Elemental Enchantment (13 page)

Eli urged the other man farther down the hall, away from Daisy’s room. The poor kid was already traumatized. She didn’t need to overhear more specifics. He quietly detailed visiting Lewandowski’s mother, finding what he believed to be evidence in the car and receiving the texts from Meaghan.

“How is she involved in this? You know it was her sister that found another child’s body a few years ago.”

The nurse stuck her head out the door. “Officer? Ms. Boulton is asking for you.”

Eli headed into the room, leaving his boss to follow. He immediately went to Meaghan’s bed and gently hugged her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He knew he was getting the side-eye from his boss, but he didn’t give a shit.

Meaghan scribbled,
Thank you,
on a pad of paper the nurse must have given her.

He had so many things he wanted to say, but not with his boss and the hospital’s most overprotective nurse hovering nearby. He settled for kissing her again and asking, “How are you feeling?”

She wrote,
Sore
.

The chief cleared his throat. “Are you able to answer a few questions?”

Meaghan nodded.

“How did you come to be in the field with Mr. Lewandoski?”

Eli prepared himself to explain the images in the wedding pictures, the scrying and everything else. He doubted the chief would believe him, but it was the truth and he’d stand by it. And Meaghan.

She leaned over her pad and wrote. She held up the notepad so they could read it.
I was on my way home from work, and I saw what looked like the missing girl near the trees. She seemed to be struggling so I snuck down there to see.

“Can you tell me why you texted Officer Jones before calling nine-one-one?”

I didn’t want the killer to know I was there. Texting is silent.

“At that point, I called for backup immediately,” Eli added.

The chief nodded, and Meaghan began writing again.

The only reason I called 911 when I did was because he said he was going to hurt the little girl. I wanted to distract him.

The chief frowned. “That was an incredibly stupid thing to do. Brave, but stupid.”

Eli leaned forward and whispered in Meaghan’s ear. “That’s his way of saying thank you.”

“When you’re feeling better, someone will be by to get your full statement.” He looked at Eli. “And you’re on leave until this incident is thoroughly investigated.”

He nodded in response. It wasn’t a surprise. He’d killed a man in the line of duty. It had to be investigated. As far as he was concerned, they could take their time. He didn’t plan to leave Meaghan’s side, and he wasn’t worried about the investigation. A department that didn’t check a partial match on a license plate wasn’t likely to be terribly thorough about checking the texts of the two people who’d rescued a missing child. If they did, he’d deal with it. Besides, Ava was the real hero here.

The chief left the room while Meaghan scribbled another note and pointed it at the nurse.
Can we have a few minutes alone?

The nurse looked unimpressed but gave in. “You’ve got five, and I’m right outside the door.”

As soon as she was gone, Eli let himself really look at Meaghan. Her face was swollen and scraped, and the bruises around her neck were turning a vicious shade of purple. It terrified him to realize how close he’d come to losing her.

“Hey, Boy Scout,” she choked out. She could barely whisper, and he could tell it hurt to speak.

“Don’t talk. Use the paper.”

Frowning, she grabbed the pen.
I’m sorry.

“I wish you would have waited for me.”

Not that. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.

“About being in love with you?”

She nodded.

“Do you believe me now?”

She stared at him so long he was afraid she’d say no. Finally, she wrote,
I want to.

His heart started beating again as he reread her words. “That’s enough for me. For right now, anyway,” he amended.

She smiled and hurriedly scratched out something else on the pad and held it up for him to read.
I was already half in love with you by the time I snuck out of your hotel room.
Pretty sure I’m almost the rest of the way there now.

“I love you, too,” he whispered and gently brushed his lips across hers.

Epilogue

Another wedding down.

Meaghan put her camera and purse on the passenger seat of her car and headed home. It was hard to believe it had only been six weeks since the reception that had changed everything. So much had happened since then.

She’d met with Daisy and her parents a few times. They were doing remarkably well, all things considered. Daisy often drew pictures for Meaghan—pictures that included Meaghan, Daisy and Ava. The coroners figured Ava’s time of death to be at least two to three months before the guy had abducted Daisy, but she was in every drawing. Apparently, Meaghan wasn’t the only one Ava had appeared to.

Eli had been on leave for three weeks while the incident was investigated, and he’d spent the entire time with her. When he’d gone back to work, he’d been moved to the day shift, which she loved because they were together more often than not. This weekend, she planned to ask him to move in. Despite everything that had happened, she’d couldn’t remember ever being so happy or feeling more secure in her own skin. Braking for the kitten was the best move she’d ever made.

As she turned onto her street, she noticed a car following closely behind her. She slowed, hoping it would go around her, but it kept pace. Out here in the country, there were no streetlights so she couldn’t even tell what kind of car it was. Unease built in her middle. She tried to decide if it would be better to keep driving or pull in her driveway. She opted for the driveway, knowing Eli would be home. She grabbed the phone out of the console and dialed his number. No answer.

At the last second, she whipped into the driveway, hoping the other car would continue on. It didn’t. It followed her up around the back of the house. Fear clawed her throat until the red-and-blue flashers of a police cruiser flashed in her rearview mirror. More annoyed than scared, she turned off her engine and killed her lights. What great traffic violation had she committed this time? She knew she hadn’t been speeding. She reached into her purse for her wallet when she heard the sound of footsteps on gravel.

“Step out of the car, ma’am.”

She turned in her seat and looked out the window. “Eli?”

“Step out of the car, ma’am.”

His voice was sharp, but she caught sight of the erection straining his uniform pants. Arousal instantly slicked her folds. He’d been so gentle with her since he’d brought her home from the hospital, and a few nights ago, she’d teasingly reminded him of his fantasy. Apparently, this was what she got for poking the bear.

Meaghan got out of the car and shut the door behind her. “What seems to be the problem, Officer?”

“Erratic driving. Have you been drinking tonight, ma’am?”

His firm, almost impersonal nature was weirdly attractive.

“No, sir. Not one drop.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her. “Touch your nose with your right hand and lift your left leg.”

She did as he said but wobbled a little.

“Looks like you might not be telling the truth.”

“It’s hard to stand on one foot when you’re wearing heels.”

“Uh-huh. Walk a straight line toward my car and put your hands on the hood.”

Meaghan caught her breath. Her panties would be soaked by the time she’d walked five feet. Reaching his car after what felt like a month of hiking, she stood in front of it. He followed and stood behind her—not close enough to touch her, but close enough that she felt his body heat.

He reached out and placed a hand in the center of her back then pushed her toward the hood. Extending her arms, she caught herself on the still warm metal. He leaned over her back, his lips at her ear. “I’m going to need to frisk you.”

Happily, she’d decided to photograph the wedding in a short dress with a flirty skirt. She bit her lip to keep from whimpering as he squatted behind her and dragged his fingertips up her bare legs. When he reached her thighs, he scraped his blunt nails along the sensitive flesh, grazing her mound as he reached her hip. He repeated the action on the other leg before skimming his hands over her ass to her waist and over her stomach. She couldn’t stifle her groan as his fingers hovered under the curve of her breasts before skating up and over her aching nipples.

“Is there a problem?” he asked, rock-hard cock now pressing against her ass.

She shook her head, arousal robbing her ability to speak.

He thrust against the silky fabric of her skirt. “I can’t hear you.”

She took a shuddering breath. “No, officer. No problem.”

“Then you wouldn’t have a problem if I did this?” He dragged the straps of her dress down, baring her breasts to the cool night air.

“No. No problem.”

He cupped her breasts, rubbing circles over her stiff nipples with his palms. “How about this?”

Looking down at his hands on her body, the blue-and-red lights flashing across their skin, she tried to answer coherently, but nothing intelligible came out.

Eli locked an arm around her chest and slid his free hand under her skirt and inside her panties. “You’re so fucking wet,” he growled against her ear.

“Is that a problem, Officer?” she managed to whisper.

He found her clit and circled it roughly with the pad of his finger. Lightning streaked along her limbs as she ground herself against his hand. “Come for me,” he demanded.

She couldn’t have held back if she’d wanted to. Her scream of release was cut off by his hand while she rocked helplessly against him. His hand over her mouth only made her come harder.

Finally, she stilled, and he let her slump against the hood of the black-and-white car. Her breasts pressed against the metal as he dragged off her underwear. She tensed with anticipation at the sound of his belt and zipper being opened.

She widened her stance and dragged her skirt up, baring her ass to him. Instead of plowing into her as she desperately wanted, he stepped away from her and walked around to the side of the car. He reached in through the driver’s side window and grabbed a coil of red rope. Stopping, he stared at her. She could imagine the picture she made—ass up in the air, pussy dripping and waiting to be filled, lights strobing across her body.

His pants hung on his hips, and his cock jutted upward, looking achingly hard. He tossed the coil of rope on the hood. It landed with a thunk that reverberated through her body and flooded her cunt.

“I planned to tie you up before I fucked you, but seeing you like this, there’s no way I can wait that long.” He moved to stand behind her again, and she felt the wide, flared head of his cock prodding her opening. “I just want you to remember you’re going to spend a whole lot of this weekend with that rope wrapped around your body. Is that a problem?” Without waiting for her answer, he thrust hard, filling her completely and nearly pushing the air from her lungs.

She shook her head. “No problem,” she whispered as need racked her body.

He pounded into her, ruthlessly pumping his hips and grinding her clit against the hood. It hurt just enough to heighten the pleasure. The rough fabric of his uniform chafed her ass and back as he pinned her to the car, and she knew she wouldn’t last long.

Opening her eyes, she saw the rope. The second she imagined him winding it around her, she broke. Her internal muscles contracted around his cock, rhythmically squeezing him until he shuddered and stiffened, filling the condom that separated them.

Panting heavily, they laid limply against the car, trying to catch their breath. Eli pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder, the stubble on his cheek scraping her overly sensitized skin.

“Are you going to get in trouble for taking a patrol car home to act out your personal sex fantasies?”

His quiet laughter vibrated against her. “No. It’s got to go into the shop tomorrow for a tune up. I told them I’d take it.”

A thought occurred to her, and she stiffened. “Is there a dash cam in that thing?”

She felt him smile against her skin. “Spring Grove doesn’t have that kind of budget.”

“Good.” Relaxing, she reached out and fingered the rope he’d tossed on the hood. “It’s silkier than I expected.”

He trailed his hand along her extended arm and laced his fingers with hers. “Nothing’s too good for my little witch.”

Her heart clenched, and she admitted, “Sometimes, I think
you’re
too good for this little witch.”

“No way.” He squeezed her hand. “Even without a love spell, you still managed to enchant me, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Her heart ached with happiness. There was nowhere else Meaghan would rather be, either.

About the Author

Bronwyn Green is an author, blogger and compulsive crafter. She lives Michigan with her husband, two sons and three somewhat psychotic cats. When not frantically writing, she can be found helping in her youngest son’s classroom or binge-watching Netflix while working on her latest craft project.

Bronwyn loves to talk to her readers and can be found at bronwyngreen.com.

Also Available from
Resplendence Publishing

Immortal Curse
by Bronwyn Green

Witch Way Series, Book One

Cursed by a witch, Ian O'Meara has been trapped between the world of the living and the spirit realm for the last hundred and fifty years. Annoyed by having his eternity interrupted by amateur ghost hunters, he reaches through the veil to Emma Boulton, knowing she can see and hear him even if the others can't. When he discovers she can also feel him, he decides Emma is the most exciting thing to happen to him in the last century. Suddenly, escaping his miserable curse isn't quite so appealing.