Page 12 of Smith

“Aye-aye…Senior Chief?” She ended her snarky comeback on a question.

“Master Chief,” I corrected.

She got a flirty glint in her eyes.

“Of course. So do you prefer master or does chief work for you?”

I was wrong—that wasn’t flirtatious, it was a throwdown—one that did more than make my dick stir. Aria had his full attention and he was straining in my jeans to get to her.

“Warning, Aria, you’re wading into dangerous territory.”

“How dangerous?” she pushed.

“I think you know just how dangerous. Normal circumstances, I’d catch your play and have you naked with my face between your thighs, my tongue buried up your cunt, and you begging. But I think you get me when I tell you, that wouldn’t be smart.”

“You’ve already said that.”

“I have. The ice we’re skating on is so thin it’s nearly transparent. I can think of a hundred ways to make this a good idea, when it’s not. So help me out, yeah?”

Some of the playful leaked out of her voice when she said, “If it’s my dad you’re worried about?—”

“It’s more than that,” I cut her off. “My boss is good friends with your father. Good enough that when your dad called, Zane pulled me from an important case and put me on you. It’s also you. I don’t do long-term relationships.”

“Well that’s a relief. It makes for a clean break when neither party has expectations.”

I wanted to believe her assertion, however, Aria didn’t strike me as a no-strings kind of woman. Not becauseshewasn’t capable of having those kinds of affairs. It would be the man in that scenario who would tie himself to her. And I had no business tying myself to any woman, most especially to someone as sweet as Aria. I’d suck that fun, bubbly personality right out of her. I’d take all the beauty that was her and possess it until I ruined her.

That was what I did—I destroyed lives.

“I see the way you’re looking at me,” she continued. “Like you don’t believe me. Maybe you’re one of those guys who doesn’t think a woman has the sameneedsas a man and is fully capable of finding ways to get those needs met. Or you’ve got the wrong impression of me personally. So, let me set you straight, Smith. I know what I want. I know what I need. I know how to find it, get it, and move on. I have a business to grow and that is the only commitment I’m willing to make. I’m not looking for long-term. I’m looking for right now. That’s all I have to give and I’m honest about it. As far as your boss and my father, I don’t know what to say about that other than I don’t tell my dad about the men I take to my bed and I’m positive he’s grateful.”

Aria paused long enough to strut her jeans-clad ass across her living room, delivering her parting shot before she disappeared down the hallway. “I think you get me, but just in case I haven’t been clear, me naked with your face between my thighs is exactly what I want. The only modification to your plan is you’d be lying naked in my bed with your dick in my mouth so we could both enjoy the experience simultaneously. Ball’s in your court, Sailor.”

Jesus, fuck me.

It took every bit of control not to follow her back to her room but that didn’t mean I didn’t have something to say.

“Aria?”

“Yeah?”

“Next time you mention my dick in your mouth, you’ll find yourself gagging on it.”

“That’s not the threat you think it is, Smith,” she yelled back.

And, again, Jesus, fuck me I was stupid but I wanted Aria more than what was healthy for either of us. I wanted to test her limits, see if all that bravado was for show or if she was as open and straightforward about sex as she said she was. Clearly she had no issues talking about it, but putting to practice what you proclaimed you wanted were two different things.

Thankfully my phone vibrated against my thigh, ending my moronic thoughts of following her into her bedroom and letting the night play out how we both wanted it to.

I pulled it out, saw Zane’s name, and felt relief.

“Yo, Z.”

“Kira said it would take until tomorrow to get the footage from the toll plaza.” He cut straight to it.

Obviously, I’d texted him while I was on the phone with Aria and he’d been in touch with Kira Cain, our resident computer genius.

“I want Cooper to read in. Him being a former cop, he might have a better insight into a stalker than me.”

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