Intent(74)

Gripping her hips, I position myself at her entrance that’s already soaked and ready for me. Surging my hips forward, I drive deep inside her and she cries out from the sudden invasion. Adjusting my position to get deeper penetration, I continue my relentless pursuit of the second orgasm of the night. Our bodies soon become slick with a thin layer of perspiration, her loud cries bounce off the walls and reverberate back at us, and we both find the sweetest release.

“I will never get enough of you, baby,” I grunt as I pump the last drop into her. Leaning to the side, I pull her with me so we’re lying on our sides. She’s wrapped securely in my arms, and I’m still inside her. My lips keep finding spots on her skin that need to be kissed, places I missed that I feel the need to brand with my touch.

Her soft fingers run along my body, touching, feeling, and squeezing as they go. The smell of her arousal hangs in the air and I’m instantly getting hard again. She feels my cock growing between her thighs, inside her body, and she moves her leg to give me full access to her. Like a madman, I’m plunging into her body again with abandon.

The sensation of the last climax in her has barely subsided and she quickly climbs to the peak again. She reaches one hand behind her and grasps my head, holding my face close to hers. With our mouths locked, our tongues tangling, my hips rock into her until she screams in my mouth and I eagerly swallow it.

“Three in a row,” she breathes heavily. “My body doesn’t know how to handle this.”

“I have to make good on my promise, remember? This is just day one. By the time we leave here, you’ll have lost count.”

Each day was spent with basically the same agenda. We hit the beach during the day, played in the ocean waves, and lounged in the pool. In the evenings, we went out to dinner or ordered room service, and went to shows. At night, we explored every inch of each other’s bodies, making love and making memories that will last our lifetime.

On our last day, we waded into waist-deep water in the ocean. As I lifted her, she wrapped her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. “You’ve made me the happiest I’ve ever been. I don’t think you really know what you’ve done for me.”

I shake my head, because she has no idea what she’s done for me. “Layne, I wasn’t even living my life until you walked into it. I’d still be dead inside if it weren’t for you. That’s only one of the reasons why I’ll never let you go. You’re stuck with me until I die.”

“I’ll love you until I die.”

I’ve never been happier in my life. She holds the key to my heart, my mind, and my soul.



* * *



“When does River come home again?” she asks.

“Tomorrow. They’ll be back in the late afternoon.”

“I can’t wait to see how she takes it when we tell her we’re married.”

“She’ll be thrilled. She loves you.”

My cell phone rings and it takes me a moment to recognize the number from Detective Ledger. When I do, my stomach drops because he’d only be calling with news about the fire investigation.

“Sharp.”

“Hey, Ace, it’s Matt. Listen. We have some news for you and Layne. Can the two of you come by the department today?”

“Yeah. We’re still a couple of hours out, but we’ll come straight there.”

“Sounds good. See in you in a couple of hours.”

I relay what little I know to Layne and her demeanor instantly changes, the tension rolling off her in waves. “I hope it’s good news. Like they caught whoever did it and they’re already behind bars.”

“Whatever it is, we’ll do this together.” I squeeze her hand to reinforce she’s not alone.

We arrive at the sheriff’s department, and Matt’s standing at the front counter talking to one of the deputies when we walk in. “Ace, Layne, come on back to my office.”

We follow him down the hallway and into his office and he extends his arm, telling us to have a seat. He pulls a television into the office from another room and takes a seat behind his desk. He points the remote at the television and a dark figure fills the screen.

“We’ve obtained the security footage from the camera mounted on the back of the cabin,” he says.

“There’s a security camera on the cabin?” I ask. First I’ve heard of it.

“Yeah, we didn’t know either. It’s one of those pen-sized cameras that only the people who installed it know about,” Matt explains.

“How did you find them?” I ask.

“From me,” a voice says from the doorway. I turn to look and instinctively stand up. “Hello, son.”

“Mom,” I reply flatly.

“Mom? Marcia is your mom?” Layne asks.

My gaze snaps to Layne. “How do you know her?”

“She’s my boss at the law firm, or she was before I came down here, anyway. She’s your mother?” Layne asks again, her eyes darting between my mom and me. “Marcia, how could you never have told me?”

“Layne, you, Ace, and I need to have a long talk when we’re finished here. For now, we need to work with Detective Ledger on this case,” Marcia replies.

Matt redirects our attention to the television again and asks us to watch the tape. A figure moves toward the house through the darkness in the backyard. Once the figure gets close enough to the camera, the infrared kicks in, picking up the close proximity, and a face is clearly visible. The garbage cans are opened, newspapers and plastic jugs are removed, then dry leaves are piled on top. What appears to be a can of paint thinner is used to saturate the pile of garbage and the side of the house. It clearly soaks the ground around the garbage cans before the match is lit and thrown onto the pile.