She dropped her pack on the desk chair, bracing her feet and staring at the board, adding information from the day before wandering to stare into the freezer. She found a bag with a couple marinated chicken breasts, and another bag labeled roasted vegetables. Nice, colorful and even looking a little tasty, she thought, following the easy instructions Anna had on the labels and popped them into the oven. She’d changed into a very oversized tee shirt and khaki shorts, using the banisters on the stairs when the sound of the front door caught her attention.
“Hmmm…two days in a row and I smell food…even vegetables…”
“Now you’re getting nasty…” She tossed down the stairs with a wrinkled nose aimed at his grin. She decided the tremble that sent a little spark into her belly was a really nice thing when his gaze swept from her feet to her head with that sexy grin. He took his jacket off and dropped it over the bottom of the banister.
“Hobbling without the cane?” He held his palm out to her as she moved carefully down the stairs, the shirt she wore askew, one shoulder bared from the over stretched neckline.
“It’s getting easier…a little…don’t smirk…even if it is a little sexy,” she mumbled, taking the cane he held out for her and heading into the kitchen. She set things on the counter, absently watching him tug his tie free and lay it over his suit jacket before striding to join her. He quickly had the table set, looking curiously at the ranch dressing she dribbled on her plate.
He brought a half bottle of white wine from the fridge and emptied it into their glasses before sitting with her. He’d glanced at the board, saw the new additions, watching her dredge a roast little red potato through the dressing.
“A busy afternoon?”
“Another puzzling piece,” she answered, lifting her eyes to his. “How was your afternoon?”
“Profitable,” he answered easily. “What aren’t you telling me, Catherine?”
“I got photos of the Austin’s this morning when I was at Carter’s,” she said carefully, pulling some pieces together. “And I had Bobby back age them…to when you were four years old,” she got up and walked carefully to the pack sitting on his desk, opened it and pulled out her file. She handed him the computer drawing and went back to her seat. “Can you remember them?”
“I remember her,” he said after a few minutes, chewing thoughtfully. He set the paper down and took a deep drink of wine. “She looks like our mother…but older. Her hair had been different then.”
“They know where you work because of your phone message,” she said, absently lifting a roasted little carrot and biting down. “Because of the photos in the paper with Anna and Carter, they know where she works, too.”
“They never told us who they were…we were never introduced to people,” Aaron thought about the time so long ago. “We didn’t know…the dynamics of a family. Not then. We knew the Ellison’s were grandparents, it was explained that our father was their child…and we were his. I think we might have asked about the mother’s family, but were ignored. So we never pushed or maybe we didn’t care.”
****
Deann had prepared dinner, leaving the table set and the food warming when Anna came into the house and greeted her. She carried a gym bag of clothing up the stairs and put things away, dropped her shoes into the closet and went to stand beneath the shower, rinsing off the days’ dirt and grime from her planting and digging. Mostly spreading, she amended, her face tilted to the stinging of the hot water. She heard the sound of the door and knew Deann had gone to her apartment. Wrapped in a thick bath sheet, she pulled a pair of capri slacks from the bureau and dropped a stretched out sweater over her head, draping the damp towel on the door before going downstairs.
The house smelled nice. A mix of sharp cheese and pasta. Carter entered the house to the fragrant dinner and a faint scent of fresh shampoo as he crossed to set his briefcase on the desk. His eyes caught on the photo on the monitor, his hand up to move the mouse to browse quickly through the others before he looked over at Anna, in the center of the sofa, knees drawn up and arms circling them protectively. Her chin was perched in the center, eyes closed. He went and sat beside her, his hand on her head.
“Alright?”
“Hmmm…Aaron sent them to me…I think Catherine got them from someone she spoke to this morning. Someone who took photos around where we lived when we were little,” she lifted her head, the smile tentative. “We only had the drawing I made of us when we were little. I don’t remember anyone…the parents…taking pictures of us ever.”
“The Austin’s came to see me this morning,” he said after a long pause. He saw her body tense immediately, his throat clenching. “I told them you’re not ready, Anna. And that Aaron would be in touch when he was. I’m stalling it with the DNA testing.”
“You lied to them.” She met the pale green eyes, one palm rising to brush the strands of hair from his glasses.
“I did…you’re a corrupting woman…” he teased, leaning in and kissing her gently. “It dawned on me this morning…talking to Catherine…that I made a classic rookie mistake of believing in one side of a story, and I’m sorry about that, Anna.”
“Would you do me a favor and see if the Ellison’s would agree to meet with us?” She laughed softly at the surprise on his face. “I know they used to live on the island north east of Seattle. Big house…fancy yard…”
“Have you talked to Aaron about this?”
“Not yet…but I think it’s time,” she gradually unfolded and offered her hand to him. “Dinner?”
****
Aaron got up and carried plates into the kitchen when his phone sounded.
“Business?” Catherine asked, carrying the wine glasses in and upturning them into the dishwasher.
“It’s Anna,” he said simply, laughing at the look on her face. The texts didn’t have differentiating tones to them.
“How do you know?” She asked, sinking back down at the table. She watched him take the phone from his pocket and slide it over the table to her without looking at it. She slid it open and turned it sideways, reading the text with a frown at him.
“What’s she want?”
“How’d you know it was her?”
“I just knew,” he shrugged and moved to lean on the edge of his desk, staring at her board. “It’s some twin thing…”
“She’s asked Carter to set up a lunch thing on Sunday with the Ellison’s and us. Us?” She repeated with a slight arch in her voice.
“Hmm…you’re part of an ‘us’ now, Catherine. Scary, huh?” Aaron teased, his palm up for the phone when she walked over and sunk into the desk chair. He smiled into the violet eyes watching him. “You don’t have to, if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“I don’t have fancy clothes for stuff like that,” she said with a slight grumble.
Aaron laughed and leaned over, his palms framing her face seconds before he kissed her. “I’ve been thinking of kissing you all day….you’re adorable, Catherine Jenkins. And if you wanted to go with me dressed like you were this morning, I’d be just as proud to have you with me as if you were decked out in gems and a ball gown, princess.”
Catherine felt her insides melt. “Tomorrow’s Friday…I’m sure I could find something…”
“Raid Anna’s closet…she won’t mind,” he assured her with another kiss just because.
“She told me that…” she watched him studying the board, her good leg bent with her foot on the chair, the other leg stretched out before her. “You don’t mind about the Ellison’s?”
Aaron shrugged. “Not really. I kind of suspected it a few days ago. I think she’s finally convinced the worst they’re guilty of is being lousy grandparents. We didn’t know what to expect from them. They were nice enough to us. I can remember listening to them when we visited them. They knew something wasn’t right with the parents, but…I think they were afraid to find out what the truth was. The Christmas before we turned four we were at their house…the parents never came with us…Anna was decked out in this red velvet dress, white lace under it and dancing and twirling around the tree. There were other people there…friends of theirs, I guess…anyway, I heard them arguing about supporting the parents and her parents,” he looked over at Catherine. “Didn’t grasp then what it meant and didn’t really think about it much after that until now. Evidently the Ellison’s were supporting them. Which also explains why Anna’s worked so hard to keep the Austin’s away from us.”
“Twin stuff is a little creepy…”
“To us, it was just normal,” but he nodded. “We didn’t share it with others before for that reason. Kind of a sixth sense about our self-preservation.” He pushed up from the desk and tapped on the picture of Spencer. “He was a pedophile?”
“Documented, convicted of minor infractions,” Catherine said with a sigh.
“I heard arguments between him and the father,” Aaron knew his voice was flat, cold. “I’d see him or hear him before Anna would and I’d make her go under her headphones, turn the music up and put her in the far corner with her drawing pad by the side window until he was gone.”
“She was worth more to him from the Ellison’s than whatever Spencer was offering, Aaron,” Catherine winced when he swore. “Yeah…where are the parents, Aaron?” She met the arched brow he turned toward her. “I want them eliminated as being involved and I can find them on my own…” She followed his eyes to the lower drawer and pulled it open, fingers tripping over file tabs to one simply labeled the parents. She pulled it free and laid it out on the desk.
“And you think all this is connected to the guys on the break-way and the Austin’s suddenly looking for us?” Aaron had ten fingers dragging through his hair, his head shaking, his voice filled with exasperation. “It doesn’t make any kind of sense.” But he stared for a long minute at the line from Spencer to Barrow. “You don’t think he’s dead.”
“You know…the story I got forming in my head right now would get me an hour with the department shrink,” she said with a dry laugh, laying the file over the other one she had on the desk. She shifted, tried not to wince while he was watching her and failed.
“You’ve been on your feet most of the day,” he commented, turning from the board and taking both her hands in his, tugging her to stand. Her mouth opened and closed, her arms quickly wrapping around his neck when she found herself trying to not stare down.
“You really should stop doing this…” But it wasn’t a strong protest. He stopped by the light switch, grinning when she tapped it out.
“I’ll consider it…when you’re well enough to run,” he winked teasingly.
“I’ve a doctor’s appointment in the morning,” she felt the bed beneath her and leaned back, watching him pull his shirt free.
“Would you like me to come along?” This time he laughed deeply at the stunned expression on her face. “Breathe, Catherine. I can clear time to go with you. Maybe have an early lunch when it’s finished.”
“I…”
“Are we a couple, Catherine?” He left the shirt hanging open, moving to stand before her, stalking forward until she lay back, staring up at him.
She put her arms up, palms on his face and pulling his mouth to hers. “I’ve never felt like this with anyone else. It’s like…scary…and nice…and yes…we are a couple.”
“It’s a good feeling,” he agreed, enjoying the warm palms sliding over his chest and pushing the shirt off his shoulders. He rolled to his back, watching her sit up and pull her shirt over her head, nothing but a pair of deep green panties left. His body hardened when her hands moved to the button on his slacks, pushing them wide and the zipper out of the way before she slid her leg over him and sat looking down at him. Teasing him with those gorgeous eyes. Wanting him, he realized with a wild surge through his system.
His nostrils flared at the sight of more creamy flesh. Her breasts, perky and full beckoned him to taste, the smoothness of her stomach down to the soft triangle of hair tempted him to touch and take.
“Beautiful…” he murmured, five fingers taking a grip on the back of her neck and pulling her head down to kiss her over and over again. He thrust his hips upward so his erection rubbed against her. She moaned huskily and pressed down on him, matching his rhythm, hungrily taking what he wanted to give; giving what he needed to take.
Catherine was about to speak when he began to nuzzle her chest, burying his face into the low dip between her breasts.
"Let me take care of you." He murmured. She felt him press into her once again, only this time he was intent on taking her. Roughly, his hands roamed over her body, exploring her breasts. His mouth latched onto one nipple, sucking on it until it hardened beneath his tongue and her breathing had become shallow.
He waited while she reached to the nightstand, his groan loud as her hands fit the condom over him. Hunger flared in his eyes when he felt her pull the center of her panties out of the way, her body hot and wet for him.
With his erection positioned at her wet entrance he pulled her down swiftly. Catherine cried out as he stretched her, filling her to the hilt. Lifting her, he slid almost all the way out and pulled her down again.
The sensation of the suck and pull of their flesh made her gasp and moan as he quickened their pace. It was thrilling and rough and passionate and a slow heat began to build as she started to move with him.
All at once, he rolled her beneath him and started pumping faster inside her. Her legs wrapped around his thick, hard waist, wanting to pull him closer. Her mind was a flurry of erotic images and the heat from his body. Then, without warning, everything shattered and her inner muscles quivered around his staff.
Aaron found oblivion. White-hot light shot through him as he shuddered in her arms, releasing the pent up frustration and need into her warm, soft body. He couldn't have pulled out if he wanted to and at that moment, he could care less. Sated, he collapsed over her, breathing deeply of their musk.
Minutes later, he rolled beside her, his mind contentedly dazed. Catherine's body was prettily flushed from their lovemaking and she'd dozed off, her head tilted to him when he returned to the bed, positioning them beneath the blankets with a contented sigh from them both.