On the Line (Out of Line Book 7)

by Jen McLaughlin

  His father nodded. “All right. Go on.”

  I glanced at Ben, who had stopped walking. “I’d like to ask it…alone.”

  Ben’s shoulders stiffened.

  “You’re dismissed, Detective,” Captain said.

  Ben walked out, saying nothing.

  As soon as the door shut, Captain frowned at me. “What’s up?”

  “I was wondering if it might be possible for me to get reassigned to a new partner?”

  He crossed his arms. “Has Detective Rollins done something wrong?”

  “No, he’s a great partner.”

  He cocked a brow. He looked so much like his son in that moment that it was almost freaky. “Then why get a new one?”

  “You know why, sir.”

  He snorted. “The pairing stays.”

  “I understand you don’t like me, sir, and I'm not trying to change that, but—”

  “But nothing. I paired the two of you up because the rookie cop you spoke of who needed an established detective to learn from. You did, too. It had nothing to do with whether I liked you or not.”

  I stepped closer. “You’re setting us up for failure, sir.”

  “If you fail, you have no one to blame but yourselves. You’re not children. You know the rules, and I expect you to follow them.”

  I opened my mouth. “And if we don’t?”

  “Then you’ll both be looking for a new job.”

  He did this on purpose. Put us together so he didn’t have to worry about me catching his son in my grasp again. He knew it. Ben knew it. So did I. But there was no way to prove it, so unless I wanted to go to war with my new boss, there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I needed this job, and the medical insurance, so guess what? I kept my mouth shut.

  I headed for the door. When my hand was on the knob, he called out, “Detective Lopez?”

  “Yes, sir?” I asked without turning around.

  “You’re right. I don’t like you very much. When you left my son behind, you broke him in ways I’ve never seen. I don’t trust you. I didn’t want to hire you.” He let out a breath. “But I did, and I am going to protect you. Play it safe, and don’t force me to do something I have no intention of doing. I happen to like your mother very much.”

  I stiffened, facing him. “What does my mother have to do with this?”

  “She’s a dependent on your paperwork. I’m aware you’re caring for her, and believe it or not, after you left town, we kept in touch. I’m fully aware of her medical condition, and it was the only reason I allowed the precinct to force you upon us.” He flexed his jaw. “Don’t jeopardize her care for a little bit of rebellion with my son for old time’s sake. It’s not worth it.”

  I swallowed hard. “Yes, sir.”

  Without saying anything else, I left his office. As I stepped into the hallway, Ben was there, leaning against the wall with his ankles crossed as tightly as his arms. “Good?”

  I nodded, not meeting his gaze. “Yep.”

  “Let me guess. You asked for a new partner, and got denied.”

  “Does it matter?” I shot back.

  I walked past him, but he caught my arm, halting me.

  “Kind of.” His grip on me shifted. “I thought we were getting along.”

  “That’s precisely the problem, now isn’t it?” I locked gazes with him. “We’re getting along a little too well, and even though I keep telling myself to keep my distance, to not push my luck, I know, deep down that if you let me, I’d lose it all for you, and I can’t do that to my mother.”

  He swallowed hard, his grip on me loosening. “Sarah…”

  “Don’t. Just don’t.”

  Letting go of me, he swallowed and stepped back. He’d put the distance between us that I didn’t have the strength to find. “I would never let you lose it all.”

  “I know, because you’re that good of a guy, which only makes it worse. This would be so much easier if you were the asshole I spent these last ten years thinking you were.” I closed my eyes for a second, then added with brutal honesty, “I wish you’d cheated on me. I wish you were every inch the bastard I thought you were, because this would be so much easier.”

  And with that?

  I walked away.

  Twenty-Four

  Ben

  I woke up to the sound of something hitting wood. What kind of wood, what kind of object, I had no fucking clue. But it had woke me up, and I wasn’t about to ignore the instinct that told me something was going on. Rolling off the couch in one smooth motion, I grabbed my gun and tiptoed toward the front door, barefoot and only wearing a pair of sweats. The hair on the back of my neck rose, and every nerve in my body heightened with awareness.

  If that asshole was out there, lurking in Sarah’s bushes, I didn’t care if we were lacking proof of his treachery—he’d be a dead man without that proof. He wasn’t going to touch a damn hair on Sarah’s head.

  As I crept closer to the door, Sarah moaned in her room, followed by that same thunking noise against wood. Switching direction, I hurried toward her room as quietly as I could. If he was in her room…

  I turned the knob slowly, making sure to keep it silent. A situation like this called for silent stealth—not forced entry. That knocking sound happened again, as I slid the door open and crept inside. I searched for signs of another man, for an intruder, but came up empty.

  She moaned again, and my attention slammed into her on the bed, writhing…with her hand between her legs. Her eyes were closed, and she bit her lip to keep quiet, but it wasn’t working. I heard every sound she made.

  Every. Fucking. Sound.

  I told myself not to move. Told myself to turn around, close that door, and pretend I hadn’t just witnessed the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Told myself to forget it ever happened, because I was a good guy, and good guys didn’t take advantage of women when they weren’t supposed to. I even took a step backward, into the hallway, but then…then she said the one word guaranteed to make me stop dead in my tracks.

  One simple word.

  “Ben…”

  My attention snapped to her face. At first, I thought she saw me, but her eyes hadn’t opened, and her hand was moving faster now. Harder. Her breath came faster, and her breasts rose and fell as she writhed on the bed, letting her legs open more, and I’m going to be honest here. Nothing, I repeat, nothing, would have stopped me from doing what came next.

  Growling, I shut the door, locked it, and laid my gun on her dresser. I stalked across the room, no longer bothering to be quiet. Her eyes flew open, and she stared at me, cheeks flushed in the moonlight, her hand still between her thighs. Seeing her fingers on herself, over that sexy strip of satin she called panties, was enough to make me forget all about being a good guy.

  I climbed on top of her, laid my body on hers, and kissed her with all the pent-up frustration I’d been feeling since the last time we’d slipped. Her smooth skin touched mine, and I ran my hands over her body, touching everywhere I could find. Her hips. Her ass. Her thighs.

  When I slid my hand between us, covering her fingers but not actually touching her, she gasped into my mouth and started moving her hand again. She circled her clit, rubbing hard, her breath coming fast as her tongue swirled around mine. Every stroke, every touch, brought her higher until her whole body stiffened beneath mine, and she came with my name on her lips. “Ben.”

  Without waiting a second more, I rolled onto my back and slid my hands down my sweats, closing my fist over my hard cock. She got on her knees, eyes wide as I jerked, staring at her as my hand slid up and down my shaft. She bit her lip and let out the sexiest moan I’d ever heard, climbed on top of me, and rode me as my hand moved over myself, giving me the sexiest lap dance I’d ever had. Her ass brushed the tip of my cock as I jerked off, the satin panties, sweats and shred of self-control the only thing that kept me from rolling her over and fucking her properly.

  She kissed me, her soft lips on mine as she slid her co
re against me, teasing me and driving me closer to the edge with every thrust. When she trailed her fingers down my chest and over my abs, I thrust into my hand, so close I could taste it almost as clearly as I tasted her. She slipped her hand inside my sweats, covering my hand with hers like I’d done to her, and held on.

  Her fingers on my skin as I touched myself was exactly what I needed to come. I threaded my hand through her hair, deepened the kiss, and came in an explosion of fireworks.

  That’s right. Motherfucking fireworks.

  I collapsed on her pillows, trying to catch my breath, and she rolled off me, hugging herself as she knelt there, staring at me. We studied one another, neither of us daring to speak because we’d crossed the line again, and we both knew it. We might not have fucked, but we might as well have.

  Still. We hadn’t.

  Her lips twitched slightly, and her smile broke the silence. “You always were good at finding ways around the rules.”

  I rubbed my face with both hands, staring at the ceiling fan whirring overhead with a soft buzzing sound. “I know. I’m sorry. I just…I thought you were in trouble, heard some banging.”

  She snorted.

  “Jesus,” I grunted, smiling despite myself. “Grow up.”

  “Never,” she vowed.

  “Anyway.” I reached out and tugged on a piece of her hair playfully, because who the hell was I kidding? I’d never grown up, either, and had no intention of ever doing so. “I heard noises, and thought you were under attack, so I came in with my gun—”

  Her jaw dropped.

  “—but you were alone, and then you said my name…”

  Her cheeks flushed, and she slammed her mouth shut. “Oh, God. I did?”

  “You did.”

  She flopped onto her back dramatically. “Get that gun, and shoot me now.”

  “Never.” I rolled onto my side, propping myself up on my elbow. I reached out slowly and touched her soft cheek, brushing my knuckles against it tenderly. “I’ll never hurt you, Sarah, and that’s why I’m going to walk out that door, and as far as I’m concerned, that was a hot dream I had. This never happened, and we didn’t toe the line tonight.”

  She swallowed. “We can’t keep doing this.”

  “I know. There’s too much on the line right now.” I pulled my touch away. “It won’t happen again.”

  Wincing, she looked at me with an honesty in her eyes that was impossible to ignore. “I know, and that’s what scares me the most. I wish…”

  “I know.” I forced a smile as I stood. “Me too.”

  “Did you ever ask for a new partner?”

  “Repeatedly. He refused.” I stood and rubbed the back of my neck. My sweats were sticking to me, and I needed a shower and a change of clothes before they dried to my skin. “He wants us together so we can’t be together.”

  She swallowed. “I figured. I’m sorry he threw you in with me just to keep you away from me.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

  She shook her head. “Sure there is. You’re forced to stay here, and not go home, all because my ex—”

  “Haven’t you learned by now, Sarah?” I smiled again, leaning down and kissing her sweaty forehead. “I’m not forced into doing shit when it comes to you, because I’d do anything for you.”

  That was the truth.

  I headed for the door, not looking back, because if I looked back, I wouldn’t leave her in that bed alone. I’d crawl back inside it, climb on top of her, and show her just how much I’d do for her, if given the chance. Instead, I grabbed my gun, tiptoed past her mother’s door, and went into the bathroom. As I turned the water on, I stepped out of my dirty sweats and climbed into the shower naked. My body was still humming with desire and it was in no way satisfied with my hand. I still needed her, but I couldn’t have her.

  Resting my forehead on the cool tile, I closed my fist over my cock and closed my eyes, picturing her lying on her bed with her hand between her thighs and my name on her lips, pleasure deepening her voice as she cried out to me. My hand tightened, and I jerked harder, refusing to stop until I came again, since I wouldn’t be sleeping until I did. I bit my tongue, refusing to cry out in case she heard me, and I put us back into the situation we’d been in moments before.

  My abs flexed as I closed my eyes, picturing her naked body in my mind, and the way the goosebumps rose over her flesh before she came. In my head, her nipples were hard, begging for my touch, and as her hand slid between her thighs, my mouth was right there, ready and willing to help in ways I hadn’t let myself help earlier. As my mouth closed over her, she cried out and writhed beneath me, closing her thighs on either side of my head. In my head, we were together, and she brought me to heights I’d never seen before.

  My hand moved faster, and in my mind’s eye it was her hand on me, not my own. She closed her mouth over me, taking me in between her lush lips, and I was a goner. I came with her name on my tongue, biting it back so I didn’t make a sound, the cool tile against my blazing skin the only reminder that what had just happened wasn’t real.

  It had all been a fantasy.

  But in my mind, in that fantasy, nothing stood in the way of me having her. She was mine. I was hers. Having that feeling inside me—real or not—only showed me that I was right. One way or another, after this was all over, I had to find a way to make this fantasy into a reality.

  She had to be mine again.

  Twenty-Five

  Sarah

  I sat at the table, blinking as the conversation carried on around me with ease. Ben had dragged me out for dinner with his friends, one of which was Hernandez—who I clearly knew very well, since we worked together. The others—Carrie, Finn, Riley, and Noelle—I’d never met before, but they seemed friendly enough. The four I’d just met were all married, and very happily so, from what I could tell. Noelle and Riley had been stealing kisses all night, and Carrie and Finn were just as enthusiastically hanging on one another.

  That left me, Ben, and Hernandez as the odd men out.

  Finn, a man with tattoos up his arms and sandy blond hair, leaned closer to me and said, “How’s it feel, coming back home after being on the east coast?”

  “Weird,” I admitted. “Californians are so different from the people over there.”

  He nodded. “I know. They’re actually polite on the east coast.”

  I choked on a laugh. “Are you from there originally?”

  “Kinda.” He shrugged. “I was a kid in Cali, but then my dad got a job on security for Carrie’s father in DC, so I spent most of my life there, until she moved out here for college.”

  “And you two went to the same school?”

  “Not exactly,” he said dryly.

  Riley piped in from across the table. Clearly, he’d been listening in on our conversation. “He was her secret guard. He watched over her without her knowing it. They ended up falling in love, and then she found out the truth and told him to kiss her ass.”

  My eyes went wide. “Seriously?”

  Carrie, a beautiful redhead with bright blue eyes, crossed her arms. “Seriously.”

  “Clearly, we worked through it.” Finn threw his arm around her shoulders. “Right, babe?”

  She pursed her lips, snuggling against him despite her: “Hmph.”

  “And you two?” I asked, smiling at Noelle, who was the quietest of them all. “What’s your story?”

  “We met in a hotel bar, and she brought my drunk ass to her room out of pity since they were all booked up.” Riley grinned. “Something I took full advantage of.”

  She pushed her husband playfully. “Hush, you.”

  “Sounds pretty normal,” I said, picking up my drink and taking a swig.

  “It was…until I left her money on the dresser, and she thought I thought she was a hooker, and it all went crazy from there on out.”

  I choked on my beer.

  Finn burst into laughter.

  Carrie smacked his arm.

&
nbsp; “Ow,” he said, glaring at her.

  Hernandez grinned. “I remember that.”

  “We all do,” Noelle shot back, scowling at her husband.

  I looked at Hernandez. “And you?”

  “Uh…” He raised a brow. “What about me?”

  “How do you fit into this little group?”

  “I was in the military with Finn. When he went overseas, I took over his bodyguard duties with Carrie. Then, later when I decided on a career change I went to college, met Ben—and the rest is history.”

  “But…” I gestured at the other people. “No great love stories like theirs?”

  Hernandez stiffened. “Nope.”

  “Actually—” Carrie started.

  “I said nope.”

  Finn rolled his eyes. “Whatever, man.”

  “Who is she?” I asked, focusing on Ben since he was the most likely to spill his guts.

  Ben sighed. “Carrie’s old roommate. Marie.”

  Hernandez shot the middle finger his way.

  “They had a thing for one another, but nothing ever happened,” Carrie explained. “Just lots of tension and awkward silences that still continue to this day when they see one another.”

  I frowned. “Is she married?”

  “No.”

  “Dating someone seriously?” I asked again.

  Finn shook his head. “Not right now, anyway.”

  I looked at Hernandez. “So why is she just a story, and not sitting here with us?”

  “Because she isn’t a story, or anything else. She’s just an old acquaintance,” Hernandez said, his mouth pinched tight. “These guys just want to pair us off to complete the circle.”

  Ben lifted his beer. “Bullshit.”

  “It’s not bullshit. There’s nothing between me and Marie. Never has been.” Hernandez turned his attention on Ben, and I stiffened, knowing what was coming next. “Speaking of which…why don’t you tell them your story?”

  “Fuck off,” Ben shot back.

  Finn leaned forward. “Do tell. The girls would love to hear it.”