A Trick of the Moon (12 page)

“After your reaction this morning, he would probably think you would try to kick his ass.”

“Good.” Dario laced his fingers together, placing them on top of his stomach as he lay back. “Hey, I have a question. You take this chair out on dig sites you have to hike to? It seems to me it would be a little too big for a long trek.”

Declan laughed, then stood. “You're right, it's not one I normally bring with me. But it does stay in the back of the SUV in case I need it. I didn't bring that much equipment, really, because I wasn't sure what I would find.”

He strode toward the SUV, then pulled open the door. Declan picked up the camera and examined every piece of it before turning it on.

The sound of its
whir
filled the area, and Declan depressed the shutter, the
click
audible. “Good, it still works. Hopefully nothing inside was jarred by the fall.”

Dario walked up to him and took the camera from Declan's hands. “We should try it out. Tonight, before it gets too dark.” He glanced at his friend, happy to see from the grin on his face that he immediately got his meaning.

“That's a great idea, Dario. We'll use it to prove to Ms. Atwell just how beautiful she really is.”

82

Melinda Barron

Chapter Nine

Maura gripped the wheel as the truck bounced over the rugged landscape.

It was a good thing she'd placed the food in the cooler. The large plastic container was wedged into the front seat. The ride seemed much bumpier right now than it had earlier. That was probably because she was going much too fast.

She needed to slow down. It wasn't as if the guys wouldn't be there. There was no cell-phone reception in this area, so she hadn't been able to call them this afternoon to see how things were going. Instead she'd worked at her desk, made cabin assignments for next week's visitors, and ran credit cards for deposits on lodgings.

Then she'd gone out to check and make sure everything was all right with the workers. No one treated her differently than they usually did, which meant, she hoped, that Bear had kept his mouth shut about what he'd seen that morning. She hadn't seen him since their run-in, and she wondered exactly where he was.

She'd asked a few people, but no one had seemed to know. They'd all just said he'd worked that morning, then said he was taking off. Several of them told her he'd given no indication when he would be back.

That made her question where he was. Bear had a house right near the Full Moon. He'd bought the land from her father some years ago and built a very nice house. He lived there with his wife and three of his five sons. The two who weren't living at home were at school in Albuquerque, enrolled in summer courses at the university.

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She could go and ask his wife, Nita, where he had gone, but that would raise questions about why she was asking. She never went to Bear's house. In fact, she could count on one hand the number of times she'd been there. If there was a social gathering during holiday time, he and his family came to her father's house.

While she'd been working that afternoon, she'd pondered who would have pulled the stunt with the rope ladder that morning. The only person she kept coming back to was Bear. His reaction to finding her in bed with Declan and Dario this morning had been strong. He'd said he'd wanted them out. Then came the ladder incident.

Now he had left. But where had he gone? She needed to share her suspicions with Declan and Dario, see what they thought. Or had they just brushed off the incident, thinking it was nothing. They hadn't been concerned at the time, or so it seemed.

Thinking about this morning made her wonder what they'd found today.

Had Declan found other evidence that perhaps this area had been inhabited all those years ago when the ancient Puebloans had lived in this area? And if he had, what would it do to her father's land?

She needed to do some research, see what would happen if this site did turn out to be important. Could the land be confiscated by the government or by the reservation? Those were questions she didn't know the answers to, but she needed to find out. Maybe Declan would know.

Thinking about her old friend and new lover made her insides heat. Her nipples tingled with excitement as she thought about him caressing her, about how he'd felt inside her, thrusting hard, pulsing with need and the desire to fill her.

And then there was Dario, his handsome face flushed with excitement as she stroked him to orgasm. She remembered the feel of his length in her hand, how he filled her and she stretched around him.

84

Melinda Barron

How had this happened? How was it she now had two lovers instead of one? An even bigger question, she knew, was why did it seem so natural? She'd had friends who had participated in ménages or explored their sexuality to the point of having sex with another woman, but she'd never been like that.

Yet last night she'd asked them both to stay. Would they repeat it tonight?

Would they bring it up, or did she have to? This was uncharted territory for her, and she wasn't exactly sure how to proceed.

A few bumps later she saw Declan's SUV sitting next to a large blue tent.

She didn't see either of them, but as she drew closer she noticed a ring of stones placed over where the kiva was, marking the structure from the outside.

Seeing it made her wonder if there were other structures like it in the area. If there were, they hadn't been cleared out. Or at least she didn't think they had.

Declan would have spent the afternoon looking for them, and if he'd found something, he would have marked it the same way he had the kiva, she was sure of it.

She pulled the truck up next to Declan's and put it in park. No one came to greet her, and she wondered if they were off wandering the valleys, looking for things that might have been left by those who came before them.

Leaving the cooler in the cab seemed like a good idea, since she wasn't sure where they were. It was fairly heavy, and she didn't relish the idea of carrying it to the tent. Better to let the men handle it.

She reached for the door handle, and a face appeared in the driver's-side window. Dario peered in at her, his expression serious. Concern raced through her. Had something happened to Declan? No, it couldn't be. They might not have cell reception out here in the middle of nowhere, but they still had a car.

They could have come to the house if something had been wrong.

“Roll down the window.” His voice sounded muffled through the glass, but she obeyed his order.

“Is something wrong? I thought…”

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85

“Can I see your license, ma'am?”

“Excuse me?” She burst into laughter. “Did I park too close to Declan? Or did I break some other driving law on my way here?”

He took a small step away and put his hands on his hips. His legs were slightly apart, and she imagined him in a dark blue cop's uniform, the utility belt strapped around his waist, the tight material stretched over his muscles.

Her already hard nipples tightened even more, and her clit, as if remembering his touch from the night before, began to throb.

“Your license. Now.”

“I don't have it with me.” She put her hands on the wheel and gripped it tight. It was either that or reach through the window and try to pull him inside and beg him to take her.

“You know that's against the law, don't you?” Dario stared at her for a few long moments, and then he reached for the door handle. “Step out of the car, please, ma'am.”

Where was Declan? Was this some sort of game Dario wanted to play with her on his own? Or was he just fooling around, trying to get her to laugh. She hadn't exactly been in a great mood when they'd left the house. Maybe this was his way of lightening things up.

The car door opened slowly, and she exited the vehicle, stepping toward the front where he indicated she should stand. “Are you going to arrest me, Officer? Or just try to scare me? I know you're supposed to have your license with you at all times, but I forgot my purse. Sue me.”

Maura crossed her arms over her chest. “Of course this is private property. You have absolutely no jurisdiction here.”

He stepped closer, and she put her hands out to her sides, pushing them against the truck to keep herself steady. His body pressed hard against hers, and she could feel the rigid outline of his cock against her belly.

86

Melinda Barron

“You'll think jurisdiction when I'm done with you. You were a bad girl this morning, talking about being too big. Shame on you.” His hot breath, which smelled vaguely of a sugary soft drink, caressed her cheek, and her body quivered as he ran a hand up her side. “It's time for your lesson, and it starts with you taking your clothes off. Slowly.”

“Excuse me?” She was sure he could hear the sound of her heart, going
rap-a-tat-tat
in her chest, the rhythm almost as loud as the bass in a teenager's car.

“You heard me.” He didn't move away from her but kept his body firmly pressed against hers, her breasts flattened against her chest. “I can see I'm going to have trouble with you. Maybe I need to make sure a record is kept of this little incident, just to cover my own ass.”

Maura gasped in pretend outrage. “Are you suggesting I would lie about something that happened here?”

“You're a lawyer, aren't you?” She pushed against his shoulder.

“Creep.” She tried to wiggle out from under his arms, but all it did was put her body into more contact with him. Not that it was a bad thing. He felt delicious against her. “Let me go.”

“I don't think so. Don't make me pull out my handcuffs.” He put his lips right against her ear. “I'm going to move away, and you're going to undress. Is that clear?”

Oh yes, it was very clear, and it was very exciting. She had only two real questions. First, where was Declan? And second, should she pretend to fight, or should she just play along? What would they expect from her?

Declan was obviously waiting somewhere in the wings for his part to start.

But where was he? She thought back to what Dario said about making a record. Declan was somewhere, with the camera. The thought made her stomach clench. She wasn't too thrilled with the idea of recording this little A Trick of the Moon

87

tryst on camera. But obviously they were. Maybe she could talk them into changing up the rules a little.

“How about if we—”

“No!” Dario stepped away from her and turned her expertly so that her front was against the car. Her already hard nipples felt as if they would burst.

Oh crap, she liked this, liked the force he was using, even if he was just playacting. What did that say about her? Did she want him to dominate her, and did she want Declan to capture it on film?

The
clink
of cold metal against a wrist brought her mind back from its wanderings. He'd cuffed the other one expertly before she could object. The feelings inside her turned up a notch, and she wasn't sure if it was excitement or fear. After all, she'd only known this man a day. True, he was Declan's friend, and she'd known Declan for years. But Declan was nowhere to be seen at the present time. Was he inside the tent, looking out? Or was he farther away?

“Dario, I—”

“It's Officer Fuentes to you.” He patted her behind. “Do you have any weapons on you? Anything I need to know about before I search you?”

Yeah, hard nipples and a wet pussy, but you'll probably find that out soon
enough
. “No.”

“We'll see about that.” He took hold of the chain between the cuffs and gently tugged. “Come with me.”

He took her to the other side of the truck, the one that faced the tent.

From inside it she saw a slight movement, answering her question about where Declan was. He stepped out seconds later, camera in hand.

“I suppose you're the one who's going to capture this for posterity.” She wanted to point at the camera, but since her hands were bound, there was no way she could. Instead she inclined her head. “That's good. It will help me in court after I file suit against you two. I'll be going for the big bucks.”

88

Melinda Barron

She chuckled evilly, and when they joined in, she stopped, gazing at first one and then the other. “What's so funny?”

“You, winning a suit against us,” Dario retorted. “You were the one who was breaking the law. Now, let's see what you've got hidden under those clothes.”

“Wait. Let's make sure we get the whole thing on film.” Dario stepped back, and Declan aimed the camera. She sneered at him, working hard to fight the smile that threatened to overtake her mouth. The
click
of the shutter made her nerve endings jump: a mixture of trepidation and excitement.

She had no idea what they had planned; she was at their mercy. But she would give them a run for their money, in a playful sort of way.

“Got her, Officer Littlecreek?”

“Yes, sir, I do.”

Maura snorted out a laugh. “Officer? Of what?”

“Watch it, prisoner,” Dario whispered in her ear. “I have the authority to control the amount of punishment you get for your little offense. You'd better be nice, or it may get ugly.”

Before she could answer, he whirled her around and grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head and back over her bound arms. She felt him wrap the material around her wrists, gasping as the shutter
clicked
and
clicked
and
clicked.