ToServeAndProtect

by KyAnn Waters

  “You think they’re screwing?”

  Dawn smirked. “Where have you been? She packed thong underwear.”

  “Shit.” Tyson ran his hand over his shaved head. “Dustin hasn’t had a date since Trish left him. You know what that means?”

  “Yep, sappy love so sweet it makes me sick.” She slipped the shirt from her shoulders. “I like my love a little rougher.”

  “Love or sex?” He cupped one breast with his palm.

  Her head fell back. “Don’t talk, Tyson.” The phone rang. “Let it ring,” she said while his mouth moved across her skin. “Maybe it’ll be one of your girlfriends. You should be doing naughty things to me when the machine picks up.” She gently urged him farther down.

  The machine picked up, and Dustin’s detached voice filled the house.

  “Shit.” Tyson scrambled to his feet ran for the phone.

  Chapter Fifteen

  McKenna flipped through the channels in the hotel room. She had never been one for television. Watching now, she wondered how the old woman next door to Roslyn Meadows stood it. Commercials, soap operas, and court mediation shows comprised the daytime lineup.

  An hour ago Dustin had gone to the hotel business office because he needed access to a fax, phone, and to the Internet. He’d asked her to wait in the room with the door locked. “I won’t be long,” he’d said and then left.

  Now standing on the balcony looking at the beach full of families in the hot July sun, she thought, why not? and put on her bikini. Even if the Marino’s discovered she and Dustin had come to LA, it wasn’t as if they knew where they were staying. And what could happen on a crowded beach. Logically, surrounding herself with people was safer than remaining isolated in the hotel room.

  She scratched a note to Dustin on the hotel stationary, giving him a clue as to where he could find her, left the balcony door open, and giggled. Finally, she grabbed a towel from the bathroom, her sunscreen, glasses, one of the pillows from the bed and headed out the door.

  The hotel had an exit leading directly onto the cement walkway that stretched the length of the beach. She laughed when she looked down at the pink flip-flops on her feet, remembering how they’d looked on Dustin. Hot sand fell between her toes. She walked halfway to the water and glanced back at the hotel. The shirt she left hanging from the balcony of their room swayed in the breeze. She hoped it wouldn’t blow away. Satisfied that she’d be in Dustin’s direct line of sight when he looked for her, she laid out the towel, and dropped her supplies.

  McKenna shimmied out of her shorts and lifted off her T-shirt. She fidgeted with the straps of her bikini, then sat on the towel. After she squeezed a big mound of coconut-scented sunscreen into her palm, she liberally smeared it on her body.

  Enjoying the music from a few families down, she pushed her glasses up, settled back against the pillow and cracked the binding of a new paperback she’d picked up in the hotel gift shop. Oh, yeah, this is much better.

  * * * * *

  Dustin waited for the D.M.V to fax him the make and model of Roslyn’s car. Then he flipped through the phone book. Defeat momentarily took the punch out of his excitement. There was no listing for Bradford Moving Company. Information didn’t have a number or record of the business either. He tapped his fingers on the table.

  A hotel employee sat at the counter in case anyone needed assistance with the equipment. The nametag on her lapel said Carrie. “Looks like I’m going to be in here for a while longer,” he said. “Care if I bring a cup of coffee in?” The sign on the door explicitly stated no food or beverages.

  “Ask Rhonda to put it in a cup with a lid, and we won’t tell anyone,” she said, sweetly.

  Dustin returned with a cup for both of them. “Our secret, Carrie.”

  She sighed. “I’m not busy right now. Can I help?”

  The five inch thick telephone book landed hard on the counter. “Normally I wouldn’t ask, but since you’re offering—” He left his pen in the yellow pages at M, for movers. “Start with A,” he said. “Any company that sounds remotely like Bradford’s, highlight.”

  “You mean like it might start with a B and end with D?”

  Dustin nodded. “Exactly.”

  The fax machine buzzed behind Carrie. She retrieved the paper and handed it to Dustin. “Finally.” He read it quickly, then picked up his phone and called Tyson’s cell, disconnecting when the voice mail picked up. He dialed Tyson’s home phone. Great, another machine. A beep followed Tyson’s best attempt at sounding suave. “Tyson, it’s Dustin. You’ll never guess who drives a dark blue Dodge Stratus?”

  “You’ve got perfect timing.” Tyson inhaled deeply and calmed his rampant heart. Any news on the case had his blood pumping. Not to mention the woman in the other room heating his flesh with her touch.

  “Good, you’re home.”

  Either Dustin didn’t hear or didn’t care that there was an irritated edge in Tyson’s sarcastic tone. But he did need to speak with Dustin. “Before you go on, the Marino’s are in LA and Baird is frothing at the mouth. You need to watch your back and get your ass back here.”

  “Understood. Now listen to this,” Dustin continued. “Roslyn Meadows drives a Stratus. Looks like we’ve got another suspect to add to the board.”

  Tyson returned to the living room. He held up a finger to Dawn, mouthed Dustin while keeping the cordless phone pressed to his ear. “Good chance she’s the one who the neighbor saw the night of the murder.” Tyson sat on the couch and patted the place next to him. Dawn arched her back, her naked form causing instant arousal. Then she crawled like a cat across the carpet.

  “I’m going to do a little B and E tonight. See what Roslyn left in her apartment. The lead on the moving van is going to take longer than I thought. Neighbor must have remembered the name wrong.”

  Tyson listened unable to open his mouth to speak. Dawn had her head buried in his lap. He leaned back into the cushions. A moan broke from his lips as she curled her tongue around the crown of his shaft.

  “Are you listening? Tyson, you’re breathing heavy. You didn’t answer the phone while you’re balling Becca? Christ Tyson, this can wait if you can’t.”

  “Becca,” he said. “Ouch!”

  “Who’s Becca?” Dawn asked. “You can’t say another women’s name at a time like this.”

  “Is that Dawn?” Dustin asked.

  “I wasn’t. Becca is Dustin’s neighbor,” Tyson said, grabbing for Dawn before she moved away.

  “Shit, Tyson, you work fast,” Dustin said and then laughed.

  “I think we’ve both lost our heads on this one.”

  “Dustin, who’s Becca?” Dawn hollered while she struggled. Tyson kept her from wiggling away.

  “What a piece of work, this one is,” Tyson said to Dustin. “Lied right to my face again.”

  “Don’t you mean piece of ass and I haven’t lied.” She reached for the phone. “But you obviously have. How many are in your harem?”

  “One night together, and she’s acting like a jealous wife.”

  “You’d know,” Dustin said.

  Dawn grabbed the phone as Tyson caught her around the waist. “I hope you’re taking care of Mickey,” Dawn said as Tyson moved her onto his lap. “So who’s Becca?”

  “Nothing to worry about,” Dustin said without a trace of deception detectable in his voice. “Has a face like a horse, no body.”

  “What was Tyson thinking?” Her laugh was interrupted as Tyson’s hands moved hotly down her body. “Can’t talk,” she said and dropped the phone.

  “Call you back,” Tyson said into the phone but Dustin had already disconnected.

  “Any luck?” Dustin asked Carrie after he hung up.

  “There’re lots of moving companies that begin with B,” she said, looking at the yellow pages. “Bekins, B&B, but nothing that sounds or looks like Bradford’s.” She smiled wide and grabbed the yellow highlighter. “Detective?” she said, beaming a bright smile at him. “Redford Moving an
d Freight.”

  Dustin crossed to the counter and jotted down the number. “You’ve got the right idea.” He picked up the phone and dialed the number. Hopefully they had a truck with Roslyn’s belongings still in holding.

  Carrie closed the phone book at the same time he hung up with the moving company. “Yes! They’re the one.” He stood while still writing on a yellow legal pad. “Thanks for the help,” he said to Carrie. He frowned, looking at his watch. He’d been longer than expected. “Thanks again,” he said as he left and headed back to the room.

  Assuming the room would be dead bolted, he knocked. When McKenna didn’t answer his stomach clenched. Quickly inserting his keycard, he then entered the room.

  “Mickey?” A flash of fear zipped through him. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. “McKenna?” If the Marino’s had been in the room, he figured they’d have the fight of their lives getting McKenna to go quietly.

  He set his papers on the table by the balcony door and saw the note. Where’s Waldo? Look straight toward the sea. Hint: he’s wearing a yellow bikini. Dustin went out onto the balcony and let his eyes slowly scan from the sidewalk toward the water looking for blonde hair and a yellow two-piece. Half way down the sand, he saw her lying on her stomach. Black sunglasses, skin shimmering in the sun, and blonde hair dancing in the breeze.

  Shit, the Marino’s were in town and they had a new lead. Focus should be on the case and not lying on the beach and frolicking in the surf. But stress and worry had McKenna wrapped tight. Instead of tracking down the next lead or scoping out the area for the Marino’s, he changed from the dress shirt he was wearing into the beach print, short-sleeved shirt McKenna had hung from the railing. Long, cargo shorts to cover his scar, a towel from the bathroom, and he was off to join her.

  Stopping at the vending machines, he grabbed two cans of soda and two bags of chips, lunch.

  McKenna became increasingly annoyed as the afternoon progressed. She’d lost her place in the book three times because she kept looking back at the shirt. Distracted with wondering what was keeping Dustin, she gave up and put the book down.

  Straightening her towel, and fluffing her pillow, she flipped onto her belly. Picking the book back up she tried to start the same paragraph for the fourth time. Before she could reach the end of the page, she glanced at the balcony. She sat up and her breath caught. The shirt was gone. She made a shield above her eyes with her hand. First, she looked to make sure the shirt hadn’t simply blown away. Not seeing it, her heart beat a little faster. If Dustin had returned, he’d come looking for her. Quickly, she picked up the book and tried to appear engrossed in the story.

  For a few minutes, she listened intently, not wanting to be caught watching for him. As she was about to turn around, Dustin laid out his towel next to hers. “Couldn’t wait for me?”

  “I was growing old in the room. Hollywood Hotties on pay-per-view isn’t my thing.” She propped her elbows up on the pillow.

  “Nice.” His glance caressed her bare shoulders, down her cleavage, and her nipples puckered. A quiver fluttered in her tummy as his gaze wandered lower. “Here,” he said, handing her the chips and soda. “Thought you might be hungry.”

  “Thanks.” She opened the chips and popped one into her mouth. “I hope this isn’t dinner.”

  “Found the moving truck.”

  “Great.” She chewed, and his eyes locked on her mouth. She smiled and licked her lips. Her tongue targeted a crumb on her upper lip.

  “The Marino’s are in town.”

  “Not so great.”

  “After I have a look around Roslyn’s tonight, I’ll swing by Redford’s Moving and Freight. The truck is sitting in their yard. We’re lucky. Final pickup is scheduled for tomorrow before it heads for Arizona.”

  McKenna took a sip of her soda. “And how did you come to all this information?”

  “The power of my charm.” He lay back on his towel and folded his hands under his head.

  “Don’t forget the sunscreen.” She tossed it onto his stomach.

  Dustin rubbed his arms, legs, and chest with sunscreen. “Do my back?” He handed her the bottle.

  McKenna knelt behind him and squirted a blob onto each shoulder blade and a wide, half circle onto his lower back, making a smiling face. “Now you look happy to see me.” She grinned back at the sunscreen happy face then vigorously spread the cream around without any finesse. “There,” she said, rubbing the extra cream into her thighs. Dustin glanced over his shoulder with furrowed brows. “What?”

  “Nothing.” He looked away and popped a chip in his mouth.

  “Disappointed I didn’t take the opportunity for a little seduction?”

  “Maybe.”

  “If you want seduction, you’ll have to make the next move.”

  He stuffed the bottle into the sand then leaned back on the towel. “You brought a pillow from the bed to the beach?” Sand, ants, and a few crawling critters moved against the stiff white linen.

  “Yeah, I wanted to be comfortable since I didn’t know how long I’d be on my own.” She stood. “I’m going in.” She dropped her sunglasses on the towel and headed for the water.

  “Have fun.”

  She wiggled her ass just enough to keep Dustin attention. She glanced over her shoulder. A smile found his mouth. He stood and she hurried into the surf. But within a few long strides, he was at the water’s edge, following her in. She squealed, waves crashing against her thighs. Gliding through the surf, he grabbed her legs and pulled her under. She kicked away and surfaced spitting water.

  “That was a crappy thing to do.” She pushed her dripping hair back off her face and treaded through the water toward shore.

  “Don’t get mad.” He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her farther out into the ocean.

  “I’m not mad. I’m drowned.” She chuckled.

  “Are you a good swimmer?” The water splashed against their chests.

  “Yes, but this is deep enough.” When the waves crashed over them, the water washed over her shoulders. “Swimming pools are different than oceans. Riptides, currents, sharks—”

  “Yes, dangerous. Exciting.” He lifting her and immediately her legs wrapped around his waist. “F.Y.I. if you ever get caught in an undercurrent swim parallel to the shore. You’ll tire trying to swim against it. Usually a few yards in either direction and you’ll swim right out of it.”

  “I’ll remember that. So why did you bring me out into the sea?” The nearest human was close to shore, fifty feet away. For all intent, they were momentarily alone. She ran her hands over his shoulders. “Are you going to kiss me again?”

  “If I do I’m afraid I’ll lose my balance, and we’ll be helplessly swept out to sea. But I did want to get my hands on you. In the water, I can hide what it does to me.”

  “I’ll tell you what,” she said, combing her fingers through the damp clinging hair at his temple. “You keep your eyes open, and I’ll do the kissing.” She opened her mouth over Dustin’s. His lips parted and she swept the inside of his mouth with her tongue.

  Dark and delicious pulses clenched her pussy. The hard ridge of his cock rode against her slit. With subtle gyrations, she worked against him. His fingers dug into her rear while he pulled her close, tempting the barrier of her bikini bottoms. His slick well-honed chest pressed against her. Aching nipples pressed against the thin material of her bikini top. Need swirled in her belly.

  Dustin’s fingers worked inside the crotch of her bottoms. A moan thundered from his chest as his thick finger slipped into her swollen folds. Ocean current cooled her heated flesh. He focused on his fingers dipping into her channel. She locked tight to his shoulders and tasted saltwater from his neck. Stubble rasped against her tongue. He matched her kisses with the slide of his finger farther back to her tight rosette. She gasped as he penetrated to the first knuckle.

  She sealed their mouths, gliding her tongue along his. At the same time, she thrust her pussy against his erection and he f
ingerfucked her ass. Pleasure flowed through with the same intensity of the crashing waves. Orgasmic spasms jarred her body. She rubbed against his cock. His finger pumped into her ass and his kiss swallowed her cries of release.

  He tore his mouth away from hers. “We can’t do this here.” He glanced around. “I want inside you, but not here.”

  “Too many kids,” she said, and pulled his mouth back to hers. They kissed, wildly exploring the untested waters of abandoned intentions. “But it feels so good.”

  Dustin ground hard against her. “Fuck.” He groaned and rested his forehead against hers. “Staying focused is impossible when I’m around you.”

  “Actually I’d say you’re very focused…just not on the case.” She smiled and dropped her still trembling legs.

  They walked into shallower water. “I have to stay in for a minute.” Dustin winked. “I have a small problem.”

  She giggled because his cock was long, thick, and hard. “If it were small, it wouldn’t be an obvious problem.”

  “You’re right. Now swim over there for a minute or two and don’t touch me. Let the cold water do the trick.”

  Ten minutes later, Dustin and McKenna had collected their belongings and headed back to the hotel room.

  “I won’t be gone too long tonight.” He slid his key card through the lock, opened the door, and followed her into the room.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be with you.” She walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

  “No way.”

  Exactly. No way was Dustin leaving her behind. She responded to his objections by turning on the shower and drowning him out. But as she undressed, she had a disturbing thought. Cracking the door, she said, “Don’t think about leaving without me. I will follow you. Remember you already told me the name of the moving company.”

  She stepped under the hot needles of water just as Dustin walked into the bathroom. “You’re not coming.”