Haven of Nightmares (Littlemoon Investigations Book 5) (27 page)

No.

She wanted to remember this day for the rest of her life. As he shook above her, she opened her eyes.

“You need to stop, Mattie,” he whispered. “It’s making me wild. Let me show you how it feels.”

Slowly, he tugged down the pink panties. They were sweet, chaste, and fueled his librarian fantasies. He expected nothing but this from her.

This was his girl next door.

This was his dream.

As he gently slid down her torso, he parted her legs. As he ran his finger across the most sensitive part of her body, she shook in want and excitement.

It turned him on.

Roman couldn’t wait any longer. He had to taste her. Teasing Mattie with the tip of his tongue, he reveled in her moans of pleasure.

Everyone else before her fell away.

There was only her.

There was only them.

As she began whispering his name, over and over again, he drove her insane with just his tongue. No woman had ever responded like this, and it was addictive. It called to him.

He never wanted it to end.

Mattie didn’t think she could handle more pleasure. He was tearing her down and building her back up. She was a new person, breaking free from the cocoon that had held her prisoner for so long.

She was his.

She was free.

As the wave of orgasm overtook her, Mattie fell in a spiral of pleasure.

It was amazing.

Even more amazing?

When she opened her eyes, he was above her, watching her with love. That one emotion swamped her. For the longest time, Mattie didn’t believe she’d ever find it.

Her heart was lost forever with that one look.

“Next time, we’ll spend more time making you shout my name. Now, I really just want to make you mine, Mattie. I want you to always be mine.”

She pulled him down, her mouth making love to his as her legs went around his hips. She didn’t want to let him go. As he rubbed against her, Mattie knew it was going to hurt, but she wanted him more than she feared the pain.

Ten years.

Finally
.

Roman was hers.

It had been a battle holding out, praying, and waiting, but she was about to be rewarded.

As he nudged her, she opened her eyes and gazed into his. There was love in his, and trust in hers.

“Are you ready, sunshine?” he asked, kissing her on the tip of the nose.

“I’ve been ready for years.”

“I love you,” he whispered as he slowly slid into the warmth. It was heaven and hell.

The need in him screamed for him to drive himself into her, but the love wouldn’t let him do it.

He owed her a memory.

He owned them this.

As she held her breathe, he kissed her again, this time biting her bottom lip. When she gasped at the pain, he slid all the way home.

Mattie blinked.

Then she started laughing.

Roman was braced above her body, his arms trembling. He was glad she was entertained because he was dying. “Mattie, this is really not the time to be amused.”

She couldn’t help it.

“God! The wanting will never stop,” he muttered, enjoying the twinkle in her eyes. The sadness was gone, and instead of sorrow, there was the warmth of love.

She tipped her hips and felt the warm glide of them joining. “Please, Roman. I need you.”

He took that as his invitation.

Moving, he didn’t hesitate. When Mattie met him stroke for stroke, he was lost.

He was trapped in the love.

Together, he bombarded her body with pleasure. The kisses, the glide of his erection in and out of the wet heat, it all built them up.

Mattie had never experienced anything quite like it. The man above her was filling her so much that she was ready to explode apart.

Not only from orgasm, but also from love.

She was madly in love.

As she shook, Roman knew he was close to the edge. He wanted nothing more than to prolong this, but he wasn’t strong enough. He needed to leave his mark on her.

He had to make Mattie his for the rest of their lives.

So, they needed to fall together.

Next time, when he took her to bed, he’d make her shout his name and beg for more.

Now, he was giving them the gift of love.

“Roman!” she gasped as he hit that one spot over and over. It pushed her from the edge as she came again, but this time with him buried deeply in her body.

Roman heard her breathy shout of his name, and he was right behind her. The tight, wet heat tore his control to shreds. It was like when he was a teenager.

Only, he was with the woman he’d spend his forever with—here, now, and their afterlife.

Roman tumbled, exploding deeply within her body. Everything emptied.

His heart.

His soul.

His seed. 

Mattie, after all these years, was finally his.

It took everything he had to not collapse onto her. As he dropped, his body supported on his elbows, Mattie did something so endearing.

She pulled him against her so they were pressed together, and then she whispered in his ear.

“I love you.”

His heart quaked.

“I love you too. I promise I always will. I meant what I said when I told you that I’d protect you, Mattie. I’ll die to keep you safe.”

She didn’t doubt that for a second.

When he rolled, he brought her with him. Mattie went to his side, her leg over his, and her head over his heart.

It was a wonderful feeling.

They were complete. Fate had finally connected them, and they were no longer lost, wandering life as they sought out their other halves.

“Roman?” she asked, after a while.

“Hmmm?”

“Before you said something, and I think I need to comment on it. It wasn’t appropriate at the time, but now I think it’s very apropos.”

He glanced down at her and the soft tousle of blond hair. It sat like a golden halo around her head.

“What, sunshine?”

“You called yourself a geek, and so did Devora, but for the record, geeks are incredibly hot. You’re very sexy, and I’m a lucky librarian. You’re the stuff really good romance novels are made of. You know—for the record.”

He started laughing. “I’m glad that’s what you took away from our conversation. I should have just led with that.”

Mattie kissed him.

“Lead away. I’ll follow you no matter where you go.”

He was filled with emotion. “Thank you for loving me, Mattie. I hope I never let you down.”

Or get her killed.

Roman couldn’t help but think about that. With the shit mess surrounding them, it was a definite possibility. He was putting his faith in Fate. She wouldn’t have brought them together, only to tear them apart.

Right?

       
         
* * *
  L   i   t   t   l  e  m  o  o  n  * * *

Across Town

August Barnes’s Home

When they pulled up to the address, there were kids coming and going out of the man’s house. Tori immediately wanted to punch him in the face.

He’d been sleeping with a student, and to her, that was a perverted line you didn’t cross.

Apparently, Julian knew what she was thinking, because he was staring at her.

“If you’re going to hurt him, you have to stay in the car. We don’t need to be on the news as we’re being taken to jail in handcuffs.”

Tori laughed. “I think I can contain myself. Besides, I can talk myself out of jail time. Hopefully, you can too.”

He didn’t know if she was serious or kidding. With Tori, it was always hard to tell. She could be facetious and keep a straight face. It was always a crapshoot.

As they got out, and headed toward his house, Julian took his wife’s hand in his. He hoped it came across as a loving gesture, but in actuality, it was to keep an eye on her.

Now, if she figured that out, it would be him in traction, not the suspect.

Fingers were crossed.

“Stay calm.”

Of course she would. This wasn’t her first day on the job, but Tori understood why her husband was worried. She was somewhat of a wildcard, and she knew it.

They wouldn’t have an issue unless the man they were questioning said something boneheaded.

Then, all bets were off.

After they knocked, an older man came to the door. He had to be in his forties, and he was smiling.

Then he saw them.

His face changed, and he looked irritated by their presence. It looked like their reputation preceded them.

Good
.

Tori hoped she gave him nightmares for the rest of his life.

“Can I help you?” asked August Barnes, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

That one defensive action said it all. Word had traveled, and he knew exactly why there were there. Again, this was the curse of the media and a small town.

Unfortunately for him, Tori had played this game before. She knew he was going to give them a hard time. A suspect always did. Little did he know that back in the FBI, this was her favorite part of the game—the tracking of the prey, the chase, and the interrogation made her blood pump in anticipation. The fun was about to begin.

“We’re here to ask you some questions about Remington Academy while you worked there, and also regarding your tenure at the local high school as a literature teacher.”

“This is a really bad time. I’m in the middle of a tutoring session. You’ll have to come back later.”

Tori grinned.

It was about to begin.

“Oh, no problem. See those cars over there?” she asked, pointing at the media who was tailing them.

“Yes.”

“They’re reporters, and guess what they like to report? I’ll tell you, since there is no need for us to play a game. They’d love to hear why you were asked to leave Remington, and why the public school dismissed you.”

He stared at her. “I get it.”

“I thought you would. Then again, any sane person would, unless they wanted their face all over the front page.”

Julian loved watching his wife work. Nothing made him happier than seeing her in her element. Harassing locals was definitely her thing.

“For the record, I’m paying for my sins. I had one indiscretion.”

Tori was appalled. “It was with a student. By definition, that is more than an indiscretion. It’s called breaking the law.”

“I married her. I’m still married to her. Now I’m forced to supplement her income with tutoring. The only thing that keeps me from being pissed is I’m happy, and we have kids together. Despite everything else, we’re happy.”

Tori didn’t care.

He was a predator.

Plain and simple.

“Anyway, Mr. Barnes, did you know Devora, Felicity, and Rylee?” she asked.

“Yes, and I do believe you are well aware of that. I was the only lit teacher at Remington. I had them all in my classes.”

“How about Marlene, Ola, and Rivka? Did you have them also?”

He glared at her. “Yes, again, I did.”

“Wow, so far that’s six for six. If you were in Vegas, you’d be making some money on those odds. Unfortunately, we’re in Haven. Shall we try for nine? I’m willing to bet your paths crossed.”

He went to slam the door, but Julian slid his boot in the way so the man couldn’t escape.

“Nice try, but we’re not quite done here. How about Christie, Anissa, and Yida?”

“I only knew Christie. The other two were after I was…dismissed.”

“Yeah, poor you. You got caught with your hand in the student cookie jar. It’s shocking that Remington let you go, and so did the public school when they found out what you had done. Shame on them for putting innocent children above your sexual needs.”

He flushed red.

“She was eighteen and a consenting adult. We ended up getting married. That should speak for itself. We’ve been married for nine years, and have a damn good life—one I won’t let you disparage.”

“Oh, well, since you cleared that up…”

“You can go to hell. Feel free to tell the media or anyone you want. I didn’t do anything. I built this life from the ground up, and you won’t make me, or anyone else, feel bad about it. Get out of my yard! You’re trespassing!”