For all Intents and Purposes (MidKnight Blue Book 6)

by Sherryl Hancock

  Now, sitting in Christian’s room with his breath warm on her bare skin, she was feeling a sensation that she was sure she shouldn’t be feeling. She shifted uncomfortably at the thought, once again disturbing him. This time he groaned, grasping her waist and pulling her down so that she lay next to him. He kept his arms around her and put his head against the hollow between her neck and shoulder, snuggling against her body. She shuddered at the feeling of his breath against her neck as it became even again.

  “Christian,” she whispered, not sure what to do. He didn’t respond. She started to get up, but his arms tightened around her, holding her fast. “Christian,” she said again, but he still didn’t respond. Eventually she gave up, realizing she wasn’t in any real danger and that she was just reacting to her own thoughts. After a while she allowed herself to relax against him. She found herself looking down at the bracelet he wore on his left wrist. It was a series of flat links, and handsome, with a very masculine style. The gold metal was a sharp, bright contrast against his bronzed skin. Susan touched the bracelet gently, sliding her fingers between it and his wrist. She examined it for a while, then slid her hand up his arm, tracing a pattern absently with her nails.

  Christian stirred, sliding his left hand up her bare midriff, his thumb brushing the lower part of her breast. Susan sucked in her breath sharply at the sensation, even as he compounded it by nuzzling his lips against her neck.

  “Christian!” she exclaimed, shocked by the excitation he’d incited so easily.

  He stirred again then. “What?” he said, his voice a tired whisper.

  “Must you?”

  Christian woke a little more and took stock of their bodies and where his hands were. She was shocked to feel him grin against her ear. “What’s the matter? Too hot for you?”

  “Being pawed by you isn’t enough to get me excited,” she said haughtily.

  “No?”

  “Hardly,” she bit back.

  Susan expected him to back off then. He didn’t. Instead, his lips brushed her ear as he whispered, “Let’s just see.”

  With that his left hand moved to pull the collar of her blouse away from her neck as his lips moved from her ear, brushing her neck in a sensual kiss. His right hand slid into the top of her blouse and bra, touching her breast. He continued to caress her midriff with his other hand.

  Susan was sure she was on fire, she was assailed with so many sensations at the same time. Each feeling made her writhe, her body responding of its own volition. If she’d wanted to stop him, she wasn’t altogether sure her body would allow her to. She couldn’t stifle the moan that escaped her lips. She turned her head away from him to avoid looking at him, but inadvertently gave him better access to her neck. He took advantage of it. His lips burned a trail from her ear to the hollow at the base of her throat. She felt his tongue slide from her throat back to her ear and again she couldn’t stop the excited cry that came from deep inside her. Her body was on fire, and every movement of his fingers on her breast made her shudder against him. She felt his jean-clad leg draw over hers as he pulled her back against him. She felt his hardness pressed against her then, and the idea that he was excited too made her moan and turn her head to look at him. His light blue eyes stared down into hers, burning with reined-in passion. As their eyes locked, she felt his left hand slide downward, moving smoothly under the waistband of her skirt and panties. She closed her eyes as he continued downward, his finger sliding in to touch her very core.

  Susan cried out as her body erupted like a ball of fire. She shuddered convulsively against him, not caring about who he was or whether or not he should be doing this to her. She clutched at his arms and moaned, moving her head from side to side as if the ecstasy he was causing was too much.

  As her orgasm ended, she lay panting in his arms. She refused to look at him for a long minute. When she did gather her nerve, she turned to him, her eyes narrowed angrily.

  “Who do you think you are?” she grated indignantly.

  Christian stared back at her, a knowing look on his face, his grin almost vicious. “I’m the guy that just made you come with little or no effort.” His expression changed to an informative one then, even as his voice cooled considerably. “You know, the one that doesn’t excite you.”

  Susan stared back at him, aghast at what she perceived as his vulgarity. In fact, what he had said was true, but she wasn’t willing to admit that to herself, especially not at that moment.

  “Fact of the matter is,” Christian said, pinning her with a look, “that’s just the beginning of what I can make you feel.” Then he shrugged as if indicating that he was letting her off easy. Susan said nothing, her body having shivered in response to his words.

  After a long moment, he narrowed his eyes at her. “Now, you better get out of here, before you get yourself into more trouble than you can handle.”

  Susan agreed with his advice wholeheartedly and moved out of his embrace as quickly as possible. Christian watched her, his grin sardonic, his look direct. She avoided his eyes as she adjusted her clothing, then without a word she turned and walked out of the room.

  Christian lay in his bed thinking about what had transpired. Her reaction to his touch had excited him. Her response had been so intense, it had only incited him to continue. If she’d been any other woman, he would have taken her as she lay in front of him. But even he had morals. She was engaged, and more importantly, she was his cousin’s best friend’s niece. Christian wasn’t ready to step over that line just yet. Part of him knew she had captured his sense of intrigue. The thought dragged at him as he attempted to go back to sleep. It took a long time.

  Chapter 7

  Susan managed to avoid Christian altogether the rest of the weekend, mainly because he stayed in his room most of the time. She also managed to avoid being alone with him until the following Wednesday. That was when Joe had an early morning raid and couldn’t drive her to school; Christian was duly elected to do so.

  In the car, Christian had the stereo on, and other than glancing over at her a couple of times, he didn’t speak. Finally Susan couldn’t stand it anymore.

  “Are we going to discuss the other day?”

  Christian looked over at her, his grin wry. “What’s to discuss?”

  Susan looked back at him, her mouth hanging open. “About what happened…”

  Christian gave a short laugh, shaking his head. He looked over at her seriously. “Babe, what I do in bed, I don’t discuss.”

  “Even if you had no right?”

  “No right to what, Susan?” His voice dropped an octave. “No right to drive you crazy, or no right to get you off?”

  Susan made an appalled noise in the back of her throat. “Must you be so crude?”

  He shrugged. “Works for me.”

  Susan shook her head, not sure what else to say. She stared out the window, wondering what she had been thinking to bring up that weekend at all.

  They arrived at the college ten minutes later. When Christian pulled up in front of the psychology building he saw that Warren was waiting for her.

  “And there’s the man of the hour,” he said caustically.

  Susan looked at him sharply, her eyes narrowed.

  Christian returned her look, his eyes cool.

  Susan simply shook her head, reaching for the door handle and getting out.

  “Who’s that?” Warren asked, looking at Christian suspiciously. Christian simply stared back at him, nonplused.

  “He’s Joe’s cousin,” Susan said, her voice still showing the effects of her anger at Christian.

  “And what did he do to you?”

  Susan looked at him sharply as Christian drove away. She was afraid for a minute that Warren knew somehow, but then she realized he was responding to her obvious bad mood. “Nothing. He’s just irritating, that’s all,” she said, reaching up to kiss him.

  She was very relieved later that day when it was Joe and not Christian that picked her up from school. On th
e drive home she noticed that he seemed quiet. “Is everything alright?” she asked.

  Joe looked over at her. “Yeah, fine. Just not feeling real hot right now.”

  “You’re sick?” she said, surprised. In the seven or eight months she’d been with them, she’d never seen him sick; Randy said he never was, for the most part.

  Joe grinned at her. “I’m not sick, I have a headache, okay?”

  “Okay…” she said skeptically.

  When they arrived home, Joe went off to his and Randy’s bedroom, saying he was going to lie down. Susan went to relieve Randy so she could get ready for school. After telling Susan what the children had had to eat and how they were mood-wise, Randy went to look in on her husband.

  “And what’s going on in here?” she said, standing in the doorway to her and Joe’s room and looking her husband over with an appreciative eye. He had taken off his jacket and shoulder holster, but that was it. He lay fully clothed on the bed, boots still on.

  “A headache,” he said, his accent as clear as ever.

  She walked over, sitting down next him. She kissed his forehead gently. “Well, you don’t have a fever—that’s good. Do you want me to stay home tonight?” she asked, not sure how bad his headache was.

  He opened one light blue eye. “Don’t you have a test tonight?”

  Randy looked at him for a long minute. It still astounded her that he managed to keep so many things going on at work and still remembered trivial things like her tests at school. It was indicative of how much he loved her that he was so involved with what she did, knowing it was important to her. “Yes,” she said softly. “But I can make it up if you need me.”

  “No, babe,” he said tiredly. “It’s just a headache. I’ll lie here a while, and when it goes away I’ll be fine.” He reached up to touch her cheek softly, looking up into her eyes. “You be a good girl and go to school.”

  “Alright,” she said, knowing she wouldn’t get anywhere with him. He didn’t like to be sick, and she was sure that was why he was poorly so rarely; he abhorred the condition.

  After a few quiet minutes with him, she reluctantly got ready for school, kissing him softly on her way out. That night when she got home he was asleep. She crawled into bed next to him and snuggled back into his arms as he moved closer.

  “How was your test?” he asked tiredly.

  “Fine, how’s your head?” she whispered.

  “Fine.” He kissed her softly behind the ear, then nuzzled his lips against her hair.

  The next morning, Joe was up and gone before Randy even woke. She spent her day at school and the library, working on a paper for her abnormal psychology class. When she took the time out to call him, she was told that Captain Sinclair was in the field. She left a message for him to call her on her cell phone when he got back. Her phone rang two hours later in class; she picked it up, glancing apologetically at the professor as he gave her a sour look. She walked to the back of the room and out the door, leaning against the wall in the hallway while she talked to him.

  “Hi there,” she said, smiling.

  “Hello yourself,” he replied softly. She knew he was sitting in his office with his door closed. He didn’t like everyone to know what a big softy he was when it came to his wife. “I know I caught you during class, but I’m on my way back out in a minute or two as soon as Rick gets up here.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Just some troubles with a new gang in town,” he said mildly.

  “So why does that involve you, Captain?”

  “Because, Officer, I’m still part of FORS, even if I’m over the boss now, and Rick needed some backup. You know Night feels better if she trusts his backup.”

  “And God knows she trust you,” Randy said with no anger in her voice, but there was concern. “I just don’t like you going out on that stuff still…”

  “I see,” Joe said, grinning, as Rick walked into his office. “Think I’m too old now, huh?”

  “Stop it, Sinclair,” Randy countered, smiling. “I just worry about you, okay?”

  “You always worry about me, babe. That doesn’t change anything.” Rick was watching him, having realized Randy was giving him the same lecture he gave Midnight all the time.

  As if Randy knew what Rick was thinking, she said, “I thought when you got promoted you’d be in less danger, ya know?”

  “Yeah, I know,” Joe said placatingly. “And I am in less. It’s Rick’s ass on the line—I’m just backup.”

  “Uh-huh.” Randy didn’t sound convinced in the least. “And I also know how you and Mr. Debenshire love to relive the old days…”

  Joe smiled. “Ah, yes. But not today, alright? I’ll be fine, you’ll see.”

  That night he didn’t come home until ten thirty, with ten new stitches in his abdomen to show for his efforts. “Oh, yes.” Randy nodded as she unbuttoned his now bloody shirt and examined the bandage, then touched the bruise on his cheek. “Fine, I see that now,” she said as she narrowed her eyes up at him.

  Joe grinned, his light blue eyes looking tired. “Okay, so ‘fine’ may have been the wrong word,” he said, moving carefully to lie down on the couch after kicking off his boots and throwing his jacket aside.

  “‘Fucked up’ may have been the phrase you were looking for,” Randy said mildly, but her eyes showed her concern.

  Christian, who had been sitting with her in the living room, laughed at that.

  “Hey,” Joe said lightly. “Whose side are you on, anyway?”

  Christian held up his hands, indicating that he planned to stay out of this. Susan walked in a moment later, having heard Joe come in and knowing what had happened from Randy.

  “Good lord,” she said, seeing Joe’s cheek.

  “That’s not the half of it,” Randy said, indicating the bandage on his upper abdomen.

  Joe looked up as Susan came around the couch, her expression as concerned as Randy’s. “It’s a scratch, for God’s sake,” he said, rolling his eyes.

  “A scratch that took ten stitches to close,” Randy said drily.

  “You know,” Joe said, pretending to look angry. “For this kind of grief I can stay at the office.”

  “Midnight was after you too, wasn’t she?” Randy replied dauntlessly.

  “Well, she was after both of us…” He looked a bit guilty. “Rick got cut too.” He shook his head, sighing. “I’m just gettin’ too old for this, I guess.”

  Randy smiled. “Oh, God, here we go.”

  “That’s what Midnight told me,” Joe said haughtily.

  Randy crossed her arms. “That’s because she’s tired of writing up injury reports for one of her captains.”

  “Yeah, yeah…” Joe said, looking tired suddenly.

  “Come on,” Randy said, noting the change. “Let’s get you to bed before you collapse out here.”

  Joe nodded but made no move to get off the couch, resting his head against the cushions and closing his eyes. Randy stood up and looked down at him. “Babe,” she said softly.

  After a long moment, Joe opened his eyes slowly. Taking a deep breath, he heaved himself up, wincing when he bent too far and stretched the cut. Randy looked at him, grinning wryly. “At the rate you’re goin’, I’m gonna have to trade you in on two twenty-year-olds.”

  Joe laughed softly as he followed her to their bedroom, nodding to Christian and Susan on the way out. Susan watched them go; then her eyes fell on Christian, who was looking at her.

  “What?” she asked, her tone instantly defensive.

  “Nothin’,” he said, looking at her as if she’d gone off the deep end. Christian got up from the couch, and Susan watched him warily. Noting her look, he made a point of moving close to her, making her look up at him. “’Scuse me,” he said, his tone low and somehow making common words sound like a come-on. When she didn’t reply, because she was trying to think of something to say, he bent his head, putting his lips very close to her ear. “He’s hers, you know.”
r />   Susan sucked in her breath, both for what he’d said and for the sensation caused by him being so close to her again. Her whole body tingled. She surprised him by turning to look at him. Their faces were a mere inch apart; she could smell his cologne and feel his warmth. Her deep blue eyes stared into his light ones defiantly, but inside, her body was screaming opposing messages at her. One part of her kept telling her to get away from him, the other part hoped against hope that he’d kiss her. “I’m aware of that,” she finally managed, sounding stronger than she felt.

  Christian’s eyes widened triumphantly at what he saw in hers. He knew there was desire there, but also that she was distrustful of him; he enjoyed both reactions. Moving just a bit closer, bringing his mouth almost to hers, he said, “Do you?” His lips grazed hers ever so slightly, then he turned and walked out of the room, leaving her staring after him.

  The next night, Joe got home from the office and went to bed early. Randy, who’d been at the library that evening, doing more research on her paper, got home and found Christian in the living room. He had gotten into the habit of being in the house in the evenings if Joe wasn’t home. Nothing had been said or requested, but Christian had taken to thinking that he was the other man in the house. Because of that it was therefore his responsibility to protect the “women and children” when Joe was gone. Randy had asked him about it once; he had shrugged. “I’m lookin’ after family,” he’d said, surprising her. It made her happy to note that he now included himself as a member of their family, as she herself did. On this night, however, she had expected Joe to be home, and Christian was usually at least getting ready to go out by this time; it was 9:00.

  “Where’s Joe?” she asked, looking down at him as she set her leather carry sack down on the couch.

  “He’s here. He’s in bed though,” Christian said, sounding chagrined.

  “Why?” Randy asked suspiciously, though she was pretty sure she knew.