by Susan Stoker
“I like nice,” Calder said softly, then kissed her forehead. “As I said, my life is full of not-so-nice things,” he kissed her temple, “and knowing you’re here in my house,” he tilted his head and kissed her cheek, “feels like a reward for all the shitty things I’ve seen while working as an ME.”
Hope tilted her head back, not ashamed in the least for wanting Calder’s lips on hers again. And he didn’t disappoint. As soon as he finished his sentence, he was kissing her again. And once again, Hope was lost in sensation. Everything tingled, and she tried to press herself closer to Calder’s hard-as-nails body. He was hard to her soft, and she loved it.
When he pulled back once more, Hope couldn’t stop the small whimper that left her mouth. She wanted Calder. More than she’d ever wanted anyone before. More than Billy’s father. Way more than her ex. She knew without a doubt that Calder was nothing like either of those men. There was no way he’d care more about his own satisfaction than hers. That wasn’t the kind of man he was. He was honorable and giving. But when he pulled away from her for the second time and dropped his hands, she wished he was a little more selfish.
“Not here,” he told her with a grimace.
“I want you,” she blurted, then blushed.
“I want you too,” he said immediately. “But not in the middle of my garage against my truck when your son is waiting for us to get inside so we can eat hamburgers together.”
Hope closed her eyes in frustration. He was right, she knew he was, but it sucked. She kept her eyes shut as she said, “I know. But it’s been a really long time since I’ve wanted someone the way I want you.” Then, feeling brave, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. “I haven’t ever really liked sex. I haven’t understood what the fuss was all about. But…I think I’m figuring it out.”
“Fuck, sweetheart,” Calder said, as he pulled her against him once more. He buried his face in her hair and held her tightly to him. She could feel his erection, just as he could probably feel her hard nipples against his chest. But this hug wasn’t about sex. It was about connecting as man and woman.
Calder didn’t say anything else, but eventually, he pulled back and intertwined his fingers with hers. He pulled her toward the door to the house and held it open for her. They walked into his home together, and Hope had a feeling her life would never be the same again.
Chapter Nine
Having Hope and Billy in his house made Calder feel less jumpy. Less paranoid. He hadn’t been sleeping well recently, and he knew it was because he was worried about Hope staying in the rundown motel. He had nightmares about being woken up by his pager and heading to a scene, only to find it was Hope’s dead body in an alley he had to investigate.
He couldn’t have been happier that Hope had won the money. It solved so many of her problems. Money wasn’t exactly the key to happiness, but in her case, it sure went a long way toward making her life easier.
Calder couldn’t give a shit about the money, though, beyond the fact that it meant she’d be moving sooner rather than later. He would’ve done anything possible to get her to see reason and accept help from Blythe, Sophie, or himself, but this was even better. She didn’t have to feel beholden to anyone and he didn’t have to feel guilty for manipulating her into moving.
The night he’d brought Hope and Billy to his house had been both bliss and torture. He’d taken the rest of the day off after picking her up at the diner, and he’d also called out the rest of the week. The other medical examiners would have no issue taking his shifts, knowing he’d make it up to them in the future.
Billy had eaten his hamburger and fries with a smile on his face. Then Calder had called his father and put him on speaker, introducing him to Hope and letting them talk about the money she’d won. Wanting her to feel comfortable, he took Billy out to his yard and started to teach him how to throw a football.
Later, when Billy was engrossed in a movie, Hope stood at his side as they cooked dinner together. She told him everything his dad had said about taxes and investments and had thanked him for putting her in touch with him.
Calder had wanted to take advantage of the fact that Billy was otherwise occupied, but instead of hoisting her up on the counter and spreading her legs like he wanted, he’d satisfied himself with brushing up against her and touching her every chance he got.
She knew exactly what he was doing, however, and started returning the favor. When he was bending over looking for something in the fridge, she brushed against his backside as she went past. In retaliation, he moved behind her when she was chopping vegetables for a salad and put his arms around her, telling her she was doing it wrong. Keeping her in his arms, he took the knife from her hand and proceeded to show her the “correct” way to chop. Although, remembering back now, Calder had a feeling she’d won that round too with the way she’d pushed her ass back against his hard dick.
They’d teased, laughed, and generally enjoyed each other’s company as they ate, then settled down to watch another movie.
Billy fell asleep in the beanbag, and as much as Calder wanted to carry Hope up to his bedroom and have her sleep there, in the end, he showed her to a guest room instead. Calder wanted to leave Billy in the beanbag, but Hope said he’d freak if he woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t see her. They’d been sleeping next to each other for months, and Calder didn’t want to do anything to scare either of them.
He still remembered the way Hope had looked at him before she’d closed her door the night before. Her green eyes seemed frustrated yet relieved that he hadn’t pushed for more. Calder vowed right then and there to make sure she knew he wanted her more than anything else in his life, but that he was willing to wait as long as she needed to feel comfortable with their relationship. He had a feeling she hadn’t had that before. That she’d been rushed into relationships in the past, both with Billy’s father and her douchebag ex.
They spent the next day much as they had the one before. Relaxing, laughing, and getting to know each other better. Every minute Calder spent with Hope and her son made the thought of bringing her back to that awful motel all the more terrifying and depressing. He didn’t know what he’d do if something happened to them. Both meant that much to him.
Now they were on their way to the lottery board office so Hope could officially claim the million-dollar prize. She was nervous and excited at the same time. She’d barely eaten anything for breakfast, but Billy had eaten enough for both of them.
Calder had wanted to go into the office with Hope, but she asked if he would stay in the waiting room with Billy, and he couldn’t say no to her. He handed the scratch-off ticket to her and kissed her lightly before sending her off with a soft, “You’ve got this, sweetheart.”
Thirty minutes later, Hope had reappeared. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were sparkling. She came straight to him and Calder took her in his arms in a congratulatory hug. “I take it things went well?”
She nodded against his chest. “Yeah. I can’t believe it.”
Calder pulled back. “Believe it, hon.”
“They gave me a check,” she whispered.
“A normal-sized one?”
She chuckled. “Yeah. I’m supposed to take pictures next with a big ceremonial one.”
Calder felt the smile fading from his face. “Pictures?”
She nodded. “I tried to tell them I wasn’t comfortable with that, but they kept pushing. Said it would make a great rags-to-riches story. They want Billy in them too.”
“Right this way, Ms. Drayden,” a man wearing a three-piece suit said from the doorway of the waiting area.
“What do you want to do?” Calder asked, ignoring the man.
“Refuse the pictures.”
“Hope?” the man from the doorway asked a little impatiently. “We really do need to get going.”
Calder turned his head and looked at him. “Give us a minute.”
“We don’t have a minute,” the man fired back. “We’re on
a schedule. The photographers are here now and we have a deadline to get the photos to the press. If we don’t—”
“They’re just going to have to wait. This isn’t exactly the story of the century. Give. Us. A. Minute.” He followed up his words with a hard stare until the man dropped his gaze and mumbled something before backing out of the room, leaving them alone.
“So you want to refuse to let them take pictures?” Calder asked again with no trace of the irritation he’d just displayed to the man in the doorway.
“You’re doing it again,” Hope said.
“What?”
“Standing up for me. Protecting me.”
Calder couldn’t tell how she felt about it. “I’m not going to apologize,” he told her. “You’ve been on your own for too long now. I told you before, and I’ll tell you again and again and again until you truly believe it. I’m on your side, and no one messes with you when I’m around to prevent it.”
“I don’t want any pictures,” Hope said after licking her lips. “I’m afraid enough as it is that Earle will have seen those news clips that aired the other night, when those reporters were at the diner. I can’t prevent the lottery board from writing a press release, I agreed to that when I accepted the money. I want to move on from Earle’s abuse, but pictures are a bit too much for me at this point.”
“Then you won’t take them,” Calder said definitively.
“But—”
“No buts,” he said, interrupting her. “If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to.”
“I don’t think it’ll be that easy. You saw that guy. He was pretty insistent.”
“Hope, they can’t force you to have the pictures taken. They’ve given you the check, you can simply walk out.”
She didn’t respond for a long moment, then she smiled. “I can, can’t I?”
“Yup.”
“Then let’s do that…but…”
“But what?”
“Maybe we can make up some reason so as not to hurt their feelings.”
Calder chuckled. Only Hope would be worried about hurting the feelings of complete strangers who likely only cared about making money for the lottery. “Okay, hon.”
“Thanks, Calder.”
“No need to thank me.”
“See, you say that, but it’s so not true it’s almost ridiculous.”
“Come on,” Calder said, kissing her quickly before taking her hand in his. He was happy to see that she was becoming more and more used to him touching and kissing her as time went on. It was a good thing, as he wasn’t about to stop anytime soon. “We need to celebrate. Then we need to stop at the bank and deposit that check. Then we’re going apartment shopping. Do you want to look at cars today or save that for another day?”
“We’re looking at apartments today?”
“Is there a reason why we shouldn’t?”
“Um…no, but it just seems fast.”
Calder stopped in front of the door and cupped the side of her face. “Do you really want to spend another night at that motel when you’ve got the means to get out of there?”
She made a face. “No.”
“Then we’re going apartment shopping,” Calder said decisively. He looked down at Billy. “What about you, Bud? Want to find a new place to live?”
The little boy made an excited sound in the back of this throat and nodded enthusiastically.
“We’ll find a nice place where you can have your own room, what do you think about that?”
The happiness in Billy’s eyes dimmed a bit, but he still gamely nodded.
Calder crouched down, keeping his fingers linked with Hope’s. “Your mom is gonna be in the room right next to you. You can even keep your door open so if she needs you in the middle of the night, you can hear her when she calls out. That work?”
Billy smiled and nodded again. Calder stood and felt Hope’s fingers squeeze his. He’d hoped mentioning his mother needing him would make Billy feel better. Calder knew it would take time for both mother and son to be comfortable sleeping away from each other, but it’d happen. When Billy figured out that their new apartment was safe and no one would be bursting in to hurt either of them, he’d relax.
“Come on, you guys,” Calder said, smiling at two of the people who meant the most to him in the world. “Let’s get outta here.”
Hope stared in bemusement at the impromptu party happening around her. After telling the lottery board guy in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t going to be taking pictures, Calder did just what he said they were going to do. He took them out to eat, then she deposited the biggest check she’d ever seen, money-wise, into her account at the bank, then they’d headed to the apartments around the corner from Calder’s house to check them out.
They were all beautiful, and more than Hope had ever dreamed she’d be able to afford, but for some reason, none felt right. There was a three-bedroom apartment, which was way too big for just her and Billy. Calder refused to let her even look at the one-bedroom place. Then they toured two separate two-bedroom apartments. They were set up a little differently, and both were very nice, but something was holding her back.
Calder didn’t pressure her to make a decision right that second, whispering in her ear that she and Billy could stay with him as long as they wanted. She liked that idea, but at the same time felt guilty. Calder had done so much for them already that agreeing to stay at his house felt…weird. Like she was taking advantage of him somehow.
But she liked him. A lot. Wanted to be with him but was afraid at the same time. She was scared that she’d seem like a tease if she initiated anything, then chickened out and changed her mind about sleeping with him.
They’d ended up back at his place, and somehow one call from one of his law-enforcement friends turned into another, which turned into a full-blown party at his house.
Hope had been introduced to so many people, her head swam. Luckily, she had a very good memory, so she could recall everyone’s names.
First had been Dax and Mackenzie. Hope remembered Dax from when he’d eaten at the diner, but Mackenzie had been a surprise. Two seconds after they’d been introduced, Mackenzie had hugged her and said she was so happy to meet Hope and that they were going to be the best of friends. She’d then proceeded to babble on without taking a breath for what seemed like several minutes about how much she liked Calder, and how she and the other women had worried that he’d never find someone to spend his life with, and how they couldn’t believe he actually enjoyed looking at dead bodies all day.
When she finally wound down, Hope could do nothing but stare at her, speechless.
Calder had laughed and put his arm around her shoulders and said, “You’ll get used to her.”
Then there was Cruz and Mickie. Cruz apparently worked for the FBI, and he and his girlfriend had met when he was working undercover. Mickie was curvy with short black hair, and she had brought along a tube of uncooked cookie dough and a tub of ice cream, winning Billy’s affection by declaring that “it was illegal to have a party and not have cookie dough and ice cream.”
Corrie and Quint weren’t hard to remember, as Corrie was carrying a white cane with a red tip. She was a little more laid-back than the other two women, but no less friendly. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, which stared into the room blankly but were still somehow very expressive. She was taller than Hope by a few inches and looked like she could be a model on a runway. She’d smiled and held out her hand in Hope’s general direction. “Hi, I’m Corrie. As you can see, I’m blind, but don’t let that make you feel uncomfortable.”
Her disability did make Hope uncomfortable at first, as she hadn’t had any experience being around someone who was blind, but after listening to Corrie talk to the others, she realized that there was nothing to feel awkward about. The other woman was funny, and open, and immediately did what she could to make her feel at ease.
Wes, a man she guessed to be a couple years older than everyone else, was next to arri
ve. He had black hair peppered with gray, but was as muscular, or more so, than the other men in the room. He was with a woman named Laine, who Mackenzie hurried over to meet. She introduced Laine as her best friend and said that if Hope needed assistance finding a place to live, Laine could help since she was a realtor. Laine had merely laughed at her friend’s enthusiasm and pushed her back into the living room before shaking Hope’s hand, saying how nice it was to meet her after hearing about her from the others.
Hope was still pondering that when the doorbell rang again. This time it was a woman with red hair much like her own, except hers was extremely curly. Hope would’ve killed to have her curls when she was younger.
“Hi, I’m Hayden,” the woman said, introducing herself. “It’s really good to meet you. I’ve talked to Calder a bit about your situation, and just for full disclosure, so it doesn’t blindside you later…I’m a sheriff’s deputy.”
Hope blinked in surprise. She never would’ve guessed the beautiful woman was in law enforcement. She wasn’t exactly comfortable with all the cops in the house, but since no one was wearing a uniform, it made things a little better. “You’re a cop?” she asked in surprise before she could stifle the question.
Hayden and the man next to her laughed, making Hope blush even more.
“Calder told us that cops aren’t your favorite people,” he said, “but I promise, Hay is harmless…unless someone threatens someone she loves, isn’t that right?”
Hayden nodded and explained. “I met Boone when his ex tried to falsely accuse him of abusing her. She was cray-cray but, blah blah blah, she learned not to mess with me or my man.”
Hope could only stare at the extremely confident woman in surprise.
Boone definitely made her a little nervous. He was big, muscular like her ex, and even the cowboy hat couldn’t put her at ease. But knowing someone had tried to frame him for domestic abuse, coupled with the loving way he looked at the woman at his side, went a long way toward softening her feelings about him.