Glass Ceilings (6 page)

“Nick, I'm coming,” she murmured against my lips as her walls tightened around me. She stared into my eyes during her entire climax. Once done, she bent slowly to kiss me softly. The aftershocks of her orgasm and the sensual feel of her lips working against mine sent me hurling into my own release.

Just as I predicted, being buried balls deep inside Angela felt fucking phenomenal.

Just as I predicted, now that I had her, I'd never get over it.

“Eve will be home any minute,” she said as she sprawled across my chest.

My one hand molded over the curve of her naked ass, while my other was buried in her silky hair. I couldn't get enough of her. Every kiss, every stroke, each and every time her gorgeous green eyes would hold my gaze I'd become hard again.

After having sex in the hot tub, we'd moved to her room. Once we got into Angela's big, warm, comfy bed we continued to break all the rules. In between we managed to squeeze in important discussions that needed to be had. The clock was ticking on our time together until we reunited in New York, and neither of us wanted to say goodbye.

I was leaving Chicago the next day. My new job awaited me, the job that I'd planned for my entire adult life. We decided together that as soon as she tied up her loose ends and arrived in New York, she would stay with me until she found an apartment. Despite our unexplainable attraction toward each other, having her moving in with me would truly make this already insane situation even more so. We did only just meet a week prior.

But lying there as we were, I knew I could totally get used to waking up next to her every morning and having her whenever I wanted. Being there naked in such plush surroundings had me craving more of her, and it had only been ten minutes.

Staying at Eve's was like staying at a luxury resort, fully equipped with all the amenities needed for an erotic affair. Her townhouse had three bedrooms, each with their own en suite bathroom, a huge bed with the smoothest sheets I'd ever felt, a fireplace, mood music, and lighting controlled by remote.

It was a horny man's paradise.

Her leg positioned between mine made it impossible to hide the reality that I was ready to go again.

“Seriously?”

“I can't help it. I have a gorgeous naked woman lying on me in the most comfortable bed on earth.”

“I owe Eve a box of condoms.” She giggled.

After the hot tub, Angela went searching through Eve's drawers in a desperate attempt to find more condoms. Thank God, Eve was a minx. The woman seriously had equipped her home with everything you could possibly need for pleasure. She and Jase truly were perfect for each other.

“You sure you want to leave all this?” I asked, only half joking as I took in the surroundings. Sadness passed over her features, causing me to add, “Baby, I'm joking.”

“I know.” She nodded against my chest. “I'm just going to miss her, and her family. They've all been so great to me.”

“I'm sure she'll visit.”

“She will. She's already considering opening another store in New York and having me run it.”

“That'd be awesome for you. Did you decide on what you'll do in the meantime?”

“Actually, I plan on taking some time to do all the things I love to do.” When I raised my eyebrows suggestively, she smacked my chest. “I'm talking about the Angela Cavello plan before you came into the picture.”

“Plans can change,” I repeated. “So, before I ruined your plans, what was it that Angela Cavello would love to do?”

“The Met, The Museum of Natural History, Madame Tussauds.”

“You're a museum geek?”

“A big one,” she admitted with a smile. “I'll have a lot of time on my hands once I get to New York, and I plan on getting my fix. I may even see a Broadway show or two.”

“Care if I tag along? I could use the distraction from my new job.”

“You like museums and musicals?” she asked, unable to hide the surprise in her voice.

“Fuck no, but I'm a firm advocate of supporting the arts. I also believe in brownie points.”

She giggled at my admission. “You may regret those words, Mr. Farley. It's been a while since I indulged in my passion. You might not be able to keep up with me.”

“Challenge accepted,” I said, offering my hand. She shook on it and sealed it with a kiss. “How long have you been in Chicago?”

I waited patiently, wondering if she'd answer or evade the question. After a few moments passed, she said, “A few years. I came here after I graduated from Rutgers. It was an adjustment, having grown up in New Jersey.” She looked away, chewing on her bottom lip. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“How old are you?”

“Why?”

“Just wondering.”

“I'm twenty-nine.”

“There really is so much we don't know about each other.”

“We know the important things.” She looked up into my eyes waiting for me to enlighten her. “We know we have an insane connection, and everything else will come with time.”

She nodded against me. “I look forward to getting to know you, Nick.”

“Me, too.”

“Where are your parents and brother now?” the agent in me asked without conscious thought. I knew her parents' address was still listed in New Jersey, and her brother was deployed, but I wanted to see if she'd finally open up to me.

“My parents are still out East in Jersey. We haven't heard from my brother in a while. He's serving in Iraq.”

“What branch?”

“Army, private first class.” She became quiet in my arms, until she added, “I miss him and worry about him every day.”

Her admission warmed me. She was trusting me, as she should. However, the sadness in her voice made me want to protect her from any harm. The best I could do for now was to comfort her. I tilted her face so I could softly kiss her delicious lips.

Although she was offering information, I really didn't want to push her. The more comfortable she became with our situation, the more forthcoming she would be with details of her life. In all fairness, I hadn't been completely open with her, either.
Would I be?
I wondered. I considered all she didn't know about me. The shield I hid behind had become second nature. I guessed time would tell.

“I have to get going,” I admitted with regret after she pulled away from my kiss.

“I know.” She looked up at me with a sad smile. “I can't believe that you're leaving me with the task of explaining things to Eve and Jase. So, basically you fucked me and ran?”

I smacked her ass and she squealed from the impact. She knew labeling what happened between us as a one-night stand pissed me off. I'd had plenty of them, and what I'd shared with Angela was definitely not a one-time fuck. But we needed to make Eve and Jase think it was just that.

The story she'd tell them was that I came to apologize, things became heated between us, and the next thing we knew we were in the hot tub.

The facts were true. Neither of them needed to know there were gaping holes in our story. Lying to both Jase and Eve was necessary.

I knew he'd understand when the time came that I could tell him my real name and the reasons I was at The Dump. Until then, it was much better for Jase to think I betrayed him…and safer. He'd get over it. Angela wasn't as sure that Eve would.

Eve already knew Angela was leaving for New York. She just didn't know I was heading there first. Jase couldn't know who I really was or where I was going. It would put him in danger once I left. He needed to be duped just like Mugs and the rest of them at The Dump. Hiding the truth from Eve made Angela very uncomfortable. I assured her that once all parties were prosecuted and dealt with, we could let them know the truth. Until then, it was for their safety.

“She'll be home any minute and if she finds out you're up here, she'll be barging in. I really don't want my cousin seeing you in all your glory,” she said, pointing to my hard-on.

“The more the merrier?” I responded, trying to lighten the mood. She smacked me again, but much harder. “You don't share?” I teased.

“No. I'm very possessive.”

Possessive.
That's exactly how I felt with her. I might not have known whether or not I'd make her mine, or even if our relationship would survive in New York, but irrationally I didn't want anyone else having her, either.

“Neither do I, for the record.” I tilted her chin up with a fingertip and added, “Ever.” The way she clutched my chest and avoided my eyes clued me in to what she was really feeling. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Please be careful driving to New York.”

“I will. And as soon as you have flight details, call me. I'll pick you up at the airport.”

“I will,” she repeated my words. “When are you disappearing?”

“I have to meet with my supervising agent first thing tomorrow and then I'm off.” Her face fell with disappointment. “God, I wish you were ready to leave now. It would make my drive so much better.”

“Me, too, but I'll be right behind you, though. One week from today.”

The thought of not seeing her for a week combined with the visual of our reunion fueled a sudden need to get one more fix. I dug my hands into her hair and crashed my lips against hers. She moaned into my mouth, which worsened my condition.

“Angela, I need a proper goodbye.” I reached for a condom and handed it to her.

Without wasting a moment, she ripped open the foil packet and stretched the rubber over my length. I then gripped her hips, pulling her over my body. Her legs automatically fell on either side of mine. She held my gaze as she slid over me causing my heart to squeeze in my chest and my cock to further harden almost painfully inside her.

It didn't make sense how much she affected me in such a short amount of time. My career had been my main focus for so long, and it still was. Except now, when I considered my move to New York, her face was weirdly entwined with the imagery of my new job.

“I'm going to miss you, Angela.”

“This is so crazy, isn't it?” She asked what I had been thinking as we moved together in perfect synchronicity.

“It is. I don't understand it myself. But, going into whatever this is together and being on the same page kind of makes it sane and logical. Don't you agree?”

She considered my words and nodded. “Yeah, I do, strangely enough.”

I tucked her hair behind her ear before pulling her closer to kiss her, wanting to connect our bodies in every way I possibly could.

She pulled away first and a slow smile spread across her gorgeous face. “Funny, when Jase said what you did at the stroke of midnight would dictate what you did all year long, it reminded me of something my mom says. Do something you love on New Year's Day, because chances are you'll probably be doing it all year long.” She continued to smile warmly running fingers through my hair.

“Well, then if that's true, this is going to be a fucking fantastic year. Angela, you were the best one-night stand I've ever had,” I teased.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile. “You were the only and best I ever had.”

“Why, thank you.” I nodded with a wink. “I'm glad I popped your one-night stand cherry…and I'm glad I met you one week ago.”

“Me, too.” Her gorgeous face turned serious as we continued to move against each other while staring into each other's eyes.

I kissed her long and hard, and when we came, we came together.

T
WO YEARS LATER

The policeman costume I chose for Halloween at four years old, complete with handcuffs, a badge, and a water gun, became my uniform for the next several years. My mom had tried to talk me out of it when the only size left in the costume shop was two sizes too big. I didn't care and insisted on that damn costume. Mom relented, and ended up getting her money's worth.

At age seven, I finally retired it due to wear and tear, but by then, I decided to give myself a promotion. Kid-size aviators and a fake FBI badge became my new obsession. Once again, I wore them all the time and not just for Halloween.

My obsession with law enforcement came from my dad. At the time, I had no idea what he did or where he did it, but watching him come home every day with his badge, gun, and the unmistakable sense of pride he wore on his face was enough for a four-year-old to take notice.

If a brownie went missing from the batch my mom had just baked, I interrogated my sister and father until they cracked. If a pet went missing in the neighborhood, I dragged my best friend door-to-door checking for witnesses.

So, yeah…I guess I
always
knew what I was going to be when I grew up. And now, at thirty-one, I could definitely say I made my dreams come true. Since I'd gotten to New York, I'd spent the time proving myself. A few high profile cases later, and the nameplate on my door finally read
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
. One of the youngest to climb the ranks within the FBI, I was now in charge of the Criminal Investigative Division, New York Headquarters.

It took a ton of perseverance and determination to get my last promotion. I had men double my age reporting to me. Earning their respect hadn't been easy. My boss, Wayne Rupert, was the deputy director in charge of New York headquarters and admitted no one had ever impressed him as much as I had. It's easy to impress when you eat, sleep, and breathe your job responsibilities. The other chumps I've worked with had families, lives outside of headquarters. Nothing wrong with it, having a personal life just wasn't my purpose.

I loved my job, but I had to keep reminding myself of that. Especially on weeks where all I did was crap paperwork. I had a ton of it to get through, courtesy of my last case. I stared at the piles of folders on my desk, loathing that part of the job. I'd spent the better part of the last hour shuffling papers around in a grand display of procrastination. It would only get worse if I waited to tackle it later.

The higher up the corporate ladder I climbed, the more red tape I had to cut my way out of. I often missed the days of undercover assignments and being out in the field.

A good portion of my time was spent staring at these four walls and all the contents within them. The next rung on my career ladder would be national deputy director, and then maybe headquarters in DC—that was if I still wanted to keep climbing. Because at thirty-one, I could also definitely say that I was exhausted with my life.

Would I do it all over again to get to this point? I honestly didn't know if I would. With age came clarity. I'd sacrificed a lot for my career. I wanted it more than anything, or so I'd thought. It wasn't until I got a taste of something else, something more, that I began to have thoughts of regret.

“Agent Farley?” I glanced up from my computer to see my newest agent, Parks, hovering in the doorway. The guy reminded me of me.

“Yeah.”

“You're needed in room three.”

“Brief me,” I ordered, refocusing on my computer screen.

“She's the last call that Delarro made on his phone. She ain't talkin'. Claims she knows nothing.”

My curt nod acknowledged what he said and a wave of my hand dismissed him. My team knew I needed just the facts, and nothing more. I'd rather form my own opinions about characters that needed to be interrogated. Dealing with witnesses was the part of my job that I loved.

Getting into their heads was my specialty. Being summoned to room three meant something good was coming, although Parks did say
she
. Females were the most exhausting to crack. When emotions were added to the lies and debauchery, it was enough to try the patience of a saint.

I glanced at my watch, realizing it was much later than I thought. This was going to be a long night. Releasing a heavy sigh, I grabbed the Delarro folder on the top of the stack, quickly scanning the fact sheets. An anonymous tip sent us to the victim's apartment where he was found. No forced entry, single bullet wound in his forehead. The name Delarro was why the FBI were involved. He was the son of the acting mob boss out of Chicago under the Politto family.

My vendetta against the Politto family began in Chicago. I single-handedly took down their illegal drug operation out of the bar I worked at undercover. Since then, every goal I had was to keep chipping away at the fortress they'd built, which spanned from Chicago to New York.

We'd already infiltrated the Polittos during the Volante case I worked on soon after I landed in New York, and I planned to pick off the remaining three underbosses until they were all either dead or behind bars.

Although Delarro was pretty low on the chain of importance, causing cracks in the foundation caused the strongest structures to come crumbling down.

I stood and stretched, grabbed my coffee, the case file, and set out to grill this chick. As I always did, I entered the adjoining surveillance room first to get a good look at the person being questioned. It gave me an advantage to watch their mannerisms while undetected.

“George,” I acknowledged my friend as he sat scribbling notes in his pad. George Whitney and I had been working side by side for almost two years. A strange friendship formed between us when we were both assigned to a high profile case involving the girlfriend of a famous rock star. It was my first big case in New York. Trey Taylor's girlfriend, Tara, was kidnapped, and solving it had catapulted me into the limelight. I was promoted over George afterward, but our friendship never wavered…even after I became his boss, and even though he was old enough to be my father.

“Good luck with this one, Nick.”

“Georgie-boy, you know how I love a challenge.”

I walked up to the one-way mirror and almost passed out when all the air gushed from my lungs. Sitting at the worn metal table, with wide eyes and trembling hands, was Angela Cavello.

I wasn't sure if it was anger or relief that pumped the blood through my heart with such velocity that it caused it to violently slam against the inside of my chest.

I was immediately taken back to a time almost two years prior when she broke my heart.