“Yes, ma’am!” Ross sang out. “You bet!”
She pushed his jeans down his legs and waited while he stepped out of them. Then she grabbed the waistband of his boxer briefs and dragged them down his legs. He reached for her, but she grabbed his hands again. “Nuh-uh-uh. Mine all mine.”
“I’m not arguing with you over that, baby. You go right ahead.” He was smiling down at her as she dropped to her knees in front of him. She concentrated on trying to look sexy, moving fluidly, keeping her hands busy, and when she sucked the head of his cock into her lips, he let out a groan she knew they could hear across the hallway. “Oh, god, Carly. Yeah. That’s incredible. Feels so good.” She made a big production out of slurping at it and was rewarded when he said, “Holy shit, that’s awesome. Hope you’re enjoying this half as much as I am.”
“Oh, I’m enjoying it. How ‘bout you crawl up there on the bed so I can really work you over.”
“Say no more. I’m there.” She waited until he’d scooted up on the bed and she crawled up between his legs, then flattened herself out on the mattress and rested her forearms on his thighs. “God, do you know how totally fuckable you look down there?”
She giggled around his shaft, then let it leave her lips with a pop. “No. Why don’t you tell me?” And she went back to work.
“Babe, you’ve got the most beautiful hair I think I’ve ever seen. It’s like glittering chocolate. And those big brown eyes … When you look at me, my stomach quivers. And those tits, girl, holy hell. I’ve never seen two more perfect tits in my life. But baby, that sweet little pussy of yours, my god, it’s a dream come true. Do you have any idea how amazing it feels to be inside you?”
“If it feels half as amazing as having you inside me feels to me, it’s pretty damn amazing,” she answered, then went back to sucking and licking.
“Ohhh, yeah, it’s just … Oh, fuck, that’s … Ahhhhhh.” His head dropped back, his eyes closed, and his fingers wound into her hair, tugging her downward on him. “Yes, Carly. Yes. Sweet Jesus, babe, I’m about to … If you don’t want to … Down your throat, babe …” She wouldn’t turn loose, and the next thing he said was, “I’m, I’m, oh, fuuuuuuck. Yeah.” He filled her mouth, and Carly didn’t think she’d ever tasted anything quite so rich and wild. “Oh, god, babe, stop. Please? Stop, Carly. Oh, god, I … Carly, please?” He was scrambling to push her off his hardness, and she didn’t really want to stop, but he sounded pretty frantic. When she turned loose, the rest of his body went completely limp.
“Did I do okay?”
She could hear him gasping as he spoke. “Okay? Carly … babe … you were … holy shit. Are you … trying to … kill me?”
She giggled before she answered him. “Darlin’, if I were trying to kill you, you’d already be dead.” Crawling up the bed, she lay down beside him, but not before she dropped a kiss on his lower lip. That was all she could do—his mouth was wide open and he was still panting.
“Whew! Girl, if that’s what I’ve got to look forward to, you’re never getting away from me!” He grabbed her, wrapped both arms around her, and squeezed her tight. “I love you, Carly. Tell me I’m not dreaming this.”
“You’re not. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere unless you don’t want me anymore.”
“Then you’re not going anywhere.” Once he’d dropped a kiss on the part in her hair, he said, “Let’s take a nap and then go get something to eat. Whaddya think?”
“That sounds nice. Come on. Get under the covers and let’s snuggle.” Under the sheet and blanket, wrapped up in his arms, she sighed and kissed his right nipple. “I wish we could stay here forever.”
“Me too, but you know how it is. The real world expects things of us, and we have to deliver, even if we don’t want to. And I don’t want to. I want to stay here with you forever too, and I would if I could.”
If only … Carly enjoyed the warmth of Ross’s body and relaxed against him. His arms were the best place in the world to be, and she was pretty sure that would be true if they were in a palace or a cardboard box under an overpass. As long as she was in those arms, her world was right.
She never wanted to be anywhere else.
She cracked one eyelid open. “What time is it?”
The sounds she heard meant he was fumbling on the nightstand for his phone. “Uh, seven forty-one. What time do you have to be at work?”
“Shift starts at three.”
“Checkout’s eleven, so I guess we’d better get up and get moving.”
“Oh, do we have to?” she whined and rolled back into his side. “I don’t wanna go.”
“I don’t want to either, but we both know we have to.” She thought he was moving away from her, but he rolled to face her. His fingers pushed a strand of hair from her eyes and he gave her a lazy smile. “Carly, I want you to know that the past two days have been the most amazing days of my life. I’d give just about anything to be able to stay right here with you. But you know what I’m even more excited about?”
“What?”
“Everyday life with you right beside me. Living our lives as a partnership, having each other to come home to, enjoying spending time together, and excited to see each other when we’ve been apart. I can’t say this will be forever, but I sure want it to be.”
“Me too. You understand me in ways nobody else ever has, Ross. I can’t believe it sometimes, how well we seem to know each other after such a short time.”
“I think that’s because we’re both public servants. We both risk our lives for others every day. I think it makes us value life more, and I think it makes it easier for us to accept each other’s differences and flaws. Life is precious, and I don’t want to waste another single minute of it being without you.”
“I feel the same way. Are we going to get some breakfast?”
“We probably should, then pack and head back.” He kissed her forehead. “I want forever with you, babe.”
“And I want forever with you. I’m just worried that when they find out―”
“I told you, don’t worry about that. Let me handle it. I can take care of it.” He wasn’t planning to tell her what Tank had said, but he sure wouldn’t forget. If things got too hairy, he’d certainly call her older brother and tell him it was time for that “secret weapon” of his, whatever it was.
Breakfast was good and sad at the same time—tasty, but a sign that their holiday together was almost over. They went back to the room, finished packing, then went down to check out. Ross brought the truck around, and they loaded everything in, then hit the road. It was noon as they approached Tarpley, so they decided to stop and eat outside town. Even though it was just a burger, it was the most delicious burger Carly had ever eaten, mostly because she was eating it across from the hunky firefighter she’d screwed at least a dozen times over the last two days. As soon as they were finished, they climbed back into the truck and drove into Tarpley.
It was hard, saying goodbye after the time they’d spent together. Ross walked her to the barn out back and through the passage door, carrying her bags for her as they went. When everything was in her SUV, she turned to say something, but he pressed her against the vehicle, trapped her with his big body, and kissed her, a long, deep kiss that made her knees weak. When he broke it, he gazed down into her eyes and she felt everything inside her melt. “So where do we go from here?” he asked, his voice quiet and steady.
“I don’t know. I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, we wouldn’t have any privacy here. We’d have to go to your house.”
“But if we go to my house, I mean, if you came to my house, then they’d―”
“They’d what? Maybe it’s time they ran into somebody besides you and found out that shit won’t fly. So should I come over this evening after you get off?”
“I’d like for you to come over and get me off,” she whispered and nuzzled his neck.
His voice was a breathy growl. “Oh, girl, don’t tempt me.
Do you have an extra key?”
“No, but I’ll try to get one made before I get off and drop it by here to you. Will that work?”
“It’ll work like a charm. If I’m not here, give it to Michael. If he’s not here, leave it under that brick by the front step and leave me a message so I’ll find it.”
“Okay. Do you even know where I live?”
“Four twenty-one Farmer’s Lane?”
She giggled. “Yep! That’s it!”
“If I can’t find it, I’m sure one of the fifty-six residents of Tarpley can tell me where it is!” he said with a grin.
“Then I’ll get you a key. I’ve gotta go. Thanks for the last couple of days. I needed that.”
“I did too. I’ll see you when you get home. Let me open the door.” He ran to the big barn door and slung it open, then stood by it as Carly backed out.
When her window was even with him, she put it down. “Ross, I love you. Being here doesn’t change that.”
“And I love you. And you’re right—being here doesn’t change that. Be careful out there and I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Okay. Bye.” She put her window back up, then gave him a wave as she turned the SUV around and drove out onto the street. There was plenty of time for her to unload her bags before she had to get ready for work, so she tried to make a mental list of the things she needed to get done as soon as she got home, starting the washer being one of them.
As soon as the washer was running, she went out to get the mail. There really wasn’t anything there, just junk, and she threw it all out straightaway. Once she’d put away all her toiletries, shoes, and jewelry, she headed for the shower. The hot water felt good, but all she could really think about was the feel of Ross’s hands on her body, the heat from his palms, the strength in his grip. God, he was perfect in every way, and she missed him like she’d never missed anyone else.
She had on everything except her boots when she heard a knock at the door, and she decided she’d just get finished before she answered it. But the knocks turned to pounding, and she knew right then who it was. Slipping on her boots without tying them, she picked up her service weapon and made her way to the door. “Who is it?”
“Open the door, Carly.”
“Go away, Eric. I mean it. Just get lost.”
“I came by here the last two nights and you weren’t home. Where were you?”
“I told you, Eric, leave. I’ve got my Glock in my hand and if you don’t leave, I’ll―”
“Why are you doing this, Carly? You know we belong together. We always have.”
“Yeah? So you always knew that? And I always knew that? And Mindy Caturano always knew that?”
“God damn it, Carly! How many times do I have to tell you that―”
“I’m calling the state police, Eric. Right now. Leave or I swear I’ll call them.”
“You’re going to learn, Carly.” She could tell he was walking away by the change in the sound of his voice. “You’re going to figure out that we’re supposed to be together, and when you do, you’ll come crawling back to me.”
She rolled her eyes as she leaned up against the inside of the door, Glock still in her hand, and mumbled to herself. “Oh, yeah. I’m going to come crawling back to you. You’re a fucking crazy sumbitch. God, I wish you’d just go away.”
She tied her boots and checked on the washer, but it was still running. It would be fine until she got off work. Hey, maybe Ross would start the dryer when he got there! If he asked her what he could do to help her, she’d sure tell him.
When she parked her SUV in the parking lot beside the office, she heaved out a heavy sigh. There was little doubt in her mind that Anderson would grill her about her whereabouts for the last two days. Before she got out, she checked her weapon one more time, then slid out from behind the wheel and locked the doors behind her.
The office was relatively quiet, with only a couple of other deputies around. She’d only been there for about three minutes when, sure enough, the sheriff sauntered out into the room where their desks sat and looked around, then let his eyes fall on her. “Well, Cross. Decided to come back to work?”
She gave him a look that was supposed to convey confusion. “What do you mean? I was off the last two days.”
“I hear you weren’t home.”
“And you heard that from whom?”
“Oh, just drove by and noticed your house was dark.”
“You surveilling me now, sheriff?”
“No. Just an observation.”
“Well, did you observe what happened about ten minutes ago?”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all. Should I be checking my SUV for a tracking device every time I get into it? Have you gone that far?”
“Deputy,” Anderson said, glowering at her, “I think you may need a psych eval. Sounds to me like you’re paranoid and delusional.”
“I’ll get one if you’ll get one. Otherwise, nope.” She picked up her radio from the desk, strapped it on, and glared up at him. “Am I patrolling today, or do you have a special assignment for me?”
“Special assignment. They need someone to monitor traffic in front of Lakehills Retirement Village, and I told them we’d get somebody over there to―”
“My assignment is to be a crossing guard for a nursing home?” Carly couldn’t believe her ears. Langostino had that bum ankle from the shooting the week before, and he could be doing that.
“That’s your assignment, deputy. Do you want to do it, or do you want to go home?”
“I’ll do it. If that’s really how you want me to spend my time, then I’ll do it. Not a problem.”
“Good. When you’re finished with that, just patrol for the rest of the evening.” He turned to go back to his office, then spun and looked at her. “And if you’re going out of town, you need to let me know before you leave and tell me when you’ll be back.”
“Who said I went out of town? And besides, what I do on my days off is none of your business.”
“It is if you’re doing something you shouldn’t be.”
“Which was not the case.” She glanced around briefly. One of the other deputies was watching and listening to the whole exchange, but she knew he’d never back her. He was too afraid of losing his job. Anderson stalked back into his office and left her there to stew. That shit was getting old, and what she did elsewhere should’ve had nothing to do with her job unless it was illegal. As for immoral, well, that was subjective for the most part, and again, none of his business.
So she did what she was told. Lakehills Retirement Village was a pretty big place, which meant it had a lot of residents. She was there from four o’clock to almost eight as residents came and went to dinner off-site. Almost all of them were people she knew, and they smiled and waved. A lot of them stopped, put down their windows, and spoke. Yeah, that was nice, but it also caused a traffic backlog, which kept her there even longer. By the time it seemed they’d all returned except for a few stragglers, it was after seven and she’d had just about enough. The idea that she was going to have to do that every evening was enough to very nearly bring her to tears.
She’d gotten across town in Lakehills when her text messaging tone sounded, and she pulled into a convenience store parking lot to check it. The message there made her smile.
Hey! I’m at your place. What do you want to eat when you get off duty?
Even though her heart was almost frozen with fear for him, she answered him quickly. I’m sure whatever you have will be fine.
Good. Not much variety in my cooking. HAHAHA!
She sent back a little emoji blowing a heart-shaped kiss and got back a GIF that was two cats hugging. There was no doubt that what he’d told her earlier was true—he was definitely the alpha in that relationship—but he was a sweet guy. He was a perfect example of how a man could be strong and tough, and still be affectionate and tender. Oh, hell, who was she kidding? He was perfect in every way
.
Nine o’clock. Two more hours and she’d finally be off duty, which meant she could go home to Ross.
Home to Ross. She didn’t think there was anything in the world that sounded sweeter.
Chapter 8
He had almost everything packed when he heard the front door open, but he said nothing. It took under a minute for a presence to fill the doorway behind him and he heard Michael’s voice ask, “What are you doing?”
He turned and grinned before going back to his work. “What does it look like I’m doing?”
“Looks like you’re moving.”
“Then it looks exactly like what it is.”
His cousin sat down on the other corner of the bed. Michael was every bit as big as Ross. Matter of fact, they could’ve been brothers. They looked a lot more alike than he and Cullen did, and Michael was an only child. He probably would’ve enjoyed having a sibling. “So I take it the weekend went well?”
“Unbelievably well.” Ross waited, and when Michael didn’t say it, he said, “Okay, let’s just get it out there. You think this is too fast. Too soon. I should wait. After all, I’ll be leaving.”
Michael held up both hands in a gesture of surrender. “Far be it from me to tell somebody how to live their life, after all the women who’ve burned me. Nope. You just do what you think you need to do, but watch out for Tank. He’s a great guy, but I wouldn’t want to be on his bad side.”
“Already talked to him and he gave me his blessing.”
“No shit?”
Ross grinned. “No shit.”
Michael shook his head resignedly and laughed. “Well, I have to say, you’re the first guy who’s gotten that from Tank Reardon.”
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