CHAPTER ELEVEN-PRIME SUSPECT

She smelled sweet and innocent, the scent of vanilla radiating from her body as his hands caressed and traced every inch and curve of her caramel-colored skin. His lips curved into a smile before his lips pressed softly against hers. Sweet and longing at first before he felt he needed more. His tongue moved along her bottom lip to tease her for a moment before he moved between her picture-perfect lips. His desire and need for the moment was a mission that desperately needed to be completed. Soft and subtle moans escaped his lips with a hot and desperate need he had never experienced before. Moving down her neck, the smell of aloe and green apple poured from her long black hair, reminiscent of summer days and heavy rainfall. It was enough to drive anyone crazy but drove him mad with anticipation of what was to come as his arousal pierced through him like a sharpened blade. The room around them began to spin; at that moment, he was unaware if it was his imagination or if he had become intoxicated with her every sound and movement. Touching her velvet skin made him twitch as her body responded in kind, controlled by him. He paused for a moment, committing every detail of her face to memory, feeling his heart ache with lust and love as her hazel eyes reflected his emotions and desire.

 Spreading her legs, he drew her tightly against his body, inching closer to her entrance. He could feel her warmth and wetness, lost in the thrill of the prize he soon claimed. As he entered her slowly, inching his way to the deepest part of her, they groaned in unison as the ecstasy overcame them. What started as a measured pace quickly became a desperate need as her erotic moans caused him to lose control and increase his pace. His thrusts continued to a point he would never have believed possible as he staggered toward his release. As the moment ended, he ran his hand along the empty bed. He was hot and insane for even having such thoughts and dreams about a girl he barely knew. The idea was almost too much to bear as he sat in bed. He needed to relax; it was just a dream. It wasn't real; a man of his stature should not have thought about and wanted such things from her. Looking down, he was fully erect. It was to be expected, but he was indeed embarrassed after. He would never be able to love her truly; her mind has been traumatized, and she may never recover. Her actions would solely be for his benefit and to take advantage. She would eventually become applicable to him in ways she may never understand. With a groan of restlessness and her picture in his mind, he took his hand and moved toward his erection, his touch and pleasure of his ringing out and echoing throughout his empty room. 

I sat at an empty table in a small coffee cafe in a lovely part of town. It was the part of town I had not seen in quite some time; I could still hear the whispers and snickers of the people around me. It saddened me for a moment that I let others get to me as much as they do. It was one of the busiest in Silvergrove, full of little flower shops, fast food and sandwich shops, and bookstores. Taking a sip of my small cup of latte, I inhaled it amongst the smells of freshly baked scones and ran my thumb softly along the rim, smiling as my eyes explored the world from inside. The scent of lavender and blueberry scones always made me feel a semblance of peace and smile as my mother, and I used to do the same in our kitchen every Sunday. She would wake everyone in the house early and call the whole family over to have blueberry and lavender scones with fresh coffee. The small flash of memory made me tear up a little, but not enough to be noticed. Silas called the day before and asked to see and talk to me as our last interaction wasn't the best one we've had. We had always been close, but he has become increasingly protective. As much as I appreciated it, it was becoming too much for me to handle amongst all the other issues I was dealing with in and out of my head. He was always somewhat of a protector for my family and me, but he never once made me uncomfortable. Hearing the bell from the door opening, I saw him standing shyly, waving at me from the counter, getting his regular hot tea because he refused to drink coffee. Once he was finished with the cashier, he moved toward me slowly, his camera strapped freely around his neck. He was wearing his usual black boots covered by his dark denim jeans and accompanied by another one of his black and blue polo shirts, where underneath, he most likely wore a white t-shirt that could be seen. As he approached the table, he waved shyly again, clenching his cup.

"May I sit?" he asked as he tilted his head.

I gestured toward the empty seat. "Yeah, sure. Sit."

He nodded, crossing his legs above the table and sipping his drink. "How are you, June? We haven't talked in a little bit. I saw what happened on the news. I am sorry. I didn't call because I was trying to give you space, and I was embarrassed by my behavior the last time we spoke. I'm sorry for that." He shook his head, placing his cup on the table, leaning forward, grabbing my hand, and squeezing. "I was trying to protect you from Zander. He's not the fairest of the bunch, nor is he someone I think you deserve to have around. You deserve better. Much better than that, given everything you've gone through."

I studied his demeanor. I could tell that he was playing a fair game today. I wanted to trust what he said, but his eyes said differently. I leaned back in my seat and crossed my arms, scowling. "I appreciate you trying to help. I do. However, I don't need you to protect me at every turn." Standing up, I grabbed my coat and walked toward the door. Turning around, I nodded to Silas as the TV played in the background. 

"I'm standing in front of the Silvergrove Police station where fellow officers and bystanders are mourning the loss of 40-year-old Lieutenant Wade Cooper...." Turning around, I approached the counter, glancing at one of the baristas. 

"Turn it up, please.", I said. 

I laid my hands on the countertop and watched intently. "Prime suspect Juniper Haven Is being urged to turn herself in.." I heard nothing else but my breathing. Looking around, everyone in the cafe was staring me down, whispering. Silas stood up, his hand in one pocket, and drank his tea in the other, smirking into the cup. I was trapped; I knew it now. Backing up into the door, I moved my hand to the knob, opening it swiftly and bumping into two Police officers standing at attention. I looked up toward the sky. "This can not be happening."

One of the officers grabbed his cuffs as I turned to look up at the two. "Juniper Haven, You're under arrest for the murder of Wade Cooper." I was forced against the ground as I stared up at the group staring down at me, the shock in their eyes as they whispered to one another about me. 

I could see Silas moving through the crowd as he moved to whisper in my ear. "Should have listened to me." As he walked down the steps, I was screaming for his help before I was thrown into the back of the Police cruiser.