Immediately, he shoved her back and found his most favorite part.
“God! Yes!” she moaned, as he devoured her in abandon. Her body was arched, she was on the edge, and she was about to cum.
He nipped her clit, and Natasha’s climax cascaded over her, taking her under.
Nat wanted to drown in him.
It was perfect.
“Christ, I can’t get enough of you,” he muttered, sliding up her body to find that wet, perfect heat.
Then he slid home.
She moaned again and wrapped her legs around his hips.
“Hard and fast,” she said, loving when their lovemaking was wild and frenzied.
“Your wish is my command.”
Then he began.
Chris drove himself in and out of her body, taking her in his favorite way. Natasha was wet and warm, and he wanted her.
He wanted all of her.
“More,” he said, focusing on her pleasure not his.
As her breasts bounced with each time he buried his erection in her, Chris couldn’t get enough.
“Oh, Jesus,” he said, as he could feel the heat looming, forcing its way up his body.
“Natasha, I won’t last long,” he said.
She understood.
“I’m close! Hurry,” she said, pulling his mouth down to hers.
With one last slide home, he came, pouring into her.
It only took a few moments for them both to surface.
“That was amazing,” she admitted.
He laughed and rolled off her body. “I happen to agree. I don’t deserve you.”
She cuddled.
Chris relaxed and began drifting off.
“I think I’m going to cut my hair,” she said, out of the blue.
“Why?” he asked, opening his eyes.
“Maybe something more like Emma’s or shorter. What do you think?”
Alarms began going off.
This didn’t feel right, and he knew women. He’d been married before. When your present girl began comparing herself to any other woman in your life, the shit storm was about to begin.
“Why would you want to look more like Emma?”
“You love her.”
Yep.
DANGER.
“Natasha, I love you too.”
She played with a patch of hair on his chest, and then ran her fingers over the scar.
“But you really love her. I can see it. I can feel it. I want to have that.”
He felt bad.
Emma had warned him, and Chris had dismissed it.
He was an idiot.
“You think I don’t feel that for you? I feel so much more for you. You’re my girl. Emma is my friend and sister. It’s not the same. Trust me. I don’t want to do what we just did with Emma.”
She shrugged.
Chris knew he needed to reassure her. Obviously, Emma had been right. Natasha was watching them and was scared. That was totally on him.
He had to fix that.
“I’m going to marry you.”
“What?” she asked, siting up.
“I’m going to be picking out the ring. I want you to be my wife. I haven’t asked your brother for your hand in marriage, but I’m going to, Natasha. You are who I want.”
“Emma.”
He stopped her. “So, you don’t want me to love her at all?”
Her eyes gave her away.
“Oh, Natasha, she wouldn’t do that to you. This isn’t a competition. You’ve asked me repeatedly to accept you for who you are, and now I’m going to do the same. I need you to accept that Emma and I have s special relationship. She saved my life. We have a bond.”
“I understand.”
“But do you accept it?” Chris asked. “That’s the part you have to think about. When I ask you to marry me, I’m going to mean it. There will only be you. I don’t cheat. I don’t lie, and I don’t hurt people. If you believe me, and you can accept that I have people in my life I love, too, like Emma, Katerina, and Greyson, then marry me. If not, I’ll understand.”
Natasha was ashamed of what she’d just done. She hadn’t accepted him for him.
That sucked.
“I’m sorry. I get scared.”
“I know, but she’s my sister. I know you’re uncomfortable, but I can’t fix that. We worked together. I am her security. She’s my best friend.”
“I want to be your best friend.”
He would work on that. Emma and he were going to have to be more careful. Clearly, his relationship with her was bothering Natasha.
“Okay. You’re my best friend.”
She smiled.
“I love you, Chris.”
He held her. “I love you too. We should get some sleep. I need to recover from my day.”
She didn’t mind.
“Let’s sleep.”
Chris closed his eyes, and he was content.
For the first time in his life, he was truly at peace.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Tuesday
Morning
Six A.M
W hen he looked out onto his porch to grab his paper, so he could read the news, it wasn’t there. As soon as he stepped outside his door, he felt someone near him and his cop instincts went off.
He turned fast and saw her.
It was Delilah.
He hadn’t been expecting that.
“You were right,” she said, without looking over at him. “I didn’t give you the opportunity to tell me about your family, and I can see that you just wanted to protect me.”
He stood there.
Riley didn’t know what to say.
She was in jeans and a red shirt, she wasn’t wearing makeup, and she was holding two cups of coffee from the local bakery.
“Can I apologize?” she asked.
He moved toward her.
“Okay.”
“I was an asshole,” Delilah stated. “I shouldn’t have stormed away, or been pissed. I overreacted to the situation, and you were right. I don’t blame you for saying you didn’t want a relationship with someone like that. I wouldn’t want one either,” she admitted.
Riley was struggling. The whole night without her had been hell. Despite what he said, his heart knew otherwise. He truly wanted to be with her.
Anger aside, he knew she mattered.
“I just wanted you to know I heard you.”
That mattered to him.
He took a seat beside her on the porch swing, and she handed him a coffee.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Delilah could see he was still hesitant to trust her, and she knew if she wanted to get past this, to be with him, she had to do what he did.
Purge.
“I overreacted for a valid reason.”
“Do you want to share?” he asked, popping the opening on his coffee so he could drink it.
Delilah knew she had no choice.
All night, she’d weighed the options, tried to find a way to get past this, and came up with only one conclusion.
If she wanted him, she had to give him all of her trust. A relationship deserved that. It wasn’t all sex and rockets.
It was kindness and value too.
“I put up these walls,” she began. “I always have. There have been so many men I’ve dated, and they always betrayed me—with their words, their actions, and their choices. This wasn’t about you, Riley. It was about me. I hope you understand that.”
“I don’t. I go into each relationship I have with a clean slate. I trusted the Crofts when I started helping them because I believed them.”
She still didn’t glance over, but a tear slipped down her face.
Riley saw she was really struggling.
“I didn’t sleep with you only because of the outer package, Delilah. I respect myself more than that. I happen to find you stubborn, bitchy, and intriguing.”
She laughed and wiped her cheek.
“My
last relationship was a long one,” he admitted. “I dated her for four years.”
She glanced over. “What happened?”
“She didn’t want the same things I wanted, and we both pretended it was okay. Only, it wasn’t. She was a great woman. I have nothing but respect for her, but she didn’t want a family, and I did. I only have my sister, and we only talk when we have to. That familial connection is gone. It died when Miles fell, and it was gone when my parents were.”
She listened.
Delilah had thought she was good at listening, but she’d been dead wrong. Riley had taught her that.
She was selectively hearing.
“So, I asked her to marry me, and she said no. We’re still friends, but I wanted more.”
She didn’t say anything.
“So, I went into our adventure with an open mind. I know for sure I’m not what you want, but I have to hope that one day, you’ll look at me and feel the same thing. I’m a big believer in hope and faith. I also believe in trust.”
She did look over.
“I’ve never thought about anything past this.”
“Why?”
“There’s never been anything more. Guys don’t want to be with me for me. I told you that. They see the power job, the skirt, and the makeup, and they think ‘she’ll be fun’.”
“You are fun,” he admitted, “but I like this side of you better. The skirts and garters are sexy, but so is the woman beneath the lawyer costume.”
She stared at him.
“You’re beautiful, Delilah, but that’s not what I see when I look at you.”
“What do you see, Riley?”
“Hope.”
More tears filled her eyes.
“Riley.”
“I see a chance at love.”
Her lower lip quivered.
“I know being together will be hard. You defend the assholes I throw in jail. I’m a cop. It’s my job to arrest and do the best that I can.”
She listened.
“But I’ll try. I’ll give it my honest to God best shot at being there when you need me when you’re happy, sad, or feeling bitchy. I don’t know where this will lead, but I won’t bail on you. That’s not me.”
She rested her head on his shoulder.
Riley dropped his arm around hers.
“Are you working today?” she asked.
“Nope. I’m suspended until the investigation is officially closed. When a cop’s DNA shows up on a scene, regardless of his alibi, there’s an internal investigation.”
“If you need a lawyer, I’ll defend you.”
He found that oh so ironic, and sweet.
“I’ll definitely win. Until then, I’m going to lie low, enjoy my days off, and try not to worry about losing my badge.”
She understood that.
As they sat there, Delilah had to know.
“So you forgive me?” she asked.
“Yeah, I forgive you. Will you forgive me for closing down on you, too, and walking away?” he asked.
She nodded.
They sat there a few minutes, having coffee, watching the kids head to their bus stops, and just enjoying the day.
“Are we…dating?” she asked.
He rubbed his chin on the top of her head. “Yep.”
A few more minutes went by.
“Did you really propose to her and she said no?” Delilah asked.
“Yeah, she did.” Then he thought about it. “I’m glad she did.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because then I found you.”
Her heart skipped. “Can I be honest?” she asked, taking a risk, and using trust to catch her if she fell.
“I prefer it.”
“If you ever ask, Riley, I won’t say no.”
He looked over at her, and she was watching him with those sexy cat eyes. “Then I look forward to asking.”
She rested her head on his shoulder, and her hand on his leg. It felt nice.
She felt safe.
“I’m off, too, so do you want to grab breakfast?” she asked. “You know, since we both need to eat.”
He smiled. “Sure. Are you buying since you’re asking me out on a date?” he teased.
She laughed.
It felt damn good too.
“Yeah, that’s not happening, Riley,” she said, glancing over at him.
“Why not?”
“I’m old fashioned.”
He found that funny. Of course she was. Riley should have known that from the pin-up garters and the way she carried herself. It appealed to him.
“Are you now?”
“Yes, and it’s a new adventure. You’re going to have to work for it. I told you I wouldn’t say no, but you have to find your way to that point.”
He laughed. “Is that so? Well, I have news for you, too, Delilah Fleur.”
“What?”
“I’m old fashioned, too, so you’ll have to work just as hard. We both have to be there.”
Well, she could do that.
To prove it, she pulled his mouth to hers, and the kiss wasn’t wild, or harsh. It was sweet, gentle, and it gave Riley the thing he wanted most.
Hope.
As she pulled away, there was laughter in her eyes.
“You’re going to be a challenge,” he said, running his thumb down her lower lip.
She laughed.
“Oh, Detective Henderson, you have no idea.”
And Riley didn’t doubt that at all.
Not one single bit.
* * * G r e y s o n C r o f t * * *
Terrace Glen
It had been a long night for Emma, Greyson, and Dimitri. When she got him back to the house, the torture had continued. They’d settled in and viewed hours of disgusting video footage.
The three of them.
Side by side.
In her office.
It seemed hopeless, but right before seven in the morning, eight hours into the video hell, Emma saw him.
“Stop!”
Both men beside her jumped at her sudden outburst.
“What?” Greyson asked.
“I saw him.”
“Saw who?” Dimitri asked as he wound back the footage.
Emma could now place Roscoe McKinney IN the pimp’s playroom in that basement. That was a good thing for them and very bad for him. While the hookers and pimps said he was there, they now had solid proof.
“He specifically told me he didn’t partake in Julie. He told us he didn’t have a clue about anything the pimp was doing, and yet here he is in that room. If he lied about that, what else is he hiding?” she asked.
“We can talk to him,” Dimitri suggested.
“We also have to talk to the madam who was selling Julie before Gerald got his hands on her. I want to know why she’d send anyone to that basement.”
“I’m sure she didn’t know,” Dimitri stated. “I’ve known her a long time. Stephanie isn’t like that.”
“You know her as Mr. Ivanov. Do you know her as Dimitri?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No.”
“Then I have to talk to her too,” Emma stated. “We leave no slimy stone unturned. She’s getting a visit.”
“So, we’re heading to a strip club and then to see a madam? Wow! Our lives are interesting,” Greyson said, as Dimitri began laughing.
“Yeah, we are.”
Dimitri stood like he was joining them.
“Uh, have a seat. You’re not going anywhere,” Emma said, sipping her coffee.
He stared at her. “Yes, I am. I’m still your security. Whether my brother is out there taking a shot at me or not. That doesn’t matter.”
Both Crofts laughed.
“This isn’t funny. I’m going.”
Emma let her husband handle this.
“We have a wedding in four days,” he said, glancing at his watch. “We need you to stay safe, protect the family, and do your job, securing our property.”
Dimitr
i glared at him.
“If you fight me on this, I will fight you back. You’re not expendable, Dimitri. If you go down, we crumble too. This family is wound together.”
“Please?” Emma asked.
He caved. After what she gave him last night, and the conversation they had, he’d let her have this. He owed Emma at least this.
“Okay.”
“Gee, you gave in fast,” Greyson said, grinning in triumph. “I knew my FBI negotiation skills would come in handy at some point.”
Dimitri shrugged. “Eh, I don’t know about that, but she’s a good kisser.”
He began sputtering.
Emma laughed so hard. “Apparently, what happens in Vegas gets a girl in trouble,” she teased.
“We are going to see a madam, and then that bouncer, and you are going to explain, kitten. If I don’t like it…”
“You’ll what?” she teased, leaning against him.
“I’ll kick his ass.”
Dimitri grinned.
“When you’re ready, I’ll call her. You’ll find her awake. She’s not nocturnal, even if her girls are.”
He scribbled it on a piece of paper.
“I do need a favor,” Emma said.
“What?”
“You’re on dad duty with Sam, I need you to keep an eye on Curtis—he’s tricky—and can you use that fancy laptop of yours to maybe keep digging information up on Roscoe? Now that we have him in that basement, I want to know everything about him.”
He could do that.
“Sure. I’ll keep the family safe.”
Chris knocked on her door, and he wasn’t alone. Natasha was holding his hand.
“I was just coming for you,” Emma admitted.
“Wow, you three look like shit,” he said.
Emma snorted. “Well, some of us took one for the team and were up all night watching those videos. Look what we found,” she said, starting the footage up.
“Isn’t that Roscoe from the strip club?”
Then he got it.
“Oh, he’s a douchebag! He said he didn’t touch her or know anything about what Gerald was doing.”
Exactly.
“Yeah, he was in that basement, and that is Julie giving him a blowjob—and I expect that it wasn’t his first. He was definitely taking Gerald’s offer every chance he could get. I’m sure he was jacking off to the videos too,” Emma said.
Paid Justice (Croft Family Mob Series Book 3) Page 48