Locked in Temptation Read online

  Chief Harkins nodded. “And I’m sure you’ve done your research already.”

  “Yes. There are five surrogate agencies in the city. But first I want to get one of the sketch artists to do a composite drawing of Jane Doe’s likeness, in case someone at one of the agencies recognizes her. And then, I would like to go back and revisit the area where she was found. Check out those cabins and hunting lodges again.”

  “I thought that was done already and no link could be made.”

  “Yes, but it wouldn’t hurt for me and Sanchez to check again. She had to come from somewhere, and there might be something Sessions missed, now that we know about the pregnancies.”

  Chief Harkins didn’t say anything for a minute. What Joy didn’t say but was probably thinking was that after his divorce, Detective Ervin Sessions had begun making mistakes and hadn’t done his job as well as he should have. Most people assumed Sessions had transferred to another police department elsewhere. Unbeknownst to any of them, Sessions had resigned to check himself into a facility in another state to combat his drinking and depression.

  Chief Harkins studied Joy, who still managed to get that spark of excitement in her eyes whenever she thought she might be onto something, despite some of the horrors she’d seen. Juan Sanchez was her partner, and Harkins thought they made a good team. “Fine, but first things first. Let’s work on that sketch and then we’ll go from there.”

  A huge smile touched Joy’s face. “Thanks, Chief.”

  * * *

  DR. KELLY LANGLEY glanced up when the man walked into her office. She frowned. “What are you doing here, Anderson?”

  He waved off her words as he slid into the chair opposite her desk. “Don’t worry. Nobody saw me. The office is closed and I used that special key you gave me. Besides, even if I was noticed, nobody would think it odd. A number of physicians in this complex are clients and I often meet with them. But as far as why I’m here now, I think you know. You wouldn’t accept my calls so I decided a personal visit was in order. You know how I feel about getting put off.”

  She didn’t say anything, and for the umpteenth time she wondered how she’d allowed herself to become involved with this man.

  “We’re ready to begin accepting new clients again, Kelly.”

  She shook her head. “No, I will not send you anyone. That situation with that woman, the one they found frozen to death, was—”

  “Unfortunate. She should not have been allowed to escape, and someone paid for the mistake. At least she didn’t live.”

  Kelly swallowed, wondering how anyone could be so callous and unfeeling when talking about a person’s life. When she’d agreed to refer clients, she’d had no idea that the women used as surrogates were being held captive and forced to have the babies against their will.

  “And what if the police figure out who she was and what she was being used for?”

  “They won’t. Chill, sweetheart. You’re worrying for nothing. It’s been almost six months. The police haven’t turned up anything, and they won’t. And no other woman will escape, trust me.” He stood. “Like I said, we’re ready for new clients, so start sending them my way.”

  He headed for the door but stopped midway, turned back around, gave her that smile that could wet her panties and said, “And expect me tonight around nine.”

  “I’ve made other plans,” she said, knowing it was a lie. She had no other plans. Another mistake she’d made was to engage in an affair with him.

  “Change them,” he said, giving her a direct order he expected her to obey. “I assume your brother is still out of the country and you’re still doing the house-sitting thing.”

  Her younger brother was an international freelance cameraman and presently on assignment in Turkey. Because they’d decided to keep their affair a secret, instead of meeting at her place or Anderson’s, they’d used her brother’s home in the mountains to hold their clandestine rendezvous. “Yes, Barron is still out the country.”

  “Good. Like I said, expect me around nine.” He then turned and left her office.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  JOY’S CELL PHONE rang, and immediately she knew it was Stonewall. She had given him his own ringtone. “Hello.”

  “I hope I’m not calling too late, Joy.”

  She tried to downplay the surge of pleasure at hearing Stonewall’s voice. After setting aside her laptop, she removed her reading glasses and put them on the nightstand. She was sitting cross-legged in the middle of her bed, completely surrounded by reports. She’d spent the last two hours doing research on surrogate agencies in the city and surrounding areas.

  “Not at all,” she said, wishing his deep voice didn’t always do things to her, like make intense heat settle low in her tummy.

  He always said her name with a sexy drawl. And as far as Stonewall Courson calling too late, she would accept a call from him anytime. Day or night. Although she was tempted to do so, she wouldn’t inquire why he’d waited four days to call. Four days when he’d been constantly on her mind.

  “How are things going in London?” she asked him.

  “Trip to London was canceled. We’d been at his home in Vermont. But now we’re in New York. Dak wanted to attend a Broadway show. We’ll be staying overnight and will return to Vermont tomorrow.”

  She could tell he was moving around the room, and she could hear him opening and closing drawers. “The reason for the change in our plans was that the authorities contacted us, letting us know they’d gotten a lead on the person trying to kill Dak. They have now made an arrest.”

  “That’s great! And I hope it’s the right guy.”

  “Same here. As a precaution, Dak wants me to stay on until the authorities are certain he is and that he acted alone.”

  “Smart thinking.”

  “I would have called sooner, but the authorities strongly suggested that Dak and I turn off our phones for the past week. They suspected our phones had been hacked.”

  Now that she knew why he hadn’t called or texted, she was glad she hadn’t let those mind games get to her. “Well, I’m sure Mr. Navarro hopes this nightmare is over and he can get on with his life.”

  “I hope so, too.” Then, changing the subject, he asked, “How are things going at work?”

  She shifted in bed to a more comfortable position. “I got a lead on one of my cases. The one involving the woman found frozen to death five months ago.” She appreciated the fact that he’d asked about her work. Omar never had.

  “That’s great, Joy. You’re good at what you do. I’m sure if that lead goes anywhere, you’ll be able to find it.”

  It still amazed her that Stonewall was a man who didn’t have a problem applauding her abilities. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  “No problem. Did you finish off the rest of the cake?”

  She chuckled. “Yes, and probably gained a good ten pounds in the process.”

  “I’m sure that’s not the case, and if it is, I’ll help you work it off when I get back.”

  “How? Will you go jogging with me?”

  “Yes, among other things.”

  A jolt of sexual energy rocked her to the bone. She could definitely read between those lines. “I’m counting on it, Stonewall.”

  “And I plan to deliver, Joy.”

  She could imagine the look on his face about now. Eyes that were heavy-lidded in desire and lips that promised the best kisses ever. She swallowed, feeling an intense need flowing from him all the way through the phone. Joy wondered if he felt the same coming from her.

  “Where are you?” he asked her in a low and husky voice.

  “In bed.”

  He was quiet a moment before saying, “I wish I was there with you.”

  His words were a seductive whisper that caused a restless th
rob of desire to invade her veins. “I wished you were here, as well.”

  “Hold that thought until I come back.”

  “I will.” There was no way she could not.

  “I’ll let you go while I have a mind to do so, Joy.”

  Thick beats of awareness pounded her heart. What was there about Stonewall that could get her all hot and bothered while talking to him on the phone? “Good night, Stonewall.”

  “Good night, Joy. Until next time.”

  Joy hung up the phone thinking the next time couldn’t get here fast enough.

  * * *

  “WAKE UP. I’M about to leave.”

  Kelly opened her eyes in time to watch Anderson’s fleeting back before he walked out of the bedroom. She hadn’t heard him leave the bed or move around getting dressed. Like he’d told her he would do, he had arrived last night exactly at nine. She’d been here waiting...just like a puppy that needed to be petted.

  After easing out of bed, she slid into her robe and left the bedroom, finding him standing at the front door. He was dressed like the businessman that he was and nothing like the man who’d spent the better part of the night making wild and almost nonstop love to her. She drew in a deep breath, knowing for him love had nothing to do with it. It was nothing but sex.

  A few minutes later his words confirmed as much when he reached out, wrapped an arm around her waist and whispered, “As always, sex between us was good, Kelly.”

  And then he kissed her. She tried to be detached, but the minute his tongue entered her mouth, she weakened. She quickly recovered and pulled back. “Goodbye, Anderson.”

  One dark eyebrow rose. “Is something wrong?”

  Yes, there was a lot wrong, but to him she said, “No, everything is fine. Goodbye, Anderson.”

  He didn’t move, and she knew he was eyeing her curiously. “I’ll call you later this week.”

  She wanted to tell him not to bother. Instead she said, “Fine, you do that.”

  “And remember what I said about sending us clients.”

  She refused to agree to that. “Goodbye, Anderson,” she said for the third time, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

  He didn’t move to leave, and she wished he would. Instead he stood there and stared at her. “Whatever thoughts are going through that gorgeous head of yours, delete them,” he said quietly in a stern tone. “No need to get a conscience now.”

  She frowned. “I’ve always had a conscience. I didn’t know you were...” She couldn’t even say it.

  “I was what?” he asked mockingly. “Filling orders? Why does it matter how the orders were being filled and by whom? Your clients want babies and I’m giving them what they want. Just think of all the happy couples you’re helping.”

  But at whose expense? she wanted to scream. Whose freedom? Whose lives?

  “We’re in this together, sweetheart. Remember that,” he said in a harsh tone. “Enjoy your weekend.”

  It was only then that he opened the door and walked out of it. Kelly felt a distinct chill in the air the moment she locked the door behind him. Heaving a disgusted sigh, she walked toward her kitchen, needing a cup of coffee. She hoped the caffeine would give her the energy she needed to face another day.

  As she moved around her kitchen, she recalled the first time she’d seen Anderson. It had been at a local medical conference two years ago. He was employed as a genetic counselor at one of the labs in town. He’d been the suave, charismatic and flirty thirty-two-year-old who’d boosted the confidence of a woman nearly ten years his senior. Playing the role of a cougar had had its merits...especially in the bedroom. Her ex-husband had been too driven by ambition to spend any time with her there, but Anderson had shown her a man could merge both sexual enjoyment and ambitions with results that were so mind-blowing she had to fight off erotic shivers whenever she thought about it.

  It was only after she’d gotten into the affair too deeply that he’d told her about an agency he also represented. A surrogate agency that specialized in embryo transfers. An agency that he’d manipulated her into being a part of. She hadn’t discovered the truth of what the agency was doing until much later, and now she regretted her part in it. A woman was dead, others were being held against their will and she was partly to blame. Anderson was always quick to remind her that if he and the agency went down, she would sink right along with the ship.

  Somehow, someway, she had to come up with a plan. If she went to the authorities and told them now, before things unraveled, would she get any kind of clemency? She needed to talk to her brother when he returned. She had to confide in someone and seek advice. Otherwise, she would find herself in a world of trouble because of Anderson’s manipulations.

  And she refused to let that happen. She refused to be used or influenced by him any longer.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  JOY STOOD TO stretch the kinks from her body before stepping away from her cubicle. She glanced outside her window as she drank her coffee. After Stonewall’s call last night, she hadn’t wanted to do anything but put all her work away, go to sleep and dream about him. And she had.

  She was in total awe of just how he could make her feel with a mere phone call. And when he’d promised to go jogging with her, and in the same breath alluded to doing even more, she could only fantasize as to what he’d meant. All sorts of erotic scenarios had filled her head before she’d fallen asleep.

  Awakening that morning, she’d felt fresh, relaxed, well rested and ready to face another day. If talking to him on the phone could do that, she wondered what effect waking up beside him each morning would have.

  Joy inwardly berated herself for having such thoughts. The last thing she wanted was for any man to have a constant spot in her bed. She had to remind herself that all she needed was a diversion and nothing constant.

  She glanced at her watch and saw that it was midday already. When Sanchez had arrived that morning, she’d briefed him on everything. They planned to hit the streets in an hour or so. First they would drive to the crime scene and do their own assessment of the area to determine what homes they needed to revisit.

  She’d compiled a list of all the surrogate agencies in Charlottesville. There were more than the five she’d originally assumed. All of them had received stellar reviews from happy couples who might not otherwise be parents without the agencies’ services. Could Jane Doe be connected to any of them?

  She heard her phone ring and recognized the ringtone. It was her mother calling. She quickly walked back to the desk and clicked on her cell phone. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Hi, baby. You okay?”

  She smiled. Lesley Ingram always reminded Joy she was the baby in the family. “I’m fine. You and Dad okay?”

  “We’re fine. Orient, Marcia and the kids just left.”

  Joy was glad her older siblings were all married with kids, so her mother had no reason to try rushing her to the altar or motherhood. Most of her family knew she was married to her career.

  “It was nice having everyone home for Mother’s Day.”

  Joy smiled. Yes, it had been. Like she did every year, she had flown to Baton Rouge for the occasion. It had been good seeing her siblings and all her nieces and nephews. There were a total of five, soon to be six with her sister pregnant. “I’m glad I was able to make it home.”

  “Me, too. You work too much. I bet you’re at work now.”

  Joy chuckled. “Guilty. Cases to solve, Mom.” No need to explain that the Erickson case had stripped the city of already tight funds. The budget was tighter than ever, which meant each detective team had more than their fair share of cases to solve. She glanced at her desk, looking at the active cases piled in a high stack.

  Joy liked Juan Sanchez and was glad when he’d transferred from the Gang Task Force a few months ago and became her p
artner. He was alert, cautious, wouldn’t put her life on the line to score brownie points with anyone, and he definitely wasn’t a hothead. They were the same age but Sanchez was married, and he and his wife, Trina, had a newborn son, Carlos.

  “Omar stopped by yesterday.”

  Her mother’s words intruded into her thoughts. Joy frowned. “Omar stopped by? Why?”

  “Honestly, Joy, it’s not like he’s a stranger to us. If you recall, he was the man you were going to marry.”

  “Yes, he’s the man I was going to marry. I broke things off a couple of years ago, so why would he come around visiting now?”

  “Your dad ran into him on the golf course and invited him to dinner. It was good seeing him.”

  “Whatever,” Joy said, tossing a paper clip on her desk. “It’s your home. You and Dad can invite over whomever you want.”

  “We never could understand why you let him go.”

  She wondered why her mother was bringing this up when she’d explained it all to her parents before. “I told you, Mom, we didn’t want the same things. He wanted a nine-to-five wife and that wasn’t me.”

  “The two of you could have compromised.”

  No, we couldn’t, she wanted to scream. She was saved from saying anything when there was a tap on her cubicle wall. “Look, Mom, I have to go. We’ll talk later.”

  “Okay, but I don’t think Omar has gotten over you.”

  “Sorry to hear that, because I’ve gotten over him. Goodbye, Mom. Love you. Give Dad my love, as well.”

  She quickly hung up the phone when the tap sounded again. “I’m available now.”

  Mike Gunn, the department’s sketch artist, appeared. “I thought you’d want these today since I’m out of the office a couple of days next week. My grandson is graduating from high school.”

  “Congratulations,” Joy said, taking the folder from Mike. “College plans?”

  “Yep. He’s headed to Penn State. Wants to be an engineer.”

  She nodded. “Penn State has a good engineering program.”