One to Keep (One to Hold) (15 page)

“Everybody makes mistakes. Learn from it and move on.” She finally started eating. “What happened next?”

“That’s just it. Derek sent me to Scottsdale, and she disappeared. We got back, and his aunt told him
Monica
took another job.”

“Monica was the one you slept with?” She forked more lettuce.

“No,” I said, picking up a chip. “The person I met was named Star.”

Ducking toward her plate, Nikki pulled her paper napkin up quickly to cover her mouth. “Oh my god, her name was
Star
?” Giggles. “And you, an experienced detective fell for that?”

I was ready to go. “Look, I’m not in the mood. I’m trying to find out what the hell happened and fix it. Or at least get answers.”

“I’m sorry.” She shook her head and reached out to cover my hand with hers. “Seriously, I’ll stop teasing you.”

I took a sip of the cold drink I’d ordered, feeling less like talking than ever.

“I’m sure Derek was pissed,” she continued, “but I have to say, the way you two have been acting, I would think it was something bigger than a rogue temp who turned out to be… what? A spy?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know what she wanted. That’s why I’ve been working so hard. I need to know.”

Her lips poked out and she nodded. Then she picked up her drink and took a long pull from the straw. “And that’s it? There’s nothing else?”

Images of Elaine’s smile, her shiny blonde hair, her green eyes trickled across my memory in a cool stream. I blinked hard. “Pretty much,” I said quietly.

“You sure?” Nikki leaned forward on the table, allowing the top of her dress to dip forward. From this angle, I had the full view of her awesome cleavage, but it didn’t matter. All I wanted was Elaine.

“Yeah.” I lifted my drink and took another sip.

She sat back in her chair. “Wow. You’re seriously hung up. Is it on this Star person? Is that why you’re so obsessed with finding her?”

“What?” my voice rose. “No way. Elaine’s nothing like that psycho.”

Her smile returned as her voice softened. “So tell me about Elaine.”

My eyes closed briefly, but it was pointless trying to resist. “She’s beautiful. I…” I couldn’t say that. “I want to be with her, but she lives in Wilmington, and long distance isn’t her thing.” I picked up the silverware knife and rolled it in my fingers.

“But you’d do anything to see her again.” Nikki’s voice was gentle, and my gaze blinked to hers. The warmth in her eyes was almost unbearable.

“Anything.”

She leaned forward then, but this time when her hand covered mine, there was no confrontation, no teasing. Her voice was serious. “Patrick,” she said quietly. “You’re in love.”

Jerking my hand back, I put the knife back on the table and stood. “It was less than a week. And now it’s over.” Pain radiated through my chest, but I kept it together. “Now I just want to find out who the fuck is messing with me and why.”

I started to go, but then I remembered and stepped back, fishing in my pocket for my cash. Nikki’s lips were pursed as she watched me toss a couple twenties on the table. She didn’t say anything, but I had a pretty good idea what she was thinking—like it mattered.

“See you back at the office.”

The wind outside had picked up, and damp air hit me straight in the face. It looked like a storm was rolling in, but I didn’t mind. I actually hoped it would rain. Lately, I’d sought out all sorts of unpleasant feelings, anything to match or block out the raging noise in my chest. A storm felt exactly right at this moment.

* * *

Two more days of studying URLs and the
whois
database compiling locations for the phishing scam went by. Two more days of scrolling through endless mugshots from all over the New Jersey area trying to find that face went by. Time was passing, but nothing inside me was changing. I searched for Star obsessively, but mugshot after mugshot was blurring my memory of her. It wasn’t like I’d gotten a long look at her before we started drinking anyway, and I was losing my motivation to find her. I was losing my motivation to do anything. Elaine’s face was all I could see.

By Friday afternoon, I was sitting behind my desk feeling like I was going crazy when my phone rang. I picked it up without even looking at the face. “Hello?” I heard my tone—impatient, tense, frustrated. Then I heard the voice that took my breath away.

“Patrick?” Her voice was high, and it sounded slightly nervous.

Every muscle down to my core tightened at the sound. “Elaine?” I wasn’t sure what to say next. She’d called me. “How are you?”

Her throat cleared, and my eyes closed. I could see her perfectly in my mind.

“I, um…” Her voice became quiet. “I…” A sound like something covering the phone filled my ear. I couldn’t make out what was happening.

“Elaine?” I repeated, my whole body tense. “Is everything okay?”

A sharp sniff and my chest clutched. Was she crying?

“I’m sorry,” she said, clearing her throat again, but I heard the smallest tremor as she spoke. That’s when I knew she was struggling for control.

Another sniffle, and I couldn’t take it anymore. “What’s wrong, baby?” My voice was now gentle.

“Oh, Patrick.” At that she completely broke down. “I miss you so much.”

Emotion flooded my limbs, making me temporarily weak. In an instant, I was on my feet, grabbing my keys and wallet. “I’ll be there in six hours.”

“No,” she sniffed, her voice tenuous. “I can’t let you do that.”

I was unable to stop the smile crossing my face. “You couldn’t stop me if you tried.”

“Oh, god,” she breathed. “Patrick…” From her tone, I could see her beautiful eyes close, the smile on her lips. “It’ll take longer than six hours. I checked.”

“I’m walking out the door now,” I said, giving Nikki a brief wave as I pushed through the main glass entrance. “I’m not stopping until you’re in my arms.”

A little laugh met my ears, and my heart felt like it flew out of my chest to where she was. “Please be safe,” she whispered.

“Don’t worry.”

Chapter 13 – Reunited This Way

Elaine was in my arms, her hands in my hair, her legs around my waist before my knuckles ever made contact with the door of her condo. The last week, the pain, everything dissolved in the rush of our lips struggling to find each other’s. The moment they met, rough against soft, determined and insistent, the dry, twisting ache in the center of my chest released.

I carried her inside, our mouths never parting, all the way to her bedroom. The fever dream that had been my drive from Princeton to Wilmington was swept away in my haste to remove shirts, shoes, jeans, bras, panties—all barriers to our bodies’ union. We moved as if burning need would consume us both if we took longer than absolutely necessary.

My mouth searched for every part of her I could find, her hands and lips moving equally fast. Little noises came from both of us. We were a tangle of touching and stretching and reaching and doing our best to hold each other while fumbling onto the bed. Clothes off, condom on, and I pushed inside her, groaning in relief.

I couldn’t decide if we were making love so much as fulfilling a basic need like eating or breathing. Having her again was like taking a cool drink of water after a hot day in the sun. We had to come together this way. I held her face, smoothing back her hair as I rocked into her body. Tears were in her eyes, but I kissed them away. Tears were in my eyes, but I closed them and kissed her more. All I knew was her. Her, me, passion, need, fulfillment, relief. It was amazing.

My hands moved from her face and hair to her breasts, which I pulled together to cover with my mouth, first one then the other as she sighed in response. My hands moved lower, cupping her ass, rocking her, as the tension between us grew tighter. Her hands caught my cheeks, lifting my hungry mouth to hers again. As soon as our lips met, she pushed my shoulder, and I rolled onto my back, her over me in a straddle, her hips rocking faster in her own rhythm.

She leaned forward, and I caught a taut nipple in my mouth again. She moaned, rocking her hips against me. Buried deep, I enjoyed the view of her slim torso, light blonde hair flicking around her shoulders. My fingers only lightly grazed her hips as she rode, coming faster until her body shook. Her moans turned to little cries and I thrust harder, allowing her inner squeezing to pull me with her.

Rolling her onto her back, I plunged hard and deep. Another satisfied sound, and my thrusting grew faster, stronger until I was coming, over and over, groaning against her beautiful neck, lost in the amazing sensation that was being buried inside the woman I loved, holding her in my arms.

Several hazy, glowing moments passed as we both recovered from our reunion. I rolled onto my back, but my arms wouldn’t loosen their hold on her. I carried her with me, pulling her against my chest, her cheek pressed to my neck. Her arms were equally tight around me until at last our breath was calm, our hands were smoothing, caressing. I felt her lips touching my skin.

“Thank you for coming,” she whispered.

“You always make me come.” I couldn’t resist.

She giggled and my arms tightened around her. “You know what I mean. That is not an easy drive.”

“It’s longer than I’d like, but I’m here now.” I shrugged. I would’ve driven longer to be with her, to hold her this way.

My hands were on her back, and I couldn’t stop massaging her skin, allowing her warmth and presence to ease every last bit of that wretched pain away. No more wondering what she was doing. No more wondering if she regretted saying goodbye as much as I regretted not stopping her. No more lying in bed at night hoping she was thinking of me, missing me as much as I missed her, hoping she hadn’t gone back to him. One teary phone call removed all doubt.

She turned her face into my neck. “I can’t believe I’m such a baby.” Her voice was small, and I felt the tension rising in her body.

Rolling her onto her back again, I smoothed her hair off her cheeks and looked into her green eyes all stormy and troubled.

“What are you talking about?” I whispered, kissing her small nose, her chin.

Just like before, she touched my lips with her finger, and just like before, I kissed it. “I should’ve waited longer before I called you.” Her slim brows pulled together, and she tried to turn away. But I wouldn’t let her go. “It’s only been a week. I didn’t even attempt to get over you. All I could think about was holding you, touching you, you touching me. I caved after five days.”

Suppressing a grin, I cupped her cheeks again and covered her mouth with mine. Her lips parted, and our tongues met. I felt her relaxing, and in that moment, the questions in my head were answered—and the answers satisfied me deeply. She was mine. No matter what came next. With a calm confidence, I knew I’d never let her go again.

My mouth moved to her cheek. “Nobody’s getting over anybody here. So why torture us both?”

Her body shook with her small laugh. “Aren’t you trained for torture?”

“Yes, but you’re not.”

She slid down and put her cheek against my chest again. “It’s crazy trying to make this work,” she sighed. “We barely know each other.”

My fingers threaded into her silky hair. She was so beautiful in my arms. “I’d say we’re off to a pretty good start. I’ll take a chance if you will.”

With her forehead rested on me, she sighed. “I still don’t want a long distance relationship.”

This time, nothing she said winded me like her words had in Scottsdale. Back then, I wasn’t sure of anything. Now everything felt possible. I pushed against the mattress, sitting up and bringing her with me. Her green eyes glistened when they met mine, and I smiled.

“So we’ll figure it out.” I smoothed my thumbs over her cheeks. “We’ll get through the weeks however we can, we’ll be together on the weekends, and we’ll figure out what the future’s going to look like. This distance is not forever.”

Her head dropped, but only for a moment. When she lifted it again, she moved forward, wrapping her arms around my neck. My hands spanned her waist before sliding up her body to cup her beautiful breasts. The scent of cactus flower surrounded me, and I lay her back, ready to catch up on all the days we’d missed.

“Now, that first time was amazing, but it went way too fast.” I covered one tight nipple with my mouth and then the other as her little moans began, her fingers threaded in my hair.

“You think?” Her voice was breathless.

“Yes,” I said against her body, traveling lower. I kissed her flat stomach, inhaling the warm perfume lingering on her skin. She whispered my name, and I gave her belly one more kiss before catching her thighs and spreading them open, sinking my tongue between her folds.

A low moan rose from her throat, shooting straight to my hardening cock. I pulled her closer to my mouth, tasting, sliding my fingers inside her, feeling her increasing wetness.

“Oh, Patrick,” she gasped. Her back arched as her orgasm grew, as I sucked, pulled and licked her clit. I wasn’t leaving that spot until she was screaming my name.

My tongue circled again and again, and her hips, her whole body, rotated with it. A few more pulls, and she was crying out, bucking against me. Pushing away, but pulling me closer, her fingers curling in my hair. My erection ached as I fumbled for my pants. I had to keep those damn condoms closer. Finding one, I ripped it open and managed to get it in place, sinking into her again while her muscles were still working.