Even after all this time, he knew just how to touch her. In only a few moments’ time, she was on the edge, threatening to go over. “Z...” she panted. “Oh yes, Z.”

Her encouragement spurred him on. He moved over her sensitive flesh with renewed enthusiasm and before she could catch her breath, she was gasping and writhing against the mattress. Her release hit her hard, his relentless caresses giving her body no escape from the intensity of it.

He waited until she stilled and then whispered against her stomach. “I love it when you call me that.”

Rose watched through hooded eyes as he stood up, slid out of his jeans, then slipped into the condom he’d brought with him. She rolled onto her stomach, inching higher onto the bed, but before she could turn over, she felt the heat of his body pressed along her entire back. The weight flattened her against the mattress. She could feel the firm heat pressing insistently at the back of her thigh and his warm breath at her neck.

With a shiver of desire running through her, she parted her legs, allowing him to slip between them. Rose propped herself up onto her elbows, arching her spine and raising her backside up to him.

Nearly every inch of her body was in contact with his as he moved forward and buried himself inside her. “Oh, Rose,” he whispered, his voice wavering in her ear. He placed a searing kiss against her earlobe, then another down her neck and another on the bare curve of her shoulder. On his elbows, he reached beneath her and cupped both breasts in his hands.

A surge of pleasure rushed through Rose’s body, her muscles tightening around the length of him. Xander trembled and swore against her shoulder, then moved in her again.

Although Rose faced away from him, she’d never felt closer. She could feel every twitch of his muscles against her skin. Every whisper and prayer that passed his lips danced across her neck. It was like being wrapped in a blanket of him, secure, safe and warm.

And then he started moving faster. Rose gripped frantically at the sheets, pressing back and into his every thrust as she felt the coil of need in her belly grow tighter with each passing moment. She had waited so long to have Xander here, in her bed, in her body, again. It was almost hard to believe this was really happening. Xander. Here. Wanting her as badly as he had before.

That thought was enough for her to finally lose control. The rush of heat and pleasure surged through her veins, her inner core throbbing and pulsating around him.

Rose gasped into her pillowcase, her soft cries soon mingling with the low groans of Xander’s release.

After a few minutes of ragged breathing, Xander dropped over to her side and collapsed onto the mattress. Rose rolled back and curled against him. It was such a calm, peaceful moment she could almost fall asleep in his arms just like this.

Then a funny thought struck her. “You know, Lois Walters would have a fit if she found out about this.”

Xander propped himself up onto one elbow and looked down at her. “Why, of all the things you could talk about in this moment, are we discussing the mayor’s wife?”

“It just occurred to me, inappropriate timing or no, that she would be furious if she knew.”

Xander sighed and brushed the damp strands of hair from her face. “Knew what?”

Rose cracked her most wicked of grins. “If she knew that I was sleeping with a judge.”

Seven

The light was just beginning to shine dimly through the windows when Xander spoke. “I should go.”

Rose groaned in protest and rolled onto her side to look at him. Her hair was tousled and sexy, her dark eyes still slightly glazed with sleep. “You don’t have to.”

Xander placed a kiss on the end of her nose and swung his legs out of bed. “I know, but I was thinking I needed to be gone before Joey woke up.”

Before he could press his feet against the carpeting, the rumble of voices sounded from the living room.

“Too late,” Rose said. She lay back against the mattress, stretching long like a cat and yawning loudly. “Joey is an early riser. Thank goodness he’s finally old enough to make himself cereal and watch television until I wake up.”

“Now what?” Xander asked.

Rose sat up and tucked the sheets under her arms. “We get up, get dressed and have breakfast, I suppose. If we don’t act like it’s a big deal, he won’t think it’s a big deal.”

“Is he, uh, used to you having men stay overnight?”

Rose’s mouth fell open in shock. “No,” she said, her tone sharp. “I’ve never had a man over before.”

“I wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings,” Xander said, reaching his arm across the bed to grip her foot through the blanket. “I don’t know how much you’ve dated while we’ve been apart or how serious it was. I have no room to talk because I assure you it isn’t as many people as I’ve dated.”

She frowned and slipped out of the bed. “Glad to know you haven’t been pining away for me all these years.” Rose pulled on a robe and disappeared into the bathroom.

Xander just shook his head. He always knew just what to say, unless he was around Rose. Then, somehow, his filter short-circuited and he ended up saying things that ranged from rude to tacky to downright insulting. He started pulling on his clothes instead and was dressed when Rose came out of the bathroom.

“I’m going to make some coffee,” she said.

They went out together, following the sound of cartoon chaos as they neared the living room.

“Morning, baby,” Rose greeted their son.

Joey turned away from the television to glance at them, and then he smiled when he noticed Xander was there. “Morning. Hi, Xander! You want one of my Pop-Tarts? They’re s’mores flavored.”

“Hey, kiddo,” Xander said. “I’ll pass on the breakfast, but thanks for the offer. You save those for you.”

Joey shrugged and returned to watching the cartoons on the television.

“That was quite the offer,” Rose noted quietly. “Are you sure you want to turn it down? Joey won’t share his Pop-Tarts with just anyone. Not even Craig. You must be special.”

“I’m honored. I’m just not interested in chocolate-and-marshmallow sludge this early in the morning.”

“How about coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

Rose poured two mugs of hot coffee and passed one over to him. “Joey,” she said, “could you turn it over to the news? I want to see what time the parade is supposed to start.”

Joey pouted for a moment and then flipped the channel from cartoons to news. The local guy was talking about the weather, and then the woman gave an update on the festival and parade route. It looked as if it would begin at eleven.

“I know they’re announcing the bake-off winners at ten,” Xander added, “so we should get down there earlier. I have to go by the farm and change first. I probably need to be there by nine-thirty since I’m helping hand out the awards.”

“We’ll meet you at the winners’ ceremony,” Rose said.

Xander had turned away from the television once he had the information he needed about the parade, but the woman’s voice caught his attention again.

“...sketch to help the local authorities identify the body found at the Bridgeton Properties site last December.”

His face jerked back toward the TV in time for the long-awaited sketch to flash up on the screen. Xander’s stomach sank, the coffee turning bitter on his tongue. It had finally happened. The artist’s re-creation was looking back at him. All hell was about to break loose.

The woman on the news continued to talk while it was displayed. “The coroner’s office reported last year that the victim was a young Caucasian male, approximately age sixteen to twenty-four. Cause of death was believed to be blunt-force trauma to the head. If you have any information about this crime or recognize the person in the sketch, please call the local sheriff’s office.” A number flashed onto the screen.