WILL TIME WAIT: Boxed set of 3 bestselling 'ticking clock' thrillers (84 page)

CHRISTA

G
rinning
like an idiot, I hugged Brian’s t-shirt to cover my nakedness, opened the
bedroom door and swept a glance along the landing.  All clear.  I
picked up the birthday cards I’d dropped earlier and paused to listen. 
All seemed cheerful downstairs as chatter and giggles poured into my ears from
below.  I stepped back into my room and closed the door again.

Brian rose from my bed.  “Mind if I take a quick
shower?”

“Go for it.” 

“Do you have a spare towel?”  Brian came up behind me
and snatched me into a cosy hug.

I leaned back and snuggled into his chest.  “Look in
the tall cupboard in the en suite.  Help yourself.”

He rested his chin on my shoulder and kissed and nibbled my
earlobe.  “Are they missing us downstairs yet?”

“Nope.”  I reached up to caress his gorgeous
face.  “Sarah and Nicola are busy giggling.” 

“You know, unless you put some clothes on, I don’t think
I’ll be able to stop touching you.” 

I laughed.  This was glorious, standing here enfolded
in Brian’s arms swept up in the afterglow of passion.  Five days ago, I
thought our lives were over.  And now today, what a revelation.  Our
worlds had practically flipped on their heads. 

We were a sort of... real family.  It felt strange, but
also damn good.

“Strange week, huh? he said, voicing my sentiment. 
“I’d have had at least four meetings and be packing for a trip to Birmingham
now.”

“All kinds of weird.”

“And wonderful, too.”  Brian trailed his thumb along my
bottom lip, tugging it open. 

“Do you still have to go to Birmingham?”

“There’s only one place I want to be.  Here.  Work
can wait.”

I turned in his arms.  My heart bloomed as I looked
up.  The love emanating from his soft, adoring eyes was
unmistakeable.  In truth, I wanted to pinch myself and check I wasn’t
dreaming.

He kissed the tip of my nose. 

I smiled.  “Do you want to tell Sarah, or shall I do
the honours?”

His lips curled up in a happy, contagious grin, and he
smoothed hair from my face.  “Let’s tell her together.”

I buried my face into his chest.  We fit nicely
together.  

“Everything’s going to be okay, you know?”  His warm
hands slid up and down my hips.  “The police will find him.”

I nodded against his chest. 
They will, they have
to.

He tilted my chin up.  “Until then, there’s me, Dave,
Brad... we’ll not leave any of you alone.  I’m sure even Harry will keep
an eye on you from next door.  He seems like a decent enough bloke. 
Although I get the impression-”

“Nicola,” I said.  “I think he quite likes her.”

“Glad to hear it.”  Brian sat on the end of the bed,
and pulled me onto his knee.  “Listen, I’ll work from home if I have to,
or from here.  I love you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you all
safe.”

I put my arms around his neck and laid my head on his
shoulder.  “Thanks.  Really?” 
Love me?  Wow. 
His
warm and fuzzy words eclipsed my bad feelings.  A big chunk of my tension,
nerves and upset had gone.

He kissed my forehead.  “How about a quick shower,
together, then we’ll go downstairs?  I’m sure they won’t miss us for a bit
longer.”

The way he’d said that...  I let a few seconds slide by
then blinked up at him.  “You
did
see me on that website, didn’t
you?”

His lips twitched.  “I didn’t want to embarrass you.”

“Oh, I knew you’d seen it.  Damn.”

I tried to stand up, but he stopped me and glanced down at
my naked body.  A wicked smile played on his lips.  “I’m not quite
done with you yet.  I warned you if you didn’t put clothes on...”

Joy and euphoria bloomed in me afresh.  It was very
tempting.  If I agreed, then what next?  Would we ever get out of
this room?

With one hand on the small of my back, he leaned forward and
picked my panties up off the floor.  “There’s so many things I want to do
with you.”

Goodness!  I gulped, unsure of what to make of that
statement.

His nose wrinkled and he laughed.  “Don’t look so
worried.  All good things.  A big party for Sarah, and perhaps a
holiday someplace warm.”

I sat trapped in his gaze.

His lips twitched.  In a silky, yet guttural voice he
said, “Well, perhaps there’s the odd wicked thought in there.”  He grabbed
my wrists and bound them behind my back with my panties. 

Every part of my body clenched and tingled in
response. 

He glanced around my room then touched my chin, tilting my
head to one side.  “Do you have any...” he trailed off and grazed my jaw
with his teeth.

Jesus!  Any what? 

My mind was suddenly spellbound with anticipation. 
Whatever he had in mind sounded scary, and oh-so-wrong seeing as there were
people downstairs awaiting us, but also hot!  Suddenly, more than ever,
staying in this room with him was all I could think about.  My chest
heaved as he dragged his lips down my neck.  “P-perhaps we could take a...
quick shower.”

He tapped my bottom.  “Let’s go.”

I rose from his lap. 

Brian freed my wrists and sauntered into the ensuite while I
picked up my birthday cards, yet again.  The shower usually took a moment
or two to heat up, so I sat back on the bed and tore open a few
envelopes.  If I walked downstairs with my cards in hand, at least Sarah
might think I’d done something... ummm... productive up here.

Lovely.  A humorous card from my aunt and uncle, and a
gift voucher from my gran.  How thoughtful.

I opened a card from a friend then one from a
customer.  Two more remained and... oh!  That contract.  I’d
forgotten all about it.  I tore the envelope open and pulled it out. 
Sure enough, it was a two year contact to service all of their company’s
computers.  I held the letter to my chest and smiled.  Finally, I’d
have the money needed to finish restoring the house.  Perhaps even employ
an assistant.   Hmmm.... Nicola.  Yes, accepting help wasn’t
such a bad thing.  It sure felt wonderful right now.  I bet Brian had
been wondering whether I’d received this letter or not.  I’d show my
appreciation in the shower.

I put the letter down and picked up another envelope. 
I recognised the hand writing of my friend Amanda who worked at a diner on the outskirts
of town.  Sally’s diner.  Why did that ring a bell?  There was
no address or stamp so she must have pushed it through the letterbox while I
was staying at my parents’ house.  I tore the envelope open and stood up.

I pulled the card out and laughed at the cartoon drawing of
a frustrated woman throwing a computer against a wall.
Yes, that’s me, for
sure.
 When I opened the card to read inside, a paper insert fell
out.  I stooped to pick it up.  Goodness.  I gulped.  The
photocopied cafe receipt I’d trimmed and handed to Dave several days ago was
stuck to the back of a larger piece of paper.  I turned it over and
frowned at a colourless photograph of people standing in line at the counter of
a cafe. 

Brian called for me.  “Come on.”

“Just a minute.”  I looked inside the birthday card and
read:

Happy birthday, Christa!

Sorry this card’s a little late.  Hope you had a
super day.  Dave said you wanted to know who paid for this lunch
order.  I don’t know the guy’s name, but he’s the one wearing jogging
bottoms and ordered the BLT.  Hope it helps.  Fancy meeting for
drinks next weekend?

Amanda xox

I shot my eyes back to the picture and stared
unblinking.  No, it couldn’t be.  I turned it over and ran my eyes
down the receipt.  My heart beat fiercely.  There it was.

BLT.  Extra crispy.

Crap! Crap! Crap!

I scrambled into my pants, shoved Brian’s t-shirt over my
head and sprinted out of the bedroom.  I thundered down the stairs, taking
them two at a time, and crashed into the wall at the bottom.  My heart
hammered in my chest.  The sly, slippery bastard.  All this time,
he’d been wriggling into our lives and... it was him.  Damn.

Panting with rage that he was in the same room as Sarah, I
steamed into the kitchen through a curtain of balloons and streamers.

“Christa,” Nicola said, raising a brow at my lack of
clothes.  “About time.  So what’s the verdict?”

My gaze shot around the room to the men sipping cans of beer
and laughing.  I stomped straight over and tapped Dave on the shoulder. 

“Hey,” he said, and turned around to face me.  “Your
cousin was just telling me that-“

“Excuse me.”  I pushed Dave aside, condensed all my
anger into a fist and punched Harry on the nose.

Blood poured out.  “What the...?”  He stumbled,
tripped and fell to the floor. 

Dave gaped at me.  “Christa?”

I glared at Harry and kicked him in the groin.  “And
that one, you son of a bitch,” I said, all gushing and breathy.  “Is for
John.”

Harry roared in pain, cupped himself and curled onto his
side.

I shouted over my shoulder, “Nicola!”

“Y-yeah?”

“Call the police.”

She looked at me with utter shock etched on her face. 
“Y-you... you’re sure it’s him?”

My lips quivered with rage and disgust.  “Positive.”

“Bloody hell.”  Brad dumped his beer and twisted
Harry’s arms behind his back.  “Dave, grab his legs.”

“You’ll regret this,” Harry hissed, trying to squirm free.

While Dave and Brad wrestled with Harry, I closed my eyes
and let relief wash over me.  Yes.  It was over.  We could now
walk this earth without fear of reprisal for wrecking his scheme.  I
should have realised that Harry was a nickname for Henry earlier. 

“Mum,” Sarah cried.

My eyes flew open. 

She bounded over and leaped at me.

I spun her away from the fight and locked my arms around her,
shuddering at the feeling of Harry’s icy dark eyes penetrating me.

Footsteps bounced and thudded down the stairs and then Brian
stormed into the kitchen, dripping wet, wearing nothing but a towel around his
waist.  “Christa... what the... I saw the photo.”  He hurried over,
cocooned us in his wet and warm arms and gave me a visual check-up. 
“Out!” he shouted to Dave and Brad.  “Get that piece of scum out of this
house.”

Sarah clung to us and cried with her head pressed between
us.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Brian said, stroking Sarah’s
hair.  “We’ve got you.”

Brad and Dave dragged Harry out of the kitchen and bundled
him down the hall.

Thank God.  Finally, we’d be able to sleep easy again.

Brian rubbed circles on my back.  “You okay?”

“I am now.”

He leaned over and put a tender kiss, sweeter than a candied
cherry, onto my lips.  “I love you.”

“Me too.”  I gazed into his glossy, protective eyes,
and a smile magicked onto my face.  “Sarah,” I said.

“Yes, mum.”

“I’d like to introduce you to your dad.”

Nicola squealed.

THE END

Thank you for
reading.  I hope you enjoyed the boxed set!

If you would like to
know more about the author, her other books, series and next projects, please
visit her website at http://www.hcelliston.co.uk