Slow & Steady #3: A Shameless Southern Nights Novel

by Ali Parker

  Soon the house was filled with the smell of frying onions and other vegetables. I had a glass of white wine in one hand, with soft music playing over the radio in the kitchen while I added chicken to brown in the pan.

  Everything was going well, and I was starting to unwind when I heard Sonny come in. Turning to face him, my smile froze on my lips when I saw the look on his face.

  His green eye seemed darker while the flecks in his blue one were more pronounced. There was a crease between his eyebrows and his hair stuck up every which way like he’d dragged his hands through it repeatedly.

  “We need to talk.”

  Funny how four words could shatter your peace and make you forget what the word relaxed even meant. Crap. What happened this time?

  Chapter Nine

  Sonny

  Color drained from Niki’s face. Her warm, welcoming smile froze and then dropped away. Her shoulders slumped as she stepped back from the door.

  It took me a second to piece together her reaction. As soon as I did, I was across the kitchen in two steps, pulling her into my arms. “No. No, no, no. That’s not what I meant. We do need to talk, but it’s about the case. Not us. We’re fine. I promise. I’m so sorry. I should’ve thought that through.”

  She buried her face in my chest and looked up at me, hope mingled with confusion in her eyes. “I thought something terrible happened.”

  “No. Well, not to us,” I told her, holding her tight against me until I felt her tension start to ease. “I followed that lead, and the guy had some interesting things to say. I’ve been looking into some of what he said since I left his house. That’s what we need to talk about. Not us.”

  She pressed a kiss to my chest, right over my heart and took a step back, smoothing out her floral print dress before turning her attention back on the stove. “What did he say?”

  “He’s an accountant for some local bigwigs. Darren slipped me some information on him. He’s a former IT guy, very jumpy. Seems to believe he’s being watched. Maybe he is, I don’t know.” Having dug a little deeper into Mr. James, I learned he was listed as the accountant for hundreds of companies across the state. For all I knew, his paranoia was justified. His clientele weren’t all above board.”

  Niki stirred chicken in the pan and sipped her wine, her body angled to face me. “Okay.”

  “He wasn’t very forthcoming at first.” There was no need for her to know the exact details about how it came to be that he ended up talking to me. Plausible deniability and all. Understanding and resignation flashed in her eyes; she knew I wasn’t going to say anything more about it. “When he decided to talk to me, he confirmed Harris is a client. So is the elusive Mr. Lyons. He says he’s been moving money from Ken Lyons to the Chief for years.”

  “Wow. I see why you look so worried. That’s big. You’ve made this huge connection, but you’re not on the investigation anymore.” She summarized my worries perfectly.

  I slipped my arms around her from behind and moved her braid over her shoulder, dipping my head and dusting a few kisses along her neck. I savored the little shiver that ran through her but forced my focus to our conversation. I’d told Niki I was going to be more open with her and intended to keep my word. “I have to figure out what to do with this information. I have to pass it along, but when and how?”

  Resting her head on my shoulder, she glanced up at me before shimmying out of my arms to start dishing up our food. I’d been so caught up with telling her about what I found, I hadn’t even noticed what she was cooking. “We’re having tacos?”

  She grinned, shooting me the cutest wink. “You had a good day. You deserve tacos.”

  “You keep rewarding me like this and I’ll really have to step up my game,” I teased, helping her carry our food and the open bottle of wine to the table. “I don’t know how, but I’ll have to bust my ass to find leads like this every day.”

  “Mmm, if we keep eating like this, you’ll have to bust your ass to keep it in shape. You won’t have any time to follow leads.”

  Taking my first bite, I groaned. “You make a great point.”

  “I always do,” she pointed out, chuckling softly as she topped up her wine and poured some for me before digging in. I devoured my tacos. For someone who claimed she didn’t cook much, Niki proved that point wrong time and again. The tacos were delicious.

  She dabbed her mouth with a napkin when she was done, taking another sip of wine. “Back to your day. What did you say the accountant’s name was? Maybe I can help you find some more information on him.”

  “Rylen James,” I told her, patting my stomach as I pushed my plate away. “That was amazing. I totally see why we can’t have that every day, but would you be willing to negotiate on once a week?”

  Her lips kicked up into a smile, her eyes sparkling in the soft light in my dining room. The sun was starting to set outside, and we didn’t have the main lights on yet. Instead, Niki had lit a few candles and flicked on the standing lamp in the corner.

  Her nose wrinkled when I said Rylen’s name; then her eyes flashed in recognition as they cut to mine. “I know that name.”

  “You do?” He didn’t seem like the type of guy she would know, but then again, stranger things had happened.

  Niki nodded, her gaze narrowing. “Yeah. He used to come to the library all the time.”

  “Odd.”

  “Not really.” She shrugged. “Lots of people come to the library to use our computers. Think about every spy movie ever made. I’m not saying there are spies in Cypress Creek, but you see where I’m going with this.”

  “You’re a genius.”

  She rolled her eyes. “No, I just have a decent memory.”

  “Would there be a record of what he was doing on your computers while he was there?” It was a long shot, but one that might pay off. No one would ever think to check the local library’s database or records. Hell, I was a cop and I’d only stopped by the library to check on news reports from my dad’s case. If I hadn’t gotten to know Niki, I’d have never known how many databases libraries could access. If I was lucky, that might’ve lulled Rylen into a false sense of security about his searches there.

  Niki eyed me before taking a sip of wine and nodding. “There might be. You said he was a former IT guy and he’s paranoid, which means he might’ve thought to cover his tracks. He did have an account there though. That’s why I remember his name. It’s possible that he left behind at least traces of what he was doing. He used to spend hours there.”

  Adrenaline spread through me. I was on my feet in a second, holding my hand out to Niki. She frowned. “Where are we going?”

  “To the library.” If I could get onto their database tonight, I could do some digging while my encounter with Rylen was still fresh in my mind. Whether we would find anything, I didn’t know. “There’s no time like the present.”

  Niki folded her arms, taking another sip of her wine. “But at present, the library is closed.”

  “Fuck,” I muttered. I was so riled up after the day I’d had; I hadn’t even remembered the time. “I forgot about that.”

  Smiling coyly, Niki suddenly took off to the entrance, and I heard keys jingling before I reached her. She held up a set of keys; her purse already slung over her shoulder. “The good news is that I have the keys.”

  “Are you allowed to go there at night?” If it was going to get her in trouble, I could wait until tomorrow. I didn’t want to, but I would never jeopardize her job over this.

  Shaking her head, she twisted the knob on my front door and walked backward out of it. “Not really, but I’m in if you are. I can always say I forgot my phone or something.”

  I followed her out the door, not even bothering to hide the grin stretching across my face. “Who knew you had such a rebellious streak in you?”

  Her answering smile would make any consequences that might come our way because of this worthwhile. She twirled around and laughed, skipping to the passenger door of my truck. “I
didn’t, but it feels kind of good. No wonder people are always breaking the rules.”

  “Let’s call this bending one,” I told her, rounding my truck to get in behind the wheel. “You do have the keys, after all. We’re not breaking in or anything.”

  She tapped the side of her nose. “We’re just full of good points tonight, aren’t we?”

  “I guess we are,” I replied with a chuckle.

  The streets were quiet, and the drive to the library was fast. Though Niki had a key, we still weren’t supposed to be there, so we snuck in. I kept watch while she unlocked a side door and ushered me quickly through, throwing the lock back on as soon as we were inside.

  “Don’t switch on any lights,” she whispered, activating the flashlight on her phone. I followed her lead, a little amused by how excited she was about this. It was adorable. I knew she hadn’t gotten into much trouble, but seeing this really drove the point home.

  “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I asked warily, for probably the tenth time since we left my house. I didn’t want her to regret anything.

  She nodded, her braid bouncing slightly in the light of my phone. “I’m fine, now come on. The computers are this way.”

  Leading me to a corner in the back of the library I hadn’t seen before, Niki paused, narrowed her eyes and then made a beeline for one of the computers at the last row with its screen facing the wall. “This is the one he always used, I think.”

  “Does it make a difference?” Times like these, I wished I were a little more of a technology buff.

  Niki bounced her head from side to side, waiting for the computer to start up. “It could. It all depends on what he did. If he downloaded documents onto the computer itself, we might still be able to see them.”

  “How will we know they’re his?”

  She gave me a look, her fingers starting to fly across the keyboard. “I’ll know. Trust me.”

  “Any chance of finding his client list in your database?”

  “I don’t know. We’ll see. Give me a minute.” Her face scrunched in concentration as she typed. I pulled up the chair beside her, trying to make heads of what she was doing. Unfortunately, all I could make out was that she was accessing what looked like different databases. Or maybe they were all different files on this computer.

  Knowing I couldn’t help her, I kept my mouth shut and let her work. About a half hour after we got there, she let out a triumphant “Woo hoo!”

  I sat forward immediately, focusing my eyes on the computer screen. “Did you find something?”

  She lifted her finger to drag it under a specific paragraph, a smug smile spreading on her lips. “I’d say so.”

  I rubbed my eyes, wondering if they were playing tricks on me from watching the information on the screen blur together earlier while she was typing. “Am I looking at what I think I’m looking at?”

  “If you think you’re looking at proof that Chief Harris is involved in all this and is corrupt, then yes. That’s what you’re looking at.”

  I blinked hard. “This confirms he’s receiving money from an account you can’t find.”

  “Yup,” she said, leaning back in her chair. “There’s nothing here with details for that account, but there’s your paper trail for the money.”

  I slung my arm across her shoulder and crushed her to my side, claiming her sweet lips for a long, deep kiss. “You are a genius.”

  “A turned on genius,” she whispered against my lips. “This is all so thrilling.”

  Her hands dropped to the top button on my shirt, fumbling to undo them as she slanted her mouth over mine. She was like a drug to me. All she had to do was touch me, and everything else around me disappeared.

  My thinking brain nudged me, reminding me we were here for other reasons. I instantly kicked that voice to the curb. We had the information. I didn’t need to do anything with it right away. There was nothing I could really do with it until I saw Darren again. Having records of telephonic contact between us after the date of my leave of absence would be a giant mistake.

  Niki moaned into our kiss. The low sound was all it took to ratchet up the need inside of me.

  Everything else could wait. My entire focus narrowed to Niki, the feel of her lips against mine and her hands mapping my chest.

  Chapter Ten

  Niki

  Sonny hesitated at first as if he was surprised by the force of my kisses. Hell, I was surprised by the force of my kisses. While I was searching for the information we needed, I blocked everything else out. Even Sonny sitting beside me.

  As soon as I hit pay dirt though, the excitement of the evening hit a fever pitch, and need rushed through me, settling right between my legs. When Sonny touched my shoulder, I swore I felt his tender caress right on the pulse aching at the apex of my thighs.

  Crazy.

  In the back of my mind, I distantly wondered how crazy it was to be yanking Sonny’s clothes off in the library. An empty library, but still. The illicit thrill of it sent liquid need spinning through my veins.

  Judging by the way Sonny was responding to me, he was as turned on as I was.

  He shrugged out of his shirt when I finally managed to get all the buttons undone and lifted my dress to pull it straight over my head.

  My hair cascaded to my shoulders as he unwound it with his fingers, falling in a wave to the tops of my breasts. He tunneled his hand into it, gathering a handful of my hair to tug my head backward. The subtle sting on my scalp fed into the need whipping through me.

  The stubble on his jaw brushed against the delicate skin of my neck as he pressed his lips to it. He breathed in at my neck, causing my nipples to harden and sending a shot of anticipation straight to my core.

  His free hand gripped my ribs, brushing the underside of my bra with his thumb. My skin tingled where he touched it, goosebumps prickling all over from the feel of his warm touch.

  Heat pooled between my thighs. My panties were going to be soaked before he even touched me properly. Story of my life.

  I would’ve been embarrassed about it, but he’d told me time and again how much he liked how responsive my body was to him.

  I arched into him when his lips trailed down my neck, another raspy moan falling from my lips. “Sonny—”

  As I pushed myself against him, he slid his hand behind my back and unhooked my bra. Shimmying my shoulders, it fell loose and dropped it to the floor. He sucked in a breath as my taut nipples brushed his chest.

  We surged back together as he pulled me onto his lap. He groaned as the heat of my core pressed against his stomach.

  Lifting me up with him, he carried me to the nearest clear desk and set me down on it. The smooth wood of the time-worn desk was cool beneath me as he kneeled in front of me. In a flash, he hooked his fingers over the edge of my panties and tugged them over my hips. With a kick, they fell from my feet.

  It was dark in the library, with the soft glow of our phones over by the computer and the ambient light of its screen providing just enough light that I could make out his outline.

  I drank in his broad shoulders and chest, his bulging biceps and the shadowy planes of his abs. His jeans hung low and loose on his hips, allowing me to see the perfect V between them. My mouth watered, anticipation humming through me.

  Sonny leaned over to swirl his tongue around a nipple, sucking it lightly into his mouth. I cried out at the scrape of his teeth. The need to stay quiet had me clamping a hand over my mouth as I wound the other into his hair.

  He teased my nipples and slid his hands up and down my sides before his lips, teeth, and tongue meandered over my belly, every touch setting me on fire. By the time he sank to his knees and looked up at me, I was nearly out of my mind with need. My breath came in rough gasps, and I was frantic for him.

  Inhaling deeply, his fingers dug into my hips as he tugged me toward him. He leaned forward and ran his tongue up my seam, all the way to my clit. I gasped, squirming in his grip. He repeated the movement and moa
ned against my slick cleft. Taking his sweet, agonizing time, he teased my folds with his tongue, coasting over my clit again and again. Pleasure spun tightly inside with every pass.

  I bit into the hand I still had over my mouth, trying to hold back my moans when he finally sucked my clit into his mouth. One of his hands glided up my thigh, coating his fingertips with my wetness before he groaned and slid a thick finger into me.

  Pleasure was gathering into itself, rolling into a wave. His teeth grazed over the sensitive bundle of nerves as his tongue circled my clit. All the while, his fingers moved inside me, stroking me in a steady rhythm.

  Everything tightened inside as I chased after the sweet release. Shaking, I felt a strong arm wrap around my hips to keep me steady. “That’s it, baby. Let go for me.”

  He sucked and stroked me higher, each swipe of his tongue sending me closer to the edge of euphoria. The tension wound tighter until it exploded in a flash of heat and exquisite bliss.

  Sonny licked me through my orgasm, keeping his arms tightly around me. He sat back as I was coming down, smiling as he pushed to his feet. “I knew you had a thing for the library, but damn. We should’ve come here a long time ago.”

  “That was all on you,” I managed to mutter as he brought his mouth to mine and kissed me senseless. I tasted myself on his tongue. Somehow, I found it erotic. Arousing.

  I scooted closer to the edge of the table, wrapping my arms around him as he stood between my legs. A slight hiss escaped his lips as I grazed the rock-hard bulge in his jeans. His hands tensed on my hips, but he kept kissing me until I stopped trembling.

  “We should probably get going,” he murmured, speaking against my lips. His voice was low and rough, coarse with need. Desire started building in me again when I heard it, recognizing how turned on he was.

  I thought back to how desperate I was for him only minutes ago. How he took care of my need. Knowing I could do the same for him sent a bolt of arousal through me. I wanted to take care of him too, just as he had for me. “Not yet. We can take a few more minutes. I really want to feel you inside me.”