Building Empires (MidKnight Blue Book 1)

by Sherryl Hancock

  ****

  After learning more about FORS, Rick decided that he definitely wanted to be part of what they did. FORS hired ex-gang members and leaders, first as paid confidential informants, then if they worked out, Midnight would recommend them for the police academy. Many of her members had already become fully-fledged peace officers.

  For Rick, the idea of working with Joe again, and being part of something, was interesting. He had to get a work visa first, to be able to actually get a job with the department, and even then could only be hired as a Confidential Informant. He figured if he decided to stick around, he’d work on citizenship so he could become an official employee of the department. He attended a few classes on arrest and control, and found it all fascinating. He understood quickly why Joe had become a cop. He and Joe spent some time out on the firing range, although he had carried a gun off and on for years in England for “protection.” Rick knew how to shoot, but Joe, being an expert marksman now, taught him a few new things. Rick also learned how to use the shotgun the department used on raids.

  A couple of months after Rick’s arrival, Midnight was informed that the secretarial position she’d been requesting for months had been approved and that they could start advertising and taking applications immediately. Midnight was ecstatic; she and Joe needed help with all the paperwork that was piling up. FORS was working numerous cases and they needed some help managing it. Ex-gang members weren’t exactly the best clericals money could buy. Midnight sent out the job opportunity flyer immediately.

  Rick was in the office regularly now, learning the ropes and observing the goings. He found himself watching Midnight in her element quite frequently. It did nothing to dissuade the desire he had for her; it only made it stronger. She had a kind of presence that made everyone listen to her when she talked, but she was also very good at listening. He had gotten the impression right away that everyone in the office idolized her and Joe. He had talked to Tiny, who had told him that Midnight was the reason that every member of FORS was there and that they would all do anything for her. Rick could tell by the look in the big guy’s eyes that he meant every word.

  Rick saw how many people Midnight dealt with and how she dealt with them. She always seemed to give them exactly what they needed. She was motivational, sympathetic, understanding, or just indignant for the wrongs that had been done. Rick found out that she was an incredible person inside and out. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, and he knew that he had to do something about it.

  ****

  One night, lying in bed after a particularly long day, Rick was again thinking about his current “obsession,” as he’d come to think of Midnight. He debated in his head, as he had a million times before, the pros and cons of trying to get together with her. On the one hand, she was Joe’s best friend, and they had a very close relationship. So he might be treading on ground that was morally off-limits to him. She was also probably the first woman he’d ever dealt with that didn’t give him an open invitation to come on to her.

  That was probably the attraction, he reasoned with himself. She was a challenge, and he’d always loved a challenge. If he could get to her, he could probably get over her. Thinking along that line, however, he realized that if, in the course of getting over her, he hurt her feelings, Joe might get pissed at him. Midnight meant a lot to Joe, Rick knew this, and he didn’t know if he wanted to risk what would most likely happen if he and Midnight got together and it didn’t work out. Sighing deeply, he stared up at the ceiling, remembering the contact they’d had earlier in the day.

  She’d been explaining a case to him, standing beside him at his desk. She’d been showing him a chart of the power base in a particular gang. When she’d leaned in to point out something on the paper, her body had brushed against him, and he had sworn she’d hit him with a live wire. He’d felt the jolt of excitement again, just thinking about it. He’d been unable to control his sharp intake of breath, and had turned his head to look at her. She’d been so close to him, her face not three inches from his. She’d looked back at him and stopped talking for a minute. It was only a few seconds, but it had seemed endless. Rick had the insane desire to lean over and kiss her. He didn’t know if she’d seen that in his eyes, but her eyes had widened slightly, then narrowed as she looked away. She’d gone back to what she’d been saying, but he still felt the effects from that moment.

  Thinking about it now, he was curious what she would have done if he’d kissed her. Probably slapped the shit out of me, he thought to himself wryly. He knew he was making himself insane. He needed to do something, anything.

  Without stopping to think, he picked up his phone off the nightstand and dialed her number. She answered the phone on the second ring.

  “Chevalier,” she said, her tone businesslike even at home. Obviously, she was used to receiving a lot of calls out of hours.

  “Midnight, it’s me,” Rick said, his voice smooth but soft.

  “Rick, hi,” she said, a smile in her voice. “What’s going on?”

  “I just …” he began, hesitating as his mind asked him what the hell he thought he was doing. “What’re you doing?”

  “Actually, just lying here,” she said, glancing at the clock; it was eleven at night.

  “I didn’t wake you, did I?” he asked, though it didn’t sound like he had.

  “No, I was just lying here thinking,” she said.

  “Yeah, me too …” he said, his voice trailing off, betting himself she wasn’t thinking about the same things he was.

  “What were you thinking about?” she asked, as if reading his mind.

  He hesitated, closing his eyes, wondering how stupid he really wanted to be.

  “Rick?” she queried when he didn’t answer.

  “I’m here,” he said, opening his eyes and sitting up.

  “So, what were you thinking about?” she asked again softly. She wasn’t letting it go. Does she have an instinct or what? he thought.

  “You,” he said, throwing caution to the wind.

  “Yeah?” she asked, sounding a little like a blushing teenager all of a sudden.

  He wasn’t sure if she had just heard something she didn’t want to or not, but he’d just decided that he needed to act now, and find out what would happen.

  “Midnight.”

  “Yes?” she asked, sounding a little breathless.

  “I’m coming over,” he said, his tone no nonsense

  “Okay,” she answered simply.

  He was at her door ten minutes later. She answered wearing her usual long cotton oxford with her hair loose and tousled looking. Rick refused to take the time to think. Stepping inside, he slid his hand under her hair at the base of her neck, pulling her into him, his lips taking hungry possession of hers. Her reaction was instant and her hands entwined themselves in his hair as her lips responded to his.

  She’d been waiting for this.

  Her ardent response, incited him further, making him groan as his other hand slid around her waist, dragging her body to his, pressing her close. His tongue slid over her lips parting them, and it was Midnight’s turn to groan. His hand left her neck, and moved to her back, both hands pressing her into him. As he kicked the door closed, he turned her around so that she had her back to the door. He lifted her, wanting to get closer to her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His hands unbuttoned her shirt as fast as they would let him. His desire to touch her skin was overwhelming.

  His lips left hers and moved down her neck, making her gasp as her hands grasped at his back. Midnight leaned her head back, closing her eyes, and giving herself up to the sensations he sent through her. She had known that the fire they’d been playing with would have to ignite eventually. Now she allowed it to burn freely, wanting to take everything he gave.

  Holding her close to him, Rick moved to the couch in the living room, laid her down, and continued to kiss her. Within minutes, both of their clothes lay in a pile on the floor.

  As they made lov
e, Midnight was shocked at how her body responded to his. She had never denied she was attracted to him; the man was downright gorgeous and he exuded a sexuality that was almost tangible. She gave herself up to his attentions, refusing to examine her thoughts on it too closely. After they reached the peak he’d expertly guided their bodies to, they lay together panting from the intensity of it. Rick lay over her, his lips still kissed hers, wanting to continue the contact. Midnight responded, craving more from him.

  After a few minutes, Midnight got up and led him to her room. Rick lay down on the bed, pulled her down over him, and kissed her again, re-igniting the heat. As they made love a second time, he tried to move her onto her back, but she pushed him back, positioning her body over his again, her eyes challenging him.

  “I want you on your back,” she said, her tone matter of fact.

  Rick’s lips twisted in a sardonic grin, as he leaned up to kiss her again. His hand buried itself in her hair as he held her to him. His lips devoured hers hungrily again, his tongue doing all kinds of damage to her control. His free hand slid between them, caressing her nipples, making her groan again, and pressing her body ever closer to his. Rick reveled in her reaction, his lips still not leaving hers as he levered himself up to move her underneath him again. She protested, trying to stop him, but he continued to kiss her, making her forget that she cared. He made love to her again, taking them once again to dizzying heights.

  As they lay afterward, trying to catch their breath, he moved to her side, his hand still on her stomach, his fingers spread wide.

  “You’re pretty spoiled, aren’t you?” Midnight said, still sounding out of breath.

  Rick grinned, his eyes half closed as he gazed at her. “Spoiled?”

  “Used to getting your own way,” Midnight clarified.

  He shrugged. “Most of the time.”

  Midnight nodded, giving him a knowing look. Rick simply grinned back at her. They fell asleep in companionable silence. A few hours later, Midnight found herself awake and watching Rick sleep. She was still surprised at how fast and powerfully she responded to his kiss, and his touch was even more exciting.

  For the first time, she actually lost control over her own body and she couldn’t think straight. All she wanted was to have him touch her one more time, make love to her one more time. She studied his face as he slept, taking in the strong jawline and the handsome, finely chiseled face. His long curly hair gave him a wild bad-boy look and then there was his body.

  She felt her own body stir as her eyes traveled down his body. He lay on his side, his arms clutched around the pillow that his head rested on. He had a swimmers body, long and lean, with just enough muscle to keep him from being considered skinny. His arms were strong; she knew that having been held so tightly against him earlier that night. His eyes, although closed at that moment, were definitely one of his major assets. They were a deep rich sapphire blue, and when he looked at her, she could almost feel the heat in them. Then there were his lips. He had strong lips and when he kissed her she felt like her insides had liquefied.

  Unable to stop herself, Midnight leaned forward and kissed his chest. Levering herself up, she moved closer, kissing his neck as he stirred. She was leaning down to kiss his lips when he opened his eyes and stared up at her. He didn’t say a word, as his hand slid over her waist, pulling her close to him, his other hand instantly at the base of her neck, pulling her down to him.

  Within minutes, they were making love again. Afterwards they both fell asleep again. Midnight woke the next morning, her thoughts in turmoil. She reflected on the realization that she did lose control with him, and it really bugged her. She was used to being in control all the time, being out of control set off all kinds of warning bells in her head, but her body hadn’t responded to those warnings. It was like her brain had been cut off from her body, and while an exquisite high during sex, she didn’t like it at all now.

  Maybe it was just the fact that she hadn’t been with Joe in so long and she missed just having unguarded sex. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she knew that she had to be careful with it.

  ****

  Later that morning, Joe walked into her office, immediately seeing the look on her face and the large cup of coffee in front of her.

  “Good God, what happened to you?” he asked, laughing.

  She looked up at him tiredly. “Your friend happened to me!”

  “He did?” Joe said. His face showed nothing, but he felt a stab of jealousy.

  He knew he had no right to expect them not to get together. Midnight was single, she didn’t belong to him, but something inside him just didn’t know if he could handle it. He didn’t think that either of them was by any means serious about the other; they were very similar in their ways of dealing with the opposite sex. Midnight had numerous little affairs, but never stayed with any man long. Rick had always moved from one girl to the next in England, usually without a backward glance.

  Joe had a feeling that Rick was going to have a harder time with Midnight though. Rick was used to clingy women who dropped themselves at his feet and tried to keep him from leaving. Midnight wouldn’t even bat an eyelash if he left her. It was going to be interesting to watch, but hard too, because Joe really didn’t want either one of them to get hurt. He decided then that he would talk to Rick.

  Midnight watched Joe’s face; she recognized the jealousy in his eyes, even though he tried to hide it. She had wondered how he was going to take the idea of her being with Rick. Still she wasn’t sure.

  She crossed her arms on top of the desk and put her head down. “Just wake me up when the first applicant arrives.”

  “Well that’s the thing,” Joe said, his voice holding laughter as he recovered his composure, “the first one’s here already.”

  Midnight groaned, but it was muted due the fact that her head was buried in her arms.

  “Shit! I hate you Sinclair,” Midnight said. Then she sighed and said, “And I hate you for getting out of this today. Tell Tammy to give me five and then show in the first one.”

  She picked up her coffee cup, trying to get as much caffeine into herself as she could. Spider was sitting in on the interviews with her, so was the clerical supervisor John Parks.

  The interviews proceeded uneventfully. They broke for lunch and Midnight stayed in her office sleeping on the couch. Everyone was given strict orders that to disturb her was to receive a bullet between the eyes. After her nap she felt much more human.

  “I guess it’s my turn to get the next one, huh?” she said looking at Spider. He nodded.

  The next applicant was a girl who was barely twenty; she had experience in an office setting she had an associate’s degree in business. Her resume had detailed a few projects she’d worked on, showing a great deal of initiative. Midnight needed someone who could work independently, so she had set up the interview. Thinking back on it now, Midnight remembered that Randissi Curtis’ voice had been very soft on the phone. She had sounded very hesitant, but happy that she had an interview.

  As Midnight rounded the corner, she saw the young woman sitting in a chair, looking around her in awe. She was a very pretty girl, Midnight noted. Her hair was a golden blond and it fell in silky waves to her waist, and her eyes were almost turquoise. She looked very wholesome, Midnight thought, and totally out of place.

  “Hi,” Midnight said as she approached the girl.

  Randissi looked up at Midnight and smiled shyly.

  “Hi,” she replied, not quite meeting Midnight’s eyes.

  Midnight decided to take a more casual approach with this girl than she had the last few candidates. This one seemed to need some special handling. Since Midnight was wearing her usual jeans and a cotton shirt, she certainly didn’t look like the lieutenant of a police unit.

  “You here for an interview?” she asked, making her voice sound more street style.

  She sat down next to Randissi, one leg bent under her casually.

  “Yes,” Randissi an
swered.

  “Why would you wanna work here?” she asked, her tone disdaining.

  “Well,” Randissi said hesitantly. She didn’t know who this woman was, but maybe she could make herself less nervous if she talked to someone, before they came to get her for the interview. “I heard that they go after gangs here, and well, it sounds like a very noble mission, you know?” Her voice was asking acceptance.

  Midnight looked reflective for a minute then shrugged. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. But you’d be working for guys like Sinclair, I don’t know …” She looked Randissi up and down, like she was trying to decide if she could handle this Sinclair guy.

  “Why,” Randissi asked, her eyes widening, “what’s wrong with him?”

  Midnight rolled her eyes at Randissi. “Well he comes in hungover a lot, he has a really bad temper, and he cusses a lot too. Think you could handle stuff like that?” Midnight watched her carefully to see how she would handle the question.

  Randissi nodded her head. “My older brother Darrell comes home drunk a lot and so I have to deal with him when he’s hungover, and he has a pretty bad temper too.” She shrugged.

  “Hmmm,” Midnight said. “So do you have a lot of experience and stuff? I mean, you look real young is why I ask.”

  “Well, I’ve worked in an office at the college I went to. I got so used to trying to handle a million things at once, I think I could handle just about anything now. I have three years of business in college too. But I’ve never worked for an office like this before. Do you think they’ll hold that against me?” Her voice was concerned. Midnight smiled, the kid was definitely genuine