Tipsy (Take It Off #5)(42)
Author: Cambria Hebert

Men.

O_o  ←  that’s me rolling my eyes.

Not too much later, Blue appeared and motioned for me to join him back in the office while Watson went off in another direction.

“Hey,” he said, shutting the door and pushing me up against it. His body pressed into mine. The weight felt delicious, and suddenly I didn’t feel quite as exhausted as before.

“Hey, yourself.”

He dipped his head, capturing my lips and pulling them into a tangled-up kiss. I melted against the door as our lips intertwined deliciously. My fingers found their way beneath the hem of his shirt, and I scraped my nails across his lower back, bringing him even closer. The hardness between his legs was unmistakable as he ground his hips against me.

A small sound of appreciation ripped from my throat and he yanked his mouth away, breathing heavy. “Damn,” he said, breathless. “You make me forget this is my boss’ office.”

I lifted a brow. “What if it was your office?”

He smiled mischievously. “If it was my office, you’d already be lying across that desk with half your clothes off.”

“So is this all I gotta do to see you more often? Get arrested?”

He growled and scooped me up in his arms. My head fell back so I could look up at him. “Don’t even think about making this a habit.”

“This definitely will not be my new hobby.” I assured him.

He pressed his forehead against mine and groaned. My insides quivered at his nearness. “I gotta go.”

Disappointment stole away the giddy feeling of the moment. “Is being here going to cause trouble for you?”

“Nah. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

“What’s going to happen?” I asked. I couldn’t stop the fear that coiled through me. It was like an oversized snake, wrapping around and squeezing until my bones began to feel the pressure.

He planted a soft, full kiss on my lips before pulling away completely. I pressed my lips together, trying to hold on to him just a little bit longer.

“You’re going to call Dee. You’re going to tell her you were arrested and you need a ride.”

That was so not going to happen. I shook my head. “Nuh-uh.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Leave through the front of the building with her. Have her drive you home. There will be an unmarked officer behind you. He’s going to be staked out by your place all night.”

“What!” I shrieked, except it wasn’t really a shriek because I was so tired my voice had turned hoarse.

“Dom saw you. He already has you connected with me.” He ran a hand over his head, sliding the cap back so a few wayward dark-blond strands stuck out of the front, falling over his forehead. “Fuck. I didn’t want you involved in this. I can’t be with you tonight, but I’m going to make sure you’re safe.”

“Where will you be?” I asked, rubbing my arms against the sudden chill I felt.

“Working.”

“I wish you were some grocery bagger at the supermarket,” I muttered.

He laughed, but then he turned sober. “I wouldn’t blame you if you decided this was too much. That I was too much.”

“I haven’t seen near enough of you to have my fill yet.”

“So what’s your limit? How big of an appetite do you have?” he asked, arching a brow.

Our conversation was playful, but underneath, I knew what he was really asking. I knew what he wanted to know but wasn’t so sure how to ask. It made me wonder how many women had gotten a taste of life with a cop and ran the other way.

“I’m not going anywhere, Blue,” I whispered. “It seems when it comes to you, I don’t have a limit.”

“Is that so?” Heat penetrated his eyes.

I nodded. “You’ve never called, you stood me up, you ‘broke’ into my house, and you’re hardly ever around…” He frowned at his impressive list of flaws. “But I can’t quit you.”

“You strapped a pink cape around my neck, come up with the most ridiculous plans I’ve ever heard, have managed to drag yourself into a drug war, but I can’t quit you either.”

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my cheek against his chest. “Think we’ll change our minds when we have more time together?”

“No.”

I didn’t think so either.

I enjoyed the feel of him against me before I got back to the matter at hand. “My car is still at the salon.”

“Leave it. Someone can take you over there tomorrow in broad daylight to get it.” When I didn’t argue, he said, “You have keys to the salon?”

“Yes.”

“Can I have them?”

“They’re in my bag. In that room.” I was going to have to throw away that perfectly nice handbag. It spent too much time in Potty John’s room to ever be usable again.”

“Call Dee,” he said, pulling me back, placing his hands on my shoulders and looking directly into my eyes. “Go home. Lock your doors. Officer Sander will be outside. You might not see him, but he’ll be there.”

“Do you think something will happen?” I couldn’t help but worry.

“Dom would have to have a death wish to come after you.” He growled. “But I sure as hell won’t send you home without any kind of protection.”

“When will I see you again?” All this doom-and-gloom talk was making me anxious.

“Soon.”

Vague answers were stupid. Because they were vague. I liked definitive answers. I liked to know how many hours I was going to have to worry and wonder about him.

“Lay low, okay?” he asked, taking my hand and intertwining our fingers.

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem considering I’m pretty sure my boss trying to frame me for drug trafficking was a quirky way of saying you’re fired.”

“I’m sorry, Jules.”

I loved that he called me Jules. Yeah, it was only my name shortened, but it spoke of familiarity, of comfort. It was something a friend or someone close to me would use.

“Guess I better call Dee. She’s gonna flip.”

“Don’t tell her too much.”

“I won’t.”

He released my hand and walked toward the door.

He stopped.

He turned.

He swept me up into his arms and crushed our mouths together. Even though there was urgency surrounding us, urgency in the way we kissed, Blue still took his time. The way our tongues lingered against one another left me slightly dizzy.