DEADLY OBSESSION

by Kristine Cayne

  “As the great Yoda once said: Do or do not. There is no try.”

  Nic smirked. “Your geek is showing.”

  Rémi barked out a laugh, but then his voice turned serious. “A lot of shit’s been coming your way lately.”

  “And it just keeps on keeping on.”

  “Something new happen?”

  Nic paused and rubbed his eyes. His pulse pounded behind the sockets every time he thought about it. “Bitch left a blood message on my bathroom mirror.”

  “Shit. How did she get in?”

  “Same way she got in when she brought me home from the bar.” He blew out a breath. “She got my key and the code to the security system. I’m going to find her, Rémi.” Nic got up and started pacing. He usually thought better on his feet.

  “What’s your plan?”

  “I was hoping you could help me with that.” Rémi had gone to cop school, had even worked on the Montréal Police Force for a few years. “Got any pointers?”

  “To catch a perp, you need to think like one. You need to understand her motivation.”

  Nic considered this for a moment. “So, to figure out where Summer might be hiding, I need to understand how drugging me benefited her?”

  “Was there anything new or different going on in her life?”

  “She said something about being offered the lead in Alone No More. Except that can’t be right. They’d want an A-list actress for that role.”

  “Maybe not. Call the casting director.” After a short pause, Rémi asked, “Are you involved in this movie?”

  “I was offered the male lead.” Maybe Rémi was onto something. He completed the circuit of the room and started in the opposite direction.

  “Maybe she thought she’d have a better chance at getting the part if you two were an item.”

  “Could be, but Hollywood doesn’t usually work like that. Couples change partners too often.”

  “Or maybe she wanted to blackmail you into helping her get the part.”

  Nic scratched his cheek and replayed that evening in his mind. “Summer made or received a call while I went to get our drinks.”

  “Did the police pull her phone records?”

  “If they did, they didn’t tell me. I’ll talk to Kaden about it. He might have some contacts who can help.”

  “While they’re doing that, ask them to find the last place her phone registered with the network.”

  “The last place it what?”

  “Forgot you were a technophobe,” Rémi said, the sarcasm in his voice as thick as his head.

  “Cyborg,” Nic shot back. How he missed slinging barbs with Rémi.

  “Lame, my man. Very lame. I’ll explain it so even a kindergartener could understand. But just in case, try to remember the words so you can repeat them to Kaden.”

  Nic laughed. “Asshole.”

  “Fuck, it feels good to jerk your chain. Here goes: a cell phone has to tell the network where it is so the network can find it when a call comes in. Every so often, it sends a message to the cell towers saying ‘I’m here.’ But if you know what carrier Summer used, they can probably look it up in their database. It’ll at least give you a general location to start searching.”

  “Okay, that makes sense.” Sort of.

  A few minutes later, Nic flipped his phone closed and stared out the window. The sun was starting its descent into the ocean, bathing L.A. and his living room in a colored light. He’d finally get to share this view with Lauren. But not tonight. Tonight, they had to discuss the plan.

  As usual, Rémi had come through for him. He had a rough plan now, well at least step one. He’d figure out the rest once they started getting some answers.

  Feeling a hundred pounds lighter, he walked into the kitchen. A smile broke out on Lauren’s face when she saw him. “Kaden’s girlfriend sent these for dessert.” She pointed to a plate of brown squares.

  “I haven’t had homemade brownies in years. Make sure you thank Beth for me,” he said to Kaden.

  “Want some coffee with them?” The tone of her voice caught his attention. When he turned to her, she wore a dazed expression, as if remembering something. Something that turned her on.

  “I drink tea at night. There’s some Earl Grey in the cupboard above the stove.”

  “Kaden? Coffee?”

  “I’d love a cup of Earl Grey.” When he saw her startled expression, he laughed. “What?”

  She glanced at his hands, then at Nic’s. “I’m picturing the two of you with your big paws trying to hold itty bitty teacups.”

  Nic laughed. “Don’t worry chérie, I’ve got mugs.”

  “So Nic,” Kaden said after Lauren put a kettle on to boil. “Want to discuss our plan for finding Summer?”

  He nodded. “Rémi had some ideas that might help us. Do either of you know anyone who works for a phone company?”

  “My ex-girlfriend works at AT&T. Why?” Kaden asked.

  “Summer used her phone that night at the bar. If we get her records, we could find out who she spoke with.” Nic pulled out his cell phone and gave Kaden Summer’s contact information.

  “I’ll call my ex tonight and see if she can help. At the very least, she should be able to tell us the carrier for this number.”

  “Rémi also said they could give us the location where the phone last registered.”

  “If it’s an AT&T number, she should be able to get that information.”

  Nic bit back a sigh of relief that he wouldn’t have to go through Rémi’s explanation and sound like a fool.

  The sound of the kettle’s whistle startled them all. Lauren jumped up to prepare the tea. When she stretched to reach the cups on the second shelf, her shirt rose, giving Nic a peek of her smooth belly. Memories of kissing that silky flesh—the feel of it against his lips, the taste of it on his tongue—suddenly made his jeans a whole lot tighter.

  She piled cups and plates on a tray and brought it to the table. After pouring the tea, she bit into her brownie and moaned, “Oh God, Kaden.” Nic barely held back a snarl. Those were not words he ever wanted to hear coming out of her mouth. “These are delicious.”

  Nic tasted the brownies to see what all the fuss was about. Rich chocolaty sweetness hit his tongue as soon as he sank his teeth into the chewy square. All he could manage to do was mumble, “Wow,” before taking another large bite. “I’m saving a few of these for breakfast. The thought of these along with a good cup of strong coffee makes me—”

  Lauren interrupted him with a strange choking sound. “Chérie? Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” she croaked, then covered her mouth with a napkin, and cleared her throat. “I’ll put some of these aside for you.” She turned her face away, but he could see the color blooming on her cheeks. He’d give more than a penny to know what was going on it that beautiful, creative mind of hers. He looked at Kaden and arched a brow in question. His response was an eye roll and a head shake. But the grin that split across Kaden’s face ruined the effect.

  Shit. Time to get them all back on track. “Any other ideas?”

  “Women usually go out in groups, and if Summer goes to this bar often, the bartender might know her friends. And one of them might know where she is,” Lauren said.

  A smile broke out on his face. “You’re brilliant. She told me she has a roommate.”

  “So tomorrow we go talk to the roommate. You know where she lives, right?”

  “Yeah.” He turned away from Lauren only to come eyeball to eyeball with Kaden’s how-you-going-to-explain-that look. Christ, he probably had busted stamped across his fucking forehead.

  Then like only a true buddy would, Kaden spoke up and saved his ass. “I drove her home after the footprint ceremony.” Nic blinked his eyes in silent thanks. By the time this was all finished, he wouldn’t just owe the man a few raises; he’d owe him a freaking promotion.

  “O-kay.” Lauren’s gaze shifted between the two of them. “We’ll head over there right after breakfast.”<
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  As Nic gazed at the woman by his side, his thoughts turned to enjoying a breakfast of brownies and coffee with her. Their eyes locked.

  Then he thought about enjoying her for breakfast. And grinned.

  After their dessert and tea, Nic and Lauren excused themselves to get ready for bed. Nic had been unable to cover up some jaw-cracking yawns. Between dealing with the residual weakness from the drugs, finding the bloody message, having sex with her, and working through a plan to find Summer, it had been a hell of a day for him. Nic’s normally tan face was pale and drawn with fatigue. But he still looked delicious enough to eat in the black silk boxers he wore instead of pajamas.

  Lauren pulled back the covers and patted the mattress. “Come on, sweetie. Climb in. I won’t try to jump your bones tonight.” Nic looked crestfallen. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “I was kind of counting on a little breakfast.”

  “What are you talking about, Nic? We just finished supper.” She reached up to touch his forehead. Maybe he had a fever or was having some sort of hallucination. But before she could touch him, Nic grabbed her wrist and brought it to his lips.

  “A midnight snack then?”

  “Nic.” She was starting to get worried.

  He released her wrist and fell onto the bed. “I’m kidding. When I saw you bite into the brownies, the face you made, all I could think about was having—” He cut himself off. “Never mind. It’s stupid.”

  Lauren stilled. When he’d talked about brownies and coffee, her thoughts had definitely headed south. Had he been thinking the same thing? “Having what?” she whispered hoarsely.

  He looked away and swallowed hard. “All I could think about was waking up and having you for breakfast. But I can’t wait that long.”

  “Oh God.” She practically threw herself on top of him. “I was sure after everything you’d been through today, sex would be the last thing on your mind. I didn’t want you to feel pressured.” She shook her head and buried her face against his chest. It sounded so stupid when she said it out loud.

  He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Do you doubt my stamina?”

  “After this afternoon? How could I?”

  “Okay, then.” She cracked up at the look on his face. “First you doubt my endurance and now you’re laughing at me? What is this, pick on Nic day?”

  “I’m not laughing at you.” She grinned widely. “You just looked so cute, like a disgruntled little boy.”

  In one swift move, he flipped her onto her back and leaned over her, covering her. With deliberate movements, he laced their fingers and locked her hands above her head. Slowly, he lowered his face to hers. “Do I still look cute?”

  God, no. He looked devastatingly dark and dangerous, like in his camo pictures. He’d gone from cute little boy to deadly stranger in a matter of seconds. She didn’t know where the real Nic was in all of this, but she didn’t care. Todd had been nothing but gentle with her, and she’d never dared to tell him she wanted something a little rougher, a little harder. Instead, she’d explored all those feelings, all that excitement in her fantasies. Fantasies that featured Nic in the starring role. And here he was, in the flesh, in her hands. A shiver ran up her spine and seeing it, one corner of his mouth rose in a snarl.

  “Like this, do you?”

  Oh, yeah. Unable to resist the lure of his mouth so close to hers, she arched up to try to kiss him. He shook his head. “Uh-uh. Tonight, I’m in charge.” After letting go of her hands to tear off the long T-shirt she’d worn to bed, he reached down to remove her panties. When they got tangled in her legs, he ripped them apart and threw them over his shoulder. “I’ll get you a new pair. Hell, I’ll get you a dozen.”

  Heat flared in his eyes as he grabbed her hands again and held them above her head. She gulped, but not in fear. Somehow he’d been handed the screenplay to one of her more hardcore fantasies—the one where he held her captive and at his mercy. Thrilled, she moaned and writhed on the smooth sheets. Every change in his eyes, every variation in his voice, had her catapulting through a myriad of emotions. How could she ever give him up at the end of the week?

  He claimed her mouth in a deep, soul-searing kiss. This afternoon, she’d wanted to possess him, but now he was possessing her. And she was giving him everything she had, everything she was. An ache began deep inside her and soon she was begging him to be filled, claimed. “Nic! Please… take me.”

  “No.”

  Her brows popped. He couldn’t deny her now. His long hard erection pressed against her stomach, evidence he wanted her as much as she wanted him. “No?”

  “No.”

  “Have sex with me?”

  “No.”

  Sometimes Todd had liked dirty talk in bed. Maybe Nic wanted that? She met his piercing gaze and in her most seductive voice said, “Fuck me.”

  He bared his teeth. “I will never fuck you.”

  What the heck did he want her to say? “I’m dying here. I need you inside me.” His dark, lust-filled expression turned soft as his eyes lingered on hers. What did he see there? He didn’t want to fuck her, and he didn’t want to have sex. A lightbulb flickered on in her head. Pushing past the emotions strangling her, she whispered, “Make love to me.”

  “Yes.”

  Thank God.

  Screwing up her courage, she told him what she’d never dared say to Todd. “Hard and fast.”

  Without a word, he flipped her over onto her stomach and pulled her hips up until she was on her knees, spread wide.

  She watched out of the corner of her eye as he pulled out a condom and covered himself. His large hand pressed on her back until her face met the pillow that smelled of his cologne. She inhaled deeply, the scent flooding her with moisture. A shudder roared through her as his warm tongue took a long, slow swipe.

  “Better than brownies,” he groaned, before gripping her hips tightly and plunging his cock into her. They moaned in unison. After holding still long enough for her to adjust to his size, he began to move. He pulled out so only the tip of his cock remained inside her, and then he pushed slowly until he was all the way inside, as far as he could go. His fingers on her hips held her in place, keeping her from pushing back and accelerating the rhythm. Then he began alternating long slow glides with short fast ones. Nine long, one short, eight long, two short….

  She caught onto the pattern. In only a few more cycles, he’d be pounding into her. With each deep stroke, the sensations intensified and her anticipation ratcheted up a few notches. Oh God. She wasn’t sure she’d make it to the ten short, fast strokes.

  Nic was giving her everything she wanted, what Todd had never given her. Gritting her teeth, she braced her arms and held on for the ride.

  “Oh God, oh God, oh God!” As he pistoned into her, his fingers tightly gripping her hips, the meaning of the expression balls deep became perfectly, exquisitely clear. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t catch her breath; she’d already died and gone to heaven.

  His strokes changed, deepening, filling her. “Feel me inside you. Feel how deep I am.”

  “More.”

  “Your wish is my command.” She gasped. Those words—they were straight out of her bar fantasy. Was she dreaming? A stinging smack on her butt brought her back to reality. At the same instant, he plunged deep inside her, deeper than ever before. The momentary flash of heat and the full-body pleasure of his penetration flung her over the edge, into a level of bliss she’d never before known.

  As wave after wave of sensation reverberated throughout her entire body, he continued to hold her tight, pounding into her, never letting up on the speed or power of his strokes. Even before the contractions inside her completely subsided, his balls slapping against her swollen lips sent her over the edge again. This time he joined her. With a loud groan and a final tremendous push that sent her sprawling, he came too, collapsing on top of her, his lips pressed against her neck.

  Without a doubt, this experience surpassed even her best Nic fantasy. As a
smile curved her lips, she thought he’d be surprised to learn that he’d outdone himself.

  Nic awoke to bright sun on his face, a warm body in his arms, silky hair tickling his chin, and the beautiful sound of Lauren’s soft snores in his ears. A slight twist of his body placed his nose in the crook of her neck, where the aroma of her apple-scented perfume caused him to harden. It had been clear from the start that Lauren was dangerous for him. But until last night, it had been only the danger of her discovering the secrets of his past. Now the danger was her discovering the secrets of his heart, where she was beginning to take more and more space.

  His hand drifted over her waist, gently tugging her closer into the curve of his body. She had the best butt he’d ever seen, all round and tight. The sight of it made him want to… well, do exactly what he’d done last night. A wicked grin curved his lips. His hand moved higher until he was cupping one generous breast, the already hard nipple pressing against his palm as if begging to be squeezed. No problem. A gentle tweak had her wiggling, pushing her ass hard against his groin. His cock soon found a cozy spot between her butt cheeks. The heart-shaped birthmark below her ear was calling out to him. His lips surrounded it and his tongue was about to touch its goal when Lauren’s cell phone rang.

  One sleepy eye opened and a smile spread across her face. “Are you going to answer your phone?” she asked him, her voice husky.

  “It’s not mine, it’s yours.”

  “Oh! I better get it. It might be Jason or my parents.” He reluctantly let her go but enjoyed the view as she got out of bed and bent over to retrieve the cell phone from her purse. Man, could he possibly get any harder? This had better be a short conversation, or he might die before she came back to bed.

  “Vivian.” He arched a brow and she shrugged. “Did you like the photos?”

  He couldn’t stand hearing only one side of the conversation so he motioned to her to come closer so he could listen in too. After climbing back onto the bed, she held the phone slightly away from her ear.

  “I’m releasing your photos,” Vivian said. “The contest organizers want three for publicity and the festival people want one. You can choose which ones to give them.”