Desire_Her Two Rivals

by Ally Miller

  Today was a celebration of Aida's and Kenneth's love for each other and the family they had always dreamed of. They were to have a vow renewal ceremony in the beautiful garden that Kenneth had planted and then change into more practical clothes for a barbeque and dance with their new friends and neighbors. Their second honeymoon would include the babies, but Katy would come along too so that Mom and Dad could have some alone time. As Kenneth said, "The boys need a little sister, maybe even two."

  Aida handed the boys back to Aunt Katy, straightened her dress and checked her reflection once again. Then she waived out the window to her beloved Kenneth, letting him know she was ready for the ceremony and the next chapter of their lives to begin.

  Aida's vows to Kenneth included her promise of an unwavering love and commitment to their marriage. She vowed to never again take his hard work and understanding for granted. Kenneth vowed to be a more playful and less work consumed husband. Their children would have the time and attention they deserved from both parents. After the final kiss, Aida leaned in and whispered, "I will never make fools of us again. I know that I have the best man alive. I love you more than ever."

  The after party was amazing, yet crazy. Kent managed to spit up on Grandpa's shirt, while Kyle's diaper leaked on Grandma's dress. Kenneth burned some of the burgers due to spending too much time kissing the bride. He made up for it by playing his guitar and singing a song he had written just for Aida. Later they danced with each one holding a baby in their arms. Katy finally took the boys up to bed so that Aida and Kenneth could continue to celebrate with their friends.

  When everyone had gone home, Kenneth took Aida into his arms and danced her across the yard whispering, "What a difference a year makes. Last year I thought I would lose you, but today I have you and two perfect little boys who I adore. My life feels complete." He stopped by the table and picked up a bottle of champagne saying, "Let's toast to new beginnings and the wonderful life we are headed for." They drank straight from the bottle, clasped hands and headed for their bedroom at a run.

  Someone had lit candles, put on soft music and had more champagne on ice waiting in their room. They both said a silent thank you to whoever the fairy was. As they danced their way to the bed, they slowly peeled away each other’s clothing. Tonight as they made love new promises of forever were given and received. Never again would they feel the need for someone or something else to make them happy. They had each other, the boys, and their future children. Nothing else was necessary.

  THE END

  Bonus 27 of 30

  Hunting for Love

  Description

  Agent Amanda Kowaski might only be a rookie, but she's as ambitious as anybody in the Bureau. Her green eyes burn with a desire for justice, which gives her little time or energy for anything else. And that’s just the way she likes it. She's not interested in any sort of romantic entanglements. Or at least that's what she keeps telling herself

  But as her investigation into a sexy, mysterious, Russian spy, intensifies, she feels a whirl of strange emotions and tingling sensations, bubbling up inside of her.

  But it's not just the potential Russian spy that begins to arouse her sexual urges.

  She also finds herself incredibly turned on by her older, tough talking, hard drinking partner, Nolte.

  Which direction will she turn? Will she risk her up and coming career and begin a torrid love affair with her partner? Or will she go even further, committing treason in the name of love, and begin a passionate relationship with the sexy Russian?

  Love and desire make her lose control of herself. She hates it. She loves it. Yes, she absolutely loves it! Two men fighting over her. Two men loving her.

  Oh, what an incredible feeling!

  Chapter 1

  Kowaski slammed her laptop shut and stood up from her desk. She paced around her office, a frown etched on her face. Frustration shown in her eyes. She rubbed her neck. Her entire body was stiff and sore. She'd been sitting in that chair for the last six hours, locked in her office, away from everyone else at the Bureau. As much as she hated to admit it, this case was starting to get to her.

  Take it easy, her father would've said. You’re just a rookie. Don't push things too hard. You’ll end up alienating your fellow officers.

  If he was still alive to say that to her, she would've rolled her eyes and smirked. She was never one to take it easy. Never one to calm down. She was full of ambition. Rookie or not. She only knew one way to work. Only one way to live. Full throttle, pedal to the metal.

  She checked her watch. It was 3:30 in the afternoon. Nolte should've been back an hour ago. She hadn't even noticed the time go by. They had an evening surveillance assignment. Sergei Bronov. They would be watching him, again, for the 15th straight day. He was a Russian playboy. At least that was his cover. They suspected him of being a spy and conducting undercover operations within the United States will the intention of infiltrating and undermining the government of the United States.

  She had never much been into politics. But the result of the last election was something that she couldn’t live with. It was not a free and fair election. No way. There had been foreign interference. The Russians. She was sure of it. But now she had to go about digging up some real, hard evidence that she could take to the director. Once she turned it over to him, she hoped that he would finally go in front of Congress and reveal their findings.

  She felt a deep patriotic duty to get to the bottom of this case. Unfortunately, not everyone in the building shared her enthusiasm or sense of patriotism. This was a great source of disappointment for her. It seemed like only half of the Bureau had any interest in really figuring out whether or not the Russians had interfered in the election. What role did Russia play? Did the current administration collaborate with them? And if so, why? And what was there to expect in the future?

  There were so many unanswered questions. But it seemed like there were also so many roadblocks being thrown up against the investigation. Before his passing two years ago, her father had warned her about the internal politics that she would most likely run up against. But she was still surprised by just how intense it could be. Weren’t they all Americans? Weren’t they all fighting for the same thing? To protect the interests of the United States? If so why so much political bickering?

  The lack of teamwork frustrated her. But she wouldn't let it deter her. She was going to break this case. Rookie or not.

  Someone knocked on the door. She spun around. The handle turned. The door opened.

  Nolte. He smiled and brushed a tangle of disheveled brown hair from his face.

  She looked him dead in the eyes, frowning, brow furrowed. At least he's not drunk, she said to herself. Or not as drunk as he usually is by this time in the afternoon.

  She crossed her arms against her chest. “Weren’t you supposed to be here an hour ago?”

  Nolte reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. His eyes open wide. “Yeah, sorry about that. Ex-wife. Kids. Crazy shit going on in my life. Sorry.”

  Her father had always told her not to bring personal or family business into the office. Keep that crap at home, he used to say. Everyone's got problems. Nobody wants to hear about yours.

  Despite those hard-boiled lessons, she couldn't help feeling some sense of empathy for her screw-up of a partner. Apparently, he had really been going through a lot with his ex-wife lately. Divorce. Kids. Money. A messy settlement.

  “Okay,” she said. “Next time if you’re going to be late, just call me.”

  A sly smile passed across his face.

  She shook her head confused. Not sure what had caused that reaction.

  “Have you been anxiously waiting for me, Kowaski? Maybe touching yourself underneath the desk?”

  Her face turned red. She turned her back on him and mumbled something under her breath. This was the bastard that they forced her to work with. Maybe the higher-ups were trying to send her a message. Maybe they were trying to break her. O
r maybe they were just trying to test her spirit. There was no way to be sure.

  She turned around, arms still crossed against her chest, face still burning red with anger and embarrassment.

  “Nolte, you’re a real special kind of asshole. I would be surprised if any women are touching themselves thinking about you these days.”

  She walked past him and out of her office. She turned. He was still standing there.

  “Are you coming or not?”

  He shook his head slowly, smiled, and said something under his breath.

  “What?” she snapped at him. “Is there something that you want to tell me?”

  He finally walked out of the office and straight toward her. “You talk real tough for a rookie.” He wagged a finger in her face.

  Her first instinct, which she just managed to suppress, was to grab his finger, snap it off, punch him in the face, knee him in the nuts, throw him to the ground, then pummel him some more. She had the strength and the skill to do it.

  They rode the elevator down to the garage in silence. She didn’t want to look at him. But out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't help noticing that he was smiling. What a fucking prick!

  They stepped off the elevator and into the parking garage.

  She couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. “I'm not surprised you got divorced. What woman would be able to live with you?”

  “You talk a lot of shit, Kowaski. Just give me one night alone with you. I'll make you see things you never imagined.”

  She shook her head in disgust. “Give me the keys,” she said.

  He tossed them to her without argument. That surprised her. But he had probably had a nip or two while he was out.

  “I love a woman that knows how to take charge and get behind the wheel. You probably like being on top, don't you?”

  She stopped walking and glared at him. “If you say one more thing to me, swear I’m going to fucking shoot you.”

  He smiled and put his hands up in the air, playfully. “That's fine. I’ve survived gunshots before. Just don’t go to HR. That’s the shit that can kill a guy.”

  She closed her eyes and sighed. She looked up to the heavens and shook her head. It was useless. There was no hope trying to be serious with this asshole. The Bureau had broken him. Years ago. Left him as a shell of a man. She was just gonna have to deal with it.

  They got into the car and drove out of the garage.

  “Find anything new on your Russian overman?” Nolte asked.

  “It's called an investigation,” she answered. “Remember when you used to do that? Remember when you used to wait until after five before you started drinking?”

  “Is that one or two questions?” he asked.

  “What?”

  “Do I remember the days when I used to do investigations? Or do I remember the days when I didn’t get drunk before 5 p.m.?”

  “Nolte,” she said.

  “What?”

  “Shut the fuck up.”

  Chapter 2

  Nolte might've been full of shit. But he wasn’t lying when he said he loved a woman who enjoyed getting behind the wheel. These days, he tried to do as little driving as possible.

  He slipped his hand into the inside pocket of his jacket. His trusty bottle was there. Whiskey. Dewar’s. The bottle was half empty. But unlike most days, he hadn't yet dipped into it. This Kowalski, 25-year-old, blonde, green eyed, very curvy rookie, made him feel some sense of duty. It was something he hadn't felt in a while. But something about her enthusiasm and her naivete, reminded him of himself when he was younger. Gun-ho. Ready to chase down bad guys. Take on the big cases. Turn the evidence over to the Big Boss. Then head back into the field and do it all over again. That's how he had been until he learned just how things functioned within the Bureau. It didn’t take long before he got frustrated with all the internal politics. The ideological battles.

  As they exited I-276, he rolled down the window and let the breeze blow through his disheveled hair.

  He turned towards Kowaski. Her eyes were focused on the road. He smiled. She turned to him. He looked away. They was something so cold and about those green eyes.

  He couldn't help wondering, not that it really mattered to him, not that he was interested in getting involved with a woman these days, but he couldn't help wondering what kind of man she went for. He couldn’t help wondering what was she really like when you got her to let her guard down. He had never seen her like and he wondered if he ever would. He had never seen her drunk. And he had only seen her laugh once or twice. And they weren't even deep laughs. Just brief chuckles.

  He had the sense that there was something deep inside of her haunting her. Something keeping her from truly living. But who was he to pry? Was he some kind of life coach? Or relationship counselor? Definitely not! He couldn’t help feeling that his life was falling apart. And he had been forced to admit, after months and months of denial, that his family was falling apart. Cindy wanted the house, kids, car and $15,000 a month. Basically, she wanted everything he had. That’s how acrimonious things had become between them.

  But beyond the material things what really pained him was that she wanted to severely limit the amount of time that he got to spend with the kids. Eight and six years old. Tommy and Taylor. They were going to court next week. His lawyer was sucking him dry. And he seriously doubted whether or not he would end up actually doing anything positive for him.

  The bitch! She wanted to limit his visitations to once a month. Was he really that much of an embarrassment? Was his presence really that detrimental to Tommy and Taylor?

  He sighed heavily and look out the window with sad eyes. A young couple pushing two strollers came out of a restaurant. They turned to each other, smiled, and kissed on the lips.

  He sighed heavily again. That used to be them. He and Cindy. Everything was going so well. He was a rising star in the Bureau. She had quit her job as a teacher to stay home and take care of the toddlers. He earned enough. And he was sure that within a few years he would be earning a lot more. Everything seemed to point in that direction. But then, what had happened? It is all gone wrong.

  He lost his cool. Beat up a witness. And if that wasn't enough, when he got home, completely drunk, he had taken out more frustration on Cindy. He had never done anything like that before. He had never imagined that he would be capable of such violence. It was something that he would always regret. He was still haunted by the pictures of her bruised and bloodied face. He was lucky not to have been arrested. But he had been demoted within the department. Put on probation. All eyes were on him.

  The next time he messed up, would be the last time.

  But what had gotten him into trouble in the first place? It was his love of the job. His love of hunting down the bad guys. Protecting American citizens. That's what had gotten him in trouble. At least that was part of it. At least that was what he liked to tell himself. There was probably more to it than that. Much more. His ego. His obsessive need to prove himself.

  It wasn't like he didn't enjoy a stiff drink before everything had started to fall apart. But these days, things were very different. A sort of nihilism had taken over his worldview. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. He had grown numb. The injustices that used to keep him up at night, which would make him spring out of the bed in the morning, full of blood rushing through his veins, hard cock throbbing in his pants. All that was gone. And what was left in its wake? Nothing but questions, doubts, insecurities. If he couldn't be a cop, what was he good for? Nothing. Might as well drink, might as well destroy his liver and brain cells. Without the passion for this job, there was no point in going on living.

  But recently the presence of Kowaski, had made him ashamed to be so defeatist. To be so weak. He could feel some of that old desire beginning to burn with him. He just hoped that he hadn’t already screwed things up too much.

  “I think he’s meeting a couple models tonight,” Kowaski said.

  “Great. I just wish we h
ad cameras in the hotel room. I'd love to see some of that hot action.”

  She turned to him with a sly smile. Then she fixed your eyes back on the road.

  “What?” Nolte asked, raising an eyebrow. “We got cameras in there tonight?”

  Without turning to him, without saying anything, Kowalski nodded up and down, slowly, a satisfied smile slithering across her face.

  “Damn!” Nolte said. “I’m impressed.”

  “Wow! What a day this is! I’ll remember it forever,” she said. Her sarcasm burned his face. “I actually impressed the great Mark Nolte. It's all downhill from here.”

  He looked at her in silence. What a bitch, he said to himself. But she was tough. She didn’t take shit from anybody. Didn't apologize for her attitude. He liked that.

  “I never took you for the voyeur type,” Nolte said. But now that I think about it, you gotta get your sexual kicks from somewhere, right? Don't we all?”

  Kowaski didn't answer. Didn’t turn towards him. But he could see frown cross her features. He loved when she got angry. It sent his imagination running wild in so many directions. She was probably a wild animal, an untamed, wild beast in the bedroom, kicking and screaming, biting and clawing, fucking and wild bucking like a bronco.