Lost and Found (9 page)

Looking back on her decision to go to his place, she shook her head in disbelief. What kind of women went alone to the apartment of a man she’d just met? Cop or not, it was a TV movie waiting to happen. He could have been a serial killer or a date rapist or a Satan worshipper looking for a virgin to sacrifice and yet she hadn’t hesitated to meet him. It was crazy, but she trusted him implicitly, already. Volatile or not, he was everything she’d ever dreamed about, which both thrilled her and scared her to death.

“What about Theresa?” Jessie finally asked, after they’d walked a few more blocks. She looked up at him expectantly, noticing how the neon signs reflected off his dark hair and made his eyes appear black instead of blue.
 

“Theresa? You think I dated Theresa?”
Duncan
asked angrily, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to confront her. “What do you think I am? A pervert? She’s only seventeen. I’m thirty and don’t have a taste for little girls, as you should have noticed by now.”

Jessie faced him and placed her hands low on his chest, rubbing in what she hoped was a soothing manner. His face was as hard as granite, and he wouldn’t look her in the eyes. People at a nearby café stared at them and she pulled
Duncan
into a nearby alley. “I’m sorry,
Duncan
. I had to ask. She’s more than another runaway though, isn’t she?”

“She’s my sister. My half sister. I’ve been looking for her practically non-stop for the past two weeks.” He ran both hands through his hair in a frustrated gesture. “Listen, I’m sorry if I lead you to believe otherwise, but I didn’t know this was going to happen between us.” He glanced down at her hands against his stomach. “I just thought it would be easier if people thought this was just a routine missing person’s case.”

“You were her guardian? She ran away from you?”

“No, she was living with our grandmother in
Ontario
. I haven’t seen or talked to any of my family in eleven years. Theresa left two months ago without a word, and the fleet of private detectives the old lady hired hasn’t had any luck tracking her down. That’s why she called me. After all this time, she thought I could help.”
Duncan
’s voice was bitter, and Jessie suddenly realized how alone the detective was in the world. After her parents died, she’d thought she was the loneliest person in the world, but at least she had Jamie.
Duncan
didn’t seem to have anyone. No family, no women, just a dog. Only the thought of his reaction to her pity stopped her from wrapping her arms around him and comforting him like a hurt child.
 

“Why didn’t she call the police?” Jessie asked.

“Publicity. Grandmother is paranoid about the Press. There was a scandal when I was born. My mother never bothered to ask the name of my father. It got leaked, and Grandmother never recovered from it.”

Jessie wondered why the Press would care so much about his family, but didn’t want to pry. “So she thought private detectives would be more discreet than the police?”

“Yeah, she figures she pays for discretion. With cops there aren’t any guarantees.”

“So you’ve been looking for her ever since? By yourself? Even though you haven’t had any contact with Theresa since she was a child?”

“Yeah, what choice do I have? She’s my sister and she needs me. Even if my grandmother is a nightmare, I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to Theresa. Not if I could do something to prevent it.”

“But what about tonight?” Jessie couldn’t help asking. He seemed so dedicated, it just didn’t make sense to her that he would take time out from something that was obviously so important to him to spend time with her.

“What about tonight?” He asked quietly, unclenching his hands where they’d been fisted at his sides, he placed them gently on either side of her face. “You mean our date?” Jessie nodded, mesmerized by the tender look on his face. “I don’t know, Jessie. Usually, all I can think about is work. I hunt men. That’s what I do. It’s all I ever do. Lately, it’s been Theresa. It doesn’t make any sense, but since this morning, since meeting you, kissing you, I’ve been different. I’m distracted. I can’t afford to be distracted.” He looked like he was going to kiss her for a moment, but pulled away at the last possible moment, and put his hands behind his head. He walked a few steps away from her and looked morosely down the dingy alleyway with his back to her.

Jessie watched him. His head was down and his shoulders were tight with tension and confusion. She desperately wanted to touch him, take some of the pain away, but couldn’t summon the courage. Instead, she said softly, “Is it really so terrible to want someone?”

Duncan
whirled around and looked at her, eyes blazing. “Are you kidding? It’s a fucking disaster. I missed her tonight because all I could think about was being with you. That’s why I acted like such an asshole before. We’ve only known each other a day and I’m already losing focus. What will I be like in a week? A month from now? How about a year?”

“I’m sorry,” Jessie said, starting to walk away. Tears were stinging her eyes and she didn’t want him to see. “I didn’t mean to make things so difficult. I just wanted to spend some time with you.” After the dimness of the alley, the neon on the street was dazzling, she put her hand up to shield her eyes and suddenly he was in front of her, looming over her and blocking the unkind light. He grabbed her by both shoulders, pulled her to him, and kissed her fervently, trying to communicate all of his frustration and desire through his lips and tongue.

Jessie returned his passionate kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. After a few moments, she became vaguely aware of clapping coming from the direction of a nearby café. She tried to pull away in embarrassment, but
Duncan
’s mouth clung to hers, and he shifted his arms lower so he could lift her high on his chest. With her feet dangling several inches off the pavement, Jessie kissed
Duncan
until they were both breathless, but smiling.

Chapter
8

“Where do you live?”
Duncan
asked, swinging their joined hands.

They’d been walking the streets together for the past three hours, looking for Theresa. Nothing was settled between them, but they had agreed to search together. So far, no one they’d spoken to had seen the blond girl, and the streets were getting more and more deserted.

Jessie covered her mouth with her loose hand and stifled a yawn. “Right up there actually,” she said pointing to her window in the ancient apartment building across the street from where they stood.

“C’mon, I’ll walk you to your door,”
Duncan
said, tugging on her hand and looking both ways before crossing. He took the key from her hand and unlocked the vestibule door for her, dangling the key in front of her eyes before dropping them into her outstretched palm. “Do I get a good night kiss for being such a polite escort?”

Jessie smiled up at him. “No, I don’t think you do actually. Good manners shouldn’t require payment, should they? They’re expected from a gentlemen.”

Duncan
smiled back. “Did you get that from one of your Victorian erotica books?” He asked, tweaking her nose.

She looked faintly embarrassed. “No, there aren’t any gentlemen in those books. Trust me.”

“You’re the expert. Which is why you still owe me a lesson. I’ll just say good night then. Good night, Jessie. Sleep well.” He ran a finger over her lips and began to move away, walking backward so he could watch her get into the elevator.

“Detective?” She called; her smile mischievous, she leaned against the doorjamb of the vestibule in what she thought was a coquettish manner.

He stopped in his tracks. “Yes, Miss Martin, what can I do for you?” he said, in the formal tone he’d used that morning.

“Don’t you think I deserve a kiss for helping you with your search tonight?”

Duncan
sprinted back to her and said, casually. “You’re right. How rude of me. Thank you for helping me tonight, Jessie.” He placed his elbow against the doorjamb, leaned down and pressed his lips to hers for a fraction of a second. He watched with a grin as annoyance began to spread across her face.

“That didn’t seem very grateful,” she said, opening her eyes and glaring up at him.

“Payback for earlier,” he said, and tipped her chin up toward him again. He caressed her throat with his fingertips and touched his lips to hers, sweetly sucking her full bottom lip between his. He didn’t touch her anywhere but her throat and lips, just focused on pleasuring her with his mouth.
 

Jessie sighed against his lips and opened her mouth, wanting to entice him to possess her more fully. When he didn’t plunge his tongue into her mouth as she’d expected, she flickered her own tongue out to lick his lips. He ignored her and continued kissing her chastely, with just a hint of pressure against her mouth.

Jessie pulled back and said, “I’m beginning to think you’re really ungrateful.”

“Okay, okay,”
Duncan
said with a grin, “let me try again.” This time he took complete possession of her mouth, plunging his tongue deeply between her lips in a passionate imitation of the sex act and holding her head still with one hand on the back of her neck. He bent her back and supported her with one powerful arm as he plundered her mouth like a 1950’s matinee idol, and Jessie gripped his shirt to maintain her balance.

“Wow,” she said, when he finally let her up. “You really were grateful. I’m sorry I doubted you.”

Duncan
was breathing heavily and he seemed a bit unsteady on his feet as he said, “You have no idea how ‘grateful’ I am.” He took her hand and placed it gently against his aching crotch. The gesture was crude, and primitive. It would have disgusted Jessie if anyone else had done it, but feeling him so hard for her under hand, thrilled her, and she moved her hand slightly, cupping him through his jeans.
Duncan
groaned and flexed against her palm, holding it tightly against him.
 

“I am so grateful,” he said, unzipping the leather coat she was wearing, he slipped his other hand inside and rubbed one breast. “I could take you right here, right now. With your neighbors about to come around the corner and that wino watching us. All I want to do is show you exactly how grateful I am. I’ve been grateful since the moment I met you.”

Jessie rubbed her hand against him, testing his size and hardness with her palm. He felt big, too big. She watched his face as she touched him. His eyes were closed, and he looked strained, like the movement pained him. “Sounds like you’re really grateful. Do you want to come upstairs and we can talk about it over a cup of coffee?” Jessie asked, surprised at how cool her voice sounded. She moved toward him and reached up on tiptoes so she could kiss the side of his neck. When he’d kissed her there that morning it had sent shivers down her spine. She wanted to do the same to him.

Duncan
’s eyes blazed open, and he said seriously, “Jess, if I come upstairs with you, we won’t be discussing anything. I’ll be making love to you within about three seconds flat.”

“I’d like that,” Jessie whispered, moving her lips to his ear, she tugged his earlobe into her mouth and sucked on it. Her vow to be true to her values mattered very little to her at that moment. All she could think about was finally having him inside her.

They rushed up the stairs to Jessie’s second floor apartment, too much in a hurry to wait for the ancient elevator. She attempted to unlock her door with unsteady hands as
Duncan
stood behind her, pulling off the jacket he’d lent her. When he finally got it off he began kissing the nape of her neck, and pressing his hardness against her lush behind. “Hurry,” he whispered as he cupped her breasts with both hands. Jessie groaned and nearly dropped the keys when he pinched and tugged at her erect nipples through her blouse.

He took the keys gently from her and unlocked the door with one hand while tormenting her breast with the other. In seconds they were in the apartment with Jessie’s back against the closed door.
Duncan
kissed her ferociously and lifted her off the floor. “Put your legs around my hips,” he gasped against her lips, and groaned when she complied. He could feel how wet she was, even through their layers of clothing. It drove him wild and he grinded against her, planting hot, open-mouthed kisses on her throat.

She locked her ankles together and tried to bring him as close to her as possible. Her body was unbearably hot now and she felt like she was wearing way too many clothes. She reached between them and pulled off her blouse and camisole in one hurried sweep. His shirt followed and they were suddenly pressed together, both of them naked from the waist up.

“God, you feel so good,”
Duncan
rasped against her throat, rubbing his erection against her in an accelerating rhythm that Jessie was furiously trying to meet. “I can’t wait much longer,” he said, “It’s been too long.”

“The bedroom is there,” she said pointing behind him. She pulled his mouth to hers and kissed him wildly, running her hands over his back, and squeezing her thighs around his hips. He carried her in, and set her down on the bed. She lay back and watched him as he stood over her. He was so beautiful in his desire, so intense and passionate. She could tell by his jerky movements and blazing eyes that he barely had himself under control and it excited her to know she could make him like this.