At one point, however, he had to empty his bladder. After Willow instructed him on the location of a more private bathroom, he quickly excused himself. As he stepped from the lavatory to return to the rest of the party, he heard Judge DeVane's voice come from the end of the hall.
Realizing Willow's father was having a private moment with someone, Raith paused and stayed hidden in the hallway as not to interrupt them. It didn't take long for him to understand exactly what kind of private moment the judge was having though.
"Thank God I've finally got you alone," he murmured in a husky voice, making Raith jerk to a halt and cock an eyebrow.
"Walt!" a female hissed quietly. "What are you doing? Everyone's going to notice us missing and wonder where we are!"
Raith's mouth dropped. He couldn't believe it. The judge was cornering some woman inside his wife's home. Feeling betrayed on Brenda DeVane's behalf, he burned to hear more, as Walter muttered, "With all the food and drink to go around, they won't notice us missing for another week."
A sound of grappling clothes followed and then someone sucked in a breath. Raith frowned harder. Damn it, he liked Willow's mother. The woman certainly didn't deserve to have her husband cheating on her while she was throwing him a surprise party.
"Walt!" the woman said again, this time her voice was breathless and dizzy with desire. "I'm serious. Someone's going to catch us."
"But I wanted to thank my wife properly for all the hard work she put into making tonight so wonderful." The judge growled, sounding a lot like a lion on the prowl for its mate.
Raith's mouth dropped open again as he heard Brenda DeVane gasp. Realizing it was his own wife the judge was seducing made Raith's skin feel funny. It was kind of sweet, though, and his lips tipped in amusement... until one of them moaned.
He grimaced. Shit. He was going to be stuck here, listening to Willow's parents get it on. The quiet rustle of clothes and the murmured voices was enough to make him blush. Geez, Raith was a cop, for God's sake. Nothing embarrassed him.
But then he heard a soft thump and Willow's mother let out a shuddering sound that was way too much like the little noise Willow made when she got all hot and bothered. Holy hell, he realized, his cheeks blazing. They were seriously going to have sex with him stuck there listening to it.
If only there was another way out of this damn hall.
"Uncle," Brenda gasped in a high, breathless voice. "I give. Walt, I can't—"
Her words were cut off by what Raith assumed was another lengthy kiss. He lifted his eyebrows, impressed. He had no idea the old judge had it in him.
Brenda finally relented. "Let's go somewhere more private." Raith stopped breathing, hoping they weren't going to turn and come down this hall and catch him stuck there, eavesdropping. But the judge let out a pleased, husky chuckle.
"But what about our guests?" His voice taunted.
"Screw 'em," Brenda panted.
Unable to stop himself, Raith grinned. The woman sounded so much like her daughter, a wealth of affection welled inside him. Suddenly, he wanted to be the one huddled in that nook around the corner, making Willow forget her hosting duties and saying—
"I love you. God, how I love you." Raith froze as he heard the judge. Walter DeVane laughed softly after making his confession. "Do you ever get tired of hearing me say that?"
Brenda hummed thoughtfully a moment before answering, "Not yet. But give it another fifty years and ask me again."
"Brat," the judge said with an affectionate chuckle. Then he grew somber. "Really, Brenda. Thank you for the surprise party. I can't believe you were able to do all this without me finding out."
"Oh, go on with you," Brenda grumbled. "I've never been able to keep anything from you. You knew exactly what was going on."
The judge was guiltily quiet for a moment, then he answered, "I was still honored you went to so much trouble."
"Well, you're welcome," Brenda answered, "and thank you for managing to look so surprised."
"Anything for you."
Usually, Raith would be rolling his eyes right about now, having to listen to such cheesy, romantic bullshit. But for some reason, he was touched. It was endearing to meet a couple who'd been together as long as Willow's parents and hear their heart-felt proclamations. He was starting to feel a little envious when he suddenly heard Willow's voice.
"What're you two doing back here by yourselves? Hmm?"
Raith's pulsed leaped, and the blood started to drum through his body. God, just hearing her voice could stir him. The thought scared him as much as it thrilled.
"We're... ahem." Judge DeVane cleared his throat. "Your mother and I were just discussing the fork supply."
"Uh huh. I bet."
"Well, what're you doing back here?" her mother countered.
"I'm looking for Malloy," Willow said, sounding suddenly annoyed.
Raith tensed, sure he was going to be caught any second now.
"Ran off again, did he?" the judge said in a dry voice. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Walter," Brenda scolded. "Be nice. I like him."
"Why?" her husband asked, incredulously. "Because the kid knocked up our daughter? Or because he deserted her afterward?"
Raith scowled and opened his mouth as if to defend himself, totally forgetting he was supposed to be hiding, when Willow spoke up on his behalf.
"He did not desert me," she muttered. "We had... a small tiff and... went to our own corners for a while to cool off before talking everything through again." Her explanation sounded weak, as if she didn't even believe the words herself.
Something hard and painful thudded against the bottom of Raith's stomach. Oh, God. She didn't think he had left her, did she? A cold sweat dripped down the back of this neck. He swiped at it, staring blindly down the hall. Had he honestly made her feel abandoned?
"Besides," Brenda DeVane was saying, "he came back, didn't he? So, behave around him, Walt, and don't go trying to run him off. Willow wants to keep him and I can't say I blame her any." Then she giggled. "The boy's a complete hunk."
In the shadows, Raith's eyebrows lifted.
"Excuse me?" The judge thundered.
"Oh, don't be jealous, dear. I still love you," his wife assured him in a sugary sweet tone.
"I'm not jealous," Walt muttered. "I'm concerned. My wife is ogling men half her age."
"Geez, Daddy," Willow said. "She's just old, not blind."
Brenda DeVane laughed again and Raith could picture the judge giving his daughter a dirty look.
"Now, Wally," Brenda said, her voice placating. "You were still better looking when you were that age." She must've kissed him then because Willow started squawking.
"Oow, gross. Can't you guys control yourselves a little better? God, it's a wonder I'm not emotionally scarred from seeing you two suck face all the time."
"Actually," Brenda said. "I read it's healthier for a child's development to have affectionate parents."
"In that case, Chase and I should be the healthiest children on earth," Willow muttered before adding, "Okay, off with you two. Quit necking in the corner and go visit your guests. I need to find my date."
"If he deserted you tonight, I'm going to break his nose," the judge growled.
"Well, thank you, Daddy," Willow cooed. "I appreciate the concern. Now go."
Raith heard the footsteps move off, and he relaxed. As he moved forward to leave the hall, a silhouette suddenly filled the entrance, blocking his way. The woman standing there set her hands on her hips.
"Well, well," Willow drawled. "Look who's turned into a little peeping Tom."
"It's not funny," he muttered, moving toward her. "I got freaking trapped back there, listening to your parents go at it. I couldn't find another exit, and there was no way I was going to break up their little... session."
"Oh, you poor baby, you." Willow reached for his face and stroked it soothingly. "Was it just awful?"
"Yes. I didn't think they were going to stop. If you hadn't come along, I doubt they would've." Raith tugged her into his arms and nuzzled his face against her hair.
"Welcome to my world," she murmured, sounding amused. She lifted her fingers into his hair, almost tentatively. He hummed and smiled as her nails gently raked his scalp. "You can't imagine how many times I've walked in on those two caught in a lip lock."
For some reason, it was on the tip of Raith's tongue to say, "Think we'll be like that in forty years?" but he stopped himself at the last moment.
It was one thing to sleep with her, to knock her up and have a child with her. But to think such permanent thoughts seemed like going over the line. It had him feeling hot and cold at the same time.
Seeking her steadying, solid presence, he pulled her close and simply held her. "I didn't desert you," he spoke against her hair.
Her body went tense in his arms, and he knew he'd struck a nerve. She had thought he'd left. But she merely pulled back a fraction to look into his eyes. "I never said you had."
"I was upset and, yes, scared and I just... I needed... I don't know. I just needed to step back and clear my head, figure out what to do next."
"I told you, you didn't need to do anything, Malloy. You're not—"
"Stop pissing me off," he hissed, clutching her chin and forcing her to look up at him. "I didn't leave you. I checked on you every freaking day. I had officers driving by to make sure things looked fine. I just couldn't pull into your driveway. I didn't know if you were going to kick me out or give me the beating I deserved. I..."
"Raith," she said quietly when the words became choked in his throat. His eyes slid to hers. She touched his face. "It doesn't matter. You're here now."
"I was always there," he promised. "We're having a baby together, Willow. I'm going to be a parent with you. Whatever we have to face regarding Bubble, we do it as a team. Fifty-fifty. This is our child. Not yours. Not mine. Ours."
Willow looked a little stunned by his impassioned words, but it didn't take long for a slow smile to spread over her face.
She gave a small nod and whispered, "I like the sound of that." Then she let out a little exclamation of pleasure and launched herself at him, kissing him full on the mouth.
He caught her, and they both stumbled against the wall of the hallway.
"God, you feel good," he murmured, sliding his lips and tongue up her jaw.
"Raith," she gasped, lifting her face to expose more of her throat. "What... what're you doing?"
He smiled and moved closer until they were pressed together, knee to hip to chest. "I'm following your dad's example."
She was explosively hot in his arms. He wanted to burn up in flames and sizzle for weeks, with nothing but Willow and a bed... or against a wall—a wall remarkably like the one he was currently maneuvering her toward.
"Raith," she gasped. "We can't... the party..."
He growled and covered her breast with his hand. She whimpered. "Your mom gave in to your dad a lot easier than this, you know."
Letting out an outraged yelp, Willow struggled to get loose. But he merely kissed her some more, all the while sliding his hands down her body until he reached the hem of her dress. Once there, he picked up her leg and skimmed his fingers up her thigh, inside the skirt until he encountered silk panties. From there on, she was putty in his hands.
Twenty Five
They were both winded as they strolled back to the party. Holding Raith's hand, Willow drifted through the crowds and grinned at every person as if she'd just had the best orgasm of her life... which she very well might have, he thought grumpily as he once again readjusted his pants.
His own throbbing erection still hadn't gone down, even after he scrubbed the scent of Willow off his fingers. The line on his wrist where the waistband of her panties had left a mark remained. Raith smiled to himself with pure masculine accomplishment as he glanced at the red crease and lifted his other hand to rub at it.
"Cut it out," she hissed beside him, grabbing his hand and pushing it down to his side, out of sight.
He chuckled and moved closer to her so he could smell her hair.
God, he was crazy where Willow DeVane was concerned. Anyone could've come along and caught them with her dress up around her waist and his hand hidden in her... he shivered thinking about the moment afterward when she promised to return the favor later.
"Raith," she muttered, her face turning a dull red as she glanced over his shoulder as if to check if anyone was watching them. "Stop looking at me like that."
Grinning, he slid even closer until their faces were almost touching. "And how am I looking at you?"
She lifted her eyes. His stomach dropped to his knees. Didn't matter how much he fought it, this woman was his life, his very soul.
"How much longer do we have to stay?" he asked huskily.
Willow licked her lips and darted a glance around. "We should probably stay 'til the end."
He groaned. "I can't wait that long."
"I..." Her breathing accelerated and her eyes dilated. It didn't ease his erection in the least. "I could show you my old bedroom," she finally rasped.