Bayou Heat (19 page)

She stopped what she was doing and ran both hands up under
his t-shirt, pushing it up and out of the way. “There are times you should put
logic aside.”

Eris was pleased with the tension that exploded through
Rob’s body as she licked a path from his bellybutton to the middle of his
chest. “And this is one of them.”

She pushed the shirt up over his head before leaning into
him and flicking her tongue across one stiff nipple. Rob exploded in a flurry
of action. He gripped her by the upper arms and pulled her up, crushing her
mouth with his. She ran her hands through his hair, pulling him closer.

Rob’s hands circled her waist and lifted. Eris wrapped her
legs around his waist as his hands went to cup her bottom. His hands moved
farther up her thighs, causing her to quiver and rock her hips. Heat traveled
through her body in a way it never had before, taking away her ability to think
about anything but Rob and her. Two fingers ran the length of her bottom,
across her folds and slipped inside.

Eris broke the kiss as waves of pleasure washed over her and
a sound unlike anything she’d ever heard escaped. Rob moved his fingers ever-so
slowly, keeping her distracted so that when he placed her on the couch and let
go, she was surprised and disappointed. She watched as he unbuckled his jeans
and pushed them and his briefs down over his lean hips.

She didn’t think twice when she leaned forward and wrapped
her lips around him. Rob gave a deep, low moan as a hand moved to the back of
her head. She let herself enjoy the pleasure she was giving him. She felt his
muscles tense and relax as she licked and played with him. The hand in her hair
fisted as he pulled her farther onto him, holding her there for a few brief
seconds before pulling her off.

Rob didn’t say a word as he deftly rolled a condom on then
took a seat next to her. “Come here,” he said as he reached over and pulled her
onto his lap.

Eris didn’t waste any time straddling his lap, and as she
did, he guided her down onto him. She groaned as he pushed her all the way
down. Rob’s hands stayed on her hips, holding her in place when she’d rather
have been moving. “Let go, I need to feel you moving inside me.”

“Not yet. Move your legs so your feet are flat on the
cushion and hold on to the back of the couch.”

Eris adjusted her position and, as she did, Rob shifted his
hips slightly. When she settled back onto him she was more open. He lifted his
hips as he pushed her all the way down.

“Oh my,” Eris hissed as she went perfectly still.

Rob’s hands held her in place.

“Let go,” she begged.

His hands caressed her as he rotated his hips in maddening
little circles. “Not yet. I want you totally crazy when I release you.”

He emphasized his meaning by performing another magical
movement that caused her to gasp and forget what she’d been complaining about.
One of his hands caressed its way across her body to her back. Gently he pulled
her forward until he could reach her breast. As soon as his mouth touched her,
Eris forgot about everything but satisfying the unrelenting need exploding in
her.

Fisting her hand in Rob’s hair, she tried to dislodge his
hands still holding her in place, but no matter what she said or did, he didn’t
stop. It was only when he’d turned her into a quivering, quaking body of raw
need that he turned her loose.

“Now, Eris, now.”

Their position on the couch gave Eris the ability to
maneuver her body in a way that left her vibrating. She experimented with speed
and position, learning what felt best for both of them. Rob wasn’t shy at all
about letting her know exactly how good something felt. She never imagined such
intense pleasure was possible. The tension in her body finally demanded release
as she pushed them both closer and closer.

Eris screamed as the pressure inside her exploded into a
million stars. She felt Rob’s body shudder as hard as hers. Then she felt as if
she were floating in a world she never knew existed. Slowly she became aware of
Rob’s arms around her, holding her close as one hand caressed her back. Her
face nestled in the crook of his neck.

“Are you okay?” Rob’s voice rumbled in his chest.

“Oh yeah.” She was more than okay. She would be perfectly
happy if they stayed this way forever.

“I think we should move.”

“To where?”

“The bed.”

“Don’t think I can make it that far.” Eris attempted to
raise her arm but it flopped back down like a limp rag.

Rob laughed as he wrapped his arms around her tightly and
stood. “Come on, princess. I’ll put you to bed.”

* * * * *

Rob woke with Eris draped across him and the sound of the
front door closing. Eris grumbled and rolled over but never woke as he gently
climbed out of bed. He pulled on his jeans and retrieved his pistol from the
nightstand. Edging his way to the door, he glanced out in time to see a short
form open the coat closet. Rob dropped his gun to his side as he stepped into
the room and pulled the door closed behind him. “Bad night?”

Drew jumped and swung around to face him. Even through the
darkness Rob could see the fear in the young boy’s eyes. “I-I-I can leave.”

Rob stayed where he was. “There’s no need for that. Why
don’t you go ahead and fix your bed. If you don’t mind, I’ll sit out here and
do some work on the computer.”

For several seconds Drew stood there undecided and then
slowly retrieved the blanket and pillow from the closet. Rob made his way to
the kitchen and poured a diet soda before retrieving his laptop and making
himself comfortable in the overstuffed chair beside the couch. By the time he
was settled, Drew was in his makeshift bed with the covers pulled up to his
chin. “My working here isn’t going to bother you, is it?”

“No,” Drew said as he rolled onto his side, facing Rob. “My
mom was having a bad night.”

“I can relate. My mother had lots of bad nights also.”

“Really, what’d you do then?”

“I’d sleep on the street.”

“I could do that.”

“No, don’t you ever do that. I slept on the street because I
didn’t have anyone like Eris who cared about me. If I had, things would have
been a lot easier.”

“But you made it out.”

“Yeah, I did, but it wasn’t easy and there were hundreds of
times I could have taken an entirely different path in life.” Rob watched as
Drew yawned and rubbed his eyes. “Why don’t you get some sleep, it’s late.”

“Yeah.” With that, Drew rolled over to face the back of the
couch and in only a few seconds Rob could hear his steady breathing.

Rob couldn’t help but wonder when the last time was the kid
slept without worry. He could still remember the long, sleepless nights of
roaming the streets. The fear that if he closed his eyes he’d never open them
again. It took him well into his twenties before he’d slept through an entire
night.

Rob ran a hand down his face. Drew was right, he’d made it
out for the most part, but he still let his old life hold him back. Opening the
laptop, he wondered if he was ever going to totally let his past go or if it
would haunt him forever.

Several hours later Rob heard the bedroom door open and
watched as Eris made her way out of the room. Her hair stood up all over her
head more than normal, there were dark mascara smudges under her eyes and she
looked totally sexy to him. He closed the computer and placed it on the end
table. Eris stopped beside him and he grabbed her hand and tugged. She tumbled
into his lap and snuggled into him as he wrapped his arms around her. They
stayed there for several minutes, not saying a word, with her arms around his
waist and her head resting against his chest.

“How long has he been here?” Eris’ soft voice broke the
silence.

“Since about four thirty.”

“Poor guy. I do what I can, but still it doesn’t feel like
enough.”

“Take it from someone who’s been in his shoes, it can make
all the difference between continuing the bad life he’s been given or pulling
himself out. Those few people who showed me there was another way to live
really made an impact on me. Don’t stop what you’re doing no matter how small
the gesture.”

“I know, it’s just frustrating at times. I’ve called CPS about
him several times, but the agency keeps returning him to his mother.”

“People called about me also, but CPS never found enough
reasons to take me out and I sure wasn’t going to talk. Despite how we lived,
she was my mom and I didn’t want to leave when I was his age. That came later.”

“You really do understand.” Eris moved around and looked up
at him. “So what were you working on?”

“I was going over some information that contacts of mine and
Matt’s have sent us. I’ve found a couple of other cases that are very similar
to ours.”

“Really, can I see what you’ve found?”

“Yeah, but I need to get back on the laptop to show you.” She
pulled out of his arms and for a fleeting moment he wanted nothing more than to
pull her back to him.

“No problem. You can set it up at the table and I’ll put on
some coffee.”

She stood and the feeling of being alone hit Rob like an
unseen freight train. He rubbed the back of his neck, pushed the feeling down
and reminded himself he wasn’t going to be hanging around once this case was
all wrapped up. Moving to the table, he started the computer back up and
returned to the information.

“So how’s Matt doing?” Eris asked as she placed two mugs on
the table.

“He’s better, but the full leg cast is driving him nuts.”

She moved her chair closer to his and leaned into him so she
could see the screen. “I’m glad Matt’s better, now show me some of these
all-important facts.”

The scent of warm vanilla wrapped around him and he knew he
would never smell that scent again without thinking of Eris. Shoving that
thought to the back of his mind, he turned his attention to the information
displayed in front of him and tried to keep his thoughts from straying to the
woman next to him.

“I’m hungry.”

Drew’s voice pulled Eris away from the computer screen. She
was stiff from all the hours of internet surfing she’d done. Rob showed her the
information he’d found this morning, but after an hour of staring at it she’d
been ready to run screaming from the apartment. Instead she started up Orbit’s
laptop and browsed the sites on it. This research was much more to her liking
but now she was stiff and brain dead from information overload.

“I’m with Drew, I’m starving.” Rob pushed his chair back and
stood. “The sliced fruit and cheese you put out at lunch was good, but I need
some real food.”

“Yeah, real food,” Drew chimed in as he mimicked Rob.

Eris shook her head and laughed at the pair. “Fine, but you
two will have to pick where we eat.”

“Not a problem,” Rob answered as he slipped the gun and
holster into place at the small of his back and grabbed a light jacket.

Drew was out the door, racing for the stairs before she
finished gathering her purse or Rob had his jacket on. Over his shoulder, Drew
called out to them that he wanted to eat at T’Roys then disappeared down the
stairs. Eris waited as Rob locked the door and when he turned, he snaked an arm
around her waist. Before she could utter a word, he pulled her against his
rock-hard body and dropped his lips to hers.

Instantly her body molded to his as fire flickered through
her, making her very aware of the man. He kissed her slowly, but there was no
mistaking the leashed desire the kiss held and the promise of what was to come
later. When he finally released her, he looked deep into her eyes. For one
fleeting second she got a glimpse behind the wall he normally kept erected to
hide his emotions. She could see his confusion about their relationship, but
there was something else there she couldn’t name then it was gone, leaving her
feeling off balance.

Rob muttered something under his breath as he took her hand
and started walking. Thankfully he seemed as distracted as she and wasn’t in a
chatty mood. Which was fine by her because she was starting to realize she’d
fallen for a man who would never allow himself to return her feelings.

She reminded herself that just because she caught a glimmer
of his feelings didn’t mean they were written in stone. Sometimes she totally
hated her gift and this was one of those moments, she thought as she walked
into T’Roys and spotted Drew already at a table waiting for them.

* * * * *

They all stood outside the restaurant and Eris watched as
Rob handed Drew five dollars and told him to go get whatever he wanted for
dessert. Rob and she had both baulked at anything else to eat when Drew
suggested it.

The boy took the money and turned to Eris. “Can I go meet up
with some friends?”

She smiled. “Sure, have fun but don’t stay out too late.”

“Thanks.”

Drew turned and ran off to some unknown destination, leaving
them in an awkward silence. Rob gave her another look she couldn’t decipher
before dropping an arm around her shoulder and starting toward home.

“So what’s on our agenda for this evening?” He walked at a
slow, easy pace.

Despite knowing she should be building a fortress around her
heart where this man was concerned, she liked the way
our
sounded coming
from him. “I need to be at the shop by eight.”

Rob didn’t seem to hear her as he stopped and dropped his
arm from her shoulders. Taking a step toward one of the many newsprint stands,
he lifted the lid and pulled out a copy of
Moon and Stars
, a local
tabloid devoted to the occult.

He stood on the sidewalk reading the front page of the paper
and then flipped through it before turning his glare toward her. “I thought you
said that you didn’t have a fan club?”

“I don’t,” Eris snapped at his cold, accusatory tone.

“Then explain this.” He shoved the newspaper toward her and
she grabbed it. She scanned the first page before looking back at him and
meeting his gaze.

“I knew nothing about this. You’ve got to believe me, I’ve
never been a part of Orbit’s so-called followers. I was her friend and I worked
with her but I didn’t belong to them and I surely never expected them to turn
their attention from Orbit to me.”

“It’s just another complication we don’t need—and what
pisses me off is someone out there has been spying on us! There are pictures
showing us coming out of Orbit’s house, in the alley after the truck almost ran
you down and leaving my apartment building after we spent the night there.
Whoever this person is, they’ve even done their research and know you’ve
inherited Orbit’s estate.”

“That’s a matter of public record. Anyone could have gotten
hold of that information if they wanted.”

Rob grabbed her hand and started back toward the apartment
at a much faster pace. “True, but I’m getting tired of being blindsided every
time I turn around.”

“These slugs used to hound poor Orbit, she said it was a job
hazard. She couldn’t retrieve her morning paper without a picture showing up in
that rag.”

“That might be true, but it doesn’t explain why they’ve
decided to come after you.” Rob walked faster.

“They probably think I’m going to be the next Orbit and are
trying to get a scoop on the story.” Her legs were long, but not long enough to
keep up with his steps. “Why the hurry?”

Rob slowed down. “Sorry. I don’t like the fact that you’re
being watched like this, it makes me uneasy. I also need to call Matt and have
him track down this photographer.”

“Why do you want to find him?”

He turned and there was a predatory gleam in his eyes. “If
he got pictures of us in that alley, he might have gotten a picture of the
truck and driver that tried to run you down.”

“God, I hope he did.”

Back at the apartment, she made her way to her room so Rob
could make his phone call. Once the bedroom door was closed behind her, she
opened the biweekly tabloid and flipped through it until she found the picture
she wanted.

She took a good long look at it and groaned. Her family was
going to be livid. She could already hear the shocked gasp and see the censored
looks. Glancing back down at the picture, she hoped it wasn’t as bad as she’d
first thought.

Eris flopped back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling.
It was worse than she first thought. Man oh man, it was going to be a long time
before she heard the end of this.

She rolled back over and looked at the picture again, this
time trying not to think about the fact it was her in it. If she looked at the
picture from an artistic viewpoint, it was actually well done and extremely
erotic. Despite the high quality of the pictures, the invasion of privacy
bothered Eris and she wondered how much it was going to cost to buy the
negatives from the photographer.

Forcing herself up, she started getting herself ready for
the evening ahead despite the urge to find a hole and crawl into it. Grabbing
clothes from her closet, she prepared herself like a soldier going into battle.

* * * * *

“I can’t believe you did this!”

Carmen placed her outfit for the evening on the bed before
addressing her brother’s statement. “You’re only angry because there is nothing
you can do about it.”

“I’m mad because it’s wrong and it goes against everything I
stand for.”

Carmen sighed. They’d been growing apart for years. “Your
beliefs aren’t mine. You never understood how much I’ve suffered, how long I’ve
waited to live my own life. I won’t put up with your control any longer. Go
away.”

“Please listen—”

“Leave.
Now
.” Carmen waited until she was alone to
release the air in her lungs. She wouldn’t cave to his wishes because only the
strong survived. She was living proof of that fact, she thought as she
continued to dress for a night out on the town.

* * * * *

Rob closed his new cell phone as he checked the back door to
the shop once again. The DuBose family was way too trusting, in his opinion,
and leaving the back door unlocked during business hours was a bad habit they
needed to break soon. The store needed a back door that automatically closed
and locked, a panic button or two and an upgraded camera system. Tomorrow he’d
have a talk with her father about the changes they needed to make.

The swinging door separating the storefront from the back
room dropped back into place behind him as the doorbell chimed. Rob
automatically reached for his gun as he turned to see who’d entered the shop.
His hand stopped when he saw who the customer was.

The man was in his late sixties, in good shape with a head
full of gray hair and the same startling green eyes as Eris. Even though they
weren’t in any physical danger, he wasn’t so sure about the damage that was
about to be done.

He watched as Eris turned from the counter and looked toward
the door. The inviting smile on her lips disappeared in a flash when she caught
sight of their visitor. As she straightened, she brushed the hair around her
face back behind her ears and faced her grandfather squarely.

Now the tailored pantsuit, crisp white shirt, black pumps
and uncolored hair made perfect sense. She’d come to work prepared to battle
her family, and it looked as if she were about to run into it head-on.

The older man tossed a newspaper on the counter with a loud
slap. “You don’t even bother to call me about this.”

“Hello, Grandfather. It’s nice to see you also.” Eris
smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

Criswell huffed. “Don’t smart mouth me, young lady.”

“I’m not going to argue with you, but I’m not going to
listen to another lecture from you about how I should get my life together.”

“I wasn’t going to do that,” Criswell exclaimed. “I came
here because my own granddaughter didn’t have the decency to call and tell me
about these horrid pictures. Brian, of all people, told me.”

Eris leaned forward until she was nose to nose with her
grandfather. “Brian is a brainless flunky you hired to spy on your
grandchildren and tattle on them. Do you know we all sit around and dream up
evil ways of disposing of the man?”

“Brian obviously hasn’t worked out as well as I’d hoped but
I didn’t come here to discuss my mistakes. I came here to talk about your
indecent public display.” With that, Criswell opened the paper and pointed.
“You were raised better than this.”

Eris took in a sharp breath and stepped back as if she’d
been slapped. The look in her eyes was that of a little girl whose favorite
doll’s head had been ripped off by the neighborhood bully.

Rob closed the distance between himself and the older man.
“I’m Rob Jackson, the other person in those ‘indecent’ pictures.”

Rob held his hand out toward the older man in hopes of
redirecting some of his anger off Eris and onto himself. Criswell turned toward
him and, in that instant, Rob knew he’d made an enemy who would enjoy nothing
more than ruining his life. He could tell the older man was attempting to
maintain his temper and not give anything away as they shook hands. “Your
granddaughter is a beautiful, intelligent woman. Don’t let those pictures make
you forget that.”

Eris gave him a thankful grin before she turned back to her
grandfather. “It’s not as if we posed for the pictures, Grandpa. Someone’s been
following me around snapping shots at the worst possible moments.”

“And I’ve got someone working on finding out who that is.
I’m as unhappy about this as Eris and plan on putting a stop to it as soon as
possible. What we all need to remember is the boring pictures of us walking
down the street together most likely didn’t get printed. Those photos wouldn’t
be newsworthy,” Rob reminded the older man.

“True—and I should know that.” Criswell ran a hand over his
face. “Guess I blew a gasket when Brian handed this to me as I was leaving the
office this evening.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me? Brian has been coming between
us since I refused to date him,” Eris said.

“I hadn’t thought about it, but he
is
always bringing
you up in a negative light.”

“Yes he does, and considering he talks with you every day,
that’s a lot of digs coming my way.”

“Think I’ll have to pay more attention to what Brian is
saying and when. If I’ve been extra hard on you, Eris, I’m sorry. I never meant
to make your life difficult. If it makes you feel any better, I was rougher on your
mother than your uncles when she was growing up.”

Rob watched as Eris leaned across the counter and gave her
grandfather a hug. “You’re forgiven
this
time.”

The pair talked for a couple more minutes before Criswell
left the store and Eris returned to cleaning behind the counter. Rob gave his
head a mental shake at the family interaction. By all he could tell, everything
was good and forgiven between the two. He shook his head because he found it
hard to believe Eris forgave her grandfather so easily. Another family life
fact he’d obviously missed out on while growing up in his dysfunctional
household.

“Oh my God.”

Rob turned to see what upset Eris so much and watched as she
placed two objects on the counter. “What are those?”

“Earrings.” She looked up at him and he could see the pain
in her eyes. “These were Orbit’s and they were in the lost and found.”

He walked over to the counter and peered down at the items.
“You’re sure they were hers?”

“I’m positive. I gave them to her for her birthday two years
ago.”

He reached out and took one of her hands in his. “How can
you be so sure they belonged to Orbit?”

“I commissioned them. One of a kind, made for my friend.”

“Could she have left them here, sold them or given them
away?”

“No, she wore them every night she worked.”

“Okay, I’ll need the artist’s name so I can verify that he
hasn’t duplicated the design.”