aWhatas this?a Nick stared at the puppy squirming in Caitlinas hands. After a day spent plowing through computer files, he wasnat in the mood for any more of her jokes.
aYour way in.a He raised his eyebrows waiting for her to explain.
aSame concept as the vibrator but youall be able to move around. Change into the puppy, Iall deliver you. Youall have free reign of the house.a He stared at the dog, currently licking his sisteras fingers, his little tail wagging with perky ecstasy. aI hate turning into little animals. Too yappy. Itas hard to keep control of their minds.a Everything had its own energya"even that stupid vibratora"but when dealing with a living creature, there was the added complication of psychic energy. In an animal, this energy revealed itself as instinct. If he took on the puppyas form, he would actually become a puppy with a human mind inside it. The human had to control the animal, fighting the natural instincts and innate responses. Some animals were easier than others. Baby animals tended to have very short attention spans.
aYouad rather turn into an inanimate object?a No, but at least I had a chance of getting near Tallyas p.u.s.s.y. And that had worked so well.
aFine.a He took the dog from his sister and concentrated, absorbing the animalas essence. It slipped into his system like a streak of electricity. The puppy stretched up and licked him across the chin. Nick smiled, no more able to resist the adorable puppy than hopefully Tally would be. He could easily imagine Tally on the ground, rolling around with the puppya"her eyes alight with laughter. The picture made his chest ache.
Steeling his spine, he pushed the dog back in to Caitlinas hands.
aWeall do it tonight. Late. So she doesnat have a chance to get rid of the dog before bed.a Tally stared at the papers spread out across her kitchen table. No matter how she looked at the numbers on the Georgia plant, they didnat add up. Profits were being tallied but she couldnat find the source. Shead checked and rechecked the math but still it looked like money was appearing out of nowhere. She grabbed the expense lists for the factory. Maybe there was some savings realized that she hadnata"
The doorbell broke her chain of thoughts. She peered up at the clock. Nine forty-five? Who would be coming by at this hour? Richard? A warm shiver skipped down her spine at the thought. A repeat of the other night might have been part of her unconscious fantasies throughout the day. But as quickly as the thought came to her, it died. Richard had called and said he was safely in Chicago. Head even called her aBaby Dolla. Ugh. She much preferred the hungry, growling ababya when he was buried deep inside.
She dropped her pencil on the table and went to the door, smoothing her clothes. The bell rang again. She peeked out the window. A woman in a crisp blue suit waited. Her lips were moving as if she was talking to someone.
Still cautious, Tally opened the front door, keeping one foot behind it to block it from opening further.
aYes?a aTally Hayward?a aYes.a aI have a delivery for you.a She stretched her arms forward, pushing a brown bundle through the small opening of the door. Tally had little choice but to accept it. The door swung wide but that was no longer her biggest concern. It was the puppy twitching in her hands. The fluffy mound of fur was squirming and wiggling, as if trying to get closer to her. She pulled it against her chest and he began to lick her neck, up to her earlobe.
aHe likes you. Imagine that?a The puppy turned his head and released a little growl. The sound was low but hardly dangerous. The other woman chuckled and looked as if she was holding back a full belly laugh.
She set a bag at Tallyas feet. aHereas everything he needs for the next few days and a list of instructions on puppy care.a She started to turn away.
aNo, wait. What is this? You canat leave him here. I didnat order a puppy.a aHeas a gift.a She looked at a slip of paper. aFrom Nick Conner.a aNick sent me a puppy? But I canat keep a puppy.a She pushed out her hands, holding the dog away. He started to cry as soon as their bodies separateda"the mournful, heart-wrenching cries of a puppy. The sound was so pitiful, Tally cuddled him back against her chest. He settled down and his little tail flipped back and forth in joy.
aHe doesnat seem to want to leave you.a Again the woman looked on the verge of laughter. aBut donat worry. Heas housetrained.a She reached out and petted his head. aThe best in his cla.s.s at puppy school.a Another growl in her direction.
aBut why would Nick send me a dog? Can you keep him until I figure this out?a It was a sweet gift but shead didnat have pets. With the hours she worked, it didnat make sense. Pets took time and energy. The puppy licked her chin. And love. She looked down into his deep blue eyes. They seemed to be pleading her with herakeep me, keep me. aHeas adorablea"a Just like the man who sent him. aButaa She pled silently with the woman.
aIam sorry. Itas against policy. Once an animal has been delivered, itas your responsibility.a She smiled and tilted her head. It was a friendly welcoming smile that seemed out of place with the casual relationship of a delivery person and her client. aIt was nice to meet you, Tally.a She tapped the puppy on the head. aBe good.a There was a stern warning in her voice that the dog ignored. He rested his head against Tallyas chest and closed his eyes. aYouare going to have a time with that one. Good night.a The woman walked away. Tally could have sworn she heard her laughing as she went down the porch and back to her truck.
Tally stood for a moment, thinking it had to be a joke. Nick couldnat have sent her a dog. Why? Did he think she was in need of companionship? If so he should have come himself.
With a sigh, she stared down at the puppy, now sleeping contentedly in her arms, his chin resting on her breast. He looked happy and pleased with himself. Almost as if his little mouth was smiling.
There was nothing she could do tonight. Shead have to keep him tonight and return him to Nick tomorrow. She grabbed the bag of supplies and dragged it into her living room. Carrying the puppy carefully, she set him on the couch. She was two steps away when the cries started. Head woken up and was standing at the edge of the cushionsa"alternately looking at her and the ground so far away.
aYou want to come with me? Okay, but no tinkling in my house, okay?a She doubted the puppy actually agreed but she picked him up and put him on the floor. With those sweet little puppy eyes staring at her, there was little chance she was going to get any more work done. It was time to admit defeat. The numbers were wrong and that meant someone was stealing. Shead have to talk to Edward Branch or Martin Jessup in the morning and tell them what shead found. She gathered up her papers and tossed them into her briefcase. The puppy whimpered at her feet.
aAre you hungry?a She looked through the bag that had come with him and pulled out a water bowl and puppy food. The dog sniffed the food and growled. aNo good, huh?a She stood and stared at the cute little guy. He sat on the ground looking up at her with quiet adulation, melting any resistance she had to him. aWell, Iam ready for bed. How about you?a The puppyas tail wagged furiously until she thought it would knock his little body over. aNeed to go outside first?a She let him out into her backyard to do his business. He ran behind the one tree in her yard like he was shy then returned moments later looking as cute and adorable as ever. He ran back to her side and wagged his tail as if thrilled to see her again. Oh, he would be hard to give back. She crouched down and collected him in her arms, carrying him upstairs with her.
aYou really are too cute but I donat think I can keep you.a The puppy whimpered as if he understood her. aWell, weall see.a The light immediately returned to the dogas eyes. He sighed and snuggled against her, resting his head contentedly on her chest.
Nick stared at the closed bathroom door and wondered if it was safe to risk changing into his human form. This puppy mind was driving him nuts. The puppy had no control over his reactions. Every emotion Nick felt the dog immediately amplified and showed. He briefly wondered if Tally thought it strange that the dog was reacting to her words.
The thought pa.s.sed quickly. Nothing stayed long in this puppyas mind.
The indignity of it all. First head had to pee in her backyard. Nick had been able to control the puppy enough to run behind a tree. Not that he was overly shy in his human form but he didnat want Tallyas memories of him to be him lifting his leg.
And then shead locked him in the bathroom for the night.
He heard a rustle of skin on sheets. d.a.m.n, I want to be with her. The puppy mind immediately reacted and the dog released a pitiful cry. And kept crying.
aOh, puppy, please be quiet,a Tally called from the other side of the door. But he could hear the guilt in her voice. He was getting to her. He kept crying and added a little scratching to the bottom of the door. She was silent for what seemed like a long timea"though it was difficult to track the pa.s.sage of time with the puppyas short attention span. Finally he heard her move. Seconds later the door popped open and he skidded back.
She was huge to him in this body but still adorable. Her scent was especially tempting. The puppy instincts took control and Nick felt his body twitch and shake with joy.
aOkay, sweetie, you can come sleep with me.a Oh yeah. The tail whipped up into a frenzy.
She held him against her chest all the way back to the bed. She lay down and placed him beside her. He crawled over her, cuddling between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s as she lay on her side. The warmth and her spicy scent enveloped him. The puppyas mind responded to Nickas pleasure at being beside her and instantly relaxed. Everyone had gotten what they wanted. Nick felt his eyes shutting and couldnat keep them open. The puppy was exhausted and content. There was no way he could fight sleep.
aYou really are just way too cute,a Tally whispered. It was the last thing he heard before his mind faded to black.
He woke with a starta"the frantic puppy dream still racing through his head. Head been bounding through a field of tall gra.s.s chasing b.u.t.terflies.
Nick recaptured the zipping little mind and lifted his head. He was snuggled up against Tally, practically sleeping between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.
The dog mind tugged at his attention but Nick managed to keep control. He had to get moving. Regretting the loss of her warmth, he slipped out of Tallyas embrace and padded to the edge of the bed. He peeked over the side. It was a long way down. He braced himself and jumped. The dogas instincts took over and he landed gently on all four feet.
Crouched on the ground, he willed his human form to return. The slow stretching of his muscles was a silent, painful process. The thin layer of baby fur faded from his skin and his human hair returned. It didnat take long to make the switch but it took a moment for him to recover.
He lifted his head and looked across the mattress. Tally was deep in sleep, her mouth slightly open, almost begging for his kiss. Her leg was curled up to the side and Nick knew if he lifted the bottom of her nightgown head see the deep pink of her c.u.n.t. d.a.m.n, head become obsessed with her p.u.s.s.y in the past three days.
With a sigh, he stepped away from the bed. He wasnat here to make love to her. Again. He hurried downstairs and found Tallyas open briefcase on the kitchen table. Papers were casually stacked inside. He glanced through the financial reports she seemed to be reviewing.
He kept part of his mind focused on noises from upstairs and with the rest he reviewed the pages and the calculations. She didnat seem to be hiding informationa"she seemed to be searching for it. The disk lay in the bottom of her briefcase.
He grabbed the disk and went to her office. It took only a few minutes to bring up her computer. A quick scan of the diskas files revealed that this was her high priority disk. It appeared that anything of importance was on this disk. There were lists of subordinatesa salaries and employee reviews. She was smart and protective.
He looked through the files and there was nothing to indicate that shead been stealing. More notes about the Georgia plant sale. He dialed into the network and sent some of the files to Jameson for review.
Nick glanced at the clock. It was getting late and he needed to get back into puppy form. He meticulously returned everything to its place and went upstairs. He listened at the door for the slow steady pace of Tallyas breathing.
Instead there was a soft gasp. Nick recognized the sound. Shead made it the night before when head licked her c.l.i.t. He pushed open the door, inching it wider so he could see her on the bed. The cool moonlight that drifted through the window was enough to illuminate her pale body. Her nightgown was raised, baring her sleek legs and that hot p.u.s.s.y. He licked his lips at the memory, hoping to find some remaining trace of her flavor. He took a step back and leaned against the wall as the memory of her sighs and groans flowed into this crotch and hardened his c.o.c.k.
Another breathy sigh from Tally didnat help the affliction. Unable to resist, he looked back through the opening. Her hand lay between her legs, pumping and pushing. Her knees pulled back as she thrust her fingers into her c.u.n.t. His hand pushed the door open even as his minda"the distant portion of his brain that was functioninga"commanded that he draw back.
But the exotic vision of Tally spread before him, her own fingers plunging into her p.u.s.s.y, was too much for his desperate body to resist. He stepped to the side of the bed and stared down. Her eyes were shut, her lips open as she gasped for air.
Get out, change, move. Do something. He knew he had to follow the strident commands of his mind but there was something so compelling about the slow pump of her hand between her thighs and scent that arose from her s.e.x.
Her eyes fluttered open. Nick tensed. The haze of sleep was gone from her gaze and he could see the fear building in her body. He had to do something.
aItas just a dream,a he whispered.
As his words drifted into the air, he began to change. His body shrunk andaturned furry. Tally blinked and sat up, staring at the puppy wagging his tail. Shead been so sure she was awakea"on the verge of cominga"and when shead opened her eyes Nick had been standing in her bedroom. It had seemed too real.
Right up to the point where he turned into a dog.
The puppy yipped. Tally jumped, the sound giving an extra jolt to her heart. She was awake now. With the tilt of his puppy head, he bounced on his hind legs, trying to get to her. After a moment, she reached over the side and picked him up. He jumped over her leg and crawled up until he was again nestled against her chest. One quick sigh later, he closed his eyes and collapsed into sleep. Tally watched for a moment then shook her head. It had all seemed so real.
She rubbed the puppyas head and stared into the darkness. The dream lingered, keeping her awake until the sun rose. Finally, she dragged herself out of bed and got ready for work. Before she left the house, she let the puppy out, fed hima"which he again refused to eata"locked him in the laundry room and ran from the house before she had to endure any of his mournful cries. The guilt at leaving him alone all day was bad enough.
Still trying to shake off the affects of the dream, she arrived at work in a daze.
Tally stepped off the elevator and was immediately hit with the wave of concern and fear that permeated her office. She looked at the receptionist, hoping to get a sense of what was happening. Bethyas eyes grew wide and filled with tears.
aBethy, whatas wrong?a aDoug, the security guard?a Tally nodded. She knew him. Saw him most nights when he made his rounds and she was working late. aHeas dead.a aWhat happened?a aI donat know but the police are here.a Bethy took a deep breath. aThey found him in your office.a aWhat?a aTally?a She whipped around at Edwardas low, serious call. Martin hovered in the background as Martin tended to do.
aEdward, I just heard. What happened?a aI really canat say much. The police would like to talk to you.a He nodded to two men standing beside him.
aOf course.a One of the men stepped forward. aWead like to talk to you at the station if thatas all right, Ms. Hayward.a Tally felt her heart skip a beat. Oh, shead seen enough TV shows to know that was never a good thing.
Nick stared at the numbers on his phone. This couldnat be good. He flipped the phone open. aWhatas up?a he asked Jameson.
aWeave got major problems.a Energy raced down Nickas spine and he was immediately on his feet and moving to the door.
aWhatas happened?a aThe police just took Tally in.a Was this why Branch hadnat needed Nickas service? Head decided to have Tally arrested. It didnat make any sense. Devon, Caitlin and Nick had gone over everything they knew about Tally and all agreed there was nothing to indicate she was stealing.
aWhatas the charge?a aItas not official yet, but they think she murdered someone.a
Chapter Seven.
Tally stared at the gunmetal gray walls, trying to get her mind around the fact that they thought shead killed Doug. Oh, they hadnat arrested her. The police just wanted to atalka but it amounted to the same thing. They thought shead killed someone. Her initial panic was eased slightly when she learned that Doug was probably killed on Friday night. She was safe. She had an alibi. Richard. Head been with her all night. Well, head disappeared for a little bit but head been naked at the time. Somehow she doubted head gone far.
She tapped her fingers on the tabletop and waited. She hadnat asked for a lawyera"not yet anywaya"because she was innocent. All they had to do was make a phone call to Richard and he would confirm that she was home all night. With him. In bed. There was no way he could forget that night, she thought with a smile. It was indelibly burned into her memory.
The door opened and she slowly stood, expecting Detective Onea"shead long since forgotten their namesa"to tell her she was free to go.
aDid you talk to Richard?a aYes, maaam,a the detective answered, stepping into the room and closing the door. aAnd he says he was in Chicago on Friday night.a aBut he didnat go to Chicago until Sat.u.r.day.a aNo, maaam, we checked the airlines and Richard Chalmers was on the plane Friday afternoon so he couldnat have been with you.a He nodded to the chair, indicating she should sit back down. aNow, is there anything youad like to tell me about that night? Maybe it was an accident. You were startled, thought the guard was a burglar and you hit him before you realized who he was.a aI didnat hit him. I wasnat there. I was at home, with Richard.a Why would Richard say he hadnat been there? It didnat make sense.
aYour boyfriend says different. Are you sure you want to stick to that story?a the detective asked softly.
aIt isnat a story. Itas the truth. Let me talka"a Her plea to talk to Richard was interrupted by a knock and the door swinging open. Nick, looking strong and comforting, entered without acknowledging the detectiveas presence. Two other men walked in behind him. One was the other detective. The other was a man she didnat recognize but he had the aura of alawyera about him. Nick immediately came to her and pulled her into his arms. The warmth of his body melted the strength shead been fighting so hard to maintain. Tears welled up and crept over her eyelids. She wrapped her arms around his neck and began to cry.
aShh, shh. Itas okay, baby. Iave got you. Donat worry. Everythingas going to be all right.a She knew the others were there but she didnat care. All that mattered was Nick had come for her. She didnat know how or why but he was here. He continued to whisper to her, soothing nonsense that somehow rea.s.sured her. A long time later, when her tears were cried out, she lifted her head and looked into his blue eyes. aOkay now?a She nodded, the strength shead been faking no longer an act.
aWhatas going on?a Detective One said.
aThis is her legal team,a Detective Two announced from the doorway.
Tally blinked away the last tear and took a good look at the well-dressed man.
aTally, this is my brother Devon. Heas going to act as your lawyer.a Nick settled her against his side. aBut I think we can clear this up right now.a Devon stepped forward. aIam hoping to forestall any more inclination in my clientas direction with regards to this murder. She couldnat have killed that security guard. She was in her house all night.a Somehow she felt comforted when the lawyer said it with such official tones. She knew it was true but it sounded better coming out of his mouth.
aSo she says,a Detective One said. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. aBut her building access badge says different. Shows her entering at twelve-thirty Sat.u.r.day morning.a aI lost my badge on Friday,a she protested. Devon nodded. At least he believed her.
aTally couldnat have been downtown at twelve-thirty on Friday night,a Nick said. aShe was in bed.a He paused and she could see him bracing himself. aWith me.a Heat spun through her chest and stomach. He was lying for her? Why?
The two detectives smirked at each other and then turned to her. aThatas interesting, because she told us she was with another man all night.a aSheas confused.a Tallyas overwhelmed brain snapped back into clarity. aWhat?!a She stared at Nick but he kept his attention on the detectives. He looked so confidenta"but he was lying. Shead been with Richard.
aFriday night, I picked her up at her office, we took her car to dinner and then went back to her place. All night.a The wicked glint in his eyes revealed clearly what theyad been doing all night. But that had been Richard. Hadnat it?
The s.e.xy words, the exciting lovemaking. So not like Richard. Noa"she stalled her wayward thoughtsa"it had been Richard. Shead seen him. Confusion and fear that she was losing her sanity pounded at her already stressed temples.
aThen why would she say it was someone else?a Nick had the grace to look sheepish. aIam pretty good at disguising myself. I dressed up like her boyfriend, clothes, wig, makeup, and stayed in low light. It wasnat that hard to fool her.a He looked at her and she could see the apology in his eyes. She turned away. Why was he lying? Shead seen him in full lighta"in her office and at her house. There was no way that was Nick.
aCheck her phone records,a he said. aI made a call about two in the morning and I dialed in to the Internet and sent an email. I was there.a He sounded so definite, Tally was starting to believe him.
Either she was crazy or stupid. She moved forward so she could look directly into Nickas face. Into his eyes. His blue eyes. The same color that Richardas had been on Friday night.
aOh my G.o.d.a She didnat know how it was possible but somehow it had been Nick, not Richard, in bed with her that night. The air that had seemed in such short supply suddenly flooded her lungs. She gulped in a deep breath. Her hand snapped out and came into sharp contact with Nickas cheek. His head rocked to the side. He paused then nodded.
aI guess I deserved that.a The other men backed away, as if they knew the true power of an infuriated woman. Head made love to hera"f.u.c.ked her. She felt her stomach roll over and she thought she might throw up. A warm hand on her back counteracted the sick feeling. d.a.m.n it, even when she was furious with him, his touch seemed to comfort her.
Devon snapped his briefcase shut. The definitive click seemed to declare the conversation complete. aCheck her phone records, detectives, and confirm the time of death of your victim. I can a.s.sure you, it would be physically impossible for Ms. Hayward to be your killer. And if you want to talk to her again, you can call my office.a Devon handed him a card. aWeall be going now.a Her mind reeling, Tally followed the command in Devonas voice along with everyone else in the room. Devon led her out of the station house and to a silver sedan. Nick opened the pa.s.senger door and helped her inside. Exhaustion from the tension that had bound her body for the past three hours tore at her strength and Tally collapsed into the seat.
aGet busy on finding out what more the cops know,a Nick commanded his brother. aAnd find out where Branch and Jessup were on Friday night. Get Jameson workinga"a aI got it, Nick. Weave done this before. Weall have all the information we need in a few hours.a The words entered Tallyas head but she wasnat sure she was processing the information fully.
aYouad better take care of her.a She looked up and saw Nick noda"the grim face of a man who didnat want to confess his sins.
Nick climbed into the car and started it, pulling out into traffic without speaking.
aHowa"?a she started to ask. Nick shook his head.
aIall explain it all when we get to your place.a She was vaguely aware of Nick driving through town, stopping at her house and getting out of the car. Head obviously been here before because he didnat ask for directions. He followed her up the front walk, waiting patiently as she opened the door and went inside.
She looked at him, remembering the first time shead seen hima"in the coffee shop. A casual meetinga"an accident. Or maybe it wasnat.
Tally walked into the living room and spun around to face him. She was done waiting for answers.
aWho are you? And howa"a She jabbed her finger into his chest. aHow did you do it?a He winced. aIf youall give me a chance, I might be able to explain some of this.a aI donat know how youare going to explain how you disguised yourself as my boyfriend, f.u.c.ked me and then provided me with an alibi for a murder I didnat commit. Itas not possible. I saw Richard that night. Not you. Explain that.a aIam a shape shifter.a A cough came out of her throata"a mixture of laughter and choking. aWhat thea"a A yip from the laundry room grabbed her attention. The puppy.
aGo get the dog and Iall explain.a She laughed this time. aYouall explain.a Somehow Nickas answer eased some of her anger. He was crazy. That was something she could understand since she was feeling a little insane herself. She walked to the room off the kitchen and opened the door. The brown little puppy crouched on the floor. Once again its tail was flapping back and forth. aHi, sweetie.a She picked him up. He licked her face and then scrambled his legs like he wanted to get down. Strange, last night head wanted her to carry him around.
She brought him back to the living room and placed him on the carpet. The puppy immediately ran to Nickas side. Nick knelt down and scratched the dogas ears.
aHey, little guy. Remember me?a The puppy wagged and bounced, the excitement obviously too much for his little body to contain.