The Inheritance Part III Read online

  She knew he was giving her space to change her mind. But after the horrors of earlier, Maggie ached to feel alive. She craved Andrew’s touch, the pleasure she knew he’d bring. Though they’d made out plenty of times back in high school, they’d never had sex.

  An oversight they were about to remedy.

  “I do,” she replied in a breathy whisper, shifting until she straddled his lap. Her pants were thin and she could feel his stiff erection throbbing beneath her. She undulated her hips against him.

  Andrew groaned, then moved his hands to grip her ass, lifting her as he rose from the couch. Surprised, she instinctively wrapped her legs around his lean waist and her arms around his neck.

  “I’m going to make you come,” he ground out. “Hard.” His eyes glittered dangerously and a wicked smile spread across his face. His fingers dug into her buttocks as he drew her flush to him.

  Maggie swallowed in anticipation, her whole body flaring with her desire. She’d wanted this, and he was going to give it to her.

  She couldn’t wait.

  Chapter 14

  With ease, Andrew carried Maggie through the short hallway into a large, darkened room on the right. Weak light spilled onto the lush king-sized bed and across the floor from between the slats of the massive windows. He didn’t flick on the light switch, merely proceeded to the bed and tossed her on it.

  She started to laugh in surprise, her backside bouncing on the tight surface, but the humor died in her throat when his large hands reached down to her shirt and tugged it over her head, tossing it to the floor. He stripped off her pants next, his gaze hot and possessive.

  Andrew hovered above her, arm muscles flexed tight as he stared down at her face. His firm thighs caged her legs in, pressed them together. Her breath became rapid, and anticipation flooded her senses. He slid one hand up the curve of her belly between her breasts and to her throat, the tips of his fingers stroking the wild, erratic pulse at the V of her neck.

  “I love tasting your skin,” he whispered, then bent down to lick the spot he’d just touched.

  She dug her nails into his back and arched from the swirl of pleasure his tongue brought. He groaned in response, sucking the flesh into his hot mouth.

  “Oh, yes,” she cried out. Her skin was inflamed with her desire, and she craved him with an urgency she hadn’t known she possessed.

  He took his shirt off and dropped down to lie on top of her, his body tight and hard along hers, his erection throbbing in the cleft between her thighs. She spread her legs open and wrapped herself around his hips to bring him even closer. Nothing separated them now except for his jeans and her panties.

  His hands slipped behind her back to undo her bra, and her breasts spilled out. He instantly tossed the bra aside and dropped an openmouthed kiss to one puckered nipple. His teeth rasped the tip, and she arched into his mouth.

  “Andrew,” she said on a low groan, fisting her hands into his hair and urging his mouth on her. She wanted him everywhere.

  He lifted his head and pierced her with a stare so intense it nearly stole the breath from her lungs. Maggie could smell her own arousal, thick and rich in the warm room. He shucked his pants off in a quick fury, then kneeled in the middle of the bed, eyes locked on hers the whole time. Even in the dim light she could tell he was tanned and toned, and her fingers itched to stroke every inch of his naked flesh.

  Between them bobbed the thick evidence of his arousal, a small drop of moisture clinging to the tip of his cock. She leaned forward and darted her tongue out to taste it. Smooth and creamy. She sucked the head in, and she felt him give a small shake in response.

  “Oh God,” he breathed, his hands reaching out to stroke her hair. “I’m going to come if you don’t stop.”

  Oh yes, she wanted him to. Ached for it. She glanced up at Andrew and gave a wicked wink, then slid her mouth farther down his shaft, drawing him in as deep as she could. He filled her mouth, and she sucked, flattened her tongue along the lower ridge.

  Andrew gasped in a quick breath, fingers drifting down to dig into her shoulders, then pulled her away and wordlessly nudged her to lie back on the bed. He dug through a side drawer, and she heard rustling as he unwrapped and put on a condom.

  He settled back on top of her, capturing both of her wrists in one of his hands and pinning them above her head. Well, that was unexpected . . . yet utterly hot, letting him take control. His breath was warm and soft, a sharp contrast to his hot and hard body. She spread for him in anticipation, thighs quivering as she stroked her legs along the outside of his. His grip on her wrists tightened and he peered down at her face, eyes dark and filled with desire.

  Then the tip of his cock nudged her entrance, and she sucked in a lungful of air right as he plunged deep inside.

  Andrew gave a long, shuddering groan, pausing for a moment. He was so big inside her, and she squeezed him with her inner muscles. He dropped his head down to her breast and licked the tip of her nipple, biting it gently.

  “Oh,” she said as the tingling edge of pain sent a wave of pleasure along her nerves. His hand was locked on her wrists to keep her in place. She had never let someone take complete control of her in bed before. But with Andrew, it felt right. No, it felt amazing. “I like that.”

  He drew almost all the way out then entered her again, and she could feel her slick wetness coating him completely. She dug her heels into the curve of his ass, urging him deeper. Harder.

  “I wanted to go slow,” he panted as he pressed his lips to her jaw, “but I can’t hold back.”

  “I want it hard, Andrew,” she managed to say. Every cell of her skin was alive and awake for him, from the tips of her fingers to her curled toes. The muscles in her arms shook from being pinned above her head. Her lower body pulsed and hummed in time with him sliding his hard cock in and out of her.

  He released her hands and tucked a hand under her hip, lifting her pelvis, and she cried out in unexpected pleasure when his shaft stroked her inner walls, her G-spot. The other hand wrapped under her head. Tendrils of arousal unfurled in her core as he moved above her, inside her. Sweat slicked their bodies, and their breaths grew shorter, more rapid.

  His eyes were locked on hers, and emotions poured from him to her. She swallowed, shocked by the intensity, drawn to it.

  A soft heat began to glow in her clitoris, building with each thrust. She lifted her pelvis even more and met his strokes, locking her eyes on his. His lips parted and he claimed her mouth in a possessive kiss, the hand on her head tightening its hold, fingers winding in her hair.

  Then he slid out and slammed into her sex with every bit of restrained power in his body, and she gasped into his mouth. Her core began to shudder as she clenched him. Close, so close . . .

  She ran her hands along his sweat-slicked back. “Oh God, I’m going to come,” she cried out. And then the orgasm hit her, zinged through her body in a vibrant heat that enveloped her senses. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, arching against him as the waves pulsed through her.

  Andrew gave a groan, then threw his head back with a roar. His entire body tightened and clenched above her as he shook, spilling his seed. Then he dropped down on top of her body and panted into the curve of her neck, his fingers loosening to stroke her damp skin.

  She wrapped her arms around him as her orgasm faded; a sudden swell of emotion made her throat tighten. She’d needed this release more than she’d known.

  Had needed him.

  Andrew leaned up on one arm, giving her a sleepy half smile. He slid his hand from under her hip and ran it along the outer curve of her body. “That felt wonderful,” he said, a tone of reverence in his voice that made her heart flutter.

  She nodded and exhaled softly, the gentle glow of sex fading away to remind her of reality. This was going to change things between them. Would it impact their working together?

  Of course it would. But right now, Maggie wanted to do nothing more than lie in Andrew’s arms and sleep. She could tak
e this night as her own and deal with the consequences in the morning.

  Andrew kissed her forehead and rose, padding off to the bathroom. She took the opportunity to slip under his covers—the sheets had to be at least a thousand thread count. It was like sliding into a silky cloud, and it felt glorious against her bare skin.

  He came back in and climbed in beside her. His face was no longer in the gentle light, but she could sense the relaxation and contentment pouring from his skin. “Thank you,” he whispered.

  Maggie chuckled. “No, thank you.” He’d turned her on so strongly that she probably could have come just from him touching her.

  “Can you . . . do you want to stay the night?” he asked.

  The slight twinge of uncertainty in his voice made her heart clench. She wasn’t the only one feeling a bit off-kilter. She turned to press her backside against him, settling along the warmth of his body. “I’d love to. If you don’t mind.”

  Andrew draped his arm over her waist and with the other, gently played with strands of her hair. Maggie grew drowsy, her limbs relaxed and heavy from their lovemaking.

  For the first time in what had felt like forever, she slipped into instant sleep.

  ***

  Maggie stretched her limbs and sighed happily, peeking her eyes open. Andrew’s bed had provided luxurious rest. She’d slept almost the entire night through, something she hadn’t done in ages. The only time she’d woken up was when she’d felt Andrew’s palm sliding along the curve of her ass, and her arousal had flared up. They’d had sex again, him taking her from behind, then fallen quickly back into a sated sleep.

  The windows were slitted open, and morning light spilled across the room. It was masculine and strong, with dark furniture and a soft black bedspread. But despite the obvious male design, the bed was loaded with pillows, the chairs cushy and inviting. She liked the space.

  She sat up and realized Andrew wasn’t there. A quick glance around revealed her clothes in a neat pile on the cedar chest at the foot of the bed. Her cheeks burned as she remembered Andrew flinging them off last night, hasty desire building between them.

  God, she hoped things weren’t going to be awkward.

  It only took her a minute to get back into her outfit and head into the main living area. Andrew, freshly showered and dressed in a suit, buzzed around the kitchen. He looked pristine and utterly sexy, and she wanted to run her fingers through his carefully styled hair.

  When he saw her, he gave a big smile and grabbed a coffee mug, filling it and giving it to her. “Good morning.”

  She smiled back and took a sip. Her hair was a total mess, her face probably creased with pillow lines, but she just didn’t care. She was well rested and satisfied. “Morning.”

  Andrew glanced at his slim, expensive watch, then grimaced. “I was actually going to wake you up in a few minutes. I have to head up to court—my business partner’s home sick today, and he has a divorce he’s supposed to be attending.”

  She gulped her coffee. “Oh, okay. Sure, don’t let me hold you back. I’ll be ready in a sec.”

  “No, no, please, take your time and wake up. Shower if you like—towels and things are in the hall closet.” He walked over to her, gaze raking over her suddenly flushed body. “I’m just sorry I can’t stay to give you a helping hand.”

  She shot him a wicked grin. “Maybe next time, then.” As soon as she said the words, she wished she could bite them back. Next time? No one had said there would be one. She was reading a lot into what had happened, making some big assumptions.

  She bit her lip.

  Andrew paused then brushed his fingertips along her forearm. “I’d like that,” he replied, his face serious. “In fact, can I make dinner for you tonight? I cook a mean eggplant Parmesan.”

  “Uh . . . sure.” So it wasn’t just a one-nighter, then. A strange fluttering in her pulse picked up. She ordered herself to shove that emotion right out of her heart. This wasn’t a relationship. Not even the hint of a relationship. It was two consenting adults working together on the case and apparently taking a bit of pleasure on the side. And that was all. Besides, she didn’t want anything more right now, couldn’t get tangled in it, anyway.

  Andrew drew closer, just inches from her. His eyes flickered with an emotion she didn’t recognize, and he fixed her with his stare. “Try to sound a little less enthused next time,” he said drolly.

  She laughed. “Sorry. I was just . . . surprised. I’d love to. And I’ll bring dessert.”

  Andrew brushed his lips across her forehead, the tip of her nose, down to her mouth, deepening the kiss for a moment, then pulling back. He gave her a regretful grin. “Damn, I gotta go. Come by around seven?”

  She nodded and grabbed her purse and coat, slipping into her shoes. “I’m gonna just head home and shower. I sent my parents a text last night, but I’m sure they’re still worried about me and want to see if I’m okay. I have some running around to do, anyway.” The day was waiting for her—work had to be done, and she had plans for her investigation, including contacting that PI she’d decided last night to hire.

  Joel’s face popped up in her mind, and her chest squeezed.

  Andrew cupped her face, eyes flooded with concern. “Hey, none of that. Don’t think about him today, okay? I’ll check in with you later.”

  She hugged him close, breathed in his rich and warm scent. A sigh escaped her lips. If only she could stay right here in his arms. Wow, crazy how things had changed in less than twelve hours—she’d gone from feeling distant and confused about her attraction to Andrew to boldly craving him. With more regret than she wanted to acknowledge right now, she extracted herself and opened the door. Life waited for her outside.

  Andrew locked the door behind them, and he walked her to her car. She unlocked it and went to slide in, but he grabbed her hand, stopping her in place. His eyes were suddenly dark and flitting with concern. “Don’t do anything dangerous today,” he said in a low voice. “Someone is serious about stopping this investigation and wants to make sure we don’t find out what happened to your sister.”

  She nodded. “I’ll email you my plans for the day, and we can discuss it more tonight, okay?”

  He didn’t seem thrilled, but he nodded. “I’ll talk to you later, then.”

  Maggie slipped in her car and drove back home.

  Chapter 15

  “That can’t be right,” Maggie said to herself in a heated whisper, scowling hard at the paper. Her hands shook with anger—anger and an edge of fear. Her heart thundered in her chest.

  After going home and showering earlier this morning, she’d finally talked to David. He hadn’t been too upset at her withholding the truth, though he said he was glad she’d finally shared the information with him. After he’d promised to do his best to ensure her sister’s case would be looked at again, she’d asked if she could swing by and review the evidence room material.

  Despite the awkwardness she’d felt, he’d been nothing but gentlemanly and helpful as he’d led her back to the evidence room and left her alone once more to view the box’s contents.

  She stared down and read the DNA results again. Sudden tears sprang to her eyes as the impact finally hit her. According to the results on her sister’s scrap of panties, Cassandra had had intercourse with two different males that night.

  No way her sister would have done that. Yes, Cassandra had been a wild flirt, brazen at times. But she wasn’t one to . . . Maggie cleared her throat and crammed the paper back in the box, struggling to regain her temper.

  Had her sister been raped? Whose DNA was it? Someone out there held the answers, and she’d be damned if she was going to let this go unaddressed.

  Maybe Joel had been about to talk to her regarding this. Could he have known these men?

  Sorrow for the loss of his life, for her sister, sank in anew, and her chest grew heavy. The case was turning out to be far more complicated than she’d ever dreamed. There were two men out there who’d had their
evidence captured plain as day. Two men who knew the truth. And if it turned out that her sister had been raped, she wasn’t sure how she’d hold herself back from taking out her rage on them.

  Maggie made herself shove all those thoughts aside and focus on the task at hand. She had limited time in the evidence room, and David wasn’t going to be able to let her keep looking at her leisure. She needed to record everything she could and move on with her investigation.

  The phone records showed a few text messages exchanged on the day of the party, plus a couple of calls. She didn’t recognize any of the numbers except her old cell phone number, but she took some pictures with her phone then jotted them all down, including ones from up to a few days before. Maybe if she got lucky, some of the numbers might be the same. Though her luck wasn’t exactly panning out right now.

  Unfortunately, other than the diary, the scrap of panties, the DNA results and a few investigatory leads that had resulted in dead ends, the box held little to help her. Her hopes deflated a bit as she stared in them, willing something to jump to the forefront of her mind. No wonder the case had gone so cold.

  Of course, Maggie had wanted to help with the investigation back then, but as a teen, what could she do? Especially when her parents were so conflicted about it. She hadn’t wanted to cause them more pain so she’d stayed quiet, tried to not cause them stress.

  With a regretful sigh, Maggie packed everything away, her mind churning. Had her mom and dad known about the DNA results? Should Maggie tell them? Not yet, she immediately decided. Best to not make them stress out more if they didn’t already know. And if they did, she didn’t want to dredge anything up again. At least until she was able to confirm what it all meant.

  David returned a couple of minutes later, dressed in full cop gear. “I gotta head out,” he said, giving a small smile. “I hope you found a few things in there to help you.”