Signed, Sealed, Delivered ... I'm Yours

by Naleighna Kai

  “Who’s calling?” Mona’s raspy voice echoed in the background.

  “The one person who’d have the balls to wake us up this early,” Fisher answered.

  Crenshaw crossed his legs at the ankles and checked the time—only five minutes, and it felt like fifteen.

  “And how did you manage to pull that off?” Fisher continued. “I’m sure you scared her to death just showing up out of nowhere.”

  “Sorry to disappoint, partner.” There was no way Crenshaw would acknowledge that fact. “She agreed to have breakfast with me, so let’s just say I have a way with women.”

  Fisher laughed. “Tell me all the details on Monday. And by Monday I mean Monday—no early morning Sunday calls.”

  “You got a deal,” Crenshaw smiled, scanning the area.

  “In the meantime, don’t hurt nobody and be careful,” Fisher warned.

  “I promise to behave. Maybe.”

  Erin stepped out of the building dressed in a yellow sundress, strappy sandals, and a Hollywood smile.

  Crenshaw forgot his next thought and mumbled, “Uh, Fish, man, let me call you back. Give Mona and the kids my love.” He ended the call, barely noticing Fisher’s laughter on the other end.

  Now that right there … is all woman.

  She had a sumptuous brown complexion that was soft and smooth. She was a little shorter than he preferred, but her beautiful hazel eyes sparkled like jewels. Her breasts had an inviting lift and perk to them. Her full pendulum hips called for his hands to grip.

  Whew! Yeah, I have my work cut out for me. Keeping my cool and my hands off of this woman will be a battle.

  Who was he kidding? He was going for this woman with everything he had. It had been so long since he had felt an instant attraction to any woman that he had even begun to question himself. So what was it about Erin Gray that caused him to lose all his focus?

  He took her hand and pulled it to his lips and said, “Any place in particular you’re interested in going?”

  Erin hit him with a smile that almost hurt. “I’m feeling like Ben’s Chili Bowl for breakfast this morning.”

  Crenshaw’s look of awe had to be obvious. “Well, aren’t you full of surprises?”

  He opened the passenger door for her and she slid in. Although Ben’s Chili Bowl was almost a national monument in the city, he hadn’t pegged Erin for a chili kind of girl. And definitely not for breakfast.

  He shut the door, hopped in the driver’s seat, and headed over to the historic eatery.

  * * *

  “So Rob, tell me something about yourself,” Erin started, keeping her eyes focused on his. For some reason, her eyes wanted to lock on his dreamy mouth.

  Rob Crenshaw was pure eye candy—from those handsome, chiseled features to that broad chest that bulged from beneath his polo shirt. Every time he smiled at her, she shifted in her seat. The man was panty-wetting dangerous.

  “Well, what would you like to know?” he asked in a lazy drawl that spoke of cowboys riding the range.

  Erin wondered if he was from the South or if he had been born and bred on the East Coast. She took a sip of iced tea. “For starters, are you married?”

  He chuckled. His head went down and quickly came back up. “I was married once. I’ve been divorced for a while now. No serious relationships since. What about you?”

  “Never been married. Not even close,” she admitted.

  His smile vanished. “A beautiful woman like yourself, and no one has ever popped the question?”

  She almost spit out her tea. “I’ve only had one serious relationship, and that was when I was in college.” Crenshaw nodded, his expression unreadable “My parents were pretty strict,” she confessed. “I guess I just kept my head in the books. That was much safer.”

  His smile returned. “I’m sure your father was pleased with that.”

  Erin’s smile faded. Shane Gray never gave her the impression he cared whether she was dating or not. His focus always seemed more centered on his job than his daughter and wife. “Well,” she hesitated, stirring her tea absently. “I can’t speak to whether he was pleased or not. He was a cop and mostly in the street.”

  Erin’s eyes lifted to his. His were blank, not quite there. She didn’t want to study them any longer; they made her nervous.

  “He died just after I graduated high school.” The bitter memories of those years banged on the walls of her emotional barrier, demanding entrance. Erin dabbed the single tear that escaped, swiftly reinforcing those straining walls. Monica, her mother, had paid the ugliest cost for loving Shane. Monica had invested her youth, her time, and her soul into a man who was never there, never cared.

  Rob’s hand encased hers in a warm comforting grip.

  She inched her eyes up to his, a little dazed.

  “Was he an officer here in the city?” Crenshaw asked.

  “No, in P.G. County. We lived there, and his claim was he wanted to be close to home even though he …”

  Crenshaw grimaced. “Traditional cop, huh?”

  She gave him a grin that was more answer than anything.

  “I hope you won’t hold it against me,” Crenshaw beseeched.

  The jury’s still out on that one, buddy. Ask me no questions, I’ll tell you no lies.

  Erin looked away and separated their hands. “I’m all finished here, what about you?”

  For some reason, his gaze narrowed on her as he asked, “Everything okay?”

  “Everything’s peachy,” she said, smiling and trying to lighten her tone.

  “I’d really like to get to know—” The vibration of his cell phone scrunched up his face. “I get all the calls. I’m the only one in the squad who doesn’t have a family or a life.”

  His eyes met hers, and the heat coming from them could have caused her cup of tea to boil over.

  Erin visibly gulped as he added, “Yet.”

  “I probably should get going,” she said, grateful for the reprieve.

  She recognized Crenshaw’s frustrated look. It was the one her mother had perfected. Duty called, and nothing else existed.

  “I’m going to spend some time with my mom today,” Erin announced and rose from the table.

  Lightning quick, he tossed several bills on the table and hurried to fall into step beside her. “You know we’re not done, right?” Crenshaw pronounced.

  Erin studied him openly as she maneuvered past other pedestrians on the sidewalk.

  “Maybe we could have dinner soon?” he suggested, but his tone was way too sultry.

  Breakfast. Dinner. I may be leery of being with a cop, but I like to eat, and the idea of spending more time with a man so delicious he could make a woman lose her natural mind and not care, how could I turn that down?

  “I’d like that.”

  Chapter 6

  Crenshaw’s career was getting in the way of his life! He couldn’t believe how badly he wanted to ignore that call. The one time he wasn’t jonesing for some action, and the damn phone rings with a lead on his case.

  He was a cop—a detective—and a good one. But at the moment, the only thing he wanted to be was this wonderful woman’s man. Her tears had riled him up. This magnificent woman should never have cause to cry—well, almost never. Crying out in passionate ecstasy with him as the orchestrator was an exception he was more than willing to make.

  They spent their remaining time during their ride back to her place in polite conversation. Upon arriving, Crenshaw escorted her along the concrete pathway up the stairs and to the door of her building.

  “Thank you for breakfast. I had a good time, Rob,” Erin said.

  His face lifted in a huge smile. “Rob?” he teased. “Not Detective Crenshaw or Crenshaw or just Detective?” His toothy grin expanded. “That means I’m moving up in the world.”

  “You’ve got jokes,” she giggled.

  It was a sound Crenshaw could easily become addicted to. “I’ll call you as soon as I run down this lead.”

  Her
lips were begging to be tasted. Instead, he held out his cell. “Well, in order for us to have that dinner, I’m going to need your phone number.”

  Erin tapped the number to his cell and returned the phone to his open palm. When she tossed him a new smile—a smile full of mischief, seduction and—dare he hope—promise, Crenshaw lost it. A wave of need overwhelmed him. Erin was in his arms, and his mouth devouring hers before he could even think.

  But, oh, how she responded in kind. Erin’s entire body rose up to seal them closer. Her silky arms lassoed his neck, and his arms crushed her into his chest.

  Their lips and tongues danced and played and chased the other until Crenshaw pulled back, feeling a little out of sorts.

  “My God,” she whispered.

  His erection tented his khakis, but if Erin noticed, she never let on. She opened her eyes but didn’t pull away.

  “I have a question, Erin,” he breathed over her tempting mouth.

  She shuddered out a deep breath, evidently trying to gain her bearings. “What’s that?

  “How old are you?”

  Erin smirked, her shimmering hazel eyes hypnotizing him. It was the most alluring expression he had ever seen.

  “At little late to ask for particulars, don’t you think?” she teased. “I’m twenty-six. Why do you ask?”

  He tightened his embrace before releasing her. “I just wanted to make sure you were legal. I’m still having a hard time believing someone as perfect as you is even real.” Crenshaw couldn’t help it. He brushed his lips across hers again. He didn’t take the kiss deeper, but oh, how he wanted to.

  Erin laughed full on. She put her whole heart into the chuckle.

  Crenshaw was delighted to see that whatever had robbed her of her joy in the restaurant was gone.

  “Well, how old are you?” she managed to choke out.

  “I’m thirty-four. I’m legal, too,” he said with a comedic lift of his eyebrows.

  More laughter, but this time she made her way into the building.

  “I’ll call you later,” he said, whipping out his cell.

  Her smirk is what gave it away. Crenshaw focused on the screen. The number she punched in read: 000-000-0000.

  He looked up at her as she said, “If you were able to get my address, my phone number should be a piece of cake.” She winked and added, “See you later, Home Slice.”

  It was his turn to laugh as she disappeared into the building.

  Chapter 7

  Erin’s weekly visits with her mother, Monica, were full of questions about her love life. Monica could be relentless when she wanted to get something out of Erin. Erin should have been used to it at this point in her life, but the reason for her sudden lift in spirits was a topic Erin was not so thrilled to discuss with her mother.

  She skirted around the subject as much as possible until Monica finally squeezed it out of her. “Wow. He sounds … interesting.”

  Monica’s hesitation spurred Erin to tone down her own excitement. If she didn’t, she knew she’d be headed for the speech of a lifetime.

  Detective Rob Crenshaw had a way about him. And he wasn’t too shabby a kisser either. Whew! That kiss! The sensations that had whipped through her were fast and furious. Never in her life had she felt such a sensation. Her hormones were making a fifty-yard dash, and her brain couldn’t keep up, and that alone was enough to make her nervous. Rob Crenshaw was hedonistic temptation.

  “And you just met him two weeks ago, was it?” Monica asked.

  “Yes, mother,” Erin said, juggling four bags in her arms. “But I’ve seen him around before that. He’s been working with the older kids in our school. He seems like a great guy; he only has one flaw.”

  “What kind of flaw, Erin?” she challenged. “Is his head turned on backwards? No, let me guess—he likes you?” She waved a dismissive hand. “Or maybe, he’s got a little sense?”

  Erin knew what her mother was getting at. She had taken it upon herself to set Erin up on more blind dates then she could count. Erin found fault in each and every one of the men.

  “Ma, he’s a detective. I’m not sure if he’s the kind of guy I want to fall in love with.”

  Monica Gray looked away for a moment. Erin was certain her mother’s thoughts summoned Officer Shane Gray every time they talked about Erin dating. But the fact that Erin’s new love interest was a detective seemed to bring about thoughts which were more distressing than usual.

  Erin’s focus was on her mother in that moment of silence. Monica had options—plenty in fact. Officer Shane Gray had left her well off. Money wasn’t an issue, and she was free to do as she pleased. Still, Erin knew how deeply Monica had adored Shane. It was obvious considering she had never entertained the idea of being with another man, even though Monica still commanded a firm hold on her captivating beauty, and she had a parade of admirers to prove it.

  “Ma, did you every want to be anything else besides a—”

  “All I ever wanted to be is a good wife and a good mother,” she said stepping forward to place a gentle hand on Erin’s face. “I feel in my heard I succeeded. Is that what’s keeping you from …”

  The older woman surprised Erin by shaking her head and giving her a frustrated look. “Oh, Erin, everyone’s experience is different. Your father loved us, and he did the best he could to provide for us. That’s what you have to believe.” She took hold of Erin’s hand and smiled at her only child. “Maybe my marriage wasn’t the best example of what a good relationship is, but you have to give love a chance.”

  Erin turned to leave, but was halted by the words, “Promise me you will.”

  She didn’t return to her mother’s side, but she shifted so that she could face the salt-and-pepper-haired woman. “I promise, Mama.”

  Chapter 8

  Erin sat in her car, contemplating this new, unexpected sensation—she was happy. Her mind churned with excitement. So much to do, so much to look forward to. Rob’s work schedule had reared its ugly head more than once in the last two weeks. Their dinner date hadn’t happened yet, but their daily talks on the phone were solidifying their relationship. Erin was right; Rob Crenshaw definitely had the means to learn her phone number, and he took every opportunity to use it.

  She bounced to the music coming from the car’s sound system and hoped that Rob had cleared his schedule tonight so that they could finally have that dinner. Phone calls were nice, but a man to have and to hold was a beautiful thing.

  A familiar chime echoed from her phone. She switched to Bluetooth and said, “Hey, chica, what’s good with you?”

  “Everything’s about the same,” Jordan replied. In the background, Erin could hear papers rustling—most likely summer school essays being graded. “How about you?”

  “I might have a promising prospect on my hands,” Erin beamed.

  “What!” Jordan gasped. “You have a date? With who?”

  “The detective who came up to the school.”

  “You lucky heifer!” she teased. “Hey, see if he has a brother, a cousin, an uncle, a teammate, a—”

  “A little desperate, are we?” Erin said, managing the turn at 395.

  “Good men normally run in packs. So help a sister out,” Jordan urged.

  “But you’re not a sister,” Erin reminded cheerfully.

  “Tell that to my rear end. I’ve got more of it than you do.”

  BAM!

  The impact jostled Erin in the driver’s seat. The seatbelt held her in place. “What on earth …?” Erin looked up in her review mirror to find that a black BMW was closer than kissing distance to her Volkswagen Bug.

  “Jordan, I just got rear-ended,” she said.

  “What! Are you all right?” Jordan’s voice was frantic.

  “I’m fine.” She undid her belt. “Let me call you right back. I need to deal with this.” She ended the call before Jordan could reply.

  Erin exited the car and headed straight to the impacted area.

  The man from the BMW ru
shed toward her. “Miss, I’m sorry, so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. I totally messed up.” He was so panicked he almost scared her.

  “Miss, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, are you okay?” She looked down at her bumper and found a few scratches, but nothing serious. “This isn’t major, but it’s definitely going to require a visit to a body shop.” She whipped around and reached into the backseat to retrieve her purse. She pulled out her license, handed it to him then said, “Your license?”

  “Please, miss,” he implored her, seeming jittery as he jammed his hand in his pocket and pulled out his license, then scanned the area. “I don’t have a lot of time.”

  Erin took a step back, adding some space between them. His nervousness was way off. With her free hand, she whipped out her cell. “Maybe I should call the police.”

  “We don’t have to do all that,” he said. “It’s just … it’s just that my little brother’s having surgery in an hour. I was trying to get to the hospital so I could see him before he goes in.”

  Must be why he’s so twitchy.

  “Look, I have some money,” he said, slamming his hand into his jeans and pulling out a few hundred dollar bills. He handed her ten along with the license, placing it with the one already in her hand. “That should cover it. I have more if you want, but I really need to get to the hospital. Please, lady.”

  It was against her better judgment, but the truth was she didn’t want to wait around. It was only a few scratches, and she didn’t really want to keep him. Traffic was building and since neither one of them got hurt, and neither car was badly damaged, she replied, “All right. I hope everything works out for your little brother.”

  He nodded, quickly palmed the license from her hand, and was back in his car before she could blink. His BMW quickly became a blur. Erin returned to her car and watched as he whipped off the first exit.

  Hmm. That exit doesn’t lead to the hospital.

  “Oh, well,” she shrugged, tucking the money and license into her purse. “Ten large isn’t too bad for what looks to be about two hundred dollars’ worth of damage.”