Strike (Tortured Heroes Book 4) Page 4

  “Glad to meet you, Charlotte,” Ben said, his eyes dancing with mirth. “We’ll make sure you feel right at home.”

  That slow smile he’d thrown at me last night lit his face. Heat sparked between us again as I let him fold his hand over mine. I knew for sure everyone in the room could tell.

  Chapter Four

  Ben

  My brain short-circuited from my mouth as Chief Marek stuck his hand out to me. I’d been trying to keep it together for the last ten minutes since he walked out and she came with him.

  Charlie. Charlie was Charlotte Marek, the daughter of my brand-spanking-new Chief of Police.

  She stood beside him wearing a pale pink suit and a thin gold chain around her neck. She had her smooth, brown hair twisted up and not a strand out of place. Last night flashed behind my eyes. She’d flung her hair back when I entered her. I’d wrapped it around my hand. My gaze traveled down. Her skirt hugged her curves and hit her just above the knees. A rush of blood went straight to my dick as I saw a tiny red mark on her right knee where she’d scraped it on the carpet. Fuck. I had a little burn from the same rug where I’d knelt behind her and driven myself home.

  She hadn’t seen me through the whole swearing-in. Her eyes stayed true and focused on her father. She kept her hands folded behind her back and she blinked rapidly, holding back tears of pride, I think. I cleared my throat twice and brought my fist to my mouth, hoping that slight movement would catch her eye. I didn’t want to spook her. Just the opposite. It seemed important to give her a little heads-up so she could check herself before shit got real.

  But it got very real when Charlotte came down the row. I coiled my fists as I caught every straight guy in the row checking out her ass as she made her way by them. Brett stood beside me. The minute he saw her straight on, he was going to put two and two together.

  “Glad to meet you, Charlotte,” I said, unable to keep the shit-eating grin off my face.

  Charlotte’s mouth opened, forming a little “o” as she read my face. Then she plastered on a smile and shook my hand. Her eyes darted from me to her father and back again. I wanted to lean in close and assure her I wasn’t planning to blow her cover. Hell, it would be worse for me if she blew mine. Still, I couldn’t help wondering what the hell she’d been thinking last night. I’d been as casual as I could, but more than a few of the crew figured out I’d left with her. Fuck. I was going to have to figure out a way to put out this little fire, and quick.

  She slid her hand out of mine and made her way down the row, taking Brett’s hand next. I stared straight ahead and tried not to breathe too hard. But the minute Charlotte and the chief were out of earshot, Brett nudged me in the shoulder.

  “Isn’t that the chick from …”

  “Zip it,” I said. “And no.”

  Brett gave me a tight-lipped, wide-eyed stare and shook his head. I didn’t figure my denial would get me very far with him. But we still had this damn reception to get through. My lieutenant insisted Brett and I represent for Strike Team. We’d drawn the short straws today since we were here doing paperwork on yesterday’s raid.

  So we stood there while the chief and his daughter glad-handed their way down the rest of the line. I chanced a look back. Charlotte kept herself together, but a telltale blush colored her cheeks that I just knew was for me.

  I let out a hard breath and shut my eyes for a second. God. She was something else. I knew damn well what last night had been about for her, even if I didn’t know her at all. But I could read her enough to know that what happened wasn’t her usual MO. She’d been timid and unsure. The rush of the whole thing is what seemed to turn her on at first. Fuck. But the way her body responded to me, like she’d been born for it, made me light-headed just thinking about it.

  I found myself aching to touch her again. That girl had secrets inside of her that I wanted to uncover. She’d been on the verge of telling me something last night or needing something from me. Whatever it was, it seemed to shock the hell out of her enough that she shut down on me at the end. I would have stayed all night. Damn, I would have worshiped at her feet if she’d let me. She came to me with such wild abandon and we’d only just scratched the surface.

  Fuck. As I stood there in that damn line, one thing ran through my mind and made me break out into a sweat. Charlotte Marek, no matter how brief, had been one of the best fucks of my life.

  Captain Coates called out a command from the front of the room and the crowd broke. The double doors at the back of the room opened and the smell of cold cuts and catered meatballs hit my nostrils. I waited for the rest of the officers to clear out before finally turning to Brett.

  “Not another word,” I said.

  He smiled. “Yeah, right. What the hell, man? Half the day shift saw you leave with her last night. You mean to tell me she didn’t bother to mention she was Chief Marek’s daughter?”

  I gripped his arm and pulled him close. “I mean it, Brett. You need to shut your fucking face about this.”

  “Come on, man. You gotta give me something. I’m just a poor, married man. I need to live vicariously through you.”

  Gritting my teeth, I shook my head and made a decision. “Look, it pains me to admit it, but she shot me down, okay?”

  Brett raised a skeptical brow. “You? You trying to hurt me, man? Like, seriously make me cry? Ben Killian, manwhore. You’re my hero, man. I live through you.”

  “Yeah, well, even I can have an off night.”

  “Nah. I don’t buy it. I saw the way she checked you out. That girl was into you.”

  “Well”—I took him by the elbow and led Brett further away from the crowd—“I fucked it up. I’m not proud. I read her wrong. It happens sometimes.”

  “Not to you, my friend.”

  “Sorry to burst your bubble. Believe me, it hurts me more than you.”

  Brett dropped his head and shook it. He made a big gesture, clutching his hand to his chest. “You have no idea what this costs me, my brutha.”

  “Yeah, right. Five bucks?”

  “Twenty. Rackham didn’t want to take the bet.”

  I reared back. “Rackham bet against me?”

  Brett smiled. “He said she looked too good for you. I defended your honor. Twenty bucks and a pitcher of Heineken.”

  “Ah, so that’s what my virtue is going for these days?”

  Laughter rose on the other end of the room. Captain Coates told a joke and a couple of the uniformed guys made too broad a reaction. Bunch of kiss-asses.

  “Well, could we maybe not tell Rackham? I mean, it’s twenty bucks.”

  I slapped Brett on the back. “Twenty bucks and my reputation. But yeah, you’re going to have to pay him back. The last thing I need is a rumor getting started.”

  Brett muscled his way through the crowd and grabbed a plastic plate. He offered one to me and I waved it off. The sooner I figured out a way to get the hell out of here, the better. Brett whistled. “Hey, man. I hear ya. But damn. That is one hot piece of ass. Apparently, she’s got brains to go with it if she figured your shit out that quick.”

  I nodded and moved to the side so Brett could reach the meatballs. I tried not to be obvious as I scanned the crowd and found Charlotte again. She stuck close to her father. Putting a light hand on his sleeve, she guided him away from Coates and toward the day-shift detectives. Chief Marek nodded and slapped Coates on the sleeve as he broke away from him.

  He was good. I could see that from here. Marek had an easy smile and a broad laugh that didn’t seem forced. Still, it would remain to be seen what kind of chief he’d be. In my decade on the force, I’d been through four of them. Of those, only one had been worth anything. The rest cared too much about keeping their jobs and wouldn’t stand up to the mayor who put them there. It usually meant micro-management that got in the way of good policing. Mayor Jordan was new too, and the first female mayor Lincolnshire had ever seen. That she’d hired from outside didn’t sit well with a lot of the upper command, includin
g Coates, despite his current attempts to fawn over Marek. Me? Well, I was willing to give the guy a chance. If he left my team alone, he’d have nothing but praise from me.

  Charlotte’s eyes flicked in my direction and she caught me staring. Her smile widened, becoming fake as she tried to focus on the conversation in front of her. But she looked scared. Something stirred inside of me and it wasn’t just lust. She had to be worried about whether I planned to talk. God, it made my back stiffen thinking about the break-room gossip that could spread if I wasn’t careful. This girl sparked a fierce, protective instinct in me. I’d bust teeth if I caught wind of anyone saying shit about her.

  She had to know. If nothing else, I needed two minutes alone with her so I could put her mind at ease. And I needed to warn her. Whatever reason she had for wanting to go home with me last night was hers and hers alone. But this town had eyes and ears everywhere. She couldn’t be careless like that again if she didn’t want it getting back to her father.

  A few minutes later, I saw my chance. Charlotte said something to her father and broke away. One of the female officers whispered to her and pointed down the hall toward the restrooms. I just had to hope I could get to her before anyone saw me. Charlotte put a hand to her stomach and hurried down the hall. Brett was busy talking to one of the homicide guys so I ducked out and followed Charlotte.

  Her heels clacked against the tile floor and she didn’t hear me behind her. I cast a quick glance behind me to make sure we were alone, then I closed the distance between us and reached for her arm.

  Charlotte whirled on me. A fire lit behind her eyes and for half a second, I thought she was going to haul off and belt me.

  “We need to talk,” I whispered. I checked around the corner and pulled her with me. Before she could protest, I whisked her along and brought her into the first-floor supply closet. I shut the door behind her and pushed a bucket and mop out of the way as I turned toward her. She backed into the door and crossed her arms in front of her. I came here to talk, but the minute I had her alone again, heat lanced through me and all I wanted to do was kiss her.

  She must have seen the thought come into my eyes because she put her hand up. “Look, this is a terrible idea. Last night … was a terrible idea.”

  I couldn’t help it. My lips curled into a smile and I took a step back. Her face flushed and her breath came in quick little pants. I knew if I reached for her, if I slid my hand up her skirt and checked, she’d be wet for me. She was right. This was a terrible idea.

  I let out a breath. “I just wanted to make sure you knew … well … I’m going to handle it.”

  “Handle what?”

  “You? This. You do realize half the SWAT team saw you leave with me last night. You might have told me you were Chief Marek’s daughter.”

  Her eyes widened and she drew her shoulders back. “I didn’t … I wasn’t … Bloody hell. No! Okay? I didn’t realize. I didn’t think. That was kind of the whole point of last night. It wasn’t exactly premeditated on my part and in case you were wondering, no, I don’t normally make a habit out of doing that.”

  “Doing what?” I shouldn’t, I knew I shouldn’t. But the fire in her eyes drove me out of my skin. I liked her like this.

  She huffed. “I don’t make a habit out of sleeping with strange men. Like, ever!”

  “You planning on doing it again?”

  Her cheeks flamed red. I meant it just to tease her, but the way she reacted when I said it, hell, the way I reacted … I realized how badly I did want her to do it again.

  “What? With you … I mean … I haven’t …”

  I smiled. God, I didn’t want to let her off the hook. She was so fucking sexy when I had her off guard. “You’re cute when you freak out.”

  Charlotte flapped her hands then slapped them to her thighs. “Ugh. Just. Ugh.”

  “Hey, look. I swear I didn’t bring you in here to mess with you. I’ll admit, I’m enjoying it. But seriously, I just wanted to let you know I’ll handle this. I’ll make sure nobody puts two and two together. That wouldn’t be good for either one of us.”

  She nodded. “Right. You’d do that? Er … I mean … do you really think you can do that? My dad’s been a cop my whole life, remember? I doubt there’s any group of people who gossip more.”

  I opened my mouth to say something, then shut it tight. She had a point. Shit. She had a point.

  “Well,” I said. “For my part, I’ll try.”

  She let out an easy breath and folded her arms in front of her. “Thank you. Really.”

  “But you have to understand the kind of blow this will be to my reputation. I just want you to fully appreciate that.” I was teasing her again and it took a beat for her to realize it. When she did, she threw her head back and sighed.

  “I must have been drunker than I thought.”

  I laughed. “You seemed pretty steady to me.”

  “And you better make whatever story you tell them a good one.”

  I took a step toward her. It was crazy of me to do it, but lust started to override reason. I felt it coming off her in waves too. “Of course, it seems only fair I get something for my trouble.”

  She thunked the back of her head against the door. “And it’s not like there isn’t serious risk to you too, SWAT boy.”

  “SWAT boy?”

  “I’m guessing command officers like gossip as much as patrolmen do. I mean, let’s be honest here.”

  I took another step toward her. No more than an inch separated my nose from hers. Charlotte’s hot breath tickled my ear. Tiny beads of sweat formed on her brow. Oh yeah, she was turned on.

  “You should have told me who you were.” I snapped my teeth against the urge to kiss her again. It made her gasp.

  “You sh-should have told me?”

  “I want to see you again.” The instant I said it, I knew I should regret it. Except I couldn’t. I stayed stock still. Her eyelids fluttered and she looked toward the ceiling.

  “We can’t.”

  “I know.”

  “I just … I needed a release. It was a one-time thing.”

  “I know.”

  “Dammit!” Her eyes flicked toward mine and Charlotte’s hands went up. She gripped my face and kissed me. Her mouth was hot and her tongue urgent. I kept my hands at my side. I knew if I reached for her, I wouldn’t be able to stop.

  She pulled away and her breasts heaved. I saw the faint outline of her puckered nipple through her silk shirt. I smashed my palm against the wall above her head. Charlotte ducked low and reached for the doorknob. I dug my fingers into the concrete as she put a hand to her swollen lips and slipped out the door.

  Chapter Five

  Charlotte

  God. Ben Killian’s lips were going to be the death of me, pure and simple. He was sure and strong, tall and gorgeous. I gave a quick look back at the broom-closet door. My heart pounded into my throat as I straightened my skirt and made my way back to the reception area.

  I heard my father’s booming laughter as he stood to the side talking to two uniformed policewomen. He held them in what my mother liked to call the “Marek Thrall.” My dad had a way of focusing on a person, making them feel like they were the only ones in the room. It’s how he snagged her, she claimed. She said he should have been a politician, not a homicide detective. Well, now he was. I only hoped the stress of this job wouldn’t nearly kill him like the last one. Her words thundered in my brain.

  Charlotte, whatever you do, never, ever fall for a cop. All in all, Lois Lane had to have had a pretty shitty life.

  I smiled and waved, catching my dad’s attention. The reception itself started to break up now that the mayor had cleared out. Plus, this was a working day for most of these men and women. Dad put a gentle hand on one of the women’s arms, gave her a wink, and made his way back to me.

  “Do you have to stay here much longer?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “God, I hope not. No. We can clear out if you’ve had enough.�
��

  “Good. I mean, it’s lovely. This seems like a great bunch of people. But I’ve got some work to catch up on this weekend. I’ve got still got the state ethics portion of my coursework to do before I can get my full CPA license here.”

  My father leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead. “I’m proud of you. And I’m sorry you have to go through more bullshit on account of moving here for me.”

  “Dad, I didn’t just move here for you. Don’t flatter yourself. And it’s not a big deal. Just hoop jumping. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t want to. I’m stubborn, remember? It’s in my DNA.”

  “Right. Right. Well, let me drive you back home.”

  “You’re coming too, right?”

  He smiled and shrugged. “I’ve got a little bit of paperwork I want to get a jump on before Monday morning.”

  As we walked down the hall, we approached the broom closet again. My heart started to race. I had my back turned for the last few minutes and hadn’t seen Ben come back in the room. God, if he happened to open the door just when my father and I walked by, I didn’t think I could keep my cool.

  Accounting, I thought. Think about numbers. Anything to get my mind off the feel of Ben’s lips on mine or the way his touch sent goosebumps all over me. But when we passed the closet door, it stayed good and shut. We kept on walking and I started to breathe again. A few of the officers we’d met passed by and gave my father a smile. One of them had been standing at Ben’s shoulders when my father shook his hand. I wouldn’t have been able to remember his name if my life depended on it, but my father put a hand on his arm and gave him a broad smile.

  “Davis,” he said. “So glad I got to meet you today. Some day this week I want to meet with you and some members of your team. The way I understand it, Strike Team is one of the jewels in the Lincolnshire PD crown. I want to go over what some of your equipment needs are. There’s some federal grant money we can reallocate and I want input from your guys.”