Oracle Rising (38 page)

She exploded in pleasure.

Rhett moaned as her body desperately tried to pull him to the edge. As beads of perspiration slicked his shoulders, he managed to hold on.

As her orgasm passed, he found that control.

“Juliett,” he murmured. “You’re beyond anything I deserve.”

Her heart stuttered in her chest.

“Make love to me, Rhett. I need you.”

It was all she had to ask.

He began moving, sliding in and out of her body. It was the most amazing sensation he’d ever felt. Her body accepted his, almost like he was meant to be buried in her.

This sensation was incredible.

“Oh, God!” she hissed, her body bowing. She was close to falling again, and she didn't know if she could hold on.

“Wait for me,” he begged. “Please,” he whispered in her ear.

She fought for it.

As he moved in and out of her, enjoying the pleasure, she moaned and writhed beneath him.

Rhett would never forget this moment.

When his body shook, he knew he was close. Picking up speed, he drove himself into her body over and over again. As she shouted his name in release, he did the same.

The eruption was incredible.

It was beyond anything he could ever experience.

As she came beneath him, and he came inside her, his heart opened.

He wasn’t lost anymore.

He found his way, and it was to her.

As they both surfaced, he rolled to his side. “That was…wow.”

She started giggling. “Please tell me we can do that again. I don’t think I can feel my toes.”

He dropped a kiss to her lips. “Juliett, it would be my pleasure to do that with you over and over again.”

“Can I stay the night?” she asked, her head resting over his heart.

It skipped.

She heard it.

“I would really like that.”

“Me too.”

Rhett closed his eyes, a smile on his lips. This was the best night of his life.

Nothing could ruin it.

Absolutely nothing.

Chapter EIGHTEEN

Early Saturday Morning

She was trapped. No matter what she did, she couldn’t wake up. Juliett was stuck in the nightmare with no place to go. While a part of her knew she was safe in Rhett’s bed, the rest of her was sucked into what was going on around her.

He was killing someone else.

She could see it.

He threw her in her trunk after choking her to unconsciousness. Then he drove the woman to her place.

Juliett could read the numbers on the door. She memorized them.

There was laughter as he carried her inside, over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

There was no love.

Tenderness.

Or affection.

He hated her.

For no reason, other than to make her suffer, he wanted to hurt her. She could feel it in his intent, and the laughter that filled her mind.

It was sick.

Twisted.

Depraved.

Once inside, he tied her to the bed. She was naked, spread eagle, and helpless. Then he raped her.

She wanted to escape, not watch him brutalize her body, but she couldn’t pull away.

She was his prisoner until he was done.

As he finished, he took a bottle of clear liquid and dumped it all over her.

Then he lit the match.

His words echoed through her head.

“I know you’re watching me. I can feel you. Before this is over, this will be you. Be afraid.”

There was laughter as her body was engulfed by flames.

It was all she could take.

Juliett screamed.

Rhett heard her helpless wail.

It pulled him from a pleasant dream of him making love to Juliett. When he came awake, she was sitting in his bed, sheet clutched tightly around her body as she shook.

“Honey, are you okay?” he asked, pulling her into his arms.

Like a wounded child, she climbed into his lap, clinging to him like there was no tomorrow. He held her to help alleviate the fear.

“He took another woman. There’s another dead girl.”

He stopped moving. Had he heard her right?

“You saw her? You saw him killing someone?”

She nodded.

“Okay, we need to get dressed. I have to call the FBI to handle this.”

She didn't want to let him go.

“I’m here, honey. Just try not to forget any of the details.”

She could do that. “I have an excellent memory. Get me a pen. I’ll write it down.”

He dug around in his nightstand and pulled out a pad and pencil. Handing it to her, she began scribbling everything she could think of down.

He began getting dressed.

“He’s sick,” she whispered. “He’s doing it for the amusement of it, and to hurt someone. He feels evil and wants revenge.”

Rhett was worried.

The last thing he wanted was for this asshole to get Juliett. He was crazy about her, and he’d die if she got hurt because of him.

“Don’t,” she warned, glancing up at him. “Avalon said I need to be with you to survive. Don’t push me away.”

Those words shocked him, but he was grateful someone was on their side. He wanted to say so much more, but her eyes were filled with tears.

He was worried. “I won’t, but you’re sticking close. Do you hear me, Juliett?”

She nodded.

Gone was the timid man, and in his place was the lawman she first admired. When he picked his shirt off the floor, and helped her slip into it, the scent calmed her.

“Thank you.”

“No need. I protect what’s mine.”

She wondered if he realized what he just said. The words spoke volumes, and Juliett only hoped they were genuine. There was that sense of hope.

He’d save her.

She believed it.

“I’ll call the FBI. We’ll get through this. I promise.”

She was betting on him.

Rhett was her last and only chance.

       
                
* * *
  O R A C L E   * * *

Juliett’s Cabin

When his phone rang, he had to lean over Avalon to get to it. She held onto him, leaving little openmouthed kisses across his throat.

As his body came awake, he tried to think about who the hell could be calling him at this time of the night.

Someone had a death wish.

“Director?” came the voice.

“Sheriff?”

“Yeah, I have one hell of a problem,” he admitted.

“What?”

“Juliett just woke up screaming. Apparently, she had another nightmare, and we need you to get here. She has some details you might need for your investigation”

Nate was off the bed fast as he hurriedly got dressed. They’d been waiting to see when the killer struck again, and this was their chance.

“We’ll get there as soon as possible. Keep your place locked up.”

“I will.”

He hung up the phone and called his eyes on the sheriff. Nate needed to make sure everything was kosher at the man’s house.

“Yo,” came the whisper.

“Jagger, is everything okay there?”

The man scanned the area. “Well, it’s quiet here. The light just went on in the upstairs bedroom. Why?”

“Juliett had a dream. I need you to get inside and secure the place. We’re going to be heading that way.”

“On it boss.”

“Avalon is coming, so really lock down the location.”

The man got the hint.

They were going to be transporting precious cargo. The boss man had spoken.

“I’ll take care of it. See you in a few.”

The second he hung up, his focus was the naked woman in bed. Her deliciously pert breasts called to him. What wouldn’t he give to climb back in bed and get lost in her body?

“Nathaniel?”

“Juliett needs us. I don’t want to leave you here with only Maura, so you’re going to have to get dressed and join me.”

He handed her clothes and she began dressing.

“That’s okay. I’m sure that Juliett could use a friend right about now. I recall that last dream. It was pretty intense.”

“While you’re getting dressed, I’ll go wake the rest of the team.”

She didn't reply. Avalon was too busy focusing on getting into her clothes.

Nate headed out and into the hall. When he got to the room Juliett had been using, no one was in it. That meant they were in Jagger’s space.

Knocking on the door, he waited for Luke to wander over to let him in.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, fully awake.

He told him.

“Okay, let’s get moving,” Luke said, buttoning his shirt. Maura was pulling her shirt over her head.

“Thanks for not looking,” she said, walking by him.

He started laughing.

Immediately, Luke stared at him. “Really?”

“What? I really didn't look. That would be like checking out my own sister. She’s busting your ass.”

Luke punched him in the gut on his way past. “That’s just in case.”

He rubbed his abs in amusement. “We move out in five minutes,” he called, and then headed back to his room to help the woman he loved.

       
                
* * *
  O R A C L E   * * *

Rhett’s Cabin

After they got downstairs, Rhett made the woman some tea. She was shaking pretty badly, and he didn't want her to suffer any more.

If he could take this burden away from her, he would. Only it wasn’t his cross to bear. She had to handle it on her own.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, handing her a steaming mug.

“Yes. I just need a few minutes.”

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

There was no way Nate and his team could have gotten there that fast. Grabbing his gun, he pointed at her. “If that’s an intruder, grab my phone and run to our room. Lock the door and don’t come out.”

She tried to focus past the last part of the sentence. Had he called it ‘our’ room? Was it intentional? Accidental?

“Do you hear me, Juliett?”

“Yes, Rhett.”

He crossed to the door and peeked out. There stood Jagger as he was scoping out the front yard. Apparently, he was making sure the coast was clear.

He opened the door. “How did you get here so fast?”

Jagger grinned. “I was in one of your trees.”

Rhett stared at him.

“Relax. I’m not spying. It’s protection detail for Juliett. I was supposed to make sure she’s safe. P.S—if I were you, I’d get blinds.”

He opened his mouth, not sure if the man was kidding, or dead serious.

“I’m going to check the house to make sure the place is clear.”

“What are you looking for?” Rhett asked.

“Quilts. What the hell do you think I’m looking for? Nate is bringing Avalon, and he wants her to be safe,” he teased.

“Have at it,” he said, locking the door. “I have a quilt on the spare room bed.”

The man snorted.

When Jagger headed off, he moved back to the couch and the woman sitting there.

She looked so small in his shirt. It occurred to him that the second the team got there, they were going to assume the worst. He wanted to be a gentleman.

“Do you want me to get your clothes? This looks like you rolled out of my bed.”

“I did roll out of your bed.”

He stared at her, flushing at her words.

“I’m a big girl. If I want to sleep with you the rest of my life—which at this point is looking shorter and shorter—so be it.”

He didn't know how to take that.

“Are you offering?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

“Maybe we should talk about this after we discuss the killer. You may not want me anywhere near you,” Juliett admitted. Honestly, she wasn’t sure she’d blame him if he did run. Of all the men she’d frightened away, this one had the most reason to bolt.

“I think we still need to talk.”

“About?”

“Last night.”

“This isn't where you freak out and tell me it was too fast or a mistake, is it? I’m at the end of my rope here, and that might just push me over the edge and into insanity.”

He lifted her chin with his index finger. “No. I just don’t want you to be shocked when the FBI tells you this killer is making it look like I’m involved. I wouldn’t hurt a woman. I certainly wouldn’t do anything to you. I just hope you know that.”

She kissed him. When she pulled away, she stared into his eyes. “We just slept together, Rhett. I’m your alibi. I know you wouldn’t do anything like what this killer is doing. You’re not that kind of man.”

He was grateful she believed him.

“Thank you.”

“For the hot sex?” she asked.

He laughed. “Yeah, that too.”

She held on to him, only because it made her feel a million times better. When there was a knock on the door, Jagger hustled down the stairs.

“I’ll get it. You can stay there.”

He had his gun out as he peeked out the door. “Boss, the house is secure.”

Nate moved aside, and immediately, Avalon grabbed Jagger’s arm.

“Take me to her, please.”

He navigated her there, placing her on the couch beside the couple.

Avalon could see that their auras were overlapping, so she knew they were more than just holding each other.

They had been intimate.

“Are you okay?” she asked, taking the woman’s hand.

“Yes. I’m okay, I think.”

Nate took a seat across from them on the couch. It was hard not to notice that Juliett was wearing the large man’s shirt. Apparently, this is why she didn't return back to the cabin.

Well, if Avalon wanted them attached, she’d gotten her wish. They were definitely more than just bed buddies. He was holding her in his arms, and she was nuzzling his cheek.