by Joanna Blake
There were pictures of them graduating and out getting drunk and at barbecues. Regular life stuff. Then I got to the bottom of the box. No more pictures. Just a manilla folder.
I lifted the folder and the contents slid out. Papers that looked like an official report. And pictures. An obituary clipping.
I stared at the pictures. It was the same guy. Except in these pictures he was dead. He was pale and covered in blood and what looked like…. bullet holes.
I dropped the folder and scooted back, my hand over my mouth.
Connor’s partner had died. He’d been killed. No wonder… well, Connor’s steel like determination suddenly made sense.
And the deep sadness I could feel in him. The loneliness. His friend had died. His partner. I knew how it felt to lose the only ones you loved.
I stared at the scattered papers and swallowed, realizing this was something I shouldn’t be looking at. Something I shouldn’t see.
Slowly, and carefully, I started to put the box back together.
Connor
My foot felt heavy. Like lead. I wanted to put the pedal to the metal.
For once in my life, I was more than eager to get home. I’d run a couple of errands on the way back from headquarters. Now I was practically chomping at the bit to surprise her.
I dialed the dummy cell I’d left for Casey and tapped my fingers on the steering wheel.
“Hello?!”
I winced. She was shouting over some loud music.
“What are you doing?”
She giggled. Actually giggled.
“Hey, you. Did you see Mason?”
“Yes. He’s fine.” Well, relatively speaking. He was in custody under suspicion of murder. But I would tell her that later, when I could use it to my advantage.
I frowned, as a new song came on. She was playing dance music in the background. “What are you doing?”
“I found your stash!”
I groaned. What stash? Had she got out?
“What are you talking about?”
She giggled and hung up.
Casey had never so much as smiled since I’d met her. Not once. Let alone giggled like a schoolgirl. She was the most serious, not to mention the hottest, girl I’d ever met.
Or maybe you would think so, if you only met her at crime scenes and interrogation rooms.
She must have gotten out. She was at a party. At a friends house. Or with a boyfriend…
Dammit!
Her sexy little ass better be in the cabin. If not, I had tracking on the phone. At least I knew she had the phone with her.
But I had to get home first to drop everything off and log in to check her location. I pushed the speed limit, knowing my unmarked car would be recognizable to other law enforcement.
I went close to ninety the entire way, and was there in half the time it usually took. I stood outside, realizing she was not only home, but she was having a little party.
A very little party.
I stifled a grin when I saw the lights on and heard the music from inside. Whatever she was doing, she hadn’t gotten out.
I was more than curious about what she was up to. I was intrigued.
More than anything, I wanted to hear her giggle like that in person.
I hoisted the bags out of the trunk and left the windows in the back open a crack. I’d be back out in a second. But first-
I peered in the window and froze, my eyes feasting on the girl dancing in my living room. Her body moved with perfect rhythm to the dance music she was blasting on my stereo.
Holy hell, the girl could dance.
She looked like she was in a music video. Her moves were somehow loose and precise at the same time. She was girlishly innocent and yet incredibly seductive.
And just like that, Mr. Boner was back in town.
I wondered what the hell had her in such a good mood. I opened the door. And then I saw it.
What a naughty girl. She had indeed found my stash. My little runaway was drinking my $50 bottle of tequila.
And I wasn’t even mad about it.
I walked over to the radio and turned it off. As much as I was enjoying the show, I needed to get her attention.
“You know, it’s illegal to drink at your age.”
She laughed and smiled at me. My breath caught in my throat. Something was different.
Casey Jones was smiling at me like she meant it.
“Hi.”
I set the bags down on the coffee table. Next to the half empty bottle of tequila. It was a good thing I had another bottle up there.
I was feeling pretty thirsty myself.
“Hi.” I cleared my throat. “How much of this have you had?”
She shrugged.
“I don’t know. I’ve just been sipping it.”
“Since when?”
She cocked her head to the side. “After the talk shows but before the evening news?”
I laughed. The girl told time by what was on TV. She was ridiculous.
It was fucking adorable.
She tilted her head and pointed at the bags.
“What’s that?”
“I got you some stuff. Actually, hold on.”
I went back outside and shook my head. I must be a sucker. Hell, there was no doubt about it at this point.
My peaceful cabin was about to be invaded and it was all for her.
I opened the back door and the dog jumped out, wagging his entire body in joy. I grabbed his leash and the cat carrier that I’d somehow gotten two enormous cats into.
They’d been surprisingly well-behaved for me. Thank goodness. I hadn’t been in the mood to wrestle.
Well, maybe with her…
I had no idea how to take care of these animals. But I’d promised her and Mason. It was part of the deal.
And I couldn’t wait to see her face when I brought them inside. Maybe she’d smile at me again. The girl could light up a room with that megawatt smile.
As soon as I got inside, I knew it was worth it. She didn’t squeal like a girl. She just froze, one hand holding up a pair of bright pink panties. Then she smiled at me, a real smile.
Her whole face lit up. It knocked my damn socks off. My God the girl was beautiful.
“I brought you some friends.”
“Oh, I see. Thank you. And also… panties?”
I would have laughed but the sight of her holding those sexy things up made me freeze in place. I wanted to see those things on her. So I could tear them off.
With my teeth.
I cleared my throat.
“You only packed two pairs. I figured you might need more stuff while we sort everything out. Easier than doing laundry every other day.”
I set the cat case down and let the creatures out. I hoped they didn’t destroy everything in house or piss everywhere. I’d got them food and a new litter box too.
I’d been a busy boy. Running errands for her. I was fucking whipped and I hadn’t even gotten a taste.
I wanted to see some real appreciation dammit.
“There’s other stuff too.” I stared at her. “Not just…”
“Panties.”
She nodded, finishing my sentence. She seemed to realize she was holding them in the air because she dropped them into the bag. She gracefully bent her knee to call the animals over to her.
They surrounded her, rubbing against her for attention as she knelt on the floor. I was a dirty old man, no doubt about it.
Because all I could think was- damn, she looks good on her knees.
“Thank you Connor. Thank you so much.”
She stared up at me, her eyes sweet and soft and sincere. There was that appreciation I was looking for. There was just one little problem.
How the hell was I going to turn it into what I really wanted?
Cassandra
“That’s a good boy. That’s a good boy!”
I sounded like an idiot. But Besos was licking my face and I could not have been happier.
<
br /> Well, if I hadn’t witnessed a murder and put my only friend in the world in mortal danger.
But right now, Connor said Mase was safe. I was safe and the fuzzy ones were safe. And I was buzzed as fuck.
“Did you eat?”
“Uh huh.”
Connor was staring at me as I sat on the floor getting my face licked. He looked like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or throw up.
“That’s not sanitary.”
“Probably not.”
“The alcohol might take care of the germs.”
“Maybe.”
I was laughing as I tried to push Besos away. Connor took pity on me and pulled his leash away. Then he got busy in the kitchen, setting up bowls and a litter pan in the bathroom down the hall.
I reached into the shopping bags again and stared at a bright blue top. I pulled out an orange shirt and camo patterned leggings.
“Why is everything so bright? Are we going hunting or something?”
He glanced over his shoulder at me, looking sheepish.
“So you don’t get lost.”
“Lost?”
He grinned.
“In the woods.”
I scowled, pretending to be mad. It was high-handed and bossy and weirdly controlling of him to buy me clothes.
But I couldn’t be mad. It was kind of sweet. Plus, after seeing those pictures- that he’d lost his partner- his best friend- I saw him differently.
Connor had a heart. He could be hurt. He wasn’t just a mindless, ridiculously hot FBI drone sent to annoy me. He was human now. Human and somehow, not so out of reach.
Not so different from me or Mase. We’d all had our hearts crushed and picked up the pieces. We were all just doing our damned best.
He just happened to look insanely handsome doing it.
I grinned at him, deciding to make nice. He’d bought me stuff. I was in a good mood, why not spread it around?
“What are we doing now?”
He sat down and reached for the bottle. My eyes got wide as he poured himself a man-sized shot.
“We could talk.”
I shook my head. I knew he’d just ask a thousand questions I couldn’t answer. I saw his eyes land on the poker chips and light up.
“Or… we could play.”
I smiled at him.
“Oh, you are so on.”
Connor
“Here, have a lemon.”
I watched her tip her head back, taking the shot. She’d insisted on the salt, so I’d done the gentlemanly thing and got her some lemon slices and a beer chaser.
Lick it. Slam it. Suck it.
Three things I would love to be doing right now.
To her.
“This is aiding and abetting underage drinking, isn’t it?”
I smiled. Yes, it most definitely was. I was willfully intoxicating an underage drinker. True, she was close to twenty-one. According to her ID anyway, which I suspected was fake. But it was still wrong.
And I had ulterior motives for doing it.
To get her to talk of course.
That’s what I told myself anyway. It had nothing to do with the way she looked sitting there, all free and giggly and young. She was so fresh and pretty, it took my breath away.
I sat back and stared at her. She was glowing. Sparkling somehow. Her attitude towards me had clearly done a one eighty.
And all I’d done was bring her pets.
Of course, the tequila might be playing a role too.
I loosened the collar of my shirt and took a long sip of my beer. If I was going to be a bastard, I was going to be a fucking bastard.
And I wanted to be buzzed for it.
“Do you play poker?”
She nodded and I smiled inwardly. The little snoop had given me a brilliant idea.
I carried the box of chips over and set it down. She reached out and ran her fingers over it. I brushed my hand over hers and opened the box. Our eyes met and a shock ran up my arm.
And that was just from her fingers.
I cleared my throat and pulled out a deck of cards.
“Should I deal?”
She arched a brow.
“What are we playing for?”
I smiled, having a brilliant idea. I could kill two birds with one stone. Further my investigation. And get a peak at Casey’s gorgeous body.
“An answer. Or a piece of clothing.”
She laughed and sipped her beer.
“You mean like truth or strip?” I nodded and she tilted her head, considering. “What do you want to know?”
“Nothing too crazy. I’m just curious about you. Call it a hazard of the job.”
She set her beer down and rested her elbows on her knees. Her eyes were twinkling as she heaved an exaggerated sigh.
“Okayyyyy fine. But I can ask for whatever I want.”
I nodded, conceding.
“Within reason.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
She giggled and hiccuped. I laughed at her. A genuine, deep, belly laugh. It had been years since I’d spontaneously laughed like that.
She was toast. I finally had her where I wanted her. The girl was putty in my hands. I’d thrown in the strip part to throw her off the scent.
Also because I felt like I would explode if I didn’t get her clothes off.
“First bets.”
She lifted her leg and wiggled her bare toes at me. The chain jangled. I knew what she was going to say before she opened her luscious mouth.
“If I win, I want this off.” She grinned. “And then I want a foot rub.”
I stared at her cute little foot, imagining it in my lap. Hmmm… her pink painted toes looked tasty. I’d never been into feet before, but I could probably develop a fetish where this girl was concerned.
I nodded and started to deal, deciding to throw the first round.
Oh yeah, this was a win/win.
Cassandra
“Hmmm, a little to the left.”
Connor’s huge hands enveloped my foot. My newly freed foot. I sipped my beer. It tasted even better now that I had my freedom.
Temporarily anyway.
I’d won the first two hands easily and he’d unchained me without too much grumbling.
Now, he was giving me a world-class foot massage. I would never have imagined for a moment that the agent was such an excellent masseuse.
But he was. Oh my goodness, he was.
His rough fingertips kneaded the arch of my foot. I practically purred as he paused to deal another hand. Then he casually went back to stroking the underside of my foot with one hand and holding his cards with the other.
Hmmm… heaven…
I squirmed a bit, feeling strangely restless. It was getting warm in here, though that probably had something to do with the view.
Connor was naked from the waist up.
I’d asked for his shirt on the second round and he’d asked for mine. Thankfully, he was the one who’d had to strip. I smiled at him and looked at my cards. A pair of tens. Ha! He’d be in his boxer shorts in no time.
I snuck another look at his chest. He was… really well put together. It was hard not to notice how thick his arms and shoulders were too.
How solid and wide and- well, manly.
I was not going to stare at his stomach though. That was just rude. He didn’t seem to notice where I was looking anyway. He was too busy staring at his cards.
He’d lost the first two hands and he did not look happy about it. But he was being a good sport. I wondered how long he’d rub my foot and decided not to ask.
I’d never gotten a foot rub before. Well, other than at the pedi place. This was different though.
This was better.
“Bet?”
“If I win, I get to do whatever I want with this.”
He ran the edge of his finger up the bottom of my foot and I inhaled. Somehow, that finger of his felt like it was touching me somewhere else.
&n
bsp; Somewhere private.
“Are you going to eat it?”
He smiled and poured us each another shot. I’d been afraid he was going to ask me about the case. But so far on each hand he just kept trying to get me to take my top off.
I giggled, realizing Mason was right.
Connor did have a crush on me.
“Where is Mase?”
“Is that your prize? You want to know where he is?”
I sobered instantly.
“I just want to know if he’s okay.”
He rubbed his fingers into my heel and I felt myself relax.
“He’s okay. I promise.”
“You aren’t going to tell me where he is are you?”
“Nope. Pick something else.”
I grinned and picked up my shot.
“I think you would be more comfortable-“ We clinked our shot glass together. “Without pants.”
He choked on his shot, but I swallowed mine down with barely a wince. I was getting the hang of this drinking thing. I liked it. I felt like was good at it.
Casey Jones, she had a knack for three things: landing in trouble, shaking her bootie, and getting hammered!
I picked my cards up again and he asked me if I wanted to swap any out. I held up two fingers. I grinned as I looked at my new hand, realizing I now had two pairs.
His face was hard and strained. I had a feeling I had won. I was going to see the guy in his boxer shorts in a hot minute. It might be crazy, and reckless, and very risky, but I wanted to see those shorts dammit.
I was grinning ear to ear as I wondered what color they were.
After that he would have to answer my questions. He had nowhere to go from there. I highly doubted he would sit there completely naked.
I smiled to myself. There was no reason not to enjoy the view. He was a very good-looking man. There was no arguing with that.
Just because we were on opposite sides of the law-
“Call.”
“Two pairs. Read them and weep.”
He just smiled at me.
My eyes got wide as he laid his cards down. The bastard had a full house. He squeezed my foot and leaned back.
“Hmmmm… this little piggy went to market…”
