His Twisted Choice

by Amelia James

  “Are you looking for work?”

  “Yes, ma—Sara Jane.” Shit. Alex hadn’t heard back from his police connection or the hacker so I had no idea if that scheme was going to work out. What can I tell her? My fake documents are in the mail? “I’m working on a transfer to the Denver police.”

  “Can you get me a copy of the order?”

  Sure. As soon as I get Alex to light a fire under his computer guy’s ass. I gave her the completed application. “You’ll have it first thing in the morning.”

  “All right. Get the transfer document, security deposit, and first and last month’s rent to me, and you have a new home.”

  “Thank you.” A new home. A new life. That’s what I need. Whether it included Claire or Talia remained a mystery.

  ***

  Packing up my life in Chicago took no time at all. Everything important to me already lived in Denver. The drive west left me with too much time on my hands, too much time to think. I tried to focus on Claire—imagine what we might do on Sunday—but Talia invaded my fantasies and the two women wrestled for my affection. Damn women nearly drove me off the road.

  I stopped in Kansas for the night, just a few miles short of the Colorado border. The desk attendant’s gaze lingered on my crotch as she said “I’ll find a bed for you,” but packing and driving had drained any desire to sweat up her sheets.

  The light bulb on the nightstand burned out as I flipped the switch. Probably don’t want to look too close anyway. Stale cigarette smoke and unmentionable body odors insulted my nose. But suspicious carpet stains failed to scare me. I’d seen enough of them on the job. Former job. Even so, I slept with my gun under my pillow.

  A test message from Alex woke me up. ‘Captain Brewer got your transfer order. He wants to meet with you.’

  ‘Good. I’ll be back this afternoon.’ Damn good thing. Moving expenses had hit my bank account hard. I’d be living on Spaghetti-Os and hot dogs if I didn’t find work soon.

  I crawled out of bed and tried to shower the itches off my skin, but the water wouldn’t get hot enough. I left the key on the nightstand and got out of there.

  As soon as I crossed the border, I called Alex and found out when and where the Captain wanted to meet. Then I called Claire, and we made plans for Sunday afternoon. The sun lit the Rockies as I approached my new home, and I saw good things on the horizon.

  ***

  Claire giggled as I pulled her into my arms and kissed her cheek. “Best first date ever.” I wanted to kiss her lips, but a rebellious thought told me to make her wait.

  She blushed and curled into my chest. “It’s not over yet.”

  “I know. That’s why it’s so awesome.” I let go and linked her fingers with mine as we walked through the parking lot. “I would’ve been happy if you’d bought me a beer, but you took me to the freaking brewery. That’s the kind of sight-seeing I could do all day.”

  She laughed and unlocked her car. I let her drive because she knew the city better than I did, and I didn’t want her to endure my piece of shit truck. “So you like the way I play tour guide?”

  “Hell yes.” I ducked into the front seat and leaned close to her. “You can play anything you want, darlin’.” That time I kissed her sweet pink lips—a touch and a tease with the tip of my tongue.

  She leaned into me, and I slid my hands into her silky hair. She parted her lips and invited me in, but damn if some twisted part of me didn’t want to drive this woman crazy, so I pulled back and buckled up. But I sure as hell wanted more. I hoped she did too.

  Claire ran her fingers through her hair and fumbled with the keys. “What next?”

  I made sure she caught me staring at her heaving chest. She wore a cute little sundress with tiny straps and a flowing skirt that flirted with her thighs when she walked. Bright red roses decorated it, one of them centered over her left breast, and jewelry jingled on her wrists and ankles. Not a hottie by anyone’s standards, but naturally pretty, and she knew how to show it off. The girl attracted attention wherever we went, and I think she liked it.

  “What’s on your agenda?”

  She returned my bold stare. “Besides you?” I laughed when she shifted into the wrong gear. “No more plans. I don’t like to schedule every detail.”

  “Flexibility. I like that in a woman.”

  Her face turned red and she nearly backed into the car behind us. “What would you like to do?”

  I grinned and shook my head as thoughts of plucking those roses off her body popped into my mind.

  “You don’t want to do anything else?”

  “No, I was just thinking… I envy that rose.” I winked at her.

  “What rose?” She glanced down at her breast, and her lips made a little “O.”

  “If you don’t mind tripping over a few boxes, we could go back to my place. I put my kitchen together last night, and I’m itching to cook for someone besides me.”

  “That sounds great.”

  The drive from Golden to my house went by quickly. I asked Claire about her work and listened as she chattered on. Somehow, she ended up telling me how she’d met Talia. My detective brain filled in the timeline. After she’d turned in Spencer and left her job. Before she worked for Alex. Claire had brought them together for that case. Does she know about Talia and me? I didn’t ask.

  She turned down my street, and helped me search for my new house.

  I pointed to a brick ranch on the right. “There it is. The one with the shitty truck in the driveway.” I let her walk ahead of me and watched the breeze toss her skirt around that sexy ass, those lean thighs that trailed down to dangerous heels. She waited at the door while I went inside first and snatched a couple stray newspapers off the coffee table. “Sorry about the mess.”

  She smiled and focused on me instead of the unassembled room. “Moving is a bitch.”

  “Tell me about it. Come to the kitchen. I keep it spotless.”

  She followed me, stroking her fingertips along the ceramic tile countertop. “Ooo… this is beautiful.”

  “Yeah it is. As soon as I saw that cooking island, I had to have this place.”

  She peeked out the sliding glass doors. “Nice patio. You can see the mountains.”

  “I’m gonna put a grill out there as soon as I get paid.”

  “Alex told me he helped you get in with the police department here. Did that work out?”

  That bastard. He said no one would know. But I studied Claire’s wide eyes and hopeful smile and realized he’d only said he’d help make the connection, which was true. “Yeah, it did.” And then I changed the subject. “Your boss knows how to make people do what he wants.”

  She laughed. “He likes to think he’s bad. He’s a persistent flirt, but he’s never crossed the line. Not with me, anyway. He always tells me I’m doing a good job. I love that. Most lawyers I worked for barely acknowledged my efforts, but Alex lets me know he needs me.”

  Does he do that for Talia, too? “He’s always been a team player, always in charge, but he listens to those around him.”

  She leaned on the island across from the stovetop, and the rose on her chest almost gave up its secrets. “How long have you two known each other?”

  I made a mental note not to buy a chair anytime soon. “Too fucking long.” I opened the fridge and pulled out a couple of steaks and some vegetables. Why do I have so many mushrooms? Because Talia loves them. “We grew up in Texas. His dad and my dad were both cops, partners, so we saw each other all the time.”

  “I noticed a sexy little Southern drawl. Alex doesn’t have it anymore.” She fiddled with a wooden spoon. “So your fathers worked together, is that how you got to be so close?”

  I hadn’t spent that much time with Alex. “What makes you think we’re close?”

  She tapped the spoon against her palm. “You’re still hanging out after all this time. A lot of childhood friends drift apart.”

  I unwrapped the steaks and laid them on a cutting board. “
True. We’ve been through a lot.”

  “Such as?”

  I jammed a fork into the raw meat. “You’re very persistent.”

  “Blame my boss.” Her eyes twinkled as she coaxed me. “Come on, tell me the story.”

  I mixed up a rub for the steaks. “One night in high school, after a football game, Alex was driving me home. It had been a tough game, but we won, so we were goofing around, blowing off steam. We were out in the middle of nowhere, dark as could be. I reached over and turned the headlights off to freak him out, and when he turned them on, something appeared right in front of us. Cow, deer, I never got a good look at it. Alex swerved and drove off the road into a lake. The car sank so fast. I don’t know how I got out, but when I came up, I couldn’t find him.”

  Claire sucked in her breath. “Oh my God.”

  “The car was completely underwater, so I dove in and found Alex slumped over the steering wheel. I yanked the door open, dragged him to shore, and smacked him on the chest till he started breathing again. He says I saved his life, but I’m the one who nearly drowned him.”

  She laid the spoon down with a trembling hand. “The cow, or whatever, still would’ve been there.”

  “That’s what he says, but he would’ve seen it sooner if I hadn’t turned the lights off.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  I shrugged. “After that we stuck together, kinda looking out for each other. I guess we still do.” Or did.

  She smiled. “So you followed him to Chicago?”

  She knows we both lived there. Must’ve heard it from him—or Talia. “As soon as we graduated high school, Alex took off for college. He went to law school in Chicago and got recruited by a firm there. I went to the police academy in Houston, and through one promotion after another, ended up working vice with the Chicago PD.”

  “You two are meant to be together.”

  I snorted. “You make us sound like an old married couple.” I yanked the fridge open and searched for something I could jam a knife into. Red and green peppers, helpless and hollow, suited my needs just fine.

  Claire stood and glanced down the hall. “Bathroom is…?”

  “Down the hall, first door on the left behind the pile of boxes.”

  She giggled as she left.

  “I’m not joking.” I hacked through a couple of peppers and fired up the stove. Meant to be together? Me and him? Now that I thought about it, I’d followed Alex around all my life. Shit.

  I carried the cutting board over to the sink to rinse it off, but turned the faucet on too hard and splashed water all down my front. I searched for a towel and tried to rub my crotch dry before Claire saw it.

  “Nice gun.” She strolled in through the dining room.

  “Huh?”

  “I saw the .357 on your table. Impressive hardware.”

  I tossed the towel on the counter and grinned at her. “Firearm, darlin’. A gun is something else entirely.”

  Her lips made that sexy little “O” again. “I’ll remember that.”

  I sautéed the peppers in some olive oil. “The Magnum doesn’t scare you?”

  “No. I have a .38 in my car.”

  A woman who carried a gun. Hot. “Really?”

  She smiled and pulled out a chair, smoothing her skirt under her fine ass as she sat at the table. “You’re in the Wild West. Everyone has a big gun, a big truck, and a big dog.”

  “I’ve always wanted a dog.”

  She drew circles on the polished oak, staring out the patio doors. Then she turned to me and frowned. “Why’d you suddenly leave Chicago to come here?”

  Jesus, how many times will I have to tell that story? I dropped the steaks in a hot pan and let them sear while trying to come up with a standard answer—something less volatile than the truth. “I needed… I needed a new challenge.” Vague, but true enough to satisfy casual curiosity.

  A new challenge? Or the same one I’d struggled with the last couple of years? Chasing after Talia, hoping I’d figure out how to keep her happy? I’d been down that road before. Why can’t I pull over, turn around, or just step on the brakes?

  Claire sniffed. “Do you like your steaks well done?”

  “Huh? Oh shit!” I grabbed the pan. “Ow! Goddamn it.” A blister popped up on my finger—the price for saving our dinner.

  Claire jumped up and soaked a dishcloth with cold water, then pressed it on my burn. “That’s what you get for evading my question.”

  Evading? Busted. “You’re good.”

  A sly smile twisted her lips and she cast a sideways glance at me. “For now.”

  Blood pumped to my injury, making it sting like a bitch, but I didn’t care. “Are you flirting with me?”

  “Yes, and you’re still avoiding the truth.”

  I withdrew from her grasp and flipped the steaks. A little crispy around the edges, but still tasty. “The truth is… ugly.”

  “That’s what I figured.”

  I grabbed a bottle of Merlot and pulled out a chair for her. “How did you know?”

  She sat down and I poured the wine. “I work for Alex Sheridan, remember? The first thing I learned from him was how to spot a lie.”

  “I should’ve known. Talia never picked up that skill.”

  “You know Talia?”

  Claire had no idea? So Alex had never told her, and apparently she and Talia weren’t that close. I plunked down across from her and stabbed my food. “I used to.”

  “You and Alex are best friends… and now he’s with her…. Ooo, that’s the ugly. So why bother moving here just for her?”

  I grunted and downed my Merlot, trying to decide if I should confess or keep dodging her questions. Choices. Sick of ‘em. “How’s your steak?”

  She smiled. “Perfect. And I love what you did with the peppers.”

  “Thank you.”

  Claire sipped her wine, staring out across the patio at the mountains, before turning her focus back on me. “Am I competing with Talia?”

  My steak tasted dry. “You’re direct.”

  “I just got out of a relationship that kept me in suspense, wondering if we were together or not. Working with Alex has taught me to get to the truth as soon as possible, even if it hurts.”

  I didn’t want to hurt her. “Yes. You’re competing with her.”

  “Good to know.”

  Damn it. The best first date I’d ever had was crashing and burning before dessert. “Should I take you home now?”

  “I drove.” Those two words clearly put her in control.

  “Right.”

  Her lips touched the wine again. “Competition doesn’t scare me. I can take Talia.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “Um… not like that. I’d rather take you.”

  I grinned. “You’re bold, too.”

  She raised her empty glass. “Good wine.”

  Claire deserved the truth, or at least the parts that wouldn’t send her screaming from the room. “I moved out here to resurrect the past, but that won’t—and shouldn’t—happen. Now I’m stuck with a new life.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I am, too.” I stabbed a pepper and stuck it in my mouth. A flash of red in the Aspen outside caught my eye. The cardinal flew back with a beak full of straw and started building a nest, grabbing whatever it could to make that tree its new home. Bird’s as pig-headed as you are. “No, I’m not sorry. I’m here, like it or not. But I’d rather like it.”

  “No reason why you can’t.”

  Two big ones, actually, but they wouldn’t stop me from trying. “Will you help me?”

  She walked around the table and crawled onto my lap, sinking her hands into my hair as she smiled. “I can make you like… so many things.”

  “I’m sure you can.” I grabbed her ass and pulled her in close.

  Her lips brushed mine and I waited—but not long—for her to slip her tongue into my mouth and reveal her intentions. Her kiss made some interesting propositions before she wobbled and slid back to her cha
ir. “Woo… don’t let me have any more wine.”

  I moved my seat closer to hers and took her hand. “I can’t make any guarantees about where we’ll end up.”

  “That’s the truth I was looking for.”

  “If you don’t like it, I understand.” But I laced my fingers with hers, and stroked her shiny red nails.

  She studied our hands, tracing her thumb over my knuckles. “I think, especially knowing what you’re dealing with, I’d be suspicious if you promised me a happy ending.”

  I pushed my chair back. “There’s no such thing.”

  She tapped those pretty nails on the table, thinking. “It’s rare but it takes work. I don’t believe in fairy tales.”

  “What do you believe in?”

  A sly smile twisted her seductive mouth. “Possibilities.”

  I refilled her glass and clinked it with mine. “To possibilities.”

  She finished her steak and peppers, then eyed the raspberries with homemade whipped cream I served for dessert. “So simple, yet so decadent.”

  “Nope, something’s missing.” I searched the fridge for a bottle of chocolate syrup and drizzled it over her bowl, ‘accidentally’ dripping some on her hand. The chocolate melted on my tongue as I sucked it from her fingers. “Now it’s decadent.”

  “Oh….” Her heavy breaths matched the pounding of my heart.

  “Yeah.” Too much, too soon? All my recent dates had led to sex… nothing more. And while shoving my face under Claire’s flirty little skirt topped my agenda, I longed for the more I’d been missing. “I’ll do the dishes and then we’ll….”

  “Yes?”

  Deflower that dress. “Wing it.”

  “I like that.” She helped me clear the table, and then I took her to my pathetic excuse for a living room.

  I had a coffee table and one chair—both of them covered with my stuff. I couldn’t let her sit on the floor. The kitchen was too bright, the dining room table too tempting, and the patio nothing but bare concrete. “I’m not set up to entertain.” The bedroom is right down the hall….

  “Let’s go for a walk. Explore your neighborhood.”

  “Good idea.” I grabbed my keys and took her hand. The early evening sun still burned hot, but a cooling breeze blew in from the mountains. We headed down the street, opposite the direction I always drove in from, and a couple blocks away we discovered a park with a blacktop trail following a winding stream.