I blushed and could practically hear Dawson roll his eyes. Kyle had always been a charmer. In fact, before he’d met his girlfriend, Christie Gamble, he’d been a veritable playboy.
“Thanks,” I replied. “You clean up pretty nicely.”
“I’ll take credit for that,” Christie said, appearing at his side with a champagne flute in her hand.
She and I stepped forward to give each other a hug. “Good to see you,” I said warmly.
I’d known her since she and Kyle started dating years ago, and I’d always been very fond of her. She seemed to be good for Kyle and vice versa. Not to mention the fact that we’d had numerous conversations over the years about dating cops, and she seemed to be able to handle the life. Not everyone could.
I wasn’t sure why Kyle still hadn’t put on a ring on it.
And judging from Christie’s behavior sometimes, I was guessing I wasn’t the only curious one.
“So, Mickie,” Kyle said, drawing my attention. “How in the hell did you get our boy here to not only shave and wear a tux, but to also get through the front door with his tie still on? Were there threats involved? Or bribery?”
Dawson grunted as I giggled. “Actually.” Dawson and I gazed at each other. His eyes were heated and darkening with every passing second. “He did that all by himself. I didn’t have to say a word.”
“Aw, is our little man finally growing up?” Kyle acted like he was wiping away a stray tear. “I’m so proud.”
Dawson lightly shoved his partner. “And as is the right of family, I’m about to kick your ass if you don’t shut it.”
Kyle laughed. “In front of God and the Commissioner? I’ll let you have the first swing, buddy.”
Inevitably, the guys’ conversation eventually turned to work. Christie rolled her eyes as we walked to our assigned table. “I’m going to need more alcohol if they spend the rest of the night talking about leads and evidence and interrogating suspects.” As she spoke, she took gulps—not sips—of her champagne.
“I hear you,” I replied.
“Maybe I should start talking about the new line of boyfriend jeans I just acquired for one of my stores and see how they react,” she said, winking at me.
I didn’t know much about her job except that she worked in the retail industry and was some kind of buyer for large companies. She seemed pretty successful at it.
“Yeah, and I’ll gross them out by describing the gaping ten-inch wound I helped stitch up yesterday,” I added.
She pretended to gag. “They’re homicide detectives. Pretty sure the only person who’d be grossed out by that is me.”
Throughout dinner, Christie and I caught up while the guys kept talking about their latest cases. I could tell she was making every effort to avoid awkward comments about mine and Dawson’s situation, which I appreciated. For one night, I wanted to pretend there wasn’t anything wrong in my universe.
Speeches were made after dinner was over, all of which were just as boring as the previous years had been. The Commissioner gave his same rote about how great our city was when everyone banded together to work as one. I was ready to chop off my ears by the end of that speech.
I thought I would die of boredom by the time the City Council members’ speeches started. That was, until I felt a hand on my thigh.
I felt Dawson scoot his chair closer to mine until he was practically sitting on top of me. His fingers inched the slit of my dress open, wider and wider until both my legs were exposed. Using more force, he pushed my crossed legs apart until they fell open under his attention. Thank God the linen tablecloth was covering up everything he was doing.
Then his hand was at my sex.
I choked on my champagne.
He had pushed my panties aside and the pads of his fingers were circling my clit. I was afraid that if I looked at him, the rest of our table would know what was going on, so I didn’t. I kept my eyes on the guy speaking from the podium. But my mind was totally, one hundred percent focused on Dawson’s fingers. The friction he was creating as he rubbed me was making me breathless. I actually had to grip the end of my chair to keep from moaning out loud.
He draped his arm across the back of my chair, leaning closer. “Think you can be quiet if I make you come?” he whispered.
Because I couldn’t verbalize a response, I gave him one tiny nod.
“If you don’t,” he continued, “everyone will know I’ve got my hand on your pussy. Everyone will know I’m getting you off right now.”
His fingers picked up their pace, putting more pressure on that little bundle of nerves. I pursed my lips and tried to squeeze my legs together for some relief. His strong hand pried them back open.
“Ah ah ah,” he chided softly. “Don’t fight me on this. I’m in control right now.” The tip of his finger entered me slowly. “You know you want to come, baby.”
For some reason, the endearment only heightened my arousal. Now, the problem wasn’t that I was breathless. Now, my breaths were coming much too fast and I thought I might hyperventilate. With every movement of his finger, I was picturing him naked above me, rutting against me. Both of us getting tangled up in the sheets.
“Christ, you’re so wet,” he said on a tortured groan. “This turning you on that much?”
I reached for his leg and dug my fingernails into his pants. He hissed out a breath, though it only seemed to spur him on. But for me, I was using him for leverage. Or at least to hold me steady. Because if I were to let go, I might have started convulsing.
“I need it,” I whispered.
His breath blew tendrils of my hair across my shoulder. “Fuck, yes. Soak my hand, Mick.”
His fingers sped up. If it had been completely silent in the room, everyone would probably have been able to hear him entering me. I couldn’t understand how he was able to appear as if he were barely moving his arm up top, while rocking my world down below. Even more, I couldn’t understand how I was able to keep my eyes open and focused straight ahead, instead of throwing my head back and screaming down the building.
“Almost…there,” I said, the sound barely even a whisper.
“Do it,” he commanded. “Let me give this to you. Right here, right now. With all these people around. Come for me.”
I’ve never orgasmed so quietly in my life.
The only sound that escaped my lips was a small whimper as pleasure slammed through me. Dawson increased the thrusts of his fingers as I rode over that crest, staying with me until I was fully sated. I clamped my legs shut like a vice to savor the delicious feeling as long as possible. There was something so hot about having to remain quiet while bursts of ecstasy exploded inside you, making your limbs tremble.
When he slowly removed his fingers from within me, I thought I would slide down the chair and melt into a puddle of goo, I was so dazed and relaxed.
“I know it wasn’t as good as what you did for me the other night,” he said, his hand caressing my shoulder. “But the night is still young.”
I narrowed my eyes, but couldn’t contain my grin. “You’re so bad.”
His eyebrow lifted. “Did you forget?”
I shrugged. “No, I didn’t forget. I’ve just…missed it.”
He looked both surprised and pleased with my answer.
The speech I hadn’t been paying a lick of attention to suddenly ended. Dawson kept his grin on his face while he clapped for the woman walking away from the podium. When the band onstage started to play a Sinatra classic, I sent up silent prayers that the speech portion of the evening was over. Couples gradually started to make their way onto the dance floor, swaying back and forth in their black-tie finery.
Dawson’s hand slid down my shoulder, taking my hand as he stood up. “Care to dance, Mrs. Cruz?” he asked.
I couldn’t have been more shocked than if he’d pulled me onto his lap and shouted, “Let’s make another baby!”
Out of all the years we’d attended this gala together, he had danced with me a tot
al of zero times. I was used to sipping champagne and talking with the other people at our table while everyone else danced. Sure, he’d taken me salsa dancing recently, but I thought that had been some kind of anomaly. A once in a lifetime opportunity.
Now, he wanted to dance with me in front of a room full of people that he actually knew?
Because…okay!
He almost looked worried that I was about to say no. Though his face relaxed when I took his hand and rose to my feet, smiling. “I thought you’d never ask.”
“Me, too,” Kyle muttered, throwing me a wink over Dawson’s shoulder as Christie smacked his arm. Dawson just sighed and led me onto the floor.
“So, does this count as being spontaneous?” he asked after pulling me into his arms.
I willingly followed as he led us around the floor. “Since I am both genuinely happy and surprised, yes. I would say this does fall under that category.” I ducked my head when I thought about what we had just done at the table. “In fact, your forte in spontaneity has vastly improved lately.”
He tipped his head to the side, eyes turning inquisitive. “And that’s what you wanted. Right?”
I remembered how lost he’d looked the night I confessed that to him. “Yes.” I stepped closer to him, pressing my breasts against his muscular chest. “This is what I’ve wanted.”
He looked so different when he smiled with a shaved face. Almost boyish. When he had his beard or goatee or even scruff, he looked dangerous when he grinned. Like he always had a dirty secret, and the rest of the world would never get to know it.
Like this, he appeared harmless.
Although I knew that was far from the truth.
“Can you think of any other spontaneous things we could do tonight?” I asked, baiting him.
His eyelids seemed to go heavy, and his jaw hardened. “I can think of a few.”
I shot him a doubtful expression. “As good as what happened at the table?”
“Better.”
Oh, I liked that.
“Follow me,” he growled and pulled me off the dance floor.
My excitement picked up with every stumbled step I took in his wake. My stilettos looked nice and everything. But they were a pain in the ass when you were frantic to find a private spot where you could ravage your husband. His hand held its firm grip on mine as he plowed through the crowd without stopping to speak to anyone.
Until Commissioner Shafter himself stepped in our path. Dawson stopped short, halting his movements.
“Detective Cruz,” the Commissioner said, shaking Dawson’s hand with an eager smile. “Good to see you again.”
“You as well, sir,” Dawson replied, and then pulled me forward to stand beside him. “I’d like to introduce you to my wife, Mickie.”
He gave me one of those two-handed handshakes. His hands were too soft, in my opinion. Not like Dawson’s calloused ones.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, my dear.”
“The pleasure’s mine, Commissioner,” I said. “I enjoyed your speech.” Not really.
“Ah, thank you.” He slapped his hand on Dawson’s shoulder. “I bet you’re real proud of this guy, huh?”
Dawson’s hand tightened around my waist and his spine stiffened, confusing me. But I kept my focus on the other man.
“I’m sorry, sir,” I said. “Proud of him for what?”
Commissioner Shafer’s brow furrowed, yet he maintained his amiable smile. “Well, for being promoted to Captain, of course. We all have high hopes for him.”
What. The. Hell.
Captain? When was Dawson promoted to Captain?
And why didn’t he think that was something I should know? The reason for his sudden mutism and rigid posture now made sense.
I pasted on a polite smile for Dawson’s benefit. I wouldn’t make a dramatic scene in front of his boss’s boss’s boss. “Absolutely,” I said. “Very proud.” I glanced up at Dawson to see a barely discernable look of worry etched into the lines of his face. “We were all so excited when he told us.”
His expression turned to one of dread.
He’d gotten my message. Good.
The Commissioner slapped his shoulder again. “Well, I’ll be eager to see what you can do,” he said to Dawson. “I’ll let you two get back to enjoying your evening.” With a final nod to me, he walked off.
We stood there in silence for several seconds before Dawson blew out a long breath and faced me. I was so angry and hurt, though, I didn’t know if I was ready to hear whatever he had to say.
“I can explain,” he said cautiously, slowly.
Because I was battling so many different emotions and couldn’t decide which one was the most rational, I just walked off.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Dawson
“Mickie, wait.”
Once again, my dick was about to be punished by my incredible stupidity.
Mickie was not supposed to find out about the promotion from anyone other than me. And what was worse, now she thought I’d taken the job without ever talking to her about it. I had no idea what had possessed the Commissioner to act like I’d already accepted the position. Maybe he thought it was a foregone conclusion, and that I’d be insane not to take it.
It didn’t really matter why I’d just taken a huge step backwards in repairing things with my wife.
I just had to fix it.
Before things got worse.
I followed Mickie as she weaved through the throng of people in the ballroom. She pushed through a side door, which led out into a deserted hallway. At my continued calls, she didn’t stop or look back.
“Just leave me alone for a minute,” she grated out, still not pausing.
Not a chance.
I picked up my pace. “I haven’t taken the job yet,” I said. “They’ve basically offered it to me, but I haven’t said yes.”
She pivoted. Between the fire in her eyes and the wild curls in her hair, she looked like an enraged goddess. The kind you didn’t mess with.
“But you’ve known about it,” she pointed out. “Clearly, you’ve known for who knows how long and you haven’t brought it up with me. Just exactly how much have you been keeping from me, Dawson?”
Enough.
She was going to hear what I had to say and, by God, she was going to listen.
I snatched her wrist and hauled her through the nearest closed door, which turned out to be a storage room for the ballrooms. Extra tables were propped up against the walls, and stacks of chairs covered the space. I backed her up against one of those stacks, until she had no more places to run.
No escape.
“I only found out about it a few weeks ago,” I said evenly. “And since things were still a little…tense between us at the time, I didn’t think it was the best time to bring something like that up.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, her frown deepening. “You mean something that would have a dramatic impact on our daily lives?” she asked haughtily. “That’s your job, Dawson. I kind of need to know when things change with it.”
I leaned in closer, boxing her in with my arms. “Discussing this change at the time would have most certainly caused a fight,” I said through clenched teeth. “And we were already fighting enough then. So, excuse me for wanting to smooth things out a little between us before I dug myself a deeper hole.”
A microscopic bit of fight left her features, but there was still too much there to comfort me in any way.
“Then why did the Commissioner act like you’d already accepted?”
I shook my head. “I have no idea. I guess because Lieutenant Allen wants me to take it, and has probably been talking about it with his bosses. Everyone’s been encouraging me to go for it. I think most people just assume I’m going to.”
Her eyes searched mine, flitting back and forth. “And what do you want?”
So many things.
But only one of them was a make-or-break situation.
“I want you,
Mickie.” She had to believe that. If not, I’d failed her in every possible way. “A promotion won’t meant shit to me if I don’t have you. I need you to understand that.”
If eyes could frown, that’s what hers were doing. It was the only way I could describe how she was looking at me.
“I do understand,” she said. “But this is part of our problem. Communication. You not talking to me about stuff.”
I grunted in frustration. Were we back to that again? “Mickie, I talk to you about everything,” I insisted. “You know I’m not like how I used to be.”
“Not everything,” she said, stepping closer to me. “You might talk to me about a lot of things, and even open up about your feelings. But if you think it might cause me any stress whatsoever, like it’s too heavy, you keep it to yourself.”
“What do you mean?”
She waved her hand around at nothing. “Stuff with your cases, issues with your family. And did you really not think I would find out about the medication you went on for your high cholesterol?”
Shit. She knew about that?
“Ever since I went on bedrest when I was pregnant with the twins,” she continued, “you think you have to protect me from every piece of information I might find even the slightest bit worrisome.”
“And what is wrong with that?” I demanded.
Was she expecting me to apologize for trying to protect her? To take care of her?
“I have never been more scared in my life than when I saw you lying in that hospital bed with our children inside you, hooked up to all those damn machines. Not knowing if everything was okay. Or if I had done something to cause all of it. You’re damn right I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that never happens again.”
Her expression softened. “You couldn’t have prevented that,” she said gently. “And you can’t control what’s going to happen now. I know you don’t want to upset me by talking about your mother or how stressed you are about your investigations. And I appreciate your concern.” She laid her hand on my chest. “But I’m a grown woman, Dawson. I can handle all of it. It’s my job as your wife to share your burdens with you. You need to share it as much as I need to hear it.”
Always Mickie (Cruz Brothers Book 3) Page 19
