by Amelia James
“Go get her.”
Get her and never let her go.
***
The gate attendant picked up her microphone. “Flight 799 to Denver will begin boarding at Gate 29.”
About damn time.
After leaving Kathy’s apartment, I’d driven in the general direction of home, but when I had to make the right turn toward O’Hare, I took a left instead. My place felt empty just knowing Talia wasn’t coming back. I’d sat down for a few minutes to type an email to my captain. A resignation letter. But I’d left it open on the screen while I changed and packed, tossing random clothes and my toothbrush into a duffle bag. I’d saved the email without sending and locked the door behind me.
All night long, I’d sat in the airport, sleeping in fits and spurts on the cold fake leather chairs. The scent of sizzling bacon and brewing coffee woke me as the restaurants started cooking breakfast. I’d just polished off my second cup when the airline informed me a seat had opened up on the 10:24 a.m. flight. That would put me in Denver just before noon.
A smiling flight attendant greeted me as I stuffed my bag into the overhead bin. In the minutes before she asked the passengers to turn off their electronic devices, I accessed my email and read my resignation again.
It’s just a job. You can always start over.
I pressed send and turned off my phone.
Holy shit, what have I done?
I didn’t know anything about Denver, where I might be headed or what I’d find there. Sure, Talia, but what if she rejected me? Could I stick around to make sure things worked out between her and Alex? How long would that take? And what would I do in the meantime?
The flight attendants locked the doors, sealing up the cabin, and the plane pushed back from the gate. I reached up and turned the overhead air flow on full blast, gulping like a fish as it whooshed over me. After my head stopped spinning, I grabbed a Denver attractions magazine and flipped through it, hoping to take my mind off the future. Rockies baseball, Broncos football, local brew pubs and fine dining.
Hey, look at this.
A flashy ad for a culinary festival spread across two pages: “Sharpen your cooking skills with chefs from all over the world.” I checked the date. August 23 through 25, still a few weeks away. I ripped out the registration page and stuck it in my pocket. Something concrete and specific, a solid reason to stay while I waited to see what happened to my unstable prospects.
Talia might’ve been able to brush me off with a text message, but once I spoke to her in person, she’d have second thoughts.
One last question pestered me as I tuned out the safety instructions and drifted toward sleep.
Are you sure?
***
No one bothered me as I flashed my now meaningless Chicago PD badge to gain entry to Alex’s building. I walked into his office. His interior door stood open, but the room was empty. His assistant hadn’t been at her desk for a while, judging by the dark computer screen. Then I heard laughter from behind the closed conference room door.
They sound happy.
I stood by Claire’s desk and waited. I’d met her the last time I flew out here to rescue Talia. Cute and interested in me. I might’ve liked to pursue her, but now that question buzzed circles around my sleep-deprived brain. The door popped open and Talia slammed into Alex’s back as he stopped short in front of me. She grabbed his shoulder as she tripped over her feet.
His lip curled and his eyebrow arched as he glared at me. “What are you doing here, Will?”
Talia’s face turned white, and a silent gasp escaped her pale lips.
Alex’s scowl faded into the background as I backed her against the wall, fighting back the urge to yank her blouse open and slap my hand over her left breast to see if she still had a heart.
“What did you expect me to do when I got this?” I held up my phone with her text from last night displayed on the screen.
Alex snatched it from my hand and read out loud. Talia stumbled back into the corner as her written words echoed in the deserted suite. He chewed his lip and moved beside me, trapping her between us. “He’s right. What did you expect?”
The question that kept me from getting any real sleep no longer bothered me. I was sure. Sure enough to quit my job and come here to get her back. But I needed her answer. I handed the phone to her. “I’ve got one question for you, darlin’. Are you sure?”
She looked from me to him, her eyes shiny. “I thought I was….”
“What?” Alex staggered back a step and I moved in.
“Then come home… at least until you know.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her close, but she resisted.
“This is home now. I love Alex.”
What? “You love him?”
She nodded and her eyes filled with tears. Her fingers slipped from my grasp as I let her go.
“All right.” I’ve lost her. Darkness closed in as my heart turned cold. Pain tried to knife through me, but my indifferent, unfeeling shield deflected it. I’d lived like that before. I could do it again.
Her grip tightened and she pulled me into her arms, her radiant warmth fighting to rescue me. “But I love you, too.” Her lips touched mine, melting away the icy barrier.
Hope flooded my renewed heart and I clung to her, tasting the happiness I’d been chasing ever since I met this woman. But the moment turned bitter as Alex grabbed my shoulder and pushed us apart.
“Talia, you can’t keep doing this.” He dragged her away from me.
She yanked free of him. “I know! Damn it, Will! Why did you have to come here?”
“I’m not letting you go without a fight.”
“Then you’ve got one.” Alex’s fist cracked on my jaw, knocking me sideways.
The room spun as I turned and shot back at him, but he blocked my punch and sent another blow to my gut. I doubled over, clutching my stomach as I heard Talia yell for us to stop. He advanced, but I swung into his steps, jamming my shoulder into his chest and knocking him on his ass.
I stood and shoved my hair from my face. “Get up.”
He scrambled to his feet and charged, but Talia jumped between us. “No!” She raised her hands and shoved back at him. “Both of you, stop this now!”
We paused, the air snapping between us as we caught our breath, each waiting for the other to throw the next punch.
But Talia struck first. “Go home, Will.”
“No.”
“I’ll come back to Chicago—”
Alex grabbed her. “Like hell.”
She braced a hand against his chest. “To pack up my things. Come with me, Alex. Then all three of us will sort this out.”
He glared at me over her head and then shrugged as if he had no idea how she’d accomplish that.
She touched me, her fingertips searing my pounding heart. “All right?”
I shook my head. “I’ve got nothing to go back for. Everything I want, everything I need is right here.” I caressed her cheek and slid my hand into her hair.
“What do you mean?”
“I quit my job. I’m staying here with you.”
“You did what?” She placed both hands on my chest. Her eyes got huge and her mouth dangled open as if words escaped her.
Alex scoffed. “You’re such a dumbass.”
I ignored him and clasped her hands in mine. “It was either give up my job or give up you. Not much of a decision, really.”
“I can’t believe you… what about your career?” Her eyes shone again.
I caressed her cheek. “I can start over. Maybe it’s time to do something different.”
“But you wanted to make Captain, join the FBI.”
“Fuck ‘em. I need you, Talia.” I grabbed the nape of her neck and stroked her soft hair. “I thought I could get by, hoping you’d come running back to me when he screwed up again, but I can’t live like that anymore. I’m here and I’m staying… for you.”
“Then we’re leaving.” Alex grabbed his cell phone. “Cla
ire, get us on a flight to Chicago. Tonight. Me and Talia. Good. Thanks.”
She reached for him as he stomped into the conference room to gather her stuff. “Alex, wait.”
“No. We’re going to pack up your apartment and move you here—with me—permanently.” He stopped in front of me and snarled. “No more running to him.”
“But I—”
I stroked her shoulders and hugged her against me. “What do you want, sweetheart?”
“I don’t know. I wish we could…. You two need to talk. You were like brothers. What happened to that?”
I kissed her forehead. “You did.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks as Alex grabbed her hand and led her toward the door. He pushed her out into the hall then turned and snarled at me, “You’d better be gone when we get back,” then slammed the door behind them.
“Like hell.”
Crooked
Rain poured from the darkened sky, dripping silvery rivulets down the window pane. My breath fogged the glass as I pressed my forehead against its smooth, cool surface. Summer in Chicago. Just as cold and miserable as I remembered. It should’ve been easy to leave this behind. Boxes and bubble wrap littered my living room. Packing tape stretched across cardboard, echoing off the bare walls. Another box sealed. Another memory packed into my heart.
Alex walked in and dropped a box on the coffee table. “I got everything from your linen closet.”
I moved away from the window and grabbed a book from a half-empty shelf. “Thanks. I took a little break, but I’ll finish up in here.” Mascara smeared across my finger as I rubbed a tear from my eye.
“Okay.” He scratched the back of his neck and started down the hall, then turned instead and walked over to me. “This is harder than we expected, huh?”
I reached for another book but stopped short and glanced out the window. “Yeah. Colorado is great, so sunny and warm.” Thunder rumbled outside. “Being with you is great….”
“But…?”
A heavy sigh weighed me down. “I hate leaving Will behind.”
Alex pressed his lips together. “Well, he’s probably waiting in Denver right where we left him, sitting on his stubborn ass till you get back. That should make you happy.”
I grinned without thinking. “It does.”
His face darkened. “I was joking.”
Shit.
“Damn it!” He ripped his hands through his hair. “Do you really want to move to Denver with me? Because I can start unpacking right now.” He tore open the box he’d just taped shut.
I went after him and yanked the box from his grasp. “Don’t do this!”
He circled the coffee table and drove me back toward the couch. “Do what? Take you away from him?”
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be.” My heart raced, waiting for him to respond.
“Why is it so hard to leave all the shit we went through here and move on to something new and better?”
The cold, damp room turned sticky and hot, and I fought for breath. “Is it better?”
He backed off. “Maybe it isn’t. Maybe we should just call this off right now.”
“No. I don’t want that.”
His voice rose. “I’ll find someone new, and you can go fuck Will or whoever else you want. Thanks for the pussy. It was fun while it lasted.”
Jesus Christ! How is this better? “Oh grow up, Alex! Stop being such a selfish little boy and listen to me. I’m giving up everything I knew, every shred of security I might’ve had to risk a future with you.”
His mouth fell open. “Excuse me? Miss Center of the Universe is giving me lessons in self-sacrifice? I gave up my fucking sanity to be with you!”
“Is that right?”
“Oh hell yes.”
I jammed both hands against his chest. Bubble wrap snapped under his feet as he tripped backward over an open box. “Well, let me tell you something, asshole. I am not giving up on us. I love you, believe it or not, but part of me is always going to love Will, so you’re just gonna have to learn to deal with it.”
“Yeah well—” He marched toward the door, kicking newspapers and cardboard out of his way. But before he touched the doorknob, he spun and stomped back to me. “I am not walking out on you anymore.”
“Neither am I!”
Rain pattered on the window and thunder echoed in the distance. We faced off, both of us with our arms crossed, refusing to budge. I will not give in. I will not….
Alex scratched his head. “So what do we do now?”
He’d been on his way out the door, but he came back and stood before me, apparently clueless about how to fix this. Bubbles popped under my butt as I sank down on the couch. “I don’t know. This is new.”
He swiped the flattened packing material to the floor and sat beside me. “No kidding. We’ve never settled an argument peacefully before.”
“Have we settled it?”
He linked his fingers with mine. “You love me.”
“Please believe that.”
“I do. But you love him, too.”
I nodded and squeezed his hand. “I always will.”
A heavy sigh escaped him and his eyes turned dull. “I know.” He swallowed hard as if the words choked him. “I’ll figure out how to deal with it, but you have to promise me you won’t go running to him when we have trouble.”
I slipped my arm through his and held him tight as my heart suddenly lightened. “I promise. You and me… we’ll work things out between us.”
“Good. That’s what we need to do.” He slid his hand into my hair and pulled my head back. “I love you.”
“I know.”
His lips touched mine and our tongues sealed our new promise. “Okay then. I think we’ve resolved this.”
“We should finish packing.” I picked up a roll of tape and stretched it across the box he’d ripped open.
He slid his hand between my thighs, and he pulled me down on his lap. “Not just yet. First, we need to kiss and make up.” Mouth entwined with his, I straddled him, grinding down on his instant erection.
Makeup sex? Ooo… virgin territory. “Do we get to do this after every fight?”
He nudged my sleeve off my shoulder with his nose as he nibbled a path down my neck. “Uh-huh.”
I tugged his shirt up and slipped my hand into his pants. “Then I promise to piss you off more often. Maybe having Will around is good for something.”
“Woman, I’m gonna….” His fingers curled around my throat.
I gasped and held my breath, my heart hammering as I anticipated the swirling dizziness that would overtake me. But he let go and pulled my shirt off to lick my swollen nipples. Damn it. How can I get him to abuse me?
He unzipped my pants and slipped them off. “You’re so cute when you’re naked.”
Cute? Please. I knelt over him and draped one leg over the back of the couch behind his head, giving him a good look at my exposed pussy.
He dipped his long middle finger inside me, sliding it straight in and out, slow and steady like a stiff piston in a cold engine.
I wanted to heat him up fast. Did I dare? “Will thinks so too. His tongue is almost as long and hard as your—oh!”
He jammed his finger in hard and fast. “Is that right, slut?” A second finger uncurled and slid alongside the first. He stroked my clit with his thumb.
Angry makeup sex. “Ohh yeah.” I pitched forward as he pounded my pussy with his fist. My breasts brushed his lips as I braced myself on the couch, and he clutched my ass with his free hand, biting down on my nipples as they bounced in his face. A swirling rush of flame appeared from nowhere and carried me off. The heat from my naked body chased the damp cold away, and I peeled my hair away from my sticky neck.
He hammered my aching flesh. “Does he punish your pussy like I do?”
“Mmm… he’s nice.”
He pressed his finger into my tight hole. “You don’t like nice.”
I spread my legs and f
ucked his hand. “He has a nice—”
“Don’t say it.”
“Way of fucking my ass.” I ground down on his fist as I sat back and cupped his face in my hands, forcing him to look into my eyes. “Remember?”
Alex growled and kicked the coffee table over then shoved me to the floor. “I’ll never forget.” He dropped down on top of me and rammed his denim-encased erection between my splayed thighs. The friction singed my exposed skin, sending sizzling shock waves through my limbs. “Shit!” He got up on his knees and yanked his pants down.
His stiff cock sprang free, and I grabbed it before he could slam it into me. “Mine.”
He flinched as if about to resist, then deciding against it. He laughed. “All right. You win.”
He sat on the couch, and I kept a firm grip on his cock as I knelt between his spread legs. I leaned forward and licked his balls, wrestling with the idea of comparing his equipment to Will’s. I’d enjoyed both—never found any deficiency with either. They both knew that. But could Alex’s ego withstand a threat to his manhood?
Tread carefully. “Mmm… you are a mouthful.”
He smiled and fisted his hand in my hair.
“So is Will.” I moaned and made sure he felt it on his flesh. “I could eat him up for days.” My scalp stung as his grip tightened. I licked his long shaft, following the gentle curve to the swollen tip. “His cock is straight and thick.”
“You like me crooked.”
“Oh yeah, your twisted cock hits me in all the best spots.” Let him enjoy that for just a moment and then….” But Will can touch the top of my head with just one thrust.”
My pussy dripped as his breathing quickened. I jammed his cock in my mouth to keep from laughing.
He grabbed my neck with both hands and pulled me up. “I know what you’re doing to me.” His grip tightened. I couldn’t argue. “You’re trying to mindfuck me like I do to you.”
His fingers relaxed. He wanted a response.
“Did it work?”
A dangerous snarl twisted his lips. “I saw through your little game as soon as it started. You have a lot to learn, slut.”
But knowing he’d indulged me anyway pushed me to provoke him further. “Maybe I need a better teacher.”