Covert Kisses Read online

  “My cabin was closest to the parking lot. I suppose it’s possible he was coming toward the bedroom, heard you pull up, went to the window and saw your car with you sitting in it. He must have gotten out through the back window just before you came in. That’s why the frame was damaged. He’s a big man to fit through such a small space.”

  She glanced down as Cameron crushed his soda can in his free hand. He barely seemed to notice the action. “My God, Laurie, do you realize how close you came?”

  She nodded, feeling the blood slowly drain from her face. “But we still have no evidence for any of this.”

  “Except for May King’s testimony. At least she can testify that he is the person who buys the flowers.”

  Realization hit them both at the same time, and they were on their feet together, running toward the car side by side. As Cameron gunned the engine into life, Laurie fumbled for her phone. With fingers that were numb with impatience, she found the listing for May Flowers.

  Cameron glanced her way, a question in his eyes. She shook her head. “No answer.”

  * * *

  “We could still be wrong.” Laurie’s voice was fretful as the car ate up the miles on the return journey to Cody. “He’s your friend, and we could be accusing him of the most horrible crimes, all based on hunches and with no good reason to support them.”

  “We’ll know the answer for sure by what we find when we get to Cody.”

  They saw the plume of smoke before they reached the town, and heard the sirens as they reached the outskirts. When Cameron tried to turn onto Sheridan Avenue, the road was blocked by emergency vehicles. He pulled over and, climbing out of the car, they joined the little crowd of curiously silent onlookers. From where they stood, the view of the street was clear. The little store called May Flowers was burning, the fire having taken a strong grip on the wood-framed building. While firefighters dealt with the blaze, a body was being carried out.

  “Dear Lord, tell me that’s not May.” The woman next to Cameron raised a shaking hand to her lips.

  “Has to be.” Her companion placed an arm about her shoulders, his face equally ashen. “She only had help on the weekends.”

  “Is she alive?” Someone called out to one of the police officers. He shook his head, his expression somber, before walking back toward the burning building.

  “What the hell is going on in this town? It was the empty office across the street last night, now a flower shop?”

  Cameron caught Laurie’s eye and jerked his head toward the car. She nodded and they moved away. Once they were back in the car and on the road out of town, Cameron risked a glance at Laurie’s profile. She was gazing out the window, her features tense.

  “We weren’t wrong.” He spoke gently.

  “No.” She turned to face him. “So what do we do now?”

  “He’ll come for you, Laurie. We have to get you somewhere safe.”

  Her lip curled slightly. “I’m not scared of him.”

  “While I...admire—” Had he almost said love? Slip of the tongue. “—the spirit that makes you say that, at the moment Grant has the law on his side. He could pull you over on an imaginary offense anytime he chooses. If he does that, he has you in his power. We have nothing except a wild story. Let’s go somewhere so we can buy ourselves a little thinking time. Okay?”

  “Where did you have in mind?”

  “I have a cabin up in the woods, off the Stillwater Trail. It belonged to my uncle. It’s a bit run-down. I keep meaning to sell it, but never get around to doing anything about it. It’s completely isolated, and the best thing about it is that Grant doesn’t know about it.” He let go of the steering wheel with his right hand and let it rest lightly on her knee. He didn’t pause to examine how right the action felt. Ever since she’d touched his hand back at the rest stop, something had altered between them. Something that made touching okay. “It’s the best I can do.”

  Her long lashes swept down as she looked at his hand. When she lifted them to his face, her eyes were like twin blue headlamps. “Thank you.” There was a world of meaning behind those words. It told him she wished they could have started out differently, that she regretted the mistrust that had been the basis for their relationship...and that there was much more she wanted to say.

  “Damn.” He glanced in the rearview mirror. “We have company. And it’s not good news.”

  Laurie swiveled around in her seat, her face blanching as she caught sight of the patrol car that was gaining on them. “Is it him?”

  “Could be.” When he’d said Grant could pull her over and get her in his power anytime he chose, he hadn’t expected it to be this fast.

  “Can we outrun him?” Her voice wasn’t hopeful.

  “And give him a reason to arrest us, even shoot at us?” He looked in the mirror again. “We are still in Park County. If we were in West County, he could arrest you on a jumped-up charge and put you in a cell. Here, although he can still arrest you, he’d have to hand you over to the Park County Sheriff’s Department. I’m going to pin my hopes on him not wanting the explanations that will go along with that. Can you get my cell phone out of my pocket?”

  Laurie looked startled, but, as he raised his hip off the seat, she reached into his back pocket and withdrew his cell phone. “Who do you want to call?”

  “My brother Bryce. Can you get him for me?”

  “You sound way too calm for this situation,” Laurie grumbled, as she scrolled through his contacts.

  “I want to look Grant in the eye and let him know I’m on to him, shake him up a bit. You need to do the same. Tell him who you are. Make sure you tell him your captain knows your whereabouts.” He took the phone from her in time to hear Bryce’s voice demanding to know where the hell he had been.

  “You said you’d come down here and speak to Vincente about this problem with the routes. He’s still being a royal pain in the butt about it.”

  “I got sidetracked. Listen, this is important. Call me back in five minutes, okay? Don’t let me down.”

  Bryce must have picked up on the urgency in his voice, because he immediately stopped bellyaching about Vincente. “Hey, what’s going on? Anything I need to know about?”

  “I’ll let you know. Just call me.”

  He ended the call. The patrol car was right behind them now, and Cameron noted with relief there were two figures in the vehicle. Even a desperate murderer was unlikely to try anything in front of a witness. He was going to pin his hopes on that right now.

  “Ready?” He gave Laurie a reassuring smile.

  “As I’ll ever be.” She made an attempt to return the smile, but the expression didn’t quite work.

  Slowing down, Cameron pulled to the side of the road. He was out of the car before Laurie could leave her seat, closing his door and making his way toward the sheriff’s vehicle. He was right. Grant’s muscle-bound frame was unmistakable in the driver’s seat. As Cameron got closer, he recognized Becker’s deputy, Glen Harvey, in the passenger seat. Some of the tightness around his heart eased. Harvey was a decent guy—honest, trustworthy and dedicated to his job. The sort of thing I’d have said about Grant Becker twenty-four hours ago.

  “Cam.” Exiting his own vehicle, Grant came toward him with a smile. Glen Harvey stayed where he was, merely tilting his hat in Cameron’s direction. “Where have you been hiding yourself these days?”

  Despite the smile, when Cameron looked into Grant Becker’s eyes he knew it was all true. There was something behind that genial expression. It was raw and dangerous, reminding Cameron of a wild animal in a trap. There was fear and desperation, but there was a darker edge to Grant’s feelings. You are enjoying this. The fleeting thought was gone as fast as it came. And you know I know. That exchange of glances lasted no more than a second, but it told Cameron everything he needed to know. H
e wasn’t looking into the eyes of his best friend. He was staring down a ruthless killer.

  Before Cameron could answer, both men turned at the sound of Laurie’s boots crunching on the asphalt surface as she made her way toward them. Her trim figure in tight-fitting blue jeans and white blouse would catch any man’s eye. Cameron heard Grant’s indrawn breath as, brushing an errant lock of long, chestnut hair out of her face, Laurie smiled. She had the same effect on Cameron, but he managed to contain his reaction. We both want her...but for very different reasons.

  Laurie held up her phone. “My captain has agreed to let me stay a few more days.” She turned the full force of her smile on Grant, ignoring the faint look of surprise on his face. “We weren’t formally introduced the other night. Detective Carter-Bryan, San Diego Police.”

  If Laurie’s use of Carla’s surname affected him, Grant gave no sign of it. His gaze went from Laurie to Cameron, a frown descending over his handsome features. “I don’t understand.”

  “I was here on vacation, but, by some bizarre coincidence, a crime was committed in the vacation village where I’m staying. I’ve offered to stay and assist with the inquiry.”

  The frown deepened. Did Cameron sense a hint of panic behind it? “Why haven’t I been informed about this?”

  Laurie looked at Cameron, managing to achieve a hint of delicious confusion in her expression. “Have I done something wrong? I was sure I followed all the correct protocols.”

  “You did.” Playing his own part, he went for a reassuring tone. Turning to Grant, he explained. “The crime Laurie is talking about took place at the Paradise Creek vacation village. That falls within the Stillwater Police Department’s area.”

  Throughout his time as mayor, Cameron had never had to make that sort of statement. The Police Department and the Sheriff’s Department had always worked so closely together that there had been no need for reminders about their different functions and areas of authority. This was the first time he had needed to point out that Grant was responsible for the law enforcement services within West County, while the city limits of Stillwater itself came under the control of Chief Wilkinson.

  If there was a fleeting look of anger in the depths of Grant’s eyes, it was quickly gone. “Even so, I’d have expected to be kept informed about something serious happening in Stillwater.”

  “Because it is so serious, I’ve been kind of busy this last twenty-four hours,” Cameron said, drily. “I’ve also been trying to avoid any word of a problem during peak tourist season getting out and causing a panic.” Just then, his phone rang. “Excuse me.” He took the call, listening intently. “Yes, okay. No, I’m just with Detective Carter-Bryan in Park County. Probably ten minutes from the county line. Sheriff Becker is here. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Developments?” Laurie asked, when he hung up.

  “Yes. We have to go.” Cameron waved a hand to Deputy Harvey. “We’ll speak soon.” He addressed the words to Grant, speaking slowly and deliberately. The sheriff gave a curt nod in return. They maintained eye contact, each man sending the same message to the other.

  You can count on it.

  Chapter 7

  Cameron’s idea of a “run-down” cabin was not nearly as bad as Laurie had expected. When you are one of the wealthiest men in the state, you probably have higher standards than the rest of us, she decided. They had left the car inside a lockup storage unit close to Wilderness Lake and hiked for an hour on a lonely path that took them away from the main Stillwater Trail. Cameron had not been exaggerating when he said this place was isolated. He explained the cabin had been used as a hunting retreat by his uncle, who had died a few years earlier.

  “Uncle Frankie loved to get away from it all up here,” Cameron said, as he dumped the bags of groceries they’d stopped for on the table. “I’m not a hunter, so I don’t know why he left it to me.”

  “Maybe he thought he could convert you?” Laurie wandered through the small rooms, enjoying the rustic feel of the wooden furnishings, the bright rugs and cushions and the spectacular views from every window. It was simple, comfortable, yet beautiful. There was only one bedroom, she noticed. Now that was going to be an interesting after-dinner conversation. One she wasn’t sure either of them was ready for.

  “Growing up, none of us ever really showed much interest in hunting. I know that makes us unusual in this state. Vincente was the only one of the three of us who ever had any real interest in it, but I don’t think he’s taken a gun out in at least a year.”

  Cameron got the generator working, then lit a fire and made coffee. They took it out onto the porch, even though the temperature was dropping with the sun. Taking a seat on a cushioned bench, Laurie was amazed all over again at the beauty of the Wyoming landscape.

  “It’s heavenly,” she sighed.

  “My coffee or the scenery?” Cameron teased as he sat next to her. She took a second to enjoy the feeling. The tenderness in his voice in contrast to the contempt and anger of the previous day was like a warm blanket being draped around her shoulders. Maybe it was sympathy because she had a serial killer on her tail, but she liked to think there was a hint of something deeper in the glorious depths of those dark eyes. Could she be imagining it? It was possible, but for the time being she was going to enjoy the pretense.

  “Both. You are very lucky to live here.” She wondered if it was a tactless thing to say. His life recently hadn’t featured much luck. Carla’s death, being framed for human traffic, and now her intrusion into his existence with the news that one of his oldest friends was a murderer. The beautiful scenery didn’t make those things any better.

  “I know.” He shifted position slightly, so he could watch her profile as she drank in the views. “You know all about my life, but I know nothing at all about you. Tell me about Amy Carter-Bryan.”

  “There’s not much to tell. I really was born here in Wyoming, and moved to San Diego when my dad died. That was all true. I’ve lived there ever since. Joined the police straight out of college.” Her eyes flickered across to meet his briefly. “And that’s it.”

  “That’s it? What about relationships? You’re not going to convince me you’ve gone through life looking the way you do without dating.”

  She bit back a smile. This felt a little bit like flirting. It was unexpected. In a nice way. “Of course I’ve dated. But I suppose, somewhere along the way, my career became my most important relationship. The guys I met didn’t seem to know how to handle that...or maybe they didn’t want to.”

  “Jerks. Are you seriously telling me you’ve never been in love?”

  Laurie turned her head to look at him. Big mistake. Looking into those dark eyes was like drowning in melting chocolate. “I’ve never been in love.”

  The atmosphere between them went from hot to sizzling in that instant. She had never wanted anything as much as she wanted those big strong hands on her body. Right now. The danger they’d been in added an element of daring to her actions, and she placed her coffee cup down, closing the space between them. She caught the brief flash of surprise and pleasure in Cameron’s eyes as she ran her hands over the hard muscles of his chest before reaching up to pull his mouth down to hers.

  His hands grasped her waist and jerked her firmly across his body so she was lying half across his lap. He tilted her head and deepened the kiss, his tongue thrusting into her mouth. Laurie’s head spun as she realized she had lost control of the situation. Which was exactly what she’d been hoping for. She matched the stroke of his tongue with her own, loving the heat and the abrasive friction. Cameron’s hand moved under her blouse, lingering to caress the flesh of her stomach, before moving higher. Tugging aside the lace of her bra, he cupped her breasts, his fingers teasing the peaks into instant stiffness. She could feel his erection pressing hard and insistent against her hip. Laurie squirmed, giving a soft groan of
longing.

  The sound seemed to rouse Cameron from the daze he was in. Raising his head, he looked into Laurie’s eyes. “We are not done here. But you and I have some serious talking to do before we can finish this.”

  She nodded slowly, sitting up straighter and righting her clothing. My God, how had things gotten crazy so fast? Panting slightly and with her face flushed, she managed to meet his eyes. Just. “Can we talk and eat? We haven’t had any food since dinner last night.”

  Cameron laughed. She was pleased to note his own breathing was not quite regular. At least she wasn’t the only one thrown totally off balance by what had just happened. “Let’s see what we can rustle up from the cans we bought earlier.”

  * * *

  Dinner wasn’t exactly gourmet cuisine, but Cameron was happy with the company, even if the conversation wasn’t to his taste. Okay, so he’d gone from wanting to get Laurie out of his life as fast as he could to not being able to keep his eyes—or his hands, as the situation earlier had shown—off her. But it wasn’t every day you found out one of your closest friends was probably a serial killer. Cameron reckoned he could claim the circumstances were beyond unusual. They were life changing. Yet, when he looked into Laurie’s beautiful blue eyes, his head felt surprisingly clear. He wasn’t sure how she managed to ground him while tipping his world upside down at the same time.

  He could tell himself it was her fault his ordered existence had been thrown into chaos. That, if Laurie hadn’t turned up in Stillwater, if she hadn’t had the gall to swim ashore on his private beach and collapse into his arms pretending to be in trouble, he would be continuing with his normal life, oblivious to human trafficking and dead women. He could do that. But only for a few seconds. Because that wasn’t Cameron Delaney. A man who had fought his way into political office on a social justice ticket at the age of twenty-four was not the sort of person who hid from the truth, no matter how unpleasant it might be. Carla was dead. He had had twelve long lonely months to come to terms with that. More than 365 days and an equal number of sleepless nights to mourn her. How she died mattered. Of course it did. If she was murdered, he wanted justice for her. If Grant was her killer, Cameron wanted to see him behind bars. None of that made him miss her more. He couldn’t. It was that simple. His heart wasn’t big enough. But the tightness in his chest eased when he looked at Laurie. If that made him a bad person, then he would deal with the hellfire and damnation another time. Because right now he needed to keep looking.