The Callahan's: Secret Sins Part 7

"Ten-four, Sheriff Tobias, will appraise Deputy Caine of status," the dispatcher said as Archer moved back, allowing her legs to slide from his hips and hold her own weight.

The loss of his touch, of the warmth and pleasure she'd experienced in his arms, was a sensation she could only describe as painful.

"Don't you leave," he warned, the dark rasp on his tone, the dominant command in it sending a shiver racing up her spine.

"I'll think about it." Shrugging in apparent unconcern, she stared back at him as though she were going to do whatever the h.e.l.l she wanted to do.

The sad fact was, she wanted to stay. She wanted to stay so much it was a hunger inside her. A hunger that burned inside her with a flame she knew she wouldn't be able to deny.

"Yeah, you do that," he growled as he snagged his hat from where he'd tossed it to the kitchen table and jammed it on his head. "And when you're done thinking about it, I'll be back." He paused before turning away. "And you d.a.m.ned well better be here."

Drawing in a deep breath she watched as he turned and stalked from the kitchen before moving quickly through the wide foyer and out the front door.

He slammed the door closed, but took the time to stop and lock the deadbolt.

Anna's lips quirked before her fingers lifted to the swollen curves, a sensation of weakness flooding her womb and v.a.g.i.n.a at the memory of how they'd become swollen.

It was only then she realized she was still naked from the waist up. Her shirt and bra on the floor- At least, they had been on the floor.

Looking around, her lips tightened to hold back her grin as she propped her hands on her hips and pretended to glare at the monster cat on the other side of the room.

He was lying on her shirt, the lace-trimmed strap of her bra hooked around his neck.

"Go ahead and keep it," she murmured to the cat as though unconcerned. "Your owner can just buy me a new one."

Hefting her bags to her shoulder she turned, found the staircase and headed up it quickly.

Of course, she was staying. At least, for now.

Just to see what happened.

Just to see if there was any chance of stealing Sheriff Archer Tobias' heart.

CHAPTER 4.

It was Katy Winslow's car.

The little twelve-year-old sedan had been sent over Callahan's Peak, the sheer drop the Callahan grandparents and parents had gone over.

There was a message here, Archer could feel it as he drove the SUV down the rough track that led to the rocky valley below.

Katy's car was a burned-out wreck. At the base of the cliff it still smoldered sullenly, giving a gloomy cast to the late afternoon sun.

Pulling his vehicle alongside Deputy Caine's, Archer leveled a low, considering look at the other man.

John Caine had arrived in Corbin County just before the Callahans had returned. Just before the murdering duo dubbed the Slasher had struck for the first time in twelve years.

The deputy had found that first body and each one after that. He'd been the one to find each piece of evidence and uncover each clue. He was on Archer's short list of suspects.

As Archer watched him, the deputy tipped his hat back on his head and stared back at him.

Stepping from the Tahoe, Archer moved across the distance to the little sedan and stared at the burned-out remains. Propping his hands on his hips he blew out a hard breath.

"Why?" he murmured as the acrid scent of the vehicle burning surrounded his senses.

"Why crash it here?" the deputy asked. "It's connected to the Callahans obviously, just as her murder was," he answered the question building in Archer's mind.

It was the obvious answer.

"This is out of character," Archer stated.

"Or the vehicle held prints or other evidence the Slasher doesn't want found. What better way, in an amateur's mind, to hide that evidence than to burn it."

Not exactly what Archer expected from him.

Crossing his arms over his chest and rubbing at his jaw thoughtfully, he slid a look to his deputy once again. "Did you contact Callum?"

"He's twenty minutes away." The deputy nodded.

Archer glanced at him again, seeing the practiced expression of emotionlessness. He hated that f.u.c.king look on any man's face. It made him instantly suspicious, instantly curious as to what he was hiding.

"What did she do to deserve his attention?" Archer murmured thoughtfully as he continued to stare at the smoldering car. "She wasn't sleeping with a Callahan. She hadn't slept with one in the past and she wasn't helping them in any way. Like many of the women in town, she kept a very careful distance."

"Then she saw something she wasn't supposed to see?" the deputy asked. "That's the only thing that makes sense, isn't it?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense now," Archer breathed out roughly. "But what? Or who?"

The deputy shook his head slowly as he crossed his arms over his chest before lifting a hand to rub at the side of his face. "The Callahans and their properties are the objective, though," he murmured then.

"The objective in what?" It was a question neither Archer nor his father had been able to answer. "What makes it so d.a.m.ned important that one or more has cut a swath of blood through this County?"

The deputy gave a hard, sarcastic grunt.

"That one, Sheriff, is buried, and even I, the master of gossip, rumor, and shady deals, have yet to uncover it."

"Master of gossip, rumor, and shady deals, huh?" Archer murmured as he glanced at the deputy once again.

Caine grinned with cool mockery. "We all have our talents, Sheriff, we all have our talents."

Archer wondered if those talents could have led to murder.

Maybe someone else had those answers, though.

As the deputy walked away, Archer made a call.

"h.e.l.lo?" John Corbin answered on the first ring.

"I want answers, John." Archer stared around the canyon, the bleak stone walls, the hint of a pine struggling to anchor to a soft ledge above.

"Archer..."

"I said, I f.u.c.king want answers," he snapped. "You'll be at my place before dawn, or I'll be there. You hearing me?"

Silence filled the line for long moments.

"I hear you."

The line disconnected.

Anna awoke to the most incredible sensation.

It wasn't sensual, hot, or filled with l.u.s.t or s.e.xual hunger. It wasn't sensual or s.e.xual at all.

It was like the softest silk-no, softer than silk. It was the softest touch rubbing against her shoulder, slow and easy, caressing down her arm. It was warm, comforting. It was a sensation of living warmth, accepting and vibrating- A frown tugged at her brow, drawing her further from sleep.

It was vibrating against her shoulder.

No, it was purring.

Forcing her lashes to open she turned her head to stare into the slitted golden eyes that peered at her as Oscar rubbed the side of his face against the curve of her shoulder.

A peek at the clock on the living room wall a.s.sured her it was well after two in the morning. Archer had been gone all day and now most of the night.

A plaintive meow rumbled from the cat's throat as he rubbed against her shoulder again.

"What do you want?" she mumbled. "Can't believe you're hara.s.sing me after stealing my bra and shirt. Those were d.a.m.ned expensive, you know."

A rumble between a purr and a meow sounded again as Oscar stared back at her with such arrogant command that she couldn't help but think of Archer.

"What do you want, anyway?" She really didn't want to get out of bed. "Don't you know I have to show up for work in like five hours? I need my beauty sleep."

The feline growling purr sounded again. This time, instead of rubbing against her shoulder, Oscar pushed at it with his big head.

"Bossy." Sitting up, she was prepared to push herself from the couch to get whatever the demanding fur ball wanted only to watch in surprise as he moved farther onto the couch and settled into the corner where her head had been resting.

His eyes closed, shoulders shifting as he perfected his position and settled into sleep as though he hadn't awakened her to do so. As though he wasn't even concerned with her presence after forcing her awake so he could take his favorite position.

"You a.s.s," she accused him, surprised by the animal's audacity. "I was sleeping myself, you know."

And he obviously didn't care. He didn't even twitch at the anger in her voice.

Shaking her head at the animal, Anna glanced at the front door, then at the clock again.

"Did he finally wake you?"

She swung around, nearly falling from the couch in surprise as Archer moved into the living room from the opposite doorway, obviously having come from upstairs and the shower.

Damp, darker than its normal sandy blond, his hair lay around his face, obviously having just been dried with little care as to style. The ends curled haphazardly as the heavy strands framed his darkly tanned face and made his golden brown eyes appear more like hammered gold than normal.

Broad, bare, his hard, darkly tanned chest, with a thin covering of male curls just lighter than the hair on his head, tempted her fingers. Tempted them with the need to touch him, to experience the feel of them against her sensitive fingertips.

"How long have you been back?" She frowned at him, surprised that he had managed to come into the house without waking her.

Surprised at how he had entered the living room.

h.e.l.l, she had been sleeping not ten feet from the d.a.m.ned door and he'd slipped right up on her.

It was all she could do to keep her gaze above his hard abs because she could see the muscles beneath the bronzed flesh tempting, drawing her gaze.

"A couple of hours." He shrugged as though uncertain.

She bet he knew almost to the second exactly what time he had walked through the front door.

"You should have woken me." She watched his face, seeing the heaviness in his gaze, in the somber expression on his face.

"You were sleeping too well." His lips quirked with an almost gentle smile and his eyes seemed to warm as he watched her. "Besides, I knew Oscar would run you out of his corner eventually."

Glancing at the monster cat who took up at least a cushion of the couch by himself, she sniffed at his presence.

"d.a.m.ned fur ball," she muttered. "The least he could have done was wake me when you arrived."

"He likes you." Leaning against the door frame, his lips kicked up at one corner. "Anyone else would have had at least a scratch by now. Oscar doesn't really tolerate strangers in his home well."

Anna pushed her hair back from her face, staring at him, at a complete loss for words.

Sweet heaven have mercy on her, he was aroused. Powerfully, unapologetically aroused.

Beneath the cotton pants he wore his c.o.c.k raged, hard and heavy, pressing against the material with insistent demand. Lifting her gaze slowly, Anna encountered the l.u.s.t-driven dark gold of his gaze.

It became hard to breathe.

Anna could feel her heart racing, beating between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s like fists rapping, hard and heavy. Lips parting, she fought to drag in oxygen, to make herself breathe through the adrenaline pounding through her.

Suddenly, she could feel parts of her body that she was only aware of whenever he was around.

Her lips- G.o.d, she needed him to kiss her, she needed to kiss him.

Her nipples- Between her thighs- Need, deep in her womb.

Her knees were weak and she wasn't even standing.