In Too Deep (14 page)

Erin tightened her grip as the bike lurched out of the alley with a loud rumbling growl. She relaxed against the powerful vibration between her legs and looked ahead as they headed off into the darkening, purple evening.

They were headed east, streaking their way toward the promise of night. Erin looked back over her shoulder, where light from the setting sun still lingered. Purple mountains stood along the edge of the valley: tall, brooding, serrated, cutting into the lighter-colored sky.

She didn’t know where they were headed. All she could do was hang on tight and allow Elizabeth Adams to captain their voyage. The constant vibration of the large bike numbed her legs and crotch, causing her to hold tighter to the strong woman seated in front of her. She tried not to notice the feel of the rippled abdomen muscles moving beneath her hands. Instead, she tried to allow the exuberance of the ride itself to penetrate her entire body. She had never ridden a motorcycle before and the rush of the wind against her was exhilarating, giving her a sense of freedom that held no boundaries.

They continued east, carving through the mountains that bordered Valle Luna. As they slowed in speed, Erin noted that the mountains no longer appeared purple but different shades of brown, spotted with large magma boulders. Taking in her immediate environment, she could see no sign of a restaurant, and suddenly knew they had to be headed to Adams’s home.

The dark-haired woman steered the loud machine onto a narrow paved road that wove up one of the mountains. Erin held fast to her and looked up at the large house nestled in the side of the mountain. It was close in size to the one she shared with Mark, with the modern look of a newer desert home. Different shades of beige colored its stucco walls, while dark gray tiles covered the roof, blending the home nicely into its desert surroundings.

The bike came to a slow crawl as the ground leveled. A vast electronic gate halted their passage and Adams stopped and dug in her front pocket for a set of keys. She pushed a button on a tiny remote and the gate slowly swung open, allowing them entry to the long, paved drive.

Adams brought the bike to a stop opposite an enormous front door, then killed the engine and allowed Erin to carefully climb off the back.

“This doesn’t look like a restaurant.” Erin tried to sound stern. “This your house?” She smoothed down the legs of her jeans and stomped slightly, trying to get rid of the tingling sensation in her ass and thighs. She hoped J.R. could still hear her so the surveillance team would know where they were. She didn’t think Adams would harm her, but she couldn’t let her guard down no matter how disarming her subject might be.

“Yep, come on in.” Adams swung with ease off the bike and removed the bandanna from her head.

“I thought we were supposed to be having dinner.” Erin followed her up to the front door, reminding herself to act unimpressed.

“We are.” Adams unlocked the door and walked in, motioning for Erin to wait on the landing. “I thought we could eat here, in privacy.”

“This isn’t what I had in mind.” Erin folded her arms, acting displeased with the wool her companion was trying to pull over her eyes. A distant beeping sounded from inside the door and Adams punched in an alarm code, then spoke to someone.

She turned back to Erin, wearing a grin. “Can you blame me if I wanted your attention all to myself?” She raised her eyebrow and invited Erin to enter the house.

Erin had to remind herself to stay annoyed at the strikingly beautiful woman as she walked into the spacious home, her arms still folded defiantly over her chest. Adams closed the door behind them and Erin looked around, taking in the expensively decorated surroundings. A growl got her attention and she looked down as two massive, black Dobermans trotted into the room to stand in front of her. They both eyed her, their heads lowered and teeth showing.

Erin stood very still, glad she had arms protecting her chest.

“No boys.” Adams halted next to Erin, her voice deep and commanding. “Friend.” Immediately the dogs wagged their tails and circled their visitor in excitement. “It’s okay, they won’t hurt you.”

She scratched them on their heads and Erin took a breath and let her hands fall to her sides. The dogs licked her hands and tried to nuzzle them, urging her to scratch their short, sleek fur. Her fear fading fast, she gave in to her love for animals and began petting the intimidating pair, asking, “What’re their names?”

They walked deeper into the house, the dogs close on their heels. Adams turned and pointed to the larger of the two.

“That’s Zeus.” The dog ran up to her in response to his name. “And that one’s Ares.” She patted both dogs firmly on their backsides. “On watch,” she commanded and pointed back to the front door. The dogs halted their play and ran off to guard the entrance to their domain.

“You’re into Greek mythology, then?” Erin asked as she looked around.

Adams’s fondness for the Greeks was evident in more than just the names she’d chosen for her dogs. The house was decorated in whites and light earth tones with various statues and busts of Greek gods and goddesses. Large tapestries depicted a thriving Athens, while expensive silk drapes hung in layers, framing huge picture windows that allowed for a breathtaking view of the valley below.

“You might say that. How about a drink?” She led them into the kitchen, where she retrieved two glasses without waiting for Erin to answer. She plucked ice from the stainless-steel freezer and looked expectantly at Erin.

“Sure.” Erin returned her wandering gaze to Adams. She was in awe of the house and completely confused as to where dinner was going to appear from.

As if reading her thoughts, Adams poured their drinks and said, “Dinner should be here any minute now. I hope you like what I ordered.” She filled their glasses with sloe gin and orange juice, topping them off with a splash of grenadine. “Here you go, a sloe screw.”

“Very funny.” Erin took the drink and sipped at it, enjoying its tangy flavor.

Adams grinned her heart-stopping grin. “I thought you might like that.” She walked around the kitchen counter and took Erin’s hand. “Come on, I’ll show you the backyard.”

They walked out through large French doors and into the darkness of the backyard. Adams took a remote control from just outside the door and pushed several buttons, bringing the yard to life.

Accent lights came on, casting the queen palms and other vegetation in a warm glow. A large pool sat in the center of the landscaped yard, the lights bathing the water in alternating colors of purple, blue, and green against the pool’s stony sides. A waterfall ran down the slabs of stone between the pool and its adjoining spa. The entire place had the look and feel of a desert oasis, snuggled against the mountainside.

An elaborate chime sounded and Erin heard the dogs barking from inside the house.

“That must be dinner.” Adams handed Erin the remote. “Feel free to find us some music.” She went back inside the house, leaving Erin alone.

Erin crossed to the edge of the pool and sat down in one of the deck chairs, examining the heavy box in her hand. The first few buttons were wired to the lighting system in the yard and in the pool. She played around with the lights in the pool before returning to the alternating colors of lights. The next button she tried brought the spa to life with a loud whoosh of the jets.

“Oh no.”

The jets shot out with maximum force, causing the water to boil in giant waves. She turned sharply at a different sound and was greeted by two ecstatic Dobermans as they ran toward her from their dog door. After kissing her, the taller one ran over to the spa and tried to attack the water by biting through it.

“Shit!” She cursed at herself, fumbling with the buttons. Finally, she was able to set the jets on low, and she relaxed and eased back in her seat. The dog sneezed and pawed at his snout, trying to get rid of the water he had no doubt inhaled.

Erin noticed then that Elizabeth Adams was standing by the back door looking into the kitchen, where two men dressed in white were working. Absently, she pushed another button and a noise sounded from the stones surrounding the pool and spa. Small speakers rose up out of the fixtures.

“Whoa.” Another button made music softly play. Erin breathed a sigh of relief, thankful she’d finally found the right button and hadn’t broken anything. “This place is one big sex pad,” she whispered to herself, gazing around the romantic setting. She wondered if there were a button for a pink rotating bed with leopard-skin pillows.

“Ready to eat?” Adams called and Erin about jumped out of her skin.

She got to her feet and joined Adams at the door, trying not to react to the smoldering look she was getting. The look was definitely one of hunger, and Erin quickly surmised that she was the main course.

One of the gentlemen in white greeted Erin and led the way to the dining room, which overlooked the twinkling lights of the valley below, itself dimly lit by candles on the table as well as thick candles on some of the surrounding Greek pillars.

“Madam.” The man pulled out a chair for Erin, then quickly removed himself after a glance from Adams.

Taking the seat across from Erin, Adams poured them each a glass of white wine and asked, “Do you like lobster?”

Erin took the glass Adams passed her and sipped, savoring the wine’s exquisite flavor. “I love lobster,” she remembered to answer.

“Good, then we’ll start with that.”

“We’re going to start with lobster?” Erin nearly choked on her wine.

Liz merely smiled. “Relax, it’s just a salad.”

Erin felt her cheeks redden at her outburst and sipped her wine nervously. The gentleman in white reappeared and Adams gave him some orders, sending him back to the kitchen.

“So, Katherine, what do you do for a living?” A flicker of mischief hinted in Adams’s eyes and Erin knew she’d already had her name checked out.

She toyed with the notion of lying, just to see what Adams would do. “I’m self-employed.” She looked away from the piercing eyes and fingered the wineglass.

A different, taller man in white walked briskly into the room carrying two plates. His chef’s hat sat proudly atop his head and he gave Erin a warm but cautious smile. He placed each plate carefully in front of the women, careful to serve Erin first.

“Ladies, this is my chilled lobster salad with basil-lime salsa. It’s served atop fresh Romaine lettuce, spicy watercress, and fresh corn. Enjoy.” He eyed Adams nervously before walking away quickly.

Erin took a bite of the salad and sighed at the burst of flavor in her mouth.

“How is it?” Adams was watching her intently, eagerly awaiting her reaction.

“Wonderful,” Erin replied, a little too excited. She scolded herself, remembering she had to play it cool.

Adams smiled at her, apparently pleased with herself. “Self-employed, huh? You’re not going to tell me what you do for a living?”

Erin continued to eat, wishing they could momentarily nix the small talk so she would be free to enjoy the meal with her guard down. “Why should I tell you? You already know.”

Adams stopped eating and stared at her. “What do you mean?” Her tone had changed, her voice almost a ragged whisper.

Erin sipped her wine. The intense stare weighed her down like an invisible force, and it made the air thick and hard to breathe. “Please, give me some credit, Liz. You’re obviously a very wealthy and powerful woman. And you said it yourself last night when you called me—my number wasn’t hard for you to get. Nor was my address, for that matter.” She took another slow, deliberate sip of her wine. “So, I’m assuming you took the liberty of finding out everything you could about me. Including my occupation.” It was a risk for her to approach the woman this way, and she wasn’t sure if she’d made the right decision.

Adams continued to stare, but she did sit back a little in her chair. She moved her mouth to speak, then seemed to change her mind, seemingly at a loss for words.

Erin decided to let her off the hook. “I’m a writer.” She let the words penetrate the darker woman’s force field as she refilled their glasses.

Adams cleared her throat and placed her palms on the table. “I’m sorry if I offended you by finding out your phone number.” The words were said softly but strongly, and Erin saw the brewing storm clouds in her eyes. It was obvious not too many people called Elizabeth Adams on things, and it seemed a very real possibility that those who did wound up dead.

“And my address.” Erin decided to push her just a tad further.

“Excuse me?” Adams was confused, or pretending to be. Or maybe she was also testing whether Erin would keep the heat on her.

“You not only found out my phone number, but my address as well.” Erin watched as the clouds vanished from those eyes, replaced by ice.

An uneasy silence stretched between them, as if each was waiting for the other to weaken.

“I’m sorry for all of it.” Adams blinked and met Erin’s eyes.

The apology was obviously difficult for her to voice, and Erin wondered if this was the first time she had ever backed down this way. She lowered her eyes. Had she pushed her too hard? One of the men returned and took their salad plates. The silence was unbearable and Erin knew she needed to do something, anything.

“Apology accepted.” The ice held firm, uncracking in Adams’s eyes. “Am I to assume, then, that you are more than a little interested in me? After all, you went to so much trouble to find me, and now all of this.” She motioned with her hands at the elaborate dinner setting.