Captured Innocence (CSA Case Files) (12 page)

Connor stepped into her personal space.  The backs of her knees were up against the bench she’d been sitting on and she brought her hands up to his chest to keep herself balanced.  His body heat immediately soaked into her front, while the chill from the window enclosed her back. 

“Let’s worry about our private and professional lives tomorrow,” Connor murmured, his lips inches from hers.  “Come back upstairs with me.”

His invitation surprised her, yet didn’t.  Her body felt alive every time he was near and it was obvious to her that whatever attraction they felt for one another hadn’t been extinguished with one round of sex.  Lauren knew their time was running out.  Connor wasn’t the type of man to allow his inner dominant self to stay dormant for long, but in the meantime, maybe she could work him out of her system. 

“Okay.”

Chapter Twelve

Connor slammed the door shut with his foot.  He threw his coat on the floor and then proceeded to remove hers.  Lauren helped, and within minutes they were both naked.  He’d managed to grab a condom out of his wallet before all the articles of clothing hit the ground.  Vowing to make it to the bedroom this time, Connor lifted her up and had her straddle his waist.

He’d managed to get them to where the island was, but instead of turning to the left and continuing to her bedroom, he decided the
center island would have to do.  He needed to taste her again.  Placing her on the hard faux stone surface, Connor tangled his hands in her hair and continued to kiss her.  He loved her curls, but it was the other ones that garnered his attention.

“I want to take my time,” Connor whispered, releasing her now swollen lips. 

Running his tongue along her jawline, he continued down her neck and over the ample swell of her breast.  He sucked her nipples into his mouth, separately in turn, loving the small cry that crossed her lips with each surrender.  She was so sensitive, and with each pleading cry his dick hardened.  Lauren tried to pull away, but he held her to him, nibbling and biting on her nipple until she said his name in a way that caused him to look up.

Desire was mixed with some
unidentifiable emotion he couldn’t quite place.  There was something in her eyes made him realize that when he’d not let her move away, it made her uneasy.  That was the last thing he wanted.  Palming her face, he kissed her gently.

“Let
me taste you,” Connor murmured after releasing her lips.  He studied her, waiting for her consent.  It wasn’t something he was used to, but if it would erase the doubts that had crept into her green eyes, then he would give her the leeway she needed.  Again, Connor felt like he was missing a piece of the puzzle when it came to figuring her out.  “I want more than a few seconds this time.”

Lauren nodded.  Instead of leaning down immediately, Connor gently pushed her back until she was lying on the counter.  Slowly, he situated her hands up by her head, turning her palms downward.  He wrapped her fingers under the
stone counter and indicated with a squeeze that he wanted her to keep them there.  He did nothing at first, wanting her to see that although that was where he wanted her, she still had the choice.  Lauren watched him, but didn’t move.  Arousal started to darken her eyes once more.

Using his hands, he brushed his fingers over her skin, breasts, nipples, and abdomen, wondering if he’d ever be able to count the freckles that decorated her skin.  Connor would love to try, though now wasn’t the time.  Taking her ankles in his hands, he planted her heels on the countertop as well, separating them enough so that he would be able to gain uninhibited access.

Her curls were wet.  Lauren’s clit was slightly engorged and glistening from her juices.  Her labia were spread open like the petals of a flower, revealing her waiting entrance.  Her pussy reminded him of a red rose that was in bloom.  Her nectar was his for the taking and his mouth watered.  Connor brought his eyes back up over her body, gauging her reaction of his scrutiny.  He’d always admired a woman’s body, and hers was exquisite.  Curvy, sensuous, and just plain beautiful.

Not able to wait any
more and seeing that the longer he delayed, the deeper green her eyes became, Connor used his fingers to spread her silky folds.  He flattened his tongue and stroked it across her tiny pearl.  Instantly he felt her fingers in his hair, as if she could control her pleasure.  This is why he enjoyed binding a woman.  He drew away.

“
Put your hands back, Red.”  Connor gathered her hands, careful not to touch her wrist for fear of triggering something he was still unaware of.  “I just want to give you pleasure without interference.  If you want me to stop, all you have to do is say so.”

* * * *

Lauren struggled for air.  Her body felt like it was overheating and she knew the only way to cool herself off was by having that sought after release.  Connor could give it to her, but there were moments that the intensity seemed almost a little too much for her.  He was now standing between her legs, his eyes taking in every movement and expression she revealed.  He hovered over her fiery landing strip and focused on her every reaction with those twin blue pools of freshly melted ice.  It wasn’t as if he were tying her down with rope, or blindfolding her to where she couldn’t see.  He was just asking that she keep her hands up.  She could do that, right?

“Give me pleasure,
you blue-eyed devil,” Lauren said, hoping her interjection of lightness prevented this from getting too serious.

Connor smiled and she felt like she was melting all over ag
ain.  His head dipped down and the last thing she saw were his pools of blue before his dark lashes covered them.  Again, his tongue rasped against her clit, causing her to feel as if she were floating.  Electrical impulses shot through her.  She gripped the granite and bit her lip.  How could he incite this much pleasure in her body from a quick swipe of his tongue?

“Ohhhh,” Lauren cried out, lifting her hips.  He’d closed his lips around her clit and sucked.  He did place one hand on her abdomen, but not in a way that would cause her to panic.  He’d used his fingers to pull her skin
taut and her hood back, causing her clit to rise and reveal itself.  It was a unique feeling and one she didn’t mind.  In fact, she loved it.  “More.”

He hummed his agreement.  Connor
continued to suckle, while his other hand joined in.  As his finger entered her pussy, Lauren wondered if it was possible to break granite.  Her grip tightened as she felt him doing something different.  It took her a moment to realize that his palm was face up.  He’d used his index finger to enter her, while his thumb and middle finger pressed on either side of her labia.  Her engorged clit was still being suckled.  The combination of sensations carried her toward a cliff.

“Please,” Lauren whispered, not even knowing what s
he was begging for.  Did she want him to stop or continue?  If he stopped, she might die…but if he continued, the same outcome was foreseeable.  “Please.”

He didn’t increase his speed.  Connor maintained the same pressure, pace, and suction.  That seemed to fuel her even more, triggering her body to go past a pleasure point she wasn’t even aware she had.  It was when his finger curled up, stroking that sweet spot within her that she saw stars.

“Connor!”

Contraction after contraction took over, but he still didn’t falter.  His
right hand helped her stay in place, while his mouth and the fingers of his left held her in her release.  It was the longest orgasm she’d ever experienced and by the time she caught her breath, Connor had made his way up her body to place a kiss on her mouth.  She opened her eyes and tasted herself on his lips.

“Ready for another?”

* * * *

Connor watched her sleep from his stance by the bedroom window.  Lauren was lying on her side, her hand tucked underneath her cheek.  Her red curls seemed to be everywhere, almost making the picture of her in bed surreal.  They had used the two remaining condoms that he’d had in his wallet, but it still wasn’t enough.  What the hell was it about this woman that he couldn’t seem to get enough of?

Turning back to the window, he leaned up against the cold frame.  The snow had stopped sometime in the middle of the night, but the plows were still working their way through the city.  Connor watched one as it turned right on a cross-street, heading toward the warehouse district reminding him that he should be getting dressed and heading out for his seven o’clock meeting with the team.

In between their sex sessions, Lauren had printed him out a list of clients who requested rubies as their accents to whatever items they’d ordered.  He had yet to look at it, having other things on his mind.  Connor would take the names with him to this morning’s meeting.  The question he still couldn’t answer was if he would be back to see Lauren on a personal level.  

The phone call from his father yesterday had brought back all the reasons why it was a bad idea to get involved with someone like Lauren.  Regardless of what she said about a casual relationship, she would eventually wan
t more.  Which led straight into the situation that he knew would happen.  She was the type of woman who wouldn’t intentionally hurt someone, but he wasn’t naïve enough to think that when someone wealthier and with a better social standing came along, that she wouldn’t jump on that bandwagon.

The city scene below faded, taking him back to when he was six years old. 
His father’s face void of the aging it had now.  The vision never failed to tighten his chest with anguish, as that was when his innocence had been taken away.

“Where’s
Mom?” Connor said, his little fingers holding his spoon.

“She had to leave, son,”
Alberto Ortega replied, taking a seat next to him at the kitchen table.  His father was a busy man and rarely sat with him for breakfast, so Connor knew something was terribly wrong. 

“
Who’s going to take me to school?”  Connor put his spoon back in his cereal bowl, no longer hungry.  “When will she be back?”

“Connor, she won’t be coming back.”  Alberto laced his hands together and placed them in front of him.  He studied them like Connor did his spelling words.  “
It’s important for you to understand that she does love you.”

“Why isn’t she coming back?” Connor asked, his eyes filling with tears.  “If she loves me, then she wouldn’t leave.”

For the first time in his life, Connor saw his father’s eyes fill with tears.  His dad was strong.  Strong men didn’t cry, did they?  He panicked and shot up from his seat.  His mother had made his father cry.

“Dad?”

“I know you won’t understand this, but your mother needed something that I couldn’t give her.”  Alberto looked around the small kitchen that Connor had always felt safe in.  His heart started to beat too fast.  It was a room he was coming to hate.  “It has nothing to do with her love for you, son.”

Connor shook his head back and forth.
  His grandmother told him all the time that love was strong.  “Abuelita says love is stronger than anything.  If that’s true, then Mama wouldn’t have left.  That means she didn’t love us.”

“Your intelligence is getting the best of you, mi
hijo,” Alberto said, shaking his head.  “Life is not always as simple as your grandmother makes it out to be.  One can love and not be happy.  That is your mother, who is seeking something that I cannot give her.”

Connor watched as his father struggled for more words, but he didn’t need to hear anything else.  He wrapped his arms around his father’s wide shoulders, promising to himself that he would go find his mother and bring her back.
He would prove to her that he and his father loved her.  Once she knew that, she would never leave them again.

“Connor?”

He jerked away from the window.  Running a hand over his face, Connor tried like hell to dispel the memory as well.  Turning to face her, he saw that Lauren was still lying in bed and snuggled under the covers.  Not wanting her to think that anything was amiss, he made his way over to the bed. 

“Go back to sleep,” Connor whispered, reaching for his jeans.  “I was checking the weather.”

“M-kay,” Lauren murmured, adjusting her pillow.

Connor waited until he was sure that she’d dozed off again before dressing.  Quietly opening her bedside table draw
er, he found a pen but not paper.  Looking around, he saw the list she’d printed lying on the dresser.  Tearing off the portion that was blank, he quickly scribbled a note and laid it down on the pillow for her to find when she awakened.  It would at least give him time to figure out what he was going to do.

Chapter Thirteen

“Terry
, you already know a few of my team members.  But I’ll make the introductions anyway.  In order around the table are Jax, Connor, Taryn, Keith, and Ethan,” Crest said, standing with Terry on one side of the table.  He indicated each team member as they nodded according to his roll call.

“I truly appreciate all the time that you have invested in my case,” Terry said, taking the seat next to Crest
as everyone took their place at the table.

Connor studied him.  They’d met several times — once or twice when he’d stop
ped in to see Crest at the office, once this past week to discuss the case, but more so at the clubs.  Terry hadn’t been much for the club scene, not so much as his wife had been.  He was in his mid-forties but looked older.  Connor knew that wasn’t just due to losing his wife.  He just wasn’t a man who aged well.  Probably around five feet, ten inches tall, Terry’s hair was receding and he opted for small, round wire-rimmed glasses over contacts, giving him a bug-eyed look.  He appeared to be what he was…a surgeon.  Connor knew that Crest and Terry had been childhood friends, but he failed to see what kept that friendship alive.

“
They know you do,” Crest said, gesturing with his hand that he wanted everyone’s reports. 

Each team member handed
over two copies, and while Crest gave Terry a set, Connor jotted down a series of questions that he wanted answers to.  He’d spoken to Terry before, but now that the investigation had gotten under way the more he realized they didn’t know enough about Marilyn to even comprehend which direction the case should take them.

“I appreciate the time that you’ve given me to be able to grieve,” Terry said, taking his glasses
by the rim and moving them up the bridge of his nose.  “The funeral went as well as could be expected.  Marilyn’s parents…”

Connor and the rest of the team allowed Terry to have a moment while he struggled with his composure.  Crest knew that it was vital they have full access to Terry, but he had wanted to give his friend a time of mourning.  That period was over and they needed answers to the questions that seemed to be building by the day. 

“We’ll do everything we can to catch who did this,” Connor said.  “Unfortunately, the questions we need to go over are going to be difficult for you.  I know that Crest debriefed you the night you were arrested, but information has come to light that we need verified for us to continue.”

“
Kevin, you start,” Crest ordered, leaning back in his seat and picking up Kevin’s report. 

Jessie had set up carafes of coffee before everyone congregated in the conference room.  The only person not drinking any was Ethan and that was because he preferred
those high-energy drinks with a ton of caffeine.  Ethan hadn’t had to turn in a SITREP due to the fact that he was on the outskirts of the investigation.  He was still wrapping up old assignments, but Crest wanted him aware of the facts in case he needed to pull him in.

“I’ve hit up every snitch I know and nothing panned out until I came across a low-level dealer,” Kevin said, not taking his eyes off of Terry.  Connor’
s eyes and ears perked up.  “He became antsy when I mentioned Marilyn’s name and then clammed up.  I didn’t think it was a good idea to push him at the time.  Before I head back out on the street to question him more, is there something I should know?”

All eyes went to Terry, who looked a little lost.  Connor felt sympathy for him.  The person sharing your life and
who you should know better than anyone else was turning out to be a complete stranger.  Now, here the team was picking apart his life.  Terry’s glasses had slipped again and he pushed up them up with his middle finger.

“Marilyn didn’t do drugs,” Terry replied
, shaking his head most vehemently.  He placed his elbows on the table and clasped his hands in front of him.  Although his next words were muffled, they were still audible.  “If you’re referring to a man named Hash, it was me who bought some stuff off of him, although it’s been a while.  But I never gave him my name.”

Connor could tell that Crest didn’t know that piece of information
by the way his facial expression froze.  He hid it well, but Connor had to wonder what other information was being kept from them.  He still had that gut instinct that they were missing a simple piece of the puzzle.

“
Think Hash recognized Terry’s picture on the eleven o’clock news?” Jax asked.

“Maybe,” Kevin responded, not taking his eyes off of Terry.
  He kept the interview moving forward by inquiring what everyone else was wondering.  “What were you buying from Hash that you didn’t have available to you at the hospital?”

Terry swallowed and Connor noticed his knuckles turning white.  Shame was written all over his face
, his actions backing up that judgment.  His face was flushed and his shoulders were slumped a little.

“Amyl Nitrate,” Terry said, lowering his gaze to his hands.  “Please understand that I work long hours.  When I wasn’t on call, Marilyn and I played at home and I needed…I just needed something to help enhance the experience and be able to sustain the level of passion she needed.”

Kevin nodded and wrote something down on the paper situated in front of him.  He asked a few more questions about his dealings with Hash, but nothing of surprise came after that.  Connor glanced at Crest, seeing that he was studying Terry. Nothing fazed Crest as he’d seen it all, but he appeared to expect better of his friend.

Crest indicated that Taryn should go next.  Connor was always amazed that she could look refreshed no matter how little sleep she got or how many hours on the job she put in.  Her
spiky blonde hair was tousled as usual and she pulled her glasses down to the bridge of her nose to look at her report.  Connor leaned forward, knowing that she was a whiz with her computer.  She amazed him by being able to find the smallest piece of information.

“As everyone is aware, I was able to obtain the member lists from both clubs.  Joel Summit turned in his and it matches with what was in his computer.  The gli
tch came when Gerry Mason handed his over.  He deleted Marilyn’s name as a member and placed her as a guest of his.”  Taryn looked up and over the bridge of her glasses.  “Do you know of any reason why he would do that?”

Terry shook his head and
sat back in his chair as if exhausted.  “This is what I know and told all of you a week ago.  A year ago Marilyn felt like she wasn’t getting what she needed out of our scenes.  She was a masochist and I had a hard time with that.  I wasn’t comfortable with the amount of pain she needed.  She asked permission to go to the clubs more often and we chose Greg Winters as a Dom who could possibly scene with her.  He agreed, but a few months ago he told us of his decision to stop.”

“Do you know why?” Connor asked.

“He felt that she was pushing the envelope, wanting and requiring more.”

“And Greg wasn’t willing to cross that line?”

“No,” Terry replied.  He looked up, connecting their stares.  Connor could see the level of emotion swimming in his eyes and his need to make them understand.  “Marilyn was a good woman.  You, of all people should know that submissives need certain things.  I couldn’t give her that.  But at Christmas, one of her presents was a cane and I promised her I would practice with it and push my limits.”

“
Greg opting out confirms what I heard over at Masters,” Connor said, verifying to everyone that piece of information.  “Did you know that she was going over to Whip?”

“
I knew she had tried it out.  But as I said, we started to connect around Christmastime. Marilyn gave me an unusual gift.  It was a collar, with matching nipple and clit clamps.”  Terry took a deep breath, as if that memory was a special one for him.  “She said that it was her way of recommitting herself to me.  See, I never really collared her.  She was my wife, for Christ’s sake.  I just didn’t see the need.”

“And she
wanted
to be collared?” Jax asked, rolling a pen around his knuckles.

“I didn’t know it until then, but yes,” Terry answered.  “I assumed from that night on that she was only attending the clubs on a social setting — not a play one.  I work long hours and there are times I have to travel to conferences.  I understood her need to be around other people in the lifestyle.
  When I spoke with her on the phone earlier…that day…she said she was going to stop by Masters and I mentioned that I’d meet her there when my plane landed.  That was the first time that I’d been to the club in months.”

“Were you aware of her attending any private parties?” Connor asked, urging Terry to keep on talking and not allow his emotions to interfere.

“What?”

“Gerry and Joel have apparently been hosting some private parties.  It’s my understanding that she attended
at least one.”

“
No, she didn’t say anything to me,” Terry replied, his brow furrowed.  “I don’t understand why she would have kept it secret.  We were fixing things, making them right...”

“
I’m sure the two of you were,” Connor said, trying to soften his tone.  He shared a knowing look with Jax.  “Did she ever mention Gerry to you?”

“No,” Terry said
.  “I know about the bad blood that runs between Joel and Gerry though.  Everyone does.  I still can’t believe…do you know if she played with anyone?”

Connor could almost see the plea in Terry’s eyes
for him to say that she hadn’t played.  The truth of the matter was, he didn’t know.  He and Jax still had a lot of ground to cover when it came to finding out the details of these gatherings.

“We’re not sure yet,” Connor replied.
 

“I found nothing in my investigation and research that would conclude this was
the work of a serial killer,” Taryn said, continuing on with her report.  “We are still waiting for forensics in regards to DNA, and as far as Marilyn’s computer goes, there was nothing there to indicate she’d met someone online.  The police
are
searching for any type of online order or receipt for the rope that was used to tie her up, but I’ve come up with nothing.” 

Crest
followed up with some questions of his own, so Connor leaned closer to Taryn.  There was an angle he wanted to her to check into.

“When you said there were no related murders within the last ten years, did you look into unsolved murders
not
in the lifestyle?” Connor asked, keeping his voice low.

Taryn turned her golden-brown eyes on him, giving him a cat stare.  She raised one eyebrow, as if to question his sanity.  Connor realized his choice of words were poor and
seeing how he’d just pissed her off, started to back away.  He’d talk to her about it later.

“I love your faith in me,” Taryn murmured sarcastically, taking ahold of her glasses on the side and putting them back in place.  “Yes, I did.  I’ve expanded the search, but there are small town areas that aren’t so keen on electronic files.  The results will take awhile, but you’ll notice that I’m usually here until the wee hours of the night as well.”

Connor knew that if he were to comment again, she’d probably hand him his head, but that wasn’t going to stop him.  He was thinking, regardless of the evidence, that they might be taking this way too personally.  What if the killer didn’t know Marilyn at all?

“What about redheads?” Connor whispered.

“You’re really pushing me this morning and I haven’t had enough caffeine,” Taryn replied, looking over the table at Crest.  “I’m checking every angle and that includes personal characteristics.  So far, my conclusion would be that it was a personal attack against Marilyn or Terry.”

Connor finally leaned back in his chair, satisfied that Taryn was cross-referencing everything.  He admitted he was a control freak, but he kept replaying his conversation with Lauren
from yesterday morning.  She never did answer him on why she’d returned to her apartment.  Her behavior indicated she was nervous about something, but then other things had intruded — mainly his need to have her.  He couldn’t erase the unease over her attempted mugging though.  Could there really be a connection?

“The next private party is set for next month,” Jax said, his voice cutting in on Connor’s thoughts.  “Connor was the one who got the low-down on Marilyn being at one a couple of months ago.  There might be some people there who don’t play in public, so I’ll see if I can finagle an invite.
  I’ve also narrowed down two Doms who are well versed in shibari.  I don’t usually talk to them, so I need some time to get close.  I’ve given Taryn their names and she’s retracing their paths on the night of the murder.”

“Do you think one of them might have…” Terry didn’t finish that sentence with words, but instead waved his hand in gesture.  It was still evident that he was having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that his wife was murdered.  Hell, who wouldn’t be?  “Do you think they were at the party?”

“Again, it’s a lead we’re checking into,” Jax replied.

“Alex Snyder was the one to give me
information regarding Joel and Gerry,” Connor said.  “He likes Whip versus Masters, because of the bodily fluid rule.  He’s harmless, but he has eyes and ears low to the ground.  He likes to feel important, so it’s easy to obtain info from him.  I’m sure you met him a time or two at Masters.”