Authors: Sara Hess
Dan went right for the attack. “We know everything, Carol.” Her
eyes widened. “We found the program that was siphoning money, and we traced it
back to your computer. We also found the account the money is being funneled
into.”
Absolute fear had taken over Carol’s face, and tears were pooling
rapidly.
“Tell us who put you up to this Carol and I will have the D.A. go
easy on you.”
Carol spilled like a busted dam; both emotionally and
loquaciously. She’d met someone, a Frank Lowell, a few months ago and he’d
convinced her to fall into this plan. It had seemed reasonable to her because
they were only stealing what amounted to pennies from each account. They were
supposed to do it for a couple more months and then disappear together to warmer
climates.
I’d been glancing at Shaw throughout Carol’s story and her
expression had gone sadly sympathetic during the woman’s tale. When Carol said
they planned to do it for a couple more months Shaw spoke up for the first
time.
“At the end of this month that program was set to extract five
million dollars. Frank, if that’s even his real name, was planning to cut and
run early and not take you with him, Carol.”
Carol stared at Shaw in shock and then began to sob harder. Dan and
I were surprised at Shaw’s latest revelation as well.
Shaw shrugged and blushed, her hooded gaze sliding past me. “I
meant to tell you but I got distracted.”
I had to hide my grin realizing I’d been the distraction. I was
torn between being pleased and repentant by that fact.
The police were called and when they arrived Shaw handed over
everything she had to them. They looked her over in disbelief; her age and
attire most likely raising their skepticism. However, as she explained her
process in finding her evidence all the big words she was throwing out finally
convinced them of her intelligence, and I couldn’t hold back my smile as their
doubt turned to respect.
I
wasn’t
overjoyed at the looks the young rookie cop was
giving her though. He looked about twenty-five and he was sidling up a little
too close to her. Shaw had tidied her mop of curls into a less messy bun, but
her appearance still had a drowsy, bedded look to her that would tug at any guy’s
joy-stick.
Walking up behind her I began massaging her shoulders. “Hey Shaw,
you have to be getting tired, and hungry.” She’d arrived at ten this morning
and it was almost four now, and while that was only six hours I could see the
day had kicked her ass.
Shaw’s already tense muscles stiffened further under me. I just
massaged deeper. “Uhm…yes, I am a little of both.” Her tension didn’t last
under my ministrations. She sagged.
I stared down the two cops that had been questioning her. “You
guys are going to hand this over to your tech guys, aren’t you? If they have further
questions I’m sure they can call her.”
The older cop nodded. “Yeah, were done here. You did a great job,
Miss O’Conner. Good to know you’re on the right side of the law.” With a nod of
respect and salute he motioned for the rookie to follow him. The young cop
raised his brow at me in cocky acknowledgment as he walked away, but he did
walk away.
“You ready to go home?” I asked continuing to knead. Touching her
was sending my blood rushing south all over again. Being around Shaw was like
high school all over again; erections popping up incessantly.
“Please and yes.” She grunted adorably, her head bobbing with my
deep massaging.
I wouldn’t be able to take her home this time and that made me
restless, but there was no way I could leave, not with everything that had just
gone down. The rest of today and tomorrow was going to be jam packed with
paperwork and meetings. Dan was going to want to get as much done before the
weekend and Landon’s wedding.
Leaning down I murmured in her ear. “I’ll call the company driver
while you get your things together and then I’ll walk you down.” With one last
squeeze I reluctantly released her and reached for my desk phone.
Shaw sighed and I watched her give me several covert glances under
her lashes as she packed up her gear. Each one had my dick jerking. Dan was
busy on the phone but gave Shaw a smiling thumbs up as I escorted her out. She
returned them with ones of her own. The car was waiting out front and I opened
the back door for her to climb in.
When she was settled and buckled in I bent over and got in her
face. “Dan is expecting you at the wedding. Maya and Landon are expecting you.
Almost everyone is expecting you there. And if Carrie tells me you chickened
out I’m going to come over and abduct you. Consequently, you have numerous
incentives to give in to the inevitable.” Her eyes narrowed but I saw the
conflict in them. Reaching into my jacket I pulled out a folded piece of paper,
her check, and held it out to her between two fingers with a smirk. “Buy
yourself something pretty.”
She took it but continued to gaze at me intently with those vivid
green eyes, and unable to stop myself I leaned forward, cupped the back of her
head, and captured her mouth. The taste of her exploded inside me unleashing
the long repressed lust that had been building for months and I gorged, almost
powerless to the intoxicating rush of desire that slammed into me. Fuck…this
was infinitely better than I imagined. Hell, I don’t think I could have
imagined anything like this because I’d never some across it before.
My mouth and tongue dominated hers as I sucked, bit and licked.
Shaw may have tried to keep up but I was too besieged by desire to notice. I
did feel her hand touch my head, and later I couldn’t say if it was to pull me
closer or push me away, but I was the one that ended up pulling back as one of
the police cruisers out front let out a short sharp siren blast.
I stared at her staggered by the intensity of what I’d just
experienced, because it had been out of control…I had been out of control.
Shaw returned my stare with same shocked, bemused eyes.
My gaze snagged on her wet lips and with an absentminded swipe of
my thumb across their lushness I grunted out thickly. “Get some rest.”
I closed the door and watched the car drive away with a feeling of
disconcertment, but also with a new respect for addicts, because it had only
taken one kiss and I was undeniably addicted. Nothing was going to stop me from
having Shaw now that I’d had a taste of her.
CHAPTER
SEVEN
SHAW
All day Friday I walked around in a muddled frame of mind. I tried
my damn’dest to be pissed at Evan for kissing me like that, basically mauling
me and leaving my lips tender even a day later, but each time I recalled the
kiss to draw on that anger the only feelings that rose inside me was a hot,
electric burn and sharp, spasmic twinges in my damn girly parts.
I was more irked at his comment on abducting me. He’d essentially
ordered me to be at Landon and Maya’s wedding, the dickhole. I didn’t listen to
orders given to me by men; especially arrogant, kiss me silly, dickhole men.
God, that kiss. Was that what a kiss was supposed to feel like,
because no other kiss had ever felt like that? Kisses before had assuaged a
little bit of the loneliness inside me, but Evan’s kiss had made me drunk with
want, forging a connection I’d never experienced. It had awakened a primal
hunger that had threatened to consume me, body and soul. I’d been about to fall
into it when he’d abruptly pulled away.
“Oh, my, god, Shaw, you look amazing. That dress is perfect.”
Carrie gushed, pulling me back to the present.
Carrie and I were buying dresses at a moderately priced boutique
for the wedding, but I wasn’t buying myself something pretty because Evan had
told me to. Carrie needed one and since I’d let her drag me to this wedding I
had to get one as well.
“I don’t know.” I had never worn a dress in my life and I didn’t
feel amazing. I felt uncomfortable and not at all like me.
The mirror showed a beautiful dress; a light pale peach color…that
surprisingly didn’t clash with my bright red hair…leaving one of my shoulders
bare while fitting snugly across my upper body barely showing any cleavage, and
belling out below my waist to just above my knees. The bust and waist had a
criss-cross pattern that made it look draped as it came up over my right
shoulder. I liked the dress, but I wasn’t certain I was carrying it off.
“I’m serious, Shaw. That dress is gorgeous on you. You have to get
it.” Carrie urged, standing there in a light blue dress she was thinking about
buying.
Nic, who’d come with us, pulled his gaze from Carrie to glance my
way. “That dress does look great on you, Shaw.”
I sighed. “Fine. I don’t want to try any more dresses on anyway.”
I grouched heading back into the changing room.
Carrie just grinned knowing that I was more bark than bite, and no
matter how grumpy I acted I really did like the dress.
Nic and Carrie argued about who was paying for hers while I used a
chunk of the five thousand I’d just gotten to pay for mine. Neither of us was a
heel girl so we settled for flat decorative sandals.
Leaving the store Nic drove us back to the hotel. Dan and Landon
had rented rooms, actually an entire floor, for two nights at a beachside hotel
in Virginia Beach where the wedding was taking place. That way people wouldn’t
have to drive in on the wedding day if they didn’t want to, and afterwards we
could all crash there after the reception. I’d had to stock Rosie with food and
water for the two days I’d be gone.
Walking into the hotel I was again bowled away at the extravagance
of the place. This was five-star all the way with its plush furnishings,
expensive design, concierge, and every amenity known to man. I kept my room at
the apartment OCD clean and had pretty nice stuff, at least nicer than I’d
grown up with, but it didn’t compare to my room here at the hotel.
The wealthy certainly lived an entirely different existence.
It was a little after four o’clock and we were taking the elevator
up to our floor when Nic received a text. “Seth says that everyone is heading
down to the hotels restaurant. You guys hungry?”
My heart skipped uncontrollably wondering if Evan was here yet
making me want to pull it out and smack it around…the stupid, betraying organ.
However, I did agree to go down with them because I
was
hungry. Twenty
minutes later we returned back downstairs and were being led outside to the
covered veranda facing the ocean. It appeared it had been reserved just for the
wedding guests.
A rapid scan of the patio showed no Evan…
and I did not
acknowledge my disappointment
…but many other people were there. Landon and
Maya were having a small wedding so there wasn’t an overload of unfamiliar
faces. Everyone from the party last Saturday was here, and they were waving
madly at us.
“Shaw, you made it.” Nadia stood with a smile giving me a hug that
was completely unexpected.
I’d gone my whole life without hugs but Carrie had broken that
streak, and now these other girls were doing it, because after Nadia came
Samantha, Amanda, Maya, and even Gabby. It seemed one night of drunken revelry
bonded us for life.
Landon even gave me a casual one arm hug and pat on the back
congratulating me on my success yesterday in catching the thief. I asked if he
knew if they caught the guy and he told me not yet.
The next couple hours consisted of a lot of awesome food, a great
deal of conversation and laughs, and several drinks. Three hours passed and
dinner was done but everyone was still milling around the patio in small groups
conversing and drinking. I was having a really good time when I suddenly felt
heat roll down my spine and shivers of awareness sang through my veins.
Heart hammering, my head shot around and there was Evan, and the
banging of my heart became nearly painful. Oh god, my compass needed some
serious repair, because it was pointing me in a direction that could only end
with me being torn apart.
He’d walked in with Landon’s father and they were still in their
suits from work; although their jackets and ties were off, and the sleeves of
their shirts were rolled up…showing off those amazing forearms of Evan’s.
Everyone else here was dressed a little more casually in nice shorts or slacks,
polo shirts, and sundresses. Carrie had convinced me to buy another more casual
sundress for tonight and I was glad I did otherwise I would have stuck out like
a dumb hick in shorts that only some of the men were wearing.
Evan was staring directly at me which explained the fire shooting
through my veins. Strolling straight towards the cluster of people I was with his
scorching gaze, wicked with promise, didn’t waiver from mine. I took a large
gulp of my drink and belatedly realized I should probably monitor my alcohol
consumption from here on in.
Nic saw him seconds after me and called out a cheerful greeting.
“Evan, you’re here, but unfortunately you’re a dozen drinks behind everyone. I
got you covered, buddy.” He gestured for a waitress.
Landon broke his concentration from Maya. “Dad…Evan…finally. You
both had me feeling terrible today making me come here while you fixed the mess
from yesterday.”
Evan broke his eye contact with me to throw an arm around Landon’s
neck to strangle him good-naturedly the way guys did. “I can see you’ve been
wallowing in remorse and unhappiness.”
Landon nodded and hugged Maya who was sitting in his lap.” Yeah,
it was hard, isn’t it darlin’?” He chuckled and kissed her neck.