Maddie was startled awake by a wet tongue licking her face and the incessant ringing of a cellphone.

The wet tongue belonged to LouLou. She panted and wagged her tail, eager for Maddie to wake up.

Thinking the call might be someone with information about her sister, Maddie pushed away LouLou and reached for her cellphone.

LouLou bounded around clearly needing to go outside to relieve herself.

As she answered the phone, Maddie slipped into her house shoes. “This is Maddie.”

Derek’s husky voice was on the other end, filling Maddie with a warm glow. “Morning beautiful, did you sleep well?”

Maddie could get used to hearing that voice every morning. She padded down the hallway and opened the back door.

LouLou rushed into the fenced yard to do her morning business.

“Hello, yourself, and yes, I slept surprisingly well.” She lowered her voice to a soft whisper. “Someone wore me out last night.”

She could hear the rustle of fabric and the beeping sound a car makes as a reminder to close a door or buckle seatbelts.

“I hope that’s a good thing.” Derek said.

Maddie sighed. “Derek, it was wonderful. I needed the distraction to keep me from thinking too much about Janie.”

A door banged closed in the background. “I called you to let you know that I put out feelers to a friend last night. I just got off the phone with him this morning. He’s sending backup, and he’s had his computer specialist look into whatever information he could find online concerning the case. The word is that there have been girls going missing from local communities. It has happened over a couple weeks to a month in one area and then seems to move on to a new location. Since the disappearances have crossed state lines, the FBI is involved. They don’t know who the ring leader is, but they have some idea of who might be involved, locally.”

Maddie was excited to hear this but could feel a chill go down her spine when he mentioned that there was local involvement.

Maddie called for LouLou, and they walked toward the back door from the side of the house. Through the chain link fence, she could see a dark car parked across the street. As she watched, it pulled away. The car looked familiar, and she remembered seeing it parked near her shop the day that Janie went missing.

“Derek, I don’t know if this means anything, or if I need to be alarmed, but there’s a car on my street that I remember seeing from the other day.”

“Maddie get in your house and lock the door.” Derek’s tone was urgent and intense.

“Hang on.” Maddie held open the back door for LouLou, and then followed her inside and bolted the door behind them.

“Maddie are you still there?” Derek asked, his voice gruff, urgent.

She raised the phone back to her ear. “Yes. We’re back in the house, and the door is bolted.”

“Good, don’t let anyone in. I’ll be there shortly. In the meantime, can you tell me the make, model and color of the vehicle? I’ll call in the patrols so they can keep an eye out for it.”

Maddie peered through the window with LouLou sitting on her haunches beside her. “It’s a black Lincoln Town Car. I can’t see the license plate, and the windows are heavily tinted.”

“Sweetheart, listen to me,” Derek urged. “Don’t let anyone in. I’ll be there soon.”

Maddie sat there for a moment, and then got up to make breakfast, her mind so distracted that it felt like only a few minutes went by when she heard a pounding at her front door.

She jumped with a start but padded to the front of the house to the door. She looked through the window and saw Derek standing there with his hand resting on the gun, holstered at his side. She opened the door.

Derek looked her up and down.

That’s when she remembered she was still wearing her pajamas and hadn’t changed or brushed her hair. She shouldn’t be standing in the open doorway in her short, cream-colored, silk pajamas with matching camisole that came to her midriff.

Derek sucked in a breath, pushed her back and slammed the door behind him. He grabbed her to him, and his lips crashed down onto hers. Time stood still while they devoured each other. Clothing dropped to the floor, and their bodies joined as if they were meant to be together.

His hot cock pushed into her warm entrance, and she moaned into his mouth.

He backed her against the wall and thrust in and out of her body while his mouth did the same. Derek’s hands roamed her body as if to make sure she was ok. His mouth left her lips and roamed her cheeks and down her neck.

Maddie arched against him, her head resting against the wall.

He pushed her hair out of his way as he continued trailing a path down to her breasts. he latched on as if he was starving and she was the nectar that he needed to survive. He suckled her breast, and then moved to the left one.

Maddie whimpered and grasped his face between her hands. Then she moved his mouth to hers so that she could love his lips the way he was loving her body.

He slowed somewhat when she kissed him, letting her dominate the lovemaking.

She grabbed his ass with both hands and pulled him closer, burying him deep to her core.

He groaned, and he guided her to the floor, never leaving her body.

The carpet was warm and plush against her buttocks.

Derek moved in and out, increasing the pace until he pounded into her.

Maddie twisted her body and rolled Derek over so that she was on top of him.

As her breasts swayed in front of his face, Derek took one into his mouth, and he sucked hard. He grabbed her hips as if to buck her up and down.

She stiffened. “No, let me.” Maddie rose and then lowered herself, taking him deeply inside. She did it again and again, settling into a smooth rhythm.

Derek sucked in a sharp breath. “Sweetheart, if you keep this up, I won’t be able to last much longer.”

She grinned then rose and came down on him again.

Derek flipped her to her back, and then thrust into her in two short fast movements.

Maddie grabbed handfuls of the carpet at her sides and levered her hips for the best angle. Suddenly, she felt the quickening in her core. She threw her head back and screamed out his name.

Derek slammed into her and collapsed onto her prone form. After a few moments, he disengaged and moved beside her.

As her spasms subsided, she turned onto her side and stared into Derek’s light turquoise-colored eyes, remembering how she’d told him they reminded her of the warm, crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, beautiful and calm.

Derek grabbed his clothes. “We need to talk. I’ll meet you in the kitchen when you’re ready.” He leaned over, kissed her on the cheek then walked bare-butt naked into the kitchen.

Maddie admired his tight ass and noticed a large scar on the back of his right hamstring. It scored his leg, starting at his right hip and wrapping around to his knee. Making a note to herself to ask about that later, she got up gingerly, collected her clothes and ran into the bathroom. She cleaned herself up, brushed her hair and teeth and ran into her bedroom to put on some clothes.

Today was Sunday, and she and Janie did inventory or worked on filling orders to be shipped Monday. She also expected a call from Sadie McClain. The two had met a few years back when the movie star had come to Colorado to film one of her movies. Sadie had swung by the shop to pick out some new outfits and jewelry. They’d become quick friends and Sadie liked to order from their online store. She’d also shared their collection with some local artisans in Montana as well as some of her friends in California, boosting their sales significantly.

She threw on some leggings and an oversized peach top that hung off one shoulder.

Her heart raced as she hurried down the hallway toward the kitchen and Derek. The connection they shared had flared up so volcanically, she couldn’t keep her hands off him. Eventually, they would have to talk about this. But first, they had to find her sister. Anything else would have to wait until later.

She entered the kitchen.

Derek moved around the kitchen with a white towel over one shoulder. Eggs were frying in a pan on the stove.

Maddie sniffed the air. “Smells good.”

Derek grinned her way as he poured orange juice into two glasses on the counter.

“I see you found everything,” she said.

“Yeah, I figured you’d be hungry, too.”

She came around the corner of the counter and reached for the two glasses of orange juice.

Still grinning, Derek rolled the towel and popped her on the butt.

“Hey! Watch it.” She set the glasses on the table then turned to look at him leaning against the counter. Maddie crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “OK, so tell me what you’ve heard.”

“Let me take care of breakfast, and then we can talk.” Derek focused his attention on the pan of eggs, scooping them out onto a platter.

“Fair enough.” Maddie pulled two plates from the cabinet and grabbed the toast from the toaster. She placed the plates on the kitchen table, and when she backed away, she ran into something hard behind her.

“Careful. These eggs are hot.” Derek reached around her to set the platter on the table.

She turned in his arms and stared up into his eyes.

Derek brushed his lips across her forehead then held out a chair for her.

Maddie felt a pang as her heart started to melt, but she knew they needed to get down to business. She sat in a chair and waited for him to take the one across from her.

Without talking, Derek shoveled mountains of eggs onto both of their plates.

Maddie lifted her fork. “Alright Derek, spill the beans. I know you know something.”

Derek looked over again and sighed. “I got a call from my friend Hank Patterson. I’ve known him since I was in the military. He has a special civilian unit of ex-military members who help people in special situations, especially when the government doesn’t want to help or can’t. He calls them the Brotherhood Protectors. He’s sending three of his guys to help us tonight, and he also gave me some intel.”

Maddie stopped her fork halfway to her mouth as she stared at Derek. His hair was disheveled from their lovemaking, and he’d misbuttoned his shirt.

She then realized the name he’d spoken. “Did you just say Hank Patterson, as in Sadie McClain’s husband?”

His brow wrinkled. “Yeah. Why do you ask? Do you know her?”

Maddie grinned. “Actually, I’m expecting a call from her in a little while. She’s one of my best customers.”

Derek shook his head. “What a small world. Hank and Sadie got married soon after he left active duty. That was also around the time he set up his company. He’s the one who helped get me set up here in Colorado, once I got off active duty.”

Maddie was impressed. She didn’t know much about Sadie’s husband, except that he was ex-military. She and Sadie mainly talked about clothing and jewelry when they got together or spoke on the phone.

LouLou took that moment to come up to Maddie and gazed up at her with her beautiful brown eyes then turned toward her plate of eggs. Eggs that had been barely touched. Maddie smiled down at the dog. “Sorry Derek, I've lost my appetite. Are you ok with me giving these to LouLou?

Derek smiled, "No problem, looks like someone else will enjoy it.” Maddie rose from the table, grabbed her plate and carried it to LouLou’s bowl. She scraped the fluffy yellow eggs into LouLou’s dish then walked over to the sink and cleaned off the rest of her plate.

Just then, Derek’s cellphone rang. He glanced down at the display. “I need to take this.” He left the kitchen and walked into the living room. When he came back, he said “That was Hank’s guys. I’m gonna meet them at their hotel and go over the game plan for later tonight. Don’t do anything until I contact you, ok?” He looked at Maddie, narrowing his eyes. “Don’t try to save your sister on your own.”

She looked up at him cheeks reddening. “Sure. Just don’t forget I have to be the one that goes in by myself.”

Derek frowned. He then turned back to her as if he’d forgotten something. “Keep your eyes peeled. I called in about the car, but I’ve heard nothing back from the station. Keep LouLou close.”

Maddie stood on tiptoes and gently kissed Derek, rubbing her breasts against his button-up shirt.

Derek wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the floor, his mouth taking over, and the kiss deepened.

When they came up for air, Derek gently put Maddie back on her feet and stepped away. “Be safe, Maddie. I’ll see you later.”

Maddie had been careful not to promise anything. She knew what she had to do.