The Final Omen: Second Sight Book Four (9 page)

He continued a sensuous path down her stomach until he reached her panties. He kissed her through the cotton while stroking his fingers over her teasingly. A boyish grin erupted across his face as she gasped, “Jared!”

His fingers stilled over her. “Is this okay?”

“Yes! Don’t stop.”

He returned to moving his fingers back and forth over her opening as she panted below him. Her hands reached out for him and she tugged at the sides of his boxer shorts. Once he was exposed, she began to stroke him tentatively at first before finding a faster rhythm—hoping to arouse him as much as he was driving her wild. Her attention to him waned momentarily when she felt his fingers slip inside her underwear and enter her.

Expletives escaped her lips as he began to move back and forth at a steady pace. Her body responded instinctively and her arousal increased tenfold. If he continued, she’d be undone in a matter of minutes. Swiftly, she removed her underwear, put her hands on her thighs and sensually opened her legs. His expression was ravenous as he took a long minute to admire her completely naked form. She did the same and was once again taken aback by how beautiful he truly was. His body was powerful with strong muscle definition while his face was classically handsome with an angular jaw and captivating eyes.

He eased down closer and she felt his erection, large and intimidating, settle between her legs. He brushed his lips against hers and his warm breath tickled her as he spoke. “Kate, are you all right with everything? If you’re ready, I was going to put on a condom.”

The soft concern in his voice only reinforced what she already knew: Jared was the most selfless person she’d ever met. He’d do anything for her—he’d always put her first. His body wanted to claim her as his own, but he cared enough about her feelings to get her assurances first.

“I may combust if you’re not inside me within the next thirty seconds. So, the answer is yes, I’m all right and you should put on a condom.”

Once he was sheathed, he laid down beside her. She climbed on top of him and straddled him with her knees pressing into the bed; flush with his sides. Her unruly hair fell to the front of her body with the ends curling across her breasts. It was nerve-racking to be on top, but it appealed to her at the same time. She hadn’t felt in charge over her life in a long time, and he was relinquishing control to allow her to set the tone for their first time together.

She lifted up her backside and positioned her body in alignment with his. She bit her lip in anticipation as she slid down on top of him. When she felt him inside of her, she lamented every intimate moment she missed out on because of her own hang-ups. Their bodies complemented each other in a way that made her marvel how right it felt to be with him.

“Kate…you feel so good,” he whispered. She dared a look at him as she felt him move inside of her. His eyes were hooded, and rapture had transformed his features. His cheeks were flushed and his lips parted. As they rocked in time with each other, she assumed her expression mirrored his. He filled her up, replacing all the bad stuff with the good.

In that moment, she silently promised him forever.

She arched her back and concentrated on the heat of him inside of her. Her instinct was to buck wildly, but she tried to slow her movements, savor every second of their first time together.

He couldn’t keep his hands still. They were everywhere: rubbing her shoulders, sliding down her back and tugging her behind. Each time he pushed into her was delicious, and she was getting worked into a frenzied state. Her body was overly sensitive to his touch and she’d become undone in seconds. By his ragged breathing, she was positive he was close to coming as well.

They finished together, the longing they’d carried for so long had finally been satisfied. Curling up next to him, she felt his grip around her waist tighten. He was claiming her in the same way she’d claimed him. She could never imagine experiencing the same thing with another person. Jared Corbett would have all of her tomorrows.

Chapter Fifteen

“Best morning after ever,” a voice whispered into her ear.

“Why is that?” Kate giggled with her eyes still closed.

“Because you’re naked in my arms and we have absolutely nothing to do today.”

She opened one eye and then the other. Jared stood over her while pulling on a pair of black boxer shorts. His ebony hair was rumpled and stubble had grown overnight on his chin. A surge of lust overtook her. “I think at one point last night, we did mention christening every room in the house.”

Jared laughed heartily. “Were you not left satisfied? We didn’t get out of bed for the rest of the night.”

She fell back onto the pillows and let out a content sigh. “I was satisfied all right. I think I may have seen stars at some point.”

“Then we’ll have to make sure you see stars again later. How about right now I make you breakfast? Your growling stomach woke me up,” he teased and held a hand out to her.

Grabbing it, she climbed out of bed. After throwing on a tank top and a pair of cotton shorts, she padded into the kitchen behind him. “Hey, you don’t have to cook me breakfast. We have all this food that we didn’t touch last night,” she remarked and walked over to the platter of appetizers she’d set up for their makeshift prom. After she popped a morsel into her mouth, she saw Jared’s face screwed up in disgust.

“The food has been sitting out all night.”

She shrugged. “They’re cocktail wienies. They’d probably survive a nuclear winter and still be edible.”

“No offense, but I’m not eating it. I’ll make an egg sandwich instead,” he said shaking his head.

“This is part of living together, Jared. You get to learn about all of your significant other’s disgusting habits and decide whether you can tolerate them on a permanent basis,” she said and sat at the stool set next to the kitchen’s island.

“I don’t have any disgusting habits,” he claimed while removing eggs and bacon from the refrigerator.

“Maybe not disgusting, but you do talk in your sleep. It’s a little creepy if I’m being perfectly honest.”

“I do not!”

“You do.”

“What do I say?”

“Mostly things like ‘I love you Kate’ and ‘my life makes no sense without you Kate’.” She gave him a level stare. “But the day you say another woman’s name, you’ll be on the couch for a week.”

“I’m not sure I believe you about talking in my sleep, but I do feel those things,” he said and smiled in her direction.

“Okay, maybe they weren’t exact quotes,” she admitted, “But you do mumble a lot while you’re sleeping.”

“My aunt told me I talked in my sleep after my parents died. Maybe it’s something I do when I’m stressed,” he said while laying the bacon in the pan.

“You, stressed? Pssh, it’s not like we have to worry about my attempted murderer being on the loose or abducted women that need to be rescued,” she said leaning forward with her elbows on the granite countertop.

“Yes, about all that…”

She frowned. “I know, back to reality today. It was fun to pretend for a little bit though, wasn’t it?”

“It’s not always going to be like this, Kate. We’ll have plenty of time to relax once he’s found.”

“But what if he’s never found? It’s been six months; and, not only do we not have a clue who it could be, but I haven’t been threatened. Maybe we need to think about moving on…”

Jared crossed his defined arms over his chest. “Absolutely not. If he isn’t dead or in jail, then he’ll always be a threat.”

She picked up a dishtowel set at the edge of the counter and launched it at him. “Jared, don’t say things like that! We can’t let my vision come true. And I can’t be kept under lock and key for the rest of my life.”

He dodged the towel and it flew past his ear. After it fell to the floor, he picked it up and set it back on the counter. “I get it, Kate. But please try to see things from my perspective. I don’t like asking you to stay home or calling Declan when I’m not around to guard you, but my reasoning is: The inconvenience outweighs the possibility of you getting hurt.”

His sincerity caused her defensiveness to fade. “Okay then, I better get back to work and find him before he tries anything.” What she didn’t say was she’d find the man and have the bastard locked away before her beloved could lay a hand on the vermin.

***

Kate’s father paced the floor in front of his kitchen table. His girlfriend, Carly, watched him mindlessly walk back and forth with her frown deepening each time he passed her by. The table was set for breakfast, but the food remained untouched. Glasses of orange juice were filled to the brim and runny eggs had hardened to the surface of the glass plates.

Robert and Carly shared an apartment in East Stroudsburg and had filled it with modern and trendy furnishings. She’d selected a black and white theme for their place with black leather living room furniture and a square wooden table painted a glossy white. Sleek black chairs with foam cushions were set around the dining table.

He continued to wear down their white carpet with the consistent pacing. Finally, she reached her hand out and laced her fingers over his arm. “Robert, you need to hire a lawyer,” she said emphatically.

“This can’t be happening. How can anyone suspect me of trying to murder my own daughter for Christsakes?”

“I believe you would never hurt Kate, but the fact of the matter is certain things will appear suspicious to the police.”

“It’s fucking bullshit. These idiots at the police department don’t know their asses from their elbows. I’m not an idiot. I’m sure Kate’s boyfriend has something to do with this. He’s known for a while how I feel about him taking advantage of my daughter and wants me out of the way.” He stopped in front of her and sputtered in rage. His blue eyes sharpened as he seemed to inwardly confirm his suspicions.

“I’m sure Jared would never sink so low…”

He waved her off and shot her an annoyed look. “You don’t know him the way I do. He sees my young and beautiful daughter as someone he can easily manipulate. Kate has been in constant danger since he appeared in her life, and now he’s trying to shift the blame onto me. If anyone should be a suspect in her attack, it should be him.”

“Robert, stop worrying about Jared for a second and concentrate on how you’re going to protect yourself,” she insisted.

“What do they have on me? They can’t arrest me based on someone placing a flower order near my work or the fact they couldn’t get a hold of me after Kate was attacked.”

Carly was staring at him with disbelief clear on her face. Her green eyes bored a hole into him, but he appeared unmoved by her shock. “What about the trust fund?”

His look was unimpressed. “The cops aren’t aware of it and I don’t see any reason to bring it up.”

“But they’ll find out and it’ll look so much worse for you…”

Robert sank into one of the kitchen chairs and took a bite of the eggs. Skewering his face in disgust, he dropped the fork to the plate noisily. After taking a long sip of orange juice, he replied calmly, “It still doesn’t prove anything. The only thing that’ll happen if I tell them about the trust fund is Kate will be hurt and Jared will have more ammunition against me.”

“You should tell Kate about the fund. That money will be rightfully hers in a few years.”

“Of course Kate will get the money. But right now isn’t the time to tell her. She’ll tell Jared and I’ll be brought in for questioning again. Once all of this nonsense dies down, I’ll let her know.”

Carly’s lips were pursued, but she didn’t continue the argument. Instead, she began to clear the dishes from the table. Robert was clearly done with the discussion as well and left the kitchen table without another word spoken.

***

Kate walked into the living room and frowned at Jared. He was sitting on the couch, mindlessly channel surfing. She’d retreated to their bedroom hours before to see if she could find out more information about her case and to link up again with the missing woman.

“What’s wrong?” he asked and motioned her forward.

She joined him on the couch and set her head against his shoulder. “I had a really confusing vision about my father.”

She felt his muscles tense beneath the fabric of his black t-shirt. “What did you see?”

“My dad was talking about being a suspect in my case and that he didn’t want the police to find out about a trust fund.”

His expression was surprised and she could tell it was the first time he was hearing about a trust fund. “A trust fund? Are you a millionaire and didn’t want to tell me?”

She shook her head. “Apparently, it’s a secret fund he didn’t want me to know about. He told Carly he plans to tell me once the heat is off him. I think we should tell Detective Thompson about it.”

“Do you want to call your dad first? Maybe he can explain things better before we get the investigators involved?”

“I don’t know if I can trust him anymore. Why should I show him any type of courtesy if he’s been lying to me? I’d like to know what he’s been keeping from me before I confront him.”

Jared nodded and hugged her tightly.

She felt her lower lip tremble, but refused to let the tears come. She was furious with her father. She’d stuck up for him one too many times, and it disgusted her the way he spoke about Jared. Jared had been there for her completely and yet her father refused to give the man a chance. It made her queasy to think her father may have hidden money from her and was seemingly more concerned with protecting his own hide than finding the person responsible for her stabbing.

The vision hadn’t convinced her of her dad’s guilt, but it did put questions into her mind that weren’t previously there. Could her dad have harmed her? Why would he keep a secret account and never mention it to her? The scary thing about the vision was it resolved one issue: It gave her father a possible motive.

Chapter Sixteen

While nestled in the sunroom, Kate leaned back on the patio chair and set her feet on top of the glass coffee table. The one nice perk about living away from her mom was she wasn’t around to yell about keeping all feet off of the furniture. Kate had set aside a romance novel to call Julie and catch up with her. Kate’s chaotic life had left little time for a normal relationship. Luckily, Julie learned long ago that being friends with Kate came with its own set of complications. She’d spent the last ten minutes being grilled over Julie’s upcoming bachelorette party.

“Hotel is booked, dinner reservations are made and I’ve confirmed everything with the rest of your girlfriends,” Kate told Julie for the third time during their conversation. It had taken a little finagling on Kate’s part, but she’d set aside a day to strictly work on the bachelorette party. She had other obligations, but Julie’s wedding was a once in a lifetime occasion.

Kate was looking forward to the night away in Atlantic City with Julie and the rest of the bridal party. Kate had been cooped up for too long, requiring an escort anytime she wanted to leave the house. Jared had turned their new home into a compound with an alarm system and heavy duty locks on all doors. He also planned to take her shooting in case she had to use his gun for protection.

“I can’t wait! I’m especially excited now that you’ve finally had sex. I won’t feel guilty for corrupting you over the weekend,” Julie teased.

“I won’t have time to be corrupted. My maid of honor duties will have me busy as it is. I’ll be making sure you steer clear of any behaviors that could get back to Gage and have him call off the wedding.”

“Ha, his bachelor party is the same weekend,” Julie explained. “You do realize that after it’s over, you’ll have to use your psychic tricks on him and tell me all about it.”

The visual alone was enough to make Kate cringe. “I like to think I use my powers for good. And spying on Gage’s bachelor party is just plain evil. Also disgusting.”

“Fine, but I’d do the same for you when it’s time for Jared’s bachelor party,” Julie complained.

“Some things are better left a mystery.”

“Well, will you at least give me more details about you and Jared? Are you happy you took my advice and finally opened your shop downstairs for business?”

Kate giggled. “Yes. I don’t have enough adjectives to explain what it was like, but a few that come to mind are mind-blowing, fantastic and euphoric.”

“That good, huh? I was a little worried to be honest. The build-up has been so long, I thought it could backfire and I’d have to teach you the art of faking an orgasm.”

“No need. The rest of my life may be a shit show, but Jared and I are in a good place. It freaks me out how great our relationship is going. Like the hammer of doom will come down any second and smash our happiness into a thousand little pieces.”

“Always looking on the bright side?”

“That’s what I want on my tombstone. Kate Edwards: the eternal optimist.”

“Too soon, Kate. We can’t make death jokes just yet.”

Kate heard the front door open and swung her head around to peek through the doorway. Jared was returning home from work and, from his withdrawn expression, it hadn’t been a good day. She said to Julie, “Let me call you back. Jared just walked through the door and I want to see if he found out anything about my dad.”

“I still can’t believe that crap about your dad. I really hope it turns out to be misunderstanding. Your dad was a jerk to your mom, especially the way he left her, but I didn’t think he could be that hateful.”

Kate’s dad being jerk was an understatement. He cheated on her mom and left her for the woman he had an affair with. Through visions Kate had to witness countless arguments leading up to their divorce. Her dad had blamed the stress of her illness and the media explosion over her role in returning Matt Spencer to his mother.

“I hope not either. As much as he drives me crazy, he’s still my dad. But I can’t put blinders on and pretend like his behavior isn’t off. Besides my dad, everyone has been super protective of me and concerned about my safety. During my recovery, I could probably count on one hand how many times he came to visit.” As an afterthought, she added, “He refused to see my new place or come to our housewarming party.”

“Yeah, something’s not right,” Julie agreed. “Let me know if you learn anything else.”

“I will.”

Jared entered the sunroom and sat down without a word. He tried to manage a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. There was a grim set to his mouth and she worried over what news he had to share regarding her father. She hurried over and perched on Jared’s lap. She gripped the back of his head and forced him to meet her eyes.

“I think we could both use that Jack Daniels tonight,” he started.

“I already know whatever you have to say is bad news, so just tell me,” she urged.

“It’s not easy for me,” he said and grazed his thumb over her chin. “I hate the idea of telling you anything that will hurt you. You’ve been through enough…”

She silenced him by pressing her palm over his mouth. “You’re not responsible for any of this. I’m strong enough to handle anything. Like you said I’m a survivor.”

He nodded reluctantly. “I’ve had to harass Detective Thompson all day, but I finally bullied him into giving me the latest on your dad. I’m still not supposed to be involved in the case, but as long as I promised him I’d stay out of it and not try to question your dad on my own, he agreed to tell me what he knew about the fund.” She didn’t respond, prompting him to continue. “What do you know about your dad’s business?”

“Not much. He worked for a larger accounting firm in New York and decided to branch out and open his own company. He started the business around the same time he left my mom,” she explained.

“The money he used to start the business largely came from money willed by your grandparents. Besides the cash from his inheritance, he also took out several small business loans to help fund his company.”

“Okay, I’m not exactly sure where the problem is…”

“Your dad’s business is failing. He’s defaulted on the loans and he’s in serious financial trouble. The problem seems to be that when he worked in New York, he had a much more impressive client base. His current location doesn’t offer him the same luxury,” Jared elaborated.

“So, my dad is broke. It doesn’t seem to matter since he already told me that I’ll never see a dime from him as long as I stay here with you.”

“Kate,” he interrupted her gently, “your grandparents set up a trust fund for you.”

“They did? Why am I only hearing about this now? They died five years ago in a house fire.” Grandma and Grandpa Edwards were absentee grandparents, but Kate was always glad to see them. They tried to make up for lost times by showering her with compliments and gifts. She’d come home after a weekend from their house with an aching tummy from candy overload and a crisp fifty-dollar bill. “They lived three hours away, so I didn’t see them often, but it was still devastating.”

“That’s the strange thing, Kate. Your father is the executor of the trust fund, but he never told anyone about it; not even your mom.”

“Are you sure? How much is it for?”

“Fifty-thousand.”

Kate blanched. “Are you serious? I have that much money just sitting around waiting for me to spend? And to think all of those days I had to use a plug-in fan in my car because of the air conditioning being broke.”

“That’s where things get suspicious and begin to reflect poorly on your dad. You receive access to the money when you turn twenty-five.” He began to drum his fingers nervously on her thigh as he said darkly, “But in the case of your death, the money goes to your father’s estate.”

“Oh god,” Kate moaned, “you just found my dad’s motive.”

***

Kate sat at the kitchen table and picked up the phone for the tenth time. She had yet to gather the courage to dial her dad’s number. She had a million things she wanted to say to him, but she was finding it impossible to take the leap and call him.

She’d tried to fulfill the role of peacekeeper for too long. When her parents divorced, she blamed herself for the separation. Her dad had been embarrassed by the spectacle surrounding her being ousted as the psychic who located Matt Spencer. It forced her to conceal her gift for years and try not to cause any more waves in the family. It was rare for her to stand up to her dad and tell him how she felt. Even after she found out about his affair with Carly, Kate never confronted him and told him how disappointed she was in him.

She’d chased Jared out of the kitchen to give her privacy, and he was on the computer in the spare bedroom. He was helping her search for more leads on the woman attacked in the parking garage while she attempted to handle the situation with her father. It had been days since Kate’s vision and no police reports had been filed to report the woman missing.

“To hell with it,” Kate grumbled and dialed her dad’s cell. He picked up on the second ring.

“Hi, Katie, I was just thinking about you.”

She bit down on her lip to hold back a sarcastic retort. Her mom and dad were the only ones who called her Katie and she used to love it. The nickname had come to sound false on his lips. Instead of prolonging the inevitable, she decided to get straight to the point. “Dad, why didn’t you tell me Grandma and Grandpa left me money in their will?”

Silence was the only reply on the other end.

“Dad, did you hear me?”

“Yes, I heard you. How did you find out?”

Kate guffawed. “That should be the
least
of your concerns right now. You should be groveling and trying to help me make sense of why I have fifty-thousand dollars and never heard once about it instead.”

“Katie, I understand how bad it looks…”

“Yes, it does look bad, Dad. Because, conveniently enough, the money goes to you if something happens to me. Seems incriminating when I was almost killed in December,” she retorted.

“I swear I’d never hurt you. I had nothing to do with what happened to you and if I ever find out who attacked you, I’ll murder him myself.” His breathing was heavy over the phone line. “I’m your father and I thought not telling you would be in your best interest.”

She gripped the phone tighter and tried to fight against the impulse to hurl it through the kitchen window. “How would be keeping that much money a secret be in my best interest?”

“You’re going to take this the wrong way, but you’ve never been driven. This is the second time you’ve dropped out of college…”

Kate barked out, “Because I was in a coma each time!”

“I understand that; but you’re not very ambitious. I was worried if I told you about the money before you came of age; you’d use it as a crutch and not finish school. My plan was always to give you what was rightfully yours, down the road, when you turned twenty-five.” His harsh tone softened. “The theories the police are suggesting are dead wrong. I would never attack you because of money, I love you; and, although my methods may seem wrong, I’ve always wanted what was best for you. I’m trying to teach you to be independent and not rely on men for money.”

Her father was acting as though she was working the streets to earn her way. Declan paid her, but she didn’t sit on her laurels and collect a paycheck. She was constantly tapping into her gift to find out if she could uncover the location of a missing person or who was responsible for the disappearance. “I don’t understand you, Dad, and maybe I never will. I’ve tried my hardest to do something meaningful with my life. I may not end up making a gazillion dollars using my abilities, but I’m helping people.” She sighed. “You’ve never given me the benefit of the doubt, but I’ll do it for you. I’m going to believe you’re telling me the truth and had nothing to do with my attack.”

“Katie, I’m so grateful to hear you say that—”

She interrupted him. “I wasn’t finished.” With steel in her voice, she said, “I do need my space though. I’ll call you again when I’m ready to talk.” It may be a while before the urge fled to give her dad a high five in the face. She could hear an argument on the tip of his tongue, but disconnected before he could utter another word.

She wandered into the office and set her elbows on Jared’s shoulders as he browsed online for information about the missing woman. Leaning down, Kate nestled against the soft recesses of his hair. He was wearing her favorite cologne and she inhaled deeply.

Jared cleared his throat. “How did it go with your dad?”

“He didn’t confess to planning an elaborate murder plot, but he wasn’t contrite about keeping the money a secret from me either.”

“What were his reasons for not telling you?”

“His normal M.O. Basically, he feels like I lack ambition, and if I’d known about the money, I’d never leave the couch,” she complained.

“That’s not true,” Jared replied with mock indignation. “I saw you get up at least twice for bathroom breaks during the
True Blood
marathon you and Julie had the other day.”

She lifted her head and playfully patted the side of his head. “Hey, I thought you were on my side.”

His tone turned serious. “Of course I think your dad is full of it, Kate. You dedicate your life to finding people. How many times have you sacrificed something for yourself because you’re concerned about someone who’s been abducted?” Spinning around in the office chair, he faced her. “He’s your dad and I don’t get where he’s coming from. But maybe in his own warped way, he’s trying to be the best dad he knows how. I’m sure he has a lot of guilt over what happened with your mom and he’s trying to make up for it.”

She made a noncommittal noise. “We’ll see. Despite him being an ass, I can’t wrap my head around the idea he’d kill me for the inheritance money. He never even spanked me as a child; and with my mouth, I probably deserved it.”

“He’s going to be considered a suspect, so we’ll just have to wait it out and see if anything else can tie him to the night of your attack.”

She pointed to the computer screen. “Any luck on my mystery woman?”

He shook his head. “If a woman is abducted from a parking garage, it would be newsworthy. I can’t figure out why we can’t get a lead on her.”