Janet Evanovich - Full Bloom

Annie slipped her arms around his neck and sighed as her body reacted; her lower belly warmed. Wes leaned down and pulled off her shoes. Her slacks joined the rest of her clothes on the floor. Finally, he removed her panties, and his bold stare drank in the sight of her naked body.

Annie could not help feeling self-conscious. She and Charles hadn't showered together often. Their first time in bed had not been at all romantic; he'd simply suggested they strip down and crawl beneath the sheets, where they could "fool around." His caresses had not been slow and light like Wes's. She'd felt rushed and, afterward, an enormous sense of disappointment and frustration as Charles held her in his arms stiffly for a few minutes before turning over and reaching for the remote control and turning on Letterman.

Wes kissed her once more, and his big hands felt like heaven on her body. "Undress me," he said against her lips.

Annie was only too happy to oblige. Her knuckles grazed his hard belly as she unfastened his jeans and tagged the zipper. Freed from their clothes, they simply stared at each other.

"You're beautiful," he said. His smile was lazy and sexy as hell.

"You're not so bad yourself, big guy."

Wes turned on the water, tested it, and motioned for Annie to step in first. He joined her and pulled the shower curtain closed.

The warm water felt good against Annie's shoulders and back. Wes wet the soap, made lather, and then spread it across her back. He put the soap aside and began kneading her neck and shoulder muscles until Annie felt them go lax. He massaged her back as he washed. Annie sighed.

"Feel good?" he asked.

She nodded. "I guess I was a little tense."

He chuckled and turned her around. "There are other ways to relieve tension, you know." He soaped her from head to toe before slipping his hand between her thighs. Annie cried out softly as he brought her to orgasm. She grasped his shoulders, buried her face against his chest, and shuddered.

"Sweet," he said.

Once she stopped trembling, Annie washed his back and hips. She soaped his chest and stomach before moving lower. He was already erect. Palms slick with soap, Annie closed her fist around him and brought him to full arousal. Wes laughed softly as he stilled her hand, rinsed himself, and turned off the water. They dried quickly and moved into the bedroom.

He wasted no time, running his tongue lazily across her body, to her center, until Annie clutched at the covers and bit back the moans that accompanied the burst of pleasure that was as powerful as the first. Wes moved over her, and she arched high as he filled her. They moved together fluidly. Annie felt her eyes tear with emotion at the beauty of their coupling, the exquisiteness of their joined bodies, and the sound of her name on Wes's lips when he lost himself in her.

Afterward, he gathered her close and they lay there quietly as their heartbeats slowed. Wes glanced down. "Why the sad look?"

"I'm just tired," she said. "It's been a long night." She couldn't tell him the truth: that she was beginning to care about him too much too soon, and that it terrified her.

* * * * *

Wes arrived at Lamar Tevis's office shortly after 10:00 a.m. and found the police chief sipping coffee and reading the newspaper, both feet propped on his desk. He looked up. "What happened to your face?"

"I cut it shaving."

"Holy cow!"

"I have information on the Fortenberry case," Wes said.

"Can I get you a cup of coffee?" Lamar asked. "We also have cheese Danish. Homemade, I might add, by our dispatcher. Yesterday it was cinnamon rolls, and the day before that—"

"No thanks," Wes interrupted.

"Grab a chair and tell me what you got," Lamar said.

Wes told him what he knew about Donna and Norm Schaefer.

"So Fortenberry was having an affair with his boss's wife. Sounds like trouble waiting to happen."

Wes reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out the sapphire and diamond earring, and placed it on the desk. "She lost this at Annie's place."

Lamar pulled his feet from the desk. "Hey, this is nice," he said, picking up the earring and studying it closely. "Are these real diamonds?"

"Yeah. I just had it checked out at the jewelry store down the street. You've got a full karat sapphire and another karat of diamonds, all high-quality stones."

"I'm confused," Lamar said. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"It puts Donna Schaefer at the house during the time Annie was away."

"Was that the only time she went to the house?"

"Mrs. Schaefer visited at Christmas, months before Charles came up missing. It was the same Christmas her husband bought the earrings. Annie said the woman loved them so much she wore them all the time. She and Charles had planned to leave together, but he didn't show."

Lamar reached for a notebook and began scribbling.

"Here's my theory," Wes said. "Although she denies it, I think Mrs. Schaefer was angry when Charles didn't arrive at her house as planned and she drove over to confront him. They got into a bad argument, and it became physical."

"Why do you suppose Fortenberry changed his mind?"

"Maybe he met someone else in the meantime. He had a reputation for cheating on his wife."

"Did Mrs. Schaefer's husband know about the affair?"

"I've got information that suggests he did."

"Okay," Lamar said, scratching his head as though he was having trouble taking it all in. "It sounds like you might have something here. So if you don't mind, I'd like to back up and start from the beginning. Just so I get my facts right."

"No problem."

"By the way, how in the world did you get this information?" Lamar asked.

"From a very reliable source."

* * * * *

Annie and Theenie slipped into River Road Baptist Church and sat in the very last row. Several people glanced at them, and Annie wondered if her oversize sunglasses offered the disguise she'd hoped for. Under normal circumstances she would have sat up front with the immediate family, but the current circumstances were anything but normal. Eve Fortenberry walked into the church, pain etched into the deep lines on either side of her mouth, making her shoulders sag with the burden of it. Annie's heart went out to the woman who'd never really welcomed her into the fold despite all Annie had done to be a good wife.

On a table at the front of the church was a portrait of Charles, young, handsome, and smiling. More regret.

As though sensing Annie's deep sadness, Theenie covered one hand with hers. Annie was glad Theenie had insisted on attending the service with her. She looked about the church and saw Norm Schaefer sitting across the aisle, staring at her. He looked angry; Annie suspected he'd already been questioned. He was alone. Obviously Donna had chosen not to attend.

"Scoot down," Theenie said, interrupting Annie's thoughts.

Annie looked up. Jamie and Max stood at the end of the row. She immediately made room for them. "Thanks for coming," she said, relieved to find two friendly faces in the crowd.

Jamie reached around Theenie and took Annie's hand. "We thought you'd need a little moral support, but we have to leave as soon as the service is over. A couple of employees are out sick with the flu, so we're covering for them."

Annie smiled and nodded as a woman began singing "Amazing Grace." Afterward, people walked to the podium and told of warm and sometimes funny experiences they'd shared with Charles. Annie found herself smiling from time to time. She had forgotten that side of her husband.

Once the service was over, Annie made her way toward Eve, hoping to catch up with her before she was ushered toward the limo that had been provided by the funeral home. Annie touched Eve's shoulder lightly, and the woman turned. She had obviously been so caught up in her pain that she hadn't noticed Annie in the crowd, because her face suddenly became as cold as a barren winter ground.