"It just seems coincidental to me that a couple that caused you as many headaches as the Willis's did end up having their house burned to the ground."
"Chief Davies," Dylan said, shortly. "This home cost us a little over a million dollars to build. If it costs us that much to build you can imagine the retail value of the home. It is definitely in my best interest to see it finished. We get a large percentage of the total cost. I would not cut my own throat financially speaking by burning down my next paycheck. I have been described as a lot of things but never stupid."
Anna gasped at his words. It had finally dawned on her what the chief had been insinuating. Dylan could have no more done something like that than she could have.
"Chief Davies," Anna said, her voice scolding. "You should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking for one minute that Dylan had anything to do with something of this nature."
"Now Anna," the chief stuttered. "I have to check out all the avenues to get this investigation solved. In most cases, the easiest answer is usually the right answer."
"Well it's not the right answer this time," she said. "Dylan has been with me all morning, so it is impossible that he did what you're suggesting. Martha would be as disappointed as I am to know that you think someone like Dylan could be responsible for this."
Martha Davies was not a woman you wanted to mess with. Formidable was the first word that came to Anna's mind when she thought of her. She could put the fear of God into every man, woman and child in Paradise at just the mention of her name, and Anna took a little satisfaction to see the pallor of the chief's face pale considerably at the mention of his wife.
"I'm sure it's all a big misunderstanding," the chief hurried to assure her. "I'm just trying to be thorough and do my job. The citizens of Paradise are my first concern, but I'm sure Dylan had nothing to do with this mess."
He was sweating profusely at the thought of the skinning he'd get if his wife ever found out that he'd upset Anna Hollis.
The Hollis's were practically royalty in the town, and his wife was determined to run in the same circles. Hollis Tools had single handedly kept the town afloat during the Depression, and small towns had long memories. He didn't want to give them the chance to be angry at him for the unforeseeable future.
Dylan had to cover his mouth and look down at his shoes to keep from laughing at the cornered expression on the chief's face. Anna was giving the man hell, and if he didn't step in soon things were liable to get ugly. Mitchell made no effort to cover up his smile and grinned from ear to ear.
"It's all right, Anna." Dylan said, taking her by the arm. "The more information the chief has the sooner he can find out who did all this."
"That is still no reason to treat a prosperous, tax paying citizen like a common criminal," Anna said.
"You're right, Anna," the chief jumped in, trying to make good on his earlier blunder. "I apologize for the insinuation. More than likely it was just a couple of kids fooling around looking for trouble." Anna looked mildly appeased at his apology and decided the matter was settled.
"Dylan, you'll need to meet with the insurance agents and file a report. Looks like you're going to have to start over. I know the Willis's, and I don't envy you having to break the news to them."
The truth was, in a town the size of Paradise, the Willis's had probably had a dozen phone calls already. Everybody knew everybody else's business in the small town, and secrets were hard to come by.
Dylan shook Chief Davies' hand graciously, and they all watched, huddled in a tight circle, as the chief hefted himself into his two-ton pickup truck.
"Anna, it is always a pleasure," Mitchell said, giving her an affectionate slap on the back. "And always entertaining. I'm out of here you two. I've got to get back to the office and get to work on your house," he said to Anna. "I take it you won't be in today?" he asked Dylan.
"It's okay," Anna interrupted, turning to Dylan. "I know you've got a lot of things to take care of. We can meet later on if you like. I can get someone to swing me by the house on their way through town."
Anna looked around at the dozens of officers and firemen that were milling around the scene. The crime rate was low in Paradise, so when something of this nature occurred they all felt they should make an appearance and take part in the investigation.
"You have no idea how badly I want to go back to your place and finish what we started." He moved in close so he held her in a loose embrace. "Even now all I can think about is being inside you."
Anna shivered at his words. "Don't think I've forgotten that things were very one sided before." She leaned up and nipped at his ear, uncaring of the curious stares and whispers of the city officials around them. "You've left me in a very tenuous position. All it would take is a small touch to make me come. Maybe I should just go home and finish what you started by myself."
Dylan growled. "Don't you dare. In fact, I forbid you from touching yourself until I can watch you."
"And what's the punishment if I disobey?"
"Torture. I'll see how many hours I can bring you right to the edge without giving you release. You'll be begging me before it's over. Promise me you won't touch yourself. I'll know if you do."
"I promise," Anna said shakily.
"Good. Why don't we meet at Shiney's tonight? Where something sexy. I'll teach you how to play pool. And then … we'll finish what we started."
"Why can't we just get right to it? Are you determined to torture me no matter what?"
"I'm afraid if I don't give myself enough time to cool down, then I'll just take you wherever we're standing. If there are people around I can at least get control of myself. I don't want to hurt you. Or scare you."
"You could never hurt me, Dylan," she said, touching his cheek. "I'm stronger than you think. And I'm willing to be a little adventurous with you. Only you."
"I'm going to hold you to that."
Anna gave him a quick kiss and moved away to catch a ride with one of the deputies leaving the scene. "Try to take it easy on me at pool. It's my first time."
Chapter Seven
"Are you sure you don't mind coming with me?" Anna asked Mel as she checked her appearance in the mirror of her bedroom. She was more nervous now than she was the first time she stepped foot in Dylan's office. Her body was primed, and any touch against her sensitive skin was its own kind of torture. The last place she wanted to be was in a room full of curious eyes. But she'd play Dylan's game. And by the time she was finished with him he'd be begging.
"Of course I don't mind," Mel said, stifling a yawn. "I'm always happy to watch you trounce some poor sucker at pool. I just hope Dylan's a good loser."
Anna watched Mel lounge back across her bed, her feet crossed and a magazine spread open on her lap, with envy. She wished she could have some of the natural spark that Mel exuded. She was just a fun and bubbly person, and you could tell by looking. Her dark hair was tousled and her ripped jeans showed off her curvy body. She wore another t-shirt that exposed the gold dangles in her belly button. No one but Anna knew that Mel had matching dangles in each of her nipples as well.
Men were always attracted to Mel. And she was always happy to flirt, but that's as far as it went. Mel was dead set against saving her virginity for the one man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. So far she hadn't found him.
"We're both going to win tonight," Anna said to her reflection in the mirror.
She jumped as thunder rumbled softly in the distance. The storm would be upon them before the night was over. The air was thick with the smell of ozone and rain. It would be the first spring storm of the season. Anna only hoped it waited until she could drag Dylan to a more private place. Wet hair and runny mascara were not a good look for her.
"I hope you know what you're doing," Mel said. "Wearing that dress and beating Dylan at pool is likely to send him into cardiac arrest."
"Great," Anna said. "That's the reaction I'm looking for. My hope is that the combination of the two will put him into lust overdrive, and we can stop all this cursed foreplay and get down to the main event."