Sapphire Universe (The Universe Series)

by Herrera, Devon

  “I’m flattered, but I’m not interested.” He admonishes, using his calm voice.

  “You might want to rethink that baby. I promise it will be a night you’ll never forget.” The bitch purrs and I resist the urge to crack my knuckles and go Laura Croft all over her skank ass.

  “Yes it will. But it won’t be with you.” I chime in and Connor and the woman turn towards me. “I’ll be the only female to get naked with this particular man so move along and snag another one in your web.” I flick my fingers in her direction as if shooing a spider.

  The woman smirks at me and slides a card into Connor’s blazer pocket. “If you change your mind.” She pats his shoulder walks away still looking at me and I think I growl a little. Really Bitch!

  “I love it when you mark your territory Princess. It’s such a turn on.” Connor says watching me with sexy amused eyes.

  I grab our drinks from the bartender and pull Connor to the back of the bar, forgetting about the black widow. “TEN SECONDS TILL MIDNIGHT!” I hear someone shout. Everyone starts counting down but Connor locks his beautiful sapphires with mine and the world fades away.

  “I love you so much Nina. Thank you for being mine. I promise this year and all the ones after will never make you regret it.” He says then captures my mouth before I can respond as everyone shouts “Happy New Year!” He traces my lips with his tongue and I nip at his, making him groan. I rub my tongue over his and pull it back out to suck on his lip and dive in for more.

  When Connor releases, me I notice that the only couples still embracing are me and Connor and Lo and Drake who are still lip locked at our booth. I smile and scan the room for Nick. Connor must find him at the same time as I do because he curses. Nick has Toni pressed up against the wall and is assaulting her mouth with no mercy as Barbie the Sequel storms through the crowd away from them. I’m a little shocked at what I’m seeing take place and just then, Toni pushes Nick off of her and walks out of the bar rather clumsily. Nick looks over to where Connor and I are, shrugs his shoulders apologetically and takes off after her.

  “Motherfucker.” Connor mutters under his breath.

  I look up at him still confused. “Do they have some sort of history together?”

  “Yea. Something like that.” He says and then guides me to the booth where Drake and Lo have finally separated from each other.

  An hour later, as we’re getting ready to leave I make a pit stop at the bathroom and find the woman that propositioned Connor texting on her phone while leaning against the counter top.

  “Couldn’t find a taker huh?” I say to her and she visibly startles and places her hand over her heart and shoves the phone behind her back.

  “Do yourself a favor doll and stay away from that one. He’ll get you into trouble.” She breathes and then saunters out of the bathroom after making the cryptic remark. I shrug it off and take care of business before returning to Connor. She’s probably drunk.

  Connor and I are making our way through the parking lot hand in hand when I see her slip into the passenger side of a black SUV. “Maybe she did find a taker after all.” I murmur. Connor barely glances in her direction and pulls me closer to him. I’m not allowed to dwell on her for long, because when we reach the truck Connor slips behind me and presses me forward against the metal door.

  “Get inside the truck Princess. Nick isn’t coming home tonight and we have a date with the kitchen table.” His breath tickles my ear and his hands trail down my sides.

  I shudder at his words, hurry inside the cab and snap my fingers at him to hurry it up. He chuckles at me, rounds the vehicle and hops into the driver’s seat. When we arrive at the house, I jump out of the truck and run to the house. I quickly strip my dress and lingerie off as soon as I’m in the door, walk over to the dining room and hop up to lay in the middle of the table giggling like a school girl. My heart is pounding in my chest before I finally hear the click of the door opening and shutting. My clothes are lying on the floor in front of the door so I know he knows what I’m up to. What’s taking him so long? I sit up on my elbows and squint into the dark house trying to make out his form. I’m suddenly blinded as the light above the table flashes on and when the streaks clear from my vision, I see a very naked and aroused Connor leaning against the entryway with a bottle of chocolate syrup in hand hanging casually at his side.

  I giggle and pose leaning back on my forearms and crossing my legs in front of me. “Why Connor? You seem to have misplaced your clothes. Are you planning on having some ice cream? Chocolate milk?” I act like we are discussing the weather and not leading up to having crazy monkey sex on the dinner table.

  “Yes well, one of the perks of having your own house is that clothing can be optional. And I was planning on having a snack, but since you have occupied the eating space I suppose I will just have to improvise. I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but the dining table is not for lying on Princess. It’s for eating.” His voice drops to a low gravelly tone and there is no missing the innuendo in his words. Eating!

  “Oh goodness! I suppose you will just have to eat me then.” I chime, straight faced and Connor’s eyes widen in shock a second before we both burst out laughing.

  “That was like a bad porno! Nina baby, you’re a terrible actress. Don’t worry you can survive on your looks these days.” Connor says still laughing.

  I pout my lips and fake shiver. “Connor it’s so cold over here. I need you to use your body heat to warm me up. Puh puh puhlease hurry. It’s so cuh cuh cold!”

  Connor walks toward me and crawls on to the large wooden table. “Don’t worry baby, I’ll warm you up.” He covers my body with his and brings our lips together as he grinds his hips to mine. “Ready so soon?” He breaths into my neck when he finds me slick beneath him.

  “You only kept me waiting forever!” I whine and dig my nails into his shoulders. “Now shut up and get to the good stuff already.” I swat at his backside and he chuckles, sits up and unceremoniously squeezes a huge puddle of syrup on my stomach. “CONNOR! Holy SHIT, that’s FREEEZING!” He ignores me and starts to move the chocolate around my skin with his fingertips. I immediately stop complaining and my head drops back on the table with a thud.

  “Hmmm, delicious.” He whispers, his voice deep and husky. I tip my head forward to examine his work of art. He has drawn little hearts around my nipples a smiley face on my navel with my belly button as the nose and an X over my sex.

  “Let me guess X marks the spot?” I say smiling at his handiwork.

  “Aye! There be treasure there matey!” He spouts in a bad imitation of a pirate. I giggle and he starts to lick the chocolate off my breasts, feasting on chocolate and skin. He makes his way down to my stomach and since I’m kind of ticklish there, he has to hold me down by my hips while I laugh and squirm. My giggling turns to moans when he makes his way lower licking and sucking me clean, causing my head to thrash on the wood.

  “Connor I need you now!” I don’t have to ask twice and he crawls up my body thrusting into me as he lines us up. I moan and he flips us over so I’m straddling him. I’m so far gone I don’t question it. I lean forward slightly and rock my hips while I move up and down. My body is so primed that it only takes a few minutes to set me off. While my back bows and insides tighten, Connor grabs my hips holding me in place and thrusts his hips off the table into me hard and fast until I’m rounding into another orgasm.

  “One more time Nina!” Connor demands through gritted teeth and I free fall once again clenching my eyes shut when I feel his muscles vibrate.

  We lie there to catch our breath for a minute before Connor folds me into his arms and carries me to the bedroom. He tucks us into the sheets together and pulls me into his warmth. I feel him kiss my hair and before I fall asleep I whisper a “love you baby.” His arms squeeze me harder and his voice sounds tight and cracks when he whispers back.

  “You’re my entire universe Princess.” Those words make me fall into a deep peaceful sleep.
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  CHAPTER 14

  The next morning we are eating breakfast and drinking our cider and coffee, sitting at the table with matching cheesy grins and Connor shakes his head. “I’ll never look at his thing the same way again. Thanksgiving is going to be a bitch. How the hell am I supposed to eat with a bunch of family around while I’m picturing you naked covered in chocolate syrup?”

  “Just keep your napkin in your lap. And try to speak as little as possible.” I mumble around a mouth full of Eggs Benedict.

  “I guess that’ll have to work. Oh yea, dad has the paper delivered.” Connor jogs to the front door and grabs the paper off of the porch. When he returns to the table he has a manila envelope in his hands on top of the paper and is plucking at the metal clasp to open it.

  “What’s that baby?” I ask him and he shrugs. He gets the flap open and pulls out the contents. He only has the paper halfway out before he freezes. His eyes widen and then darken and his hands start shaking while clutching the envelope. “Connor? Connor what’s wrong your scaring me.” He shoves the papers back in the envelope, drops it onto the table and runs to the bedroom. My instincts are on high alert now and I grab the envelope terrified of whatever is inside that could send Connor into such a panic. I pull out the thick, glossy paper and stare wide eyed at the black and white picture of me laughing while petting a snow covered Samson. Attached to the bottom of the picture is a note with two words. “Fix it.”

  “Nina no!” My head snaps in Connor’s direction and he has his phone in his hand and his eyes are clenched shut. “Princess.” He says softer when he opens his eyes on a deep breath. “Don’t touch that. The police need to dust it for prints.”

  “Prints. Right.” I mutter slightly dazed. The fact that I’m holding what looks like a surveillance photo of me should have me freaking out, but it feels so surreal. I just stare at the picture and it’s as if I’m dreaming. I think I might be in shock, because now would be a good time to freak out, but the suffocating fear that I’m so familiar with never comes. “It’s from your boss isn’t it? It’s Max.” Connor face is pained and then he looks down at the picture and his eyes turn hard. It reminds me of when he intervened with Ricky. He looks frightening.

  “He thinks he’s scared me with this. He has no idea he signed his death certificate with this picture. I will kill him before he touches you.” Connor looks at me and closes his eyes for another second then sits at the table. “Come here Princess.” I walk over and sit in his lap and he wraps his arms around me. “The detectives are on their way. I don’t want you to be afraid. Do you trust me?” I look up into his blue eyes and it brings me back to reality, though not the one where I’m scared shitless. I feel the fear but it’s not as strong as my faith in Connor.

  “I trust you.”

  There is a knock on the door a few minutes later and I step down from Connor’s lap and move to the door. I peek through the peep hole before opening it to the two men on the other side. Both are average height and muscular. One has dark short hair and blue eyes and a mustache. The other has slightly longer medium brown hair and looks a pro wrestler.

  “Good morning, I’m detective Edward Wheeler and this is my partner Joseph Gasner. The darker haired one says, his blue eyes crinkling up at the corners in a small smile.

  “It’s nice to meet you both.” I hear Connor say behind me. I should have known he wouldn’t let me answer the door alone. “I’m Connor Wright. I called you. This is my girlfriend Nina Ryan.” He opens the door wider and gestures them inside. “This is the photo of Nina that was left on my doorstep on top of the paper. We have both touched it.” Connor points to the photo lying on the table that we had just made love on the night before.

  “That’s okay. I’m guessing there won’t be any prints that we can use on this. Someone who goes to this kind of trouble isn’t careless. Nina, do you remember when this could have been taken?” Detective Wheeler asks sliding the envelope and picture into a plastic bag.

  I nod and swallow. “Yes, it was taken last week. I was walking the dog. It was an excuse to call Connor’s friend Nick to invite him to Connor’s surprise birthday party. I went a couple miles down the road.”

  “Do you remember how long you were gone?” Detective Gasner steps up to me and takes out a pad of paper.

  “About one hour and forty five minutes.” Connor interjects. “She had an accident with the dog almost getting hit by a car.”

  “What happened exactly?” Gasner asks and shoots a look at Wheeler.

  “I was letting Samson, the dog, run without the leash because there weren’t any cars and when we got to the hill I didn’t see the SUV coming up the hill until it was almost to where Samson was. I was a few yards away on the other side of the road and the SUV swerved off the road and just missed Sam. The man came out of the car to make sure he was okay and left a few minutes later.”

  “Did this guy give you a name, ask you any questions or act strange at all?” Wheeler steps up next to his partner. I notice how they are always facing the door and casually looking out the windows and around the house. To someone who wasn’t paying attention it wouldn’t be noticeable, but to someone who had been looking for signs and messages and avoiding people her whole life, details were important. These two were no rookies and they had probably worked together a long time. It made me feel better knowing they were the ones who came. Everyone has heard horror stories about cops not taking stuff like this seriously, I could tell that wasn’t the case with these cops.

  “He told me his name was Lucas, but he didn’t give me his last name. He said he was stopping to see a friend and asked if there was a good bar in town to go to.”

  “What did he look like?”

  “Um tall, maybe 6’ 2”. Shaved head, muscular build early 30’s. He had on aviators so I couldn’t see his face.”

  “Did he make a pass at you?” Gasner asks. I look up at Connor sure that he won’t like that I had left this part out.

  “Yes sort of.” Connor’s jaw clenches. “He kind of insinuated that he might be interested in seeing me out at the bar and I told him that my boyfriend and I went there sometimes. He made a comment about the cute ones never being single and he left.” Connor looks less than thrilled at that so I turn back to the detectives.

  “We spoke to the NYPD after you called. Sounds like you were a witness of a crime back in New York and they haven’t caught the guy yet. Is that right?” Wheeler says to Connor this time.

  “Yes my old boss Maxwell Holden. He or one of his lackeys took this picture.”

  “Are you sure?" Gasner asks and the fact that he doesn’t discount Connor’s instincts solidifies my opinion of him and his partner.

  “No doubt. The message is what erased any uncertainty I would have had. “Fix it.” It’s what Holden always said to me when he was double booked or there was a conflict with clients or personnel. He wants me to retract my statement. I’m betting if I don’t, he’ll contact me to turn myself over to him and he’s trying to use Nina as leverage. That won’t happen. I won’t be threatened and neither will my girlfriend.” He says, eyes gone dark again.

  The detectives smile at each other and Wheeler claps Connor on the shoulder. “Good man. Honestly, I think you’re on to something. We’ll keep monitoring the area and ask around to see if anyone was expecting this Mr. Lucas.”

  “In the meantime I’d invest in a gun and a security system.” Gasner says. “You didn’t happen to catch anything else about the SUV Lucas was driving did you? License plate number, distinguishing marks or bumper stickers, anything?

  “No the windows were tinted and I wasn’t paying close enough attention. I’m sorry.” I look at the floor.

  “Hey, no worries kiddo. You gave us something to go on.” They gather up the evidence and head to the door. “We will be around checking up on some of this. Let us know if anything else happens, weird people coming around, phone calls, more notes and if in doubt write it down and call us. There i
s no such thing as too much information.”

  Gasner hands Connor his card and Wheeler stops and looks back across the room to the dog house and I follow his gaze and see that Samson is standing at the glass wagging his tail. He barks once, but seems more curious than upset. “When this Lucas guy got close to you, did Samson have any sort of reaction to him?” He asks.

  I think about that and realize that I’d never heard Samson growl before that day. “Yea he growled at him. He kind of always stayed in front of me.”

  Wheeler nods. “I’m betting Samson doesn’t do this often?”

  “No never.” Connor says nodding. The men exchange knowing looks and the detectives head out to the car. When the door closes and Connor turns to me, I can tell he’s reigning in his temper before he speaks. “Nina. Why didn’t you tell me about this Lucas guy?”

  “I did. I told you someone almost hit Samson.” I’m grasping at straws and he knows it.

  “You know that’s not what I mean!” He takes a deep breath. “Nina Ryan I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I’m not going to survive you. Please. Tell me this kind of stuff, okay. It would be different if a regular looking guy approached you at a public place. But a big, young, strong man in the middle of a deserted road, in winter…” He closes his eyes. “I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you. Especially because of me.”

  “Nothing is going to happen to me because of you. I’m safe because of you Connor. I promise I’ll tell you about anything out of the ordinary from now on.” I walk slowly up to him and go up on my tiptoes to run my fingers through his hair and kiss his chin. I pull away to look at him and he kisses me lightly then swings me up into his arms.

  Nick walks in the door then and see’s us in an embrace and starts towards his room. I can tell he isn’t at his best right now, but he needs to know what happened today.