In Too Deep: A Romantic Suspense Novel (8 page)

W
hen Melina told
me about the two strange men, I felt a familiar yet uncomfortable feeling creep over me. I'd thought after the last time I had to send a message that it had been received. Instead, it looked like the surveillance had never gone away.

Melina said she wanted to check out places to go exercise, so while she was gone, I did some investigation. Jumping in my truck, I drove over to Winters Pharmacy. Jay was just getting off when I came in.

"Hey Cam, how was your day?"

"Good, I just realized I'd run out of toothpaste. Since I'm cooking Italian for Melina tonight, I figured I needed to get some."

"You know you could have just gone to the Dollar General close to your house," Jay said with a laugh. "Why come up here, unless you're snooping?"

He was closer to the truth than he realized. "Okay, okay, you got me. I do need the toothpaste, but I just wanted to see how things went for Melina on her first day. I mean, coming to a place like T or C from Ohio is quite a change, and I feel responsible for her."

"She did great. Honestly, my only worry is that she's going to get bored working for me. I’m going to have to come up with ways to keep her engaged," Jay said. "All right, I've got to get going. My son has Pop Warner practice right now, and I promised him I'd watch the last bit before driving him home. Take care, Cam."

"You too, Jay." I watched him get in his car and leave, then went inside. The afternoon shift clerk looked bored as I grabbed my tube of toothpaste and looked around. As I walked up to the counter, I reached into my pocket. The patch wasn't perfect, the tech was a generation old, but I doubted that Jay Winters was running the best computer systems in his pharmacy. Putting the toothpaste on the counter, I attached the patch to the side of the register. Similar in color, it wouldn't be noticed, and if it was, most people would think it was just an ordinary metallic sticker. If anyone did notice it, it’s unlikely they’d know the true purpose of it.

Going back to my truck, I pulled out my phone and tapped a specific series of buttons and apps on the home screen, activating the patch. I instructed the tiny computer chip in the patch to start hacking into Jay's computer system. Once I had that, I was certain that I'd be able to find the security camera footage that I needed.

I drove home and started dinner, just in case Jay mentioned something to Melina about me stopping by. Opening two cans of crushed tomatoes, I sliced an onion in half and started both on a low, slow heat, the onion face down to slowly caramelize and add its essence to the sauce. Once that was going, I chopped up three cloves of garlic and started that infusing in some olive oil.

I was about three-quarters of the way through my sauce when Melina came back, her face frustrated. "This town has no decent gym at all!"

I shrugged. "Yeah, I thought so. I know there's a Curves somewhere, but that's all I'd heard about."

"And you didn't tell me?" she said. "Were you just looking for a reason to get me out of the house?"

I shrugged good-naturedly. "I wanted to get dinner on before you could object. I've been wanting to impress you with my best dish for days now."

Melina laughed and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “So what do you do to stay in shape?”

"I use the high school stuff," I said. "Job perk, I guess. If you’re really serious about it, we can go to the Walmart, they've got some home equipment. Or if you want better quality, Saturday we can go down to Las Cruces. They have some real stores, and it's only about an hour away."

"I don't have the money for a lot of stuff," Melina said, stopping when she saw my face. "What?"

I set my wooden spoon aside and wrapped my arms around her. "I'm not rich, but this isn't a problem for me. And I want you to be comfortable and happy."

Melina laid her head against my chest and hugged me. I inhaled the clean scent of her hair, my heart speeding up in my chest. "You're spoiling me,” she said.

I laughed quietly and kissed the top of her head. “You deserve it.”

"You just want to turn me into some sort of sex-crazed freak around you."

I laughed and pushed away from the countertop, picking her up. “After dinner, if that’s what you want, you have no worries there. I was thinking of all sorts of things we could try."

"Oh my."

I kissed Melina's throat, licking up the line of her pulse to the point of her jaw, cupping her ass in my hands as I nuzzled and kissed her. Setting her down, both of us were breathing quickly, her eyes dark with desire.

“If I don't stop right now, I'm going to burn dinner," I said with a regretful laugh. "Besides, we've got all night."

Dinner became an exercise in foreplay, the two of us using every movement of our forks and motion of our mouths to entice the other. Even something as innocent as the way she twisted her fork to wind up the spaghetti seemed sensuous and erotic. For my part, I know I was trying to arouse her more, licking my fork perhaps a bit more slowly than was needed to get the last of my sauce off, or relishing the flavor of my wine a bit more than I should have.

“So are you happy so far living here in New Mexico?"

"I am," she said. "I mean, this town isn't perfect. If it wasn't for the little bits of tourism that comes through for the hot springs or on the way up to Elephant Butte, I bet this place would curl up and die off. It's tiny, but yeah, I am. Have you been worried about that?"

I nodded. "Yeah, a little. Of course, I've never been to Lima, so I'm not sure how life was there either, except a bit colder."

"You'd be surprised at how similar it is. Work is work, you know? What makes this place special is you.”

Melina finished her last bite, wiping her mouth carefully with a napkin before finishing off her wine. "That was delicious. Now, it's time for dessert."

C
am finished
his wine in a single swallow, his eyes already fixed on mine. Setting his glass aside, he stood up, holding out his hand to me.

I’d expected him to lead me to the living room, where we'd spent a lot of time romping over the past week, or to the bedroom, another favorite locale. Instead, he stopped at the door of the bathroom and opened it for me. "In here."

He led me inside, closing the door behind him. Stepping back, he reached for the first button on his shirt, undoing it while looking me in the eyes. Slowly, he stripped for me, removing his shirt before unbuckling his pants and pushing them down, leaving him in just his underwear.

"Let me," he said, reaching for the neck of my shirt. I thought he'd unbutton my blouse like he'd unbuttoned his shirt, but instead he pulled, buttons popping and flying around the bathroom and leaving me exposed, my chest heaving in front of him at the surprise demonstration of his strength. "I've been watching you since the moment we started dinner, I can't hold back any longer."

Kneeling, Cam yanked my shorts down hard enough to pop the zipper in the front, but I didn't care. The fire in his eyes as he looked at me, and the growing bulge in his shorts had me so breathless and turned on that I could only say yes to his desires. Nude, I went to my knees in front of him, reaching for his waistband. “Let me?"

He nodded, standing up. I pulled his underwear down, reaching for his cock even before he could step all the way out of his underpants. He was just right for me, and I thrilled at licking him from base to tip, tracing the edges of his flaring head with the tip of my tongue. Opening up, I slid my lips around him and swallowed, taking him all the way to his base in one thrust.

"Damn that feels good," Cam moaned, his voice shaking as I pulled back and sucked him in again. I cupped his balls with my right hand, rolling them carefully while I sucked, enjoying the power and feeling of my man in my mouth.

I stood up, keeping his warm cock in my hand and pumping it. "I hope you're going to take me in the shower."

Cam kissed me, not caring that I just had his dick in my mouth. Our tongues sliding and tasting each other as we maneuvered our way into the shower stall. It was larger than the one in the half bath connected to Cam's bedroom, with a full sized tub as well as a shower head. He let go of me long enough to turn on the water, which steamed and sprayed around us, giving a sauna-like feeling to the air. It reminded me of our time on the island, making love while the rain beat against the roof and windows while the air lay muggy and thick. Relishing the connection, I relaxed against the tile while Cam trailed kisses over my neck and shoulders. Reaching around, he cupped my ass, squeezing and massaging it.

"Turn around," Cam whispered in my ear, barely audible over the pitter patter of the shower spray off of his back. "And bend over."

Obeying, I was happy to see that Cam's shower came with a safety bar, although his had been co-opted into becoming a washcloth caddy as well. Grabbing the bar, I thrust my hips up and back, opening myself for him. "Is this what you want, baby?"

"Fuck yes," Cam said, gripping my hips. I felt his thick cock rub against me, and he teased me by dragging the tip between my lips but not filling me up. His cock brushed against my clit and I gasped, desperate to feel him inside me. “Is this what you want?”

"Yes, oh yes."

“Then beg for it,” he teased.

A thrill coursed through me and I looked back at him. He was smirking at me with a cocky twinkle in his eyes. “Please, Cam. Give it to me.”

"Hmmm, I don't know," he teased, pulling back before pushing forward again, his cock rubbing against my clit and leaving my knees weak. "Maybe I should ask who's your Daddy instead?"

I couldn't help it, his teasing was too much. I laughed and looked back at him, my eyes filled with fire. "I don't care if you want me to call you Master, Daddy, or anything else. Just fuck me!”

He didn’t reply, but I felt his cock head press against my entrance, my nerves electric with anticipation as it spread me open. Sighing in happiness and contentment, I sobbed in relief as he filled me, giving me what I'd wanted for hours now since coming back in the door.

His cock set off explosions of pleasure inside me as he moved in a smooth, wonderful rhythm. It was fast enough that the wave of my orgasm built inside me, but not so fast that I couldn’t savor the anticipation of when it would happen. "Harder."

"Harder?" Cam asked, a smirk again in his voice. “You sure?”

I nodded, water dripping from my hair as I steeled myself for his power. Cam can be both a gentle lover and a relentless one, and right then I needed relentless. I needed to be taken, to be left as worn out as possible, ready to puddle in the bath and swirl down the drain.

Cam's next thrust was exactly that, powerful and uncompromising. His hips slapped against mine wetly, his withdrawal creating a short sucking sound as our skin separated. I grunted, lust washing over me as he did it again and again, faster and harder. His hands held my waist tightly, not allowing me to move as he took me over and over. I was helpless as he sent waves of pleasure tearing through my body. But I didn't care. I loved it.

When Cam first moved his right hand, I was so high on the feeling of him jackhammering inside me that I didn't even feel it until he began to rub and squeeze my ass again. I grinned in anticipation, thinking he was going to spank me. We'd never done it before, but as high as I was from the fucking that Cam was giving me, I couldn't think of anything better.

Boy was I wrong, and in a good way. Cam's thumb pressed against the pucked flower of my asshole, pausing his thrusts as he waited to see what I would do. I'd never had anyone or anything in my ass before, and the naughtiness of it thrilled me. Sure, it was a small thing, but for me, that hole was virgin. Turning my head, I looked back at Cam, who was carefully watching me, his question silent but still there. "I've never done this before.”

"I know," he said, "I can tell."

"Will it hurt?" I asked. "I don't want it to hurt."

"Just my thumb this time. It won't hurt at all, I promise."

I nodded, knowing if I could trust anyone with this, it would be Cam.

I turned my head back to look down at my toes, trying to relax despite my trepidation. However, instead of pressing forward, he started moving his cock again in slow, relaxing thrusts that added to the warmth already inside me. It wasn't skyrocketing me towards an orgasm like his hard thrusting just a minute before did but instead relaxed me, my hips opening as I wanted more of him.

After a moment I felt Cam's thumb press against my asshole again, but not hard. In fact it felt good, my ass sensitive and aware as he rubbed in small circles, massaging the ring muscle at the same pace he thrust inside me. I wiggled my hips, ready for more. "I like it."

Cam's hips sped up again and his thumb pressed in more. I couldn't believe it, there was no pain at all, just like he'd promised. Instead, I just felt fuller, sexier, more accepting of the man I loved. Cam's cock sped up even faster, and I gripped the bar, pushing back into him. His thumb moved inside me, and I felt in absolute heaven. I moaned softly, unable to help myself as I pushed back into him over and over. "Oh Cam, fuck me."

His thrusts grew faster and faster, pounding into me, my eyes clouding as my brain shut down. Everything was focused on the intense pleasure he was giving me. I cried out wordlessly as my first orgasm swept through me, and still Cam went harder, not giving me any chance to recover, rutting into me and making me his.

Time lost all meaning, my every sense condensed to the feeling of my man plunging in and out of me. My second orgasm built quickly inside of me, my knees unhinging as I felt how massive it was going to be. I was scared, and at the same time couldn't stop. The French call climaxing
le petit mort
, the little death, and I understood exactly what they meant as Cam pounded into me over and over.

"I'm going to come," Cam grunted, snapping my attention back to the moment. Suddenly, everything became hyperaware, as I heard the water splashing from the shower, the slap of his hips on my ass, the tingle of my skin where his repeated thrusts had set my skin aglow. Most of all though were the nerves inside me sending waves of pleasure through my body.

With a final loud guttural scream, Cam thrust one last time, filling me totally before finding his release. It tipped me over the edge of my second orgasm, my body clamping down around both of the wonderful instruments of joy inside me.

After it was over, I stood up weakly, sagging against the tile as my legs threatened to go out from underneath me. "Glad you lined the bottom of the tub with one of those rubber mat things," I finally said when I could speak again. "How in the hell can you do it?"

"What?" he asked, leaning against the tile himself while smiling at me. His cock was pink and raw from so much thrusting, but still he had a happy, spent look on his face. "The mat?"

"No, silly man," I said, finding the strength to stand and wrap my arms around him. "The ability to take me to new realms of happiness every time we make love."

"That's all you, my love," he said, kissing the top of my head and holding me. "Now, let me wash you before we run out of hot water."

I looked him in the eyes as he reached for the soap. "You're just looking for another way to tease me and turn me into your sex slut again, aren't you?"

Cam's eyes twinkled as he rubbed the bar between his hands and he shook his head. "Turn you on? Yes. But you’re no slut. Sex kitten maybe, but not a slut."

"Sex kitten, huh? I think I can live with that."

D
ropping Cam off
at the high school, I had an hour before my shift at the pharmacy, so I drove down the street to Walmart. I was never too big into fitness before, but now I had a reason to. I wanted to look good for my man.

I went to the back where the sporting goods were, and looked at what was available. I had to laugh inside at the overall goofiness of what was in stock. After a minute or two, an employee came by, a rarity in most Walmart stores I’d been to. "Hi, is there anything I can help you with?"

I looked up at the cycles in the display racks. "Yeah, I'm just looking for a bike, nothing fancy. What do you recommend?"

The man, who I didn't expect to have much to say, actually looked interested. "Well, it kind of depends on how much riding you did before. New in town?"

I nodded. "Just moved here from Ohio. And not really a lot of riding recently. I figured though that since I was in a place with such good weather, I'd get outside some more."

"I see. Well, you could go with either a twenty-four or a twenty-six inch wheel, it would just affect the gears you use. Are you looking for a single speed, ten-speed, or more?"

I shook my head. "I had a ten speed bike back in junior high, but I don't think I used more than three or four."

“Well I’d say a mountain bike would be best around here. How about this one?"

One hundred and seventeen dollars later, I was loading the bike, along with a new helmet and a bike lock just in case, into the back of Cam's truck. The man was even nice enough to roll it out of the store for me.

"Be careful along the main roads, there's a lot of people who don't really give bicyclists the amount of respect they deserve. But have fun, and hope to see you around."

After work, I drove Cam's truck back up to the high school. Leaving it in the parking lot, I gave the keys to the secretary in the office who said she'd put them in Cam's teacher box. Even though I was in jeans and a plain old shirt, I figured I was dressed well enough to ride back home, maybe do a little sightseeing. Cam told me he wouldn't be home until nearly five thirty, so I had plenty of time.

Getting home, I felt good, so I dashed inside and changed into more appropriate shorts and t-shirt for a real workout, then headed off for the Rio Grande. Finding Riverside Drive was actually easy, and once there I turned left, heading upriver. The Rio Grande itself wasn't much in my opinion, with parts of it barely qualifying as a stream. Then again, I'd grown up near the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, so my expectation of what a big river should be are different than a person who grew up in New Mexico.

As I pedaled, I kept my eyes peeled for traffic, but the road was pretty clear. When a black Lincoln pulled up behind me, I edged over to the side, giving the driver plenty of room to pass me on the right. When he didn't, I glanced over my shoulder, but couldn't see much because of the sunlight in the glass. Waving with my arm, I gestured him to pass me, but instead he just stayed there, seemingly content to tail me. I turned my head back around and pedaled harder, wanting the idiot off my butt. I took the next left turn I could, hoping that by turning back towards the main road and part of town that I would be out of his way.

Instead, the car followed me, still keeping at the sedate pace it had been. I pushed as hard as I could, coming up on the pedals and leaning into each stroke, until I was gasping for air. The car stayed with me, the casualness replaced with a sense of animosity and threat. I thought about turning into one of the houses that I was passing, but decided against it.

Thankfully, just as my lungs were beginning to burn, I saw a gas station with a mini-mart up ahead. I whizzed into the parking lot, barely avoiding a pickup truck that was backing out and went inside. The clerk looked up in surprise at the panting, sweaty woman who had nearly torn the door off of its hinges. "You need some water Miss?”

I looked at her and tried pointing behind me, turning to look as the black car rolled by the gas station, not stopping at all. I noticed it was a rental car before it drove out of sight, but that was it. Taking a deep breath of relief, I turned back to the girl, shaking my head. I stood there for a good minute before going back to the cooler and grabbing a bottled water, paying for it at the register. "Hey, how far are we from the High School?"

"Just turn right at the next light, and head up the road. When you see the sign, turn left. It's about a mile."