“And it’s my job to tell you to back off when there’s no evidence of any wrongdoing.”
I want to keep fighting, but I know I won’t win. The Corrigans are revered and protected in this city, but they’re not untouchable, at least not to me. I’ll stop submitting my reports, but I’m going to find the chink in their armor, and take them down. I’ve been waiting too long to get the answers I didn’t have when I was just a kid, watching my best friend pack up and move away, and I’m not going to stop now.
Camari
I’ve been staring at the hamburger on the plate in front of me for so long, I’m not sure it’s still okay to eat it, even if I could bring myself to just go ahead and do it. I’m at the same sports bar I went to with Lennon, but he’s not here with me right now, thank God. How would I explain that a hamburger is scaring me half to death?
“Something wrong with your burger?”
I look up, and it’s like I just conjured Lennon with my desire for him not to be here. “No. I don’t know.”
“Won’t know until you try it.”
“True.”
He’s watching me, and I don’t need him thinking I’m weirder then he must imagine me being by now, so I pick it up, and take a bite. I can’t hide my moan as I chew and swallow this delicious piece of red meat, ketchup, cheddar, and mayo. I never cut protein out of my diet, but I’ve rarely eaten red meat, and I haven’t had a burger in years. It’s just as heavenly as I remembered, and I have to fight to not shove the whole thing in my mouth.
“That good, huh?”
I nod, wiping my mouth with a napkin. “So good.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“Are you going to try to steal my fries?”
“I might.”
“Get your own damn fries, and you’re welcome to sit down with me.”
“You drive a hard bargain, Cam,” he tells me with a laugh, before flagging down the waitress and placing his own order.
“I have a feeling you wouldn’t be sitting here with me if I was easy.”
“You think you’re just a challenge to me because you haven’t slept with me?” he asks, looking offended.
“Am I?”
“No. Is that what you really think?”
“I don’t know what to think,” I tell him honestly, swirling a fry in ketchup. “I’ve seen the girls who leave your house, and I don’t look like any of them.”
“Give me some credit. They don’t all look like each other.”
“I wasn’t talking about hair color, although you are pretty consistent.”
“Then would you care to enlighten me as to what it is you meant, since I’m obviously not getting it.”
“They all had big boobs and short skirts, or shorts with their ass hanging out.”
“I’d like to see your ass hanging out of a pair of shorts.”
“It’s barely sixty degrees out,” I remind him, rolling my eyes.
“I’d keep you warm.”
The waitress chooses that moment to bring him his food, giving me a much needed few seconds to compose myself. I was just about to ask him how he’d warm me up, and that is not good. For my sanity, or my job. I need to stay focused.
“Did you work today?”
“Yes, I did,” he says, and his smile fades.
“It was that bad? Did someone die while you were talking to them?”
“Yes, and no. I’ve had that happen before, but not today.”
“That would be horrible.
“It is, but it’s part of the job, and I’ve learned to compartmentalize it because if I don’t, I can’t help the next person who calls.”
“That’s very psychologically stable of you.”
“Why thank you, I think.”
“It’s definitely a compliment, but if you didn’t have a bad call, why was work not good today?”
“My boss and I aren’t seeing eye to eye.”
And here we go. “About your performance?”
“No, there’s nothing he can complain about there, although he probably wishes he could right now.”
“I’m a good listener if you want to talk.”
“I might take you up on that one day, but for tonight, I’d just like to kiss you.”
“Kiss me?”
“Yeah. Maybe I shouldn’t have said it, but you know I mean it.”
“If I let you kiss me, are you still going to want to take me on a date?”
“Absolutely.”
He smiles at me, I smile at him, and we lean in towards each other. Kissing in the middle of a sports bar, over a table littered with our dinners shouldn’t be romantic, but when his lips touch mine, it is. The kiss is soft, sweet, and over too soon.
“That was nice.”
“Only because we’re in public. Meet me at your door when we go home, and I’ll take care of you the way I want to.”
“I think that could be arranged.”
We spend another hour at the bar, finishing our burgers and fries, plus a piece of chocolate lava cake. We share that one, but tonight is not only making me want Lennon even more, it’s making me remember how good food can taste. I didn’t know I missed good food until I had it again, and I’m thankful to Kendrick for making me eat. Not that I’ll ever tell him that, because I still don’t like being forced into it.
Lennon
I’ve never had performance anxiety before, but I’m feeling a little nervous as I walk over to meet Camari at her front door. I promised I was going to take care of her, and I want her to feel phenomenal, and think I’m pretty great, too. I can’t remember the last time I cared what a woman thought of me, but that seems to be all I care about where she’s concerned.
“Fancy meeting you here,” she says, leaning back against her door.
The porch light’s off, but the moon is bright tonight, and she looks even more beautiful in the moonlight. Her strong cheekbones, cute little nose, and lush lips have a glow about them in this light, and if it wasn’t for the fact I think she’d laugh in my face, I’d tell her all that. As it is, I have to think before I speak with this woman who doesn’t trust me not to feed her lines, and that’s just one more thing to like about her.
“It’s definitely fate.”
“Maybe, but I don’t feel your lips on mine yet.”
I brace my forearm above her on the doorframe, and use my other hand to cup her jaw and move it closer to mine. She waits patiently while I lower my mouth to hers, and brush our lips together. Her hands go to my waist, and pull me closer to her as I continue with little nips and sips at her mouth.
When she moans, I tilt her mouth and lick at the seam of her lips until she opens for me. I don’t rush things as I curl my tongue around hers, and just keep kissing her. When her hands slide the zipper of my jacket down, and pull up my shirt, I thrust against her without even realizing what I’m doing. Her hands move under my shirt, and tease the hair on my chest as I start to lose my mind.
I open her coat, and slide my own hand under her shirt, caressing her breasts over her bra. They’re small, but firm, and I love feeling her hard nipples as I move back and forth from one to the other. I’m on fire just from making out with her, and I can’t help but want more.
She pulls away as I start to move harder against her, pressing her back into the door. “We have to stop.”
“I know.”
“I’m not a tease.”
I lift her chin so I can meet her eyes. “I know that, too.”
“It’s just…this is fast. I-I want slow. Can we go slow?”
“Whatever you need.”
She looks away for a moment, and then back at me again. “If we do this, Lennon, whatever this is, I need to be the only one.”
“You already are, Cam. I guess you haven’t noticed the lack of women leaving my house lately.”
“I noticed,” she says, ducking her head.
I lift it once again. “I like you. I don’t know what this is either, because I don’t get too attached to anyone
, but I want to see where this takes us.”
“Okay.”
“Do you want to go to my game tomorrow night?” I ask, hoping she says yes, because I want to show her I mean what I’m saying.
“Yes.”
It’s just one word, but it makes me smile wider than I have in a long time. I give her one more quick kiss, and walk next door. I want more than kisses with Camari, and if I do things right, I might just get what I want.
4
Camari
“He was upset about a meeting with his boss,” I tell Audrey the next morning, during our briefing Skype.
“We’ve been putting pressure on the department to stop him.”
“I’m not sure it’s working the way you want it to. If his job is threatened, he’s going to look even more closely at everything.”
I know it’s the truth, and I feel a little guilty for telling her, but I have a job to do. I’m starting to care too much for Lennon, and the need to protect him is strong, but it’s not my priority; it can’t be. I’ll try to help him if I can, but not at the expense of our exposure.
“You may be right. I feel like there’s something here we’re missing. I don’t know what it is, but my gut is telling me there’s more to his story.”
“I think so, too. I could tell he was really bothered last night, and I offered to listen if he wanted to talk. He didn’t take me up on it, though.”
“That doesn’t mean he won’t in the future. You’re doing a great job so far.”
“Thanks.”
“I hate to bring this up, but I got a report from Kendrick after you saw him.”
“I figured you would.”
“You know he’s only doing this to help you, right?”
“Yes, and if you’re subtly asking if I’m listening to him, I had a burger and fries for dinner, and I didn’t work out last night.”
“It’s a good start, but I also wanted you to know we have doctors and therapists you can talk to if that’s something you think you need. I can’t tell you who else sees them, but I’m pretty sure it’s been all of us at one time or another.”
“I’m good for now, but I’ll keep it in mind.”
I won’t, because I don’t need Reina seeing that kind of weakness from me, but I can play along, and pretend.
“Okay. But please don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it.”
“I will.”
“Try to get Lennon to open up tonight if you can. I’ll have Isa and Tegan look into his background some more. There has to be something we’ve missed.”
We say our goodbyes, and I sit back on the couch, trying to figure out how to make all of this work. The undercover assignment, my feelings for Lennon, eating food I haven’t touched in years, and not exercising it all away. I don’t know which of it is the hardest, although eating the red meat didn’t make me feel great last night, so the food may have to be my biggest worry until my body adjusts. And doesn’t that just make me feel even worse about things, because the mission should be my priority, and honestly, right now it’s not.
Giving myself a shake, both mentally and physically, I get to my feet, and decide I should do some of my own detective work into Lennon’s past. He has cameras, and a high-tech security system next door, but I’m thinking more about his parents and their house. Ainsley said they’re on a cruise right now, and a neighbor is putting their mail inside, and feeding their fish, but the place is otherwise wide open.
I should ask for permission, but I’m afraid I won’t get it, so I’ll just ask for forgiveness after I’m done. I change into a sweater, and leggings, then head a couple of miles away to the Chase family residence, where Lennon lived all his life until college, and moving into his own place.
The house looks just like every other one on the block, except it also looks different. There are simple touches that make it unique—and are subtle enough not to anger an HOA. A little extra shine in the paint on the shutters, and a colored door that stands out. I already know I’m going to like this couple, if I ever get the chance to meet them.
There’s a strip mall a couple blocks over, and that’s where I park. If I wasn’t on an exercise limit, I’d have biked here and back, but I push thoughts of the endorphins from that ride from my mind, because it won’t do me any good to dwell on what can’t be. A leisurely stroll will have to be enough for now.
One thing about Las Vegas I had to get used to when I moved here, is the lack of alleys in residential neighborhoods. There are some downtown, and in older parts of the city, but in the most populated areas, yards are only separated by a wall. I pretend to look at my phone as I walk, when I’m actually checking for signs of life in the houses.
Finding all but one house surrounding the Chase home empty, I climb the gate of the one behind it, and then the wall into their yard, facing the unoccupied dwelling. They have a good security system, but the tools at my disposal are much better, and I’m in the house in less than two minutes.
The floorplan is pretty basic, with a kitchen back here, a family room to the side, a powder room, and a living room on this floor. The bedrooms and more bathrooms are upstairs. I take a little time to look at the pictures on the walls, and bookcases. They show a happy family, which is what I expected. Lennon was clearly loved.
Once I’m upstairs, I quickly look through the master suite, and the guest room, before entering Lennon’s old room. It’s like I’ve entered a time warp, with pictures of baseball players and female stars covering the walls. I ignore his bed, with the plain blue comforter, and walk to his desk. There’s only one photo there, and it’s of a Little League baseball team. I instantly pick him out of the lineup, even though he can’t be more than eight or nine. This photo has to have some kind of significance to him, because it’s the only one here. I snap a pic of it to send to Ainsley, and look around for a few more minutes before hearing the front door open.
I thought I had my timing down, but apparently not. I close the door quietly, and hide in the closet in case the neighbor decides to look around. The alarm was off, so that has to give her some pause. I tap behind my ear, making my implant there a long-range listening device, and breathe a sigh of relief when I hear her muttering about forgetting to turn on the alarm.
She doesn’t take long with the fish, so I’m back to my car less than a half hour later. I send the picture to Ainsley, copying Audrey and Reina, and make it home in time to shower and change for the game tonight. I’ve got to get Lennon to trust me, while not giving myself up to him fully yet. It’s a fine line, and one I’m afraid I’m going to blunder through before this is all over.
Lennon
I don’t know if I should go over and ring Camari’s doorbell, or just meet her in my driveway, or…I just don’t know! I invited her to my game tonight, but it’s not really a date. Or is it? I want to try the dating thing with her, but I still don’t think a softball game is a good first date. It’s very confusing when you’ve never done it before.
My doorbell ringing pulls me out of my thoughts, although I’m not expecting anyone. I open it to find Camari on the other side. My mouth goes dry at the sight of her in jeans, and a tight sweater. I’ve seen her in both before, but they were never for me, and somehow that makes them sexier.
“Hi,” she says, pulling at her ponytailed hair nervously. “I didn’t know how this was going to work, so I decided to just come on over.”
I shake my head, and laugh. “I was having the same problem. I don’t want this to be our first date, because you deserve better, but I want you to be there with me. Does that make any kind of sense?”
“It makes perfect sense.”
“Great. We’ll ride together, I’ll buy you something from Doug, you’ll give me a good luck kiss, and then I’ll win the game.”
“Can we hold hands, too?” she asks, looking nervous.
“Most definitely.”
“Okay. I’m in.”
I take her hand, and lead her to my truck. I let her go while I dr
ive to the park, because being a 911 operator has made me extra cautious when driving, but I take possession of her fingers again as we walk to the field.
There are some curious looks, because I don’t normally do this—I can’t even remember a time when I held a girl’s hand. Maybe in elementary school, but I don’t even know about that. All I know is that holding Camari’s hand feels right.
“Hi, Lenny!” one of the blondes yells, coming to stand in front of us.
She arches her back, making her tits practically pop out of her cutoff shirt. At one time I may have taken the bait—and taken her home—but I’m really trying not to be that guy anymore. I tilt my chin towards her, and turn back to Camari.
“You hungry, Cam?”
“I could eat.”
“Let’s get you some food so you have the energy to cheer me on during the game.”
“She doesn’t have a shirt,” the girl says, not taking the hint.
“She can have one anytime she wants, but she doesn’t need one.”
I tug on Camari’s hand and lead her to the food truck. She squeezes my hand, and pulls me to a stop when we’re a little way away.
“Did you mean it about me getting a shirt?”
“You want one?”
She looks towards the field where all the girls are lined up, and jumping up and down. “Maybe not.”
“Cam?” I ask, because I can tell she does want a shirt.
“I won’t fill it out like them.”
“No, you’ll fill it out like you, and that’s going to be super hot to see.”
“You sound like you mean it.”
“I do.”
“I like you, Lennon Chase.”
“I like you too, Camari Duke.”
I lean over and kiss her softly. She smiles against my lips, and I smile back. If I didn’t have a game to play, I’d slide my tongue inside her mouth, and claim it for my own, not caring if the whole city was witness to it. Since I do have that game, I pull back and touch my forehead to hers.
“After?” she asks.
“Yes, please.”
She gives me another quick kiss, and pulls me over to Doug and his truck. I’m thankful my semi hasn’t ventured into a full-on erection yet, because my sweatpants aren’t going to hide much, and there’s nothing I could do about it right now.
Society Girls: Camari Page 4
