by Hazel Gower
Brock sighed loudly. “I hate to say it, but you’re right. I say we go and get something to eat.”
They all got up and headed towards the door when the smell of honey and strawberry assaulted him. He glanced around to see Sandy stalking toward him with a box of doughnuts and his partner trailing behind. Sandy’s eyes searched the room. When they meet his, her eyes narrowed, and she picked up her pace.
Brock slapped him on the back. “Looks like lunch is coming to you, Jake.”
When she got close enough, he noticed her face was pulled tight, and her jaw looked like she was grinding her teeth. What scared him the most was her eyes that blazed with anger.
Brock noticed her look too because he muttered, “You going to be all right, coz?”
He didn’t get to answer because his little redhead reached him and threw the doughnuts at him as she yelled, “You overbearing dickhead. Because of your jealous ways, I got fired.” Sandy bashed at his chest, and he winced when she hurt her hand.
He saw Brock and David shake their heads at the officers that came to help him. Sandy continued her tirade and he watched as her hair fell out of its bun, her suit skirt become uneven, and her shirt untucked. He became instantly hard at the sight of her and took deep breaths in of her scent.
Sandy squealed. “Argh. You’re not even listening to me, are you? You chauvinist pig. I tell you, I’m cursed with being surrounded by Neanderthals. I loved that job. But no, you had to go and scare the shit out of my boss’s brother, for Christ’s sake. I had it all figured out.” Jake reached for her and she snarled. “I swear if you or any man in here touches me, I will kill him.”
Sandy turned to Brock who was on the phone to Zack telling him he might want to get to the station quick.
Sandy stalked to his cousin. “You better not be on the phone to the other idiot. I know who you are, and I’m already not happy with you for several reasons. So if Zack arrives here while I’m trying to kill Jake, you will be next on my list, buster. Come to think of it, I would probably be doing Sammy a favor. One less idiot to deal with.”
Jake cleared his throat. “Little Red, this isn—”
She turned back to him growling. “Don’t you ‘Little Red’ me. I’m not your Little Red.”
Jake glanced around. He didn’t know how long David, Brock, and Kegon could hold off the other officers. Sighing, he picked his mate up and threw her over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold.
Sandy screamed and yelled, “Jake, put me down right know. I mean it. There will be consequences if you don’t. Help me!” She went on and on.
He heard Brock tell everyone “Sorry. As you can see, Jake’s fiancée is a feisty one. She will be right as rain when he talks to her.”
Jake took her to the very back conference room and locked it before placing her on the table in the middle of the room.
Sandy glared at him. “What have you got to say for yourself? Your actions on the weekend got me fired.”
Looking at her rosy cheeks and her hair that was now a mess falling everywhere, Jake couldn’t help himself. He had to have her. “God, you’re beautiful.” He pulled her close and she pushed against him, whining, “No touching. When I touch you or you touch me, I forget why I’m angry at you.”
Jake grinned down at her, and she groaned as his hands trailed under her shirt.
“I hate you right now.”
Jake brushed his lips against hers. “No, you don’t. You love me.”
She moaned as he nipped her neck and ear. “Yeah, well, I hate you right now too.”
He shrugged, not bothered. As long as she loved him, all was right in the world.
“I’m not having sex with you. I’m angry.”
He chuckled against her neck. “Yes, I’m sure everyone in Homicide knows you’re angry.”
She pushed at him. “This is not funny.”
He nodded but he couldn’t stop the laughter shaking his body. “Oh, Little Red, don’t be mad. You’ll find a job really quickly.” He stopped laughing when a sob racked her body.
“I liked that job, and who’s going to hire a woman who’s with two Neanderthal men? Oh, and who might be pregnant too.”
Jake held her close and she cried against him.
“Is there a back way to get out of here?”
He kissed her head and closed his eyes, holding her tight. “I love you, and it shouldn’t matter who you’re with for a job. Do you want me to call my brother? He’s a lawyer.”
Sandy hiccupped and looked up at him. “You never told me you had a brother. I know about Zack’s family but not about yours. Wow, I’m like the worst girlfriend in the world.”
Jake shook his head at her instant change. Women. He would never get them. “I have two brothers and two sisters. I don’t see them very often, but there are a lot of us Bears.”
Sandy stroked his chest. “What do you mean by a lot? Like shape-shifter bears, or your family’s last name, which I would like say is very obvious.”
He grinned. “Oh really, you never guessed. But I was talking about our last name. The Bear family is quite a big clan. There are a decent amount of bear shifters, more than you probably think. Most have obvious names as you call them. The Grizzlies, the Browns, the Honeys, and many more.”
Sandy giggled. “Someone has a last name of Honey?”
He nodded and she giggled some more. “I’m still mad at you for getting me fired with your Neanderthal ways.”
“I’m sorry.”
She gave a loud huff. “No, you’re not.”
Jake shrugged. “Sorry, but you’re mine. Ours.” He captured her mouth and spread her legs, rubbing his erection at her covered pussy. They pulled away panting. “Mmm, this table is the perfect height for me to fuck you.”
Sandy moaned and her head fell back. “I shouldn’t have let you touch me. Every time your or Zack’s body touches mine, I become a woman in heat. What have you two done to me?”
“It’s the mate bond. It helps make us irresistible.”
There was a knock on the door, and his partner said, “Jake, I’m sorry to interrupt, but you’re going to want to know this. And I think it’s good that Sandy’s here.”
Jake sighed and pulled away from Sandy before helping her stand. They opened the door to a solemn David.
“Follow me. Your family has just been contacted, and Kegon and I are about to head out to the scene.”
Jake held Sandy’s hand as they walked back to the main offices.
David raked his fingers through his hair before he continued. “The report just came in. Sabin was found murdered.” Jake froze as he looked at David, who nodded. “I’m going to confirm it, but it’s his house.”
“The killer left him in his house,” Jake shouted. “He’s only just moved out of my uncle’s place. Sabin’s fucking twenty years old. A baby.”
They walked into the room and everyone turned to him. He looked around to see Brock on the phone, his face tight and emotionless. “Who’s been contacted?”
“Your uncle and aunt were the ones who found him.”
“Fucking hell.”
Sandy jumped beside him at his yell. Jake looked down to see her gritting her teeth. He noticed that her fingers were white. He eased his grip on her hand, and she nodded to him.
“Is there anything I can do? Do you need me here? Do you want me to go so you can work?” Sandy used her free hand to rub his back. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Jake brought her hand up and kissed it. “No, don’t go. I want you with me.” He pulled her over to Brock. “Wait here a moment. I have to talk to the captain.”
Sandy nodded and shooed him away.
****
Zack had no idea what was going on. First he got a call from Brock to come and help with his mate, who was chucking a fit over losing her job. Then Brock called him again to say that their cousin Sabin had been killed.
Sandy stood by his brother Brock looking a mess. Her hair was in tangles that fell around her. Sandy’
s usually immaculate suit sat off center with the top two buttons open and had crumbs all over it.
She opened her arms as soon as she saw him, and he walked into them. He hugged her tight and kissed her forehead.
“Oh, Zack, I’m so sorry.”
He nodded and looked to his brother. “Where’s Jake?”
His brother sighed loudly. He looked exhausted and miserable. “Gone to see the captain.” He closed his eyes for a moment like he was trying to gather himself. “Look, I’ve spoken to Mum and our family, so why don’t you take your woman here home? I think no matter what we would like to do, Jake and I are going to be here until late.”
Zack nodded.
“What about my car?” Sandy asked
“We’ll get it tomorrow, or someone will drop it off.”
Sandy nodded and followed him out of the room.
He’d ridden his Harley to work so he’d had to go to his garage and drive his spare car as his Land Rover was at Sandy’s.
He groaned as soon as Sandy saw his Ferrari Enzo. She started to pull him to the red sports car. He regretted getting it, but when he’d gotten out of the army, he wanted to celebrate with some of his inheritance, so he bought a couple of cars.
Sitting in his car, he looked at the time then back at Sandy. “Would it be all right if we stopped by my shop? I have clients now and contractors ringing this afternoon.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “I know I’m going to sound like a prick when I say this, but I don’t have time to grieve.”
Sandy nodded, picked up his hand, and kissed it. “That’s fine. I have nothing else to do now that I don’t have a job.” He raised his eyebrow and waited for her to tell what happened. She groaned. “I will not be going back to visit Jake at the station, that’s all I will say. You boys always get my temper riled.” She sighed and then a grin spread over her face. “If you want, I can drive.”
Sandy looked gorgeous in his car. He studied her. Her eyes were bright, her hair fell everywhere, and her smile was huge and hopeful. It was on the tip of his tongue to say “hell no,” but then she pouted. Crap. “Okay, do you know the way to my shop from here?”
Sandy’s eyes grew wide and she nodded. She got out of the car and ran to his side. He helped her adjust his seat as far forward as it would go it. He got in the passenger side and almost told her no again, when he heard vroom, vroom. Then her foot went down on the accelerator.
Zack got out of the car at his shop, and for the first time in his life, he patted himself down to check he was all still there and alive. He turned to a grinning Sandy, who ran her hands lovingly over the car and cooed at it.
The look of happiness on her face was priceless and well worth the pain he’d just gone through. “I take it you like the car.” Sandy didn’t even answer him just nodded. “So are you going to stay out here with the car, or come inside and help me check if I’m still alive after the ride you just put me through?”
“Ha, ha, you’re so funny.” She turned and walked in the back entrance to his shop, muttering about smart aleck men.
Going to the front of the shop, Zack apologized to his client who sat waiting, kissed Sandy on the cheek, and sighed. “Let me do these two men that are here waiting, but if you can talk to them for a moment, I’m going to ring and cancel the rest.”
Sandy smiled at him, tucked her shirt in, let her hair down, went over to the reception, and straight away took over. “Don’t worry about that. I can call them if you want. I don’t mind if you need me to stay here. I can help. I don’t have anything else to do now.”
Zack let all the tension that’d started to mount out and pulled Sandy back to him. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world to have you.” Leaning down, he captured her mouth and tangled his tongue with hers until they broke apart panting. “I love you, Sandy. I have a surprise I want to show you later.”
Sandy squeezed him tight. “I love you too, and I can’t wait to see my surprise.” Sandy pushed him away. “Now go work. I have things to do.”
“You have a job here for as long as you want it,” he said as he walked by with the client.
Sandy nodded and waved him away as she talked to the waiting clients and answered the phone.
Zack tattooed for free the two guys that had waited while he sorted out the drama with Sandy and found out his cousin had been murdered. He needed to keep his mind off what had happened. Concentrating on his work, he hoped Jake and his brother Brock would be okay. He wouldn’t want to be them at the moment.
****
They arrived home at six-ish, earlier than Zack thought they would be home thanks to Sandy’s help.
On the drive home, they’d bought takeout food and got some DVDs. They now sat watching a girly movie. Well, she watched the movie, and Zack watched Sandy. Her fingers were drawing circles on his stomach and playing with his snail trail.
“You said you had a surprise for me. Are you going to show me? I have waited patiently.”
Zack chuckled. “Yeah, I’ll show you, but only if these clothes are gone.”
He watched as she stood and slowly undid her blouse, kicked off her shoes, and slid the skirt down.
The tease made his already erect penis hard as steel. He snarled, got up, and pulled her to him. “You little tease. If you keep it up, I’ll take you right now.”
Sandy’s eyes lit up and she nodded. “Take me then.”
After picking her up, he jogged to the bedroom. Zack threw her on the bed and watched her bounce. “Now it’s my turn.”
Her eyes widened and she sat up. He slipped out of his pants and shoes, and she moaned.
“Mm, you’ve been commando all day. I could have jumped you at the shop.” Sandy came forward on the bed to wrap her arms around his neck. “Let me do your shirt.”
He grinned down at her and nodded. Sandy slid her hands up under his shirt before slowly lifting it off. He reached up to help her, and she chucked his shirt on the floor. She trailed kisses up his chest, paused halfway down, and fell back on the bed looking up at him.
“When did you do that?”
“You don’t like it? I did it this morning. Reggie helped.”
Sandy sat up and trailed her finger over the firebird with her name on the ribbon in its mouth. “This is permanent.” She closed her eyes and then opened them as tears slid down her checks. She traced the writing. “Always Sandy’s.”
He pulled her up and cupped her face. “I love you, will love you always.”
Sandy’s arms circled around his neck and her legs came around his waist. “I was worried. You didn’t say anything when I said it yesterday. I thought you were angry with me for how I spoke to your mother.”
“How could you not know I love you? In the short time I’ve known you, Sandy, you have accepted my profession, come and seen my shop, and stuck up for me against my mother. This—you, me, and Jake—is forever. I’m never letting you go.”
Sandy kissed him, running her fingers through his hair, and rubbed her hands over his back. Jake turned and sat on the bed. She deepened the kiss, and he let her have the control.
Zack trailed his hands up and down her smooth silky thighs. Sandy pulled away, panting, and trailed kisses along his jaw and down his cheek to his neck before she nipped his ear. Rising up, she rubbed her body against him.
“Tell me,” she muttered into his ear.
Zack dipped his finger into her pussy. “Firebird, you’re soaking.”
She moaned as he added another finger and pumped them in and out of her.
“Take me now, and show me how much you love me.”
Sandy bit his neck, and he pulled his fingers out to replace them with his cock in one quick thrust. She screamed, gripping him closer as he fell back on the bed. He paused to move her legs to straddle him. “Ride me. I want to see those tits bounce as my dick enters your pussy over and over.”
She grinned down at him as she engulfed his cock and let it slip out before sitting back down. He gripped her ass to help her keep th
e pace, watching as a glazed look came over her. Her head fell back, she closed her eyes, and her mouth opened in an “O.”
Zack sat up and held her to him, rubbing her breasts against his body. He leaned down, sucked on her neck, and moved his hands back down to squeeze her arse cheeks together.
“Zack, I’m going to come. Suck harder.”
He nibbled his way to the opposite side and let his finger trail down to catch some of her cream. Zack moved his finger to her puckered hole and lubed it with her cream. When he slid his finger in, she pushed down on a groan.
“Again.”
This time his dick went deep into her ass before he pulled out and thrust in again. Sandy pushed herself forward and bit him, pulsing around him squeezing his cock. Sandy’s nails trailed down his back, and he yelled and emptied into her.
Together they fell back to the bed, panting. “I love you, Firebird.”
Sandy hummed. “Love you too.”
He gently kissed her, and she sighed into his mouth. “All I need now is my Jake.”
Chapter Nine
Jake had seen his captain and was surprised when he kept him and Brock on the case. “I only have six shifters in this department. Four of you are working on this case, and my other two are on another important case.”
Jake was happy he still had a chance to find the guy. He wanted to have the pleasure of killing him. The captain had given him the rest of the day off and tomorrow to spend with his family but wanted him back bright and early the next day to look over any evidence.
Going back out to check on Sandy, he came to a stop when she wasn’t where he left her. His cousin Brock sat at his desk on his phone. “Where is she?”
Brock excused himself on the phone. “I told her to go with Zack. I didn’t know how long you’d be with the captain, and I thought you’d want to go see your parents and family.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I should go and see Mum and Dad. I’d get Sandy to go with me, but I don’t think today is the right time to introduce her.”