Shot in the Dark

by Jennifer Conner

  “Not enough.” Luci followed him with her plate and the salad bowl. “You’re right about that.”

  He waited for her to sit then slid into the chair across from her. “Today, there were online purchases with your card. It will give me something else to track.” He took her hand and squeezed it. “I’ll do everything I can to catch him. I started comparing the crimes for the same M.O. It looks like it could be tied in with the others, though it’s early to tell. In the other robberies the man always wore a mask, and the crimes were from the drive-thru windows.”

  “Last night,” she hated thinking about it again. “He wasn’t wearing a mask.”

  “Which leads me to believe it was either a different man, or he’s become blatant and more daring.”

  “Which makes him dangerous.”

  “Yes… dangerous.” His brown eyes grew concerned. “I need to find him.”

  “I’m not worried.” Luci leaned forward on her forearms. “You’ll catch him.”

  Chapter 8

  They ate in silence for a minute, until Dev finally said, “I can track him on paper.” He took a sip of wine and let it flow over his tongue. “I can’t move fast enough on foot. I need to be cleared for active duty to be back on the street, and as long as I have this damn cane, I won’t be.”

  “Bullets move fast, you have a gun. Why are you worried about a limp chasing after this bad guy?”

  Her comment surprised him. “You want me to shoot the bastard?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I don’t like guns. But it makes me feel safe knowing you have one.”

  “Is that why I’m here tonight?” Dev said, leaning back in the chair.

  “I don’t need protection. I’ve been looking out for myself and Jon since I was sixteen and had to fend off my stepfather.”

  “You were abused as a child? Is that what your brother meant about doing everything yourself? You handled an abusive situation without seeking outside help?”

  “I was a kid. I didn’t know any better. My stepfather abused my mother. I knew I was next. I convinced Jon we had to run before he came after me sexually. I knew it was just a matter of time. The signs were there.”

  Dev shook his head and stared into his glass. “You left home at sixteen? Did you live in a foster home? What about school?”

  “No. We moved from town to town. I worked odd jobs to keep us fed. It was safer than staying home. We blended into the shadows. When I turned eighteen I took my GED. That’s why education is so important to me. I won’t be stuck in a marriage because I don’t have the means to make my own living.”

  “An independent woman. I could quit my job and live off you.”

  “Nope, then you wouldn’t have money for lattes.” She flipped him a cocky grin. “Those things are expensive.”

  “Tell me about it. Do you know how much a month I spend buying coffee at your stand?” He couldn’t help but smile.

  “I could take a guess… unless you’re two-timing me at another espresso place.”

  “Never.” Dev twirled the pasta and sauce on his fork before shoving it in his mouth. “I believe in one barista at a time. I knew you had brains and beauty.”

  “Thanks. I could say the same about you.”

  Dev choked with his full mouth as he tried to laugh.

  “I’m taking pre-med classes,” Luci declared.

  He swallowed. “Wow, pre-med? I’m impressed.”

  When she tipped her chin proudly, he felt a strange sense of pride course through him. Her past, he’d found out tonight, hadn’t been easy, but she’d struggled and rose above it.

  “That spaghetti was the best I’ve ever eaten. There was some green stuff in it, that was really good,” he said.

  “Fresh basil. I grow it out back.”

  He nodded. The strappy sundress Luci was wearing in bright blue with small white flowers accented her tanned skin. A large turquoise chuck necklace hung between the globes of her breasts. Devan clenched his hand around the cloth napkin in his lap pulling himself back to the conversation. “So you work at the Naughty Latte to help pay for school?” Dev stood and followed Luci to the kitchen and then back to the living room where they sat next to each other on the couch.

  “My job pays for most of it. I have a few student loans, but it’s not bad. The Naughty Latte is the only job I’ve been able to find that allows me to work the hours I want with my schedule.” She sighed and propped her feet on the coffee table. “I’ll see if I’m able to finish this quarter.” Changing the subject, she eyed him up and down. “So detective, what’s your story?”

  “I grew up in Sacramento with two parents and a dog. Pretty normal stuff. I went to college on a scholarship. I got my degree at Remington College in San Diego. Criminal Justice and Police Science.”

  Scooting closer Luci laid put her hand on his. “So what happened to your leg?”

  “I was shot,” he said, staring down at their entwined fingers. She didn’t like to waste time, she jumped right to the punch.

  “Does your leg have permanent damage?” she asked, breaking contact with his hand. She rubbed fingers gently over the fabric of his pants.

  He shrugged. “The doctors aren’t sure.”

  Clicking her tongue, Luci asked, “When was the last time you actually saw a doctor? Are you in physical therapy?”

  “Nope. It wasn’t working.” He wanted to stop talking about himself. He liked it when the conversation centered on her. Stretching his leg he grimaced. Absently he ran fingers up the skin of her bare arm.

  Luci closed her eyes. “Do that again.”

  Dev loved the feel of her skin, it was like silk. Running a thumb to her shoulder and then back down to her elbow, he watched a shiver run through her.

  “I was so afraid when that man attacked me,” she said, with a tremble in her voice.

  Taking a strand of her hair, Dev tucked it around her ear. “You’re a strong woman. It was a terrible and violent crime that happened to you last night. You have every right for it to haunt you.”

  He needed to find this guy and break him in two.

  Her eyes opened slowly. “I can still feel his fingers on me. But, when you touch me, I don’t. It’s only you.” She bit her lip and shook her head, looking embarrassed.

  Dev was apprehensive. This was just going to be dinner, but now she was asking him for more? Is that what she’d meant? Did she know she was playing with fire, because he was going up in flames sitting this close to her? He wanted her so much his body ached with the need to touch her again.

  “Devan,” she said his name, almost like a plea.

  He leaned forward cupping her face in his palm and looked into her fathomless blue eyes. He tried to see if there was something else there, something he didn’t understand, but all he saw was a simple need for him to hold her.

  Dev pulled her closer capturing her mouth against his in a mind-numbing kiss. Gently, softly he felt her lips open to him. Smoothing his palms over her shoulders, he ran hands down her arms until their fingers were linked together.

  He let the kiss consume him, heating his blood, carrying his senses. He could taste the red wine she’d just sipped as he explored the recesses of her mouth with his tongue.

  Running kisses along her jaw line he dipped his head into the hollow of her neck. He should stop, but he couldn’t. She smelled so good. For all the hardness in his body and soul, she felt like silk. He felt clumsy and rough as the palm of his large hand wrapped easily behind the back of her neck.

  He was experienced in making love to women, and he used to be good at it… or so he’d been told. But in the past, he never really thought about what he was doing, he just did what he wanted. This was different. Luci needed him to be there for her. She needed him to read her body, to touch her how she needed to be to
uched.

  He fought to keep the kiss temperate, but his body was heating every second he held her close. Luci let out a sigh into his mouth that pierced down the length of him. He dropped his hands to the back of the couch and wadded the throw into his fist.

  When she broke the kiss, her cheeks were flushed to a rosy pink, and desire filled her eyes. In a soft, magical whisper, she said, “Wow, detective, who taught you to kiss?”

  Her lips were a deep red and damp from where his lips had just been.

  Reaching for the first button of his shirt, she slid it free. He watched her fingers deftly slip one after the other through their holes. When her palms slid under his shirt, her touch was electric against his skin.

  Luci pushed his shirt off his broad shoulders and down his arms until his chest was bare. He hissed in a breath when she tipped forward and ran her tongue along his pec, flicking at a hard brown nipple.

  Placing her palm across his thigh, she slowly slid a hand across to the straining fabric of his fly. He swore he could feel the heat of her touch through the material. He certainly felt his erection grow.

  Her gaze was dark with hunger as she reached to loosen the silver buckle on his leather belt. Tipping his head back Dev pulled in a deep breath and reached to still her hand.

  “What’s the matter?” Luci asked, confused.

  Playing with the strap of her dress, Dev concentrated on the blue fabric between his fingers. “It’s really bad.”

  “What are you talking about? You don’t like it when I touch you?” There was hurt in her eyes.

  “No.” He hadn’t thought how his statement would sound. Obviously, she’d misunderstood what he’d meant. “No,” he repeated, “I want you more than breathing right now. It’s my leg, it’s a mess.” He tried to pull in a level breath. “The damn bullet left a lot of scar tissue.”

  “How long ago did the shooting happen?”

  “Six months. Give or take a few days.”

  “Devan, you were shot. Your body’s still healing.” She didn’t say anything for a long moment. “Do you think I would care about that? How your leg looks?”

  “Maybe…” he shrugged, and leaned with his outstretched arms along the back of the sofa.

  “You know what? You need to get over yourself.” There was anger smoldering in her eyes, as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I really like you, and because of that I’m not going to sit back and watch you beat yourself into the ground. What’s past is past… that’s the only way I believe anyone can live. I can’t stay back in the dark with you. I’ve spent too much time living there.”

  When she stood he thought she was going to walk out of the room… and possibly his life. But she held her ground and looked down at him. “Let me show you something, and then we’ll see how you feel.”

  Luci grasped the hem of her dress, raising the trimmed edge up her shapely legs. Dev’s eyes gazed up her thigh, and stopped.

  A patch of angry, dark red skin, about six inches in diameter was puckered on the side of her hip. He hadn’t noticed the burn scaring her hip last night when she’d been naked in the shower.

  He frowned.

  “This was a little gift from my stepfather. One night I didn’t clear the dishes away fast enough… so he poured scalding water out of a teapot on me. When my mother took me into the hospital, she told them it was an accident. ‘Girls are careless, you know.’”

  Dev leaned forward inspecting the burn and ran a finger gingerly over the twist of flesh. His looked up at her. “Jesus… how could anyone do that to a kid?” His throat suddenly felt tight and his stomach jerked. “Is that when you and your brother left?”

  “I started locking my door at night. He didn’t like it. I think that’s why he did this to me. Now, do you understand? Do you find this scar disgusting, and because of it you’d never want to touch me?”

  “How could you ask me that?” He was shocked hearing the words from her mouth. “You’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

  Luci dropped the hem of her skirt and put her hands on his bare shoulders, leaning over him. “So, do you think I’m that shallow?”

  His love life had been on hold after a woman a few months before told him his body was ‘deformed.’ But with Luci’s caring blue eyes watching him he realized she wasn’t like other women. In fact, he’d never met anyone like her.

  She wasn’t showing him sympathy, it was empathy… there was someone who stood in front of him who knew exactly how he felt.

  Her tone was sincere. “I’m not asking for a lifetime commitment, and I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I’m not sure what I need right now, but I want to be with you tonight. If you don’t want to make love to me, I’ll understand, and I’ll take the news like a big girl.”

  “I do want to make love to you,” his words came out in a low, husky whisper. “You’re beautiful, Luci. So beautiful.”

  Reaching for his hand she wrapped warm fingers around his wrist, and he let her pull him to his feet. Limping behind her he followed her down the hall to the bedroom.

  She flipped on a small lamp on the dresser before lighting a trio of candles on a plate, blew out the match and turned off the light. The flickering candlelight turned her honey blond hair to woven gold. She came to him. Her breath was against his lips and then her soft, warm mouth kissed him. His fingers tunneled through her short, silky hair and into his greedy grasp.

  Luci’s hands were seductively burning over his skin to trail each rib, resting above the waistband of his dress pants. His cock, held captive by his boxers, twitched and stiffened. Angling her head he deepened the kiss, gently thrusting his tongue inside the sweetness of her mouth. It was like a feast. Dev could live on the taste of her and never grow tired of it.

  Dev rained kisses over her face and nipped at her neck. He pulled back a few inches and saw desire flare in her eyes.

  She pivoted on her toes, and turned. “While you’re here, would you mind helping me with my zipper?” She tipped her head and passed him a sultry look over her shoulder.

  Damn… He felt his fingers tremble as he touched the small metal tab of the zipper and slid it down, exposing bare skin in its wake.

  Turning back to face him she held the front of the dress to her chest, and smiled. Understanding, he lifted one strap, then the other, slowly pulling them off her slender arms.

  His mouth turned completely dry and his eyes widened. He hadn’t thought about the fact that she wouldn’t be wearing a bra with her sundress. He continued to glide the fabric down over her hips until the dress pooled at her ankles. She stepped out of it.

  Luci’s breasts were high, round… and perfect. He raked a finger over one of the dusty pink nipples.

  Without his cane and balancing his weight on one leg it was difficult for him to stand. Finally, giving up the battle, Dev sat heavily on the edge of the bed.

  “My leg…” he muttered.

  “Not the leg thing again. How long are you going to use that as an excuse?” she teased.

  “I’ll use it as long as you let me get away with it. Come here.” It was a subtle demand. He waited for her to take a step and stand above him.

  Luci presented herself in nothing but a white lace triangle covering the vee between her legs. He wrapped his hands over her hips, pulled her closer, and then captured a peaked nipple between his teeth in a nip.

  Her breath quickened as he swirled his tongue, and then sucked it deep into his mouth. The tremble he felt in her legs was spurring him to the edge. He was forcing himself to take his time, but his body was demanding that he was buried in her soon.

  Dev touched the scar marking her hip, gently ran a hand over her backside, and slid her panties down her long legs and off. He tossed them across the floor. Seeing her naked was a sight he didn’t want to miss fo
r the world. The blonde curls at the apex of her thighs glistened with moisture, making Dev’s breath lodge in his throat.

  “Okay, he said. “If you want to hear the truth, here it is. My leg doesn’t bend. I want to make love to you more than anything, but you’re going to have to work with me. We’ll have to be… creative.”

  Looking down, she smiled sweetly. That hard cylinder of stone he’d carried around inside himself for these past months melted like ice.

  “I like a creative man. There are not enough of them left in the world.”

  Dev let out a growl as he pulled her close to revel in the sensual feel of skin on skin. He knew Luci understood his intentions as her breath quickened in anticipation of his touch.

  Parting her inner lips with his fingers, he ran his tongue in a long, slow swipe.

  “Wet,” he muttered against her when he discovered for himself how ready she was for him. He’d almost forgotten how good a woman tastes.

  He slid a hand up her thighs to widen her stance. Running a finger through her wet folds, Luci’s hips bucked forward as he gently pushed a finger inside her silken opening. He slicked a finger back and forth. Dev stabbed his tongue against the tight bead and breathed in the heady scent of her arousal which was consuming him.

  Luci tipped her head back and moaned. She ran fingers through his hair and grasped his head between her hands.

  Ravenous, he flicked at her, feeling her inner muscles clasp tightly on his finger. “Do you like this?”

  “Yes…” her words dropped off followed by a sigh. Her eyelids flicked down, as she bit her lower lip.

  “Come for me,” he whispered. He knew she was more than ready, and wanted to be the one to take her to the next level. “This night’s only beginning. Come for me… now.”