VEILED MIRROR (19 page)

“Okay.” He sounded like a petulant child, even to himself. “We’ll have to be careful what we say around him, though.”

“What? You suspect him, too?”

“Not specifically. But it pays to be careful. And it will be easier for you to maintain your cover as Ellie if he doesn’t know too much.”

Beth nodded. “Okay.”

He changed the subject. “The pictures came in from the sheriff during the wake.” He got up and retrieved a sheet of paper from the desk.

Beth scrutinized the pictures of Nyles Bickford. They were mug shots. No one ever looked good in them and this guy was no exception. Jason doubted Bickford made a much better impression in the flesh.

“He’s scary.”

Jason sat down next to her and drew the paper out of her hands. When she looked at him, he met her eyes with a level gaze. “I
won’t
let anything happen to you.”

Tears welled in her eyes and she looked away. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually so weepy.” She wiped her eyes with her fingertips. She tried to smile. “I’m glad I didn’t wear make-up today.”

Jason brought her face around toward him with a finger on her chin. He wished he could make this less miserable for her.

“It’s okay to cry. You’ve been though a lot. You can lean on me. That’s what I’m here for.”

Ollie raised his head, then barked once at the doorway. Beth stiffened and Jason dropped his hand from her face. A moment later they heard a step in the hallway, and Anderson came into the room.

“Hi. Uh, Maria says dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”

Jason gestured him to a chair, but Anderson bent and picked up the picture of Bickford.

“Is this the guy?” he asked. “The one who …”

She told him?
“Yeah,” Jason answered. Beth didn’t need to go into all that again.

The phone rang. Jason got up and took the call. It was Connor.

“We found Bickford,” the sheriff said. “We’re still waiting on fingerprints, but we’re pretty sure it’s him. He’s dead. Drowned in the wash. Some people out on a trail ride found his body five miles downstream.” Jason winced.
That couldn’t have been a lovely sight.

“Who is it?” Beth asked.

Jason covered the receiver. “Connor. Bickford’s dead.”

“Dead!” Anderson said.

Beth closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the sofa’s cushions. “That’s it then. It’s over.”

“Is there anything else, Sheriff?”

“No. We’re still waiting on New York to send his file. We won’t know until then who his associates were. Unfortunately, since it’s the weekend, I don’t expect to see it until Monday.”

Jason nodded, understanding the delay. “You’re probably right. He’s dead, and it’s not their case. Okay, thanks.” He hung up and turned back to Beth. It wasn’t over, and as soon as she thought about it, she’d know that too. But for now he’d let her relax. It would take a while for the person who had hired Bickford to find out he was dead and hire someone else. She was safe—for now.

I
t must be difficult to manage the finances of someone who’s out of town so much,” Jason said to Anderson.

The three of them were sitting in the library, Ollie at Beth’s feet. He and Anderson sipped snifters of Gran Marnier, while Beth drank lemonade. She couldn’t imbibe while pretending to be Ellie, but she had flatly refused to down another glass of milk. Jason suppressed a smile as he remembered.

“Not so much,” Anderson said, smoothing his thinning brown hair. “I mean, it can be, if you don’t prepare for it properly, but that’s not the case with Palmer.”

“Sounds like he’s lucky to have such a good accountant,” Beth said.

Anderson looked slightly affronted. “I’m more than just his accountant. I’m more of a financial manager. He expects me to oversee all sorts of things for him.”

“I guess that shows how ignorant I am.” Beth soothed. “I thought all you did was pay his bills for him.”

“Well, I do pay the bills that the trust doesn’t cover,” he conceded with a condescending smile, “but that’s just a small part of it. There aren’t many of those. He lives very simply. Most of my work has to do with taxes and charitable donations and such. That can be very complicated.”

“No business related work, then?” Jason asked.

Anderson took a sip of his liqueur and shook his head. “No. Palmer never took an interest in business. Never had to, because of the trust, you know. He hardly spends any of his allowance; he gives most of it to the church.”

“Lucky church,” Jason said.

Anderson nodded. “He’s very devout—as you must know.” He looked at Beth. “Are you a churchgoer, Mrs. Pontifore?”

Beth smiled and shook her head. “No. Not so much. And call me Ellie, please.”

“All right. Ellie.” Anderson leaned forward in his chair. “Palmer is very concerned for you, and uh, your soul. He was very sorry he couldn’t come here himself, but the preparations for his mission are quite consuming. That’s why he sent me. I’m at your disposal. Whatever you need. And he, uh, wants you to call him if you have any questions about, you know, Mr. Pontifore’s, or your sister’s situation. In the afterlife, I mean. He was very emphatic that I share his concern with you.” Anderson took and released a deep breath, as if he’d just discharged a difficult task.

Jason couldn’t blame him. He wouldn’t want to be required to proselytize for someone else either.

Beth’s smile looked a little forced. “Thank you. And please let Palmer know how much I appreciate his interest.”

Jason suppressed a smile
. We just won’t go into how much that really is.

“He must hold you in high regard to send you here like this,” she went on. “I’ve forgotten, how long have you worked for Palmer?” Beth asked.

“Several years now.” Anderson blinked and rubbed his eyes. “Goodness I’m tired. Jet lag, you know.” He set his empty snifter on the side table and rose. “I’ll be going off to bed now. Goodnight.” He bobbed his head to Beth, and left the room.

Jason waited as Anderson’s footsteps retreated down the hallway. “At last,” he said as he moved closer to Beth on the couch.

Beth glanced over her shoulder at the door. “Well, we can cross him off our list, not that he was ever really on it.”

Apparently she’d remembered the murder for hire angle. Jason raised a brow at her. “Based on what?”

She looked at him incredulously. “Are you serious? He’s way too much of a nebbish to even think about killing someone. Besides, where would someone like him meet a hit man? What did Connor say? ‘That dog won’t hunt?’”

“I have to agree. I think we should concentrate on Montenegro and the mine deal.” He gestured at the roll of mine maps on the shelf.

Beth frowned. “Eduardo seemed so genuinely … sympathetic, though.”

“He has the cartel connections to hire someone like Bickford,” he reminded her.

“You’ve got a point.”

“Tomorrow we’ll start calling the other investors and see how Montenegro felt about stalling the development.”

“It’s not too late. If any of them are on the west coast we could call them now,” she said.

Jason leaned over and kissed her on the nose. “I think it can wait until morning.”

He liked the way she blushed and smiled as she caught his meaning. “Me too,” she said.

Fifteen minutes later Beth slipped into his room and closed the door behind herself. She’d changed out of her black dress into jeans and a baggy tee shirt. “In case Anderson sees me coming out of your room tomorrow, I won’t be in the same clothes.” she explained.

Jason nodded. “Good thinking.” He opened his arms. “Come here.”

She came to him, lifting her face for a kiss. He’d been wanting to do this all day. He bent his head to tease her mouth open with little licks. He probed inside, his tongue dancing with hers. She tasted minty fresh, like she’d just brushed her teeth. It felt so good to just hold her like this, kissing, after having to keep a discrete distance in front of half the town. The sensation of her pressed against his bare chest was wonderful.

He slipped his hands up under her shirt and stroked her back. Her skin was soft and smooth under his touch. He was hard already, but he was going to go slow with her this time, make it last.

Beth’s hands were on his waistband, undoing his button, unzipping his pants. When she bent to shove his pants and briefs down in one motion, his erection sprang free with enthusiasm. She gave it a peck on the tip and looked up at him with a glint in her eyes.

“Hold on,” he said, kicking free of his pants. Then she took him into her mouth. Heat hazed his mind while his fingers riffled through her short hair.
So much for going slow.

She sucked him, taking him deep, caressing him with her tongue until he had to stop her. “Enough for now. It’s too good.”

She smiled and gave him one more peck before rising to her feet. She was still fully clothed. He had to do something about that. She apparently was thinking the same thing, because she quickly pulled her shirt off over her head. She winced a little as she did. The bruises on her chest and waist were starting to fade from deep purple to green but they were still obviously painful. He hoped he hadn’t hurt her last night. He’d tried to be careful, and she hadn’t complained. Then his attention wandered to her beautiful breasts. Small and high, they were just right. Marie Antoinette was supposed to have had breasts like that, breasts that inspired the shape of a champagne glass.

Beth shucked her jeans while he was staring, and tossed them over the chair. Her nipples puckered as she stood there, and she blushed all over, but she didn’t look away or act embarrassed. He grinned.

She smiled coyly, then pushed him backward with her fingertips. When he came up against the bed she ran her hands over his chest and sides. He shivered, his skin super-sensitive to even her lightest touch. Then with one finger on his breast bone, she gave him another delicate shove and he sat down.

There was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes, but her voice was firm. “Scoot back,” she commanded.

Jason obeyed, willing to let her take control. He moved more fully onto the mattress and propped himself up on his elbows. “Now what?”

“Now this.” She crawled up over him, straddling his hips as she bent to kiss his neck just under his ear. Her heat teased his erection. Desire crackled over him, racing from his hair to his toes. She sucked his earlobe into her mouth and bit it gently while her hands roamed over his shoulders and chest. She rubbed his nipples with the barest touch and flame streaked down to his groin.

She was pushing all his buttons as if she’d read some secret users’ manual.

Jason’s hands roamed over her, savoring the feel of her skin, caressing the long line of her back, squeezing her thighs and rear. She was so soft, so smooth under his fingers, like something fine and precious. The way she pressed her breasts against his chest as she kissed him was a tease unto itself.

Beth licked her way down to his collarbone, and nibbled her way to his navel. Each brush of her lips tingled like tiny electric shocks, heightening his awareness of her every movement. Every touch stoked the need growing in him. She licked into his navel and the belt of flame around his loins tightened. He started to roll her over, but she pulled away and shook her finger at him. “Bad boy. I’m not done with you, yet.” Then she leaned over him for a kiss, but he pulled her up so he could capture one nipple with his mouth.

Beth’s laugh was deep and throaty, but it soon changed to a breathy moan. He stopped kissing her breast only long enough to move to the other one. When her hips were writhing under his hands and he was sure she was feeling as anxious as he was, he let her go.

“You’re a bad one, aren’t you?” she said, panting a little. “That merits a serious punishment.”

He didn’t have time to come up with a witty response. She slid to her knees beside him on the bed, and took him into her mouth again. He sucked in a sharp breath as the moist heat enveloped him. It felt so good. Too good. His hands fisted in the sheets as he tried not to fall into paradise too soon, but she had her hand cupped around his balls and she was doing something incendiary with her tongue. He was going to lose it if he didn’t do something.
The best defense is a good offense.

His fingers found her mons and teased inside. Her tongue faltered, but didn’t stop. Jason concentrated on stroking her delicate folds and some of his urgency lessened. Beth moaned as her tongue fluttered over him. It was a heavenly tease, but no longer threatened to push him to the edge. He played his fingers over her, into her wet depths. Knowing she was so ready for him made him even hotter. She rubbed against his hand, pressing to take him deeper, pulling back so he could touch her most sensitive place.

Her mouth left him as she arched her back in pleasure. He didn’t think it possible, but her soft keening made him even harder. He loved that his touch made her shiver and moan, and her heated response drove his own need higher. A second later she was astride him again, guiding him inside her.

It felt like coming home. Two short days ago he’d thought Beth was gone from his life forever. Now she was in his arms, loving him. There were no words profound enough to express his gratitude and joy.

Then she was riding him. Her motion set his blood afire, and he met her stroke for stroke. The rest of the world vanished. There was only him and Beth and where they came together. A moment later she was exploding around him, and he was blown apart with her.

She collapsed against his chest and he gathered her close, wrapping his arms around her and drifting into a blissful haze.
Mine.

Long moments later, awareness floated back to the surface. Beth’s slight body was still on his chest. He was still in her. It felt so right to be inside her, to have her there, joined to him.

Inside her. Without a raincoat.
Shit!
They hadn’t used a condom. He had no idea if she was using any other form of birth control. She hadn’t said anything last night.
Damn. Damn. Damn!
This was a conversation you were supposed to have
before
you had sex. What had he been thinking?

That was the problem, he hadn’t been. He’d let the dumb guy do his thinking for him.

“What is it?” Beth asked in a drowsy voice. “Is something wrong?”

He hated to ruin the mood, but there was no point dodging it. “We didn’t use a condom.”

Beth stiffened and abruptly pulled free. He felt bereft.

“What an idiot!” She slapped the bed.

“I’m sorry, Beth. I—”

“Not you! Me! I
did
bring one. I’m just no good at this seduction thing.” She rolled off him, onto her back.

“You were entirely too good at it, or I wouldn’t have forgotten.”

She lifted her head to look at him. “Really?”

He felt himself stiffen again as he remembered what she’d done to make him lose his mind. “Really.” He flexed his member.

Some of the tension left her face, and the corner of her mouth turned up. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Yeah.” They could be facing life changing consequences here, and all he could think about was how much he wanted her. Again. He rubbed a thumb over her nipple and she closed her eyes. He loved it that he could distract her, that he was putting that blissful expression on her face. Jason leaned over her, replacing his thumb with his mouth. He flicked the tip of her breast with his tongue and she arched into him. A moment later he was nudging her thighs apart, pressing his eager erection against her moist heat.

Beth pushed against his shoulders. “Condom?”

The single softly spoken word fell like a slap. He jerked back.
Where is my head?
Unfortunately, the answer to that question was all too obvious. “God, I’m sorry Beth. It’s just …”
It’s just that when you’re naked in my arms I can’t think of anything else besides getting as deep inside you as I possibly can, and all I want is to make you spasm tight around me as you come and come and come.

Beth’s eyes twinkled as if she knew what he was thinking. “Never mind. It probably doesn’t matter now. I’m pretty close to my period, anyway.”

She was right: The damage was done. Most of his swimmers had already jumped ship. But he wasn’t going to take any more chances. He reached into the night stand, retrieved a foil packet and handed it to Beth. “Cover me, I’m going in.”

Beth groaned at the old joke and carefully rolled the condom onto his cock. Donning protection had never felt so good.

Beth awakened just as
the gray light of dawn was peeking around the curtains. She was snuggled against Jason’s side with her head pillowed on his shoulder. It was a wonderful, warm place to be. She felt safe and happy—except for the ache of grief in her throat. She’d had another restful night. Ellie had not visited her dreams.

Maybe I have to sleep in Ellie’s room. Maybe I have to be alone. Or Ell could still be worn out from appearing to Jason.

She held on to those thoughts. Ellie deserved to be with Chris, but Beth didn’t want to think that her sister had gone on to whatever awaited her without saying goodbye. The thought of being alone was too painful.