January Thaw (The Murder-By-Month Mysteries) by Jess Lourey Page B

closed the bedroom door behind us. The room was dark, a pair of dirty workout shorts on the floor. I suppose I could have excused myself to quick shave my legs, but it’d be like cleaning your house when it’s on fire, and who does that?
    He pulled back, and even in the moonlit room, I saw the intensity of his gaze. “I want you.”
    I nodded, though it seemed like an understatement. I wanted oxygen. In that moment, I needed Johnny. We fell toward the bed in a tangle of undressing, kissing, stroking passion. He ended up on top, which was just the way I liked it.
    “I’ve missed you,” he whispered into my ear, unlatching my bra with one deft move. Thank god. The white cloth reflecting the glow of the moon was bright enough to read by.
    “I’ve missed you too,” I said, grabbing him by the ears and pulling his mouth to mine.
    “We should do this more,” he said. At least that’s what I think he said. I couldn’t stop kissing him long enough to let him speak.
    The taut length of his body melted into mine, his weight making me feel deliciously protected. My fingers dipped with the curve of his muscles when I ran them down his back and arms. We were both still wearing jeans, and suddenly, nothing seemed more urgent than being completely naked.
    Right now.
    Johnny was reading my mind because he pulled back to undo the top snap of my button-fly Levis. His eyes were the color of storm clouds in the dim room, his gaze penetrating as he ran it along the length of me, lingering on my mouth, then landing on my eyes.
    “You’re so beautiful.”
    The breath caught in my throat. I could feel my blood-hot pulse in every inch of my body. He leaned over to kiss my neck, undoing the second snap on my jeans.
    “There’s no place I’d rather be right now,” he whispered. The kiss moved to the sweet spot under my ear, and I shivered.
    The third snap came undone.
    “I can’t stop thinking about you.” His mouth traveled to my collarbone, his tongue teasing me as it ran along the edges.
    The fourth snap popped open.
    His mouth moved to my breasts, warm and wet.
    There was only one snap left.
    A growing heat tickled the edges of my senses. I thought I was going to lose my mind if he didn’t rip off my pants and take me right now. I was about to tell him that exact thing when the phone rang in the kitchen.
    “Forget it,” I said. Passion made my voice deeper than usual.
    He didn’t even slow to respond, his hot mouth driving me closer to ecstasy. My chin shot up as the growing heat began to vibrate inside of me.
    The phone rang again.
    “The machine will get it,” I whispered, tossing my head to the side.
    It rang a third time.
    Johnny undid the last snap. His eyes met mine, and it was electric. He looked more animal than man, completely in control, gorgeous.
    The machine clicked over.
    “Mira? It’s Kennie.” Her voice trembled.
    The moment hung suspended in the air like a glass globe. Her next words shattered it.
    “Gary Wohnt has been shot.”

Eleven
    Johnny and I were out of the house and in his truck in under five minutes. On the seventeen-mile drive to the Fergus Falls hospital, I copped to the dead body I’d skated over in the ice. I expected him to be horrified, but his predominant emotion was concern. I accepted his free hand in mine as he drove.
    “Do you think the body in the ice is connected to Gary being shot?” he asked, after I assured him that I was fine, though the words felt far away when I spoke them.
    “I don’t see how they could be, but I guess I don’t even know what shape we’re going to find him in.”
    It was a frozen, foggy night, a sure sign that a thaw was coming our way. Johnny pushed down on the gas pedal despite the dangerous conditions, and we picked up speed. And why not? We knew where the chief of police was right now, and I had to assume all the deputies were investigating the shooting. We reached the hospital in record time. Johnny parked his truck while I charged into the ER