Chapter 22
Cas put his shoulder into sanding the hull of the Julie E. and tried not to think about Julie. He’d come home, intending to write his resignation and take it to Hank Jessop. Instead he’d wandered out to the shop to look at his boat.
At first he’d wanted to smash it into a thousand pieces, but he’d spent a lot of hours building it, and his better judgment won out. He told himself that if he couldn’t have Julie, at least he could sail the Julie E.
And some tiny part of him was still hoping that they would see their way clear of this mess.
He knew she wouldn’t take a bribe. He should never have doubted her.
And she should never have doubted him. She was mad as hell right now, but once she calmed down, she would know that he’d never shoot at her. Jesus. Why would she even think that? Probably because he’d showed up right after someone fired at her. Because he never told her about Reynolds and the rifle. Because even after all they’d been to each other, she didn’t trust him.
Of course, he hadn’t trusted her either. God, what a mess. And he didn’t know how to fix it.
So he began sanding the prow, trying to lose himself in the feel of the wood. It curved beneath his hands like a finely formed woman and made him think of Julie. Julie, who hadn’t trusted him with the truth.
His cell phone rang. He snatched it out of his pocket. Not Julie. Terrence. He sighed and flipped it open.
“Cas. We need you at the Roadhouse. Immediately. One of the bikers found Julie’s purse in the parking lot. Her car door was open and her keys were in the lock. I think someone’s kidnapped her.”
“On my way.” Cas grabbed his jacket and ran for his car.
When Julie roused, her hands were tied behind her back, the bag, smelling of grain, was still over her head, only now it was also tied around her shoulders. She tugged at the ropes that bound her wrists and inanely thought of Cas. But this was not a variation on pirates and captive princess. Cas would never be so rough. And he would never frighten her, even for fun. She held perfectly still, trying to orient herself.
Then she heard the furtive whisper of one of her kidnappers. “What are we gonna do with her?”
“Leave her in the back while we search,” said the driver.
Damn, they were after her treasure. Jeez, Wes, look at all the trouble you’re causing.
“The back of the van? We can’t do that. What if somebody sees her?”
“Nobody’s gonna see her.”
“What if Cas stops us for having that broken headlight?”
“Aw shit,” said the driver. “I forgot about that.”
“Cause you know he’s gonna look for her and he’s gonna kill us when he finds her. What if—”
“Would you quit with the what ifs.”
The van came to a stop, then started off again. Stop sign? It turned to the right.
“Hey, where are we going?”
“You just gave me a better idea.”
The van lurched, then slowed down. Julie could hear the thump-thump of a flat tire. She smiled in spite of her situation. The idiots had kidnapped her with a broken headlight and a flat tire.
“Shit, what’s that?” asked the first voice.
“Damn tire must have finally blown.” The van slowed and pulled to the side of the road, or street.
“What are you doing?”
“Changing the tire. I don’t want to wreck the rim.” The sound of the driver’s door opening.
“We can’t just stop ...” The sound of the other door opening.
Then the side door slid open. Julie kept her breath steady, while her pulse kicked into overdrive. She lay perfectly still, but gently tested the ropes that tied her wrists together. It just made them tighter. Then she was shoved out of the way.
“Dang, she’s still out. I hope she’s not dead.”
“You nitwit, she’s not dead.”
“Not dead.”
And Julie suddenly knew who they were. Henley and Bo. What a couple of dolts.
She listened to them change the tire, with much cursing and clanging of tools. Once the car slipped off the jack and they had to start over again.
And all the while, Julie tried to free her hands. Then the car was jacked down, the flat tire was thrown in the back with her, and the van started out again.
Damn, thought Julie, you can never find a policeman when you need one.
An instant of fear sliced through her. They were idiots, but they were mean. She took a slow breath and gathered her wits. Think. Listen and wait.
It seemed like only a minute or two went by, when the van slowed, turned, and stopped again. Julie tensed. Had they pulled into a parking space? They couldn’t be leaving her in a van parked in the middle of Ex Falls, could they?
The doors opened and shut again. She waited. And waited. Maybe they had decided to leave her in the van after all. She kept working at the knots.
The side door slid open. Julie froze. The van dipped as one of her assailants climbed inside. Only this time it was Julie and not a tire that was dragged across the floor.
She went limp, making it as difficult as she could to move her. She was hoisted up and tossed over one of the men’s shoulders. Bo, she thought. What a dumb fuck to let Henley make him do all the dirty work. Probably had to change the tire, too.
His shoulder dug into her stomach and she had to concentrate not to throw up.
“Hurry up.”
Definitely Henley and Bo, thought Julie.
“I’m hurrying; she weighs a ton.” He shifted her across his shoulder. Julie was bumped through a doorway. It closed behind them. Bo was panting with exertion. Damn, she could probably take them even with her hands tied if she could just see.
She was banged through another doorway. Heard the clank of metal and then she was dumped on a mattress. The springs gave under her weight. Their footsteps moved away. The door closed and a lock clicked.
Julie rolled off the bed and walked right into a wall of metal bars. Damn them. She was in jail.
A knot of people stood in the Roadhouse parking lot, the snow falling around them, making them look like a tableau in a snow globe. Cas slammed to a stop, banged on the door, and jumped out of the police car. “What happened?”
Terrence had his arm around Tilda, whose face was stricken. “Larry,” he called, looking over the crowd.
A tall skinny guy wearing a Hellzapoppin jacket turned around.
“Tell the sheriff what you told me.”
Larry looked over at the VW, then at Cas. “I was coming out of the bar, when I saw the interior light on in the bug. So I went over to close the door, figuring somebody hadn’t closed it right. Only I found this purse on the ground and the keys in the door, so I took ’em in to Tilda.”
“And Tilda called me,” said Terrence. “I’ve already alerted the county. They’re setting up roadblocks on the two main routes out of here. That’s about all they can do since we don’t have a description of the getaway vehicle. And they’re pissed ’cause we mucked up the crime scene.”
“I didn’t know it was a crime scene,” said Larry. “I was just trying to help.”
“Nobody’s blaming you, you did right. It was the rest of everybody tramping outside for a look-see. And I’m not blaming them, neither. It’s a natural thing to do. And the snow took care of any prints they might have found.” He turned to Cas. “What do you want us to do?”
Cas’s mind was a dead blank. Julie had been kidnapped. And suddenly all the other stuff didn’t matter. He looked around the crowd. “None of you saw anything?”
There was general headshaking and sympathetic looks.
Tilda took his elbow. “Come inside. We’ll make a plan.”
Cas let her lead him into the Roadhouse. He was not equipped to deal with this. He needed help, and the only real cop around had just been kidnapped. How could she have let herself be nabbed out of a parking lot?
“What’s our next move?” Terrence’s voice came from far away. The smell of coffee was much closer.
Tilda placed a mug in his hands. “Well, I think you should start by looking for Henley and Bo. Henley’s been hitting on Julie every night she’s been here until I finally kicked him out.”
Henley and Bo. Of course, thought Cas, holding his mug in both hands and looking at it, but not drinking. She’d gotten the upper hand with them twice. If they were drunk enough, they might pull a stunt like this. And if they were drunk enough, they might do worse. A shudder went through him and Tilda put a hand on his shoulder.
“What kind of cars do they have, beside the bikes?” asked Cas.
“Bo has an old Ford Escort,” said Terrence. “Henley has a pickup and a van.”
“Van,” said Cas.
“Yep,” said Terrence.
“Damn them,” said Larry, who was standing at the front of the crowd that had gathered around Cas. “We’ve been talking about kicking them out of the club for months now. Jerks like them give bikers a bad name. But since they were the ones that found the jackets, we just sorta let it slide. Shit.”
A husky man pushed through the crowd and grabbed Larry by his collar. “You better shut your damn mouth about my boy. He ain’t no kidnapper.”
Terrence pulled him away from Larry. “You’re breaking the law, Arnold.”
Henley’s father shook him off. “If that girl went with Henley, it’s because she wanted to. She mighta dropped her purse without knowing it. I mean, hell, she’s been strutting her wares since she was a kid, hasn’t she, Cas?”
The coffee mug hit the floor and broke as Cas lunged for Arnold Baxter. Arnold fell into the crowd.
“Damn it, Cas,” said Terrence, dragging him back to the bar stool. “We got us a situation here. And we don’t have time for fist-fighting over Julie’s virtue, when we oughta be worrying about her person.”
Cas blew out his breath. “You’re right, Terrence. I’m just a little crazy.”
Terrence slapped him on the back, nearly knocking him off his feet. “To be expected.”
“We could form a search party,” volunteered Henry Goethe. “Wouldn’t be the first time we had to go out looking for that girl.”
A search party, thought Cas, still dazed. Julie would just love that. History repeating itself. But he couldn’t see any other options.
“Saved her for you once. For all the thanks we got. But we don’t hold it against you.” Henry smiled. “We don’t mind doing it again.”
“As long as you don’t let her get away again,” added Dan Pliney, coming up beside Henry. “We had great hopes that the two of you would end that damn feud. When you got older, that is.”
“And now you’re older,” agreed Henry. “So let’s go find her. Deputize us.”
Oh shit, thought Cas. “No deputizing.” He was trying to think, but all the television in the world couldn’t help him now. He just hoped it was Henley and Bo and not some drug lord from the city.
Terrence turned to Arnold Baxter. “Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but give me a description of Henley’s van. You might be right and they’re just out for a good time—” This was met with several groans from the crowd and one very pointed, “Julie wouldn’t touch Henley with a stick,” from Tilda.
“And,” Terrence continued, ignoring the responses. “Henley and Bo might be peacefully drinking over in Henryville.”
“That’ll be the day,” said someone in the back and Arnold turned to scowl at them.
“But it’s the only lead we’ve got.”
“Right,” said Cas and stood up. His knees were wobbly. “If it’s okay with Tilda we’ll make the Roadhouse our command center.”
Tilda nodded.
“Call Edith and Lou and tell them to forward any calls to you or my cell. The rest of us will start at a five mile radius and work our way back here. If you see anything suspicious, anything, call here and Tilda will pass it on to Terrence or me.”
“What about us?” asked Henry. “We want to be in on the arrest.”
“Do not try to apprehend anyone on your own. Just report what you’ve seen.”
Terrence began dividing everyone into teams. They left in one great migration.
Cas started to follow them out.
“Where are you going?” asked Terrence.
“To the police station.”
“For what?”
“I left my .38 there.”
“Cas, you son of a bitch. You’d better not shoot anybody.”
Cas’s mouth twisted. “I couldn’t if I wanted to. But I can scare the shit out of them long enough to kill them with my bare hands.” And he strode out the door.
The police cruiser was covered with a layer of snow and he couldn’t have been in the bar for more than a few minutes. The storm would be in full gear before long, and it would be impossible to find Julie once the roads were closed. He drove with one hand while he attached his cell phone to the car charger, and searched the roadside for any sign of a suspicious vehicle—or a body.
At least if Henley and Bo had taken her, she might come out of this alive. If drug lords had come to silence her, it would already be too late to save her.
Cas sped up and the car fishtailed before straightening out again. The whole feud had started over a killing, thought Cas. Please don’t let it end because the last Excelsior was dead. He dismissed that as a possibility. He had to find her. Her life—and his—depended on it.
He turned onto Main Street in time to see a vehicle slipping and sliding down the street toward the river. He peered through the falling snow. A van. A goddamn van. He swerved to the curb in front of the station, banged on the door and jumped out, fingering his key chain for the key to the station door. He could still catch them if he hurried.
But when he reached the door, it was open. Someone had used a crow bar to break the lock. Christ. What if they had his gun?
Cas rushed inside. He barely registered movement at his back, before his skull cracked and fireworks exploded in front of his eyes.
Before Julie even had time to start working the sack over her head, the door opened again. She threw herself down on the cot. Now what? Maybe, they’d changed their minds and decided to take her with them. By now she had a pretty good idea where they were headed, and if she could somehow get to Smitty, they would be up the creek. But they only dumped something on the floor and went out again, locking the outer door.
She waited, listened, heard nothing. What was on the floor just a few feet away?
She rolled her shoulders, shimmied and twisted until she worked the opening of the sack to her neck. Then she bent over and the sack slipped off her head. She stood up; the world grew dark and her senses spun. She closed her eyes and quickly sat down again, breathing slowly, drawing the oxygen deep into her lungs.
She opened her eyes. It was still dark.
No surprise. It was night. But light was coming through a window high above the bed. She’d guessed right. She was in the Ex Falls jail.
A man was lying on the floor. He was wearing Cas’s sheepskin jacket.
At first all she could do was stare. Then she sprang off the cot and banged her shoulder on the bars of the open door, in her haste to get to him.
He was still breathing; she could see his jacket rising and falling, but she couldn’t tell how badly he was hurt. “Cas, can you hear me?” She nudged him with the toe of her boot.
He groaned.
“Cas, wake up. Are you all right?” A stupid question. Of course he wasn’t all right.
He stirred. Tried to lift himself up on one forearm but collapsed again.
“Dammit, tell me how bad you’re hurt.”
“Ugggh.”
Exasperated, Julie flipped him over with her foot. His head cracked back on the floor.
“Sorry,” she said and knelt beside him.
His head lolled to the side.
“Answer me, dammit.”
His eyes flitted open. He winced and closed them again. “Don’t yell.”
Julie gritted her teeth. “I’m not yelling. Just tell me where you’re hurt.”
“My head.”
“I can’t hold up my fingers because my hands are tied behind me, but can you see me okay?”
“Only if I open my eyes.”
“That is not funny.”
His eyelids opened and his eyes rolled until the irises settled into place. “I can see you. Where are we?”
“The jail.”
“Oh, right.” Cas smiled, the same crooked smile he’d had when he fell out of the apple tree.
Concussed, thought Julie.
He struggled to one elbow and peered around. “We’re in the jail?”
“Finally,” said Julie. She sank down on the concrete and turned her back to him. “Do you think you could untie me?” She lifted her hands so that he could reach them.
“Cute,” said Cas. “I love it when you’re tied up.”
This time she yelled. “Cas, please untie me!”
Cas sat up. “Ow.” He looked at her like he had forgotten who she was. “How do you do that thing with your head?”
Julie was close to tears. “Cas, you’re concussed. I’m just looking over my shoulder at you. Please try to untie me so I can see how bad you are.”
“They tied you up?”
“Yes,” Julie said through gritted teeth and jiggled her bound hands for him to see.
He leaned forward, and muttering to himself, he began to pick at the knots. After an eternity, the rope loosened and Julie pulled her hands free. She rubbed them together, forcing the circulation back into her fingers. Then she turned to take Cas’s head between her palms. She gazed into his eyes. He blinked back.
“Pupils seem okay.”
“Well, they’re the only thing that’s okay,” said Cas and listed to the side.
Julie grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him upright again. She held him in place with one hand while the other roved over his scalp. It didn’t take long to find the bump midway down the back.
“Ouch,” said Cas.
“You’re going to live,” Julie pronounced. Long enough for me to kill you for scaring me like that, and for not showing up, and for tricking me, and not calling, and letting me get kidnapped.
“Those sons of bitches.” Cas heaved to his feet and fell into Julie’s expectant arms. She dragged him over to the narrow cot and dumped him onto it.
“Just stay there. I’ll go get help.”
But he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. “Thank God you’re safe.”
She let herself indulge in his warmth. This is how it should be, not fighting and lying. But that would have to come later. She pushed away and peered at him through the dark. “It was Henley and Bo and they’re on their way to search my house for the treasure. They stole the riddle, not you.”
“Me? Why would I steal your riddle?”
“Gee, Cas, I don’t know. Why did you withhold part of your riddle from me?”
“I, uh ...”
“Later. Right now we’ve got to get out of here.” She felt her way to the door, grabbed the handle and pushed down. Nothing happened. She tried again. Pushed against the door as she held the lock down. Still nothing. “It’s locked. Do you have your keys?”
Cas stood up. Swayed. “Julie. It’s a jail. It doesn’t unlock from the inside.”
She knew that.
He fumbled in his pockets. “Damn, my cell is in the car. Do you have yours?”
“I was kidnapped. I didn’t think to say, ‘just a minute, please. Let me pick up my purse.’ ”
“Okay. Calm down. Let me think.”
Julie fought the urge to tap her foot while he thought. Fought the urge to bang on the door and scream. Okay. Stay calm. Someone was bound to come eventually. And would find them together ... again. She shuddered; she could practically hear their laughter.
Forget them. Henley and Bo had to be stopped from ransacking her house, maybe even hurting Smitty or her chickens. She went back to the cell, climbed over Cas and stood on the cot to reach the window.
“It backs onto a blind alley. Sit down. We’ll just have to wait. The important thing is that you’re safe. Half the town is out looking for you. Terrence knew I was coming here. When I don’t answer my phone, he’ll figure it out.”
“You were looking for me?”
“Yes.”
“So why did you come here?”
“To get my gun.”
Julie went weak in the knees. She dropped to the cot beside him. “Cas, promise me you will never pull that antique on anybody. I want you to keep all your vital parts.”
He leaned back against the wall. “I figure I won’t have to. You can be the sheriff from now on.”
Julie glared at him.
“I know you’re a cop.” He laughed, but not with humor. “Reynolds had you investigated.”
“Of course. That’s really low. Even for Reynolds.”
“Would you ever have told me, if he hadn’t? Or were you just going to let me blunder around looking like a fool, while you had a big laugh.”
“I wasn’t laughing at you and I would have told you. It just never came up.”
“Bullshit. It wasn’t because you took a bribe, was it? Reynolds said you did. Tell me you didn’t.”
Julie’s mouth opened but she couldn’t speak. She could only feel all-consuming rage. Reynolds had her investigated and twisted the truth to suit himself. Just what you’d expect from Charles Reynolds. And Cas believed him. Just like the Reynolds he was.
“Well?”
“Well, what do you think? Do I look like a bent cop to you?”
Cas shook his head, then pressed his hand to his forehead.
Julie stalked back to the door, gave it a vicious rattle.
“For once you can’t get away from me,” said Cas. “They might not find us for hours. You might as well sit down and tell me everything.”
“Why bother? You’ve already passed judgment, haven’t you? It is so typical.”
“Hey. Give me a break. You waltz into town like the mystery woman. Refuse to talk about yourself. Then get pissy when I ask a simple question.”
“Simple question? You had me investigated. Arggh.” Julie started pacing. It was the only thing she could do to keep from smacking him or banging her head against the bars.
“I didn’t have you investigated. That was Reynolds. And anyway I had most of it figured out. The thing with the gun in the bedside table spoke volumes.” He looked away. “I just didn’t have a clue about the other thing.”
“I don’t have to defend myself against Reynolds’s accusations.”
“No, you don’t.”
“And I don’t care what you think.”
“You’ve made that perfectly clear.”
If that was what he’d been reading from her, he was a bigger idiot than he was acting like.
He drew his knees up, wrapped his arms around them, and rested his head on his forearms, effectively shutting her out.
That hurt. He was giving up. Giving her up. Again. Why the hell does it matter so much? Just one more unresolved issue in her life. She stopped in front of the cell and looked in at him. A man behind bars. Trapped by his family, as much as she was trapped by her past. The two of them separated by more than just bars. And she didn’t see any way to get free.
To get to the future, you start with the old. She gripped the bars to keep from sinking onto the floor. Jesus, Wes. I thought that just meant I had to come back. Wasn’t that enough? Do I have to confront the past before I can move on? I don’t think I can do it.
You have no choice. She heard the words. Wasn’t sure if it was Wes’s voice or Cas’s or her own heart. But she knew it was true. She released the bars and stepped into the cell. She sat down next to Cas, her back against the wall, not looking at him but at a spot on the floor where the concrete had chipped and been painted over.
“Okay. I was a cop. An undercover detective. But Reynolds is wrong. I caught my partner taking a bribe. I blew the whistle on him and instead of a commendation, I was demoted to a desk job. A desk job, after being on the streets where the action was. Do you know what that’s like? It’s like ... like being a banker.”
Cas lifted his head and Julie thought she saw a spark of understanding before he lowered it again.
Julie sighed, suddenly tired. Tired of the secrets, tired of running, tired of trying to make up for a past she didn’t understand. For a father she didn’t know. She leaned her head against the wall and shut her eyes. “I was going to tell you.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“Because.” She stopped.
Cas looked up.
“Because I was having such a good time. And men usually find it such a turn-off when you tell them you’re a cop.” She shrugged. “By the time I decided to tell you, I knew that it would look like I’d kept it from you on purpose. So I just didn’t say anything.”
“I don’t find it a turn-off.” He turned his head to look at her. “In fact, I think it’s really hot. Did you bring your handcuffs with you?”
“Cas,” she said, exasperated. “I don’t get you. One minute you’re accusing me of being bent and the next you’re seducing me. Make up your mind.”
“I kept the other part of the riddle because I think Reynolds did something wrong at the Savings and Loan and that’s why he’s turned into what he is. I know he’s not a good person, but I just couldn’t—”
She put her hand on his arm. “Jesus, Cas. I don’t care what Reynolds did. If he broke the law, the statute of limitations has probably run out on it. And I’m certainly not doing anything to prolong the feud.” She took a breath. “And I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.”
“You wouldn’t?”
Julie punched his shoulder. “You are so fucking infuriating. Half the time, I don’t know whether to smack you or just—”
“Kiss me.” He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him. His mouth was hot, and Julie forgot for a moment that they might be rescued any minute. For a minute. Then she tried to push away. “Cas, someone might come.”
He stilled, then pushed away to look at her. His eyes said it all. He looked away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think. I owe you an explanation ... about that day ... on the river—”
“Forget it. It doesn’t matter.”
“It does. I was young and embarrassed and I felt like a fool. I should have stayed instead of letting Reynolds drag me away.”
“So he could drag you kicking and screaming to the car? He was bigger than you then.” She took a breath. “It was after that. You ignored me. Acted like you didn’t even know me. That’s what hurt, Cas. That really hurt.”
“I know. It was lousy, but Reynolds threatened to send me to boarding school if I so much as looked at you again.”
“Then why did he send you? You certainly didn’t look at me.”
“Because his life was going down the tubes and he blamed it all on Wes.”
Julie put her hand over his. “So he punished you and me. The son of a bitch. I didn’t know.”
“How could you? I came to Wes’s the minute I got home at vacation, but it was too late. I thought I had lost you forever. Have I lost you, Julie?”
“Lost me?” she shook her head. “Henley must have hit you harder than I thought.”
He looked confused.
“Aw, hell,” said Julie. She leaned over him and brushed her lips against his, licked his bottom lip then gently bit it. Cas sighed and their tongues met. The feeling was sweeter because for the first time, they didn’t have to withhold anything from each other.
They broke the kiss at the same time, looked at each other and kissed again. And one kiss became another and another. Cleansing kisses. Barrier-dropping kisses, Hopeful kisses. Until they became something more and they pulled Julie and Cas to a place they needed to be, drawing them in and holding them there while their blood ignited and the world fell away.
Cas lifted her onto his lap. Julie slipped her hands inside his jacket. He was warm and strong, and as long as he stayed away from handguns, he was just the right man for her. She pulled her hands back and wriggled out of her jacket, then pushed his off his shoulders. He shrugged it off and they held each other as if they meant to never let go.
“I love you,” Cas said.
“Don’t ever leave me like that again.”
“You can handcuff me to your wrist,” he said.
Julie’s blood zinged and she pressed against him. She felt his heart pounding as his erection thicken against her thigh. “Can we hear when someone comes?” she asked, barely finding the breath to speak.
“I’ll keep one ear open,” said Cas.
“I want you now.”
“You’ve got me.” His hands roved over her back, down to her butt. He lifted her so she could straddle his lap and drew her against him. He rocked into her and she rocked back and the cot creaked beneath them. He pulled her in tighter and Julie felt the tingle all the way down to her toes.
Cas grabbed the bottom of her T-shirt and pulled it up. Then he held her shoulders back, looking at her breasts as they moved together. Julie circled against him, riding the bulge in his jeans. His eyes closed and his lips parted.
Julie leaned forward and licked into his mouth. He unhooked her bra.
“Someone will come,” she said against his mouth.
“Just ... for a ...” He slipped the bra down and cupped her breasts in each hand, lifting them so that he could take a nipple into his mouth. Julie speared her fingers through his hair and lifted herself against his erection. She could feel the liquid heat beneath her jeans and she wanted his touch there.
He released her nipple, slid his tongue to the other one and sucked until Julie moaned his name. Then he looked at her with smoldering eyes while he pulled her bra straps up and reclasped the back. He shifted her weight off his lap and gently rolled her down on the cot. He followed her down, his weight braced on his hands and his legs laying heavy and solid between her thighs.
She trailed her fingers down his chest, then reached for the buttons of his shirt. When it was open she ran her hands over the crisp hair of his chest, captured his nipples with her palms, circled them until they tightened into beads.
He sucked in his breath and shifted so that he straddled her on hands and knees. “Free me,” he said.
Her hands left his chest and stroked down his abdomen. A sense of power flared in her as she unbuttoned his fly. She slipped one hand inside his jeans and lifted out his cock. It was thick and hot in her hand and she wanted more. She pushed his jeans down over his butt, freeing him completely. She slid down between his knees and he lowered himself so that she could touch her tongue to his skin.
Slowly she licked up the length of him and felt his blood surge against her tongue. His whole body jerked in response, then he shifted his weight so that she could take him into her mouth.
Her hand moved from the base of his cock to take his balls, while she sucked him in and released only to swirl her tongue around him and sucked again.
His jeans were stretched around his thighs and she wanted them off, but she couldn’t stop and she knew they might be discovered at any minute. And suddenly, instead of feeling cold fear at the thought, she felt a rush of excitement.
Cas pulled out, breathing hard. “My god, you’re, you’re—”
“So are you,” said Julie, pushing him down beside her and finding him again with her hand and feeling him pulse into it, while he fought to unzip her jeans.
“Next time you get kidnapped—oh God.” He surged against her. “You better wear sweatpants.”
Julie smiled. She knew she could make him come with a shift of her fingers but she wanted him inside her. She grasped his balls in one hand and the base of his penis with the other, and held them tight while he fumbled with her jeans. He groaned and she felt her zipper open. He pushed his hand past it and cupped her, while he slid his middle finger inside her.
She rose to meet him. He thrust his finger farther into her, then pulled it out and dragged it up her crease, slowing down when she shuddered.
“And then,” he said, “we’re going to start getting completely undressed. So nothing holds us back.” He passed over the spot again, and she nearly screamed. She pushed his hand away. He yanked her jeans down to her knees and she pulled him on top of her. It took a moment of fumbling past jeans and knees and she had to finally guide his cock inside her.
“Definitely no clothes,” she breathed and bit his ear.
He grunted. “And more teeth.” He drove inside her. Pulled back. “And handcuffs.” He plunged again. He slid his hand between them and opened her so that she felt the full force of his rhythm.
Julie moaned and he thrust harder. She grabbed his butt and held on, driving herself even closer to him. “I definitely need my legs around you. No more jeans after tonight. Faster.”
The cot began to move away from the wall. And when they came together, the cot was in the middle of the cell.
They collapsed in a heap, arms and legs hanging off the narrow cot, jeans halfway down their legs and sweaters pulled up to their chests.
“And a big bed,” Cas said on a sigh of contentment.
“Yes,” said Julie and nestled against him. Julie lay half dressed, sprawled on Cas, thinking contented thoughts.
In the following silence, they heard the faint snick of the outside door opening. And Terrence saying, “What the hell?”