A Haunted Heart (7 page)

The phone rang five times, and on the sixth I started to hang up.

“Dude! What is up?”

“Brad. I need your advice, man.” Running my fingers through my hair, I paced in the kitchen, knowing she would be here soon.

“Yeah. Sure.  What’s up?  You ok?”

It had been too long since I’d last called him.

“Yeah. I’m good. How about you?”

Brad laughed. “Shut the fuck up and tell me what you called for.”

I chuckled.

“Come on. Lay it on me.  Is it some top secret FBI shit?”

Feeling a little more at ease, I relaxed in the recliner as I spoke to my elementary school buddy and oldest friend. I trusted him with my life.

“Maybe not as classified as you like. Top-secret? Who says that douche bag?” We both laughed.

“Talk to me, Goose.  What’s up?”

My chest was heavy and getting his input would relieve the stress. I knew it would. I blew out a deep breath.

“I’m working a case. I can’t tell you where but the town is small.  Like even smaller than your nuts, if you can imagine that.”

“Your mom liked ‘em.”

A chuckle rumbled through me again.

“There’s a woman. Lost her husband and child a year ago. My assignment was to get to know her, find out if she was involved with what I’m here for. Problem is…”

“You
really
want to get to know her?”  The seriousness in his tone led me to believe that he understood the gravity of this without further explanation.

“Yeah.” That’s all I said. That’s all I had.

“Duuude.”

He knew me well enough to know I was fucked too. Squeezing my eyes shut, I braced myself for his words, unsure if what he was going to say was what I wanted to hear. I said nothing.

“Adam. You’ve been undercover for a few years. You’ve done this a hundred times. Why this time?”

I’d asked myself this repeatedly. “She’s different, man. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like she was waiting for me to come into her life. She makes me feel needed.”

“You fucked this girl didn’t you?”

“No!”

“Well that pussy-whipped load of bullshit that just rolled out of your mouth was pretty fuckin’ pathetic.” He breathed heavily in the phone. “She makes me feel needed,” he repeated my words raising his voice about two octaves and making fun of me. My blood simmered.

“Fuck you! This is my fucking career man. And right now, all I can think about is her. Now help me or hang up the goddamn phone!”

“I’m sorry. Hearing
you
say she needs me got the better of me. OK. Bottom line, Adam. Are you jeopardizing the case right now? Simple yes or no?”

I walked into the kitchen and flipped the steaks over in the marinade as I thought about his question.

“No. Several agents are here. My job is to do what I’m doing…maybe just not as thoroughly as I’m doing it.”

“Adam. What are you most concerned about? You’re undercover dickhead. That means you live a life that may not necessarily be the life you live when this is all over. It’s never been complicated before. Don’t let it get complicated now.”

I tossed the foil wrapped potatoes on the hot grill. “I’m concerned about her getting hurt. She’s endured a lifetime of hurt in a year. I will only add on to that. I don’t want to do that to her.”

“To her or to you?”

Digging my fingers into my scalp, I wanted to yank my hair out in frustration. “Both.”

“Look buddy, I have to go, but answer this first. Are you in love with this woman or have things simply gotten skewed because of your assignment?”

I stared out at the porch swing from the window and my thoughts were a mangled mess. The only thing I could picture was her face now…her face when she smiled, her face when she cried and her face when she came.

“I don’t know…” I said and ended the call.

“Adam. Dinner was phenomenal and not burned.” She teased. “Does our age difference bother you?”

“No. I think you are very immature for your age,” I teased, tipping my beer to my lips.

“Seriously,” she continued. “I mean, I know you’re out of here soon, but if you weren’t, would you consider seeing me longer?”

Hope reflected in the eyes I loved to stare into.

“Yes. I mean no,” I said and her brow drew lower than I’d ever seen. I shook my head realizing I wasn’t making sense. “No. You being my elder doesn’t bother me.” I winked, while my chest vibrated with laughter. “And yes. I would continue seeing you if I stayed.

Her breath hitched in her throat as her dark eyes rapidly moved from my lips to my eyes and back to my lips. I picked up the pinot and topped off her wine glass.

“So. What was it like to be in your car again? And why did you stop driving?”

The vacant expression on her face worried me. I didn’t want to lose her now. After a long pause, she said, “Jack’s car seat is in there. We brought him home from the hospital in that car.” She exhaled a long breath. “It was ok. Everything is still in there. I know I need to move forward there too.” Her smile was weak.

“Good girl.” I winked. “Why don’t you practice medicine any more?” I asked.

After a long sip of her wine, she sat the glass back on the table and circled the rim with her middle finger.

“I didn’t feel like I could adequately fulfill the physicians’ oath I guess. And I’m sure that sounds dumb but it’s not like a job where you can go back and your head doesn’t necessarily have to be in the game. I was dealing with people’s lives. Children. I didn’t have the luxury to emotionally or mentally check out. So…I took a leave of absence.”

“You ever want to go back?  Start again?”

A slow smile spread across her face. “Yes. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.”

“Why?”

Her little shoulders jetted up and down. “I meant what I’ve said Adam. You changed some things for me. I’m ready to live again. And even though I know you’re leaving, I will always remember what you’ve done.”

Her eyes flickered down to the table and she quickly snatched up her wine glass as if to drink courage.

“I mean it,” she whispered as her eyelids stood at half-mast. The insatiable hunger in them was undeniable.

With my eyes locked with hers, I leaned forward blowing out the two half melted candles then held my hand out for hers. Once she placed her fingers in my palm, I closed my hand, holding onto her fingers and pulled her slowly to her feet.

She intently watched my every move as I led us toward the sofa stopping in front of it and facing her. But it was clear she had different plans when she reared up on her toes, softly pecked my lips and nuzzled up to my ear.

“I’d prefer a bed over a sofa,” she whispered making me hard instantly then she reared back to gauge my response.

I swallowed hard.

“Adam?”

I wrapped the brown tendrils of hair behind her ears. “Yes?”

“Do you want me?” she asked clearly with no reservations behind her words.

“Yes. Wait, was that a rhetorical question?”

A playful giggle resonated in my ear and all anxiety was washed from her expression. I loved that. I loved it so much that I swung her up and off her feet, cradling her in my arms and walking to my bedroom.

“I know I’m old but I can walk, Mr. Stroud.”

“You, my beautiful Halloween hater, will be carried to my bed and only if you’re good will you be allowed to leave.”

I rested her feet on the floor staring down at her trying to keep this light. She needed light. Playful. So did I. She smiled and with my index finger I slowly drew a line from her temple down to her jaw.

When I noticed her chest heaving in and out with anxious air—I prayed that it was my name that rolled off her lips when I made her come this time.

The involuntary trembling in my hands made me madder than what I was already when I followed her over in the car. The goddamn blood pumping through my veins boiled as I peered through the sheer curtains watching him unbutton her shirt and carelessly let it fall to the floor. His fucking cock was already bulging in his pants, and I swore under my breath that I would hurt Adam Stroud in some way soon.

Now that her bra was on the floor, he was lapping at her beautiful breasts like they were a kid’s lollipop. Jesus…this guy was clueless. Girls liked it rough. When his hand slid up her thigh, beneath her skirt, clearly making contact with her pussy, her head fell back and my fingernails scraped down the wood trim. Splintered wood embedded beneath my nails as I watched him slide her skirt down her legs exposing her lace panties. Those followed just as quickly, but then they were laughing… cackling about something. I stormed away from the window over to the railing as vomit etched its way up the back of my throat.

I punched myself in the head three times trying to find the anger…the rage that was momentarily lost before quietly making my way back over to the window.

Anna was on the edge of the bed, and he was bent down with his fucking mouth on her pussy. Watching her writhe on the bed, her hand running first through his hair then through her own, made my cock want to explode. Irrational thoughts penetrated my brain like a barrage of bullets—going in the house and killing Stroud was the most predominant thought, but fucking her was a close second.

Simply releasing my dick and wrapping my hand around it was soothing, and when I heard her shout his name through the glass, I knew he had made her cum. As irate as I was, my body responded to watching her and semen seeped out the tip while I rubbed circles smearing it over the head.

Tonight was the night—I would have her too. Eleven months I’d waited to taste that pussy—to pound into her…after killing Michael, who didn’t deserve her to begin with. She had always been mine.

And yet as I watched, it was Adam Stroud who she smiled at and pulled on top of her.  It was Stroud who, after rolling a condom on, slowly slid into her watching her reaction the entire way in. FUCK! Slowing my hand as cum inched up, I closed my eyes like I’d done for eleven months and imagined her gagging on my cock.  My abs and balls tightened and released, as I got closer.  

When I opened my eyes, I watched as he kissed her forehead and her nose, and then finished with a deep kiss to her mouth—their bodies intertwined and slowly moving together. This was nowhere near a quick fuck…my gut wrenched with thoughts of her caring for him…falling for him.

As he sat on his knees, still inside her, and began to rub his thumb over her clit, her hips rose and fell to meet his thrusts. When he leaned forward and sucked on her nipple, she once again cried out his name. His movements picked up speed and I knew he was going to cum too. I had to get out of here. Yanking my shirt lower to catch my load, my hand went as fast as it could as I finished watching
him
fuck her.

“Sure you can’t just stay?” he asked, planting kisses on top of my head.

Oh how I wanted to, but all of this was moving so fast. Committing his smell to memory, I inhaled one more time as my forehead rested against his chest. Finally, I shook my head. 

“Maybe next time,” I whispered.

He growled, but smiled down at me. “I like the sound of next time.”

He cupped my cheeks and kissed me thoroughly, and I willing allowed him to.

“Anna?”

I stared up at him.

“Any regrets?” he softly asked.

“Not even one,” I said, gazing into his sincere blue eyes. Every part of me trusted this man. Who knew this feeling would ever be possible again?

His lips curled up, and he yanked me in for yet another kiss…but as one turned into another, my legs grew weak beneath his touch. My own smile broadened when I felt his length harden against my leg.

“You laughin’ at me?” he mumbled between kissing me. “I can’t help it you know. It has a mind of it’s own.”

I gently bit down on his bottom lip.

“Get the hell out of here before I take you back inside.”

When I rotated around to walk away, he smacked me on the ass, and I spun back around with my mouth wide open.

“Yeah, I just did that. If you come back over here, I’ll do it again.”

Shaking my head and giggling, I was so giddy with the anticipation of seeing him again, I almost skipped to my car.

Parking the car was weird and I couldn’t look in the rearview mirror because I knew I’d see Jack’s car seat. So without thinking, I just got out.

My phone buzzed.

You make it home

I grinned.

Yes. See you tomorrow? 
I texted back.

I twisted the key and unlocked the door. My phone buzzed again, sending another smile across my face.

Breakfast?

Perfect  
I sent back and flipped on the lamp by the door.

I’ll be there at 9. Goodnight Anna  Thank you for tonight.

The plastered grin on my face made my cheeks ache. I closed and locked the door and dropped my keys on the end table.

Thank

A shocking gasp escaped my lips. “TJ! What are you doing?”

He sat on the sofa…in my house. “I was worried about you.  It’s late.” His voice held no emotion and his face was blank.

My heart picked up it’s pace as my mind reeled with thoughts as to how he got in.

“I’m fine. How did you get in?”

“Where have you been, Anna?” he asked, standing and moving around the coffee table, his eyes dark.

I swallowed and looked away. “With a friend. TJ, I think you should leave for tonight. Can we talk tomorrow? I’m really tired.”

I’d always heard about your gut instinct. Mine had never worked right. The night the police showed up at my door almost a year ago, my gut never once told me something was wrong…but right now…my gut was speaking loud and clear.

When he neared me, I actually back stepped and one of his eyebrows cocked high. “You’re acting afraid of me. Why?”

My blood began to simmer. “TJ. It’s 2 in the morning. You are in my house without my permission. It’s just a little creepy,” I chuckled trying to ease the increasing tension between us.

“CREEPY?!” he shouted, jolting my entire body, and I lunged for the door. But he captured me in his arms pulling me into his chest.

“Nearly a year Anna,” he whispered around the shell of my ear making the hair on my neck stand up. “Twelve months I invested in you. Patient and kind. Playing the good guy. Then you go and fuck the first guy that walks into this town.”

His arms were like a giant clamp keeping me tightly against him. His stale breath came in bursts as he spoke. I didn’t fight, I knew better. TJ was nearly double my size.

“I didn’t fuck him,” I lied trying to contradict whatever he’d heard.

His calloused hand encircled my neck and squeezed beneath my lower jaw applying enough pressure that it was painful and hindered my breathing. Fear spread rapidly throughout my body.

“Anna,” he seethed through his teeth. “You’re lying. I was there. I saw you cry out for him as he made you cum.”

Without warning, vomit spewed out of my mouth, causing me to choke and sputter.  The minute his arms slackened, I jabbed my elbow into his gut and then viciously slammed my fist into his crotch. 

Taking advantage of his surprise, I leapt for the door, but he grabbed my foot, and I landed hard on my chest, blasting the air from my lungs. As his hand clasped over my mouth, I simply closed my eyes.