Law Man

by Kristen Ashley

  Mitch ignored my hands except to lean into them as he observed, “You’re pissed.”

  “Uh…yeah,” I snapped. “Your one-man show in there, um…” I shook my head, got up on my toes to get closer to his face and finished, “No.”

  “Sweetheart, they gotta know and they gotta help us out if we’re gonna stop whatever the fuck is happening,” Mitch explained.

  “Maybe so, but I’m their guardian and you are helping out and therefore we make decisions about how we communicate with them and what they’ll be doing to help us out before we communicate with them and tell them what they’ll be doing to help us out,” I retorted.

  “We don’t have time to chat or wait for you to consider what’s the best way forward, Mara. In the immediate, we got two kids to get to school. I gotta talk to the people at the school then get to work, you gotta get to work and we got a bad guy who ripped your place to shit. That’s just the immediate. I don’t have to remind you of all the other shit swirlin’ around you and those kids.”

  “No, you don’t,” I agreed. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t talk before decisions are made.”

  “Baby,” he said with what sounded like somewhat annoyed patience, “I just said, we don’t have time.”

  I lifted up further on my toes, my face an inch from his and returned, “Honey lumpkin, when it comes to what we do with those kids, we make time.” Then I ignored one side of his mouth hitching up at my sarcastic endearment and drove my point home by accusing, “You made Billie cry.”

  “She loves her Dad. There was no way to avoid makin’ her cry and I get that you get that since you’ve had them a week and neither of them knew their father was in jail. It had to be said no matter how old they are and there is no way to sugarcoat the fact that someone’s drug addicted, drug dealing, thieving father is facing some serious jail time.”

  Damn, I hated it when he was right.

  “Okay, so, you’re right,” I allowed and this got an arm squeeze and a lip twitch then I went on. “But, you’re also wrong. I’m not a bystander in this situation. The fact that they’re told and how they were told should have been discussed and understood between us before they were told so we could be prepared to deal with any fallout. Or, I should say in this instance, I could be prepared for any fallout. We can’t do this if you make these decisions on your own and leave me blowing in the wind. We can only do this if we do this as a team so we’re both prepared to offer the best support we can because, knowing Bill, my mother and Aunt Lulamae, this is only the beginning. Do you get me?”

  I wasn’t paying attention and therefore his hand had drifted up my back, neck and into my hair to cup the back of my head before I clocked its movement. I also didn’t notice the change that had come over him while his eyes held mine; a change that I sensed was significant, so significant it was downright important but even so, I couldn’t put a finger on it.

  He took my mind off all of this when he replied quietly, “I get you.”

  “Good,” I clipped. “And another thing, when we chat we don’t do it with you holding me.” I pressed at his shoulders again. “Now, let me go.”

  “Oh no, honey, no way in hell I’m gonna let you be pissed at me, wearin’ that cute nightie, your hair down and not chat with you anywhere but in my arms.”

  Um…what?

  “What?” I asked.

  “You heard me,” he answered.

  “I’m not wearing a nightie,” I reminded him. “I’m wearing a nightie and a shirt.”

  “You could cover up that nightie with a snowsuit, sweetheart, but you in my living room wearin’ nothin’ but that nightie is burned on my brain in a way that I like a fuckuva lot. So all I’m gonna see is you in that fuckin’ nightie no matter what you put on over it.”

  “That’s insane,” I snapped.

  “You’re not a guy,” he replied.

  “Okay, now that’s insane,” I returned.

  “Maybe you don’t get just how cute that nightie is,” Mitch retorted.

  Oh boy.

  “Mitch –”

  “Or just how good it fits you,” Mitch kept going.

  Oh God.

  “Mitch –”

  “Or how fuckin’ great you look with your hair down.”

  “Mitch!”

  “Or how I gotta fight against goin’ hard whenever you slip outta your cocoon when you get pissed or you forget to stay shielded and that Mara Light shines out.”

  That shut me up and it made my fingers curl into his shoulders as I stared, shocked, into his fathomless eyes.

  “Yeah,” he murmured, his arm around my waist going tight. “Now, finally, I’m seein’ you get me.”

  “I think we’re done talking now,” I whispered and we were. We were definitely done talking.

  Of course, the truth of the matter was, I was done talking. Mitch was not and I knew this when his arm got tighter just as his hand at my scalp pulled me so close to his face I felt his breath on my lips.

  “Since I have your attention, baby, and I see you beatin’ your retreat, I want you to take this with you when you slide back into that cocoon. Straight up, Mara, I want you in my bed. And when you’re in my bed, I’m gonna be in you. And while I’m movin’ inside you, I’m gonna make you come with your long, fuckin’ legs wrapped around my back, when my hands are finally on that fantastic fuckin’ ass of yours, your tongue’s in my mouth and you’re kissin’ me as only you can kiss me. I know you got a way of twistin’ shit so it’s fucked up in your brain so I’m hopin’ if I’m direct about just what I want from you, it might penetrate and you might keep it straight long enough to give us both what we’ve been wantin’ for a long, fuckin’ time.”

  I was trying not to listen, trying not to let what he said penetrate but I was also failing.

  What did he mean we both had been wanting for a long time?

  “You with me?” he asked.

  “Um…” I mumbled because I wasn’t sure I was about some of it but other parts I couldn’t not be with him and he grinned.

  Then he muttered, “You’re with me.”

  “I think –” I started and his fingers at my scalp gave me a squeeze.

  “I don’t give a shit what you think, sweetheart, ‘cause by the time it passes your lips, it’ll probably be twisted and fucked up. But what I think is that we’re done here…for now. I take your point and you’re right. We’ll talk before anything important goes down with those kids. But you need to take my point that we won’t talk about it until they’ve both graduated from high school. Now, are you good with that?”

  “You don’t give a shit what I think?” I asked softly.

  “Not if it’s twisted and fucked up,” he replied. “Now, are you good with what I said?”

  “But –”

  “Mara, we got kids to get ready for school,” he reminded me. “Are you good with what I said?”

  “I think –”

  His hand left my hair to wrap around my shoulders, he gave me a squeeze and repeated, “Baby, are you good with what I said?”

  “Uh…yeah. I’m good with what you said,” I agreed. “Or, at least, that last part.”

  His eyes roamed my face and I let them because I couldn’t think in his arms with the skin of his hard shoulders warm under my fingers. I needed to think somewhere else. Perhaps Canada.

  “Somethin’ else, sweetheart,” he whispered. “Earlier, I was straight about what I want from you but what you also need to take with you into your cocoon is that I get you more than you think I do. I get you and I like what I get. And you need to know you have nothin’ to fear from me. You know what I want but in gettin’ it, I’ll go gentle.”

  Oh my. Gentle Mitch.

  Um…yum.

  “I, uh…” I started but stopped when his lips touched mine.

  “I’ll go gentle, baby,” he whispered against my lips. “I promise. You’ll always be safe with me.”

  Oh. My.

  “Mitch,” I breathed.

&
nbsp; His soulful eyes held mine captive as he repeated firmly, “Always.”

  I stared into his eyes and he stared into mine. His were warm but serious. Mine were probably terrified.

  Then he prompted, “Yeah?”

  “Uh…yeah,” I whispered.

  “Good,” he whispered back, dropped his head, veered left and kissed the hinge of my jaw. Then he let me go, saying, “I gotta jump in the shower.”

  “Um…all right,” I mumbled and executed a hasty exit because Mitch was headed to the shower and my brain was headed to visions of Mitch in the shower. I didn’t have time to melt into a steaming puddle at the thought of Detective Mitch Lawson naked in the shower or any other thoughts that crowded my mind after all that Detective Mitch Lawson had said to me.

  I had kids to get ready for school.

  Chapter Fifteen

  He’s Six Foot Three and Never Misses a Workout

  “Excellent,” I said, handing the receipt to my customer who just purchased our second highest end model, the Slumber Excelsior. “Delivery is scheduled between ten and twelve on Saturday. This is guaranteed and your delivery men will be…” I clicked the computer keyboard a couple of times, checking the monitor, then smiled back at my customer, “Luis and Paul.”

  “You even know their names?” the customer asked.

  “Sure,” I replied as, out of the corners of my eyes, I saw Roberta wandering our way. “Luis has been working with us for six years. Paul started two years ago.”

  “This really is a family place,” the customer mumbled.

  “Absolutely!” I declared brightly as Roberta got closer, the customer looked over his shoulder at her then back at me quickly.

  “Um…can I ask…” he started, I leaned in, raising my eyebrows encouragingly. “What are you doing Saturday between ten and twelve?”

  I leaned back and stared at him.

  I hated when this happened and it happened a lot.

  “Just that…” he grinned, “you might want to come over and have coffee. You know, make sure they get there all right.”

  “I’ll be taking care of my two children,” I blurted a semi-lie, he blinked and Roberta audibly choked down a laugh. His eyes shot to my left hand then back to my face.

  “Yes, she and her police detective boyfriend will be having coffee at that time,” Roberta chimed in, I turned wide eyes to her and she joined me at the counter. “He’s six foot three,” she added. “And never misses a workout,” she finished.

  “Right,” he muttered.

  “Um…” I mumbled. “Still, enjoy your mattresses and if you ever need anything else in the, uh…bedroom…” God! Ugh, I hated this. “Remember Pierson’s.”

  I smiled gamely at him.

  He nodded and took off just as the door opened and LaTanya of all people walked in, eyes on me but I didn’t have time for a surprise visit from LaTanya. I turned to Roberta.

  “Bobbie, what on earth? Mitch isn’t my boyfriend!” I hissed.

  “You’re sleeping in his bed,” Roberta pointed out and I lamented my sharing earlier that day about what had gone on the night before.

  “But –”

  “And Mitch is sleeping in his bed with you,” she went on.

  Now I really lamented sharing my evening with Roberta but mostly I lamented how much I’d shared. However, what Mitch said about lying to my friends rankled so I shared. Now I was reminded why I didn’t.

  “Mitch slept with you?” LaTanya cried loudly, my eyes darted toward Mr. Pierson’s office as I vowed never to share again.

  “Yes –” I started to explain but could get no further.

  “Oh my God!” LaTanya exclaimed.

  “I know!” Roberta exclaimed right after her.

  “Calm down!” I hissed, leaning forward to push LaTanya’s shoulder at the same time looking over mine toward Mr. Pierson’s office again. When I saw the coast was clear, I looked back at LaTanya. “It wasn’t that big of a deal. Billie was in it with us. She was scared and she wanted Mitch close.”

  “Unh-hunh,” she nodded, crossing her arms on her chest, a huge white smile on her face.

  “The whole situation is extreme,” I explained. “And Mitch is just being nice,” I lied because from what he said that morning (something I, fortunately, did not share with Roberta – I had told her about my evening, I had not told her about my morning), he wasn’t being nice. He was being something else entirely.

  “Mitch is a nice guy,” LaTanya agreed. “So nice, he’d crawl into bed with a six year old…” she paused, leaned forward, her smile got even bigger, Delight shining through, “and you,” she went on. “Not that there’s anything weird about that.” She leaned back, shaking her head, her sparkling with Delight eyes going to Roberta. “No, nothin’ weird, seein’ as you two been dancin’ around each other for four years, you barely make eye contact with the guy then one night he fixes your faucet and bam!” Her arms suddenly uncrossed so her hands could clap loudly and I jumped. “You’re all but moved in with him.

  Hmm, it appeared I hadn’t been as successful as I thought about hiding the fact I avoided Mitch.

  “I’m not all but moved in with him,” I informed her. “My apartment was broken into and everything in it destroyed. We had nowhere else to go.”

  “Um…my place?” Roberta chimed in. “Or Bray and Brent’s,” she continued. “LaTanya and Derek’s,” she went on. “Mr. and Mrs. Pierson’s,” she kept going. “Or a hotel. Denver does have hotels, you know.”

  “I wasn’t thinking. I was tired and, Bobbie, you didn’t see it, it was really bad. The worst. Everything was destroyed and even my tampons were all over the bathroom. It was insane,” I told her, her face went soft, just like it had that morning (after she quit freaking out) and her hand came up to give my arm a reassuring squeeze.

  “That’s true, but girlfriend, you listen to me,” LaTanya claimed my attention. “Mitch Lawson is not bein’ nice just because he’s nice. No man on this earth gets in bed with a woman and a kid just to be nice. You hear what I’m tellin’ you?”

  I heard what she was telling me but I didn’t have to hear her. I’d heard Mitch that morning. In fact, I was pretty sure his words were etched on my brain.

  I decided to change the subject and I did this by asking, “What are you doing here anyway?”

  “I came to find out what’s goin’ on with you and Mitch seein’ as one day Bray tells me you’re makin’ Mitch your barbeque chicken pizza, which was news enough considering he’s been into you since you scraped off that jackass and he spent years lookin’ for an in that you didn’t give him. Then you disappear off radar and the next thing I know you’re drinkin’ wine at his place, he’s actin’ like you’re the finest piece of crystal in the whole wide world and he’d go direct into smackdown should anyone threaten to break you and I’m bringin’ over your shit to stay awhile. And since you ain’t answerin’ your phone, I had to haul my black ass all the way out here to get the scoop. But I’ll tell you what, I sure am glad I did. I can’t wait to tell Bray and Brent you slept in Mitch’s bed with Mitch.”

  “No!” I cried, reaching out again to grab her arm as the phone rang. “Don’t tell Bray and Brent.”

  “Are you high?” she asked, her eyebrows shooting to her hairline. “There is no way I’m not sharin’ this. This is huge. Half the single women in the Evergreen moved to the Evergreen because Mitch lives there, silly bitches, since he does not dip his toe in his home pool. Derek told me he has a strict rule, no Evergreen babes. He doesn’t need to be bumpin’ into old booty calls every time he goes to the gym. Now, he’s hooked up with you and you’re right across the breezeway. The whole Evergreen is gonna be all over this.”

  I felt my heart slide into my throat and my lungs started burning as I heard Roberta say, “Pierson’s Mattress and Bed, how can I be of help?” Then she went on to say something that made my heart swell in my throat so it started choking me, “Well hey there, Mitch! How the heck are you?”

  I tu
rned woodenly to her to see she was staring at the counter and grinning ear to ear.

  “Yeah, she’s right here and I gotta tell you, you called just in time. She just had another customer hit on her,” Roberta informed Mitch and my hand flew out to curl around the edge of the counter as I stared at her aghast. “Happens all the time,” Roberta shared. “See, he may come back, sometimes they do, and I hope you don’t mind but I fibbed a little, told the customer she was dating a police detective who never missed a workout. You don’t do you? Ever miss a workout?” she asked curiously, settling in with a hip to the counter like she was going to gab with Mitch all day and I heard LaTanya giggle. “Right, that’s what I thought,” Roberta muttered, her smile going broader but her eyes getting a little glazed then she snapped out of it and finished, “So anyway, if he comes back, I can tell him she’s on the phone with her man, is that cool with you?”

  That was when I found my voice but just barely so it came out as a whisper when I demanded, “Bobbie, give me the phone.”

  “Oh great, glad that’s cool with you,” Roberta said to Mitch.

  Oh God!

  “Bobbie,” I said louder. “Give me the phone.”

  “What?” Roberta asked. “Sure. You too. Hope to see you later.” Pause then, “Bye Mitch.” Then her head came up, her shining eyes came to me and shared, “He never misses a workout just as is suspected.”

  LaTanya hooted with laughter.

  I snatched the phone out of Roberta’s hand, glared at her, pushed in front of her and gave both my friends my back as I put the phone to my ear.

  “Mitch?”

  “Hey sweetheart,” he said softly, I could hear laughter in his voice and I felt that familiar whoosh in my belly.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked.

  “It was, until your friend told me a customer hit on you. That happen a lot?”

  “Um…”

  “It happens a lot,” he muttered.

  “Uh…”

  He was back to sounding amused when he remarked, “Good to know your girl’s got your back.”

  “Um…” I mumbled then pulled myself together and asked, “Why are you calling?”