by Aubrey Parr
Free from his clothes, he grabbed ahold of her small hips and brought them to his rock-hard body. He was aching to feel inside of her. Aching to show her how much he wanted her. Starting slow, she pulled her body up to his, and he grabbed ahold of the back of her neck. Everything blurred, until she could only see his eyes.
Lauren had her fair share of first times with men over the years, but nothing compared to this. He knew just what she craved. There was no need for the two of them to learn what each other liked and what their bodies needed. Instinctively, somehow, they knew.
As his eagerness grew, he grabbed the back of her thighs to lift her up. Not leaving her body, he walked past the little couch, opting for the bed that could hold them both. He laid her down and began to kiss all down her body. He stopped and played with each nipple as she cried out. Slowly, he kissed her stomach and hips. Lifting one leg into the air, he teased and nipped at her ankle, up to her calf and then the inside of her thigh. Zane grabbed ahold of her hips and tasted her. He knew just what to do to take her over the edge. As sensation rippled through her body, she grabbed onto his shoulders to bring him back up to her.
“I want you inside of me again.” And she kissed him hard, searching every part of his mouth with her tongue.
Zane took her again, harder this time until she called out his name.
…
Legs tangled with his, Lauren dozed on and off while her head laid on Zane’s chest. He watched her, absent-mindedly running his fingers through her hair. When her eyes opened, she looked at the building across the street. He wondered what she was thinking. He was worried about tomorrow and the days that followed.
“It’s a shame you don’t live here. We really could use another bartender at the hotel.” He kissed the top of her head. Of course, that wasn’t the only reason it would be nice to have her there with him.
“I’ve been thinking about that. One hard part about moving is having a job lined up. I couldn’t afford rent in this city right away, but Cameron lives in Brooklyn. I wonder how tiny his place is?”
Zane almost choked. He had been half-joking. Was she really trying to find a way to stay? “Really… Are you thinking about it?”
Lauren craned her neck to look at him. This was far more than a one-night stand. That was obvious. Would he be her forever? Who knew… but she really wanted to find out.
“Yes. We’re going over there tomorrow. I want to check out how small his place is first. If he lives in one this size, I can’t impose on him like that. But if there’s a possibility...” She paused, thinking about everything. “I don’t have anywhere to live when I get back. I can stay at Nicole’s hotel, but that can’t be long-term. If I’m going to find somewhere to live anyway…”
Zane didn’t let her finish the sentence. His body was in flight, and next thing Lauren knew, he was on top of her. His forehead rested on her while he thought. “You know you could stay with me if his place is too small.”
“Oh, Zane.” God, he loved how she said his name. “We both know that isn’t smart.”
“I know, but you could stay until you found a place.” He was grasping at straws, and he realized it.
“That never works. If someone ends up moving out, it’s for a reason. And usually not a good one.”
“Okay, then let’s hope Cam has a nice big place in Brooklyn.”
With that, he kissed her again. He didn’t want to waste the little time he had her in his bed with sleeping.
CHAPTER TEN
The melody of Lauren’s ringtone woke her. Half awake, she looked up at Zane’s face while he slept. He was so perfect for her in every way. His resting face hid his adorably sexy dimple. She wanted to reach forward and kiss his lips again. As the ring-tone music began again, he stirred slightly. Opting to let him sleep, she climbed carefully over him and grabbed her purse from the table. Without reading the screen, she answered the call just to shut it up.
“Hello?” Her voice was still scratchy from sleep.
“Lauren?” It was Tim… “Where are you? You never came home.”
“Tim, it’s not my home anymore.”
“Yes, it is still your home. I thought you were just upset, and you’d be back.”
Just then, she felt warm arms wrap around her body and Zane’s head nuzzle into her neck. “Everything okay, babe?” he asked, in the sexiest morning voice she had ever heard.
“Who is that?” Tim demanded. “Where are you?”
“That’s the wonderful thing about walking in on your boyfriend fucking a woman in your bed,” she said into the phone. “It’s none of your business what I’m doing in the middle of the night, or anytime, for that matter. Now if you’ll excuse me, we’re a bit busy.”
After ending the call, she turned her body into Zane’s. “Oh my God, that felt amazing!” She laughed and kissed him. It was immediately interrupted by the same stupid song singing from her phone. Zane took the phone from her hand, hit Ignore, and flipped her phone to silent.
“That’s better.” Smirking down at her, his adorable dimple appeared on his cheek. “I’m sorry you had to walk in on that,” he told her.
“When it happened, I couldn’t breathe from the shock,” she explained, “I packed my shit and sat on the train, riding back and forth trying to figure out what to do. I realized I was mad at the situation, but not sad about losing him. We moved in together to save money, and that’s never a good reason. That was when I met Nicole and Kate. They took pity on me and brought me on their girls’ trip.”
“It makes sense that you wouldn’t want to move in here. You’re right, necessity is not a good reason. I should thank your new friends for bringing you to me. Now that we’re awake, can I take you back to bed?”
…
“Do you think she’s staying the night?” Nicole yelled into the bedroom from the couch. It was just after 1:00am. “Did we remember to give her a key?”
“I did,” Kate called back. She finished cleaning off her makeup and brushing her teeth and wandered back into the living room, dressed in comfy clothes.
Nicole had her blond locks piled on top of her head in a messy bun and was wearing a cute pair of sweats from one of the resorts in Mexico. This one happened to be in Cancun, the sister resort to the one in Chicago, and one they stayed at often. The Stones enjoyed the spa-like feel over a crazy, party atmosphere. Given it was their home and not a vacation, they opted for relaxation over chaos.
“Should we stay up and wait for her?” Nicole giggled, feeling like a big sister.
“We can try. I’m not making any promises. My body wakes up at 6:30am like clockwork still. If I’m not going to the office, Kenzie is ready to play. I miss her.” Kate stopped and thought about her little girl. Daddy was taking good care of her, and they talked numerous times a day. It didn’t change the fact that she wanted to kiss her chubby little cheeks and hear her say “momma” in person rather than over the phone.
“You’ll have her back tomorrow,” Nicole smiled at her friend. She had always known that Kate would be a wonderful mother. From the moment they met, she was always watching out for Nicole, keeping her flighty side in check when needed. Kate always had a maternal side to her. Nicole’s hadn’t showed up just yet. If she and Derek discovered they were pregnant, she wouldn’t be disappointed, but they weren’t ready to start trying fertility by any means.
Kate walked over with two water bottles from the bar. Oh, how times had changed. Two years ago, Nicole would have heard the shaker tin preparing Kate’s signature dirty martini and a cork being popped for Nicole’s wine. But water sounded good right now. Moments like these were some of her favorite parts of their trips. The dinner and play were amazing, but this was real. Two best friends spending time together. These were the memories she cherished over all the rest.
…
The feeling of something cold dripping on his leg woke Cameron. Jumping up, he grabbed the bottle of beer that had tilted a bit too far after he dozed off on the couch. Luckily, none of
the paperwork was damaged and only a drop made it onto his sweats. No need to change.
He looked around at the piles surrounding him. Needing to clear his mind, he boxed up the information that wasn’t needed anymore. What was left was a small stack of interviews from the incidents. Rather quickly, he discovered that the officer in charge of the first two investigations had been rather sloppy. He began reading through those interviews to see if any obvious holes stood out.
There it was. Though it was obvious that Officer Crane wasn’t very thorough, Cam noticed that answers given by the manager weren’t questioned any further. Crane seemed to take the man’s word for whatever he said. Facts were at least somewhat double checked with the other four employees, but not with the manager.
He leaned back again on the couch and rubbed his forehead. He had met Crane a couple of times. He knew his desire was to become a detective, but it had yet to happen. The man wanted to be in a place of authority. He seemed to put stock in those who were. Maybe he let this manager slide because of it.
He glanced at his watch: 6:00am. Shit, he had slept longer than he thought. He grabbed his laptop off the counter and pulled up the hotel’s website. Maybe they listed the current management somewhere.
After scrolling through information about the luxurious rooms and amenities, he found what he was looking for. Listed as one of the hotel managers was the same name from the files. Rich Turner…
He was wearing a suit in his picture. His smile was insincere, and there was smug look in his eyes. Cam squinted his own, as if he were trying to see into the guy’s soul. Chills ran up his arms. His sixth sense was kicking in, and he didn’t like it. Rich Turner very well may be the man that had attacked at least four different women. And he was working where Cam’s little sister was staying. Cam needed to make sure that Lauren was safe. He grabbed his phone, found her number, and called. Nothing… He tried one more time, still nothing…
Fuck this! he thought. I’ll go knock on her door and wake all three ladies to know that she’s okay. After the fastest shower in history, he brushed his teeth and threw on a pair of jeans and one of his precinct shirts. He grabbed his wallet, badge, and phone, stowing his gun before heading for the front door. He stopped for a moment and looked past the open door of his little den. The room had become more of a storage area and some unused space. He stared at it, not really thinking, just looking. Then, shaking his head to get back into the present, he walked out the front door.
…
“Are you always a morning person?” Lauren joked as they dressed to get her back to the hotel. “I’m barely awake.”
“My beautiful sleepyhead. Yes, somehow, I’m a bartender and a morning person. That’s why I work a lot of day shifts. The rest of the bar staff don’t roll out of bed until noon. We’ll get some coffee on the way.”
The sun was barely peeking through the buildings as they walked through a city that seemed to still be sleeping. She had asked to be back at the hotel early, not wanting Nicole and Kate to worry. Lauren wasn’t a bitch in the morning. She just wasn’t chipper. It took time and coffee for her to wake up.
Zane took her hand as they walked. The simple gesture was tangible; she wanted to feel his hand grab for hers every day. What if Cameron lived in an apartment the size of a thimble, too? She wouldn’t allow herself to move in with Zane for the wrong reasons. If you don’t learn from your past mistakes, then they served no purpose. Moving in with Tim for the wrong reasons was a life lesson. She wouldn’t let that heartache she felt just two days ago die in vain. She would learn from it.
A quick subway ride was followed by a short walk, and they were there. At 6:30 in the morning, the hotel lobby was quiet. Feeling the need to whisper, she asked, “Is this my last chance to see you while you won’t be working?” Panic and reality set in; her nerves were tangled and raw. She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. How could she possibly tell him goodbye?
Zane held the side of her face with his hand. “Don’t cry.” He looked around and gave her a sweet innocent kiss on her lips. “We’ll figure out a way to see each other. Plus you’ll back down to my bar in a few hours to give me a proper goodbye kiss in the back,” he finished with a wink.
There they stood in the lobby hotel, holding hands, not sure what to do. How to walk away. Zane wasn’t sure they’d figure it out, but he was determined to try. Lauren reached her arms around his neck and lifted herself as high as her toes would stretch. “Will this get you in trouble?”
“I’m still off duty and not in my uniform. See? No vest,” he pointed out. Then he leaned in and gave her a deep kiss, neither of them caring if someone happened to walk into the quiet lobby. It was an odd feeling. They weren’t a couple by any means. They had known each other less than forty-eight hours and spent one night together. Yet, neither could let go. This could be the start of something wonderful, something amazing. If things really did happen for a reason, and the stars had aligned for them to meet, then why? To get a taste of heaven and then leave each other?
“Zane, please get behind your bar!” The boom of the manager’s voice broke their trance.
Zane glanced over at Rich and saw that same look he had seen in the man’s eyes at the restaurant the morning before. This man was crazy. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he felt the need to hold more tightly to Lauren than before.
“Fucking cappuccino machine,” Zane mumbled under his breath. He was a bartender, not a barista. And yet here he was, being told to brew fancy coffee concoctions at the crack of dawn.
“Come see me before you leave.” Zane looked into Lauren’s adorable eyes and kissed her lips one last time, glaring at Rich as he walked towards his bar.
“Bye,” Lauren called to him.
Rich marched towards her with determination in his eyes. “May I speak with you for a moment?” He asked in a hushed tone. He glanced towards the bar, making sure that Zane was out of sight.
“Um, I guess that would be okay.” Lauren couldn’t imagine what he would want to talk about. Maybe he saw her behind the bar and thought she lived in New York. Maybe he liked her initiative; Zane did say that they were short-handed. If she could stay with Cam, it would be nice to already have a job lined up.
Slowly, she followed Rich towards his office. Something didn’t feel right. You always hear about those times when you need to listen to your gut and trust in yourself. Was this one of those moments? Lauren slowed her pace once she was in arm’s reach of his office. Her breath quickened, and her eyes turned hazy. She turned to look around. No one was in sight. The concierge desk was vacant, and the bell hops were outside, busy laughing with each other. Looking the other direction, she saw an empty front desk. The bar was empty, too. Zane must have been in the back, prepping for the day.
“What is it?” Rich looked cold and annoyed.
“I think I need to go up to my room first. Can I come back and talk with you in a bit?”
Rich wasn’t going to lose his chance. He had had all night to plan this while she was off doing God knows what with that stupid bartender. His heart rate increased; he couldn’t think about that, or he wouldn’t stay focused.
“No, this needs to happen now.” Rich grabbed her arm, pulled her into the office, and slammed the door shut.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Zane heard a door slam, a foreign sound in a five-star hotel. Maybe a tray of drinks dropping or a pile of suitcases tipping over, but never a door. Something wasn’t right. He should have watched Lauren get onto the elevator. Rich was staring at them with that crazy look in his eye. If the lobby had been bustling with people, he wouldn’t be concerned. But it was dead, no one around. The coffee he and Lauren had had on their way gurgled in his stomach. Vomit was making its way up. He dropped the lime he was slicing and kept ahold of the little paring knife. It was small, but it was still a weapon. As he ran around the bar, his adrenaline made his heart feel like it was jumping out of his chest. He reached the lobby. It was empty. Rich’s door
was closed, but he heard a commotion behind it.
“Lauren!” he screamed.
He heard the muffled sound of a scream. Fear and relief flooded him at the same time. She was in there with that sicko, but at least he knew where she was. He could break down the door to get to her. Admittedly he hadn’t known Lauren long, but he recognized her scream. She was terrified, and he wanted to protect her.
Zane banged on the door with his free hand; Rich was silent inside. He could tell that Lauren was putting up a fight. His eyes filled with tears. What if Rich was hurting her? As Zane stepped back to kick down the door, he heard someone call his name.
“Zane, what’s going on?” Cameron had walked in on exactly what he had feared. Lauren was in trouble. Cam was thankful to see Zane doing everything in his power to get to her. As Zane continued to kick the door, Cam grabbed him by the shoulder, breaking his trance.
Zane registered the sight of Lauren’s brother. “There,” he pointed to the door. “She’s… Lauren… He has her… Rich…” He couldn’t form a sentence; he was barely able to breathe, fighting to get the information to Cameron. But Zane saw that he understood.
“Stand back.” Drawing his gun, Cam pushed Zane out of the way and aimed at the door handle. He had learned how to shoot directly at the metal handle so that the bullet wouldn’t find its way through the door and into his sister.
BOOM!
The gun fired, and Zane’s ears rang. He had never been that close to a gunshot before. He never knew if he’d have the guts to fire one. But when he hadn’t been able to get to Lauren, he knew without a doubt that he would have done anything needed to get to her.