by Zee Irwin
She said nothing right away, only stared back at me. If my heart could have dropped out of my skin, it would have. Was it a mistake to expose myself like this?
A tear escaping her eyes calmed my fears. It rolled down her cheek, and I brushed it away with my thumb. “I love you, Jace, so much.”
Both my hands framed her cheeks. “More often than I care to admit, over the past few years, my knees have bruised, begging for someone to come into my life. Someone who my soul would know. Someone who would accept me as I am. All this time, Lily, it was you.” Her tears fell steadily, and I wiped each one.
“Oh. Jace, I think your words filled all the empty places in my heart.”
Our lips collided in kisses of raw, wild need. I swept her up into my arms and carried her to the bed. Undressing her, peeling back the layers of her, was my total undoing. She did the same with me, and with the light on, our true selves bared to each other and I didn’t dare shy away at all. Lily’s beauty radiated from her perfect heart and soul, calling me out, and I came fully alive as if I’d been a caged animal finally allowed out into the world to reveal myself.
I spent the rest of the night making sure there was no room for any thoughts in her head about anyone else, and making sure it was my name she screamed out in ecstasy. Noone could ruin this love between us, I was sure of it. Everything good in my world was right here with her.
The next day, I caught up with Travis at the station. “You might have been right about Frank,” he called me over to his desk. We clicked through several screens from the national database. Petty theft charges in New York, probation, consorting with known thugs, and a person of interest in connection with an arson case that involved a murder.
“Shit. I think if Frank wasn’t a suspect before, he’s a significant person of interest now.”
The more we dug into his past, the more sour I became about him. “At eighteen, they dropped charges against him for beating someone up. It happened one year before his petty theft charges in New York.”
Travis hit on something interesting. “I’m searching public records. He’s behind on his mortgage payments and taxes. Possible motives for sure. Nothing that says he rigged his own shop’s robbery and fire, but nothing that looks good for him either.”
On my desk, printouts of the photos from Agent Browning glared at me, pissing me off as if Frank were standing right before me. “Do you think it’s an easy jump to go from petty theft to insurance fraud?”
The chair squeaked when Travis leaned back, chewing on a pen cap. “I think when someone has a criminal mind, nothing is off limits.”
On a whim, I emailed Frank’s past mug shots to Agent Browning. The whole time, my intuition was knocking inside my brain at a feverish pace. What would be the odds that Bennie Goodson was the alias of Frank Betto? We needed to connect a few more dots, but I was never wrong about people.
17
My Own Sexy Ass Man
Lily
The latest shipment of romance novels arrived at the bookstore, but I couldn’t have cared less. I was finally living my own hot romance with a sexy ass man who surprised me at every corner.
He admitted he fell in love with me, and somewhere along the way I had fallen for him. Pinpointing the exact time and date it happened wasn’t possible, not like love at first sight. More like a good, slow burn novel, our love developed, nurtured into something lasting. In our time together, I’d grown to only see him, the way his eyes saw me. There was no longer a need to qualify the attraction with statements like “I love him, even with his scars.” I simply loved him.
The euphoria of it all had me walking on cloud nine. It wasn’t just because the sex was unbelievably good—the man had me burning at his command with his fingers and his tongue and his, well, his everything—but also because of the little things. There were many tiny moments, things Jace did for me, that all added up to one major case of crazy love.
And the way he put so much care and thought into the apartment, making it perfect for me. Or for us? I wasn’t sure anymore because the lines had become so blurred. It had gotten to the point where we spent almost every night together.
“Ready for bed?” he had asked one night after we’d read and hung out in our library room.
Warmth had spread through me. There was no longer the question of Are you staying the night? or Do you want to stay the night?
“I’m always ready with you,” I had said, and to his bed we went, naked, loving each other like we were the last two people on Earth and we had some sort of connection and reason to make love as often as possible and not solely because the days ended in Y.
I had shared a laugh with him when he bought an extra large box of condoms, but it was necessary because we went through them fast. I had no complaints about the level at which our sexual urges and desires matched.
Tonight, though, we’d be apart. As consumed as I was by him, it was good to spend a little time away, because it made seeing him again, being in his arms again, that much sweeter.
I returned to Maddie’s apartment after work because the girls were getting together. The news from Cassidy was exciting, with Bronson’s proposal to her hard to miss all over social media. I was happy for her. Fate had won in their battle for a second chance romance.
Wedding talk cluttered my inbox with texts back and forth between our friend group. The bride-to-be, only engaged one weekend, was already sharing photos and links to wedding planning this or that. I was sure it would be an incredible affair.
“Oh, you’re home. I almost didn’t recognise you, it’s been so long,” Maddie teased.
“Ha ha, I know. What can I say? I’m in love.”
“You what? Oh Lily, that’s amazing. And does Jace love you back? Have you both said it yet?”
“Yes. It was wonderful, so—well, I was going to say romantic, but I don’t know. I wasn’t like in the movies or books. It was a special moment between us. We’d just had our first fight—”
“What about?” Maddie went to the oven and removed a tray of chocolate chip cookies.
“It’s silly, really. Frank stopped by to chat with me and Jace got jealous.”
“Of the pizza guy?”
“Oh yeah. You should have seen them, Maddie. Like two cocks in the ring, fighting over the hen. But we talked, it’s fine. And our first make-up session was pretty good, too.” I wiggled my brows.
“Well, I only met Frank once at your shop, and my first impression of him wasn’t great. Jace is far and away the better man, in my opinion. I hope you’ll stay together with him.” She handed me a cookie on a napkin. “Oh, two things before I forget. First, rent is due. Will you leave me a check tonight?”
I nodded, but why was I even keeping the room at Maddie’s? It was an expense I could do without now that the apartment was close to move-in ready. I almost lived with Jace as it was. The only thing preventing us from officially living together was officially having the conversation about him staying and me moving in. Now that we professed love to each other, was that the next step?
“And?”
“Daniel asked if he could see the originals of your communication and all paperwork with that construction company that took off with your money? He has copies, of course, but he said something about the police checking originals for prints.”
“Oh sure. I’ll leave them with you. I wonder if they’re getting closer to finding the people behind this?”
“We’re here!” Cassidy announced when the door swung open, with her sisters, Bella and Emily, and their friend, Hank, in tow. Screams and hugs ensued as we all admired the clear, bright rock on her ring finger. This felt good, being back with my girls who knew me so well.
Emily broke up the reunion. “Hank’s bartending tonight at a private party and you’ll never guess for who? The lead singer of the Dropkick Murphys. And we’re all invited.”
“What? They’re one of my favorite bands. Cass, remember in college we used to follow the band around from gig to gig. Oh,
I used to lust hard after the lead singer.” Funny how visions of my past crushes lived deep in shadows of Jace.
Bella agreed. “I still lust hard. If I ever got close to him, I would totally beg him to autograph my ass, and then I’d get it tattooed permanently there.” She made us all laugh. I’d categorize her as the more rebellious among us, for sure, but I loved her and her funky style.
Her hair color of the month—bright pink—was far from my style, but we all used fashion to express ourselves. Exotic hair color was Bella’s way.
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly what your future husband would want to look at, a signature of some band member there.” Hank smirked and chided Bella, who flipped her middle finger at him.
Hank was such a cutie pie, at first crushing on Cassidy, and now Emily. Although he wasn’t getting far with Emily, either. She kept him at arm’s length in the friend zone. As for Bella, the only thing palpable was the animosity between them.
Cassidy brought the conversation back to her wedding. “I have one question for you all, my sisters,” she eyed Emily and Bella, then turned to Maddie and I. “And my besties. Would you be my bridesmaids?”
The four of us erupted. She passed out gift bags containing bridesmaids t-shirts, and delicate silver bracelets with our initials on it. More hugs, more cries, more screams. Of course, we’d all stand up for her.
“The big question now is: would you rather wear Dusty Blue or Tiffany Blue as my bridesmaids?” She scrolled through her phone showing options while we debated them, plus we set a time and date to meet for dress shopping.
“What about me?” Hank wormed his way in between Cass and Bella.
“Ugh, as if. You’ll be standing on Bronson’s side as a groomsman.” Bella swatted at him and pushed him away.
“Nah. Cass, you said I could stand on your side.”
The future bride put an end to the debate. “Sorry Hank, I had to move you to Bronson’s. My wedding photos need symmetry on both sides, so be my best buddy and stand with him, okay?”
“You could make him a little ring bearer instead.” Bella insisted.
“Alright, I’ll stand with the groomsmen. Whatever you do, though, do not pair me up with anyone whose name starts with a B.”
Bella crossed her arms with an exaggerated eye roll. “The feeling is mutual.”
Emily raised her voice. “Cease fire, people. Can we just go already? I don’t want to be late to the party.”
I hung back and grabbed Bella by the elbow. “Bella and I will meet you downstairs. I need to change real quick.”
Once I got her in my room, I shut the door and turned on her. “Okay, what gives? Why the harsh attitude to Hank? You know you can talk to me.”
She slumped down on my bed. “I like him, that’s what gives.”
My mouth dropped to the floor. “Oh. My. God. And your sisters don’t know?”
“Nope, and that’s the way it’ll stay, too. You’ve seen how Cassidy pushes Emily and Hank together anytime she gets the chance. She practically has their future wedding planned for fuck’s sake.”
“Damn, that’s crazy. I mean Emily is your sister and if her feelings for Hank—”
Her snort stopped me. “What feelings? Here’s the thing about Emily . . . She’s a player. If you know a guy who’s a player, Emily is their equal. She’s totally stringing Hank along, but also a few other guys, too. She’s admitted to me she uses Hank for his connection to the parties, that’s it.”
“You should talk to Cassidy, get her on your side, help her see what Emily is doing. Hank’s too nice to be caught up in her web.”
“Yeah, maybe. But there’s one other problem. Hank confided in me he’s head over heels for Emily. Ever since then, I’ve been so mean to him.” Bella flung herself back on the bed. “Ugh. It’s a bitch lusting after the guy who’s in love with my sister.”
“Oh, sweetie, I wish I had better advice for you.”
Just then, Emily texted. We’re waiting. . .
“Say nothing to Cassidy, please,” she begged on her way out.
I thanked my luck that my love for Jace wasn’t this complicated.
Later at the concert, I was having fun, dancing, partying with my friends again. It had been awhile since I’d been out. Jace might have enjoyed it, too. I texted him later to let him know where I was and about the after party with the band.
Me: Can you meet us? Hank can get you in. It’ll be fun.
It took awhile for a text to come back.
Jace: Sorry, Flower. I can’t. Another robbery. ;(
Me: Oh no!
Jace: I gotta go. News crews just arrived. It’ll be a long night.
My heart sank for him. This was stressful for everyone, but I knew Jace and the care he put into everything he did. My phone pinged and flooded with messages from our community watch members’ group. People were already talking back and forth about anything they saw or heard, desperate for answers.
The next morning, I rushed to the shop from Maddie’s, anticipating seeing Jace before he headed to work. I called him to make sure he’d be there and would wait for me.
“Hey, Flower.” Groggy and irritated, his voice was an entire mood.
“I missed you. I don’t know about you, but I could use a hug before you go to work. Will you still be there?”
“No. I had enough time for a quick nap, and a shower. Now I’m headed back to the station for fucking press conference. I need coffee, though. Meet at Main Street Brew? I could be there in fifteen minutes.”
“I’m almost there now. I’ll get our coffees and save us seats.”
I stood in the small line that moved fast. After ordering, I looked around for a seat, when I spotted Frank at a bistro table for two and pointing at the empty seat next to him. He smiled ear to ear, and for a moment he had the same heartthrob hunky look from our high school days. I knew it was more nostalgia than anything that influenced me, and I took a seat.
Neither Frank’s looks nor his overdone charm bothered me at all; I set my heart on Jace. He was my man and there was a whole new rhythm of the heart beating he brought into my world.
“Morning, Lily. Nice to see you.”
“You too. How are things coming along with the pizzeria? Are you getting ready to rebuild?”
“I’m still waiting for the insurance to come through. So, I suppose you heard about the seventh robbery last night?”
“Yes. It’s troubling.”
“If the detectives don’t figure this out soon, we might have to police our own damn street.”
“Please stop harping on the detectives, Frank. They’re doing their best in a difficult situation.”
“I call bullshit, Lily. Your vision is clouded now that you’re fucking one of them. I’m guessing you don’t have two cups because you want an extra jolt of caffeine today.”
My mouth stood agape. “One is for Jace, he’s meeting me here.”
His smirk was undeniable. “It’s not serious between you two, is it?”
It was my turn to smirk, but it wasn’t long before a smile replaced it. I couldn’t help it. Being in love did that to me, I guess. “Actually, it is serious.”
“You just met the guy.”
“I didn’t expect things to develop like it has, but it feels so good to be with the right person. Oh Frank, I wish you’d find someone to fall in love with too.”
“I already have, Lily.” He sent an icy stare through me and abruptly stood. “Here’s your guy now. Don’t let my heart stand in the way.”
He left me dumbfounded. He couldn’t be serious? I did nothing to draw his attention, and yet he persisted in believing there could be something between us.
“Why, if it isn’t the Prince Street Detective. Any fresh developments in the cases?”
Jace sent him a curt nod with equally cold eyes. “You know, Frank, there’s one thing I don’t get. Why would your robbery end with a fire? None of the rest did. Yours doesn’t seem to match the MO.”
“Huh, I
don’t know. But you’re the detective, so why don’t you do your job and find out?” Frank looked down at me. “See you soon, Lily.”
“You stay away from her.” Jace stepped forward and pointed his finger at Frank’s chest.
He shoved the hand away, and they almost stood nose to nose. “I was friends with her long before you came around, and I’ll still be here when you’re gone.”
“Don’t count on me being gone soon. Maybe never.”
Everyone in the coffee shop stared, and I shot up between them. “Boys, please, stop. You’re acting like children again.”
Frank brushed by Jace and left. A thought struck me. Earlier in the year, I was desperate for real love. Now it seemed I had it in spades with these two poking jealousies at each other. Only I could see how, in this situation, one man might get hurt because of me. I didn’t want that for either of them, but it was inevitable because I couldn’t see myself with Frank.
“Hey, Flower.” Jace bent down to me, wrapping me in his arms and burying his nose into my hair. “I missed you.” He moved in to kiss my lips, but I shifted so he landed on my cheek.
He sighed and sat down. “Okay, I can tell you’re mad at me. I’m sorry I lost it, but it was a long night. I’m so fucking on edge. Then I had to see you here with him?”
“He was here when I arrived. I just sat down to visit until you got here.”
He shook his head. “I need you to believe me in this. I know you have history, but you can’t trust him.”
I laughed him off. “Don’t be silly. I’ve known him for years. Yes, he’s egotistical and demanding and an ass, but we’re just old friends. Nothing more.”
“Well, you might have history, but I don’t. And I don’t want you around him.”
“What do you mean? Frank is harmless. What concerns me more is this whole jealous act you have.”