AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Me, neither. Call me a skeptic, but . . .” She took another swallow. “Mmm.” Despite the lack of energy rush, the coffee was hot and helped get her early morning going.
He slid her a glance. “What happened?” he asked.
“Supposedly one of the girls who was up at Reservoir Point for the filming of that damned show was attacked. I guess all of Sphinx’s cameras, and production people and lights and noise, didn’t scare off these incredibly shy creatures. Turns out, maybe they were just waiting for the camera crew to show up.”
He snorted.
“But the upshot is that another girl is in the hospital, so whatever chased her or attacked her is real. We just don’t know what it is. I’m betting it’s the same being that chased Bianca.” She rotated the travel cup in a hand as she thought. “Whatever’s happening is pissing me off.”
“It won’t be your problem in a few days,” he reminded her.
“Yeah, what? Just because I’m gonna have a baby, I’m gonna bail on the investigation?”
“It’ll slow you down.”
“It’s not like I’m having major surgery, or will be laid up forever.” To his credit, he didn’t push it. She knew she’d be off work for a while, that the first few weeks and months would be a blur of breast feeding, and nights without sleep, and diapers, and being so in love with the new little addition to the family that nothing else would seem to matter. She’d been through it before and was gladly doing it again. Just. Not. Yet.
“I’m heading to the hospital to visit the victim, Lara Haas,” she told him.
“One of Bianca’s friends. The blonde with . . .”
Was he really going to say, “The blonde with the tits?” but had thought better of it? Men! So damned predictable. And really—so annoying.
“With the incredible body?” she supplied as he let the sentence fade. “Yeah, that’s the one. After I chat with her, I might head back to the reservoir. See what I can see. I guess I’ll catch you later—with all that’s going on, probably not until tonight. Thanks for the latte.”
“I was going to say with the privileged attitude.”
She squinted at him. “Uh-huh.”
“That’s what you said,” he reminded, eyes full of mirth.
“Yeah.” She set the cup in the sink and started to turn away, but he caught her wrist, pulled her back to face him and then kissed her as he hadn’t kissed her in a long while. She’d expected a buss across the cheek, instead she got warm lips, big hands splayed across her back, and the slickness of his tongue running over the seam of her lips. Her resistance fled and she felt herself turning into molten butter. Her knees nearly gave out and erotic images of the two of them played through her mind. Santana, with a quick, intense glance, or the merest touch, could make her think of long hours of sexual foreplay and satisfaction. It was always erotic and sometimes, like now, frustrating.
“Not now,” she said as he lifted his head.
“Later, then.”
“A lot later. I’m pretty damned pregnant.”
“And sexy as hell.”
“Oh, man,” she said as he released her. “You are so full of it.”
“I know. But you two be careful out there.” He looked at her protruding belly.
She was smiling as she walked through the family room. The dogs, ever hopeful for a ride, trailed after her and she left them, tails wagging, for Santana to deal with.
Minutes later, she was driving down the lane to the main road, the lake shimmering gold with the rising sun, stars fading as night turned to day. She rolled down her window, smelled the scents of dry grass and dust—summer—in the air and watched as the sun crested the hills. All the while, she tried to wrap her head around Lara Haas’s claims. Obviously if the girl had been admitted to the hospital, she’d been injured.
Like Bianca.
What was Lara doing up at the reservoir?
Why had some “creature” chased after her?
Had it attacked?
It all sounded unbelievable. None of it made a whole lot of sense.
