Down By The Water (15 page)

I didn't look down at my shoes this time.

“
So, do I think it was an unfortunate accident?” Cheryl chewed her lip for a minute and then nodded. “Yes. I do. I understand why people might compare it to your sister and certainly you being here is...odd.” She cleared her throat. “But everyone is ignoring the one big difference.”

“
What's that?”

She glanced back at the camper and the curtain fluttered again.

“Your sister died,” Cheryl Phillips said. “Annie's alive.”

TWENTY SEVEN

I thanked Cheryl for talking to me and left her sitting in the chair by the campfire. I was surprised she'd been so nice to me after her husband seemed ready to use me as kindling and I appreciated what she'd told me, even though it hurt to hear.

The sky was almost completely dark, a chorus of crickets and cicadas chirping in unison as I traveled the dirt path back to the house. Footsteps scampered on a bed of dry leaves among the trees and I wondered if it was a chipmunk or a squirrel or something bigger. I was in Minnesota. There were wolves and bears further north which meant that there could be some in Pelican Lake, too. I shivered.

I was staring at the ground as I walked, trying not to think about the sounds in the woods when I literally bumped into Ty.

I stifled a scream and took a step back. “You scared the shit out of me!”

He smiled. “Sorry?”

I cuffed his arm. “Jesus. You shouldn't sneak up on people in the dark.”

“Uh, I didn't sneak up on you.”

I started walking again and he fell into step next to me. “Yes, you did.”

“No, I didn't. I called your name but you didn't respond. I thought you'd been zombified or something.”

I caved and smiled. “Whatever.”

“Where were you?”

Footsteps sounded again but this time, with Ty next to me, I didn't even react. “Talking to Annie's mom.”

He raised an eyebrow. “That go okay?”

“
Better than okay, actually,” I said. “Her husband wasn't happy to see me, but she was fairly cool. And I learned a couple of things.”

“
Like what?”

“
Like Jorgenson totally has it out for me. And that her daughter is autistic.”

The eyebrow stayed up and his eyes went wide. “What?”

I told him about my conversation with Cheryl Phillips as we made our way back to the house.

“
Jeez,” he said, shaking his head. “I just thought she was a quiet kid.”

“
I'm sure that's what most people think. I don't know much about autism, but it sounds like it's hard to communicate with her.”

“
And just goes to show what an idiot Jorgenson is,” he said, frowning. Then he swatted at his arm. “Hey, can we go inside? I'm apparently dinner and dessert tonight for these goddamn mosquitos.”

I nodded and followed him up the stairs and into the house. It was still quiet inside and he hit the light switch so we weren't in the darkened living room.

“Where is everyone?” I asked.

“
My parents went out for dinner,” he said, collapsing on to the sofa. “I think they just needed to get out of here for awhile.”

I knew the feeling. It was the exact reason why I'd been so happy to slip away with him after visiting the auto shop.

“I don't know where your sister is.” He glanced around the room, as if he expected her to materialize out of thin air.

I sat down next to him, my leg touching his and I felt my insides jump just a little. “Oh, I know where she's at.”

He pressed his leg into mine. “Where?”

“
Probably naked with your buddy Sven.”

He laughed. “Seriously?”

I nodded. “She apparently went back after we left and made a date with him tonight.”

“
Sven likes chicks,” he said smiling. “Especially willing ones.”

“
Well, that's Jenna.” I snorted.  “Pretty sure we won't see her until morning.”

“
That's perfectly okay with me,” he said. His hand reached for mine and I felt my pulse quicken. “Then I guess we're...alone.”

“
I guess we are.”

He threaded his fingers through mine and tightened his grip. “You okay with that?”

“Uh-huh.”

“
Me, too.” He leaned closer, his lips against my ear. “Guess what I've been thinking about for the last few hours?”

I didn't need to guess but I asked, anyway. “What?”

His mouth moved closer and I could feel his breath, hot against my skin. “That we didn't get to finish what we started earlier.”

I closed my eyes as his lips touched the delicate skin behind my ear. I'd had so many thoughts swirling through my head after the conversation with Cheryl but now all I could think about was the way he'd felt laying next to me at the lake. His lips, his hands, the way he'd shifted on top of me, the way he'd touched me. And the rain that had absolutely prevented us from finishing what we'd started.

I turned to face him, our noses nearly touching. “No,” I said. “We didn't.”

His eyes were dark with desire as he lowered his mouth to mine. His tongue licked my lips, gently tracing over the soft, firm flesh and I pressed my mouth into his and he groaned. I ran my hands through his hair, my fingers tightening on the silky strands as his arms snaked around my body. It was like we hadn't missed a beat.

“Upstairs,” I whispered. “Let's go upstairs. In case anyone...”

I didn't need to tell him twice. He lifted me up like a baby and I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on as he carried me up the stairs, our lips locked together. He took me to his room and laid me down on the bed, his weight coming down on top of me. He kissed me hard, his hands running the length of me, his touch both a tease and a caress.

“Do you have any idea how much I want you?” he murmured, his fingers brushing against the thin fabric covering my breasts.

I knew. And I didn't want to wait. Our foreplay had been the lake and I'd been aching for him ever since.

“Probably as much as I want you,” I whispered back.

I trailed my hand down his abdomen, my fingers light as they skimmed his smooth, muscled skin. I found the button on his shorts and undid it quickly. I unzipped him and didn't hesitate as I wrapped my hand around him through the fabric of his boxer briefs, smiling with satisfaction as he moaned and thrust into my hand. He was already hard, hot and pulsating, and I shivered, thinking about having that part of him inside of me. He watched me, his eyes locked with mine as he slid himself slowly back and forth in my grip, the fabric chafing my palms.

“You're gonna make me come,” he warned, his breath coming out in short gasps. I lifted my hand off of him and he smiled, his eyes half-lidded. “Not exactly what you want, is it?”

I didn't answer, just brought my lips to his and crushed his mouth with a kiss. I didn't want to get him off. I wanted him to take all of me, consume me, make me forget about everything, make me focus on one thing only. Him.

I pushed my shorts down with my free hand and wiggled out of them, kicking them off my ankles. Ty didn't wait for an invitation as he reached for my panties and yanked them down, gliding them over my thighs and calves before tossing them to the floor.

“
My god, you are beautiful,” he said as he stared down at me, his eyes roving the length of my exposed body. I didn't look away, just locked my eyes with his, hoping he could read the desire in them.

His hand gripped my leg, his fingers inching closer as they touched the tender flesh along my thigh and I lifted my body, trying to find his fingers, guide them into me. He chuckled, a deep throaty sound and danced his fingertips along my sensitive skin, almost there, so close but still not touching me. I bucked into him and he chuckled again but this time, his fingers found me and he plunged them inside  and I moaned, arching my hips and lifting into his touch.

“Yes,” I said, my eyes closed, my breath coming out in short gasps, marveling at the way his fingers felt as they moved inside of me. I reached for him again and, this time, encountered smooth, bare skin. I tightened my grip and pumped him, up and down, up and down, and he increased the tempo of his own fingers until we were both writhing and moaning.

I stopped and cupped my hand around his ass, bringing him to me. It was all the invitation he needed. He withdrew his hand and my whimper of frustration at having to wait for him to put on a condom was quickly replaced by a gasp of pleasure as he finally pushed his way into me, the wholeness of him filling me up, consuming me.

Our hips found an easy rhythm, moving together, urgently, almost violently. I ran my hands over his entire body, squeezing him, pulling him into me, desperate to have him. His mouth devoured my neck and ears, his breathing picking up pace, the bed squeaking each time he thrust into me.

I ran my hands up his back, my nails digging into his muscled shoulders. “Do it,” I whispered into his ear.

He grunted, reached above me and grabbed the headboard. I wrapped my legs around him as drove into me, over and over again, watching him as color rushed into his face. A wave of heat rose inside of me and I clung to him, driving my hips up into him.

He looked down at me, closed his eyes and groaned, rocking the bed as he shivered and vibrated inside me. I felt him come, felt the flood of warmth just as my own body responded, wave after wave of white-hot explosions rocketing through me. I clawed at his back, bucking wildly into him, begging him not to stop and he obeyed, driving into me over and over until my orgasm subsided. His hands slipped off the headboard and he collapsed on top of me, his heart beating so hard I could feel it thumping against my chest.

We laid there in silence for a few minutes, both of us breathing heavily, my body tingling beneath his. His skin was warm and coated with sweat and it felt like we were super-glued together in a multitude of places. And I liked it.

He shifted his weight and moved to the side of me, still keeping me close to him. “Holy shit,” he whispered in my ear.

“Yeah.” I tried to catch my breath. “Holy shit.”

“
That was...” He shook his head. “Holy shit.”

“
You said that already.”

“
I'm not sure what else to say.”

I pressed up against him. “Me either.” I smiled, glad to know it had been as earth-shatteringly good for him as it had been for me.

He tucked an arm around me and pulled me to his chest, then kissed the top of my head, his lips moving slowly as they softly caressed my forehead. “Incredible. Maybe that was the word I was looking for.”

I laid my head on his bare chest. “Yeah, I think that word works.”

He sighed and I listened to his heart beat, the pace slowing almost to normal, a rhythmic, steady beat that felt oddly comforting. Everything about him felt comforting, I realized. Not just his physical touch, but his words...even his presence. He'd just shown me how he could set my body on fire. But the aftermath? Of laying next to him, having his arm wrapped around me, feeling the light trail of kisses he planted on my forehead and cheeks? I'd never felt so at ease after sex, so thoroughly wanted.

“
I went and saw someone today,” he said as his lips grazed my cheek. “Someone who might be able to help.”

“
Wow,” I said. “That's an awkward segue.”

His arm tightened around me. “I'm just trying to kill time until I'm ready for a second round,” he said.

I shifted so I could look at him. “A second round?”

“
We need to make sure this wasn't a fluke.”

“
Oh. Right. A fluke.” There was no way what I'd just experience was a fluke. None.

He stared at me for a moment, his eyes half-closed, heavy with both exhaustion and desire. “I need to know that every time I fuck you I'm gonna see stars.”

A small thrill tickled my stomach. “Hmm. I think I like that.” Every time. He'd said every time. And even though I knew our time together was limited—there wouldn't be a lot of times, only a few—it still made me weak-kneed to hear him say it.

He grinned and I propped myself up on one elbow. “Okay. Awkward segue,” I said. I needed to focus on reality. “Let's continue. You saw someone today who might be able to help. Who did you see and what might they be able to help with?”

He chuckled softly. “A great segue of your own.”

“
I try.”

“
Alright. They might be able to help with your sister.” The laugh faded. “And with Annie.”

It was the last thing I was expecting to hear. “Oh. How so?”

“You told me about the bruise,” he said, the exhaustion starting to lift from his eyes. “On your sister's back.”

“
Yeah,” I said cautiously.

“
I wanted to know...more.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Like what?”

He shifted in the bed. “What exactly did the bruise look like? Did it look like a hand? A rock? A blunt instrument? Did Jorgenson ever tell you guys anything specific about it?”

“
He said it looked like a hand. That it could have been a hand. But he never showed us anything. For all I know, he could have been lying about that just to see if I would confess to something.” I thought for a minute. “And, like I said, it wasn't common knowledge. The bruise. I mean, he told me and my parents when he came out to the house that one time. We never spoke of it again. You know?”