Without a word, she dropped her purse and briefcase on the floor and slowly walked toward him. She stopped mere inches away and gave a half smile before thoroughly kissing his lips. He only had to bend slightly since her 5’8” height matched nicely against his 6’2” frame.
“Dinner smells great. I hope you’re the dessert,” she whispered against his mouth. The next kiss was another taste of what they would share later.
“Do you know what I would do to you if I wasn’t holding these glasses?”
“Don’t get my imagination going,” she laughed. “I skipped lunch, so I’m starving.” She took a glass of cider from him and swallowed a healthy amount before sighing and licking her lips suggestively. A giggle escaped when her husband groaned. “On second thought, I’ll be thinking of all the ways to finish this discussion later,” she informed him as she deliberately sashayed towards the half bath in the nearby hall to freshen up before eating.
As the couple settled at the table, Stephanie began talking about her work day. She’d only been employed at Renito Investments Solutions for a few weeks but was already in love with her job. Not only was she still working as an investments advisor, she would be deconstructing portfolios established by other companies, updating them, and offering new suggestions more in line with the clients’ current objectives. It was a dream job that she couldn’t imagine getting bored with in the foreseeable future.
“Unless a dream tells you otherwise,” Chaz joked.
“Very funny.” She moved a mushroom around in the cream sauce on her plate. “You do realize that I have tons of dreams about me, you, us, my friends, right? I mean, all of them aren’t significant—just snatches of disconnected scenes—but they happen all the time. I don’t remember many of them, but I wake up with residual impressions. I think that’s what drives my instincts.” She speared the mushroom and lifted it to her mouth.
Silence filled the space between them for a while. Chaz understood that his wife was giving him a chance to bring up the subject of the decision he needed to make about his career. He wasn’t ready. He needed more time to find a way to express his feelings so that everyone would accept that his choice was final.
“Déjà vu,” he heard her whisper as she raised the goblet of cider to her lips. It was her way of putting him at ease.
Whatever was going on, life was playing out the way it was meant to.
CHAPTER 2
When Chaz was ready to reveal his decision, he sent a formal email to Roy expressing his appreciation for being considered for the promotion but explaining that, at this point in his life, his career desire was to gain additional experience in his current role as an analyst. After careful consideration, this determination is the one that most accurately reflected the balance between the many significant areas of his life. He also stated that he had given much thought to the trajectory of his career and was hopeful that there would continue to be some way in which he could serve the FBI’s motto of Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity.
His phone rang within five minutes of clicking the send button on that message.
“You do realize that you’re passing on a much-coveted opportunity, right?” his boss stated without preamble.
“Yes.” Chaz sighed. “I honestly am grateful that you and Steve have so much faith in me, but undercover work isn’t what I want to do any longer—not in any capacity.”
“I don’t have any choice but to accept your decision; but for the record, this feels like you’re threatening to leave my team altogether. That’s not what I want.”
“Me, either,” he admitted with a smile. “I kinda like it here.”
“Steve will be disappointed.” Roy let out a long dramatic sigh. “Other people will be disappointed also. Expect some fallout as soon as word travels up.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
Chaz’s supervisor ended the call without another word. As he returned the phone to its cradle, Chaz thought about a conversation he’d had a couple of months earlier where he was not so nicely pressured. It was a scene Stephanie had dreamed about right before he returned to Erie to testify against Evan Moseley. It seems that he had an aggressive fan club of colleagues determined to pull him back into a role he no longer planned on playing. Despite what he’d said to his boss, he would consider leaving the Bureau rather than be forced to take a job he didn’t want.
There was no way he would willingly leave his family or unnecessarily risk Stephanie’s psychic well-being. There was no way he wanted her to experience the horror and helplessness of seeing him shot and not knowing whether he would make it home alive. The time she did, she had physically felt the pain and emotions of what was happening to him—so strong was the psychic link between them. It would kill him to put her through any more trauma.
When he’d told her the night before that he was going to turn down the promotion, he had seen the flicker of relief in her eyes. While she would never ask him to decline a job because of her, she didn’t want them to be apart any more than he did. He lifted the photo of her that he kept on his desk and ran a finger across her cheek and down her neck. He would do anything to keep that happy glow on her face and look of love in her eyes.
Chaz knew immediately when the gossip mill had churned his decision out to other areas. The day was filled with people making random stops by his cubicle to ask whether he’d lost his mind. Some noticed the photograph on his desk and speculated and teased about the great undercover agent being roped by a beautiful smile. He didn’t expect anyone to understand and didn’t bother to explain beyond saying that he wanted something different for his career.
Of course, that led to speculation that maybe he had inside knowledge of something coming that none of his peers would know. Maybe he was being groomed for a new position being created. It was possible, the rumors said, since he had such an impressive reputation and was seemingly well-liked by everyone. After all, the success of his undercover work made him the golden boy.
Chaz let it all roll off his back with a cryptic smile and a shrug. Let them think what they wanted. There were very few people whose opinions mattered.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
All afternoon, he wondered when the boom was going to come down from Sylvia. He knew his good friend was at work today. When she didn’t call or come by his desk, he realized that she was going to wait until they got home so that she could scream as loudly as she felt he deserved.
With a sigh, he drove home hoping that she would make her appearance sooner rather than later. Maybe she would even be waiting when he pulled into his garage and they could get the confrontation over before Stephanie came home from work. No such luck. His wife came into the house with a smile and a warm hug and asked about his day. They talked about everything from their jobs to the pregnancy, ate dinner and cleaned the kitchen, and were finally relaxing in the livingroom before the dreaded knock on the door came. Or maybe, it was more like pounding.
“Perhaps I should leave you two alone,” Stephanie offered with a laugh. Sylvia was someone she tried not to spend any more time around than was absolutely necessary.
“Don’t you dare!”
He kissed his wife’s forehead and went to answer the door.
“Are you totally insane?!” Sylvia nearly shrieked as she followed Chaz through the foyer and into the livingroom. “How can you pass up an opportunity like that? Do you know how incredible it is to be offered a Team Leader position at only 34 years old? Do you understand the depth of experience this will give you for a future management position? I get it—you don’t want to leave your lovely lady.” She rolled her eyes in Stephanie’s direction as Chaz returned to his seat beside her. “But there is plenty of time for whatever life the two of you want to build.” She looks fully at Stephanie now. “How old are you—twenty-seven, twenty-eight?” She didn’t wait for a response. Instead she plopped onto the loveseat touching the right corner of the sofa. “Did you think this through, Chaz? Why didn’t you talk to anyone about it before you made su
ch a stupid decision?” Sylvia slumped against the back of the loveseat with an exasperated growl.
Stephanie ducked her head slightly in an attempt to hide her tiny smile. Sylvia didn’t think that Stephanie, as a civilian, was smart enough or strong enough to be the person he should have consulted about this opportunity.
Chaz leaned forward with his elbows on his knees but his head lifted so that he could look his friend in the eyes.
“I know what I’m doing, Syl.”
“Do you?” She crossed her arms and leaned toward him. Her long black ponytail swung as she shook her head. “It doesn’t look like that way. You’ve been in law enforcement for a long time—a decade, Chaz! Now, all of a sudden, you stop going undercover as a field agent and won’t even take a supervisory role where you won’t be in any danger? That’s not smart. That’s career suicide!”
“Quit being so dramatic.” Chaz chuckled before leaning back and reaching for Stephanie’s hand in a gesture designed to reassure her that Sylvia wouldn’t cause him to change his mind. The move didn’t go unnoticed.
Sylvia closed her eyes and shook her head as if she was silently counting to give herself a chance to calm down. But, when she opened her eyes, they held more fire than previously.
“DO NOT do this, Chaz,” she said in a warning tone. “You’re so in love that you aren’t looking at the long-term implications. Law enforcement is your only career. It’s what you’ve done since finishing college and you worked hard to become a Special Agent.” She paused when she realized she was not getting through to her former partner.
“Chaz, I get that you want the whole suburban family lifestyle. Hell, I wanted it too; I simply found a way to have it without damaging my professional reputation. Just take the job for a couple of years and you’ll be able to write your own ticket. You don’t have to give anything up. You want a career and a family—fine. She’s young enough that you can get married and she can have kids in three or four years without any trouble. You’ll have it all.”
Chaz turned his head to look at his wife, who only a few people knew he had already married, with such tenderness that Stephanie couldn’t help but smile. Her fingers closed more tightly around his as his thumb softly stroked her wrist. He didn’t miss the way Sylvia’s brows scrunched before her eyes widened.
“Are you serious?!” Sylvia screamed as realization hit her and she jumped to her feet. She threw her hands in the air before linking her fingers together on top of her head and staring at Chaz with a look of horror. “She’s pregnant? You have to be kidding me!” She turned her eyes to Stephanie and scanned her from head to toe: slightly fuller face, rounder breasts, thickening middle.
“What did you do?” she challenged viciously. “Did you get pregnant on purpose so that you could manipulate him into doing anything you want? You planned this so that he would choose you over his job? Hasn’t he already given up enough for you?” By the time her tirade ended she was shouting and Chaz was standing protectively between the two women.
“You know what, Syl? It seems like you’re the only woman who’s trying to tell me what to do. And I’ve warned you about talking to Stephanie like this.”
She took a step back at his barely controlled anger. Her hands dropped to her sides and curled into fists. She defiantly narrowed her eyes and calmly asked, “What are you saying, partner?”
“I’m saying …” he hesitated and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “I’m saying that this is the very last time you will disrespect my wife. What we do with planning our family is none of your business. But if you want to be a part of my life with Stephanie—because yes, I am choosing her over everything else in this world—you won’t ever raise your voice at her, criticize her, gossip about her, or disrespect her in any way. I’ve told you before, no one is more important than Stephanie.” His voice softened with sympathy. “Not even you, Syl.”
“Chaz—”
He shook his head to cut her off.
“Wife?” she asked quietly, obviously hurt that this man who was her friend had left her out of such an important event. She swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded.
“No one knows, so I’d appreciate you not telling anyone.”
“Sure.” She glanced at the woman still seated on the sofa and bit back whatever she was going to say. “I guess I’ll see you at work.” Without saying goodbye, she turned and walked to the front door. It closed with a solid thunk.
“I’m sorry, Chaz,” Stephanie said softly as she rose and wrapped her arms around his waist. Likewise, his wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her snug against him.
“Why, sweetheart? You didn’t do anything wrong.” He kissed her forehead. “Let there be no doubt about where my loyalty lies. You have changed my life for the better and I would give my life for you. I only want people around that will support what we’re building. Sylvia is going to have to choose whether or not she is truly our friend. And this was her last warning.”
They stood in the livingroom for a long time before Stephanie stepped away and held both of her husband’s hands in hers and gave him a bold smile.
“I know a way to make you feel better,” she teased as she started walking backward to the stairs, pulling him along.
“Oh yeah?”
“Mmm hmm. We haven’t played Scrabble in a long time. I figured out a sexy little twist that you’re going to love.” At his raised eyebrow, she elaborated. “Have you ever played Strip Scrabble?”
His laughter echoed up the stairs and along the hallway.
“Only you would think of a way to make a word game sexy.”
“Oh yeah, all of the words have to be sexual.” She smiled as she reached the top step.
“Really?”
“Yep.” She giggled. “I’ve got a few juicy words in mind. You’re going to lose your clothes a lot faster than I will.”
“Are you sure about that?” He started pulling her blouse out of the waistband of her slacks.
“No cheating, Chaz!”
“No ridiculous Scrabble game that you’re making up as you go along.” His lips brushed hers. “I don’t need any help taking off your clothes and I’m pretty sure you won’t resist.” He undid the top three buttons and bent down to kiss the top of a breast.
“Fine,” she pouted. “Despite what you think Strip Scrabble really is a game. But, if you don’t want to play …” Stephanie’s hands moved to her husband’s waist and began unbuckling his belt.
By the time they reached the bedroom door, Stephanie was stepping out of her pants and Chaz was dropping kisses across her neck and breasts, lightly nipping her flesh with his teeth. He laughed when she moaned. Both of them were wearing shirts fully unbuttoned and hanging off their shoulders by the time her legs bumped against the mattress. She gently pushed him away and began removing each piece of her clothing slowly: blouse, bra, panties. All the while, she watched him do the same.
She crawled backwards onto the bed, never taking her eyes off the beautiful man who owned her heart.
Chaz kissed an ankle and continued kissing and nibbling all the way up her leg and over her abdomen before closing his lips firmly around a puckered nipple. Stephanie’s nails moving lightly over his shoulder and back made his nerves tingle. He thought about the night they had introduced whipped cream and caramel syrup into their foreplay. As great as that had been, nothing tasted as good as his woman, nothing set him on fire like she did. He supported himself on his elbows to keep his full weight from crushing her as he stared down into her eyes.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile.
“For what?”
“For loving me as much as I love you. You’re my life, Chaz.” Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him on top of her. Her ankles crossed behind his back and she enjoyed the feel of his steel-hard erection pressing against her thigh and the entrance to her hot core. She kissed his chest and lightly licked his nipples and felt him shudder again.
A hand moved possessively acro
ss her shoulder, breast, side, hip, and thigh. In one slow, smooth thrust, Chaz slid into his wife. Moist heat surrounded him and made both of them breathe out soft moans. This is why he wouldn’t leave her—this moment where they could escape the stresses of the day and find the complete, uninterrupted blending that always brought them back to the truth. They were made for each other and their life together was fated. It was in these moments in the night that the rest of the world ceased to exist.
“I am so in love with you,” he whispered against her ear as they moved slowly, allowing her body to adjust to his presence inside of her. He waited for her to increase their pace before he took control and was both rough and tender in the way he possessed her body. She was his and he claimed every inch of her, night after night, completely.
She craved the way he pounded into her, varied his pace and his intensity, made every bit of her know that she belonged to him. And his body listened to hers, giving what she wanted, avoiding what she didn’t—each night was different yet always fulfilling. When the final white hot explosion sucked the breath out of them both and left them exhausted, Stephanie curled tightly against her husband, his arms held her like every moment they shared together was precious and treasured, and his strong thighs covered her legs like he would never let her go.
Loving Night: Dream Catcher Series ~ Book 2 Page 2
