In Too Deep (41 page)

“Erin?” Liz rasped out, lifting her head off the pillow.

“Hum?” Erin looked up, just as content as she could be, and not yet even to the most wonderful part of her new world.

“It feels so good.” Liz breathed out. “You better hurry, I don’t think I can last much longer.”

“But I haven’t even touched you there yet,” Erin protested, not anywhere ready for Liz to climax yet.

“Doesn’t matter.” Liz collapsed back onto the pillow.

Erin watched her in silence, unsure what to do. She looked down at the mound of clustered satin just below her mouth. As she exhaled, she could see Liz respond. She realized Liz was so sensitive and so ready that a mere breath alone would send her over. She had to act soon if she wanted to have any fun at all. With her eyes riveted on Liz’s face, she carefully extended her tongue to touch the tip of her clitoris. Then, with slow deliberation, she lightly massaged the soft skin. She didn’t know what she had expected a woman would feel like under her tongue, but nothing could have prepared her for what she was experiencing.

The mound of flesh was soft yet firm, giving and twitching as she pressed the length of her tongue down upon it. She marveled at its warmth, reveled in its quick movements, devoured its satiny texture. But what she found the most exciting and fascinating was not the heated silky skin under her tongue, but Liz’s reactions. With every wonderful manipulation, Liz let out strangled cries of erotic bliss.

Erin watched her intently, enjoying the splendid display of her powerful muscles rippling under the dampened skin of her torso as she coiled and stretched, jerked and twitched with every lick. She had never experienced such an erotic encounter, had never witnessed such an incredible display of raw pleasure with her at the helm, captaining the velvety voyage. The scenario was nothing short of miraculous, and she never wanted it end. She could bestow pleasures upon this woman for eternity and never tire.

As Liz writhed beneath her, she settled down more comfortably atop her, adding more weighted pressure to her strokes. She knew that whether she wanted her to or not, Liz was dangerously close to climaxing. Savoring the feel and sweet taste of her, Erin swirled her tongue all around the swollen tissue, placing pressure on the edges while lapping at the center, trying to drive Liz mad with intense pleasure.

As her own skin burned brightly with lust and pleasure, Erin braced herself as Liz came beneath her, nearly bucking her right up off the bed. She could never have been prepared for the intensity, the sheer physicality of pleasing another woman. The reaction was so raw, so incredibly animalistic, and yet so intensely personal and intimate on every level. She did her best to hold on, to remain in her position, but Liz was convulsing and bucking so much that when she finally did stop, Erin’s mouth was swollen and stinging, her lips swollen. It was as if she had tried to hold fast to her lover with her mouth.

She licked at her tingling lips and lay between Liz’s long, powerful legs, watching and listening to her breathe.

When she finally stilled, Liz asked, “Did I hurt you?”

“Hurt me? Are you kidding? I’ve never experienced anything so incredible before.”

“Come here,” Liz said softly.

Erin pushed herself up from the warm confines of her legs and crawled slowly to her side, nestling in the soft covers.

“Do you have any idea how good you make me feel?” Liz asked, gazing languidly into her eyes.

“If it’s anywhere near as good as you make me feel, then I do have some idea.” Erin snuggled up close to her, feeling relaxed and wonderfully content. She closed her eyes and felt her breathing slow and match that of her lover, their bodies’ own sweet lullaby.

She didn’t know how long she slept, or even if she truly had slept when the deep sounds of the Dobermans barking pricked her ears. With the noise not quite registering, she lay motionless in Liz’s arms, certain the dogs would soon calm down. It wasn’t until Liz stirred beneath her that she opened her eyes and sat up. The barks resounded like thunder throughout the house and were accompanied by a pounding at the front door.

Erin looked around wildly, her eyes trying to adjust to her dim surroundings. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know.” Liz jumped out of bed and into her jeans. “Whatever it is, it can’t be good.” She moved quickly over to the bed, where she cupped Erin’s chin in her hand for a gentle kiss.

“Wait, I’m coming with you,” Erin insisted. She bounded off the bed and hurried into her jeans and black shirt.

As they walked out of the master bedroom and stepped into the hall, the pounding continued on the large front door.

“What the hell?” Liz muttered.

Red and blue lights flashed through the windows, announcing a police presence. Erin felt the color drain from her face. Liz was right—whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be good. She reached out and gripped her lover’s hand, making a silent vow that whatever it was, they could handle it together. She jumped as the pounding resumed.

“Police! Open up!”

Liz unlocked the door, looking into Erin’s eyes one last time before she pulled it open.

“Elizabeth Adams?” a gruff overweight detective asked, just as he had done countless times before.

“What’s this about, Stewart?” Erin stepped in front of her lover, making her way just outside the door.

Stewart stared openmouthed, the shock of seeing her at the house apparent on his meaty face. Erin looked past the dumbfounded man to several other detectives, who were shining flashlights in and around Liz’s Range Rover.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Stewart whispered in his wheezy voice. He had turned his back to Liz and stood so close Erin could smell the thick stench of cigarette smoke clinging to him in an imaginary yellow layer of nicotine.

“Never mind my personal business,” she said. “What are you all doing here?”

A chill swept over her skin. Was this Patricia’s doing? Revenge for Erin’s hasty departure from her home? They hadn’t spoken since. She watched helplessly as numerous police personnel scurried about the Range Rover, wearing plain clothes and navy blue bulletproof vests with
Police
written in yellow across their backs.

“Detective.” Liz looked intently at Stewart. “I hope you have damn good reason for being on my property. And how the hell did you even get in here?”

“Through the gate.” The two women turned at the sound of a woman’s voice.

Patricia stood in front of them, her expression unreadable.

“You broke it?” Liz’s eyes flashed with anger.

“No.” Stewart scoffed. “It wasn’t even on, Your Majesty. All we had to do was give it a push.”

“Not on?” Liz looked startled.

“Where were you tonight, Ms. Adams?” Patricia asked as she turned off her flashlight.

“Here—” Liz started before Erin gripped her arm to silence her.

“She’s not answering any of your questions until you tell us why you are here,” she demanded, locking eyes with the woman she’d thought was her friend.

“There was a fire tonight, Mac.”

As she spoke, a giant floodlight came to life behind the Range Rover, illuminating the front of the house.

“What does that have to do with Liz?”

“The house that burned was your former residence. Mark’s house.”

Erin took a small step as a wave of dizziness washed over her. “Mark’s?” She felt Liz’s strong arms wrap around her for support just in time.

“Did anyone get hurt?” Liz asked.

“Like you give a shit,” Stewart bellowed out next to her.

Erin shot him a look of warning and he shut his mouth.

“No. Fortunately they got out in time,” Patricia said.

“That still doesn’t answer why you’re here,” Erin said, regaining her strength and standing on her own once again. “If you came to tell me—” She broke off, realizing they hadn’t expected to find her here, so that ruled out the “delivering bad news” option. Something else was going on. There were too many of them and they appeared to be searching with a purpose. What were they looking for?

“We have several witnesses who claim that a dark-haired female was seen leaving the house in a silver Range Rover seconds before the fire started,” Patricia said.

Erin felt Liz stiffen. “So? It could’ve been anyone.”

“We came to question Ms. Adams about an hour ago.” Patricia continued. “And upon our arrival we looked in through the back window of her Range Rover and saw accelerant.”

“What?” Liz’s voice rose.

“Several large cans along with rags and boxes of matches.”

“Bullshit!” Liz shoved her way quickly over to her truck and stood next to several men, one of whom was taking pictures. She peered into her truck and went completely rigid.

“What is it?” Erin hurried toward her ashen-faced lover.

Four red gasoline cans sat in a neat row along the back cargo space of the truck. Liz checked the latch.

“Something’s wrong,” she said. “I never leave my truck unlocked. Somebody put that stuff in there. “

Patricia approached before Erin had a chance to make sense of all Liz was trying to say. “If you give us permission to search your truck and your property now—”

“No,” Erin declared adamantly. “Tell everyone to back off.”

Patricia shrugged. “In that case we’ll wait here and snap pictures of what we can see until we get a warrant.”

Erin knew the drill. They were just biding their time until a judge granted a warrant first thing in the morning. She looked up into Liz’s eyes and said, “Call your lawyer.”

“I need to just tell them the truth,” Liz whispered wearily. “Someone’s messing with me. It has to stop.”

“No.” Erin gripped her arms. “Call your attorney. They’re going to want to question you about your whereabouts tonight. Don’t say anything. If someone is setting you up, then they’ve gone to an awful lot of trouble to do so. And the police aren’t about to believe you no matter what you say.”

“So, where were you tonight, Ms. Adams?” Patricia asked for the second time. Her face was cold and professional.

Truly afraid for her lover, Erin said, “She was here all night.”

“Are there any witnesses to back that up?”

“Yes.” Erin said. “Me.”

Stewart whistled when he heard the statement. “How do we know you ain’t in on it with her? After all, it’s your ex’s house that got torched.”

“What about my gate?” Liz asked. “Don’t you find it a little strange that it isn’t working?”

“You probably cut the power to it,” Stewart responded with a shrug.

“Why would I do that?”

“To disable the front cameras.”

Liz turned to Patricia. “It’s obvious someone did all this to set me up.”

“Or you did it to cover your own ass, knowing full well the cameras would be seized by us for viewing,” Stewart wheezed.

“If she went to all that trouble, then why would she leave her truck out in plain view with the accelerant still in it?” Erin asked, facing off with him.

“Maybe she got a little tied up with her accomplice,” he said mockingly, shaking his head at her. “I always heard dykes like to fuck a lot. Maybe you two just couldn’t wait.”

“You son of a bitch!” Erin took a step toward him, wanting to beat the shit out of him right there on the spot.

Liz’s hands clamped down on her shoulders, stopping her before she could take a swing at him. “Shh. Easy now. It’s not worth it.”

“We’re going to need you to come downtown with us for questioning, Ms. Adams,” Patricia said with patent satisfaction.

Erin placed her palms on Liz’s chest. “Go,” she whispered. “But promise me you won’t say anything. I’ll find a way to make them believe.”

Liz kissed her forehead and nodded in silent agreement.

*

“You two looked pretty cozy earlier,” Patricia said as she watched Erin pace outside the interrogation room.

Erin glared at her. “This isn’t right. She was with me all night. You have no grounds to hold her for this.”

“We do,” Patricia said calmly. “We got that warrant, and the first thing we found was a pair of boots in the Range Rover that matched a print left at the fire. Not to mention the cans of gasoline and kerosene, the same accelerants that caused the fire.”

“That’s not possible.” Erin breathed out. “Someone is setting her up.”

“Who?”

Erin shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Jay?
She thought to herself.
But why would she?

“I think you do know,” Patricia said. “You see, I believe you when you say that Adams had nothing to do with this fire. The evidence…It’s all a little too easy for me. But I think you’re hiding something for her. Question is, what? And why?”

Erin looked up as the door to the room opened. Two of her colleagues emerged, followed by Liz. She was handcuffed, and Erin sucked in a quick breath at the painful sight.

“What’s going on?” she demanded.

“They’ve arrested me,” Liz said in a surprisingly calm manner.

“But you didn’t do it,” Erin proclaimed in a high pitch. “They won’t listen to me.” She looked around at her former friends, wishing someone would hear her and release her lover. But no one met her eyes. Like mindless, heartless robots, they led Liz along the corridor en route to the holding cells. Erin walked at her side, desperately trying to come up with a plan. Her own credibility was obviously shot. No one was treating her with any respect, and she’d overheard Stewart mutter something about her psych assessment.