Linked (44 page)

Read Linked Online

Authors: Barbara Huffert

BOOK: Linked
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“Be better with you mixed in too,” she commented. “Let’s give it a try.”

He chuckled. “Maybe later.”

After holding the glass for her again, Guy took it to the table. While his back was to her, he quickly retrieved an item from the mysterious bag and hid it in his hand without her seeing it.

“What a great view,” he stated, turning back toward the windows. “Magnificent.”

“Mm-hmm, very impressive. I can’t wait to see them after dark.”

“What? Oh, you mean the falls. Yeah, they’re pretty good but I was referring to the naked woman in front of them.” Tori blushed again as Guy’s gaze raked her body. Soon his perusal switched from visual to physical. His hands and mouth explored her flesh with light, teasing touches.

“Guy,” Tori moaned.

“Need something?”

“You. More. Please.”

He grinned and worked his way back down to her feet. “Better?”

“Nooo,” she groaned. “More. Touch me.”

“Hmm.” He paused to look her over from head to toe again. “Where? Here?” Guy asked repeatedly as he nibbled and stroked his way up her legs. By the time he reached her hips she was trembling. “Here?” He pressed two fingertips against her slit.

“Yes, oh yes,” she pleaded as she tried to impale herself.

“Like this?” he questioned as he slid his fingers into her.

“Ooh, Guy,” she moaned.

“How’s this?” he wondered, adding a third and stroking her fully.

“Oh God, yes,” Tori panted.

“Good to know.” Guy withdrew his hand and stood.

“Hey!”

“Patience.”

“Oh, come on, Guy. Don’t be mean.”

“Stop whining and behave or I’ll make you wait even longer,” he chuckled at her scowl but was impressed by her lack of protest. “Good girl. Why don’t you go lie down while I get out of these clothes?”

Tori watched Guy with a hungry expression on her face. She obviously liked everything she saw as he stripped. Guy was about to join her when he frowned. “Not good,” he declared. “Better fix it before I get carried away and forget.”

“What?”

Guy freed her wrists long enough to reposition them over her head. He grinned wickedly when he looped the cuffs around one of the posts in the headboard. “That’s better. Don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

“I wouldn’t be if you’d get back to what you were doing a minute ago.”

“Gee, that sounded almost sarcastic. Maybe a little demanding too. Have you forgotten that you need to be a good girl already?”

Tori scowled instead of answering. She squirmed against the bed and concern creased her features. “Something’s wrong.”

“What kind of something?” Guy asked mildly, standing next to the bed.

“I mean it, Guy,” she insisted seriously. “Let me go.”

“Sh, everything’s fine.” He retrieved another object from the bag.

“No, it’s not! Come on already. What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” He stared down at her as she began to struggle. “Hold still before you hurt yourself. Tori!” he raised his voice sharply to reclaim her attention. “This is all about trust, remember? Now tell me what you think is wrong?”

“Oh,” she gasped, confusion replacing some of her concern. “It, it feels like there’s something in me.” She watched him closely. “Is there? Did you put something inside me?”

Guy nodded and stretched out next to her. He began to leisurely explore her body without giving her the information she wanted.

“Aren’t you going to tell me what it is?”

“Not yet,” he stated as he deliberately avoided her most sensitive spots.

“But—”

“Sh.” Guy silenced her with a lazy kiss. “Patience. Trust.” His breath was hot as he whispered against her neck. “You’re safe, Tori. I promise.”

“Ooh,” she moaned as his lips caught her nipple.

All too soon, Guy shifted his attention as he resumed his exploration. He chuckled every time she muttered in frustration. Taking his time, Guy worked his way down her body. Tori was shivering with unfulfilled need long before he finished. He added to her confusion by leaning against the post at the foot of the bed instead of reversing his path and moving back up her body.

“Such a good girl. I knew you could do it if you wanted to,” Guy praised, not bothering to hide his amusement. “I think you deserve a reward.”

“Oh my God!” Tori exclaimed in surprise as soon as Guy activated the unidentified object inside her pussy. “Oh, wow. What is that thing?” she asked.

“Like that, do you?” He studied her. “How’s this?”

Tori’s hips arched off the bed when the vibrations increased. “Oh, Guuuy.”

Guy tested the different settings, noting her reaction to each. He teased her relentlessly, taking her almost to the edge before easing her back, denying her the release she craved.

“Oh, please,” she begged when the movement slowed to barely a flutter.

Before Guy could respond, his phone chirped. He hit the off button as he answered. “What did you hear?”

“Didn’t your mother teach you that it’s rude to ask questions without greeting the person calling?” Todd teased. “I must have interrupted something.”

“Yeah, so cut the crap and spill it.”

“Rude and grouchy. Good thing I called to speak with your wife, because with your attitude I’d probably hang up on you. Would you be so kind and hand her the phone now please?”

“Kind of tough at the moment. She’s a little tied up.”

“Literally?”

“You got it,” Guy chuckled at Todd’s groan. “Hang on a sec and we’ll work it out.”

Tori shifted to her side so Guy could position the phone beneath her ear. “Hi, Todd.”

“Hey. I really hate disturbing you.”

“But I asked you to call.”

“Yeah, you did and I assure you that is the only reason I’m calling you on your honeymoon.”

“I know. So did you hear something?”

“Yep. As you suspected, they found the body of the kid from the truck stop under the tree. The backpack had a plastic lining so everything inside is in excellent condition.”

“That’s the last one.”

“Sure is. No more loose ends so that should mean no more nightmares.”

“I hope so. Thanks,” she hesitated. “Hey, Todd? Can I ask you something?”

“Of course. You know I’ll answer if I can.”

“Oh. Right. Um, it isn’t about this.”

“No? That’s okay. I’ll still answer if at all possible. What is it?”

“Well, Guy told me something this morning that made me curious about the differences between police training and FBI training.” Guy made a show of grabbing for the phone but let Tori keep it tucked under her head. “I was wondering if yours was more thorough than his. You see, he said his didn’t include a lesson on how to drive and get a blowjob without running off the road.”

Todd choked on the coffee he had just swallowed.

Tori giggled. “I’ll take that as a no, since you can’t even drink and talk at the same time.”

“Son of a bitch, you got me with another one of your drive-bys. Set me up for a real zinger too,” Todd teased. “I think I liked you better when you were too intimidated to say things like that.”

“No, you didn’t and you know it.”

“Yeah, but I really do prefer it when Guy is the one squirming.”

“Don’t worry. He’s squirming too. Serves him right for telling you I was tied up. Only problem is I’m still tied up and I can see his wicked mind plotting some new way to torment me as soon as you hang up. Thanks for letting me know, Todd.”

“No problem but tell your husband he has to wait because I have more news.”

“There’s something else?” Tori shivered at the possibilities racing through her mind. Guy noticed her tension and immediately rearranged her so he could listen with her.

“What’s wrong?” Guy demanded.

“Nothing. Calm down. It’s a good one. In fact, it’s so outstanding that I wanted to be the one to tell you. It’s so good I would have called you even if I hadn’t heard about the other yet.”

“Please Todd. You’re scaring my wife in spite of the way you keep insisting it’s not bad news.”

“Damn, I’m sorry, Tori. I’ll stop with the buildup and get straight to it. We heard from their lawyers today. Both men have changed their pleas to guilty to avoid receiving the death penalty. Apparently, they realized the chances of not being convicted for any of their crimes were extremely low and they’d rather go straight to jail for the rest of their lives than sit through trial after trial, waiting for the shoe to drop.”

“Oh my God,” Tori gasped. “I don’t have to testify.”

“You don’t have to testify,” Todd repeated happily. “You don’t have to see either of them again. You don’t have to sit through a recap of any of the murders. It is honestly and truly and thoroughly, one hundred percent, completely over and done with.”

Tori had her head buried against Guy’s chest and was crying. “Thank you, Todd. For both of us,” Guy responded.

“My pleasure. Tell Tori she owes me a big hug when you get home.”

“You got it,” Guy agreed. “You been to the hospital yet?”

“Not yet. Brigit called before Sarah was awake this morning and asked if I could wait to pick her up until after lunch. Since Brigit’s Sarah’s favorite aunt, Terese enlisted her to help us reinforce how special Sarah is to all of us even though she now has to share our attention. Brigit and one of her astrology buddies have been teaching Sarah about birth charts. Once we were sure of the month, Sarah started one for the baby. She’s been working on the background with all the general traits. When I called to tell Sarah she had a brother, I gave her all the specifics of his birth and, after they left your reception last night, they added the information to the chart. They’re finishing it up this morning so Sarah can give it to him when she sees him. Apparently, there’s some sort of mumbo-jumbo about how gifting a sibling with a birth chart as you meet for the first time is supposed to forge some sort of bond between the pair that enhances the traditional relationship.”

“You sound a little skeptical, like you don’t believe it’ll make any difference.”

“A few months ago I didn’t. But now, after seeing Tori’s experiences firsthand, who knows? Brigit offered to give me examples when I made the mistake of laughing after Sarah told me what they were working on. Who am I to say whether or not her proof is real or merely coincidence? Terese knows Brigit’s friends and assured me they’re all pretty much alike in that they believe in the possibilities suggested by their astrological whatevers without being fanatical about it. And Sarah gets a kick out of it so why not let her enjoy herself?”

“Ah. So that’s why Sarah was asking us for our exact birthdays yesterday.”

“Yeah, she mentioned something about learning to do heart charts next. She must have picked you and Tori to be her guinea pigs.”

“Hmm, could be interesting.”

“Right,” Todd chuckled. “Anyway, I’m going to get her soon and take her to the hospital so she can give Bradley his chart thingy. When I talked to Terese this morning she said they can come home tomorrow but you know how much she hates it when we’re apart for any reason so we’ll probably hang out with her until we get kicked out.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t make them let you and Sarah stay in her room with her.”

“She probably would have if she hadn’t been so exhausted last night.”

“I’m just glad she didn’t deliver in the middle of the ceremony. I’m not sure Tori would have gone through with it if Terese had been giving birth on one of the tables at the same time we were exchanging vows.”

Todd laughed. “As if you’d let a little thing like that stop you. There could have been an earthquake, a tidal wave and pterodactyls swooping through holes in the roof as the library fell down around you and you would have managed to form a protective bubble for you, Tori and the minister long enough for him to finish up.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Last night Tori wanted to know if all holiday get-togethers were so eventful.”

“I guess it could seem that way to her.”

“Kind of hard not to, considering. First, there was your Christmas party and the uninvited guests. Then Terese drags her along on New Year’s Eve. Now we plan a simple, quiet ceremony on Valentine’s Day and end up playing beat the clock with your son who wasn’t due for another week and a half.”

“He didn’t want to miss the party,” Todd teased. “I hope you pointed out that they were all fairly tame before she turned up.”

“No, and I don’t think I will. Let’s wait and see how Easter goes first.”

“Bet you’re getting a look for that one.”

“Yep.”

“I wonder how long it’ll take you to cave and explain it to her. I’m sure she has ways of making you talk.”

“Very effective ways but she is a woman, Todd.”

“Okay, that’s my cue to hang up. I really don’t need to hear what she’s about to do to you.”

“Kiss our nephew for us,” Guy said happily.

“Will do. And tell your wife if she gets you two arrested for indecent exposure and public lewdness I’m sending Diana to bail you out.” Without waiting for a response, Todd disconnected his phone.

“Hey.” Guy smiled into Tori’s huge eyes.

“You do know I can still hear even if I’m crying, right?” she asked.

“Of course I do. I also know you needed a minute to absorb what Todd told you but you would have kicked yourself later if we’d hung up and not asked about the baby.”

“Oh. Yeah. He’s okay?”

“Just fine. Terese too,” Guy told her what Todd had said. “Now, how are you?”

Tori’s eyes glittered with more tears before she rested her forehead against Guy’s chest as he cuddled. “I don’t believe it,” Tori stated when she had her emotions under control. “I just don’t believe it.”

“You will once you give it some time to sink it. Christ, what a relief!”

“Mm, calls for a celebration, don’t you think?”

“Hell yes. Got any suggestions?”

“Maybe.” She rubbed her nipples against his chest as much as possible despite being handcuffed to the bed.

Guy grinned and switched the vibrating egg back on. “Gonna tell me?” he asked, adding to the stimulation with his hands.

“Ooh.” Tori lost her train of thought. “Oh God. Guy.”

“Oops.” He grinned wickedly, temporarily halting all her distractions. “Guess you can’t talk while I’m doing that.”

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