Witchcraft and nasty little murders

Chapter Eleven The Book of Nines

A reassuring touch ran down Ophelia's back. As she turned around, she met Chris's warm, blue, glistening gaze.

"You know I don't like this," he took the cigarette from her mouth and stubbed it out on the paving stretching out in front of the imposing mansion. Lia didn't say anything, just opened her bag and lit another cigarette, looking provocatively into Chris's eyes. She took a long drag from the cigarette, blowing the smoke into his face.

"Okay, I got this. Shall we go?"

"Yes, all the way home," Ophelia added as she stepped down the stairs and started for the luxury car parked not far away. Chris opened the door for her, Lia put out her cigarette and they both got in.

"When will we be home?" Lia asked coolly.

"Tomorrow, about one or two o'clock in the afternoon," he replied, and she wrote a message to the detective:

"I'll see you at my flat tomorrow at two in the afternoon. I have important news." As soon as she sent the message, she switched off the phone. Chris put his hand on Lia's thigh when it wasn't resting on the gear shift. She didn't pull away from him.

They entered the house silently, Ophelia headed straight for the bathroom. She threw off her clothes and stepped into the shower. She liked the warmth of the water. She was lost in thought when she felt someone standing behind her. A wave of fear ran through her body, but it lasted only a moment. She turned to face the naked Chris standing behind her.

"What do you want?" she asked, still coldly.

"I know what I don't want. I don't want to spend our last evening fighting."

"Then will you explain why you're acting so strangely?"

"I said. Nessie and Nate are gossipy. I myself want to tell my wife that I'm in a new relationship that I didn't even know what it was until today... Am I your returning sex buddy or your partner, Lia? Decide now!"

"It depends on how much you want to dominate me," she straightened her back, but she was still awfully short compared to Chris's tall, muscular figure.

"Look," he wiped the water from her face, "I'm not trying to limit you, I just hate to see you ruin yourself, whether it's with cigarettes or playing policeman."

"Playing policeman?" Ophelia frowned. "I'm assisting an excellent detective in an ongoing investigation, and this is playing policeman to you?"

"You know I didn't mean it like that," Chris sighed deeply, leaning closer to Lia. "I know how important your job is, but you have to understand that I don't want to see you unconscious in a hospital bed again. It's not worth it!"

Ophelia rolled her eyes and tried to leave him alone, but Chris grabbed her around the waist and gently pressed her against the shower tile. Lia was furious, she could have stopped him in an instant if she wanted to. But at that moment, desire flared inside her. She wrapped her arms around Chris' neck and pulled him closer to her.

They made long, sensual love in the shower, then on the bed. With a contented sigh, Chris pulled Ophelia onto his chest, tracing circles with her fingers on his six-pack abs as she smiled:

"You know you haven't made things right, don't you?"

"My whole life is yours to make things right." Ophelia closed her eyes and let the scent of Chris's closeness carry her away.

***

Chris and Lia got out of the Bentley in high spirits, as if they had forgotten the previous night's fight. He walked her to her door and helped her carry her suitcase. In front of Lia's door, though, was Detective Harper. Lia looked at her watch, it was after 2:30 and she had forgotten all about him. Her stomach was filled with butterflies at the sight of his grim, stormy face. He wore a long coat as usual; also wearing a shirt, fabric pants, and a tie over his uniform.