Linda Wisdom, page 16
“What does this look like to you, Sheriff O’Hara?” He lifted it a bit higher.
Tess walked over and looked over his shoulder. “My, my, I would say that looks like a printing press, Agent Wilder. A fairly new one at that.”
Jake dropped the tarp. He made a quick survey of the room and found a few boxes that looked to be filled with paper and ink.
“I just bet they’ll be back tonight.”
“That’s a bet I don’t care to take.”
He reached over and pressed a hard kiss against her lips. “Still think I’m nuts to check out this area for the counterfeiting ring?”
“I never said you were nuts, but any man who can figure out something big from next to nothing is pretty good in my book.” Her smile broadened. “Even if he does have dirt on his face.” She stood up.
“I’d say we ought to get out of here.”
“Good idea.”
As Tess climbed up the ladder, she felt a couple of pats on her rear end.
“Hey, no fondling the local cops, bub.” She squinted against the afternoon sun when she reached the 111
top and pulled herself out of the hole. She grabbed Jake’s arms, helping him out. They both sat on the ground staring at each other. They knew they were grinning like crazy idiots and couldn’t care less. Tess’s grin wobbled a bit when she realized what their find meant.
Jake’s gaze sharpened as he watched the conflicting emotions cross her face. “What’s wrong?”
She shrugged. “Having to stake this place out tonight isn’t going to be too much fun.” She looked off in the distance. “I’ d like to talk to Frank about backing us up.”
“No way,” he said instantly.
“A third set of hands would be helpful. Besides, I think we can trust him.’
“Tess, I had to pull teeth to get them to agree to let me tell you about this.”
“Come on, Jake, you’ve gone against orders before,” she argued, standing up and dusting off the seat of her jeans. She marched back to the barn.
“Oh, right, now he’s an okay guy because you had a nice little chat with him last night,” he said sarcastically as he followed her.
“Hey, if you’ve got a problem with it, I’ll bring him in as one of my men, and we’ll clear this up ourselves.” She swung open the driver’s door.
“I have precedence in this case and you know it.” He was hard on her heels.
Tess’s reply was succinct as she informed him what he could do with his precedence.
Furious, Jake pulled her around and pushed her against the truck’s fender. “Your mother should have washed your mouth out with soap more often.”
“I was the one who figured out the back road. I was the one who saw the lights And I was the one who allowed you to come out here, so don’t pull your federal crap with me.” Her chin jutted out.
For a moment Jake looked ready to punch her. His eyes narrowed to slits. They were both dusty from roaming around the cellar, and breathing hard from their argument.
“You ought to brush up on your anatomy, sweetheart,” he said in a low voice that fairly throbbed with menace. “I have to tell you your suggestion is physically impossible.’
Just as suddenly the air around them seemed to crackle with electricity.
“If I was in my right mind, I’d throttle you,” Jake said between clenched teeth.
“If we were both in our right minds, we’d be speeding back to the house right now.”
Jake stared down at Tess. She stared back without flinching. One thing he’d always admired about her was her ability not to back down in the face of danger.
He held out his hand.
“Give me the keys.”
Linda J. Wisdom
112
“It’s an official vehicle.”
“And I’m an official guy.”
Tess dropped the key ring in his outstretched palm. “Try to keep it lower than the speed of light, okay?” She walked around and climbed into the passenger seat.
Jake kept his foot glued to the accelerator as the truck bounced along the desert floor before they reached the highway.
Tess felt the crackling of the electricity between them during the drive. It only increased the closer they got to town.
She entered the house first through the back door.
“Now wha-” Her question was abruptly cut off when Jake spun her around and fastened his mouth on hers. He tore her shirt open, then his own as he pressed his chest against hers. They began kissing and nibbling as if there was no tomorrow. Not content with that, he gripped her waist and lifted her onto the counter. He stood between her spread legs and groped for her jeans fastening. He jerked the zipper down and pushed the jeans to her hips along with her panties.
She shifted her body slightly so that he could push them off the rest of the way. Swearing under his breath, he fumbled with his own.
“Let me,” she murmured, brushing his hands away and finishing the job.
Jake felt it bubble up inside him like molten lava as he pulled her onto his cock. There were no words, no lingering over touches. It wasn’t what they needed at the moment.
Tess’s breath caught when he thrust so deep inside her she felt her pussy nearly swallow him up..He was so thick and hard, driving his cock in and out but she felt no pain. Instead Jake’s rapid-fire thrusts matched the urgency boiling in her blood. She gripped his shoulders so tightly her short nails drew blood.
At that moment, he was beyond feeling anything except for the pain in his cock demanding its release.
Their perspiration-drenched bodies moved faster and faster until Tess would have fallen off the counter if Jake hadn’t been holding her. She felt the convulsions build deep within her honeyed pussy and cried out as they traveled up through her body and she was lost. When they started to subside and she felt ready to take a breath, they started again and then again. This time Jake joined her as they seemed to fall out of the sky in a shower of sparks.
Tess held on to Jake as she struggled for air. She buried her face against the curve of-his shoulder.
She opened her mouth, tasting the salt from his damp skin.
“At least we agree on something,” she said.
His own body was shaking from the force their loving had created.
113
“I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to wait until we got back here, but I didn’t think it would look good for your image if you were caught with your pants down in an official vehicle.” He stepped back and held on to her as she hopped off the counter.
Tess looked at her jeans and underwear strewn on the floor next to Jake’s jeans. Her gaze moved on to her shirt and bra hanging open. She smiled when she saw Jake’s briefs were still looped around his knees.
“I always wondered what the books meant by a woman being ravished. I think I understand it better now.” She stooped to pick up her clothes. As she started to walk out of the room, she looked over her shoulder.
“How about a shower?”
“I could be talked into it.”
Tess placed a hand on her hip and struck a pose.
“I’m talking.”
“And I’m moving.” He raced forward, grabbed her up in his arms, and carried her into the bathroom.
They didn’t emerge until the hot water was gone.
*****
“I still say we can trust Frank.”
“I know you do, and I’m pretty tired of hearing “Then let me call him.”
Jake threw up his hands. ‘Where’s that wild woman I just shared the shower with?”
“Right here. I’ll even take responsibility when Roger starts screaming about you calling in too many locals.”
He thought for a moment. “You willing to take full responsibility?”
“That’s what I said.” She sat back, looking pleased with herself.
They had opted for a casual dinner in bed as they planned their strategy. It brought back memories for Tess as she recalled the times they’d sat up till all hours, usually in her apartment going over tactics.
“We don’t know how many are in on this. We need additional back up.”
“Frank might be one of them.”
“I don’t think so.”
He waved a pretzel stick at her. .”You don’t think?”
She leaned forward and took it out of his hand. “I know so.”
“You’ve got guts, lady.”
Tess knew she’d won. “You taught me.’ She reached across the bed and picked up her cordless phone.
She quickly punched out a series of numbers. “Frank, this is Tess. I’m sorry if I woke you Linda J. Wisdom
114
up, but. this is important. I’d like you to stop by the house today. Can you come by in about an hour?
Good.” She started to laugh as she heard something on the other end of the line. “You know, I’ve been called a lot of things, but that’s a new one. No, it didn’t get you off the hook. I still want you to come by.
See you in an hour.”
Jake shook his head in wonderment. “You weren’t going to waste any time, were you?”
She hopped off the bed and walked over to her dresser. She pulled shorts and a T-shirt out of the drawer.
“Since Frank is going to be here in about an hour, you might want to think about getting dressed too,’
she suggested as she sauntered into the bathroom.
“I think I liked you better before you got so powerful,” he called after her.
“No, you don’t, and you know it.”
*****
Tess and Jake were seated in the living room looking the picture of the conventional couple when Frank knocked on the door.
“Glad you could make it so promptly,” Tess said.
He scowled back. “This better be good.”
“Doesn’t he remind you of someone, Jake?” She turned back to her lover. “It’s that charming expression that jogged my memory.”
“Roger.”
“Exactly.” She gestured to one of the chairs. “Have a seat. Would you like something to drink?
Coffee, soda, a beer?”
He shook his head as he seated himself in one of the chairs. “No, thanks, I’m fine.” He looked from one to the other. “Do you tell me what this is about, or do I have to play twenty questions?”
Tess looked at Jake. He shrugged.
“It’s your decision. You do the talking.”
With a minimum of words Tess explained Jake’s true occupation and reason for being in Crater Rock. She also told him about their search for a logical place to hide the printing press and, thanks to that comment from him and what she’d remembered about the back road, they had gone back to the Dennis house and found the cellar.
“A cellar,” Frank mused. “Yeah, no one around here would think there was one.” He looked from one to the other. “What do you need from me?”
“Backup.” Jake was the one to answer him this time. “We’re going to have to move fast, so we want 115
to go in tonight.”
“What about your federal buddies? They won’t appreciate not being in on this.”
“We can’t afford to call anyone in without arousing suspicion,” Jake explained. “This town isn’t exactly known for an influx of visitors.”
Frank sat forward with his laced fingers swinging between his knees. “I never did like the mayor and his grandstand ideas for the town. If this means he won’t be eligible for the next election, I’m in.”
Tess shot Jake a smug look.
“What time do you usually see Henry out that way.” Jake asked.
He thought for a moment. “Usually between midnight and two. I always thought he was dumb to go all the way out there.”
“One question is why Louise Bennett is in on this with him,” Tess commented. “What does she have to do with it?”
“She’s got relatives still living in Mexico,” Frank told her. “Maybe that’s where the contacts come from. Before she got married she was Louisa Mendoza.
“Makes sense. Who else do you think could be in on this?” Jake asked.
Frank shrugged. “Henry’s got a lot of so-called friends in this town. Could be any or all of them.
They’re always talking about big deals and even bigger money. They’re all hope to cash in on the land boom if industry moves out this way. Henry, Dave, and I think even Leonard own quite a bit of the land outside the town limits.”
“I did a title search and found that the Dennis property was reverted to the bank after Mr. Dennis left.” Tess spoke up. “It was never put up for auction or anything.” She slapped her forehead as something occurred to her. “And Leonard is president of the bank. It’s making more sense by the minute.”
Frank turned to Jake. ‘What if they have someone keeping an eye on whoever is working the night shift for me? It wouldn’t be all that hard to do since none of us would expect to be followed. I know l thought of anyone watching me when I was out there.”
“It makes sense,” Jake murmured. ‘If you follow a pretty regimented schedule, they’d know when to expect you to drive past. That way they wouldn’t have to worry about you happening by at any old time.
With low crime rate, you don’t have to worry about varying your schedule to throw anyone off.”
“Plus, working down in that cellar guarantees them little chance of their lights being seen too far in the distance. I was obviously lucky last night when I saw the lights and went over to investigate.”
Frank looked from one to the other. “So, we go in tonight, when we can catch them off guard? It does sound like your best bet if you want to catch them all together.”
Linda J. Wisdom
116
“You sound pretty eager for this,” Jake said. “I thought you preferred nights because they’re quiet.
This could end up to be a pretty hairy dealt if we don’t contain it right away.”
He shrugged. “Then I’ll have my excitement for the year. No one’s going to worry about me, because they all know officially I’m off duty.”
“Good, then when Tess goes out on patrol tonight, you can come by here and pick me up. We’ll meet up with her later,” Jake decided. He laid his notes out on the coffee table as he quickly outlined the plan he’d come up with to the two of them.
As Jake talked, Tess began to feel that old excitement bubbling up inside of her. And she didn’t like it one bit. Because deep down she wondered, if push came to shove, would she hesitate to pull her gun on someone? So far she’d been lucky and hadn’t been forced into that situation during her four years here as sheriff. She also knew luck could only last so long.
She prayed it would last another twenty-four hours.
117
THIRTEEN
“Did you call Roger to tell him what’s going on? You know how he likes to be informed. And how upset he gets when he finds out about it after the fact. And Roger in a snit is never a pretty sight.”
Jake was standing at the bathroom sink shaving. While he was used to the scruffy look he didn’t like harming Tess’s skin with razor burn. Tess sat on the edge of the bathtub efficiently weaving her wet hair into a French braid.
“I never could figure out how you do something like that without looking in a mirror,” he commented.
“And you do it so fast too.”
She shot him her “you’re changing the subject” look- “Lots of practice. It stays off my face this way and doesn’t interfere when I’m wearing my hat.” She nudged his bare leg with her foot. “Roger? Remember him? The uptight guy who sleeps in his suits and has his underwear starched? The guy who gets a haircut every two weeks? The guy I used to work for and you still do? Him.”
He leaned over the sink as he carefully scraped the beard-flecked foam from his jaw. “I left a message.”
“What did the message say?”
“I told him enough, don’t worry. And, so we don’t have to worry about our losing on a technicality, I made the arrangements for the warrant we’d need. It’s going to be delivered today in an envelope marked ‘Computer Disks.’ I also ran a check on Frank.”
“Didn’t trust my instincts?”
“Yeah, but you know me. I like to see it in print. He racked himself up quite a distinguished record while in the service and is about as clean as a person can get.”
“You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know.”
He turned his head and looked at her. Her French blue cotton camisole and matching panties were lace trimmed and incredibly sexy.
“What?” Tess looked at him with a question in her eyes.
“I wish we’d gotten together sooner.”
“If we’d gotten together sooner, Jake, we might have ruined a good partnership,” she pointed out.
“And we did some great work back then. We were meant to wait, that’s all. I had to get over that shooting, and whether you want to admit it or not, you had some things of your own to figure out.”
Now he was confused. ‘Figure what out?”
Linda J. Wisdom
118
Tess used an elasticized band to secure the end of her braid. She stood up and wrapped her arms around his waist. She dabbed at the flecks of shaving foam still dotting his face before she kissed him carefully on the mouth. As she kissed him, she inhaled the crisp scent of spice mixed with male. She knew she’d never smell it again without thinking of Jake.
“You’re a smart guy, Wilder,” she whispered as she drew back. “Think about it.” She looked over his shoulder so that she could see the clock on her night table. “I’ve got to get dressed. I’ll see you and Frank at the rendezvous point at midnight.”
He nodded as he quickly wiped his face clean with a hand towel and walked back into the bedroom, where Tess was putting on her uniform.
