Desperate Measures (Men in Uniform #1)

by Sasha Jayne Moretti

  I held up a pan without a single scratch on it. “When was the last time you cooked?”

  Her cheeks reddened. “Never.”

  With eyes widened, I asked, “Are you serious?”

  “I’m never home,” she shrugged. “Before I was discovered, I was auditioning all the time and working as a waitress to support myself. I’d get home and I was too exhausted to cook. But now my time is spent travelling.” She counted on her fingers. “There’s meetings with directors and producers, press interviews, and photoshoots. And my acting jobs can take me away for months at a time. I’m lucky I get any time to sleep.”

  I hadn’t realized what went into her job. Then again, I never had much interest in the whole Hollywood scene. “That sounds exhausting.”

  I poured water into a large pot, and turned the oven burner on high. When the water started to boil, I threw in the pasta.

  She came to stand next to me, leaning her elbows on the countertop. “It is sometimes, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I love what I do. Acting is my passion.”

  I opened the lid and stirred the noodles. “I’d love to see your work sometime.”

  “You’ve never seen any of my movies?” she asked, in a higher tone.

  I shook my head. “Nope.”

  She looked surprised. “Wow, that’s the first time I’ve heard that in a while.”

  I hope she didn’t take that the wrong way. I rarely went to the movies. Occasionally, I went there on a date but that was about it. “Is that bad?”

  “No, I think it’s great.” She wrapped her arms around me. “It’s nice to meet someone who’s just interested in me.”

  I turned around, cupping her cheek in the palm of my hand. “Rest assured, you’re all I want.”

  “I like hearing you say that,” she gushed.

  “You’re all I want,” I repeated, kissing her softly on the lips.

  The lid on the pot popped and I shifted around. I turned down the heat a second before the water was about to boil over. “Looks like I need to get back to what I was doing.”

  “Can I help?” she asked.

  “Sure,” I replied. “Can you hand me the can tomato paste?”

  She searched through the bags and found what I was looking for. “Are you making your own sauce?”

  I opened the lid and spooned the thick red paste into a sauce pan. “Yeah, it’s my mother’s recipe.”

  “A man that cooks from scratch is a rare find.” She smacked my ass. “I should probably claim you now or put you in a museum.”

  I chuckled. “If I have a choice, I’d prefer to be claimed.”

  After an hour or so, we had our dinner ready. The table was filled with spaghetti noodles, sauce, salad, and garlic bread. She resisted the garlic at first, but I told her it was necessary for an Italian dinner. Besides, if we both had bad breath, did it really matter? Not to me. All I cared about at the moment was that I was eating. We hadn’t had any food all day. Unless the coffee we drank counted as food. It did not, according to my stomach.

  When we were finished, I leaned back in the chair. “That was fantastic.”

  Nodding, she said, “I agree and vote that you do all the cooking from now on.”

  I didn’t mind doing the cooking, but I wasn’t volunteering unless I got something good out of the deal. “And what will you do in return for my hard work?”

  She tapped her finger against her lip. “I’ll do all the dishes naked.”

  My cock churned. “Can you start right now?”

  With a mischievous grin, she stood up and carried our plates over to the sink. I shifted my chair around so I could watch her. She deliberately sprayed herself with water, and said, “Look what I did. I’m soaked all the way through. Well, I guess I’ll have to take it off.”

  She tugged her tank top over her head, exposing her gorgeous tits. Her nipples were hard from the cold water, and my mouth got dry. God, I loved the way she moaned when I sucked on her tips. I wanted to go over there so bad but I didn’t want to miss the rest of the show. My dick strained against my zipper as she leaned over the sink in her tiny jean shorts. Her sweet little ass peeked out of the bottom, and I was ready to cum in my pants. Just when I was sure I couldn’t take any more, she rubbed soapy bubbles all over her chest and stomach.

  “Oh no,” she shrieked. “Now my shorts are all wet. Can you come over here and take them off?”

  I got out of that chair faster than I’d ever moved in my life. Within seconds, I was pressed up against the back of her. I reached around the front of her. Slowly, I unbuttoned and unzipped her shorts. As I pulled them off of her, I sunk to my knees. She wore nothing but a pair of cotton white panties. I ran my finger over her covered slit and she moaned. “Looks like you’re wet all the way through. These will need to come off too.”

  “Yes,” she whimpered. “Please.”

  I did exactly that, and now her sexy ass was right up in my face. “You got yourself all wet, baby. Let me help you with that.”

  “Oh. My. God,” she said, as I spread her cheeks open.

  She let out another scream of pleasure when I ran my tongue from her clit to her tight holes. “You taste so good. I could eat you for hours.”

  I buried my face in her pussy, determined to swallow every drop of her cream. She wiggled and writhed as I explored her with my tongue. There was something she was saying, but I was too caught up in what I was doing. When her legs shook, I knew she was about to cum. Her inner walls began to pulsate and I drove two fingers inside her core. Her cream streamed down my palm as she released.

  A bit of my pre-cum released as she cried out, and I couldn’t wait a second more. I stood and took off my pants. My fully erect cock sprung out. I pulled a condom out of my back pocket and slipped it on. She was still bent over the sink when I plunged my cock into her tight hole, pounding her hard. Her inner walls squeezed my dick, milking me with every thrust. “I’m not going to last long, baby. Your pussy is too good.”

  “Fuck me hard, Sir,” she begged. “Use my body for your pleasure.”

  “You wanna be my fuck toy?” I asked, as I smacked her ass cheek.

  “Yes, Sir,” she answered.

  I latched onto her hips and pounded into her with all my strength. Her pussy was soaked. It wasn’t long before I felt the pulse in my cock. Panting, I kept up with the fast pace as she moaned through every thrust. I growled as I erupted. My legs weakened from the intensity and I leaned forward. I caught the edge of the countertop, preventing me from collapsing on top of her.

  She curled around and wrapped her arms around my neck. We kissed passionately as I ran my fingers down her spine. It was a sweet, tender moment that felt so right. As we remained entangled, I came to one realization: I was falling in love with Sloane Ardent.

  ☬

  I walked into the police station feeling light on my feet, which didn’t make sense because I was carrying several boxes of Dunkin Donuts. I greeted each officer I saw with a nod as I made my way to the break room. Aaron was pouring himself a cup of coffee as I placed the goodies on the counter. I opened the box and pulled out a cinnamon donut. While I was chewing, I glanced around the room. Each of the officers had odd expressions on their faces.

  “What?” I asked the group.

  Aaron came over and lifted the munchkin’s lid. “I don’t think you’ve ever brought in food before.”

  “Maybe it’s been a while,” I shrugged.

  “Try never,” he corrected, popping a powdered donut hole in his mouth.

  He was probably right. I always made my breakfast before I came into work. But there was no time today. I had to leave Sloane’s early so I could go home, shower, and get into a fresh change of clothes. “I guess I was feeling charitable today.”

  “Or you got laid,” Aaron suggested. “Which was the likely reason.”

  “No comment, detective.” I replied. “But thank you for your observation.”

  It was normal to talk with the guys about women we s
lept with. Sometimes it seemed like a competition. But things were different with Sloane. I swore I’d never do anything that might hurt her career, and I meant to keep my promise. That included talking about her to my closest friends and fellow officers, even though I trusted each of them with my life.

  “You’re really not going to tell me?” he asked, with furrowed brows. “Something’s different about you. Does this have anything to do with your secret witness?”

  With disgust in my tone, I said, “I told you to keep that to yourself.”

  He scanned the room. Most of the other guys had left with donuts, and the few stragglers were having their own conversation about something else. “Nobody heard me.” He crossed his arms. “Besides, you said we were going to talk about what happened.”

  My first instinct was not to tell him, but he’d done as I asked and not told anyone she was there that night. He took a chance on me without knowing what was going on, which meant I owed him the truth. “Let’s go outside.”

  He followed me to the back parking lot. When we reached a quiet corner of the lot, he said, “Okay, tell me what happened.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck. “The girl in the interrogation room was Sloane Ardent.”

  His mouth hung open. “The actress?”

  Maybe I was the only person in town who didn’t know who she was. “I brought her in on a possible B&E, but it turned out she had permission to be there.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Why didn’t you book her?”

  “Because I wasn’t sure she was guilty.” I let out an exaggerated breath. “If I would’ve followed procedure, someone would’ve told the press. We’d have paparazzi swarming the building within minutes.”

  Crossing his arms, he said, “Still, the captain would be pissed if he found out. He’s a stickler for the rules.”

  If he found out I fucked her in the interrogation room, he would’ve fired me on the spot. I put my hand on his shoulder. “Which is why I’m grateful to you.”

  He paused as if he were thinking about something. “But you said she was part of another case.”

  This was why he was such a great detective. The guy never forgot even a single detail. “Turns out this designer she works with is a real problem. He’s had a handful of harassment and rape charges that keep getting mysteriously dropped. Sloane says he threatens to ruin their careers if they come forward.”

  “Sloane says?” he asks, with a smirk. “Are you two on a first name basis?”

  I waved him off. “That’s not important.”

  “The hell it’s not.” He nudged my arm. “I put my neck out for you. That means I get to know everything.”

  I wasn’t ready to tell him all the details, but I certainly owed him more information. “Yes, we’re seeing each other.” I held up my palm as if I were swearing on a bible. “But nothing happened until after she was cleared of the charges.”

  “I’m actually shocked,” he said, laughing. “Matthew Weggman, the straight-laced, no non-sense detective that never ever breaks the rules actually stepped over the line. And on top of that, you’re dating a famous actress. It’s unreal.”

  I chuckled, knowing he was right. My world had been rocked from the second I first saw Sloane. And I doubted I’d ever get back to normal again. “I’d appreciate if you kept that to yourself.”

  “Of course, man.” We pounded fists.

  I dropped the smile, and I sensed he knew I was about to get serious. “Now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way, I need your help.”

  He nodded. “Whatever you need.”

  It was good to know that no matter what, Aaron always had my back. “I want you to help me put Julian Harkness behind bars.”

  Chapter Eleven – Sloane Ardent

  The doorbell rang.

  I’d barely got the door open when my agent rushed inside. Per usual, she had on a business suit that looked like it cost more than my first car, and a cell phone attached to her ear. Carlie Simmons was one of the best in Hollywood. A beautiful brunette that looked like she should’ve been in front of the camera instead of behind. She was in her late twenties, which was young for someone with her caliber of success. Since she graduated from college, she’d managed to open her own agency and represent some of the biggest names in movies and television.

  When we met, I was just an idealistic eighteen year old with big dreams. She’d just opened her business and I was her first client. My success wasn’t overnight. We both worked crazy hours to land auditions. Most never went anywhere, but we made connections. I started off in commercials which eventually led to walk-on roles in television. I spent two incredible years on a popular soap opera and honed my craft. Eventually, I got offered starring roles in various indie films. And now, I was an Oscar nominated actress.

  After she ended her call, she asked, “Have you been online this morning?”

  I’d been up since Matthew left. I tried to go back to sleep, but the bed was too cold without him here. I missed him. A guy I’d only known for two days. It was so unlike me to get attached to people, yet here I was, having actual feelings for him. I sounded insane, totally out of my mind. But I couldn’t deny what was going on between us. Each time we were together, there was this internal tug that urged me closer to him. To smell him. Taste him. And especially, to touch him.

  Our chemistry was irrefutable.

  I took a sip of my green tea. “No, I just got home from the gym.”

  She opened her iPad, tapped several times, and then flipped the screen around so I could see it. The moment I saw the image my throat tightened. It was a side-view picture of us from the shoot yesterday. I thought I’d gotten him out of there before anyone could snap a picture, but clearly, I was wrong. The image wasn’t great quality. It must’ve been from a camera phone. Matthew wouldn’t be easily identified, which was a good thing. But it was obviously me. The blog post title read, “Sloane Ardent’s New Mystery Man Causes Problems at Photoshoot.”

  “What the hell happened?” she asked, with her hands on her hips.

  My eyes widened. She had a lot of nerve asking me that question. “This was your fault.”

  The look on her face was total shock. “How?”

  “The photographer was stepping over the line, and you were supposed to have my back. But you were on your phone.” The fact that she had absolutely no idea what I was talking about just confirmed how little she was paying attention. My Oscar nomination was as important to her as it was to me. We were a team. That should’ve meant she was on top of everything. I shook my head. “When he kept pushing me, Matthew intervened.”

  She paused for a long moment, then visibly calmed down. “You’re right. I’m sorry. A rep from Warner Bros called. They’d like to setup up a meeting with you.”

  As bad as the situation was, I couldn’t be mad at her for doing her job. She might’ve screwed up on this one, but she’d had my back more times than I could count. “Let’s just forget about it and move on.”

  With concern on her face, she replied, “I agree, but before we can do that we need to deal with the collateral damage.”

  My eyes widened. “What damage? It was one picture.”

  “Now that the paparazzi think you have a new man, they’ll amp things up. There will be follow-up stories. And if they can’t find the truth, they’ll create their own.” She put her hand on my bicep. “You can’t make any more mistakes. They’ll be everywhere.”

  They already were. My shoulders dropped. When I said I wanted to keep my face in the press, this wasn’t what I had in mind. This story was going to linger, and now they’d be after Matthew too. I cringed imagining his reaction once they started following him. “Is there anything we can do to stop this?”

  Her eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas. “I’m way ahead of you.”

  “What?” I asked, crossing my arms.

  “I’m setting you up with another actor. Someone famous who’s used to dealing with the press.” With a mischievous grin, she cont
inued. “I’ll make sure the right info gets leaked.”

  My head was spinning. “Who would agree to do something like this?”

  “It’s more common than you think.” She waved me off like she was surprised I didn’t already know about it. “Actors and actresses get themselves into trouble all the time. Publicists know they need some good press so they hook them up with an actor or actress with a healthy image. All of a sudden, the public sees them in a positive light. Tada! Problem solved.”

  I honestly didn’t know why I was surprised. There were more deceptions than truth in this town. “So I’m supposed to pick some actor to be my pretend boyfriend so they forget about Matthew and me?”

  “I’ve already approached Ace Denning’s agent.”

  Without my permission? Without even asking me? “What makes you think I’ll agree to some fake relationship?”

  She pointed to the picture of Matthew. “Do you care about this guy?”

  More than I ever thought possible. “Yes.”

  “Then you have to protect him.” She let out an exaggerated sigh. “What do you suppose he’ll do if the paparazzi show up at his house or job? How long before he blows up again on camera? Is that really what you want for him?”

  My stomach churned. The last thing I wanted was to stop seeing him. Not when everything was going so well. Not before I knew where this was going. It seemed unfair to even have to consider this. Was I really supposed to give up on the things that made me happy just for my career? Am I supposed to be a robot that smiled for cameras and worked on sets with no emotional attachments to anyone? Was there nothing sacred that could be mine? No personal life?

  No nothing?

  But I couldn’t just think about myself. Matthew wasn’t part of this world. He shouldn’t have to suffer for my career, especially since we were just starting to get to know each another. If our relationship continued on, he would get hurt the most. His life would be invaded in ways he wasn’t prepared for. The press were vicious. They’d interview his friends and family to try to get dirt on us. And if they couldn’t find anything juicy, they’d create stories that could hurt his career.