Peak of Desire Ch. 15

"No they won't. Not this time."

No longer obscuring her face, she turned her gaze on her mother. "How can you be so sure?"

"Clearly she's stalking you and Cody, so that's breaking the terms of her probation. They'll have to send her back to jail."

"And if they don't?"

"Your father has a friend who's a lawyer. We'll give him a call and see if he's willing to take on your case.

"I hope so. Because something has to change, and quick."

"Don't worry, pumpkin. She thinks she can intimidate you, she's got another thing coming. We'll teach her."

Turning her attention on Cody, Erica saw that he had gotten off the phone, and was talking to her father. After a few minutes of conversation, both men strolled toward the porch, and upon their arrival, Stevie and Erica rose to their feet.

"So I guess the best thing to do is just leave Erica's car here overnight. Then we can come back tomorrow in my truck and have her car towed to a repair shop," Cody said. Then addressing his girlfriend's parents, he asked, "You guys don't mind giving me and Erica a ride home, do you?"

"Of course not," said Stevie. "But I don't feel good about you two going home this evening."

Hoping to ease her mind, Cody offered some words. "We'll be fine. Mia's obviously trying to scare us, but It's not going to work."

"Yeah, we should be okay." Feeling Cody thread his fingers through hers, Erica firmly held onto his hand. "The last thing I want is for her to have control over us. That's exactly what she wants, but we're not allowing it to happen."

"Well that's understandable, but I'd still prefer if you slept over tonight. And don't say no, because I'm not giving you a choice." Stevie said in a firm tone of voice.

"Alright, then I guess we'll be staying," said Erica.

Once they were back in the house, Stevie made a pot of tea and they all sat down and chatted for a bit. While conversation at dinner had been easygoing, the words they now spoke were full of seriousness, and a tenseness hung in the air.

Upset that Mia's deranged behavior had ruined a significant evening with her parents and boyfriend, Erica found herself hoping with every fiber of her being that Mia would soon be permanently out of their lives. Perhaps noting the faraway expression in her eyes, Cody gave her an affectionate rub on the back.

"You okay, baby?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just hoping that everything works out in our favor."

"It will, eventually. She'll be out of our lives before we know it."

She rested her head against his shoulder, and as he lightly began to stroke her hair, she allowed her eyelids to lower a bit. At the sound of her mother's voice, Erica directed her gaze toward her.

"Tired, pumpkin?"

"Yeah," she drowsily murmured.

"I'll show you guys to your room. That way you can get settled in."

"Okay," Erica said.

They all rose to their feet, and after saying goodnight to Darrell, Erica and Cody followed Stevie down the hallway. Upon reaching a doorway, Stevie pushed it open and gestured for them to enter. The walls of the guest bedroom were painted a pale yellow color, giving the room a sunny feel, and a queen sized bed with a fluffy white comforter seemed to promise a comfortable night's sleep.

After retrieving a clean nightgown for Erica to sleep in, and giving them a pair of brand new, packaged toothbrushes, Stevie said some words in parting.

"I guess that's about it. You need anything else, just give us a holler. And of course help yourselves to anything that's in the kitchen."

The couple offered their thanks, then Stevie exited the room. A few seconds after closing the door behind her, she popped her head back in.

"By the way, our home is your home, so feel comfortable to enjoy yourselves, okay?" She gave them a knowing smile, then shut the door behind her.

"I guess that's your mom's way of giving us the green light to have sex under their roof, huh?"

Erica snorted. Then placing her hand against his hard chest, she seductively slid a finger along the length of it. "So, how about it?"

"You know I'd love to, but I feel kinda weird being intimate with you in your parent's house. What if they hear us?"

Grabbing him by the hand, she coaxed him over to the bed so that he was standing at the foot of it. Then she took a seat on the edge of the mattress.

"We'll just have to be quiet." She undid the button on his trousers, then slowly unzipped them, all the while looking up at him from beneath hooded eyes. "You can be quiet, can't you?"

"Yeah. But I don't know if it's such a good idea. Your dad seems to like me, and I wanna keep it that way."

A small chuckle passed her lips. "You are too cute."

His lips quirked into a little smile. "You really are in a naughty mood today, aren't you?"

The fabric of his pants made a noise as they pooled around his ankles, and Cody stepped out of them. Then simultaneously, they both began undoing the buttons on his dress shirt. She unclasped the ones on the bottom, while he did the ones on the top, until their fingers met midway. They shared a smile, then setting his crutches aside, Cody shrugged out of his shirt. Now down to only his boxers, she was offered the chance to feast her eyes on his toned, masculine body.

She stood up from the bed, and after turning around so that her back was facing him, Cody unzipped her dress. After easing it off her, he draped her hair over her left shoulder, then placed a few tender kisses along her neck. Shivering from the delicious sensation of his lips, she uttered a pleased murmur.

Fully expecting him to continue, she eagerly waited for him to rid her of her clothing, but to her disappointment, he pulled away.

He grabbed one of the toothbrushes off the dresser and said, "Back in a few." Then he headed for the adjoined bathroom.

Erica fully understood Cody's hesitation to engage in intimate activities, but she still couldn't help feeling frustrated. For some reason she was feeling incredibly horny, and her body was aching for his masculine touch. After freshening his breath and washing his face, Cody came back into the room, then climbed into bed.

He crossed his arms behind his head, then offering her a look, he said, "There's plenty of room in here for you too."

"Just let me brush my teeth and wash my face first."

He gave a nod, then grabbed the remote from the bedside table, and switched on the TV. Once she'd washed her face and brushed her teeth, she spread some lotion over her arms and legs, then turned off the bathroom light and headed back into the bedroom.

Although her mother had given her a nightgown to sleep in, she didn't feel like wearing it. So she chose instead to sleep in her sheer pink and black underwear set. Cody's eyes shifted her way as she headed for the bed, and as she climbed beneath the covers, he turned onto his side and looped an arm around her waist.

"You're just too damn sexy, you know that?"

Her lips tugged upward, and leaning her weight on her elbow, she rested her head in the palm of her hand.

"Am I really?"

"You know you are." His eyes traced the soft curves of flesh that swelled above the demi-cups of her bra.

"Are you just going to stare, or are you going to touch them?"

"Trying to tempt me, huh? Bad girl."

A light chuckle swept from her mouth, and she lightly shook her head.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"You're the most sexually uninhibited person I know, yet when it comes to doing the dirty in my parent's house, suddenly you become nervous.

"I just feel like we should play it safe."

"Play it safe? Okay, now I know you're an imposter. Where is the real Cody, and what have you done to him?"

He chuckled. "We'll never live it down if your dad hears us. You know that, right?"

"So we'll muffle our moans."

"Hmmm, I don't know."

"Wow, I never thought I'd live to see the day where I was willing to take a risk and you weren't."

"Well, there's a first time for everything."

"Alright, if you're really that uncomfortable with the idea, we can just touch and kiss. How about that?"

"You know just as well as I do, that once we get started, we'll be doing a whole lot more than just touching and kissing."

She rested a palm against his sculptured torso, then languidly sliding it downward, moved it closer toward the spot between his thighs. "Come on baby, I know you want to."

To her surprise, Cody's chest shook with soft laughter, causing her to give him a quizzical look.

"Did I tell a joke, or something?"

"You sound like a horny teenage boy. Come on baby, I know you want to," he playfully mocked between laughs.

Clearly not amused, Erica cocked an eyebrow at him, then irritatingly said, "Nevermind, forget it." Then she turned onto her other side so that her back was facing him.

She wasn't truly angry, just a little miffed. She didn't know why she was so damn horny, but she was desperate for some type of release, and the fact that Cody wasn't willing to give it to her was more than a little frustrating.

"Hey, come on now. I was only kidding."

She felt him tuck her hair behind her ear so that her face was exposed, then he allowed his hand to softly caress the curve of her waist. Knowing full well that she couldn't resist his touch, she flipped back over so they were once again face to face. Biting her lip, she tried to maintain a serious look, but broke into a smile instead.

Cody's lips tugged upward in response. "See, I knew you weren't mad at me."

"Of course not. I just wish you would loosen up and have a little fun. My mom gave us the okay."

"But your dad didn't."

"Of course not. In his mind, I'm still his baby girl. Which of course means that I never have sex."

"Even more of a reason not to. Like any father, he'll always want to protect you. And if he hears us going at it in here, I can just forget about ever gaining his trust."

"Yeah, okay. I see your point."

She was still feeling a little disappointed, yet was very impressed with Cody's restraint. It was obvious he was seriously committed to staying in her father's good graces, and that made her feel good.

Snuggling against her lover, she enjoyed the warmth and solidness of his body. Then there was the sensation of him burrowing his fingers into her curls. Loving the feel of him playing in her hair, she released a sound of contentment. A few moments of silence passed between them, then gazing down at her, Cody began to speak.

"I just want him to respect me, you know? Because I really love you, and I want things to keep going well between us."

Shocked by the four letter word that had escaped his mouth, she pulled her head away from his chest and allowed her eyes to lock into his. Offering no words, she simply stared at him with a look of amazement on her face.

"Yeah, that's right," Cody firmly stated. "I said it."

A soft smile curled her lips. "Say it again."

"I love you."

As if magnetized, their lips angled towards each other, then met in a warm, wet kiss. Every oral embrace they shared was nothing short of intoxicating, yet this particular kiss had a certain kind of magic to it that left Erica feeling even more breathless than usual. In what seemed like far too short of a time, their mouths parted, and they stared deep into each other's eyes.

"I love you too," she said in a sort of whisper.

Their foreheads pressed together, lips gradually moving closer until they just barely brushed. For a moment they denied themselves the pleasure of locking lips, but when the craving became too much for them to handle, their lips crashed feverishly together. Each consumed by the presence of the other, they let passion take over and lost themselves in a consuming kiss.

* * * *

Having woken at just past seven thirty, Erica was in the kitchen fixing some tea. Early morning light streamed in through the window over the sink, and as she glanced outside, she caught sight of her battered car in the driveway.

The fact that Mia had been bold enough to follow her and Cody to her parent's house was more than a little creepy, and she suddenly began to wonder if she was presently being observed from afar by the deranged woman.

So deep in thoughts of her rival, the shrill whistle of the teapot caused Erica's shoulders to jump, and after filling two mugs with hot water, she dunked in some tea bags. Having already fixed a saucer of shortbread cookies for her and Cody to share, she headed to the bedroom with beverages and baked treats in hand.

Upon reaching the slightly ajar door, she pushed it further open with her foot, then headed toward the bed. Having awakened, Cody sat up in bed, offering her a just woke up, lazy kind of smile.

"Morning," he said.

"Good morning."

She handed him a mug, and after placing the saucer of cookies on the mattress, she climbed into bed beside him. Their lips met for a kiss, then they each took a few sips of their tea.

"How'd you sleep?" Erica asked.

"Great. This mattress is amazing."

"I know, right? It truly is the most comfortable bed in the world."

Cody had another drink of his beverage, then said, "So, I was thinking we could hit up that street festival that's happening near my apartment this weekend. You interested in going?"

"Sure. Sounds like fun."

"Cool."

Simultaneously, they reached out a hand to grab a cookie from the saucer, and as the tips of their fingers brushed, they shared a smile.

"Ladies first," he said.

She retrieved a cookie, then took a bite of the buttery confection. After grabbing one of his own, Cody dunked it in his cup of tea. Yet as he lifted it out of the hot liquid, he noticed that half of his cookie had dissolved.

The expression on his face was of such disappointment that Erica couldn't help but smirk. "Those cookies aren't made for dunking."

"Little late with that information, honey."

Her smirk widened, and after grabbing another cookie from the saucer, she lovingly fed it into his mouth.

"Mmm, yummy," he said around a mouthful of the treat.

"Homemade, too."

"Nice. Your mom really knows how to bake."

"Actually it was my dad that made these."

"Oh yeah?" He grabbed another cookie, and after taking a bite, said, "Wow, they're really good."

"Yeah, he's something of an expert baker. My mom always jokes that's the reason she married him."

A light chuckle passed Cody's lips. "It certainly can't hurt to be married to someone who's good in the kitchen."

"And what about someone who's good in the bedroom?" Resting her left hand in his lap, she allowed her fingers to lazily fondle his manhood. "They're very useful as well, aren't they?"

"Definitely."

They leaned in for a kiss, and as their lips met, they moved hungrily and in perfect synch. By the time they parted from their passionate embrace, Erica found that her libido had been awakened, and still caressing his cock through his boxers, she found that it swelled beneath her touch. With her sexual excitement on clear display for him, Cody posed a question.

"What do you say about spending the weekend with me?"

"That'd be nice. I'd really like that."

"Of course we'll have to find a way to fill all that free time we'll have together. " He said it in a playful way, knowing full well just what they would get up to.

"Oh, I think we'll find plenty of ways to stay occupied."

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm."

With each passing second, they were becoming increasingly turned on, and now hard as a rock, Cody's erection was jutting obscenely in his boxers.

"Can't wait to get you home," he said.

"Neither can I."

Without a word passing between them, they both placed their mugs of tea on the bedside tables, then slid beneath the covers and embraced each other.

A heated moan passed her lips as Cody graced her neck with feverish kisses, and as one of his palms traveled upward to cup her breasts, she arched into his touch.

His fingers grazed her nipples through the silky material of the nightgown she was wearing, and as he lightly tweaked one of her stiff peaks, she let loose a throaty sound.

His soft lips were just beginning to caress the valley of her breasts when Erica's cell phone rang, causing her to reluctantly break away from the intimate moment. Then she retrieved her mobile from the end table, and placing the receiver against her ear, she spoke into it.

"Hello?"

"Morning Ms. Matthews. This is Detective Hanson."

"Oh hi, Detective. What's going on?"

"I've got some major news to share with you, regarding not only the battery case you have against Mia, but also the one your boyfriend has regarding his stabbing attack."

"Okay, what's the update?"

Noting her tense body language, Cody's attention was raptly fixed on her.

"First off, it appears that Richard Hewson, the man we charged with stabbing Cody, is victim of mistaken identity."

"What exactly does that mean?"

"It means we made a false arrest, and due to him no longer being a suspect, we've allowed him to go free."

"Please tell me you're joking. You didn't seriously let him walk, did you?"

"We did."

But why? He's the one, he did it!"

"Because the person who stabbed Cody isn't Richard Hewson," said Detective Hanson. "It's Mia."

* * * *

"So, this Amelia Robertson. Exactly how long have you known her?"

Training his eyes on Detective Hanson, Cody said, "I've known Mia for about nine years now."

"And during all that time, you didn't notice anything unusual about her? Anger issues, sudden blowups, anything of that nature?"

"There were moments during our friendship where she'd gotten pissed off and acted kind of crabby, but nothing too out of the ordinary."

"Yet once you started dating your girlfriend, this other side of her began to emerge."

Taking a glance at Erica, who was sitting beside him in the Detective's office, Cody offered her a sympathetic look. Then turning his attention back to the police officer, he began to speak.

"Yeah, Mia became really jealous. Every chance she got, she verbally attacked Erica, and just treated her really horrible."

"And the last time either of you saw her, was on the day of the physical altercation, correct?"

"Yes," the couple answered in unison.

The Detective offered a nod, scribbled something on a legal pad, then glanced back up at them with a serious expression on his face.

"In all my years as an investigator, I've come across a number of seriously deranged criminals, but Mia Robertson is one of the most diabolical people I've ever come across."

"I hope that means she's going to serve a long sentence," Erica said.

"Well, with the list of charges against her, I'd say she'll spend six years in prison."

"Please tell me she'll be committed to a mental hospital after release."

"Due to the nature of her crime, it looks like that's what the prosecutor will be pushing for." He paused to take a sip of his coffee, and after blotting off his thick mustache with a napkin, he continued to speak. "So, I'll just get right into it and explain how she was able to frame Richard for the stabbing."

Eagerly waiting for the Detective to continue, Erica shifted anxiously in the wooden chair, causing it to emit a creak.

"In order to impersonate Richard, Mia wore a disguise. Obviously her build is vastly different from his, so she wore thick padding to hide her shape and give herself the appearance of a male. She was even the same height as him. But while her body was fairly easy to change, her face wasn't. And that's why she wore the large sweatshirt with an oversized hood, as well as a ski mask."

"She knew she'd be picked up by the security cameras, and didn't want her cover to be blown," said Erica.

"Exactly. And since she stabbed Cody from behind in a dark room, she was completely camouflaged. She took every measure possible to conceal her identity."