Strong Reflection: Book 2 of the Dark Series Trilogy (16 page)

Kyle sighed and went to his knees beside the tub.  He gently took her hand in one of his, caressing her cheek with the other, brushing her tears away.  “I was a total ass!  I-I… there isn’t anything I can say that will excuse my behavior.”  He shook his head.  “There is no excuse for the way I’ve treated you.”

“What are you talking about?”  She was confused.

“Ashley, I just took your virginity!”  He was confused.

She smiled lovingly and reached up to kiss his lips.  “Mmm, I know.  I was there.”

Stunned he just looked at her.  Her look was loving and sweet.  She was incredible.  “I hurt you.”

“I knew my first time was going to hurt.  It couldn’t be helped.  What came after made up for the several seconds of pain I felt and was certainly 
worth
 a little pain.”

Kyle shook his head.  “I am not talking about breaching your maidenhead… well, not just that.  I am talking about taking you while I was angry.”

Ashley lowered her eyes and said softly, “Oh, that.”

“Yes, ‘oh, that’.  I shouldn’t have touched you knowing I was furious with you.  For 
that
, I apologize.”

“But, I loved the way you touched me.  It felt really good.”

Kyle chuckled and kissed her and whispered, “I’ll remember that, my lady likes it a little rough.” He teasingly splashed her with a little bit of water.  “For the record, I like it rough now and then too.”  His eyes flashed regret, “But, it never should have been your first time.”

Kyle stood.  “You finish soaking some of the pain I caused away.  I am going to set up in the bedroom to see what I can do about salvaging your first time experience and saving face.”  He winked and left the bathroom.

After spending a luxuriant twenty minutes soaking, Ashley left the bathroom wrapped in a towel. She gasped at what she saw.  The room was lit by candlelight.  They flickered softly bathing the room in romance.  The bed had been changed.  There were black silk sheets now on the bed. There was a small bowl of fruit and a bottle of wine.  Several bottles of what looked like oils and lotion lined the night stand on Kyle’s side of the bed.

He had on a robe.  He turned to her from the dresser holding a wrapped gift box.  He walked to her taking her hand and led her to the bed.  He put a hand on her towel to pull it off, he paused and quirked an eyebrow, asking silently.  She gave her approval with a nod.  He removed her towel and then his robe.  He was naked as she.  He handed her the box, “For you, Babydoll.”

Surprised, she nervously took the gift.  “When did you find time to get a gift for me?”

“I brought this with me from home.  This was my dad’s.  It’s something really special to me and I want you to have it.”

She smiled and pulled the string on the box, “I don’t have a gift for you.”

Kyle returned her smile, titling her chin for a kiss.  He whispered against her lips, “You gave me mine earlier tonight.  Thank you, sweetheart.”  He kissed her lovingly for a few more seconds and then held her gaze.  “And, so there is no misunderstanding regarding my feelings, I love you too, Ashley.”

Touched, she opened his gift with shaking hands.   Inside the box was a gold and diamond Claddagh ring on a gold chain.  It was beautiful.

Kyle explained his gift.  “It was my paternal grandmother’s ring.  It had been given to her by my grandfather who received it from his father to give to the woman he loved.  Normally, you’d think the daughter of the family would get the family ring.  But, my dad’s family reasoning was the woman would be getting a ring from her male suitor.  The Claddagh ring signifies love, loyalty and friendship. All the things I feel with you so intensely.”

Tears came to her eyes as Kyle secured the clasp on the chain around her neck and the ring slipped into her cleavage.  She faced him, looking into his eyes.  “Thank you, Kyle.”

He smiled.  “You’re welcome, Babydoll.”  He put a hand to her chest.  “You know I’ve dated Bunny for years and I never gave a thought to giving her my family’s ring.  Yet, with you, there was nothing to think about.  It felt natural.  My heart knew the ring was yours.”  Seeing her tears start to fall and feeling emotional, Kyle cleared his throat and instructed, “Now, lay down on your stomach.”

She curiously followed his instructions.
 She rested her head on her folded arms.  She felt Kyle straddle her.  Ashley looked over her shoulder when she felt his soft cock against her buttocks.  Even in the flaccid state his penis had a heavy thickness.

“Relax, Ashley.”  He gently pushed her head back down.  He reached for one of the bottles on the night stand.  

Ashley decided to enjoy whatever he was going to do.  She totally released her weight to the mattress and closed her eyes.

She felt Kyle’s strong hands on her, starting with the back of her neck, he massaged and stroked, the heated oil on his hands enhanced the incredible feeling of being touched by Kyle.  He attacked the kinks, ensuring not to miss a single inch of her body.  He stroked, smoothed, caressed and gripped all the tension and soreness from her body, stopping to put oil on his hands every few minutes.  He worked her; neck, shoulders, back, rib cage, arms, fingers, waist and he took special care with her spine and buttocks before moving on to her thighs, legs, ankles and toes.

By the time he whispered ‘turn over’ Ashley was in a completely relaxed, boneless euphoria.  She was falling to sleep to his mind melting timber telling her how much he loved her.  The last thing Ashley remembered doing is smiling and saying, “I love you too.”

Chapter 9

Ashley woke up feeling marvelous.  She felt a little disappointed to wake up alone but she quickly took care of her morning routine, dressing in shorts and a t-shirt before heading downstairs.

She found everyone in the kitchen.  She paused before going in, getting a small flashback which brought back the smell of blood.  Ashley gripped the edge of the archway into the kitchen, steadying her breathing, orienting herself to the here and now.  Back in control, she went into the kitchen, saying, “Good morning,” to the room in general.

Jack and Kyle were talking while keeping a watchful eye on Catlyn eating her breakfast.  When she put the half eaten toast down, Jack frowned.  “Come on, Catlyn, you promised to finish some juice and this toast.”  Sighing, Catlyn picked up the toast, nibbling to make Jack happy.

Kyle rose and came to her, taking her hand and leading her to the kitchen table.  She sat and asked after Catlyn, “Cat, you ok?  You had me scared last night.”

She gave a wan smile.  “I am ok thanks to you guys getting everything cleaned up.”  She looked around the kitchen.  “It doesn’t even look like the same room from last night.  Thank you.”

Ashley waved away her thanks, instead asking, “Any news yet?" knowing Jack would have had guys working the case around the clock.

Jack answered, “Carl got a possible lead on a local meth-addict who was loosely I-D as the guy who adopted the dog.  He is going to let me know.”

To distract Catlyn from all the gloom, Ashley pointed at a file beside Catlyn’s plate.  “Whatcha got there?”

Catlyn put her toast back on the plate.  “It’s an old case from 25 years ago I asked about.”

“Wow, 25 years.  What’s so interesting about it now?”

Catlyn lowered her eyes.  Jack took her hand and comfortingly caressed her back, answering Ashley’s question, “It’s an old friend of ours, Samuel Dolson that was killed about 4 days after Catlyn left Newburgh when she was 15.”

Ashley waved a hand indicating she wanted to see the file.  Catlyn handed it to her.  Kyle placed a cup of steaming coffee in front of Ashley while she read the file.

Stopping, to take a sip of her coffee, taking note that Kyle remembered how she took her coffee, Ashley scrutinized Catlyn, “You think J.T. Dark did this don’t you?”

Jack answered for Catlyn.  “She thinks Sam must have seen Jason and Jon together at the gas station one night on their way to the airport, the only time Jason says they were together outside when they both were in Newburgh.”

Catlyn added, “And, when he heard about me and Jack’s opposing accounts of events, he must have put two and two together and confronted Jon, unknowingly, after Jason left.”

“What are you doing with the file now?”

“There were latent prints at the scene, I was thinking of putting them through the FBI database IAFIS.”

“I am going to use my connections to put a rush on it.  Jason mentioned that Jon left finger prints at other crime scenes.  They have his prints from when he attended law school.”  Kyle informed, “That was how they were able to connect him to the crimes Jason referred to last night.”

Catlyn shook her head.  “I can’t believe he has gotten away with so many crimes for over a quarter of a century.”

Kyle said, “It’s because his crimes are international.  When Interpol got involved they were able to connect the dots and follow his crimes like bread crumbs.  And being independently wealthy didn’t hurt him.”

Seeing the tears in Catlyn’s eyes Ashley changed the subject, “So, what do you have planned for today, relaxing?”

Jack snorted.
 “Like relaxing is in her vocabulary… not!”

Catlyn gave him a watery smile, “I have some shopping to do for our bar-b-q tomorrow night, plus I want a salon girls’ day out with Mackenzie and Tasha.”

Mackenzie laughed, “I am down for that.”

Jack threw up his hands.  “Oh, God, spare me the triple threat.”

Kyle laughed and then looked at Ashley, “You have to promise me you won’t get into any trouble while out with the girls.”

With a completely straight face, Ashley said seriously, “I don’t get into trouble.”

The other three looked at Ashley like she had lost her marbles and then each threw a grape at her.

****    

“So, I told Sanchez ain’t nobody got time for that,” Tasha was bending Catlyn’s and Ashley’s ears while they were all at different stages in their salon regimen.

“I like Sanchez.  He’s a good guy.  You could do worse than him.”  Catlyn told Tasha.

“Now, don’t get me wrong, I love me some Latino, but I can’t be doing no long distance shit.”  Tasha imparted while flipping through a magazine with trendy hairstyles.

“I get the long distance thing, but, what do you have against moving?” Ashley wanted to know as she stepped from the sink back to the salon chair.  The hairdresser spun Ashley around to face the mirror and started to blow dry her hair.

“Girrrl, please, if I move it’s going to be for a ring not just to shack-up.”

“I know that’s right!” Gina, the hairstylist, put in her vote.

Ashley shrugged, “I’d moved for the right guy without a ring.”

Tasha shook her head, “’Cause you know damn well, that sexy ass director ain’t letting you go without a ring.”

“That’s not true.”  Ashley frowned, subconsciously fingering the ring under her shirt.  “He dated Bunny Bencroft for years and she didn’t get a ring.”

Catlyn and Tasha shared a look over Ashley’s head.  Catlyn explained gently, “Mackenzie, I think Kyle was looking at you for years.  And, that is why Bunny-Honey didn’t get a ring.”  Tasha laughed at their nickname for Bunny.

Gina finished blow drying Ashley’s hair and looked her in the eye via the mirror, “Ok, girl, what you want done?”

Ashley shrugged, “Can you do a French braid straight down my back.”

“Uh, uh!”
  Tasha jumped up from underneath her dryer, waving a page at Gina.  “This, you have to give Mackenzie this style.”

They all looked at the page Tasha was pointing out.  On it was an Asian model with her long black shiny hair super straight with sharp angles on the sides and very even horizontal bangs and the same horizontal straightness at the end of the long fall of tresses in the back.  With the exception of her skin being lighter the model resembled Ashley.

“Wow, she’s stunning.  It will look marvelous on you Mackenzie.  You should go for it and it will look great with your dress for the wedding which you are being fitted for in couple of days.”  Catlyn added her endorsement.  “I can’t believe I will be married in 7 days.”

Ashley stared at the picture, pondering.  She hadn’t cared about her looks since she was 11 and she had wanted Chad to think she was pretty.  Thinking of the look in Kyle’s eyes as he looked at her wearing one of his gifts, Ashley knew Kyle already thought she was pretty.  But, with this new hairstyle maybe she could be 
beautiful
 for him.

Taking an empowering breath, she looked at Gina and nodded.

****

“What the hell do you mean you lost her?”  Jack was yelling at the uniformed officer he had following the girls.

“Honey, don’t yell at Officer Neil.  We were standing right next to her and we lost her too.”  Catlyn was rubbing Jack’s back, trying not to read too much into the very scary look Kyle was giving them since he heard Mackenzie had taken off.

“Sir, in my defense, you asked me to not let Professor Lyte out of my sight.  I couldn’t follow Ms. Mackenzie and keep Professor Lyte in sight.”

Jack conceded the officer’s point.  “Thank you, officer.  I will call if I need you.”  Officer Neil nodded and left quietly.

Catlyn put her hands on her hips giving Jack a direct look.  “How long have you been having me followed?”

Unconcerned of her reaction he told her, “Since I heard Jon Dark might be in Newburgh.”
 His tone dared her to make a big deal.

Relenting mainly because she was relieved to know she had never really been alone while out and about without Jack.  Catlyn turned to Kyle, “Kyle, are you ok?  You look kind of sick.”

Jack tsked, “That’s because the woman he loves is out there in some kind of trouble.”

Catlyn shook her head, “We don’t know she’s in trouble, Jack.  Don’t borrow trouble where there may not be any.”

Kyle came to his full height with agitation, “Knowing the woman you partnered with for years, knowing her propensity for finding trouble and knowing her affinity for justice, tell me with a straight face that you believe that bald-face lie you just uttered.”

“Hey, Kyle, take it easy,
 Catlyn is just trying to stop you from thinking the worst.”  Jack put a reassuring hand on Kyle’s shoulder.  “She may be all those things you just said, but, Mackenzie is also a highly trained, ass kicking, federal agent.”

Kyle nodded, “You’re right.”  He gave Catlyn a crooked smile, “I’m sorry, Catlyn.  I am just worried.”

Catlyn touched his hand, “I know.  Mackenzie may have a knack for getting into trouble, but I’ve never seen anyone better at also getting out of trouble.”  She squeezed his hand, “And, I wasn’t just placating, Mackenzie was fine when she took off.”

Tasha frowned and clarified, “She was physically fine.”

Kyle looked at Tasha, “What happened?”

“Well, we were in the upper parking level of the Galleria Mall, headed back to the car and we were joking around, laughing.  Mackenzie was laughing too but then she suddenly stopped as though she were dizzy or something and then she shook her head, like she was clearing it then looked off into the distance at a group of people.  She suddenly dropped her bags and took off like a lighting streak.”

Catlyn picked up the story, “I gave chase to give any kind of backup I could.  But, I lost her when she jumped down to the lower level via a brick wall edging the parking structure stairs.  I didn’t want to risk hurting the baby by trying to keep up with someone who is obviously in better physical condition.”

“You did the right thing.  Do you have any idea what spooked her or what she was going after?”

“I’m sorry, no.
 If I had to guess, I’d say someone in the group of people she was staring at clicked something for her and she went after them to check it out.”  Catlyn was feeling useless.

Tasha was just as upset, “We did try to look for her and we waited over 20 minutes for her to return.”

“Don’t feel bad.  Ashley is probably following whoever she saw.  God knows where she is now.”  Kyle was feeling disappointed and scared.  “Still, I’d like to head over there and see if I can’t find her.  She might return to the parking spot.”  Kyle pulled Jack over to the side, “Can I borrow your car?  You take care of Catlyn.  I will find Ashley.”

Jack nodded, handing over his keys.

****    

Ashley circled the Galleria one more time to make sure Catlyn and Tasha were not looking for her.  The car was gone from their parking place but that didn’t mean they weren’t still there looking for her.  She didn’t know how she was going to explain this to them without sounding crazy.

She had been feeling fine, happy even, with her new hairstyle and the fun girls-day-out with Catlyn and Tasha, when suddenly, a figure in the distance struck a chord deep within her being.  The more she looked at the man, in the far off distance, the more convinced she was that he was… her father David Mackenzie.  When the totally insane thought went through her mind she was assailed with memories of the day she was attacked by the Newburgh Slasher:

She was at her post next to the DJ setup when she sensed someone watching her.  She turned to look and her eyes had clashed with startling grey ones.  The eyes were ones she knew, had looked into a thousand times, eyes she had dreamt about for over 20 years, the eyes of David Mackenzie!  The eyes were staring at her so hard and with such a look of wonder, as soon as he realized she returned his scrutiny the man had taken off.  Instantly Ashley had followed.