by C. J. Thomas
Dan moved away from me, leaning an elbow on the table. He scrubbed a hand over his hair, making it stick up even more than it already was. I told myself to focus on work, not on his incredible body and the way his shirtless torso begged for me to run my tongue over it—
“They might have,” he admitted, pulling me from my daydream. “I was too busy looking to confirm their relationship to pay attention to a timeline. I’ll look at that first thing, when I get to my desk.”
“Excellent.” I moved closer, running a hand down his torso, delighting in the way his muscles jumped when I touched them.
“I was, ahem, just about to get in the shower.” Dan’s voice was choked, strained, reaching a breathless whisper by the time I strayed below the waistband of his pajama pants.
“Really? I’ve been pretty dirty, myself. Maybe I should join you.”
His pupils dilated as he jutted out his chin, pointing me in the direction of where he wanted me to go.
“After you, Detective.”
HIS EYES DARKENED and fell to my chest.
My nipples tightened and I slowly stepped into the shower, not once taking my eyes off his as I closed the door behind me.
The way he was looking at me, I knew that he needed this as much as I did. We both were in the thick of something big. Just how big they were was still to be determined, but with the stress accumulating, clawing at each other before we tackled our day seemed like a pretty great idea.
Dan lifted his arm, his muscles bulging as he did, and reached out for my hand.
I lifted my arm and watched his strong fingers clasp around my wrists and clamp down just so he could tug me into his massive chest. A squeal squeaked past my lips and I found myself giggling.
I liked the way he chose to start our day. And I liked even more how I fit against his body—like two pieces of a puzzle made for each other.
His chest rose and I could feel his heart beat against my body. Slowly, he smoothed his rough hands up my arms, stopping only briefly to give my shoulders a quick squeeze before raking the pads of his fingers down my spine, leaving hot trails of desire in their wake. Then he cupped my ass and dug his claws into my soft flesh. “I can’t get enough of you.” His voice was a low rumble that prickled my skin.
My eyes hooded over as my body purred.
His hardness pressed firmly into the soft section of my belly, and had me aching with heated desire. I was drowning in my own lust, I was so hot for him.
There was little doubt in my mind I felt the same way about him as he did about me. I just couldn’t say it. Not with words at least. Instead, I hooked my leg over his solid granite thigh and let him know by grinding my sex against his flesh.
His cock twitched again and I knew that I was his escape, as he was mine.
With his next breath, he crashed his lips over mine.
We wrapped our limbs around each other—clawing and tugging at anything within our hands reach, our tongues fighting for control.
I whimpered as our velvety muscles coiled and curled and thrusted into each other.
He was an incredible kisser. The best I’d had, and I didn’t ever want it to stop.
He sucked me deeper.
My pubic bone grinded harder on his thigh.
I caught his bottom lip between my teeth and he growled.
When I closed my eyes, he crashed his lips over mine and took me by the wrist, lifting my hands above my head. He twirled me around so my back was facing him and he pushed me up against the wall and kicked my stance wide.
My back arched and pointed my ass in the air.
He took his position behind me, fisting my hair, as he reached between my thighs and split my folds with his finger.
“Oh, baby, that’s it.” My eyes closed. As if it wasn’t hot enough already in here with the steam billowing out from the showerhead, Dan just made it even hotter.
He worked his finger inside—going deeper—until I was a hot mess, threatening to explode.
It was impossible to speak. Not like I had anything to say. We’d said enough for one day. And the day was just getting started.
He released my hair and took my left tit inside his hand, rolling my nipple between his fingers.
My toes curled and I begged him to bury himself inside me.
I bore down on his hand and was so close to spilling over the edge it wasn’t even funny. My head flung back and hit his chest.
He pressed my swollen button and I moaned. A sweet, delicious, and satisfying sound that whistled through the steam.
Next thing I knew, he was at my entrance, pressing his thick purple cockhead between my softness. “Yes.” The word sounded more like desperation than an invitation, but regardless, Dan graciously accepted the invite.
He thrust and pierced me deep. There was nothing soft about the way he stabbed me, and it set my insides ablaze.
My fingers spread on the tile wall and I braced for impact.
He fucked me hard and fast, driving his steeled rod straight to my core.
Primal sounds came out of me and echoed off the walls.
His hand tightened on my hip and he pushed my foot wider as he continued working a finger over my very hot clit.
My mouth hung open. My toes tingled and my eyes rolled to the back of my head. With his needy assault on my body, I was ready for takeoff.
Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.
He pounded into me, our skin slapping against each other, as he grunted and gifted me with a quick series of punishing thrusts that dangled me over the edge. The pain was intense, but it was just what I needed to knock me off my axis and completely lose myself. “Don’t stop,” I mewed. “I’m so close.”
The flat of his hand smacked my ass and I felt his shaft swell inside me as I crashed into the sweet abyss. I squeezed him until he growled his way through an extraordinary climax, making sure I’d milk him dry.
He slipped out of me and twirled me around to face him. His eyes were soft and caring and everything that made me know that he was the one.
His hands cupped my face and he stroked my bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “Thank you.”
My eyes hooded over as I melted into him.
God, he was amazing. And he was all mine.
“That should get me through the day.”
I kissed him, my body shuddering through the last bits of my own release. “Maybe that was it for you.” I reached down between his legs and cupped his sack. “But I’ll need a little bit more from you to get through my busy day.”
His laugh had me all ready to go again.
TWO HOURS LATER, I buttoned and zipped my jeans with pruned fingers. Dan was already in the kitchen when I returned, cooking breakfast.
He grinned when he saw me arrive. “Frank’s going to have my head on a platter when he sees how late I’ll be today.”
It was only eight o’clock. “This is late for you?”
“When we have such a big investigation, yes. I don’t usually have a charming guest like you to entertain.” He plated up two servings of French toast, serving them with a side of fresh fruit.
“So, what, he’ll give you a hard time for going in late because he knows you’re with me. Is that it?”
He nodded, chuckling. “The long and short of it, yes.” I smiled, and couldn’t help thinking of our first dinner together when Dan took a seat across from me at the kitchen table. This meal was much more relaxed, intimate, fun. We’d come far together in such a short time.
It was also delicious. “You have to teach me how to cook,” I mumbled over a mouthful of food. “I’m okay, but you’re wonderful.” It seemed strange, but he looked genuinely pleased to hear me say that.
“It could be that you’re over-hungry after the workout I gave you earlier,” he winked.
“Then we’ll have to keep up my training.”
I cleaned up, insisting I do my share, while Dan finished getting ready for the day. I almost missed the sound of my ringing phone over the running water.
>
It was Margo.
I froze, unsure whether I should answer. I told myself to keep my voice normal, light. It wouldn’t do for her to think I had suspicions.
“Hey, lady. What’s up?”
“I didn’t call too early, did I?”
“Oh, no. Just cleaning up the breakfast dishes.”
“So domestic.” She chuckled, but the sound died quickly. She was trying to be lighthearted, too. Neither of us was very successful. “Listen, I’ve been thinking ever since last night. You know, about the things we discussed.”
“Right.” I looked up to find Dan coming downstairs. I held up a quieting hand before he could open his mouth. He froze, watching me.
“I hoped you could meet up with me today. There’s something else I have to tell you about Austin. Something very important. It’s not safe to talk about it on the phone.” I realized how terrified she sounded. Whatever it was, she wasn’t joking.
“Of course. Just name the time and the place.”
She named an old, abandoned drive-in movie lot. When I made a surprised sound, she replied, “He can’t know we’re meeting.”
“Okay. I get it. I’ll see you soon.” The moment I hung up, Dan nearly pounced on me.
“What was that all about?”
“That was Margo. She wants to meet—something to do with Austin. She sounded nearly frantic. It has to be something big. I hope he didn’t hurt her. Either way, she said it’s something we can’t talk about in public, or anywhere we could be overheard.”
His eyes were hard. “And you’re going to go?”
“Of course.” His face took on a look I didn’t remember ever seeing before. He looked concerned, perturbed. Just shy of upset.
“What’s the matter?” I asked, calling a cab.
“I don’t like this. Something sounds off. What if he follows you?” Dan was the one following me, though, as I finished dressing and threw my laptop into my bag. I intended to go to work afterward.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine. Okay?” I smiled at him, more than a bit distracted as I hurried around.
My pulse pounded, my heart raced. This could be it—what we’d been waiting for.
Before leaving, I gave him a quick kiss. “I’ll see you later on, okay? And I’ll call you as soon as I leave her. I’m sure I’ll have plenty to tell you.”
He watched as I got into the cab, waving from the front door. I gave the driver my home address, figuring it would make more sense to pick up my car like I’d intended to last night before Austin surprised me.
I could hardly keep the nervous tension out of my voice.
I had a feeling I was about to learn something big.
150
Dan
I DIDN’T LIKE IT. I didn’t like any of it.
I knew better than to tell her what to do, and I was no cave man. I wouldn’t refuse to let her leave. I wouldn’t even demand she let me go with her. It would be a pointless waste of time and only serve to drive us apart. She might never forgive me for acting like a jerk since she didn’t seem to take anything as seriously as I did.
So I waved as her cab pulled away, then immediately pulled out my cell.
“Joe. It’s Dan. Listen, I need a tail on somebody, and I need it ASAP.” I gave my buddy in the squad the details. “Margo Rice. She’s one of those reporters.” He knew exactly who I was talking about. “I need a car on her right away. Long story. Can you get it done?”
“Sure thing. I’ve got her registration right here in the DMV database. Address and all.”
“Excellent. Have your man get back to me with anything he sees. I mean anything, no matter how insignificant.”
“Will do.” I hung up the phone, knowing Julia would never accept it if I put a tail on her, but she wouldn’t have to know I was following Margo.
Ever since seeing her outside Julia’s apartment building last night, I’d had my suspicions. Something about it didn’t sit right with me and I spent half the night dreaming about her car. And her face, staring up at Julia’s window.
Something was off.
I just didn’t know what.
Following her would be the best bet. She might even lead me to something big, something to crack the case wide open.
I knew Julia considered her a friend, but I also knew the underside of the world we lived in. I didn’t trust anybody, mainly because I’d been burned so many times before.
Who hadn’t, in that city?
It wasn’t just the times I’d been burned, either. It was watching others get burned. Wannabes who trusted their agent, giving them all their money, then killing themselves in despair when the guy skipped town with nothing to show for it. Girls who were taken advantage of by dirty old men who called themselves producers, whose accusations would never be taken seriously because the men in question could afford to hire the best attorneys.
It happened all the time, and I investigated the fallout. I didn’t have much faith in humanity, thanks to my job.
Which was why I didn’t trust Margo the way Julia did. I didn’t see her through Julia’s eyes. What they did or didn’t have together meant nothing to me. I could afford to be objective. And the way she sat in front of Julia’s building, paired with those text messages—if they were from her and not a hoax—made me wonder about her.
Was she who she appeared to be? There was only one way to find out.
I checked the time, grimacing when I noticed how late it was. Yet another reason I could never have Julia living with me: I’d be late for work every day. It would be too difficult to leave her on time. How could I help it? Even sitting down to have breakfast with her was a treat, one which I wasn’t used to. This time, when Frank made fun of me, I would deserve it.
That shower had been worth running late for, no doubt about it, and worth any amount of rubbing I got from my partner. I groaned softly when I remembered how hot she was, how smooth and slippery. What it felt like to take her up against the wall.
It wouldn’t be easy, keeping a straight face while he tore into me with all kinds of questions about why I was late again. I knew that would only drive him crazier, too, watching me struggle not to grin.
She added something to my life for sure. Not just sex. Something that had been missing for a long time. A spring in my step, as they said. I woke up early, went to the office early, because I had nothing else going on. Work was what I loved, what I gave up a career in Hollywood to do instead. One of the things I could identify with Julia most on was being a workaholic. I knew the feeling. When work was all a person had, it was all they focused on—sometimes to the point where it was hard to let anybody else in.
I was ready to let her in.
She would be the one to do it too.
I was ready to have more mornings like the one we’d shared together. A hell of a lot more mornings like that.
I imagined waking up in her bed, or in mine, taking a shower—maybe together, maybe separately. Fooling around a little before or during. Having breakfast together. Maybe even spending a Sunday just hanging out.
Did people still do things like that, or was I just old fashioned? It had been so long since the last time I kicked back with a Sunday paper and a cup of coffee. It was crazy how much she made me want to do things like that. She’d never know how she changed my life so quickly. It was unnerving, almost.
I laughed at myself as I pulled on my suit jacket, taking one more look at the final product in the mirror. The dark blue suit hung just as it was supposed to, striking against the stark white shirt.
“Not bad, Pierce,” I murmured. I realized there was a smile on my face.
Could it be because of the woman who’d just left? I thought it might be. No, it definitely was. She was working her way deeper into my normally guarded heart with every wisecrack, every smirk, every laugh.
Julia Mabel was something else.
I was humming as I walked downstairs, more lighthearted than I’d felt in ages in spite of everything going on.
We were closer than ever to solving Emelia’s death, and I was closer than ever to the woman I’d pursued for years. Life was good.
When the phone buzzed in my pocket, I smiled. “Okay, partner, I know I’m running later than usual. I’ll be there in a few, and you can give me all kinds of hell for it.”
Frank’s tone of voice told me he wasn’t in a joking mood. “Yeah, get here as soon as you can, because something big just came in.”
“What is it?” The hair stood up on the back of my neck.
“A hit on the DNA found near the bed. The only DNA besides Emelia’s. This is weird, too. No reason it should’ve been there.”
“Who?” If it wasn’t supposed to be there, then it wasn’t Austin’s.
“Margo Rice.”
I used to box a little as a kid. Nothing much—there wasn’t anything to do in my little town on a Saturday night, and we used to sometimes get together for friendly fights. An old boxer lived one town over, and he’d come in a couple of times a week to show us how to stand, how to hold our fists and shift our weight when we delivered a blow. I’d been punched in the stomach more times than I could count, and that sick feeling of the air leaving my body all at once was one I wouldn’t forget.
It was how I felt when I heard that name come out of Frank’s mouth.
“You’re kidding,” I said, desperate for it to be the truth.
“Nah. They’re sure. Ran the tests a few times. Unless our victim was gettin’ a little freaky on the side with the reporter, I think we got a new suspect. Can you believe it?”
“No. No, I can’t believe it.” My thoughts went straight to Julia. “I just watched Julia leave to meet with her.”
“What?” His voice was sharp, surprised.
“I gotta go. I just set up a tail on Margo.” My heart thrashed in my ears. “Holy shit.” I hung up without saying anything else, putting in another call to Joe.
“Hey, buddy. I just sent the guy out. He’s not going to have anything for you yet.” Joe chuckled.
“No, no, it’s not that. You did put the tail on her, right? I mean, she’s being followed?” I ran out to my car, jumping behind the wheel.
