by Maddie Wade
The truth was she didn’t, but the green-eyed monster wasn’t a reasonable thing.
“I care about you, Callie, and would never disrespect you like that. I don’t know what’s happening between us, but I know it’s something I want to pursue. I won’t and can’t make you any promises about the future, but I do want us to get to know each other better and see where this goes.”
His statement was unexpected, and she didn’t know what to say. She wanted that too, but she wasn’t prepared to share him. “I don’t share,” she bit out, still feeling a little out of sorts.
“Good, because neither do I. Unless you want too that is.”
His smile told her he was joking, and she slapped his arm lightly. “Jerk.”
“Yeah, maybe I am, but just for the record, Pax is Blake’s woman and probably the most organised and efficient person I’ve ever met. I swear she could arrange a coup within an hour and do it while still running the gallery where she works.”
“Sounds like an amazing woman. I can’t wait to meet her.”
“So, we going to do this?” he asked.
“I don’t want to tell Clay just yet. Can it be just us for little while?”
Reid rubbed his lip as he gave it some thought, but eventually nodded. He had a feeling there wasn’t a lot he wouldn’t do for this woman. “Yes, for a short time. You good with that?”
“How about you stop talking and kiss me?”
Her heart thudded in her chest at her boldness but then his lips were on hers, and all she felt was a barrage of pleasure as he kissed her until she was clawing at his back, her leg wrapped around his thigh.
He pulled away and looked at her through hooded eyes as he wrapped her hair around his fist and tipped her head back. Callie was in a daze of desire as she looked at him.
“I want nothing more than to fuck you until neither of us can move, but we don’t have time. When I get inside you, I want to take my time and savour every inch of this delectable body.” Her clit throbbed at his words, her pussy clenched, and a needy mewling sound came from her throat.
Reid growled at the sound. “Fuck, woman, you make me crazy.”
With those words, he dropped to his knees and pulled down the waistband of her yoga pants, revealing her bare pussy to his hungry gaze. His eyes travelled up, and the lust in them made her feel wanton.
“Take off your top. I want to see those gorgeous tits I’ve dreamed about.”
Without question, Callie drew the top over her head, revealing her bra covered tits to him. He lifted his hand and slid it around her back, releasing the catch, and her breasts spilt out. He caressed the soft skin, skimming her aching nipples with his thumb.
“Perfect.”
He groaned before dipping his head and placing a kiss on her mound, making her arch her body into his touch. The sight of this man on his knees did beautiful things to her, and she knew it wouldn’t take much for her to climax.
Reid hooked her left leg so it was over his shoulder, opening her up to him. Her fingers speared through his hair as he placed both hands on her hips, lifting her so she had both legs wrapped around his neck, her back against the door, held in place entirely by his strength. It was heady and a significant turn on. A moan slipped from her as he licked her pussy, sucking on her sensitive clit until she was writhing against his face with complete abandon.
Callie felt her orgasm barrelling toward her and knew it would be powerful and earth-shattering. “Reid,” she begged.
Reid squeezed her ass cheeks and bit down on her clit gently, and she exploded in his mouth. Her body seized as her climax rocked her. She screamed his name with no thought for anyone or anything else, except Reid and how he made her feel.
She’d thought that one night with this man would never be enough, and now she knew a lifetime with him making her feel like that wouldn’t be enough. The real question now was if he felt the same, and if her stalker killed her before she had a chance to find out.
Chapter Ten
Reid glanced at Callie in the rear view mirror; her head was resting against the window as they drove towards home. If Mitch hadn’t interrupted them earlier, he knew he would have fucked her up against the door. Such was his need for this woman that he forgot where he was and what he was supposed to be doing.
He wondered what was going on inside her pretty head. She was such a contradiction; sweet and funny but also intelligent and astute. It was a deadly combination, and that was before he even touched on her beauty. He’d never met anyone like her in his life and doubted he would again. At least not one that affected him as she did.
They had decided to leave Bono with Briar until everything was settled. Mitch had agreed to drop the dog off after a tearful goodbye with Callie. He would swear it was like she was losing the dog forever the way she cried but after the time she’d had of late he understood it and it made him like her even more.
“Reid.”
He turned to the sound of Liam’s voice in the driver’s seat. “What?”
His voice was terser than he’d planned, and he watched Liam lift a knowing brow. He’d worked with Fortis for a while, watched as each of them had fallen for their respective partners. He’d be a fool to think he could hide any kind of affair from these men, but the smirk in his friend’s eye made him wonder if the others saw it as more.
Which led to the fact he needed to speak to Clay. His oldest friend deserved to know the truth and not have his best friend lie about fucking his sister. Just the words made his gut clench. If it was Clay and one of his sisters, how would he react?
The truth was he didn’t know the answer to that. If Clay fucked one of his sisters intending to walk away, he’d probably tear him apart, but if he wanted a future with one of them, he couldn’t think of a better man. But that was Clay, and he was a better man, while he was a risky bet. He’d already walked away from his family as his deadbeat father had.
He glanced again at Callie as she slept away the fatigue of the last few hectic weeks and struggled with his promise to her and his loyalty to Clay. He never should’ve agreed to keep things a secret from Clay. Secrets led to trouble, and they already had enough stress in their lives with this stalker.
“Text Mitch and ask him for an update.”
“Why? Are you expecting something?”
Liam glanced at him. “Nah, but I got this feeling in my gut that shit isn’t right with what happened.”
Reid sat forward, turning slightly to face Liam. “How so?”
Liam glanced into the rear view mirror to check if Callie was still sleeping. “Not sure but the way he described the scene felt off to me.”
“Yeah, I thought the same thing.”
Detective Brant had called Mitch before they left saying the autopsy had been pushed back by someone higher up and they’d now have to wait until tomorrow afternoon for answers. It wasn’t unusual for that to happen if a higher profile case came in, but this one was the high profile case.
Mitch had agreed to stay and keep a close eye on the scene. He was good friends with some of the men on the case and could work it from there while still keeping an eye out for the stalker.
“I know what you mean. You think someone paid off the M.E.?”
“No, McConnell has an excellent reputation for being straight up and is the best Medical Examiner they have, but she’s also a stickler for procedure, so for her to bump the autopsy it had to have come from someone high up.”
“Let’s get Lopez to do some digging into that and see if anything pops. In the meantime, I’ll ask Mitch to keep close to the investigation or as close as he can.”
Reid quickly shot off a text to Mitch outlining what they had discussed. Sitting back, he watched the hedges fly past as the Herefordshire’s familiar vista came into view. This small part of the world that nestled itself on the border of Wales and England had become home the last four years, and he felt a rightness that he’d only ever felt at home in the South before. Or maybe it was the people that mad
e him think that. Either way, he was glad to be home, knowing more people had his, and now Callie’s, back was a relief.
The night was drawing in as they pulled into Eidolon’s secure compound. As the car stopped, he saw Callie sit forward and rub her eyes. She looked cute and rumpled, and his skin went tight with the desire to see that rumpled look as she looked up at him from a warm bed—the hazy look of lust on her face. Reid almost groaned when she stretched, and the silky expanse of skin at her midriff was exposed, his mouth watered for the sweet taste of her.
He heard a chuckle as Liam slipped from the car and knew his friend had seen it too. The man was a menace with his correct assumptions.
“I need to check in with Jack and the others real quick. Would you rather wait for me in the conference room, or I can see if one of the guys are around to keep you company?”
Callie looked up at him; her head tipped to the side as if she was unsure before she shrugged. “Whichever is easier for you.”
“No, Callie, I asked you a question, and that was which you’d prefer. I see you do that a lot. Put other’s feelings and wellbeing ahead of your own, and it pisses me off.”
Callie glared at him as she put her hands on her hips and thrust out her chin. “I do not!”
Reid tried not to smile as a flare of desire rushed through him. She was so fucking cute when she stood up to him. Callie thrusting her tits and chin at him wasn’t helping either. It was taking everything he had not to throw her over his shoulder and take her to the closest bed so they could finish what they’d started earlier.
He folded his arms across his chest, rocking back on his heels, deciding to have some fun with this for a second. “In New York, when they asked if you wanted the black swimsuit or the red, you said you didn’t care. That was a lie. You did care. You hated the red one but still let them choose because you didn’t want to cause a problem. In Ibiza, when the manager of the hotel asked if your room was okay, you said yes. That was a lie. You’re allergic to the duck down pillows and they make your sinuses hurt, but again you didn’t want to make a fuss.”
“How?” Callie looked shocked and flustered, her mouth agape.
Reid leaned in closer to her, so they were almost touching. “Because, sunshine, it’s my job to see things others don’t and also because it pisses me the fuck off that you do it. You don’t value yourself, and that stops right now.”
Callie’s eyes flashed fire at his admittedly arrogant command. He knew he had no right to tell her how to conduct herself, but he wasn’t lying when he said it pissed him off. Callie deserved the moon on a stick, but she didn’t think so, and he hated that.
“Listen to me, you arrogant jerk. I get that you might be used to bossing people around, and normally sane women drop at your feet and lick your boots on command, but I’m not one of those women, and I don’t take orders from you.”
Reid held back the grin on the edges of his mouth, knowing she wouldn’t find it amusing but he couldn’t resist baiting her little more. She was so fucking hot when she was mad, his dick throbbed with the need to be inside her.
He watched as the pulse in her neck pounded, her breaths became shallow as he moved closer until he could feel her breath on his neck. He pointedly looked at her tight nipples, just begging to be sucked. “You may not like taking orders from me, Callie, but your body sure does.”
Heat hit her cheeks, but she didn’t deny his words. He watched her a beat, fighting the desire to kiss her but loving this game too much to give in. He stepped back and walked two steps away before turning back to her. “And, sunshine, just for the record, that feisty side you’ve been hiding makes me hard as nails.”
He watched her eyes widen and drop to his hard cock before he turned and walked away, leaving her to either follow or stay put. Either way, she would be safe here. He was secretly pleased when she stood her ground and stayed where she was.
Somehow the attraction between them had just moved into new territory and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun with a woman—if ever.
He walked into Lopez’s operations room which had five monitors and a constant hum of life from the servers in the place.
Lopez was already talking to Liam but turned to him when he entered. “Hey, Reid. How is supermodel duty?”
“Interesting to say the least,” he replied, not wanting to say more. “Has Liam brought you up to speed on what we need?”
Lopez nodded. “Yeah, full backgrounds on everyone on the list you sent me, and I’ve just added Jolie McConnell to the list too. I agree with Liam, it’s suspicious she’s delayed the autopsy.”
Reid nodded. “Good. Can I leave that with you? I need to talk to Jack.”
“Sure. And if you need any help with the supermodel, let me know.” Lopez was a total flirt and had the clever, bookish geek charm that woman loved. “You’re not going near her. Not in a million years, brother.”
“Like that is it?”
“It is now.”
Reid headed out ignoring the laughter of his teammates behind him. He walked down the corridor towards Jack’s office and past the conference room. He stopped when he saw Callie inside talking to Waggs. If anyone could put Callie at ease, it was the ex-Delta medic. He knocked on Jack’s door and entered when he heard him call out.
Jack looked up as he placed the receiver on his desk phone down, his face a mask of anger.
Instantly Reid knew something was up. “What happened?”
Jack didn’t beat around the bush. “There was a fire at the morgue where Tina Pugh’s remains were being held.”
Reid knew in that second that the next words out of his boss’ mouth weren’t going to be ones he wanted to hear. “And?”
“Tina Pugh’s body was burned beyond all recognition. There’s no way they can carry out an autopsy on what remains.”
“Just her?” Reid paced, clenching his hands to stop himself from punching something.
“Just her.”
“God dammit.”
“Sit down, Reid.” Reid sat and held Jack’s eyes. “It looks like an inside job.”
“We must be onto something bigger than just a stalker case. Callie is high profile, but this feels like a cover-up to me.”
Jack sat back and placed his hands across his flat stomach. To anyone else, he looked relaxed, but those that knew him knew he was on the verge of going nuclear. “I agree. The fact that Jolie McConnell is the only one with access to that wing at night makes it worse.”
“Worse, how?”
“Because Tina was Commander Helen Pope’s sister.”
“Blake’s old boss?”
“Yes and Commander of the Met Police Force.”
“You think she has something to do with this?”
“I think she has links to the Palace where the threats to our team are coming from.”
“Meaning it’s no accident a stalker targeted Callie.”
“No, I don’t think it was.”
“Motherfucker! I’m going to squeeze the fucking life out of Gunner when I get my hands on him. He’s messing with people I care about now, and I’m not going to stand for that.”
“News flash, Reid, he’s been doing that for months. It’s just now he’s made it personal.”
“Any sign of him in Egypt?”
“No, and I have Alex and Blake headed home. We need all hands here because I think it’s only a matter of time before this shit blows sky high and when it does, I want all my men ready.”
Reid cracked his knuckles as he thought about the fear he’d put in Callie’s eyes. “Oh yeah, we’ll be ready.”
Chapter Eleven
Callie caught Reid’s eye as he left the office at the end of the hall. She saw Waggs follow her gaze as a furious looking Reid walked towards her. Her body stiffened as if waiting for the axe to fall, some ingrained instinct telling her he had more bad news.
She stood and met him halfway across the room. “What happened?” Their earlier sparring match, which
she’d enjoyed as much as it had infuriated her, was forgotten.
Reid stopped and angled his head as he watched her, the look on his face unreadable. Without thinking, Callie raised her hand and placed it on his chest somehow needing the physical contact with him to steady her.
This man had become her rock the last few weeks, he grounded her like nobody else except perhaps her brother ever had. Just being around him made her feel safe, not only in the physical sense but in every sense. He made her feel like she was making the right choices without he needing to second guess herself all the time.
“I need to talk to you about something.”
“Okay,” she said, cautiously her heart beginning to pound.
Waggs stood and walked to the door. “Let me give you some space.” He looked at Callie. “And don’t forget what I said. If you ever get to Ohio, then you must visit Decadent Design. They have a wonderful range of local art, and it’s run by a friend of mine.”
Callie smiled at the man who’d kept her company for the last hour. “I absolutely will and thank you, Waggs.”
Waggs nodded and left without a word.
“What was that about?” Reid asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Waggs was telling me about this great shop in Ohio. I like to collect local art, and he recommended them.”
“You collect art?”
Callie smiled. “Yes, I love local art. Not the big named stuff but art by real people with a passion for what they do.”
Reid shook his head. “You never cease to amaze me.”
Callie didn’t reply to that not knowing what to say and changed the subject. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”
Reid led her to a chair and sat down beside her, gathering her hands in his much larger ones. His face looked grave when he spoke. “The morgue that held Tina Pugh’s body had a fire. There’s not a lot left. It’s doubtful any evidence remains, especially DNA from the killer.”
