"How did you get captured and end up at TecSol anyway?" I asked, anxious to turn his attention away from me. "Kade showed me the photographs they"d taken of us. How did you get them?"
Blane"s jaw clenched and his grip on my legs tightened. "I could throttle him for showing you those," he said. "Frank Santini showed up at my house that night. He wanted to blackmail me. The Santinis specialize in politicians. It"s how they manage to stay just beyond the reach of law enforcement. I refused to be blackmailed, so he tried a different tactic." His expression hardened even further.
"What?" I prompted when he didn"t continue.
"They said they had you," he said simply, as if it were obvious that was the only method of persuasion they"d needed. My breath caught in my throat and my eyes widened in shock. I had no idea what to say to that.
Reaching for my waist, he pulled me forward and I stood, moving between his spread legs. He kept pulling me until I settled on my knees, straddling his lap. His hand slid under the folds of my towel, tugging until it loosened and fell to the floor. I felt my face heat and Blane smiled, trailing his hand down the side of my face.
"There"s that blush," he murmured, almost to himself, before curving his hand around the back of my neck and kissing me. Our tongues entwined as he deepened the kiss, his hand slowly stroking up and down my back.
I pressed closer, needing to feel his body against mine. His erection was hard between my legs and I ground myself against him. He groaned, his hands biting into my hips. One lifted to cup my breast and I arched my back, offering myself to him as his lips trailed down my neck.
"Not here," he whispered against my skin before reluctantly leaning back. "I want you but let"s get out of here. I can"t believe he brought you to this place." I bit my tongue to silence the immediate defense of Kade that sprang to my lips. I really, really didn"t want to talk about Kade with Blane.
I moved off Blane"s lap, grabbed the towel and wrapped it around me. I hurried to the suitcase, pulling out a pair of gray slacks and a black sweater. I brushed my hair and dressed in the bathroom. After a few minutes, I was ready to go. I grabbed my purse and my coffee while Blane carried the suitcase outside to his car.
We drove for a while in comfortable silence, my hand clasped in Blane"s as the miles flew past. Some things were still bothering me though, and while I didn"t want to ruin the moment, I needed closure.
"Kade said you were going to put the Santini brothers away for a long time," I said, breaking the quiet. Blane nodded.
"That"s right."
"How?"
"I taped Frank," he said. "I knew they would try to use my being at that party to blackmail me so I set him up, waited for him to approach me. Which, of course, he did. He couldn"t resist. The police brought him and his brother in for questioning and they ratted out Gage and his part in the murder of your neighbor and Mark in return for a deal with the prosecutor."
I breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. Finally. I could relax. No one would be coming after me.
"Are you going to tell me why you were even there in the first place?" I asked.
"I could ask you the same question," Blane said wryly. "That was certainly the last place I expected to see you."
"I had a lead on who killed Sheila," I protested. "Of course I had to go. But you and Kade seemed to know everyone there."
"Kade and I spent the last several months infiltrating that operation because that"s where we suspected the money was coming from to fund TecSol. The Santini brothers ran the prost.i.tution ring and Gage helped launder the money before funneling it to TecSol. Frank Santini invited me there for the very purpose of trying to blackmail me." Blane glanced my way again before his eyes swung back to the road.
"Until the other night, I hadn"t given them an opportunity to do so."
I digested this. So Blane hadn"t lied to me about not being a customer. The other times he"d gone to one of those parties, he hadn"t been with another woman while he was there.
"What about James?" I asked. It took a little longer for Blane to answer me and I glanced over at him curiously. His hands had tightened on the steering wheel.
"Nothing happened to James," he answered flatly, and my mouth fell open in shock.
"What do you mean?" I said, aghast. "It was because of him that Sheila was murdered and he nearly got me killed as well!"
"I know," Blane said grimly, "but his father took all the blame for those things, exonerating James entirely. He"s free to do as he pleases."
I blew out a sigh, trying not to feel dejected. I remembered how my dad would come home some nights after having seen a criminal freed on a technicality or some such thing. He"d told me then that the guilty invariably would be caught again - that their good fortune made them careless - and they would eventually pay for their crimes. At some point James would do something stupid and then there would be no easy out for him.
The afternoon sun shone through my window, and before long I found myself drifting off. I was awakened by Blane pressing light kisses to my jaw and cheek. I smiled sleepily.
"We"re back," he said softly. "I would have taken you to my house, but I thought you might prefer to be at your own place." His words seemed to hold an unspoken question but I wasn"t positive. It could have been wishful thinking on my part.
"Thank you," I said, rousing myself and running a hand through my hair.
He got out and carried my bag as we walked up the stairs. I looked over at CJ"s apartment. With a pang, I realized it was empty. I guess I"d hoped, even though Kade had said otherwise, that he"d been wrong.
I went to unlock my door but paused when I saw a sc.r.a.p of paper taped to it. Peeling it off, I unfolded and read it as Blane looked over my shoulder.
Kathleen - I"m sorry.
- CJ.
I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. What did this mean? She was sorry she"d set me up? I crumpled the note in my hand, shoving it into my pocket.
Blane unlocked the door and guided me inside, setting my suitcase down before closing the door behind us.
"You okay?" he asked, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear.
"I"ll be fine," I answered. I didn"t want to think about CJ right now.
A meowing caught my attention and I turned away, surprised.
"Tigger!" I cried out happily as an orange ball of fluff launched itself at me. I caught him up in my arms, his purring a most welcome sound.
"I had Mona bring him over today," Blane explained. "I thought you"d be wanting him back home."
Too overwhelmed with emotion to speak, I just nodded. I felt like I"d come a long way in a short amount of time, remembering the first night Blane had been in my apartment while I comforted Tigger in my arms.
Blane placed his fingers under my chin, lifting my face toward his. His lips settled on mine with a gentleness and reverence that made my heart ache. Tigger squirmed in my arms and I let him jump to the ground, moving forward so I could twine my arms around Blane"s neck. He broke off the kiss and pulled back slightly to look at me, his hands cupping my face. His eyes were the same stormy gray I remembered and it seemed like I would drown in them.
"I spent twenty-four hours not knowing if you were dead or alive," he said roughly, his thumbs brushing my cheeks.
Then he was kissing me again and the tenderness had been replaced by hunger. His mouth moved along my jaw to my neck and heat curled low in my belly. I clutched at his shirt to keep my knees from buckling. I felt him tugging at my shirt and helped him pull it over my head. I cradled his head to my chest as his tongue traced the top edges of the black lace bra I wore.
Scooping me up in his arms, he carried me to the bedroom. I kicked off my shoes and distantly heard them thud to the floor. Laying me down on top of my bed, he stood and quickly removed his clothes. The sun hadn"t yet set so there was enough light in the room for me to see him and my heart started pounding.
His body was the epitome of male perfection. The muscles in his arms and chest rippled with every movement he made. Even the bandage by his shoulder only served to accentuate his maleness. His abdomen was hard and begged to be touched. My eyes drifted downward and I felt my cheeks burn.
Blane laughed softly as he bent over me, tugging open the fastening on my pants and sliding them and my underwear down my legs, leaving me clad in just my bra.
"I love it when you blush," he said, which caused me to turn even redder.
Pulling me into his arms, he kissed me again and I forgot about my shyness. He turned so that I was laying on top of him, straddling his hips. His fingers made quick work of the fastening on my bra and then I was gasping for air, my head falling back as his hands found my b.r.e.a.s.t.s.
Forcing my eyes open, I looked down at him. His eyes smoldered as he watched me. My hands were splayed on his chest. They looked very small and white against his skin. Tentatively, I traced the line of his jaw down his neck. He grew still under my touch. I hesitated, uncertain if I should continue.
"Do whatever you want, Kat," he said softly.
Taking the opportunity, and s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up my courage, I scooted down so I could press my mouth to his chest. His skin was warm, the muscles beneath hard as I traced the contours of his chest down his abdomen, my lips and tongue marking him. I could feel his heart beating faster and I smiled against his skin. It was nice to know I had the same effect on him as he had on me.
My hair was getting in my way so I flipped it over to the side and up. Blane buried his fingers in the strands as they trailed across his chest.
I had reached his waist now and my tongue traced a long scar I found near his hip. His erection jerked in response. I was nervous but wanted to touch him. My fingers tentatively wrapped around his length and he groaned. Encouraged, I leaned forward, taking him in my mouth. He grunted a curse, his hips jerking upward as I moved to take him deeper. My arousal throbbed between my legs and I moaned around him. Then he was tugging me upward and away from him and I mewled in disappointment.
"It"s going to be over way too quick if you keep doing that," he breathed against my lips before kissing me, his tongue stroking mine. His hands moved down my back to my rear before pressing me closer. I yelped in pain, jerking away instinctively. He"d inadvertently found the marks from the belt Avery had hit me with.
"What is it? Did I hurt you?" he asked anxiously and I quickly shook my head in denial. The last thing I wanted was for him to get a good look at the welts.
"I"m fine," I said, moving to kiss him again. He evaded me, his hands now skimming my skin, searching. Blane was no fool and I knew he"d find out my little secret in about two seconds if I didn"t do something. Then this wonderful reunion would be over before it even got started.
Rising up, I grasped his erection in my hand and lowered myself onto him. My breath caught at the twinge of pain, my body still unaccustomed to his size, but it quickly faded. Blane"s breath hissed between his teeth, his hands biting into my hips as I settled myself with him deep inside me.
My hair was in the way again so I raised my arms, brushing it back from my face and tossing it behind me with a flip of my head.
"G.o.d, you"re amazing," Blane rasped, his hands now sliding up my ribs to cup my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. I felt a smile curve my lips at his praise.
I raised myself up before slowly sliding back down onto him and was rewarded with another hiss from Blane. My legs trembled slightly when I rose up again and a cry was startled from me when his hips lifted to drive into me. Then he sat up and turned us, flipping me onto my back.
My legs lifted to curve around him as he thrust inside me. His arms were wrapped around me and he pressed kisses to my cheeks, my forehead and my lips as he moved slow and deep. Each stroke brushed against the tight bundle of nerves at the apex of my thighs until my entire body was trembling and slick with sweat. I clutched at his shoulders, my breath coming in pants.
"You"re mine now, Kat," he whispered, his lips at my ear.
Then he was moving faster, harder, and I was crying out his name, tears leaking from my eyes as I came apart beneath him. He drove into me even harder before a wordless shout erupted from him, his body shuddering in my arms.
Blane"s weight settled heavily on me, but I didn"t mind. His lips found mine again, the kiss tender and deep, our bodies still locked together.
Moving to the side, he turned me so I was cuddled against him, his shoulder pillowing my head as his hand absently stroked my hair. I sighed deeply, a satisfied smile curving my lips.
"That was so much better than Donny Lester," I said smugly. Blane"s hand paused in my hair before he burst into laughter. I loved hearing him laugh. He pulled me on top of him and I rested my chin on my folded arms, drinking in the sight of him. This time when he smiled, it reached all the way to his eyes.
"I would hope so," he finally said when his laughter subsided. "Though with a name like that, the poor guy didn"t stand a chance." I giggled at that and had to agree. "Donny Lester" and "amazing s.e.x" just didn"t belong in the same sentence.
My stomach growled then and I flushed. Blane chuckled and made me stay in bed while he went to the refrigerator, coming back with some fruit and cheese. We took turns feeding each other, laughing and talking, and I couldn"t remember the last time I"d felt as happy as I was at that moment.
He made love to me again, and afterward, we lay in the dark, talking quietly. It seemed he wanted to know everything about me and I told him of my childhood and my parents. He listened patiently as I spoke about my aborted attempt at college, caring for my mother during her illness, and selling our family home before coming to Indianapolis. When we finally fell asleep, I was spooned in Blane"s arms, his warm breath caressing my bare shoulder.
I woke hours later in the night, the bottoms of my feet throbbing. Carefully detangling my limbs from Blane"s and leaving him asleep in the bed, I grabbed his shirt from the floor and pulled it on over my head. His cologne wafted up from the fabric and I smiled.
Padding barefoot into the bathroom, I quietly pulled the bedroom door closed behind me. I found some salve and band-aids and applied it to the worst of the sc.r.a.pes and cuts marring the soles of my feet. My thoughts unwittingly drifted to Kade. A part of me worried about him, though I knew it was ridiculous. He was quite capable of taking care of himself. I wondered where he"d gone, if he"d come back to Indy or went wherever he"d been before Blane had called for him to come here. The thought crossed my mind that he might have gone back to Chicago to see Branna. Something twisted inside at that thought and uncomfortably I pushed it away.
Leaving the bathroom, I headed to the kitchen for a drink of water. After filling up a gla.s.s, I turned my back and leaned against the cool kitchen counter as I drank. I glanced toward my living room and something sitting on the coffee table caught my eye. Frowning, I set my gla.s.s down and hesitantly walked into the room. I switched on a lamp and saw a large manila envelope on the table. I was quite certain it hadn"t been there earlier.
With some trepidation, I picked it up and opened it, peeking inside. I gasped in surprise at the contents before turning it upside down. A thick sheaf of crisp bills cascaded out onto the table.
My knees gave way and I sat heavily on the couch, unable to take my eyes off the money. Slowly, I reached out and started gathering the bills, a suspicion forming in my mind as I counted. Ten minutes later, I had my answer as I sat staring at exactly twenty thousand dollars which now sat in a neat and tidy pile in front of me. The price for my life.
Grasping the manila envelope, I turned it over in my hand, only now seeing the short line of handwriting on one side. I held it closer so I could read it.
Buy some decent shoes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR.
Tiffany Snow has been reading romance novels since she was too young to read romance novels. It seems she never tires of the magic that happens the first time the heroine meets the hero, nor does she grow weary of watching their unique story unfold with each turn of the page.
Tiffany makes her home in the Midwest with her husband and two daughters. She can be reached at
Turn the page for a sneak peek at the second book in the Kathleen Turner Series, Turn To Me available April 24, 2012!
Turn To Me
Chapter One.
"Hey, pretty girl, give me your cash and I won"t mess up your fancy dress."
I started, my pulse picking up as my brain processed the words. I was cold. Freezing actually, and my feet were killing me. December in Indianapolis was bad enough - add to it walking the streets alone at night wearing nothing but an evening gown and four inch heels and you had the ingredients for a truly wretched experience. Well, at least I"d thought that was the worst it could get. Apparently, I"d been wrong.
Turning, I watched as a man stepped out of the shadows. He was a hulking brute, big enough to easily outweigh me by a hundred pounds or more. The scattered light from a nearby streetlamp glinted off the knife he was holding and I swallowed heavily. I hated knives. Knives meant pain whereas guns meant death. Maybe I was in the minority, but death was the preferred of the two to my way of thinking. I wasn"t a big fan of pain.
"I don"t have any money," I said, trying to stay calm. I glanced around, keeping an eye on him as he advanced toward me. Unfortunately, no one was around. I backed away as he got closer, but knew I didn"t stand a chance if I tried to run, not with these shoes.
"Then I"ll take the pretty necklace," he sneered, leaping forward and grabbing my arm. I shrieked in surprise, but was silenced when he pressed the cold steel of the blade to my neck.
"Shut up, b.i.t.c.h," he snarled.
I was breathing hard, fear and adrenaline pumping through my veins. He towered over me, pushing against me until my back was against the cold brick wall. The rough stones abraded the exposed skin of my back.
"Give me the necklace." His breath was hot and fetid against my face.
"No," I said, helpless anger rising in me. I"d been given the necklace mere hours ago, Blane fastening it around my neck as I"d gotten dressed for this evening.
It suddenly seemed terribly ironic that a night that had started with such promise was ending in terror.