14

Bailey leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes, blinking a few times to clear the blurriness that had settled into them.

She and Mark had been at the office for two hours, going over any information they could find about Copeland. Mark was at Ken's desk, reading old newspaper stories. Bailey was sifting through public records.

"I can't find a damn thing." She muttered. Mark looked up at her.

"Can't find what?"

"No marriage certificate. Nothing with Austin's name on it in relation to an A. Copeland." She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Hell, there's not even any kind of announcement for the wedding."

"Do you think they were really married?" Mark asked, rising to his feet and stretching.

"I don't know. But it's nice to see your mind is wandering the same track that mine is." Bailey said with a smirk. She opened the folder that Copeland had given her, thumbing through the papers inside. "He's got a certificate here. See?" She held it up. Mark came to her desk and perched on the corner, glancing at the paper.

"That's not Austin's handwriting." He said, pointing to the signature.

"You sure?" Bailey didn't bother looking. She hadn't seen a sample of Austin's writing, so she had no basis for comparison.

"Yeah. That's messy. Austin is a neat freak about her writing. This looks more like how I would sign her name." He studied it for a minute. "And it looks a hell of a lot like Copeland's signature."

Bailey took the paper back and compared the names. The writing was remarkably similar. "I'll be damned."

"So what would he get out of forging the license?" Mark asked.

"I don't know. If he did this recently…" Bailey sighed. "Maybe it's so he could gain custody of Payge. Although I don't see how he'd go through legal channels to do it."

Mark shook his head thoughtfully. "Do you think…he just shows this to people, PI's like yourself, and asks them to look for her like he asked you?"

"It's possible. It would give him an air of credibility." Bailey said distastefully.

"Not with you." Mark said, admiring her in the lamplight that fell across her desk. Bailey smirked.

"I have a highly developed sense of bullshit." She quipped. With a sigh she snapped off her computer. "Tomorrow I'll call some friends at the station, see if they've ever heard of Copeland. Gossip travels fast with cops. He might have been fingered but not caught."

"Hmm." Mark rifled through the papers. There were what looked like court documents, divorce papers, custody agreements…he sighed heavily. "Why would he want Payge now? After trying to make Austin miscarry?"

Bailey shrugged. "Probably cuz it goes back to having something he wanted. He might just want to kill her." She hated to put it so bluntly, especially when Mark visibly flinched at her harsh words. "Then again…he might just want to get over on Austin. We'll have to ask the asshole himself to find out for sure."

Mark nodded slowly. Then he rubbed his cheek with one hand thoughtfully. "Maybe Austin is right. Maybe she should run."

"Bite your tongue." Bailey said, swatting him on his lower back with one hand.

Mark smirked. "It's worked so far."

"Yeah, well, runnin' only gets you so far. There comes a time for confrontation. Closure. Does she want to look over her shoulder the rest of her life? Does she wanna raise her daughter to be paranoid?" Bailey asked rhetorically. "We'll deal with this. I promise you. And I don't go throwin' around promises lightly."

Mark looked at her, met her eyes, and nodded again. "I trust you, Bailey. God knows why, but I do."

She met his gaze and smiled gently. "Because I'm damn good at my job. That's why. It's a vibe I put out. That's what brings in clients."

Mark chuckled. "I thought it was your looks."

"Oh. Yeah, there's that too." Bailey fluffed her hair, preening a bit in exaggeration. "Got you in here, didn't it?"

"No. Payge got me in here." Mark reminded her.

"You could play along." Bailey said with a grin. "Ready to head home? We can pick this up in the morning. We're not gonna find anything tonight."

Mark nodded and rose to his feet. He came around the desk and gave Bailey a hand up. With a wicked smirk, he grasped her waist and lifted her, depositing her on the desk behind her.

"What…are you doing?" Bailey said with a laugh.

"Nothin'." Mark spread her legs and stood between them, looking down at her. He ducked his head and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her gently. Bailey gripped his shoulders and let herself get lost in him for a moment, returning his passion with her own.

They finally broke for air. Mark was running his hands over her body, touching her through the thin material of the dress she was still wearing. Bailey laughed breathlessly and grabbed his hands, stilling his movements.

"Hold on, wait…" She gasped out. "I don't think this is the time or place…"

Mark groaned and kissed her neck, making her shiver.

"Mark…" She tried to sound stern. It was a lost cause. "All right…can we at least go to my house so I can take a shower?"

Mark chuckled and slid his hand between their bodies, pushing her dress up insistently. "In a minute." He rumbled, his voice hoarse.

"Mark…" Bailey tried again. His hand had reached the edge of her panties. He tugged them sharply, making them rip, and yanked them from her body. Just that animalistic little act made Bailey feel dizzy with lust. Mark's fingers found her center and he delved into her, stroking her clit with his thumb while his index finger slowly entered her.

Bailey bit her lip and clawed at Mark's shoulders, her hips moving a bit on the desk as he began to rhythmically moved his hand, his fingers sliding against slick hot flesh. She moaned softly, whimpered, pulled his hair. Mark seemed to be lost in the feel of her, oblivious to her actions.

When she thought she could not take anymore, Mark used his free hand to unsnap the fly of his jeans. He barely shoved them down his hips. "Can't wait…Bailey…sorry…" He groaned out as he took his already swollen cock into his hand and guided it to her opening.

Bailey wasn't going to complain. His fingers were replaced by his cock. He slid himself against her, making sure she was wet enough, ready for him. Satisfied, he found her entrance and sheathed himself with one smooth, steady thrust.

Bailey cried out as he filled her. Mark waited a moment and grabbed her legs, wrapping them around his waist. He stared into her eyes. Bailey nodded imperceptibly. She'd argued at first, but if Mark stopped now she would kill him. It felt as if her whole body were on fire, even though the AC in the office was set to arctic levels.

She crossed her ankles behind his back, then wrapped her arms around Mark's neck. He grunted and lifted her, standing with her impaled on his cock, his hands sliding under her thighs and holding her steady. Bailey moaned at the new sensations the position caused and experimentally flexed her thighs, moving him within her.

Mark hissed in his breath and sought her mouth with him. Bailey kissed him hard, sliding her tongue over his as Mark began guiding her movements on his cock, lifting her, lowering her, setting the pace as she squeezed her thighs together to get more leverage.

She could feel her orgasm building as their pelvis' were ground together at every stroke. She started wiggling her hips, making the most of every contact, until she thought she'd explode from the pleasurable sensations.

It was all Mark could do to hold himself in check and wait for her to catch up to him. He thought he'd lose control the minute he touched her. Her moans, her body taking him in…it was too much for him. This woman turned him on like no other, and he didn't even know why. Even fully clothed while they moved, only their intimate parts bare, was way too much contact for him.

Bailey suddenly jerked in his arms, crying out wordlessly, her head thrown back as her orgasm took her. Mark grunted with effort and let loose his control, his own climax drowning her soft moans. He muttered her name thickly, grabbing her close again, hugging her against his body.

Bailey moaned softly and let her ankles unlock from each other, her legs dropping to either side of his hips. Mark carefully lowered her to her feet, kissing her forehead gently. "Now…about that shower…" He said huskily, winking at her.

"Oh…boy…" Bailey said with a giggle. "You wash my back, I'll wash yours?"

"That ain't the only thing I plan to wash, darlin'." Mark righted his clothing and found her ripped panties on the floor. "Need these back?"

"Why? Not like I can wear 'em anymore." She shook her finger at him and shakily gathered her purse. The file she shoved into her desk drawer. She'd deal with that in the morning. Mark tucked her panties into his pocket with a mischievous grin.

"Can't have Ken findin' 'em, now can we?" He asked innocently. Bailey rolled her eyes.

"If you say so." She tucked her hand into his and locked the office door behind them. With a satisfied smile, she climbed into her Jeep and drove toward her house, Mark holding her hand the entire trip.