The Monroe Sisters

by Aliyah Burke

  “Breakfast is served, gentlemen. I hope nobody is allergic to fruit, specifically apricots, strawberries, pears and pineapples.”

  Derek snapped his gaze to the kitchen but she was gone as soon as she had made the announcement. Lopez jumped up and strode for the doorway leading to the kitchen.

  “I don’t care if I am allergic. This smells too good not to eat.”

  Following at a bit more of a respectable pace, Derek stepped into the room, within seconds his gaze heading to the table that had been part of some extracurricular activities around three this morning. His lips tugged up as he recalled how loud she had screamed his name.

  “This looks amazing, thank you.”

  Shai shrugged, appearing not to care that he thanked her or even that she remembered what just happened on this table, again more daggers into his ego.

  “I like to cook. I was making some for myself, no big deal to make a little extra.”

  He approached the table, not at all liking how Lopez head-started himself between the two of them, and took his seat. The plate was there before him since she’d already set all of them down. However, there were plates of extra in the middle of the table.

  The presentation was beautiful and had they been alone he would’ve complimented her on it from one cook to another. As it was, they weren’t. For they had the loud-scarfing Lopez between them.

  First bite had his eyes rolling back into his head. Just like last night in the class, his woman could throw down with the best of them and he knew it. Talk ceased between all three of them as they ate. Every time he snuck just a glance in her direction, he found Shai had her head down, focused on her plate as she ate. Cutting his gaze to the right, all he could see was Lopez shoving food in his mouth.

  Not very romantic for the morning after.

  As if she heard his thoughts, she lifted her head and speared him with her gaze. Unblinking, he watched and waited for her to either say something, or look away. Perhaps he was just hoping for some ever-so-brief splash of emotion.

  Nothing. She was as blank as the chalkboards or the whiteboards that she taught in front of.

  He was the one who broke contact first, not wanting Lopez to find him staring at her as if he were a boy in high school who couldn’t control his hormones. Because a full-grown adult male who is unable to control them is so much better. Ignoring his mind’s comment, he focused on cleaning up the apricot sauce with the last bite of crêpe on his plate.

  “I may not like your attitude, Miss Monroe, but you cook up one helluva meal. Thank you.”

  “Just like I may not like your behavior, Detective, I do appreciate a man who can put away some food. You’re welcome.”

  Unbidden, jealousy swirled in his gut and began rising up through him, coating his chest and moving on up to his throat. Sav narrowed his gaze as he flicked his glance between the two of them. There was no mistaking the lust and desire he saw in Lopez’s eyes. It only fueled the fire within him. Yet, the woman showed nothing.

  Scooting his chair back, he then got to his feet, dish in hand. “I’ll clean up. Get your stuff and when you’re ready, we’ll head out.”

  When she didn’t argue, he wasn’t sure if he was grateful she hadn’t, or disappointed because he wouldn’t be able to engage with her. Then again, Lopez was still there so engaging with her wasn’t what he needed to do or even be thinking about because that would get his pants altogether tight. And Lopez may be an ass, but he was still a detective and there was no doubt he would pick up on that if he was sporting wood.

  As he started the water for the dishes, he glanced over his shoulder to find Lopez stealing the last two pieces of bacon and eating them.

  “Bring all that stuff over here.”

  Lopez looked at him, eyebrows up in shock. “Why?”

  “Because you damn near ate half of it. Just get over here and help me so we can get this finished and I can get her back to her house.”

  “She’s as cold as ice, man. Can cook a helluva meal, but sitting next to her is like an iceberg. However, I am more than happy to take over keeping her safe at her place if you need a break. Just make sure it’s around meal time.”

  Sav flipped him off as he reached for the dish soap. Like he wanted another man protecting his woman.

  Not in this ever-loving lifetime.

  * * * *

  “I understand that, Donaldson. I’m not really meaning anything in the manifolds of dimensions three and four. Because as those are the ones that we live in, I wasn’t referring to those at the moment. Just hear me out. Because manifolds study of those two dimensions is so different from higher-dimensional cases, I really want to open up the idea of having a class just to focus on these lower-dimensional cases.”

  She ruffled her hair as she walked across the floor in her office to the large whiteboard sitting there.

  “I mean, we already know that low-dimensional topology is an extremely and highly active part of mathematics today. Can you just imagine what we could learn if we can devote an entire semester to focusing on three and four? If that’s not an option because I know we still have to stick to the syllabus and try to ensure that our students get the broadest exposure of what we can provide them, even though this is a highly specific specialty, maybe we could think about doing a joint symplectic geometry seminar. I don’t think it would be that difficult to arrange and set up. The key would be to incorporate this with some of the other universities and their symplectic geometers. Just to bring in new blood and fresh ideas because all of this just gives us such a wide host of new everything in regards to mathematics and even physics.”

  A sound in the doorway had her turning and she saw Detective Savvas leaning there. His badge attached to his belt, the gold shining in the low light from her office. His sleeves had been rolled up, offering her hungry gaze a glimpse at his strong forearms. He had his shirt tucked into his pants and she longed to go over there and pull it up enough to get her hands in there instead.

  Listening to her fellow professor on the other end, she arched an eyebrow in silent question. She may not be able to go into work at the current moment but that didn’t mean she was going to stop planning for future classes.

  He gave her a small shake of his head seconds before he strolled into her office, subsequently sucking all of the air out of her lungs and putting her focus elsewhere as opposed to on the discussion it should be on.

  “Wait a second. Say that again, Donaldson. What were you saying about the Kuratowski closure axioms? No, she had those backwards. Isotonicity is every set contained in its closure while the closure of the closure of a set that’s equal to the closure of that set would be idempotence. Both of which I’m sure you’re fairly certain of so why would you throw that in there? Trying to make me feel better about not being at work?”

  She pivoted with the detective as he prowled around her office, not trusting herself all the way, yet not trusting him enough to not watch. Not because she was afraid he would mess up something, but because he may decide to touch her and throw her off her game once more.

  Her fellow professor continued talking but for the first time since she could recall, the words coming from him weren’t anything that she could concentrate on because all her attention and focus had been zeroed in on the single man in her office. He was pure alpha male and all she cared to do was climb him.

  Like a tree? Who cares. I just want to wrap all the way around him and see what happens.

  Not that she needed to guess as to what would be happening for she’d experienced it all night and far into this morning. And as dearly as she’d love a second—or was she up to a sixth time with this man—she couldn’t be focused on the man who was tasked with keeping her safe in such a manner.

  The one thing she needed to do was figure out what she was going to be doing over the next semester and setting up the new syllabus instead of lusting like a nymphomaniac over this hot-ass detective in her space.

  He stopped moving around and watched her. S
he cocked an eyebrow and tried to maintain some semblance of dignity. Tried to ignore the very basic fact that she’d been bent over a lot of things by him as he’d fucked her rough and hard, just how she’d needed.

  “Think about it, Donaldson, and get back to me. It’s not something we have to figure out this very moment. I am not coming back to campus for a while, so we can work out the details during the next while. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  She touched the device at her ear and killed the connection with the man at her work. Eyes never leaving the man in her office, she waited. Her breath growing short and rapid as the heat grew in his stare.

  “I fixed you lunch.”

  That deep rasp was like a hundred of his fingers skimming along her sensitive skin.

  Two emotions hit her at once. One, the gesture was incredibly sweet and two, she was possessive of her kitchen and wasn’t a fan of other people in there making a mess.

  He’s a cook himself, perhaps he won’t have destroyed it.

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “Trust me, I love cooking for a woman who knows what she wants. It’s nothing fancy like you did for breakfast but we should get you fed. You do know it’s almost three in the afternoon, right?”

  No, she hadn’t known that at all.

  He chuckled and the baritone sound wound around her, shooting heat to every part of her.

  “You’re more concerned with me having been in your kitchen which is your sanctuary. Don’t worry, Professor, I promise, I left it as clean as it was when I entered.” He held out his hand and without thinking of any implications, she took it and allowed him to lead her toward the door.

  As they moved through her office, her mind catalogued how tiny and petite she was compared to him. She’d not thought she was that tiny but when put up to him she felt that way. He was over six feet and she wasn’t even five and a half.

  It was a nice feeling. She was so used to having to be loud and project to make sure the men colleagues didn’t overlook her or speak over her, she tended to forget what it was to feel delicate and feminine. Shai didn’t mind so much when she was out with her sisters because she dressed up and had a great time with them. This was different.

  On so many levels.

  Sav’s hand held hers tight, he curved around her, the callouses on his palm and fingers teasing her. He guided her through the office door and led her up the hall to the living room. She’d expected him to release her the moment they got to the room but no, he surprised her yet again and led her over to the couch where he had a tray with a plate of food and a drink on it. Two of them actually. One for each of them.

  Once she was at the couch, he let go of her hand then sat across from her. She skimmed her gaze over the sandwiches and smiled.

  “These look delicious. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. I don’t know what you like”—he held her gaze, his green eyes deepening—“food wise.”

  That wasn’t fair at all. His comment reminded her of all the passion that had flowed without end between them last night. Not that she’d forgotten. Her nipples drew tight and her clit pulsed. She almost squeezed her legs together to give herself the added friction to get off. Just because his comment put her that close.

  If there were any indication he knew precisely what his words did to her, the expression he held gave it. Without bothering to give him any retort, she picked up the thick sliced sourdough bread and bit into the sandwich. With another chuckle, he joined her.

  Chapter Six

  “What do you mean her office was vandalized?” Sav shoved his hand through his hair. “How the fuck does that happen and no one is there to see it? Who found it, where are the tapes of what little they saw?

  He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Shai hadn’t come up the hallway from where she was in her office making more comments like the stuff she’d been talking about before to some man named Donaldson that he couldn’t even begin to understand.

  It wasn’t that he wasn’t going to tell her, but he wanted to make sure he had all the information he could before taking this to her. it wasn’t anything that would be going down easy. He’d been here for almost a day at her house and had learned a lot more about her than he’d bet she realized. Some of it was how she liked her things. Kitchen, office, house. There was an order and he watched her maintain it at all times.

  The other thing was that it didn’t make it any less like a home, for it was a warm atmosphere that made him want to put up his feet and stay forever, despite the definite organization.

  Case in point, he didn’t want to give her partial information and he had no doubt she would be wanting to see her office. He would not be able to tell her no and they would go, exposing her once more.

  “Not sure, we’re down here now. They’re bringing us the tapes,” Lopez said, his voice devoid of the typically assholeishness he had come to expect from him when it came to Shai. Or anything in actuality. “Are you on your way?”

  “So, right now, we don’t have anything other than her office was vandalized?”

  “Right. We should have more by the time you get here.” He cleared his throat. “If you bring her, and I’m sure you will, just for the fact we have to find out if anything is missing, prepare her, because it’s not nice.”

  For Lopez to be concerned like that set up more dread in his gut. “I’ll get her and we’ll be down as soon as we can.”

  “See you in a few.”

  The call was disconnected.

  “Fuck!”

  He didn’t want to have to tell her but he also knew he couldn’t avoid this. It was going to ruin what had been a nice day. They’d finished lunch a few hours ago and he was about to broach the subject of dinner with her when this call had come in.

  So much for that.

  “Shai?”

  Not that he’d expected a response. He made his way back down to her office and peered in the open door. The room had no one in it.

  Backing up, he stepped away and went down the short hall. There was the room he was staying in and the one beyond that. Chiding himself for his childish response to seeing the inside of her bedroom, he wiped the sweat off his palms and knocked on the doorframe.

  “Shai?”

  “Come on in.”

  Holy fuck. Her voice was an aphrodisiac he never wanted to give up. Sultry and yet a hit of temptress embedded in there. He stepped in and struggled to tear his gaze from her ass in the sweats she wore. He noticed this about her—dressed up out of the house, comfortable at home.

  “We have to head down to your office.”

  Her expression cooled and he hated that he couldn’t read anything in her face. The wheels were turning in her head, that much he could pick up on.

  “I don’t know anything right now aside from it’s about your office.” He left it at that, not wanting to say more, at least until they were on the way down there.

  “Sure.” She placed the stack of books she had in her hands on the corner of her desk. “Just let me change.” A few blinks before she slid by him and out of the room.

  Sav closed his eyes and sighed. This wasn’t at all what he wanted to expose her to. A quiet night at her place would have been preferable. He rubbed his eyes and sighed again.

  “Ready.”

  Straightening, he peered to his right and found her standing there, dressed in another immaculate pantsuit.

  Her armor. He understood that now.

  “I’ll drive.”

  She didn’t speak, just continued up the hall, by him and on toward the front door. As he trailed her, he worked over in his mind the warning that Lopez had given him about how bad it was. He held her coat for her before slipping his own over his shoulders, effectively hiding his double shoulder holster.

  The rain had moved back in and the skies were dark and swirling. He stepped out first, gazed about then waited as she pulled the door closed behind her. Opening an umbrella, he wrapped an arm around her waist and escorted her to the pa
ssenger door. Once she was secure, he jogged around to the driver’s side and got in.

  He buckled in and started the engine. Adjusting everything so they would be comfortable during the drive, he got them on the way. She didn’t speak and he was surprised, he’d thought she would have asked him more questions about what he did know, for he was certain she knew he’d withheld information.

  But she sat ramrod straight, looking neither left nor right. Not even fidgeting. That bothered him on a number of levels. Still, he didn’t push anything.

  Her flinch was subtle when he pulled into the lot for her building. After he parked, he turned to her and grasped her arm when she went to open the door.

  Her expression was icy when she met his gaze, one perfectly plucked brow arched. “What?”

  “It’s not pretty.”

  “I don’t reckon it’s going to get any better with me sitting down here.” She glanced between his face and the hold he had on her. “Do you mind?”

  Hell yes he minded. However, he released her and allowed her to unbuckle her seat belt. He had the umbrella there and walked beside her as she got out. The rain hadn’t abated at all and he was grateful when they stepped inside the building. Even down on the main floor there were cops ambling about, some drinking coffee and some talking on their radios.

  Sav longed to place his hand at the small of her back and guide her, just to allow himself the pure pleasure of touching her, but he didn’t. Instead, he let her to set the pace and matched her. He nodded at those he knew when they passed.

  Shai shocked him when she didn’t head for the stairs but for the elevator and pressed the button. He followed her in and waited until she pushed the necessary floor.

  “Are you okay?” he questioned in the silence.

  “No.”

  There weren’t any coy looks or hint of teasing in her tone. Her response was monotone and fell from her expressionless face. Two things he didn’t like.

  He stepped toward her only to pause when the doors opened with a near silent swish. As he stared, her expression changed again. Not a great deal but enough that he realized she’d been honest with him where she wasn’t about to be with anyone else.