Kiss Me, Kelly Read online

  He didn’t want her any less loyal than she was to anyone. It was one of the things he loved about her. He didn’t want to change any part of her, and all the whys and ifs weren’t going to alter their future. He was going to use her and betray her and hurt her, and there wasn’t a thing he could do to change that.

  He sighed, hard and loud. “I can’t believe I’m going to do this,” he said, shaking his head in regret. “But I’m going to leave and let you get to sleep.” Seeing her disappointment, he added, “I’m planning to take full advantage of your grandfather’s hearing loss real soon, and you can take that promise to the bank, babe. But tonight’s not the night. I—I need to call home, check in with my captain…” He ran out of lame excuses.

  “I understand,” she said, trying to hide the dissatisfaction that clamored inside her. While her head and heart sympathized with his professional problems, her body selfishly ached for fulfillment.

  Baker’s goodnight kiss was a guarantee that he wouldn’t be far from her thoughts until he was with her again. It was a plea for her continued understanding when the truth was known. It was a promise to her, and to himself, that he’d make everything turn out right for them.

  Six

  KELLY WOKE WITH a sweet hangover. She was drunk on love and had no intention of seeking out a cure, remedy, or antidote. She felt great.

  She was up earlier than usual. If she’d slept during the night, she wasn’t aware of it. Elgin had filtered through her mind with the kind of dreams that defied sleep, that were more real and powerful than those beyond REM. Her dreams filled her to the brim with energy and enthusiasm for the day.

  “You look fine and happy today,” Tommy Shaw commented when she entered the bar a little before noon, whistling a light, airy tune.

  “Thank you,” she said, her smile bright enough to blind him. She glanced at the silent Del Rio seated beside him and felt a pang of disappointment that it wasn’t Elgin. Del Rio’s sour expression and the reminder of the injustice carried out the day before weren’t enough to dampen her spirits, however. “I think I’m in love and I feel terrific,” she told them, unabashed.

  “You haven’t seen Baker since yesterday then,” Tommy said.

  “Well, not since last night.”

  “He came here after he saw Internal Affairs?”

  She nodded and poured herself some orange juice. “And he’s coming back this morning. We’re going sightseeing.”

  “Didn’t he tell you what happened?”

  “With Joey Hart’s money?” Tommy nodded, and Del Rio continued to watch her intently. “Yes, he told me. And I don’t believe he took it. I think Joey made it up. Guys like that do it all the time. I’ve heard you say so a thousand times.”

  “Well, yeah, but…”

  “But what?” she asked, not liking the tone of his voice.

  “How well do you know Baker? I mean, really know the guy? He wanted me to vouch for him, but, well…I don’t know him all that well.” He looked miserable over his indecision.

  Kelly made an effort to reexamine her instincts, and still came to the same conclusion. “I know him. He didn’t take Hart’s money.” Then, as it occurred to her, she said, “He was counting on your support.”

  Tommy lowered his gaze from hers, and he had the grace to appear shameful.

  “You’re not going to back him?” she asked, confused by his behavior and frightened for Elgin at the same time.

  “I can’t,” he said. “If they believe Hart, I’m their only other suspect.”

  “But with the two of you telling the truth, how could they believe Hart?”

  “I.A. knows how much the drugs were worth…and the dealer wasn’t having a close-out sale. If we hadn’t picked up the drugs with the money, there would be no way of knowing and Baker’s story would be more believable. As it is…” He shrugged helplessly.

  “But you know he didn’t take it,” she insisted. “Maybe there was a prepayment for part of the drugs, and the money in the suitcase was the balance. Maybe the suppliers miscalculated and brought too much. Maybe—”

  “Maybe your friend Baker took the money,” Del Rio inserted before she could think of another explanation.

  “I can’t believe you’re so eager to see him guilty,” she said, addressing herself to Tommy and ignoring Del Rio, who always seemed to think the worst of people, anyway.

  “It’s him or me, Kel.”

  Kelly was speechless. She’d known Tommy all her life. Never once had she seen him back away from the truth or sacrifice another man’s safety for his own. She was certain that if both he and Elgin told the same story, the investigators would believe them over Joey Hart. Unless, of course, they couldn’t tell the same story.

  The gears in her brain began to grind and toil over the possibilities. Elgin was already under investigation. Even though he was angry and embarrassed that I.A. didn’t believe him, he acted fairly confident that the truth would come out and he would be cleared eventually.

  Tommy, on the other hand, was actually frightened that the light of suspicion would shift in his direction if he involved himself with Elgin. Why? Could it be that what Elgin had heard about Tommy when he first arrived in town was true? No. Kelly couldn’t believe that Tommy was a crooked cop. She wouldn’t believe it. In distrust, her gaze slid to Del Rio.

  “Well, I still don’t think he did it, Tommy,” she said, setting her empty juice glass in the small sink behind the bar. She planned to discuss the subject in depth at a later time, when Del Rio wasn’t around. She had a feeling Tommy would tell her a different story then. As a warning to her friend, she added, “And I think you’re making a big mistake. There’s a lot to be said for loyalty, you know. He didn’t for a minute believe all the rumors that were going around about you.”

  The coffee cup Tommy had lifted stopped midmotion. The look he gave her was sharp, keen, and guarded. “What rumors?”

  “The ones about you being dirty. He hardly knew you, but he knew you well enough to realize he was dealing with jealousy, and to take it in stride.”

  “Jealousy.”

  “Yes. It made sense to me. I mean, with the new house and the cars and the trips, people are bound to talk…and resent you.”

  “And Baker thought it was jealousy?” he asked.

  “Of course.” High on her mental list of things to do that day was reopening the conversation she’d had with Elgin about the rumors circulating about Tommy. She knew they weren’t true, but she’d never put anything beyond Del Rio. He’d find it as easy to be a thief as he found it to be mean and nasty. If Del Rio was skimming, Tommy would be guilty by association and included in the rumors, whether he knew about the crimes or not.

  Kelly also understood the code. She wasn’t sure where it came from, but it seemed to her that every organized or unorganized group of men had the same code of silence. Gangsters, high-school boys, cops…She guessed it had something to do with the male’s sense of honor and the strange structure of their egos, and she was intensely glad that women weren’t bound quite so tightly to the unwritten rule of remaining silent in the presence of dark and evil secrets. If she had the goods on Del Rio, she’d turn on him in a second.

  “And what did you tell him about me?” Tommy asked, a strange tension in his voice.

  “Nothing but the truth, so help me God,” she said, raising her right hand. “What’s the matter with you? You’re acting as if you were under investigation, instead of Elgin.”

  “See-It-All Tours at your service,” Elgin announced as he entered through the front door of the bar. “Hey, Shaw. Del Rio. I’d invite you guys to go with us, but you’d need a suspension, or at least a day off to qualify for this excursion. Sorry.”

  Kelly wondered how much of his high-spiritedness was real and how much of it was a front to hide his feelings from his fellow officers. Either way, she admired his gumption and was thrilled to see him again. Her heart tripped into double time at the sound of his voice. Her skin prickled with excitement
at the sight of him.

  “Hey, man, how ya doin’?” Tommy asked in greeting.

  Elgin paid him little attention. He scanned the room and seeing only the three at the bar, he walked boldly behind it and took Kelly into his arms.

  “I’m great,” he said, then he kissed her like he hadn’t a care in the world, except for her. When he was finished and she was weak with desire, he added, “Just plain great.”

  “Obviously,” Tommy said, smirking. “Have you two known each other long?”

  “Long enough.” He winked at Kelly as her overheated blood washed into her cheeks. “Ready?”

  “Yes.” She’d been ready since the night before. Not only for the sightseeing tour, but for everything else he obviously had on his mind. He hadn’t taken a second glance at Tommy or Del Rio since he’d entered the bar. He had eyes only for her and they were bright and clear, filled with warmth and wanting.

  “Let’s go then. I’ve got a surprise for you,” he said, guiding her toward the door with one hand at the small of her back.

  “’Bye, guys,” she called over her shoulder to Shaw and Del Rio. “Tell Hildie to hold the fort.”

  “Tell her to call in the other bartender too,” Elgin added. “Now that I’ve got her, I’m taking her over the state line and I don’t plan to bring her back.”

  They were out on the sidewalk before she could protest.

  “Elgin, I can’t. I need to work tonight. I can’t afford…”

  He placed his index finger to her lips to silence her. “I’ll pay the other bartender to baby-sit the family business tonight. I want to spend the whole day with you. And as much of the night as you’ll let me. Please. I need this. I need you.”

  Lord, it was hard to deny him anything, she thought. Especially when he touched her, or looked at her with so much longing in his eyes. Had her life been drab and routine only two days earlier? She could barely remember. Elgin made a glass of ordinary water seem like a hollow-stemmed champagne glass full of bubbles. He filled her mind with hundreds of wonderful thoughts and images. Even the summer heat seemed bearable because it was a part of their time together.

  “Come on, Kelly. One night away from the bar. Say yes. I promise I won’t make a habit of it…Well, I can’t promise that, but I’ll promise to try not to make a habit of taking up all your nights.” He paused, and when she continued to play reluctant, enjoying his earnest pursuit, he said, “Come here. I’ve got something over here that’ll tip the scales. Close your eyes and don’t peek.”

  She obeyed him instantly, caught up in his excitement, loving a good surprise.

  “You’re peeking.” His hand covered her closed eyes.

  “I am not,” she said, letting him lead her closer to the sounds of passing traffic. A motorcycle and several cars zoomed past, sounding quite near, yet she still hadn’t stepped off the curb.

  “Are you into phallic symbols at all?” he asked.

  “What?” she asked, startled.

  He chuckled, “Never mind.” Carefully keeping her eyes covered with his hand, he leaned slightly away from her. “I thought about you all night long, so by the time I got up this morning I was feeling sort of….overloaded. Know what I mean?”

  “Maybe,” she said, wary and noncommittal.

  “Maybe, hell. The pressure’s on, babe. And don’t even try to tell me you can’t feel it. I told you how it was going to be with us. Here. Bend your knees a little.” He held her by the waist with his other hand, maneuvering her into a sitting position. “Watch your head. Good. Now don’t open your eyes till I tell you.”

  A car door closed, but it didn’t have the loud squeaky thunk of a taxi door. It was a soft thrump, like a valve closing on a vacuum. It was cool inside the car, and quiet, all the street noise blocked out. Kelly felt as if she were sitting in an airtight tube that had the fragrance of being new and extravagant, along with soft leather seats.

  The door on the opposite side opened and she heard, felt, and sensed him getting in beside her.

  “Okay, open,” he said, his voice high and tight with exuberance.

  She opened her eyes and saw the posh black interior of a very expensive car. She seemed to be sitting only about six inches off the ground as she stretched her neck to take in the hood of the car. It was phallic all right. Hot red in color, it was long, smooth, and rigid. Built to be driven hard and fast.

  “Isn’t this great?” Elgin sounded like a teenager. A quick glance in his direction was enough to let her know he was feeling like one too. “Have you ever ridden in one of these?”

  “What is it?” She craned to look out the windows. “A Corvette?”

  “Yes.” It was a reverent whisper. He relaxed against the headrest. “But not just any Corvette. A ZR-one. Duel overhead cam, thirty-two-valve, all aluminum five point seven liter TPI V-eight. Computer-controlled six-speed manual transmission. Three hundred and seventy-five horses under the hood…” The litany went on for several more minutes.

  “Where did you get this?” she finally broke in, sharing his awe, touching everything within her reach.

  “Where do you think?” He didn’t give her time to think. He sat up and laid his hand over the key in the ignition. “Are you ready?”

  “I’m not sure.” She grinned at him. “You’re not going to do anything crazy in this, are you?”

  “Depends on what you mean by crazy,” he said, returning her smile with secrets and surprises in his eyes.

  “I mean, are you going to drive around the city like a maniac and get us both killed in this thing, or are you going to hang out the window and whistle at chicks, or drag race with the cabbies, or—”

  “Who me?” He looked shocked that she’d think such a thing. He turned the key, and the car rumbled to life, purring in idle. “I am nothing if not careful. The only chick I want is sitting beside me. And I’m a sore loser, so I won’t race the cabbies.” He paused briefly, then added, “However, I do plan to do something crazy.”

  “What?” She couldn’t help laughing. With most of the life-threatening possibilities eliminated, she felt safe in trusting his judgment. Truth be known, she felt like doing something a little crazy herself.

  “Sit back and trust me. You’re going to love it.”

  Kelly leaned back against the seat and got comfortable. But before he put the car in gear, he turned to her and in a hesitant manner said, “I’ve changed the agenda a little. Is that okay with you?”

  “You’re the tourist,” she answered, noting an odd feeling in her abdomen. Elgin was always so definite and assured of his actions. He amazed her whenever he slowed down or backed up to ask if his plans agreed with her wishes. It was very endearing and pleased her immensely.

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as he pulled away from the curb. The brownstones in her neighborhood passed by and soon became another neighborhood with tenement buildings, then warehouses. She hardly noticed.

  She felt light and free like a soul in the clouds. She wasn’t sure where he was taking her and she didn’t care. She left it all up to him. She didn’t even question him when he merged onto the interstate. They were together and alone and that was all that mattered to her.

  “What a big sigh,” he said, entering her thoughts some time later. “Are you bored?”

  “No.” She stretched, long and lazy. Elgin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. She sighed heavily once again and said, “This is great.”

  He glanced at her and smiled. “I should have taken the top off, so the wind could blow through our hair.”

  Were they to spend the whole day driving the highways and byways of the state of New York? she wondered. She was going to comment, then changed her mind. The insurance and rental on a Corvette probably nearly equaled a week of his pay. And if a day in a Corvette made him happy, that was fine with her. She was content to be with him.

  “Aha,” he said, grinning as he took another quick look in her direction. “I’ll bet you think we’re going to spend the whole day
driving around in this great display of my horniness for you, don’t you? Well, we’re not. The car’s for me. I’ve got other things planned for you.”

  She groaned in mock despair. “Now I’m really nervous.”

  “Don’t be. Trust me. I plan to make you very happy today.”

  “I’m already happy.”

  “Then get ready to be happier, and let me know when you see empty fields with grass and trees.”

  “We’re driving to Vermont?”

  He was truly startled when he glanced at her this time. “Haven’t you ever been out of Brooklyn?”

  “Of course, I have.” She pretended to be indignant. “I go into the city and I have brothers who live in the Bronx and Queens. I get around.”

  “That’s not around,” he said, flabbergasted. “You’ve really never been out of the city?”

  She laughed. It was like the joke the night before, when she had him convinced that Bailey and her grandfather would kill him for familiarities taken outside the institution of marriage. Teasing him was irresistible. Something about the way he had total faith in every word she uttered compelled her to fib to him.

  “I’m teasing,” she said. “I had big plans in college, remember? I can’t imagine now how I ever thought I’d get rich as a sociologist, but I had my dreams. I used to see myself toiling for the good of mankind by day and retiring to the country at night. When I got older, I’d write a couple of books and get fat and famous on my country estate. We used to drive for hours, looking at farmhouses and small communities to settle in.”

  “We?” He had visions of her and Tommy Shaw meandering through the country, making plans for the future. He almost threw up.

  “Angie, Tommy, and I,” she answered. “That’s how Tommy and Angie met. Angie and I had classes together at college and got to be friends while Tommy was at the police academy. I introduced them and it was love at first sight.” She sighed with great melodrama. “It was all so terribly romantic.”