Chapter Twenty-Three

After checking for a text message or voicemail from his boss about the flyover, Evan had made good on his promise to teach Noah how to play the piano.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star," Evan and Noah sang the words together as Noah pushed down on the piano keys. "How I wonder what you are."

Blue sat next to the piano bench, his snout in the air, howling to the words and sounding like a foghorn.

"Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky…"

Over the piano, Evan caught Marlie watching them. She sat at the kitchen counter where she'd laid out the photo album and Foundation application papers. What remained of the early evening sun backlit her hair in a golden beam of light.

The moment they'd returned from the wedding reception, she'd kicked off the high-heel shoes Tori had loaned her, but still wore that damned purple dress.

He swallowed, grateful for Noah's presence. The boy was a virtual buffer, the only thing keeping his hard-on in check and stopping him from charging over, unzipping the dress, and carrying Marlie straight into his bedroom.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are."

Blue joined in with one last high-pitched howl. From the kitchen, Marlie clapped.

"Now can you teach me how to play a real song?" Noah asked.

"Those were real songs." For the last hour, he'd taught him how to play "Happy Birthday," the "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Mary Had a Little Lamb," and "Chopsticks," the same beginner songs Gracie had taught him.

Noah scrunched up his face. "Those songs are for little kids. Can't we play some Metallica or AC/DC?"

Evan laughed, then nearly choked. Those off-the-shoulder sleeves had slipped even more off Marlie's shoulders, revealing inches and inches of smooth creamy skin he wanted to run his tongue over before—

So much for containing his now-raging hard-on.

Selfishly, he wanted her like he'd never wanted any woman, but she needed someone to settle down with. Like that ape-man dancing with her at the wedding.

He fisted his hands on the keyboard, imagining hurling the guy across the room and permanently embedding him in the sheetrock. Somewhere, somehow, his feelings for Marlie had zoomed way past lust and way past respect and caring. If things were different…if he were different, he might actually be thinking…

Ah, hell . That wasn't a place he could afford to go.

He unbuttoned his shirt sleeves, rolling them to his elbows. Noah did the same. He really would miss the kid after he and Marlie moved back to her place.

Her place . His guts twisted at the thought of them not being here in the mornings when he woke up or in the evenings when he came home, but that was the thing. His mornings began before the sun peeked over the horizon, and his nights usually ended long after the moon had risen high in the sky. It was a vicious cycle, one that would never stop.

"Check this out." Evan dragged his thumb across the keys, hitting all the notes, then flipping over his hand and doing the same in the opposite direction. "It's called a glissando." Gracie had taught him that word and practiced with him until he could do it perfectly.

"Cool!" Noah ran his hand over the keys, trying to mimic the move.

"Use your thumb, instead of your fingers." He stuck his thumb out and showed Noah how to do it again.

"Okay." He gave it another try with better results.

Blue snorted, racing for the front door. A second later, the doorbell rang.

"Keep practicing." He patted Noah's shoulder, then went to the door where Blue wagged his tail so hard his entire body shook. Brett and Gemma stood on the porch. They'd changed out of their wedding clothes into jeans and sweaters.

Evan opened the door. "To what do I owe the honor of the soon-to-be-married couple's presence?" Brett and Gemma getting hitched he'd seen coming. Deck being a father? No way. He still had a hard time imagining a mini-Deck in the world. "Come on in. Did Deck and Tori get off okay?"

His friends were staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Denver overnight, then flying out in a few days to Hawaii for a two-week honeymoon.

"Yepper." Gemma grinned. "By now, they should be canoodling in a luxury suite with the best view of the city."

Half decent glissandos drifted into the foyer. Marlie came up behind him, and for a split second, he imagined this was how it would be if they were a couple, greeting guests at the door.

"Hi, Brett," she said. "Hi, Gemma."

"Hey, Marlie." When Brett's eyes dipped a fraction, Evan knew exactly what his friend was eyeballing.

That fricking dress.

Brett had the decency to look chagrined and cleared his throat. "We came to take Noah out for miniature golf and pizza."

"We should be gone for at least a couple of hours." Gemma winked and grinned slyly.

Marlie's brows drew together. "What do you mean?" Her mouth fell open. "Oh."

"Oh?" He looked back and forth between the two women, then to Brett, who shot him a look that could mean only one thing.

So much for my buffer .

His friends were matchmaking, giving him and Marlie some alone-time without Noah around. This was dangerous. Very dangerous, and just when he'd made the decision to keep his libido-fueled hands off Marlie. Fool that he was, his heart felt like it was about to jump right out of his chest with joy.

"Did you hear my glissandos?" Noah said as he joined them at the door.

"I did," Marlie said. "You're a natural."

It was impossible not to see the boy glowing beneath her praise.

"Evan taught me how. I still need to practice more." Blue howled. "Blue needs singing lessons 'cuz he's really off key."

They all laughed, which made Blue howl louder.

"You up for miniature golf and pizza?" Brett asked.

"Yes! Can I?"

Marlie's gaze slammed into Evan's. They both knew what was at stake. First and foremost, Noah's safety. Second, what could happen once they were alone.

"Pleeze?" Noah looked from her to Evan. "I never played miniature golf before."

Blue looked up at him, a questioning look on his furry face.

"C'mon, Evan." Gemma bobbed her eyebrows. "Whatdya say?"

What he should say was no . He fully trusted Brett's ability to watch over Noah, but he needed the kid here as a coitus interruptus buffer. The excitement on the kid's face did him in. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

He prayed he wasn't making a mistake as he lost himself in Marlie's blue eyes. "He'll be safe with them." But would her heart be safe with him when they were alone? Hell, would his be safe?

Looking slightly uncertain, Marlie nodded. "Okay, you can go."

"Thanks!"

Less than five minutes later, Evan watched Brett's pickup disappear around the bend in the road. Like him, Blue stared after them into the cul-de-sac. Evan had thought his heart had been banging wildly before. Now his pulse raced faster than a freight train.

Marlie had gone back to flipping through the photo album. The best thing he could do was maintain distance. He'd planned on grabbing a shower, but when he went back to the piano to flip down the lid, he sat on the bench and began playing Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters." Ironic, given that Noah had wanted to learn how to play a Metallica song. This was one of his favorites, a dark, soul-searing ballad written by a heavy metal rock band.

As he played, the lyrics materialized in his mind, and he started humming, recalling lead singer and guitarist James Hetfield's meanings behind the words.

Hetfield said it was a song he wrote when he was sad about being away from home and missing someone. Evan was always away from home, chasing one investigation or another, and it had never bothered him before. It was always the righteous path and always with the dim possibility of finding his sister. For the first time, he thought about what it would be like leaving Marlie while he pursued one case after another, and his heart felt tight, grim. It was a lonely life he led.

The song was also about opening up to someone and trusting them. God knew he'd never confided in anyone the way he'd done with Marlie. In her, he'd found something missing in his life—a sense of belonging and trust.

The ballad was never intended to be recorded for the world to hear. Hetfield worried about putting himself out there and taking a risk. On that, Evan agreed. Life was one big gamble, and you never knew how it would turn out unless you tried.

Try what? Forgetting about Gracie, or finally accepting he wasn't to blame for her disappearance? He honestly didn't know.

"That was beautiful." Marlie slipped onto the bench next to him. "You should play more often."

"I don't have the time." Warmth from her body suffused him with a sense of peace he didn't want to let slip away. "I don't know why I ever bought the piano in the first place. It was stupid." A way of remembering his sister, of keeping her in his life the way his parents did by celebrating her birthday every year. "I'm thinking of donating it to the Foundation, maybe start a music program there." If he ever stopped traipsing around the country.

"I think that's a lovely idea." She entwined her fingers with his. Hers were petite, smooth, and delicate, while his were long and calloused.

With his other hand, he stroked her cheek, all the while knowing it was an inevitable mistake. Her skin was soft, like velvet and satin rolled into one. A few strands of blond hair had escaped her fancy hairdo, and he couldn't help rubbing the silky strands between his fingers. The transformation from the shadow of the woman he'd first met to the blooming, beautiful person sitting beside him now was nothing short of amazing.

Her scent surrounded him like a blanket of flowers. Eyes the color of the sea glimmered with the promise of absolute bliss he should grab onto and never let go. For the first time in his life, he was standing on a dark cliff overlooking the brightness of a life he could have, one filled with beauty and love. And Marlie.

If he had it in him to love anyone, it would be her. Maybe he already did, but it didn't matter. Nothing else matters . He had to see this case through before anything else in his life could take priority. She might not be there when he returned, but for the few hours his friends had gifted him with… Selfishly, he lowered his head and stepped off that cliff.

Her lips were warm, the lingering taste of honey-buttercream wedding cake on her tongue. When she moaned, a deep, sexy, throaty sound that turned him on faster than a light switch, he lifted her and plonked her backside on the keyboard. A discordant mixture of tinkling came from multiple keys. As he leaned in, deepening the kiss, she wrapped her legs around his waist. He'd never been harder in his life, never wanted to be with someone so badly. She was everything he wanted. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, other truths revealed themselves.

She was everything he needed .

The first time with her had been an impetuous act of physical attraction, desire, and emotional need. This was different. Now she was important to him.

In search of a zipper, he skimmed his hands down the smooth expanse of her practically bare back. Finding what he sought, he tugged down the zipper, slipping the dress from her arms and exposing her breasts. He captured a nipple in his mouth, rolling it around with his tongue and teeth.

With her hand on the back of his head, she pulled him in tighter, encouraging him. Not that he needed encouragement. From the moment he'd seen her in that dress, he'd wanted it off her and to put his hands all over her naked body.

"Evan, please," she whispered. "Let's make the most of this."

Yes, ma'am . He slid the hem of the dress up her thighs to find one of the sexiest female garments known to mankind. A garter belt . Pink. Grinning, he pushed the dress fully to her waist. More keys tinkled as she shifted on the keyboard.

Just below the garter belt, a tiny scrap of pink fabric that served as panties hid the treasure he fully intended to plunder.

He tore away the panties, then ran his hands up her thighs, loving the feel of the silk stockings. "Did you borrow these, too?"

"I did." She bit her lower lip, driving him absolutely crazy and making his pulse gallop. "It was Gemma's idea."

He swallowed, hard, trying to keep from coming in his rented tuxedo slacks. "Remind me to thank her." He let his fingers do the walking and eased his thumbs between her wet folds, rubbing back and forth and around in circles.

"Me, too." Marlie's head fell back and she moaned, undulating her hips against his fingers and making more keys tinkle.

Christ, if he didn't get inside her, he'd have a heck of a dry-cleaning bill. He was about to bust the zipper and burst.

She reached for his belt, undoing the buckle, then sliding the belt free and tugging down his zipper. Now it was his turn to groan as she cupped him. A blast of need rocketed through him. Now he really had to get inside her. Right now. Right here. On his piano.

A gruff snort came from a few feet away. Blue. No way could he do this with his partner watching them. Blue cocked his head, giving him a look that was more of a reprimand: no condom, dumbass .

"Don't move," he said to Marlie, then pointed a finger at his dog. "Get in your bed."

Blue led the way into the bedroom and lay down on his plush doggie bed. Evan charged into the bathroom and dug out a condom.

Seconds later, he was back at the piano, tearing open the wrapper. While he rolled on the condom, Marlie made quick work of the buttons on his dress shirt. He whipped off the shirt, wanting to feel her bare breasts against his chest with nothing between them.

He leaned down to capture her lips in another hot, deep kiss before trailing his mouth to the smooth curve of her neck. She reached for him, guiding him to exactly where he wanted to be. Slowly, he pushed inside her velvety slickness. Every cell in his body went into sensory overload as she thrust her hips forward, playing the most beautiful jumble of notes he'd ever heard.

He thrust deep, fully sheathing himself inside her tight warmth. Blood fled from the head on top of his neck to the one between his legs. To keep from coming in less time than it took for his heart to beat twice, he gritted his teeth.

Inside her channel, she gripped him hotly, sweetly. When she dug her nails into his biceps, every muscle in his body went so tight he thought he'd snap from the effort it took not to let go.

"Breathe. Just breathe." She gave him a sexy grin, reminding him those were the same coaching words he'd given her the first time they'd made love.

Love. Was he? In love? If so, he was in deep shit and didn't care. Not now. Not for this one brief moment in time when she was his, and he was all hers.

Taking his own advice, he inhaled deeply, letting his breath out slowly and beginning a steady, rocking rhythm. As he rocked faster, the piano keys played faster, louder.

Along with that dress and that garter belt, watching her on the verge of orgasming was the hottest aphrodisiac a guy could wish for. Marlie's breasts rose and fell as her breathing quickened. She licked her lips, closing her eyes and turning him on even more.

He thrust faster, on the verge of going ballistic but wanting to watch her shatter all around him first.

Her body tightened. She gripped his wrists, arching her back. "Evan!"

Pulses rocked her body as she cried out again. He clenched his jaw, waiting for her trembling to cease before pressing his lips to her neck and letting himself go on a groan that reverberated through his blood, his bones, even to his toes, which he could swear were actually curling.

His heart jackhammered, and he couldn't seem to get enough air. Not wanting the canine audience that awaited them in his room, he picked her up and carried her into her bedroom. He pulled out, then set her on her feet and tugged her dress up and over her head.

"Stay warm. Get under the covers." He draped the dress on a chair and went back to his room, where Blue happily snored away on his bed. He grabbed two more condoms and his cell phone before returning to the guest room.

He set the phone and condoms on the bedside table. A corner of Marlie's mouth lifted as she watched him shed his pants. "At the risk of sounding corny, we make great music together."

"That we do." In so many ways he'd never thought possible. "Do you know how all the great composers made their mark in the music world?" When she shook her head, he slipped in next to her, grazing his lips over hers. "Practice. Lots of practice."

She smiled against his mouth. "I agree, but I need to tell you something. It's important."

"What can be more important than this?" He nuzzled her ear, loving how her hair smelled, her skin, how her body fit so perfectly with his.

"I'm thinking of adopting Noah," she said. "If he wants me to, that is."

He lifted his head. "Why would he not want you to? I think that's great."

"Me, too, but there's more. I learned the hard way life's too short to waste time, so here goes." She took a deep breath. "When this is over, we'll be going back to my place to live, but I'd like you to be part of our lives. Under normal circumstances, that is. Maybe someday, we can be…"

She broke off, but he could see what she'd been thinking, because there was a part of him—a very real part—that was thinking the same thing.

Be a family .

The war that had been ongoing between his mind and his heart escalated to the point where his head hurt and his heart somersaulted faster than a gymnast. Still standing at the top of that emotional precipice, he teetered back and forth, indecision preventing him from saying what his heart wanted him to.

His phone buzzed. SAIC Mimoa . He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and took the call. "Brian, what's up?"

"You are," he said. "One of our choppers just got freed up for Monday. They're coming down from the border to fuel up at Cheyenne Regional Airport. They'll meet you there at two p.m."

Evan fisted his hand. Finally . "I'll be there." Unable to sit, he stood and paced back and forth at the foot of the bed. First thing tomorrow, he'd stop by the office to grab a camera. The chopper would be outfitted with aerial surveillance and infrared cams, but equipment had been known to go on the fritz before, and he wanted immediate access to still photo imagery.

"Evan?"

He was so close to getting answers. Stopping now wasn't an option. No matter how long it took.

"Evan?"

He stopped pacing to find Marlie watching him, frowning and biting her lower lip. Her life was finally on track. His wasn't and maybe never would be. Didn't matter that he was falling for her. It killed him to think it, let alone say it, but the best thing he could do was not get in the way of her happiness. The only thing he could give her now was the absolute truth. "Monday morning, I'm doing a flyover of that property Noah thinks is the camp."

"That's good news." She gave him a hesitant smile. "So why do you look so horrified?"

Because his heart was breaking. Because he was about to lose what could have been the best thing in his life. The future he so desperately wanted. And could never have.