A Matter of Time 03 - 04 (Volume 2) (MM)

by Mary Calmes

  She blushed and took the shirt off, giving it to me. It fit tight, but that was okay. It was supposed to be open low, to show off my skin.

  "Okay, girls—let's hit the floor."

  Stephanie gasped, digging in her heels when I tried to pull her along with Ersi and me.

  "No." She shook her head. "I don't look as good as you guys. I'm so fat."

  "The word is 'voluptuous'," I assured her. "And baby, that ass needs to be shakin'."

  She bit her lip.

  "Sweetheart." I arched a brow for her. "It's disco."

  She laughed, put her drink down, and squeezed my hand tight. They were both trusting me and I felt like I could fly.

  Ancient disco songs are irresistible to me, and it is my belief that if you're truly happy and enjoying your partner—or partners, as the case may be—that nothing else matters. Bliss will wash away everything else. So even though at first my girls looked uncomfortable out on the floor with me, when I started to sing along with the lyrics, did the Travolta move before grabbing each of them in turn and spinning them out and then back into me, they started laughing. I saw them both start to get into it, watching me the whole time, their eyes sparkling with surprise when they saw that I could seriously dance. I bent backward, arching almost to the floor before slowly raising back up. I got pulled back close to them with a hand on the front of my shirt.

  "Jory... honey... look at you move," Stephanie said appreciatively.

  "Here," I said, putting her hands on my hips as I swayed them.

  She sighed playfully and stepped into me. Seconds later there was a pat on my ass. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Ersi dancing behind me. I moved back into her and she stayed where she was and danced. Sandwiched between two women, I showed off, letting them see how fluid my body could be. Since everybody knows all the repetitive lyrics of the old songs, we all sang out the words at the top of our lungs.

  I glanced around and saw Pat's eyes riveted on his wife as she writhed beside me on the dance floor. Chaz lifted his hand to me with a blank stare as his mouth dropped open.

  His wife with her head back, eyes closed, feeling the music, had all his interest. I pointed my finger around so he wouldn't miss any of the other appreciative stares on her. I saw the surprise on his face, and couldn't contain my smile. I turned my head to find Sam, but he was nowhere to be found. I wasn't worried, instead concentrated on grinding it out with my girls, all of us in tight front to back formation, hands all over each other.

  Most straight men either don't like to dance or don't dance well. And even as I was aware that I was grossly generalizing, it was certain that the officers in Sam's unit and his captain did not. In no time the other wives and girlfriends abandoned them, preferring real dancing to either sitting it out or the simple plant your foot, slide the other over to it, and repeat.

  Women, as a rule, like to dance, so we had a group out on the floor three songs later, all of us being wild and freaky and just having a great time. After the DJ played his entire vintage disco collection, he got the Electric Slide going for old time's sake. Sam's partner, Chloe, came and danced right next to me.

  After that Ersi and I did some club dancing, making it look pretty pornographic even with all our clothes on. When the detective came to claim his wife, he pointed a finger at me and promised that he was watching me. I got a slap on the back of the head as warning and a huge smile from his wife. I had put a spotlight on how hot she was, and got a kiss blown to me in appreciation. When I looked up to find Stephanie, I saw her leaning on the bar, her husband with a protective arm around her. Both women had been claimed, and I was pleased with myself.

  "It's Jory, isn't it?"

  I turned and found Sam's captain's wife. "Yes ma'am."

  Her smile was shy. "Is the Hustle part of your repertoire?"

  I gave her a wide smile in return. "Oh yes, ma'am."

  She beamed at me as I took her hand and led her to the floor. As we started to dance together, the DJ, ever vigilant, put the song on. After that I went through moves that I had learned and was pleasantly surprised when the captain's wife kept up with me. The seventies were apparently her era, and the steps came rushing back easily. She dissolved into throaty laughter when I dipped her. Back on her feet, she hugged me so tight before leaning back to kiss my cheek.

  "Oh Jory, you're delightful."

  I spun her out and back as the next song started.

  I excused myself to go find the bathroom a half hour later, promising to be back even as there were whistles and catcalls as the captain joined his wife. He squeezed my shoulder as I slid by him and we shared a quick smile before I bolted off the floor.

  Walking quickly back from the bathroom a few minutes later, I was yanked hard into one of the darkened rooms.

  Before I could form words of protest, before I could even push back, I was pinned to a wall by an equally hard wall of muscle.

  "You move nice," he growled, his mouth close to my ear, sending a wave of goose bumps down my side.

  "Sam," I sighed, drawing his name out.

  "Kiss me."

  "No—stop," I ordered, terrified for him, trying to push him off me. "Get away before somebody sees you."

  "And if they do?"

  "Sam, you—"

  "Look at me."

  When I lifted my head, he bent and kissed my chin, jaw, and finally my lips. The kiss went deep, and I felt how excited he was as his body pressed against mine. The sound that came out of me, I couldn't stop it, and the mouth grinding down over mine was ravaging. He was taking his time, and even though I couldn't breathe, I didn't care. He put his hands on my face, holding me still, making sure I couldn't get away. My knees went weak.

  "God, you taste good," he growled against my throat when he finally pulled back.

  "What are you doing?" I asked breathlessly. "This is a work function, you're gonna get in trouble."

  "For doing what? Kissing my partner?"

  "Yeah. People will freak out."

  "The hell they will. Every woman out there is thinking that if he moves like that on the floor, what must he be like in bed."

  I laughed at him. "You're insane."

  He grunted. "And all the guys are thinkin' damn... I wish I could move like that."

  It didn't matter what anyone else thought; the important part was that I had obviously turned on my man. The way he was pressing against me, the way he bumped my chin with his nose, making me lift up so he could reach my throat with his mouth, the labored breathing, his hands under my shirt, sliding over my bare skin... all of it let me know that I was wanted, desired, needed.

  "And some guys out there are wondering what it would be like to just once sleep with a man."

  "Is that right?"

  "Or more precisely... sleep with Sam Kage's man."

  I closed my eyes and arched up into him, my skin burning up, aching to be touched.

  "You are gorgeous and everybody wants you."

  His hands were all over me, and I heard my breath catch.

  "But you're mine... only mine."

  I felt the heat in his words, the possessive growl that annihilated me.

  "It was the first thing I ever thought when I saw you lying in the street."

  My eyes snapped open and I looked up into his face, which I could just barely see in the darkness.

  "I remember you were there on the ground with that stupid dog, and I thought... he's mine. He belongs to me. It was the weirdest thing... and it didn't make any sense, but that's why I followed you around and that's why I could never let you walk away.... I knew right then, right there, in the middle of the street, that you belonged to me... and that you were supposed to be with me."

  "You did?" My voice was barely there. The lump in my throat made it hard to even make a sound.

  "I did. I knew. I never felt anything like it before. I never had that reaction to anyone... that's why I had to see you and talk to you. When something happens like that, you hafta see what it is. You hafta find
out."

  "And what did you find out?"

  "That you were the one."

  I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tight.

  He pressed me into him, his leg wedged between my thighs, face buried in my shoulder, arms holding me tight. I was completely enfolded, and instead of it being smothering because he was so much bigger than me, it was bliss. I loved being held like I was everything.

  "Come on," he said after several long minutes. "Let's go back in so we can say good night and go home."

  I scoffed. "None of those people are gonna let me go home."

  "That's bullshit. Pat took his girl and left, same with Chaz.... I get to take my boy home and go to bed too. Fair is fair."

  I smiled at him. "Who was the girl you were dancing with?'

  "I have no idea."

  "You can't dance at all," I assured him.

  "Yeah, no shit, that's why I don't do it."

  I nodded, moving to walk by him.

  He grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him.

  "Where were you before you got here? Why were you late?"

  I winced.

  "Oh shit," he groaned, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at me. "What'd you do, J?"

  "It's what you did."

  "What did I do?" he growled at me.

  The furrowed brows, his deep dark eyes, the way the muscles in his jaw worked... all so usual, all to be counted on, depended on, his annoyance with me, the love that permeated it all.

  "What the hell are you smiling about?"

  I shook my head, my lips pressed tightly together.

  "What?" he demanded, his hand slipping around the back of my neck.

  "I just—I had a weird day, and seeing you... I feel better."

  His head lifted, he was unsure how to respond. "Oh."

  I sighed deeply. "How 'bout we go home and you cook? I'll make it worth your while."

  He eased me close to him and nodded.

  Back in the ballroom, several women came to grab my hands and lead me back to the dance floor, but Sam's grip on my shoulder was solid and unrelenting. I was not leaving his side for the rest of the short time we would be there.

  "Whose shirt is this?" he said as we walked back to the barstool where my things still were.

  "It's Ersi's."

  He grunted. "It's sticking to you."

  "That's 'cause it's hers, not mine."

  "I hate it."

  I pulled my trench coat on over it, buttoning up so I was covered. "Better?"

  He just grunted at me.

  "Are we going or are you just gonna stand there and scowl at me?"

  In answer he walked me over to his captain, who complimented my dancing as his wife rose and hugged and kissed me. I wished her a happy birthday, as I had forgotten to earlier. She thanked me for coming and for the lovely bouquet of wildflowers and roses that had been delivered to her home that morning. It was stunning, she told me, the most extravagant that she had ever received. And I knew it was. I had used Dane's florist, after all.

  "I just loved them, Jory."

  "Well, Sam and I are so pleased," I told her, making sure my partner was included in her thanks, as his name had been first on the card.

  She turned to him. "Oh Sam, I'm so happy that you finally brought Jory with you. He's simply enchanting, I just adore him."

  "Everybody does," Sam said gruffly, his fingers sliding through my hair.

  As we walked out, I looked at him.

  "What?"

  "Finally?" I asked, needing clarification.

  His sigh was long and loud. "Whenever there was a thing like a Christmas party, or a Fourth of July party, or her birthday last year, or the policemen's ball, or whatever, she always asked me why I didn't bring anybody. I always told her that I wanted you to come with me but you couldn't make it."

  "Oh."

  "But it was always the next time and the next time, because the timing was never right and you weren't with me yet. I mean, you were gonna be, eventually, but still... I think she got the idea in her head that I was stalling."

  "Which you were."

  "Which I was."

  "I see." I chuckled as he held the door open for me so I could walk out first.

  "So tonight when she saw you and got to dance with you and talk to you, I think she was just so happy that you were real and not a figment of my imagination."

  I nodded.

  "What's the matter?"

  "I just worry... I don't want your career to be screwed because of me. I don't want people to think about you as the gay detective. I just want them to know you as a good detective, as just Sam Kage."

  "If they do, they do, J. There's nothing I can or would change about it. I get to take you home with me tonight and every night and that's all that really matters."

  "Okay."

  "And Christ, did you bond with Ersi and Steph or what?"

  "I did, huh?"

  "Oh shit, yeah."

  "I'm really happy about that."

  "You guys looked amazing out there together."

  I smiled at him as he led me toward the parking lot.

  "But I gotta tell you—the girls were hot, you were hotter."

  "I think you're a little biased. Pat and Chaz would both say different."

  "No, J, make no mistake... you were really something. I'll explain it to you when we get home."

  From the low sound of his voice, I understood that his explanation would have nothing to do with words.

  As we walked toward the car Sam threw his arm around my shoulder, and it occurred to me as I walked beside the man I loved that, without him, I had no home.

  "I'm very lucky," I said, because I meant it.

  "Me too," he said back, not really listening to me as he steered me around parked cars.

  But I had to explain it to him. Explain that he was so brave to risk everything for love, because loving me had changed how he saw himself, had changed his relationship with his family and friends, had put everything he knew into question.

  He loved me more than himself, and that was so rare to find.

  I was still raw from earlier and realized that I was barely holding it together. I started to tear up, and Sam stopped suddenly and pulled me into his arms. He hugged me tight, molding me to him. I told him, as I did often, that I loved him and he said he knew, had always known, even when I told him I didn't. After a moment we walked on, his arm back around my shoulders, leading me like he always did.

  In the car, when Sam's phone rang I told him to let it go to voicemail. I had a bad feeling about who would be calling him. And he would have not answered, but when he checked the number, he saw that it was Dane. I sighed as I watched him listen, saw his brows furrow, his jaw muscles clench, and his knuckles turn white on the steering wheel. I was in trouble. When he stopped the car in front of the building, I didn't wait; I got out fast, darting toward the stoop in front of his, now our, apartment.

  "Jory, goddamnit!"

  I ran faster, flying inside the front door and hitting the stairs fast. I heard him below me as I shoved the key in the dead bolt lock on the front door. Inside, I dropped my stuff on the couch, and flew down the dark hall to the bedroom. I stripped out of my clothes and ran to the bathroom. I clicked the door closed as I heard the front door slam shut.

  "Jory!"

  "I gotta take a shower," I called back as I turned the water on and got in, the hot spray hitting my face.

  I heard the growl of frustration through the door, but he didn't come in. Apparently I was safe for the time being. But I had to come out some time.

  When I finally opened the door, he nearly fell in on me.

  "Hey." I smiled up at him.

  "You dripping wet is not gonna distract me," he said, cupping my chin in his hand, raising my eyes to his. "Your brother said that you went to see Caleb, and his mother was there too... is that true?"

  "Have you ever known Dane to lie?"

  "I was just giving you an opportunity to talk
to me. I don't doubt Dane for a second."

  Shit, I thought. "Shit," I said.

  His fingers tightened on my chin, his eyes boring into mine. "Please... never again without me."

  I nodded.

  "I'll make you something to eat while you tell me everything that happened from the moment you got there.

  Don't leave anything out."

  After I changed and joined him in the kitchen, I got to watch the various emotions slide over Sam's features as I talked. When I ended with the way Caleb had looked at me before I left, he nodded as his eyes locked on mine.

  "Did that scare you?"

  "I just... I never thought that he could hurt me, but he could."

  "He's sick, Jory."

  Nice that he was trying to comfort me. "You know, Sam, when you contacted the families of the guys that Caleb killed... what did they say?"

  "Closure's good, ya know?"

  "Do they blame me or Dane?"

  "People can't be blamed for the craziness of others, J.

  What would they begrudge you, your life? That's stupid."

  I just stared into his eyes. What was I supposed to say?

  "Hey, why do you think Caleb went to Dane's apartment that night when he left the hospital? Why did he grab Carmen?"

  "I have no idea."

  "Just c'mon... venture a guess."

  "Okay. I think he panicked. I mean, he was already planning on setting up his mother, but he thought that we had figured it out."

  "You did figure it out. I was the idiot that saw more there than there was. You knew he was guilty, I was the only one who thought he was innocent."

  "You thought the best of him because he was your friend.

  Just let it go."

  I had no choice.

  "It's too bad that Susan's last choice was a bad one."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Well, if she had told Dane about Caleb, not gone to jail for him and protected you and Dane... maybe she would've had that chance with him that she was looking for."

  "But she thought she had already lost Dane."

  He leaned forward, staring at me across the counter, him in the kitchen cooking, me sitting on a barstool watching him.

  "But she still had you, and having you... she would've gotten Dane eventually. All she had to do was protect you and she would've had your brother in the palm of her hand."