Chapter Fourteen

”Bullshit,” spat Sali as she threw her empty coffee cup across the room. ”I don”t need a warrant.”

”You need a warrant.” I stared at her, blinking way more than I should. ”Everyone needs a warrant.”

”No.” She flailed her arms. ”All I have to do is walk on over to the dump…” Her voice dropped an octave as she mimed herself strutting across the landfill. ”Dig on up some dirt.” Again, more charades of her explanation. ”Find a body, and BAM! Done. Evidence.”

I stared. Just stared at her.

Zay gawked, his head on the swivel as he looked between me and Maggie. Neither of us said anything at first, but it was Maggie who broke the stalemate.

”In-ad-miss-ibleevi-dence.” Maggie emphasized every syllable as she propped her hands on her hips. ”You”re ridiculous.”

”Inadmissible evidence on that body! But the warrant gets us entry and the shit for the rest.” Sali flopped her hands and they slapped against her thighs. ”C”mon.”

”Like I said. Ridiculous.” Maggie waved her off. ”Next plan.” She pointed at me. ”Go.”

”Me?”

”You.”

”What—”

”Plan.” Maggie clapped once. ”Let”s go.”

”But—er.”

”No butter. Plan.” Three more claps. ”Think.”

”How can anyone think with this wildcard interjecting every three sec—”

”I am not—”

”You are,” Maggie interrupted Sali interrupting, then held her hand up to shush her.

”Not.” Sali huffed, and tossed her a deadly glare.

Maggie smushed her hand in Sali”s face. ”Calm down.” Her gaze never left me, and she continued, ”Plan.”

”Um…” With the pressure to come up with something, my brain decided to slow down to an absolute halt and do exactly nothing.

After a few seconds, Sali made to open her mouth, but Maggie covered it with her palm.

”We”ll wait,” she said.

Zay finally lost his composure beside me and chuckled at the two of them. It didn”t help me any at all.

”Um…” I repeated as my mouth dried to sandpaper.

Unlike the others, Maggie”s calm demeanor held my attention as I forced myself to ignore the other two.

”We, um…we can put on a play? Get some undercovers to cooperate with us to get in there.” My suggestion seemed weak at best.

”I”ll do it. I”m the best U.C.—”

”And what seventeen-year-old-lookin” forty-something-year-old is going to stomp into a demolition factory seeking to start a business transaction?” Maggie folded her arms over her chest. ”Please detail that out for me.”

That time I laughed along with Zay.

”Mags! C”mon.”

”Get over it.” She shoved Sali”s shoulder, her gaze still on me. ”Flesh out the plan.”

”Not Sali,” was all I managed.

”Seconded.” Zay raised his finger in the air.

”Motion passed.” Maggie nodded.

”Rude.” Sali scowled and flipped us off.

”What else?” Maggie ignored her and moved on.

”We…” I glanced at Sali. ”Get a credible U.C. who can pull off the businessperson gig. Maybe someone with property or find a dummy property that we need demoed.” Finally, my brain started working in the face of the intimidating duo. ”It”s gotta be real though. Demo companies volley for bids. They could”ve bid on it and lost.”

”What if we find a property they already bid on and lost?” Zay glanced between us.

”Good thinking.” Maggie nodded to both of us. ”Pitch it to Walsh and call us.”

”On it.” I nodded and motioned for Zay to follow as I turned toward the door.

”Pitch it to Walsh.” Sali muttered in a snarky tone, making fun of her wife. ”Bleh bleh, I”m the boss.”

A loud thwap echoed through the corridor and I couldn”t hide my smirk.

***

”Hi.” Clem greeted me with a smile as she tucked her endlessly long hair behind her ear. Pale cheeks tinged pink, and I kissed the end of her nose before our embrace.

”Hi, pretty.”

”How was your day?” She giggled when I lifted her up, immediately curling her legs around me. It always surprised me, despite the height she had on me, that she was able to curl herself up so small.

”Not bad. Might be closing in on that DNA case you helped us with.” I toted her over to the sofa in her living room and sat with her in my lap.

”That”s good. Closing cases is my favorite,” she said, resting her arms over my shoulders. We brushed our noses together, then she leaned her forehead against mine.

”I thought it was mine, too.” I closed my eyes, slowly allowing myself to lean into her affection.

”But now?”

”Um…” I thought about it for a moment or two, allowing my mind to flow through the chaos embroiled in it. The things I learned in school, then the academy, and at work. My experiences, the victims, partnerships. It all flooded me then as I ran my hands up and down her thighs. ”I”m…the serve and protect type, I think. Rather than the law and order type. Does it make sense?”

”It does.” She smiled and pinched my chin between her fingers.

”No more work talk.” I nipped her wrist. ”Thank you for waiting for me.”

”Of course. I made baba ghanoush and some lentils for dinner. Do you like that?”

”I do, indeed. Yum.”

”But…” Her brows lifted as her smile broadened. ”Sex first.”

A laugh escaped me and immediately, my belly flip-flopped with anticipation. ”I really like how forward you are. Did I ever say?”

”Nope. But I think I know because sometimes I can feel your muscles tighten when you get excited, so I knew.” She squirmed slightly in my lap as a wash of happiness brightened her expression.

”You are the only person who I”ve never had to wonder about or question myself over.” A chuckle escaped me, and I brought her hand to my lips for a kiss.

”Same.” She scrunched up her nose and bumped her forehead against mine again. ”Everyone else appreciated that I was into sex, but no one really made the efforts beyond that. I”m not easy to deal with…”

”Yeah, you are. Don”t let them make you think that.” I brushed her hair behind her ears and watched as seriousness crinkled her brow for a fleeting moment.

Her lips pursed, until she said, ”Mmkay, sex now.”

I laughed and grabbed her in a rough hug before tackling her into the pillows. ”Is that what you want?”

”Yes!” She shrieked, cracking up when I crawled on top of her while kiss her all over. ”I require no foreplay when I”m horny.”

”Me either and since you make me horny in like, three seconds, we”re solid gold.” I nibbled her neck amidst her snickers. She rubbed her bare feet up and down my legs while her hands explored the rest of me.

”So many weapons.” She patted my hip where my service weapon lingered beside my badge and cuffs. ”So little time.”

”Hmm. Should probably do something about those weapons then, shouldn”t I?”

”Mhmm. You should.” She nodded then dropped her hands above her head on the sofa cushions. ”I can wait.”

”I don”t think you can.” I pushed off the sofa to kneel above her with her legs still around me. I gazed down at her relaxed form, with her shirt lifted just above her navel and her shorts riding high the way I liked them, and imagined all the fun times we had together and were about to have. Clemetine made me feel sure. It wasn”t a simple surety either. It began with our relationship and bled into other facets of my life. It touched work a little, but at the moment it brought me confidence in my sexual endeavors. Clementine made me adventurous, and that wasn”t something I ever envisioned myself being.

My gear clunked when I set everything down on the coffee table, and flicked open the button of my jeans.

”I can wait a little. You”re thinking so much today.”

”How can you tell?” I shrugged out of my jacket, leaving just the floppy Slash T-shirt with cut-off sleeves.

”In your eyes.” Right away, she caressed my biceps and I flexed for her. ”Goodness.”

”You always say that.” I nibbled her bottom lip and she nodded.

”Because I like it.” Her lashes fluttered when I pressed my pelvis against hers. ”You didn”t remove all the gear, did you?”

”I kept your favorite.” I fought the heat that rose in my cheeks at just the mention of it. My self-confidence didn”t falter yet, and I grasped it for the time being.

Clem”s gaze, often flickering in the most casual of times, locked on mine during our intimate times. Something about the shared moment, the intensity of it, seemed to flush away any of the anxiety that looking at people brought to her. And me. But mostly her, I think. I loved looking at her, losing myself in the crisp hazel that elicited the desire that burned in my core. I watched as she looped her fingers into the waist of her shorts and shimmied out of them. She wore nothing beneath, as she often did when she initiated our encounters. I liked when she initiated. I never had to wonder or question or overthink. I just got to respond, mind and body all the way.

I looked her over, the slender curves of her hips, the peeking softness of her abs around her navel, and the perky nipples that pressed against her shirt as I unzipped my pants, allowing the hidden strap-on to make itself known. For some reason, her favorite carried a neon green twisted in silicone. Her fingers stroked it while a naughty smile plagued her kissable lips. I leaned over her again, my mouth landing on hers hungrily. All of her responded, her hips lifting and fingers tensing against my arm. She pulled me to her, as if starved for the passion that I could never deny her. The heat of her burned against me as she guided me to where she wanted me most. I pressed myself to her as she tilted her head back, and a soft moan escaped her lips. My teeth raked her neck when she ignited my fuse.

We weren”t gentle and took nothing slow. Clem knew what she wanted, and how she wanted it from the very beginning. She taught me to ask for what I wanted or needed in return. Although I wasn”t the best at it, and often found myself avoiding reciprocation, it became easier with each encounter. What I knew for sure, was that I loved when she shouted my name, the operatic vocalizations that accompanied her orgasms, and the messes we made together. Every moment kept me going, arousing parts of my mind and body that I didn”t know could be that excited, and I found myself enjoying the exploratory phase of our relationship. Learning her body, what makes her come the hardest, the loudest, the warnings she shouted when she lost herself to a sodden explosion. All of it brought me more satisfaction than anything from my past. With Clem, I had fun, the kind of fun that humanity was built to experience. She taught me about pleasure and letting go and shifting course when necessary. There was no wrong or right or bad or good. It was just what we liked, how we liked it, and that made it okay.

”You,” she said breathless, sometime later as she crawled over me. Her hot, naked body straddled my thighs as she pushed my shirt up above my breasts to massage them.

”Me what?” I gripped her hips, then pulled her down into a hug.

”Make my body do fun things.” She nuzzled my neck and it brought a smile to my lips, tender from all the kisses.

”That”s my goal.”

”I have an idea.” She snickered when she said it, then leaned up with her nose against mine.

”What”s that?” I chuckled and tucked her endless hair away from her face.

”Skateboard.” She pointed to the deck propped against the wall. ”Yeah?”

”I mean…” I glanced at it then back to her. ”I”m game for anything if you show me what you want.”

”Okay.” She grinned and hopped right up. ”I will. Let”s go.”

And like the love-drunk gal that I was, I followed right after her.

Our night went on like this, in varied states of playful, lustful, and joyful sex adventures until we landed on our favorite place to settle and cuddle. With our favorite drinks in hand, Clementine”s tea and my fizzy energy drink, we snuggled on the sofa while listening to the rain patter the windows.

”Can I ask you something?” she implored after setting down her mug.

”Shoot.”

”Shoot what?” Her brow furrowed with confusion.

”I mean go ahead.” I nodded and rolled the cool can around in my palm.

”How come you don”t like receiving much when we have sex?”

”I dunno.” I shrugged. ”I”ve always been like that. Most of my pleasure is derived from causing pleasure. It”s more…in my mind? I guess?” I gulped down my words as her questions forced me to draw attention to my own process. ”It”s not like I don”t have orgasms, I do. I just…usually alone?”

”Alone orgasms are good, too,” she said, her chin resting on my shoulder while we talked rather candidly. ”Has it always been that way for you?”

”Yes. For a long time. Not quite sure why. Sometimes sex was overwhelming to me. Like kissing was too much or being touched at certain times was not what I wanted. In fact, it would irritate me. For example, if I was cooking in the kitchen or folding laundry or whatever, and my partner came up behind me and touched my butt or my hair, my immediate reaction was to grit my teeth and feel irritated. I hated being touched like that, interrupted when I was focused. I can”t really explain it. I just don”t like it sometimes.”

”Has that ever happened with me?” Her brows lifted, filled with a concern that flooded her normally peaceful expression.

”Not yet, no. But it might. I”m a little worried about that.”

”Does kissing overstimulate you with me?”

”Not yet. We tend to move very quickly to sex. Making out was always torture for me. Absolute torture.” An uneasy smile tugged the corner of my mouth. ”I kinda like our speed. It doesn”t leave time for me to get too uncomfortable. And I really enjoy being the pleasure-causer. Does that make sense?”

”Maybe not to other people, but it makes sense to me, yes.”

”I used to think there was something wrong with me or that I was different. Don”t get me wrong, I am different. Very much so. I”m around Tati and Wyatt and Frankie, and everyone else at the shop and they”re not like me. They enjoy stuff differently. Wyatt understands me the most. He”s had the most cognizant of changes when it comes to sex, so I trusted him the most. Like when I wanted to buy a strap to wear with you, he helped me.”

”It must be lovely to have a friend like that,” she said, a small hint of sadness in her voice.

”It is.” I met her gaze when hers flickered to mine. ”Have you never had a confidant like that?”

”Not really. My friendships don”t last long. They”re usually pretty transient and were related to work or college. Sometimes sexual partners, but that was usually utilitarian. It took me awhile to realize that people weren”t actually interested in me. Just who they thought I was based on how I looked. Once those things ended or changed, the friendships stayed behind with it. I”m not good at keeping up with all of that.”

”You”re good at keeping up with me. And even pursuing me a bit.”

”Well, I was interested in you and liked you.” She smiled and poked my cheek. ”And your art.”

”What happens if you ever get not interested in me?”

”I don”t think I will.” She paused for a moment, as if thoughtfulness poured over her like a cooling sap. ”But if you move away, it might be bad. Or if I do.”

”Any plans to move away?”

”Nope.”

”Me either. So we should be good.”

Clem chuckled and gave my hand a squeeze. ”I”m glad you have friends. They all seem nice. Frankie seems risky.”

”She is, but she appears okay at the moment.” I squeezed her hand gently. ”I”m sorry you don”t have many connections.”

”My closest friend is someone I met while in Portugal. We still text all the time. She works at Laboratório de Polícia Científica, a forensic laboratory in Lisbon. Things are very different there and it”s interesting to me.”

”Understandable for sure. Tatiana has been hassling me to visit there with her and her mom.”

”You should. I would love to go again. I”m ready for another adventure.” She raised a single fist in the air. ”My next destination was to visit South Africa.”

”That”s far…”

”Everywhere seems far from here. That”s why you have to plan stops in between.” She tapped her lip then held one finger up at each mention. ”Fly from Seattle to New York City. Have a stop over there to walk around the city for a while. From New York to Dubai for a bit, check out the sites, then finally Dubai to Cape Town. It”s a riot of an adventure worth having.”

”How long does that take?”

”A few days if you space it out. The layovers make it cheaper, too.”

”That”s a lot…”

”You can always go for something less transitional and more direct. It”s more expensive and not as exciting, but it”s doable for sure.”

”I”m overwhelmed just thinking about it.”

”Well, the good news is it”s not necessary.” She gave me a gentle pat on the arm. ”And you never have to do what you don”t want to do. If you”re happy in Seattle, you”re happy in Seattle.”

”What if you want to travel and I don”t?”

”Would it bother you if I went alone?”

”No, I don”t think so. We”re separate people in the end.” I laughed softly at the thought. ”Would it bother you if I slept until noon on weekends then did nothing all day except roll around on a skateboard or hangout at a tattoo shop eating pizza?”

”Nope. Separate people!” She snickered and wiggled around a bit. ”Speaking of pizza, I would like to have it. Even though I cooked. It”s what I want.”

”I will have both. Let”s order.”

”Done deal.”