Devil’s in the Details, page 31
I glanced at Alex, still sleeping, but now in the center of the bed on her stomach. The blankets slipping down to give me glimpses of her bare skin. I had to breathe out my rising desire as I walked to the other side of her tiny loft to sit down at the old metal desk pushed near the far set of windows. Sitting down I opened up the email from Dani.
Professor.
I went digging in the dirt and came up with some interesting things about the rookie detective. Seems she found a pile of hair evidence in the basement while going back over nurse blue eyes case. Ran it on a whim and poof, seems one of your pretty little blonde hairs fell out and was collected by one of Voltaire's insiders. Not that it was a bad thing, except for the fact that the insider forgot to destroy all of the evidence as requested.
But don't you fret! There is nothing else she has on you. I scrubbed the databases and found nothing other than a tiny hair that could be placed there because you rescued the good nurse. I sent in one of my rats to destroy that evidence. I guess the evidence storage room is about to have a sewer line break and flood the area with raw sewage. Particularly in the area where nurse blue eyes case files are being stored.
Also, I’ve attached pings to Scarlett's phone and work computer, there's something about her I don't like and is all too familiar to me. Her nosy, snoopy ways, that is, reminds me of a certain bald, fat fucker of a Colonel.
Anyway, see attached for the specifics in regards to one Jennifer Scarlett, rookie detective extraordinaire.
I glanced over the picture of the detective from her police identification card, memorizing her face immediately. I saw nothing that piqued my interest and turned to the file Dani had gotten for me, ignoring the closed case file of Alex's attack. I already knew what happened, no need to read it again, or see the pictures of Alex, bruised and bloodied. Looking at the pictures again would sour my euphoria about the night.
Skimming over her school records, there was nothing significant about Scarlett. She had done well in high school and okay in college, opting to go to the police academy as soon as she graduated with her bachelors in criminal justice. Detective Jennifer Scarlett was already proving herself to be a run of the mill rookie detective who wanted to leave her mark in the world.
I swiped through her police record and saw nothing that made her stand out. There were the usual and boring commendations for most traffic tickets written in a year and a few marksman ribbons. She had tested and gotten in the homicide division solely based on her score added with the department wanting to add more female blood to the division. She was relatively liked by her commanding officers, but again, she didn't stand out. I now understood why she was like a starving dog with a bone over Alex's case, she wanted to be seen and noticed.
I yawned lightly, reading nothing that was setting off alarms until I reached some of her case notes on some of the past murder cases she worked. There was something about the way she looked at certain details that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I squinted looking at her handwritten notes, realizing that they sounded a lot like the fat Colonel and his way of taking notes during a debriefing and how he seemed to ignore the obvious in favor of the hidden details of a mission.
I clenched my jaw and fired off an email to Dani.
You're right about the fat bird and the rookie. Can you run a full boat on her family and any job she ever applied for? From fast food places to all law enforcement agencies and beyond.
Can you also poke around using your magical ways, and find out what happened to the fat bird after you and I became a part of Voltaire?
I want to see if she is connected further before I have a heart to heart with her. I know the old lady's been paranoid that the NSA is getting antsy about Voltaire's partnership with the tea drinkers."
I hit send and before I could set the phone down, Dani replied.
A mole hunt, didn't think of that. You are good, Professor.
I went to go over Scarlett's file one more time, leaning over the metal desk turning the phone to its side to expand the file, and yawned again.
"Victoria?" Alex's voice was raspy, low and sleep filled.
I turned to see her awake but still lying on her side, clutching the blankets to her chest, "What are you doing?" She squinted at the digital clock on her bedside table, "It's almost three in the morning."
I smiled at how cute she was with messy hair and a sleepy face, "I had to go to the bathroom and couldn't remember if I turned on the alarm system at home." I held up the phone to show her the alarm company app before waving at the bed, "As soon as I got up, you took over the whole bed."
Alex sighed, smushing her face in my pillow as she held out her hand, waggling her fingers for me to come back. "I'm used to sleeping alone. Come back, I'm cold."
I laughed softly, setting my phone down and stood up to walk over to the bed. I took Alex's hand as soon as it was in reach, laughing harder when she almost yanked me off my feet back into the bed. I was barely in the bed before Alex had her arms wrapped around me, snuggling into my neck and mumbling, "If I wasn't so tired, I'd be upset about you being dressed already."
Kissing the top of her head, I held her firmly against my side, "I'm only wearing a shirt and underwear. I didn't think it appropriate to start walking around your house naked just yet."
Alex tilted her head back to look in my eyes as her hand slid under my shirt to rest flat against my stomach, "I think it is highly appropriate and I think I may have to institute a no clothes policy whenever you’re over." She grinned, laying her head back down on my chest, "Matter of fact, if I wake up before you do, I'm hiding all of your clothes."
I chuckled as I felt Alex starting to breathe slower, a sure sign that she was about to pass out on me. "I eagerly wait for the day. You love sleeping in more than you love blueberry bagels."
I glanced down at her to make another comment about how she would never get up before nine on her days off, even if I was standing naked waiting for her, but Alex was out like a light, sleeping heavily with me securely in her arms.
Victoria did indeed wake up before I did and I was okay with it. It allowed me to watch her silently under the guise I was still asleep as she moved quietly to the kitchen to start working on the promised omelets and fresh pot of coffee. I took a quick peek at the clock. It was a quarter after nine in the morning. I stretched my legs out, tilting my head to get a better view of the partially dressed blonde, cursing myself for not waking up sooner and following through on hiding all of her clothes and forcing her to be naked. I smirked as flashes of a naked Victoria filled my head.
I pulled the comforter up higher over my shoulder, resting my head on her pillow, I watched her. Watched how she moved with precision like she always did but there was less tension around her shoulders. She even had a small smile on her face as she rummaged through my disorganized cabinets for pots and pans.
Last night was a first for me, many firsts. My first time with a woman, my first time with someone I deeply loved and the first time I woke up the next morning and felt whole. Whole in a way that Victoria was it for me. She was my one.
I sighed as I worked out the sore kinked muscles in my legs. I was sore everywhere, but I didn't care. I knew why I was sore and just thinking about it made me want to do it all over again. There really had to be nothing better than spending an entire day with Victoria making love in my shitty apartment.
"If you're going to stare, at least come over here and help with the coffee." Victoria looked up at me as she set down mixing bowls and a crate of eggs.
I rolled my eyes, blushing as I pushed the blankets back, catching Victoria's eyes widen when she saw me naked. "I guess I can help with the coffee." I grinned, walking to the dresser to grab a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, feeling Victoria's eyes on me the entire time. I hated putting clothes back on, but I had a weird thing about nudity in the kitchen.
When I was dressed, I walked to the kitchen and started puttering with my coffee maker, when I felt her arms slide around my waist, pulling me against her. Victoria's lips brushed over my neck as she murmured, "Good morning you."
I grinned, leaning my head back to receive a proper kiss, "Morning."
"How are you feeling?" Victoria looked down with bright eyes, her eyebrows raised with the mildest concern.
I shrugged, leaning forward to return to the coffee maker, "Happy, tired, sore, hungry." I glanced back at her, "All in all, I feel perfect." I was about to thank her for last night, but I felt it would come off cheesy like it did the morning after my senior prom when I had a similar awkward conversation with my boyfriend at the time. How did you adequately express the mind blowing physical experience I had shared with Victoria? Tell her that it was the best sex I had ever had? That it was the only time in my life I truly felt like I had made love with someone? It all felt too heavy and I didn't want to throw another heavy cloud around us when we just pushed away all of the surrounding storm clouds.
So, instead I opted to play it cheeky, winking at her as she stepped away to move back to the eggs and spinach. I knew Victoria would be concerned, since it was a night of firsts for me. "And how are you feeling?"
She pulled her hair up in a ponytail, "I’m actually borderline exhausted. Someone had me expending a lot of energy that my poor body is not used to." She gave me a look before washing her hands and reaching for a few eggs.
I laughed, hitting the start button on the coffee, "Well if you're lucky, you might be expending a lot more throughout the day."
Victoria blushed, "I think I've created a monster." Cracking an egg, she looked over her shoulder, "I need to run home after we eat. Mary called, said Detective Scarlett knocked on her door this morning, inquiring about me."
I felt my stomach drop at hearing the detective's name. "Okay." I leaned against the counter, folding my arms, "Why is this woman so determined to find you?"
Victoria kept her eyes on the large bowl, "I’m not sure. It's one thing to bother me but it's another to start knocking on my neighbor's doors." She turned to me, wiping her hands on a towel as she pointed at the frying pan next to me. "I’m going to call her and set up a meeting at the coffee shop by my house. Hopefully after she meets me and asks her questions, she will piss off for good."
I frowned, running a hand down my neck, feeling the raised lines from tiny bite marks left by Victoria. "Why do I feel like everyone is always trying to burst our bubble? All I had planned for today was breakfast and bed. You, me, no clothes and all the carry out we may need to keep our energy up." I looked at Victoria, catching the smirk on her face. "What's that look for?"
Victoria rolled her eyes, pouring the eggs into the frying pan, "I was going to actually tell you that after I met with the detective, I want to lock us up in my house for the rest of the day." She looked around my apartment, "Not that I don't like it here, I just like it when you're at my house." Her eyes fell on mine, "Having you there finally makes it feel like a home, Alex."
My heart melted at the simple handful of words strung together to create an impactful statement, making me fall even deeper in love with the blonde. "Are you suggesting I should move in?" I narrowed my eyes at her, "Because I don't think I can get my security deposit back until I fix all the hammer holes."
Victoria laughed, grabbing my arm to pull me closer for a quick, but deep kiss. One that made my body wake up fully and want to forgo the delicious breakfast that was assaulting my nose, drag Victoria back to bed and try out a few more things I’d thought about. "Let's see how this vacation together goes." She made a face, "But if you did move in, I would at least know where all of my Navy things are hiding."
Releasing me to flip the omelet, I bit my bottom lip, tucking my hands under my arms, "Speaking of Navy things, I kind of always had this fantasy about you in your dress uniform, or any of your uniforms. Do you have one of those big white hats the men wear?" My heart began to race as I pictured Victoria in nothing but her dress uniform shirt, partially buttoned and swaggering into the bedroom.
Victoria kept her focus on the frying pan in front of her, "Funny you should ask, but yes, I do." She then turned and gave me a heated look that made me bite my bottom lip harder in an attempt to funnel out the desire coursing through my veins. "If you're lucky and you give me back my one favorite hoody..."
I pushed off the counter and half ran to my closet, tossing random shirts and scrubs aside I thrust my arm up in the air, a hand wrapped around the worn grey material, "I found it! It's right here!"
I rushed back to where Victoria had her shopping bags from the mall, folding up the cherished hoody and tucking it in her bag, I pointed, "See, all ready to go home with you."
I looked up to see the woman I loved, laughing and shaking her head at me as she plated the omelet, "If I had known that was all it took."
I gave her a dirty look, "You play dirty, Victoria."
She grinned at me, "Yes, I do." She waved me over to grab a plate, "And you will find out how dirty I can play later today."
I groaned, walking towards her. "I really hate this detective."
* * *
After breakfast and a very long shower that started out innocent, then turned into another teaching lesson about things that can be done in the shower with Victoria, we packed up and drove back to her house.
Holding hands the entire way back, I felt like a giddy idiot. The whole world looked different. The sun seemed brighter and the spring blossoms had a stronger scent as it flooded the mini from the open windows. Even the music on the radio was perfect, the radio stations playing all of my favorite songs as I drove without a thought in my head other than how Victoria's hand felt in mine.
I couldn't stop looking at her at every stop light and I would often catch her staring at me. Grinning and hanging her head down when I caught her, she was a far cry from the guarded and protective woman I had faced down a few days ago. Replaced by what I imagine was the woman she was before the world changed around her and in her.
Right before the exit ramp that would take me to her neighborhood, I had a sudden desire to keep heading south and drive until we found somewhere to stop. Maybe find a nice house on the coast of the Carolina's, set up in a plantation house and leave our lives behind and start a new one where no one knew us. A life that could just be the two of us watching the sun rise and set without a care in the world. No more worrying about double shifts and grading papers.
I rolled my eyes as I hit the on ramp, my hopeless romantic brain getting carried away like it always did. I knew Victoria would never just up and bail on her job at the Academy and I certainly had too much dedication and self-created responsibility to my nursing job to just stop showing up. There was a reality that I had to adapt to now, adapt to this new beginning with Victoria by my side.
At least I was on vacation and I could indulge a bit in that side of my brain with the woman sitting next to me.
Driving the mini up into her driveway, we both waved to Mary and Dale as they worked on the flowers in the front yard.
Victoria got out immediately and trotted over to Mary, clearly asking about the Detective and what she wanted. The look on the two elderly neighbor's told me that it wasn't anything too disruptive, but as all good neighbors do, they made sure Victoria was told about the snoopy woman and her treading in a territory that was off limits in many ways.
I eased out of the car, reaching for our bags to head in the house when Victoria called out my name and tossed me her house keys, winking at me as I gave her a look. I was still getting used to this open side of Victoria. The ease she now had around me.
I motioned that I would meet her inside and walked to the front door, smiling lightly to myself as I scooped up her mail and took it in to the den, dropping the bags on the couch as I went. I sat the few envelopes down on the mahogany desk when one of them caught my eye.
It was a thicker one, a deep blue color and just felt different. The texture of the envelope had a rich feeling like wedding invitations did. I flicked the other envelopes out of the way, reading Victoria's full name and rank in the center in gold ink. I picked it up, looking at the return address.
"Voltaire Clothiers?" I scrunched my face up, recognizing the name of the company from the labels of Stacy's super expensive bras she bought for her second anniversary. I had even gotten a few product catalogs in the mail when I was in New York, tossing them in the recycling after I bought one bra and found it to be an overpriced piece of crap.
I moved to set the envelope back in its spot, trying to think if I had noticed what brand any of Victoria's underwear was. Smirking as I made it my mission to find out, I set the other mail back on the fancy envelope, barely registering that the return address for the underwear mogul was an address close to the Pentagon.
It disappeared completely when I was swooped up in the strong arms of blonde as I walked out of the den, receiving another kiss that sucked all thoughts from my head.
I left Alex with Dale and Mary in my backyard. The three of them determined to turn the disaster I called a flower garden into an actual flower garden. Dale taking the lead, digging out the one sad tulip plant I had planted last spring.
I had called Detective Scarlett while Alex was in the laundry room, washing all the new clothes I had bought and a few of her own things she packed. I told the Detective to meet me at the coffee shop around the corner from my house in an hour, giving me enough time to check in with Dani for any last minute things she might have dug up.
As I hung up and went to kiss Alex goodbye, I found myself watching her move around in my laundry room. Setting the washer and adding the right amount of detergent I used, folding up the few towels I had left in the dryer, I suddenly wanted Alex to move in with me. It had been a silly joke at breakfast, a way to distract Alex from lunging at me, but I had meant it when I said she made my house finally feel like a home. She finally made me feel like I had a home and not just a bed where I slept in between jobs.
