Fatal Affair: 1 (Courthouse Connections) (14 page)

She looked up and met his gaze. “I never
should have—”

“Hush,” he said, covering her lips when
she’d been about to bare her soul. “You don’t need to say anything just now.
What you need to do tonight is rest. You’ve been through hell these past few
days.” He reached over and turned off the shower, then wrapped her in a soft,
absorbent bath sheet. “Let me dry you off and get you into bed.”

* * * * *

JD couldn’t stand to feel Lanie trembling
next to him, so he rolled onto his side and gathered her against him spoon
fashion. As though by instinct, she opened her legs and made a place for his
cock. They fitted together perfectly, like two halves of a puzzle. He had to
believe that everything would work out, that they’d come out of this dark
period and find the light together.

“Relax and try to sleep. Trust me to take
care of you.” He splayed his fingers over her soft belly, drawing a ragged sigh
that tore at his heart.

When she exhaled, a sob shuddered through
her, a mockery of optimism—a poignant expression of her grief—or was it fear?
“You d-don’t want me anymore. You must believe what the police say. You must
wonder if I actually killed Wayne. Or maybe you think I took part in some of
his kinky games.”

Was that what she thought was keeping him
from fucking her until neither of them could think? Here he was, his balls
aching and his dick as hard as stone, trying to tamp down his own raging need
to give her time…

He started to tell her how goddamn wrong
she was but instead flipped her onto her back and came down hard over her,
grinding his hard-on into the soft flesh of her belly. “Think again,
sweetheart. There hasn’t been a time since that first night on the beach in the
Keys when I haven’t ached every day to bury my cock inside you—make you submit
to my own kinky desires. You have no idea how happy you made me when you showed
me you weren’t averse to the kind of BDSM play I used to love before Miriam got
too sick to enjoy it with me.”

Yeah, he always wanted to fuck Lanie, but
more than that he’d wished every day and every night they were apart that he
could claim her for his own. She hadn’t been ready to hear that then. Maybe she
wasn’t ready to hear it yet. Wasn’t ready to accept more than just the physical
satisfaction he could give her.

Well, he could manage that. Every cell in
his body screamed to take her, let his body feast on what she was ready and
willing to give. “I’ve wanted to ravage your cunt, your mouth, even claim your
tight virgin ass. I’ve wanted you every day and every night since that first
time out on a deserted beach. Now there’s nothing to stop me from doing it.”

He hadn’t let a living man keep him from
lusting after Lanie. There wasn’t a chance in hell he’d let Winstead’s ghost
keep him from loving her. “Wrap your long, silky legs around me and I’ll show
you how much I want you.”

Her legs opened and then she hesitated and
looked up at him, tears in her eyes. “You say you love me, so take me. In my
mind I know it’s wrong for me to want you at this minute in spite of everything
that’s going on, but I need you. Need you so damn much. Don’t give me a choice.
Please.”

She’d never before told him in so many
words that she wanted him to top her but the revelation didn’t surprise him. If
she wanted him to dominate her, that would be his pleasure. He might not be
able to control the craziness going on around them but he could relieve her of
whatever guilt she might feel for wanting to celebrate that they were alive and
together.

“If this is what you really want…”

When he saw her nod, he caught her wrists
and drew them high above her head. Pinned beneath his weight, she was helpless
to resist the sensual assault—his marauding tongue inside her mouth, the rasp
of his sparse chest hair against her swollen nipples. The insistent pressure of
his hips as he forced her legs apart and found her wet and ready to surround
him.

He paused, his cock poised to fill her
pussy. “Tell me, damn it. Beg me to fuck you.”

She let out a little moan, opening her legs
farther and wrapping them around his waist as though she’d take over, force him
to fill the welcoming place inside her. Then she paused and looked up at him,
her gaze locked on his, a silent entreaty.

He held back, needing the words. Wanting
more than just her silent assent before taking her over, satisfying their
mutual needs.

“Please. Fuck me. Fuck me hard.”

When he did what she wanted, she gave up
trying to think. Instead she reveled in the heat of his big body on hers, skin
to skin, no barriers, one of his hands controlling hers above their heads. His
hot breath stung her cheek and his tongue claimed her mouth.

He smelled of coconut body wash and a hint
of woodsy aftershave, and when she opened her eyes she focused on the taut set
of his lips, his focus obviously zeroed in on giving her pleasure. The rhythm
of his heart beating against her breasts drove away her terror at her
situation.
Because of him I’m not alone,
she thought as she banished the
fear and gave herself over to his gentle dominance.

“Use those long, gorgeous legs and hold on
tight. Now.”

When she tightened her grip on his waist he
fucked her harder, never missing a beat as he released her hands. Sweat
glistened on the well-developed muscles of his chest and upper arms as he held
his gorgeous upper body high above her, balancing on his outstretched hands.
“Open your eyes again, baby, and watch us making love. What’s going on between
us is a hell of a lot more than fucking. Trust me to love you, take care of you.
Not just now but always.”

“I do.” At that moment, as he claimed not
only her cunt but also her heart, Lanie couldn’t help but believe that fate
would be kinder than it had been to either of them before. That they’d come
through this and end up stronger together than they’d ever been apart.

Pressure built inside her, bursting and
leaving her a trembling mass of jelly in JD’s protective arms as he came inside
her, murmuring words of love and sex—and whispering promises for their future,
promises that she prayed he’d be able to keep.

When they lay exhausted, their bodies slick
with sweat, he sealed his words with a gentle kiss.” I want you to remember
you’re mine now—only mine.”

A claiming. That’s what they’d just shared.
Lying beside him, inhaling the heady scent of sex that surrounded them and
listening to the ragged sounds of their breathing, Lanie let herself believe.

If anybody could save her, it would be JD.
Not Tony and his high-powered defense team, because it was JD who’d seen to
bringing them in on her team. Not Wayne’s real killer, if he could be coerced
to confess, and certainly not herself, because she still couldn’t quite believe
the events that had begun at six yesterday afternoon had been more than just a
terrifying nightmare from which she’d wake up and learn that nothing had
changed.

No, for now she’d trust in her lover to
make everything right. Lanie curled up in JD’s protective embrace and let sleep
claim her. No nightmare would dare to disturb her while she lay in his arms,
and tomorrow would take care of itself.

Lanie hesitated the next morning when she
heard voices coming from JD’s kitchen, but since she overheard them talking
about her legal situation she hurried to join them, pausing for only a minute
when she remembered she was naked beneath JD’s black terry robe. Actually she
was decently covered by the garment she imagined would hit him above his knees,
because on her it practically dragged on the floor.

After having confessed on local TV that she
and JD were lovers, it seemed damn silly to try to pretend otherwise, so Lanie
pulled the borrowed robe tighter around her and stepped over Scat, who was
sprawled out across a sunny spot just inside the kitchen door. When she cleared
her throat both JD and investigator Rocky Delgado looked up and wished her a
good morning.

JD stood and held out a chair for her.
“Come have some coffee, sweetheart. Rocky has been out to your house and he
brought some of your clothes—and Purrz. I fed Purrz and put him in the spare
bedroom for now, until we can introduce him and Scat properly.”

Hesitating for a moment before sitting
down, she looked over at Rocky and forced a nervous smile. “Thank you, Rocky. I
appreciate you bringing me something to wear and I’m sure Purrz thanks you for
rescuing him from certain starvation.”

“No problem. I wanted to look around out
there again anyhow, without a horde of sheriff’s office detectives watching my
every move. As for the clothes, I just brought a handful of unmentionables and
whatever I could fit into a suitcase out of the stuff in your closet. You can
go get the rest of your things later.” He paused for a minute, then continued.

“That’s the guesthouse you can see the back
of from your bedroom window, right?”

Lanie nodded.

“It’s set up as a BDSM dungeon. Did you
know that?”

“I knew. I’ve known for a long time, ever
since Wayne had some work done inside it and told me to stay away.”

Rocky looked as though he were trying to
reconstruct the scene in his head. “Did you ever see anybody there with the
senator? One of the detectives mentioned yesterday that they’d been looking for
some guy whose prints they lifted from one of the pieces of equipment in
there.”

Lanie nodded, embarrassed to have to admit
she’d known Wayne met a lover there. “I saw Wayne’s lover but never met him.
I’m pretty sure no one was in the guesthouse the day I was arrested.”

“When you saw the guy, what was he doing?”

The scene flashed in her mind, as vivid as
it would have been if she’d videotaped it, as Wayne had suggested she might
have. Lanie looked at JD, hoping he’d save her from having to describe what
she’d seen again.

JD cleared his throat. “Rocky, Lanie told
me what went on. Basically it was a hard-core BDSM scene between the senator
and a Dom. Apparently they’d staged it so Lanie couldn’t help witnessing it.”

Thank you, JD. I don’t think I could
have described it again.

Lanie’s skin grew cold, clammy when she
thought about it. Suddenly she felt as though she were about to choke. “Rocky?”

JD reached over and covered her hand with
his, as though to protect her from her own thoughts. “Easy, sweetheart. What is
it that has you as pale as a ghost?”

She turned to the investigator. “Is—is it
possible that this man killed Wayne?”

Rocky tilted his head, as though
considering her question. “You mean because they were involved in a sexual
relationship? It’s possible but not likely. I have an idea that the Dom would
be careful not to take play too far in a private dungeon like that one,
especially when there was no one to prevent him from acting on bloodlust.”

“That’s true, sweetheart. Most players I
know wouldn’t go hardcore except in a controlled environment like a club.
Unless the Dom wanted you to see what he was doing with Wayne as sort of an
impromptu safety valve.” JD glanced over at Rocky, apparently wanting
confirmation.

“That could be, but I still doubt the Dom
is the killer. Remember, the senator was shot. No sign that he’d been damaged
during sex play, though being dumped in the water and mutilated by an alligator
might have taken care of any telltale marks that could have been on his body.
Only a few edge players I’ve ever heard of around here go in for gun play.”

Rocky hesitated a minute. “I don’t want to
get your hopes up but I think I know who the Dom might be, from a description I
got from one of the managers at Sweet Seduction. Apparently he and Wayne used
to play there several years ago—and the guy’s impression was that they were
devoted to each other. He used to come in solo occasionally to play with a club
submissive up until about two weeks ago.”

“Where is this Dom, then?” JD asked. “Why
did he disappear just about the time when Winstead was getting himself killed?”

“I don’t know but there are a lot of people
looking for him,” Rocky replied. “I’m thinking he’s more likely to be a victim
than a villain. Lanie, who can you think of who might have known about Wayne
and his lover and wanted to keep that knowledge from getting out?”

Lanie hadn’t realized she’d been holding
her breath when it came out in a whoosh. “I don’t know if Wayne’s campaign
manager knew, but if Bert had known he certainly would have wanted it kept
quiet.”

She wouldn’t put it past Bert to commit any
crime, even murder, to keep all his puppets in office so they could champion
causes to make him even more powerful than he already was. Still, Wayne hadn’t
been anybody’s fool. He would have taken pains to keep Bert from finding out
that he was still carrying on with a gay lover after being ordered not to.

Inwardly shuddering at the thought of Bert
going fully ballistic as he’d have done if he’d ever thought that Wayne’s
sexual persuasion had gone public, Lanie shook her head. “No, he ordered Wayne
more than once not to let anybody know he was gay. Wayne was scared of Bert. I
really don’t believe he could have known.”

Bert had been adamant from the first time
she’d met him that Wayne’s sexual preferences had to remain secret at all
costs. “Bert was the one who orchestrated our marriage. He called it a win-win
situation for both of us, me getting a free education, pretty clothes and a
nice home for providing Wayne with a beard. He was adamant that we seem to all
of Wayne’s constituents like a regular, devoted couple.

“I’m positive that Bert would never have
put up with it if he knew Wayne was keeping a lover right under his nose. He’d
have stepped in to stop it.”

“How?” Rocky asked, his expression
thoughtful.

“Threats. Physical violence? I wouldn’t put
it past Bert, but I imagine he’d send a third party—I can’t imagine him being
much of a fighter or being physically intimidating enough to… He’s not big
enough or in good enough shape for that.”

JD moved closer, as though to lend Lanie
his strength. “What are the odds that Bert would have done more than simply put
a stop to that arrangement if he found out about it?” he asked Rocky.

“Hmm. I’m not sure. The more I dig, though,
the more I think it’s worth pursuing the possibility that someone killed the
senator because of his lifestyle—and that the someone who did it wasn’t Lanie.
After all, Lanie knew all along that her marriage was a sham, which pretty much
absolves her of motive.”

Lanie knew all about motive, means and
opportunity—the triad of tests needed by the prosecution to convict those
accused of crimes—even though she’d never tried a case in which losing would
have any more consequence for her client than a few months in the county jail
or a hefty fine. She’d kept telling herself all the time she’d sat in that cell
yesterday that while she might have had the latter two, she’d had no motive at
all to want her soon-to-be former husband dead.

She hadn’t considered Rocky’s particular
argument, though, because up until now she hadn’t thought about the possibility
that someone had killed Wayne because his lifestyle going public might be
political poison.

She remembered her last conversation with
her husband. “You know, Wayne told me when we talked about divorcing that he
was considering coming out. Do you think…”

“He might have managed to go public with
his lifestyle and keep getting elected if he’d been representing a more liberal
district.” JD took a sip of coffee, a thoughtful look on his face. “But to come
out to constituents out in the rural part of this county and keep getting
elected? Not going to happen—not in this decade and maybe not even in the
next.”

Rocky had apparently been about to say
something when he gave an apologetic shrug at the sound of a chime that sounded
suspiciously like the first few bars of an old TV detective show theme song.
“I’d better take this,” he said after pulling out his cell phone and looking at
the caller ID. It’s one of my investigators.”

A chill went through Lanie as she watched
the investigator’s expression harden at whatever he was hearing. When he stood
and replaced the phone in his pocket, he looked down at her and JD. “Brace
yourselves for a visit from the sheriff’s detectives. They believe they just
found the senator’s master when they dredged the lake behind the house, and
they’re going to want to ask you two some questions.”

“I take it the man didn’t drown while
taking a late-night swim,” JD commented, his tone as deadpan as his expression.

Rocky chuckled. “Not unless he decided to
take a dip after somebody had shot him between the eyes. Lanie, do you have any
idea who might have wanted both the senator and his master dead?”

“As far as I know, I never had contact with
anybody who went to the clubs that Wayne used to frequent.”

“If I were you, Rocky, I’d check into what
Bert Davies was doing around the times when Wayne and Miguel were killed.” JD
paused before continuing the thought. “Nobody seems to know for sure how much
Bert knew about the senator’s social life but apparently he was Wayne’s most
trusted associate. He certainly had a finger in most all the senator’s
political machinations.”

Rocky nodded. “I’ll do that. Nobody’s ever
gotten enough on Davies to arrest him but I’ve never trusted the bastard as far
as I could throw him.”

Lanie turned to JD after Rocky had left to
talk to a contact in the coroner’s office and determine the approximate times
of both men’s deaths. “Do you think…” Her voice trailed off when she couldn’t
make herself hope aloud that this nightmare would soon be over.

Taking her in his arms, JD held her when
she would have moved. “I think we’re about to go introduce Purrz and Scat. You
go let Purrz loose while I open a can of tuna for them.”

When Lanie opened the guest room door,
Purrz bounded by her, making a beeline for the kitchen where JD was rattling a
bag of cat treats he’d brought out to tempt Scat off his perch on a shelf over
the window. She followed, hoping not to hear the hisses and indignant meows she
was sure would accompany the two male cats’ first meeting.

No hisses. No snarling protests. Her garden-variety
yellow tomcat and JD’s snooty Siamese ignored each other, choosing instead to
attack first the tuna and then the green treats while their respective humans
watched and sipped coffee.

“See, I told you they’d get along fine. Now
if they hadn’t both been neutered, we might have had a problem.”

Lanie reached over and stroked JD’s scruffy
cheek. “You’re right about that. Now if only all or our problems could be resolved
so easily…”

“They will, sweetheart. We’ve just got to
have faith in the truth—and Tony.”

* * * * *

After a very polite detective had asked them
where they’d been the night before and confirmed that the body of Senator
Winstead’s lover had been found, JD opened the drapes in the living room and
handed Lanie a laptop computer so she could check her email.

“Do you really need to go to your office today,
sweetheart?” JD asked as he checked his email on his tablet. He’d canceled his
own appointments first thing in the morning before Rocky had arrived with Purrz
and Lanie’s suitcase, so he hoped they’d get to spend the day together.

“I guess not. Even though Tony had me hand
off my pending cases to one of the other attorneys at my office, I’d planned to
go over my notes with him. I’m sure that’s not necessary though. It’s not as
though I have a caseload anywhere near as big as I’m sure yours is, or that the
cases are so complex that I need to brief anybody about them.”

When she looked over at him, he felt warm
all over. God, but he loved this woman even though he couldn’t help hurting for
the girl she’d been, so desperate she’d had no better option than to enter a
sham marriage with Winstead. JD wished he could take the terrified look out of
her eyes, protect her from any further fallout she’d instigated by deciding to
walk away from him.

He’d figured the first time she’d told her
story that either the senator or Davies had killed the supposed serial killer whom
Lanie had barely escaped, and that one of them—probably Davies—had set the
strip club afire. The story about spontaneous combustion of fertilizer just
didn’t ring true. “Is whatever happened at the Pussycat Paradise that night the
thing that Davies held over you and Wayne for all this time?”

She hung her head. “I’m ashamed to say it
was, at least on Wayne’s part. He was desperate to keep voters from connecting
him with the dead man. He said it was sort of a bonus, that what happened
handed him a wife he could show off when he had no desire to have a real
marriage.”

“What about you, sweetheart? What did you
get out of the arrangement?”

She looked around the room, shook her head
and laughed out loud. “As I told you, I got respectability along with the
education I wanted so much, without having to keep stripping to pay for it. I
got my very own room in a house with real paint on the walls and a nice green
yard that didn’t have skeletons of old cars spoiling the view. Wayne’s place
was worlds nicer than any place I’d ever stayed before, though I have to admit
it’s nowhere near as luxurious as this condo of yours.