Unthinkable Games (LIttlemoon Investigations Book 3) Page 5

  Only who?

  He didn't have a clue.

  What he did know was that this little responsibility was taking precious time away from his life. Yet, he was compelled to do it out of obligation.

  Now, he only needed to wait, biding his time. The family of the last buffoon was putting the place up for sale. Soon, he could manipulate the next person to buy it.

  Then, they would have an equal shot at making him filthy rich.

  Yes, it was worth it.

  He could already taste it. Then, he could retire far from there. Completing what his father and grandfather had wanted, would be part of the joy.

  Who was he kidding?

  He wanted the gold.

  Now, it was time to wait and watch.

  Something was coming.

  He could feel it in his gut.

  This was going to end well. He could tell. Swallowing his impatience, he waited in the shadows of the house until he could make his move.

  Then he would end this.

  Once and for all.

  * * *

  Friday Night

  Arriving in the small town of Cloverdale, Tori and Julian drove in silence from the airport.

  The entire trip, Julian noticed his wife wasn’t in the mood to talk. While she still held his hand, and occasionally took a sip from her water bottle, conversation wasn’t high up on her list.

  “We can head to the bed and breakfast. You have to be tired,” he offered.

  Tori glanced over. “Yeah, I’m beat. Today was an emotional rollercoaster. I’d like to check in, and then check out for the night. I don’t want to really think about much.”

  If that was what she really wanted, Julian could give his wife that kind of peace.

  “Are Beckett and Claire coming out tomorrow?” she asked.

  “Yes. They’re booked to fly in early. They didn't seem to mind. I think they’re both anxious to get started,” he offered. “I think they’re stoked about being out in the field.”

  She glanced over. “You realize that your sister is all excited for a whole other set of reasons, right?” she asked, glad to not be talking about her issues.

  “Yeah, but that’s a dead end. From what I’ve gotten from Beckett, he was married once before. I think some woman tap danced on his ego and heart. Claire may want to get to know him, but I’m thinking that’s not going to be reciprocated.”

  She didn't agree. The Littlemoons could be very persistent. If Claire wanted to get to the man, she would. “Is this the place?” Tori asked, pointing at the quaint inn. It was located in the center of town. “Why aren’t we staying at a hotel?”

  He put the rental in park. “Maybe I wanted to celebrate our anniversary a little earlier than planned. Hotels are nice for our little interludes, but I like some romance now and again,” he offered, referring to the sexy little hotel games they played once a month to keep their relationship fresh.

  She smiled. “I’m a lucky woman.”

  “Yeah, you are. I tell everyone that all the time. You caught a gem.”

  For the first time since finding her mother in their office, Tori laughed. Leaning over, she softly gave him a kiss. “I wouldn’t trade you for the world.”

  It was good to know, because he wasn’t letting her go. There was no way in hell he would set his wife free. She was his everything.

  Hopping out of the SUV, Julian grabbed their bags. Since Tori was pregnant, he wouldn’t let her carry anything.

  Not groceries, not her luggage, and if he had his way, he wouldn’t let her carry a weapon either. At least on this trip, she was traveling gun free.

  At the door, Tori held it for him. Inside, they were met by a nicely dressed man in his fifties.

  “Can I help you, folks?” he asked. “I’m Dorian Hardwick, and I’m the proprietor here.”

  “Yes, we’re the Littlemoons. We have a reservation for the night,” Tori said, pulling out their business credit card.

  The man took it before pulling up their information. “Ah, yes. You’re booked for one evening with us. Are you just passing through our fine town?” he asked.

  Julian didn't want to give too much information, but this was one of those situations. He could lie, but it might hurt them in the end.

  “We’re working for the Lamont family.”

  When the man looked clueless, he gave a little more. “Jeffery Lamont owns Harrison House,” he offered.

  The man grinned. “Ahhhh, yes. It doesn’t really go by that name anymore. We here in town call it ‘The Killing House’,” he offered. “That’s why I didn't recognize his name. He must be the new owner.”

  Julian nearly dropped his luggage. “I’m sorry, what?” he asked, hoping that he had heard the man wrong. Did he just call the house he was taking his wife to…

  Jesus.

  This couldn’t be good.

  The man laughed. “That house is said to have a few ghosts that live there. We think it’s more evil, but that’s yet to be decided.”

  Tori was intrigued. This was going to help her forget about all her personal issues. What she really needed was a case to help her block out her past. Ghosts, mayhem, and killing might fit the bill.

  She was pretty sure it would be a good start.

  “What’s happened there?”

  “Every owner who has bought the place disappeared mysteriously. For the last one hundred years, there have been at least half a dozen people who showed up, and then went missing. It’s what Cloverdale is known for. People come from miles around to check it out.”

  Julian felt a freak out coming on.

  This was supposed to be a simple location case. In all honesty, he believed the man had gone out and was a snack for a gator.

  Nothing more.

  Now, he was a little irate that he was kept in the dark by the Lamonts. They never mentioned that this house was more than just an old run down mansion. In fact, they neglected to mention a great deal of nefarious things.

  That worried him.

  His eyes darted from Tori to Dorian Hardwick, the inn keeper. If Julian had anything to say about this, the Lamonts’ case was ending before it even began.

  “Seriously?” Tori asked. While she was nervous about the ghosts and evil, this would be the perfect escape from the issues in her life. After Bethany Duval, she wasn’t so freaked out about things that went bump in the night. They kind of gave her peace.

  All Tori knew was she went to the plantation barren and left carrying her husband’s child. Ghosts weren’t all that bad in her book. Plus, she was curious.

  Bethany told her she had picked up a gift. This was Tori’s way to test that scenario out.

  This was perfect timing. This case had the potential to be huge. It might just keep their business booming, and now that they had a baby on the way, that was a good thing.

  As she looked over at Julian, she noticed he didn't look nearly as entertained as she did.

  Yeah, he was about to lose it.

  Mr. Overprotective was about to flip out and pull the plug on this assignment. She could see it in his face.

  “People don’t generally last very long there,” Dorian offered. “It’s said to be like Pandora’s Box. There’s so much evil, begging to be set free.”

  That was it.

  They were getting the hell out of there.

  Julian’s mind was made up.

  After the last case, where there was evil lurking, Julian vowed to not let his woman get hurt.

  This screamed horrible mistake, and when he spoke to the Lamonts, they were going to get an earful. Neither said anything about a haunted house filled with killing.

  He would have recalled that. Julian wasn’t out of his damn mind, not yet.

  “What goes on around the house?” Tori asked, knowing that town gossip was always a good place to start. People liked whispering and sharing details.

  It was human nature.

  He looked around before leaning forward. “Word has it that hidden in that hou
se are some artifacts. I don’t know much, but I do know the town historian has the original journal on file at her office. You should check it out. You might find something helpful in it.”

  Tori took the credit card and placed it back in her wallet. “Thank you, sir, we will.”

  Julian begged to differ. They absolutely would not be doing any such thing.

  Not today.

  Not tomorrow.

  Not in a year of Sundays.

  In fact, the term, ‘over his dead body’ was coming to mind when it came to ‘The Killing House’.

  “Thank you so much, Mr. Hardwick. We appreciate all you told us!” she called to the man, as she jogged up the stairs in the direction that he had indicated. At the top, she found the door and her husband with quite the look on his face.

  “Jules,” she began.

  He stepped inside after her and booted the door closed with his foot.

  “No.”

  “Julian,” she tried again. Hopefully, he could see how good this could be for their business. Another high profile case would keep them on the map. This paranormal element was giving them a niche that no one else could fill. Between her and Vivian, they had a unique twist on solving things.

  That was a good thing.

  “It’s not happening, Tori. We nearly lost our lives the last time we went into a case not ready for it. While we ran the Lamonts, we didn't think to search the background on the house. This one is on me, and I’m opting to get us out of it before we get in too deep.”

  “Think of all the money we’ve sunk already. There are the four plane tickets. The rentals that we won’t get refunded,” she began, trying to appeal to the business man. “Our company could use this case. We’re making something great in our careers, Julian. This could be another notch in our belts.”

  “Do you think I give a shit about the money, Victoria?” he asked, his voice rising. “Do you honestly believe I’d risk my woman and our child for some cash or to be some investigating celebrity?”

  He dropped the luggage and began pacing the room.

  “You must think so very little of me!”

  When he came to a stop in front of her, she was getting angry too. “We’re staying, Julian. We took this one, and we’re going to find Jeffery Lamont. In the process, we might just be able to dispel the myths of Harrison House too.”

  “Like hell we are. We head back tomorrow. This discussion is officially over.”

  The anger whipped through him at the thought that he could lose his wife and child. He’d fought so hard to get them both, and neither was going to slip through his fingers.

  Not now.

  Not ever.

  “I need this, Julian. I can’t go back. Do you understand me? What’s back home, lying in wait, scares me. I’d rather face this down than that mess any day. If you want to go, then leave. I’ll do this on my own.”

  “You will not!”

  His voice rose, which was odd for him. It took a great deal to make Julian lose it.

  When it came to this, he was close.

  Really close.

  “I will too. I have just as much right to stay. I’m part of this. You don’t own me, Julian. We’re supposed to be a team. If you loved me, you’d see I need this.”

  He spun to face her. “If I loved you?”

  Tori knew that was going to get a response. Was it wrong to push his one hot button?

  Yes.

  Still, she needed him to understand.

  “If I loved you, Victoria? I chased you around trying to get you to fall for me. I sacrificed my life to have you as mine, and you’re going to throw that in my face?”

  She moved closer to him. “I need this, Jules. I can’t go back. I’m going to fall apart if I do. Please don’t break me. I need you to stay here with me and hold me up. I never ask for anything. I’m begging you. Please, Julian. Love me enough to stay with me. Her coming back has made me so afraid. What if I’m just like her? What if I can’t pull off the mother thing? What if I ruin our child’s life like she destroyed mine?”

  His heart skipped as his wife shared everything that was eating away at her. “Tori, you’re nothing like her.”

  “Help me prove it. If she didn't walk into our office, I’d head back with you, but now I can’t. I have to prove this to myself in order to bury the fear. Let me work through this. I need it.”

  He softened when she rested her forehead against his.

  “Please, Jules,” she whispered. “Heal me.”

  It was all it took. “Tori.”

  Leaning into him, she placed her mouth against his. The kiss she offered wasn’t to lure him to her side, but to offer what lived within her.

  Tori loved him.

  She’d need him to get through all the things that were swirling in her mind. Would she be a good mother? Could she pull it off? For now, she needed to focus on work in order to not fear reality.

  Julian’s arms came around her, offering so much peace as they held them together.

  She took that as her sign.

  Slowly, Tori’s hands moved down his polo, until they found the hem. Only breaking the kiss momentarily, she pulled his shirt from his body. After tossing it to the floor, her fingers traced the script of her name across his tan Native flesh.

  “I love you,” she said, moving her mouth back to his. There was a chill filling her that only he could warm.

  Julian was the only one who gave her peace.

  He knew she was breaking inside, because he could feel it in her body. She shook, but it wasn’t pleasure that rolled through her. Tori was genuinely worried and scared.

  He would take that away.

  Breaking the kiss, he stared into her eyes. “I’ll stay. We’ll do this together.”

  Tori never loved anyone more than she did Julian at that very moment. She knew he was swallowing everything in him for her sake.

  It touched her.

  “Let me heal you, Victoria,” he offered, wanting his wife in the worst way. The taste of her lips filled him, making Julian long for so much more than just that tiny sample.

  He craved her.

  Julian wanted Tori and was so hungry to have more.

  She stepped back, simultaneously pulling her own shirt from her body. As he kicked off his boots, she did the same. Then, like a storm, they crashed back into each other, hands and mouths wildly tracing across their bodies.

  “I want you,” he muttered, nibbling down her neck.

  Her head dropped back as her husband devoured her in little greedy bites.

  “Tori,” he said, flicking open the button on her jeans.

  When she did the same to him, only stroking him through the material, Julian moaned in need.

  There would never be enough of his wife.

  This was proof.

  They were going to do something stupid, and he didn't try harder to stop it. Now, Julian could only hope he didn’t lose her and his child in the process.

  She pushed him back.

  Julian tumbled onto the couch. Staring up at her, there was so much lust and need in his eyes. “Well, Victoria, prove how much you love me.”

  His words accomplished what he wanted. Before, she threw them at him, now he was handing them back.

  Without hesitation, she went to her knees before him, taking her husband in her hand. Silkily, she stroked him, pulling another moan from him. When he dropped his head back to the cushion to prepare for her hot, wet mouth, Tori teased the tip of him with her tongue.

  “Come on, Victoria,” he ordered. “You got your way, so give me mine.”

  That was all it took.

  She swallowed him right to the base.

  The sound that slipped from his mouth, as she took him all in, was somewhere between a groan and him begging for more.

  Julian nearly lost it.

  It was probably lucky he wasn’t watching his wife giving him a blow job. He could feel it, and that nearly shoved him over the edge. Watching the erotic act was asking
for trouble.

  As Tori’s mouth slid up and down his erection, Julian wanted to explode. It was clear that she was trying to shove him over the edge.

  Instead, he fought it, and it wasn’t easy.

  Tori was trying desperately to repay him for his offer to stay. If anything, it made him feel like he was getting lucky in some sexual bribe.

  That wasn’t true.

  If she said no, he would have stayed anyway.

  But this… this was more than enough reason to remain at her side. His wife had some crazy oral skills.

  “Like this, Julian?” she asked, only pulling her mouth from his body for a second.

  When he looked down, she went back to work.

  “Oh, shit!” he muttered, knowing that he shouldn’t have looked.

  It was so damn hot.

  “If you don’t stop with that wicked mouth of yours, I’m going to explode,” he warned.

  Tori did just that.

  She set him free.

  While Julian planned on tormenting her, Tori had other ideas. Stripping to bare skin, she got ready to ride.

  “I want to feel you buried in me, Jules. I want to feel that rush of heat when you explode. I want you to fill me and all the empty places that live in me.”

  Just her words were making it hard to think.

  Julian knew doing it was going to be that much hotter.

  Tori didn't wait. Instead, she climbed into his lap and began bouncing like a wild woman. She wanted that rush of adrenaline as they both broke apart.

  “Tori!” he hissed, his body already tightening. She was working him hard, and he didn't know how long he could fight it.

  It was coming.

  He was cumming.

  “Oh God!” he shouted, as all the frustration, heat, and lust exploded out of him, pushing her over the edge into the fall with him.

  Tori went to shout his name, only to have him pull her mouth to his.

  Together, they tumbled.

  The colors spiraled as they stayed pressed together, even as his body throbbed deep within hers.

  “Oh, Jules,” she managed to finally say.

  He laughed. “You seem to be good at using sex to get me to cave.”

  She lifted her head in protest. “That wasn’t what this was,” she offered.

  “Really? What was it then?”