A Trick of the Moon (11 page)

One, two…” He grunted and pushed. “Three.”

Maura put her hands on Declan's ass, pushing him up as he lifted. She felt him strain, then felt Dario push harder as Declan's body lifted into the air.

“I got it! Keep pushing.” She moved her hands to his thighs, competing for space with Dario's as they maneuvered to keep their friend aloft. They moved and pushed, almost as if they were dancing under him, both of them grunting with the exertion of keeping Declan in the air. The sound of rock and dirt falling through the opening increased as Declan obviously fought to get a grip up top. She glanced up and could see his elbows were outside, and he was using them to try and get out. The strain on his body was evident, and Dario gave him one final push with a heavy groan before he disappeared through the opening, one leg going up, the other following soon afterward.

“Holy shit,” Dario said, bending over. “That was fun. Let's not do it again.”

His breath was heavy, and Maura stepped down from the ladder, putting her hand on his back.

“Are you okay?”

“Peachy, and you?” He grinned up at her, a devilish look that made her laugh.

Declan's head appeared in the opening. He lowered down a hook attached to a piece of wood. “Secure this to the ladder, and I'll pull it up. Then we've got to eat, because I don't know about you two, but I'm starved.”

Maura did as he asked, and watched as the ladder disappeared through the hole. She waited a few minutes, then sighed in relief as it lowered back down.

“We're good to go. And don't forget my bag.”

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“Boy, he's bossy,” Dario said, picking up the bag. He folded up the stepladder and put it inside, then secured the pack over his shoulder. “You need to remind him you're in charge, skipper.”

She gave him a condescending look. “Like that would work. I wasn't too keen on the plan for getting us out, but I was overruled, wasn't I?”

“We're out, aren't we?” Dario grabbed the ladder before jerking his head toward it. “You first.”

“Why, so if I fall, I can land on you this time? Why don't I go last? That way you are free from being slammed to the ground if I happen to take a tumble again.”

The look on Dario's face made her take a step back. “Boss or no boss, if I had time, and we were in someplace different, I'd spank you for that remark.

Now, get up there before I change my mind and do it anyway.”

“Yes, sir.” She took a deep breath, then closed her eyes to forget the feel of the ladder slipping from up top, as it had just minutes ago. She'd climbed up two rungs and it was obvious it wasn't going to fall this time. By the time she got to the third, she jolted as Dario swatted her ass. Hard. She turned to stare at him, her mouth open in shock.

“Hey.”

“You'd better move before I take aim again.” He put a hand on the ladder.

“I don't like ladies putting themselves down, especially ones that I like. That's something you needed to remember.”

Maura started up the ladder again, his words echoing in her mind. Declan took her hand as she reached the top. She lifted her head to the sun, happy to be aboveground again. Then she jumped as Declan's hand came down on her ass.

“Hey! You two need to remember who's the boss here.”

Dario popped through the opening as if he were walking on air. He swung Declan's pack off his shoulder.

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“Some bosses need lessons from their workers, right, Declan?”

“That's right. You can dock our pay for the swats you got just now, but when we're off the clock later, we'll finish what we just started.” They moved in unison toward the truck, and Maura stood in place, unable to move from the astonishment that had taken hold of her.

Did they mean they planned to spank her, together? Surely not. But then again, maybe so. With these two, you never knew.

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Chapter Eight

“Tell me again what you want to do.” Maura took a sip from her bottle of tea, her gaze never leaving Declan, who had wolfed down two sandwiches and was now starting on his third. It was a good thing she'd packed a lot of food.

She'd done so thinking they might be out here for lunch and dinner.

But watching the way Declan and Dario were devouring the contents of the cooler let her know she'd only packed enough for lunch.

“I'm going to set up a camp,” Declan said, after swallowing his last bite. He pointed to an area just beyond the truck. “Right over there.”

“And you're going to do…what?” How could the two of them be so calm after being trapped in an underground hole by persons unknown?

“I'm going to survey the site,” he said, giving her a look that indicated she should have known that. “I'll check and see if there's any other traces of archeological interest. The kiva indicates there would be other things around, because either this was used by a small village, or it was a meeting place. Since it's so small, I'm guessing a village or just a few people. There are some larger sites that have been excavated that were used as a gathering place. Chaco Canyon is the main one, of course, and then there is Mesa Verde. Little is really known about the ancient ones. We can say that…”

Declan closed his mouth and glanced between her and Dario. “I'm doing it again, aren't I?”

Maura laughed, then nodded. “You're passionate about your work. That's good to know. But don't you think staying out here at night might be dangerous, considering what just happened?”

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“I carry a gun, remember?” Dario's words made her wince.

“I don't like the idea that a gun might be needed.”

Dario leaned closer, and she inhaled the strong scent of man that drifted off him. It reminded her of him touching her last night, of them both touching her, and sent a jolt of desire straight to her clit, which tingled in response. “Do you like the idea of camping out with us better?”

She laughed nervously, trying to fight back the desire to jump them both.

This was about work, not pleasure. “Yeah, that's a fascinating idea. But I can't stay gone from the office all day. I'll have to go back and forth and check on things.”

“That's why you hired us,” Declan replied. “You don't have to stay, but we do. Of course we'd like to go back once a day to shower. Or else you might not be able to stand being around us.”

Oh she could stand it, all right. Being around them wouldn't be any problem at all. “Do you have a tent and other supplies?”

“I came fully prepared,” Declan said. “I have a tent, air mattress, sleeping bags, cooking stove, and anything else you might need to survive out here for a while. We'll go back now and pack up some food. Then Dario and I can bring my SUV back out here while you do office work.”

Something akin to sorrow wrapped around her at the idea of the two of them being out here working while she was at the house. She knew it was the right thing to do, though. She had paperwork she needed to get done, and if she let it pile up while she sat out here and watched the two of them, things could get ugly in the office.

It was best to act normally while the two of them did what she hired them for. “I can bring dinner out later.”

“She's sexy and she cooks. Be still my heart.” Dario thudded his hand against his chest, and Maura flushed. She'd never thought of herself as sexy 78

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before. Even the men she'd dated had never used that term. Maybe it was why she'd never dated anyone for long.

“Perfect.” Declan stood and began stuffing trash into a sack. “Let's get this show on the road. I'm itching to see what else I can find out here.”

* * * * *

This was Charlie Atwell's land, true, but he let his guests roam free. There was no telling how long this print had been here or who it came from. Trying to gather samples to compare it to would be useless, since guests came and went.

That, added to the time factor, made the print useless.

He'd checked around where the truck was parked this morning and found nothing, only prints from the boots Declan wore, and the sneakers both he and Maura were wearing. The person who had undone the ladder should have left a clue somewhere. Instead they'd slipped in and out without leaving so much as a smudge in the dirt.

Since he didn't have a fingerprint kit on him, he couldn't check for that.

And convincing his boss to run the prints would be a tough trick to pull. Ward would complain about using state money on a private job, and one where a crime hadn't been committed. He'd tell Dario he needed to hurry up and finish his vacation so he could put him back to work.

It was too bad the person using the kiva had raked the floor. If they hadn't, he could get a print off that, but he'd be back to the problem of finding a sample to compare it to. He couldn't compel people to let him look at the bottom of their shoes. It was a moot point, anyway, since the person, or persons, had cleaned up after themselves. The way he saw it, they did it for one of two reasons: to cover their tracks or to leave the area as clean as possible out of respect for the god to whom they had been praying.

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Going back to question Maura's workers could provide some information.

He could see if one of them practiced the old ways, as Declan called it. If they were all Christians, it probably wasn't one of them leaving the offering.

He would need to tread carefully while asking people about religion. They tended to get a bit testy. Not that he blamed them, but knowing would help him narrow down the suspects, which would bring them closer to an answer for Maura.

Thinking about the pretty blonde made his cock stir. He closed his eyes and remembered the feel of her hand on his cock, her stroke firm yet gentle as she jerked him off. He wanted to feel her tongue on him, licking him from toe to head. Then he wanted to flip her onto her knees, slap her ass hard as he pounded into her pussy. Declan's fingers would be on her clit, making her come as they had last night.

He groaned softly at the idea, surprised to hear Declan call his name.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Thinking about last night,” he answered truthfully. He stood up, stretched his back, and walked toward where his friend sat cross-legged running fingers along a ridge in the dirt. “Did you find something?”

“I thought I might have found the outline of a wall, but now that I've got my fingers in deeper, I think I'm wrong; it's just a little groove in the dirt.”

Declan clapped his hand together, sending clouds of dust drifting into the air.

“You thinking about last night, huh? I've been thinking about it too.”

Dario clicked his teeth together. “Are you pissed I butted in?”

“Surprisingly enough, no. I thought I would be, but it was…natural.”

Declan sounded more than a little surprised.

“Right time, right place, huh? I was a little worried. I know how you feel about her.”

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He watched Declan consider his words and was very surprised by his friend's grin, which was much like that of a kid in love for the first time. “There was nothing wrong with what happened. She loved it, and so did we.”

Dario was happy to hear him say that. His friendship with Declan meant the world to him, and if he'd done anything to damage it, it would crush him.

“I'm glad you feel that way. But maybe we should set up another tent for tonight in case the two of you want to be alone.” Declan shook his head.

“I think we should let Maura make the decision.”

Dario plopped down next to him. “And how do you propose to ask her?

'Hey, sweets, do you want another ménage tonight?' She may not take that too kindly. Although, I have to admit I'm surprised she hasn't brought it up today.”

“We've been busy. Plus, she's a lawyer, a professional woman who handles things that come her way. I'm sure if she had a problem with it, she would have let me know.” Declan glanced down to where his finger still traced a line in the dirt. “Or at least I think she would have.”

Dario picked up a few round pebbles, then tossed them back to the ground one by one. “I thought she would have mentioned the rude awakening we got, at least. That guy was an ass. But…”

“But what?” Declan stopped playing in the soil, fastening his gaze on Dario.

“It was a little over the top, don't you think?” Dario stretched out his legs and leaned back on his elbows. The dirt bit into him, but he didn't care. He'd always loved the outdoors, just as much as Declan did. He just didn't have a job playing in it. “I've been thinking about it all day long. He wanted to piss us off, see if he could run us off. I have to ask myself why.”

They exchanged a long glance, and then Declan reached into his bag, took out a long, slender tool. “I see the cop is doing his job. Want to borrow this to go interrogate the guy?”

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“Tempting…but no.” Dario stood and began examining the area again. “Do you think I'm wrong?”

“No.” Declan's voice drifted to him as he walked farther away. “Now that I'm thinking about it, you're probably right. Why would he use racial slurs, especially when Maura said it wasn't like him?”

Dario went to the tent, retrieved a plastic chair from inside. He set it next to Declan, then made himself at home. “He knows why we're here, and he doesn't want us here. I'd like to talk with him, just for a little while.”