Best Kept Secrets(64)
He'd barely touched the seam of her lips with the tip of
his tongue before he felt them separate. Heart pounding,
blood boiling, he drew her closer and pushed his tongue into
her mouth. When she didn't recoil, he moved it around. She
clutched his waist. Her small, pointed breasts burned like
brands against his chest.
God, he had thought he was going to die of pleasure. It
was immense. The experience rocked the foundations of his
adolescent soul. His body had vibrated with volcanic energy.
He had wanted to go on kissing Celina Graham forever. But
when his penis became so engorged it pressed against her
middle, he pushed her away and began babbling apologies.
Celina had stared at him for several seconds, wide-eyed
and breathless, then threw herself against him, wrapped her
arms around his neck, and told him that she was glad he had
kissed her like that. She loved him. He loved her. They were
going to get married someday, and nothing was going to come
between them, ever.
Now Reede, rubbing his eyes tiredly, returned to his desk
and flopped down into the creaky chair. He had been furious
with Alex for calling forth memories he had strived for years
to keep at bay. It had been his intention to punish and insult
her with that kiss.
But, dammit, he hadn't counted on her feeling so good
against him--all fur coat and soft wool and warm skin. He
hadn't expected her mouth to taste so goddamn sweet.That
sweetness still lingered on his tongue. How could he have
guessed that her breasts would be that full and soft?
He sure as hell hadn't bargained on his body becoming
embarrassingly, instantly aroused for Celina's daughter. It
was harder than he'd ever gotten for the Gail sisters--harder
than he'd ever gotten period. Hell, he was still hard.
That was just one reason why the impetuous embrace had
left him feeling mad as hell at her and not much kinder toward
himself. Alex Gaither, the woman he had kissed like crazy
yesterday, had all but accused him of two murders, first
Celina's, then Pasty's. Even if she couldn't make those
allegations stick, she could still spoil all his plans for the
future.
He was so close to realizing his dreams. He was about to
be where he'd worked hard all his life to get. She could mess
it up royally. She didn't even have to finger him. If she
indicted any one of them, she would snatch his future away
from him before he had fully grasped it. For that, he could
easily choke her.
But when he thought about putting his hands on her again,
it wasn't to choke her.
"They told me you were in."
"Did they also tell you that I'm due in court in a few
minutes, and that between now and then I'm too busy to see
anyone?"
Alex stepped into Reede's office and closed the door behind
her. "They mentioned it."
"Where'd you get the idea that you're exempt?"
"I thought you'd want to question me about the man who
got killed."
"You aren't really a suspect. You were just at the wrong
place at the wrong time, something you have a bad habit of
doing.'
"You don't think there's a connection between me and his
murder?"
"No, but obviously you do." Propping his feet on the
corner of his desk and stacking his hands behind his head,
he said, "Let's hear it."
"I think you already know it. Pasty Hickam witnessed
Celina's murder."
"How do you know?"
"He told me over the telephone."
"He was a legendary liar. Ask anybody."
"I believed him. He sounded nervous and terribly afraid.
We made an appointment to meet at the Last Chance, but
when he saw you following me, he got frightened off."
"So, that makes me Celina's killer?"
"Or someone who's covering up for the killer."
"Let me tell you what's wrong with your theory." He
lowered his feet to the floor. "Angus fired Pasty the other
day. He was on a revenge trip, something you should be able
to relate to, Counselor. He made up some cock-and-bull story
that you wanted to believe because so far, your investigation
hasn't turned up one goddamn scrap of concrete evidence.
"You think the two murders are connected, right?
Wrong," he said. "Think about it. Last night's killing doesn't
match Celina's murder. The M.O.'s wrong. The guy who
cut Pasty a new smile found out Pasty was humping his wife
while he was working over at the potash plant near Carlsbad.
We've got an APB out on him."
It sounded so plausible that Alex squirmed under his direct
gaze. "Isn't it possible that this ranch hand witnessed my