Burnout: A Legal Heat Novella

by Sarah Castille

  Sophie could have slipped away during their conversation, broken the duct tape restraints, and made a run for it. She could have run when everyone had cleared the room, leaving her alone with Ace. But she’d been worried about Ace. He was hurt because of her. She owed him. And the least she could do was to watch over him and let someone know if his condition got worse.

  Not that she’d really had a choice, but she felt better when she spun it that way. Just as she’d felt better when he’d fallen asleep and stopped mumbling about protecting her and never letting her go.

  He was a biker, dammit. Sexist. Rough. Crude. A known philanderer. He should have been a safe bet. One night and he should have been happy to walk away. But no. She had to hook up with the one biker who wanted more, the outlaw with a conscience who saved a damsel in distress and decided to keep her.

  You’re mine.

  She imagined other women might have liked hearing the words Ace had uttered in the brewery, but not her. Protective she could handle, but not possessive. Not again.

  Holding her breath, she dropped one foot to the ground. Something crunched underfoot. Papers rustled. Sophie barely managed to stifle a gasp. Was something alive down there? Mice she could handle, but not rats. She’d had too many bad encounters with rats when she’d patrolled along the Don River or in Toronto’s Chinatown or Little Italy.

  Paper rustled again, and she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. “Good God.” She slid back on the bed, lifting her feet off the floor.

  “You going somewhere?” Ace, now wide-awake, edged toward her and wrapped a thick arm around her waist.

  “Home?” She raised her eyebrows in query. “Somewhere rats aren’t about?”

  “You aren’t safe at home.” He drew in a ragged breath. “I talked to Ice after they brought you up here. He spent some… time… with Andre in our… basement. What Andre told you was true. He ratted Jason out to the Red Dragons, and he told them about your connection to him. They’ve got him at their base of operations. If he can’t settle the debt he owes them, they’ll come after you. It isn’t fair, and I know you aren’t involved, but they won’t care. It’s all about saving face and ensuring no one thinks they will let disrespect slide.”

  “Oh God.” Her hand flew to her mouth. “What will they do to him?”

  Ace’s arm tightened around her, comforting rather than restraining. “Ice has a contact in the VPD who told him about a man they’ve got undercover in the Red Dragons. He verified that Jason is with them and still alive, but you need to stay here until we can get him back. I can’t protect you if you leave.”

  “I didn’t realize I had a choice,” she said bitterly. “Maybe I got confused when Kickstand and Spook wrapped duct tape around my wrists and dragged me into their SUV and told me I had to go with them, and then locked me in your room after the doctor finished stitching you up.” She wriggled in his grip. “But thanks for making it clear. I appreciate the hospitality. I guess I’ll be going now.”

  “Stay.” Ace slid his hand up, cupping her breast in his warm palm. “With me.”

  “You kidnapped me.” Sophie pushed his hand away and turned on the bed to face him. “Do you honestly think I want to sleep with you after that?” She tried to ignore the fluttering in her belly and the rush of heat between her thighs.

  “Yes.” He tagged her around the waist and pulled her close, easing her onto his lap, her knees on either side of his hips. “’Cause you know I did it for the right reason.”

  “You’re wrong.” She gasped when he rocked her over his erection, hard beneath his jeans. Her bound hands dropped to his chest, and she studied the man who was both her captor and her saviour. His thick, dark hair fell to his shoulders. His body, though relaxed, hummed with raw power. His jaw, bristly with two days of stubble, was strong and defined, and he had a slight cleft in his chin that she hadn’t noticed before. So handsome. Her gaze dropped to his lips, full and expressive and made for kissing.

  The air between them crackled, and she dropped her bound hand to his chest, meaning to push herself away. Ace slid his arm around her waist and pulled her down, pinning her against his body, her hands trapped between them.

  This close to him, the scent of soap and antiseptic, leather and musky male filled her senses. She could feel the tension thrumming through his body; see the challenge in his eyes.

  “Stay,” he said again. The word was at once a demand and a request.

  With a flash of temper, Sophie pushed up, breaking his hold. She raised her bound hands above her head and brought them down hard, her elbows skimming her hips. The duct tape tore, and she wiggled her wrists to bring back her circulation.

  Freedom.

  She glanced down at Ace, her satisfied smirk fading when she saw pride in his eyes and not the anger or dismay she expected to see.

  “I told them that wouldn’t hold you,” he said. “My girl’s strong. Inside and out.”

  She wanted to leave. Instead, she smoothed her fingers against his jaw. She wanted to push him away. Instead, she tunneled her fingers into his hair and brushed it back from his face.

  He responded with a soft groan, and she leaned down and pressed her lips against his. She put all her raw emotion into her kiss—anger, frustration, fear, and anxiety. Everything she had, everything she was, everything she wanted, all her regrets and longings were loosed in that one perfect moment, and he responded.

  Ace wrapped his arms about her and held her tight. He covered her mouth with his and deepened the kiss, taking control, giving her what she wanted and more.

  Sophie couldn’t think, couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe as he ravaged her mouth. Every nerve ending fired at the feel of his hard body against hers, the steel of his shaft pressed against the juncture of her thighs, the potent heat of his body. Need and desire sizzled straight to her core, and her blood streamed molten through her veins. Lost to passion, she didn’t realize he had released her until he gently pushed her up. She shifted her weight, positioning herself over his hips, angling back to accommodate the delicious hardness of his erection.

  “Strip for me.” His voice, confident and commanding, echoed in the room. Sophie drew her shirt over her head and placed it carefully on the rumpled blue bedspread.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” She gestured to the bandages covering his shoulder and the patch of red that seemed to be getting larger as she watched. “You were just stabbed. The doctor said you bled a lot. You’ve been sedated. I don’t know if sex is a good idea.”

  “Babe.” The note of warning in his deep voice had her arching to unclip her bra.

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She shrugged off her bra and placed it beside her shirt.

  Ace’s gaze lifted to her breasts and he licked his lips. “More. I want you naked on top of me. I want to feel your wet pussy sliding over my cock. I want you to ride me, sweet Sophie, until you’re so wet your juices are dripping down my thighs.”

  Careful not to touch the floor, she rolled off him and slid her jeans and panties off, then folded them neatly on the bed.

  Ace’s lips quivered with a repressed smile. “Something wrong with the floor?”

  “I think there’s something alive down there.” She unfastened his Harley Davidson belt buckle and unzipped his fly.

  “You saying I’m not tidy?” He sucked in a sharp breath when she slid his clothing over his hips, freeing his cock from its restraint.

  “You are beyond not tidy. Should I even ask where I can find a condom?”

  “Drawer.” He reached for his nightstand, pulled out a condom. Sophie dipped her head as she took it. She had a crazy moment of disappointment that he’d been with other women, that it hadn’t always been Sophie and Ace, but when he whispered her name, she pushed the thought aside and rolled the condom over his cock. She’d been with other men. And if she hadn’t been with Ryan, she wouldn’t be here.

  Ace swore when she took him in her hand, pumping his thick, hard cock. He kicked off h
is jeans, and they dropped to the floor with a soft thud. Sophie held her breath, waited for a sound, a squeak, a scratch, claws, but she heard nothing save for the ragged rasp of Ace’s tortured breath.

  She knew then he was in pain, and that the wound was indeed bleeding afresh. Part of her wanted to run downstairs to find the doctor, but Ace was a proud man, and right now he wanted—no, needed—something only she could give.

  * * *

  With his good arm, Ace settled Sophie over his hips. He cupped her breast as she guided him between her legs, and rubbed the tip of his erection back and forth over her wet folds. Christ. He wanted to flip her over, pull her ass up in the air, grab her hair, and pound into her until she came all over his cock. But the dull ache in his shoulder was getting worse by the moment, and he forced himself to cede control to the sexy little cop who was torturing him with the promise of her hot, wet pussy.

  He rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger until it peaked. Her skin flushed, and he lifted his left arm to tease her other breast. Pain streaked through his shoulder, and he let his hand fall with a soft thud. Goddammit.

  “Let me.” She cupped her breasts, squeezing gently, her thumbs brushing over her nipples. Ace stared at her, transfixed by the erotic sight of her. Lips swollen from his kisses, skin flushed, hair spread over her shoulders in a silken wave. But it wasn’t just the erotic pleasure of her that tugged at something in his chest. She had stayed with him while the club doctor patched him up, refusing Ice’s offer to take her to Ace’s room or the clubhouse proper, where she could have watched TV. Despite her fury at being taken against her will, her hands restrained, she hadn’t trusted them to look after him. And now, knowing she could have freed herself at any time, he knew she’d stayed because she cared.

  She cared.

  He let the unfamiliar feeling wash over him. Accepted it. Embraced it. Did the depth of her feeling match his own? Because in that moment, he knew there was nothing he wouldn’t do for this woman. No enemy he wouldn’t face.

  Primal need flooded his veins. He wanted to mark her. Claim her. Take her. And yet he could barely move.

  As if she sensed his thoughts, Sophie eased down, taking his thick, hard cock inside her. Fucking heaven. So hot. So wet. So tight. He arched his back, angled his hips, thrust deep inside her, filling her completely.

  She groaned and braced herself against him, her hands warm on his chest, thighs clamped tight against his hips.

  “God, Ace. You feel so good.” Her head fell back, and she rocked against him, lost in the same passion that threatened to consume him, the pleasure that he gave to her.

  “Ride me, Sophie.” He gripped her thigh with his good hand, steadying her as she rode him. Her breasts swayed with her movement. Her lips parted. When her pussy tightened around him, he circled his thumb around her clit. Sophie gasped, her face flushing with exquisite agony.

  “Don’t stop, Ace. I’m so close.” She ground against him, taking him deeper, each raw, ragged breath spearing straight to his throbbing cock. He pressed his thumb over her clit, and she climaxed with a guttural groan, back arching, nails digging into his chest, her pussy billowing around his rock-hard shaft.

  So fucking beautiful. He couldn’t wait another second. With a growl, he slid his arm around her waist and yanked her down against him. Holding her tight, he drove his cock up into her slick, wet heat.

  “God, yes.” She reared up and nipped his lip, the sharp, unexpected pain inflaming him. He hammered into her until he felt a familiar pressure at the base of his spine. His climax came in a rush, his seed pumping so hard and fast every muscle in his body tightened and he held on to Sophie and gave in to the rush.

  “You are so mine,” he murmured as she softened against him.

  She sighed and eased herself down, resting along his uninjured side, her head on his shoulder, one leg twined with his. “If you ever kidnap me again, you are going to be one very sorry outlaw biker.”

  Ace laughed and removed the condom, depositing it in the garbage can beside his bed. “As long as you don’t put yourself in danger, there’s no chance of that.”

  “Hmmm.” She buried her face in his neck, forestalling any questions about whether she had given an affirmative response. Ace stroked a hand down her back as she fell asleep, the pleasure of holding her enough to numb the ache in his shoulder.

  How the hell was this going to work? Although he had no criminal record, and the fledgling club had not yet attracted any police attention, his association with the Rogue Riders could eventually put her at risk of losing her job for gross misconduct. He couldn’t let that happen. He would do what it took to keep her safe.

  Even if it meant giving up the most important thing in his life.

  * * *

  Sophie woke up, safe and warm. Ace’s arm lay heavy across her body, curled protectively around her. She sighed and snuggled against him. Ryan had never held her after sex, never curled around her in bed, never made her feel good… protected. She had been a possession to him. Coveted, used, and then put away.

  She breathed in his scent, listened to the steady beat of his heart in his broad chest. He made her feel feminine in a way she’d never felt before. Always with Ryan she had walls up, protecting herself, trying to keep her distance from his possessive, smothering behaviour. She was never off duty, never able to relax, let down her guard and just be herself. Ace wanted her, too. But last night, when he’d claimed her, she’d felt cherished, and protected. Despite his injury, he had focused on her pleasure. Despite his pain, he’d held her in his arms.

  God, his injury.

  She pushed herself up and inspected his shoulder. His skin was cool to the touch, and there was no more of the bright red bleeding she had seen last night. Guilt speared through her. This was her fault. He was injured because of her. Jason was her problem, and she should have dealt with it on her own.

  She could deal with it the best way she knew how. The right way. The legal way.

  Since meeting Ace, she’d handled shootings and stabbings, angry outlaw bikers, recalcitrant witnesses, suspicious cops, and being kidnapped. She’d interfered with crime scenes, illegally entered a house, issued threats, failed to report a number of serious crimes, ridden a motorcycle without a helmet, had a one-night stand, engaged in indecent exposure and public sex, consorted with criminals, and assaulted a civilian.

  If Ace or the Rogue Riders were implicated in any criminal activity, her career was at risk. And yet she felt no less committed to law enforcement than she had before. In fact, she felt confident, empowered by the obstacles she’d faced, the decisions she’d made, and the man who had made her see herself as she truly was.

  Her inability to shoot Ryan when he’d invaded her home was not a reflection of her character. She was brave and strong. Brave enough to try and fight him off instead of pulling the trigger. Strong enough to hold him off until the police had arrived. But more than that, she’d loved him. And there was nothing wrong with caring so much about a person that you didn’t want to see him hurt.

  She eased out from under Ace’s arm and slid off the bed, curling her toes as her feet sank down beneath the papers, magazines, and boxes until they hit the cold, hard floor. Yeah she was brave and strong when it came to people, but rats were an entirely different matter.

  After tugging on her clothes, she made her way to the door. Ace slept peacefully on the bed, his face partially hidden by his hair. His beard, now three days thick, covered his chin and cheeks, making him look deliciously dangerous even in sleep.

  Well, she was dangerous, too. She was a police officer. She believed in justice. And she wasn’t prepared to let Ace get hurt again.

  Reluctantly she opened the door and slipped out into the hallway. She knew exactly what she had to do.

  * * *

  “I’m here to see Deputy Chief Constable Skinner.” Sophie smiled at the receptionist at the VPD Headquarters on Cambie Street. The receptionist smiled back.

  “Go on in.
He’s waiting for you.”

  Waiting for her? Sophie’s skin prickled as she made her way down the brightly lit corridor. Encountering no resistance as she’d left the Rogue Rider clubhouse, she’d brazenly stopped outside the gate and left a message for Skinner letting him know she was on her way to the station to meet with him. No polite request. No scheduled appointment. She’d arrived expecting to be thrown out, so the welcome was somewhat unnerving.

  “Have a seat.” Skinner waved her to the black plastic chair in front of his desk. According to Gary, budget cuts earlier in the year meant they were down to the bare bones of office furniture, with admin funds being diverted to keeping more officers on the streets.

  “I’ve come to ask you to reconsider my suspension.” She straightened her spine, tried to project the image of calm, confidence. “I have a proposal with respect to my brother that I think would serve both our needs.”

  Skinner leaned back in his chair and nodded. “Go on.”

  “First, the suspension is unwarranted.” She went through her exemplary work record, glowing performance reports, her commitment to law enforcement, and the dedication that had led her to transfer departments rather than give up after Ryan’s assault.

  “Fine,” Skinner snapped.

  Puzzled, Sophie frowned. Was he reinstating her? If so, why did he look so angry? “Fine? Does that mean yes?”

  He heaved a sigh and scowled. “Yes. That means, yes. Your background all checked out. You are reinstated as of now.”

  Her mouth opened and then closed again. He didn’t seem to want to reinstate her. His tight-lipped stare and his jerky movements made her think someone was making him do it.

  “Now, what about your brother?”

  Her tension eased the tiniest bit, and she toyed with the bracelet around her wrist. “You want to catch him to answer for his crimes. I want to find him and keep him safe. I have reason to believe he’s being held by the Red Dragons. I can’t get him out alone, but I am pretty sure that, in exchange for his protection, he would agree to turn witness against them and maybe some other big players in the area.”