Unauthorised Passion/Intimate Knowledge

by Amanda Stevens

  Her hair fell across her face as she bent over him, kissing her way down his chest and along his abdomen, drawing a sharp gasp from him as she moved even lower, teasing him with her tongue.

  And then she got serious. Jack thought he was going to explode. He’d never had anything feel so good and knew that he had to stop her before it was too late.

  “Damn, you’re good at that,” he said in wonder.

  She lifted her head. “I know.”

  Her smile almost sent him over the edge. She was completely guileless in bed. Jack wasn’t sure he’d ever met anyone quite like her, and he knew it was going to be a long time before he’d forget her.

  They kissed, their tongues tangling in desperate passion as she straddled him and joined their bodies in an even more intimate way.

  His hands on her hips, he tried to set the rhythm, but who was he kidding? Cassie was in charge, and she knew exactly what she was doing.

  And then it was she who tried to prolong the ecstasy, lifting and settling herself over him so slowly and so deeply that Jack felt as if each thrust would be his last. But somehow he hung on. Somehow he managed to wait until her movements became more frantic, more desperate, and when she began to shudder, only then did he let go.

  He held her still, letting the sensations rush over him. Then he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.

  After a few moments, Cassie stirred.

  “That…was incredible,” she murmured. She got up then and walked slowly to the bathroom, pausing at the door to glance over her shoulder. She didn’t say a word, but her smile spoke volumes.

  AFTER THEY’D showered, they went back to bed. Cassie only meant to lie down for a moment, but she dozed off almost immediately, and when she awakened, it was after midnight. She put her hand on Jack’s shoulder and gave him a shake.

  “Jack? I forgot about Mr. Bogart. I have to go take him out. Poor thing’s probably about to burst.”

  He rolled over and slung an arm over his face. “What?”

  “I have to go take Mr. Bogart for a walk.”

  He opened one eye. “Uh, I don’t think that’s Mr. Bogart.”

  “What are you talking about?” He must be still half asleep, Cassie thought.

  “I think I saw the real Mr. Bogart with Celeste at Ethan Gold’s place. You have a decoy.”

  “What?” Cassie sat up in outrage. “You mean this whole time I’ve been catering to that damn dog, treating him as if he was my own…” She kept right on grumbling as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and reached for her pajamas. “Well I’ll tell you one thing. Whoever Sam belongs to, they’re not getting him back. He’s mine now.”

  “Sam? Let me guess. As in Sam Spade?”

  “He did find that blood at Gold’s beach house, didn’t he?”

  Jack lifted himself on his elbows and watched her dress. “Give me a minute to throw on some clothes and I’ll come with you.”

  Good. Cassie had been hoping he’d say that. “I’ll go get him and meet you back here.”

  She retrieved her key from the living room where she’d dropped it earlier and left Jack’s suite. Unlocking her door, she stepped inside, then called the dog.

  When he didn’t respond, she thought he must be sleeping. Cassie walked into the bedroom and flipped on the light. His little bed was empty, and she started to panic. “Sam? Mr. Bogart? Whoever you are?”

  Then she heard him whimper and she spun. The bathroom door was closed. She was almost certain she’d left it open earlier.

  A shiver crawled up Cassie’s spine. Someone had been in her suite. She was almost certain of it. What if the intruder was still there, hiding in the bathroom with the dog?

  She turned to the door, intent on making a run for it, but the whimper grew louder. Then he began to paw frantically at the door.

  There was no way Cassie could leave him. Shoving her own fear aside, she hurried across the room and drew open the door. He came running out, and Cassie knelt to scoop him up in her arms. “Come on, boy. We’ve got to get out of here.”

  The dog began to yelp furiously then, and his eyes widened as he peered at something over her shoulder. Someone had come up behind them. Without making a sound…

  Clutching the dog in her arms, Cassie spun. He was there, just inside the bedroom, an armed intruder with a dark mask pulled over his face. Another one came in behind him. Slowly, they started toward Cassie.

  She backed toward the bathroom. If she could get inside, lock the door—

  They were quicker than that. They sprang across the room and grabbed her, and when she tried to scream, a hand clamped over her mouth.

  “Shut that damn dog up,” the one holding her said.

  The other one took the Chihuahua and put him back in the bathroom. Cassie could hear the frantic dog yelping behind the closed door.

  “Hurry up,” the first one muttered, “Before that cop comes to investigate.”

  “Maybe I want him to come,” the second one said. There was something eerily familiar about his voice. Cassie shuddered at the sound. “Maybe I’ve got some unfinished business with him, too.”

  Cassie had been struggling the whole time, but now she went suddenly still. No! It couldn’t be—

  “Maybe I want to teach him what happens when he touches Danny Cantrell’s woman.”

  Oh, God, it was him! It was Danny! The Cantrells had somehow found her. They were the ones who’d been terrorizing her!

  Celeste hadn’t set her up after all. Her cousin hadn’t even been the target. Cassie was.

  And now she recognized the second man’s voice as well. It was Danny’s Uncle Earl.

  Cassie had known they were vindictive, but she hadn’t realized they were so dangerous. And cunning.

  Fear ripped through her at what they might do to her, and she renewed her struggles, biting the fleshy hand that held her mouth. Earl Cantrell merely cursed and tightened his grip. “Stupid bitch bit me.”

  “Don’t call her that.”

  “Sorry,” the older man muttered. “Just stick her with that damn needle and let’s get the hell out of here.”

  “Hold her still, then.”

  Cassie felt a sharp prick in her arm, and almost instantly she went limp. She couldn’t walk or speak, but she wasn’t completely unconscious. She had a vague sense of being carried through the suite, of the night air on her face as they hurried through the French doors to the balcony. And then she had the terrifying sensation of hanging in midair by a rope as she was slowly lowered to the ground.

  THE DOOR to Cassie’s suite was ajar when Jack got there. He supposed she’d left it open for him, but he knocked, anyway. When there was no answer, he pushed the door open and stuck his head inside. “Cassie?”

  He knew at once that something was wrong. Pulling his weapon, he walked into the suite and glanced around. “Cassie?”

  Then he heard a sound coming from the other room, and he let out a breath of relief. She was probably just freshening up.

  He went through the bedroom and knocked on the bathroom door. “Cassie? You in there?”

  As the sound of his voice, Sam began to bark excitedly, and Jack threw open the door. The little dog was so happy to see him that he practically threw himself into Jack’s arms.

  “Where’s Cassie? Where’d she go, boy?”

  “I think I can answer that.”

  The voice startled him, and Jack whipped around, weapon drawn, but he was too late. Max Tripp had already gotten the drop on him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  When Cassie first opened her eyes, the room spun so fast she thought she was going to be sick. She lay perfectly still, not daring to move a muscle until the dizziness passed. Then she lifted herself on her elbows and glanced around.

  She had no idea where she was. She could only make out vague shapes in the room. A dresser. A chest of drawers. A second bed.

  And someone was on that bed. Cassie gasped as a human shape took form.

  Slowly, sh
e got to her feet, swaying to and fro for a moment until she finally got her balance. Then she crossed the room and leaned over the other bed.

  The woman lay on her back, and in the dim light shining in through a window, Cassie could just make out her features. It was Celeste.

  “Sissy?” When there was no response, Cassie put her hand on her cousin’s shoulder and gave her a gentle shake. “Celeste?”

  Still no response. Panic welled up in her throat. Was her cousin still alive?

  Cassie knew she had to get help. Willing away the fog still clouding her brain, she got up and went over to the door. She could hear voices in the next room, but instead of calling out, she pressed her ear to the door and listened for a moment.

  “…take her into the swamp and dump her,” a woman was saying. “Make sure no one finds the body. You can do whatever you want with the other one.”

  “Now wait just a minute,” Earl Cantrell drawled. “We didn’t sign up for no murder.”

  There was a slight hesitation, and then the woman said, “Does this ease your conscience?”

  Earl whistled. “Yes, ma’am, it surely does. But this here transaction will have to be between you and me. Don’t say nuthin’ to the boy. Danny wouldn’t go for it.”

  “You can tell your nephew whatever you like. Just make that woman go way, permanently. Understand?”

  “Oh, I understand all right.”

  “Good. Are they both still out.”

  “Won’t come to for hours.”

  “What about Ethan Gold? He didn’t see you, did he?”

  “He didn’t see nuthin’. He never even knew what hit him.”

  “Wonderful. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to see them.”

  “Help yourself.”

  Cassie scurried across the room and lay down on the bed. When the door opened, she closed her eyes and held her breath. There was no sound for several long seconds, then she heard someone walk across the room. When the footsteps moved away from her, she opened her eyes and watched through her lashes.

  A tiny woman stood over the other bed, staring down at Celeste. Then she bent, picked up Celeste’s limp hand, and viciously removed the huge ring that glittered on her left hand. She held the diamond in her palm for a moment before squeezing her fist around it. Then turning, she exited the room without looking back.

  The moment the door clicked shut, Cassie was on her feet. She hurried over to Celeste and shook her shoulders again, this time not so gently. “Celeste, wake up! We have to get out of here!”

  Celeste moaned.

  “That’s it! Come on. You can do it. Just open your eyes.”

  But no matter how much she urged or how hard she shook her, Cassie couldn’t rouse her cousin. But at least she now knew that Celeste was alive. And the Boudreauxs did not go down without a fight.

  Making her way over to the window, Cassie glanced out. Moonlight glistened on water, and she could see a boat tied up at the end of a small, wooden dock. She knew where they were. Minnie Cantrell’s place. Right smack in the middle of a swamp. Which meant an escape could include gators and cotton-mouths.

  Cassie shivered. She’d always hated coming out here with Danny. The house was old and creaky, and the air always smelled of the swamp. Of dark places and darker secrets. But at least she’d pinpointed their location, and even though Cassie wasn’t exactly in her element, she could navigate her way out of the swamp if she had to.

  She tried to open the window, but the sash wouldn’t budge. It had either been nailed or painted shut, and Cassie doubted she could get it open without a crowbar. That left breaking the windows—

  Someone was coming. Cassie rushed back to the bed and stretched out just as Earl Cantrell came in. He walked straight over to Celeste, picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. When he turned back to the door, Cassie grabbed the only weapon she could find—a ceramic lamp on the bedside table—and swung it against his skull as hard as she could.

  But that damned Cantrell sixth sense must have warned him of the danger because he moved at exactly the right moment, and the lamp only struck a glancing below. He whirled, and Cassie wasn’t so lucky. His fist caught her underneath the chin, and she went down without a sound.

  WHEN CASSIE CAME TO, the dizziness was back. Tentatively, she touched her chin. They must have drugged her again, because she felt no pain. Nor could she do much more than lift herself on her elbows to glance around. She was lying on the same bed as before, but instead of her pajamas, she was now wearing a wedding dress. Her wedding dress.

  The blood iced in her veins as she took in the yards and yards of tulle billowing around her. She thought she must be in the middle of a nightmare, but then Minnie Cantrell came over and peered down at her. “You’re awake, are you?” She turned and said over her shoulder, “You boys get over here and help her to her feet.”

  Two more Cantrells appeared and took Cassie’s arms. One on each side, they lifted her to her feet, then hauled her toward the door. Cassie wanted to resist, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t seem to make her arms and legs move on her own, and her tongue was so thick she could do little more than groan.

  They half carried, half dragged her down the long, narrow corridor to the front of the house. When they appeared in the doorway to the living room, the wedding march began to play.

  Cassie glanced around. The room was full of Cantrells. Cousins. Aunts and uncles. All of them dressed in their Sunday finest and staring at her expectantly.

  Oh, my God, Cassie thought in horror. They’re here for a wedding.

  Hers.

  And Danny’s.

  He stood at the front of the room underneath an archway of flowers, waiting for her. He nodded, and the two cousins brought her forward.

  This couldn’t be happening. He didn’t actually expect her to marry him, did he? He couldn’t force her into matrimony, could it?

  But that was exactly what he planned to do.

  When Cassie was brought to his side, he put his arm around her waist to support her. The two cousins melted away.

  The man officiating gave her a strange look. “Miss? Are you okay?”

  No, I’m not okay. You have to help me.

  Cassie opened her mouth, but to her horror, nothing came out.

  “She’s feeling a little under the weather,” Danny explained. He squeezed her waist. “We did a little too much celebrating last night, didn’t we, darlin’?” He gave the justice of the peace a wink.

  “Are you sure she’s well enough to continue? Maybe you should postpone—”

  “There’s not going to be any postponement,” Danny said. “Not this time. I’ve been waiting long enough, so just get on with it. These folks came here expecting a wedding, and that’s what they’re going to get.”

  “If that’s what you want.” The man cleared his throat and began in a solemn tone, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here—”

  “Just get to the good part,” Danny cut in.

  The justice of the peace looked slightly taken aback by the whole proceeding, but the Cantrells’ reputation preceded them. Cassie could just imagine what must be going through the poor man’s head. He had a family and a reputation to uphold. He was a pillar in the community and might even have a future in politics ahead of him, but all that could be taken away by one of Minnie Cantrell’s hexes. “If anyone objects, stand up now or forever hold your peace—”

  The front door burst open, and all heads turned. A few of the women even gasped. Jack stood poised in the doorway, weapon drawn, eyes blazing with fury.

  Cassie’s knees threatened to collapse, and not just from the effects of the drug.

  “I object,” he said.

  Get him out of here!” Danny screamed. But when a couple of the men started toward Jack, he cocked his gun and they backed off, holding their hands in the air.

  “Everyone, just stay right where you are.” He glanced at Cassie, and the look in his eyes made her heart beat even harder. “Are you all right?” />
  She nodded.

  “Can you walk on your own?”

  When she didn’t answer, Jack said to Danny, “Bring her to me.”

  “Like hell—”

  “Kidnapping is a federal offense. The FBI’s been called, and in the meantime, the local boys are on their way out here. If you don’t want to make it any worse on yourself than it already is, just let us walk out of here right now.”

  His words seemed to have an effect, or maybe it was the gun. Whatever the reason, Danny walked Cassie back down the aisle to Jack. “You’re welcome to her,” he muttered. “Bitch is more trouble than she’s worth.”

  Outside, Cassie stumbled, and Jack caught her up in his arms. She clutched his shirt front. “Celeste…” she managed to croak. “Swamp…”

  “Celeste is fine. We found her in time.”

  “Mrs. Ambrose…Pritchard…”

  “Aka Margo Fleming,” Jack said. “She used to be Evelyn Ambrose when she was married to her first husband. She changed it when she married Fleming.”

  In the car, Cassie collapsed against the door.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Jack asked anxiously.

  Cassie nodded. “Thanks,” she whispered.

  “Any time.” His gaze flicked over. “Nice dress, by the way.”

  JACK WANTED to take her to the hospital, but Cassie, who was feeling stronger by the minute, insisted on going to city hall where Celeste had gone to give her statement.

  The moment Cassie walked through the door, her cousin jumped up and ran over to her. “Thank God, you’re okay! I’ve been so worried about you!” Then she threw her arms around Cassie’s neck, and Cassie was so surprised by the action that she didn’t say anything at first.

  Then, when Celeste pulled away, she murmured, “I’m glad you’re okay, too.”