Page 6 of The Naughty One
She felt Blue draw her away from the victim then and wrap his arms around her. It wasn’t what colleagues usually did, but Romy allowed it because she needed it. She leaned into him, tears filling hereyes.
“I wish I could tell you it gets easier in these cases, Romy, but it doesn’t,” he said softly, his voice achingly sad and kind. “The vile things people do to other humans—sometimes there is no reason why. Sometimes people aremonsters.”
Romy nodded and looked up at him, wiping her eyes. “I know thetype.”
Blue stopped, and his green eyes were intense on hers. For a long moment they gazed at each other before, blushing, Romy gave an awkward smile and stepped away. “I’m okay now. We’d better go talk to thefamily.”
“Of course.” There was pain in that beautiful voice of his and Romy wanted to hold him and comfort him as he had done with her, but Blue walked away. She followed him, running slightly to keep up with his long stride. He dwarfed her five-foot two by at least a foot, and suddenly he slowed down. “Sorry,piccolo, I’ll try not to walk sofast.”
“Piccolo?”
“Little one,” he explained, the tenderness in his voice tugging at her heart as much as the hint of a smile. Then as they neared the relative’s room, his smile faded. “Is this your firstone?”
“First murder.” Romy’s heart began to beat out of herchest.
Blue nodded, squeezing her hand. “Just follow mylead.”
They knocked and walked in. A middle-aged woman, terrified, was sitting down, her arms wrapped around herself, and when she saw their faces, she moaned. “No, no, no,no…”
A man, her husband, his face etched with pain, stood. “Doc? Please don’t tellme…”
“I’m so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Levant. Despite our best efforts, Yasmin’s injuries were too severe and she died a short timeago.”
The woman collapsed in a sobbing, weeping huddle, and Blue kept talking to her husband as Romy moved to try and comfort Yasmin’smother.
“There are no words for the regret I feel,wefeel, at yourloss.”
Trying futilely to soothe the mother’s unsoothable grief, Romy listened to Blue talk first to Yasmin’s father, then watched him take a turn gently addressing her bereft mother, comforting both as best as he could, answering all of their questions patiently and as fully as possible. But the truth was the one question would never be adequatelyanswered.
Why?
Romy’s chest was tight with sorrow but she maintained her composure. Afterward, they talked to the police, those questions prolonging the endless night even further. Finally, as dawn began to break over Seattle, Romy went back to the locker room to change out of her bloody scrubs. The room was empty and echoed with each footstep and slam of the lockerdoor.
Somehow managing to drag on her jeans and shirt, Romy slumped onto a bench afterward and put her head in her hands. The adrenaline from the surgery was long gone and now she felt wrecked. Her hip and leg ached from standing too long but she ignored the pain, trying not to break down. She failed, and silent, hot tears poured down her face. She buried her face in her hands to cry, her entire bodytrembling.
She heard him come in; it was impossible not to in the silence, but she didn’t expect to feel his arms go around her for the second time that evening. Gently, he drew her head to his chest. His clean soap-and-spice smell was familiar now and Romy pressed her face into his sweater, breathing him in. He stroked her hair and whispered soft Italian words, resting his chin on her head and just letting herweep.
When she finally stopped crying, she looked up at him. His eyes were sad, but he held her gaze for a moment before brushing his lips against hers just briefly. It was clear from the look on his face that he’d intended it as no more than a reassurance, but the heat that instantly flared between them changed those intentions. They both felt it, so there was not even the slightest chance of denying thechemistry.
Blue framed her face with his big hands. “Are you sure, Romy?” His voice was low and sent shivers of desire through herbody.
“It is wrong?” she whispered, looking up into his intensely compassionate eyes. “She just died. How canwe…”
“Life has to go on,piccolo,” he said softly. “We honor those who go before us by continuing to live fully. But if you prefer not to, I understandabsolutely—”
“No. Yes.” Romy slid her hand into his dark curls and kissed him hard, needing this. Needing him. Their mouths moved together hungrily, and when Blue stood and picked her up, it was like she belonged in his careful embrace. He carried her as if she weighed nothing, kicking open the door to the on-call room and locking it behindhim.
He set her down on her feet and gently pulled at the drawstring of her pants, drawing them down her legs then pulling her top over her head. “God, you’re beautiful,” he said softly, and she could see the lust and admiration in his eyes. Her own hands went down to his groin, cupping his hard-on through his jeans. Damn, he washuge…
Blue pulled down the lacy cup of her bra and fixed his mouth on her nipple as he slid her panties down her legs, then expertly flicked her bra clasp open, letting her full, ripe breasts fall into his hands. The feel of his skin on hers was sending tingles racing through her body and she pushed his sweater over his head and ran her hands over the hard planes of his chest. Naked, Blue Allende was even more godlike, tall, broad-shouldered, and slim-hipped. He swept her onto the small bunk, kissing her as he kicked off his pants and underwear. Romy reached down to stroke his cock, the skin so silky, the hard, hot length of him filling herhands.
Blue was kissing her breasts, her belly, as he made his way down the bed and hooked her legs over his shoulders. He smiled up at her. “I’m going to lick you until you scream, beautifulgirl…”
Romy moaned, drawing in a sharp breath as his tongue lashed around her clit, his fingers massaging the soft flesh of her inner thigh as he expertly pleasured her. “God, Blue …Blue…”
A rush of emotion flooded her system as she came and she began to cry, much to her embarrassment. His mouth was on hers then, tender, loving. “Don’t cry,piccolo,” he murmured, his eyes soft. Romy stroked his face but said nothing, drinking himin.
“Do you want meinside?”
