Quid Pro Quo

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

LEGAL BRIEFS EXCERPT

ROXIE'S BACKLIST

ABOUT ROXIE

Quid Pro Quo

Copyright © 2012 by Roxie Rivera

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's

imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons,

living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner

whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in

critical articles and reviews.

QUID PRO QUO

ROXIE RIVERA

CHAPTER ONE

"I need money, Greg."

His gaze jumped from his laptop screen to my face. Surprise brightened his face. He blinked a few

times. "How the hell did you get in here?"

I flashed the house key he'd given me a few months ago. "I rang the doorbell, like, five times but you

didn't answer."

"Sorry." He sighed loudly, sat back and wiped a hand down his face "I've been mentally replaying the

call from this afternoon and checking the transcripts."

I stepped into his home office and noticed he still wore his all-black uniform. The harsh-looking

material and military style lent an intimidating air to Greg. Apparently his latest SWAT shift hadn't gone

well. I'd learned to recognize that haggard, pained look on his face as the one he often wore when calls

went south. It wasn't an easy job, that's for sure.

"Bad call?" I walked behind his desk and leaned back against it. I didn't miss the way his gaze zeroed in

on my bare legs and the taut, slim-fitting cut of my too-short skirt.

He didn't answer the question. Instead, he frowned and gestured to my skirt. "That's too short, Nez."

"I don't like it any more than you do but it's the uniform all the waitresses wear."

"I don't like you working at that place. It's dangerous and the clientele is low-rent."

My lips twitched with amusement. Greg had been looking out for me since I was thirteen. He'd made the

mistake of dating my nutjob mother for a couple of weeks. She'd tried to pull her usual con on him but he'd

been too smart. One morning a few weeks after they'd stopped seeing one another, I'd woken up in our

crappy little apartment to discover she'd split. Next thing I knew I was in Houston's foster care system. Not

exactly a great place to be but not as bad as living with my erratic mother, all things considered.

Greg had made a point of getting to know my social worker and had kept an eye on me as I bounced

from house to house and group home to group home. I'd taken heart in the knowledge that I always had

someone to trust and turn to if things got ugly. He'd never failed me. That's why I'd come to him tonight.

"Well you don't have to worry about me working there anymore." I rubbed the back of my neck and

sighed. "I got fired tonight."

His brow furrowed. "Fired? For what?"

"For punching some jackass who thought it was okay to stick his hand up my skirt," I explained matter-

of-factly.

"What?" Rage filled his voice. "One of those low-life scum bags touched you?"

"Only once," I replied. "Believe me. He paid for it."

Greg's gaze fell to my left hand. He picked it up and gazed at my swollen, bruised knuckles. "You need

to ice this."

"I did on the bus." I waited for him to start in on me riding the bus this late at night but he didn't. He

surprised me by lightly tracing the bruised ridges of my hand. The soft touch made my belly flutter. I'd tried

to convince myself that my attraction to Greg was some kind of hero worship but deep down inside I knew

it was so much more than that.

But he was nearly forty years old and I was just nineteen. He was a decorated SWAT cop. I was an art

student. We were two different people in two different worlds. We could be friends but I couldn't see how

it could ever be more than that.

Greg's gaze slid from my hand to my face. I spotted the flash of lust there. I'd inherited my mother's

bedroom eyes and curves so I'd learned to recognize that spark of interest at an early age. To stay safe, I'd

figured out how to read men and anticipate their moves.

It wasn't the first time Greg had looked at me like that. A few months ago, on my birthday, he'd taken

me out for dinner. I'd worn this sexy little black dress and killer heels. I think it was the first time he'd ever

seen me as a young woman and not some abandoned kid he'd needed to look after and protect. It must have

been a startling revelation for him.

After that dinner, he'd been scarce for a week or two. I figured he'd felt weird about lusting after me.

When he'd called me again to check up on me, I'd just assumed he'd dealt with his unwanted feelings and

moved on from them. Now, I wasn't so sure.

It shouldn't have excited me so much but it did. His warm, rough hand clasped mine. He gave it a gentle

squeeze. "I think we need to talk."

I swallowed hard and stared down at him. "Okay."

"I know you waitressed in that club because the money was good but I won't have you degrading

yourself in a place like that anymore."

"Degrading myself? It wasn't a strip joint, Greg. It was just a night club."

"With a clientele of drug dealers and gang bangers," he shot back. With a shake of his head, he

continued, "If you want to get a job, find one in a coffee shop or some other place where you can keep

most of your clothes on, Nez."

I rolled my eyes. "Do you think I haven't already applied to places like that? The job market sucks,

Greg. My class schedule doesn't make things easy. Everyone under twenty-five wants a job with the same

hours I need."

"Then we come up with some kind of alternative."

I arched my eyebrows. "We?"

He nodded. "I promised I'd look after you, Nez. I let you take that job at the club because I didn't think

it was my place to make decisions for you. You're a grown woman."

"Yes, I am." I bristled with annoyance as I waited for the inevitable lecture.

"I should have stepped in to protect you and guide you. I'm sorry that I failed you."

I hadn't been expecting that. "What? You didn't fail me, Greg. You've never failed me. You've always

been there for me."

"Let me be there for you now."

"How?"

"Move in here with me. You can live here while you go to school. That will alleviate most of your

money issues, won't it?"

"Maybe." Rent was my largest expense. I'd done dorm living that first year and had nearly lost my mind.

My roommate had been a straight-up psycho. Without a car, I had to be close to the university and safe

housing in that area wasn't cheap. I was living in a studio right now in the most rundown but safe complex

I could find. Most nights I slept with the lights on because of the bugs. It wasn't exactly a dream situation.

"So what do you say?"

I still reeled with shock at his offer. "You really want me to move in here?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you here."

"Why?"

He laughed. "Why not?"

I shrugged. "I'm not the easiest person to live with, Greg. I've got some quirks you might not like."

"We've all got quirks, Nez. It's what makes us interesting."

I stared at our joined hands. "How much for my part of the rent?"

"What?" He shook his head. "No rent, Nez."

"No, I can't live here for free, Greg. I have to pull my weight."

"We'll figure out a trade or something. You can do laundry or cook or something."

I wrinkled my nose. "I can't cook and I hate housework."

"You can't cook?" He seemed surprised.

"I can scramble an egg and make toast and microwave the hell out of things but real cooking? No. Mom

never cooked and I practically lived off of instant noodles and PB&J sandwiches as a little kid. Foster care

wasn't much better. I never lived anywhere long enough to get comfortable in a kitchen."

His hand touched my bare knee. Electric zings traveled up my thigh at his gentle touch. "I'll teach you to

cook. It's a skill you need to learn."

My belly quivered as he caressed my bare skin. "I'd like you to teach me."

"I can teach you a lot of things, Nez. You just have to ask."

I licked my lips as his fingertips left a blazing trail on my thigh. There was no mistaking the double

entendre. "It's not really a fair trade if you don't get something out of it, Greg."

He held my gaze, his eyes dark with lust and need. "What do you have to offer me, Nez?"

My belly flip-flopped. Desire bubbled in my core, the bright fizziness of lust spreading up into my

chest. I realized this was my chance. How many nights had I fantasized about Greg? How many nights had I

played with my pussy and rubbed my clit while imaging Greg's cock inside me?

Fingers trembling, I grasped his hand and widened my thighs. I slid his hand along my inner thigh until

his fingertips touched the silky fabric of my panties. "How about a tight, teen pussy that's only been fucked

once?"

Greg's nostrils flared as his lust overwhelmed him. "I'd say that's an offer I can't refuse."

I squeaked when his fingertips traveled along the seam of my pussy. The thin sheaf of fabric separating

my hot skin from his only heightened the experience.

"Are you sure?" Greg eyed me carefully. "Once we start this, I'm going to want all of you, Nez."

"I don't want you to stop." I grasped his other hand and brought it to my breast. My nipples were so

hard they buzzed and throbbed. He cupped me through my shirt and bra. "Fuck me, Greg. Right here. Right

now."

With a growl, he shot out of his seat. He clasped my face in his hands and captured my mouth in a

punishing kiss. Breathless and shaking, I clutched at his shirt and held on for dear life. His tongue stabbed

between my lips and swiped mine. I moaned and welcomed his searching tongue.

His hands roamed my body. I reveled in the erotic sensation of his big, strong paws moving over my

curves. He touched me like a man. There was no fumbling or hesitation. He knew exactly what he wanted

and he was going to take it.

"Oh!" I cried out when his lips dropped to the curve of my neck. His fingers tangled in the loose waves

of my hair. He tugged hard and tilted my head to the side, baring my neck to his nipping and licking. My

knees wobbled and threatened to buckle when he sucked a sensitive spot there. "Greg!"

He groaned against my skin, the sound so needy and desperate it left me trembling. I realized just how

long he'd been fighting his desire for me. How he'd kept it under control and behaved so honorably toward

me I'd never know. It proved to me just how good a man he truly was.

I gasped as Greg pushed on my shoulders and forced me flat onto my back atop his desk. He kicked

aside his chair and fell to his knees. Eyes wide, I lifted up on my elbows and stared at him. He grabbed the

hem of my skirt and shoved it up around my waist. I lifted my butt to help him push the black fabric out of

the way. He wasted no time grasping my panties and jerking them down my thighs. My shiny red pumps