In Too Deep (30 page)

Erin gazed into her deep red wine. It was certainly understandable that Tracy Walsh, or any woman for that matter, could become obsessed with Elizabeth Adams. The woman was truly beautiful, one of the most beautiful people Erin had ever laid eyes on.

As her thoughts threatened to turn dark once more, Jack trotted across the patio, his claws clicking against the concrete, a gentle alarm bringing her back to reality. Erin let her hand fall down beside the chair and he happily licked it. His normally stark white fur was wet and dusty from his swimming and running around outdoors. When she wouldn’t scratch his back like he wanted, he walked away from her and headed to his water bowl next to the back door.

She smiled after him, always endeared by the little deaf dog. Once at his water bowl, he dug in it with his front paws, splashing the water up on his fur, getting his water cloudy with dirt in the process. Once the water was almost completely brown, he lowered his head and drank from it heartily.

Erin laughed out loud at his behavior, letting the lighter mood relax her body.
Yes,
perhaps this time off is doing me some good. I’m here spending time with my beautiful colleague, who just so happens to be a romance writer. Why am I even thinking of Liz? That was a mistake, a one-time occurrence. And I was high.

“What’s so funny?” Patricia asked as she stepped outside with a grill brush. She appeared to be a little surprised at Erin’s laughter.

Erin pointed. “Jack.”

Patricia turned and looked down just in time to see Jack try to lie completely down in his water bowl.

“Jack!” she shouted. “You’re filthy!”

She walked over to him and pointed causing him to step out of the bowl. He looked up at her, his tongue hanging large and flat from his mouth, moving in rhythm with his heavy panting. His usually vibrant tail was tucked shamefully between his legs.

“He’s hot,” Erin said, sticking up for him as she continued to laugh. It felt good to laugh. Damn good.

“Oh yeah? If you feel so sorry for him, then you can be the one who gives him a bath.” She bit her lower lip in an apparent attempt to stifle a laugh.

Erin’s heart rate picked up at the sight. Instantly, where only seconds before she’d felt a gnawing emptiness, raw, excited emotion swirled. And Liz was moved ever further from her mind.

Nearly light-headed with contentment and attraction, she stood and approached Jack with a large smile. She looked over at Patricia and tipped her wineglass at her. Suddenly she was willing to do almost anything for this woman who had taken her in and been such a good friend to her.

“Fine. I would be more than happy to. You cook and I’ll…clean.” She looked back down at Jack as he started to dig again at the remaining water, splashing her in the process.

“Done,” Patricia said, laughing.

*

Erin finished toweling her hair and slipped into a cotton button-down sleeveless shirt and a pair of khaki linen shorts. She glanced around her bedroom with a contented sigh. With its double bed and matching light lumber furniture, the room felt more and more like home.

The sounds she could hear as she made her way to the kitchen added to the comforting feeling. The sun had just set and Patricia had opened the doors and windows to let in the cool night air. The forecast called for rain, and the late October air had cooled comfortably as the clouds blew in.

Soft jazz played from a small stereo, setting the mood nicely along with the candlelit table, which was set for two. The room, the music, the soft glow from the candles, it all felt so right. Erin smiled as her heart fluttered. As her hand found the pulse beating in her neck, her gaze settled on Patricia walking in from the patio, a plateful of steaming chicken kabobs in one hand.

“Here let me.” Erin said, moving quickly to get the plate.

Patricia could smell the fresh scent of soap and shampoo on Erin and she looked away as she imagined Erin wet. She could see her nude in the shower, soaping her full breasts slowly, throwing her head back into the hot spray in pleasure.

“Thanks,” she managed to cough out. She busied herself gathering the food in the kitchen and returning to the table with a bowl of pasta salad and a bottle of wine.

“This looks terrific.” Erin sat down and placed a kabob on Patricia’s plate and another on her own.

“I hope it’s as good as it looks,” Patricia said, spooning out the pasta salad for them both before filling their wineglasses. “I’m starved.” But what she was hungry for wasn’t food. She resisted an urge to gaze at Erin and instead dug heartily into the food, hoping it would, at the very least, distract her.

“It’s even better than it looks,” Erin said.

After several silent bites, she noticed that for some reason Patricia seemed to be unusually quiet, her blue eyes never leaving her plate. Unsure as to why, she trod lightly. “Dare I ask where Jack is?”

“He’s pouting.” Patricia grinned. “He hates baths.”

“No kidding?”

Jack had jumped from the tub just as Erin poured the first cup of water over his head. The chase was then on, with him barreling down the hallway and running from room to room, rubbing himself on the furniture and then playfully darting just out of Erin’s reach. She smiled just thinking about it.

“And since I had to humiliate myself running all over the house after a slippery dog, you now have to answer me any question I ask.” Erin grinned playfully across the table.

“No way,” Patricia said, with a soft, embarrassed smile.

Erin noted her modesty and how beautiful she looked even in the worn jeans and faded flannel sleeveless shirt. So incredibly beautiful, and…almost shy. “Yes way,” she teased. “Let’s see, what to ask.” She contemplated as she ate, wanting to come up with the perfect question.

“You’re wasting your time.” Patricia said. “I never said I would go along with this little game.” But she was enjoying the friendly banter. It was good to see Erin being so playful, so relaxed. And there was even the hint of contentment.

“You will.”

“What makes you think I will?”
I’ll do anything you want. Anything.

“Because I have powers over you. Superpowers.” She wiggled her fingers at Patricia, who found herself frozen, her fingers tightly cupping her wineglass.

The joking words shocked her with their truth, and Erin had no idea. Why would she? How could she possibly know or even understand? It shook her to realize how vulnerable she was at the hands of this beautiful, confused younger woman. She couldn’t let her know. She had to keep fighting it. Erin had too much on her mind right now to be dealing with such things. But God, how she wanted her. She wanted to claim her as her own, to make love her to so passionately that she would surely forget about Elizabeth Adams altogether. Wasn’t that why she really wanted Erin here? So she could have her all to herself?

Patricia rose from the table, needing to distance herself from the younger detective. “More wine?” she asked.

“No, I’m good,” Erin said, obviously noticing the change in Patricia’s mood. She stood and set about clearing the table. “Thank you for dinner. It was very good.” She carried the dishes into the kitchen and piled them next to the sink.

“I’m glad.” Patricia moved beside her to start washing the dishes. “No, let me clean. You cooked.” Erin softly wrapped a hand around her wrist.

Patricia stood ramrod straight at the contact. Erin’s touch was like a bolt of lightning shooting up through her, lighting up every cell in her body to the point of implosion.

“Patricia?” Erin asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She walked away quickly and headed out the back door. It took all her power not to run at a full sprint out onto the patio. As the door closed behind her, she placed her hands behind her head and stepped out into the yard to gaze up at the stars. She breathed in deeply the promising scent of rain and willed her heart to stop pounding so fiercely.

Maybe it had been a mistake to invite Erin to come stay with her. It was becoming obvious that she had fallen in love and that her emotions were affecting her judgment.

“Christ,” she said into the black night. How could she have let this happen?

She had known she was in trouble since that first night when she had helped Erin prepare for her assignment. The gorgeous exterior was one thing, but she hadn’t expected to find such a passionate, naïve, and sensual creature within.

Still barefoot, Patricia walked down to the edge of the pool and stepped into the cool water. She should have walked away that first night. She should’ve wiped her hands clean of Erin McKenzie and the desire she had so clearly felt creeping up within herself. But she hadn’t. And now she had contrived to be here alone with her, compromising some of her own ethical ideals in the process. She was gambling their friendship in the hopes of more, and losing the internal battle between patience and desire.

*

Later, in front of a fire Patricia had lit in the living room, they drank hot chocolate laced with butterscotch schnapps.

Erin stared down into her mug, aware of an awkwardness between them. “Have I done something to upset you?” she asked, feeling bad that after all Patricia had done for her, she must have somehow upset her.

“No, of course not,” Patricia replied, but there was a tremble in her voice.

“You sure?” Erin took in the firelight dancing against Patricia’s face, her softly glowing auburn hair. Maybe it was just a bad day. She herself had had plenty the past few weeks.

Patricia met her eyes and seemed to shake herself from her mood. Smiling, she said, “Yes, I’m sure. And to prove it to you, I’ll even answer that one question you wanted to ask me.”

“I was only kidding.” Erin hesitated to go there, fearing it might put her friend back on the defensive just as she was relaxing.

But Patricia tossed a pillow at her playfully. “Come on, ask me anything.”

Erin blocked the pillow and set her mug down on the coffee table. “Okay, Miss writer…” She drew in a breath and asked the only thing that came to mind. “Who’s this muse you speak of?”

Patricia opened her mouth to speak, but stopped as her eyes met Erin’s.

“What is it?” Erin asked softly.

Patricia’s eyes burned deep blue, just as they had in a dream Erin once had. Her cheeks were flushed and her dark red lips quivered. “It’s you,” she whispered, her voice tight with emotion.

Erin shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“My muse. It’s you.” Patricia reached out then, slowly, tentatively, and touched Erin’s wrist.

“Me?” Erin asked, overwhelmed by the revelation. Desire spilled into her blood.

Patricia’s grip tightened. “Yes,” she replied huskily. She pulled Erin into her and wrapped her other hand around the base of her neck.

A rush of desire heated Erin’s face and lips just as Patricia’s warm, wet mouth claimed hers with surprising force. She fell back onto the couch, wrapping her arms around Patricia, bringing her down on top of her. Their tongues danced and dueled and Patricia groaned as Erin took her tongue, sucking it hungrily.

*

Patricia knew she had lost the control she had been fighting to hang on to all along. Erin tasted so good, too good. She couldn’t stop herself now even if she wanted to. Kissing her harder, deeper, she maneuvered herself between her legs, pressing her thigh against her, rocking into her.

Erin moaned into her mouth and Patricia pulled away and looked down at her, gasping for breath.

“Why did you stop?” Erin’s eyes were ravenous with want.

“Is…is this okay?” Patricia asked while there was still time to back off.

“God, yes.” Erin needed to feel her, she needed to feel like she had felt with Liz. She could almost convince herself that the encounter would be just like her dream, that somehow Patricia and Liz would morph together. The thought alone caused her to dig her nails into Patricia’s back, drawing her down, pressing them ever closer together.

Patricia panted and reveled in the newfound freedom she felt, released from her hidden desire. Her mouth moved downward, starving. Hungrily, she licked and sucked on Erin’s neck.

Erin arched up at the sensation and tried to raise her hips to grind against Patricia’s firm thigh. The pressure between her legs was unbelievable and she wanted so badly for Patricia to take her. As she writhed beneath her, memories of Liz invaded. She clenched her eyes shut and that perfect face and piercing eyes seared into her mind. She clung to Patricia, wanting her but knowing she wanted Liz even more.

With her brain and body pounding with hot blood, Patricia almost gave in and pressed her thigh into Erin’s warm, searching crotch. But the moment had been so long in coming, she wanted to make it last.

“Wait.” She withdrew slightly and pressed Erin back down softly. “We should do this,” she traced a finger across Erin’s lips and down over her throat, “slowly.”

Erin tried to pull her back down again. “Who says we have to go slow?” She grinned, wanting her now, needing her now.

Patricia bent down and kissed her softly, warmly, tenderly before pulling away again. “Since this is your first time with a woman and all, I thought we should take it slow.”

Erin bit her lip at the words. Liz burned into her mind once again. She gazed up at Patricia and saw the hunger in her eyes. Her hand moved quickly, working its way down to Patricia’s jeans. “I don’t want to go slow,” she whispered with raw desire as her fingers popped the buttons on Patricia’s fly. “I want it now.”