Seventeen

Nico

I pull up to Raven’s apartment, my frustration with her ebbing as I park. Apparently my advice wasn’t worth following. I’ve told her as many ways as I know how to take her time with Rose, that if she finds her to ease into things. Now they’re living together. But Raven is smart, capable of handling herself, and I haven’t seen her since this morning. The thought of kissing her is enough to subdue my irritation.

I knock on the door, and Raven’s voice drifts out. “Come in!”

Every time I’m in her place, I chuckle to myself. The apartment is drab and sterile, nothing about it reflecting the girl I’ve fallen for; Raven’s clothes and ink and personality are loud enough to shake walls. Her back is to me as she unloads groceries. A couple pizza boxes are on the counter, and the smell of melted cheese makes my stomach rumble. Or maybe I’m hungry for the curves she’s flaunting in her tight skirt and short T-shirt.

Her sister isn’t around, so I come up behind her and latch my arms around her waist. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.”

She sighs and leans into me. “A whole ten hours. You getting needy on me, Constable? ”

“Fucking desperate for you.” She squirms against me, her teasing tone telling me she’s as hard up for contact as I am. I cup her breast and press her into the counter, leaning down to take her ear between my teeth. “You shouldn’t have gone to Hastings alone.”

“If you need to punish me, I won’t complain.”

I flip her around and cage her between my arms. “I’m still pissed, but I’m glad you found Rose.”

She grins so wide I have to kiss her. She tastes as delicious as she looks, like burned sugar, dark and addictive. Already, I’m half-hard. When I release her, I spot an open chocolate bar on her counter and pop a square in my mouth. “Where’s Rose?”

“Showering.”

“Then we have a few minutes on our own?” I’d like to taste her as the square melts on my tongue, the rich sweetness mixing with all things Raven. I grip her ass.

She pushes at my chest. “Back off, big guy. And stop with the sexy eyes. She’ll be out any minute.”

Sulking, I give her space. Then I notice the couch made up with sheets and Raven’s book on top of a pile of her clothes on the loveseat. The chocolate turns bitter. “You moved out of your room?”

She lifts one shoulder. “I wanted her to be comfortable. She’s been at the shelter for a month. It’s the least I could do.”

“How long is she staying?”

“However long she needs.”

“You know why she was at the shelter?”

“No. I haven’t asked yet. I didn’t want to pry.” She crosses her arms. “What’s with the third degree, Sherlock?”

Intuition is a gift. And a curse. When my sister brought her new boyfriend, Aaron, home, I had him figured out before he opened his mouth. Nikki ignored my warnings and overdosed in an abandoned warehouse. Sensing doom but not being able to prevent it is a special kind of hell. I haven’t met Rose, haven’t even laid eyes on her, but her presence here just feels wrong.

I shrink under Raven’s glare. “Just looking out for you, babe. That’s all.”

Footsteps thud behind us, the woman who’s infiltrated Raven’s life making her appearance. “I can’t tell you how nice that felt. It’s been ages since—” Rose stops short when she sees me.

Her dark hair is wet, her loose jeans and floral top not as bohemian as the outfits at our vegan potluck, but I can picture her swaying to the music. She’s paler than Raven with freckles on her nose and thinner lips. She’s skinnier, too. I zero in on her arms and thankfully don’t see track marks.

Wanting to get a handle on things, I stride over and hold out my hand. “I’m Nico, Raven’s boyfriend.”

Her smile falters, stained teeth flashing. “Rose. Nice to meet you.”

I grip her hand firmer than I should. “I’m a cop, so if you need anything, if you want to talk about how you ended up at the shelter, I might be able to help.” If Raven insists on rushing into things with her sister, I need to suss out the situation. Best Rose learns who I am.

She yanks her hand back and folds her arms, eyes darting, lips twitching. “Thanks. But it’s not that kind of situation.”

She breathes more rapidly, still fidgeting. The exact reaction I don’t want.

“He’s big but harmless,” Raven calls from the kitchen.

She can’t see the way Rose lifts her chin in challenge, how she sucks her teeth. “I’ve dealt with scarier,” she replies, but her double meaning is clear. She’s on to me.

And I’m on to her.

That’s all it often takes with me. One interaction. One exchange with a perp or possible victim to sense if they’re lying. Last week, Alessi and I were doing a compliance check, making sure a repeat offender, Marlee, was following her house arrest. Her father answered the door in nothing but his boxers, belly hanging out. He swore Marlee was asleep and Alessi was ready to go, but the man tapped his toe restlessly and blinked a few times too many. When I insisted he wake her up so we could make sure, his resolve crumbled. Marlee’s now faced with new charges.

It’s more than Rose’s demeanor, though. Her shifting life, Clara’s reaction, and Russ’s history are all marks against her. Living at the shelter could be nothing more than a woman down on her luck. Or it could be a woman grasping at anything to stay afloat, and I’ll be damned if she grasps on to Raven and drags her down. Better to be wary.

“It’s nice of Raven to have you here,” I say. “I’m sure we’ll see a lot of each other.”

“Looking forward to it.” Her rigid posture says otherwise.

We hold eye contact, judging, assessing, then we make our way to the kitchen. Rose keeps her distance from me, remaining on the far side of the counter.

Raven beams at her. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I bought a bunch of stuff for breakfast. There’s two percent milk and almond milk. Tofu bacon and regular. Eggs. Cereal. Unless you prefer fruit and yogurt. I could go out and get that.”

Rose’s scowl transforms on a dime. Too quickly. She leans on her elbows and reaches over the counter to grab Raven’s hand. “Like I said, don’t go to any trouble. It’s nice enough that you gave me your bed.”

“I’m just glad you’re here.” Raven bites her lip.

And my gut churns. Raven’s cheeks are glowing, her skin practically sparking with excitement. If she notices Rose’s shiftiness, she probably assumes it’s nothing more than a woman turning her life around. A person like that would be worried I’d read into her past, scared I could mess up her second chance. There’s a chance that’s all this is.

I set the table while the two of them talk. Raven leads the conversation with stories of their youth, and Rose jumps in when a memory strikes her. During dinner, I eat pizza quietly. Watching. Taking everything in. They keep to the past, reliving the good times they shared.

“Remember Bobby Jeffery? That day he came to pick you up?” Raven tears off a piece of crust and pops it in her mouth.

“God, I almost forgot about that.”

Raven snorts. “I doubt he has. I bet he still needs therapy.”

“You gonna leave me in the dark?” I’m at the head of the table, the girls opposite each other, and I kick Raven’s foot.

She nudges mine back. “Our mother was wasted, and Bobby comes by the house dressed in his finest bell bottoms.”

Rose tosses her napkin at Raven. “Enough about the clothes.”

Raven throws it back at her. “So, Bobby goes to introduce himself, shakes Mom’s hand, and the woman passes out. Falls like a rock into him. Bobby was so shocked that he lost his balance and ended up on his back, her face in his crotch.” The girls cackle.

I force a smile. If I’m wrong about Rose, this could be the start of something amazing for Raven. A real family member to ground her. Her desperation to tell Rose stories and make her laugh is written all over her face, like Colin’s need to impress Josh. To be noticed. It’s such a simple thing, the swell of pride that comes from inspiring family. As rough as things are with Josh and Nikki, having them in my life gives me purpose. A place in this world. I want that for Raven, too.

I edge my elbows onto the table. “What do you do for work, Rose?”

“I’m between jobs.” She keeps eating, not a glance my way.

She doesn’t get off that easy. “What about before?”

Rose places her slice of pizza down and pushes her plate aside. “Different things. Retail. Waitressing. I did a stint on a farm.” She flexes her fingers, once, twice, then she shifts on her seat, scratches her nose, and angles away from me.

I keep peppering her with questions.

“So you’ve been handing out résumés?”

“Yeah.”

“No luck, then?”

She swallows. “Job market is rough.”

“Have you checked online? The Canadian Job Bank is a decent resource.”

“Yeah. But my timing must be off. They’ve always hired when I get ’round to applying.”

Her shoulders relax a fraction, my job questions repetitive enough for her to drop her guard. Time to shift gears. “That Russ guy, the one you were staying with, turns out he has a history of drug charges.”

Her body tenses, like a rod has been fused to her spine. Raven prickles with irritation, a steady glare aimed my way.

A beat later, Rose says, “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”

We might not be in the interview room at the station, but I don’t let up. “I thought you dated.” At least Raven seemed to think so.

Annoyance flashes across Rose’s face, followed by balanced composure. “We had fun, and he gave me a place to crash for a while. Nothing more. I’ll find a job soon.” She focuses on her sister. “Raven showing up proves things have to turn around eventually.” A wide grin spreads across her face…a second later than it should. A delayed reaction. False emotion.

Raven returns the smile, hers sincere, then she shoves her seat back. The chair legs stick on the carpet before smacking into the counter behind her. Everything about this room is small: the tiny table and four chairs crammed between her living area and kitchen counter, the low ceilings. But there’s nothing diminutive about the scowl Raven directs at me.

“Rose and I have a lot of catching up to do. Would you mind if we cut our night short?” Her words barely make it past her pinched lips.

I glance again at Rose, who seems pleased, then nod to Raven. “No problem.”

But her flared nostrils are definitely a problem.

I try to help with the dishes, but Raven doesn’t give an inch. She pulls open the front door and waits for me. I tip my head to Rose, holding eye contact until she looks away, then I follow Raven outside.

At my truck, she swivels around and pokes my chest. “What the fuck was that?”

I rub my neck. “What?”

“What?” She gawks at me like I asked the sum of one plus one. “That inquisition you held at my table. All that was missing were a set of floodlights and instruments of torture.”

“I’m just curious.”

She makes a gravelly sound. “Don’t bullshit me. That was Constable Makai in there, not my boyfriend.”

I glance at her bare feet. Her black polish is chipped on her big toes, the curve of her right ankle pink from where I nipped it last night. Without her boots on, she’s smaller. More vulnerable. I lift her by her waist, so she can rest her feet on my boots. Stand on me. Lean on me. All I want is to protect her.

I turn us so her back is pressed to my truck. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried. Have you brought up the brooch yet?”

She rests her hands on my chest. “She knew,” she says quietly. “She covered for me.”

Still so much sadness in her voice, but the news has my shoulder blades loosening. Rose endured a beating to save Raven. That took guts. Love. Traits I hope the streets haven’t stolen from her. “Sounds like she was a great sister. But I’m still going to worry about you.”

“I know. But not everyone you meet is a criminal. Rose has had a rough go of things. You say all the time that people don’t ask to live on the streets. Circumstances are often beyond their control. Why do you assume she’s different?”

I trace the frown lines between her eyes. “So much is riding on this for you. I don’t want to see you disappointed.”

Or hurt.

We’re just finding our feet together, the nights never long enough, the days apart an eternity. Everything I’ve searched for in a relationship, I’ve found with this woman. I also know what it is to be let down by family. I’ve seen the scars it leaves behind, healed but always puckered. Toughened yet raw. Nikki will never fully recover from what she went through, and I question everything she does, worried a simple night at a bar will send her spiraling backward. If Rose uses Raven and discards her, it will affect everything. Even us.

She pulls the front of my T-shirt down, exposing the enata symbol inked on my chest. She brushes her nose against it, followed by her lips. “You have to let me figure this out on my own. I know she has a history. So do I. I promise to keep my eyes open.”

I span my hands over the ship on her back and rock into her, wishing we were at my apartment. In my bed. Nothing between us. “Maybe I’m jealous.”

“Jealous?” She works her toe under the cuff of my jeans, dragging it through the hairs on my leg. “Do tell.”

Just her toe makes me crazy. I tilt forward, forcing her to look up. “I won’t get to see you as much. Won’t get to wake you up with my tongue.” Won’t get to sink into her and forget my worries. I kiss her neck, her cheek, her ear.

She trembles, a whimper escaping. “You, Constable Makai, are dangerous.”

Pretty sure she still has that backward.

She wraps her leg around mine, urging me closer. My growing hard-on presses into her belly, and my heart presses against my chest. She reaches between us and cups me, and I nearly lose my mind. We don’t kiss. We stare at each other. During sex, it’s like this between us. Each time I fill her, our eyes lock. She tries to get me moving faster, harder. And fuck, do I want to let go with this woman. It takes every bit of restraint I have to keep from slamming our hips together. But she’s so small next to me. When I’m on top, my arms caging hers and my chest hovering, my size and power are emphasized. She looks at me with want and trust, a seductive cocktail that reminds me to stay in control. Always in control. It’s a fraying wire.

I open my truck’s back door, needing some privacy to touch her. Get her off. I ease her off my boots and inch backward on the seat, curling my finger so she joins me. “Get in here. And close the door.”

She glances at her apartment, then at the parking lot, a wicked grin widening. “Have you always been this naughty?”

“Only since I met you.” I’ve enjoyed women, but the urge to please and touch and taste has never consumed me like it does with Raven. I’ve never dragged a girlfriend into the backseat of my truck. In a public area. This woman spins me like a top.

She wets her lips with her tongue, slow and sensual, then kneels on the seat. I bend my legs, too big and long for the space, and we laugh at the awkwardness, but when she shuts the door, the heat between us singes all humor. She reaches for my belt buckle, but I stop her. My behavior with Rose, the way I challenged her, was for Raven. Raven’s my priority. Even now, giving her pleasure is more important than seeking my own. Sliding down on my back, I plant my boots on the door and guide her hips closer, over my waist, past my chest, until she’s straddling my face.

Her strained “God” becomes a gasp when I push her skirt up.

And pull her hips down.

I kiss her wet underwear, and she shudders, gripping the seats to anchor herself. She better hold tight—to the seats, to me, to us. The urge to bury my face in her blurs my mind, a heady haze of love and lust. I move the strip of lace to the side, revealing her, and my dick twitches, my body set to unravel. Palming her ass, I bring her closer and lick her once. Her thighs tense. Her breath catches.

“I like you naughty,” she purrs.

I groan at her admission and tease her with my tongue, slow movements as I taste my fill. I lick; she moves. The heat in my truck climbs to scalding. When she rocks her hips, searching for more—needing it, needing me—I spread her wide and give her exactly what she wants. Show her I’ll always take care of what’s mine. Each suck elicits a mewl. She barely contains her cries.

I could live off this. Pleasing her with my tongue and fingers and my cock, memorizing the clench of her thighs and hitch of her breath when she’s about to come.

The ecstasy on her face.

She sways her hips, small shifts from side to side with a final jerk and hiss when I’m exactly where she wants me. I sink my tongue into her, moving her wetness around, bringing her to the brink. Loving the taste of her. My girl. My woman. Mine to enjoy. Her hand slams onto the roof, her knees gripping my head. I work my tongue faster and suck, pushing her to the edge, until she tips over. My name spills from her lips, her body shaking and boneless. I hold her up until I’ve wrung every last ounce of pleasure from her, then gently cover her with her underwear and adjust her skirt.

She slinks down my body, straddling me. The depths of her dark eyes shine. “I’m pretty sure we can get arrested for that.”

I chuckle, my boldness with Raven surprising even me. “Only if people see us. Maybe you were fogging up the windows so you could clean them.”

She leans down for a kiss, deep and wet, sucking my tongue, tasting herself on me. “Maybe,” she says.

Again, she reaches for my groin, but I stop her. “You should get inside. Rose might come looking for you.”

She wiggles her hips once, killing me, then she pouts. “I hate that I’m not sleeping with you tonight.”

“That makes two of us.” Three if you count my raging hard-on.

“It might be a while. I want to spend time with Rose and make sure she feels settled.”

I drag myself up, frustration edging my movements. Maybe my jealousy comment earlier wasn’t so playful. I like having Raven to myself. Making dinner. Talking. Walking on the beach. Not talking. I don’t want to share her.

We scoot out of my car, her cheeks flushed, her bare feet adorable on the pavement. She tugs her skirt down. “I’m happy to fight daily if every apology feels like that.”

“Who says that was an apology?”

“Your tongue did. It begged my forgiveness.”

I pull her to me, my jeans tight as hell. I plan to relive my supplication in detail at home. “Did it work?”

“Like a charm.” She lifts her face to the sky, the sun dropping toward the horizon. It’s warm for September, fall and winter on their way. Soon the days will be shorter. Darker. “But be nice to my sister,” she says. “And be happy for me.”

As a cop, I choose to work the beat. The community, the people—that’s where I belong, where I make the most difference. I see shit every day, good and bad. I’ve learned to question motives and behavior. Listen to my gut. Exactly what Raven’s asking me to avoid. For now I’ll step back. Give her space to get reacquainted with her sister. Her happiness is my priority.

“Done.” I kiss her softly.