Wildly Inappropriate (28 page)

He surged past the part of her throat that made her gag with a groan. "Yes, sugar, just like that. Let me take."

She gave. With her mouth, because it pleased him. With her eyes, because that pleased her, to watch him forget his problems and lose himself in the pleasure he took from her. In that way, her helplessness became the strongest power she'd ever felt. His hair tumbled over his forehead. He needed a shave. The white shirt he'd worn since this morning at the jail was now wrinkled and brushed her cheeks. His eyes began to change, growing darker. His cock swelled in her throat. He thrust harder, taking more than she'd ever believed she could give.

His hands grasped her head, holding her against him. He emptied with a cry of her name. The hot fluid striking the back of her throat seemed a baptism of a new kind. Or an old kind, she realized when he withdrew. This act had to be as old as time, and in that moment, felt as natural to her as air. She gasped for breath, but she didn't break the fragile bond of their gaze though her eyes were watering.

Relaxing back onto her upturned soles, she watched while he gathered that massive strength around him again, unable to resist a smile because she'd been the one to steal it.

He grasped her shoulders, helping her to her feet and unbuckling his belt. He massaged her arms, and then his hands went around her waist. He lifted her onto the counter. Cynda knew what to do this time. He used his hand to smooth the shaving cream, and ripped the plastic from the razor with a sharp tug of his teeth. He opened her folds with one hand, manipulating the razor with the other. This shave was different, businesslike and precise, but she was basking in an odd afterglow. He finished the shave and rinsed her using the sprayer beside the faucet. Her tummy hollowed when he lowered his head to press a single kiss to her bare mound.

His expression became naughty. He fiddled with the sprayer nozzle and then she felt the stream of warm water between her legs again. He aimed the intense spray at her clit. Her back arched from the sensation. It felt hard and yet soft and he moved the stream back and forth across her hardened nub. The soft, insistent friction drew her body taut. She came, but cried out, "I need more."

"You need me."

If only you meant for more than sex.

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Man, it was great of Cynda to offer to drive Lila and Jonah to the school today." Colton grabbed a foam cup and filled it the brim with coffee. "I love that woman, but the thought of Lila driving my truck again makes me foam at the mouth." He heaved a sigh. "I think I'm going to put some sort of governor on her next vehicle so it won't go over fifty-five, even if she stands on the fucking gas."

Dan leaned back in his chair, chuckling. It would take Lila all of three days to figure it out and take that vehicle to some other garage where they'd find the regulator, he guessed, but he could see his brother was serious. "I can't quite wrap my head around the idea that you're having a baby. But if I didn't say it last night, congratulations, little brother."

"That's fucking genius. I'll help you install it." Eric strolled into the office, joining Colton by the coffee pot. "Gotta take care of my niece or nephew. I dunno if I said it either, little brother, but good job." He clapped Colton hard on the back. "In case you're wondering, I don't change diapers, so don't ask."

"Damn, E, I was counting on you inventing some kind of diapering machine."

Eric shook his head after a moment's thought. "No can do. If you don't do that stuff by hand, what's the point? Besides, you've got a nanny. I guess Dan's woman and yours bonded in jail, huh? That's gonna make life easier. Nothing worse than two women who don't like each other rubbin' shoulders." He peeked over his shoulder at Dan. "How's Cynda's cooking?"

"Does he ever think about anything above his belt?" Colton asked Dan.

"Not often."

"Excuse me, Daniel, can I have a minute?"

All three brothers turned toward the unfamiliar voice. Dan recognized the lean frame even out of uniform, barely returning the cop's nod. "Reese." His brothers made no effort to leave, he noted. The laughter in Colton's eyes evaporated. Eric blew on his coffee, not sparing a look in Reese's direction.

Reese saluted halfheartedly. "I, uh, went by the county solicitor's office and withdrew those charges against Mrs. Walker and Miss Avery, Dan. It was a hundred and five degrees out there that day and I was afraid the Walker woman would get the crowd across the street stirred up." He heaved a sigh. "But your girlfriend didn't do anything wrong, and all Mrs. Walker did was talk to one of the marchers. Sorry they had to spend that extra night in lock-up, too. If they paid any bail money, it'll be returned."

Colton shook his head slowly. "Damn, Reese, Lila's gonna be crushed by this news. She can't sleep for thinking up all the things she plans to call you in court." His gaze was hard and Daniel saw his little brother's jaw working. "She's pregnant. How would you like it if your wife spent two nights in jail over nothing, thanks to one of us?"

Dan's longtime friend had the grace to look ashamed. "I'd be pissed off. I didn't know she was pregnant, Colton. But if it makes you feel any better, my wife's had me sleeping on the couch for three nights now. And this is an official invite to dinner for you three and your ladies, soon as Annie gets back on her feet after the kid's born."

It was Eric who clapped Reese on the back, then shouldered him aside. "Nice seein' ya, Reese. I'm going to work. You two gonna fuck off all day or what?"

Reese stepped out of Eric's way, still looking across the desk at Dan. "I guess you're pretty anxious to hear what the coroner says about that body your dog dug up? I'm on my way out to your place, but I figured you might be here. Coroner's van is on its way out there now. Heard it over the radio before I got out of my car."

Eric spun. Colton set his cup on the corner of Dan's desk, staring in disbelief. "What body?" they demanded, practically in unison.

"I haven't told them yet." Dan sighed.

"Well, looks like I can't stop fucking up. I know what you must be thinking, Dan. But the truth is your property—especially that stretch down by the ravine—is a good place to dump a body. Like every other city in America, we have a growing drug problem. People can do some crazy shit when they find out you're digging up a body they've buried, so there's gonna be some extra patrols out your way for the next week or two, just in case."

"Okay." Dan thought for a second. "Let me walk you out." In response to his hard look, his brothers headed for the work bays. Dan stepped out the front door with Reese. "I could use some help with that problem I called you about. Maybe off the clock, you could drop by and explain that what he's doing is a bad idea?"

Reese hesitated.

"Look, that guy came to my place asking to buy that piece of land. Only that piece, Reese. It's the worst five acres I own. Grandpa Chapman only bought it because John Carpenter made it a condition for selling his orchards and it had that bridge over the ravine that meant you didn't have to go 'round on the main road. So I can't stop asking myself why Kingsley Dazza wants it. Then, a body turns up there. Drug dealers can't be the only people willing to kill over a business deal gone bad." Dan felt bad about adding, "He's Georgia Mason's nephew. I don't know the man, I guess he lived in town with his mother, but surely he visited Georgia. He told me he knew my mother." He couldn't quite bring himself to tell the story he'd heard from Georgia. The cops could do some of the work, he decided.

Reese let out a low whistle. "That's good information. Someone's gonna have to start looking for whoever dumped this body. He's as good a jumping off spot as any." Reese opened the door to his car. "Dazza runs his loan sharking business out of an old television repair shop. Has a guy working for him that's on parole for second-degree murder. I can roust Ben without a warrant. I'll swing by there on my way out to your place."

"Thanks. I'll be talking to him myself in less than a week, but anything you can do to make him see the light about lowering his interest rates, I'd appreciate."

His brothers came through the roll-up doors together.

"A body?" Eric repeated. "Is that all you know, Reese? No idea whose it might be?"

"Fucking hell," Colton muttered. "Lila never locks a door and I just handed every gun I own over to Dan." Grabbing his cell phone out of his pocket, he began pushing buttons.

"Not yet. If we can get an ID with dental records, it'll only take a few days. If not"—he shrugged—"it could take months." Reese made another half salute and got into his Crown Victoria. "Later, guys."

Dan knew he should've confessed his arrangement with Cynda's grandmother at breakfast, but breakfast hadn't been eggs and ham, dammit. Afterward, he'd had to rush to get to work on time.

He was going to call Miss Coralinne and ask if she'd go to dinner with them tonight so they could break the news. Then, Dan planned to rip up that contract and between now and tonight, he had to figure out how to beg Cynda to stay without… well, without begging. It was a bold thing to say, but Dan said it anyway. "Let me save you some money. Build one room for the baby. Your new nanny just might be living close enough to walk to work by then."

"Hell, yeah. I thought so, just from watching the way you act around her." Colton pushed his phone into his back pocket and pumped his fist, grinning at Daniel. "Lila really likes Cynda." He lost his grin. "You don't mind if she helps us out, do you? Lila said you didn't look happy about that arrangement."

"I didn't?" Daniel thought about it. "Between the body, you guys walking in on us, and your big announcement, I was just shocked all the way around, I guess. The last few women I dated didn't act as though they even liked kids." He frowned at his brother. "It's a touchy subject, especially for an old caveman like me that thinks a woman should stay home with her children, but I'm delighted Cynda wants to help raise my little niece or nephew."

Colton rolled his eyes. "We know who the caveman in this family is, D, and it's not you."

Eric flipped him a middle finger. "Put that governor in yourself. For fifty bucks, I won't tell Lila you did it."

Colton picked up his coffee and his smile was all teeth. "I'm having a baby without insurance. Lila has to see a specialist in high-risk pregnancies next week because of her age and they want her to have an amniocentesis. I need to add a room onto the house and Jonah needs a new baseball glove. I don't fucking have fifty bucks. But I can kick your ass for free."

Eric threw his hands up. "Sorry, I was just joking, Colton. New glove's on me. I'll take him to buy it tonight, okay?"

"No." Colton shook his head stubbornly. "I'll get that for him, if Lila doesn't beat me to it."

Dan was right back where he'd started, trying to figure out what he could do to help his brother take care of his family. Thinking about that reminded him of the day he'd gone to talk to Georgia. He'd been so shocked by what she'd said about his mother, he'd forgotten to ask her about her nephew, Kingsley Dazza.

Didn't matter, he decided. Reese would put a scare into the guy, then he'd offer him the loan amount plus reasonable interest and be done with the ass. He called Cynda to tell her the good news about the charges being dropped.

* * * *

Cynda backed out the door, closing her cell phone and digging in her purse to double-check she had the back door key to the farmhouse, delighted by the news her charges were being dismissed. After a day to think it over, going to court didn't hold that much appeal. She stopped on the steps staring at the heavyset man wearing a uniform similar to those Daniel wore to work. He whipped a dark baseball cap off close-cropped gray hair. "Are you Mrs. De Marco?"

"No, but I'm Daniel's… friend." She raised her chin, but saw no judgment in the man's florid face.

"I'm Rusty Owens, ma'am. Coroner's Investigative Division. Jus' want to apologize for not gettin' out here yesterday. We had a shootin' death involvin' an AK-47 and I was stuck in town pickin' shell casin's out of a brick wall till way after dark."

The older man talked slow but his pale blue eyes looked honest and he sounded sincere. "Okay."

"We've moved our command center over to John Carpenter's place. It's closer to the site from his side of the ravine. I didn't want y'all to think we aren't workin' this case."

She hurried down the steps and gratefully shook the hand he offered. "Thank you for telling me."

He gave her hand an extra squeeze. "I heard about your man throwin' them young guys outta here for bein' rude to you. Good for him. You and your man'd be welcome at my church any time."

His gesture might not mean much to Daniel, Cynda thought, but it meant the world to her. Thanking him once more, she jumped into her Volkswagen, worrying until he moved his dark sedan. She didn't want to be late to pick Lila up even if her job wasn't yet official.

"Cynda!" Jonah was throwing rocks into the woods from the driveway. She admired the graceful lines of Colton's stone-faced bungalow, but decided she preferred the farmhouse with its buttery coat of paint.

"Ready to become a high school freshman?" she asked the young boy. "This is a big day in my book."

Lila was standing on the porch, digging into her back pockets. "Jonah, where did I put that door key?" she called, waving at Cynda.

"Front watch pocket of your shorts." Jonah rolled his eyes. "She gets scatter-brained sometimes."

Two hours later, Jonah had his new school ID in his pocket and they'd tracked down the location of his locker and classrooms. Lila and Cynda were looking at his list of classes as they trudged across the large school parking lot toward her car. "I don't know this Mrs. Reeves," Lila said, pointing at the paper. "The chemistry teacher."

"I do. She's hard as nails," Cynda said. "She gives pop quizzes like I brush my teeth. Religiously, every day. Sometimes twice a day."

"Oh, my God." Jonah stopped walking. "You mean to tell me that between you two, you know every teacher I have?"