Chapter 7

Carly waited up that night, hoping that Ray would come see her. She’d been thinking and worrying about him all that day. She wasn’t disappointed. Around midnight she heard the handle turn on the French doors to her balcony and he stepped into her room and shut them. She hadn’t lit a lamp, preferring to just sit in the dark and think, something she did often.

Rising, she went to him, looking up at him. There was enough moonlight coming through the windows for her to see his grave expression. His gaze met hers and the pain and confusion in his eyes tore at her heart.

His voice was hoarse when he spoke. “Why do people have to hate each other? Why do they do such terrible things to each other?”

Putting a hand on his arm, she said, “I ask myself that all the time, but there’s no answer. I’m so sorry, Ray. So sorry.”

“Me, too. He never did anything to anybody. He was such a good man. There was no reason for anyone to hate him or Sandy so much.”

“No, there wasn’t.”

The sheen of tears in his eyes evoked tenderness within her. She understood all too well how much agony that kind of loss caused. Her sister’s brutal death still weighed heavily on her heart, so she knew how Ray felt.

Ray slid a hand around the back of her neck and up into her silky blonde hair. “Please don’t hate me tonight, Carly. Can we pretend for just this one night that we don’t hate each other?”

His touch made her pulse jump and the naked vulnerability in his expression brought on her own tears. Smiling tremulously, she unbuttoned his coat and pushed it off his shoulders. Ray let her undress him, sighing and closing his eyes as she ran her hands over his skin as she removed each piece of clothing.

Her hands left him, and he opened his eyes to see her removing her robe and silk nightgown. Her pale skin reminded him of alabaster in the moonlight. Ray had seen and been with so many different women that they all seemed to blur together when he thought about them.

Not so with Carly. He had no idea why, but there was something about her that mesmerized him. She was slim and beautifully formed, and he knew as long as he lived that he’d never get the images of her out of his mind. Her luminous blue eyes, full, sweet lips and graceful neck added even more to her allure.

Coming back to him, she embraced him around his waist. Meeting his gaze, she said, “I don’t hate you, Ray. Come make love with me.”

His mouth curved in a slightly sarcastic smile. “That’s what you’re paying me for, isn’t it?”

She shook her head. “Not tonight, Ray. I want you for you, the way a woman wants a man. I don’t want to just have sex with you. I want it to mean something.”

“Mean what? What are we, Carly?”

She smiled and laughed a little. “I don’t know. I really don’t care. Do we have to label it right now? Can’t we just enjoy each other and sort the rest of it out later?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.”

Carly led him over her bed, and they laid down together, kissing and caressing until their passion was too hot to hold back. Their coupling was sensual, slow, and sweet.

Carly had never felt anything so wonderful before. Ray took her to heights of ecstasy that she’d never known existed, saying things to her that heightened her excitement and made her feel beautiful and appreciated.

And appreciate her, he did. For the first time, Ray let himself become so lost in a woman that he didn’t know where he ended and she began. It didn’t matter that she was older than him or that she was the mayor. It didn’t matter that he was just a lowly prostitute. In that moment, they were just two people brought together by happenstance, who gave each other comfort and bliss.

As they lay entangled, slowly floating back down to Earth, Carly rested her head on Ray’s chest, listening to his fast, strong heartbeat. Slowly, she ran a hand over his shoulder, across his chest and down a muscular thigh. He was just too delicious, and she couldn’t stop touching him.

Ray was used to being lusted after, but while women had enjoyed touching him, none of them had ever given him very much pleasure. It had always been about them and what they wanted, never about his desires or needs. Carly was different, eager to please him and make it as enjoyable for him as it was for her.

Even as her caresses stoked the fire of desire in him again, he thought about the way she made him lose control and how he’d forgotten protection again.

Kissing her neck, he said, “At this rate, we’re gonna have to get married really soon. I don’t have anything with me.”

Smiling and pulling him close, she said, “I don’t care. We’ll say it was a whirlwind romance. It’s happened before to people, even among those in powerful positions.”

“What about making me respectable?”

She chuckled as he rolled her over and knelt between her knees. “We’ll do that quickly and you’ll have to do some public courting, of course.”

“I can do that as long as I still get to do this with you at night.”

Meeting his gaze, she asked, “It doesn’t bother you that I’m almost ten years older than you?”

“Not one bit. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and you do something to me that I can’t really explain,” he said. “I mean that. It’s not some line of bull crap.”

“I believe you.”

“Good.”

His kiss was insistent, and any more conversation was put on hold as they set out on another flight to the pinnacle of passion.

Walt showed up at Wheels’ house the next morning madder than a hornet.

Wheels was startled by the angry gleam in the attorney’s eyes as he admitted him into his house.

“I hope yer happy with yerself for pullin’ that stunt yesterday,” he said, sitting down at the kitchen table. “I just got done with Judge Fairbanks and he almost ordered ya back to jail. I had to beg and plead to make him change his mind. I explained to him how close ye are with Sandy and Jim and prayed on his sympathy. Yer just lucky that he’s friends with them, too. Ya can’t do that again, lad.”

Wheels sighed. “But I want to go to the funeral.”

Walt banged the table. “Ya don’t get it! Yer a prisoner! Ya don’t get special favors, Wheels.” His voice softened a little. “I know that yer hurtin’ and that ya wanna be there for Sandy, but ya can’t go.”

Wheels let out a noise of frustration and left the room. Walt rubbed his forehead and then followed him.

“I’m sorry, Wheels, truly I am.”

Wheels tried to rein in his temper. “I know. Thanks for your help.”

His curt tone told Walt that the conversation was over. “Yer welcome. I’ll keep ya informed about Luther’s case.”

“Okay.”

Walt gave him a tight smile and left. Wheels needed physical action to work off his frustration. He began propelling himself around his house, back and forth from the kitchen to his bedroom as fast as he could. Powerful anger spurred him on, and he had plenty to burn.

Brock stood by the filing cabinet when Johnny entered the sheriff’s office.

Spotting Brock, Johnny asked, “Where’s Cy?”

Brock lifted a brow at his brusque tone. “In his office.”

“Good. Outside. I need to talk to you both right now.”

“I’m sort of in the—”

Anger flared in Johnny’s eyes. He grabbed Brock’s ear and twisted it hard, pulling him towards the kitchen.

“Ow, ow, ow!” Brock said.

Johnny let him go after several steps and shoved him into the kitchen. “Outside, now!”

“What the hell’s gotten into you?” Brock said, stepping out into the yard. He rubbed his sore ear as he stared at Johnny.

“Cy! Get out here!” Johnny hollered.

A moment later, Cy came out of the Dog House and walked over to the other two men.

“Hi, Johnny. Stopping by for a visit, huh?”

With startling speed, Johnny smacked Cy upside the head.

“Now, you two jackasses listen to me. You gotta quit all this fightin’ at home. You’re upsetting your women, especially Leigh, and with her being in the family way, it ain’t good for her. Every day, when it’s close to time for you guys to come home, she starts getting’ jumpy. I shouldn’t say this, but I heard her talkin’ to Daphne about it and it’s really takin’ a toll on her,” Johnny said.