Free Fall at Angel Creek, page 16
“Well done, Ace, but it’s time to go. I think we’ve seen everything of importance, and this place is closing soon.”
“It is getting toasty in here. Very cool, River. I’m impressed. Thank you for showing me your airplane. Can you help me out?”
River leaned down over Dee to reach the seat lever, brushing her thigh on the way. She slowly pulled the seat out and back, her face next to Dee’s shoulder. “You look great sitting here,” she whispered.
As Dee climbed out, River noticed the tops of her ears were bright red. She took a few more photos of the flight deck, turned to leave, and saw Dee fixed in one spot, staring at the sides of the plane.
“Can you tell me where row sixteen is?”
River knew what she was asking. “So you want to know where seat 16A was located?”
Dee nodded.
River took her hand and led her to the left side of the jet, about thirty feet aft of the main cabin door, then turned her around to face forward.
“There was a window next to Naomi in our airplane. She was sitting just forward of the wing root and would have had a pretty view of the clouds.”
Dee crouched into a sitting position and looked around. “It’s spacious in here, not claustrophobic, like in little planes. I’m happy she got to see the sky.” She looked at River with pleading in her eyes. “You’re sure it was instantaneous?”
River pulled her into her arms and held her tightly. “Yes, hon. I’m positive. She didn’t suffer, she wasn’t filled with fear, she was just gone. I’m so, so sorry.”
They held each other, their grief entwined as their tears mixed and became one.
“Hey! Who’s in here? Come out of this airplane now!” A stern male voice was yelling at them.
“Damn it,” River said. She reluctantly pulled away from Dee, then yelled back, “Hi, Mack. It’s just me, River Dawson, leaving now.”
“You know this guy?”
“Yes. He’s a retired air force chief master sergeant who works as a museum docent. We go way back, so it’s not a problem.”
They found their way back to the CAC floor hatch and climbed down the ladder into the compartment, where Dee grabbed the edge of the exterior opening and hopped to the ground like a jackrabbit. She held her arms out to help River.
Mack was waiting for them outside the CAC. “Jesus Christ, River. I told you before, you can’t go into the airplanes without prior permission. You’re going to get me fired.”
“Mack, I apologize, but we’re in the middle of an accident investigation. I would’ve asked, but this is time-critical. It won’t happen again. Oh, and let me introduce my colleague, Detective Dee Rawlings.”
River looked behind her, where Dee had walked over to the left engine tail cone. “River, come look at this.”
River joined her, and Dee positioned her to face the right engine. “Stay here.”
Dee went to the open CAC hatch door and pushed it up, so it looked almost closed.
“Look at the side of the right engine. What do you see?”
River studied the spot Dee had directed her to, but the CAC hatch was in the way. Then she saw what Dee did. The side of the CAC hatch was the same shape as the hole in the side of the right engine on the accident plane.
“Dee, lower the hatch a little bit. Yes. Right there. Hold it.” She took out her camera and took several pictures, from close-up and different angles. “It’s perfect. The profile of the hatch door fits exactly into the hole in the side of the engine on our plane. This proves the CAC hatch blew off first, and then it impacted the engine. The explosion must have originated in the center accessory compartment.”
River walked over to Dee, pulled her hands down from the CAC hatch, and held both her shoulders. “You just broke this case wide open.”
Chapter Twenty-one
Back in the car with River, after Mack had hustled them out of the museum, Dee tingled with adrenaline. Goose bumps covered her arms, and she didn’t care if they were from excitement or from cold air-conditioning blowing across her sweat-soaked skin. She looked over at River. She also had goose bumps on her arms, and it was thrilling to share this moment with her.
As if she could read Dee’s mind, River turned to her and put her hand on her cheek. “You’re amazing. I can’t believe you saw that connection between the hatch door and the hole in the side of the engine. You’re an exceptional detective, Dee.”
Dee blushed at the compliment, knowing her ears were probably bright red, and she loved the sensation of River’s warm palm touching her face. “Thank you. We should celebrate. Do you know a place where we could get a good margarita?”
“Excellent suggestion, and I do. They serve great margaritas and Mexican food.”
River removed her hand from Dee’s face and backed the car out. As they drove, Dee looked around at the scenery. The desert was mainly brown, with spots of green cactus and rugged mountains in the distance. Its stark beauty appealed to her, but it wasn’t as lush and green as Oregon. Now that they were out of the giant airplane oven, she was starting to cool down, still buzzing after her discovery.
River drove to downtown Tucson and parked behind a cool hole-in-the-wall place, BOCA Tacos. When they walked into the crowded, lively place, the smell of Mexican food made her mouth water. They found a small table at the back.
“The food looks great.” Dee’s stomach growled. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
“Me either. I built up quite an appetite crawling around that KC-10. I haven’t been here in ages, but the food was always good.”
“Well, I love Tex-Mex.”
River put down her menu and stared at her across the table. “This restaurant does not serve greasy, cheap Tex-Mex. That is not real Mexican food. This place serves food from the state of Sonora, in northern Mexico. I think you’ll see it’s far superior to Tex-Mex.”
Dee was amused at how indignant River was over Tex-Mex. “I guess if I’m a snob about barbecue brisket, you’re entitled to be a snob about Mexican food.”
“That’s exactly right.”
Their pitcher of margaritas arrived, and River poured two glasses for them. She raised her glass and smiled. “To Dee. Congratulations on your find today. You did outstanding work.”
They clinked glasses, and Dee took her first sip. The taste of chili salt on the rim, fresh lime juice, and very good tequila, all swirled together in a frozen delight, made her feel like she was having a party in her mouth. “This is really good.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
River was looking at her with a slight smile on her face, almost like she knew something but wouldn’t tell Dee what it was. River was beautiful when she smiled, which wasn’t very often when they were at the crash site.
She understood the need for a serious expression at work. She’d observed that if women laughed or smiled too much, the men wouldn’t take them seriously and dismissed their opinions. River made sure the men respected her at work, but it was nice to see her away from that environment.
Their food arrived, and all talking stopped as they both ate. Dee had to admit, this food was a thousand percent better than any Tex-Mex she’d ever eaten.
“Try this. It’s a green-chili chimichanga. I think it’s fabulous.” River reached across the table and fed Dee the tasty bite from her own fork. The flavors exploded on her tongue, but the intimacy of River’s gesture made her stomach do flip-flops. River kept looking into her eyes, expectantly waiting for a response.
“This is delicious. Thank you for bringing me.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it. It’s nice to be able to have dinner with someone.”
Dee sensed River wanted to say something more but had stopped herself. After stuffing themselves, they paid the bill, and River drove them to a Westin hotel in the foothills of the Tucson mountains. The sun was setting behind the mountain ridge, extending long shadows across the grounds and bringing the welcome relief of shade.
Dee wandered around the spacious lobby, then walked out to the courtyard to a large, sparkling swimming pool surrounded by palm trees and cabanas. It called to her. River came up behind her, and she felt River’s warm breath on her neck.
“Would you like to go for a swim?”
Tingles ran down her spine. “I’d love to, but I don’t have a swimsuit with me.”
“They usually have bathing suits in the hotel gift shop. Let’s check.”
Dee found a bathing suit with cute boy shorts and a royal-blue top. They went to the suite to change, where Dee noticed two bedrooms. She was feeling very relaxed after her two margaritas and couldn’t wait to jump into the pool.
River came out into the living room of their suite wearing a one-piece, red Speedo and had a white towel around her neck. It was snug and showed off her curves, her toned legs, and the creamy skin of her broad shoulders. With River’s wavy blond hair, she looked like she could be on the old TV show Baywatch.
“Ready?” River asked.
“I sure am.”
* * *
The pool area was mostly deserted by the time they got there. It was evening, and the air was warm, but not hot, since the intensity of the Arizona sun was behind the mountains. It was a beautiful setting, with soft lights illuminating the palm trees, steeply rising mountains behind the resort, and a view of the city lights of Tucson to the east. It was peaceful and quiet, until River heard a splash. Dee dove in and swam underwater to the opposite side of the large pool.
When she surfaced for air, she called back to River. “Jump in. This feels great.”
Dee swam the length of the pool back to where River was watching her. She emerged with water running off her smiling face, then reached out to River. “Come in the water with me. You’ll like it.”
Her voice was soft, so only River could hear her, and as seductive as a siren’s song. River couldn’t resist her any longer. She took Dee’s hand and jumped in. The water was warm from the sun but still felt refreshing.
She came up from the water, pushed her wet hair off her face, spread her arms, leaned back, and floated on the surface. The warm air across her wet skin gave her goose bumps. She opened her eyes to see Dee watching her as she floated. Dee gave her a small smile as she openly admired her body, moving her gaze up and down. Arousal flowed through every part of her. They were crossing into dangerous territory, but River didn’t care.
She’d been fighting her attraction to Dee for some time, but her resistance was quickly fading, especially now that she knew Dee wanted her. The desire on Dee’s face was clear and unmistakable.
“This is so pretty. I could stay here for a while. Here. I’ll float you to the deep end.” Dee got behind her, put her hands under her shoulders, and gently pulled her through the water. River looked at the stars twinkling overhead and wondered if this was Heaven. Even if it wasn’t, this was a piece of it. It was a perfect moment, a beautiful place, at exactly the right time, and with a woman she would never forget. River drank up every second of Dee’s strong hands guiding her through the warm pool, as she floated both on top of the water and in the air. She closed her eyes, trusting her body to Dee’s hands. She felt Dee’s lips by her ear.
“Do you like this?”
More goose bumps, this time from her ear, down her neck, across her breasts, and into her center. “Yes, I do. Very much.”
Dee kept her lips against her ear, and she could feel Dee’s smile on her cheek. “Good. So do I.”
She continued to float River around the pool, her hands shifting lower to her shoulder blades, then her ribs, and finally Dee grazed the sides of her breasts with her thumbs. Oh, God. Her nipples were standing at attention, painfully erect, with the warm breeze blowing across her wet swimsuit. She knew Dee was watching her breasts when she moved her thumbs in small circles. What the hell. This feels too good to stop.
As if reading her mind, Dee stopped pulling her, turned her around, and set her on a small bench in the pool wall. The pool area was dark and empty. They were alone, except for the stars. She faced River, put her hands on River’s hips, and pulled herself in. They looked at each other for a long moment, breathing the same air, feeling the same electricity, and she opened her knees for Dee. I have to touch her.
She placed her palm on Dee’s cheek, with her fingertips slowly pulling Dee to her, as natural as if they’d done this a thousand times. There was no rush, no surprise, only desire. Dee had the sweetest smile as she parted her lips, the tip of her pink tongue showing. River closed the remaining inches between them and pulled Dee’s lips to her own. They were the softest lips she’d ever known—luscious, sensuous, warm velvet. Her kiss was slow, her lips caressing, and River opened her mouth fully. She wanted Dee’s hot kisses on her lips, the taste of Dee’s slick tongue in her mouth, and Dee’s beautiful body pressed against her own.
Dee wrapped her arms around her back, while River drew Dee closer to her with her knees. She was lost in Dee’s kisses, hungry for more, as moans emerged from deep within her throat. Then Dee moved her hand around to River’s front and caressed her neck and collarbone as she explored her mouth with her tongue. Electricity flowed from Dee’s hand to River’s pounding heart.
“Don’t stop,” she said, but then she heard a noise.
Dee withdrew her hand from River’s chest and backed away slightly. “Maybe we should take this upstairs.”
* * *
Dee couldn’t wait to get her hands on River back in their room. She was throbbing and wanted River naked in bed with her. They had a long walk to their suite on the other side of the resort. River had surprised her so much today, not just by breaking into a museum airplane, but by her tenderness when she showed her Naomi’s seat. Dee also remembered all the times River had held her hand, or touched her thigh, or when she stole glances of her.
When River let her pull her around the pool, that was the confirmation she needed to know the attraction was mutual. River was so beautiful floating on the water with her eyes closed, like an alluring water nymph. Dee enjoyed every second of her unabashed gazing at River’s toned body. She studied every inch of her, from her shapely leg muscles to her round hips, her firm arms, and those gorgeous full breasts, with prominent peaks begging to be sucked.
“Finally,” River said as they rounded the corner to their suite.
River put the key in the lock and they rushed into the room. She closed and locked the door, and when she turned around, Dee pushed River up against the door and pressed her hips into her. She kneaded River’s breasts and took the kisses she had to have. River returned her passion with her darting tongue and hungry lips. She pulled Dee to her and moved her hands lower to squeeze Dee’s cheeks. Dee yanked River’s bathing suit straps off, kissed her, and pressed her thigh into River’s center all at the same time. River broke their kisses, putting her hands on top of Dee’s.
“Wait. Please, wait.”
Dee was confused. “Am I pushing you?”
“Yes, well, no. I don’t know. You’re making my head swim.”
Dee smiled. “What’s wrong with that? You make my head swim too.”
River held Dee’s face and kissed her again. With desire blazing in her eyes, she pressed her breasts into Dee. When Dee reached around and squeezed River’s tantalizing round bottom, River broke their kiss again, moved her hands up to Dee’s shoulders, and pushed her away.
“No. I can’t. You have no idea how much I want you, but I just can’t, Dee.”
“I don’t get it, River. I feel our connection, and I know you do too.”
River moved past Dee and sat on the couch. “Please sit with me.”
Dee joined her on the couch and took her hand.
River looked deep into her eyes. “Yes. I feel a connection with you too, a very powerful one. I would like nothing better than to follow our attraction, but we can’t do this, at least not now while the investigation is ongoing.”
“We’ve already figured out where the explosion started. We just have to determine why it exploded. The investigation’s practically done. Why wait?”
“Because you’re not ready for this right now. Dee, your sister just died six days ago.”
Dee put up her hand. “You don’t have to remind me of that. You and I both know we have some kind of chemistry. I want you, River, and I thought you wanted me too. Sorry I misread the situation. I’m going to bed.”
Dee stood up from the couch and walked over to her room. She turned to face River.
“Who are you to decide what I’m ready for? I make my own decisions, and you don’t know me at all.”
Chapter Twenty-two
River was a mess. She finally shows Dee what she feels for her, Dee returns her desires, and then she slams on the brakes. I’m an idiot.
She wanted to run after Dee, retract what she’d said, throw her on the bed, and make love to her all night. Instead, she’d ruined a perfect day that could have been the best one of her life. Gone now, like a wisp of smoke, never to be recaptured.
River went through her usual tasks of checking the room’s security, turning off lights, and setting her alarm. She took one last look at the bottom of Dee’s bedroom door but saw no light. Upset with herself, she didn’t think she could sleep. Plus, she was still thrumming all over from Dee’s hot kisses and roaming hands.
She should have kept her attraction to Dee a secret, at least until the investigation was complete. And she should never have kissed Dee, but, to be truthful, she was just too irresistible. Her strong hands on River’s shoulders as she glided her through the pool made her feel like she could finally let go, that she could trust her. She was powerfully drawn to Dee, and it wasn’t just her big Texas smile or the cute freckles across her nose, but the intensity of her deep-green eyes and those very expressive, dark eyebrows. When they were alone together, Dee’s eyes showed every emotion as it crossed her face. River was privileged to have this rare, intimate connection.
