by Mari Carr
“You’d tucked some of those rose petals in your pocket before we left the shed. A few of them must have fallen out. I wouldn’t have thought anything about it because you’d been in the kitchen when Mama found us sneaking in. But there were a couple by the hutch as well.”
“Guess it’s a good thing I became a cop. I clearly suck at covering my tracks as a thief.”
Chloe smiled at his joke. “What happened after you left?”
“All hell broke loose.”
“What do you mean?”
“I waited for the pawn shop to open the next morning. Took in your mom’s platter and got a few hundred bucks for it. Then I went to the police station and bailed my dad out. I was stressing out over how I was going to find the money to buy the platter back. It was worth more than I realized. Anyway, my dad was in deep shit with some shady guys. He’d agreed to deliver some package, but he didn’t.”
“What was in the package?”
“Drugs. Never figured out if he sold them himself or had one hell of a party, but the package was gone and the guys wanted it or the money it would have brought in sales. They confronted my dad in the parking lot of a bar. Gave him a pretty good beat down. They took off when the cops showed up, but not before they told Dad he had twenty-four hours to produce the drugs or the money.”
“Why was he arrested?”
Blake snorted, the sound betraying a bitterness he didn’t like to show. “Even bloodied, my dad was a mean drunk. He took a swing at one of the cops. When they ran his name through the system, they found out he had some outstanding warrants. The second I sprung him from jail, he started making plans.”
“What kind of plans?”
A rumble of thunder distracted them. Blake looked up at the sky. Afternoon was quickly turning to dusk and dark clouds were forming. Apparently the weathermen had been right. A storm was coming. They’d need to head back to the bike soon or risk getting wet. As it was, Blake wasn’t sure they’d make it to the city before the rain started falling.
“Can we finish this at your place?”
Chloe looked up as well. He got the sense she wanted to finish what they’d started, but even she could see that wasn’t going to happen here. “Sure.”
Her tone gave him no hint to her feelings. Blake stood then offered her a hand. He didn’t release it as they started walking back to his Harley. She didn’t try to pull away. It gave him hope.
The ride back to Chloe’s place felt less peaceful than the trip to the lake. For one thing, Blake couldn’t put the bad memories away. Dredging up the past bothered him more than he’d expected. For years, he’d felt on top of his game, certain he’d kicked all the crap from his childhood to the curb. Clearly, he hadn’t.
Secondly, the rain hadn’t held off. They’d just made it to the city limits when the sky opened up. By the time they reached Chloe’s apartment, they were drenched from head to toe. He halfway expected her to tell him to take a hike. The afternoon by the lake had taken its toll and now they were cold and wet.
Instead, she pulled off her helmet, laughing as she lifted her face to the rain. “That was incredible. I couldn’t decide if I was having fun or scared out of my wits. How could you see the road? That was a deluge.”
He looked at her, raindrops sliding down her rosy cheeks, and felt like a two-ton truck had hit him. He grasped her face in his hands and, heedless of the storm that continued to pound down on them, he kissed her.
Chloe didn’t resist. She simply wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Their tongues tangled as he ran his fingers through her hair. She pressed her chest closer to his, sharing her body warmth. He had no idea how long they stood on the city sidewalk, letting the rain pummel them as they kissed, but Blake could have stayed there forever.
Finally, common sense reared and he took a step back. “I know I said that motorcycle bag is waterproof, but we probably shouldn’t tempt fate. You’ve got some expensive equipment in there.”
She nodded as he unhooked the bag and threw the strap over his shoulder. She carried their helmets, leading the way upstairs to her apartment.
“You can put that bag over there.” She pointed to the corner of her studio. “I’ll go grab some towels from the bathroom.”
Blake set the bag down then hovered by the door. He was dripping all over her hardwood floors.
Chloe was back within seconds with an armload of fluffy towels. “Why are you standing there?”
He gestured at the puddle forming around his feet. “Didn’t want to ruin your floor.”
Chloe shrugged. “It’s just water. It’ll dry. Here.” She held out a towel.
He crossed the room and took it from her. He ran it over his hair and face, then started undoing the buttons of his shirt. Chloe watched, making no move to stop him. Once he’d shrugged the clinging cotton off, she was there, rubbing all the water away with a towel.
When she finished, Blake reached for the hem of her t-shirt and tugged it over her head. Then he dried her as well. She sucked in a soft breath when he reached around her, unhooking her bra and adding it to the pile of wet clothing at their feet. He took his time, drying her breasts, loving the way her cold nipples budded even more at his touch.
Chloe reached for the button on his jeans and slowly slid the zipper down. He toed off his boots, chuckling as Chloe cursed in her struggles to strip the wet denim away. She followed the stubborn material down, kneeling before him as she gestured for him to lift one foot, then the other. She peeled off his socks as well.
She made no attempt to rise. “Still go commando, I see.”
He cupped her face in his palm, forcing her to look at him. “You’re beautiful.”
She gave him a wicked grin. “You’re just trying to sweet talk me into giving you a blowjob.”
He laughed. “Well, since you’re down there anyway, it seems like a shame to—” His jest was cut short when Chloe grasped his cock, taking the head into her mouth without hesitation.
His hands flew to her hair. “Jesus, Chloe. I was kidding.”
She didn’t release him, just sucked him harder, deeper. Blake struggled to catch up. He’d been emotionally done in when they’d left the lake, then stressed out as he’d tried to get them home safely on the motorcycle during the storm. Now he was standing in Chloe’s apartment, her lips wrapped around his cock, and his brain was scrambled, fried.
She cupped his balls in one palm, her other wrapped around the base. He recalled the first time she’d given him a blowjob. She’d dragged him into the back storeroom of the sub shop one night after closing and shocked him by asking him to teach her how to suck his dick.
Given the way she was driving him to the peak right now, he’d say she’d learned her lesson well. Increasing her speed, she took him deeper and deeper into her mouth with each pass. The head of his cock brushed the back of her throat. He tightened his grip on her hair, trembling slightly when she groaned, the vibrations adding another dimension to the blowjob.
“Chloe.”
She looked up at him, her expression the perfect blend of mischief and dare. She’d turned the tables on him, grasping control, and now she was challenging him to take it back. If he hadn’t been so mentally exhausted he would have called her to task immediately, pulling her over his knees.
Somehow she’d known. Known what he needed to make it through the next part. And she’d given it freely.
He tugged her hair more roughly than before. Chloe moaned again, her eyes closing in bliss. Her desire fueled his, gave him back the strength that had been waning. It wasn’t time for this. Not yet. There was still more to say.
He pushed her mouth away. Chloe frowned and started to protest, but he put a firm finger beneath her chin, forcing her face up. “No. Not this way.”
Blake lifted her slowly then placed his lips on hers. For several moments, they simply kissed. Then he moved, resting his forehead against hers. She shivered and he realized she was still wearing her wet jeans.
“Take off your pants. We need to get you dry and warm.”
Chloe moved away only a few steps, slipping her own jeans off as Blake watched. She didn’t have a shy bone in her body—never had—so her disrobing became part seduction. She turned her back to him before sliding the denim over her hips. She tugged her panties down at the same time, so when she bent forward to draw the material over her feet, he was treated to a bird’s-eye view of her perfect ass.
Before he could think better of it, he reached over and slapped it. Chloe gasped—the sound more surprise than pain—then she grasped her ankles. “Do that again.”
He considered making her beg. They had only started to explore their sexual kinks when he’d stolen that money and left town. Even so, he had recognized Chloe’s desire for pain, her love of rough play and her need to be dominated. He’d spent too many lonely nights, jacking off in bed as he imagined all the ways he would have taken her if life hadn’t thrown them the curveball.
Now, all those fantasies came rushing to the surface. He would make them a reality. But first…
He grasped her gently by the elbow and helped her up. She turned, confusion briefly flashing across her face before she understood.
“I’m sorry, Blake. I…”
He tugged her into his arms, holding her tightly. “I get the same way around you. I lose all sense of control. I just need to try to make things right between us before we let this go any further.”
She nodded. “I agree.”
He led her to the couch and they sat down together side by side. Chloe tugged an afghan from the ottoman and spread it out over top of them. It was cozy and warm.
“You said your dad was making plans after you bailed him out. To do what?”
“He was in big trouble with the drug pushers. We went back to our place and he started packing up our stuff. Within half an hour, we were back on the street. I’d worked at that crummy sub shop for nearly three years after school, saving enough money to buy my motorcycle. My dad went out that afternoon and stole one. By noon, we were on the highway, speeding away from New Orleans.”
“Just like that?”
Blake rubbed the back of his neck. He’d spent countless hours trying to figure out why the hell he’d followed his father so easily, why he hadn’t fought to stay. “I’d stolen from your mother, Chloe. I couldn’t figure out a way to make that right.”
“You could’ve explained it to me, Blake.”
He lifted one shoulder. “I know. But my dad…”
“He couldn’t stay in New Orleans. And you couldn’t leave him.”
“That was the biggest mistake I made that day. I chose to stay with the wrong person.”
Chloe fell silent. Blake wasn’t sure what else to say. At this point, the ball was in her court. Either she would forgive him. Or she wouldn’t.
“You’ve been back in New Orleans for almost six years?”
He nodded.
“Did you come back to town with your dad?”
“No. My dad and I split ways about two years after we left.” Blake didn’t tell her about the near-rape or the fight. That was a story he’d take to his grave. “I’d been on the force nearly three years before I realized he’d come back to New Orleans too. Got a call when I was on duty. Drunk and disorderly. I walked into the bar in my uniform and sure enough, there he sat.”
“That must have been an uncomfortable reunion.”
Blake snorted. “You can’t even imagine.”
“Did you arrest him?”
Blake shook his head. “No. I drove him back to his place. Crazy asshole was actually proud of me for joining the force.”
“Really?” Chloe asked. “I thought he hated cops.”
“He’s a twisted bastard. He believed he could use my position to cover up his crimes.”
Chloe winced. “Wow.”
“I pretended he could.”
Her eyebrows rose. “What? Why?”
Blake had never admitted his reasons before. He wondered if Chloe would change her mind about him if she learned exactly how manipulative he was. “Entrapment. I set up a mini-sting with my captain. Pretended to be in cahoots with my father while gaining information about a local drug ring. I knew my dad hadn’t changed his ways and I figured he’d be useful. He was.”
“That couldn’t have been easy for you.”
Blake leaned his head against the back of the couch. “You’d be surprised.”
She scowled. “Don’t. Stop playing the tough guy. You put your dad in jail. And even if he was an asshole, he was the only parent you’d ever had.”
Blake wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her head to his chest. “The world is simpler when you look at it in black and white. If you start adding color into the equation…”
“Is that why you’ve never called me?”
Blake wasn’t sure how to respond, so he stalled. “What?”
“You’ve been back in New Orleans for years. You saw my book. You knew I was still here. Why didn’t you call me?”
She sounded so genuinely hurt, it made Blake’s chest ache. “I didn’t think you’d forgive me.”
She lifted her head. “You were wrong.”
He gave her a tentative grin, hope blossoming. “So you do forgive me?”
She shook her head.
His brow creased. “You don’t?” For a moment, he felt lost. If she couldn’t understand his reasons for stealing the money, everything they once had was truly lost.
“It doesn’t matter if I forgive you, Blake. I’m pretty sure I stopped being mad at you the second my mother said you paid her the money back. I wouldn’t have had sex with you otherwise.”
He felt the urge to laugh, but his gut told him something was still wrong.
Chloe cupped his cheek in her hand. “It’s not my forgiveness that matters. You have to forgive yourself, Blake. You stayed away because you were trying to do penance, right?”
Her words hit him like a ton of bricks. Had he done that? Had he let guilt for his actions stop him from searching for her, for happiness? For love? “I’m not sure what to say.”
Chloe gave him a wicked grin that told him exactly how much of a fool he’d been to stay away. “You could always start with ‘You’re right’.”
He chuckled. “I’m pretty sure I’d be smart to use those words sparingly.”
She gave him a light punch on the arm. “Blake.”
“You’re right, Chloe. I’ve been letting guilt guide my decisions. I was wrong to do that.”
Chloe leaned closer and kissed him, showing him with actions rather than words that all truly was forgiven between them. It was a gift Blake had never let himself hope for.
For the first time in six years, he felt like he’d truly come home.
Blake reached for her, pulling her onto his lap. He had obviously reached the same realization she had. The time for talking was over. One main benefit of the rain was it had helped them shed the clothes early on. Blake was naked, his skin warm against hers.
He kissed her gently at first. An apology. Chloe accepted it, offering her own in return. She was sorry for doubting him. For failing to believe in the man she’d known he was. Both of them had let pride and the exaggerated emotions of youth—the ones that believe every problem is insurmountable and the worst thing that could ever happen—take control.
Chloe met Blake’s tongue halfway, letting the passion of the kiss build as she turned. Straddling his body, her knees on the cushions by his ass, she relished the hardness of his cock as it brushed her pussy, her stomach.
She’d spent too many years settling for lackluster sex. Chloe could see now she was to blame for those passionless affairs. Sex was way hotter when you were in love.
Love.
She broke the connection of their lips. She was wrong. There was still one more thing left to say.
Blake scowled at her retreat, clearly not finished. He started to pull her face back to his, but she resisted. “Chloe?”
&nb
sp; “I love you.”
His smile grew so wide, Chloe couldn’t help but return it. “Say it again.”
She lifted one eyebrow. “I think I’d be smart to use those words sparingly at first.”
Blake laughed, shifting her until the head of his cock rested at the opening of her body. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
She glanced down, intent on taking her prize, with or without his permission. She started to slide down, but Blake’s grip on her waist tightened, holding her in place. Dammit. She kept forgetting how strong he was.
When her gaze met his again, she saw something almost like sorrow in his eyes. “Blake?”
“I’m going to be greedy for a while, Chloe. I can’t help it. I want too much from you.”
She understood the sentiment. She shared it. “We’ll be gluttons together. I love you. I love you so much it hurts. And if you ever try to leave me again, I will hunt you down to the end of the earth and I’ll—”
Blake cut off her threat with a kiss. “Never gonna happen, but you know…there are laws against threatening a police officer.”
She returned his kiss with interest, nipping his lower lip. “Oh yeah? Handcuff-worthy laws?”
Blake chuckled. “Definitely.”
He loosened his grip on her waist, using his hands to guide her, drawing her body down onto his cock. Both of them gasped once he was fully seated. Her position on top left her wide open and able to take him deeper. It still didn’t feel like enough.
She lifted up a few inches then slid back down slowly, savoring Blake’s pained expression, his quick intake of air.
He gave her a warning look. “Are you really sure you want to play the control game, Chloe?”
She recognized the threat. She’d been trying to force his hand ever since they’d walked into the apartment, daring him to take charge.
Regardless of the danger, it was a challenge she couldn’t refuse. After so many years apart, she felt the need to test him, to see if he was still the dominant lover she remembered. Craved.
