Sadness formed in his eyes. “Come here.” He wrapped his arms around her as he held her tight and rested his chin on the top of her head. “I didn’t know what you wanted to eat, so I was just getting us a little bit of everything.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m not telling you what to eat. Is there something in particular you want?”
Vanessa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He’s not dictating my food. He’s just being courteous. “No, I like the idea of tasting it all,” she said with a smile.
“Do you want to eat here at the bar or in front of the TV?”
“Here is good.”
“There are napkins over there.” He pointed by the pantry. “I’ll get our drinks.”
Vanessa took a bite of a sub sandwich then smiled. “Mmm, I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
Nathan wiggled his eyebrows. “Baby, once you’ve had good loving, you’re insatiable.”
She giggled and shook her head. “Are you going to turn everything I say into something sexual?”
“If I can.” He quickly kissed her. “So, tell me about the plans for next weekend.”
43
Nathan watched as Vanessa’s face flushed and her eyes lit with excitement.
“A judge who was a friend of my father’s is going to perform the ceremony on the beach at the house at sunset. I don’t have any friends or family, so I thought something simple would work.” She shrugged. “I didn’t know about your family because we’ve never discussed them. That’s why I asked last week.”
He rubbed his hand over his jaw. “I see.” He massaged his chin with his index finger and thumb. “I guess, now’s as good a time as any.” He ate a bite of potato salad while he gathered his thoughts. “I’m an only child, too.” He winked at her. “I don’t remember my dad. I was less than a year old when he was deployed to Kuwait in 1990. He never came home, and my mom never really got over losing him. She did the best she could for a while, but about the time I turned ten, she decided she couldn’t take anymore. When I got home from school, the police and an ambulance was at our house. She’d taken a bunch of pills, then called nine-one-one. By the time they could get to her, it was too late.” He took a deep breath as visions of that day rushed back. “I went to live with my grandparents. My grandfather died when I was in high school, and my grandmother died just before I left for the Training Center, so something simple works great for me.”
Vanessa cupped her hands on his cheeks. “You have me now. We have each other. I’m so sorry for all the loss you’ve endured your whole life. Is that why you liked playing the field?”
He held her hands and entwined their fingers. “I was lost for a while. That’s when I met Diane. I thought I could have a future with her. Did I ever feel what we have? No, it was more just someone to be with so I wouldn’t be alone. Then after, you know, I just resigned myself to being a bachelor. Then you came along and knocked me on my ass.” He chuckled. “Evan and Ginger said it’d happen, but I was skeptical.”
“Ginger seems quite protective of you.”
“She is. We connected when Evan used her to get information to me during an undercover operation a while back. I love giving Evan shit, so I’d joke about taking her from him.”
“Are you attracted to her?”
“I found her attractive in the bar that night, but I wasn’t with anyone, hadn’t been with anyone in a while. Once I knew the score with her and Evan, we were strictly platonic. But if she ever needs me, I’ll be there. She’s like a sister to me.”
She picked at her sandwich. “You’re a very loyal friend.”
“Evan and I had each other’s backs for five years. There’s a bond that forms in undercover work. You become like brothers. That’s what Evan is to me. Same with Sam.”
She giggled. “Sam is something else.”
“He is.”
“Is he going to be your best man? We need to have witnesses. I don’t really know anyone one else, so I thought I’d ask Cat.”
“Yeah, I’ll call him tomorrow. Does he need to wear anything special?”
“Dress shorts or pants and shirt will be fine. The ocean breeze is turning chilly at night, so whatever makes him happy. I’m going to tell Cat the same thing—just a dress she’s comfortable in.”
“What about me?”
“Just no board shorts.” A twinkle formed in her eyes. “As good as you look in them, I’d like you to be dressier.”
“Do you have a dress already?”
“I ordered something that I’m going to wear. Again, nothing flashy.”
He chuckled. “Ness, I don’t think there’s a flashy bone in your body.”
“I have a small reception planned at the roof top bar at the hotel where we’re staying that night in Charleston.”
“Ness, you don’t need to do all of that. We’ll take a trip in a few weeks. Where do you want to go?”
“Nathan, I’ve gotten my trust fund money and the money from the last time it was deposited into the account I shared with Charles. It’s okay. I wanted to do this to surprise you.”
He gently kissed her on the lips. “You’ve been full of surprises today. Let’s go sit in the den and turn on the stereo.”
As they sat on the leather sofa, he turned some jazz music down low. It was the perfect music to relax and talk over. Nathan sat in the corner with Vanessa snuggled up close and her feet tucked under her. His fingers played with her hair as they relaxed together. I can get used to this. “Who else do you want to invite?”
“Evan, Ginger, Mitchell, and Kayla. Sam should have the option of a plus one if he wants.”
Nathan chuckled. “I’m sure Sam would want to leave his options open for someone at the bar unless he’s still seeing Carrie.”
“Is he?”
“Don’t know. He’s not talking which is unlike him.” Vanessa yawned and nestled into his shoulder. “Ness, I’m on duty tomorrow. Will you be okay here for a while?”
“Um huh.”
Nathan picked her up and carried her to bed. He stripped the shirt off her and snuggled in behind her. Skin to skin. A contented breath left him. “Good night, beautiful. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
44
The following morning came sooner than Vanessa would have liked, but being cocooned in Nathan’s arms made the sun peeking through his windows worth it. Last night had been the best night of her life. Nathan made her feel every bit as beautiful as he said she was. She wanted to let him know that he was just as handsome. He was still asleep, and she didn’t want to wake him, not yet anyway. She wasn’t sure how to start this but wanted to give him a wake-up call that he’d remember all day, so she wiggled her ass against him.
“Hmmm,” he moaned as he rolled to his back.
Perfect. She slid under the covers and worked her way between his legs. Remembering what she’d looked up on the internet, she lifted his cock and licked from base to tip. When she got to the D-ring, she flicked it with her tongue and froze because Nathan mumbled something incoherent as his legs moved. Vanessa moved back down his shaft and licked his balls before she worked her way back up. By the time her tongue flicked the ring the covers had been flown over her head, and she came eye to eye with Nathan.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
“Good morning,” she whispered through a grin before her tongue ran over him again.
“That’s one hell of an alarm.”
“Is that bad?”
“No, actually I quite like it, but I thought you hadn’t done this before.”
“I looked it up on the internet.”
He placed his hand at the back of her head. “Open your mouth.”
She did as he gently pushed her onto his cock. She hummed, and he moaned. His abs tightened right in front of her eyes. I’m doing this to him. His ass muscles flexed, and he went deeper in to her mouth. She felt her gag reflex and pulled back.
“Sorry, Ness. That feels terrific.”
Vanessa use
d her hand and mouth in tandem so she didn’t choke. Once she found her rhythm, she massaged his balls with two fingers straight out so that she rubbed the area behind them.
“Oh fuck.”
Her head bobbed faster as her fingers slipped further back and touched the edge of his sphincter. He tugged on her hair to move her away.
“Ness, I’m going to come.”
She shook her head. He liked to taste her, so she wanted to do the same. With her mouth open, she took him as deep as she could, being careful not to get her tongue caught in his piercing. She gagged causing her throat to tighten around him.
“Oh, shit.” That was the warning before warm fluid shot in her mouth and down her throat. She backed away wanting to see his face and found the most glorious smile she’d ever seen etched there. He pulled her up his body. “That was fantastic, Ness.”
She licked her lips as her face turned pink. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
He squeezed her ass cheek. “You’ll get yours when I get home this evening.” He quickly kissed her lips and rolled to get out of bed. “I’ve got to get ready for work. Why don’t we meet at the Main Street Café for lunch just before noon? We’ll beat the church crowd.”
“That sounds like fun. I’ve only ever eaten there when we had to go to a school board function. That’s where we’d stop for food.”
Nathan’s brows furrowed. “We don’t have to go there then.”
“No, I like it there. I want to go with you and start making new memories if we’re going to stay here.”
“I like it here, but can understand if you want to move.”
“We’ll see.”
Vanessa made the coffee while Nathan dressed for work. She found some granola bars to send with him since he didn’t have time for breakfast. He walked in the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “I can get used to this,” he said as he picked her up. She rested her head on his shoulder and giggled. When he set her down, he handed her a key. “Here, this is a key to the apartment if you need to go out.”
She blinked her eyes. “Thank you.” Her heart felt as if it’d explode. He was voluntarily making her a part of his life.
While Nathan spent his morning patrolling, he made sure to go by the drugstore to pick up a box of condoms. There was no way he wasn’t being inside Vanessa tonight, but he wasn’t going to stress her about getting pregnant.
It was mid-morning when he started working on the case against Charles and Linda. Before he knew it, the alarm on his phone beeped letting him know it was time to meet Vanessa.
“Going to lunch,” he called on his way out the door.
He was leaning up against his vehicle when he saw Vanessa approaching. Pushing off the SUV, he walked in her direction.
“You fucking bitch!”
Nathan turned in time to see Linda running toward Vanessa with her purse in the air. Nathan hit the mic on his shoulder. “Officer Cox requesting backup!” Would he get there before Linda? Vanessa had the deer in the headlights look on her face. Nathan ran in an all-out sprint and reached Vanessa and had her shielded by his body just in time for the first hit. Whack!
“One, two, three.”
Whack!
“What are you counting?”
“Time. Two, three.”
Whack! “When I tell you to go, move.”
Whack! “Now.”
Nathan released Vanessa and turned on Linda. He went to grab her wrist with her purse in it, but Rodney Parker already had it. Nathan was breathing hard from the sprint and his patience running out.
“What are you thinking assaulting a police officer?”
“You weren’t the one I wanted to assault. You just got in the way.”
“Ms. Gregory, don’t you think you’ve tried to hurt Vanessa enough?” Nathan turned to Rodney. “Take her and book her on assaulting a police officer. I will be pressing charges.”
Rodney led Linda to his car through the small crowd of people who’d gathered before Nathan walked directly to Vanessa with a purposeful stride. He pushed the hair from her face and gently kissed her. “Baby, please tell me you’re okay.”
There were a few gasps from the bystanders, but he didn’t care. He wanted the whole damn town to know she was his.
“Yes, are you hurt?”
“No, I have on my vest, but she’s lost it.”
“How is she out?”
Nathan took a deep breath. “They didn’t view her as a flight risk, so she was released on bond, and with you at the beach, I wasn’t worried. She won’t be getting out now.”
“I’m so sorry. Do we still have time for lunch?”
“You bet we do, beautiful.”
“Officer Cox, are you kissing a married woman?” one of the waitresses from The River Pub asked.
Nathan looked around for the first time to see several sets of eyes on them. “No, my fiancée was divorced before she agreed to marry me. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going for lunch.”
With audible whispers all around, Vanessa looked at him as if he hung the moon and stars. “I love you.”
“I’m glad you do. By the way, I’m making reservations at the Lookout for dinner tonight. Did you bring a dress?”
“Yes, and I’ve never been there.”
The stares that followed let Nathan know the grapevine would have something new to talk about now and that made him smile. Hell, anything that had to do with him and Vanessa together made him smile. He entwined their fingers, and they walked across the street. “You’re going to be the talk of the town for a few days.”
She tilted her head to meet his eyes. “Won’t be the first time.”
45
“We’ll do the fancy when it’s just the two of us.”
Vanessa spent the afternoon getting ready for their date. She’d finished her hair and put on a form-fitting, royal blue dress that fit the way it was supposed to since she’d gained a few pounds. She’d just slipped her feet into a multicolored pump when Nathan walked out of the bathroom.
“Ness, you look gorgeous.” He stopped in front of her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
Her face flushed. “Thank you.”
Less than an hour later, they were walking into The Lookout. Nathan’s hand was at the small of her back and goosebumps covered her body. Just his simple touch ignites me. She was glad she had on a bra, or the patrons of the restaurant would see her puckered nipples.
The hostess led them to a romantic table overlooking the river. Nathan pulled her chair and held out his hand for her. She looked into his eyes as she laid her hand in his for support as she sat down. Once she was seated, he kissed the back of it and slid her chair under the table. Vanessa swore she heard the hostess let out a loving sigh.
With their drink order placed, they were left with menus, but neither looked at them because they couldn’t take their eyes off each other. Finally, Vanessa broke the silence. “I know you didn’t buy that suit off the rack. Custom or tailored?”
“Custom. I splurged after my first undercover assignment. If I had to appear in court, I wanted to look professional and not like a thug.” Nathan smiled as he took a sip of water.
“Black looks good on you with your light hair.”
“Thank you. I don’t think anyone has ever given me a compliment about my clothes before.”
Their drinks were placed in front of them, and Nathan held up his glass. “Here’s to all of our firsts together.”
“Here, here.” They touched glasses. After she took a sip of her wine, she looked around the room. “People are staring at us.”
“That’s because they’re seeing the real Vanessa Calhoun. They’ve got to get to know her.”
“Do you really think that’s it?”
“It’s either that or they’ve never seen you happy before. I’m just glad I’m the one who’s putting that smile on your face.”
Even though her face warmed, she didn’t break eye contact with Nathan. “Me too.”
T
he next morning, Vanessa and Nathan met with Matthew Hightower to go over details of the events that took place between Charles and Vanessa.
“Ms. Calhoun, I must ask why you didn’t divorce Charles sooner?”
Vanessa’s face turned pink as she bowed her head. “My father promised me to Charles when I was sixteen.” She raised her head and looked directly into Matthew’s eyes. “He boldly gave me away to Charles when I was barely eighteen. Unfortunately, within the next year he’d passed away. I wasn’t allowed to go to college because I was told that all I ever needed to be was a good wife. Charles, himself, let me know even before we wed that I was the other woman—that he loved Linda. I never loved Charles, but I didn’t know how to get out of the situation. I’m just glad Nathan came along when he did.” She squeezed Nathan’s hand.
“Speaking of Officer Cox, was there anything going on between the two of you before Friday?”
Vanessa swallowed and looked at Nathan. “Exactly what do you mean?”
“Were you two having a relationship before your divorce was final?”
“Yes, we started seeing each other after I filed for divorce, but we were never alone during the ninety days until last Saturday night.”
“I’ll need a list of people who were with you.” Matthew looked at Nathan. “You know, you’ll have to swear to this in a court of law, and if you lie, it could cost you your badge.”
A smile crossed Nathan’s face. “Not a problem, sir. Sam Baxter, Dr. Thomas Gregory, and/or Catherine Livingston have been with us every time we’ve been together. I did not have carnal knowledge of Ms. Calhoun until Saturday after she accepted my marriage proposal.”
“And you’ll swear to that?”
“With my hand on the Bible.”
By the time they left Matthew’s office, he had a good idea of what Vanessa had endured for the last nine years. Leaving the prosecutor’s office, they went down the hall to apply for a marriage license. Nathan was assured he could pick it up Friday afternoon since the wedding was out of town.
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