Her minds eye started replaying events since that time, one by one and then it hit her like a freight train. He left work on Friday to go to the walk in clinic for blood tests. He would have certainly gotten the results back by now. “Oh my God.” Holly said aloud. “He got the tests back and he has a STD!”
Brock arrived at the precinct to find that Holly wasn’t at work yet. He was a few minutes early, but she was always at work way ahead of him, and he was starting to get concerned. Just when he was getting ready to call her, she walked in, “Good morning Cavanaugh.”
“What the hell is so good about it?”
“Have a rough night did we?”
She glared in his direction, “It was just dandy.”
“Are you sure?”
“Are we here to work or chit chat about my night?” She said in a cool tone.
“Whoa, I didn’t mean anything by it, it’s just that you are normally here before I am, and today you weren’t.”
“Is that a problem Detective McClellan?”
Brock wondered what the hell happened to the Holly he left last night, because she sure as hell didn’t show up today. “Nope. No problem at all.”
“Great—now can I get to work on trying to find a connection to the vics and these bars that we narrowed it down to?”
Brock stepped aside and motioned to her chair, “Help yourself.”
Brock noticed that the only time Holly spoke to him all day was when she would update him on information she was able to gather for the whiteboard. She was definitely all business and never once mentioned supper or maybe getting together tonight—nothing. What the hell did he do now? He must have done something to bring out this evil twin that he originally met and referred to as the ice queen, but he couldn’t for the life of him come up with a reason.
At the end of the day he decided he would try to find out. “Cavanaugh, would you like to come over to my house tonight? I’ll cook this time.”
Holly looked up from where she was sitting, “No, thank you.”
‘Hmmm—polite, but still ‘ice queen’ he thought to himself. “Do you have other plans?”
“I didn’t realize I had to clear my schedule in case you wanted to cook supper.”
“If you have other plans, that’s fine. It was just an offer.”
“As a matter of fact, I don’t have any plans, but I plan to re-heat last night’s leftovers and go to bed.”
“Did I do something?”
“I don’t know. Is there anything you would like to tell me?”
Brock must have given her the ‘deer in the headlights’ look because she quickly slammed the file folder on the table and stomped out of the office slamming the door. He must have stood there for a full five minutes in shock at what just happened—still not believing that it had. What did she mean “Is there anything you would like to tell me?” What could have possibly happened after he left her house last night? He went straight home—it wasn’t like he stopped anywhere. Why do women always think that a man can read their damn minds? Furthermore, why the hell couldn’t she have come right out and asked him what he should already know and be telling her? For that matter, if she already knew the answer to the question then why the hell didn’t she just ask what she really wanted to know? Why be so cryptic? “Fuck! This is giving me a headache!” He shouted. “I need to talk to Brooke—she’s a woman—maybe she could figure it out.”
Brock barely knocked on the door before Luke opened it. “What do we owe this unexpected visit?”
“I need to talk to Brooke. Is she home?”
“Yeah, she’s in the kitchen making supper.”
Brock pushed past Luke and headed to the kitchen without saying a word. “Why don’t you come on in?” Luke said sarcastically. “Honey—Brock’s here to see you.” He yelled as a warning.
Brooke turned just as Brock entered the kitchen. “Hi Brock, will you be staying for supper?”
“No, I just needed to talk to you about something.”
“Okay, let me turn this down. Would you like a beer?”
“Sure, I’ll get it.”
“You look as though you have something on your mind.” She said as Luke walked in. “Here, she motioned, “Have a seat.”
“You go ahead—I don’t feel like sitting.”
“So, what do you want to talk to Brooke about?” Luke asked.
“Holly.”
“What’s going on with Holly?” Brooke asked.
“That’s just it! I haven’t a friggin clue. Last night she invited me over for supper and when I left, everything seemed just fine, but when she came into work this morning, it was like she would have rather bitten my head off.” Brock said pacing the kitchen stopping to sample what was on the stove.
“I don’t know her too well, but that just doesn’t sound like the Holly that I know. Did you ask her about it?” Brooke asked.
“I tried, but when I did she turned on me and asked me if there wasn’t something that I should be telling her. The thing is, I have no idea what that something is! What is it with you women? You expect us to read your minds. I can honestly tell you that men are not that complicated. We like to eat, sleep, have a drink every now and again, and we kind of like sex. That’s the male species in a nutshell! Nothing complicated there.”
Brooke started to laugh which only made Brock mad. “I can see you’re not going to be very helpful to me since you seem to be having a laugh at my expense. What is so damn funny anyways?”
“Nothing, it’s just that you have been bitten. I didn’t think that confirmed bachelor Brock would ever fall this hard.”
“I have to agree with my wife here on this one bro. I think that this Holly has cracked that hard exterior, and you, my friend, need to accept it.”
Brock grabbed another piece of sausage out of the pan and popped it into his mouth. “But that still doesn’t tell me what the hell she thinks I need to tell her.”
“Then you will need to go to her and ask her.” Brooke said calmly.
“Tonight?” Brock asked.
“Yes. Tonight. You won’t get any sleep at all if you don’t.” Brooke suggested.
“You’re right. I’m outta here. Thanks.”
Twenty minutes later, Brock was knocking on Holly’s front door. When she didn’t respond in the amount of time he felt was necessary to answer the door he started banging louder. He noticed a light turn on and then Holly stood in the open doorway in her robe. Brock was overwhelmed by the scent of peaches and cream when suddenly she asked, “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I didn’t like how things ended with us today. I think we need to talk.” Brock explained.
“Start talking then.”
“Can I at least come in?”
“I’ve never had to ask you before.” She said as she stepped aside.
Brock felt as if he were on the line of a firing squad with the guns aimed and ready to shoot him. “I just need to know what has you so pissed off at me. I honestly have no fucking clue. You asked me if there wasn’t something that I wanted to tell you. Can you be more specific? You have to spell it out for me here.”
“Did you or did you not go to the walk in clinic last Friday?”
“Yes. I told you I was headed there after work, and I went just like I said I would. Did someone tell you I didn’t?”
“No. Did you receive the results?”
“Yes, I picked them up on Monday on my way over to Luke’s.”
“And?”
“And—what?”
“When were you going to tell me that you had an STD?”
“Holy shit! What? What the hell makes you think that I have an STD? Did someone at the clinic say something to you?” He asked shocked by her revelation.
“No. I haven’t talked to anyone at the clinic, and for that matter patient confidentiality would not allow it.”
“Then where the hell are you coming up with a comment like that? I don’t have any STD’s. I’ll go to the car and g
et the results if it will help.”
“You don’t have an STD?” She repeated slowly.
“I can honestly say with one thousand percent accuracy, that I do NOT have an STD. Where the hell did you get an idea like that?”
Holly dropped her head and looked at the floor. Brock lifted her chin with his index finger. “Holly? Why would you think that?”
“Because—well I guess because you don’t act like you want to sleep with me and you touched me more before we officially started dating than afterwards.”
“So that is what this is all about?”
Holly nodded.
“I haven’t made an attempt to sleep with you because I wanted to take things slow and show you what it is like to be in a relationship where a man respects and treats a woman like she should be treated. You don’t have a clue how hard it was for me to leave last night with just a kiss.”
“So you still want to sleep with me?”
“Sleep? No. Spend the night making love to you? Yes.”
“I want that too.” She said as he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Brock set Holly down next to the bed and proceeded to untie the sash on her robe while staring into her eyes watching for her reaction to his touch. He then moved his hands slowly up her body to her shoulders letting the robe drop to her elbows as he leaned towards her and placed a kiss on one shoulder before moving on to her other shoulder and allowing the robe drop to the floor completely.
Holly felt naked as she stood in front of Brock even though she was wearing a satin top with boy shorts. She shivered as she watched his gaze travel up and down her body before staring back into her eyes. He made her feel sexy with just a look.
Brock’s emotions were haywire, he felt like a damn teenager having sex for the first time. It was all he could do to hold back and take his time with Holly. Her body was that of a goddess and he sure as hell was going to worship it. He reached for her hands and locked fingers as he leaned down and kissed her behind her ear, nibbled on her ear, and traced a line from her chin to her mouth before he kissed her lips as his tongue hungrily probed her mouth.
Holly felt her knees go weak as Brock deepened the kiss. She pulled away from the kiss and looked him in the eye and said, “I need to touch you.”
Brock released her hands, and as soon as he did, Holly began to slowly unbutton his shirt starting at the top and working her way down pulling the shirt tail out of his jeans. She placed her hands just above the waist of his jeans and felt him tense up. Next she began moving her hands upwards over his abs and his chest to his broad shoulders. Holly followed Brock’s lead and placed a kiss on each shoulder before nibbling on his neck as her hands moved slowly down his back until she cupped his ass and pulled him in tighter to her.
“My turn.” Brock said quietly as he took a step back and clutched the bottom of her top. “Raise your arms for me.”
Holly complied not taking her eyes off of him as he pulled it over her head removing it completely. He sucked in his breath as he drank her in. “Holly, you’re amazing.” He said as he cupped her breasts and traced her areola with his tongue before flicking it over her nipple and pulling it into his mouth. Holly’s moans encouraged him to continue and repeat on the other side as his hand reached down beneath the boy shorts to find her already aroused. She wrapped a leg around him to pull herself closer to him and allow him access at the same time. He took this cue and began to massage her clit until it was a swollen nub. It wasn’t long before an orgasm shook her body and she screamed at the release.
Brock captured her last gasps for air in a kiss as she collapsed in his arms. He picked her up and set her on the edge of the bed removing her panties. Her eyes fluttered open and she watched him remove his shirt, kick off his shoes, and remove his socks before moving to the front of his jeans unbuttoning them.
Holly watched Brock undress before her and noticed a tattoo on his right side thinking that she would have to trace it with her tongue later. She was mesmerized as she watched him unzip his pants and drop them to the ground along with his underwear at the same time and stepping towards the bed. Holly instinctively licked her lips as she admired his erection as he approached her.
Brock gripped Holly’s hips and pulled her to the edge of the bed as he entered her in one swift motion. “Wrap your legs around me.” He instructed.
Holly quickly wrapped her legs around Brock and doing so gave him better penetration. She moaned in ecstasy as he continued to pump in and out changing the pace and the angle at which he entered her. “Come for me Holly. Tell me what you need to get you there.”
“Faster…to the right…yeah right there…Yes…YES…YEEESSS!”
“That’s it baby, now it’s my turn.” Brock groaned as he came deep inside Holly. When he was spent, he picked her up and moved her body on the bed so that her head lay on her pillow. “I’ll be right back.”
Holly watched as Brock emerged from the bathroom with a washcloth and proceeded to wash her. When he was finished, he covered her up and started to get dressed. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“I was going to go home.”
“Oh, no you’re not! If you know what is good for you detective, you will get into this bed with me right now.”
“You’re getting kind of bossy—don’t you think?”
“If I was you, I wouldn’t plan on getting too much sleep tonight.”
Brock grinned, “Is that so?”
“There is really only one way to find out!”
Brock quickly climbed into bed pulling Holly close as he wrapped his arm around her. True to her promise, he hardly got any sleep, but he wasn’t going to complain about it either. He woke in the morning to Charlie jumping on his chest.
“Charlie! Bad kitty.” Holly said as she scooped him up and set him on the floor.
“You’re already dressed!” Brock said as he stretched and yawned.
“Yep. Got a big case I am working on—gotta get rolling.”
“Give me five minutes and a shower and then we can leave together.” Brock said as he whipped back the covers and climbed out of bed. “Would you mind going to my car and getting a change of clothes out of my trunk?”
Holly smiled as she watched him walk naked into the bathroom. “I know you’re checking out my ass.” He said before shutting the door.
“I think it will take quite a bit to wipe the smile off my face today Charlie.” Holly admitted.
“Detectives McClellan and Cavanaugh—Can I get an update on the serial rapist case in your office in five minutes?”
“Sure Captain Lewiston—That will give me time to grab a cup of coffee.” Brock responded.
“Do you have any new leads or updates on the case?”
“Yes and no.” Holly replied.
“Can you please explain yourself detective?”
“In talking with the remaining vics, we have discovered that vic numbers two and seven had frequented a bar called The Brew Hogg and vics six and nine had frequented a bar called The Doo Dive.”
“That’s good! You have now made connections to four more vics who have a common thread of at least two more bars in the vicinity of a college, but what does the “No” in your response refer to?”
“That is what I call the second shoe that dropped. Vics number one, four, and eight have never set foot in a bar as long as they have lived here.”
“That blows your whole theory out of the water then doesn’t it?”
“Captain, I am sure that the answers are here in front of us, we just need to find them.” Brock responded.
“I’m counting on it. The Mayor calls me every other day. He wants an arrest.”
“I can guarantee you that we will arrest someone once we are able to piece this together.” Brock said as he walked back over to the white board.
“It needs to be soon.” The captain said as he walked out the door.
“Looks like we need t
o go bar hopping tonight.” Brock suggested to Holly.
“Which one do you want to go to first?”
“The Brew Hogg sounds interesting.”
“The Brew Hogg it is then.”
At the end of the day, Holly asked Brock, “What time do you want to meet at The Brew Hogg?”
“I was thinking we could go together.”
“I’d like to go home and change first—I just figured we would meet there.”
“I’ll follow you home so that you can change, and then we can go to the bar together from there. Will that work?”
“Sure, I guess so.”
After arriving at Holly’s, Brock offered to help her pick out her clothes. After being told no, he sat down in the recliner and Charlie immediately jumped up in his lap. “There’s my Charlie. Have you been a good boy today?”
“You know he hates men don’t you?” Holly asked as she walked into the room.
“Really? You could have fooled me!”
“Well, he did anyway until you.”
“He just hadn’t met a guy with class yet then.” He said laughing.
“Are we leaving now or are you going to stay and keep Charlie company?”
“Let’s go!”
They arrived at the bar to find it crowded for a Thursday night. With only one barstool open, Brock let Holly sit at the bar while he stood behind her. He didn’t mind as it gave him access to look around the bar to see if anything or anyone looked out of place. After fifteen minutes a blonde approached Brock, “Care to buy me a drink handsome?”
Holly turned to see who she was talking to—surely it wasn’t Brock. She quickly realized that she was wrong when she heard him reply, “Are you even old enough to be in here?”
“How old do you want me to be?”
“We are in a bar, so is it too much to ask that you at least be twenty one?” He replied.
“Does almost count?”
Holly had heard enough, “I suggest you get your underage ass out of here right now before I call the cops.”
Seal It With A Kiss (McClellan Trilogy) Page 9