Paranormal II: The Summit Part 13

He nodded. "I've got Pete Rossi working on finding the car. I looked up the make and model on the Internet and Robbie was right-it's a cla.s.sic, pretty hard to find. The DMV has very good records. I'm thinking we start with Washington State, check the records six years back and compare them with those today. Rossi's an ex-cop. He's got connections with the force. He says he can get what we need."

Autumn nodded. "Starting in this area sounds good, though if I'd stolen someone's child, I might take her out of state, just to keep anyone from finding her."

"Even so, odds are good the guy was from somewhere around here. He must have seen Molly someplace, then found out where she lived."

"So we track down the car and-if we're lucky-maybe the guy still owns it."

"There's always a chance."

"But if he does," Autumn said, "I'm the only one who knows what he looks like. I've been thinking about this, Ben, and I think we need to do a sketch. You know, one of those composite-type drawings. They do it all the time on TV. That way we'll all know who we're looking for."

"Not a bad idea. Maybe the guy will turn out to be someone I saw in the neighborhood or somewhere else. If not, we can use it when we canvas car owners. I'll get Pete to find us a sketch artist, someone the cops have used."

"Maybe we should talk to the police ourselves."

"We don't have anything to give them. A dream and a thirteen-year-old kid who thinks he might have figured out what kind of car the kidnapper was driving six years ago."

"And the fact Gerald Meeks says he didn't kill Molly."

"Which Meeks told you but refused to tell anyone else." He sighed. "We need something concrete. When we find it, I'll talk to Doug Watkins. He was the lead detective on the case when Molly was first abducted."

"I thought the FBI handled kidnapping cases."

"They were involved. The guy who worked the case has since left the bureau and the two of us mostly b.u.t.ted heads anyway."

"But you think this detective might help?"

"Maybe...if we have something new to give him. But Watkins is a realist. He's not going to buy into this dream theory without any proof and the department's not going to want to spend money on an old case with no new evidence."

His gaze locked with hers. "You were with me yesterday morning. Did you dream about Molly last night?"

She moistened her lips, a little intimidated by that iron-hard stare. "Yes."

"Did you notice anything new? Anything different?"

"It was a long day and I was tired. The dream was kind of fuzzy."

"I want to stay at your house tonight. If you dream, I want to be there when you wake up." When she opened her mouth to argue, he held up his hand. "It helped the last time. I want to try it again."

Autumn shook her head. "We can't do that, Ben."

He knew she was thinking about the kiss and the edge of his mouth faintly curved. "I promise I won't attack you. I won't even kiss you goodnight...not unless you want me to."

She fought not to tremble. A memory of his mouth moving over hers sent a curl of heat into her belly. Of course she wanted him to kiss her-at least the insane part of her that still thought of s.e.x craved it like a flower craved rain. The rational part of her pea-sized brain was terrified that it would happen.

"I'm not your type, Ben. You know it and so do I. And frankly, you're not my type either."

Ben looked amused. "I didn't know you had a type. The few guys you've dated all seemed pretty different."

Her hackles went up. Was there anything about her private life he hadn't read in his d.a.m.n report? "Who I date is none of your business and you can bet that any man I might be interested in would not be one who specializes in cover models and one-night stands."

"Wait a minute! First-you're just as beautiful as any of the women I've dated, whether you see yourself that way or not, and second-I don't specialize in one-night stands."

"Just women who aren't interested in anything remotely resembling a relationship."

"Are you saying you are interested?"

She bit her lip. The last thing she wanted was to get involved with a man and especially not a heartbreaker like Ben. "No, but-"

"I want to stay the night. No strings, no s.e.x, strictly business. You talked me into looking for Molly. Now I'm committed to doing everything in my power to find her. I thought that's the way you felt, too."

"I do, I just..." She took a deep breath. Ben was a man who rarely took no for an answer. It was the reason he was so successful in business-and with women. In this case, he also had right on his side. Molly was his daughter and he would do anything to find her. Autumn could hardly fault him for that.

Still, she was already on dangerously thin ice where Ben was concerned. She would have to be extremely careful.

She released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "All right. You win. But bring something to sleep in this time."

He grinned. "I sleep naked. In deference to you, I left on my boxers last time."

Her face heated up. "I'm trying to forget."

He reached out and touched her cheek. "Are you? Because I'm trying like h.e.l.l to forget how s.e.xy you looked in that ridiculous over-sized T-shirt. So far it hasn't worked."

Autumn's jaw dropped. The nightshirt was the least s.e.xy thing she owned. Her stomach fluttered as if it were full of feathers and her mouth went dry. "You're scaring me, Ben."

"Yeah, well, you're scaring me too. Let's just keep focused on Molly."

She was scaring him? She thought of Dolores Delgato, the beautiful, exotic model. Now there was a woman who could frighten a man, though Ben didn't seem the least bit threatened.

She cast him a glance but couldn't read his expression and returned her thoughts to Molly. Maybe if Ben was there when she dreamed, another clue would surface.

"Okay. Then I'll see you tonight. What time?"

"I've got plenty of work to do at the office. How 'bout I show up around nine?"

She nodded. She almost weakened and suggested she cook him dinner-before sanity returned like a flashing neon sign, pointing out what a bad idea that was.

"See you then," she said.

"Yeah," he said softly. "See you then."

Ben worked late, then went home, stuffed his shaving kit and a change of clothes into a small canvas satchel and walked down Second Avenue to Autumn's condo. The air was warm and damp, the first days of summer were beginning to settle in. He inhaled the salty sea air and caught a glimpse here and there of the lights along the waterfront reflecting against the sea. A blue and gold taxi honked at the car in front of him but Ben barely noticed, preoccupied as he was with his earlier conversation with Autumn.

You're scaring me, Ben.

Yeah, well, you're scaring me too.

The words had just popped out, but as soon as he'd said them, he realized they were true. Intriguing little Autumn Sommers scared the holy bejeezus out of him. He wasn't quite sure why.

He only knew that when he had checked his calendar this afternoon and discovered he had a date Friday night with Beverly Styles, a woman he spent time with on occasion, the notion seemed so repugnant he had actually picked up the phone to call and cancel.

He couldn't, he'd realized. It was an important affair for Bev and her father, Sam, a long-time friend and business a.s.sociate Ben admired and respected. He would have to go, but he would try to end the evening as early as possible and he didn't intend to ask her out again.

Maybe it was just that finding Molly came first and doing that meant spending time with Autumn. Maybe it was just that Autumn was so different from any of the women he had dated since he and Joanne had divorced.

h.e.l.l, she was way different from the woman he had married.

Joanne came from an old-money, high-society family and that, along with her good looks and expensive education, had attracted him. Even after they were married, they'd led fairly separate lives. Ben worked long hours, Joanne was involved with her mother in charity events and spent her days at the country club.

After the girls were born, she was even busier and so was he, though on weekends they always made time for their children. At least Ben had until Molly disappeared from his life. After that, the less time he spent at home the better.

He sighed as he strode along the sidewalk toward Autumn's cozy apartment and reminded himself that nothing had changed. He still worked the same long hours. There still wasn't time in his busy schedule for a serious relationship with a woman. And he really didn't want one.

But whenever the unwanted notion crept in, he thought of Autumn in her ridiculous T-shirt, her strong legs and small feet showing beneath the hem. He remembered her sleekly toned body climbing the wall at the gym, the tight round cheeks of her bottom flexing in a way that made him hard just watching her.

He was in l.u.s.t-of that he was sure.

He told himself he couldn't allow himself to feel anything more than that. He imagined what Autumn would say if he told her how much he wanted to take her to bed and he almost smiled. She was hardly the type for casual s.e.x. He didn't have to read a report to know that.

He resigned himself to being on his best behavior as he knocked on her door and Autumn pulled it open. She was wearing a soft fleece jogging suit in a pretty apricot shade; her auburn hair curled casually around her face. She smiled and he remembered how soft her lips felt moving under his and his body tightened. When she looked up at him, lamplight glittered on the red, gold and mink-brown strands of her hair and he wanted to run his fingers through it.

"Come on in," she said and he did the d.a.m.nedest thing. He reached out, hauled her into his arms and very thoroughly kissed her.

It was a long, deep, demanding kiss that had her swaying toward him with only a token protest. Then he stepped back and walked past her as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

Autumn just stood there, her hand coming up to her lips.

"I brought my own pillow," Ben said lightly. "Yours was too hard." Parts of his anatomy were far harder, but he didn't say that to Autumn.

"You promised you wouldn't kiss me," she said tartly, still holding open the door.

"I said I wouldn't kiss you goodnight. That was a h.e.l.lo kiss."

Autumn closed the door. "You can't just waltz in here and...and..."

"Actually, I didn't plan to. I planned to be extremely well-behaved. You just looked so delectable I couldn't resist." He tossed the pillow down on the sofa and set his overnight bag on the floor.

"You have dozens of women, Ben. Why are you doing this to me?"

"I'm not doing anything. I kissed you, okay? It isn't a federal offense. You want to watch some TV?"

She stomped off into the bedroom. He wasn't sure why her reaction amused him but it did. When she came back out, she was once more in charge.

"This is my home." She marched over and stood right in front of him. "Therefore, I have some say in what happens here."

"Yeah...so?"

"So if I want you to kiss me, I'll let you know."

The corner of his mouth edged up. "I don't think you will. I think you want me to kiss you right now, but you won't say so because you're afraid of what will happen if I do."

"I'm not afraid of you or any other man!"

"Then why is it you never date? Why is it, the only men in your life are friends? Did Steven Elliot really hurt you that badly? Or maybe it was that guy, Ronnie Hillson. Any full-grown man who still calls himself Ronnie has to be a nitwit."

She was standing so close he could see the pupils of her eyes flare. When she swung, he almost didn't see the blow coming until it was too late. Thankfully, he caught her wrist before her hand connected with his cheek.

"You b.a.s.t.a.r.d! My private life is none of your business!"

He told himself to let go. He couldn't believe he had goaded her the way he had. He never did that to a woman. He always treated them with complete respect. And kept them at a distance.

"You're too good for a guy like that, Autumn," he said softly, gentling his hold on her wrist. "Hillson didn't deserve you and neither did that fool, Steve Elliot." And then he eased her closer and very tenderly kissed her.

For an instant, she resisted. Then a soft little sigh came from her throat and she was kissing him back. G.o.d, she tasted like apples-or maybe it was pears-and her mouth felt like silk under his. He went achingly hard inside his jeans and a jolt of pure l.u.s.t tore through him.

You can't do this, he told himself but he just kept kissing her. He couldn't seem to stop. His hands sifted through her hair and silky curls wrapped around his fingers.

"G.o.d, I want you," he said against her cheek and then he kissed her again and drove his tongue into her mouth and felt hers slide over his. "I don't know what it is but I can't stop thinking about you."

Autumn trembled. "We can't...please, Ben...please don't do this to me."

He swallowed, then took a long, deep, shuddering breath. It took sheer force of will to pull away. At the loss of her warmth, his body clenched as if he'd jumped into an icy stream and he saw that Autumn was trembling. He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

"I swear I didn't come here for this. I can't figure out what's going on between us but something sure as h.e.l.l is."

Her tremors began to lessen, but she didn't pull away. "It's just stress," she said softly. "Both of us are worried about finding Molly."

"I don't think it's stress." He kissed the top of her head and she turned to look up at him, her green eyes wide and uncertain.

"It must be. It has to be." Tentatively, she reached out and touched his face. "I wish you were someone else. Any man but Ben McKenzie." And then she kissed him full on the lips.

Her tongue was in his mouth an instant later and he thought how small and sleek it felt gliding over his. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s pressed into his chest, soft and full and yet her nipples were diamond hard. His body clenched so hard he throbbed and desire poured through him.

He deepened the kiss and his hand found the hem of her zippered fleece jacket and slid beneath the fabric. She wasn't wearing a bra, he realized as his fingers curled over the apple-round fullness of her breast, testing the size and shape, the texture of her skin.

Ben groaned and Autumn trembled. She went up on her tiptoes to press herself more fully into his hand and he thought what a pa.s.sionate creature she was and what a shame it was that she worked so hard to hide it.

He slid down the zipper on the front of her jacket and eased it off her shoulders. She had lovely b.r.e.a.s.t.s-the kind that tipped up-and her nipples were the color of pale pink roses.

He wanted her. Lowering his head, he took one tight bud into his mouth and Autumn's small hands slid into his hair. She arched her back, giving him better access, then jerked in a breath as he bit down on the end, began to suckle and taste her, circle the tip with his tongue.

She caught the hem of his pullover and tugged it up and over his head, leaving him bare-chested. Her lips pressed against his skin and his heart pounded. His groin contracted and his erection throbbed painfully against the fly of his jeans.

He hadn't been this turned on since he was a kid. He told himself it was just that she was so different, that she had caught his interest in a way few women ever had. He pulled the cord on her pants and eased them down over her hips. She was wearing a pair of tiny apricot thong panties that barely covered the russet curls between her legs and a shot of heat went straight to his groin.

In the antique mirror on the wall, he caught a glimpse of them standing there half-naked. The apricot thong rode between the cheeks of her bottom and his erection throbbed. He'd been itching to hold those tight globes since the day he'd first watched her climb the wall and he did that now, cupping the roundness, pulling her against his arousal, letting her feel how hard he was.

Autumn made a soft little whimpering sound that made him go harder still and in the mirror he watched them clinging to each other. It was such an erotic image it was all he could do not to drag her down on the carpet and bury himself as deep as he possibly could.