Cuff Master (16 page)

“You tell them I’ll put up a reward for any information
leading to an arrest,” Remy said. “Someone hurt my friend. I take that
personal.”

“I’ll be damned,” Ethan said.

“What?” Morgan asked, glancing over at him.

“I agree with him,” Ethan explained.

“I’m not all that bad. Am I?” Remy grinned, seeming to dare
Ethan to admit he wasn’t a bad guy.

“Don’t push it, Remy. You took my woman on a date. No matter
that it was for business purposes, I took that personally.”

“Thought we cleared that up,” Remy countered. “Trust me with
your lady, Ethan. I know where her heart is, it’s with you.”

“As long as we got that straight, I’m good,” Ethan said.
“I’ll always be grateful for your willingness to take care of Morgan’s shop
while she recovers.”

“How’s that going?” Remy questioned curiously, eyeing the
two of them with a mischievous glint in his gorgeous sapphire blue eyes. “Can’t
help noticing Morgan’s glowing.”

“Morgan’s happy, thank you,” she answered on her behalf. “Is
everything all right here, Remy?”

“It’s been busy most of the morning with plenty of sales and
very little loitering. It only slowed down because the customers are over at
the diner or checking out the used books.”

“Sounds exactly the way it should be. October is always my busiest
time of year. Do you want us to stay? You’re taking time out of your schedule.
I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

“You could never do that.” Remy was dressed in black jeans,
a black shirt and a black leather jacket. His boots were kickass cool and went
all the way to his thighs. His long black and red hair was pulled into a
ponytail.

“I checked your supply of ghost hunting kits. You were good
on most of it. I saw you were low on thermal cameras and EMF meters. I can
arrange to have stock delivered tomorrow.”

“Let me check my books first,” Morgan said. “Ethan, do you
mind if I run to the back?”

“No, but if you need the funds, I can help.”

Automatically, she shook her head no. Then she thought about
it. She’d already asked for his help. “That’s nice of you. Why don’t you come
with me and see what you think?”

“Lead the way,” Ethan agreed. “Can I check out one of the
EVP recorders? I want to see how they work.”

“I’ll grab one,” Remy said. “You two go on. Be right there.”

Morgan and Ethan walked to the back room hand in hand.
Morgan loved it. Holding hands made her a little giddy.

They were sitting at a small desk looking over the books
when Remy came back with the recorder.

“This is exactly the type of device she had Friday night,”
he told Ethan.

Ethan took it, played with it and quickly figured out how to
use it. It wasn’t a difficult task, but his curiosity and willingness to look
at the recorder with an open mind touched her heart.

“Can we get EVPs now?” he asked.

“Possible,” Remy answered. “The problem is that there are
noises outside the building. And Mary’s out front. You could try a spirit box
or PX device.”

Ethan kept fiddling with the recorder “What are they?”

“A spirit box uses continuous AM or FM radio frequency
sweeps to produce white noise. Within that noise, spirits can find enough
energy to communicate. The PX has an electronic dictionary that spirits can use
to speak. Also works phonetically. “

“I’ll try this right now,” Ethan said.

Morgan ducked out of the back to ask Mary to lock the door
for a few minutes. When she returned, she asked both Remy and Ethan to pray
with her in order to open the connection between their earthly plane and
Grandma on the other side.

When she felt Grandma’s presence within the room, she
inclined her head to Ethan to let him know.

Confidently, he turned on the recorder and asked, “Grandma
Sara Everhart, if you would, tell me you are here with us. Do you still visit
your granddaughter?”

Remy held up a handwritten sign on a sheet of paper.
Keep
talking. You might not get a response right away. Pause between questions to
give her time to answer.

“I love your granddaughter, ma’am, and wanted to introduce
myself to you,” Ethan continued. “My name is Ethan. Do you know who I am to
her?”

He waited again. “Did I give enough time between questions?”

“That should be good for now,” Morgan replied. “She is here
with us.”

Ethan played back the recorder, clearly not certain what
he’d hear or if he’d hear anything. Clear as the nose on his face, he got
responses.

Yes, always
to the first question and what could have
been
cop
or
cuff
and
master
to the last.

Each word was emphasized, each loud enough to reach their
human ears without the EVPs being verified on fancy electronic equipment.

But that wasn’t all Grandma had to say. In her clearly
distinct New Englander accent, she implored Ethan to do one thing,
take care
of my grandbaby, Ethan Maddox.

Morgan watched Ethan’s face as he played it back twice.
“I’ll be damned,” he said. “If anything, I expected to hear maybe a few yesses
and the word ‘anchor’. I never expected the last part there. I told her my
first name. But she knows who I am, doesn’t she?”

“Yes, she does,” Morgan answered.

“Anchor, why?” Remy asked.

“Because that’s what Grandma called my soul mate,” Morgan
said. But the fact that Grandma answered said a whole lot more. The fact that
“master” was the loudest word of all resonated through Morgan.

Grandma Everhart was watching over her. She knew Ethan was
more than Morgan’s anchor. He was her Master and her soul mate. Grandma
approved. She’d not have given responses at all if Ethan was the wrong man for
Morgan.

“Thank you, Grandma, for coming to us today. Go and rest and
we’ll talk again soon,” Morgan said.

To Ethan, she explained, “It’s always good to thank the
spirits who decide to communicate with us. Their sense of time and place is
different than ours and it can be exhausting to say a few words.”

“Thank you, Grandma. I will take care of your
granddaughter,” Ethan bestowed kindly. Afterward, he listened to the recording
again. “This EVP recorder is new, Remy?”

“Yes, it is,” Remy answered.

“Can I keep this, Morgan?” Ethan requested.

“No need to ask. It’s yours.”

“I’ll pay for it.”

“No. You were serious about joining forces in business. I’d
like to move forward with that. To me, you’re as much an owner of Enchanted
Treasures as I am. I’m confident Grandma would approve.”

Ethan smiled, tucking his new toy into his coat pocket. “All
right then. We’ll get on that as soon as Phalen and Cassie get home. Taran’s
the legal expert for our family.”

“As he should be, considering he’s an attorney now,” Morgan
added.

“Even though he’s working for a law firm in Boston, don’t be
surprised when he opens his own before he turns thirty,” Ethan said, revealing
the deep respect he held for his brother.

“You love him,” Morgan observed.

“Of course, same as I do Phalen and my sister-in-law,” he
answered. “Family is family, no matter how much of a pain in the ass they can
be.”

“Taran was in the wedding,” Remy commented. “I didn’t get a
chance to meet him other than a handshake at the receiving line. It was obvious
that he was a Maddox.” He pointed toward Ethan’s eyes, referring to the gray
eye color the brothers had in common.

Eye color wasn’t the only similarity. Taran might be the
dark-haired Maddox, but he was actually the tallest of the three by maybe an
inch and carried himself with the confidence and fortitude of his brothers. He
also shared many of the same facial characteristics that made him a Maddox
through and through.

The primary reason people thought Phalen was the biggest and
tallest of the three was that he projected a larger-than-life image. When he
walked into a room, he wanted everyone to know he was there. You couldn’t miss
him.

“I’m sure you’ll get to know Taran soon enough, Remy. He’ll
come to Salem and hang out at the diner next door when it’s his turn to babysit
Samson and Delilah,” Ethan said.

“I look forward to it. For sure, I’m going to stick around
town for a while. Already have a room at the Hawthorne.”

“Let me guess, you picked the third floor,” Morgan said.

“Nah, not necessary,” Remy answered. “I’m certain contact
can be made on any floor. I’m good where I am.”

“Be sure to get to the basement when you can. Take your
recorder with you. You’ll pick up something.” Morgan had only been to the
basement, which was more or less a library, of the Hawthorne twice. It sort of
resembled a ship, with portholes in the doors and dark wood walls.

At some point, it’d been a meeting place for sailors.
Whoever was down there had ties to the sea and was drawn to stay there because
it felt familiar. More than likely, the haunting was residual and harmless. It
was still a bit off-putting for those who went down to the basement and felt as
though something or someone was watching them.

“Are you ready for lunch, Morgan?” Ethan asked.

“Yes, Detective,” she said, unconcerned that Remy might pick
up on the emphasis she’d made there.

If he did, Remy didn’t comment. He returned to the front of
the store to help out Mary and reopen the door.

Ethan had told her the other night when they’d gone to bed
that her purse, keychain and wallet was with her suitcase. He’d given her store
keys to Remy to open and close Enchanted Treasures according to the hours she’d
set.

Feeling confident that the store was in good hands, Morgan
left the backroom the same way she’d entered, hand in hand with Ethan. He took
her next door for lunch as promised.

No one who witnessed them together could doubt that they
were a couple. He even leaned over and kissed her twice, risking ketchup stains
on his elbow both times. But he didn’t care or make a mess.

What he did was make her want him desperately. Goodness, now
that she’d started having sex again, she was fast becoming addicted to Ethan
Maddox’s kind of loving. Sometimes he was a little rough, sometimes he was
demanding and most often he put her needs above his own.

Her education as his submissive had been going well. There
was still much to learn. She was fortunate to have such a patient teacher who
wasn’t willing to scare her off just to tie her up and whip her senseless. Not
once had he hurt her or struck her or left more than a suck mark on her neck or
a warm hand print on her ass to correct her.

Back outside after lunch, they made their way to Phalen and
Cassie’s house a few blocks away. It was still crowded with tourists, which was
good. Crowds equaled good business.

It was definitely a good day. Being with Ethan made it
great.

Chapter Six

On the way back to Cassie and Phalen’s house, Ethan insisted
on stopping at a temporary Halloween costume store. Morgan went inside with
him, although he told her to stay at the front.

Despite her curious nature demanding she follow him to find
out what he was about, she resisted. Besides, looking around the front of a
costume shop was fun and Morgan was entertained by the various masks and scary
décor.

When Ethan came back with a big yellow plastic bag, he
deliberately kept her from being able to see the purchase. “What did you get?”
she asked.

“You’ll have to wait. Patience, honey, you’ll find out
sometime.”

“Tonight?”

He shrugged, giving nothing away.

“If you bought fake handcuffs, Detective, I will get you
back.”

“I’d never buy fake cuffs,” he countered confidently,
placing his right hand over his heart. “There are no cuffs in this bag.”

Morgan eyed him suspiciously a second longer. He was up to
something all right, even if there weren’t costume-inspired cuffs in there.

She tried to give him what she hoped was a pleading look,
but he gave nothing away as he tucked the bag behind his back and put his other
arm around her to guide her outside. They weren’t that far from the house, so
it was a matter of five minutes to the front door.

Ethan juggled his purchase in order to unlock the door. As
soon as they entered, two big kitties came bolting into the foyer. Their glares
warned that they were not happy to have been left alone.

“Hello, gorgeous babies,” Morgan greeted sweetly. The
kitties continued to glare.

“They hold grudges,” Ethan said as he hung the bag on his
wrist and helped Morgan out of her coat and placed it on a coatrack to the left
of the door.

Once hers was on a hook, he switched the bag from wrist to
wrist to remove his coat and placed it on the rack.

“They just missed us,” she remarked. “Big as they are,
they’re really babies.”

“Ha, they’re little monsters with great big claws,” he
countered, though the love he felt for the two gigantic kittens was evident.

He knelt down and offered his hand, waiting patiently for
the more laid-back of the brother-sister duo to come forward, Samson. As soon
as he neared, Ethan patted his head and swept him up into his arms.

Morgan watched as Ethan nuzzled Samson’s neck, whispering
something confidential. Delilah, not one to be ignored, imposed herself upon
her uncle’s good graces by weaving in and out of his legs.

Gently handing Samson over to Morgan, Ethan picked up his
feline niece and gave her some attention. As he’d done to the gray tabby, he
whispered to Delilah, then set her on the floor.

Samson kicked a bit to get down as soon as he saw Delilah
was free. Morgan placed him on the entryway rug.

Delilah flicked her tail and took off, her brother fast
behind.

“He is a Maddox. He is devoted to his sister no matter what
mischief she gets into,” Morgan stated, grinning as she heard the kitties
scamper around the house.

“They both are. Don’t let Samson’s easygoing demeanor fool
you. When he’s full-grown, he’ll challenge Delilah as the Alpha cat and be in
charge.”

“You trying to say Samson’s going to turn into a grizzly
someday?”

“Yep. See, what he’s doing is charming the ladies. He’s got
you and his mama wrapped around his big paw and knows it. Bet if you put a
camera on them during the day, he’s the one who sets up Delilah for trouble.”

“Careful, I might take you up on that.”

Ethan turned suddenly and faced her. “I’m going to head on
upstairs to put this away. You are not to go into this bag. You do, trouble
will follow.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“The kind that will keep you from finding out firsthand
what’s in the bag,” he told her.

“Exactly how long do I have to wait to find out the
surprise?”

“When I decide the time’s right, that’s all you need to know
at the moment.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Why is it unfair? It’s my aim as your Master to please you.
Trust me. Don’t go into the bag.”

“I won’t,” she agreed, as much as it tempted her to sneak a
look. If she did, then she’d never know what he had in mind. “What would you
like to do this afternoon? We ate. We went for a walk. We had a lovely
encounter with Grandma.”

“Yes, we did. It was an honor to meet her.”

“You believe she was with us,” Morgan said.

Ethan glanced at his coat. “Yes. Maybe there’s another
explanation for what I got on my recorder. But I’m not going to spend
unnecessary time looking for the answer. Grandma Everhart spoke. I heard her.
That’s what I know.”

“Thank you for your show of faith, Ethan. After having my
digital voice recorder stolen, I wasn’t sure how I’d prove that I’d spoken to
Jenna.”

“I believe you because you’ve told me, Morgan. Do I think
all psychics are real? No. Do I think there are fake ghost hunters out there
creating illusions and scary moments for television ratings, you bet.”

“But you believe in me…and Remy, to an extent.”

“You are first in everything,” Ethan said, strolling up nice
and close. Taking her hand, he drew her into his body. “Remy seems okay. But
when I first saw him at Druid Creek Castle and heard his explanation of running
out to his car to get something when you were in the ladies room, I didn’t
believe him.”

“Why?”

“Jealousy. He was with you. I was still mad about that and
didn’t see any such box in his hand.”

“He’d have tucked it in his pocket for safekeeping. You
trusted him enough to give him the keys to Enchanted Treasures, Ethan. You must
know that it’s not displaced.”

“After the way he put you first when you were hurt, I came
to trust him enough with the keys. There was no faking how much he cares about
you. He better not do anything to ruin that. I will hurt him if it turns out I
was wrong.”

Morgan was really glad he shared how he felt about Remy. “As
long as you trust that you’re number one in my heart, in my soul, Ethan, I am
glad to be your woman. I love you.”

“I don’t doubt you at all. Not long ago, Taran and I thought
Phalen would go ballistic because Cassie met up with another guy. Even though
that sonofabitch turned out to be a psychopath, he’d fooled her whole family,
even Phalen, into trusting him.”

“You’re not insinuating that Remy is psycho, are you?”

“No. But what happened to Cassie caused me to be suspicious
of Remy. Then I remembered Phalen telling us that even though he loved Cassie,
he didn’t own her. That’s how I feel about you. Loving you doesn’t mean you’re
enslaved to me or vice versa.”

“I sure hope you’re not going to treat me with kid gloves
from now on, Detective. Some aspects of slavery seem rather…seductive.”

“I’d never suggest that.” He touched his hand to her chin,
smoothing his thumb over her lips. “Here’s what’s going to happen this
afternoon if you wish it, sub. While I’m upstairs putting my bag away, you’re
to hide.”

“Hide and seek?”

“That’s right. Go anywhere in the house except Cassie and
Phalen’s bedroom. No matter where you are or how well you think you can hide, I
will find you.”

“Then what happens?”

Ethan leaned forward, touching his forehead to hers. “The
only way you’ll find out is if you agree to our adventure. Do you?”

“Yes, Detective,” she said, understanding that they were
negotiating a scene right here, right now.

“Very good, as soon as I give you the signal, bolt. I’ll go
through to the kitchen and take the back stairs to our room.”

“What’s the signal?” she asked.

Ethan didn’t answer directly. He dropped the bag that had
been dangling from his wrist, freeing her. Before he knelt, Morgan took off
toward the doorway leading to the basement.

Down she went…and stopped cold.

She’d always been fast. She’d spent more time in this house
than Ethan did. She could elude him. For how long was the real question.

He was a detective. When he was good and ready, he’d find
her. And Morgan looked forward to getting caught.

Thankfully, the cats were still chasing each other, creating
enough thunder to distract the sound of her retreating back up the basement
stairs. She couldn’t be sure Ethan went upstairs yet. The kitties kept her from
knowing where he was.

She had to trust her footing and headed up two stories to
the attic. It was a good thing that the attic had a carpeted staircase and an
open door at the top.

Morgan was super quiet as she went up the steps, being
careful not to close the door when she went inside. The lights weren’t on. She
kept them off, using the natural daylight coming in from a very small half-oval
window on the far side of the attic to see well enough.

Half of the attic was for storage. The other half had been
converted into a big reading nook. Cassie was a huge reader and it made sense
that she would have shelves of her favorite books in a place where she could
get away from the daily grind and stress of owning Book Haven Diner.

There was a comfy lounge chair that’d been Phalen’s when he
lived in Boston, wall-to-wall carpeting, reading lamps and a cozy loveseat.
Morgan maneuvered behind the lounge chair and ducked down so as not to be seen.

The problem was she’d positioned herself where she couldn’t
quite see the doorway. She was stuck. If she moved, she might give herself away.

There was no doubt that somewhere between leaving the
costume store and now, her easygoing boyfriend had become a grizzly bear. He
was on the hunt. When he found her was simply a matter of time.

Remaining as still as possible, she waited for Ethan to make
his move.

The cats had stopped scampering downstairs. He was a tall
man with a very confident stride. If she listened closely, it was possible to
hear a squeak of a floorboard or stair.

She heard nothing. It was so quiet, she wondered if Ethan
had parked his gorgeous ass in their guest bedroom and was waiting for her to
flinch first.

As a little kid, she’d always been able to find her friends
when they were playing hide-and-seek or she’d know when they were about to find
her and she’d move to a new spot before getting caught.

Knowing she couldn’t do that with Ethan was both fascinating
and frustrating.

Frustrating because she wanted to be found so they could get
to some wild and crazy fucking, which she knew was Ethan’s endgame this
afternoon.

Fascinating because the longer she waited, the wetter she
became. Anticipation had taken hold, making her sizzle all over with awareness,
with need.

Waiting continued. The house was so quiet that she was half
tempted to drop something just to make the standoff end.

Where the hell was Ethan?

The slightest noise came to Morgan’s right. As carefully as
possible, she turned her body and head so she could get a better view of what
was to her right, subtly shifting the lounge chair that could swivel on a wide
base.

A dark figure walked into her line of sight. Samson had
tracked her down.

“Oh damn,” she whispered, placing her finger over her mouth
in an attempt to keep him quiet.

Samson looked at her quizzically, then lowered his head as
he crept forward and oh so slowly stalked her. Belatedly realizing her crouched
position caused her unbound hair to sweep the floor, creating a target for
Samson’s attack, she stayed very still.

He pounced anyway, catching some of her hair just as two
hands snagged her about the shoulders and hefted her right off the floor!

Holy Moses, Ethan was strong. And big! And silent and, whoa,
he’d caught her and she’d never heard a word.

“Hold it right there, ma’am! What are you doing creeping
around these parts?”

“You…you told me to hide.”

“Wrong answer,” he charged, maneuvering her about until she
was draped over the back of the lounge chair. He kicked out, spreading her legs
wide. “You’re under arrest.”

“On what charge?” she demanded, fighting with little avail.
All it did was get her pushed farther down over the comfy chair and her arms
pulled back.

Still wearing boots, she had to go up on tiptoe, keeping her
completely off balance.

Another kick of Ethan’s foot set off a loud click. He’d
locked the chair in place.

Something cold slid over one wrist, then the other. “Hey!
Ethan, what are you doing?”

A heavy-handed palm swiped her square on the ass, leaving a
sharp, insistent sting that wasn’t blunted by her panties and skirt.

“That’s Detective Maddox. You are my prisoner. You will
remember to obey my authority or you can expect a night of absolutely no
orgasms and a red ass to boot!”

“Police brutality! See if I don’t call your superiors and
turn your gorgeous ass in.”

“Brutality? Ah, little sub, if you want brutal, keep defying
me. Confess and maybe I will grant you the fucking you’ve been craving the last
thirty minutes. Think I couldn’t smell the scent of your arousal? Your panties
are soaked with it.”

“If you don’t allow me to orgasm, you can’t come either.
You’ll be as miserable as me.”

“Now see, I never said I wouldn’t come. I will and you’ll
lick it up.”

Using his body to trap her in place, he wedged one leg
between her spread thighs. Ethan showed no sign of give. The bad cop routine
was wickedly tempting.

Sudden, unexpected orgasm rocked her to the core with
nothing more than a nudge of Ethan’s knee right against her clitoris…through
her clothes. It was so fucking exciting to be trapped and know that he wasn’t
going to truly hurt her.

“Oh fuck, I came,” she confessed.

“Not the confession I want to hear, sub.”

“What have I done, Detective? I’ve the right to know the
charges against me. Why have you cuffed me?”