by Kat Stiles
“I mean it, this is amazing. You’re amazing.” I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
She smiled, rubbing the spot. “That was nice.” Her eyes searched mine, and I got the feeling she was eager to see what would happen next.
“I hate to say thanks and run, but there’s a detective waiting to talk to me, and if I don’t get back there, I’m probably going to be arrested.”
“Understood, we can pick this up later,” she said. “Be confident, they’ve got nothing.”
I nodded, and then remembered how I arrived. “Oh shit, how do I get back?”
“Same way you got here, just in reverse.”
She might as well have been speaking another language. My panicked expression must’ve clued her in as to how clueless I was.
“You were thinking about me, right?” She smiled one of her mischievous little smiles. “Mmmm, that sounds so fucking great. Getting me wet just saying it.”
“Vi, I’m not…” I looked off to the side, avoiding her gaze. “…a lesbian.”
“Neither am I.” She ran a finger down my arm: a light, sensual touch. “But I can’t control who I’m attracted to.”
I was flattered more than anything. Viola was undeniably hot. It was unusual for anyone so beautiful to be interested in me. Looking at her sexy smile, I found myself questioning my own preferences.
But I didn’t have time to explore the thought. “Look, I’m already late, I have to get back there.”
“So think about where you were, wanting to be back in that same spot.”
“That’s it?”
“Yep, it’s that easy,” Vi said. “But please don’t ask about landings.”
I closed my eyes and concentrated, picturing the plant and the hallway across from my office. When I opened them again, I found myself falling into the poor unsuspecting ficus. It spilled on the floor, topsoil going everywhere.
I glanced around and breathed a sigh of relief at seeing I was alone. I apologized to the ficus and set it upright. Then I pushed my shoulders back, lifted my chin up, and walked into my office.
Inside, Detective Paxton was there as promised. At least a dude that looked like a cop, who was checking out everything on my desk, was there. He shook a snow globe I got as a souvenir from a trip to Las Vegas. And then he picked up one of the action figures on my desk, which I occasionally used as muses when I ran into a difficult coding issue. In his hand, he held my favorite – Bele the Cheron.
“I love this episode,” he said as turned towards me. I wonder how long he knew I was there. But then again, I guess it would be difficult to get the jump on a detective.
“Such an insightful social commentary, of the times. It’s amazing how political the original series could get by simply masking differences in the form of aliens.”
It was a brilliant, succinct analysis. I couldn’t help but smile at hearing it, and discovering a fellow Trekkie. It was a show that somehow slipped through the cracks, after the Star Wars re-re-re-reboot of 2037.
“I’m Kate,” I said, and held out my hand for him to shake. As expected, he had a firm handshake, strong but not overpowering. It didn’t help my nervousness that he was attractive. His hair wasn’t anything special, just a short, clean cut afro, but his eyes were kind and unassuming and his dark brown skin made him seem exotic somehow. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what I found sexy, maybe it was his smile. It wasn’t contrived or forced. He seemed totally genuine, which was a rare and beautiful thing, as I discovered at the bar the other night.
“Detective Paxton,” he said, and presented a business card. “But you can call me Alex.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said. “What can I help you with? Got a stored procedure you need fixed?”
I laughed uncomfortably at my lame attempt at humor. “Cause…that’s what I do around here…”
The tight-lipped smile on his face was at once both sympathetic and disapproving. “Is there somewhere we can speak in private?”
I pointed to a conference room in the far corner, one of the few rooms that actually had a door. He led the way, and behind him I took a few deep breaths, straightening my posture in an attempt to ready myself for the interrogation. I can do this, I thought. The detective turned on the lights and closed the door behind me.
Chapter 7
Detective Paxton sat on one of the ends of the large conference table, and motioned for me to sit in an adjacent chair. For a moment, he appeared to just observe me. I crossed my legs and ensured my posture was still upright. If he was going to attempt intimidation, I wasn’t about to back down.
His eyes moved up and down my body, as if he were sizing me up.
“Well? Thought you had some questions,” I said.
“I do.” He took out a small notepad and fished for a pen. I remembered that pens were holding up my bun, so I pulled one out for him. My hair immediately spilled out of the bun, cascading down my shoulders in soft waves. The other pen fell to the floor in front of me. I bent over to retrieve it and he had the same idea. His hand touched mine and it startled me. Even moreso than his gaze moving to my blouse, which hung low in my current position and gave him full view of my bra.
“Thank you,” he said courteously, then shook his head and took a deep breath.
Whoa, did I really just distract him? Only one way to find out…
His thoughts were focused on the image he saw of my breasts, but then that morphed into something less innocent – his hands unbuttoning my blouse, his mouth on my neck, my shoulders, moving down to my chest…
I disengaged from his mind, and wanted to giggle at my good fortune. Instead, I cleared my throat. “I’m really very busy, Alex…”
He wasn’t the only one imagining would it would be like to have sex, but he couldn’t read my thoughts. And I was not about to let him know that. It was nice to have the upper hand for once in my life.
“Right, questions.” He opened his notebook, and now with the pen I lent him in hand, he scribbled a note. Then he made eye contact with me.
“Your full name is Katherine Godfrey, is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“And how long have you worked here?”
“Did I mention that I’m busy? All of that’s in my personnel record, which I know you have access to.”
He looked up from his notepad. His eyes burned into mine. “Are you refusing to answer a question?”
“I would prefer to answer questions you don’t already have the answer to. I work in IT. We loathe inefficient systems,” I said, my voice steady and even, though inside I was nervous as hell.
He didn’t answer immediately, so I looked inside his mind once more. His thought was simply this, “God I love a challenge.”
“I get that you’re probably trying to gauge my demeanor, like a damn lie detector. I’m just asking, can we get on with it?” I lay back in my chair, but didn’t slouch, and maintained eye contact the entire time.
“I’ll try to keep it brief, Katherine, but I need you to answer the questions I ask,” he said, his tone clearly tempered.
“Okay, then,” I said, and leaned in a little closer. “I’m Katherine Godfrey. I’ve worked at USACom for a few months. I’m thirty-two years old, and an Aries. I like reading, long walks in the park, and men who aren’t afraid to say what they feel.”
He chuckled. “You have an unusual sense of humor, Kate.”
“I’ve heard that before.” I took the other pen and rested it on my lower lip.
His eyes were drawn to it, so naturally I played it up. I licked the tip ever so gently. He shook his head, looking down.
“You, uh, knew the deceased, a Chad Morris?” he asked.
I probed his thoughts, just to ensure my plan was working. I blushed at the images I now saw in his mind. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t aroused, his thoughts having taken a sharp turn from PG-13 to R-rated.
“He was my immediate boss.”
“And you were working late last night?” He loosene
d his collar and tie ever so slightly.
“Yes, I was.” I leaned forward just a little closer. “I wasn’t working with Chad, though.”
“So you work on separate projects then?”
“Usually,” I said, and placed the pen down on the edge of the table. Of course it fell, and I leaned down to pick it up, offering my cleavage once more. He licked his lips, staring hungrily.
He took a deep breath and exhaled toward the ceiling. His gaze settled back on me. “He seemed all right when you left?”
I noticed his arm positioned awkwardly in front of his crotch. I wanted to smile, but I knew it wasn’t an appropriate response to the question. “I get pretty involved in my code. It can get…intense.”
At this point, his thoughts were squarely in the X-rated category. And they were glorious.
“My concentration, I mean,” I added. “I like to be thorough.”
He coughed and then smiled afterwards. “Yes, that’s a good quality.” He scribbled some more notes. “What time did you leave here last night?”
I uncrossed my legs, leaving them slightly open. “I’m sorry, I don’t recall the time.”
“Is there anything else you can remember?” His voice wavered to the point of almost breaking. I hadn’t had this much fun in like, ever. It’s amazing how easy it is to flirt, and with a police officer of all people, when you know exactly what the other person is thinking. He was into me in a way that made my whole body ache.
“You’ll be the first one I call if I do.” I stood and rubbed my neck down to my shoulder, pushing my blouse out of the way to expose a bra strap. “Can I go? Unless you want me for something else…”
“Yes,” he said, then revised quickly, “I mean no, not right now. Can I call you later, if I have more questions?” His eyes took me in once more, panning from my head to my heels.
“Of course. I assume you have my number?” I did the same thing, looking him over. Without his arm in the way, I got a glimpse of his enormous erection. This time, I didn’t hold back my smile.
“Yes.” He stood at roughly the same height as I, and his eyes stared directly into mine. “I like to be thorough as well.”
“I can only imagine.” I smiled again. “In your line of work.”
I heard him whisper “fuck” under his breath as I exited.
The interrogation made me want to take a cold shower, but all I had time for was a cold splash of water on my face in the restroom. I was distracted for the rest of the day, which I guessed would have been expected anyway, a coworker had died after all.
More than anything, though, it was liberating - both the interrogation itself and the absence of Chad. I was a totally different person, one who wasn’t afraid to take chances and get caught. With my power, it was like I had inside information. And why shouldn’t I use that to my advantage? People have been doing it for years. I felt invincible.
And still pretty horny. So when the call from Alex came on the way home, I was more than eager to answer more questions. He suggested my place, which gave me little time to ensure the house was at least presentable and Vi was gone.
I went into turbo cleaning mode, picking up things and tidying as I told Vi she needed to leave for a while.
“But I thought we were going to talk some more,” she said, looking like a kid who just dropped an ice cream cone.
“I’m sorry, we can,” I said. “Maybe later tonight?”
“What’s going on?” She rested her hands on her hips. “I’ve never seen you do a cleaning frenzy. Is someone coming over?”
I grinned. “Your advice worked! I was very…confident with the police officer.”
She let out a dramatic sigh. “I don’t think this is such a good idea. Plus it seems like pretty bad judgment on the cop’s part.”
“I need this.” I scooped up a dirty pair of jeans off the floor. “Please let me have a personal life. Just for one night.”
I interlaced my fingers together in a pleading way, and tried to give her puppy dog eyes.
She laughed. “All right, all right. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” And then she disappeared.
I finished straightening the place and then took a quick shower. I had just found something slutty to wear, a see-through shirt with a push-up bra, coupled with a short skirt and sexy undies.
My hair was still wet and wavy when the doorbell rang. I confirmed it was Alex, and cracked open the door.
“I was going to bring some food,” he started, then I swung open the door and he saw my outfit. “…but I thought with you being so busy, you might just want to jump right in.” He shot me a sexy, sleazy kind of grin. I grabbed him by the jacket and pulled him in for a kiss. It got passionate quickly – what started out as a simple French kiss got sloppy and wet, his tongue exploring down my neck and my earlobes. His scent was intoxicating, a manly cologne of some sort. He moved with me inside my apartment and shut the door.
That ache I mentioned a few times? It went to throbbing as I guided his head back up, to kiss me again. His thoughts were deliciously sensual, and it only enhanced the whole experience.
“I thought you had more questions,” I said, as I took my shirt off.
He groped my breasts, massaging them so forcefully, my bra straps fell from my shoulders. He slid the straps off all the way and pushed the bra down around my waist. His mouth immediately suckled a breast, then bit a little harder than I liked. Still, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so turned on, so into my partner. I undid his belt and pants, and they fell to the ground with a thud. I’m not sure why, but knowing it was a holstered gun that made that sound only turned me on more. I slid my hands down to work on him, coaxing him harder and harder.
He groaned, as he pulled his pants back up and buttoned them. “I do have one question for you.”
I paused. “Oh yeah?” Is he seriously going to interrogate me? Now?
“Where is your bed?” He grinned and scooped me in his arms.
I navigated him to the bedroom. We took turns doing oral, before he grabbed a condom and was finally inside me. It took maybe a minute before my first orgasm, and then only a couple minutes after for my second. With me it was usually the third or fourth orgasm that was the best one, so I waited in breathless anticipation for the moment. If I could time it right, I could get it to happen when my partner climaxed, and those were the very best orgasms. I climbed on top of him, enjoying every second. I felt my body start to tighten, and I could tell this would be the one, the earth-shattering orgasm. Wondering if I could make the experience even better, I probed his thoughts. Mostly he thought of how good the sex felt, that he was going to come. I was so close, only seconds away, when a new thought popped into his head.
“I have to let her down easy, Maria can never know about this.”
I didn’t have time to process the thought, I was already coming by the time it finished. A wave of intense pleasure washed over me, and I screamed in ecstasy. My whole body shook; to say the orgasm was mind-blowing wouldn’t be an understatement.
But I didn’t mean that literally. I heard a little “poof” sound, and I repeated over and over in my head: Please let that be a fart, please dear God let that be a post-coitus fart…
Modified Volume 3
Chapter 1
Little known fact #3: It’s surprisingly easy to dump a body in New Jersey. What’s not so easy? Teleporting with dead weight.
Alex lay motionless beneath me. He can’t really be dead, can he? No chest movement, that’s a bad sign. Fearing the worst, I jumped off him. It took me like four seconds to get fully clothed. I began to pace.
I wasn’t even thinking about his brain getting splattered everywhere… How did simply coming kill him? Maybe he’s not dead. I checked for a pulse. Nothing. His skin was still so warm, he can’t be dead.
My hands started shaking. What do I do?
Call Viola. She’ll know.
I tripped over Pickles on the way to my purse. He sat there and stared at m
e, like I was the jerk for disturbing his nap in the middle of the room. “Dick,” I muttered as I fished through the contents and found my cell phone.
Answer the phone, please pick up. I groaned when I heard her voicemail message. Shit, shit, shit.
I returned to the bedroom, hoping to catch some kind of movement. Hoping he’d just get up, tell me I was a lousy lay and leave. But that didn’t happen.
He’s dead. A cop is dead. A cop I slept with. And on top of all that, I was the other woman. It was a new low for me. At least with Chad, I could rationalize that he was a total asshole. I mean, he was trying to rape me. It was self-defense, if nothing else. But Alex? His only crime was having sex with me.
I killed them both. I’m a monster. A single tear trickled down my cheek at the realization. And then I broke down, shaking and sobbing like a frightened little girl.
I felt a hand start stroking my hair, and I just assumed it belonged to Vi. I should’ve known it wasn’t her when I didn’t hear the thump sound that always accompanied her arrival. But I wasn’t in the best state of mind at the time, so I spilled it all. In broken, sob-riddled sentences, I explained why I was sitting in my bedroom with a corpse on my bed.
“Telepathy. I knew it.”
I lifted my head at the sound of the masculine voice. A voice with a British accent. My other senses kicked in and that sexy cologne filled my nostrils once more.
Steve.
I stumbled back from him, unsure of what his next move would be. Fuck that, what should I do? Teleport? Despite Vi’s warnings, I never felt unsafe with him. It was more the opposite, I felt like I wanted to curl up in his capable arms and forget about everything.
Steve held his hands up in surrender. “Kate, it’s all right, I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I can’t trust you,” I said aloud, more to convince myself it was the right thing to feel. “You’re the enemy.”
“That sounds more like Viola than you.” He inched closer to me. “How do you really feel about me?”
I wiped the tears from my eyes. “I don’t know.”