“There’s an area right around here,” he said as his hands slid to her lower back. “This should put you to sleep.”
She closed her eyes. He didn’t have a clue. Or if he did, he was better at hiding it than she was.
“You didn’t answer my question,” she said and wondered if she sounded just as breathless as she felt. He was right. It was starting to be difficult to concentrate but not because she was falling asleep.
“Why wrap the body parts?” Platt’s hands continued without interruption. “Maybe he’s adding to a collection.”
“This fishing cooler is huge.” His fingers kneaded her skin, a combination of pressure and caress. “Where do you buy something like that?”
“Sporting goods store? Or a place that sells boats?”
“A boat. I didn’t even think of that. He must own a boat.”
“This is probably why you can’t sleep,” Platt said. “You won’t let your mind shut off. You’re still trying to figure things out.”
“The subconscious does continue to work through problems and then find—” His thumbs pressed into the middle of her back and took her breath away.
“That’s better,” Platt said.
“So you’re purposely … trying … to shut me up.”
“Exactly. Just for a few minutes, okay?”
“You talk then.”
“Really? You don’t like silence?”
She nodded or tried to.
“Okay. If it’s going to help relax you.”
He started telling her about a place where his family spent vacations when he was a boy. A cottage on the North Carolina shore. The kitchen overlooked the beach. Bright-yellow curtains and a tablecloth to match. He’d stay inside on the afternoons that his mother baked. She’d tell him to go play in the sand but he wanted to be there when the cinnamon rolls or peanut-butter cookies drizzled with sugar came out of the oven. So she’d let him help. He measured and stirred while they talked about the books he’d brought to read during vacation. They’d discuss the powers of wizards, the discovery of the Titanic, and whether sea dragons really existed.
At some point Maggie heard the sound of waves. She smelled the salt water, and for a second she thought she could even smell cinnamon. She had a light-headed sensation of floating on water. In her mind she saw the waves rolling, capped by white foam. Felt the spray on her face. There was nothing but water all around her. No land in sight. Just the gentle rocking of the water.
CHAPTER 44
“Oh my God, that feels good,” Maggie told Platt as he settled beside her on the edge of the bed.
“You’re going to have to stop talking about this case so you can relax and enjoy this.”
What Maggie couldn’t tell Platt was that she had to keep talking because as soon as she thought about his hands on her bare back she felt herself getting aroused.
“There’s an area right around here,” he said as his hands slid to her lower back. “This should put you to sleep.”
She closed her eyes. He didn’t have a clue. Or if he did, he was better at hiding it than she was.
“You didn’t answer my question,” she said and wondered if she sounded just as breathless as she felt. He was right. It was starting to be difficult to concentrate but not because she was falling asleep.
“Why wrap the body parts?” Platt’s hands continued without interruption. “Maybe he’s adding to a collection.”
“This fishing cooler is huge.” His fingers kneaded her skin, a combination of pressure and caress. “Where do you buy something like that?”
“Sporting goods store? Or a place that sells boats?”
“A boat. I didn’t even think of that. He must own a boat.”
“This is probably why you can’t sleep,” Platt said. “You won’t let your mind shut off. You’re still trying to figure things out.”
“The subconscious does continue to work through problems and then find—” His thumbs pressed into the middle of her back and took her breath away.
“That’s better,” Platt said.
“So you’re purposely … trying … to shut me up.”
“Exactly. Just for a few minutes, okay?”
“You talk then.”
“Really? You don’t like silence?”
She nodded or tried to.
“Okay. If it’s going to help relax you.”