Bad Cop

by Linda Verji

  “So we’re back to Walcott again?” Shane frowned. “I’ve been trying to find a connection between him and York Emerson and I still can’t figure it out.”

  “What’s there to figure out?” Lucas offered, “York was an actor, Walcott owns a talent agency, Teddy is an agent who knows Walcott. Teddy probably took York there to see Walcott. Things went wrong and bam… Walcott killed York.”

  ”Yeah, but what went wrong?” Shane frowned. “Also, we know that Walcott left while York was still in the building and alive. That implies that he was with someone else there.”

  “August Wells?” Lucas suggested.

  “Could be. Could be.” Shane cocked his head as he thought over it. “I couldn’t find him anywhere in the surveillance tapes when I checked them. Who knows… maybe he was in the building all that time.”

  Just then the beep of Lucas’s phone cut into their conversation. Lucas swiped over the screen to unlock it. When he saw who the message was from, he instantly set his feet back on the floor and straightened in his seat.

  I’m ready to leave the office, Jasmine texted. Should I still wait for you?

  “Hey, where are you going?” Shane called out.

  Lucas hadn’t even realized that he’d stood up while reading the message and grabbed his jacket. Still looking at the message, he said to his partner, “I’m out for the day.”

  “You’re out? Just like that?”

  Lucas didn’t answer. He just started walking, and as he did, he quickly texted back. Wait for me. I’m on my way.

  After their kiss this morning, Lucas should’ve been scared to even see her again, scared that he’d kiss her again. However, only excitement fluttered within him as he strode out of the station and straight to his car.

  CHAPTER 16

  The ride home was racked with tension. Jasmine didn’t know what to talk about because all that kept ringing in her thoughts was last night’s kiss. And she couldn’t talk about that, could she? So she just pretended to sleep while Lucas drove.

  “We’re here,” he called out twenty minutes later.

  “Really?” She opened her eyes then stretched and yawned. “That was fast.”

  Lucas’s answer was a simple, “Hmm.”

  Was that his way of saying he knew that she was pretending to sleep? Jasmine stole a glance at him and found him staring ahead as if he was waiting for her to get out and leave him alone in the car.

  The muscles in her stomach immediately tensed, and instinctively, she asked, “You’re not coming in?”

  Lucas turned his head to meet her gaze. “Do you want me to?”

  Even though he didn’t add ‘after the kiss’, she knew that was what he was thinking about too. Reason said that any further contact between them would only be courting temptation. However, she realized that in the grand scheme of things, the kiss didn’t matter. What mattered was that right now she felt safer when he was around. Even after that scorching kiss, she’d slept better than she had the whole week just because subconsciously she knew that he was there to protect her.

  She nodded. “I want you to come in.”

  Apparently, Lucas had prepared for an overnight stay. He grabbed a duffel bag from the trunk of his car and the groceries she’d picked up while she was waiting for him then followed her into the building. They took the elevator up to her apartment. After offering him use of her dressing room, she went to her own bedroom to shower then change into something more comfortable.

  Lucas had the same idea because when she came back to the living room, she found that he’d changed his clothes. The jeans and shirt combo he had on before were gone, and he was now wearing comfortable sweat pants and a t-shirt.

  “Isn’t it expensive to have all these channels?” Lucas asked without turning away from the TV, almost as if he’d sensed her entrance. “You don’t even spend all that time here.”

  “It is.” She shrugged. “But I like to have choices.”

  “My head would explode if I had so many choices,” he said as he flicked between channels. “Should I watch wrestling, or football? Look, the Celtics have a game today. Wait, doesn’t May-weather have a fight today too?”

  “First world problems.” Jasmine laughed. “What do you want for dinner?”

  “I’m okay with whatever you want to make,” Lucas answered without looking away from TV.

  “Okay.” Jasmine retired to the kitchen.

  As she looked through her fridge to see what she could cook, she couldn’t help smiling. When they were younger, she’d always imagined that this was how their future would look like. Her bustling in the kitchen while he watched TV while playing with the kids. The only thing missing now was the kids. Her smile faded. That would probably never happen.

  Why are you even thinking about it? She gave herself a mental slap before reaching for a pack of seitan from the fridge. There was no point in mourning over a future that was never meant to be.

  Obviously, Lucas wasn’t as engrossed in the program he was watching as she thought because a couple of minutes later, he rose from the sofa and strode over.

  Watching her from the other side of the island, he asked, “Can I help?”

  “You want to help?” She turned her surprised gaze to him. “I thought you were watching the Celtics or something?”

  “I can always watch the game later.” He circled the island to come into the kitchen. “What can I help with?”

  “I really don’t need help,” she said. “I’m okay here.”

  “But I’m not okay with watching you work while I just sit around.” His tone was firm as he repeated, “What can I help you with?”

  Obviously, he wasn’t going away. With a sigh and a shake a head, she said, “Okay, you can cut up the vegetables for the stir-fry for me.”

  As soon as she showed him what he needed to cut, he got right to work. One would’ve thought that with their past, the mood in the kitchen would be awkward. But surprisingly, working together seemed to ease the tension between them. As they worked, they talked about her work and the kind of clients she usually dealt with. Lucas was impressed which of course made her prouder than she cared to admit. However, after hearing about some of his cases, it was hard not to feel like she’d wasted her life.

  “You’re out there chasing bad guys and keeping everyone else safe,” she said as she washed the rice. “And I’m out here chasing money.”

  “That’s what makes you so important,” he teased with a crooked smile. “Without you, there’d be no people to steal from, thus no criminals. Then I wouldn’t have a job.”

  “Ha ha ha. Funny man.” Stifling her own smile, she glanced at his cutting board. “Did you cut up the mushrooms too?”

  “Mushrooms? You didn’t set any out.” He frowned as he looked around the counter. “Where are they?”

  “Look in the fridge.”

  Lucas opened the fridge but after a cursory glance said, “I can’t see them.”

  “They’re in there.” Jasmine washed her hands then dried them before coming to the fridge. Lucas stepped slightly to the side so she could look. When she found the mushrooms, she grabbed them then rose. “Here they ar-”

  Her words died on her lips when she realized how close they were. Lucas had moved closer while she was rummaging through the fridge. Though the fridge’s door was still between them, he was so close that she could feel his breath whispering against her forehead. When she met his eyes, she found him watching her in that intense way her had that always left her jittery.

  The change in the room’s temperature was almost immediate. Even though the fridge was open, Jasmine suddenly felt hot. Very hot. When Lucas closed the door for her without once taking his eyes off her, it got much hotter. Flames practically jumped between them.

  Jasmine didn’t know when it happened or how it happened. One second they were staring at each other and the next, they were kissing.

  The food they were supposed to be cooking was forgotten as they clung to one another. Wh
y was it that this man’s kisses could erase every bit of her common sense? She’d been kissed many times, by many men, but not once had she ever felt this ravenous hunger. This need for more, more, more…

  Lucas cupped her face with his hand and slanted his lips harder over hers and curled his tongue into her mouth. God, he tasted amazing. Sensation after sensation raced through her body to pool at the pit of her belly and between her legs.

  Needily, she shifted against his body. Her arms came up to surround his shoulders as his swept down her back to her waist. When he squeezed her waist then rubbed the tips of his thumbs along the side of her breast, she couldn’t help whimpering. Lucas swallowed that whimper with a deep kiss that left her boneless and breathless.

  The desire now ravaging her body was so intense that it felt like ants were crawling in her vein. It felt like if she didn’t get more of him, something inside her would crack, break. And when she felt his cock digging into her stomach, the ache in her pussy intensified to the point where she had to lift onto her toes so she could feel more of him.

  She was so engrossed in the sensations ripping her body apart that she didn’t even realize that he was lifting her until she found herself seated on the island’s marble countertop. Still, her only thoughts were of his lips, and his taste, his delicious taste. However, when he edged between the v of her thighs and closed the space between them, her breath caught.

  Oh! That felt good. He was pressed so tightly against her already swollen breasts that she swore she could feel every muscle in his chest. The fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra only made the contact sweeter.

  But she needed more.

  She reached for the hem of his shirt. However, when she started to draw the fabric up his torso, he stopped her. His hand over hers, he ended the kiss. Her breathing was ragged as her gaze met his.

  He whispered, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  No, she wasn’t sure she wanted to do this. However, her body was screaming that it didn’t matter. What mattered now was the heat licking at her senses, the pain in her core, and the hollow ache that only he could fill.

  She didn’t say a word. All she did was grab the back of his neck and drag him back to her. It was answer enough.

  Their kiss was even more intense. It was filled with desire that had been suppressed for thirteen years. Lucas lifted her off the island and carried her out of the kitchen, into her bedroom. Even when he set her on her feet, Jasmine still couldn’t bear to be separated from him. As they kissed, her hands roved his body just as his roved hers. His t-shirt flew away, so did hers.

  “Ah!” She moaned when he kissed the side of her neck. When he hugged her tightly, pressing her breasts into his chest, a sigh escaped her lips.

  Goodness! That felt amazing! She loved the broad chest and muscles that time had given him. It felt so good to feel them rubbing against her.

  When he bent so that he could set his mouth on her nipple, her knees almost buckled under her. She had to stumble backwards just so she could use the wall for support. Lucas followed her as did his mouth. He flicked her nipple with his tongue several times before fully taking it into his mouth.

  Damn! What was he doing to her? Her fingers dug into his silky hair as she urged him to take more of her. And he did. He was suckling, flicking, wreaking havoc… then he did the same to her other breast. Nipping, sucking, massaging…

  Holy Hell! He was going to kill her.

  When he reached for the elastic band of her shorts, she was all too willing to help him out. She quickly stepped out of them once they were at her knees. Then she was naked. Lucas stepped away from her so he could look at what he’d revealed.

  For a moment she felt self-conscious. She’d changed so much since he’d last seen her. Her breasts weren’t as perky, her stomach wasn’t as flat and her thighs were fatter. But once she saw the appreciative glint that lit Lucas’s eyes, all those insecurities disappeared. Obviously, he liked what he saw.

  It was confirmed when he whispered, “So beautiful.”

  Jasmine couldn’t help smiling. That smile disappeared when Lucas closed the distance between them then hauled her into his arms. One second, she was being carried and the next she was being thrown on the bed.

  “Oh!” she yelped, but he didn’t even give her time to recover. He came right over her and set his mouth over hers. The kiss was as passionate as it was heated. When he separated her legs so he could settle in their v, she hooked her legs around his back.

  Goodness! That felt…

  “Aaah!” She arched up into the rod digging into her pussy.

  Why was he wearing so many clothes? She reached for the waistband of his sweatpants. As they kissed, she pushed them down, down, down…. When she could no longer reach his shorts with her hands, she used her feet to push them lower.

  Then he was there! Right there!

  His cock was dancing at her entrance, teasing her with its thick head, promising her a world of pleasure if she only let him in. Oh, she wanted that pleasure, ached for it. Needing to get him in there, she shifted downwards and spread her legs even wider as she positioned herself right over him. She started to suck him in. His head was now pushing into her, stretching her…

  Fortunately, Lucas had more common sense than her. He tore his mouth from hers and on a ragged breath muttered, “Rubber.”

  Oh, yeah! She’d forgotten about that. Her movements were rushed and jerky as she shoved him away from her so she could grab one from her bedside table.

  “Easy! Easy!” Lucas had to soothe her when she tried to put it on him herself. “Easy.”

  Why was he taking so long? She wondered as she sat on her haunches watching him impatiently. It wasn’t rocket science. Hell, give her a second and she could-

  “Oh!” She gasped when he suddenly pushed her backwards. She landed on her back and before she could even gasp another ‘oh’, he was over her, between her legs, pushing in.

  “Fuck!” His groan matched her sharp gasp, but Jasmine could hardly hear it. All that mattered was the long, hard, swollen rod piercing her, tearing her apart. Her mouth opened in a silent scream even as she spread her legs more so he could go deeper.

  Deeper. Deeper. Deep… he was killing her.

  “Luc…” she whimpered as she clung to his upper arms. “Please.”

  She didn’t even know what she was pleading for, but apparently he did because he shoved himself in. Hard. Until he was so deep inside her, she swore she felt him in her stomach. Oh. My. God. She wanted to scream, but her vocal chords refused to produce the sound. She wanted to push him away but the pain of him being fully inside her was so sweet that she couldn’t move it.

  “You okay?” he whispered.

  No, she wasn’t okay. Had he gotten bigger while she was away? It certainly felt that way. However, her body seemed to like it because before her mouth could formulate the word ‘wait’, her lower body was already arching upwards. Her walls squeezed and convulsed around him, begged him to start moving.

  So he did.

  FUCK! IT WAS too bad that Lucas wasn’t a wolf because if he was, he’d be howling at the moon right now. Had Jasmine always been this passionate? From what he remembered, she’d been shy but eager to learn. Right now though! She was something else!

  The little screams she made as he fucked her, the way she clung to him with every limb. The way she jerked upwards with his every stroke. The way she squeezed and milked his cock… Christ! It was a good thing he wasn’t a teenager anymore because she was a recipe for premature ejaculation.

  Lucas fixed his mouth on hers for a deep kiss as he pushed harder into her. Harder… harder…. Harder. If he went any harder, he’d break her. Afraid that he was hurting her, he eased his strokes.

  Jasmine immediately ended the kiss to whisper, “No. Harder.”

  “Okay.” He pulled back and slammed into her.

  Her scream was so loud he was surprised no one banged on the wall to tell them to shut up. When he pulled back t
hen pistoned into her again that scream got louder. He slanted his mouth over hers. The goal was to quiet her screams but once he tasted her again, he couldn’t help drinking her like she was the most exotic wine.

  Oh, it felt so good to have her like this. To be in her. How had he held back from having her for so long? Need that he didn’t even know was simmering within him jumped up like a flame. It consumed him and urged him to have more of her. To break her if that’s what it took to satisfy this ravenous need biting at him. He drew his cock out then shoved it deep into her again.

  Shit! That felt amazing.

  “Luc!” Jasmine whimpered beneath him even as her legs and arms tightened around him. Her heat, her scent, her voice surrounded him until all he could think of was her. Only her.

  He’d missed this so much. He’d missed her so much. He didn’t even know how much he’d missed her until she was in his arms. And he wanted it to last for as long as possible. He brought his lips to hers, soothing her with a gentle kiss as he slowed down the pace. Soon, they had a slow, nice rhythm going on, a rhythm that was less panicked and more tender.

  Had she missed him as much as he’d missed her? He separated their lips and lifted slightly so he could see her face. Her eyes were closed, her neck arched and her lush lips parted in what could only be described as passion. He drew his hand to her cheek and stroked her silky soft skin. The amber glow of the bedside lamp made the contrast of their skin seem even deeper, more beautiful.

  He wanted to whisper that he’d missed her. Wanted to ask her if she’d missed him too? But a part of him, the still sane part, knew that he couldn’t say those words, couldn’t ask such loaded questions. Not when they still had so much of the past hanging over them. All he could whisper was her name. “Angel.”

  She opened her eyes, met his.

  The need that shone in her brown eyes left him breathless. Suddenly, it felt like something was squeezing his heart and the only way to ease that tightness was to kiss her again. So he did. Tenderly, passionately, slowly, until both of them could only pant for air.