by Paige Tyler
With that, he turned on his heel again and marched down the street, disappearing into the crowd.
Sosie watched him go. Mendike didn’t scare her. He was a bully and a blowhard and all his posturing was a bluff.
She hoped.
Okay, she couldn’t deny she was worried. Mendike said they had ways of dealing with runaways, as if Elf Central had a method for punishing elves who’d done it. She’d never heard of another elf running away, so she had no idea if that was true or not.
Shivering, Sosie hurried down the sidewalk to the electronics store and went inside. Seeing the vast array of fascinating things they sold helped take her mind off Mendike and his threats and she spent the next hour browsing around. The items she needed were very reasonably priced, so she was able to get everything and still have plenty of cash left over.
She was thinking about how she would rebuild the central air control unit as she walked back to the apartment building when another store caught her eye. She stopped in front of a window display of female mannequins wearing very sexy lingerie. The sign on the wall behind them said the store also sold adults toys. From her time in the sex toy department up north, she knew exactly what that meant.
Sosie tried to tell herself it was professional curiosity that made her go inside, but it was more than that. She wanted to see what kind of naughty stuff they had available here in New York, and whether she could afford to buy any of it to surprise Derek. He seemed like the kind of guy who appreciated a bit of playfulness in the bedroom—or any other room for that matter.
Giggling at the thought, she eagerly made her way over to the lingerie section of the store. They had everything from bras and panties to bustiers and corsets, which made it difficult to choose one outfit. But she wanted to make sure she had enough money to pick up a sex toy, too, so after careful consideration, she decided on a silky red babydoll with matching panties.
It didn’t take her nearly as long to choose which sex toy to buy. Once she spotted the Happy Rabbit Clitoris Vibrator, she knew she had to get it. Field testing the adult toys she’d designed was one of the perks of working in the sex toy department, so she knew from experience that particular vibrator was magical. Since she’d left hers on the transport sled along with the rest of her things, she definitely needed a new one.
When she got back to the apartment building, Sosie stopped by Ben’s place first and dropped off the electronic supplies, telling him she’d work on the air conditioning unit first thing in the morning. She would have started on it right then, but she wasn’t sure what time Derek would get home and she wanted to greet him at the door wearing her sexy, new babydoll.
Changing clothes would have to wait, however. She’d been so eager to see Derek earlier, she’d left the pots and pans in the sink figuring she’d clean them later. Well, it was later. Groaning, she tossed her shopping bag on the couch and went into the kitchen to tackle the mess.
By the time she finished up, then took a quick shower, it was after ten. She eyed the babydoll, wondering if she should put it on, then decided against it. Derek was bound to be tired by the time he got home. If it turned out he wasn’t, she could always change into the lingerie then. It wouldn’t be the same as greeting him at the door dressed in the skimpy outfit, but somehow, she didn’t think he’d mind.
Pulling Derek’s T-shirt over her head, she turned on the television, then curled up on the couch with a yawn. She hadn’t realized she was tired. She’d be lucky if she didn’t fall asleep before Derek got home.
* * * *
It was almost midnight by the time Derek left the precinct. He was beat, but wired pretty good, too. After Sosie had left, he’d called Matt and Nick to come relieve them so he, Aaron and Tony could go back and brief the captain on what they’d heard. The older man had been thrilled to hear they finally might have something to pin on Saldino. This case had been a lead weight around everyone’s neck for a long time, his more than anyone’s. While Derek and the other detectives on the task force would be reassigned to a new case if they failed to get anything on Saldino, someone was going to take the fall if the mob boss went through with his plan to file harassment charges, and that someone was the captain. Derek would hate to see the man forced into retirement, especially since he was one of the best senior officers on the force.
Derek, Aaron and Tony had spent the rest of the afternoon and most of the night working their informants to confirm what they’d heard on the wiretap. It had taken a while, but they’d discovered one of Sammy’s drug dealers had been caught skimming some of the product off each shipment. As if that wasn’t stupid enough, the guy had then decided to start selling the drugs in Sammy’s own territory. Word on the street was that Saldino’s men had already picked up the idiot, but that the mob boss himself was going to personally put a bullet in the traitor’s head as a sign Sammy Saldino didn’t put up with that kind of bullshit.
The whole thing sounded too good to be true, and Derek would have thought it was a load of crap if they hadn’t confirmed the story from three different sources. After years of playing it extra careful, Saldino was finally going to do something incriminating, and Derek was going to be there to catch him.
Getting the time and place when the execution was supposed to go down had been more difficult since Saldino owned a lot of warehouses, but Aaron had come through on that. One of his contacts had heard the workers at one of the buildings on the West Street docks had been told not to come to work tomorrow night, and that they should consider it a paid day off. Since most of the docks down there were part of the Saldino organization, it was a perfect place for the mob boss to conduct his own particular brand of law and order. Advance teams were already on their way to set up recon posts on the edges of the West Street area. Not close enough to tip Saldino off, but near enough to know if any of his crew showed up early.
Derek wasn’t sure if Sosie’d still be awake since it was so late, so he unlocked the door to his apartment and went inside as quietly as he could. Sure enough, she was curled up on the couch asleep with the television on and the maintenance manual for the central air unit as company. His mouth edged up. She was definitely one of a kind. He turned off the television, then stood gazing down at her. She looked so comfortable lying there that he hated to rouse her. Could he pick her up in his arms and carry her into the bedroom without waking her up? Probably not.
Deciding to wake his sleeping beauty with a kiss instead, Derek sat down beside her and reached out to gently brush her hair back from her face. Sosie let out a small sigh, but didn’t stir at his touch.
If she had, she probably would have immediately reached up to pull her hair forward again so that it covered her ear. For some reason, she seemed to be very self-conscious about them. He didn’t know why. From where he was sitting, she had the prettiest ears he’d ever seen. They were petite and perfectly formed, like the rest of her.
He bent to kiss her, but paused when he caught sight of the top of her ear. Instead of being rounded at the tip, it was pointed, like the elves in the Lord of the Rings movie. His mouth curved. So that was why she was so shy about her ears. Admittedly, they were different, but certainly not ugly. In fact, they were cute as hell. Since she was obviously self-conscious about them, he wouldn’t say anything. In time, he’d convince her she had nothing to be embarrassed about.
Leaning over, he gently pressed his lips to hers. Sosie stirred immediately, letting out a murmur of what he hoped was approval as she kissed him back. When he lifted his head, he found her smiling up at him.
“You’re home,” she said softly. “I tried to wait up, but I guess I must have fallen asleep.”
“Sorry I’m so late. After you left, we went back to the precinct and started coordinating for the bust. We’re going to take down Saldino tomorrow night.”
“What’s a bust?”
His mouth quirked. “It’s cop speak for arresting a bad guy and putting him in prison.”
“That’s good, right?”
&n
bsp; “It’s very good.” He smiled as she stifled a yawn. “Come on, sleepyhead. Let’s go to bed.”
She didn’t say anything as she took his outstretched hand and let him lead her into the bedroom. He immediately caught sight of the silky, red negligee and vibrator on the bed. He grinned.
“What’s all this?”
Color stained her cheeks. “I was going to surprise you by greeting you at the door dressed in it, but then I noticed how late it was and figured you’d probably be too tired to make love.”
He pulled her into his arms for a kiss. “Honey, I’m never too tired for sex. Why don’t you put it on and model it for me?”
“Now?”
“Yeah. Unless you’re too tired.”
She grinned. “Never.”
He chuckled. “Good. I’m going to go grab a shower while you change.”
Knowing Sosie was slipping into something even sexier than his old T-shirt had Derek’s cock so hard he could barely focus on lathering the bar of soap between his hands. He groaned. As turned on as he was, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to hold back long enough to appreciate that sexy, little red silk number she’d bought.
* * * *
Sosie leaned back against the pillows and drew one leg up, trying to arrange herself as seductively on the bed as she could. From the way Derek’s eyes had glinted when he saw the lingerie, she had a feeling she could be standing in the middle of the kitchen making oatmeal and he’d still be turned on. Even so, this whole seduction thing was new to her and she wanted to do it right.
She looked down at herself, wondering if she should bend her knee some more when the bathroom door opened and Derek walked into the bedroom. At the sight of him, Sosie forgot all about whether her pose was seductive or not and focused on him instead. He was naked, his hair still damp from the shower. She wanted to jump up and run her hands over every magnificent inch of him, but the heat in his gaze made it impossible to do anything except catch her breath.
“God, you’re gorgeous,” he breathed.
The words made her blush, something she seemed to be doing a lot of since getting involved with the handsome detective.
She waited for Derek to come over, but instead he folded his arms across his broad chest and leaned against the doorjamb.
“Aren’t you going to get into bed with me?”
“In a minute.” The corner of his mouth lifted. “Right now, I think I’ll stand here and watch you pleasure yourself with that new toy you bought.”
Sosie’s pulse quickened. She’d never done anything like that it in front of a guy before, but the idea of Derek watching her masturbate made her body quiver.
Lying back more on the pillows, she ran her hand up her bare thigh and over the tiny triangle of silk covering her pussy. Derek followed her movements as if mesmerized, his dark eyes hungry. She caressed her sex through the material, doing it to tease herself as much as him. Her panties were already damp and clinging to her, making it easy for her fingers to glide over her folds and find her clit.
But soon, touching herself through her panties wasn’t enough for her. She suspected it wasn’t enough for Derek, either. Giving him a sultry smile, she slid them down her legs with painstaking slowness until they were all the way off, then tossed them in his direction. He caught them in one hand and lifted them to his nose to breathe in the scent of her arousal. Sosie didn’t think she’d ever seen a guy do anything so hot in her whole life.
As he watched, she reached for the vibrator and turned it on, then leisurely rubbed the tip up and down her slick folds. Her pussy spasmed at the contact and she teasingly pressed the head of the toy against her opening before slowly sliding it all the way in.
Sosie moaned as the rabbit’s ears vibrated against her clit while the dildo filled her. Because of the way the sexy toy was designed, she could pleasure her clit while plunging it in and out of her pussy, which always made her come extremely fast. Since she was putting on a show for Derek, she didn’t want to bring herself to orgasm too quickly, so she rested it against her clit until she was on the verge of climax, then eased off for a few moments before doing it all over again.
She was so caught up in how good it felt that she didn’t realize Derek had left his post by the door and joined her until she felt the bed dip beneath his weight. She opened her eyes to find him propped up on an elbow beside her, a roguish glint in his eye.
“I think I’ve got the hang of it now,” he said, taking the vibrator from her.
Sosie suspected he had the hang of it all along, but only moaned against his mouth as he slowly plunged the vibrator in and out of her pussy. Mmm, this was so much better than doing it solo. He didn’t tease her clit like she’d done, but instead pressed the rabbit ears to the plump nub until her entire body was trembling. The orgasm went on and on, making her dizzy, and all she could do was cling to Derek’s shoulders and let the waves of ecstasy wash over her.
After, she lay back against the pillows, panting for breath as Derek gently slid the vibrator from her pussy. She watched through half-closed eyes as he opened the drawer of the bedside table and took out a condom. Her pussy tingled in anticipation. The Happy Rabbit Clitoris Vibrator she’d designed might be one of the best toys she had ever come up with, but it didn’t compare to the real thing.
She waited for Derek to settle between her legs, but instead he sat back against the headboard, then took her hand and urged her onto his lap so she was straddling him. Mesmerized by his soulful, dark eyes, she couldn’t do anything more than hold onto his shoulders as he sheathed himself inside her.
Groaning, Derek slid his hands in her hair and covered her mouth with his in a long, drugging kiss. Sosie moaned and made circular motions with her hips, slowly riding him.
Murmuring something unintelligible, Derek tore his mouth away from hers to trail hot kisses along the curve of her jaw before moving back up to reclaim her lips again. He drew her bottom lip into his mouth, sucking on it as he slid his hands down her back to grasp her ass. He guided her up and down on his cock in a slow, sexy rhythm that sent surges of pleasure through her.
Sosie would have been content to ride him like that all night, but the sensations were too intense and she clenched her pussy tightly around him, milking his cock as she shuddered and cried out her release. Derek dragged his mouth away from hers to bury his face in her neck with a hoarse groan. She wrapped her arms around him, holding onto him tightly as they came together. Their joining was so amazing it brought tears to her eyes.
Earlier, she hadn’t been sure what she felt for Derek, but now she knew unequivocally. She was totally and completely in love with him. All she had to do was tell him who she really was, then they could live like this forever.
Chapter Nine
Sosie wanted to confess her love to Derek the next morning, but he was up before the alarm clock went off, then out the door almost as soon as he’d showered and dressed. They barely had time for a piece of toast and a quick kiss.
“I’ll make it up to you with a late dinner.” He flashed her a grin as he shrugged into his jacket. “If everything goes as well as I think it will with this raid tonight, I might be able to take a few extra days off for New Year’s so we can do some more sightseeing.”
Although Sosie was thrilled about him taking some time off from work, she was nervous about the raid. Over breakfast, he’d told her the arrest could be the biggest of his career and that it would get a bad man off the streets, but he hadn’t gone into too many more details other than saying some stuff about SWAT teams, automatic weapons and search warrants. She didn’t know what a SWAT team or a search warrant were, but the fact that guns were going to be involved made her think it was going to be dangerous.
She nibbled worriedly on her lower lip as he shoved his gun in its leather pouch under his jacket. “You’ll be careful, right?”
“I’m always careful.” He bent to kiss her, then opened the door. “See you tonight, beautiful.”
After he left, Sosie le
aned back against the door, savoring the taste of his lips on hers. She knew it was silly and that Derek was obviously capable at his job, but she couldn’t help worrying about him. That man she’d seen at the precinct—Saldino—seemed as if he could be a very mean person.
She gave herself a shake. Derek would be safe and when he got home tonight, she’d laugh at how foolish her fears had been.
Pushing away from the door, she went into the bedroom to change, only to stop as she took in the rumpled sheets and the vibrator sitting on the bedside table. Unable to help herself, she crawled back into the still-warm bed and wrapped her arms around Derek’s pillow, breathing in his masculine scent. It made her feel warm all over. She smiled, thinking how lucky she was to have found him. She didn’t know how, but somehow she’d find a way to tell him who she really was and that she was in love with him.
Sosie sighed. It was tempting to stay in bed curled up with Derek’s pillow all day, but she’d promised Ben she’d fix the air conditioner today. After taking a quick shower, she got dressed and went down to Ben’s apartment. He and Mabel were finishing breakfast.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she told them
“Don’t be silly.” Mabel smiled. “Sit and I’ll get you some oatmeal.”
Sosie slipped into a chair. “Thanks, but I already ate breakfast with Derek.”
“How about a cup of coffee, then?” the older woman asked.
“Okay.”
Sosie still didn’t think much of the taste yet, but since all the BPs seemed to drink it, she supposed she should get used to it. Besides, she didn’t want to hurt Mabel’s feelings.
An hour later, she and Ben went down to the basement so she could rebuild the air conditioner. She’d always enjoyed this kind of work, so it was easy to get lost in what she was doing. She still couldn’t believe she was getting paid to do it. Her lips curved. She hadn’t officially earned any money and yet she already found herself planning on how she’d spend it on Derek. Maybe she’d buy him a hot dog at one of those carts on the streets. They probably weren’t very healthy, but they smelled good. Surely one wouldn’t hurt.
