Chasing Eve

by K. J. Dahlen

  Eve walked over to the cave wall and sat down with her back against the cold rock. She watched as Chase unsaddled Beau and began rubbing him down. He kept talking to the animal in a low voice as he rubbed his coat. He lifted all four feet to check for rocks or any other irritants caught in his hooves. When he was done, he led the horse to an area blanketed with a layer of old hay.

  When he came over to where Eve was sitting, he was rubbing his hands together to get them warm again. “I can get a small fire going but there isn’t much wood here anymore. There might be more in one of the other rooms in the cave. There might even be some supplies but probably not much. I guess I need to stock this place up for the next time I need it.”

  Eve nodded. “I’m sure once this place gets warm, it will be enough to stay that way. Hopefully long enough. We can’t stay here forever.”

  “No we can’t. We have to face the Trainers soon or later.”

  “I know.” She shivered with fear and the cold.

  “But before we can do that we have to be able to clear your name.”

  “And we can’t do that until I remember what happened in that alley. I need to remember what events led up to me trailing Ian into that alley. I need to remember who I really am.”

  “Yeah, all of that is what we need,” Then he shrugged. “It may not be what we get, but it’s what we need.” Slapping his thighs he said, “I’ll get that fire going.”

  Eve watched him set up the fire and lit it. The scent of wood burning spread through her and for some reason it comforted her. She didn’t understand why but for some reason it did. She’d never smelled this scent before except for the last few days but now it gave her comfort. She glanced over at the man himself and thought maybe it was Chase that gave her comfort.

  She looked away for a moment but couldn’t keep her eyes off him for long. Watching him carefully, she noted his long lean form reaching and bending. She might not remember her whole past but she did remember that no other man had ever made her feel this way before.

  Closing her eyes, she leaned back against the rock wall. Tears slid down her cheeks as she thought about Ian. She wanted to remember him, she needed to know who he was to her. Had he really dragged her away from the confrontation with Caleb that night? If so why? Was he her boyfriend at the time or even later? Why couldn’t she remember? He was important to her, she remembered that much but why was he important to her? And why couldn’t she remember what led up to her following him into that alley?

  She really wanted to remember that night. She felt this sense of urgency revolving around what she heard back there. She had this feeling of dread coming closer as more time passed. There was something big in the shadows and she just couldn’t remember what it was— time was running out.

  “Hey.” Chase nudged her knee. “Don’t worry about it. Remember what I said before, the harder you try the more it’s not going to come.”

  Eve wanted to scream. “But how do I not think about it? How do I not try to push myself to remember what happened?”

  Chase just stared at her face for a moment then shrugged. “I don’t know but pushing yourself doesn’t seem to be working for you. Maybe try thinking about something else?”

  She snorted as an image of the two of them in an intimate position flashed in her head. It was gone as soon as it was there but still her body heated up quickly. “I don’t think you want that either.”

  “Why not?” He had to ask.

  She just shook her head. Eve doubted he would want to hear that she wanted his body. She felt panties getting wet just thinking about it.

  ~*~

  Chase had seen the flash of intense desire in her eyes and he wanted to explore that aspect. He really wanted to know if she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Could that be possible? He didn’t know but oh, he wanted too. “What were you thinking of just then?” he asked.

  Eve blushed. “Nothing, it was nothing.”

  “Why don’t I believe you?’ he asked softly. His heart was pounding in his chest but he wanted to see what she would do if he pushed her a little. He leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers.

  When she didn’t back away from him, he leaned closer yet. Then his lips pressed down on hers and she leaned into him. Chase wrapped his arms around her and brought her closer to him. Even through their clothing, he could feel her heat.

  He broke the kiss. “We’re wearing too many clothes right now,” he whispered as he nibbled on her neck.

  Eve groaned and tried to pull away.

  He wouldn’t let her go. “No don’t deny us this,” he whispered. “Please don’t deny us this.”

  “What makes you think I want this?” she whispered, as she locked gazes with him.

  “Your eyes tell me you want this as much as I do.” He nibbled on her ear lobe. “And I don’t think your eyes are lying. You may not know what you want but your eyes do. And I think your body does as well.”

  “This could be wrong in so many ways, but yes I want you,” she admitted. “I want you so bad, I can hardly stand it.”

  “Then how can it be wrong?”

  “I don’t even know who I am,” she cried out softly. “I don’t know why my friend Ian died and I don’t know who is after me. There are so many things I don’t know that I don’t know if I can trust myself.”

  Chase’s hands came up around her face. Looking deep into her eyes, he asked her one question, “Do you want me? That’s all I need to know right this minute. That’s really all that matters. Do you want me?”

  Eve shuddered with want. Before she could change her mind she whispered, “Yes, yes I want you. I want to feel you skin to skin. I want your touches, your lips kissing mine. I want to feel you deep inside me.” She closed her eyes. “God have mercy, yes I want you.”

  “Then you will have me.” He took her mouth again. This time, the kiss was hard and hot. He slipped her jacket off and shrugged out of his own. Laying them down on the floor of the cave together, he pressed her down on top of them. Then he moved to cover her body with his own.

  She groaned when she felt his hard cock pressing into the cradle of her pelvis. Even through two pair of jeans, she could feel it. It was long and very hard and she lifted her hips to rub her body against his. She could hardly wait to feel it inside her. His lips slipped down to lick and suck her neck and he found her trigger spot.

  It was at the base of her neck just above the artery that carried her life’s blood through her body. Eve moaned as she reached for the buttons on his shirt. When she’d undone several of them she, slipped her hand to touch his bare skin. It was warm and satiny to her touch.

  His chest hair was soft and silky and she reveled in the texture of it.

  Chase ripped away for her just long enough to rid her of her clothing. Stripping off his own shirt, he paused long enough for her to touch him. He allowed her to touch him as long as it took his to strip off his pants and boots. Then he pulled her hands away from his body and pinned them to the floor beside her head with his own hands. “I can’t wait anymore,” he warned her. “I need to be inside you right this moment.”

  “Yes,” she begged him. “Please.”

  Chapter Seven

  Chase surged deep inside her. She was so wet he met no resistance as he pushed his cock into her willing body. He wasn’t a small man in any way and he should have taken care not to hurt her, but he found she fit him so well. She was tight and he reveled in the snug feeling. Her pussy felt like a sweet velvet glove as he slipped in and out of her body. He groaned as he felt her muscles contract and loosen.

  He snapped his hips a little harder and drove himself deeper into her body and Eve groaned with pleasure. Each stroke sent her into more of a wild frenzy higher and higher until she screamed his name as she exploded into a thousand pieces. Chase followed her over the edge and grunted as he rammed into her one more time.

  His hot cum coated her insides as her walls tightened and held him snugly. Sweat beaded on his forehead and splashe
d down on her neck. He lifted his upper torso off her body and glanced down at her. “Damn woman, what did you do to me?” he asked her weakly.

  “What do you mean what did I do to you? What did you do to me?” she moaned. “Wow, I can’t move. You wore me out.”

  “Yeah, well you drained me.” He groaned as he tried to move to her side. Laying his head on her shoulder, he growled. “You deserved better than this.”

  Eve stiffened. “Better than what?” she questioned softly.

  “Better than making love on a dirty floor of a cave.”

  She turned her head and smiled. “I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I couldn’t stop what happened here anymore than you could. This is all I’ve been thinking about since I woke up in your bedroom two days ago. I think we both needed this, or at least I did.”

  Chase kissed her bare shoulder. “I needed this too.” Laying on his back, he groaned again. “I’m getting too old for this. I need a bed and a pillow.”

  Eve chuckled and rolled over to lay on his shoulder. “That would be nice I have to agree with you there, but at least here we’ll be safe for a while.”

  “I hope so.” Looking around the cavern he said, “We can explore the rest of the caverns tomorrow. We didn’t bring enough supplies with us for very long. But for now, I think I can at least find us a blanket. If I remember correctly, I left one here a while back.”

  “Hopefully, we won’t need to be here long,” she added. “Just long enough to get my memory back.”

  Chase got up, put his pants back on, and disappeared into the next room. He was smiling when he returned with a pillow and a blanket. He snapped the blanket a few time to get rid of the dust and when he went to cover them both, the blanket reeked a bit of mildew but at least they were warm.

  Eve snuggled into his embrace and closed her eyes.

  Chase watched her sleep for a while before he too, fell asleep.

  The fire was almost out when she began dreaming again. Rather than allow her to fall prey to her nightmare, Chase unbuttoned his jeans and pushing them down his hips he began kissing her awake.

  She was only wearing her shirt, so he didn’t have much clothing to remove and before either of them could say anything, his cock found her core again. Heat between them rose as he moved to cover her body with his.

  He covered her mouth with his own as he pushed deep inside her. She groaned and grew wet as he began the age old rhythm of making love. This time they were both quiet except for a few noises they couldn’t control.

  Chase licked and sucked on her neck then dropped down and began sucking and nibbling on her nipples as his hips moved in and out of her wet warm core. The scent of their love making covered them as he drove his cock into her harder and faster.

  Eve seemed to revel in his powerful strokes her climax slamming into her. Her scream was smothered when Chase crushed her lips with his swallowing her cries. He rammed in deeper one, two, three more times before he held himself still and followed her over the edge. His climax stole his breath away for the second time.

  He looked down at her and realized something. He was falling for her and he didn’t even know her real name or who she was. Then he realized something else, with their lives on the line that stuff didn’t matter. He’d been watching her carefully the past few days and he knew she was a good person.

  He might not know her name or what she did for a living but he’d bet his ranch she wasn’t involved in the drug trade. She was too honest a woman for that. He couldn’t let Grayson or Travis catch her and hurt her in any way.

  Pushing himself off her, he settled at her side again. He looked into her eyes and chuckled. She wore a glazed expression of satisfaction. He couldn’t help but be proud of that expression. “Are you ok?” he whispered in her ear.

  “Yeah, I think so,” she whispered back. Turning her head, she smiled. “Thank you, that was wonderful.”

  Chase chuckled softly. “Go back to sleep. It’s not even close to time to get up yet.”

  She smiled and snuggled back into his arms. Before she closed her eyes she spread tiny kisses on his shoulder and chest area as far as she could reach then she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

  Chase laid there and smiled. Yes, he would protect this tiny woman and if she let him, he would do it for the rest of their lives. His determination to keep her and protect her almost glowed as a solid energy in the darkness surrounding them. Grayson and Travis wouldn’t get their dirty hands on his woman. Not in this lifetime.

  ~*~

  When Chase opened his eyes again, he found himself alone. Looking around the cavern, he found her sitting against the wall wrapped up in the extra blanket he’d found last night.

  He could see she’d been crying. Her head was resting sideways on her knees and she was staring into the room but he could tell her mind was far away.

  “Would you like to know what I remembered last night after we fell asleep the second time?” she whispered. “I remembered a lot more, my name is Evelyn Carlyle.” She paused to give him a sad smile.

  Chase felt stunned at this revelation.

  “Yes, you were close. Only I go by Evelyn.” She sniffled as a smile broke through her tears. “You shoulda been a cop, Chase. Or that was the luckiest guess I ever heard of.”

  He grinned despite the situation. “I did get lucky, even if you don’t think so.”

  Her expression changed to one of sadness again. “I’m pretty sure Ian is, uh—was my brother. My foster brother. His family took me in when I was four years old after my parents died in a car crash. I remember the name Nick, and I remember there was a lot of money and drugs involved, but I can’t remember why. Ian was all the family I had left. His parents died about five years ago in a car crash. They were hit by a drunk driver. I worked at a local restaurant as a hostess, under the name Bethany Morgan. That’s probably where Grayson got that name.”

  “Whoa, back up a minute…” Chase was confused. “What do you mean you worked under the name Bethany Morgan?”

  Eve turned her head toward him and smiled. “I am beginning to remember my past. I work as an undercover DEA agent, a member of a task force put together in Minneapolis to track the route of a very popular, very new-on-the-market, designer drug called Gentle Breezes.”

  Chase wasn’t shocked but he was a little surprised. He knew designer drugs were common in the big city, but he also knew they were increasingly more common in rural areas too. The drug trade affected everyone. “And you found those drugs here, in our small community?”

  “We, Ian and I, discovered that Coven Glade was a distribution point. The drugs are brought in from Canada, via the Great Lakes by boats then transported by smaller boats through various rivers to this area. They are then cut with a viable agent and repackaged, then sent out from a warehouse in Coven Glade. We managed to identify at least four couriers and a couple of runners, but we haven’t put a name to the big boss yet.”

  Chase leaned back with a thud. “Was Ian a cop as well?”

  Eve touched the wound on her forehead before answering, “Yes, we were both DEA agents. He’s actually the one who got me into the DEA. He’s a little older than I am and he wanted to watch over me. His undercover assignment was working as a counselor in a group home. He was really making a difference with those kids. I think one of the kids he was working with might be the Nick I remembered earlier.”

  “But if you remember all of this, why can’t you remember the rest of what happened? If what you’re telling me is going on around here, then it needs to be stopped. They need to be stopped. You need to stop them. That’s your job. Besides, after what happened to your foster brother, you can’t let Travis get away with murder.”

  Eve nodded. “I need a safe place to contact my superiors. By now, I’m sure they know that Ian is dead and they must suspect the mission may be compromised. I want to catch both Trainer brothers and the man in the shadows before they have a chance to move in and before the dealers go underground. We�
��ll never catch up with them again, if they do that. They’ll move to a different town and start up the business all over again. It took eighteen months of surveillance to find Coven Glade. We almost had them before this happened.” Shaking her head she added, “I still need to see the face of the third man in that alley. He’s the one in charge of this operation. He’s the one we need to identify and take into custody.”

  Chase let all of this soak in as he shook his head.

  “I really need to make that phone call now. The number that flashed in my head is to my boss. I know that now.”

  He sat up and nodded. “The only thing is the Trainer brothers might be watching the bar. They know or at least they should know, it’s the only public phone in the area.”

  “It can’t be helped. I need to call my boss. He needs the information Ian and I were able to gather before he died. I remembered what the third man told Travis that night. He said the biggest shipment they ever handled was coming in four days. That’s less than a day away now. If we move fast, we can intercept the shipment and get it off the streets. We can’t allow that shipment to get through. We have to stop it.”

  “I know you do Eve,” Chase agreed with her using his name for her.

  “One of the reasons I became a DEA agent was because I didn’t want anyone else falling through the cracks like Faith had. I wanted to make a difference in someone else’s life. I know I can’t stop the drug trade but I can stop this tiny little piece of it. I can and will put the men behind bars who shot Ian.

  “The drug syndicate cost me a best friend and now my brother. I know I can’t stop it alone, but I have to try put a dent in it.”

  “Okay,” Chase agreed as he pushed his fingers through his hair. “Give me a minute to come up with a plan. We can’t just walk up to the bar. It could be a trap.”

  “Could we go back to the cabin and maybe use the radio to get our message to my boss?” Eve asked.