Temptation Trails - Page 127

I wanted in that cellar. According to county records, it was private property but held in a trust. There was quite a bit of land like that in the region—acreage once owned by old Tilikum families that had fallen into disuse over the decades as the town shrunk. It was too bad it wasn’t part of the area my family had inherited back when my sister had gotten married. That would have made this a lot easier.

As it was, I needed a warrant to get in. And I wasn’t sure how to write it so the judge would grant it.

Was proximity to the location of Jasmine’s body enough? Although it would be hard for a man to carry a body that far, it wasn’t impossible—especially for someone in good shape. For a second, I imagined talking Harper into letting me test it out on her.

Hey love, can we go out into the woods and you let me carry you as dead weight for about a mile?

Probably unnecessary, and slightly morbid, but tempting nonetheless.

I thought about calling Phillip Lancaster. I’d called him with questions about warrants before. He knew how to word them so a judge would be more amenable to granting them. But it was late. I’d run it by Sergeant Denny, or maybe even Sheriff Jack, in the morning.

A pleasant tingle spread across the back of my neck and ran down my spine. I felt her, more than heard her, approach.

Harper slid her hands over my shoulders and wound her arms around me, leaning in to kiss my neck.

“What are you doing up?” I asked.

“I woke up and you weren’t there.”

My body stirred with desire. She was the only thing in the world that could tear me away from hunting a killer.

I shifted away from the table so I could draw her into my lap. She sat, dressed in a thin tank top and shorts, her legs straddling me. Her long hair was messy and loose, her eyes sleepy.

“It’s not late.” I rubbed my hands up and down her thighs. “Not for me, anyway.”

“I know. But I missed you. You’ve been working since you got home.”

I brushed her lips with a kiss. “Sorry. I’ve been preoccupied.”

“It’s okay. You have a lot on your mind.” She gently touched the skin around the laceration. “How’s this? Healing okay?”

“Don’t worry, it’s fine.”

“I think worry is part of the deal. I had no idea what I was in for when I fell in love with a man in uniform.”

I could hear the hint of humor in her voice, see the slight smile on her lips. But I knew she was still going to worry about me. My job was dangerous. There was no way around that.

“I take safety seriously. We’re trained for it.”

She leaned in and pressed her mouth to mine. “I know.”

“What about you? How are you feeling? How’s the tiny one?”

Her smile lit up her face. “The tiny one is fine. I feel okay. I definitely need to hire a second baker, but luckily we’re busy enough for it. It’s going to be hard to keep up as the tiny one becomes less tiny.”

I traced a line between her breasts, down to her belly. She giggled softly, biting her lower lip.

“You should come to bed.”

Work still tugged at me, but she was irresistible. Her warmth, her scent, her voice. She slipped off my lap and grabbed my hand. I got up and followed, leaving some of the weight of the burdens I carried behind.

As soon as we were in the bedroom, I tugged off my clothes and helped her out of hers, eager to feel her skin against mine. We climbed onto the bed and I took my time, kissing her, tasting her, as I worked my way down her body. She moaned beneath my touch, arching her back and writhing against the sheets.

I brought her to climax once, reveling in her pleasure, before moving to settle on top of her. Her eyelids fluttered, and even in the dim light, I could see the flush in her cheeks.

Our bodies joined with a burst of sensation. She was soft and warm, like silk against my rough edges. I lost myself in her heat, let go of all the tension and stress. There was nothing but her.

My woman. My love.