Faded Cotton (Erotic Romance) (27 page)

He continued until he had nothing left to
give, and quivering, he fell against her, sucking in the sweet
flesh of her neck and kissing her, he dove into her last moans and
sighs. She had wanted him, needed him, and he’d taken her.

He whispered in her ear. “You’re mine. No one
else will ever have you.”

Jess pushed off to come to rest beside her.
The two lay side by side, staring, raptured in one another until
their breathing slowed and their strength returned. She was
his.

Jess rolled to his side, pushing up close to
her, drawing lazy circles on her tummy and breasts, feeling her,
studying her, watching her twitch with aftershocks and basking in
his love. He looked up and into her eyes once again, “Shannon, why
didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?” Still flushed, she smiled up
at him, a satiated, wistful smile.

“That you were a virgin.” Jess searched her
with a distressed face.

“Jess, please, stop. I wanted you. I’ve
wanted you for as long as I can remember. I wouldn’t have wanted it
to turn out any different. That was amazing. You are amazing.” She
pulled him to her, holding him as tight as she could, and he held
her the same, the tight embrace melding them together.

When they finally relaxed, Jess found the
courage to ask her what he’d wanted to ask her for a long time.
“Shannon this—us, this answers a lot of questions that I wanted to
ask you when we came down here. I’ve been waiting for you forever,
thinking, praying, “it” was a phase or some shit. I’ve always been
crazy about you. You just blew my mind!” Jess tossed his head back,
laughing at the chain of events.

“And I’m crazy about you. I can’t believe you
had your wires crossed so badly and didn’t see it.” Shannon lay
back onto the bank, laughing, staring at the blue sky.

“I love you, Shannon. I’ve loved you since
you kissed me when you were in the fifth grade, maybe before.” He
chuckled, remembering that he’d run away from her. His reaction had
made her cry.

Shannon pulled up on one arm to look into his
eyes. “I love you. I always have.” Tears now flooded her eyes. Jess
pulled her to him tightly and held her, letting the salty drops
fall on his arm.

“Marry me.” Jess’s face was serious, earnest
as he pulled away to search her eyes.

“Jess?!” Shannon was as excited as she was
shocked.

“Shannon MacClain, will you marry me?” He was
now hovering over her, with her on her back and in his arms, his
naked body pressed against hers, his eyes trained on hers.

“I....” Shannon didn’t get to finish.

Not normally talkative, Jess’s excited
thoughts were now tumbling out in rapid succession. “Now, you can
think about it if you need to, but there is no reason not to. We
have known each other for—hell, we’ve been best friends forever.
We—” Jess was thinking of everything in the book he could throw at
an argument from Shannon.

“Yes.”

“—have been though some crazy shit together
and we always come out okay. We know how to argue and be okay.
Now—we fit each other perfectly. I want to make love to you for the
rest of my....”

Shannon was nodding as she put a finger to
his lips to quiet him. “I said yes,” she told him softly,
smiling.

“Yes?!” Jess LeGrande was finally at a loss
for words.

“Yes, I’ll marry you. I want to marry you.
I’ve always wanted to marry you. I love you.” She put her arms
around his neck and pulled him down into a long, slow, passionate
kiss, their sweat slicked bodies completely embraced.

__________________________

“It’s damn near dark. Where are they?” Adam
didn’t trust his baby sister to be away from his watch under the
circumstances, with anyone, even if it was Jess.

Laurel wasn’t going to wait, being aggravated
from being under constant guard. “The whole stinkin’ farm is under
surveillance. They’ll be fine. Dinner is getting cold. Let’s eat.”
She had her suspicions about Shannon and Jess, but wouldn’t be
broadcasting them to the group.

“Seth, you can’t always cook like this. I’m
gonna get fat!” Everyone laughed and nodded in agreement. The
spread was outstanding. It was a typical Southern fried chicken
dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy. It threatened to stick in
places no girl wanted it to.

“Very well, diet food it is, from now on,”
Seth proclaimed, although he wasn’t sure if he could get away with
it, judging from the groans that came from the gentlemen.

Laurel’s extended family and the extra guard
rotation had just begun to pass food around when the door to the
mudroom creaked. Jake jumped up with pistol in hand ready to blow
the would-be attacker to bits.

“Geez, Jake, you’re scaring the shit out of
me.” Laurel’s heart was racing.

“It’s just me and Shannon.” Jess’s voice
rumbled as he approached the entry to the kitchen. Kicking off
their muddy shoes, Jess and Shannon walked through the door toward
the table a little sheepishly. The group stared at them; they
looked at each other and grinned. Shannon’s backside was covered
with mud and both their hair mussed. Jess’s forearms were muddy and
the inseparable pair both had sand all over them.

Adam started to clap. “It’s about time.” That
set everyone off into thunderous applause and gales of laughter.
Jess and Shannon grinned and stared at each other blushing deeply,
but not denying anything.

Finally, Jess pulled Shannon to his chest and
kissed her forehead. If they were going to be embarrassed, he might
as well let everyone know it was a sealed deal. She hid against his
chest for a bit, grinning and blushing.

Laurel smiled and tried to settle the group,
shooing her hand at them. “Enough, enough! Let’s eat before my
chicken gets cold. You two grab some towels out of the mudroom so
you don’t ruin my chairs, and come sit down already. I imagine
you’re starving.” She chuckled a bit.

Nothing would make her happier, Laurel
thought, than to see her own children deeply in love and happily
married. It would appear anyway, that Shannon and Jess had finally
figured out what so many had known for so long; that they belonged
together. She’d known they had always been nuts about each other,
they just didn’t own it as lovers until today, apparently.

This was another incentive for her to learn
to get along with Jake. She shook her head to herself. She loved
him, but was it love or was it just attraction to what they once
had? Did she really want to trust him again?

__________________________

Ben sat in the cabin’s makeshift
communications center. A couple of long catering tables had been
brought in to support a row of laptops with cords running
everywhere. The light wasn’t exactly candlelight, but when it was
just the two of them in the evening, Ellia thought it gave off a
romantic glow.

“You think we’ll be able to get away soon?”
Ellia tried to get Ben’s attention. This working vacation was
becoming less and less of a vacation every minute.

“Hmm?” He was deep in thought and heard, but
didn’t
hear
her.

“It’s nice out here. Good place to raise
kids. I’m getting sick of Virginia, D.C. and the coast.”

“Umhumm.” Ben was reviewing the data he’d
been sent from the crime lab in St. Louis. New and state of the
art, he was glad it was close. Billions of dollars in technology
had been invested into the new lab in an effort to speed up the
important evidence results for cases across the county.

Ellia slumped. She was ready for a change,
but didn’t ever think Ben would walk away from his job as a
CIDC investigator. The Army liked him, and he got
things done. It was almost impossible to drag his attention
away.

She leaned over his shoulder,
“What is more important than me
talking to
you today?” He reached up to grab her by the arm to pull her
closer.

“
Look Ellia. It’s a match.
One hundred percent. All the tests say the paint and embedded
chrome flakes on the wrecked Camaro match the paint and chrome from
the Malibu.” He turned to her. “I have to talk to the James woman.
Let’s get the arrest warrants in place.”

“
That won’t be too hard.
She’s still a local. She may have had a rich and famous boyfriend
in college as Angie James, but she’s mainstream folks today. She’s
Angie Smythe now. She recently remarried.” Ellia had Ben’s
attention now.

“
Get warrants for both of
them, her as an
accessory. Homicide,
vehicular manslaughter, whatever you want to call it, it was
murder. Jen’s parents should have lived to tell about it. We’ll
have to see what kind of a confession we can get. I think those two
knew that the Malibu rolled into the ditch and didn’t do a
thing.”

__________________________

“
LeGrande, I’ll find a way to get rid of
him if I have to shoot him myself! This is your last chance. Get
rid of Morrison or both of you will die. To hell if I’ll ever have
any of his kind in my Navy!

__________________________

It was all they had needed. It had been
recorded and was the last piece of evidence to seal the case. The
investigation was complete and cooperating JAG and NCIS teams both
had enough to nail the bastard, Jake figured. He blew out a long
breath of relief after speaking with his NCIS contact.

LeGrande had cooperated and given them what
he had. Witnesses were lined up ready to testify, and the arrest
was imminent. Jake sighed, hoping they could put the guy away for
life.

It was time. About mid-day, the big flat
screen in Laurel’s family room was switched on to CNBC. Jake called
in his men, all the support staff, everyone.

“Brian just got word they are on their way
and the media is all over it. The evidence and witnesses are in
place. I’m sure this guy is going down.” Jake pointed at the flat
panel on the wall.

The reporters, asking for commentary, were
rushing toward the man in dress whites who was being cuffed. He was
flanked by other officers and attorneys. “Breaking news at this
hour, Admiral....” Laurel watched Jake take a big breath and let it
out. His shoulders dropped and the tension he held diminished.

“They got him. Good work, people. Our
contribution to the sting will make a difference. People can do
their jobs in peace.” Only this was over, he knew. The problem
would persist no differently than the age-old problems in the
Middle East persisted. Hate never gave up. He had watched Robert
stare at the TV, smile gently, bow, and shake his head, then return
to his usual professional demeanor. Jake muted the TV and everyone
watched as he talked.

“We’ll be wrapping up things here today. We
believe the Laughlin’s were the threat to Laurel. Steve Laughlin
was assassinated, that was confirmed by our investigative team.
Senator Arnold Laughlin is being arrested in the sting as well.
Additionally, he’s now tied to the death of Jen’s parents.” Jake
thumbed his hand back toward the TV monitor showing the senator
being cuffed at his Washington, D.C. office.

“I need everyone to pack it up. Transport
will be here shortly. Close down everything. Everybody gets thirty
days leave. You’ll be expected to report for duty at the end of
that time. Assignments will be forthcoming. Congratulations, folks.
I know this was difficult, but everyone has done a great job.
Flights will be coordinated through Morrison; Tanner will be
handling the windup. Those of you staying here for a while yet,
will meet this evening after we’ve packed up and shipped out
everyone else.”

The announcements were accompanied by a lot
of back pounding and high fives. Brian didn’t waste any time giving
instructions to move all the equipment out. Laurel watched the
exchanges with a sigh of relief. She’d finally get her life back
and her house back, although there were going to be a lot of
repairs needed. She watched as assault rifles were packed with
extra gear and stowed in the transport trucks.

Ben came in with Ellia asking to speak to
Jake, Laurel, and Jen. They moved to the family room before Ben
began his announcement.

“Jen, I know you have already said you want
to hear this, but you might want to sit down.” She stiffened and
remained standing. Ben’s eyes met hers and she nodded for him to go
on.

“Angie Smythe has been arrested. She started
singing like a canary when I went to question her. It
was
Arnie Laughlin that was behind the wheel of the Camaro. At the very
least, she’ll serve for obstruction of justice. She has covered for
him the entire time. She was in the passenger seat, too drunk to
function. He drove drunk and it was pouring down rain. They both
had known the Malibu went into the ravine after they hit it. They
got out to look and then took off again. The vehicle flooded a
couple of minutes later. Had they been pulled to safety, Jen’s
parents may very well have lived.”

“Cause of death is listed as succumbing to
injuries incurred in the accident, but we have a different story
now. After interviewing the coroner’s assistant for this case, who
is the current county coroner, we believe manslaughter charges for
Laughlin and Smythe will be forthcoming. The coroner remembered the
case well, because the circumstances bothered him. He said it
wasn’t their injuries that killed them, their lungs were filled
with water. He was certain and noted both were buckled in and the
vehicle had been retrofitted with shoulder harnesses. We are
interviewing witnesses from the rally after-party now. There are
already two witnesses that say Laughlin got behind the wheel
“stagger drunk”. Angie’s original statement says they fell asleep
in the car and never left, but all the evidence we have now proves
otherwise. We’ve proved the tags on the Camaro were switched by a
chop shop so there looked like nothing had happened to Laughlin’s
car. That’s how they originally evaded prosecution.”