Voyeur - Lacey Alexander [40]
“But I’ll be happy to take your mind off it,” he said, then lowered his mouth fully onto hers.
It was the best encounter with a spider Riley Wainscott had ever had.
Of course, once the long and intoxicating kiss had ended, they bickered. Whereas Laura, prior to last night, had run from Braden every time she’d had an orgasm, Riley bickered with Sloane every time he kissed her. Riley simply wasn’t used to feeling so consumed by a mere kiss, a mere man. She feared her overwhelming attraction to Sloane as much as she was drawn in by it.
As the writing day had gone on, the two sleuths had continued their search on the Dorchesters’ grounds. Although Riley had lived next door with Aunt Mimsey for many years—since her parents had died in an auto accident when Riley was a teenager—she’d never really explored the Dorchesters’ estate nor realized how vast it was. She’d attended teas in Mrs. D.’s parlor or the occasional Fourth of July picnic in the sprawling backyard, but as she and Sloane searched for clues, she realized the picturesque lands stretched farther than she knew.
They’d searched around the tall shade trees dripping with bird-houses, the well-manicured shrubs and flowering bushes, the small vegetable garden where Edna and Mrs. D. worked together during the summer months—and then Sloane had spotted a path behind the garden that led back through the trees. He’d taken Riley’s hand and they began to follow it together . . .
Until they found themselves standing in a beautiful park-like square of thick green grass dotted with colorful flower-beds, perfectly shaped pear trees—each sporting a bright red or blue birdhouse—and in the center, a stone bench clearly placed there so one could sit and soak in the tranquil beauty. A thick row of shrubbery—at least eight feet high—bordered the perimeter, so that it was impossible to see out and equally as impossible for anyone to see in. They’d discovered . . . a secret garden.
“I never knew this was here,” Sloane said, clearly in awe.
“Me, neither, and I’ve lived next door for years.”
“I stayed here during summers when I was a kid and roamed these grounds—but I guess I never ventured this far from the house.”
“Why do you think it’s here?” Riley asked. “Why do you think no one knows about it?” She lifted her gaze to Sloane’s, realizing they still held hands. She made no effort to pull away, and neither did he.
He shook his head.“I can’t imagine.”Then he looked around, still taking in the wonder. “It feels like we’re far away, though, doesn’t it? From ever ything.”
Riley nodded. The rest of the lovely estate was pristine and postcard-worthy, but something about this storybook patch of ground felt almost magical. The kind of place that could make you forget the rest of the world existed.The grass was greener, the flowers more vibrant. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear the sky overhead was bluer.
As she stood there hand in hand with her dark-haired companion, she gazed about, soaking up every nuance of the place, feeling as if the garden somehow cocooned them and was, in some ethereal way, pushing them closer together.
That’s when she spotted the sliver of paper poking from the round opening of a little red birdhouse shaped like a barn. Rather than release Sloane’s strong hand from her grip, she pulled him along behind her, and he followed, for once letting her lead. The birdhouse hung too high for her to reach, but she pointed silently, and Sloane clearly saw what had caught her eye. He reached for it, extracting an oblong slip from the circular door.
As he stretched it between his hands, they both peered down to see Mr. Dorchester’s missing check! “Uncle Howard’s dividends,” Sloane said as Riley gasped.
They, of course, had no idea what this might mean, but turning up another large clue felt like a supreme victory. On impulse, Riley threw her arms around Sloane’s neck, and he closed her in a firm embrace. “Finally!” she said. “Another missing item hidden on the grounds!”
“Finally,” he repeated, but his voice had gone lower, smokier, and his lids were shaded, his