by Anthology
A smirk lifted my lips. “Don’t lie. You want me.” The evidence was in my grip.
“Yes, but I’m not in a hurry.” He caressed down my sides and drew his hands down my flat stomach to open my pants. “We have all night.”
“We do.” Though I’d have to leave in the morning to get to work. Unless he kicked me out after sex, but I didn’t think that would be an issue.
I kicked off my boots and pulled my shirt over my head. He flicked the front clasp of my bra open and let it slide down my arms. His hands covered my breasts, lifting them with a grin. He dropped his head to lick one tight tip, then the other.
I ran my fingers through his silky black hair, and he practically purred. Rough, yet gentle hands caressed down, pushing my jeans past my thighs.
“No panties?” He cupped my sex, sliding his fingers through my heat. “And ready. Damn, you’re wet.”
“Very.” I pushed his pants and briefs off and stroked him hard. He groaned, his hips jolting forward. Lying back, I pulled him with me.
His mouth collided with mine as he fingered my clit. He brought me to the brink of orgasm, only to slow down while he kissed his way down my body.
“Oh, no, come back here, Kenji.”
He grinned, scooting back up to capture my eyes.
I rolled him over and straddled his lap, rocking to glide over his cock.
Kenji gripped my hips as his eyes caressed down my body. “So sexy, Eve.”
God, he made me feel like a goddess. He didn’t seem the least bit intimidated, which freed me. Of course, if he knew what I did for a living, that could all change.
Kenji reached for his drawer and pulled out a condom. I plucked it from his grasp with a grin and slid it down his length, then shifted to take him in without further preparation.
He filled me, pleasure coursing through my body as I rode him. His hands glided up my body and around my back to pull me down. My breasts grazed over his chest, sending sensation shooting to my clit.
I found his mouth, open and ready for a sensual dance. His hands explored, teasing, touching, pushing me closer to release.
Then he rolled, pulled my arms over my head, and braced himself on his elbows. Every muscle moved with mine, so much skin on skin contact that pleasure rolled through my body.
The way he fucked was intimate, sensual, exciting. More like making love.
Lifting my head, I kissed his neck, and he pushed his pace faster, until I fell off the edge. He thrust again, coming to a stop deep inside as he came. Kenji stilled over me, his eyes locked on mine while we learned to breathe again.
A smile pulled at my lips. Content and lazy, I wanted to stay there, in his arms.
“Tell me we aren’t done,” he whispered.
Smiling, I shook my head. “Oh, we’re nowhere near done. I have a few more rounds in me.”
“I like your drive.”
My alarm jolted me out of bed. I stood up in the unfamiliar room and spotted my jeans. The room had a warm, inviting feel. Someone’s hand curled around my inner thigh, tugging me toward the bed.
“Come back, Eve. I’m not done with you.”
Shit. Kenji. The night before came back to me and I sighed.
“Sorry, Kenji, but I have work.”
“So do I, but it’s early.”
“Yeah, but I need a shower and to get ready.” My gun was locked in my safe at home. My gear, my uniform, everything.
He sat up while I pulled my clothes on from the night before. “Can I have your number?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried to think of an excuse. Nothing came to me. Hell, I wanted to trust him not to hurt me, but I didn’t have the faith.
Sighing, I handed him my phone. “Leave me yours. I really do have to hurry. I didn’t mean to stay so long.”
He looked up at me with those dark eyes that warmed the chill in my heart. “I like that you stayed.”
So did I, which was my problem. “Last night was amazing, but I really do have to go. If I’m ever getting this promotion, I can’t mess up now.”
He smiled. “Promotion? What are you going for?”
“Never mind that.” I pulled on my boots and grabbed my purse.
Kenji walked to me, handing me the phone. “Whatever it is, it must be important. I’m intrigued. I want to know more about you, Eve. Give me a chance.”
Panic edged in. I didn’t want to share, didn’t want to shatter the beautiful illusion before me. I turned to my best defense. “Okay, but right now, I really do have to go.”
His fingers slipped into my hair and he brought my mouth to his for a slow kiss. “Merry Christmas, Eve.”
“You too, Kenji.”
I rushed out the door, hurrying home to shower and get ready. Then headed in.
Damon walked in the same time I did. “Morning, Eve. Have a good birthday?”
“Yeah. Found someone to take my mind off the holidays, but then this morning he was kind of perfect.”
His head tipped slightly as he studied me. Then he frowned. “And why is that a bad thing?”
I rubbed my forehead and squeezed my eyes shut. “I’m not totally sure it is.”
“I’m confused. He rocked your world, was somewhat perfect, and now you want to forget him?”
“Damn it, Damon. You don’t get it. It’s different for a male cop. You don’t get the same shit I do. Men don’t want a police officer for a girlfriend. They want to take care of us, protect us, and I’m better at that than they are. Guys say they can handle it, but then they all turn into asshats who want me to spend more time with them, and less time on the job.”
“Sometimes Bianca wants me to spend less time at work, and more time with her. You know what? That’s normal. We work crazy hours and not everyone wants a cop. There are plenty of men who do.”
“Not in my experience. But hey, he left his number in my phone, so we’ll see. Maybe when it’s not Christmas, and we’re not on duty, I’ll give him a call.”
“You should.”
“And how would you know?”
“Call it a hunch.” Damon smirked, starting for the door.
My hands landed on my hips when I planted my feet. “You weren’t even there by the time he came on to me.”
He smiled over his shoulder. “Didn’t need to be. You’re clearly conflicted about this morning. Stop trying to put him in the same box as the men in your past.”
Damon had a point, but I didn’t want to address my fear. My heart had been stomped on a few times over the last five years. I followed him to the car, to start the day.
We fell into our usual easy banter, and I attempted to forget about Kenji. I was having a hell of a time.
Nearing the end of our shift, Damon looked over. “I know I volunteered to work Christmas so I could have it off next year. But why did you?”
“If I was working, I had no reason to fly back home and attempt to dodge questions about when I’m getting married and having a van-load full of kids.” I sighed and leaned my head against the glass. “I’m not in any rush to fulfill my mother’s wishes.”
“She wants you happy.”
“I am happy. She doesn’t get it. Apparently she hated my father being a cop. Shit, she’d love it if I got married, got knocked up, had a dozen kids, and never went back to the force. She doesn’t understand how happy my job makes me.”
“She knows you’re lonely.”
“I’m not lonely,” I insisted, glaring out the window. “I don’t need a man to be happy.”
“No, but you might find the right guy.”
The call came in, sending us to Mac’s Mart three blocks away. An armed robbery in process.
It must have been our lucky day because the road was practically empty. Damon didn’t bother with the sirens or lights as he turned down the road and parked outside.
I climbed out of the car and saw a man with a gun moving toward the counter, making demands. There wasn’t time to wait, so I started for the door.
; “Damn it, Eve. Wait for me,” Damon called.
I didn’t. There was limited time to stop the perp from using the weapon, and with the way he was acting, there was no telling what he would do. He was so busy yelling he didn’t even hear the door swing open.
A quick glance and I didn’t see anyone else. Taking my chance, I rushed in behind him, knocked his arm up as he cocked the gun, and twisted it away. I dropped it and kicked the weapon toward my partner.
Damon shouted, “Freeze!”
I caught a glimpse of him scooping up the weapon before starting down the aisle to clear the building.
“Damned bitch,” the guy shouted, trying to turn on me.
I twisted his gun hand up, behind his back. He was heavy enough he swung back with his elbow, catching me in the face.
My head rocked back and blood dribbled down my face. I managed to hook my ankle around his shins and yanked back, bringing him to the floor with a thud.
I pulled his other arm back and cuffed him while he grunted and bucked. I shifted my weight, pinning him down.
Thundering feet approached from behind. I spun around in time to get hit in the head. I pushed him off balance, and Damon caught the second man and had him cuffed before I could get my bearings.
“That’s why you wait,” he hissed at me.
I didn’t bother pointing out the woman behind the counter had been in danger and waiting wasn’t the best option. Another pair of cops arrived on scene in time to separate the two men.
Gianvittiorio, better known as Sarge, came in with the new guy, Hernandez. Sarge shook his head when he spotted me. “You’re bleeding, Cardello. You need a medic.”
Rolling my eyes, I wiped at my face and shrugged. “Bloody nose. It’s nothing.”
“Still need to be looked at, and you know it.” He called it in, and I helped Damon get the gunman to the car.
“Why didn’t you wait?” Damon asked quietly.
“Because you were right behind me and he was moving toward the counter. What if he shot her?”
He grunted. “And the other man? If he had a gun?”
“I still would have saved her life. Look, I’m fine.”
“The second one dazed you when he hit your head. Don’t be stubborn, Eve.”
I sighed. “I’m not arguing. The medic is already on the way. But it’s a waste of time.”
Mrs. Mac, the owner and the woman behind the counter, came out with a damp rag. I’d been shopping at the store for years since my apartment was around the corner.
She pushed the rag at me with a smile. “I need to thank you. That man would have shot me if you hadn’t gotten here when you did.”
Taking the rag, I wiped my face. “You’re welcome, ma’am.”
Grateful, I wiped my face and leaned against the counter. “Thank you.”
Sarge followed Mrs. Mac out with a smirk. “That statement?”
She jumped right in. “These two men came in several times over the last couple of weeks. They’d see the store busy, walk around a moment, and leave. I had a bad feeling about them, but sometimes I’m wrong. But they never bought anything and spent too much time looking at everything.”
Orion was already writing things down. And as much as I wanted to be useful, I knew no one was letting me until the paramedics arrived.
Mrs. Mac continued, “Today, there wasn’t anyone else in the shop. They made sure. When the man pulled the gun from his pocket, I dialed nine-one-one and put it on speaker. You came in with the perfect timing.”
“Did they take any money?” Sarge asked.
“No. He demanded I open the register, but I had my hands up, stalling. Eve saved me. I wasn’t going to open the damned register.”
She filled us in on a few other details.
The ambulance pulled up and I closed my eyes. When I looked up I found the handsome face from the night before. This time, concern filled his dark eyes.
“Told you I’d see you again,” Kenji said, moving toward me with purpose. He took a slow breath and murmured, “You okay?”
“Fine.” I dropped my head, taking in the EMT uniform, and smiled. “Part of the job.”
He took the damp cloth and tipped my face up, cleaning the blood away. “They’re worried you may have a concussion.”
“I don’t.”
He dropped his voice to a whisper. “And Damon’s worried you aren’t going to give me a chance because I may not like what you do.”
How the hell did Damon know Kenji?
A snort escaped. “Doesn’t bother you what I do?”
He grinned. “No. I told you, I like a strong woman. I’m not intimidated.”
“Not worried I’ll get myself hurt?”
“No more than any police officer. Give me a chance, Eve. I want to get to know you better.”
I nodded as another paramedic came in. “Well?” he asked.
Kenji smirked. “You have your statement?”
“Yeah.”
“Come back to the truck. Let’s make sure you’re fine. Then you can go back to work. I’ll give Damon a smack upside the head if he gives you any flak.”
Then it dawned on me. “You’re the paramedic he wanted to introduce me to last month?”
“The one you shot down before you even met me.”
“So he staged last night?”
He shrugged. “I’ve seen you around. Damon thought you and I might be good together. I have to agree.”
I wanted to be mad, but wound up grinning. “He set us up?”
“Engineered our meeting. He wasn’t there to push us together. You came to me willingly.”
Smiling, I licked my lips. “I did.”
The other paramedic tapped his foot. “Seriously, Kenji, stop flirting, let’s make sure she’s okay.”
Mrs. Mac gave me a smile. “Thank you again, Officer Cardello.”
“Anytime, Mrs. Mac.” I turned toward the ambulance.
Kenji caught up with a smile. “You off tomorrow?”
“I am.”
“Meet me at Cask and Barrel after work? This time, we’ll talk.”
Done resisting, I nodded.
Damon stood off to the side grinning when Kenji lifted me onto the back of the ambulance.
Kenji nodded at his partner. “This is Joe. Don’t mind him.”
“I tried to tell Damon I was fine,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, but I have a feeling you would have said that even if you weren’t.”
Joe took over, feeling my head. There was a knot. My eyes weren’t dilated. No dizziness. Though my face was a little sore.
“You can go back to work.” Joe looked amused for a moment and shrugged. “I’ll give you two a couple minutes.” He hopped out of the truck.
Kenji sat next to me. He leaned in, capturing my mouth with his. I wanted more when he pulled away, but he smiled. “See you tonight?”
“Don’t celebrate Christmas?” I asked.
“Damon invited us. We’ll walk from the bar.”
“See you then.” I climbed out of the ambulance and slid into the passenger seat of our cruiser.
Damon sighed as he climbed in and started the car. “No concussion?”
“A bump on my head, and a bloody nose thanks to this guy.” I glanced back at the perp and sighed. “I’m fine.”
“Coming to dinner tonight?”
I wanted answers and figured I’d make him sweat first. “How do you know Kenji?”
“Went to college with him.” He glanced over with narrowed eyes. “And before you start on my case, I didn’t bother telling you about him because when he first brought you up, you were with dickhead.”
The reference was to my ex. The last bastard who couldn’t handle my job getting in the way of our plans. Sometimes my job didn’t end right when my shift did. Sometimes I wasn’t willing to play the pretty arm-candy for someone who didn’t respect my job. The relationship didn’t work for a lot of reasons.
I turned toward Damon. “Why didn’t you j
ust introduce us?”
“Because you don’t want any of us interfering.” Damon shrugged, smiling over. “Figured this way, you two would be at the same place at the same time. If sparks flew, you wouldn’t second-guess. Then you did anyway. He says you shut down any conversation of what you all did for a living.”
Groaning, I looked away. “I was wrong. I’m so used to assholes who don’t get it.”
“Kenji gets it. He’s in a similar position. He wants to help people as much as you do. He didn’t give you shit with a bloody face, did he?”
She smiled. “He worried a second, but he was sweet.”
“So come to dinner. Spend the evening with friends. Get to know him. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t. But don’t write him off because you’ve had shitty luck in the past.”
“Dinner it is. I’m meeting him for a drink first.”
Damon smirked. “Not too many. I don’t want you getting distracted and forgetting to come over. Bianca is serving a feast for the four of us.”
“One drink. Then we’ll be over.”
“Then let’s get the paperwork done and get going.”
A new start. Wasn’t that supposed to be New Year’s Eve? Though I suppose Christmas was as good a time as any. I walked into Cask and Barrel and made my way to Kenji, who sat at the end of the bar, watching the door.
His eyes locked on mine as I made my way to him. A smile spread on his face. “Wasn’t sure you’d come after this morning.”
“I told you I would this afternoon.” I slid into the seat next to him.
“You did. But you said you’d call this morning, and I don’t think you planned to.”
“That’s what I thought when I left, but then I couldn’t get you out of my head for the rest of the day. I was doing my damnedest not to think about you. Didn’t work.”
He nodded at the bartender, who came our way.
“Same as before?” she asked.
“Please.” I turned back to Kenji with a grin. “Only one. Damon and Bianca are expecting us.”
Kenji took my hand. “I’m looking forward to a real date.”
“Doesn’t this count?”
His lips quirked. “Does it?”
“I’ll answer any question you have, as long as you’ll do the same.”
“Deal.”