Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
“Well, I do,” she said, hands grabbing the sides of my jacket, and pulling me down for a kiss.
Long and lingering.
But she pulled away before my body could get too into it, and my mind would say ‘fuck it’ to work.
“I’ll meet you here to drive you to work,” I said.
“Meet me at my house. I have to drop Matilda off.”
“Let her stay,” I demanded. “It’s only a few hours from lunch until when I get home. They’ll be fine.”
I saw the pleased smile tugging at her lip before her head ducked.
“Okay,” she agreed, looking back up. “Go. Make the streets of Navesink Bank safer. Solve crimes. All that good stuff.”
With that, I left.
Each step felt harder to take.
I, a lifelong workaholic, someone who brought work home more often than not, suddenly wanted nothing to do with going in and working on cases or responding to calls, chasing down leads, putting bad guys away.
I just wanted to turn back, grab that woman, and pull her back up to bed with me. Then get lost in each other until the entire world fell away.
But that wasn’t an option.
So I forced myself to keep moving forward.
Into my car.
From my car into work.
To my desk.
Still, all I did all goddamn day long was think about Mari right there in my house, waiting for me.
I was so fucked.
Sometime right before lunch, though, I finally caught a break in the robbery case. Not from good, old-fashioned police work. Oh, no. It was pure dumb luck. But, hey, a win is a win. I would take it.
I took my lunch a little earlier than usual, but detectives were out of the office often enough that no one even noticed as I drove back to my house, finding Mari outside with the dogs, throwing a ball for the dogs.
Boss had clearly long given up, and was basking in a patch of sun. Matilda was half-heartedly chasing it, tongue hanging out, chest heaving. Clearly ready to take a break, but wanting to appease Mari.
I made sure the door made a little noise as I slid it open, making her head turn back, but lazily, like she wasn’t expecting anyone but me.
I reached out toward her, snagging her around the waist, and pulling her back into the house with me. I turned her to face me as I reached back to slide the door closed again.
Then my focus was fully on her, my lips meeting hers, my hands drifting over her body.
We didn’t have a lot of time.
But neither of us seemed to care as she started to peel off my suit, and I discarded her slightly wrinkled uniform from the day before.
We were going to need to stop back at her place to grab some clothes after she left work.
I’d given up pretending that this wasn’t happening.
To hell with the goddamn consequences.
Everything in me told me that this woman would be worth them as my hands traced over her soft skin, as her sweet moans met my ear, as my cock slid inside her, and we moved together in perfect harmony until we were both crying out, both coming hard.
I was even sure of it as we got dressed, then brought the dogs inside, before heading toward our cars.
“Probably shouldn’t do this outside your work,” I said, gently grabbing the back of her neck as she leaned against her car. “So have a good day at work,” I told her, lips pressing lightly to hers a few times. “I’ll be waiting for you at your house when you’re done,” I added, then sealed my lips over hers.
We kissed in the driveway, long and deep, until I swear to fuck it felt like my heart cracked open, and she spilled inside, filling it completely.
She collapsed into her car after, dreamy-eyed, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she was feeling the same way.
“Wow, okay,” she said with a soft smile. “Detective, I don’t know if I am in any condition to drive right now,” she added, that smile going playful.
“Listen, if I have to lock you up for reckless driving, we can’t order in take-out and spend the whole night in bed,” I told her.
“Oh, well, with those consequences, I better pull my act together,” she said as I opened her door for her.
She slid inside.
It was the last time I would see her for eight hours.
It felt like an eternity.
There was no way as I waved to her from my car as she walked in the door at work that I could have known our plans for the night would be thwarted.
By the very man who, in a sick and twisted way, brought us together in the first place.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Mari
I saw the cruiser as soon as it pulled into the lot.
As it turned to back into a spot, I noticed that it was the uniformed officer that had been at my house the night of the attack.