Chapter 24
Raven looked from Zac, who stood inside the back door of the community center, to Ryan, who stood by the front.
The meeting was packed tonight. Either the entire town was here or close to it.
But then, that was usually the case. Exactly why Connor hadn’t wanted her to attend. But regardless of Ferris temporarily laying her off, she still saw the center manager position as hers, and she needed to show Ferris her dedication to coming back.
She snuck a peek at Connor beside her. They leaned against the back wall as Ferris spoke, but just like Ryan and Zac, Connor’s gaze wasn’t on their town mayor. He scanned the center like he was searching for threats.
With a sigh, she glanced back to the front to see Ferris wrapping up the meeting.
Thank God. This one had felt longer than normal. Ferris had talked about potholes in the roads, budget updates, and noise complaints. What made it even longer was that everyone needed to put in their opinions tonight.
“Okay, last thing on the agenda, and most exciting if you ask me.” Ferris’s smile was wide. “In as little as three short months, a movie will be filmed in Deep River.”
A movie?
Immediately, Ryan pushed off the wall, giving his full attention to the mayor for the first time that night. “What are you talking about?”
“I was approached a year ago about using this town as a location to film a big-budget thriller.” Ferris’s grin widened. “Some big Hollywood stars will be staying here. There’ll be lots of media attention—”
“No.”
Raven’s gaze flew back to Ryan. But it wasn’t just Raven who stared at him now—it was the entire town.
Connor cursed beneath his breath, as if he knew something she didn’t.
Ferris laughed, but the sound was clearly forced for the crowd. “It’s already done, Ryan. The deal’s been made. It’s going to be great for businesses—”
“Now is not the time,” Ryan pushed, looking a step away from running onto the stage and physically grabbing the guy.
Ferris cleared his throat. “Ryan, you and I will discuss this later.”
“Do they need extras?” Anika Sharapova called out from the front row.
“Oh, I could be an extra,” Maureen added.
“Wait until they try my pancakes,” Basil said, clearly thrilled.
As locals buzzed with excitement, Raven’s gaze went back to Ryan. He was so visibly angry, he looked like he was carved from stone. Either that or he was going to combust.
Finally, Ferris called an end to the meeting. As Connor led her out, she noticed Ryan storm across the room toward the mayor.
She waited until they were in the car to ask what was probably on everyone’s minds. “Why was Ryan so angry?”
“He’ll probably tell Ferris it’s because the movie will create an influx of tourist foot traffic in town, which will increase our team’s workload.”
“But?” Because there was a but.
“But, my guess is, he might be wondering who’s been cast.”
“Why would he care about that?”
“Have you heard of Emily Prior?”
Raven laughed. “Everyone’s heard of Emily Prior. She’s one of the biggest stars in America.”
“Five years ago, just before her career took off, she and Ryan dated.”
Raven’s jaw dropped. It dropped so far and for so long, she struggled to pull it back up. “No.”
“Yes. But it was a hard breakup. It probably won’t be her, but she’s in a lot of thrillers, so until he knows for sure, he’s probably going to be on edge.”
“Wow. Emily Prior. This probably makes me selfish, but I would love it to be her so I can meet her.”
“She’s nice.”
Her head swung back to Connor so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. “You’ve met her?”
“Only once.”
“Only once? I would die to meet her ‘only once.’ Why have you never told me?”
“Because it wasn’t important.” He pulled into the driveway. “Come on.”
“No, I want to keep talking about your brush with fame.”
He waved a hand like she was making a big deal about nothing. This was not nothing. This was huge.
Outside, he slipped an arm around her waist. “She wasn’t famous then.”
“You still met her.”
They stepped inside.
“Was she as pretty in person as she is on the screen?”
He closed the door. “She wasn’t as pretty as you.”
Raven snorted. It was incredibly unladylike but very called for. “She’s been featured as People’s Most Beautiful Woman multiple times.”
He lowered his mouth to hover over hers. “They clearly haven’t seen you.” He kissed her.
“Was she charming?”
He sighed. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Nope.”
He guided her to the couch. “Sit.”
“Why?”
“I’m getting us ice cream.”
“Oh, ice cream while we discuss Emily Prior. Good combination.”
He opened the freezer. “Chocolate or mint chocolate chip?”
“What do you think Emily Prior would choose?”
He muttered something she didn’t catch before taking out mint chocolate chip.
When he returned to the couch, he handed her the bowl of ice cream before she continued. “What was her hair like back then?”
He scrunched his nose. “Her hair?”
“Were those big blonde waves as silky-looking as they are on screen? Her hair always has this shine to it.”
“Don’t the cameras edit that stuff?”
Raven rolled her eyes. “Did you touch her?”
“Okay, this is getting weird.”
“No, like a hug goodbye or a shake of her hand. Did you—”
Her ice cream was suddenly snatched from her hold and set on the coffee table.
“What are you—” She gasped when he lifted her from the couch and sat her on his lap so that her thighs cradled his hips.
“I don’t want to talk about another woman.”
Raven frowned. This wasn’t just any other woman. “This is Emily Prior, Golden Globe Award winner for Best Actress, Emily Prior.”
“She could be a three-time Oscar winner with the silkiest hair that has ever graced this earth, and I still wouldn’t want to talk about her.”
“What do you want to talk about? Everything else feels kind of dull in comparison.”
“Then we don’t need to talk at all.” His mouth lowered to her neck as his fingers tightened around her waist.
She gasped and grabbed onto his shoulders. “Connor.”
“There is only one woman I think about.” He kissed her again, this time behind her ear. “She has skin that tastes like candy. And this body that features in every fucking dream and fantasy I have.”
A tingle spread over her skin. She barely registered her dress being lifted. The air on her skin. Then the cup of her bra was pulled down.
“And these,” Connor whispered, “are magnificent.” His head dipped and he took a pebbled nipple between his lips.
She gasped and grabbed onto his hair as if that could help steady her. “Connor.”
He swirled the bud of her nipple around in a circle, then back and forth, making her squirm and her breaths grow choppy.
She closed her eyes, and it felt like she was floating. Like gravity had forgotten about her.
When he switched to her other breast, she couldn’t stop the throaty cry from toppling into the air. He sucked and tasted, knowing exactly what she needed, even when Raven herself didn’t.
His callused fingers dove into her panties, making her gasp again. Then he stroked her.
A whole-body shudder moved through her limbs. He did it again. Her next tremble was deeper. Bone deep and all consuming.
“I love how responsive you are,” he whispered.
“Only for you.”
He looked up at her. And there was something new in his gaze now. Something so intense she felt like a prisoner.
“I love you.” The words pulled from somewhere deep inside her, spilling into the world. But she didn’t regret them. They were probably the most honest words she’d ever spoken.
His eyes darkened, his hold on her waist tightening. “Really?”
“Really.” She cupped his cheek. “Somewhere along the way, I fell. I don’t know when, but I do know there’s no coming back.”
Raven loved him. The beautiful woman in his arms fucking loved him. And he wanted to hear it again. He wanted to record it. Play it over and over until the words became a part of him.
“I love you too,” he whispered. He’d loved her for a while.
An immediate sheen of tears brimmed in her eyes. “Thank God.”
She lowered her head. One kiss. Two. On the third, he slid his tongue between her lips, and suddenly she was everywhere. Her taste. Her touch. Her feminine scent that filled his chest with each breath.
As he kissed her, he felt her working on the buckle of his jeans. Then the zipper being pushed down. It was only when she wrapped her fingers around his cock and pulled him out that he froze. Tensed so hard that every muscle felt ready to snap.
Her palm moved up and down, rolling over his tip before returning down to the base.
Fuck, she killed him.
Quickly, he reached for his wallet on the side table and pulled out a condom. She immediately took it from his fingers and tore it open with her teeth.
Shit, even that drove him wild.
He exhaled slowly, his hands finding the curve of her hips.
At first, her touch was soft, almost teasing as she rolled the condom over him. Then her stroke firmed, became more deliberate. He studied the small curve of her lips. The focus on her face.
She enjoyed tormenting him.
It took every ounce of self-restraint he possessed to remain exactly where he was. To stay still as she pushed the last inch of the rubber down.
Then, slowly, so slowly he swore he’d fucking die, she lifted herself up, pulled her panties to the side, and positioned him at her entrance. He was an inch in when she circled her hips. Her groan filled him like liquid fire.
“You’re killing me, Raven.”
She cupped his cheeks, tilting his face up to her. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me.”
“Thank God.”
Then she lowered the rest of the way down so that he was buried deep inside her. Blood roared so loud in his ears it deafened him.
He grabbed the back of her neck, pulled her mouth to his, and kissed her.
There was nothing slow or gentle about what came next.
It was pure, unadulterated need as she began to move.
Rising and falling, her hands splayed over his chest and tongue curling around his.
He met her thrusts halfway, his hand on her hip guiding her movements.
He fucking lost himself. And shit, it felt good. But then, everything about Raven felt good.
When he cupped one of her breasts, she gasped and tipped her head back. He didn’t lift his mouth though. He peppered kisses down her skin until he reached that perfect nipple again. He took it into his mouth and feasted on her.
Her body started to tremble, her hips slowing. He helped her. Lifting her up and slamming her down again.
“Yes, Connor. More!”
He kissed back up her chest, stopping on her throat and sucking hard.
How every inch of this woman tasted so damn good, he had no idea.
He sped up his thrusts, driving up harder.
One big tug of his hair from her, and he tilted his head back. Then she was kissing him again.
“God, I love you,” she breathed into his mouth.
“Say it again.”
“I love you, Connor Blackwood.”
He reached between them. Her cry was loud and broken as he ran his thumb over her clit, finding that exact rhythm that drove her crazy and applying more pressure.
“Connor, I…”
She never finished the sentence. Her breathing shifted, her muscles tensed, and she broke, her nails digging into the skin on his shoulders as her walls convulsed around him.
His own breaths shortened, his heart fucking racing, but it was that look on her face, the one of complete vulnerability combined with her breathy cries, that tipped him over the edge.
He growled as he pumped inside her two more times before finally allowing stillness to take over. Raven collapsed onto his chest, and he just held her, both of them breathing hard as they came down from the high.
He wasn’t sure how long they sat there. He was about to help Raven rise when banging sounded at the door.
He cursed, while she gasped and rolled off him. She immediately straightened her bra and panties before looking around for her dress.
He lifted it from the floor and handed it to her. “Hey, it’s okay.”
He moved to the bathroom off the hall and got rid of the condom. He was just stepping out again when the second knock sounded. “Connor. Raven. You there? This is Ward.”
He stiffened, and when he looked over to Raven, he could see she’d lost a bit of color.
He scanned her body, making sure she was fully dressed before opening the door.
Ward and a deputy stood on the other side.
“What do you want, Ward?”
“Is Raven here?” The sheriff tried to look around Connor.
“What do you want?” He said the words slower this time.
“I’m here,” Raven said, stepping beside him.
He cursed beneath his breath.
Ward drew in an exaggerated breath. “Raven Price, based on evidence found this morning, and a warrant signed by a judge, I’m placing you under arrest for the murders of Lottie Fuller and Sampson Pritchard.”
“What?” Instinctively, Connor pulled Raven behind him. “What evidence?”
Ward’s eyes narrowed. “Step aside, son.”
“What evidence?”
Ward inched closer. “You get in my way and I’ll arrest you too. You want that?”
A soft hand touched Connor’s shoulder before Raven spoke. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not fucking okay. You didn’t kill anyone!” He didn’t take his eyes off the shit-for-brains sheriff.
“Connor. Look at me.”
His jaw clenched as he turned to Raven.
She cupped his cheek. “I need you to not get arrested right now, because I’m going to need your help getting out. I’ll be all right.”
He didn’t want to let her go. Fuck, it went against every protective instinct inside him. But if he tried to stop this, he would get arrested.
He glared at Ward. “You keep her safe.”
The sheriff rolled his eyes. “There goes my plan to feed her to the lions.”
Once Raven had her shoes on, Ward cuffed her and read Raven her rights. Then Connor had to watch them drive away. The second they were gone, rage spiraled in his chest. It filtered throughout his entire body until it was all he could feel.
He pulled out his phone.
Ethan answered. “Connor, is—”
“They arrested her. Ward arrested Raven. We need to get her out. We need evidence that her asshole of an ex-fiancé framed her for everything.”