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  I kept a quick pace and got to my place quickly. As soon as I set the bags down, Nate was calling me to say he was there. I let Parker out of his crate and poured him a new bowl of dry food just in time for Nate’s knock.

  I sort of wished I had done something with my hair. And was also worried it looked like I had just been fucked. Shit, I didn’t even think about them telling each other! They were close enough friends, surely they would talk about it at some point. Maybe not as fast as a few hours, but eventually.

  “Hey doll.” He winked and stepped inside.

  “Hi Nate, thanks for coming.” It was a short walk to the kitchen where all my bags were.

  Nate loomed behind me and I crouched down to scratch Parker’s ear. He just kept eating.

  “No problem. But you sounded a little worried over the phone.”

  I stood up and tried to smile at him, but I couldn’t shake the crick in my neck from feeling like I was being followed.

  “Uh, just a long day.” I sighed deeply. It was true that I had a long day. But not the whole truth.

  “Uh huh. Why don’t you settle in and I’ll unpack these for you? Maybe get to know the other man in your life.” He grinned and gestured to Parker. I laughed, realizing exactly what I needed was his joking spirit.

  “Okay. Thanks.” I took a deep breath of relief and went in my bedroom to change. The scrubs were comfortable but there was a limit to how long I would wear them.

  I wore leggings and a peach colored sweat shirt, then I tried to mousse my hair down and look more presentable. I spritzed some body splash and went out into the living room. I found the groceries packed and him and Parker playing, rolling around on the carpet.

  I laughed and sat on the couch to watch. “He likes you,” I announced to myself. Nate grinned and stood up, telling Parker to sit. Then he tossed him one of his snacks and sent him away. Parker always went to the same little corner by the laundry room.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. He wouldn’t have played with you if he didn’t.” I took my remote and turned the television on.

  “Nice.” He looked around my room.

  There really wasn’t much. The couch was large and brown, my rug was fluffy and brown, and I had book cases that didn’t match, but somehow went together. My television was the second most expensive thing to the rent.

  “You want to watch a movie?” He shrugged his broad shoulders. I would rather watch him in front of me, dressed in dark wash jeans and a black hoodie.

  “Sure. You don’t mind staying?” I asked him gingerly.

  “Nope. And you still have to tell me what’s bothering you.”

  He disappeared into the kitchen before I could deny him. In a few minutes, I heard popcorn popping and could smell it too. I surfed through my On-Demand selection and settled on some old action movie. I wasn’t really much for watching a movie, especially not with a view like Nate.

  Was it weird I just had sex with his friend, yet I was fawning over him still? I kept thinking about it, but tried to leave my mind free and relaxed.

  Minutes later Nate was next to me with a bowl of hot popcorn and two beers. I didn’t even know I had them.

  “So, what’s up?” He placed his hand gingerly on my knee and gave me an inquisitive look. Well, it was more sexy than inquisitive.

  “I just…it was really nothing.”

  I didn’t want to admit that I was paranoid or something.

  “Is it because Alex got jumped? I thought you just came from his place.”

  I literally froze mid-breath as I looked at him and felt my cheeks flushing. Did he know we had sex? Well, I wasn’t about to ask him.

  “No. I was just at the grocery store and I felt like I was being followed. But it was nothing. I was…being silly. I didn’t even want to call you because I didn’t want you to worry.” I blurted.

  He chuckled softly and shifted me closer to him. His arm went around my shoulder, ribbed with muscle, and I felt a tingling sensation all over my body. It was different than Alex; I felt naturally happy with him, and with Alex I just felt safe. I mean, I felt safe then too, but more carefree than usual. They each had their own effect on me.

  “Rose, I’m glad you called. I want you to always feel safe.” He arched his brow and smiled softly at me.

  “Thanks.”

  He licked his lips softly, his eyes drifting down my face like he was studying me. Suddenly I was breathing heavier, my body hotter. When I met his deep, bright eyes again, I knew I was in deep shit.

  Chapter Fifteen: Nate

  Rose had this way about her that I didn’t know how to place just yet. She was gorgeous, of course. The kind of beauty she didn’t even have to work for, and barely even knew she had. I liked how secretly confident she was. She knew her worth and her ability, but didn’t want to flaunt it at the same time. It told me she was smart, and not just because she was a nurse.

  I hated how she felt like she was being followed, but glad she had called me. I almost forgot who I was around her, but still knew I could protect her because of how my job trained me. I just kind of wished I didn’t have to. I wanted to be in the moment with her, not constantly glancing at the window, flinching when I heard noises outside the door.

  Not even the guns blazing in the action movie we were watching could distract me. Rose was tucked under my arm and the vanilla, flowery scent of her hair matched her perfectly. Sweet, and so perfectly edible. Granted, I hadn’t tasted her yet, but I damn well wanted to.

  “You didn’t have to stay. I think I was just being a little paranoid.” Rose spoke softly to me, her voice a little more than a whisper. I held back a snicker at the absurdity of it. I would never hesitate to be there for her when she needed me. The reality of that was a little scary, but I wasn’t going to shy away from it.

  “You don’t need to thank me, Rose,” I said back. I pressed my lips to the top of her head softly. She stirred slightly and pressed her body closer to mine.

  I could only barely feel the swells of her breast on her right side on mine. I willed my dick not to get hard about it, only because I didn’t want to assume anything. Much as I wanted to fuck her right into the couch.

  “I know, but…this whole thing, it just feels like I’m underestimating it.”

  “Yeah?” I tilted my head and tried to get her to look at me. Her eyelids twitched, and she twisted her lips around as she stared at the television, clearly not watching what was on it.

  “I don’t know. It sounds silly. It’s just when I followed Parker down that trail I expected to find a dead squirrel or something. He literally hunts those things. But instead I found…I don’t even know what I found.”

  I felt her body tightening by the second, the more she spoke. It made me so worried about her, I didn’t even really know what to say. Or what the right thing was to say at that time. Rose was very head strong, and I could tell that once she had even a small idea in her head, it would be hard to convince her otherwise.

  For a little bit, I just held her tighter, rubbing her arm until her body started to relax again. It took me a while to figure what I should even say back.

  “When I was in that convenience store, the first thing I wanted to do was run. I didn’t even want to think about what was going to happen to that old man, I just wanted to get out of there. But something didn’t let me. I don’t know if it was stupidity, or real bravery—I still don’t know even now, but I do know I’m glad I did it. So, it’s normal that you’re having second thoughts. Or…maybe wising you didn’t even do anything.” I sighed and chewed my inner lip, something I did when I was nervous and couldn’t tell a joke. I liked to pick the most appropriate moments, and comforting Rose was not a good one.

  “How did you know that?” Rose finally looked up at me with wonder in her eyes that I wanted to look at forever. God, her eyes were so beautiful. Deep, soulful globes of wit and beauty.

  Every part of her was amazing. The soft arch of her brow, her button nose, and the perfect cupi
d’s brow of her soft, full lips. I was just in awe of her, and her body wasn’t even the forefront. Granted, she had an amazing fucking body. I hadn’t seen hips like hers in…well, ever. I loved how she wasn’t thin and every part of her body had shape.

  I blinked rapidly and brought myself back to the current situation.

  “Because I’ve been where you are. But I know you’ll be okay, because you’re brave. And you’ve got us.” I shrugged and gave her an easy smile.

  The hard ridges of her brows finally softened, and she gave me a small smile that made me feel better. She nodded slightly and rested her head back on my chest.

  For a while, we just watched the movie. We had already gone through the popcorn and beer, but I wasn’t hungry. Well, I was hungry for her but also trying to be on my watch. I didn’t want her to notice though, she was already so set on thinking she was being watched. But, part of me knew that she wasn’t seeing things, and she wasn’t being paranoid.

  Me and the guys knew the risks of keeping her involved with the case, and we wanted to keep them at a minimum. But we couldn’t control everything. The results of the autopsy were fucking disturbing—they matched those other two victims exactly. Amy was damned good at her job, so we knew to trust her. Every criminologist assigned to the case was doing their due diligence, and found it way too easy to link the cases.

  We were dealing with a serial killer, or serial murders; depending on if these guys actually did something, and weren’t just targeted arbitrarily.

  I had to stop thinking about it or I would cave and come clean to Rose. My hand started drifting farther south and rested on her hip. Just the warmth of it was enough to do me in. I had to shift closer to her, and pull her even closer to me. The desire I felt for Rose was a need and not a want at that point.

  “Nate…” her voice was breathless as she looked up at me. Our faces were inches apart and her scent swirled around me, clouding my better judgement.

  “Rose.” I smirked. She almost rolled her eyes, but then shook her head once.

  I knew what she was planning to go on about before she even said anything. “I…”

  I shut her up in the best way possible by pressing my lips to hers. I didn’t even press against her, I just trapped her lower lip between mine and sucked ever so softly. The smallest mewl of surprise left her mouth and it made my dick twitch in my pants. I cupped her face softly and tilted her head back. She turned her head and deepened the kiss, and I took the opportunity to graze her lips with my tongue. She didn’t even hesitate before dropping her jaw slightly and allowing my tongue in her mouth. I pulled back and swirled my tongue around hers before coming back and kissing her even harder. She moaned fully and reciprocated. Her fingers were soft and hesitant as they rested on my chest and then glided down to my abs. I kept kissing her, our lips pulling at each other, sucking at each other. Until we needed air.

  With breathless pants, we stared closely at each other. Her lips were swollen as she flicked her tongue against them quickly. I groaned softly before placing my hands on either side of her head and coming at her until she laid down beneath me on the couch. Her eyes softened as if in a sort of surrender and then I was on her again. Harder, more urgently that time.

  She clutched at my sides and knocked her legs open until I was right between them. Her tongue went wild when I let my crotch sit right on top of her hot pussy. I could feel her heat between our clothes and could only imagine how wet she probably was. Now maybe I was a weird guy, but I was into driving both her and me mad by prolonging the moment. I could kiss her like this until she begged me to rip her clothes off and fuck her, and hope it would happen before my dick fell off.

  She tried to murmur something against my lips, but I just kept kissing, kept letting our tongues try and fight for the upper hand. I tilted my head and let my lips fall down her cheeks, to her soft neck I dreamed about tasting.

  “Nate, mhmm…” she moaned incomprehensibly as I suckled the skin just below her ear. It must have been her sweet spot, because the longer I did it, the more she writhed.

  I soaked up every inch of her womanly curves with my hands; from her luscious hips to the dip of her waist. I massaged her breasts over her sweatshirt, loving how they fit perfectly in my hands. I could even feel her nipples hardening through the fabric, and somehow, I was surprised to discover she wanted me like that. And fuck did I want her too.

  I swore I could start to smell her arousal the longer I went on. Down her clavicle, across her neck and back up to her lips where I kissed her long and slow. I pulled at her lips, releasing them with a loud wet noise before I did it again, and again. Her thighs clenched around me and she started to grind on me, I growled deep in response because she was rubbing right on my dick that was growing uncomfortably hard in my pants.

  I wanted to reach in to her pants and stroke her to orgasm, but I didn’t want to overwhelm her. This whole thing with the guys…it wouldn’t be easy for her to just jump into it. And I didn’t want to influence her too much. I just wanted her, however I could get her.

  The softness of her lips and her little mewls against me was enough at the time.

  Her fingers fisted in my hair and she moved her hips upwards and I swore I felt it in my spine. The hardness of my cock was paralyzing. Our kiss got more and more frantic, and I just couldn’t hold off anymore. She moaned into my mouth as I started to unbutton her pants, and I only pulled back to look in her eyes as I did so. There was permission in them just before there was shock, and then she just about threw me off her.

  “Did you see that?” Her voice was so high it was a screech, and I didn’t hesitate to check it out.

  I headed over to the window, “See what?” Even my voice was different from the desire. But I knew I had to focus.

  I looked out the window and sat it just before it disappeared. A man with a camera just on top of the water tank.

  “I swear I saw a flash or something.” She came to my side, flustered with swollen lips and messy hair. Fuck, it was hard to concentrate.

  “Are-are you sure?” I met her eyes. I hated to ask her, but I had to.

  “Yes. It was like fucking teenagers in the ER documenting their shitty choices.” She just about rolled her eyes and I tried not to laugh. In that moment, I saw Rose and I had something in common. Humor makes everything fucking easier to handle.

  “I saw a guy run off,” I said softly, afraid of how it would affect her.

  “Are you sure?” She turned my question back on me.

  “Positive.”

  She arched her brow and blew out a frustrated breath as she combed her hands through her hair. She started pacing around the room and when she reached the end of the couch, she stopped and looked at me. The expression on her face was something I never wanted to see on her again. Fear.

  “I’m being watched.”

  Chapter Sixteen: Max

  It was funny how even a locker room full of adult men could be just like a locker room back in high school, maybe even junior high. I finished a twenty-four-hour stint and was exhausted, but needed a good shower and a very important conversation with the guys before I slept it all off.

  Everything I found out was burning a hole in my brain and I needed to pass it on fast. It really got me thinking of Rose, which made my shower very uncomfortable because I couldn’t jack off once I started thinking about her naked, ramming my cock in her over and over. Unfortunately, the thought of her in danger eclipsed everything. We had to figure this out, and fast.

  I wrapped my waist in a towel and stepped out into the locker room, which was finally empty just as I knew it would be at that time. I already knew that Nate and Alex were coming in. It just wasn’t private enough in the precinct, and Alex was still getting too many visitors and such about his promotion. This case was already blowing up and if we gave too much away at once, we would lose it entirely. The three of us operated like that sometimes, certain cases that needed to be contained. We were good that way, and the Lieutenant appreci
ated it. We sort of made the seventy-eighth what it was in the past few years, but we didn’t like to think much of it.

  We just did our jobs.

  I managed to put deodorant on before they came busting in the room. Fuckers.

  “Fuck do you want man, this is my tea time!” Nate just about shoved me into my locker before sitting on the old wooden bench. Alex just shook his head and leaned against the locker. I still hadn’t gotten used to seeing him in a suit all the time.

  “I sort of figured everything out.”

  “Sort of? Everything? You don’t sound very convincing.” Alex crossed his arms and I about rolled my eyes at him. I mean I love him like a brother but sometimes he can be an entitled prick. His slightly swollen eye hadn’t gone down yet.

  Ugh, that was my lack of sleep talking.

  “I have a guy on the inside, you remember Keeg?” I asked them. They both nodded.

  Keeg was a guy we took down way back in our early days, and got him off by basically hiring him as our inside guy to the Irish mob. It was a little messed up, since he was committing crimes, probably felonies, and we weren’t arresting him. But it helped us close the bigger cases so…yeah, that was the American police system.

  “I had a feeling about him after Amy connected all these crimes. His mob was behind those shakedowns a few years back, way before our time.” I start getting dressed because the towel was scratchy. “Anyway, I called him up just to see if he had any ‘idea’ and he didn’t take too kindly to being accused. But that’s besides the point—he knew some shit.”

  “Some shit?” Nate chuckled.

  “Yeah. A lot of it. Turns out these killings are the same as those robberies back then.”

  They both looked confused and I knew why.

  Those robberies back then were just that, robberies. They were fairly low on the radar even though they were so many. Mostly because the guys were all rich and no one honestly cared about the few hundred dollars that were stolen from them. Of course, there was an investigation at the time and minimal security once they were all linked, but once they figured out why they got robbed, their wealthy asses skipped town.