Edge of the Heat 2 (Westwood Harbor Corruption) (11 page)

“
Ok, just text me. I’ll be ready whenever.”

Norman snuck a look at the two women. Emma
’s sister was lovely, with wide-set eyes and soft brown hair that she tied loosely behind her head. And her skin was clean and glowing. Just like Emma.

The wheels in Norman
’s head started spinning a new plan.

Emma woke, feeling joy spilling over from her dreams. What was she so happy about? Oh right, today was the day. The day she took Craig home. The day where there would finally be no cover-ups, lies, or misconceptions between them. Emma hadn’t thought about her vision in so many days, but this morning, laying here quietly in the hospital room next to her
boyfriend,
she thought about it a bit. She wondered what would have happened if she had never had that vision and the relationship between her and Craig had just grown naturally. She didn’t think it would be as strong. She wondered how she would have reacted to the news that he was an FBI agent if none of that had happened. Would she have been indignant at the lie? Would they have slept together already?

Emma
didn’t know, but she was sure that’s where today was heading. Her body felt like a piano wire, stretched almost to it’s breaking point. It had been so long since a man had touched her, strummed her. It had been even longer since a good man had touched her.

She sat up and looked over at Craig. He was sleeping easily, deeply, the rise and fall of his chest apparent from over here. She looked at the clock. 5:30. The excitement had awoken her early. She snuck to the door, wanting to talk to one of their guards,
find out about Norman. Peeking out the door, she saw no guards. The sight seemed so strange and out of place to her. They’d never not had guards.

She stood silently, trying to decide what to do. She tiptoed to Craig
’s phone and checked it. Nothing. She texted Hawk, “what’s going on? No guards.”

She needed to use the restroom. Ordinarily she would have gone down the hall so as not to wake Craig but with no guards outside she didn
’t want to leave him alone. She wished this was a hotel and she could lock and bolt the door.

She lay back on the bed, some of her excitement tempered by the anxiety she now felt. She took some deep breaths, willing Hawk to text her back.

An hour later, he finally did. “I called the guards to me. We needed the bodies. Norman shooting at us in standoff at his house.”

Emma flinched. She couldn
’t believe it. Norman was in a standoff with the FBI? “Please don’t let him shoot anyone,” she prayed.
Especially Hawk.

The door whooshed open and a nurse came in for morning checks. She smiled at
Emma and set about setting up a tray next to Craig. Craig started waking up. “Good morning Mr. Masterson,” she said brightly. The doctor wants your IV out. Without letting Craig even get a word or rub his eyes she took his arm and started unpeeling the tape. Craig winced with pain as his hair pulled out of his arm, but smiled and winked at Emma. His smile wilted as he saw Emma’s wide-eyed look of concern.

When the nurse had the IV out, she gathered up her things and left. Emma shoved the phone into Craig
’s hands. His face hardened as he read the text. “Hawk will be OK. He’s well trained at this kind of stuff.”

Emma nodded, trying not to be scared, hoping a good word would come quickly.

The door opened again and Craig’s doctor strolled in, hands in pockets, with a large grin on his face. “How are you feeling today Mr. Masterson?”

“
Great doc, and I’ll feel even better when you let me out of here.”

The doctor smiled and started his examination, peering in Craig
’s eyes, and at his healing wound. “You sir are ready to go. The nurse will be in shortly with your paperwork to sign. Just be certain to do your aftercare, deal?”

“
Deal,” Craig smiled and shook the doctors hand.

Emma felt her excitement building again. “
You really don’t have any pain or anything?”

“
I do, a little, along the path of the bullet, and everything still feels tight, but I feel like I have most of my strength in that arm, and I don’t feel tired anymore. I would say I’m about 85%.” Craig stretched his neck to both sides and lifted up his right arm, flexing the muscles. “So where’s the clothes Hawk brought me?”

Emma and Craig both washed up while they were waiting for the paperwork. Craig changed out of his hospital gown and into the clothes Hawk had brought for him. When he came out of the bathroo
m Emma’s breath caught in her throat. He looked so strong and big, ducking his head to avoid hitting it on the bathroom door frame.

He smiled and walked to her chair, grasping her hand gently. “
I can’t wait to get out of here. Did Hawk say we can go yet?”

Emma hadn
’t thought about this. She texted Hawk “Can we leave?”

“
He didn’t text me back for an hour the last time.”

Craig shifted his weight from side to side, looking like he was itching to go. “
Let’s get some breakfast at the cafeteria and see if we hear from him by then.”

As Emma and Craig walked out of the room hand in hand, Emma started feeling scared. She turned inward, trying to figure out what she was scared of. Craig. His goodness. His rightness. Today felt like the first day of their life togethe
r and she suddenly felt herself lacking, inadequate. What she didn’t know about Craig she could learn, but she thought about what she did know. She did know he was a good and decent and kind man who seemed to have no issues. No dark secrets. No hidden, horrible past. Hawk, yes, now there was an enigma with secrets, but Craig? He was an open book. A wide open, issue-less book. He probably grew up with a mom and a dad and played little league and had a dog and a white picket fence and the whole 9 yards. He didn’t seem to have anything
wrong
with him. And she did. She had so much wrong with her.

Emma tried to push these thoughts aside. It
’s not like they were getting married, they were just leaving the hospital. But Emma was pretty sure they were going to end up in bed, and this is what was scaring her. After 7 years she felt like a virgin again. She wanted Craig, wanted him badly, but she was also terrified to have him. He was so
good
, and she was so broken.

Alone in the elevator, Craig nuzzled her neck.  “
Mmmm,” he sighed, breathing in her scent.

Emma
’s senses heightened. Her nerves sent off fireworks that marched up and down her spine with the attention. The man was so big, so right, so hers.
Get a hold of yourself Emma! You’ve laid yourself bare for this man. He’s already seen your worst, your insecurities, your indecisiveness. He’s not going to go running when he finds out you like to eat cookies in bed or sometimes you don’t brush your teeth in the morning till you’ve gotten to work.

She let herself rela
x a little and curled her hands around his neck, urging his lips up to hers.

Ding. The elevator opening to the crowds on the main floor parted them. Emma
’s cheeks burned hot as people she didn’t know eyed her.

In the cafeteria, Craig piled food on his plat
e like he hadn’t eaten for weeks. Emma tried to keep her breakfast light. She felt a little queasy still. All of a sudden she didn’t know if she was nervous for her and Craig or nervous for Hawk, or nervous for Norman? Of course she wasn’t nervous for Norman, right? He deserved anything he got. But still she hated to see anyone hurt or suffering. A black sense of foreboding filled her in an instant.

At their table, she checked Craig
’s phone. Nothing from Hawk. She slid it across to Craig. “Here, it’s time you get your phone back.”

“
Thanks,” he smiled around his mouthful of bacon and slid it in his pocket.

Trying to lighten her mood, she teased him a little. “
I turned away 4 of your ex-girlfriends so you might want to text them.”

His face grew serious. “
Emma, I know we haven’t talked about this, but there hasn’t been anyone for me since Lucy, my fiance. That’s been three years almost. What I had with her…” he broke off, eyes shining, voice heavy with emotion.

Emma
’s heart leaped into her throat. Oh why had she mentioned ex-girlfriends?

Craig continued, “
What I had with her spoiled me for casual flings with casual women.” He looked down. Emma reached across the table and took his hand. He looked back up and smiled his lopsided smile, making a ghost of a dimple appear on one side. “I guess what I am trying to say is I think you are really special Emma. You remind me a bit of Lucy - but not in a messed up, I’m-so-hung-up-on-my-ex way. Just in your quiet strength and your grace and in how you make me feel. And I’m not just messing around here. I haven’t told you this yet Emma, but I love you. I suspected I was falling for you on our second date, which is why you asking out my friend hurt me so bad. I once asked you to move in with me and I am asking you again, will you move in with me?”

Emma leaned forward, lightly licking her lips. Her queasiness was gone; she felt like she was floating. She
’d never had a man tell her so clearly and wonderfully what his feelings were. She felt about to burst with joy.

She squeezed
his hand. “I love you too. You are the only man for me. I’d love to move in with you when things calm down a bit.” Tears fell down her cheeks, unbidden, unnoticed by her. Craig scooted around to the chair right next to her, took her in his arms and kissed each tear away from her cheeks, oblivious to the people eating and socializing around them.

Emma felt her body respond to his touch. She flushed, her fingers twining in his shirt and pulling him closer. She decided right then and there that she would giv
e Craig Masterson everything she had to give. She knocked down those final walls in her brain and gave herself over to him mentally. She was his.

“
We should get you home,” she whispered throatily, her mouth smooth against the roughness of his cheek.

“
Yes, right now” he responded, his voice a low growl in his throat. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked it. Nothing from Hawk.

He sat still for a second, indecision on his face. “
We can’t stay here all day, there’s no telling how long the stand off will last. I think we are safe if we go home.”

Emma nodded and nibbled lightly on his left earlobe. He groaned. Emma thought she had never heard a sexier noise. “
Call us a cab,” she whispered in his ear.

Craig pulled out his phone again, suddenly notici
ng his surroundings, the hard chair he was sitting on, the people around him talking in low voices, a few of them looking at him and Emma. He shifted in his chair.
Yeah, let’s get out of here
.

He called a cab, then leaned over and whispered in Emma
’s ear, “We should head to the lobby. You walk in front of me.”

She looked at him quizzically. “
Why?”

He pulled her hand into his lap, brushing the hard ridge under the zipper of his jeans.

“Oh!” she gasped, eyebrows high. “Oh,” she giggled, a large grin spreading over her face.

She got up, grabbed her bag, and pulled him behind her, walking swiftly. He kept pace. When they had almost reached the end of the tables and the crowd had thinned she stopped abruptly and bent over. “
Ooh, a penny!”

Craig didn
’t expect it. His most tender part ran full speed into her backside. A little thrill of contact bordering on pain ran through him. She almost collapsed on the ground in giggles.

Craig grinned, grabbing her hand as she stood up. He wiped the grin and tried to make his
face stern. “You’re playing with fire sweetheart, don’t make me find a broom closet.”

She giggled again, her cheeks glowing red at the thought. He pulled her to the lobby, finding a quiet corner where they could watch for the cab. He pulled her around ag
ainst the wall and pressed his length against her, trailing her neck with kisses.

She went almost limp against him, sucking in her breath. It had been so long. Her nerves were on fire, begging for more, pleading for harder, more fervent k
isses. His lips were slow, careful, like he was afraid he could break her. His hands, resting gently on her waist, twitched and suddenly were moving, roaming, rubbing up and down her jeans, over her hips, gently lifting and squeezing one butt cheek, hooking under her t-shirt and thrilling her bare skin. They were hot, burning her through her jeans, sending heat through her body, and she swore she could feel every flame between her legs. She clung to him, forgetting to breathe, forgetting to move, forgetting this was a two person show. Her head lolled back as her body tried to process the magnitude of sensations.

A honk startled her out of her reverie. She peeked over Craig
’s shoulder and saw their cab just outside the double doors. “Our cab,” she breathed. He didn’t stop, didn’t slow, just kept rolling his hands across her body and his lips across her skin. She tried again, wanting to get someplace private but never wanting him to stop. “Craig, our cab is here.” The cabby honked again. He pulled her to him as close as possible one last time, still incredibly gentle, but hard enough that she could fell his stiff, pulsing length against her belly. Oh she wanted to get her hands on him.