by Liz Peters
He shook his head, pulling on a clean pair of jeans, a button-down shirt and his favorite hat along with a pair of boots to complete the outfit. It wasn’t something he’d planned on purpose. He would have worn this around the ranch on a normal day at work. Here in the city, he was going to stick out like a sore thumb, but it didn’t really matter. This wasn’t exactly the place where he fit in the best anyhow. He may as well look the part.
He studied the map on his phone one last time before he set out down the stairs and onto the street below, aiming himself towards the restaurant he was looking for before he shoved it back into his back pocket and started down the street. Twenty minutes later, he was back on his path with two takeout bags in his hands.
The park was waiting in front of him. Reid was going to have to walk through the center of it to get where he was going since her office was at the opposite corner from where he stood now. It was a little odd to find a place filled with trees and grass in the center of the city. He’d gotten used to the stretches of concrete and brick that filled almost every block. Such an uninterrupted strip of trees and grass was a pleasant surprise.
He was halfway across the expanse when he saw the kid running up behind him. Even so, it took him by surprise when the young man bumped into him, nearly knocking him to the ground. When he figured out what was happening, he yelled out and took off running behind the kid who had just picked his pocket.
The kid couldn’t be more than eighteen, and he ran off in that quick lanky sprint that tall kids always had, the one that showed how they were all arms and legs. Reid set in behind him, keeping his grip on the bags of takeout food. He didn’t intend to spill a drop. Reid’s legs were a little shorter, but he had the advantage of being a hell of a lot more coordinated than the young man he was trying to keep up with, eventually, he was close enough to throw a single steel toed boot in the way of the pickpocket’s feet and send him sprawling across the pavement. He tried to get up, but Reid placed that same boot in the middle of his back.
“Kid, I don’t know who in the hell you think you’re fooling with, but I want my damned wallet back.” The young man under his boot was flailing and scrambling to get away.
“Screw you, dude.” He swung at Reid’s leg, fingers gripping the top of his boot in a fruitless effort to try to shift the weight off his body. “Let me go.”
“Not until I get my wallet back, kid.” By this time a crowd was starting to form around the two of them and there were a couple of police officers moving in from the corners of the park. He was going to have some explaining to do, but it would be easy enough when the cops looked into the wallet that the kid still had clutched in his left hand. Reid happened to know his driver’s license was front and center when you opened the folded leather.
It took a few moments to get everything settled in, but Reid was comfortable enough, sitting there with his boot in the kid’s back for as long as he needed to. It was a heck of a lot easier than roping a newborn calf. They put up a better fight.
The cops freed the young man just in time to place his hands behind his back and snap a pair of handcuffs around his wrists before leading him off to one of the cars waiting at the edge of the park, wheels half on the sidewalk from where they’d pulled up to the scene in too much of a hurry to worry about parking. Another officer took Reid off to one side to ask him a few questions.
“Listen man, he grabbed my wallet, and my hands were full. I ran after him. Can I go before this food gets cold? I’m supposed to be taking my girl lunch at work as a surprise, and I’d like to get there before she takes off and feeds herself first. There’s no way I can eat all this Thai food on my own.”
The cop laughed and nodded. He’d introduced himself as Officer Sweeney and told Reid he just needed to answer a few questions.
“How about this? I’ll give you a ride to your girlfriend’s office and you can answer a few questions on the way. It’s mostly just a formality since the wallet is obviously yours, Mr. Spencer.”
“Just call me, Reid. That sounds like a good idea. It’ll at least save me a little time.” Reid followed Officer Sweeny to the car waiting on the edge of the park’s grass, sliding into the passenger seat when the officer opened the car door. “Thanks a lot.”
“Eh, it’s no problem. Besides, I’d hate to piss you off after what I saw you do to that punk kid back there.” The cop laughed and offered Reid a handshake once the two of them were both in the car. “So, my name’s Mike, not just Officer Sweeney. I’m pretty sure my dad would have named me Officer if my mom had let him though. He was a cop too, so was his dad. You can call me Mike though. I got to say, I’ve seen a lot of shit working in this city, but I’ve never seen anything like that back there before. I’m impressed.”
Reid settled back into the seat and laughed, shaking his head. “I’ve chased down a lot of heifers in the past few years. That kid didn’t run half as fast. If I’d had a rope on me, I wouldn’t have even had to run. I’d have had him hogtied before you boys could get out of your cars.” He grinned and let the cop drive him around the park to the opposite corner and the address of the firm he’d given Mike Sweeney while the two of them struck up a friendly conversation. He had to admit he liked the cop, and if they’d met under different circumstances, the two of them would have been friends.
As he got out of the car, the officer grabbed his wallet, pulling a business card out of it with a friendly smile before offering it to Reid.
“If anything else happens before you head back out to the country, give me a call. I mean I’m sure you’ve got it handled. I’d just love to see the aftermath.” His laugh was deep and genuine, and Reid could only return it.
“Alright, Mike. Thanks for the ride. It’s been a hoot.” Reid moved to tip his hat to the officer who’d dropped him off outside of the office building he’d been heading to. He’d finally made it, even if it was later than he’d expected. The food was probably cold, but it was still lunch time. He just hoped that Samantha hadn’t gone out for lunch before he’d been able to get there.
The look on the face of the receptionist when he asked for Samantha Crawford’s office was absolutely priceless, and the fact that she kept glancing over her shoulder as the two of them walked back to the door where she was supposed to be waiting for him was amusing as hell. She wasn’t the only one looking, but the last secretary at the front of Samantha’s office was the only one who said a word. She grinned, standing up from her desk and offering a hand.
“Oh you have got to be Reid. My name is Debbie, and I’ve heard a lot about you.” She glanced down at the bags in his hands. “And you brought her lunch. God, you’re perfect. Tell me you’ve got a brother or something, preferably a twin.” Debbie waved off the receptionist, shooing her back to her desk at the front of the building before returning her attention to Reid.
He could only laugh and nod towards the door. “She in the office? Or did I miss her? I was supposed to be here a while ago, but I got tied up. She didn’t know I was coming, but I was going to surprise her with lunch.”
“Yeah, she’s in the office. You didn’t miss a thing. She’s been working her pretty little behind off since she got here this morning. I was about to stop her and force her to go take a lunch break, but now that you’re here maybe I won’t have to. I mean. I think I’d stop and take a break for someone half as good looking as you, but you know, I’m not Sam either.” She shrugged and went to grab the phone on the other side of the desk and page into Samantha’s office.
“Sam, you’ve got a visitor.”
Reid had heard Sam mention Debbie before. The two of them were old friends, apparently, but she hadn’t mentioned how different the two of them were. He liked Debbie though, and not just because she’d been calling him good looking since he walked into the office. It took a moment, but he heard Sam’s voice on the other end of the line.
“A visitor? I…”
Debbie cut her off before she could continue.
“I’ll just let the
m in. You’re going to want to take this one. I promise.” She glanced up from the desk with a wink. “Go on in. She’s expecting you.”
Reid just chuckled and walked over to the door with another tip of his hat to Debbie. “Well, Debbie, it was a pleasure to meet you.”
She laughed in response and nodded towards the door.
“Go on in. She needs a break today. I’m glad you’re here.”
Reid pushed open the door and let himself into the office. Samantha stood up from behind the desk with a huge grin on her face when she saw who it was. It was only a second before she walked around from behind it and draped her arms across his shoulders to steal a kiss. Reid dropped the bags of food on the desk behind her and kicked the office door closed with one foot as he pulled her into his arms.
“Well, hi there, Stranger.” She grinned up at him and moved her hands to toy with the buttons on his shirt. “Do you have any idea how good you look dressed like this?”
He could only think of how good she looked dressed for work in that white blouse and little black skirt and how much he wanted to bend her over the desk right now and completely forget he’d brought a bag of lunch into the room.
“If I look half as good as you do right now, then I must be irresistible, Legs.” He let his hands brush down her back until they curved over her ass and he tugged her in closer, glad he’d thought to kick the door closed behind him when he came into the room as he claimed her lips with his. He got carried away enough to pick her up off the carpet and turned to plant her on the top of the desk, not caring that he pushed aside half the items she had sitting on the top of it in the process.
Sam moved along with him, using her grip on his shirt to pull him back down into the kiss when he finally put her down on the desk, legs wrapping around his body to help her keep him as close as she could. Those fingers stayed knotted in the flannel of his shirt until they remembered the buttons and moved to slip a few of them free and stray across the planes of his chest in the process.
That was pretty much all it was going to take for him to completely lose control here. Her nails dragging lightly across his skin made him not care where they were as he started to tug her shirt free of her skirt and work the buttons open from the bottom up before mumbling against her lips.
“Tell me that door locks, Legs.” His voice was low and gravelly with need.
“It doesn’t, but I really don’t give a damn.” Her fingers had found the buckle on his belt by now, and she was busily working it open as she dragged her teeth across his lower lip. There was something a little intoxicating about knowing they could get caught at any minute.
He growled lowly, hands moving to push her skirt up on her hips until it was bunched up around her waist. Reid wasn’t going to bother with getting her completely naked. He didn’t have time for that with the way his body reacted to every move she made. He needed her and judging from the way that her hands were fumbling with the button and zipper on his jeans, she needed him too.
Reid’s fingers hooked under the elastic at the waist of her panties and tugged them down her legs into a crumple on the floor before his hands grasped her hips and pulled her hard into his own hips. Sam’s legs moved around his waist of their own accord, her feet hooking around behind his legs to keep him close.
When he slid inside her it was perfect at soothing the need that had been building in his body since she’d laid her lips on his. Maybe it was the adrenaline rushing through his veins from earlier in the day. Maybe it was the way that they’d spent last night in each other’s arms. Maybe it was because he knew he was leaving in a couple of days. Maybe it was all of it combined. But Reid needed as much of her as he could possibly get at the moment.
It seemed like Sam was just as eager to have as much of him as she could manage, as well. Whatever the reason was, he wasn’t going to waste a moment more than he had to right now. His hands moved to keep her hips pinned to the desk as she laid back on it, keeping her hands on his body in whatever way she could with the hungry motions between the two of them. Her shirt was completely unbuttoned now, and her skirt hid nothing from him as he pulled her to the edge, taking advantage of the leverage it provided.
Her body arched up off the desktop, and Samantha bit back a moan that threatened to escape. There was nothing but thin walls between them and the rest of the office, and it was going to be a struggle for both of them to keep this quiet. Sam placed a hand over her own mouth, using it to stifle the sounds that she couldn’t keep in as Reid surged his hips into her body over and over again. Soon, she wasn’t able to hold herself back anymore, and the low moan that escaped her throat echoed around the small room they were in. Sam clearly didn’t care anymore as she rode out her climax.
Reid could have tried to restrain himself, but he didn’t think he was going to be successful. Instead, he just gave into the tension that had been building in his stomach since their bodies had come together and groaned out loud as he orgasmed along with Sam. Her hair was demolished and splayed out behind her head on the desk. Her clothes were just as much of a disaster. It made her look absolutely irresistible.
He leaned down to press a kiss on her now swollen and flushed lips, wrapping one arm around her body to pull her up to a sitting position on the edge of the desk. His fingers splayed against her back to steady her and keep her pressed against his chest for another moment.
“Tell me you don’t do that for every guy who delivers lunch to this office.” Reid grinned against her lips as she let out a soft laugh.
“Only the ones in cowboy boots, Stranger.” He returned the laugh and reluctantly let her go so she could get her feet on the floor and straighten out her clothes. There really was no telling when someone was going to come knocking on the door, or just barging into her office, and having her standing there mostly undressed wasn’t exactly the best first impression she could make.
“Come on, let’s get you dressed before someone catches us both. I’m pretty sure you don’t want your boss knowing what color underwear you wore to work today.” Reid grinned before he moved to help her get redressed. He waited until she was well on her way before taking care of his own clothes. He was just finishing up tucking his shirt back into his jeans when Debbie’s voice came back over the intercom on her desk.
“Umm… Miss Crawford, someone is here to see you.”
Chapter Eleven
Sam was still tugging down her skirt when the sound of Debbie’s voice came in from the intercom. It made her half jump out of her skin before she could reply. She grabbed the food out of the bags that Reid had left forgotten on the desk chair and laid the contents out across the desk before she smoothed her hair back into place.
“Who is it, Debbie?” Sam groaned inwardly and motioned for Reid to sit in the desk chair and look like he’d been eating lunch all this time while she waited for the reply.
“Mr. Anderson.” Sam felt her heart jump into her throat at the answer to her question and grabbed a spring roll out of the box that she’d opened on her desk, taking a bite and then a deep breath.
“Send him in please.” She grabbed another bite and shot Reid a look before she moved towards the door to greet her boss. Mr. Anderson was probably the last person on the face of the planet that she wanted to see today, especially after what had happened the day before, but there wasn’t much she could do about it now. She had no idea why he wanted to see her right now. There wasn’t much they could discuss in front of Reid, at least not about the case he was trying to force her into taking or any other case.
She glanced back at Reid one more time before the door opened, wishing that she could have the last twenty minutes they’d spent together last the rest of the day without any kind of interruption. Having the real world crash down on her so soon after she’d been that happy was a little crushing.
Jim Anderson came through the door with a file in hand, half opened his mouth to begin talking, and then saw Reid sitting there and immediately paused. It was clear that he hadn’t
been expecting to see anyone sitting there. Sam hadn’t had any client appointments for the day, so someone sitting in her office would definitely come as a surprise. Jim wouldn’t have known she was even dating anyone, much less have met Reid. She doubted he even remembered him from back at the ranch from the retreat.
That weekend seemed like a lifetime ago to Samantha, and she knew Jim Anderson well enough to know that he would barely even notice the staff at a place like the ranch, much less remember them almost a month later. She was going to have some introductions to make.
“Hi Jim.” Samantha cut him off before he could even ask who Reid was, but she could see the question in his eyes. She planned to get all the introductions out of the way before either of them could open their mouths. “I’d like to introduce you to my boyfriend, Reid. Reid this is my boss, Mr. Anderson.”
It was in that moment that Sam realized she’d called Reid her boyfriend. The two of them had told each other a handful of times they loved each other, but neither of them had put a title on what their relationship was until now. She hoped she hadn’t overstepped the bounds of whatever Reid felt like was going on between them, but at the same time, she wanted Jim Anderson to know that the man sitting in her office was someone that was important to her.
As Jim stepped forward to hold out his hand, Reid stood up from his desk chair. Sam immediately noticed a look on his face that really had her on edge. She knew she’d mentioned Mr. Anderson before in the evenings they’d spent talking with each other. Reid had to know the name. He probably even knew the face, but she wasn’t certain what was going on behind those eyes.