The Beast House (20 page)

She tugged free, came up for air, and whirled around. A moment later, Abe’s head popped to the surface, hair matted down, face shiny and dripping. She swatted water at him. He ducked under the surface. She watched him glide forward, saw his arms reach out, felt his hands on her hips. He pulled her down. His body slid against her as if it were oiled. He nuzzled the side of her neck, kissed her mouth. They rolled under the water, embracing. One of his thighs pressed between her spread legs and she quivered and scissored her legs shut, trapping it there. She shoved a hand down the back of his trunks, fingered the crease of his rump, clenched a firm buttock and writhed against him. But her lungs started to hurt. She pushed herself away from Abe, clawed to the surface, and gasped for air. Abe came up in front of her. Treading water, they panted for a while.

“Trying to drown me?” Tyler finally asked.

“You trying to drown me?”

“What a way to go,” she said. The words reminded her of Dan on the corridor floor, his throat torn out.

“What?” Abe asked.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“I keep…forgetting about Dan. Then I keep remembering.”

“Yeah.”

“Would you mind if we get out now?”

“Not if that’s what you want.”

“We’d better.” She forced a smile. “Before we lose our suits.”

“As good a reason as any.”

Side by side, they swam closer to shore. Then they waded out, the waves nudging their backs as if to hurry them along. “Let’s just walk,” Tyler said.

“Towel?”

“The sun will dry us.” She took Abe’s hand, and they walked on the hard-packed sand, the wash of the ocean sometimes swirling over their feet. The sun felt hot and good. Gulls wheeled overhead, squealing. Jack and Nora, a distance up the beach, were strolling slowly toward them.

“There’s something I want you to know,” Tyler said.

“Uh-oh.”

“Not really. It’s just that…I don’t want you to think…God, how can I say this? I felt the way I do about you before all this about Dan happened. You remember this morning in my room?”

“How could I forget?”

“That was before…the tour. I’d already made up my mind not to…get involved with him.”

Abe nodded as if he’d known that.

“I just don’t want you to think the way I…I mean, I’m not on some kind of bizarre rebound. It has nothing to do with him. Hell, I wanted you last night. But he was in the way, even though…oh, God, doesn’t that sound wonderful? He was in the way and now he’s not.”

“I think I understand, Tyler.”

“You guys went in!” Nora said as she and Jack came near. “Didn’t you freeze your buns?”

“It wasn’t too bad,” Tyler said. “Give it a try.”

“No way. I’m gonna spread out one of those towels and catch some rays. We’re gonna stay awhile, aren’t we?”

“Sure,” Abe said. “One thing, though. Is anyone opposed to staying over again tonight?”

“All right!” Nora wiggled her eyebrows at Jack. “How about you, Tiger? Think you’re up to it?”

“There might be a problem with the Inn,” he said to Abe.

“Weird, huh?” Nora asked. “What do you suppose happened to those people?”

“I promised the cop I’d check about that,” Abe said. “None of you noticed anything strange last night, did you?”

Nora said, “Not a thing.” Jack shook his head.

“If the motel’s going to close up,” Tyler said, “we’d better find out.” Her heart started racing. “Why don’t Abe and I go on ahead and check it out? We can register, if everything’s okay, and meet you back here.”

“Terrif.”

“That okay with you, Abe?” Tyler asked.

“Let’s go.”

They left Nora and Jack spreading towels on the sand, and trudged up the slope. Tyler was eager and nervous. The parking area seemed very far away, as if the path had stretched itself simply to frustrate her. At last, they reached the car. Abe opened the passenger door. He rolled down its window, and tossed the towels into the backseat.

“Whoa,” Tyler said. “I’d better put something on.”

“You look fine,” he said.

With a shrug, she climbed in. She jumped at the burning touch of the seat cover, then settled down and watched Abe wince as he sat behind the wheel. “Hurt?” she asked.

“I can take it.”

“We should’ve put clothes on.”

“I like you this way.” Reaching over, he slid a hand up her leg. He patted her thigh, met her eyes for a moment, then started the car.

Tyler slumped down in her seat as they passed through the middle of town. Abe kept glancing at her, looking a bit amused. He drove in silence.

Nervous? she wondered.

“We’ll check the office later,” he said finally.

Except for Gorman Hardy’s Mercedes, the courtyard of the Welcome Inn was deserted.

“My room’ll be fine,” Tyler whispered.

He parked in front of it. Tyler stepped out into the shade. A mild breeze chilled the sweat on her skin. Leaning over the backseat, she gathered her handbag and all her clothes.

Her hands were trembling. She dropped the room key on the stoop. Abe picked it up and unlocked the door.

The room was dusky, the curtains drifting out from the open windows. The bed Tyler had slept in last night was still unmade. She stepped over to the dressing table, and emptied her arms.

In the mirror, she saw Abe come up behind her. Parting her hair, he kissed the nape of her neck. He caressed her sides, her belly. She watched his hands glide upward, and moaned as they cupped her breasts through the filmy bikini.

“Tyler,” he whispered.

“Huh?”

“It’s a nice name.”

“It’s a weird name.”

“I like it. I like everything about you.”

“Flatterer.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you like my sweat?”

“I like how it makes you slippery,” he said, sliding his hands down her belly.

“Soap will do that, too.”

“Mmm.”

“Let’s take a shower.”

He fingered the ties at her hip. She lifted his hand away. “Patience. We’ve got to rinse the salt water off our suits.”

He laughed softly and followed her into the bathroom. Leaning over the tub, Tyler turned on the hot water faucet. She kept a hand under the spout. The water, cold at first, slowly became warm. She flinched with surprise when Abe touched her rump. His hand was big and warm. It moved slowly lower. She gasped and felt her legs go weak when it stole between them. She gripped the edge of the tub to hold herself steady. Steam rose from the splashing water, hot against her face. She looked around. Abe gave her an innocent smile, and his hand went away.

Tyler turned on the cold water. She adjusted the faucet and touched the water. Still too hot. She reached again to the faucet, and felt Abe’s fingers on her hip. Looking back, she saw him pluck open the knotted cords. He let the ends fall. The white triangle at her groin swung away like a hinged flap. She twisted the faucet. Abe untied the other side. She turned the faucet slightly more and felt a tingling brush of fabric as Abe drew the garment away. He tossed it over her head. It dropped into the tub.

“You’re very helpful,” Tyler said.

“I try to be.”

She touched the water. It felt right. “What about your trunks?” she asked as she twisted the shower handle.

“That’s your job.”

The spray came down. Straightening up quickly, Tyler yanked the shower curtain almost shut. She reached through the gap to test the temperature. Abe, standing beside her, moved a hand down her back and rump. “It’s ready,” she said.

“Ladies first.”

Tyler climbed into the tub. She passed through the spray and backed up against a tile wall. Abe stepped in. He closed the curtain and turned to face her, one eye squeezed shut against the pelting shower, a rather silly smile on his face.

Tyler eased into his arms. The water rained down on their faces as they kissed. His body was slick against her. His hands roamed down her back, caressed and plied her buttocks as if he was fascinated by the firm mounds. Then they slid up. They opened the ties behind her back, behind her neck. Holding onto the neck cords, he stepped away and peeled the bikini down. He let it fall to their feet. He gazed at her streaming breasts. He explored them with his hands, stroking and holding and squeezing, clasping the nipples between his thumb and forefingers, pinching them gently in a way that made Tyler catch her breath and squirm.

Crouching, he rubbed his face on them. She felt his nose, the tickle of an eyelash, the rasp of whiskers, kisses, the soft circling tip of his tongue, the firm pressure of his lips, the edges of his teeth. Tyler clenched his hair as he sucked. His mouth felt huge and powerful, drawing her in until it almost hurt, then going to her other breast and doing the same. As the mouth released her, she pulled his hair to make him stand. She latched her mouth against his, and writhed in his embrace.

Turning so the spray was on her back, she wiped the water from her eyes. She rubbed Abe’s slippery shoulders and chest. She looked down at his bulging trunks. The narrow gap was there between the waist band and his belly, as she’d seen it on the path to the beach. Now she slipped her fingertips into the gap and drew the band toward her. Forehead resting on his chest, she stared down at him. His hands were motionless on her shoulders. She reached into the trunks, curled a hand around his thickness, and explored its hard length. Crouching, she pulled the trunks down his legs. He stepped out of them. Tyler’s hands moved up his thighs. She gently squeezed the furry sac of his scrotum. She wrapped her fingers around his shaft, slid them lightly up and down, then kissed the slitted head. Her tongue swirled around the silken skin. Holding his buttocks, she licked down the underside, feeling the solid heat of him against her cheek. Then she took him in, lips stretching around his smooth flesh, tongue stroking. She drew him in deeply until her mouth could accept no more. He squirmed, clutching her hair, his rump flexed taut under her hands as she sucked.

“Better stop,” he warned in a husky voice.

She slid her mouth back, kissed the swollen knob, then sheathed him again.

“Tyler.” He pulled gently at her hair. She sucked hard as he eased her away. Then her mouth was empty and she rose and embraced him, feeling the hardness against her belly.

“I want you now,” she gasped into his mouth.

“Here?”

“Yes.” She lay down in the tub, pressing her knees to its walls, and Abe lowered himself onto her. The hot shower smacked her face. Then Abe’s head blocked the spray. He was light on her, braced by his elbows and knees. As he kissed her, she felt a touch between her legs. He moved slowly, the head of his penis stroking her cleft. She flinched as it nudged her clitoris, squirmed and moaned as it stayed there, rubbing. Then it moved lower and very slowly slid in. She wanted it thrusting deep, but Abe held back as if to torture her. He withdrew completely, and she groaned. She dug her fingers into his rump. He pushed her opening. He entered. He suddenly shoved in fast and deep, spreading her, driving in farther and farther until she thought it impossible for there to be more—but there was more and it filled her.

They lay locked together, Abe deep in her body as if part of her. Neither of them moved. Tyler understood—and maybe so did Abe—how close they were to orgasms that would mean an ending, at least for now, to the terrible aching need for so deep a joining. She wanted to prolong the moment, to savor it.

The water was spraying down. It dripped off Abe’s face onto Tyler’s face as he kissed her lips, her nose, her eyes.

“Oh, Abe,” she whispered.

Behind the registration desk stood a portly, red-faced man in a white shirt and bow tie. Strands of hair crossed his head like streaks sketched on with a black pen. He made a lopsided smile. “What can I do for you, folks?”

“We were guests last night,” Abe said. “We’d like to extend our stay, if you’ll be open.”

“Names?”

“Ours are under Branson,” Tyler said.

“Branson and Clanton,” Abe told him.

The man fingered through cards in a metal box. “I’ll be running the place for now,” he said as he searched.

“Have the police found out anything about the Crogans?” Abe asked.

“Looks bad. Blood in Marty’s car. I’m his brother-in-law, you know. We’ve got a piece of this place, so I’ll be seeing to matters. Hope my wife doesn’t let the pharmacy go to hell.” He pulled out two cards. “Here we go. How many nights will you be wanting to stay on?”

“One more,” Abe said. He tried to pay for all the rooms, but Tyler insisted on picking up the tab for hers and Nora’s.

“Will the restaurant be open, too?” she asked.

The man nodded. “We’ll keep it running.”

“I hope everything turns out all right,” Abe said.

“I do, too, but I don’t suppose it’ll be that way. We’ve had folks disappear before in this town. It’s not likely they’ll show up again.”

“Take care, now,” Abe told him.

“I’ll see your rooms are made up before long. I’ll take care of it myself if I can’t round up Lois. I think she knew I’d need her. That’s why she hightailed it. Probably off at the beach with Haywood.”

“We’re on our way to the beach,” Tyler said.

His eyebrows lifted. “If you see Lois, you want to let her know her father needs her over here? I’d appreciate it. She’s sixteen, long brown hair, wears this polkadot binkini she ought to be ashamed of.”

“If we see her,” Tyler said, “we’ll tell her to come by.”

He thanked her, and they left.

“She wasn’t the one we saw,” Abe said as they stepped down the porch stairs.

“No, but she might be there now. It’s been a couple of hours.”

“Doesn’t seem that long.”

She grinned, and Abe patted her rump. He opened the passenger door. She climbed in. “I hope Nora and Jack aren’t burnt to a crisp,” she said.

“If they are, it was for a good cause.” Abe shut the door and walked around to his side of the car. As he sat down behind the wheel, Tyler leaned over. She kissed him.

She rode with her elbow out the window, the breeze tossing her hair and fluttering the front of her blouse. The two top buttons were open.

“Eyes on the road, buster.”

“It’s not easy.”

She smiled and threw back her head. Abe glanced at her throat, the smooth tanned vee of skin below it, the pale slope of a breast as the breeze lifted a side of her blouse.