a Touch of TNT (An Everly Gray Adventure)

by Charles, L. j.

  Adam and Annie stared at me with identical impatient expressions. Finally Adam prodded, “And the pictures?”

  I reached for Mitch. He grabbed my wrist and placed my hand on the arm of the chair, then rested his palm against my thigh.

  “The pictures, El.” Adam said, blowing out a sigh. “It’s been a long day.”

  I nodded. “They were photos of Marcy Blaine and, I think, Danielle Chambers…engaged in…adult activities.”

  “Interesting turn of events.” Annie sandwiched a slice of cheese between two crackers and took a bite. “I thought Marcy was hot and heavy with Justin North. Or did I miss something since your B and E at Danielle Chamber’s house?”

  I shot her a look. “No B, just E. And apparently we all missed something. She’s definitely hot and heavy with Danielle, too.”

  Adam paced around the deck, stopped in front of my chair. “You’re telling me I’m in the middle of two homicides, and now I have to wade through the sexual proclivities of Marcy Blaine in order to find the killer? Well, shit.”

  “Um-hmm. And speaking of Marcy, where was she last night? And is Merlin okay?”

  He clammed up and dropped back in his chair.

  I slid forward in mine. “Hey. Don’t think you can pull that I-can’t-talk-about-an-active-case stuff. Not now. Not when it’s because of me that you know anything about Marcy’s break-in. The chief put me on this case, Adam. I’m part of it.”

  He was quiet for a minute, narrowed his eyes at me, then opened his mouth but no words came out.

  Annie nudged his foot. “She has a point.”

  He sighed, looked at Mitch, and some man-thing passed between them.

  “Huh,” he shrugged. “Not much to tell. I put out a BOLO on her license, and the uniform following Terri North caught it. Blaine and Mrs. North were having dinner together at the Cardinal Club.”

  “What?” I said, uncrossing my legs and sliding back into my chair. “Terri—” I clamped my mouth shut. That was client information. Confidential. Client information.

  “Talk.” Adam pointed a finger at me.

  How could I wriggle out of this one? “I think it’s possible Terri North knows about Marcy’s affair with Justin and has taken…steps to make sure it ends.”

  “Not possible,” Adam shot back, shaking his head. “The Mrs. has been under surveillance since North became ‘a person of interest’ in Jacobson’s murder.”

  “And?” I bristled. Mitch pressed his hand against my thigh, tapped his fingers. I took a deep breath.

  “And we would know,” Adam said. “Women act psycho when their husbands cheat.”

  No kidding. At a loss for words, I gave Annie a palms up. “Adam, uh, I think El has a point here. If she says Terri North is onto Marcy and Justin’s affair, she probably is.”

  Adam’s eyes darted back and forth between Annie and me. “And how, exactly, would you know that?”

  “They know because they’re women,” Mitch cut in. “If a man cheated on Jayne, she’d find a way to shred him and no one would be the wiser.”

  “You’re talking about your sister?” Adam’s eyebrows shot up.

  Mitch nodded. “She’s female and tough.” He shrugged. “The same principles apply.”

  My mouth gaped. “I didn’t think you knew that about Jayne.”

  He followed the zipper down the back of my dress with his fingertip. “I know. Difference is, Jayne has a conscience.”

  Adam scooted to the edge of his chair, all cop. “What makes you think Terri North doesn’t have a conscience?”

  “Watching El and Annie talk about her. Their expressions told me.”

  “Ah,” Adam sighed, collapsing back in his chair. “The photographer gig.”

  Mitch topped off his wine. “The government hires me for a reason you know.”

  “Yeah,” Adam said. He hit his fist against the arm of the chair. “I know, but I can’t make an arrest on psychic vibes.”

  I choked on a swallow of wine. “Come on Adam, this is what you do best. Put all the stuff we come up with into police-speak.”

  He frowned. “You got anything else?”

  “Yes. Today at The Barton Group office, North acted like he didn’t know about the explosion. Didn’t you question him?”

  “Yes,” Adam said carefully. “Why?”

  “He said nothing about me being there or my car blowing up.”

  “We kept your name out of it.”

  “How could you do that? People saw me. Firemen, paramedics…Pierce.” I felt Mitch tense when I mentioned Pierce, started to reach for him only to find his wineglass blocking my attempt. This touching thing had to be fixed. Soon.

  “As of now you haven’t been identified, and I plan to keep it that way.” He bent to kiss the top of Annie’s head.

  “Hold it.” I wasn’t about to let him off the hook. “You haven’t said how Shauna Blaine died.”

  “Camping accident. In the mountains. By herself. Dead of winter. Dumb thing to do.”

  My mind twiddled with that info. “That’s it? Why was she there by herself?”

  “Marcy Blaine didn’t know. College kids. They do stuff.” He checked his watch again. “Gotta go. Thanks for the food and wine, sis.”

  At the top of the stairs he turned around and pulled the letter I’d given him out of his pocket. “Almost forgot this. No answers yet,” he said handing it to me, then jabbed a finger in my direction. “I want to know what you’re up to.”

  His lips twitched. Almost a smile. “Merlin is safe at home with Marcy.”

  I grinned. “Thanks.”

  “You got attached to the little guy, didn’t you?”

  I lifted a shoulder, let it drop. “He’s pretty cute.”

  Adam’s chuckle floated back as he disappeared down the stairs.

  I handed the letter to Annie. “I’d like you and Pierce to take a look at this. It’s been on my mother’s desk for years. There’s some numbers inside, probably a code for something…”

  She nodded and tucked it in her pocket. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  I stood to help her clear the table. “Sit.” She pointed at my chair. “Is Marcy lesbian?”

  I balanced on the edge of the chair. “If those pictures are accurate, yeah, she is. Or she could be bi.”

  “And North’s reaction?”

  “Shock. He hasn’t confronted her yet. Ka—my client said North received the package of photos shortly after negotiations started this morning.”

  Annie’s eyes held a wicked gleam. “I think I’ll be doing some secret agent stuff this evening.”

  TWENTY-FOUR

  The wicked grin that accompanied Annie’s announcement to go on a sleuthing expedition sent a flash of anticipation up my spine. Or maybe it was dark and dangerous heat pouring from Mitch.

  But since I couldn’t touch him… “Want some company?” I asked her.

  “Not hardly. Both North and Blaine know you by sight. Besides, you have better things to do tonight.”

  “Not when I can’t—”

  “Let’s go, Sunshine. Let Annie get to work.” Mitch shifted, impatience threading through his words. Probably unrequited lust, definitely something I could relate to.

  We arranged to meet with Annie for breakfast (so my curiosity wouldn’t explode overnight), then Mitch and I made our way home. Interesting. Merging Mitch and home in the same thought.

  He played with my zipper for the short walk, and when we got in the door he pinned my wrists against the wall, slid his knee along the inside of my thigh and pressed against me. He teased and played with my lips and tongue until I was fighting to free my hands. “I can’t—”

  “Yes—” he whispered against my lips— “you can.” He backed away from me and released one wrist. The other he held tightly as he led me to the bedroom.

  Obviously, he’d been in here before I got home. It was impossible to miss the two silk scarves tied to the headboard. Purple. My heart started to race. Surely he wasn’t think
ing—

  He tugged me to a wall and planted my palms flat against the surface. “Don’t move your hands, Sunshine,” he said against my neck. “You can’t touch me.”

  He hands circled my waist, released the clasp on my belt and let it drop to the floor, then he stepped back and reached for the tab on the zipper. He took his sweet time, pausing between each notch. Heat pooled in my belly and slowly moved south.

  “Patience, Sunshine,” he whispered.

  I turned to meet his lips, and he pulled back.

  “Don’t move your hands.”

  I planted them back on the wall. “I want—”

  “Me too.” He eased my dress and panties over my hips, bent and lifted each foot in turn to free the fabric, then slid his hand up my leg.

  “Tidiness counts,” he said, his breathing ragged as he stepped away to drape my clothes over a chair.

  I contemplated murder and turned around to tell him so. Stopped dead in my tracks. He was naked. All beautiful, aroused male. I took a step toward him, but he held up a hand to stop me. “No touching.” He grabbed my wrists in one hand and backed me toward the bed.

  I tried to pull free, but the edge of the bed hit my knees and I sank down, landing hard on the soft down comforter. The silkiness of the fabric whispered against my thighs. A wave of breath stealing need exploded deep in the core of my body.

  “Lie down.” Mitch pushed against my wrists to help me settle, swung my legs onto the bed, and stepped back.

  I reached for him and he shook his head. “Not yet. It isn’t safe.” He secured my right wrist to the head of the bed, the silk snug against my skin. I tugged at the binding, and a rush of panic flashed through me, but passed when I saw the heat and love in his eyes. He snagged my other wrist and secured it.

  “Now,” he whispered.

  “Shoes,” I breathed between kisses.

  “They stay.” He reached for a condom.

  Several hours later I woke from a restless sleep to find my hands free, my feet bare, and Mitch gone. I eased out of bed, finding I was sore in unexpected places. It had been strenuous sex. Excellent sex. I licked my lips and could still taste Mitch. My heart squeezed with pleasure.

  Mitch’s duffle was on the floor in the corner, so he hadn’t slipped out without saying goodbye. I shrugged into my robe and padded down the hall to the guest room. The door was firmly closed, and a sign written in purple marker was taped to the wood. No Touching.

  It left me little choice but to go back to bed. Alone. He was right to stay in the guest room. But that didn’t mean I liked it, and our dilemma kept me tossing and turning most of the night. By morning I’d reached a decision and stepped into the shower with a smile on my face.

  Mitch was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee by the time I strolled into the kitchen. A slow smile curved his lips. “Good Morning, Sunshine. Coffee?”

  “Um,” I answered bending to kiss him. I kept my hands clasped behind my back as I nuzzled his neck and breathed in the faint scent of Black on Black. “Coffee sounds good.” I poured a cup, sat across from him and took a sip of the rich, cinnamon laced drink. It tasted right on my tongue, which meant I’d healed from the Coffee Time episode. Yeah, me.

  He hadn’t stopped looking at me. It was a little unnerving.

  “What is it?” I barely whispered. Fear raced through my body.

  He leaned across the table, brought his lips to rest gently against mine, then cradled my cheek in his hand. “I love you, El.”

  My heart stuttered in my chest. Loved me? I’d somehow forgotten to breathe and sucked in a lungful of air. He’d never said it before. We’d never said it. I went to reach for him, stopped myself, and my stomach bottomed out. Too many emotions in too short a time—passion, fear, joy, love, and suddenly—anger.

  “Now you tell me.” I scraped my chair back and stood. “Now. When I can’t touch you. Can’t make love to you. Can’t do anything involving hands.”

  He grinned showing off his dimple and rocked back in his chair. “Guess you love me, too.”

  “Yeah.” I fumbled for my coffee cup, closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. “I do love you. And there’s something else. I’ve decided to go for the security clearance.”

  He raised an eyebrow. I love it when he raises a single eyebrow. Makes my heart go pitter-pat.

  “There’s no rush,” he said. “I rather enjoyed the hands-free experiment last night.”

  I shook my head. “Yes, but no. I need to be able to touch you. We can’t have secrets, Mitch. Not from each other. Not if—”

  He rested his hand against the back of mine. “I know. Are you sure about this?”

  “I am.” I stepped to the sink to rinse my mug. “I’ve thought about it a long time. I am sure.”

  “Hands on the counter,” he said as he closed the distance between us, bent to kiss me. “Want me to look into it?”

  “No.” I shook my head and waved my hands around. I’d had enough of the hands-on-the-counter routine. “I want to do this myself. I’m not sure how, but if I need help, I’ll ask.”

  “Okay, Sunshine.” He held the kitchen door for me. “Let’s go see what kind of trouble Annie got into last night.”

  The scent of fresh blueberry muffins drifted from her open kitchen door. She’d set the outside table, so I waved to her through the door, then Mitch and I sat down. Glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice were at each of the place settings, and her coffee press sat in the center of the table. Cinnamon. I could smell it just under the fresh-baked scent of the muffins.

  “Morning,” Annie said, pushing through the screen door with mugs and a basket of muffins.

  “How’d it go?” I reached for a muffin.

  “Interesting.” She glanced between Mitch and me, then grinned, a knowing gleam sparkling in her eyes. “Guess your evening was interesting, too.”

  Surely it couldn’t be that obvious. I checked my reflection in her kitchen window. Okay. It was obvious. I ran my fingers over the razor burn on my chin. I definitely should have tamed my hair with a clip—and it would probably be good to stop grinning. And maybe use some cover-up on my chin.

  Mitch snatched a muffin from the plate, peeled the paper away, and broke off a bite.

  “Good thing I made a double batch.” Annie grinned, tucking her hair behind her ear. It stayed. I waved my hands at her. “Talk.”

  She sat and pulled her legs up under her yoga style. “I got to Moore Square about five minutes before North strolled out. He had a grip on his briefcase that sent off a clear signal to any would-be thief that it was worth stealing.” She shrugged and took a sip of coffee. “Almost made me feel sorry for him.”

  My mouth was full of muffin, so I made a come-on gesture to keep her talking.

  “I followed him to a coffee shop on the North Side. He parked in the back, away from pedestrian traffic.” She stopped talking, and her brow wrinkled. “It was actually a good choice for a meet. A good mix of public and private. Marcy Blaine’s arrival was a bit more dramatic. She skidded to a stop and confronted him with the finesse of a fishwife—hands on hips and mouth going.”

  “Could you hear her?” I interrupted.

  “Nope.”

  Mitch started to laugh. “Stop giving her a hard time, Annie. She’s about to explode over here.”

  She was definitely having fun with me. I could tell by the uncontained grin that made her laugh lines all crinkly. “Okay.” She winked at Mitch. “After I confirmed the meet, I strolled into the coffee shop, headed for the restroom and then right out the back door. I hunkered down in a deep shadow behind the dumpster to watch the fireworks.”

  “And?” I practically jumped out of my chair. It was so much easier when I played secret agent than to wait for someone else to tell me about it.

  “And…North laid into her. Showed her the photos. She did the denial thing. He slapped her hard enough to shut her up and took off.”

  “He hit her?” Mitch asked, his voice rough.

  A
nnie nodded. “Yeah. Made her mad. She paced around for a few minutes in full vent before she took off.”

  I sat back in my chair and shot Annie a squinty-eyed look. “And?”

  “And then I followed her to Danielle Chamber’s apartment. She parked a few blocks down, snuck in through the back. I got a few good photos for Adam.” She snatched a muffin out of the basket.

  “So we know there’s a definite connection between Danielle and Marcy, that North wasn’t aware of it, and he wasn’t at all happy about it.” I poured a glass of orange juice.

  Annie nodded. “We also know that Shauna Blaine and Jerry Applegate were lovers, she died in a camping accident during their senior year at Calverton, Applegate was an explosive expert in the military and that you—” she pointed at me— “saw him blowing up North Construction projects.”

  I took a long swallow of orange juice while my mind played with the info. “Danielle works with Justin North. Wonder how that fits?”

  “He’s probably not too happy with her right now, not after seeing those photos.” Mitch took the glass of orange juice out of my hand and gulped it down.

  “True,” Annie agreed.

  My body did one of those creepy involuntary shudders, and Mitch raised an eyebrow at me. “I was thinking,” I said in response to the eyebrow thing.

  He slid his arm around my shoulder. “About?”

  “Applegate’s apartment. Adam brought me there to touch things, but I couldn’t. It was too creepy.”

  “Keep talking,” Mitch said, eyes frosty.

  “It was fine.” I shook my head. “It’s just that Applegate didn’t love Shauna, he was obsessed with her. He had pictures all over. You know, like you see in horror movies? Very creepy.”

  Annie untangled her legs and slid forward in her chair. “Where are you going with this?”

  “I think there’s something about the accident that killed her, something we’re missing. How did she die?”

  Annie looked right at me. “She froze to death. Freak storm. Sudden. No one could have done anything.”