Her Eyes (21 page)

Frank felt like his stomach had fallen into his shoes. Catherine had offered him coffee. The poison had to be in the coffee pot. That bitch was trying to kill him again. And not quickly or easily this time. This time she was out to poison him.

"Bill, did you throw out today's coffee?"

He scratched his head for a minute. “No. I turned off the pot though."

"Detective, I know this is going to sound strange, but I'm willing to bet the coffee was poisoned."

Mike leaned forward, a gleam in his eyes. “What would make you think that? Do you have a suspect in mind?"

"My soon-to-be ex-wife Catherine. It wouldn't be the first time.” He looked at Bill whose eyes grew wide with understanding.

"No? You and your wife have some problems?"

"That would be an understatement. Look, I knew things with us weren't the best. Even Dr. Phil couldn't have helped our marriage. She ... well, she had affairs, she lied, cheated, just overall a really unpleasant person. I didn't know about them, the affairs, not for a long time. I found out she was screwing this guy, James. Right after this James died. It was a pure accident as I understand it. Anyway she up and decided to kill me not long after his death. Came after me one night with a gun and the only reason I'm alive today was because my dog went after her."

"You file a police report?"

"Well, yes and no. We ended up telling the police that it was an attempted robbery gone wrong. She was the only one hurt. From what I can tell, she got my gun and started to shoot me. My dog stopped her. The case would've been hard to prove anyway, and I couldn't believe Catherine would do something like that. You know? She was physically all messed up after. It wasn't like she asked for a divorce, which I would have given her. She just up and decided she was going to kill me. My dog messed up her face and eye. After it happened, pushing the matter seemed cruel. She was in the hospital, and underwent a face transplant—a new face, new eye and I just couldn't put her through a trial. I just couldn't tell anyone what she had tried to do."

"So you filed a false police report?"

Frank threaded his fingers through his hair, blew out a long breath, and sat shaking his head. “Yeah. I did. I just couldn't believe she would do that, and I couldn't destroy what little she had left of her life. Well, I hoped our marriage would get better. That maybe there would be a chance for us."

"So? She gets a new face, you go home, and things are good and she up and tries to kill you again?"

"Listen,” Bill broke in. “Frank stood by Catherine. The woman is a bitch, an out-and-out bitch. Sorry, Frank, if I'm speaking out of turn, but she is. The whole time she was in the hospital he went every day. He kept the reporters away from her. Did everything for her. We were all kind of surprised when Catherine went home from the hospital and things with Frank looked like they were going good."

"They were. For the first time in our marriage she cooked, cleaned up, my dog even liked her. We had the kind of marriage I always thought we could have."

"So if things were so good, why would she try to kill you now?"

Frank shrugged. This was so complicated. “That's a bit harder to explain. She started to remember what she was like before. When she first came out of the surgery and when she first came home from the hospital, her memory was a bit off. But then, it was like she started to remember the Catherine I'd been married to for so long and reverted back to that person.

"A few weeks ago, I decided I'd had enough. Told her I wanted her out of my house and I wanted a divorce. She decided she didn't want one, and it seems she decided if I didn't want her she was going to make me pay big time"

"So what happened today?” The cop kept his hard demeanor.

Frank told his story about Catherine's earlier visit. He left out how he had almost drank from that pot of coffee, how his cup might still be sitting there with the poison inside it. Even thinking about it made him cold.

"Do you know where I can find this Catherine ... Catherine?"

"White. As far as I know she's still using her married name."

Frank gave the detective his home address and a little background on Catherine's last run in with the law. The cop seemed surprised. Frank had to wonder what Mike would think if he knew the whole story about Catherine.

"Detective, be careful. My ex is a little crazy."

The detective gave him an odd look, like he was above some little woman and any trouble she might cause. Frank knew that look because he had shared the sentiment, not too long ago. Now he knew that dainty-looking ladies could pack a world of hurt.

"I'm serious. You'd really be surprised."

"Thank you, sir."

Coming up from a sleep-induced haze, Claudia felt across the sheets, looking for something, someone, but not sure what it was. Sliding her hand across the smooth cotton, the last bit of warmth seems to ebb out as she connected with the pillow. Blinking her eyes open, Claudia was at first bemused.
Where am I? Mike! I made love with Mike!

She pulled his pillow toward her, burrowing close, inhaling his scent still lingering there ... a spicy cologne combined with the hint of sex still in the air. Where was he? After making love to her, why would he leave her in his bed without a word? “Mike?"

She sat up, still holding the pillow to her breast. “Mike?"

Starting to move to get up she spied a crookedly folded piece of paper on the nightstand closest to the side of the bed she was on. Reaching for it, at first she was afraid he had written to tell her that he was disgusted with her aggressiveness the night before and to leave.

Relief swept over her as she read,

Hey babe, got a page from work, be back before you know it.

"I bet you will be, Detective Malone.” Claudia leaned back against her pillow, absently touching Mike's, replaying in her mind what had happened the night before. She hadn't really planned to seduce Mike. In fact, sleeping with him had been the farthest thing from her mind. Part of her supposed she knew that eventually this would happen, that they would make love. But another part of her felt that they could only be friends. Well, last night changed that.

She thought back again to the man in the restaurant. It was more than just the sadness about him. It was like she knew him, but he didn't acknowledge her. If they were friends or coworkers or even past lovers, he would have at least acknowledged her. Oh, the guy looked her over, stared at her through part of dinner, but it wasn't like he recognized her. It was just like they seemed to have some sort of connection. But she wasn't about to check it out with Mike there.

She had felt Mike tense whenever she looked at the man, and Mike had followed him with his eyes. But it didn't seem Mike knew him either.

"Mike.” His name felt strange on her lips. “Mike."

A short while later Claudia dozed off again, wrapped around Mike's pillow as if she held on to a lover.

Mike found her hugging her pillow when he returned. After quickly pulling off his shirt, shucking his socks and jeans, he approached the bed. He had been so rushed when the page came in, rather than make more noise than necessary, he had gone commando to the call. Now, climbing back between the sheets the scent of sex and a well-loved woman hit him, making him hard all over again. He began mentally debating whether to wake Claudia or just snuggling her until she woke when she came partially awake.

"Mike."

"Hey, go back to sleep.” Although sleep was the last thing on his mind.

She reached for him, cuddling close. “I was dreaming about you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I was dreaming you came into bed and kissed me.” She smiled sleepily.

"No dream, babe, no dream."

"No?"

"No.” He lowered his head toward hers and greeted her with the kiss.

She parted her thighs as Mike rolled her on to her back, her arms coming around him, massaging the smooth skin and hard muscles of his upper arms and shoulder blades. Her “mmm” sent shards of pure desire from her lips to his groin.

Mike had never wanted for female companionship. He supposed the attraction was the “bad boy” look he often had when working undercover as a detective. Countless women tried to “save,” “rescue” or “reform” him. He didn't need rescuing or reforming, he just needed someone solid in his life—someone who wanted him for himself and didn't feel a need to change him. Claudia was special. She accepted him for himself. He'd hoped their friendship would turn to romance. Now he hoped she wasn't in his bed out of gratitude, but because she really wanted him.

He deepened the kiss, his hand covering her breast, kneading it while he rubbed his knee over her mons. The way she touched him seemed as if she knew each erogenous zone on his body, setting him on fire for her.

"I need you, babe, I need to be in you."

"That's where I want you, Mike, up-close and personal."

He slid into the warm wetness, the contact making him feel like he couldn't breathe for the pleasure. When she slid her hands to grasp his butt, squeezing each muscular cheek he wanted to tell her to stop, that if she didn't he would come there and then. Yet, somehow, he couldn't frame the words because it felt so good, so very good.

"Claudia, Cl ... ahhhh."

They lay entwined with each other a few minutes, Mike in a state of bliss before he realized he could be crushing her with his weight.

"No, Mike, no, stay, stay inside me until you slide out naturally."

"I don't want to crush you."

"I need to feel you there, just a little longer.” She squeezed his cock with her inner muscles, causing him to gasp again in pleasure.

The action of her body, the vision of her half-lidded eyes, made him rise to the occasion a second time. He began again, taking his pleasure and giving hers at the same time. This time went slower. He memorized her face, her eyes, her mouth. No other woman had ever captivated him so, and he didn't want to stop. Deep inside he feared losing her, and he made love to her until he couldn't hold his feelings back any longer. Again their calls of ecstasy filled the room, his in time with hers.

"You're wonderful, Claudia."

After a few moments, he slid out of the warm, wet cavern in which he'd been nestled. Rolling to the side, he pulled Claudia close to him, inhaling her delicious scent. Sleep called to his satiated body.

Threading her fingers through the soft hairs on his chest, the languor of their lovemaking still in her voice, she asked, “Where did you go?"

With a quick kiss to the top of her head, he told her, “The hospital."

"Why? Are you all right?” She pulled out of his grasp to hover over him and study his face.

"I'm fine, just a call."

"At the hospital? What happened?"

"Nothing much. Some guy ingested some poison, rat poison. They weren't sure if it was accidental or intentional."

"Which was it?"

"Can't discuss the case with you, babe. Don't want the evidence or possible witness tainting."

"So it appears to be intentional."

"I didn't say that.” He opened his eyes a bit, wishing they weren't discussing work.

"Don't have to.” She giggled and pulled away from him.

"Where are you going?"

"Getting up. You need to sleep, and I have a funny feeling you won't get any with me here."

"I won't get any with you gone, either. I like that warm spot where you sleep."

"Fine.” She snuggled right back down next to him, placing her head on his chest and in minutes was back to sleep herself.

Mike lay there enjoying the feeling of Claudia wrapped around him, his mind drifting back to the events at the hospital. Frank and Bill seemed genuinely concerned that Jose had drunk the rat poison laced coffee. From what Frank had said about his ex-wife, and what Bill had confirmed, Catherine White was most definitely the prime suspect. True, he couldn't discuss an open case, but more than that, he didn't want Claudia knowing any more about Frank—who he recognized as the guy from the restaurant. She had said it was nothing and she only felt bad for him, but his gut told him there was something more. As much as he hadn't been looking for it, he was falling in love with Claudia. He knew it wasn't reasonable to think he was, at least not completely. After all, most of their relationship had been him sitting by her bedside while she was in the coma at the hospital. However, there was something about her. Something that affected him deep down inside, something that went to his very core. Something that made him want to hold onto her for the rest of his life. In fact, for the first time, he had met someone he wanted to marry and spend the rest of his life with. Come hell or high water, he was going to marry Claudia.

Claudia had Blooper out for a run at the local park. No more memories came back, but she found herself comfortable and looking ahead to her life with Mike. She wasn't sure he was “the one” but she could do a lot worse for herself. She already had, she supposed.

As Blooper ran back and forth chasing her ball Claudia enjoyed the fresh scents of fall. There was something about the scent in the air that felt somehow familiar, but if what Mike and the doctor said were true, she'd never been here in the fall.

Suddenly Blooper let out a bark and took off running. In a second, Claudia was on her feet, running after her calling, “Blooper. Hey! Bloop! Get back here!” The dog pulled up short just as a big German Shepherd approached. “Oh no. Oh please no.” Fear coursed through her that the bigger dog would harm Bloop. Instead, they began the doggie dance of smelling one another's butts and started to play.

By the time Claudia caught up with the dogs, a man also appeared on the scene. “Win! Hey Win! Over here now."

"I see your guy listens about as well as my girl here does.” As Claudia drew nearer, she noticed something familiar about the man. Tall, dark haired, ruggedly good-looking. W
here do I know him from?

"No, he doesn't. But, they seem to be getting along."

"Yeah, they do. Do you mind if they play a bit?"