Hating to Love You (Houston's Finest #1)

by Erin Rylie

  Tears were streaming down Sophie’s face by the end of his declaration, and she laughed when she felt her daughter kick again, responding to the sound of her father’s voice. Rafe’s laugh joined hers, his lips smiling against hers, as he leaned in to kiss her.

  “You don’t have to say it back if you aren’t ready. I just couldn’t wait another minute to tell you. I love you, Sophie. So damn much.”

  Sophie shook her head, grinning at him like a fool with tears still running down her cheeks. His thumb swept across her face, catching her tears and wiping them away. “Of course I love you, Rafe.”

  “You do?”

  She nodded, her throat too clogged with emotion to continue speaking. He leaned forward and peppered her face with kisses, his lips touching her cheeks, her nose, and her forehead before finding her lips. Their kiss quickly turned carnal, his tongue meeting hers in broad strokes. He moved a hand into Sophie’s hair while the other moved to cup her ass, pulling her into his body where she could feel his erection pressing against her stomach.

  “Say it again,” he growled against her lips.

  Sophie pulled back, placing a hand on either side of his face and meeting his blue gaze. “I love you, Rafe Pierce.”

  His lips took hers again and he backed her into his bedroom, not stopping until she felt the backs of her knees touching the mattress. He slowly stripped them of their clothes, kissing her slowly, passionately the entire time. When he pushed into her, he pulled back to look into her eyes.

  “Sophie,” he said her name softly, reverently. He made love to her unhurriedly, his hands running over her body, tracing her curves as he brought them both to the brink of pleasure and pushed them over. When they climaxed together, he whispered words of love in her ear, his words and body bringing her to the most intense orgasm of her life. Sophie fell asleep that night wrapped in his arms, the sound of his heartbeat filling her ears.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Rafe woke up slowly, the previous night coming to him in pieces that made his heart feel as though it would burst at any moment. Sophie loved him. It honestly seemed too good to be true, and he couldn’t imagine his life getting any better than it already was. His body was curled around Sophie’s, and he placed his hand on her stomach. Not only had his daughter kicked last night, she’d kicked for the first time at the sound of his voice. He had never been so content in his entire life, and he could say with absolute certainty that it was all because of Sophie.

  He loved that she challenged him, made him laugh, and made him want to be a better man. He’d never been a particularly open person, preferring to keep his past hidden. He knew that he’d done nothing wrong, but he had always been embarrassed of his childhood. His parents hadn’t wanted him, none of the foster parents he’d been placed with wanted him; he’d never been chosen to be a part of a family. Now, though, he was making his own family, with Sophie.

  She made him want to tell her everything, all about his difficult past. He didn’t have any deep dark secrets, just a childhood filled with abuse and neglect that he’d worked hard to forget. He was determined to keep his child from experiencing the same thing. She would grow up in a happy home, filled with joy and laughter and parents who loved each other.

  Overwhelmed by the depths of his emotions, Rafe moved Sophie’s hair and planted a gentle kiss on her neck, trailing his lips down to her collarbone and over her shoulder. She stirred in her sleep, a happy hum escaping her throat as he worshipped her. Though he’d had her only hours ago, he already wanted to be with her again. His cock twitched when his attention elicited a small moan from Sophie. He ground his erection into her ass and moved his hand up to cup one of her breasts, tweaking her nipple gently. In response, she pushed her ass into him, the pressure on his cock forcing a groan from him.

  He was just starting to move his hand down to her delicious pussy when a shrill ring broke the silence of his apartment. He kept his phone on “do not disturb” at night, meaning only his captain, Sophie, and Carlos were able to get through to him.

  “Rafe,” Sophie moaned, “don’t you dare answer that fucking phone. I need you.”

  He rolled Sophie onto her back, settling himself between her legs before leaning in to kiss her slowly. He stroked her tongue with his own and reached a hand between their bodies, his fingers searching for her wet heat. His phone stopped ringing only to begin again moments later.

  “Fuck, babe. I have to get it. It could be the captain.”

  Sophie growled at him when he pulled away, causing him to chuckle. It was nice to know she was as ravenous for him as he was for her. He couldn’t imagine ever getting enough of Sophie. He padded naked to the living room where he’d left his phone last night and swiped to answer when he saw his captain’s name on his screen.

  “This is Pierce.”

  “Rafe, get your ass down here. We need to have a discussion.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll be there in thirty.”

  His captain disconnected the call without responding. Returning to his bedroom, Rafe stopped short at the sight that greeted him. Sophie had kicked the covers off of herself and had two fingers in her pussy. Her eyes were closed, her head thrown back as she touched herself. His dick, which had deflated rapidly at the sound of his boss’s voice, hardened painfully. Shit, this woman would be the death of him. He needed to take a shower and get to the station, but he couldn’t let her get herself off when he was right here. He stalked to the bed and pulled her hand away from her mound. Her eyes opened, filling with lust at the sight of him. He took the two fingers that had been inside her and sucked on them, groaning at the taste of her arousal.

  Sophie sucked in a breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Rafe climbed over her onto the bed, his naked chest covering hers. He kissed a path up her neck and lightly bit her earlobe.

  “You don’t come in my apartment without me, understood, Sophie?”

  She nodded in response and he pulled away, kneeling between her legs and stroking his cock from root to tip. Her eyes followed the movement of his hand as he moved his dick to her pussy. He rubbed the head along her slit, circling her clit, biting back a moan at the wetness he found there.

  “You goddamn tease, fuck me already.”

  Rafe laughed and lined his dick up with Sophie’s heat. He pushed just the head in and she inhaled sharply.

  “You want to come, sweetheart?”

  Sophie moaned in response, and though he wanted to tease her, he couldn’t hold back any longer. He snapped his hips, fully entering her in one broad stroke.

  “Fuck, Sophie, you feel so damn good. I’m not going to last long.”

  “Then you’d better make me come quickly, Rafe.”

  He smiled at the challenge in her words and set a brutal pace. The sound of their bodies coming together filled the room, and he reached down to thumb her clit. He was already close, and the sight of her full breasts bouncing in time with his thrusts was enough to send him over the edge in a matter of seconds. He pulled one of her legs up, placing it on his shoulder and changing the angle. Within five strokes, he could feel Sophie’s pussy pulsing around him, her orgasm coming on rapidly.

  “Come with me, baby. I want to feel you come all over my cock.”

  His dirty words seemed to push her over, and he felt her wet heat clench around him, sending him into oblivion with her.

  Rafe made it to the station with minutes to spare. He’d only had time for a quick shower before throwing on some jeans and a T-shirt and running out the door. Fortunately, traffic was light and he lived relatively close to the precinct, so the trip didn’t take long. He walked through roll call, saying quick hellos to his fellow officers, and headed into the captain’s office. The door was open so he walked in and took a seat.

  He smiled, remembering the last time he’d been called into this very office. He’d been so sure that the interview and feature were the worst things that could happen to him. He never imagined he would be glad to have been mistaken for a stripper b
y a drunken bachelorette party, but he was. All of the publicity, the stupid emergency calls from women wanting to nail Houston’s Finest, the name-calling at work—it had all been worth it for the woman currently sleeping in his bed.

  Rafe wasn’t sure why he was being called in for this meeting, but he hoped it wouldn’t take long. He planned to stop and get Sophie a slice of her favorite pie before heading home. He would feed it to her in bed and then maybe go for round two.

  Captain Stevens cleared his throat, pulling Rafe from his thoughts and bringing him back into the present.

  “I got a call this morning from the homicide department, Pierce. How do you think your interview went?”

  Rafe met the captain’s eyes, confused. “I thought it went pretty fucking well, but it’s been weeks and I haven’t heard anything. I assumed they’d chosen someone else by now.”

  “Well, Sergeant Walters was impressed with you, but you’re still pretty new to the force. He wanted a few weeks to vet you for the position, look closely at your time here.”

  Still not sure where this was heading, Rafe responded slowly. “Okay,” he said, drawing out the word.

  “Long story short, son, they want to offer you the job. I told them that I thought you were ready, so don’t fuck this up. Don’t want you to make me look bad.”

  Rafe’s mouth fell open. “Are you serious? You look serious. Holy shit.”

  Captain Stevens laughed. “Yeah kid, you’ve earned this. You’re one of the hardest workers I have. I’ll be sorry to see you go. I need you to stay on until I find a good partner for Ramirez.” The captain rolled his eyes. “He’s good, but he’s definitely a handful. It may take me a few weeks.”

  “Of course, I’ll stay on as long as you need. Ramirez is a little bit of a princess, but he’s a damn good partner.”

  Captain Stevens nodded. “I know. Anyway, congratulations, Detective.”

  “Thank you, sir. Can I head out?”

  “Go ahead and enjoy your day off. Expect to meet with me and Sergeant Walters on Monday morning to discuss the details and your training.”

  He walked out of the precinct feeling like everything in his life was finally just as it should be. Knowing his partner would want to hear it from him, he dialed Ramirez through the car’s Bluetooth on his drive home.

  His friend answered on the third ring, “What’s up, dick breath?”

  Rafe chuckled. “I have some news, man. You’re not gonna like it.”

  “Oh shit, who’d you get pregnant now?”

  “Very funny, you’re fucking hilarious. I just had a sit-down with the captain and—”

  “He finally fired your ass? You really are the worst partner. Remember that time you tried to pull out your gun but it was still strapped into your belt?”

  Rafe sighed. “That was you, dumbass.”

  “Nah man, I’d never do something that fucking stupid.”

  “Carlos! I have actual news, man. News that impacts you.”

  “Well, spit it out already. You really do talk too much.”

  “I made detective. Homicide is giving me the job.”

  There was a long silence on the other end of the line and Rafe winced, thinking maybe he should’ve waited to tell Carlos the news in person. He was about to break the quiet when his partner’s voice finally came through the speaker.

  “Shit, Rafe. I’m so fucking happy for you, man. You deserve it.”

  Rafe let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. He was going to miss working with Carlos every day, and had been nervous as hell to break the news. He should’ve known his best friend would be supportive. He always was.

  “Thank you. I feel bad for the sucker they pick to replace me. You’re a goddamn handful to work with.”

  Carlos scoffed, “You’re out of your damn mind. I’m the literal best. You were lucky to have me for so long. So what are we doing tonight? We need to have celebratory drinks, naturally.”

  “Let me check in with Sophie, see what she’s up to tonight.”

  “Woooow, you’re fucking whipped, pretty boy.”

  Rafe smiled. “I sure as shit am. I’ll text you and let you know what she says.”

  The first thing he smelled when he walked back into the apartment was something burning. He followed the smell into the kitchen and stifled a laugh when he saw Sophie standing at the stove, trying to stir clearly burnt eggs in the pan and cursing up a storm.

  “Stupid fucking chicken fetuses. How hard is it to cook eggs? Dammit.”

  He moved as silently as he could, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. She was wearing one of his T-shirts, the hem sitting low on her body, just covering up her fine ass. Sophie jumped in his arms and hung her head.

  “Looks delicious, babe. What are you making me?”

  Sophie grumbled, “You’re a damn liar, Rafe Pierce. It looks like burnt ass eggs. I was trying to surprise you with breakfast.”

  “Mmm, well you did manage to surprise me.”

  Sophie turned from the stove, her arms circling his neck, her hands winding into his hair. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips before pulling back.

  “How was your meeting? What happened?”

  Rafe couldn’t contain the smile that broke out. “I got the detective job!”

  Sophie jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist and hugging him tightly. He shifted his hands to her ass, holding her against him. She pulled back and peppered kisses all over his face.

  “I’m so proud of you, Rafe. You deserve it.”

  He laughed. “Fuck yes, I do. Years of partnering with Ramirez has finally paid off. Speaking of, he wants us to go out and celebrate tonight, but I wanted to see what you were up to first.”

  “Go celebrate! I’ll stay in and work on some copyedits. I’m a little behind from taking off yesterday for the doctor’s appointment. It’ll be nice to catch up before I go back to work Monday.”

  “Shit, you’re perfect.” He kissed her, and what was meant to be a quick peck on the lips turned into a passionate tangle of tongues and teeth. He released her ass and Sophie slid down his body, rubbing against his erection on her way down. Rafe leaned his forehead against hers, his breath coming out in pants. He was on fucking fire for her.

  “How about we start celebrating right now?”

  Sophie quirked an eyebrow. “What about breakfast? I’m cooking for you, remember?”

  Rafe growled and picked her up, carefully tossing her over his shoulder to avoid causing her and the baby any discomfort. He turned the stove off and pulled the now ruined pan off of the burner.

  “I can think of other things I’d rather have for breakfast,” he replied before hauling her off to the bedroom.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The bar Carlos had chosen was loud and crowded, music pounding through the speakers as Rafe took another swig of his beer. He wondered how long he’d need to stay to avoid offending Carlos. He loved his best friend, but he would much rather be at home with Sophie. He imagined her on the couch in yoga pants and a big T-shirt, working on copyedits while she watched The Greatest Showman. The image made him smile, and he longed to leave this place, drive straight to her house, and pull her into his arms.

  He pulled out his phone again, checking to see if she’d texted him. He knew she was probably trying to let him enjoy his night out, but he couldn’t get her off of his mind. He was just unlocking his phone to text her when his friend punched him in the shoulder.

  “Put that shit away, man. You’re supposed to be celebrating with me.”

  Rafe sighed heavily and put his phone back in his pocket. Carlos was right—he was being a dick. Determined to make an effort to enjoy his night, he waved the bartender over and ordered a round of shots for the two of them. When the bartender placed the shots of whiskey in front of them, Rafe held his glass up.

  “To years of putting up with your diva ass finally paying off.”

  Carlos laughed. “To you, Rafe. You’re going
to be the best damn homicide detective out there.”

  “Fuck yes, I am,” he replied, tossing the shot back.

  A few beers and countless shots later, he was fucking hammered. He and Carlos had started reminiscing, talking about their most disastrous arrests, while throwing back Jameson shots like they were water. He had to admit, he was having fun, but he wasn’t entirely sure he could stand on his own at this point. He knew he needed to call an Uber soon; there was no way in hell he could drink much more. He patted Carlos on the back and headed off to find the bathroom. When he returned to his friend at the bar, he was unsurprised to see Carlos surrounded by women.

  He was about to tell his friend he needed to leave when one of the girls squealed in delight, “Carlos, this is your partner right? Holy shit, Houston’s Finest indeed.”

  She sauntered over and draped her arms around his neck. His thoughts were fuzzy, but he knew she wasn’t Sophie, and he didn’t want anyone else’s hands on him. He clumsily removed her hands from his body and stepped back.

  Carlos laughed. “Sorry ladies, he’s happily taken. I suppose you’ll have to make do with me tonight.”

  The girl in front of him pouted. “Aw come on, your girl doesn’t need to know.”

  Rafe pushed past her and slumped into his seat at the bar. Fuck, he shouldn’t have had that last shot; his head was spinning. He pulled out his phone and tried to open the Uber app. The persistent girl followed him to his seat and again tried to touch him, running her finger down his chest.

  He growled and shoved her hand away roughly. “Hands off.”