by Morgan James
“By the way,” I told the woman almost as an afterthought, “there’s a dog here who appears to have one of the person’s bones. You might want to have them bring something, see if we can get the dog to give it up.”
The dispatcher occasionally commented, both letting me know that she was still there and checking to make sure that I hadn’t hung up. I moved away from the overwhelming smell, but not far enough to let the dog out of my sight. At least half an hour had passed before the sound of voices reached my ears.
“The police are here,” I said to the woman on the other end of the phone before hanging up. I shoved the phone into my pocket, then lifted both arms high in the air and waved to get their attention. It took them several minutes to reach me, at least a dozen men and women spread out, carefully picking their way across the field.
A man in khakis and a white button-down shirt stuck his hand out in greeting as he approached. “Detective Mayfield. You’re the one who found the victim?”
“Dr. Kate Winfield,” I said by way of greeting, then shook his hand before gesturing over my shoulder. “He’s just a few yards over this way. And the dog is over there.” I pointed toward the edge of the tree line.
His face remained impassive as his dark eyes swept over the scene. “Have you touched anything?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I was going to try to get the bone away from the dog, but he didn’t like that idea.”
Mayfield’s lips quirked into a tiny smile. “I imagine not. We’ll see what we can do about that.”
I explained how I’d recognized the structure of the bone and followed the dog to the scene. A small commotion drew our attention back to the edge of the field closest to the road, and we watched the medical examiner and her team approach.
The detective turned back to me. “We’ll let Dr. Pratt take a look at the body first, then we’ll look around, see if we can find anything.”
Her stride brisk and sure, Dr. Pratt crossed the bumpy field, a serious expression clouding her pretty features. “Mayfield.” She tipped her head at him, then turned to me. “Are you on the investigation as well?”
“No, I called it in.”
Her eyes cleared. “You’re the doctor.”
“Family medicine,” I clarified. “You can call me Kate. I actually found the dog first, then he led me back here to the man.”
She lifted a brow. “You’re sure he’s male?”
Mayfield and I fell into step beside her as she strode toward the body. “Judging from his facial features, which seem to be mostly intact.”
Dr. Pratt nodded but stayed silent, and I stayed several feet behind, watching as she kneeled carefully next to the man’s remains. I wasn’t terribly familiar with necrotic tissue, because I’d always preferred living patients over dead ones, but if I had to guess, this guy hadn’t been out here all that long. Even in the early morning heat, his flesh was only in the beginning stages of decomposition.
Mayfield turned to me. “Aside from the dog, did you see anything out of the ordinary?”
I shook my head. “No. I almost brushed him off until I noticed the femur.”
I quickly walked Dr. Pratt through what had happened, and she nodded along, asking questions intermittently as she inspected the man’s body. She pointed at one hand lying on the ground. “Fingers have been amputated at the second knuckle.”
Truth be told, I hadn’t paid that much attention initially, but her assessment piqued my curiosity. “Interesting.”
She lifted one shoulder. “Probably to eliminate fingerprints if he was found immediately,” she replied.
The thought turned my stomach, but it made sense. She opened the bag at her feet, then put on a pair of nitrile gloves and gently probed at the man’s mouth. Inside, his gums gaped wide, completely devoid of teeth.
“Won’t be pulling any dental records either,” Mayfield remarked dryly.
Despite the heat of the day, I wrapped my arms around my waist to ward off the chill that had settled over me. “Who the hell would do something like that?”
“Unfortunately, it’s not all that uncommon.” Flies buzzed around, and Dr. Pratt batted them away as she peeled back the ragged layer of flesh covering his torso. “What the...?”
Not really wanting to get any closer, but unable to curb my curiosity, I peered over her shoulder. “Everything okay?”
“Look.”
I covered my mouth to block the smell and leaned forward to get a better look. “Holy shit.”
“What?” Mayfield looked between us, and Pratt and I exchanged a look.
I glanced up at Mayfield. “Every single organ is missing.”
“Not just missing,” Dr. Pratt corrected. “Removed.”
Chapter Four
Gavin
I lifted my free hand and rapped my knuckles on the door, three short beats that seemed to linger in the stillness of the quiet afternoon. The main road was empty, the small neighborhood seemingly lifeless. I suspected most people were still at work, their kids at daycare or in school.
I shifted anxiously, praying she was here. The driveway was empty, but the little condo had a one-car garage, so I could only hope her car was parked inside. I’d called the healthplex to see if she was at work today but was told she’d taken the rest of this week off. I was still furious about how our last meeting had gone. She’d looked fine on the surface, resolute in her decision to completely cut ties with her past. It bothered me, because I wanted to know how she was doing mentally, emotionally. Kate was an enigma, and I had a feeling she buried her true self way down deep where no one would see it.
I knew I wanted Kate the first time I laid eyes on her beautiful face, the fiery red of her hair rivaled only by the flames in her eyes. My fingers clenched the handle of my briefcase, reassuring myself with a squeeze that it—and, more importantly, the information I was about to deliver—was still there. Tucked under my arm was a bottle of Dom that I’d picked up on the way, because, well... I still hadn’t figured that part out yet. Maybe I was an idiot for thinking she’d welcome my presence, but I wouldn’t know unless I tried.
My patience was rewarded when, moments later, muffled footsteps approached the door and hesitated on the other side. I sucked in a breath as the pause elongated. I could feel her eyes on me through the peephole, wondering why the hell I was here. That made two of us. I fought the doubt slowly creeping up inside and struggled to school my expression into one of calm aloofness. Finally, the snick of the lock turning in its case reached my ears, and I let out the breath I’d been holding.
Kate’s face peered around the door, brow furrowed. “Mr. Price?”
I smiled charmingly despite the churning in my gut. “Please, Kate, call me Gavin.”
The corners of her lips turned down even as she opened the door wider and allowed me to enter. “What can I do for you?”
I strolled into the entryway and turned to watch Kate as she diligently closed and locked the door, then turned toward me, wary eyes fixed on mine. “Actually, I’m here on your behalf. I couldn’t show up empty-handed.”
I extended the bottle of champagne to her, and her eyes swept over me, one sardonic eyebrow cocked upward. “Oh? I guess four hundred dollars an hour buys me a bottle of Dom Perignon. Maybe I should get divorced more often.”
My smile dimmed a bit, irritation overriding the giddy anticipation I’d felt. Still, I bared my teeth at her in a semblance of a smile. “This is a congratulatory gift.”
Kate crossed her arms over her chest. “I thought the gift was that you’re going to relieve me of my scumbag ex-husband so he’s free to marry that little blonde tramp?”
My heart went out to her. I saw it all the time, but it had never affected me before, not the way it did with Kate. Her husband had treated her like shit, and she deserved better than that. My eyes swept over her. Clearly she’d been relaxing or taking a nap, judging from her laid-back outfit. I’d only ever seen her in beautifully cut suits or dresses, but even in yoga pants
and an oversized T-shirt, the woman was beautiful. Beyond beautiful. Gorgeous. Why in the hell would that stupid shit leave her for another woman? Didn’t matter. Steve Gerber’s loss was going to be my gain.
I lowered the bottle of champagne that she still hadn’t accepted. I hadn’t come here with any real plans, but the longer I stood here staring at her, the more I itched to have her. The gift was her freedom—she could be with whomever she wanted. And I was damn sure going to make certain she wanted me.
“That, too,” I admitted. “I have something for you.”
“Fantastic.”
My lips compressed at her sarcasm. I set the briefcase on a side table and extracted the folder within. “Here.”
Her eyes met mine, her body immediately tensing. “What does he want now?”
“Nothing.” I shook my head. “Steve was approved for the loan to buy out your portion of the practice, so all I need is your signature to make it happen, and we’ll get it all finalized.”
I passed the sheaf of papers to her, and she stared at them, dumbfounded. “It’s... Really?”
Shit. Was that disappointment I saw there?
She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed out a heavy sigh, her voice low. “Thank God. I was worried he wouldn’t come up with the money.”
I lifted one shoulder. “I know the loan officer at the bank who approved him.” Her head tipped to one side in question, and I continued. “If it makes you feel any better, he’s getting raped on interest.”
A slow smile spread over her face, lighting her eyes, and my chest constricted at the sight. “Actually, it does.”
I grinned back. “I thought it might.”
She flipped through the papers, found the correct tab, then hastily scrawled her name and the date on the lines. I filed it away, then snatched up the bottle of champagne. “Come on. After all this, you deserve a drink.”
Leaving the briefcase behind, I pushed past her in search of the kitchen, leaving her to follow at her will. As soon as I entered the kitchen, I stumbled to a stop as a streak of white blew past my feet. A tiny, curly white-haired dog eagerly circled me, and I knelt down to scratch the dog behind the ears. “Hey, there.”
Kate’s footsteps stopped just behind me, and I glanced at her over my shoulder. “What is he?” I glanced back at the dog. “Or is it a she?”
“He. His name is Peanut.”
She watched me with a strange sort of expression, and I tipped my head at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head bemusedly. “He’s usually not a big fan of men. He hated Steve.”
I grinned and gave the dog one more good scratch before rising to my feet. I set the bottle of Dom on the counter and turned toward Kate. “You know what they say, dogs are an excellent judge of character.”
She made a derisive sound in her throat before directing her next words to the dog. “Looks like your instincts are broken, Peanut. He’s a lawyer.”
She said it like it was a dirty word, and I couldn’t help the laugh that rumbled up out of my throat. Dramatically, I slapped a hand over my heart. “Dr. Winfield, you wound me.”
A mischievous smile broke over her face. “Not yet.”
Goddamn, I loved that smile. She didn’t do it nearly enough, but the curve of her mouth completely transformed her face. She was still out of my league, but the smile made her softer, more human... more approachable.
“You didn’t dislike me so much a few minutes ago,” I teased.
She rolled her eyes playfully. “You do have your uses, I guess.”
I loved this side of her—the one that was open and unguarded. Though I knew almost every detail of her life, I hadn’t really had a chance yet to meet the real Kate and learn what made her tick. It was something I planned to rectify immediately.
“Let’s break this sucker open. Where are your glasses?” She gestured to a cabinet, and I pulled two flutes down. “Would you like to do the honors, or should I?”
She shook her head. “I’ve never been good at that kind of thing.”
“All right.” I peeled the foil off. “I guess it’s my turn, then.”
“Just don’t break anything,” she warned. “I’ve seen videos where those things ricochet and shatter windows. I wouldn’t want to have to sue you for damages.”
I grinned at her. “I’d find a loophole.”
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t contain the smile that overtook her pretty mouth. “No doubt you would.”
I extracted the cork with little difficulty, but she still jumped at the loud pop that resounded in the room. The liquid fizzed as I poured it into the glasses, the potent smell reaching up and tickling my nose. I recorked it, then extended one to her and picked up my own. “To new beginnings.”
She lifted her glass and touched it to mine. “To cheating husbands.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re horrible at this. You can’t toast to that.”
“I certainly can,” she retorted. “That’s why we’re here today.”
I let out a beleaguered sigh. “Fine, keep your toast. I’ll just have to come up with another one. To...” I threw a flirtatious smile her way. “To beautiful, intelligent company.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “To a great pair of boots.”
The smile slipped from my face as my eyebrows drew together in confusion. What the hell was she talking about?
“For when the shit gets too deep,” she clarified, her lips twitching with humor.
I studied her for a moment before slowly shaking my head. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she snapped back.
“Good. I meant it as one.”
Her gaze met mine over the rim of the glass as she took her first sip. I could tell the precise moment the bubbles hit her tongue, because her eyes closed in pleasure. I watched, mesmerized, as she drained the glass, then twirled the stem of the flute between her fingers for a moment before glancing up at me.
“So you came all this way to bring me a bottle of champagne?” She lifted the bottle and refilled her glass. “It’s good, don’t get me wrong, and I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t believe you for a second.”
“Fair enough, and true. I was driving past the store when it caught my eye, and it sounded like a good idea at the time.” I shrugged one shoulder. “I actually just wanted to see how you’re doing.”
Surprise flashed in her eyes before she quickly blinked the emotion away, replacing it instead with a cool detachedness. “I’ll be okay. The cut is healing fine, and I’ve been putting cream on it to help with the scarring.”
Her hand automatically lifted to her face, fingertips tenderly brushing the cut. My gaze drifted to the pink line that cut across her forehead and into her hairline. The stitches had come out, but the scar itself was still an angry pink. Ironically, it didn’t detract from her beauty. If anything, it almost brought her down to my level. Not quite, but almost.
She skirted my real question—how she was doing emotionally. I watched her gaze flit around the kitchen, landing on everything but me, and I debated just how far to push her. To Kate, I was just her lawyer; I wasn’t even a friend she could confide in—yet. Winning her over would be one hell of a journey, and I was going to enjoy the hell out of it.
I cleared my throat. “I also wanted to bring you the paperwork.”
She snorted, and her hand dropped back to her side as she threw a dubious look my way. “Which you could have mailed.”
“I could have, but I didn’t want to.”
“You came all the way out here just so you could hand-deliver these? Why?”
I took a predatory step toward her, and her eyes widened as she retreated until her back was pressed against the edge of the counter. “Because I couldn’t wait one more minute.”
“For... what?” Her voice was breathless, and the fire in her eyes melted away, revealing a mixture of confusion and... was that desire? I sure as hell hoped so.
/>
“You want to know why I’m here?”
She nodded, eyes hooded and sultry as she watched my every step. I set my glass down with a hard clink and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. My eyes dropped to her lips.
“This.”
Chapter Five
Kate
His lips were warm and firm as he captured my mouth with an almost bruising force. Momentarily caught off guard, I hesitated, the feeling strangely new yet erotic. I hadn’t kissed another man in years. I’d been with Steve since undergrad, almost nine years ago now, and to have another man’s lips on mine felt foreign but oh, so welcome. Kissing Gavin was nothing like kissing Steve. The perfunctory pecks I’d received sporadically from my ex-husband couldn’t compare to the passion flowing between Gavin’s lips and mine.
My attention turned back to the man whose mouth hovered just millimeters from mine. Gavin had pulled back the barest fraction at my lack of response, and I slowly lifted my gaze to his. Eyes the color of the richest coffee stared deep into mine as if he was looking through me, straight into my soul. My nipples tightened under his intent perusal, and heat curled through my body, pooling in my core. For the first time in years I felt... desired. Wanted. I needed more—I needed him.
Curling one hand into his hair, I yanked his head back down, and our teeth clashed under the raw force of the kiss. His large palms stroked up my back, down over my bottom, lighting every inch of my skin on fire. I shifted, trying to get closer, needing to alleviate the ache between my legs. I opened my mouth to him, and his tongue swept inside, curling over mine. He tasted of the sparkling, smooth champagne, and I melted against him. His hands cupped my ass, and I sucked in a breath as he lifted me, then settled me on the counter. Pushing my legs wider, he stepped between them, pressing as close as he could get.
His fingertips caught the hem of my shirt, and I lifted my arms, breaking the kiss just long enough for him to pull it over my head and toss it to the floor. I curled my fingers in the fabric of his dress shirt and pulled him back to me once more, needing to taste him again, unable to get enough. It’d been so long since I’d felt this way—so long I couldn’t remember anything even remotely comparable.
