Joan Pickart - Body of Evidence

“Which is the closest? I don’t know where you live.”

“Yours.”

“Then we’ll go there.”

“Maggie…” He leaned forward, cupped the back of her head and touched his lips to hers, once, twice, a third time. And then he really kissed her, letting go of every inhibition and overwhelming them both.

She felt his tongue, the movement of his lips on hers. She inhaled his scent and realized how much bigger than her he was. The desire racking her body caused her to tremble, and she actually wondered if women ever fainted from this kind of passion.

He raised his head and looked into her eyes. “Drive safely,” he said, and heard in his own voice how deeply affected he was.

“You, too.”

“Follow me again.” He got out hurriedly and strode to his own vehicle.

“I’ll follow you anywhere,” Maggie said as a tear spilled from her eye and coursed down her cheek.

Once they got to her apartment building, she couldn’t remember actually driving home. Her mind had gotten stuck on that kiss and what they were going to do in her bed. She’d felt feverish one minute and chilled the next. Anxiety had eaten at her one minute and more happiness than she’d known existed had warmed her soul the next. She was eager and she was frightened. But most of all she was swirling in a sea of the kind of excitement she’d only been able to imagine before today.

Finally they were both parked and in her apartment. They tore off their heavy jackets and dropped them on the floor just inside, right near the door, and then they fell into each other’s arms and began kissing hungrily.

Josh picked her up and mumbled two words. “Your bedroom.”

“Next to the bath.”

“I know.”

He set her on her feet next to her bed and began undressing her. It was lovely and startling and arousing for Maggie, all at the same time. No man had ever undressed her before, and looking at Josh’s face between hot, passionate kisses and the almost magical way he made her clothing disappear, she saw a reflection of her own feelings. This was as exciting for him as it was for her! How could that be? He certainly wasn’t a novice to…

No, she wasn’t going to think about his previous lovers. She adored him, and she loved every striking feature of his handsome face. She suddenly felt the need to see the rest of him, all of him, and she shoved the bottom of his sweatshirt up and pressed her lips to the hot skin of his bare chest.

He helped by grabbing the back of the shirt and yanking it over his head. Naked to the waist, he concentrated again on getting Maggie out of her clothes.

“Maggie, do you even know how beautiful you are?” he asked in a ragged shard of a voice.

She was pushing down his jeans and fitted boxers, and she didn’t care how beautiful she was, she only cared how beautiful he was. The sight of his hard belly and manhood weakened her knees. She stepped backward, to the bed, and quickly threw back the covers. Then, with him watching intently, she took off her bra and panties and lay down.

He was on her in the very next second, covering her body with his, covering her lips with his, and managing to whisper again and again, “Maggie…Maggie…Maggie.”

Nearly overcome by the pleasure of having his body on top of hers, with his arousal nestled in the perfect spot between her legs, Maggie ran her hands up and down his back and kissed every part of him she could reach with her lips. “Josh…oh, Josh,” she whispered. “My beautiful man, my love.”

Josh brought himself down so he could kiss her breasts. When he lavished attention to her nipples, he heard her moan softly and felt her twine her fingers into his hair. From the movement of her hips and the way she was rubbing herself against his erection, he was certain she was as hot as he was for the real thing.

He moved up again, took her mouth in a long, feverish kiss and slid into her. Or tried to. Startled, he raised his head and looked at her. “Maggie…”

“Don’t say one word. If you stop now I will never forgive you.”

“But…” She turned her head on the pillow, but he still saw the tears. “Don’t cry, sweetheart,” he said in a hoarse, emotional voice. “You should be proud. You’re giving me the only gift a woman can give once in her life.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll be gentle, little love,” he whispered.

And he was. He caressed her back to writhing passion, and when he finally entered her she was so breathless and needy that she barely noticed any discomfort. Fully inside of her, he began an easy rhythm. In seconds she was riding the same crest of passion that he was on. It built, not hurriedly but steadily, and the first spasms of completion were so amazingly pleasurable that she dug her fingertips into his back and began moaning. The sounds coming from her would not be held back; she heard herself and realized that the mere thought of control at this point was laughable.

She wasn’t laughing, though. She was soaring far above the mundane world that had been her life for twenty-six years. She was in love, and being loved, and nothing else that had ever happened to her could compare. When Josh moved faster and breathed harder, she went with him. And incredibly delicious minutes later, when he yelled her name, she was only strong enough to whisper his. He had taken her to the stars, and she was in no hurry to come back down to earth. She clasped him tightly and vowed that she would never let go of him. It seemed to be a completely reasonable oath in her dazed and bedazzled brain.

But it was over, and she was floating. The sensation of dreamy satisfaction she felt was certainly a close second on the pleasure-list, with the actual act of lovemaking being the first.

“I never knew,” she said softly.

Josh moved his weight from her to the bed and lay up against her. “Tell me why you never knew, Maggie,” he said softly while stroking her damp hair back from her face.

She looked into his eyes. “I guess I waited for you. I love you. I’ve always loved you. It wasn’t a kid’s crush, after all. It was the real thing, and maybe I knew that.”

He was overcome with emotion and tears filled his eyes. “I love you, Maggie.”

She snuggled closer and pressed her lips to his before whispering, “I’ve never been happier.”

Josh and Maggie went-in the same car-to the Pines Cemetery on Tuesday morning. They talked about the case, but they also kept smiling at each other. They had spent last night together, and while they hadn’t yet discussed marriage, they each knew they were heading in that direction.

“At least there’s a little sunshine today,” Maggie said as they exited the vehicle.

“Very little,” Josh said with a quick glance at the weak sun hanging in the sky.

“Spring has to be just around the corner. I, for one, can hardly wait.”

“I, for two, feel exactly the same.” Josh took her arm as they approached the group standing around the open grave. He stopped about twenty feet away. “This is close enough,” he said under his breath. “Look at each face. Who do you recognize?”

Maggie named some of the bigwigs in the Chicago government that were present.

“The woman seated is Cecelia Gardner, Franklin ’s mother,” Josh said. “Lyle, her eldest son, is sitting on her right. Stephen, Franklin ’s son, is sitting on her left.”

“Oh, there’s Colin and Darien.”

They were on the other side of the small crowd, doing exactly what Josh and Maggie were doing, checking out the attendees.

“And there’s Desmond Reicher,” Josh murmured. “The man standing right behind Mrs. Gardner. Do you see him?”

“Yes.”

“I wonder if any of those men is left-handed,” Maggie murmured.

“Because?”