Weston (9 page)

T
he only thing Rocki heard in Tony’s bedroom was their heavy breathing. She flung her arms out to the sides of her on the bed. Tony hovered over her.

She enjoyed the determination on his face and smiled, hoping he’d prove her wrong despite her argument that it was too soon to have sex again. “Tony, stop. I can’t do it again.”

He growled, nipping her neck. “Your lies seem to have no end.”

“I’m serious. We’ve already had sex—good sex, freaking fantastic sex—twice. It’s almost time to get up, and we’ve barely slept all night,” she said, dropping her gaze to his kiss-swollen lips.

“Is that a dare?” He rolled off her and propped his elbow against the mattress, gazing into her eyes.

She curled against his chest. “Maybe…”

He inhaled swiftly before rolling back on top of her and pinning her arms above her head. He kissed her softly, slowly, and she captured his groan with her mouth. His tongue explored. The taste of him, intoxicating and addictive, electrified her.

“You keep pushing me, sweetheart, and I know exactly what you want,” he breathed. “You can’t lie, you can’t tease, and you can’t hide. Say it…you want me.”

“I want you, Tony.” She held his head, hoping she could give him everything he wanted. What he asked seemed simple, and she had no problem agreeing. She’d never wanted anyone more.

His quiet acceptance through the last several days attracted her. His arms comforted her. But, it was the tenderness in his touch that had her melting into him. She craved the solid dependability that Tony supplied.

She’d never found that quality with anyone else. With her father absent from her childhood, her disappointment in Gino, and all the two-dates-then-it-was-over boyfriends in her past, not once had the hole inside of her felt the comfort of knowing she was wanted more than a man’s next breath. Tony put her first despite the chaos she’d thrust upon his life.

For all his gentleness, there was something raw about the way he showed her who was in control. Used to working and surviving on her own, she hadn’t realized how much she wanted to depend on another person. For as long as she could remember, she’d even taken care of her mom.

Sure, Mary worked and put a roof over her head but emotionally, Rocki was the stronger one of them. Tony made it almost unbearable to think of changing his mind. A moaned emerged from her throat. There was nothing controlled about her reaction to him. She sought the comfort he could provide, the intimacy she craved.

Tony pulled back without letting her go. She wrapped herself tighter around him, not ready to move away from him.

His lips skimmed her forehead, her nose, and her lips. “Since the day I saw you at the academy over a year ago”—he laid his forehead on hers—“you’ve been in my head. I sleep, and there you are, tormenting me. Then I saw you with Darrell and—”

“What?” She blinked. “You said you recognized me, but—”

“Thought about you all the time. Sexiest woman I’d ever seen, you haunted me for months. Have only wanted you since. Then the day you brought Janie her cat, I was there in the parking lot. It bothered the hell out of me that you were working for Darrell,” he mumbled. “You make it hard to take my time, because I’ve wanted you for what seems like forever and I’m not letting you go this time.”

“Are you joshing me?” she whispered.

His lips caught hers, and he bit down. His blond lashes and brows stood out on an intense face with lightning-bright eyes. She squirmed. The same anticipation she was feeling showed back to her in his eyes. She caressed his cheek. He was beautiful.

He’d wanted her for a year? She had no idea.

“Rocki.” He sounded hoarse. “Are you getting what I’m saying? Before, I didn’t have you. I wanted you, though, but I was waiting. I wasn’t going to you offer you less of a man than you deserved. Now that you’re here, in my life, and I’m feeling confident that you’re the woman for me, I’m ready to give you everything I’ve got…my time, my attention, my heart. I’m not letting you walk away from me. I want this, what we have when we’re together, how I feel when you lean into me and put your hand on my stomach. Best fucking feeling in the world to know you depend on me and want that position in my life. Can’t get any closer, sweetheart, than next to me all the time.”

She shivered in anticipation. “I’m right here.”

He cupped her head in both his hands. His fingers encompassed her cheeks. She whimpered, caught up in the way he took charge and always, no matter what she did to anger him, cherished her. His lips found hers again, the pleasure so penetrating and soulful, tears came to her eyes. She opened to him. Her body trembled with need, making it hard to keep her gaze on him. She wanted to watch what was happening between them.

He sucked in his breath, looking at her breasts. She rotated her shoulder, half hoping he approved of what he was seeing and half self-conscious he’d find her lacking. He stopped her with a kiss on the sensitive skin between her breasts.

“So beautiful…” He raised his gaze.

She smiled. “Only because of how you make me feel.”

He cupped her breasts, his thumb strumming the tips until her nipples tightened into rosy beads, and then leaned across and stroked her with his tongue. She lifted, gasping, as he kissed an erect nipple, sealing his lips over the taut flesh. Rhythmic pulses arched through her body with each soft pull. She sunk her hands into his hair, holding him to her. The pleasure released a flood of emotions within her.

“Tony.” She arched. “Please.”

“Say my name again.”

“Tony.” She writhed underneath him. “I’m…Oh, oh…”

“Let me help you, sweetheart.” He snatched a condom off the bed and settled between her legs.

His hardness jutted away from his body, proud and powerful, domineering like its owner. He rolled the condom on and resettled above her. His gaze held hers. His jaw clenched in determination. Her stomach fluttered. Slowly, gently, and with excruciating pleasure, she accepted his length into her wetness.

Seated deeply within her, he held himself steady. “Okay?”

“Y-yes.” She locked her ankles against the small of his back.

After a moment, he moved. “Mine, sweetheart. This is all mine.”

He eased back in tormenting slowness. Then plunged with determination, making her gasp. He shifted, leaning on his elbows and cradling her head in his hands. “Look at me.”

“Yes.”

He quickened his pace.

She tentatively arched up to meet each thrust, becoming bolder as her body accepted his size. He shifted, and her body recovered from its earlier release. She grasped his face in her hands.

“Come for me,” he whispered.

His deep voice rolled over her. She exploded, squeezing him as she poignantly quivered. He grunted, holding himself still above her.

“We have something special. You feel it?” he growled.

She panted, trying to slow her racing heart. Her chest beat against his.
God, I can’t even think.

“Say it,” he squeezed out between clenched teeth.

“Yeah.” She kissed his cheeks, his lips, and his chin. “I feel it.”

He visibly relaxed, before he eased out of her. She must’ve voiced her displeasure over the loss of his body, because he turned and smiled one of those killer smiles that reached his eyes and showed how much she pleased him. “I’ll be right back.”

He strolled naked into the bathroom. She fought to keep her eyelids open and failed. Never had a man made her believe what they shared was so special, she found herself wishing for the impossible. Tony left her saturated. She couldn’t come up with a good reason not to believe they had something real in such a short time.

The next thing she knew, Tony pulled her across the length of the bed. She struggled awake, clutching at his arms. “Wh-what time is it?”

“Two in the afternoon. You slept the morning away.” He kissed her hard. “Shower, get dressed, we gotta go out of the house.”

“Where?” She stumbled out of bed and rubbed the hair out of her eyes.

“It’s a surprise and you’ll be safe.” He raised his brows and grinned. “Fifteen minutes. Hurry.”

She walked, wobbly, to the bathroom. Tony cleared his throat, and she glanced over her shoulder. “What?”

“Sweetheart,” he murmured, his mouth softening as his gaze went down to her lower body. “Are you sore?”

Warmth rushed to the surface of her chest and face. She wasn’t sore. She was perfect. “No. Loose.”

“Loose?” His eyes crinkled at the corner.

She grinned. “It’s a good thing, Weston. Trust me.”

His shoulders rounded and he laughed. She stood, naked and unembarrassed, and completely in lust with the man in front of her. He was gorgeous, but when he laughed, he was irresistible. She walked straight toward him. Loose hipped and tingling in places she normally paid no attention to, Rocki wrapped her arms around him.

He swept her up and nuzzled her neck. “Damn, you’re hilarious.”

She framed his face with her hands. “No joking, Weston. I’m in danger of losing my heart with you if I’m not careful.”

He set her on her feet slowly. “If you don’t, I’ll be pissed. You’re mine.”

She laughed and when he flinched, she stopped. “Are you serious?”

“How could you think otherwise,” he said.

“We…Sex…” She fluttered her hand. “I thought you were saying those things because you wanted me for sex.”

He shook his head. She bit down on her lower lip.
Shit.

He leaned toward her, kissed her gently, and whispered. “Keep feeling it. Listen, touch, taste—it’s all there. I’ve had a year to think of nothing else.”

Then he walked out of the room. She stared at the empty doorway. Tough-guy Weston was serious. She harrumphed right before she smiled and hurried into the bathroom.

O
utside the city limits of Bay City, on a rural road on the west side of town, Tony parked the car in front of a single-story ranch house in need of a paint job, but the flowers planted in front of the big window brightened the older house. She climbed out of the car and met Tony at the front bumper.

“Whose house is this?” she asked.

“Kage lives here.” Tony slipped his fingers into her hand. “He likes the solitude.”

The area fit Kage, who she assumed was a loner because the only time he put any effort into talking was when Janie was with him. She imagined any man as quiet and serious as him appreciated time to himself.

Tony lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles as he walked her up onto the porch. “You’re walking funny again.”

“Shut up,” she hissed out. “The
funny
has nothing to do with you. For your information, the idea of wearing the same pair of panties for three days ended two days ago, so I’m going commando under the shorts. It’s not like you’ve left me alone long enough for me to put them in the washing machine.”

He stopped. “No shit? You’re naked under the shorts?”

“Come on, Weston.” She tugged on his hand, keeping a firm grip with her other hand on the waistband of Tony’s shorts, which she happened to be wearing because she refused to put on her dirty outfit that she escaped Darrell’s house in. “It was your idea to come to Kage’s. Let’s get it over with…and don’t say a word about my lack of clothing. It’s bad enough I have to wear your Harley T-shirt out in public with your gym shorts. At least we don’t have to worry about Darrell or one of his thugs recognizing me out in public. I look like a freak.”

His gaze grew heated. “I told you what would happen if you continued calling me by my last name. I don’t get why you can’t call me Tony. We’re having sex. I’m not Weston to you. The guys in there, sure, but not you.”

She rolled her eyes. He’d stripped her of his jersey last night, because she refused to call him Tony, and proceeded to prove to her what she’d get if she didn’t stop using his last name. Not that she minded his lesson. The guy was good with his hands, she’d give him that much. Must be from polishing all the chrome he had on his Camaro.

“You’re pathetic.” She didn’t understand what the big deal was over calling him by his last name.

“Then explain why you keep saying Weston,” he said.

She folded her arms and tapped her foot. “Because it’s sexy.”

“Try again.”

She tossed her ponytail behind her shoulder. “So I won’t forget your last name.”

“Liar.”

“You have a hard time trusting me. Have you ever thought you might need a therapist for your unwillingness to have faith in others?” She turned around marched to the door and knocked. “Let’s get this show on the road, and do whatever we came here to do instead of arguing about names.”

Tony slipped in front of her and opened the door, not waiting for Kage to answer. She snorted and followed him inside, wanting to be anywhere but with the guys. Like maybe hanging out at Tony’s house doing her laundry to wash her freaking panties.

“Yo,” Lance called from further inside the house. “We’re in the kitchen. Girls are sequestered in the bedroom. I’d warn you not to go in there. It’s not safe for any male.”

Tony changed directions and pushed her down a hallway. She braced her feet, but she was no match for his strength.

“What are you doing?” she said, scrambling to keep from falling.

He stopped, kissed her, and pushed her inside a room before slamming the door. She grasped the handle as laughter came from behind her. She turned and sagged against the door.

She wasn’t alone.

Janie stood in front of the bed, pursing her lips, stiff, and prepared for anything. Rocki slid her gaze to another woman standing at the closet door. Whoa, talk about a fashionista. The blonde-haired woman’s clothes had come right off the model.

Both women studied her intently, and she pressed her back against the door.

“Uh, hi.” She waved with one hand, reached for the door handle with the other hand, and lost Tony’s shorts in the process. Heat flooded her face, and she bent at the waist to pull the shorts back up.

Janie snorted, while approaching her. “Kick them off. We’re here to make sure you’re dressed like a girl. Trust me”—she pointed at the other woman in the room—“Sabrina has enough clothes to share. She’s my best friend and cool, so treat her right or you deal with me.”

Rocki stiffened. “I’m not here to hurt anyone.”

“I know that now, but the other day, I would’ve kicked your ass if Kage hadn’t been there.” Janie shrugged. “We’ll talk more later. We need to get you dressed like a woman. Instead of a…whatever it is Tony has you wearing.”

She tugged at the hem of her shirt, making sure they couldn’t see her bare ass. “I’m going to kill Weston,” she mumbled.

“Are you doped?” Sabrina said. “Why would you want to harm a hair on Tony’s sexy body?”

She stared at the gorgeous woman. Platinum-blonde hair cut short and chic framed an almost pixie-like face with the most impish grin she’d ever seen. Not to mention the torn jean shorts, jean vest sans shirt that showed off a lot of skin, and red high heels that made Rocki feel like the ugly tomboy of the group in Tony’s clothes. She glanced behind her at the shorts on the floor. Well, she still wore his shirt.

Janie, of course, looked sexy and relaxed in a short sundress, deep tan, and bare feet. What was Tony doing, bringing her here to these two women? Kage’s girlfriend hated her and she had no idea who Sabrina was or if she should be worried.

“Um, it’s a long story. But if I told you I’m standing here with no panties on talking to a woman who’d rather hurt me and one I think walked out of the center of a magazine, in a house I’ve never been to before, and the man I’m sleeping with believes we’re in a committed relationship after only knowing each other four days and seems to think it’s a crime if I call him by his last name”—she inhaled deeply and shrugged—“then the answer is yes. I must be doped.”

Sabrina and Janie stared at her with their mouths open. She backed away. The girls looked at each other, cracked up, and lunged toward her. Unable to do anything but allow them to pull her forward and plop her down on the edge of the bed, she prayed she’d die…right on the spot.

“Tony called you his woman?” Sabrina clasped her hands in front of her and seemed to have an urge to pee. “Spill, and don’t leave out any details, no matter how insignificant. We’ll need every single one.”

“Yeah, he called me his woman,” she mumbled. “He’s a serious guy, I guess.”

“God, this is good.” Janie bounced on the mattress. “I knew it. When he interrogated Kage about you after you showed up with his uncle a couple of months ago at Corner Pocket, I knew he was crushing on you big-time.”

Crushing? She frowned. “What did he say?”

Janie waved her hand in the air, dismissing the question. “I take it you’re not working for Kage’s uncle. Tony would be all up in Darrell’s shit if you were.”

She shook her head. “No, I’m a detective. I was working undercover—”

“That’s brilliant.” Janie jumped to her feet, pulled Sabrina off the bed, and pushed her toward the bags. “Get the clothes for Rocki.”

“Honestly, I don’t need any…” She worried her lip, having second thoughts. “You wouldn’t happen to have any new panties in one of those bags, would you?”

Sabrina cast a glance at her she didn’t understand, rifled through the sacks, and tossed her one, two, three pairs of panties with price tags still on them. She caught them all, tearing off a tag, and slipped the red pair on. More comfortable covered, she relaxed for the first time since stepping inside Kage’s house. “I promise to give everything back when I’m done with the case.”

“Please don’t.” Sabrina’s brows rose and she leaned backward without looking at what she was pulling out of the bags. “I’m a shopaholic. If I share the clothes or give them away, it means I get to buy more. You’re doing me a favor.”

Janie nodded. “It’s true. Sab lives for this kind of thing. Most of the clothes in my closet came out of Sabrina’s closet. She’ll be your new clothes supplier.”

“How do you afford your habit?” Rocki stood and slipped on a pair of jeans.

Sabrina carried a few more articles of clothing over. “My dad’s a senator. Let’s just say he wants me to stay out of trouble and happy. I’ve learned it’s no use arguing about him spoiling me, because he’ll find another way to involve himself in my life. Personally, I think he’s scared I’ll bring scandal down on the family, and he’s up for reelection next year. It’s a sensitive time, politically.”

“Senator Wilcox?” she said.

“The one and only.” Sabrina sighed. “Try on this top with this jean skirt. I have a shirt exactly like it in lavender.”

She gaped. “There’s a difference? It looks purple to me.”

“Girl, major difference in color. One’s winter, one’s spring.” Sabrina turned back to the mess of clothes on the floor. “What size shoes do you wear?”

“Eight.”

Sabrina looked at Janie. “Mine are out.”

“I’ll go through my closet. I wear a seven and a half shoe.” Janie hurried over to the walk-in closet. “I’m sure there’s something that’ll be comfortable enough to wear.”

Who were these women? Any girlfriend she’d had in the past dropped to the wayside when she enrolled in the academy. If she had free time in her busy schedule, she spent a couple hours with a few of the men on the force having a beer or hanging out with her mom. From what she knew, women did not hand a stranger clothes—going by the looks of the outfits, they were name-brand and classy. Not to mention sexy as all get out, and she couldn’t wait to have Tony see her in them.

Standing in front of the mirror, she admired a cute, sheer shirt that hung off one shoulder and a jean miniskirt with studs lining the pockets. She caught Janie’s gaze in the reflection and swallowed hard. Janie studied her but instead of looking away, she smiled. Rocki returned her smile.

For the few seconds they connected, she understood what Janie wasn’t saying. Kage’s girlfriend held no hard feelings for how they’d met. Whether that was part of Tony’s doing or Janie had decided Rocki’s being a detective meant she wasn’t on Janie’s boyfriend’s uncle’s side, she couldn’t guess.

She turned and searched the room, found the cat she’d helped keep safe when Darrell kidnapped the kitty a couple months ago. She looked toward Janie to apologize for her part in keeping her cat away from her, but Janie shook her head.

“Can I hold her?” Rocki whispered.

Janie scooped the sleeping cat off the bed and handed her to Rocki. “Her name’s Bluff.”

“I remember,” she whispered.

Rocki cuddled Bluff to her chest and stroked her soft fur. More than one good thing came of having her life in danger and flipped upside down. She would’ve never met Tony or Janie or Sabrina, Kage, Lance, Garrett. She sighed and gave Bluff one more squeeze before putting her on the pillow.

“I’ll pay you both back for the clothes.” She smoothed the material of the skirt. “The moment I can convince Weston to swing by an ATM machine and let me withdraw some money, I’ll have Tony bring you the cash.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Sabrina grinned. “When the drama you’re involved in is over, I’ll call and we’ll do the outlets. If I see something I can’t live without, I’ll let you buy it.”

She smiled, because those were plans she looked forward to and, not knowing what would happen in the future, she hoped Sabrina was telling her the truth. “Deal.”

Sabrina walked across the room, peeked out into the hallway, and reclosed the door quietly. “Now that Rocki’s settled, I need girl help from both of you.”

“Name it.” Janie sat on the bed and pulled Rocki down beside her.

“Kage doesn’t have a case he’s working on tonight, does he?” Sabrina asked.

“No. He came off one early this morning. Unless something comes up and he’s called away, he doesn’t have any agency work until Tuesday.” Janie spun the bracelet on her arm. “Why?”

“Good. Since Tony’s off duty while he sexes Rocki, I need to have a night out with the girls. Garrett’s driving me crazy, and I’ve decided I need a new plan of action. I want to run it past you both and get your opinion.” Sabrina stuck out her bottom lip and blew her bangs off her forehead.

“Wait a minute. Tony’s not…sexing me,” she said.

The idea of staying with Tony for the sole purpose of hooking up with him, well, that was not the reason she was with him. She had a drug lord aiming to kill her and anyone who got in his way. Although Tony had said she was his. Whatever that meant. He wasn’t
just
sexing her.

Janie nudged her shoulder. “You’re in his bed. He sexes you. Trust me. Kage is the same way.”

She had a point. They were having a lot of sex. She wrinkled her nose. “I really need to talk to him and straighten our relationship out.”

Sabrina shook her finger. “Later. This is my time, babes.”

“You see, she gets grouchy when it comes to my brother. She’s been hot for him for four years, even though she kept it a secret from me,” Janie whispered. “Everyone knows how she feels about Garrett, except Garrett. She’s pretty out-there with her attempts at flirting. He’s clueless.”

“Ah.” She nodded, even though she didn’t understand. “What can I do?”

Sabrina grinned. “I’m glad you asked.”

“Uh-oh,” Janie mumbled. “I thought we’d have twenty-four hours without any excitement. The last time I manipulated the boys into doing what we wanted, Kage locked me in the bedroom for two days.”

She whirled to look at Janie. “What?”

“Oh, don’t worry. He was locked inside with me.” Janie’s shoulders rounded and her eyes grew lazy. “Actually, it was nice. More than nice; it was spectacular.”

Rocki glanced between the two women. A bad feeling crept in. Then she thought about all the ways they’d helped her today. She stood, willing to assist Sabrina in return for giving her clothes to wear. Besides, it felt freaking fantastic to be wearing panties again.