The Ex File (Behind the Blue Line Series Book 1) (15 page)

Sean leaned against the doorframe. The pink light of sunset spilled into the room behind him, bathing him in an almost beatific glow. The black t-shirt and hair made his pale blue eyes shine even brighter than normal and the jeans…damn, what that man could do to a pair of jeans.

She licked her lips as she looked him over, coming back to his beautiful sapphire eyes that heated her blood like a fire on the coldest winter night. “Hello, stranger.”

* * *

“May I help you, miss?” Sean made sure to take his time as he looked her over from her loose jet black curls that his fingers itched to play in, to the way the black trench clung to each and every delectable curve before stopping just above her knees to reveal her bare legs and sky high heels. Oh yes, he could think of many ways she could help him. His imagination began to short circuit at the possibilities.

Her dark eyes glittered and her deep red lips twitched with mischief. “I don’t know, detective. Something on your mind?”

He stepped aside to allow her in, and took her overnight bag from her hand, setting it on the breakfast bar. Last thing he wanted was his hands occupied with anything that wasn’t her flesh, and very, very soon. “I think you might be dangerous.”

Ellie paused at the kitchen table and turned to look at him over her shoulder. “Dangerous? Me?”

Her sexy purr coupled with her playfully innocent pout had him at her back and pressing her against the dark wood table. The sight of her hands gripping the edge tightly was almost enough to set him off. His fingers worked diligently on the viciously tight knot that held her coat closed. He’d have been lying if he hadn’t been thinking about just this scenario ever since she’d called him on her lunch break. “Very much so.” He sighed against her neck, loving the way she shuddered and trembled in his arms. “I might have to search you.”

Sean’s hands abandoned the belt and roamed over the soft canvas. He cupped her breasts, and she arched back against him as much as she could while leaving her hands on the table in front of her. Fingering each large button, he moved down the front placket of the coat to where it opened below the belt. His hand slipped inside the fabric folds, and she gasped and spread her legs a little. “You have a warrant to search that, detective?”

He chuckled and kissed the side of her neck while sliding his fingers over the delicate mesh of her panties. The way her stomach jumped at his touch had him so stiff he wondered if he was going to break. “Not if I think you’re hiding something dangerous that could hurt me. You wouldn’t hurt me, would you?”

Ellie opened her eyes and met his gaze with a scalding one of her own. Her hands went from the table to the knotted black belt at her waist, with a flick of the wrist, the black sash felt open and with it, the coat that had been clinging so tightly to her came free. “Only if you asked me nicely.”

Sean hadn’t felt a need this intense since high school, and that was probably being generous. He needed her now, and all the thoughts in his head that had been clamoring for his attention quieted down to just the two of them, together. He stepped back from her and slowly drew the coat down her arms, reveling in every inch of skin revealed. He kissed her shoulder and took his time removing each hand from its sleeve and placing her hands back on the table.

Once the coat hit the floor, he kicked it aside and nudged her feet further apart. His shirt landed somewhere in the living room. The image of her, bent over the table in those tiny little panties and her ridiculously high heels did something to him, and he couldn’t help himself. He grabbed a handful of her hair, and pulled her back against him, his other hand busy with his jeans and tearing away her panties. “I wasn’t gonna ask.”

Her gasp as he slid into her was like throwing jet fuel on a camp fire. The added height of the heels, the way her grip on the table shifted from in front of her to the sides, laying her almost flat out beneath him as he took her, all of it only drove him higher. One hand in her hair, pulling it to the side to kiss and bite her shoulder and neck, his other hand moving feverishly from her full breasts to her hip and back again. The way Ellie moved against him, he could feel her getting close and slid his fingers down to tease her clit, rubbing small circles that had her hips grinding and her mouth falling open in a litany of ecstasy. She chanted his name, the sexiest sound he’d ever heard, a plea, an exaltation, taking him to the edge and over far sooner than he’d hoped for.

Sean collapsed on her back, pressing her to the table, sweaty skin on skin, the tactile slipperiness both soothing and arousing. Her snickering roused him from his post-coital torpor. “Yes?”

“Oh, I was just thinking I missed you, too. And…” she attempted to push herself up from the table and failed, “I’m probably now permanently affixed to your kitchen table.”

“I can think of worse centerpieces,” he replied, the last part of the sentence ending on a yawn, which only made her laugh more.

Ellie yawned as well and wriggled beneath him, shifting her weight and, if he had to guess from the sudden change in height, kicking off her shoes. “Don’t suppose I could talk you into taking this upstairs before the wood grain becomes a tattoo.”

With much effort, Sean stood and pulled her up against him. He couldn’t get over how right his world was when he was with her. “I think we can manage that.”

“And can we talk about those panties? I really liked that pair…”

Ellie’s morning routine was hard to stick to with Sean around. She desperately needed a shower, both to be clean and to work out some of the kinks and muscle strains she’d acquired in his presence since yesterday evening. Sean had mentioned joining her to ‘conserve water’, but she knew if she allowed that, neither of them would make it into work.

She dressed while he went out for his run with Guinness. Her work attire of a polo shirt and khakis was a far cry from the turbocharged sexpot who showed up on his doorstep. It may as well have been two different people.

“Hey, babe.” Sean hollered up the stairway from the living room announcing his return from his run. “I’m gonna make some breakfast. You want anything in particular?”

Ellie looked at her watch. She was cutting it closer than she generally preferred and really had to head out, though breakfast with him was seriously tempting. After putting her comb away, she checked around the room for her belongings before coming downstairs with her duffle bag. “I probably shouldn’t.”

Sean’s pout was adorable. Actually, as she looked him over, sweaty and shirtless in the kitchen, brandishing a skillet like he meant business, all of him was adorable. “But it’s the most important meal of the day.”

Well, maybe a couple eggs wouldn’t… “Yeah, I know. I tossed a breakfast bar in my bag. I really don’t wanna be late, you know?”

He doubled down on the pout and raised her some pitifully sad eyes, but only for a moment. Then he grabbed a dishtowel and rubbed it over his chest and arms. “Okay, I know you gotta go.” Shoving the hair out of his eyes, he kissed the tip of her nose while taking her duffle from her hands.

Ellie preceded him out the door, and he walked her to her car and deposited her bag in the trunk. “We need to do this again sometime,” she said as she leaned back against her door.

Sean braced a hand on either side of her head and leaned in for a lingering kiss that reminded her of eating a succulent peach. “Mmm,” he hummed appreciatively at her thought, resting his forehead against hers. “I was kind of hoping for tonight.”

During the kiss, her hands had found their way to his waist and she now played with the crinkly elastic of his running shorts. “I think that’s a great—”

The sharp sound of screeching tires interrupted her and drew their attention. It was close, maybe on the same block, but their view was blocked by other condos and some well-placed shrubbery. Sean stepped away to check it out, but came back shortly.

“Smoking tire tracks behind the bush in the next parking lot over leading further into the neighborhood, but that’s it. Guess someone’s day didn’t start off so well.” He shrugged and resumed his position in front of her. “Call me when you get in?”

Ellie nodded, feeling the blush creep into her cheeks. The way he looked at her, like he could see into her soul and enjoyed the view, did things to her. She brushed her nose against his. “I gotta run.”

Sean nodded and opened her door for her. He waited until she was belted in before closing the door and she knew he watched her until she was out of the complex since the line of sight was a straight shot from his doorway to the front gate. Overall, she could definitely think of worse ways to start a morning, but very few better.

* * *

Sean strolled into the office on a cloud. He’d been in a damn good mood and had no delusions as to why. After his shower, he found a bottle of perfume she’d left on his sink accidentally. Tiny, round bottle with pink liquid that smelled amazing, he couldn’t resist spritzing it once into the air, just to have to smell of her with him.

Dubs put his hand over the mouthpiece of his desk phone. “You’re smiling! I think I hear the seventh seal opening!”

Sean narrowed his eyes in consternation. “You know, you should probably take that on the road. Might do well for yourself.”

The big man wrinkled his nose and began to sniff the air. “You smell like a chick.”

“So what if I do?” Sean plucked up his shirt and sniffed slightly, dismayed to find out that yes, he did indeed smell a bit more floral than he preferred.

His partner answered his evil look with a comparable smile. “I take it this means you solved your woman problems?”

Sean tossed his belongings on the desk and fired up his computer while checking his phone messages. “I did, actually.”

The big man rose from his desk and stretched, nodding approvingly. “Good for you! Now c’mon, we need to go. Meeting with the prosecutor at two, remember?”

Fuck, he’d spaced it completely. Putting his monitor to sleep, he rose and grabbed his keys and phone. “Hell, I thought that was tomorrow. Let’s go.”

* * *

Ellie’s morning consisted of angry callers, spastic supervisors, and more pending reports than she’d ever seen in her life. It was like the whole district misplaced their wallets, municipal trashcans, and teenaged children. She rolled with it, slowly and surely beating back to the bedlam until the whole day bent to her will. At least, until she went on her lunch break, then all bets would be off. Even then, she felt like she could conquer the world and would bring it to heel soon enough.

She laughed at herself. She was tired, a bit slap-happy, and more than a little sore from yesterday’s festivities, but still, she couldn’t argue with how good it felt to be out from under Pia’s thumb. Hell, that might have been the first time she’d thought of her in twenty-four hours.

With a smile on her face, she walked out to her car, shoving her earpiece in her ear. She was just about to dial Sean when the phone came alive in her hand singing about being sexy and knowing it. Somehow she didn’t think Sean would find the humor in that. “Hey.”

“Well, hello there, sexy lady. How’s your day going?” In the background she could hear a man, at least she presumed it was a man, yelling and carrying on.

“Fine so far. What the hell is that going on behind you?”

She heard his hum of irritation before he covered the mic to yell something. “My dumbass partner thinking he’s funny.”

Ellie laughed. “Of course. Tell him I think he’s a riot.”

“Will do.” He covered the mic again and when he came back, it was substantially quieter. “Did you forget something at my house today?”

Just hearing the playful tone of his voice brought a smile to her lips. Pausing at the side of the parking lot overlooking the street, she looked down at her watch, then touched her earrings. “No?”

“Smell your wrist.”

Her hand was halfway to her nose before she caught herself. “Oh damn. Wow. I’d never leave that anywhere.”

“All the more incentive to come back over once you get off,” he replied with a certainty that made her laugh.

“Like I needed that.” Ellie started back for her car. “I had fun last night.”

“Me too,” he murmured, the intimacy flowing into her like a hug. “Have you eaten yet?”

She slouched into her car and closed the door. “Actually, I just got in the car to go pick up some food. I was running late to work for some reason.” She put her keys in the ignition and turned the car on, jumping as the stereo blared. “Sorry about that.”

He chuckled at her apology. “How about I pick up something from Buca’s and bring it to you?”

She was shocked and pleasantly surprised. She knew his office was across town, so it would be well out of his way. “Are you down this way?”

“Just got done at the prosecutor’s. Be happy to bring you lunch. What do you want from Buca’s?”

“Aww, how sweet, your boyfriend’s bringing you lunch.”

The venomously saccharine voice behind her had Ellie whipping around in her seat. “The fuck are you doing here?” Pia was kicked back in her back seat, one arm stretched across the top of the seat. Dressed in a casual pale pink t-shirt and jeans that probably cost more than her monthly car payment, she looked for all the world like she was just there to hang out.

“El?” Sean’s voice had gone from playful to cautiously concerned in an instant. She wanted to clue him in to her plight, but something about the whole situation felt ‘off’, and so she kept quiet.

“I’m afraid,” Pia sounded terribly bored and more than a little put upon as her other hand came up cradling a pink semi automatic, “that we’re going to have to cancel your lunch plans.”

Ellie’s mind began racing as her field of vision narrowed to the firearm being brandished by the obviously disturbed woman in her back seat. “A pink gun? Are you serious?” That’s the part that she has a problem with? Jesus. She took a deep breath and tried to get it together.

“Ellie! What the hell is going on?” Sean’s cautious concern had given way to sheer panic in her ear and there was nothing she could do to reassure him.

Pia took her time examining the gun, turning it over in her hands before finally training the barrel on Ellie. “You can get them in any color. They all leave the same giant holes in a person. Drive the car.”

Ellie knew then that if she left with Pia, her life would probably end at the other woman’s hands. She only hoped Sean could find her before it got that far. “Drive the car? Where? You’re not making any sense, Pia.”

Pia pressed the gun to the back of the seat, and Ellie imagined she could feel it digging into her spine. “Drive the fucking car.” She enunciated every word so perfectly that a diction teacher could take notes and Ellie turned back around with both hands on the wheel.

Ellie put the car in gear as Sean shouted in her ear. “I’m cool. I’m driving. Where are we going?”

Pia waved off her question as she looked out the window at the passing scenery while Ellie drove away from the police station, someplace that should have been impervious to this kind of danger. “I’ll tell you when we get there.” She held up her free hand palm up between the seats.

Ellie was confused and didn’t mind saying so. “What?”

Pia scoffed at her misunderstanding. “Your phone, moron. I know Sean’s been on there the whole time.”

Fuck.
Now he’d never know where they were going. She dug through her purse at the light at Meridian and South and turned left as Pia gestured with her gun hand. “Here,” she handed it back to her captor, “take it.”

Seemingly pleased, Pia picked up the phone and held it to her ear. “Sean, darling, lovely to hear from you. Ellie misses you, but I’m sure you know that….” She paused and Ellie could hear Sean yelling into the phone, though she couldn’t make out what he was saying. “No, you listen. I gave you every chance to be reasonable and come back to me. Now, you’ll see what your unreasonableness has cost you.” Pia rolled down the window and tossed the phone out. To Ellie she said, “Turn left down the alley.”

“Mother fucker! That was a $300 phone!” Because that’s what she chose to focus on when her life was so clearly on the line.

Pia shrugged. “You won’t need it where you’re going. Park here.”

Ellie pulled into the loading bay of a warehouse between two large trucks. The writing on the side said ‘Mastriani Produce’. “Great.”

* * *

“Ellie!” Sean was beyond frantic. Dubs, who’d gone down the block to get his car, pulled up in the bright red Camaro next to him.

His partner threw open the passenger door and leaned over to look at him. “What the hell, man? You’ve gone from super smooth to completely freaked out, and I wasn’t gone for five minutes.”

Sean slumped into the passenger seat, his legs suddenly incapable of holding him up. “Pia,” he whispered the name like a curse. “Pia has Ellie.”