed to leave.

  “Daddy, did you come all this way because you knew Nash was here with me? This is a crappy way to throw your weight around.” Nash might not want to dress her father down, but nothing kept her from doing it.

  She was glad she’d kept Demi’s K9 clinic visit to herself. It wasn’t relevant to the case in any way except to challenge the stance that Demi was a rough-around-the-edges hothead. Demi’s brothers on the RRPD were in her corner, at least.

  Patience only hoped Demi and her baby were ok
ay—she’d been pregnant when she’d fled town and had had the baby on the run. That couldn’t have been easy. Just last month Demi had been spotted in town, in disguise, with her baby in a carrier. Patience hoped the real killer would be caught soon so that Demi and her infant could come out of the shadows.

  “I heard you were living up here for the time being, yes.” He glared at Nash. “And I was told she had the finest K9 team with her. Now I’m not so sure.”

  Nash didn’t reply with words. His own glare said it all. Patience almost laughed at how her father actually balked. Fenwick Colton wasn’t used to being shut down by someone he considered a subordinate. Even though no RRPD officer worked directly for him, he acted as if they did and didn’t have a problem putting pressure on Finn to keep or fire officers on a whim. As mayor, it was in Fenwick’s purview to do so. Fortunately, Finn was a man of integrity and usually able to keep Fenwick mollified, while not letting the mayor’s opinions negatively affect the RRPD.

  “Daddy, it’s going to take you the better part of an hour to get home. I know you’ve had a long day. Why don’t you have a bite to eat, then head out?” Fenwick was an early bird and she hoped he’d take the hint. She didn’t want him driving right after downing the scotch, though, so she brought out some cheese and crackers.

  “I wanted to know you were safe, daughter. Don’t believe me, but it’s true. At least you’re in a secure location, save for the woods. Though a man would have to be crazy to try to scale the mountain to get here on foot.” He munched on the snack.

  “You know I’ve got cameras all over the place.” She mentally kicked herself for not checking the security system’s monitor before Nash ran out to find her father. They wouldn’t have been so worked up and would have seen it was him.