Ties That Bind (22 page)

“Could you just tell me one thing then? Was there a journal among them?”

“No. Why would you ask that?”

“Anna ordered a blank journal from the bookstore. We were wondering if she wrote in it.”

“I don’t know anything about Anna writing. But it’s not out of the question. She used to have a journal when she was young.”

“But there wasn’t one in her effects?” he asked again.

“No.”

Reese looked so disappointed any woman breathing would want to ease it. “Then that’s that. We should be going.” He pretended to be thoughtful for moment. “If you wouldn’t mind, Nancy, could we have some coffee? It’s a long drive back to Westwood. We’ll get out of your hair and on our way afterward.”

“No need to hurry.” She stood. “I’ll tell Harriet.” Bingham left and Reese whirled on Kate. “You could at least help out here.”

“Sorry,” Kate said nastily. “I was busy watching the show.”

“Do you or do you not want to see those personal effects.”

“I do.”

“Then play along, goddamn it.”

“Don’t speak to me like…”

“Coffee will be right out.”

Sweet as pie, now that Nancy was back, Reese smiled at her, stood and crossed to the fireplace; he picked up a picture on the mantel. “This is you and Anna?”

Nancy joined him, and her hand fluttered to her chest. Oh, great. Feminine wiles were all Reese needed—he was so susceptible to them. “Yes, it is. I’m afraid these photos are hard to look at now.”

“When was this one taken?”

“We used to spend our summers at the Jersey shore. That was right after I graduated from college.”

“Anna was older than you, right?”

Oh, boy.

“No, no, she was considerably younger.”

“Hard to tell.” Again the honey molasses grin. “You must miss her.”

Chase had said the two sisters were out of contact for years and Reese knew that.

“Oh, I do.” She pressed her fingers to her mouth.

Ostensibly out of comfort, Reese pounced on the poor woman and grasped her arm. “I’m sorry for being so fragile about this,” Nancy said.

Like hell you are, Kate thought.

When the maid brought the tray, they fussed over coffee and Italian biscotti. Kate tried to make conversation, but Nancy Bingham only had eyes for Reese. When enough time passed, Reese stood. “We’ll be leaving, I guess.” He arched a brow and looked so sexy that even Kate was affected. “That is unless I can change your mind about letting us see Anna’s personal effects.”

Caught in the proverbial hook, line and sinker mode, Bingham shrugged. “Well…”

“Oh, Nancy, we’d so appreciate it.”

Again a hesitation. “I guess it would be okay.” She touched Reese’s arm again. “Could you help me bring the boxes down? They’re in the attic.”

“Of course. And thank you so much.”

Kate reiterated the words, but had to keep from rolling her eyes.

Ten minutes later Kate was cooling her heels in the den when they entered with two boxes. Reese’s muscles bulged as he set them down on the table. Nancy stood back as Reese opened the cartons. Kate joined them and helped examine the contents.

“Those are awful things,” Nancy said, when Kate drew out the prison khakis.

“Hmm.” She noted the patches on them. A lot for six months. Looks like little sister had had some fights that tore her clothing.

Her shoes showed scuffing.

A soft covered Bible. Kate leafed through it. Since the pages stuck together like they were brand-new, it didn’t appear that Bingham was concentrating on the afterlife. She wondered why the woman even had the Good Book.

“I gave that to her,” Nancy said. “I thought it might, you know, help.”

“I’m sorry,” Kate said genuinely.

Anna also had a religious medal, and a ring.

Kate picked up a slim silver band. “Is this a wedding ring?”

Nancy shook her head. “Anna wasn’t married.”

Without asking, Reese took the ring from Kate and looked inside it. Suddenly Kate was reminded of what they’d sentimentally chosen for the inside their wedding bands. I’ll always love you.

So much for inscriptions.

Reese frowned. “It says ‘My love always, DD.’ Who’s DD?”

“I have no idea.”

This was progress, at least, Kate thought.

They waded through the rest of the clothes and personal items, mostly things bought at the commissary. A journal was not among them. Still, Kate studied each item, the last of which was a fingernail clipper. They were heavy. “Reese,” she said, unfolding them. “Look.”

On the underside of the clipper was taped a small key.

Perfect size for a journal.

o0o

DARKNESS HAD FALLEN by the time they were on the road back to Westwood. In the glare of the headlights, Reese could see Kate’s face, set in stern lines. She hadn’t said a word since they got in the car.

“What’s wrong?” he finally asked, pissed at her detachment.

“Nothing.”

Any man worth his salt knew a few things about women’s responses. Nothing always meant, If you don’t know, I’m not going to tell you.

“You seem upset.”

“I’m fine.”

Fine translated to You have no idea how mad I am.

“Jesus Christ, Kate, I thought you’d be happy that we got to look at her things. And found the key. At least we know the journal exists.”

“I am happy.”

“God, I forgot how you could be.”

“Oh, just shut up.”

Well, some reaction at least.

Silence. For several miles.

“Where do we go from here?” he finally asked.

“I don’t know.” Her tone said, I don’t care.

“Look, if you’re pissed off about something, spit it out or get over it. I want to save my ass, and damn it, you’re going to help.”

“Don’t you dare yell at me. Just because you used up all your charm on Nancy Bingham…”

“Is that what’s got your panties in a twist?”

“I couldn’t care less about your flirting with every woman on the planet. Just don’t complicate this case by playing footsy with somebody involved in it. That’s what got us into the whole thing as it is.”

“What?” Now he did yell. “You said you believed me!”

She stared out the window and remained stonily silent.

A horn beeped. Reese realized he’d swerved into the other lane.

“Watch your driving. I knew we should have come separately.”

“Oh, yeah, an hour trip in separate cars makes a lot of sense. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Nothing!”

His hands fisted on the steering wheel. Damn her. Damn her.

“You sound like a jealous shrew.”

“Yeah, that will be the day.”

Something about her taunt made him reckless. Spying a scenic view area that look deserted, Reese put on his blinker and pulled off the interstate.

“What the hell are you doing?” Kate asked as he brought the car to a stop.

“I want to talk to you and I’d prefer not to get us killed in the process.”

“Damn you, Reese. Don’t I have a say in anything?”

“Not this time.”

He cut the engine and the silence was deafening. Below them the city where Nancy Bingham lived spread out and the lights twinkled from the valley. Kate huffed out an angry breath and Reese counted to ten before he said, “Kate, talk to me.”

Her whole body sagged. She shook her head. “I can’t do this. I just can’t.”

He reached out to squeeze her shoulder.

“Oh, God no, don’t do that. Don’t touch me.”

“Kate…”

Thrusting him off, she yanked on the handle, threw the door open and bolted out of the car.

What the hell?

He exited his side and went after her. She was running, in heels, a skirt and suit jacket, which slowed her down. When she stumbled, he caught up to her easily, by a green shingled shed. Grabbing her shoulders, he used force to keep her still.

Her back to him, she struggled. “Let me go.”

“No, I did that once and I regret it. I’m not letting you go.”

She rounded on him. “Are you crazy? What are you saying? We practically destroyed each other. I’m not going to give in to this…temptation just because I want to jump your bones again. Just because I hated…” She clapped her hand over her mouth, as if realizing what she was admitting and trying to stop the words from tumbling out.

It was all he needed. Her eyes widened as he took a step forward. She backed up but the shed stopped her.

And then Reese was on her.

o0o

NO, NO, NO, was all Kate could think when she saw Reese’s body move toward hers. His green eyes were dark and dangerous. She put her hands on his chest to push him away and felt his muscles leap, his heart pound. Her own heartbeat raced to keep up. She opened her mouth to protest, but his lips silenced her.

Ahhhh…she remembered that all-male taste of him, his lips firm, demanding. She angled her head for deeper contact, and he growled into her mouth. He dragged her close, so their chests were melded together. The crush of his weight against her breasts, with the shed behind her, made her breath catch. His tongue curled around hers, possessing it, conquering her mouth. She participated, dueled, devoured. His hands on her face, he grasped her roughly, brought her closer. Still the kiss went on. All thought fled, replaced by sensation so acute, so familiar it leveled Kate. She started to slump.

Reese caught her by banding his arms around her back. He lifted her up on tiptoes, still mastering her mouth. Still surrendering to the sweet taste of her, the familiar curves and planes of her. Bracing her against the shed, he slid his hands to her butt, caressed the curves of her bottom, his fingers flexing on her. A moan escaped her lips; he swallowed it, but it fueled his desire. So he grasped her thighs and hoisted her up; almost automatically, she wrapped her legs around him. Brought into intimate contact, he pressed her into the shed, and she bucked right into his groin. He tore his mouth away from hers, and angled his hips forward. “Arrgh…” His moan was loud in the relative quiet of the deserted rest area. Her breathing labored, she buried her face in his neck, her teeth scraping his skin. He brushed her hair back so he could get his mouth on her neck, too, as he rubbed her lower half against him.

“Oh, shit…” he said, briefly panicking at the thought that he might go off on her, here, right now. His teeth clamped on her bare skin.

“Reese, Reese.” Kate bit out the words.

He knew her body so well, knew she was so close to orgasm, all it would take…

A car whizzed by, honking its horn. For just a second, Reese stopped grinding her against him. That moment brought sanity.

“Reese,” she whispered, her breath still ragged. “Stop. Please, love.”

It was the endearment that got to him. That doused some of the desire that demanded hot, sweaty release. He didn’t know what hurt more, his physical arousal or the feeling of loss that her words brought. So he stopped. “I’ll stop. Don’t move, though.”

She clung to him, like she’d clung to him a thousand times in the past. Her heart syncopated with his, the heat of her seeped into him. She held on tight.

He didn’t know how long it was before he let go of her legs. They slid to the ground. Her face stayed buried in his chest and his in her hair. Finally their breathing evened out.

He released her in increments. He lifted his head. He dropped his hands. He stepped back, if only fractionally.

Finally she looked up at him. From the rest area’s dim lights, he could see her mouth was swollen, her hair a wild tangle. A couple of buttons were undone on her blouse and the swell of breasts that he longed to touch, to take in his mouth, to suckle until she screamed, was visible in the muted light. But her lips were trembling, and her eyes were so sad, he just grasped her arms lightly, swallowed hard, and stared down at her.

Kate held his gaze, still overcome by tasting, touching, reveling in the touch of the only man she had ever loved. She felt chagrined, she felt guilty, but none of those emotions eclipsed the pure joy of raw, intimate contact with him.

“Well,” he said softly, sweetly, tenderly. “Well.”

“Yeah, well.”

He rubbed her arms up and down. “I guess that’s where everything was coming from.”

“Everything?”

“The sniping. The sarcasm. The jealousy.”

“I suppose.” She put her hands on his chest but didn’t push him away. “Think we got it out of our systems?”

He laughed and yanked her hips closer, pressed his erection against her.

“Oh, I guess not.” She chuckled, then sobered and shook her head. “This isn’t funny, is it?”

“No, it’s damned serious.”

“I’m trying not to panic.”

“Good luck. I’m halfway there.”

She stumbled a bit and he frowned. He glanced down. “Hell, where’s your shoe?”

“It fell off when you lifted me…” She covered her face with her hands. “Reese, what did we do here?”

Tenderly he brushed her hair back. “You know what happened.”

“Too much time together.”

“I was afraid of this.”

“So were Tyler and Dray.”

At the mention of the two people in their lives, they both sucked in breaths.

“Oh, God!” she said.

He frowned.

She shook her head. “This was an aberration. Maybe it was bound to happen. But it doesn’t really change where we are in our lives.”

“It sure as hell could if we let it.”

“We’re not going to let it, Reese.”

“Some things you can’t stop.” He motioned to the air around him. “Like this.”

“We’ll be more careful.”

“And how will we do that? We’ve got hours of work ahead of us, which means hours of time alone. We’ll just combust again.”

“No.” She stepped around him, bent down, and picked up her shoe. “Shit, the heel’s broken.”

He pivoted. Now that he was more in the light, she swore again. “There’s lipstick all over your shirt.” She closed her eyes. “And marks on your neck.”

“And on yours.”

“We didn’t try hard enough to resist this.”

“Of course we did.”

She anchored a fist on her hip. “What do you suggest we do about all this, hotshot?”

“I don’t exactly know.”

She scowled. “We wouldn’t be in this predicament if you kept your promise.”

His voice rose. “I tried. You getting jealous of Nancy Bingham would drive a saint to kiss you.”