Tate Valley Sexy Suspense Series (Books 1-3)

by Stacy-Deanne

  Her nipples tightened and her crotch throbbed at the thought of having Kevin back in her arms and in between her legs. If she had the chance she’d never let him go again. Wild horses and an army of a thousand men couldn’t drag her away now. Kevin would be the only thing worth putting up with Grant for the next twenty years.

  She stopped rocking in her chair.

  But would he ever forgive her? The question would go on and on in her head until she knew if he would.

  A car motor sounded in the distance followed by shimmering car lights.

  A silver-gray Porsche 911 Carrera S came up the sandy road and stopped in front of her house.

  She pulled the cigarette from her lips.

  Holy shit.

  Kevin got out and walked toward her without a hair out of place despite the strong breeze. His Salvatore Ferragamo Python loafers sank into the sand with each step.

  “Jesus, here we go.” Alexis flicked her cigarette in the ashtray.

  For years she’d had erotic dreams of Kevin walking up to her porch, taking her in his arms and putting it deep inside of her until she couldn’t scream anymore.

  But her womanly instinct told her that wasn’t exactly why he was there.

  Kevin’s slender lips curved into a frown when he approached the porch. “Here.” He tossed her a gold, hoop earring.

  “My earring.” She examined it. “I wondered what happened to it.”

  “Now you know.” He turned to leave.

  “Hold on.” She leaned forward in the chair. “You don’t mean to tell me you came all the way over here to bring me my earring?”

  “It’s the truth.” He poked his lips out as if he were fighting to stay mad.

  “Kevin.” She sat back, smirking. “Just like you know me, I know you. You wanted to see me didn’t you?”

  “I’ve wanted to see you for the last nineteen years.” He displayed a smile that she knew wasn’t sincere. “But that didn’t matter to you did it?”

  She sighed, looking at the earring. “All I can say is I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

  “If?” He chuckled. “I was so in love with you, Lexi, you can’t even imagine. I would’ve done anything for you. You were my first love. We lost our virginity to each other for God’s sake.”

  She closed her eyes. “Kevin—”

  “I would’ve done anything for you, Lexi. You remember before you left when we were out on the beach?”

  “Of course.” She swallowed, thinking of that glorious memory once again. “I couldn’t forget anything from that moment. I remember how you smelled and how good it felt when you touched me.”

  “Remember what you said?” He put his foot up on one of the porch steps. “You said we’d always keep in touch and that you wouldn’t forget me.”

  “And I never forgot you, Kevin.” She touched her chest. “The way you felt about me is exactly how I felt about you. I would’ve died for you. I wanted to marry you one day.”

  “Hmm.” He frowned. “I guess I should be flattered, huh?”

  “No but can’t you try to forgive me? I know it was awful that I didn’t keep in touch but everything about this place reminded me of the pain Grant caused my family and I just wanted to forget that.”

  “And forget me?” His voice cracked as if he’d cry.

  “No.” She fought tears of her own. “Kevin, please just don’t hate me.”

  “I don’t hate you.” He moved his foot off the step. “I’m over it.”

  “If you were over it then why is your nose red?” She grinned. “Your nose still gets red when you’re mad?”

  He touched it, cracking a tiny smile.

  “I finally got a smile, huh? I didn’t think that would happen any time soon.”

  He stopped smiling.

  “I might not deserve a chance but can’t you give me one?”

  “A chance for what?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “A chance to show you that I’m still the Lexi I always was. No matter how you feel about me I’ll always be your friend.” She smiled.

  He looked toward her Toyota then put his hand in his pocket. “I gotta get home.”

  “Why? Is someone waiting there for you?”

  “Is that your business?”

  She sulked like a little girl.

  “No there’s no one waiting for me.”

  “I’m glad you’re here because I have something I wanted to discuss. We found out something very interesting about you and Cynthia. She was your fiancée?”

  He held a rigid expression. “So?”

  “So?” She blew out a tiny breath. “I have no right to question you about people you’ve been with but—”

  “You damn right you don’t. Yes I was engaged to Cynthia and it’s none of your damn business.”

  “Yes but Cynthia? You know how badly she treated me. I hated her.”

  “There you are holding old grudges again. Just because Cynthia used to put gum in your hair back in elementary doesn’t mean she turned out to be a horrible person.”

  “She bullied the hell out of me!” She bounced up in the chair. “She teased me all the time and made my life hell. You know how I hated going to school because of her.”

  “We were kids Lexi, damn.” He slapped the palm of his hand. “Why can’t you ever let anything go? You came out of it okay and I’m sure Cynthia regrets what she did. I don’t get why you hold on to such trivial shit.”

  “And I’m tired of you telling me how I should feel. You didn’t go through what I went through with Cynthia. How could you even think of being with her?”

  “She’s a beautiful and warm woman that’s why.”

  She waved the cigarette. “It makes no sense.”

  “I’m not gonna justify why I fell in love with Cynthia to you so if that’s all you wanted to talk about then I’m gonna go.”

  “Wait.” She flicked her hair off her shoulder. “I asked about Cynthia because of the case. Brett was the reason she broke off your engagement and moved away, wasn’t he?”

  Sighing, he sat in the chair beside her, which surprised her since he claimed he had to go.

  “Brett’s the reason you lost the woman you loved.” She rocked. “We heard you had an affair with Faye Ramsey. Is this true?”

  “Yes.” He dropped his head. “It was one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made.” He stretched his legs out and crossed them at the ankles. “I loved Cynthia very much and I wanted to marry her the first time I saw her.”

  She closed her eyes and exhaled. “Sticking a knife in my heart would hurt less than what you just said.”

  “You want me to be honest right? Am I supposed to believe you haven’t had relationships since me?”

  She hoped he asked because he was genuinely curious.

  “So why did you cheat on Cynthia?”

  “Have you?”

  She puffed the cigarette. “Have I what?”

  “Had other relationships since me.”

  “Of course I have but this isn’t about me.” She looked out into the yard. “I hear you’ve been with a lot of women. One would think you were searching for something you couldn’t find.”

  “Lexi.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose.

  “Kevin.” She touched his arm. “I know it’s been decades since we’ve seen each other but the minute I saw you all those feelings came back. Hell they never left. Don’t tell me you don’t feel the same way.”

  “Are you crazy? Lexi, what you did changed my life forever. It took me years before I could even trust women. I always thought that they would leave.”

  “You know I had no choice but you seem to keep ignoring that fact to hold on to this bitterness you have against me.” She sat back. “Do you just wanna make me suffer?”

  “You’ve had a chance to reach out to me and tell me how you felt for years.” He glared at her. “Don’t put this shit at my feet and make it like you’re the victim. From where I sit you didn’t give a damn about me or how I felt.”

 
“You know that’s not true.” She tugged on his arm. “Kevin.”

  He looked straight ahead. “Are we done here or do you have more to discuss concerning the case?”

  “What’s with you and this Faye Ramsey person? Do you love her or—”

  “Hell no.” He grimaced. “Faye has been chasing me since she got here. There’s definitely no love on my side because I can’t be with a woman I can’t trust.” He glanced at Alexis as if the comment was for her. “All Faye cares about is hooking a man with money. I think she’s obsessed with me.”

  “Like all men think all women are obsessed with them?” Smoke slithered from Alexis’ lips.

  “I’m serious. I slept with her after a company party last year.” He gripped the armrest of the chair. “Cynthia and I had a fight that day and I got loaded at the party. Faye, as usual, was all over me. We had sex and I was so drunk I didn’t even remember until I woke up in her bed the next morning. One day Brett overheard Faye and me at work, talking about it. When Brett found out he tried to blackmail me.”

  “Blackmail you?” Alexis stopped rocking.

  “He hated me. He thought I got where I am because Grant gave me special treatment but I worked hard. Brett told me he’d tell Cynthia about the affair unless I left Copeland Enterprises.”

  “What?”

  “He was so desperate to get me out that he’d do anything.” He rubbed his chin. “I told him to go to hell and he told Cynthia. She broke off the engagement.”

  “Wait a minute.” Alexis laid her cigarette in the ashtray. “What you did to Cynthia was wrong, but she broke it off just like that? She didn’t even try to forgive you since you were getting married?”

  He avoided eye contact. “It wasn’t the first time I’d cheated.”

  She groaned. “Kevin.”

  “Cynthia told me if I ever cheated again it would be over between us. I’d slept with another secretary at Copeland a year earlier.”

  Alexis grabbed her cigarette. “Wow.”

  “Look, I’m no saint, but I never set out to hurt anyone.”

  “You’ve been compensating with these women.” She blew smoke in his direction. “It’s more than obvious.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Thought you were a detective not a shrink.”

  “You don’t have to be a shrink to see it.” She leaned closer to him, taking in his vibrant cologne. “You go from woman to woman because you never got over me.”

  “Wrong.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she sung in between puffing smoke.

  “This isn’t about you and me.”

  “Bull. You can deny it all you want, Kevin. But as long as I’m back in town everything will be about you and me.”

  “I loved Cynthia.”

  She grunted as he changed the subject.

  “And I’ll never forgive myself for screwing up what we had, but it showed me that we weren’t meant to be in the first place.” He brushed off the thighs of his crisp slacks. “Faye took advantage of me that night and I ended up losing everything.”

  She snickered. “Took advantage?”

  “I’m dead serious.” He glared at her. “I think she slipped something into my drink at the party. I felt so weird the next day.”

  “If you feel Faye drugged you then that’s a very serious accusation.”

  “I know she did.”

  “If so then there is definitely no excusing her actions. Do you have any kind of proof?”

  He scratched through his head. “Of course not but I know in my heart that she did it.”

  “Despite what happened between you and Faye, this makes you look horrible regarding Brett’s murder.” She sighed. “You might need to get your lawyer prepared in case—”

  “I didn’t kill him. I was having dinner at the Tate Valley Café last night until about nine-thirty and then I went home. You can talk to my neighbor. I’m sure she saw my car. Do you believe me?”

  She contemplated his question. Nineteen years ago she’d jump up and down in his defense but how well did she still know Kevin Reed? She hadn’t been back that long and everything new she’s learned about him surprised her.

  She stared into his eyes that seemed to beg for her reassurance.

  The Kevin Reed she fell in love with and almost went to the prom with wouldn’t have hurt a fly. But she also never felt he’d work for Grant Copeland or be engaged to her archenemy but he had.

  For the first time since she knew Kevin, she had no idea what to believe.

  “You don’t believe me anymore do you?” He exhaled, loudly. “I thought of all people you’d always be on my side.”

  “I don’t want to believe you’d do something like this but look at it from my view, Kevin.” She straightened up in the chair. “You’ve done a lot of things that surprised me. In my heart I want to be sure but I—”

  “I understand. Besides, it’s been years since we’ve been around each other. We can’t be sure what we’re capable of, can we?”

  “I’m a cop, Kevin.” She crossed her legs. “I can’t ignore how things look and I owe it to Brett to find his killer.”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less of you.” A glint appeared in his eyes. “Feel free to check out my alibi.”

  She took a hit of her cigarette then waved the smoke away from her face.

  “I can’t believe you smoke.” He chuckled. “As much as you hated your dad’s habit?”

  “Now I see why he smoked.” She flicked ashes into the ashtray. “He needed something to deal with the pressure of working at Copeland Enterprises.”

  “Is that why you smoke? Because it’s hard being a cop?”

  She nodded, grinning. “Working on the LAPD would drive anyone to smoke. You’re lucky I’m not an alcoholic.”

  He laughed but covered his grin.

  “You don’t even wanna laugh around me, huh? Won’t give me an inch will you, Kevin? And you call me stubborn?”

  “I’m sorry for how I acted in my office earlier.” He clasped his hands. “But you gotta understand how shocked I was. My emotions were all over the place then when you started judging my relationship with Grant I lost it. Lexi, you had no right.”

  “True.” She smacked her lips. “But I will never accept you working for Grant.”

  “I’m not asking you to accept anything I do.” He frowned. “You keep acting like it’s still the old days. No. It won’t ever be like that between us again.” He laid his hands in his lap.

  “I’m supposed to believe that you don’t want me, Kevin? I can’t see you being so pissed off if there weren’t any feelings left.”

  “It won’t work, Lexi.” He tapped his foot. “You won’t be able to just pop up here and have me forgive you like everything is okay. You’re gonna have to work for it.”

  “I want us to be friends again.” She touched his hand. “I’ll do whatever I have to, to show you that I’m sorry. I left Tate Valley, Kevin. I never left you.”

  He stared at her hand on his then jerked his away. “It’s beautiful out here. You always wanted to live on the beach and now you do.”

  “You remember that?”

  “I remember everything about you,” he said without looking at her.

  She wanted him to expand on the admission but wouldn’t risk ticking him off by asking. “I love sitting out here.” She laid her head back. “It’s quiet and no one bothers me. Peaceful, you know?”

  “Did you live by the beach when you were in LA?”

  “Shoot no.” She flicked her cigarette. “And I damn sure didn’t live in the type of neighborhood where I’d be sitting out on the porch alone.”

  He chuckled.

  “Not unless I wanted to get shot or robbed.” She laughed while waving the cigarette. “Shit I’m a cop and I was still scared of my area.”

  He laughed.

  She giggled. “I wasn’t exactly living in Beverly Hills, if you catch my drift.”

  “Man, Lexi.” He cocked his head toward her, his laughter slo
wly trailing off. “I always loved your joking around. No one made me laugh like you did. No matter what was going on, you could always make me laugh.”

  “How did you get involved with Grant again? I really wanna know.”

  “Part of it was luck. You know how I grew up, over in the trailers.”

  She nodded.

  “And you know we were far from rich.” He scratched his head. “Momma didn’t have shit and it was hard being raised by a single mother who was always broke. You were so lucky, Lexi. It wasn’t a day that went by where I didn’t wish I had your life.”

  “I had a feeling you felt that way but you never said it.”

  “Who wouldn’t feel that way? Your dad had money. You guys lived in a huge house and you never had to want for anything. More importantly you had enough love to fill a stadium. I was lucky if Momma even came home half the time.”

  “Your mother loved you. She just had to work so much to provide.”

  “You were the only shining light in my life.” He gripped his wrist. “When I was with you, I forgot all the problems at home and I felt like the richest man in the world.”

  She smiled.

  “I still can’t believe you wanted me back then.” He smirked. “You coming from that nice neighborhood and me being trailer trash.”

  “Stop it. Don’t talk about yourself like that and I never saw you as anything but wonderful.”

  “Folks said you hung around me because you pitied me.”

  “Whoever said that doesn’t know a damn thing.” She clenched his hand. “I don’t care what you didn’t have, Kevin. I cared about you. And besides you were the most gorgeous guy in school.”

  He grinned. “Yeah right.”

  “Trust me many girls wanted you.” She rocked her head. “I bet Cynthia did back then too.”

  “After you left I wasn’t the same. I started hanging around the boys from the trailers and you know the shit they got into. I was doing stuff I had no business doing and Grant rescued me.”

  She looked at him.

  “Me and the boys from the trailers were caught vandalizing the community center. You know, the one Grant was building before you left.”