Stripped Bare (7 page)

A truck door slammed and he came back to the present with a slow grin that quickly spread into a full-blown smile. Blake had come with Ally. That little twist would maybe help diffuse the first meeting. Stace would meet Ally and see that she was happily in love with Blake. He wasn’t sure what had prompted him to share the relationship he’d once engaged in with Blake and Ally, other than as perceptive as she was, Stace would have known something had gone on.

“So I hear you can’t handle something on your own and have to call my woman to come save your sorry ass,” Blake said as he and Ally walked up to the porch.

Shep just laughed especially as he watched Ally give Blake an elbow to the abdomen.

“Hey Shep,” she said and stepped right up to him, embracing him and lifting her face for a kiss. He brushed his lips over her forehead and gave her a squeeze.

“I’m glad you could come,” he said his glance meeting Blake’s.
“Both of you.”

Blake nodded and wrapping his arm around Ally’s waist pulled her back against him while Shep turned to open the door. The shower wasn’t running so he knew Stace would be down soon. He held the door open while they walked in and led them over to the family-living room. It was almost laughable how comfortable he was in Stace’s home.

“All right, well bring us up to date on what’s going on,” Blake said taking a seat and pulling Ally down beside him. She just looked at Blake, shook her head and stood back up to cruise the room looking at the pictures and things in it.

“Missing woman,” Shep began. “Chloe Anders, age twenty-one.
Five foot nine inches tall, approximately one hundred forty pounds with short brown hair and brown eyes.”

“Is this her?” Ally queried holding up a framed photo of Chloe and the friend he’d met earlier, Nicole.

“Yes,” Shep said.

“Attractive woman,” Ally said.

“Yes,” Shep answered and still the missing Chloe didn’t hold a candle to her sister.

“She’s been missing a little over four weeks now,” Shep continued. “Recorded 9-1-1 call shows she knew she’d been drugged or at least suspected she had and called for help. Help didn’t arrive in time. Call records at least two men’s voices and the sound of her being moved from the car.”

“The car is still here?” Ally asked.

“It is still with the police but Stace can pick it up any time,” Shep stated.

“Stace?”
Blake asked and lifted a brow at Shep.

“Stace Anders,” Shep answered. “She is the sister of our missing woman.”

“And?”
Ally prompted.

“Chloe is a nursing student in her third year,” Shep continued not answering what they were asking. How could he when he wasn’t sure yet either? “She stopped in unplanned, as far as we can learn, at Tark’s Tavern that night and sometime while there was given a Coke, which we suspect was drugged. Nothing left in or on the car. No one remembers seeing anything at the bar. Her best friend didn’t know she was stopping at Tark’s as it wasn’t a place they hung out at. Police searched, questioned and came up with a big fat nothing. It’s as if she just disappeared into thin air,” Shep said. “And so far we’ve found nothing either.”

“So really the only thing you even have to make you think she was taken was the 9-1-1 call?” Blake asked.

“Yeah,” Shep agreed. “Otherwise it would look like she just got out and walked away from her car.”

“I’d like to see the car,” Ally said. “I think that would be my best chance to connect with her.”

“I’m sure we can talk to Stace and see about picking it up tomorrow,” Shep said glancing at his watch. “I honestly didn’t think about it today when Stace and I were there or I would have suggested it then. The lot’s closed now.”

“So where is this Stace you keep referring to?” Blake asked.

“She took a run and then hit the shower,” Shep said. “I’m sure she’ll be down any minute. So did you two go to the birthday party?” He knew they had. Her cousin Ben was the dad and as the two cousins had only reunited in recent years Shep knew that Ally and Blake would have stopped in.

“Yes, I can’t believe that little Thomas is already a year old,” Ally smiled. “Katie had the house all decorated and the cake was so cute. She and her mom Katherine had everything perfect. Oh, and you missed the big announcement since you weren’t there.”

“What announcement?” Shep wanted to know. There was always something going on with one of them. The Danielses and the large extended Madigan family that he was part of seemed to always be in the middle of something.

“Well maybe we shouldn’t tell you. Maybe it would be better if you just learned about it when you head back home,” Ally said with a laugh.

“Just tell me that everything is okay,” Shep said.

“Yes, in fact things are wonderful,” Ally said with big grin. “Both Moira and Cass announced that they are pregnant.”

“What?” Shep said and then grinned like a loon too. Moira was the daughter of his boss Jack Madigan and Shep had known her since she was a teenager. She was like a sister to him. And the same could go for Moira’s best friend Cass. And both the women had married into the Daniels family. “That is fantastic news. I can’t wait to see them both when I get home. I’ll have to stop in at the club.”

Moira owned and operated a fitness club and Cass helped manage it. Both of them were fitness instructors as well. He wondered how they would juggle their pregnancies with the club but knew that those two would manage just fine. He felt like he was going to be an uncle. It was great news.

“What is fantastic news?” Stace asked as she walked into the room.

Shep turned to look at her and was struck again by just how naturally beautiful she was. Her dark brown hair was back in another ponytail and her flawless face was without makeup. Still she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

“Stace,” Shep said reaching his hand out to her and pulling her further into the room. “Meet Ally and Blake. Ally, Blake. Stace Anders.”

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Ally said as she stepped forward and took Stace’s hand. Stace noticed immediately that Ally was a very natural person. She could see by the way the couple looked at each other, by the way the carried themselves that they were very much in love.

And Ally wasn’t what she’d expected. The woman was dainty, maybe five feet even in her bare feet. She had long black hair that was braided down her back and big green eyes. She looked like a tiny fairy. And as Blake was as tall as Shep, it was hard to picture the woman in the middle of them.

“I’m glad that you agreed to come and see what you might be able to do to help,” Stace said. “I’ll take all I can get.”

“We’re sorry to hear about your sister,” Blake said as he stepped up to take her hand and shake it. “Hopefully Ally will be able to lock onto something.”

“I’m curious and tend not to keep my thoughts to myself,” Stace said. “How exactly does your psychic thing work?”

“I usually use an object that the other person has touched, or been in contact with in some way, something recent,” Ally said. “If I’m lucky then maybe I can use that object to find a connection with that person.”

“Have you ever not been able to make a connection?” Stace asked.

“Yes,” Ally said. Stace liked the way the woman didn’t defend her talent. It was easy to see that Ally was just herself and it was up to the person whether they believed her or not.

“Did you ever find out why you couldn’t connect on those times?” Stace queried.

“Because the person I was trying to connect with was already gone,” Ally said softly.

Stace knew what Ally meant. The person had been dead. “So will you two want a room of your own or will you be sharing with Shep?” she asked and only realized what she had said when dead silence filled the room. Shit she had been thinking that but hadn’t actually meant to say it out loud.

“Well, I did say that I had a hard time keeping my thoughts to myself,” Stace finally said. “I would apologize but it won’t change what I’ve just said.”

Ally smiled at her and reached her hand out. She didn’t touch her hand like a normal handshake but let her fingers connect with the watch Stace was wearing on her wrist. “Hmmm,” Ally said. “I’ve never thought of that.”

“What?” Blake asked and Shep was eying them all.

“Shep didn’t tell us that you two were sleeping together,” Ally said and Stace just raised her brow. “
Which is unfair since he obviously told you about the three of us.
”

“You could tell we were sleeping together by touching my watch?” Stace asked.

“No,” Ally laughed. “I could tell that the moment you walked into the room. It’s in the way you look at each other. I don’t usually touch people to get a read,” she laughed again. “Fortunately that’s not the way it works. Man that would suck.”

Stace got that. She had made a similar observation about Ally and Blake. And yeah it would suck if you couldn’t touch someone without being blasted by some type of psychic wave. “So what had you never thought of?”

“How awkward it could be to meet the woman Shep finally dated and have her know that I’ve had sex with him,” Ally replied.

“Apparently you’re a tart,” Stace said with a grin. “I’m the only one in the room who hasn’t been with you. But the night is young so there is hope yet. Who wants a beer?” Stace turned and headed toward the kitchen.

Ally threw her head back and laughed. “I like her,” she said. “I really like her.” And Stace heard her footsteps following, leaving the men alone in the other room.

Chapter Seven

Stace wasn’t surprised when Shep followed her into her room once they headed upstairs. Ally and Blake were settled into the second bedroom downstairs as she hadn’t changed the bedding in the room that Griff had stayed in. They’d ended up having a good night talking and she really liked Blake and Ally.

They were going to pick up her sister’s car tomorrow since that was what Ally wanted to see. Ally wanted the keys her sister had been using and the phone. Ally would wait at the house as she wanted everything in place before she did whatever it was she did and tried to connect with Chloe. Stace really prayed that it worked.

“Do they intend to sleep with me?” Shep said as soon as he closed the door but thankfully he was laughing. “I guess that’s one way to break the ice.”

Stace sighed. “I hadn’t planned on saying that but I’m not sorry that I did.”

He came over to her and pulled her close. “You make me laugh. You make me hotter and harder than any other woman I’ve ever known. And you melt my heart when you just let me hold you while you cry. You’re an amazing woman, Stace Anders.”

“I like you a lot too, Donavan Shepard,” Stace said.

“You remember that name, huh,” he said with a laugh.

“So why the nickname Shep, instead of something to do with Donavan?” she asked.

“Well for one we tend to go by last names in the military,” Shep said and Stace nodded knowing that well since she had been in the Marines herself. “Funny thing is that Chetan, you remember him?” Stace nodded. “Chetan is his middle name, Michael Chetan Donavan. So even after the military I stayed Shep and he became Chetan.”

Stace nodded. A lot of people she’d served with she still called or referred to by their last names. It was a hard habit to break.

“Now back to what I was saying,” Shep said leaning down to kiss her. His lips were smooth and soft and hers parted naturally to admit his tongue. He swept it inside touching and stroking every inch of her mouth and she sucked at it. When he finally pulled back they were both out of breath.

“I want a chance, Stace,” Shep said. “I think we can have more than just great sex. I’d like the chance to get to know you, to spend time together and see if there might be more here.”

“I’d like that too,” Stace said. “But I can’t make any promises. Finding Chloe comes first and when we do find her,” she sighed and her eyes closed briefly. “When we find her I will have to deal with that.” If her sister was still alive she would need healing and Stace meant to be there like she hadn’t been in the past. If her sister wasn’t alive, well then she would have to deal with that as well.

Shep nodded. “I understand that. I can help or I can wait,” he said. “What I don’t plan to do is just go away.”

“I’m glad,” Stace answered honestly. She was so glad that she’d met Shep though she really wished that it had been under other circumstances. She would love to see her sister around Shep. Chloe would like him just because Stace never had a boyfriend around. Chloe would get a kick out of that.

“I’m not sure how I feel about your suggestion though,” Shep said and she looked up at him.
“About sleeping with Ally.
You don’t strike me as the type.”

Stace laughed as she was sure he had intended. “I don’t know, Ally is very beautiful, and sex is sex.”

“You really think so?” he asked as he moved into her letting her feel every inch of his long hard body against hers. “Think it would be just as good with a woman?” he whispered the question as he nibbled his way from her ear down the column of her neck.

“I don’t think it would be as good with another man,” she replied and he pulled back to grin down at her again. She hadn’t exactly meant to say that out loud either.

“You make me feel ten feet tall,” he said and took her mouth again. This time it was soft and slow like he was making love to her mouth.

His hands slid down to the hem of her t-shirt and they broke apart long enough for him to pull it over her head. He was back quickly, his hands touching all of her bare skin as his mouth went back to feed from hers. She wanted to feel his skin, wanted the brush of his chest hair over her skin. There was just something so erotic about a man rubbing his chest hair over her nipples. The sensation was incomparable.

She started at the bottom button of his shirt and began undressing him. The slip of each button revealed more flesh for her hands to touch and explore. She needed to taste him. Pulling from his kiss she shoved him back until his knees hit the bed then kept pushing until he sat with a chuckle. Quickly she freed the rest of the buttons and practically tore it from his back.