by Marika Ray
I'd better make some plans. Today. Now. Before she slipped away.
Bailey
I took the last two jackets that Jack had been eyeing earlier and put them in my car. I'd cruise around and find their new owners tonight after work. I wanted the evidence out of my house before anyone else saw them and questioned me. That had been too close a call for my comfort.
Further unsettling my stomach was the fact that Jack said he'd call me. I was so confused. Would he actually call or go silent on me like usual? And if he did call, why the hell was he calling? I thought he wanted to stay away from me and find his precious doormat woman?
I was back to the same place I was yesterday: try to forget Jack and move on with my life. Too bad I'd seen his 'just woke up face' or his tender 'cover her hand like you care' move. That shit was hard to forget.
I made it through my day without making too many mistakes when I was caught daydreaming about what a relationship with Jack could look like, or feverishly going over every line of conversation from last night and this morning.
I hopped in my car and cruised through the normal areas where the homeless tended to congregate in HB. I finally spotted a couple women who looked like they'd fit the smaller sized coats I had left. Finding a parking space not too far away, I doubled back with the coats, handing them off with minimal fanfare. I didn't want profuse thank you's, and I'd certainly had my fair share of disgruntled verbal attacks from a few homeless people that weren't all there in the head anymore. Better to just give the coats and walk away, knowing they'd be warm tonight.
I rounded the hood of my car to find Jack leaning up against my door, arms crossed over his chest.
"What are you doing here?" I blurted out.
"I could ask you the same thing. Playing Santa Claus?" He smiled at me, but clearly still expected an answer.
I huffed. "No, Detective Ramirez. Last I checked, giving clothes to the needy was still legal in California." I moved to open my door, but he didn't budge.
"Quite noble of you, Ms. Smith." He pulled me into his body, his hands tight on my arms, but not enough to hurt.
"Everybody needs a hand now and then. It's not a big deal. I'm just paying back what was given to me years ago. Balancing the scales, so to speak." I was uncomfortable having this conversation. He was thinking I was some kind of do-gooder, which I guess I was, but it was through some shady means I was certain he wouldn't approve of had he known.
He stood up straight, still not releasing me. My eyes fluttered closed as his lips floated across mine. The kiss wasn't like our heated kisses the other day. This was warm and sweet, like the smell of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving morning. The slide of his lips felt like all the warmth of coming home to someone who thought you hung the moon. The kiss made me want.
I always wanted his body, but this want was new. I wanted the man. All of him. I wanted him for all he was and all we could be together.
This kiss was the one that would wreck me.
Jack
I told her I'd call her, but found I couldn't stay away. I had to see her again. Feel her soft skin and see what ridiculous things that mouth was saying now. I was pulling into her work parking lot when I saw her leaving. I followed her, assuming she was going home, but she changed course and went closer to the beach.
Her behavior was odd, which made me stay further back, now wanting to figure out what she was up to. When I saw her park and hand those jackets off to some women on the street, I couldn't identify what I was feeling. Awe at her selflessness. Protective caution at her interaction with people who may not be good citizens. Irritation at her silence on the matter when I'd asked her specifically about those coats.
And then it was all urgency. I figured out earlier today I needed to work to win her over, but now I felt desperate to make it happen before she was out of my sight.
I pulled my lips away from hers long enough to rasp out, "Go on a date with me, Bae. Tonight."
I felt, more than heard, her quick intake of breath. "What? I thought we were ignoring each other?"
I smiled right before I pulled her back into me and deepened our kiss. She melted into my body the minute our lips touched so I knew her words were just a flimsy wall of protection.
"Does that feel like I'm ignoring you?" I whispered against her lips, my hands trailing down her back to grab onto that ass I'd gotten a peek of and couldn't stop thinking about. "I'm done ignoring you, done texting but not talking, done watching you flirt with men at a bar. Go on a date with me."
She sighed, her eyes unfocused, her fingers gripping the back of my hair. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"Yeah, Detective. You won me over. I'll go on a date with you." She smiled, and I wondered how I never saw the sweetness before. Then she frowned, and I remembered. "But no interrogating, you got me?"
"I'll try, that's all I can promise." I kissed her again before she could argue. I could bet I'd be kissing her a lot more in our future if this tactic worked.
I pulled back and swatted her ass, making her jump. "Get in the car and I'll follow you home. I assume you'll want to change before dinner?"
She looked down at her outfit. "Good call. I can't go on our first date in flats."
I screwed my face up in feigned horror. "No, not that!"
She pushed me away and narrowed her eyes at me. "Go on, get!"
"I'll be right behind you." I pointed to my car several spaces away. I smiled again, feeling lighthearted for the first time in who knows how long. Playful, even. "This is me not ignoring you."
She leaned out of her car and rolled her eyes at me. "Oh good Lord, this is gonna be annoying."
I chuckled.
She flipped me off.
9
Bailey
Jack sat in my living room, on the same couch where he'd started this bizarre day. Even after warning him I'd be a while, he settled in with my TV remote, saying he had no issue waiting.
I didn't know where serious-all-the-time-stick-up-his-ass Jack went, but I wouldn't mind this good-natured version staying a while. I closed my bedroom door, not to save my virtue, but to have the privacy needed to make a few changes on my laptop. Hoping the water noise would drown out my keystrokes, I started the shower.
I quickly navigated to my company's website and took down the coding that had caused my little designers to get preferential treatment in online searches. I didn't necessarily feel that what I'd been doing was wrong, but I knew I couldn't start something with Jack and still be doing anything technically illegal. It just wasn't right, and I didn't feel good about potentially starting a relationship with that between us.
That little grey area brightened to a squeaky clean white, I hopped in the shower and made sure all skin surfaces were hair-free. I had a hot man to wine and dine tonight and I didn't know where the evening would end, but if it ended in my bed like I hoped, I didn't want him dealing with a wooly mammoth.
I picked out another short dress, this time a teal color, pairing it with silver high heels. A little spent time in front of my mirror and I had a smoky eye look with a nude lip. I left my hair down but tried to tame it a bit with a round brush and the blow dryer. A spritz of my favorite perfume and I was ready for whatever Jack had in mind. See? I was totally easy going.
When I came out of the bedroom, Jack shut down the TV and jumped up to intercept me. He palmed my face and tilted my head back. That serious look was back in his eye, a delicious thrill running down my back. I liked playful Jack, now that I knew he existed, but damn, serious Jack was crazy hot.
"You look stunning. Thank you for letting me take you out even though I've been an ass since the day you met me." His rough voice pulled me in and turned me to mush. My inner sass sat down, finally quiet and all too happy to let him continue.
I blinked, trying to get my brain to reengage. My body was taking over, wanting more words, more touching, more heated looks from the man in front of me. I leaned in and nipped at the side of his throat, tasting him. Appetite wh
et, I kissed the other side of his throat, then his cheek, breathing in his unique scent.
I whispered to him, even as I found more skin that needed my mouth, "We better get out of here if we're going on that date."
Eyes half closed met mine, both of us drowning in our desire for each other. That heat we always had sparking now that we were allowing ourselves to touch and kiss and feel.
Jack grabbed my hand and launched us toward the front door.
"We're doing this. I want to take you out on a proper date. Then I'll let you get back to whatever magic you were doing there." He smirked over at me, even as we locked the door behind us and got in his car.
Jack took me to a new sushi place at Pacific City with views of the sunset on the beach. The place was dark and intimate, perfect for a first date. Perfect for me to slip my heel off and run my foot up his leg and into his lap. He didn't stop me, just grinned from ear to ear and shook his head at my antics.
The food was good. Okay, I seriously don't know what the food was like. I was too focused on Jack and shifting in my seat to alleviate the ache that had formed between my legs. I could have had the best sushi in the world and wouldn't have known it. Eventually, the check came, and we fought over it. Jack won, simply because he said he asked me on the date, which I conceded was true. I made a mental note to ask him out next so I could return the favor. Fair is fair, right?
Jack stood from his chair slowly, putting me directly in front of him, his hands on my hips. He was being weird, and I didn't know what his deal was. We made it out of the restaurant before he whipped me around and pushed me up against the side of the building.
He dropped his head and took a deep breath.
"What's wrong?" He was starting to freak me out. I was ready to go back to my place and find out how my detective used his gun, and he was over here being weird.
He chuckled darkly. "Someone was rubbing my dick with their foot all night. I needed you to shield the front of me when we walked out so I didn't get arrested for being indecent in public. But that kind of backfired on me because you had to sway your hips, purposely rubbing up against me. Do you have any idea how hard it is to walk with a steel rod in your jeans?" His face was right in mine, his expression fierce.
"Maybe you--"
He cut me off, which was probably just as well since my comment wouldn't be very helpful and I really liked what he did much better. His lips slammed down on mine, his tongue pushing into my mouth the same time he rocked his hips into me, letting me feel exactly how steely that rod was.
I barely registered a whistle from someone passing by, but Jack must have heard it loud and clear. He pulled away and dropped his hands, putting space between us. I licked my lips and tasted the wine he'd been drinking at dinner.
He growled at me, grabbed my hand, and walked us to the escalators down to the parking garage. I kept up in my heels, because I was practically born in heels, but I didn't like the way he dragged me around all the time.
"Could you slow down there, cowboy? Some of us are in very tall heels that aren't made to walk faster than a stroll."
Jack looked over at me and I could tell from the vein on the side of his forehead and the clenching of his jaw that he was nearing the end of his control. Which I liked. I needed to plan the timing perfectly so he lost it when we were home. Naked.
"No? Okay!" I cheerfully picked up my pace, and we made it to the car without another word spoken.
Once in the car, I slipped off my heels to give my feet a break and I implemented my plan to drive him insane. As soon as the car was on the road, I ran my hand up his thigh and stroked the goods. I looked straight ahead, seeing him grip the steering wheel tighter in my peripheral vision. Root to tip. Root to tip. Extra attention at the tip. Repeat.
Lucky for Jack, I lived close to Pacific City which put us in my driveway within eight minutes of leaving the parking garage. He was breathing hard by the time he ripped open his car door and came around the front. He pulled me up and out of the car, leaving my heels behind in his rush. He inserted my key in the door and then he was dragging me inside and slamming it shut.
"It's payback time." He was completely still, eyeing me where I stood.
My stomach had butterflies from the anticipation of something fabulous, not from fear. I trusted Jack, but I knew he wouldn't take it easy on me either. I took a step back, then another. He followed, never advancing, just keeping pace with me.
When I reached the living room, I turned and ran as fast as I could in my little dress. I flew to my bedroom, hearing him chase after me, but not daring to look back. I was out of breath and too afraid to laugh, knowing he'd outrun me. Wondering what my punishment would be.
He must have paced himself, only overtaking me when we were in my bedroom, tackling me face first to the bed. The mattress cushioned my fall, his hard body on top of me. It was rough, it was physical, and I loved every delicious second of it.
He whispered in my ear, rubbing his cock along the crack of my ass through my flimsy dress. My hips lifted, seeking more. "You really think you'd get away from me, Bae?"
I moaned in response, not caring what the right answer should be.
Eager fingers brushed aside my hair, and he kissed the back of my neck, his lips soft, then the scrape of teeth. I gripped the bedspread, immersed in the shivers wracking my body. His weight shifted lower, his mouth spreading heat down my back as he unzipped my dress.
Cold air drifted up my legs as he flipped my skirt up, exposing my red lacy thong. He pulled off my body completely, kneeling between the legs he'd nudged apart. I turned my head on the bed to look back at him. His eyes were on my ass, even as he unbuttoned his shirt and threw it on the floor.
I tried to turn over, to better view the body he was revealing for the first time. A rough hand landed on my low back, keeping me pressed to the bed. A quick shake of his head and I knew I wasn't going anywhere. I'd have to risk a crick in my neck to get the view I wanted. It was a risk I was willing to take.
His full-bellied muscles flexed and moved beneath his skin in perfect symmetry. He had strong arms I wanted to stroke, a chest I wanted to rest my cheek on, abs I wanted to see flexing as he thrust into me. The man was built.
I didn't get long to look because as he ripped his belt out of his pant loops, his eyes lit up and a sexy smile took over his face. The belt was held between his hands, coming closer. My heart rate spread up as I realized what he intended.
"Do you trust me, Bailey?"
I nodded eagerly, too excited and turned on to trust my voice.
He flipped me over and climbed up my body, first peeling the straps of my dress off my shoulders. The dress whisked away, leaving me in my strapless bra and thong.
Jack paused, his eyes traveling up and down my body, looking quite pleased with what he saw. "Perfect," he whispered reverently.
Then it was all in fast motion, him moving me higher on the bed, wrapping the belt around my wrists and around my bed post. I was trussed up and at his mercy in the blink of an eye. He pulled back and contemplated the situation.
"Hmm...what shall I do first?"
I squirmed, unable to keep still under his hot gaze, knowing he was in full control. He moved off the bed to push down his pants, stepping out of his boxers as well. His cock was firm and long, bobbing as he walked back to me. I licked my lips, wanting to get my mouth on him since my hands were out of the picture.
"Later, I promise..." he murmured as he straddled my body, lowering down to kiss me slowly. His hands reached behind my back to unclasp my bra and toss it onto the floor with all our clothes. My breasts were finally given the attention they needed when he cupped them and tasted them, teasing with teeth, lips, and tongue.
I'd never had a problem orgasming before and I knew tonight would be no exception. If he didn't move lower quickly, I was ramping up to explode right then, just from the sensation on my nipples. I was breathing hard, trying to hold back, trying to prolong this pleasure.
Jac
k climbed lower and spread my legs again, before settling between them, his breath reaching me through the lace of my underwear. I lifted my hips, but he wouldn't be rushed. One finger trailed down the lace, earning him a groan.
"You're all wet, Bae."
"Yes, yes..." I couldn't form a sentence any longer and I didn't care. He could have all the control and I wouldn't even put up a fight. Not if this was my consolation prize for being a good girl.
"Mmm." He pressed his face there, his tongue adding to the wetness on my panties. Then the lace was pulled aside and his finger was inside me, his tongue flicking above. A strangled cry came out of my mouth and I rocketed right over the edge, eyes squeezed tight and pleasure exploding everywhere in my body.
He kept licking and plucking till every last tremor left and I was a twitching mass of nerves on the bed. I couldn't feel my arms stretched out above my head and I didn't care. I could die happy, having experienced the best orgasm ever in the history of orgasms.
My eyes were closed, and I was floating. Still in the room, but half gone. I vaguely heard Jack moving around and then I felt my arms being pulled down. I opened my eyes to him rubbing feeling back into them, a concerned look on his face.
"Better?"
I nodded, a soft smile on my face. The pins and needles were there, but in the background as I got my fill of his body. He had nice boy legs: shapely calves and muscled thighs ending with a tight butt that would look good with my hand print on it.
I was back. The sleepiness left me as I envisioned slapping Jack's ass. More so envisioning his payback and how delicious that would be.
"What are you smiling at, sweetheart?" Jack was still rubbing my arms, one eyebrow quirked.
"Something for later. Right now though, I really want to taste your cock. May I?" I sat up, ready for more fun.
Jack swallowed hard, but he had to know how straightforward I was by now, right?