Nightwind (5 page)

itched to touch the female body before him; they were slick with a thin coating of moisture as he rubbed

his fingers together. He caught her female scent and his nostrils flared; it wasn’t a pleasant smell, but it

excited him. He moved to the side of the bed.

Karla Cooper sighed in her sleep and turned over on her belly, kicking the covers from her long legs.

Her arms wrapped around her pillow and she murmured in her sleep.

“Syn,” she sighed, smiling against the pillowcase.

He wasn’t at all surprised to hear his name on the woman’s lips, yet the single syllable sounded obscene

coming from her; sounded almost as bad as the word from which it had been taken.

“I’m here,” he said in a deep, hypnotic voice.

His knee pressed into the mattress and he straddled her hips. He pulled up her nightgown until her naked

flanks were gleaming in the soft moonlight filtering in through the lace curtains of her bedroom.

He heard her sigh as his hands moved on her, his fingers kneading the soft flesh of her buttocks. He

squeezed her, rubbed her, parted the cleft of her rump.

“Syn,” she sighed once more.

He leaned down, putting his lip to her ear. “Shall I take you, Karla?” he whispered seductively.

“Yes. Yes!” she answered in her sleep.

“You must ask me to take you,” he whispered.

“Yes, my love,” she sighed.

He straightened up, staring at the slack profile of the woman lying beneath him. Even in the shadows of

the room he saw her clearly for his night vision was as acute as any other nocturnal predator’s. He

watched as she ran her tongue over her lips, anticipating his entry.

“Yes, oh yes,” she moaned as his finger slipped inside her.

Slowly he withdrew his finger. His hand went to the zipper of his trousers and freed his throbbing

member. He positioned himself, feeling her lift to better accommodate him. He smiled. “What do you

want me to do, Karla?” he asked.

“Take me, Syn,” she begged, her hips writhing beneath him. “Take me!” He gripped her hips in his

hands, his fingers splayed under her hipbones, the better to position her.

Then Karla screamed.

And screamed.

And screamed.

Louvenia Yelvertonlistened in shock to the policeman who was speaking on the phone. She had to grip

the counter with her free hand to keep from sagging to the floor. “But have you any idea who the man

was?” she asked, feeling nausea flood into her throat.

“No, ma’am, we don’t. There’s no sign of forcible entry. It looks as though she knew her assailant. She

must have let him in. Went willingly to bed with him, we figure.”

“Karla wasn’t seeing anyone at the moment,” Louvenia told the policeman. “And none of the young men

she dated are capable of such brutality.”

“You never know, Mrs. Yelverton. When some men get riled, they can be pretty violent. I’d like that list

of her male acquaintances as soon as you can get it to me. The sooner, the better.”

“Yes. Yes, of course.” She hung up the phone and looked at Beth Janacek with a shocked expression.

“She’s in ICU over in Pensacola, in West Florida Medical.”

“What happened?” Beth asked, alarmed at the look on her supervisor’s pale face.

“Assaulted,” Louvenia said and she shuddered as she wrapped her arms about her. “Rough sex, the

policeman said.”

“Karla?” Beth asked, flinching. “Oh, my God!”

“She nearly bled to death before she got to the phone. She was so torn up inside it took the doctors

hours to stitch her up.” Louvenia dabbed at her dry eyes with an equally dry handkerchief. “The police

want a list of the men Karla dates.”

“Do they know who it was?” Lauren asked.

Beth sneered at her. “Do you think the police would be asking us for a list of her boyfriends if she could

tell them?”

“This sort of thing just doesn’t happen in Milton,” Louvenia said, shaking her head. “Over in Pensacola

and Mobile, yes, but not in our little town.”

“Brutality doesn’t abide by city limit signs,” Beth argued.

“Just the thought of that sweet girl suffering so makes my heart ache for her,” said Louvenia.

“I tell you what I’m going to do!” Beth remarked. “I’m going to get me a gun!”

“Oh, dear,” Louvenia whimpered. “You don’t think he’s someone we know, do you?”

“I’m not taking any chances,” Beth snapped. “I’m a woman living alone and that’s the kind of victim men

like that look for. I’ll say this much: if he brings it around me, he’s gonna find out he’s bitten off more than

he can chew!” She nodded. “My brothers taught me how to shoot and I’ll blow his ass right out of the

water!”

Lauren shuddered. “You shouldn’t be so over-confident, Beth. The police tell you that’s the worst

possible state of mind to be in when something like this is happening.”

“As if you had anything to worry about!” Beth drawled. “You’d have to pay a man to hump you!”

Louvenia was about to reproach her sales clerk once more when the bell over the front door tinkled and

she glanced up. Her face broke out into a warm, welcoming smile. “Mr. Cree! How nice to see you

again!” She came around the counter and took his arm, leaning against him. “Are you getting settled in?”

He recoiled at her touch, but managed not to show it. He warmed to her smile and forced a smile of his

own to his rigid lips. “I’ve gotten almost everything unpacked. It’s taken me longer than I anticipated.”

“Moving always does!” Louvenia laughed.

“If you need any help, I’d be happy to come out there,” Beth told him. “In fact, I’m free this Saturday.”

Behind her, he saw Lauren looking at him and had to shift his attention to the blonde’s hopeful face.

“Thank you, but there’s not that much left to unpack and arrange.”

Beth’s lips thrust out in a pout of disappointment then her face brightened. “Are you still going to the

party Saturday evening?” she asked.

“Oh, will you be attending Allen’s little soiree?” Louvenia inquired. Her hands tightened on his arm. At

his nod, she giggled. “Oh, this is just marvelous. Marvelous! Everyone, simply everyone, wants to meet

you!”

“And did your date accept your invitation for this evening, Syn?” Beth asked, boldly appraising him.

He had to stifle the urge to snatch his arm away from the Yelverton woman and slap the self-satisfied

smirk from the blonde’s face. Instead, he reached down and patted the older woman’s hand, his mind

reaching out with a silent command to be released.

Louvenia reluctantly let go of the man’s arm, frowning as she wondered why she had suddenly had the

impulse to do so. She looked up, baffled, and smiled hesitantly.

“Syn?”

He turned back to the blond. “I haven’t had the chance to ask her yet.”

Beth’s lips slowly slid into a cat-like grin. “If she’s busy, I would love to accompany you.”

Lauren turned away.
How much more blatant an invitation could the woman make?
She stooped

down to pick up a handful of children’s books to arrange on the shelf.

“I am sure no woman would be too busy to accompany Mr. Cree to the party,” said Louvenia. She

wanted to touch him again, even lifted her hand to do so, but stopped, drawing back her hand with

confusion.

“If you ladies would excuse me,” he said, wanting to get away from them, “I need to see Miss Fowler

about a matter of importance.”

“Lauren?” Beth gasped. “What on Earth do you need to see her about?”

He stopped, turned, and let his gaze settle on the blond. “I don’t believe it concerns you, Miss Janacek.”

He was pleased to see a red stain creep over the brazen woman’s face.

“Miss Fowler hasn’t caused you a problem, has she?” Louvenia asked, her own face wrinkling with

concern.

“No,” he answered and turned away, making it plain no further explanations would be forthcoming.

Both women looked at one another, surprise kindling in their faces. They watched him walk to where

Lauren was kneeling and strained to hear what he was saying, even moving further down the aisle, but the

soft words were too low to make out.

“Good morning.”

She looked up at him and smiled. “Good morning.”

He reached his hand down to her to help her to her feet.

“I tried calling you last night,” she said, blushing furiously. She put her hand in his and felt the same

alluring tingle go through her body that she had felt two days earlier when he had reached out to steady

her.

“I’m sorry I missed your call. If I’d known you were going to phone, I wouldn’t have gone out.”

She ducked her head, looking away from his achingly handsome face. “The flowers were lovely, but you

shouldn’t have gone to that expense.”

“Why not?” he asked, one brow lifting in surprise.

She glanced at him. “You didn’t owe me an apology, but I owe you one.”

He cocked his head to one side. “Whatever for?”

Her face flamed. She looked down at the floor. “For accusing you of playing some kind of cruel game at

my expense.” She drew in her breath when his hand came out to gently cup her chin and lift her face to

his.

“I came in this morning to invite you to be my guest at a party I will be attending this evening. Nothing

would give me more pleasure than to have you at my side.” His thumb stroked the side of her chin. “Will

you do me the honor of accompanying me?”

She stared at him, her mouth open. Slowly, she shook her head. “I can’t.”

“And why can’t you?” he pressed, his fingers caressing her chin.

“I...I just can’t.” She pulled away from his touch. “I’m sorry.”

He lowered his hand. “You’re still angry at me.”

“No!” she told him. “I’m not. I just can’t go.”

For a long moment he looked at her, his hurt and frustration showing on his face then he smiled sadly. “I

understand.”

“I hope you do,” she was quick to say. “It’s got nothing to do with you. Really it doesn’t.”

“I know it doesn’t,” he answered and the way he said it made Lauren think he truly did know why she’d

had to turn him down. “Some other time then?”

She didn’t know how to answer. He was standing there, wanting an answer, expecting one, and she

could only shrug.

“I don’t ever give up, Lauren,” he told her. His gaze fused with hers. “Not when it’s something I want so

badly I’ll do anything to acquire it.” He shrugged. “I’ll go now.”

She felt keen disappointment at his words. “I’m sorry,” she said and wasn’t sure if she meant for having

to turn him down or that he was leaving.

“There will be another time,” he said softly.

“I don’t think—”

He shushed her with a finger to his lips. “I don’t give up, Lauren. Not ever.”

She watched him walk away, his broad shoulders squared, head high, and somehow knew she had hurt

him very deeply. She wanted to call out to him, to tell him she’d changed her mind and would go with him

after all, but she knew she wouldn’t. Knew she couldn’t. Instead, she watched him walk down the aisle,

his path momentarily blocked by Beth and felt an emotion she had never experienced in her life: jealousy.

“Did you get things straightened out with Lauren?” Beth asked, gazing up with open invitation.

His lips pursed tightly together as he stared down at her and he saw a flicker of uncertainty form on her

face as she looked up at him. She moved out of his path.

“Good day, Mrs. Yelverton,” he said to Louvenia as he pulled open the shop’s door.

Beth stared after him, her face flaming, her stare spitting fire. Spinning around, she marched to the back

of the store and grabbed Lauren’s arm, spinning the surprised woman around.

“What did you say to Syn about me?” she snapped.

“We weren’t discussing you,” Lauren said, trying to pull her arm out of the other woman’s hard grip.

“Don’t lie to me, you stupid piece of white trash!”

He stopped midway across the street, his acute hearing homing in on the insult. He turned, his

furious gaze stabbing through the shop’s window, tearing away plate glass and shelves of books,

zeroing in on the two women.

“I want to know what godawful lies you told him about me.” Beth shook Lauren. “He looked like he

could have killed me when he left!”

“Did it ever occur to you that he could see right through you?” Lauren jerked her arm free.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Beth yelled, drawing Louvenia down the aisle.

“You did everything but reach out and grab him between his legs!”

He chuckled softly.

“Maybe I should have!” Beth shouted. “At least I would know what to do with what’s hanging there!”

“I’m sure you would. Whores usually do.”

His smile widened and he threw back his head and laughed aloud this time.

“Why you little foul-mouthed—” Beth drew back her hand and slapped Lauren with such force it

staggered the other girl. She would have slapped her again had Louvenia not grabbed her arm.

A dark fury rose up inside him. A fury worse than any he had known in a long, long time. His

entire being quivered with it, his nerve endings humming so violently he trembled. His hands

clenched into fists and his teeth ground so tightly together it was audible. He took one step back

across the street then stopped for Louvenia Yelverton’s words made his entire vision go red with

rage.

“You are fired!” the old woman shouted at Lauren. “I want you out of this store immediately! You have

caused nothing but trouble since I hired you!”

“But I haven’t done anything!” Lauren protested, holding her bruised cheek.