Playing with Fire (13 page)

Gritting his teeth to restrain himself, he began a slow, steady, thrusting movement, his hot hands holding her hips, as he described to her in erotic detail everything he was doing to her and everything he wanted to do.

Then the delicious feel of her snapped his control. One final stroke, and he emptied his seed into her, his hands at her abdomen pulling her tight against him.

Exhausted at last, she curled into his body, spooning him. He threw his arm around her and pulled her tight, holding her as they fell asleep. They didn’t wake up until the sun shone full in the window, the bright rays disturbing their slumber.

Cassie lay there, savoring the feel of Griffin against her, every muscle relaxed in the greatest sense of peace and security she’d had in a long time. Every muscle in her body was sore, every bone ached, but it was a satisfying feeling rather than an unpleasant one.

He’d been relentless, taking her every way possible, teaching her how to pleasure his body as he’d pleasured hers. Each time he’d carried her to new heights of passion, her brain told her she couldn’t take any more. But he’d soothed her, petted her, taken her back down, then started in all over again.

They’d done things together she’d only read about, yet none of it made her self-conscious or uncomfortable. With Griffin, exploring new boundaries was exciting to the senses. Because she loved him. There it was. The thing she’d been running away from since she’d left Stoneham. Without Griffin, her life had been a succession of colorless days. Now, here they were, together, and she wasn’t about to let it fall apart again, no matter what she had to do.

And no matter what anyone else said. Gossip couldn’t hurt unless you let it.

Relaxed and in blissful lassitude, she was startled to feel the tip of Griffin’s erection pressing against her, and without even thinking she shifted her legs to open for him.

“A great way to start the day, sugar, don’t you think?” he breathed into her ear, lifting one of her legs and draping it over his hip. His hand stole toward her clitoris, searching it out in the still damp curls and pinching it between two fingers. She jerked in response to the stimulation.

“Will we ever get enough of each other?” Even as her body protested another assault, heat still stirred in her loins.

“I hope not.” Adjusting her to accommodate him, he entered her from behind then put his hand on her stomach to hold her tight against him. He rocked against her, his fingers reaching into her lips, still swollen from the night before, testing her for readiness. She relaxed to take him, and he thrust deeper into her. In the slowest, gentlest coupling yet, they climaxed just like that, holding each other and molded together.

“I love you, Cassie Fitzgerald” he said, and today his tone was more certain. “You know you’re mine now, with all that goes along with that.”

She nodded. “I love you, too, Griffin Hunter.”

He leaned his head next to hers and spoke into her ear. “Nobody ever knew about us, Cassie. Not a soul.”

She stilled in his arms. Why was he telling her this? Was she going to get yet one more argument?

“I know you’ve had to wonder, all this time,” he went on. “Those two nights we had together were private between you and me, and too important for me to trash with loose talk.”

“I was never quite sure.” She turned her face, wanting him to see her as she spoke. “When the wedding and everything happened, I didn’t know what to think. All I can tell you is the last six years have been hell for me.”

“Me, too, Dewdrop. Me, too.” He stroked her arm, her cheek, and kissed her temple, his heart thumping against her back. “For the first time in years, I feel peace stealing over me. Soothing me. I don’t know if I can find the words to tell you what you mean to my life, but I’ll spend forever doing what it takes to make you happy.”

At last they managed to push themselves out of bed. After they showered together, Cassie went downstairs to make coffee while Griffin shaved. He came into the kitchen as she was pouring liquid into two mugs, and she stood on tiptoe to give him a light kiss. His hair was still damp from the shower, and he carried the tantalizing scent of soap, aftershave, and his own maleness.

“I need to go home and change,” he told her. He wore the chinos and sport shirt he’d had on last night. “What are your plans for today?”

“I’ve got to finish cleaning the upstairs,” she said. “It’s driving me nuts. I don’t know how my mother stood it. I also want to go through her room and see if she has any papers I might have missed. Harley said Neil took care of everything, but I want to find her checkbook, things like that.”

“Want to take a little drive?” he asked.

“Where to?”

“Just some place I’d like to show you. Not far.”

She raised an eyebrow, staring at him, but his face gave nothing away. “Can you give me a couple of hours? Then I’ll be ready.”

“Sure. We’ll stop somewhere for lunch.” He sat in silence for a few minutes. It was apparent he was running through some things in his head.

Cassie knew they had a lot of ground to cover, and, for the moment, she was content to let him take the lead. But when he didn’t say anything, she broke the silence. “I’ve made up my mind about something.”

He looked at her, his expression wary. “And that is?”

“Neither of us will have any peace in our lives until there’s some resolution to Diane’s murder. I get the feeling the police didn’t look any further than you, and when that didn’t pan out, they just stopped looking. Maybe they hoped you’d do something to kill your alibi.”

“And how do you figure we can to change that?” he asked, his voice laced with bitterness.

“First of all,” she told him, “Dangler said he’d get me a copy of the police report and the autopsy. I’ve worked on newspapers long enough to know how to read police documents. Then I want to go to
The Stoneham Recorder
and have them pull their back issues for me. I read what I could online, but
The Recorder
didn’t have a website then. I’m thinking maybe there might be something in one of the articles that will point us in a new direction.”

“Cassie.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “You aren’t a trained investigator. You can’t just go charging into something you know nothing about.”

She wasn’t charging, just investigating. If they could come up with a new lead or fresh piece of evidence, if Dangler wouldn’t follow it up, she’d hire a private detective.

She stared into her coffee cup. “I discovered my mother had quite a little nest egg,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “She left it to me. Maybe I can use some of it to make up for all the tragedy.”

Griffin just looked hard at her for a long moment before he spoke again. “The money is immaterial. You can’t stay here alone at night as it is. The risk is too great, with someone running around out there trying to find something. I’d worry too much about you. If you start digging into this, it ups the risk factor. We need to move you to the motel where you’ll have people around you.”

“Stoneham Tourist Cottages? Puhleeze.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I’ve already come up with a solution.” She swallowed her smile. “You’ll just have to move in with me.”

“Cassie.” He slammed his mug on the table, sloshing the coffee over the rim. “Damn it. That is the stupidest thing I’ve heard. Do you have any idea how tongues will wag? The vestal virgin and her sister’s killer?”

Cassie burst out laughing. “If that weren’t so funny, I’d be insulted. Give me a break here. Anyway, it’s my home, and I can invite anyone in that I want. Besides, do you have a better solution?”

He opened his mouth to protest further, but the phone rang.

“Hello? Oh, hi, Neil. How are you?”
Neil McLeod
, she mouthed.

“Fine, Cassie.” McLeod sounded so pompous today. “And you? Everything okay?”

“Yes, thanks, I’m doing fine. You saved me a phone call, as a matter of fact. I was wondering what time I can come by the office tomorrow to sign whatever documents you have. I want to start completing the process so I can wrap things up.”

“One o’clock if that works for you. But I feel I must bring up something that disturbs me.”

She frowned. “I can’t imagine what that could be.”

Griffin was busy wiping up the spilled coffee, but she knew he was listening, watching her face as she spoke.

“Was that Griffin Hunter I saw when I dove past your house yesterday?”

“Yes, that was him.” She bit back the swear word she wanted to use. “Tell me, Neil, did everyone in Stoneham just happen to drive by my house?”

“Now, no need to get huffy. I just want to make sure you know having him there is dangerous.”

God, could he sound any more condescending?

“Dangerous,” she repeated slowly. “Well, I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be just fine. And before you ask, yes, he will be coming back. As a matter of fact, he’s staying with me while I’m here.”

Griffin paled, but Cassie grinned at him, convulsing with laughter.

“What?” The word was so loud it all but jumped out of the phone. “Do you understand the situation?”

“Yes, Neil, of course I understand. But I assure you, I’m quite safe with him.” She didn’t seem to be able to stop herself from baiting him. “He hasn’t killed anyone recently, has he?”

“No,” he blustered, “but—”

“Well, there, you see? Thanks for calling. I’ll see you tomorrow about one.” She disconnected the call, still tamping down the laugh that wanted to erupt.

Griffin looked at her with anger and hysteria battling in his eyes. “You know I want to shake you, you idiot? That was a stupid thing you just did.”

But then, without warning, a great laugh welled up and burst from him.

Cassie stopped holding herself in, and, in a moment, they were both screaming with laughter, releasing the remaining emotion they’d both stored up for so long.

“You know Neil was on the phone to his wife as soon as you hung up,” he told her, when he at last he could catch his breath. “By noon, the whole town will be in an uproar.”

“So what? They need something new to talk about, anyway. I just hope it doesn’t affect your business.”

“I’ll worry about that if I need to. Who knows, I might have plans nobody knows about.” He sighed. “I guess I’m ready for it if you are. But darlin’, I hope you do understand what’s going to come down on us.”

She put her arms around him. “As long as we’re together, Griff, that’s all that matters.”

He sighed against her hair. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you, but I plan to do my damndest to make sure you don’t get away.”

“We’ll make it. I’m tougher than you think.” She grinned. “Tougher than this town thinks. Just watch my style.”

Cassie swiped at her forehead with the back of her hand, pushing some errant strands out of the way. At last, she’d finished the upstairs, everything but Diane’s room.

Griffin returned, changed into jeans and a T-shirt, and scuffed boots of soft leather. She’d just put the spread back on her mother’s bed when he walked into the room, startling her.

“Your front door was unlocked.” His tone was accusing.

“I’m sorry. I can’t believe I didn’t pay more attention, especially after changing all the locks.”

He frowned at her, worry creasing his forehead. “Well, you need to start doing that when you’re here alone. Anyone with a mind to can just walk right in.”

“I promise I’ll remember from now on. What’s that?” She pointed at the box he was carrying.

“Just what’s left of Diane’s things.” He lifted it and looked at it as if it was a strange animal. “Your father came and collected all her clothes and stuff. These are just odds and ends I never had the stomach to go through.”

Cassie placed her hand on his arm. “Why don’t you put it in my room, and we’ll go through it tonight.”

He didn’t move, just stood watching her.

“What? Do I have a smudge on my face?” She wiped at it with the cloth in her hand and grinned up at him. “I promise I’ll shower again.”

He shook his head, watching her closely. “So, you’ve made up your mind about this? Just plant me on your front porch for everyone to see?”

“When you told me we were far from done, that we had unfinished business, did you think I was going to sneak you into the house like a thief in the night?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t think that far. When I saw you, all I could think of was wiping away the past six years and getting you in my arms.”

“We have nothing to hide, Griff. If we’re going to have a relationship, I won’t do it hiding behind bushes.” Defiance surged through her. “You have a problem with that?”

He held up his hands in mock surrender. “No, Dewdrop, I sure don’t, but I’ll ask you again. Are you sure you want to take on this town?”

She looked into his eyes. “You said you’ve never told anyone else you love them. Am I right?”

He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her next to him, tilting her face up. “No, Cassie, I’ve never said that to anyone before. If I had, it’d have been a lie. Because ever and always, there was never anyone but you.”

“Are you healthy?” she asked, wondering why she hadn’t thought to ask before.

The muscle twitched again. “Yes. I get tested on a regular basis. I’d be a fool not to.”

She didn’t want to know what prompted his religious attention to that. She just hugged him again then stepped back. “Well, then. We’re all set. And the town can just go to hell. What’s in that other hand you’ve got behind your back?”

She tried to peer around each side of him, but he sidestepped her. “Close your eyes.”

“What?”

“Come on, Cassie. Close your eyes.”

She squeezed her eyelids shut, wondering what was coming next.

“Okay. Now, open them.”

Her eyes widened when she saw what he was holding.

“One perfect rose,” he told her, holding it out to her. “I planned to get you a dozen, but I saw this one in a bud vase by itself. It’s perfect with the petals just about to open.” He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “That’s what you are for me, Dewdrop. A perfect rose about to flower in our love.”