Out Of The Smoke (13 page)

They fell silent. Alan lightly brushed stray hairs away from Liz’s face and stared at her cute little button nose, her full lips, and her rosy cheek.

She interrupted the calm in an unexpected manner. “What’s it like?”

“What, hon?”

“A real relationship. Making love. Being
with
someone who cares?” Her words were barely audible. She bit her lower lip nervously.

Alan sucked in a breath and held it, weighing his next words carefully. “Seems like the kind of thing that’s better understood by demonstration.”

“I’m scared. This wasn’t in my plans. I meant to save my money and move on. I didn’t mean to involve someone else in my ruse.”

“Baby, there is no way to eliminate me from the equation now. It’s too late. I’ve already fallen for you. Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out together.” If she only knew how much this hadn’t been in his plans either. But there is was.

Fate.

Alan dipped his head in and nibbled a path from Liz’s lips to her ear before teasing the lobe with his tongue and breathing into her in a manner he knew would tickle erotically.

Liz reached for his face with both hands and forced his gaze to her own.

“I’m weak when you’re around. My mind turns to mush.”

“Is that a good thing?” He chuckled.

“Are you sure you want to get mixed up with all this baggage?” She bit her lower lip.

Alan ran the pad of his thumb over her mouth, adding the slightest pressure until she opened up for him. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” He sucked her exhale into his own mouth with a long demanding kiss.

When they were both breathing hard enough to steam the room, Alan pulled back. “I’ll try to be slow, but I’m so hot for you it’s going to be difficult.”

“Not sure I’m in the mood for slow.”

“Too bad.” Alan sat up and pulled off his shirt. It was too soon to remove his jeans, but he wanted to feel her warmth, get closer to her. She didn’t move when he pulled the sheets away from her and climbed into the space next to her. Her eyes were glassy, her smile sensuous.

The next time Alan laid his lips on Liz’s it was not gentle. He devoured her, swallowing her moans. Her body squirmed beneath him. He spread his free hand over her ribcage, just the thin T-shirt between his fingers and her warm stomach. She drew in a sharp intake of breath at the contact.

In a painful test of his will, Alan grazed his palm over her skin until the tips of his fingers brushed the underside of her breast.

“You’re killing me,” she mumbled against his lips. “There’s a fire inside me. Please?”

It was the sweetest word in the English language right now.

Alan sat back several inches, moved his hand to the hem of the shirt and pushed it up her body until it rested at her chin. Holy mother. She was so beautiful. Her skin a pale white that would easily burn in sun. Her breasts were perfect. Not too small. Not too big. Though they probably seemed larger than they were on her small frame. Pink nipples poked up toward him, begged him to taste.

Who was he to disappoint? In a swift movement, he yanked the shirt over her head and nestled himself above her body, his legs straddling hers. He hoped to switch that position soon.

Alan leaned on his forearms, bent down to take one ripe nipple into his mouth. At first, he gently swirled a circle around the tip, watched it grow firmer. When Liz grabbed his head and pulled him closer while arching her chest up toward him, he sucked the sweet little disk into his mouth in torturous delight. Liz’s moan was so loud, he was glad he didn’t live in an apartment.

Her hands traveled down his body and gripped his ass, probably without her realizing how unrestrained the act was. Alan continued to suckle each globe while alternately massaging the other breast with his hand. When he pulled back to look into her eyes, they were closed, her mouth slightly parted on a groan.

He couldn’t resist pinching both distended nipples gently at the same time. An “Oh” formed on Liz’s mouth and she shot him a look of shock and desire.

“I need you inside me,” she said brazenly.

“Not yet. I want you to come first. I want to look up at you, watch as you come against my mouth.”

Alan kept his gaze on Liz’s while she turned every shade of red. “Alan, I can’t…I’ve never…”

“You will now, honey.”

Alan moved down her body, his aching shaft dragged against her. He couldn’t refrain from taking his jeans off any longer.

He sat up on his knees to unsnap them, surprised when his little minx brushed his hands aside.

“Let me.” She fumbled only slightly before the button finally popped free and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Don’t move.” Alan inched off Liz and stood to push his jeans and underwear to the floor. He prayed he wouldn’t trip in his haste to get between her legs. Moments later, he climbed back on top of her much lower than he’d been before. He pulled her practical white panties down her legs and tossed them aside, then pushed her legs gently apart so he could nestle himself between them.

She was shy. This was clearly the first time anyone had seen her up close and personal, let alone gone down on her. Her husband must have taken her strictly missionary in the dark.

Her legs shivered slightly. “Are you cold?”

“No.” Her opportunity to stop him was right there.

“Spread your legs wider.” Alan caressed her inner thighs and teased a path from her knee to her center with his lips and tongue. The action relaxed her timid nature. With his pointer fingers, he spread her feminine folds and admired her softness. Her pink opening glistened with proof of his effect on her.

Liz wiggled and grasped the top of Alan’s head. “Stop staring. You’re making me self-conscious.”

“You’re so beautiful.” He dipped low and licked a path along her opening to the bundle of nerves peeking out from its hood.

Suspecting what her reaction would be, Alan simultaneously gripped her thighs with both hands and pressed his tongue against her clit before he dragged it all the way across the sweet nub. Unable to buck free of him, Liz nearly screamed and pulled on his hair.

“Oh…my…God…” He glanced up. Her head rolled back and forth against the pillow. “Don’t…stop.”

He chuckled against her folds at the cliché she uttered.

“Don’t worry, hon. I’ve no intention to stop.” Her blatant display of raw lust made his dick impossibly harder. He couldn’t wait much longer, but he wanted her to come before he entered her.

With two fingers to spread her folds, he pressed into her center with both thumbs and sucked her clit into his mouth to torture it with flicks of his tongue. Thumbs scissoring against her G-spot, Liz came completely undone and screamed. She released his head and pressed her groin into his demanding mouth. The pulse inside her was slow to subside.

Alan eased back from the suction he had on her clit until he merely sipped at her juices. She was so hot.

“That was…” her words trailed off.

“I hope it was something good?” he jibed while pulling his body over hers. “You’re delicious.”

Alan reached for the bedside drawer and withdrew a condom. He placed the package to his mouth, ripped it open with his teeth, and single handedly pushed the rubber over his begging erection between them.

Liz spread her legs wider and pulled him to her center. “Please. Don’t make me wait any longer.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, sweetheart.”

Poised at her entrance, he nibbled her lips. “Can you taste yourself on me? Your mixture of sweet and spicy lust?”

“Mmm,” She licked his lip and then pulled him in for a deep kiss. Her tongue unabashedly swirled around his mouth.

With deliberate slow strokes, Alan eased himself into Liz’s narrow sheath. God, she was so wet, so hot, and so incredibly tight. He wouldn’t last long.

When her legs wrapped around his middle he came undone and had to pause halfway in. “If you don’t stop wiggling like that,” he stated through gritted teeth, “I’ll come before I can even get all the way inside you.”

“Mmm.”

The minx
.

With one final thrust, Alan seated himself completely and held his breath for an instant to allow her to accommodate his girth as well as keep himself from going off like fireworks.

“Move,” she moaned into his mouth.

He did, but each thrust was a test of his will. “I promise…” he muttered, “…to last longer…” deep breath, “…next time. Ahhh.”

The pulsing orgasm was beyond his restrain inside this angel. And she gripped him like he hadn’t just ruined their first time in the sack with his inability to control his unforgivable dick.

Before he could catch his breath and even lift off her body, she spoke. “Can we do that again?”

The vibrations of his laughter jiggled their bodies. “Absolutely. Just give me a minute.” Sweat trickled down his back. He knew he needed to roll to the side to avoid crushing her, but she had a death grip on his arms.

*

Liz had never felt so wanton and sexy in her entire life. It was glorious. When Alan pulled out of her and wandered to the bathroom after a quick kiss, she missed his warmth. Never mind that they were both sweaty and hotter than hell.

Moments later, he returned with a wet washcloth. She couldn’t believe she let him push her legs apart and wipe away the evidence of their lovemaking. What was the matter with her? Shouldn’t she be embarrassed?

Alan climbed back up next to her and lounged alongside her. “How do you feel?”

“Fantastic. Better than ever,” she replied. “I had no idea…”

He smiled. “It gets better. I promise.”

“I hope not or I’ll need a defibrillator.”

“You won’t.” He looked at her with the most serious expression. “Listen, I know I said this once before, but this time I mean it.”

Liz bit her lip.

“You’re fired.”

The laugh that bubbled out of her eased her tension.

“Now what was that you said about doing it again?” Alan lowered his head to her naked chest and licked a path from one hard nipple to the other. She should pull a sheet over herself. But she didn’t want to. “This time I promise to last long enough for you to come with me.”

“I don’t think my heart could take it, Alan.”

Chapter Nine

At about five thirty the next morning, Matthew saw the lights go on in one room of the house and sat up at attention. He was rumpled, tired and crabby from stalking these people for so long.

Ten minutes later, Alan left the house through the front door in his jogging clothes and headed down the street. He was young. And built like a linebacker. Matthew sincerely hoped he didn’t have to struggle with the guy. To keep up a buff body like that, he’d be heading out for a long run.
Let’s hope
.

Matthew immediately dashed between the trees and emerged back by his car. He rounded the hood with conviction and jumped inside.

Slow down. Get a grip. Don’t fuck this up.

Two minutes after Alan headed down the street at a run, Matthew parked his black Nissan Altima in the driveway and placed a quick call.

“Nine-one-one emergency. How can I help you?”

“I’d like to report a stolen car.”

* * * *

An incessant pounding noise yanked Liz from a deep restful sleep. The best sleep she’d had in…well…over two years.

Who the hell could that be so early in the morning?

The only person who ever came to her door was Dory and she’d never been known to be up at this hour.

Liz rolled over gingerly, her lower back throbbing. She pealed her eyes open to glance at the clock on her nightstand. Only it wasn’t there. Realization dawned.

I’m not at home.

Liz eased back under the covers. Alan would answer the door.

The pounding didn’t cease, nor did the ache in Liz’s back. She’d had a glorious evening, but now that the pain meds were totally out of her system, she was having a reality check.
Bruised kidney, you dolt.

God, why won’t they go away? And where’s Alan?

Liz pulled herself into a sitting position, let her head adjust to the vertical challenge. As soon as she thought she could manage, she grabbed her jeans from the floor next to the bed and pulled them on under the long T-shirt she’d borrowed from Alan. Wherever the rest of her clothes were, it didn’t really matter right now.

A note on the bedside table grabbed her attention.
Went for an early run. Be back soon. You’ll never even know I was gone. Alan

A grin spread across her face at his thoughtfulness. And his humor.

Attempting to walk without wincing was a new challenge. She really needed to find that prescription bottle and take another antibiotic. Had she even taken one last night before crashing? Before the best sex of her life? She smiled and felt a blush careen up her body as she turned the handle on the door.

The next few moments were a complete blur as the door burst open and slammed into the inside wall as though hit by a tornado. Liz fell backward onto her butt and slid a few inches across the hardwood foyer…and screamed at the impact to her back and side.

What the hell?

When she lifted her gaze to the body now filling the doorframe, all the blood rushed out of her and she stopped breathing.

“Hello, bitch. How long did you think you could get away with this?”

Matthew stood there, larger than life with a twisted smirk on his psychotic face.

Tears—of pain and sorrow—began to pool in her eyes. Her gaze aimlessly wandered around for something to protect herself with. No way was she going to go down without a fight. She wasn’t that girl any more.

“Get up, you whore. We’re leaving.
Now
,” he screamed through gritted teeth. “Before your fuck buddy returns, you slut.”

She didn’t move quick enough for his liking. Matthew grabbed her by the arm and yanked her to a standing position. His grip was fierce on the very spot that was quite bruised from her IV. If she could have gotten her breath, she’d have screamed in agony.

She never had a chance. Within seconds, Matthew had slapped a huge piece of duct tape over her mouth and forced her arms behind her back.

Adrenaline surged through her veins as she struggled against him, but in her weakened state, she was no match for him.
Don’t let him take you
.

Matthew kicked her feet out from under her in a quick sweeping motion and she found herself once again sprawled out on the floor, this time face down. A heavy weight threatened to crush her lungs as he sat on her back.

She pressed against him with all her might, tried to free herself from his putrid clutches, but he was too strong. Her arms flailed in vane against the floor in attempt to gain purchase. Matthew was quick to grab her wrists and yank them painfully behind her back. He tied them to each other and jerked her up to stand.

Matthew pulled her out the open door, gave a quick glance in both directions and then tugged Liz across the driveway to the awaiting car. Her bare feet scraped across the concrete, even the tops of them when she couldn’t keep up and was forcibly dragged.

Icy fear turned to complete horror when she realized he intended to put her in the sedan trunk.

Her renewed struggle was short lived. As though she were no more than a rag doll, Matthew hefted her small frame over the bumper and dropped her unceremoniously inside. Her cramped legs tucked under her at an angle. Her arms painfully jabbed into her back. She didn’t know what hurt worse, the injury to her kidney or the new rug burns from the trunk currently enflaming her forearms.

“Nice shirt, baby. Love the presentation of your tits.” With a vile grin, Matthew reached down to tweak both nipples simultaneously, harder than she could ever remember him doing in the past. “However, you know better than to answer a door with your chest so shamelessly displayed for the whole world to see in a shirt that’s practically see-through. No one wants to look at your flabby fat tits, you whore.”

Liz gagged against the tape. Her stomach threatened a revolt.
Please don’t let me choke on my own vomit.

“Now, then. We’re going on a little trip.” He leaned into her face. Spittle hit her cheeks as he spoke through gritted teeth. “And, if you give me even one second of grief, I’ll turn back around and kill that fuck toy of yours. What’s his name? Alan? Don’t think for one moment that I’m kidding, you bitch. Sit tight while I go back inside and tidy up a bit.” The trunk slammed in her face, a reverberating sound that made her ears ring.

It was all over in just thirty seconds or less, her life of the past two years gone. She lay back in the pitch darkness and let the tears roll shamelessly down her face. She was a dead woman. She knew it as well as she knew the sky was blue. There was no way in hell she was taking Alan down with her.

Several minutes went by. What the hell was he doing? Why weren’t they moving?

Finally, the engine roared to life and the car screeched out of the driveway. Liz knew from past experience when Matthew was his angriest, he had a hard time keeping his wrath from leaking out into the community. He always tried to save his vengeance for her alone. Occasionally she’d witnessed his face contort in a way that would make people glance his way twice, wondering what his problem was before he could get her home and take out his rage on his favorite victim.

No matter she was the cause of his problem or not. Now was clearly one of those times.

* * * *

Alan strode through the front door and dropped his key on the granite table with a clang and cringed at the thought he might have woken Liz up with his noisy entrance.

He carefully pushed the door closed, kicked off his tennis shoes and crossed into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. It was only six thirty in the morning. He was an incurable morning person and loved finishing a workout, eating breakfast, and enjoying the newspaper with his coffee, all before most of the world pried their eyelids open.

He chuckled, wondering what sort of person Liz was when she wasn’t taking pain meds…and working her fingers to the bone cleaning other people’s houses in an effort to stay under the radar.

Once again, he couldn’t believe the strength of a woman who could actually give up her life and hide out pretending to be uneducated, cleaning houses day after day, to avoid an abuser. He fully intended to spend the morning searching the internet for any precedent that had been perhaps set in any of the fifty states for such a dilemma. He couldn’t recall ever coming across a story such as this in all his years of studying and practicing law. If she were to come out of the closet, so to speak, with the details of her scam, could she be prosecuted?

Coffee in hand, Alan stared blankly at the newspaper in front of him. He couldn’t focus on a single detail or even unfold it, even though he held it at an angle as though thoroughly engrossed in the front page.

Finally, he gave up and dropped the paper on the table. Not a peep from the bedroom.

Before heading to his office for the intended morning research, Alan padded down the hall to check on the gorgeous woman he was slowly intending to drag out of her shell, and then take a shower, in that order.

Shock made Alan freeze in the doorway. He leaned on the frame, and peered quietly into the room. She wasn’t there. With some caution, he eased himself into the room and looked around. The bathroom? A quick shuffle to the other side of the room proved him wrong. Not there either.

In a slight panic, he spun around and glanced all over. Nothing. Her clothes were gone. Not a trace existed of her ever being there, with the exception of her sweet smell permeating the air. What the hell?

She couldn’t leave, wouldn’t. Would she? How? Where would she go and how would she get there in her current state. She would have woken up in some level of pain.

And not just from the dame trophy accident either.

Shame filled him. He’d taken her twice last night, relatively gently, but still…

In slow motion, Alan moved over to the bed and touched the sheets, still warm from the soft curves of her sexy body. She hadn’t been gone long before he’d arrived. Her scent lingered on the sheets, mixed with the spicy aroma of their lovemaking.

He let his fingers trail over the pillow she’d been lying on, the indentation from her head still visible. Why?

As he sat down in her vacated spot, Alan saw the note on the bedside table. He stared at it without moving, his breath held. Willing it to say something, he could wrap his mind around.

On an exhale, he finally snatched the piece of paper from the table and pulled it into his line of vision.

Alan, so sorry. About everything. The truth is I’m a married woman and never should have engaged in such indiscretions with you. Please don’t try to contact me. Beth.

Seriously? Beth? What the hell was that all about? Never once had she referred to herself as Beth.

Alan lay back on the bed and breathed deep. His world had turned upside down.

“Damn.” Nothing made sense. Would she really leave? Perhaps she’d woken up panicked.

He headed for the shower and set a world record at bathing with very little recollection afterward. Towel wrapped around his waist, he stared into the mirror and reached for his razor before he glanced down at his hand. He had no business shaving in his current state of mind. His hand shook like a leaf.

It all seemed so unfair. Unreal. His mind raced through the words she’d spoken to him during the night. Soft, gentle, sweet, innocent Liz. She couldn’t possibly have done such a thing. How had she even had the stamina to get a taxi or take the bus?

When he’d left her there not one hour ago, she’d been sound asleep, the most peaceful expression he’d ever seen in his life gracing the smooth skin of her eyes and mouth. Her breathing had been deep, like that of a person in REM. She’d been exhausted after the two days of pain she’d endured and then the night…

Had she been faking? Laid there in wait for him to leave so she could make her escape? Not a chance. If that were the case, she’d have had to know he would get up early and go for a run. He could kick himself in the ass for letting her get away like this.

As if it were his fault somehow for leaving her alone.

He inhaled long calming breaths, then ambled to his office and sat down to stare at the blank screen of the computer that wasn’t turned on for the day yet. Snippets of the past few days ran through his mind.

Liz holding her back in pain while she told him the story of her previous life.

She pleaded with him not to fill out the hospital forms, fear in her gaze. He’d hated that look and went to the admissions department to pay the bill in full, begged them to please not insist on paperwork from her. It was against hospital policy. He didn’t care about policy, only sparing Liz’s feelings.

Clinging to him in ecstasy while her body succumbed to the most intense orgasm. The eyes can’t lie about that sort of thing. Her mouth had opened into a sexy
O
. Her head tipping back as the waves washed over her. Her full breasts quivering beneath his gaze, the pink nipples puckered out stiffly. Her vaginal walls gripping his needy cock as she pumped him like her life depended on it.

Alan grimaced, leaned forward in his chair, and lay his forehead against the cool wooden desktop. Perhaps if he closed his eyes for a minute, he could wake again and find this had all been just a crazy mixed-up nightmare.

He couldn’t shake the idea of her signing her name
Beth
. Why would she do that?

Suddenly he decided not to take
no
for an answer. He didn’t have to, did he? Hell no.

Now all he had to do was figure out where she lived and confront her. It wasn’t like she could be working today. She’d have barely been able to get herself home and tucked into her bed. There was no way she could be cleaning someone else’s house.

He snatched the house phone from its base on the desk and stared at it.
Shit
. He didn’t have her number. He tried to think back. The only call between them had been her calling him to set up the initial appointment. He’d not thought to get her number out of the caller ID and write it down. How dumb was that?

He grappled with the buttons in attempt to dial the one person who could help him.