Cuff Master Read online

  Since she benefitted from his touch, he figured he might as well keep it up and tucked his arm around her waist as they walked out into the chilly early fall evening.

  A full moon lit up the parking lot as he led Morgan to his Acura TL. Once there, he checked to make sure no one was around and brought her up against his much bigger frame.

  “Has anyone ever told you that you’re beautiful, Morgan?”

  “Ah, no, not really, and you’re being silly.” Playfully tagging him on the shoulder, Morgan tried to shimmy out of reach, but he caught the lapels of his jacket and kept her from escaping.

  Ethan wasn’t having it. Tonight he’d decided to lay claim to Morgan. Now was the time to act on it. “When I’m done kissing you, you’ll know I’m not silly at all.”

  Touching his free hand to her chin, he kept her still, or she stayed still, he wasn’t sure. The next thing he knew, his head was lowering closer and she’d lifted up on her toes.

  “Always wanted to know what it would be to be kissed by Ethan Maddox when I was awake,” she whispered a second before Ethan laid claim to the sweetest, fullest, sexiest mouth he’d ever had the pleasure of kissing.

  She tasted like an angel, with hints of mint and innocence. Already half in love with her, the reality of having their mouths fused together threatened to make him fall completely.

  Wanting to deepen the kiss, he swiped her lips with his tongue, demanding entrance. Shyly, she complied, as if she wasn’t quite sure what to do. It was both eye-opening and challenging to break through that timid barrier with a swift dart of his tongue.

  She made a sexy little mewl and that was all Ethan needed to crush her completely up against him. Turning her about, he leaned into her until her back was flush against his car. The move forced their mouths to separate.

  Checking to be sure she wasn’t alarmed by what they were doing, he saw her enticing eyes and sexy smile and swooped down to kiss her again.

  “Ethan,” she whispered, the fluttering of her soft lips against his as sexy as fuck.

  “Morgan,” he said, countering her movements with some bottom-lip sucking action. The sexy little minx arched back as much as the car allowed, her legs separating as he fitted himself right up between her thighs.

  “Feel that?” Intentionally brushing his hard cock right up against her mound, he swore he could feel her heat and wetness.

  “You’ve an erection…and a very big one at that. Is that what you mean, Detective?”

  “Thank you for noticing.” Yeah, he was bigger than the average guy and proud of it. “I’ve been hard for you all damn night. What do you say we take care of the Navigator and hightail it to somewhere private?”

  Before giving her a chance to answer, he touched his mouth to hers again. Instead of the welcome he’d anticipated, she clammed up tight, refusing even the gentlest of French kisses.

  “Let me go,” she insisted, pushing against him. “I’m not going to be another notch on your belt.”

  “Never said you would be,” he countered, stepping back a fraction to give her some breathing room.

  “Your question presumes one little kiss gives you liberties to my body that I’ve not granted. Perhaps fucking the crazy psychic chick is something your cop ego has in mind. It’s not going to happen, so back the fuck off!”

  “I’m a man, not just a cop. Sometimes we say stupid things when we’re thinking with our dicks. I’m sorry. Believe it or not, I don’t think you’re crazy and I wasn’t presuming anything. I just want to be alone with you for the rest of the night.”

  “Ha! Nice try.” Straightening up, she started to remove his jacket from her shoulders. “You want to fuck me! Admit it, Detective.”

  The way she growled the word “detective” did things to his balls that bordered on erotic pain. Never one to ignore the temptation of a little discomfort to get to the pleasure, his treacherous cock became impossibly harder. A trail of pre-cum dampened his boxers.

  “You want the truth? Yes, I want to fuck you. Whether that happens tonight or a month from now, I will have you.”

  “Confident much, Ethan?” she challenged.

  “Where you’re concerned, I am. You want me too. I see it in your eyes, felt it in the way you kissed me back. The jacket stays on, Morgan. It’s chilly out here.” Taking hold of the lapels again, he buttoned it up so that it might keep her from bolting back inside the building.

  “You need it as much as I do. You’re shaking.”

  Was he? If he was, he didn’t give a fuck. There was always an eerie chill about Alex Grant and Ryan Hathaway’s castle. Some folks in the North Shore area claimed the place was haunted because of the ancient stonework that’d been brought to Danvers from Ireland.

  He wasn’t sure about ghosts and didn’t want to think about them tonight. What he cared about was easing Morgan’s mind. Yeah, he’d been thinking with his dick a second ago and shouldn’t have rushed things.

  “So you do care about me a little,” he said.

  “I never said I didn’t,” she remarked, sneering a little. Damn, if that wasn’t sexy, he’d eat his badge.

  “Then how about giving me the benefit of the doubt? Come to Phalen and Cassie’s house with me later…for nothing more than coffee and conversation, if that’s what you want.”

  “I shouldn’t. You’ll just end up disappointed.”

  Keeping her still with one hand on the jacket and one beneath her chin, he gently swept his thumb over her lips. Sweetly, she turned her face into his palm and blew a gentle kiss at the center.

  “Impossible, I’m enthralled with you. Haven’t you figured it out yet?”

  “The moment you learn that I’m as sexually experienced as a virgin, you’re going to bolt.”

  “Are you?”

  “Am I what?”

  “A virgin?”

  “I’ve had sex. I can take it or leave it. Mostly, I’ve left it. I just don’t feel comfortable enough with most men to even want to fuck. Sorry.”

  Fighting off his jealousy and the crazy way his cock leapt to attention when Morgan said “fuck”, Ethan shook his head and swallowed to calm down. “I’m confused, Morgan. What are you really trying to say?”

  “I’ve only been with two guys. The senior class president in high school and someone I’d dated when I moved to Salem. I foolishly thought he was the one because I didn’t scare him off. That’s the extent of my sex life.”

  “Knowing you haven’t had many men in your life doesn’t bother me. As a matter of fact, I like it. I’m a possessive sonofabitch, don’t you know?”

  “That’s the thing, I don’t know.”

  Steadier now, she didn’t stop him from moving in close enough to warm her up. Selfish bastard that he was, he couldn’t ignore the soft swell of her breasts and hardness of her nipples brushing his chest.

  “And that scares you?”

  “You scare me. Except for when I was young and inexperienced, I’m intuitively aware of when a guy wants me for me, not because he thinks I’m into some really weird or kinky stuff or he just wants to fuck the class witch.”

  “Is that what happened with the class president?”

  “Yes. It seems silly to think about it now. It was a long time ago.”

  “I’m sorry, honey. Please don’t judge me based on some other asshole’s actions.”

  “Don’t you see? I’m not right for you, Ethan. I know what you are and what you want from me. I know what your brothers are. I know what the three of you sell online and what lies beneath Phalen’s tattoo shop.”

  “What do you think I want?”

  “Sex, bondage, discipline, dungeons, submission, the whole BDSM lifestyle,” she answered. “I don’t even like sex toys much. How can I get into kink?”

  “How about we figure out what’ll happen between us as it happens? What you’ve known before was child’s play, Morgan. I don’t want to scare you, but I do want to be your Dom.”

  “Now I really am scared. I might be a little shy
, but I’m not weak.”

  “I’ve never thought of you as weak. Stubborn, yes, difficult, shy, beautiful, magical, sexy as hell, bingo, those are words I’d use to describe you.”

  “You really think I’m beautiful?” she asked softly, latching on to the compliment. Even in the moonlight, he could see her glowing with pleasure from his praise.

  “Very much so and I think your shyness is a result of being hurt one too many times by people you’ve let into your world who then betrayed you. But you can trust me. I won’t let you down.”

  “And you won’t turn me into a slave or try to change me?”

  “I can’t change who or what you are and slavery isn’t my kink. As much as I don’t understand this psychic ability you claim to have, maybe you can explain it to me. Let me in so I don’t have doubts.”

  “It’s not something I claim to have. My gift of psychometry is part of me. I’d foolishly tried to deny it for a long time. I won’t do that again. Not for you, not for anyone.”

  “I won’t ask you to deny it.” He didn’t know if he was ready to believe in psychic ability. But he did believe that the human mind was capable of extraordinary things.

  If Morgan believed in it, he had to give her a chance by believing in her. That didn’t mean he’d abandoned his skepticism. Many times, things in the supernatural world could be explained through rational discussion and investigation.

  He dealt in evidence, facts and clues, but weren’t there times when he’d followed his gut and turned out to be right?

  Before he’d gotten the call about his parents’ deaths, he’d known they were gone. He’d sworn he’d heard his mother say goodbye through the darkness of his room, waking him up to see 10:05 p.m. in red on his alarm clock.

  After learning his father’s time of death was estimated at 10:00 p.m. and his mom had died five minutes later, he’d figured it was purely coincidence that he’d woken up when he did. But thinking about the accident that took his parents wasn’t romantic and wasn’t fair to Morgan.

  Lowering his head closer to her, he deliberately kept their mouths separated just enough to make her want his kiss. “I’m housesitting for Cassie and Phalen while they’re away, Morgan. Come over tonight and help me take care of Samson and Delilah.”

  “You just want me to scoop the litter pan,” she murmured.

  “Nope, I want to kiss you as many times as I can.”

  “I should go home. I need to wash this gunk out of my hair tonight.”

  “The house has three working showers and a big bathtub. I’m sure we can find a way to wash your hair.”

  “Not we, Detective. I’m not ready for you.”

  “I think you are. You may not be able to read me, but you know what kind of relationship I want with you.”

  “Maybe we should just call it a night. No more kissing, no more temptation.”

  “I’m a temptation, huh?”

  Unaware that she’d nodded, she straightened enough to almost touch her mouth to his. “Extremely tempting, it could be that you’re my anchor. The one Grandma Everhart portended I’d meet and would need to keep me safe when the storms come.”

  “What storms, Morgan?”

  She frowned and shook her head, causing her lips to brush his lightly. “For her, storms portended evil. Predictions are not my forte, knowing the histories of an object, listening to the souls who’ve yet to cross over are my strengths.”

  “We’re talking about ghosts now?”

  “Yes, I talk to ghosts. I can’t turn off the voices or the memories or the thoughts that haunt the past, except for when you touch me. I fear that we’re on the cusp of something huge. If I mess it up, you’re going to be the one who bolts, not me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere, Morgan Everhart. I’m not afraid of ghosts or your abilities. Let me be your hero and you’ll see there’s nothing to fear from this.” Kissing her soundly, he swallowed her sighs and drew her tongue into his mouth.

  He’d yet to convince her to come to Salem with him later. But there was plenty of time for that. He’d rather spend a few more minutes kissing her while they were still alone. Judging from the sound of footfalls coming in their general direction, Ethan knew their seclusion was about to be invaded.

  Then he heard his partner, Sam Riley. “Take that picture, Taran Maddox, and I will shove that smartphone right up your dumb ass!”

  “Careful, doll, I might like it if you turn the phone on vibrate,” Taran remarked.

  A host of laughter and an indignant gasp from Sam followed, warning that the invasion was the whole wedding party.

  Stepping back from Morgan, but staying close enough to protect her from the group heading in their direction, Ethan turned toward them. He did so in time to see his little brother pocketing his phone.

  “Just for the record, I was just going to update Ethan’s relationship status on Facebook as taken,” Taran stated. “Looks as if he’s making progress with the elusive and lovely Morgan Everhart, doesn’t it?”

  Coming right up to them, Sam took Morgan’s elbow and helped bring her away from the car. “You okay, Morgan? If Taran’s offended you, say the word and I’ll put him in lockup for the rest of the night.”

  “The only one of us who’ll get locked into anything will be you, Detective Riley,” Taran promised. He took enormous pride in goading Sam now that he’d decided to take on the challenges she continuously dished out.

  “I’m fine,” Morgan reassured. “Ethan and I were just getting some supplies to decorate Phalen’s SUV.”

  “You two were going to decorate without the rest of the wedding party?” Kyran Black asked. “I’m offended, Alex, how about you?”

  “I think the maid of honor and best man needed some time alone,” Alex Grant answered. “Since you’re a daddy now, I’m sure you know how precious it is to have some quiet time with Anna.”

  “There is that,” Kyran agreed. “So many weddings, so little time. This makes the third since your July shindig with Ryan.”

  “Don’t forget the twins’ christening,” Dallas McKay added. “It is poetic justice that Kyran’s wife had two daughters. Just wait ’til the boys start calling.”

  “When that happens, Kyran’s going to lock the girls in their rooms and throw away the key,” Anna Black said, chuckling. For a woman who’d had twins, she looked amazing in her burgundy gown.

  “Gentlemen, can we talk about this after we’re back inside? Might only be October, but it’s downright cold out here,” Grace McKay interjected. “Cassie has Phalen and most of the Alexandria Griffins on the dance floor doing the Cupid Shuffle. This is our only chance to do the decorating right.”

  “My wife’s right,” Dallas agreed, moving over to tuck Grace into his embrace and rub her arms.

  “Feels as though a storm might be kicking up,” Taran said. “Good thing Phalen and Cassie are heading to the airport tonight.”

  “They’re so lucky,” Morgan stated, moving farther away from the Acura. “Wish I could spend three weeks in Maui. As it is, it’s October. Salem’s extra busy this time of year.”

  “I’ll take you someplace warm after Halloween,” Ethan offered.

  “Nonsense, Detective Maddox, I can’t possibly afford that,” she replied, immediately unbuttoning the tux jacket. “Here, thank you for the use of your coat.”

  “Morgan, keep the jacket,” Ethan said, becoming very aware that she was putting up a wall. He didn’t understand why.

  Seeing her pause in the unbuttoning, she looked off, her eyes, highlighted by the moonlight, gleaming for a moment, then going dark as a cloud overhead blocked the moon.

  “I can’t keep it. It’s too much. It’s a rental,” she said absently. “Flashes of weddings and proms are going off in my head. They’re not a bad thing, just confusing.”

  “All our tuxedos are rentals,” Ethan said, becoming worried. She continued to look…lost.

  Recalling what happened when he first put the jacket around her, he reached out to take h
er hand. She stilled, shaking her head and jerking back as if he’d struck her. He’d not realized she’d focused her attention over his shoulder until she backed into the trunk of his car.

  “Morgan, honey, what is it?” Ethan demanded.

  Her eyes closed, her lips pursed and she reopened her eyes to refocus on whatever she was seeing. Following her line of sight, he saw that she was staring at the doorway they’d come through a few minutes ago.

  And then she began to speak to him in a voice he couldn’t be certain was hers, scaring the fuck out of him in the process.

  “This tux was worn by someone evil, someone who did terrible, unmentionable things to many girls and whom you’ve met before. The tuxedo was cleaned, pressed and sold during a going-out-of-business auction. It’s come full circle. I fear you’re about to face that evil again, Detective Maddox.”

  She continued to talk, but she became so quiet it was almost impossible to hear her over the wind that had kicked up. The wedding party moved in close to brace themselves. The scent of apples permeated everything.

  “We should get inside,” Kyran urged, putting his arm around his wife to warm her.

  Morgan continued to focus on the door. She frowned, mumbling beneath her breath. Who was she talking to? No one was at the door. Ethan wanted to go over and investigate it, take evidence, search for DNA or a clue, anything. All he saw was the door.

  Strangely, the amber light above the doorway dimmed.

  “I’m sorry that happened to you,” Morgan murmured, then looked up at Ethan. “She knows you didn’t mean to follow the wrong clues.” Her eyes were open, but he couldn’t be sure she was seeing him.

  “Morgan, snap out of it. Please. You could get sick. Who are you talking to?”

  “Jenna. Her name is Jenna…Jennifer…maybe? She was missing and you’d tried to find her. Found her with the other girls.” Morgan returned her gaze to the doorway. “She’s pointing at you. She wants you to help her mom.”

  “What?” What scared Ethan the most was that he recognized Jennifer’s name and he had no idea what to do about it.

  “She’s weakening, I’m sorry. The electrical source she’s using isn’t enough to sustain her presence much longer and she’s transient here. She wants her mama to know that Erica wasn’t wrong.”