πππππππVANESSAI had no idea why I was doing this again. It wasn't my intention. I just needed to get out of the house since the atmosphere in there was nothing short of toxic the entire day. Antonio was stomping around like a lion with a sore paw. My dad looked beyond pissed at Antonio, of all people. Fuck knew what happened there. And Daniel kept on giving me suspicious glances like he was extracting little pieces of information from my mind, putting together the puzzle of yet another one of my fuck-ups. Like I said, if anyone was going to figure out what the hell I did last night with James, it would be Daniel. So, I had to get out of there. And twenty minutes later, I found myself in front of James' apartment wanting nothing more than to escape the whirlpool of shit that was my life and indulge in another epic sex marathon with Boston's most arrogant, yet hot-as-hell cop. After I texted James like a damn booty call, I had been sitting in my car for about five minutes whe
πππππππVANESSAMy body shuddered violently against the cold wall, and my hips moved faster against James' ministrations, every muscle in my stomach tightening and flexing. James paused, lifted his hands, and gripped my hips. "Keep still.""Are you kidding me? That's like asking me to stop breathing.""Then stop breathing. I don't care what the fuck you do, but you keep these greedy hips of yours still so I can eat you the way I fucking want to.""Oh, God." I moaned, leaning my head back against the wall.His thumbs were back between my legs, opening me wide for him, his tongue working every inch of me. The urge to move my hips was so strong, that it took every ounce of control I had left to stop myself. A few quick flicks of his tongue forced me hard and fast toward the orgasm threatening to erupt up my spine, and my insides were twisted tight with the need for release."You have no idea how fucking good you taste. I don't know why I didn't do this earlier. I'd feast on you e
πππππ JAMESIt took a few uncomfortable moments before Vanessa moved, covering her eyes with her palms as she whispered, "Not tonight, please, James. I already had to relive it when I told Antonio. For now, I just want to try to forget."There was desperation in her voice, and even though I was the world's biggest prior, I decided to not push it. Something told me she had been pushed enough during the last few days."Okay," I conceded-for now. Something deep and painful happened to her. And lord knew that I was going to make sure I got to the bottom of it, even if it killed me. After agreeing to let the question go, I put my elbows down above Vanessa's shoulders and placed my hands on her head, wiping the hair out of her face. Our gazes met, and then it happened. A moment. One of those moments you read about in books or saw in a movie, a moment between lovers where something shifts. You didn't know what it was, what was happening, all you knew was it was happening. She blinked,
πππππ JAMESVanessa tilted her head, dark curls falling over her naked shoulder. "Who says I'm leaving?" She winked and slipped off the counter, sliding her body down against my cock. I groaned. "Fuck, you're killing me, you know that?" "Yet I'm the one needing a break?" She chuckled and walked down the hall. All I could do was keep my eyes glued to her naked ass, her hips swaying seductively. "Minx," I called after her. She glanced over her shoulder. "That makes you one lucky son of a bitch, then, Detective." I tipped my beer in her direction. "Oh, I fucking know it." I took a large gulp while watching her until she disappeared around the corner. "Fuck me," I muttered and rubbed the back of my neck. It was too damn insane, what was happening between us. It was more intense than I ever could have anticipated. I grabbed a second beer from the fridge and made my way to the bedroom, deciding she'd had a long enough break. My cock was aching and swearing at me. When
πππππππVANESSAI took a sip of my Negroni cocktail at β I glanced at the old grandfather clock in the corner β two in the afternoon. Lucky for me, my family owned this damn restaurant, and no one who worked in Biloxi would question my motivation for drinking a cocktail this time of day. "It's a bit early for you, isn't it?" Except for Daniel. I shrugged. "I don't know. According to whose standards, mine or yours?" He took a seat next to me at the bar and eyed my cocktail. "Negroni. Gin. That's some hard liquor." I ignored him and took another sip. "Everything okay?" "Why wouldn't it be?" "Oh, I don't know." He held up his hand, signaling to the bartender to give him one of his usualβbourbons. "Maybe it's because you're not a big drinker, and you hardly ever come down to the restaurant." I placed my empty glass on the counter. "Or maybe I'm just not a big drinker according to you, and maybe I finally realized my life isn't family-orientated enough, so I decided
πππππ JAMESWant to know the true meaning of a clusterfuck? When the daughter of the man you'd investigated for years storms out of your apartment while you can still smell her perfume on your goddamn sheets. And then your commander calls you two days later saying you're no longer suspended, but now have to work with your partner on a case in which the brothers of the woman who managed to get your balls in a twist were the prime suspects. Yeah, that had been my life ever since I last saw Vanessa. Normally, I was so damn focused when it came to my job. Catching the bad guy was my only goal. One would think I'd be fucking ecstatic when I heard my suspension had been lifted, and I'd have a huge chip on my shoulder knowing the commander thought my insight into the Bologna family would be beneficial to the case. But not so much. All I could think about was her like I was betraying her somehow by taking on this case. Why would I feel that way? I was just a man determined to do his
πππππ JAMESThe moment those words left my mouth, Vanessa froze, which was a tale-telling sign that she was nervous or uncomfortable. "Oh, I heard about that," Daniel immediately replied and I frowned as I watched him. I was expecting him to freeze not Vanessa. But instead, he seemed to relax a little. "Can't say I'm surprised, though," he added and my suspicion turned to curiosity. "Why do you say that?" I couldn't help but ask, I wanted to know what his answer would be. "The guy was a crook, owed a lot of people a lot of money." "Did he owe you money?" Daniel laughed. "God, no. I know better than to do business with someone like Rio." Vanessa was slowly moving closer. I knew this because I was hyperaware of her presence, feeling that familiar crackle of electricity between us with every step she took. We were drawn to each other, and judging by the look on her face, she was trying her best to fight itβand so was I. Focus. Back to Daniel. "And your brother? Any cha
πππππππVANESSAMy heart was about to crawl its way up my throat along with the lie that just came out of my mouth. James knew it; I knew it. I was a liar. But I'd be damned if I stood there and did nothing while they insinuated one of my brothers was a murderer. If anyone knew my family's doings were far from legit, it was me. But I also knew neither of my brothers killed this Rio character. James' eyes narrowed, scrutinizing my face, and I was convinced he was seconds away from calling my bluff. I felt the sweat run down my back, my gut on the verge of twisting upside down. But then he took two steps back and looked at my brothers. "Okay, then. I guess we're done here." I exhaled and allowed my shoulders to relax, even though I knew this entire situation was far from over. If I knew James at all, I knew he wouldn't let this lie go so easily. "Thank you for your time." James walked toward the door, and I wanted to punch myself for feeling disappointed. I didn't like th