Loverboy (21 page)

I lie comfortably on my side, sweaty and completely exhausted, as we both catch our breath slowly. I pay full attention to her as she lies on her back, staring up at my ceiling. I watch carefully as her stomach rises and falls. How her lips part slightly every so often. I trace my finger tip around her lips and make a trail down her chin to her neck. I find another red mark just near her collar bone, and I let my finger pass over it and move further to her breasts. I graze just over her nipple that rises against my skin, meeting my touch as I move to her belly where I concentrate on her slow, relaxed breathing.

“What’s on your mind?” She asks.
             

“You.” I smile. “What else?”

“You must be thinking about something else,” she says, laying a hand over mine where it rests on her belly.

I look down at our hands before speaking. “Can you remember how you got the marks?” I ask.

She gives her head a shake. “Guess it’s probably better that I don’t,” she admits.

I tenderly pull her into my arms. “As long as I’m here, I promise that I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you again.”

I feel her as she tenderly begins tracing her nail over the lines in my tattoo. “Nick?”

“Yeah?” I reply.

“Where do you see us?” She asks. “I mean, you see us having a future, right? Is that crazy to ask? Am I crazy for thinking that this soon?”

I nod. “Of course, I do. I really meant what I said before, Charlie, that I love you. I wouldn’t have said it otherwise.”

“I’m sorry if I’m interrogating you,” she says. “I just need to know.” She lets out a breath. “I’m not the type to be jumping in some guy’s bed. And, after what happened, the last thing I expected was to want to be in yours.”

I use my index finger to adjust her gaze to meet mine. “We’ll go as slow as you like.”

She smiles, and I feel her body relax as she rests her head back on my chest. I reach blindly to my night stand for my watch.

“What time is it?” She asks.

“Eleven-thirty,” I say. “So much for taking you out to dinner.”

“Well,” she says softly. “I’m not really that hungry. But, if I do remember, you said you give a great massage.”

I laugh. “Is that a hint?”

“A very subtle one,” she says, tracing her finger along my stomach in such a way that it gives me chills, and I have to fight the urge to keep her up for a few more hours.

“Alright, you.” I smile. “Roll over and get comfortable.”

She obeys, moving to lay flat on her belly. I immediately begin working on her shoulders and upper back, where I find a few more red lines that had once been deep cuts. I
knead my thumbs into her spine and slowly work to her lower back. I hear her let out a low groan. “I do love you, Nick,” she says, in a sleepy voice.

I move my lips to her ear. “And, I meant it when I said I love you, too, Charlie.”

I continue to rub her back as her body falls limp and her breathing slows. She falls into a peaceful slumber quickly. I smile, as I begin working the blankets around her while I change my position and get comfortable myself. I find myself playing with her hair until I drift to sleep myself.

* * * * * *

Bright sunlight in my face wakes me slowly. I move slightly and feel Charlie’s hair brush along my chest. I rub my eyes and look down to see that she’s curled up into my body and her face is completely buried against my chest. She moves slightly, letting out a soft noise as I move to stretch for a moment. She wiggles for a moment and pushes herself closer to me, letting one leg flop over onto mine. I smile. I didn’t want to move anyway. I settle back into my pillow, brush her hair from her face, and tug the blanket up and over her bare shoulders. She lets out another soft moan and wiggles. This time I can tell she’s just starting to wake up. She rolls away from me slightly and stretches her arms slowly above her head. Finally, her eyes open slowly and she looks up at me.

“Nick,” she says, her cheeks growing pink.

I smile. “Good morning.”

She blushes. “Good morning.”

“Did you sleep well?” I ask.

She nods. “I did. I really did.” She bites her lip for a second. “That massage must have really worked.”

“Just the massage?” I tease.

Her cheeks turn crimson within a second. “Among other things,” she admits. “How did you sleep?”

“Best I’ve slept in a long time,” I admit. I lean in to kiss her forehead and run my hand up and down her back. “What do you say, since we skipped dinner, that we get up and get dressed, and I’ll take you to this great donut shop I know,” I tell her. “Everything is homemade.”

“So, it is true.” She smiles. “Cops do like donuts.”

I laugh. I didn’t catch myself in the cliché comment. “Yeah, I guess we do.”

She smiles and nods. “I think I’m going to shower first,” she tells me. She takes a moment to glance at me, and then lifts the blanket up. I see her cheeks grow red
again as she slides herself slowly from the bed and hurries behind the bathroom door. I lie back in bed and relax until the sound of the running water stops. I hear the shower door click open and shut again. She emerges from the bathroom sometime later, completely wrapped in one of my large black towels and carrying a small pile of folded clothes.              

I smile at her as I reluctantly pull myself from the bed and into the bathroom. I make it a point to shower as quickly as I can. Washing myself head to toe and even shaving within fifteen minutes. A new record for me. I quickly dry myself and wrap the towel around my waist. I find Charlie, dressed only in her jeans, on her hands and knees peeking under the bed.

“Lose something?” I ask.

She quickly stands and crosses her arms in front of her. “My shirt. I can’t remember what I did with it. I know I had it somewhere around here.”

“You know,” I tell her, turning to my dresser, “I think under the circumstances, it’s okay to let me see you.” I yank open a drawer and pull out a fresh white, V-neck tee shirt.

She blushes again. “I’m sorry. I’m just not used to this,” she says, letting her body relax and her guard down.

I extend the shirt to her and grin. “Besides, I really don’t mind seeing.”

Her cheeks turn such a shade of red; I’d have sworn they were on fire. She lets out a breath and pulls the shirt over her head.

She reaches for the hair brush she’d brought with her and takes a seat on my bed, as I grab at one of my uniforms and begin working the badge off to slide into my pocket.

“You’re wearing that?” She asks.

“I am on duty,” I tease, giving her a bright smile. “They do pay me to wear this, you know?” I wink. “I’m only getting my badge. I’m supposed to be low key, remember?”

She glances down, closing her eyes for a moment, biting down on the corner of her bottom lip. Finally, she looks up and smiles as she runs the brush past a wad of
tangles.

My mouth drops as I walk over to her. “I know that look.” I say. “I absolutely know that look,” I tell her, walking closer.

“What are you talking about?” She asks, working the brush through another spot of tangles.

“That look you just gave me,” I say. “I know that look.”

She shakes her head as she begins carefully pulling her hair into a messy but cute up do, letting the remaining curls fall around her face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh yes you do.” I smile. “You have that look,” I say, wrapping my arms around her waist. “When you,” I pause, leaning my face next to hers, letting my lips find her ear. “Like something.” I finally breathe.

She protests, shaking her head and laughing. “I do not.”

I nod. “You do.” I run a hand up the back of her shirt, finding her lower back, one spot in particular that I became very familiar with last night and I graze my finger
tips along it. I feel her body go weak as she leans her body into mine. Within seconds she glances downward and closes her eyes to bite on the corner of her bottom lip. “Why, Charlie,” I smile, whispering into her ear, “do you like it when I’m in uniform?

She shakes her head slowly.

“Are you sure?”

I run my fingers over her lower back again before she finally gives in.

“Maybe.”

She looks up at me with her lip still between her teeth, her breaths slowly picking up speed. I lean in and press my lips to hers before pulling back and smiling at her again.

“It’s not like I’m the only woman in the world,” she finally shoots back. “There are plenty who love men in uniform.”

I laugh softly. “So it is true.”

She takes a moment, and then nods as her cheeks fill with a bright pink color.

“Checked me out in the uniform once or twice, huh?” I wink.

Her cheeks flush more. “Maybe; you did barge into my hospital room wearing it,” she admits. “But I’m not the first woman, and I won’t be the last.”

I smile, taking her hand. “I won’t tease you anymore,” I tell her. “Let’s head over to that little donut shop.”

“You are going to be
that
cop, and have donuts?” She asks as she follows behind me.

I laugh. “Is this what I get for teasing you about checking me out?”

She nods.

“Fine, yes I’m going to be that cliché cop who goes into donut shops and loves donuts and pie; you cannot forget pie,” I tell her, giving her hand a little squeeze.

She lets out a laugh as I hand her a jacket, since it’s more than likely colder than we expect outside, but we barely make it to my living room when my cell phone begins ringing. I reach into my pocket and suddenly realize that it had been on the counter all night long. I make a mad dash, grabbing it and sliding the ‘
answer’
key.

“Andrews!” Wilson yells in my ear. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you all night!”

I hold up my finger to Charlie. “Sorry, I’ve been having some phone issues,” I lie. “Good news?”

“Look, Lockland isn’t about to talk,” he tells me. “But he did give us a little piece of information.”

“What?” I ask.

“The other guy is a cop,” he says. “And, he works for our department. I have no idea who this guy is, but he could very well know that Charlie is under your protection,” He tells me. “So, do not under any circumstances let any other officer into her apartment unless you run it by me. From here on out, I’m the only one you talk to,” He orders.

“Sure thing, Wilson,” I reply.             

“You keep her safe, Andrews.” And, with that my phone flashes
‘call ended
.’

I push the lock button on my phone and slide it into my pocket. I look at Charlie, who stares at me. “Everything okay?” She asks.

I nod. “It’s fine. It’s just that, Lockland, the cop you identified, isn’t talking. But, he did admit to the other guy being a cop. Sergeant Wilson, my boss, just doesn’t think it’s too safe right now,” I tell her.

“So, in other words, no donut shop.”

I nod. “I just don’t feel safe trying to take you out right now. He said the other guy could very well know you are under my protection. If he does know, then he could know my cover, and how we are keeping things low key for you.”

“It’s okay,” she says, frowning.

“Charlie, I really would give anything to take you out on a real date, I would,” I tell her. “But, I just can’t, knowing that it’s not one hundred percent safe.”

“Nick, it’s okay, really. We could order take out, watch a movie. I could even cook something.”

“Well, we could fix something together,” I suggest, reaching for her hand and leading her to the kitchen.

She smiles. “I would really like that.”

“What can we fix?” I ask.

“Well, what do you have?” She asks.

“I know I have everything for grilled cheese and tomato soup,” I tell her. “It’s not gourmet, but I’m a sucker for grilled cheese and tomato soup.”

She grins wide. “It’s one of my favorites too.”

“Does that sound okay?”

She nods. “It sounds perfect.”

“And, how about one of those goofy chick flicks?” I ask.

She laughs. “You would really sit through one?”

“Hey, I’ve done it for you before,” I remind her.

I begin helping her pull all the needed things from the cupboards and the refrigerator. I pile them in a neat row on the counter. She smiles as she reaches for the bread, taking out a few slices to get the ready for the frying pan.

A soft knock on my door interrupts us. I glance at Charlie and bring my finger to my lips as I head over to answer it. It is a strange surprise to see Edmunds, one of the guys from the department. I answer immediately, but heed to Wilson’s warning and immediately find an excuse to wave him away. “Edmunds, I was just on my way out; I’ve got to get back to work.”

He glances over and past my shoulder, and luckily enough, is unable to see Charlotte. “Oh, it’s not a problem; I just wanted to see if you were going out tonight?”