Finding Eternal Peace (4 page)

“Yes.”

“Why couldn’t you have had Kathy help you? Any woman could serve as a decoy for you.” She frowned. “Didn’t you have to screw her to make it this far?”

His jaw dropped. “Hell, no. Besides, her husband wouldn’t let her. That’s the reason I planned to ask you for help. With your cooperation, and Lord Stephen’s fascination with you, I thought we’d stand a better chance at closing this case faster. We can partake in the activities and hang out around the others.”

“Are you married?”
Please let him say no.

“No.” He brushed her hair off her cheek and hooked it behind her ear. “Listen, I know this is weird, but it’ll only appear as if we’re having sex. I promise we’ll stay out of the main gatherings. And I’ll do my best not to enter your…”

“Pussy.” She nodded. “You can say the word. I’ve heard it before.”

He groaned a low, husky, tormented sound that came from his chest. “You’re not making this easy on me, Red.”

“What about Lord Pervert’s rule about no condoms allowed?” She rubbed her forehead. “I’m protected against pregnancy. I’ve had the shot, but I don’t know if you’re clean…hell, I don’t know if anyone here is safe.”

“You’ll have to trust me. I’m clean too.” He bent his knees to lower himself to her level. “Tell me now if you want to back out. After this, it’ll be harder.”

She studied the way he kept gazing at her, the way his eyes held steady and his thumbs stroked the inside of her hands. His Adam’s apple bobbed. Her eyes widened, and the truth of what was happening between them flashed out in front of her.

It wasn’t her imagination.
He’s attracted to me too.

“Whoa.” She pulled her hands free and turned around. “This isn’t going to work.”

“Why?” He turned her around. His hand stroked her face, smoothing out the worry wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. “We’re both adults.”

She snorted. “Look at us. You find any excuse to touch me, and…” She laid her hand on his chest. “Just being in the same room with you makes me cream my jeans.” Her laugh verged on hysteria. “God, what I wouldn’t give for a pair of jeans right now and not this…” She tugged at the robe. “Shit! I hate this. I want my sister, and I want to go home.”

“Shh…” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her head onto his chest.

Meg closed her eyes. A sob escaped, and she sniffed. How had things gotten to this point? If she could erase the last year, she’d get her parents back, and her sister would be happy and in college.

“It’ll work out.” He rubbed his hand in a lazy circle on her back. “You’ve got to hang in there a little longer, but you’ll get out of here with your sister at your side.”

She tilted her head back. “I’m sorry. I’m usually so much strong—”

His lips captured her mouth. He urged her to open for him. All the attraction she held for him tumbled out, and she gave him everything. Warmth from his tongue lavished the inside of her lips, her tongue, and teased her into forgetting her problems. She mewed and clutched at the front of his robe. Her body molded against his in total abandonment.

Joe’s hand followed the slope of her neck. Her nipples hardened.
Oh, God, please touch me.

The pleasure he brought her coursed wildly through her body. Her hips surged forward. The hard length of his cock pressed into her stomach. The thin robe left nothing to her imagination. She might as well not be wearing a robe, because every contour of his body pressed against her.

She squirmed in his arms, wanting more. He slipped his hand down the front of her robe, pushing back the material and giving him access to her nude body. She tore at his sheets and wormed her hands around his waist to cup that beautiful, taut ass. The muscles clenched tight and plunged forward underneath her hands.

Skin to rugged, masculine skin, Joe never let go of her mouth. Flicking her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, he sucked on the tip of her tongue. Her pussy juice flowed, and the insides of her thighs would soon grow damp. He was driving her crazy.

A chime counted off over the intercom. He pulled his mouth off her lips. Her heartbeat thumped extra hard in her chest. They’d lost control and forgotten about dinner.

Joe groaned. “Damn, Red.”

Meg fanned her face with her hands. Zero to sixty in no time flat, and she was willing to open her legs for Detective Joe. She couldn’t wait to find out what would happen between them after dinner.

“There’s something major going on between us, isn’t there?” He rubbed his chest. “You feel it too, right?”

“Oh, yeah.” She laughed. “I’m feeling it big time, and I like it.”

Chapter Four

Inside the dining hall, Joe wrapped his arm around Meg and led her to the last two vacant seats in the back of the room. She glanced up at him before taking her seat. She’d forgotten to ask him how they were going to get out of eating the dessert without anyone noticing.

Now that Joe had told her drugs were involved, she worried that other foods might contain something to alter her awareness. She swept her gaze around the room. Drugs were one more thing she’d have to help her sister learn to go without after she got her out of this place.

Joe handed her plate to her, and she lifted her fork without using it. The man on the other side of the table blocked her view of the room, and she leaned over to peek around him. No long, red hair stood out from the sea of blondes and brunettes to draw her attention.

She turned to Joe and frowned. How were they going to help her sister if they couldn’t even find her in the room?

He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “First row, third in, don’t look,” he whispered.

A smile grew on her face, and she wanted to reach out and hug him. Instead, she reached under the table and squeezed his thigh. Having someone on her side and understanding her worries gave her hope.

Leaning toward him, she laid her head on his shoulder and peered between the people blocking her view. She gasped and covered her mouth. Her sister sat facing them and, for the first time in a very long time, Allison was smiling with pure happiness.

Tears rushed to Meg’s eyes and slipped over her lashes. She lowered her chin and pretended to concentrate on her plate of food while swiping the back of her hand over her cheeks. She tried to stop them, but even the threat of Lord Stephen seeing her crying didn’t quell her delight at finding her sister.

Joe walked his fingers over her thigh, squeezed, and moved his hand toward her pussy. She sat up straight and stared up at the podium. Clutching his hand, she strained to stop his exploring, but her strength didn’t compare to his.

His fingers wiggled their way through the opening of her robe. She sucked in her bottom lip and held her breath. The tip of his finger brushed the lips of her pussy. Without a conscious thought, her tears dried up, the stiffness left her spine, and her legs relaxed.

Joe shoveled another spoonful of veggie medley into his mouth at the same time his finger on the other hand slipped between Meg’s damp folds and landed on her clit. Her fingers circled his wrist and held on. A wonderful rush of warmth filled her lower belly, and an urge to open herself underneath his touch hit her hard.

“Eat up, baby.” He forked his roast beef and popped it into his mouth.

Not releasing his hand, she lifted her other hand, grabbed her fork, and began to eat. The caress he provided wasn’t meant to bring her to orgasm, but to help her calm down. Her emotions smoothed out, and she concentrated on dinner.

By the time dessert came, Joe smiled over at her, removed his hand, and picked up his napkin to wipe the dampness off his fingers. She swallowed. A room full of people, and he’d succeeded in getting her mind off her sister.

Shit. I’m in trouble.

Joe turned his head and, using the same napkin he’d wiped her pussy juice on, dabbed at the corners of her mouth. The scent of her arousal reached her nose.

Under the cover of the napkin, he whispered, “Hand me your pudding when it comes. I’ll deal with it.” He leaned down, kissed her open lips, and groaned. “God, you taste wonderful.”

The rich, stimulated tremble of his voice reached out and tickled that mysterious spot deep within her core. Her eyes fluttered and threatened to close. A caress of pleasure exploded low in her belly. A micro-orgasm. Something she’d never experienced, but had read about in
Cosmo
magazine.

A server brought the tray of custard to the end of the table. Joe set down two dishes and passed the tray down the long line of people. Once the server left to walk down the row to retrieve the empty tray, Joe dumped the contents in the trashcan behind him and gave the empty dish to her.

She gazed toward the front, watching for Lord Stephen while Joe emptied the second dessert. In a daze, she wasn’t sure if she could even mutter a sound to warn Joe. He frazzled her in the most delicious way.

“Can I have everyone’s attention?”

Everyone’s heads turned in the same direction. Standing off in the back corner, Lord Stephen stood with a microphone in his hand and a frown on his face. Meg glanced over her shoulder at Joe, raised her brows, and asked a silent question.
Did he see you dump the food?

Joe motioned with his head for her to turn back around. She singled out her sister first. Allison sat with her chin propped up in her hands, a dopey smile once again fixed on her face. Meg narrowed her eyes. Give her one minute alone with Lord Stephen, and she’d rip him a new asshole for the way he’d changed her sister.

“Yesterday, a fire broke out in a garbage can.” He paused and strolled farther into the room. “I can’t help but believe someone deliberately set this fire.” His mouth hardened, and he scanned the room. “We’ve also lost three members of Eternal Peace.”

The room gasped as a whole. Meg covered her mouth. Had he figured out what Joe and Kathy had done? Who were the other two women who had disappeared?

Joe laid his hand on her waist, and she scooted her bottom over on the chair to lean against him. He wrapped both his arms around her. Snuggled tight against him, a sense of security helped her sit still through whatever else Lord Stephen had to tell them.

“While I look into matters, I am going to make myself more available to everyone.” He strode up to the podium. “From now on, I will make the rounds during free time. I will partake in group sessions.” He cleared his throat. “I will bring more of you to the higher maker, and make you guaranteed to enter into eternal peace.”

He slipped the microphone into its holder and placed his hands, palms down, on top of the podium. “We cannot let these setbacks interfere with our work here, my loves. Starting tonight, we will clear this room of tables, we will come together as a group, and we will share the love we have for Eternal Peace, each other, and for your Lord.” He patted his chest. “Let no one be alone. Each one of us is an important part of our journey. We must remain a united front.”

He swung his arm in the air. “Let each couple invite a single person into their loving relationship. Embrace them, hold them, and learn from them.” He motioned to his left at the workers ready to jump at his bidding. “Let us clear the area and share ourselves with each other in the way we are meant to live.” He turned back to the congregation settled at the tables. “Take this time and partner up.”

Meg stood up, turned to Joe, and dragged him around the table. “I’ve got to get Allison.”

“No.” He pulled her back. “Stay here. I’ll get her. We don’t want her causing a scene and giving away your relationship to her.” He pushed her back. “Stay there. Promise me?”

She nodded. “Hurry. Please.”

The people in the room hustled around in excitement, whether from Lord Stephen’s pledge to bring them all to a supreme plateau within the cult or from the secret sexual thrill of having permission to dally with others, Meg didn’t know. She bounced on the tips of her toes, trying to see over the shoulders of the others, but she’d lost Joe in the chaos.

A hand on her arm jolted her out of her excitement at the anticipation of talking with her sister. She froze. Not daring to move, she feared having to lose her facade and slap someone.

“You are alone?” The person spoke in her ear from behind her shoulder.

A shiver coursed through her spine. Lord Stephen.
Oh, God. Joe, come back.

She cleared her throat and forced herself not to jerk away from his hand that wandered over the side of her arm. “No, Lord Stephen. I’m waiting for my partner to bring back one of the singles. I’m so excited to share my love with someone new.”