“It’s probably just the lavender-scented candles. I hoped they’d cancel out the stale smell of these cabins.” Burying her nose inside the bouquet, she headed for the set of cupboards on the end of the efficiency kitchen. “I’m going to put these in water. Make yourself comfortable.”

  As she retrieved a large mason jar, her phone rang with a call from the countertop. She glanced over to find Liz’s picture on the screen.

  “There’s that beautiful song again,” Ben commented. “I gave Agnes a listen like you said. Now that music makes me think of you…in addition to the other thoughts I’ve already been having.”

  Her cheeks warmed as she remembered what he’d said the night before about wanting to do dirty things to her. “Hold on, it’s Liz. I can’t seem to get a signal inside, so I’ll be right back.” She retrieved her phone and stepped outside to the chirping of crickets and distant hoot of an owl somewhere in the dark. She’d been grateful when her mom had told her to use the cabin farthest from the lodge, knowing it’d give her and Ben complete privacy. “Hey, Liz. What’s up?”

  “Have you been watching the news?” Her voice came out choked with urgency.

  “Mhmm,” she confirmed, assuming Liz was referencing the disappearance of Patricia Foster.

  “So you’re aware two young women have now disappeared from Shetek? They’re saying it’s like before…with your sister. They’re both blond-haired and blue-eyed. I don’t mean to scare you, sweetheart, but I think maybe you should come stay with me for a few days. It’s not safe there.”

  Fear tightened Mia’s throat. She hadn’t heard a second woman went missing. It was undoubtedly alarming to hear they had so many similarities to Bella. “It’s not any safer in New York, Liz. I’m used to watching my back.”

  “This is different. Don’t make me spell it out. I won’t sleep until I can see with my own eyes that you’re safe, or know that someone’s looking out for you.”

  “You don’t have to worry. I know the risks. And I still carry pepper spray.”

  She caught Ben peering out the cabin window, expression pinched with concern. She paled when it hit her that she’d been spending so much time with someone who had changed drastically since they’d been kids. Her nerves twisted in her stomach. It was true he wasn’t a complete stranger, but would she trust the new Ben with her life? What had he witnessed and done while in the military? Did she know with 100% certainty that he had nothing to do with Bella’s disappearance? What if he’d merely claimed he found Mia standing there that night once he realized she’d blacked everything out?

  The sudden compression in her chest intensified, making her wince. Where had that last question come from? Of course she didn’t think he had anything to do with Bella’s disappearance. But when she met his concerned expression, however, she sensed what she believed to be a memory from that night rising to the surface, just itching to break through. Her stomach roiled with unease.

  Clearing her throat, she turned her back on Ben. “I have a friend over for dinner. Can we talk about this more another time?”

  “Do I know this friend?”

  Although she wanted to tell Liz everything, she also didn’t want to lift her hopes too high, and have to explain herself if things didn’t work out the way she hoped. “No. She’s a friend of my mom’s in town for the night.”

  Liz huffed deeply. “I’d still like you to consider staying with me until you go back to New York. I’d be destroyed if anything were to happen to you. I love you, Mia. More than anything.”

  “I love you too, Liz. Have a good night, and try not to worry.” Ending the call, Mia inhaled a calming breath before heading back inside the cabin. She quickly glanced through her email to see if her “friend from Shady Oaks” had responded. Her heart lurched when she nearly collided into Ben.

  “Everything alright?” he asked, putting a hand on her hip.

  “It was just Liz being Liz. She can be a little overprotective.”

  “She’s worried about the two missing women.”

  Her shoulders dropped. “She’s being paranoid.”

  “Not necessarily. I also worry about you being way the hell out here by yourself.” He collected a strand of her hair, watching his fingers glide over the curl. “If our relationship was on another level, I’d offer to spend the night. But only if I knew it was going to make you feel better.”

  She breathed his name out, placing her fingers beneath his square jaw. How could she wonder if he was any kind of threat when his touch made her feel warm and tingly with the feeling that she was always meant to be his? “Our relationship is at that level. I…uh…was hoping you’d spend the night. And not because I’m afraid of being alone. Because I want you…I want you to show me the dirty things you’ve fantasized doing with me.”

  His beautiful eyes shot upward, lit with intensity that shot heat to her core. “Are you sure?”

  “I think it’s time. Although I don’t always understand what’s going through that sexy head of yours, I at least trust you.” She ran her thumb over his full lips, gasping when his tongue brushed across it. “Thank you for being so patient with me,” she whispered in an exceptionally hoarse voice.

  He bent in close. “I’d do anything for you, Mia Hughes.”

  Their mouths hovered deliciously close. Her lips parted with strained, shallow breaths. His hand on her hip reached around to her back, and the other hand traced a light path along her neck.

  “So damn beautiful,” he wheezed.

  After an achingly long heartbeat, his lips once again captured hers. She greedily kissed him back, grasping his hips to drag him closer. She’d never get enough of his wild, ravenous kisses. His lips devoured her with more aggression and passion than she’d been expecting. It nearly knocked her off her feet. They both groaned as their tongues joined in at the exact same time, caressing. Tasting. Devouring. His essence called to her on an animalistic level, excelling the kiss to an entirely different level.

  Next thing she knew, his hand was beneath the top of her dress, tenderly cupping a breast over her thin bra. His thumb lightly brushed back and forth, making her nipple deliciously hard. Arching into his hand, she moaned and kissed him even harder.

  Without warning, he drew back. “Mia,” he whispered, “wait a minute.”

  Gasping for breath, she pressed her forehead against his. “I’m on the pill.”

  “Christ…you have no idea how badly I want to throw you onto the bed right now and fulfill those fantasies. But I think we should slow it down a little. I don’t want you doing anything you’ll regret later.”

  Part of her wanted to openly pout. They were both aroused, and seriously into each other without other commitments. What was there to regret? “I don’t know how I could ever regret sleeping with you when it feels like we’ve been waiting for this moment forever.”

  Something dark flashed through his eyes when he backed away. “How about I pour us each a glass of wine while you start dinner? I was hoping we could talk.”

  Dropping her head back, she sighed. “I don't want to talk about Bella, or anything that went down after she disappeared. Can’t we let the past stay in the past?”

  While uncorking the wine, he glanced her way. “Have you heard anything from Matt?”

  Realizing he wasn’t going to let the subject go, she huffed as she headed toward the refrigerator to grab the shrimp she’d commandeered from the resort’s kitchen. “Not since he left for college. We didn’t really talk again after that night. Have you?”

  “We didn’t stay in touch either. I was just wondering if you knew whether or not he was still around.”

  “I have no idea.” Numbness shimmered over her skin when she recalled the conversation she’d had with the detective in her bedroom. “Have you ever wondered if Tom or Matt might’ve done something to hurt Bella?”

  The depths of his mesmerizing eyes the color of a cloudless sky appeared endless when she turned to hold his gaze. “I don’t know what to think. They were both out cold when I left to get help, but…I guess they could’ve come around quickly like you did. And it’s not like any of us knew Tom very well.” His eyes promptly skated back down to the wine bottle. “Whether it was one of them, or…someone else, it’s unsettling. Whoever is abducting these women could be the same person who took her. It wouldn’t surprise me if the new sheriff contacted you to go over what happened that night, and see if you’ve remembered anything new. You should be prepared in case he does.”

  She considered telling him about the email, but she knew it would only worry him more. As she hadn’t received another message, maybe it had merely been someone’s idea of a sick joke. Or maybe she needed to stick around a little longer to be certain. Maybe there was a way for the sheriff to track whoever had sent it. With her mind set on a new plan, she reached into the cupboard to grab two wine glasses. “I’ve decided I’m staying a few more days to help Mom out a little longer.” Setting the glasses in front of him, she shrugged. “Maybe I’ll swing by to see him after I visit Gigi again tomorrow afternoon.”

  With a distant look, he threw her a brilliant smile. “How is Gigi?”

  She laughed. “She’s as spirited as ever, even with a broken hip.”

  “I sure miss her pies.”

  “She’s not baking these days, but I’m sure she’d love to see you.” She eyed him with hope blooming through her chest. She had all she could do to stop herself from climbing him and reclaiming his mouth. She was beginning to hate whatever reason he had to resist their mutual attraction. “I mean…if you’re still going to be around.”

  While pouring the wine, he nodded thoughtfully. “I plan to stick around as long as you’re here.”

  She let out the breath she’d been holding, relieved to hear they’d have more time together. She didn’t intend to let him leave before they’d properly celebrated their reunion.

  Ben doubted he could express in words how badly he wanted Mia, though he sensed she was teetering on the edge of control. He could feel it with every potent kiss, every intoxicating touch.

  The problem was, he was on the edge of control too. And being with her made him cast aside the reason he’d returned to Shetek. He feared getting close to her was a mistake. Just because she had brown eyes instead of blue didn’t mean she was safe. He had to focus on doing everything in his power to protect her from the monster lurking around the lake.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  As Mia waited for Ben to arrive at Gigi’s after she’d finished serving the lunch crowd at Shady Oaks, she decided she wouldn’t let him stop her when she begged him to make love to her the next time. After dinner the night before, they’d fooled around plenty before he’d claimed the cabin’s uncomfortable couch, even though there’d been more than enough room for him in her bed. She was confused by his reluctance. She was falling into a deeper state of adoration every time they kissed, every time he touched her with the sweetest of ease. Love was a relatively foreign concept, considering she hadn’t allowed another man to get that close.

  Consumed by her thoughts, she jumped with the sound of a knock on Gigi’s door.

  “I’m not ready yet!” Gigi hollered from the bathroom.

  “You’re all washed up and wearing your Sunday best,” Mia called back. “What more is there to do?”

  “Find my shotgun shells…just in case!”

  Giggling, Mia reached for the front door. If Gigi hadn’t been in the nursing home, she may have taken the threat seriously. Back when her grandfather had been alive, her grandmother had been an avid deer hunter with exceptional aim.

  Ben greeted Mia with a beautiful smile. In a sharp red t-shirt bearing the Marine Corps emblem and khaki shorts, bouquet of daisies in one hand, he was blindingly handsome.

  He lifted one eyebrow. “I’ve missed you, gorgeous.”

  Mia was unable to stop herself from falling into his open arm, and planting a sultry kiss against his lips. It was becoming exceedingly difficult to spend more than a few hours away from him. She didn’t want to begin to think about what would happen when he left Shetek.

  He merely kissed her back for a moment before nudging her back down to the balls of her feet. Glancing over her shoulder, he cleared his throat. “Good afternoon, ma’am. It’s been a long time.”

  Mia spun around to find Gigi giving Ben a sharp look from her wheelchair. Mortified, her entire body flushed hot as she turned to face her grandmother. “Gigi, you remember Ben?”

  “Didn’t figure it was the mailman.” Laughing with a tinkling sound, Gigi wheeled over to the armchair. “Come on in, son, and have a seat. We have some catching up to do.”

  Still feeling the burn of embarrassment, Mia slipped her hand into Ben’s and whispered, “I promise it won’t be too painful. She’s still mostly harmless.”

  Mia took the daisies from him and set them on the small table beside Gigi’s bed, figuring they could go a little while without water. She settled on the arm of the chair, draping her legs over Ben’s.

  Eyes narrowed on him, Gigi tilted her head. “Aren’t you the one who favored my blueberry pie?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Ben chuckled, causing a delightful vibration to ripple through Mia. “I spent a lot of time at Shady Oaks. Your cooking beat the hell outta my old man’s.”

  “Who’s your daddy?” Gigi asked.

  Ben lifted his chin in a defiant manner. “Jack Pitt.”

  “Did he work at the elevator in Currie?”

  “Sure did,” Ben said through a clenched jaw. His hand gripped Mia’s thigh with the strength of a vice.

  Gigi shook her head with a look of annoyance. “If I remember right, he was an odd S.O.B. Ornery as hell too.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “What happened to him?”

  “As far as I know, the bastard’s alive and…well, he’s somewhere. I lost touch with him after I entered the military.”

  “What branch?” Gigi asked.

  “Marine Corps, ma’am.”

  Mia gently pried his grip from her thigh, slipping her fingers through his and giving them a reassuring squeeze. Although Gigi slipped into an easier conversation with Ben from there, Mia wondered if the darkness Ben battled had everything to do with his father. What had happened after his father moved him to Louisiana?

  Mia discovered Ben leaning against her cabin’s door, one ankle crossed over the other, eyes lit with anticipation. Desire clenched across her middle, bright and as sizzling hot as embers. During the remainder of their visit with Gigi, the sexual energy between them became so intense that she was surprised Gigi hadn’t made a crude comment. She’d decided to postpone her trip to the sheriff’s office, and told Ben he’d better be waiting for her once she’d returned to Shady Oaks.

  Lips connected in a soul-searching kiss, they spilled through the cabin door as one. His warm, deft hands went to prompt work in removing her top and shorts with seamless ease. She tugged at his shorts with trembling fingers, eager to release the complicated buttons. He reached behind his head to fist his t-shirt, removing it in one fluid motion, then wiggled out of his shorts. They were both in their underwear when she guided him over to the bed. She was grateful she’d had the foresight that morning to choose the sexy pair of lace underwear and coordinating pink pushup bra she’d purchased from the boutique. By Ben’s wide-eyed expression when he stopped to inspect her body, one would think he’d won the lottery.

  “Mia…baby…you’re so damn sexy.” Running a hand over his shaven head, he jerked his chin toward the bed. “Lay down. I want to take my time exploring your beautiful body.”

  Wordlessly, she did as he instructed. A moment later he prowled toward her with an untamed look that blazed a hole right through her center, all the way down to her core. She squirmed beneath his hard body, sending a delightful tingle down to her toes. He slowly worked his way upward, regarding every inch of her soft skin with the same devoted attention. From her shoulder, he continued up to her neck. She turned to him, seeking his lips, but he ducked back down, slipping each of her bra straps over her shoulders before reaching behind her to unhook the back.

  He inhaled a deep, stuttering breath. “So very beautiful,” he muttered in a throaty voice, simultaneously stroking the undersides of her heavy breasts with a gentle fingertip. She arched into his touch, longing for the heat of his mouth to cover her sensitive skin.

  Pounding on the door tore them apart. “Mia! Are you in there? Mia! Open the door!”

  Ben untangled his limbs from hers and slipped into his shorts. “Who the hell is that?”

  “I don’t know,” Mia growled, frustrated by the interruption. She was so turned on that she was ready to come apart with the feel of the warm afternoon breeze drifting from the window. “That voice, though…”

  Ben retrieved her discarded clothing off of the floor and handed it to her, brushing his lips over hers. “Get dressed in the bathroom. I’ll get the door. I’m sure everything’s fine.”

  The knot forming in her stomach vehemently disagreed that everything was okay as she closed the bathroom door. The next second, she was taken back to the night of Bella’s disappearance with a new memory.

  * * *

  Mia huddled beneath an umbrella with Ben, rain continuing to fall around them as Mia’s mom clung to her dad, screaming at a uniformed sheriff’s deputy. “What do you mean you can’t find her? Where could she’ve gone in this storm? Someone, please do something! You have to find my sweet baby girl!”

  With red and blue lights flashing across his face, Ben rubbed circles against Mia’s back and whispered,“Everything will be okay. They’ll find her. They have to.”

  * * *

  By the time she emerged from the bathroom, woozy from the sudden onset of memories, she discovered Ben, still bare-chested, speaking quietly to the person outside.

  “What’s going on?” Mia asked, moving in at his side. Her stomach dropped as she eyed the man on the doorstep. “Matt?”