Page 16 of Faceless Threat

That’s where the cinnamon orange is the strongest. Spicy and sweet. Perfectly her.

Though, being a firm believer in a job done right is a job done thoroughly, I decide to check every inch of her to see if I’m wrong.

Arguments could be made that crossing this line will obliterate my ability to remain impersonal. And while I get that, the same could be said in my favor. Taking this step will heighten my need to protect her.

A good cop gets invested. The badge requires empathy, the ability to feel another’s pain. In my opinion, it goes hand in hand with the responsibility bestowed upon us when we take our oath to protect and serve.

That being said, we all have cases that stick with us. Ones we couldn’t solve that haunt us. People that get under our skin and touch a part of our soul with their suffering. Bad guys that appall us with the level of their evilness. I dare anybody to claim they aren’t affected by that stuff. If they do, I’ll call them a damn liar.

“If this isn’t what you want—” if I’m not who you want, “—tell me now and I’ll stop. No hard feelings.” Just hard. My dick, letting her go, pushing my feelings for her down…

As if she understands the hidden meaning, she reassures me, “I want you.”

“You have me, Sunshine.” Forever, though I can’t say that right now, but I can show her. Maybe then she’ll start to see what she’s come to mean to me.

Still holding her, I pivot to move this to my room. It’s the one I wanted to put her in from the get go, but I knew she was already overwhelmed and adding my attraction to her into the mix might’ve been too much.

So I waited, hoping, she’d give me a sign to let me know I’m not alone in this.

And now that I have it, all my good intentions cease to exist.

Only Rae and what we can have together do.

Putting a knee on the mattress, I carefully lower my precious bundle, following her. As my weight settles against hers, the feel of her nipples on my chest, the material of our shirts too thin to dull it, I realize I’m perilously close to coming in my shorts.

While that could be because it’s been over half a decade since I’ve even dated, I know that’s not it.

It’s her.

We take our time, kissing after the removal of an item of clothing, exploring what that piece had been hiding, enjoying it until the next is revealed and snags our respective attention.

Her favorite of mine seems to be my arms, more specifically the ink decorating the left.

Whereas mine is her belly. Maybe it’s caveman of me to picture what that space might one day hold, but there it is.

And if that’s not to be our future, it won’t change how I feel about her or that part of her. She has guts, courage, and I’m so proud of her for wanting to help a stranger. Though I hate like hell she got hurt in doing so.

“Please,” she begs as I divest her of her panties, my fingers skimming her slit. That’s all I’d been wanting to do, but when she spreads her legs, I take advantage of the opening – no pun intended – and slowly enter with the middle. Rae is so wet, there’s only the slightest resistance to my intrusion. “It’s been a while,” she admits.

That earns her a grin. “Good.”

I get a glare in return, clearly my girl wanting a response in regards to me. “Me, too,” I confess. I need her to know that. This isn’t something I’m taking lightly, being with her like this. It’s special.

Wanting to learn what she prefers, I experiment with different techniques and pressures, discovering what makes her hotter. Not to be left out, Rae pushes my boxers off my hips and reaches in, gripping me. When she proceeds to do her own testing, I falter, enjoying her touch.

Until she shifts, sending me deeper, kicking my brain back online.

Adjusting so I’m at her entrance, I remain still. “I’m not on anything,” she informs me with a shrug. “It wasn’t necessary.”

“I have condoms.” A pinch to my side has me grimacing. “I didn’t know if anything would happen between us, told myself it couldn’t until after the case was solved, but I bought a box on the way home yesterday.”

“Smart man.”

“A man helpless to what I feel for you,” I say, needing to be completely honest with what I hope this means for us.

“I like that,” she says, then kisses me. I remember at the last minute to remove a packet from my nightstand, thankful I’d already opened it so I didn’t have to struggle with that now.

Putting it on, Rae assisting me and bringing me way too close to coming, I join our bodies, praying for restraint.

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