Innocent Bystander, page 12
“Can’t win ’em all, buddy. This time, we’ll settle for second place,” Damian says. “I vote to go home and celebrate what we’ve accomplished today, because despite the fact that we didn’t get Andre, we caught a murderer and Tursk’s death was not in vain.”
We all agree to go home. After years of this life, I’ve learned that I have to leave work behind when I walk out the door. We closed another case, and for today, it’s got to be enough.
NINETEEN
Family Dinner
SABRINA
“Who’s that?” I ask Alex. A beautiful, more mature lady is walking toward our front door. Alex turns his head toward the front window and sees the woman coming toward us. Damian and Chloe are trying to catch up with her. Oh my goodness, it’s Sandra, Damian’s mother. I’ve met her a couple of times, and she’s been super sweet. I know that Chloe adores her.
“Holy shit!” Alex exclaims. That’s not the reaction I was hoping for. He grabs his cell. “I put it on silent.”
“You’re scaring me,” I say at the same time that the doorbell rings.
He grabs me by the hand and tugs me along with him to answer the door, tucking me against his side and holding me tightly.
“It’s cool, baby,” he tells me, and opens the door. Immediately, Chloe mouths, Sorry. Damian looks at the heavens and takes a breath.
“Hey, Mama S, this is a surprise,” Alex greets her graciously, still holding on to me with a firm hand.
“That’s what you’ve got to say for yourself?” The petite, toe-tapping woman glares at Alex. When she looks my way, she says, “Hello, darling. So good to see you again,” in a warm tone. Even with Alex’s arm around my waist, Sandra leans in and kisses my cheek.
“Hi, Mrs. Locke. This is a wonderful surprise,” I reply.
“It seems that this is the only way I’m going to find out that Alex has a woman in his life,” Sandra says, locking eyes with Alex.
“Come on, Mama S, I know for a fact that Damian and Chloe have kept you in the loop.” Alex wraps his free arm around Sandra’s shoulders and walks us both into the house.
“You’re like my own son, and I would have liked to have heard this from you.” She stabs a finger into his massive chest. Her blue eyes sad, she goes on to say, “I promised my Kevin that I would keep you close, and you have a wonderful woman in your life, you’re living together, and you don’t tell me. I’m hurt, Alex. Very hurt.”
A pang of angst hits my belly. She cares so much about Alex, and she feels left out. I want to make it better. “It’s my fault,” I tell her, shaking my head. “I— We—uh, well, it was a rocky start. Alex came when I called him one night. I was terrified, and I wasn’t in a good place. Alex was giving me time to adjust. It’s been one dramatic event after the next lately. It’s my fault. Please don’t be upset with him.” I try to explain, but I know I’m not being as clear as I hoped I would be.
Sandra envelops me in her arms, hugging me. “It’s all right, darling. It’s going to be all right,” she murmurs in my ear. I slowly hug her back, then she moves us over to the sofa and sits with me and Chloe. “Do you want to tell me about it?” she asks.
I look at Damian, and he gives me a warm smile. “She’s a great listener, Bri. But it’s up to you if you want to share.”
“Absolutely. If you’re not ready, then we won’t speak another word and just sit and have coffee,” Sandra says, clasping my hand in hers.
“I made a mistake and trusted a man I shouldn’t have. I ended up a prisoner in his home until I escaped. I’d been on the run for a long time. A while back, he found me, and Damian and Alex caught him and put him away. I thought I was over it, but I’m not. I was getting help, but one day, I went out the back alley of the clinic to throw out the trash, and there was a man beaten nearly to death lying there. Then there was the kidnapping and being tossed from a car, and…” My voice tapers off, my chest heaving with emotion. Sandra’s eyes go wide in disbelief.
“Stay right here, darling,” she says softly. She stands, and points at Alex and Damian. “You two, in the kitchen. Now.”
“Sandra!” I say. “This is my mess.”
“There is no mess. In our family, we support one another. Not to worry, I just want an update from the boys,” she says calmly, placating me.
After they walk away, I face Chloe. “What have I done?”
“That’s the way Sandra is. She’s asked about you several times. She truly cares about you. Well, she cares about all of us. Those men”—she points to the other room—“are damn lucky to have her. Damian may be her biological son, but Alex, Caleb, and Zeke, they’re hers too. Mind you, Caleb’s mom is just as possessive and territorial. When Damian told Sandra that Alex was in love, she nearly jumped through the roof with joy. Sandra came to tease Alex, but it seems that now she needs to know that they’re handling you with care.”
“She doesn’t even know me.”
“She doesn’t need to. It’s enough that Alex loves you.”
Sandra returns, and I search for Damian and Alex. “Where did they go?”
“It’s a pinot grigio night. I need a little wine. They’ll be out in a minute.” She smiles. “Let’s talk wedding, shall we?”
And just like that, we’re laughing. Most of the wedding plans are well under control. Chloe’s mom and sister, as well as Sandra, have it down to the most infinitesimal detail. With the wedding only a month away, and all going as it should, it’s really about the wine.
“We’re having family dinner on Sunday, Alex,” Sandra declares. Alex doesn’t have the opportunity to speak because she gives us the hand to shush us. “Sunday. Five thirty. Joyce and David will be there. Zeke and Caleb are expected, so let them know tomorrow.” Sandra turns to me. “You remember Joyce and David? They’re Caleb’s parents.”
I nod and say, “I remember.”
“Joyce is going to be on Caleb to find a girl of his own.” Sandra sighs sadly.
“Don’t, Mom,” Damian warns. “Caleb’s love life is his own. Stay out of it. If you try one more fix-up, he’s going to stop coming to family dinner.”
She gasps. “He wouldn’t!”
“Sorry, Mama S, but he’s just about had it with the surprise guests who keep showing up on the spur of the moment.” Alex gives her a look that says just how serious the situation truly is. “I love Mrs. Thorne, but if you two keep pushing like you do…” Alex leaves it at that.
Sandra moves closer to Chloe. “Are we that bad?”
“When you act out of love, it can never be so bad that it can’t be fixed, but I would lay off for a while. Caleb will meet the right woman in his own time,” Chloe says.
“Maybe we’ll work on Zeke.” Sandra taps a finger against her cheek with a mischievous grin.
“You take your mother home. I’m going to text Zeke and warn him,” Alex says, laughing.
Alex
Sandra’s dinners are always something I’ve looked forward to. It’s a night I can spend with David. David is Caleb’s father, but he’s so much more than that to me. When my own father died, even though I lived with Sandra and Kevin, David was like another father to me. Both Kevin and David were police officers, and both became detectives and were respected by their peers.
David guided me through the stages of becoming a cop. From the entrance exam to the police academy, all the way through taking my oath, David stood by me. Kevin was there for moral support as well, but his illness had already taken hold. That didn’t stop him from giving me pep talks and keeping me motivated.
David has this amazing ability to keep both his wife and Sandra in check.
It’s good to have Zeke and Caleb around. Zeke loves the food and family stuff. He knows how to enjoy the moment and inhales life’s goodness like the breath of life. Since Chloe came into Damian’s life, Damian’s been the same, mainly because the pressure is off, and Sandra stopped pushing the mating ritual down his throat. Caleb has a different personality. He’s been under a lot of pressure lately. He’s the youngest detective to be a lead. The higher-ups are watching, and Caleb is determined to show them what he’s made of. In a way, I think he’s trying to live up to the expectations and reputation of his father and his partner, Kevin Locke.
Still, when the pressure’s off, Caleb’s been known to kick back in a lawn chair and toss back a beer as he’s doing right now. The ladies are inside, setting the table, which I think is code for gabbing. Zeke and Damian are tossing a frisbee, while I help David grill burgers, steaks, and kebobs. There’s no skimping when we get together. There’s an endless array of salads and desserts to go with the meat.
Sabrina made chocolate nut clusters earlier this morning. She wanted them to be perfect, and when I reached out to take one, she slapped my hand away.
“No, no, no. These are for tonight,” she said.
“Babe, you gotta have at least thirty there. They won’t miss one.”
“Please!” she said. “You can have the leftover chocolate.” She held up a spatula dipped in the milk chocolate.
I took it from her hand and tapped it on her lips, then licked it off. Then I moved my mouth to her ear and said, “Bedroom. Now. I have a hankering for buttercup and chocolate.”
Now, I see Sabrina looking at me from across the room. Judging by the blush stealing over her cheeks, she’s remembering our sexy afternoon.
Sabrina
I know that look in Alex’s eyes. He has that sexy, smoldering expression, and I know he’s recalling our afternoon. Even now, my body hums, recollecting our sexcapade.
My body tingled from the sound of his voice vibrating in my ear. My nipples hardened, and my panties were damp, and that was just from a simple gesture.
“Go get naked for me.” Alex placed a chaste kiss on my mouth and stepped back so I could move past him. I’m not going to lie, I bolted for the bedroom. Alex has a way of making my body sing with pleasure. I’ve heard that sex tapers off after the initial honeymoon period, but it keeps getting better and better between us. Alex isn’t shy to tell me what he’s thinking and feeling when we’re making love. Sometimes our lovemaking is sweet, and other times, it’s sensual. When he does his dirty talk, I want to jump on his cock and ride him like a racehorse. I have no resistance when he kisses and touches me the way he does.
I pulled off my clothes and sat on the bed on my knees, waiting. The door creaked open, and Alex came in carrying a bowl. He placed it on the bedside table and proceeded to undress. Not too fast or slow, but at a pace so that I enjoyed the show. His muscles rippled as he removed his clothes and joined me on the bed, facing me.
He reached over, dipped a finger in the bowl, then traced a circle around my areola, then bent his head, his tongue lapping at the chocolate until it was all gone. My legs quivered beneath me as he did the same to the other nipple. I reached out to touch him, and he lifted his eyes to mine.
“Tsk, tsk, baby.” Alex pushed me gently back onto the mattress, then moved my hair out of my eyes, kissing me long, slow, and deep. It was the kind of kiss that makes my toes curl and my belly flutter with excitement. “Hands above your head,” he commanded.
I immediately did as he asked and waited patiently as he ran his fingers downward, over my ribs. He dipped his fingertips into the bowl once more and this time, created a path running to the apex of my thighs. Alex parted my thighs and settled between them as his mouth licked, nipped, and sucked my flesh, making sure to thoroughly remove the chocolate from my skin. His whiskers rasped against my skin, but it only made me more aware of the firm hands holding my waist to the bed.
I gasped and cried out his name when he spread my legs wide, cocking my knees, leaving me open to his view.
“Quiet. I’m enjoying my treat,” he said, then spread the sweetness from the bowl over my pussy lips. “Mmm, baby, this looks very tasty,” he murmured, then latched on to my pussy. I writhed beneath him in vain. He had me positioned so that I was at the mercy of his tongue. He licked and lapped my clit, then inserted a finger and began to fuck me with it.
My heart raced as my need grew more frantic. Alex didn’t relent in his determination to take what he wanted.
“Alex, I need you.”
“What do you want, buttercup? Tell me what you need.” His voice was husky and low.
“You. I need you.”
“Try again,” he teased, then latched on to my clit, driving me insane, completely beyond reason.
“I want you inside me,” I moaned. I couldn’t hold back any longer and grabbed a handful of his hair, holding him to me.
“You want my fingers, my mouth, my cock? Tell me.”
Your cock. I want your cock,” I said with labored breaths. I’m so close to coming. I’m not going to last. “Hurry, baby,” I pleaded.
His hands moved under my ass, lifting it off the bed. He aligned his cock and with one swift thrust, he was deep inside me. I cried out his name.
“So full, so good.” I groaned as he swiveled his hips, hitting just the right spot. He began moving inside me, slow and torturous at first, then increasing his pace, forcing me to hold on tight. His thumb circled my clit, and I let go, unable to hold back any longer. My belly tightened, my pussy clenched around his massive member, and I threw my head back, closing my eyes tight, riding a magical roller coaster of euphoria. Higher and higher, ending in a free-falling drop that left me fully sated, like a kitten with a warm bowl of milk.
Alex joined me a short time afterward, burying his face in my neck as I wrapped my limbs around his body. We stayed like that until our breaths returned to normal.
I teased him. “Now I have to shower. Again.”
“Good idea.” He hauled me up off the bed and into the shower, where we made love again.
And now here he is, standing across the room, giving me the same look that takes my breath away. That longing in his eyes pierces right through to my heart. The temptation of his lips on mine that brand me as his and has me begging for more is hard to resist.
“Sabrina. Sabrina!”
Shit! Someone’s calling me, and I’m off in my own little world. I push thoughts of Alex out of my mind and turn to see Chloe and Joyce a few feet away, smiling like goofs.
“You can always tell when a woman is in love,” Joyce says. I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks. “If I can only find the right girl for my Caleb.” She sighs.
“Joyce—” Chloe whispers a warning.
“I’ve been told, dear. I’ll behave.” She looks over at Caleb and his father in conversation. David has his arm slung over his son’s shoulders, and both are laughing at whatever anecdote is being told. “The two loves of my life.”
Sandra joins us in our huddle, overhearing what we’re talking about. “Do not despair, my friend. Damian had a one-track mind. His career was everything. You remember.” Joyce nods in agreement. “Plans change. The right man or woman waltzes into your life, and suddenly, you just know you never want to be without them.”
Sandra couldn’t be more right. That’s exactly how I feel. At first, I was worried that I was becoming too reliant on Alex. Leaning too much on him. I’m glad I spoke with my counselor about my feelings. She encouraged me to talk with Alex and share my fears.
Alex sat and heard me out, holding my hand the whole time. When I was done, he said, “I had those same fears. Then I called David. Told him everything about you, everything I felt. Laid it all out. Do you know what he told me?”
I shake my head. “What?”
“He said I was just like my dad, needing to know the ‘why.’ David said, what does it matter why if it feels right in here?” Alex tapped the place on his chest where his heart lives. “Loving someone doesn’t mean you lose yourself. It means you find another part of yourself. I love you, Sabrina. I’m a better person with you.”
That was all I needed to trash the monkey chatter in my head.
Alex
“Earth to Alex,” Zeke teases. “Christ, the two of you are eye fucking each other from across the room,” he complains in jest.
“Shut it,” I mumble, and tear my gaze away from my girl. Zeke’s not wrong, but this is supposed to be a family dinner.
The food, as always, is fantastic. Everyone I care about is here and the presence of those who can’t be here still lingers in the house. Mom, Dad, and Kevin are here in their own way. David makes sure to keep Kevin with us when he shares his cop stories. Sandra and Joyce do the same when reminiscing about the younger years and how our three separate families became one big one.
I reach for the plate in front of me, take a chocolate nut cluster, and wink at my girl sitting across from me.
TWENTY
It’s All Good, Buttercup
SABRINA
A week later…
“Sorry, buttercup, I’m going to be home really late tonight,” Alex tells me over the phone. “We’re on a case, and we’re close. With any luck, we can get this done.”
“Do I need to worry?” I ask. It doesn’t matter how he responds, I’m going to worry.
“I’m not alone. Damian, Zeke, and Caleb, we’re the dream team,” he kids. “But I’d feel better if you spent the night at Chloe’s. Mason will hang out on the couch till we get back.”
“I’ll ask Chloe if she has plans.”
“She doesn’t. Damian’s already checked. Chloe’s been looking for more time with you, so this seems like a good opportunity.”
“Sounds good to me.” He seems relieved and lets out an audible breath. “Will you call me when you’re done?”
