Fast and Easy (2 page)

“Help a little here.” He stumbled and went down, taking her with him. She would have laughed, but she was a little afraid he’d let go of her. He managed to slog out of the water, pulling her along like a sack of potatoes. “Here we go again.”

She didn’t care what he said. Nothing had ever felt better than the mud under her back, and she wasn’t interested in him at the moment.

A few minutes passed before curiosity made her ask what he’d meant. “Were you making a chauvinist comment about me, Don?”

“Hell, yes.” He rubbed water out of his eyes and pointed at her nose. “You’re a fucking menace, Redstone.”

She sat up and twisted her sopping hair into a long ponytail. “I hear you, and thanks for dragging me out.” She was grateful for that, but his continual little digs dimmed her desire to be nice to him.

He stood, checking to see if he still had his weapon and shield. “If you’re finished wasting time, let’s find those high-class bastards.” He swiped at the mud on his jeans. “Lord, what a night.”

“That you’re a nice guy when you have to be.” She scrambled to her feet and headed out onto the sandbar.

She heard his footsteps behind her, glad he’d covered her back. The sandbar was soft, and she sank past her shoe tops. She hated to admit he’d ever been right about anything, but going home for a fast change of clothes would have been the smart thing to do.

Hearing men’s voices, she stopped. “They’re at the end of the outcrop.” Pulling out her Glock, she bent down to wait for Don to talk over their plan of action.

“I don’t think we should take them completely by surprise.” He squatted next to her. “I say we go with plan one.”

“The one where you play sheriff and I show up as Gabby Hayes?” His soft groan made her reword her comment. “Okay, you let them know you’re here. I’ll bring up the rear.” She rolled her eyes, and watched as he moved ahead.

She followed, staying several steps behind him. He walked along the edge of the bar, gripping his weapon in both fists.

Damn, why didn’t he say something? The felons had stopped talking and doused their lantern. They obviously knew the cops were there.

“It’s the KCPD, boys. Put your hands on your heads and walk toward us.” Don yelled his orders, but the men on the sandbar remained silent.

All hell broke out after that. Glass breaking, gunfire and screaming rolled up the river and twisted her nerves into stretched barbed wire.

With no light to see where they were, Carmen stood her ground in the middle of the narrow island, bending her knees for better leverage.

She heard Don ordering them to drop their weapons and hit the dirt. From that point on, everything was a mix of cursing and more gunfire. Someone ran toward her.

He was fat, gaining ground, and carrying a gun. Asshole number one was hell bent on getting by her, aiming for a full tackle if she didn’t move. She froze where she was, yelling at him to halt. He opened his mouth and let out a scream, leveling his pistol at her.

Come on scumbag.

He was two feet away when she made her move, stepping to her right and taking him down with a foot to his knee.

He screamed in pain, rolling onto his belly. “You bitch! You broke my knee.” The weapon he’d brandished at her flew off to the side and thudded into the sand.

She knelt down and yanked his hands behind his back, gritting her teeth as she forced the cuffs on his wrists. “Calm down, Princess, or I’ll give you something to cry about.”

Don walked back to where she held her arrest down with a knee to his backbone. “You all right, Redstone?”

She looked behind him. “Where’s yours?”

“He’s lying back there with a broken nose.” He pulled out a well- worn card and read the detainee his rights. She knew the guy didn’t hear any of it over his cussing and threats. After shoving the card in his pocket, he called in their location.

They didn’t talk much while waiting for transport. It had gone down pretty sloppy in her eyes, but both of them were alive and these two creeps would spend a lot of time in jail.

Carmen watched Don check on his bloodied prisoner. She heard him comment on the danger of using drugs, his version of light humor. The guy didn’t laugh. The packets of drugs taken from his pants pockets would add some time to his sentence.

She wasn’t too concerned about the guy. He felt well enough to hold the rag Don had found and shoved at him to his bleeding nose.

While Don checked the downed man over, she focused on his hands. They were strong and tanned, and she remembered how they’d touched and stroked every part of her. He knew her body as well as she did. He leaned over the screaming man, and she flushed hot, remembering him leaning over her, making her wait while his cock pulsed between her quivering thighs.

“Transport’s coming.”

The wail of sirens burst her erotic dream. “Maybe we can get out of here without much trouble.” She stood, watching the flickering lights at the footbridge.

Don handed her the flashlight. “You want to go meet them?” He gestured to her prisoner. “They’re not going anywhere.”

She didn’t balk or argue. After all, they were partners, if only for tonight. “The arrest report will take hours.”

“After we’re finished with them, we’ll go clean up.” He looked at his watch, the glow of the dial clear in the humid darkness. “If we’re lucky, we’ll be done by the end of our shift.”

Okay. He’s not reporting you for any missteps. Does he want to work with you after all
?

“I’ll go get the report started.”

She paused in mid-step. “Yeah.”

“Good job.” He dropped the car keys in her hand.

She flushed at his unexpected praise. “Thanks, Don. It was a good bust.”

Her warm glow faded with every step toward the bridge.

You’re an idiot, Carmen. A few decent words from him and you’re ready to roll over. He’d say that to one of these wild cats just for conversation.

She walked a short distance back with the officers and EMC’s until she was sure they would find Don and the drug dealers.

While she climbed the narrow steps to the street, several residents of the tent city near the bridge approached her. She caught a whiff of their stench, figuring it wouldn’t take a breathalyzer test to know they had been on the bottle recently. Kittens that had been peeping out from under the footbridge took off for safety.

“We got wine.” The taller of the two held out a bottle that was running on empty. “Take a drink.” He cackled, and punched his companion in the ribs. “You can be our woman tonight.”

Okay. This is getting serious
.

“Sorry boys, but I’m still on duty.” Carmen took her shield from her belt and held it up. The piece of metal seemed to sober them up in a hurry.

They mumbled an incoherent apology and stumbled their way under the bridge. She breathed a sigh of relief, glad they were able to figure out what the shield meant.

She knew Don was close when she heard gravel crunching under his shoes.

“Who were you talking to?” He waited for her to get in the car. “You drive.”

“You’re kidding?” Her brows lifted in exaggerated shock.

“I’m not.” He got into the passenger seat and belted himself in. “I think I pulled a groin muscle fighting that prick.”

She got in the car, buckling up before speaking to him. “We can stop at the emergency room if you need it.”

He shook his head, and drying mud from his hair flew over the dashboard. “I’m too tired for that. Take me to a nice hot shower and dry shorts.”

Carmen laughed, eyeing his hair that stood in muddy spikes off his scalp. “Your place or mine?”

She couldn’t snatch back the evocative suggestion. Hell, she didn’t want to.

“Your place is closer.” He grinned and leaned his head back against the headrest. “I may want to nap while I’m there.”

“I don’t recall inviting you for a sleepover.”

“We didn’t sleep, remember?”

Her nerves tightened down to her crotch. Remember? She hadn’t had a decent relationship since they’d torn the motel bed down.

She signed the report and handed him the clipboard, nearly climaxing when he grinned and grabbed her hand to kiss her fingers.

“Just write your report, you charmer.” He heaved an exaggerated sigh and turned on the overhead light. “We can expect to be called in by IA after the hospital turns in their report.”

“Fuck IA.” He wrote fast and steady, obviously not concerned with what would happen. Frankly, neither was she. They had handled the arrest in a professional manner.

She watched him sign the four-page document and slide the pen in the top of the clipboard. “Let’s get this over with, Don. I’m turning into a brick.”

He laughed and patted her thigh. “We’ll have to scrape this stuff off.”

“Were you serious about going to my place?” Oh damn. She had to open her mouth and sound like a desperate slut. “I meant that you don’t have any clothes at my apartment.”

“How about you stopping at my apartment, and I’ll grab some clean stuff.” He turned the air condition on high. “Okay with you, Redstone?”

Good going, Carmen. You have positively proven how horny you are. Well, he doesn’t need to know it’s him you’ve been burning for.

Chapter Three

At headquarters, Carmen stood rigid with resentment as the captain barked out his questions while reading from their reports. “What do you mean, their rights?” She didn’t miss the warning that flashed in his blue eyes, yet she had to make her statement. “Nothing was violated down there on that sandbar. They had drugs and alcohol and fired weapons at us.”

Don grinned at her and touched his throat in a slicing motion. “We read them the Miranda, gave first aid, and called for the EMT’s.” He roughed his hair and little pellets of mud shot across the room.

She hoped the interrogation hadn’t dampened his desire for hot sex. She needed to blow off steam, and he was the only one who could help her hit the release button.

Captain Wesman paced the floor several times, checking their report again. “Did you find it necessary to cripple the man, Redstone?”

She almost laughed but held it in. “I found it the most effective action if I wanted to stay live. He’ll walk again.”

Captain Wesman looked like a man that would be more comfortable at home, watching a ball game with his family, not railing at them. He had a thatch of wavy, steel gray hair and a hint of a paunch over his belt. What he’d lost in physical fitness, he’d maintained in his voice of authority.

He nodded, flipping the folder shut. “Internal Affair’s will want more from both of you.” Wesman glanced at her muddy ensemble. “Your shift is over.”

“Yes, sir.” Carmen avoided eye contact with the stern man on her way out of the room.

Her thoughts weren’t on the report. She wanted to run out of the building and hurry to her apartment. A quiver of excitement jangled through her. The rest of the night would be hers, far removed from bums and dealers.

She still couldn’t believe they had stopped off at Don’s apartment, and he’d come running with fresh clothing under his arm. He was anxious as her to give in to the torrid sex that had been put on hold for months.

He followed her down the quiet hall to the entrance, out the parking lot and to her car. He shook his head and patted her ass. “You still got balls.”

She unlocked her door and turned to face him. “I have something better.” The light touch of his fingers on her breast switched on a red-hot lick of desire in her pussy. “It’s going to set yours on fire.”

His soft laugh fueled the flames in her blood. He strode off to his car.

She drove sanely to her apartment, resisting the urge to run lights and break speed limits. He was on her bumper, the idea making her squirm. She wanted to ride his bumper and hear him beg for more.

He pulled behind her in front of her building, getting out of his car before she could open her door.

“Give me the key.” He cradled the bundle of clothes under his arm and held his hand out.

“Anxious, are we?” Carmen got out and handed him her keys.

He took her hand and led her to the entrance, turning the key in his fingers with calm deliberation. “I don’t want you to leave me standing out here.”

She didn’t care what he’d meant. The only thing she had planned was wrapping herself around his warm, hard body.

He’d never been in her apartment, and he waited until she pointed him in the right direction. He held her hand while he unlocked the door, pulling her inside with him.

She heard the door slam behind them, and felt the strength of his arms hauling her snug against him. From that point, desire rendered her a little crazy.

His mouth crushed down over hers, his tongue demanding entry. She didn’t need coaxing, her lips parted, softening under his until their tongues met in passionate exploration. He was dominating, powerful and rough, pressing her to the wall.

Her panties were wet, and the scent of arousal permeated the warm air. In her passionate stupor, the sound of ripping material jolted her to dreamy sanity. What did she care about popping buttons and ripping material? The zipper of her slacks cried out in protest under his rough treatment, but gave in with a high-pitched whine as her slacks fell to the floor.

His moan spurred her into action, her fingers freeing the belt around his lean waist, working deftly to unbutton his jeans. Pushing her hand down and over his hard belly into his shorts aroused wildness in her. He was hard as blue steel and growing in her hand, beads of pre-come wetting her palm.

She pushed her hips against his hand, spreading her legs to give him all the room he needed to massage her clit. She lifted her leg to his waist, holding him closer to better enjoy the stretching of her pussy around his fingers.

Cool air licked over her bare breasts until his warm palm covered her nipple, his fingers squeezing the taut bud into a sensitive point.

He caught her hand and rasped against her mouth. “You’re going to make me explode in your hand.” He kissed her hard and sucked her lower lip into his mouth, nipping lightly. “Damn, Redstone. You’re fucking hot even with mud on your face.”