Revelation: A Contemporary Erotic Romance (Iris Series) (53 page)

She leaned farther back.  “My chest,” she whispered.

“Your tits are a perfect mouthful,” he said.  “You love when I touch you there,” he said, stating the obviously.

“I know,” she smiled, enjoying their intimate conversation.  “I don’t know why I love it, I just do.”  Her breasts were so sensitive and were often times the trigger that brought her to orgasm quickly.

“Have you ever come just by touching your nipples?” he whispered to her, looking so sexy during this conversation.

She just looked at him.  “No.”

“Let’s try that sometime,” he suggested with a whisper.

“Okay,” she whispered back with a smile, feeling excitement just thinking about it.  “Where do you like me to touch you?”

“Anywhere and everywhere, but I’m partial to my one big erogenous zone,” he said pressing up into her stomach, “and when you pull on my hair.”

She giggled, “You like when I pull your hair?”

He nodded.  “I don’t know.  It just makes me feel like I’m making you lose it.  And I love that.  A little rough, sexy.  You’re fuckin’ gorgeous when you get going.”

“You do that to me.”

“How long have you been thinking about me?  For real.  Don’t lie because I’ll know.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Tell me,” he said, shifting them into a more comfortable position as they talked.

“Do I really have to?” she asked, half groaning at coming clean with him.

“Yup.”

“You may have caused a
slight
interest the first time I saw you.”

He smiled smugly.  “Tell me more.”

“Why do I feel like this is a mistake telling you this?” she muttered.

“Come on.  Just tell me,” he laughed.

“You were such an asshole, but I definitely thought you were hot.”  She let out a small grin.

“I thought you were smokin’.  And how was I an asshole?  We barely talked to each other.  I was too busy interrogating Ryann.”  They’d had the interrogation in Ryann’s apartment, which was now where Ayanna lived. 

“I just remember you sat down on the chair next to where I was sitting on the sofa and you purposely crowded me by pushing your giant body in my space.  Definitely an asshole.”

“I wanted to be close to you,” he shrugged.

“Uh, huh.”

“I did!” he laughed.  “You smelled good.  Your hair was in a messy pile on your head and you had your glasses on.  And you were so tiny.  You didn’t have heels on, I remember.  But you looked fierce.  And you didn’t take anyone’s shit.”  He smiled as he remembered.

“You kinda gave me a once over with your eyes in front of everyone.  I couldn’t believe how bold you were.  That’s when I knew you were trouble and I needed to stay away from you.”

“I didn’t let you stay away.”

“You’re definitely persistent,” she said dryly.

His look got serious.  “I wanted you.  From the moment I saw you, but then it started to morph into this obsession, especially after the self
-defense class.”  He looked into her eyes and swiped her hair behind her ear.  “On Labor Day, the night you decided we would have sex.  What changed your mind?”

She cuddled her face into his hand. “We were talking about your sister and the potential of the Luke thing and how if either of them got hurt, they would figure it out.  That pain is a part of life.”  She got quiet then continued.  “I thought of my aunt, who’d just told me I needed to live past my fear and pa
in and, I don’t know.  I just wanted to live.”  She looked at him.  “And I really wanted you.  So badly, but I didn’t think I could trust you, so I convinced myself that I could just remove my emotion and have sex.  And we know how that turned out.”

He smiled softly.  “When you found out your Aunt April had the heart attack at the restaurant, I remember feeling so bad for you.  You were trying to keep it together but it was obvious you wanted to cry.  I totally wanted to hug you that night.  Just let you know you weren’t alone.”

She remembered.  “I was such a jerk to you, when you offered to get me a cab and I snapped at you,” she murmured.  “I’m sorry about that.”  She reached up and touched his face.  “I didn’t know how to show weakness very well.”

“You know that’s ridiculous, right?  There’s nothing weak about showing worry or concern over a loved one who’s hurt.”

“I know.”  She thought back to her conversation with the girls at brunch.  “I kinda shut that side of me down.  I’m working on it though.”  She relayed the same information she’d said to the girls that Saturday about her difficulty in trusting people, as well as how she’d struggled with sharing her feelings even with Taylor. 

“So lonely,” he murmured, stroking her mouth.  He looked her in the eye.  “Not anymore, Em.  I don’t want you to hold that stuff in.  I want us to share our feelings, the good, the bad, and the ugly.”

She hugged him.  “Me too.  I love you so much,” she said swallowing the lump in her throat.

“Mmm.”  He just held her, kissing her hair, touching her face, hugging her.  “It’s all gonna be okay.”  He lifted her head and kissed her softly on the lips.

“Yes, it is.”  And for the first time in her life, she believed it. 

Eight days after the infamous Strover incident, Kevin Nolan was still in the hospital recovering from his bullet wound, but many good things had happened in the meantime. 

Tiffany’s realtor, whom she’d used to recently find her own place in the City, had jumped in to find an apartment for Susan and Kevin.  Once Kevin was released, they’d never have to go back to the brownstone again.

Because the story had been all over the papers, Susan’s home line received many phone calls from her fellow employees and friends at the Library.  Mike and Emily gifted her with a cell phone, and it was Susan’s hope that she would be able to get her job back at the library since all of her schooling and training for her career had been in Library Science.

Dr. Vincent Strover, who was referred to in the papers as ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ was behind bars having been denied bail and was now awaiting trial.

On the Monday after Kevin’s shooting, the Academy had a huge assembly and then breakout groups to allow the kids time to debrief and discuss their feelings over their friend’s situation.  The shooting further precipitated a very productive Friday mentoring group class with the boys, where they all gathered together with Mike who was able to answer more questions regarding what happened.  They spent most of their time discussing abuse and how to combat it in society.

A lot had happened leading up to what was now Friday night of Columbus Day weekend. Mike and Emily were out to dinner with Dwight Lacey and his wife, Francie.  Later that evening Taylor and Mark were to arrive on the train.

“When Dwight told me about you being cuffed to your bed, I have to say Cag, I think I laughed for three days.  Every time I pictured it,” Francie, Lacey’s wife said shaking her head and chuckling.  “Emily, you’re my new hero.”  She cracked up and put up her hand to give Emily a high five.

Emily smiled, high fived her and looked back at Mike who was looking very pleased with himself.

“One of the best nights of my life,” Mike began with a smile.  “Well, up until Lacey had to come over and witness my fall from grace, but before that?”  He wiggled his eyebrows.

Everyone laughed. 

“I think I need to learn some of your moves, Emily.  Dwight and I can always use a little more ‘oomph’ to keep our relationship new and fresh,” Francie joked then gave Lacey a cute look.  “Don’t you think, babe?”

He looked slightly uncomfortable.  “Umm,” he said.

Mike barked out a laugh and Emily followed with her own at Lacey’s expression.

“Maybe I should try out some of this Krav Maga,” Francie continued.

“That I can get behind,” Lacey said.  “You should go to the studio where Emily works out.  See if you like it.”

“Yes!  I’m starting to teach a class on Saturday mornings and Monday nights next week.  You should swing by and check it out,” Emily said to Francie.

“Maybe I will.  I imagine it gives you a feeling of empowerment to be able to physically get yourself out of dangerous predicaments.  Can you imagine what would’ve happened last week if you didn’t know those moves?” Francie asked.

Mike took Emily’s hand and held it up to his mouth, kissing it.  They were still working through the emotion of that night, and the close call they’d both experienced.

Emily looked at Mike with love then turned back to Francie.  “There’s no doubt that those ‘moves’ helped save lives.  I will always be a walking advertisement for Krav Maga and for us to know the basics in how to protect ourselves, so I think it would be great for you to try out a class.”

“Can you teach an old dog new tricks?” she joked, but Emily could tell she was serious.  It was obvious that Francie, who was probably closer to Emily’s parents’ age, was afraid she was too old to learn.

“No matter the age, you can still learn something.  I promise,” Emily said.

“Then I’d like to try.”  Francie nodded her head with finality.

“And if you come on Saturday mornings, you can watch her throw me around, as well,” Mike said, his eyes twinkling, loving that he was going to be Emily’s sparring partner and punching bag for all those in class to see.

“Ooh!  Saturday morning sounds like the one then.  I wouldn’t miss that for the world,” Francie said with relish, rubbing her hands together.

“I might need to stop by that class, too,” Lacey said with a smirk.

Emily laughed then wiped her mouth with the napkin.  “If you guys will excuse me for a second, I’m gonna use the ladies’ room.”  She got up to leave and Francie got up as well.

“I’ll join ya.  It’s what we women do.”

After they used the facilities and were standing at the vanity mirror touching up their lipstick, Francie looked at Emily in the glass while swiping her lip gloss wand along her lips.

“Cag has been Dwight’s partner for seven years now,” Francie began.  When she was done applying and leaned back to rub her lips together, she continued.  “Cag’s always been a happy guy.  Fun-loving.  But I’ve never seen him like this,” she smiled.  “To quote Jerry Maguire, I think you complete him.”

Emily smiled at her and said quietly, “Thank you.  He completes me too.  I love him more than life.”

“Well that’s obvious considering you almost lost yours to save him last week.  I don’t mean to speak out of turn, but I know from Dwight that you scared the shit out of Cag.”  Francie was looking at her tenderly.

“I know.  We’re still processing it.  He scared the shit out of me, too.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

“How do you,” Emily started to ask, then stopped, trying to figure out her wording.

“How do I handle being a cop’s wife?”

Emily nodded.

“Before he was a homicide detective and he was walking the beat, I was more scared.  Now, I’m better since he’s not in harm’s way every day.  But a couple of weeks ago,” Francie said, referring to when Mike got shot, “well, that was a wake up call.”  She looked at Emily knowingly.  “You must’ve been terrified when Dwight called you.”

Emily let out a pent up breath, remembering that sick feeling of dread when she got that initial text from Lacey.

“I ran to the bathroom and got sick,” Emily said quietly.  “I never told Mike that.”

“Aw, sweetie,” Francie murmured and grabbed Emily’s hand.  “It’s so hard.  I know.  It will get easier, but it’s always in the back of your mind.  I’m not gonna lie.”

Emily nodded.  “Yeah.”

They both took a moment with their own thoughts then threw their shoulders back, took deep breaths and headed back into the restaurant toward their table.

The men were in deep conversation and didn’t even see the girls approach.

“...have you told Emily yet?” Lacey was asking Mike.

Just then Mike noticed them and ignored Lacey’s question, smiling at her.  The men got up when the ladies arrived to the table and they all sat down together.

Emily looked at Mike, wondering what Lacey could’ve been asking him.  She felt nervous and jittery, knowing that Mike was the brutally honest one in the relationship, which made her even more nervous considering he was hiding something from her.  She was trying to figure out what Lacey could’ve been referring to with his question.

Mike leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips and they finished up their dinner.

From dinner they met up with Taylor and Mark at Penn Station.  Mike hadn’t offered up any information in the cab ride over about his conversation with Lacey, and Emily didn’t ask even though she was feeling more and more nervous.

The rest of Friday night was spent getting Taylor and Mark to Jonathan’s apartment where they’d be staying for the weekend.  Everyone had decided that the sleeping arrangements would be best if they both stayed at Jon’s since he had two bedrooms and Jon could then stay a few floors down with Ayanna.  They spent some time hanging out in the apartment until everyone decided to crash and start fresh in the morning.