She gave him a half-hearted glare. “I ought to spank you.”
He’d never been thespankeebefore, but his little lioness and the wicked gleamin her piercing blue eyes made him curious. “Okay.”
Giddiness raced across her face and flared in her eyes. Before he could say, “but first release me,” she was out the door and off to what sounded like the kitchen, returning seconds later with a wooden spatula.
She hopped back up onto the bed and straddled him again, quickly releasing his cuffs. Only instead of getting up onto all fours like a good little submissive, he grabbed her by the wrists, flipped her onto her back, and pinned her beneath him.
“Rule number one: Never believe the first thing that comes out of your captive’s mouth,” he said, his entire body relaxing with the much-needed power shift.
She gaped at him, too shocked to move or fight back.
“Rule number two”—he grabbed one of her wrists and began handcuffing her to the bed just like she had him—“don’t leave your handcuffs where the captive can reach them and use them on you. That goes for your gun, your knife, your taser, or any other weapon or form of restraint.” He did the same thing to the other wrist, and within seconds, she was lying naked, bound and spread-eagle on the bed.
He sat back on his knees. “Now that’s more like it.”
“You’re an ass!”
“And you’re going to be fucked properly.” He covered her again, positioning himself between her legs, tempting and teasing her core. God, how he needed to come. “There’s a power struggle going on here, isn’t there?” He grunted, doing a diabolical little hip swirl.
“You better believe it.” She moaned, pushing her pelvis up to meet his.
A low and raspy chuckle shook his body, and then he slammed into her with all his might, his head dipping low until his teeth found a nipple.
“That’s okay,” he murmured, the feeling of her tight, wet heat surrounding him and making the entire world right itself on its axis once more. “I like a challenge.”
Chapter 10
Krista really didn’t want to go to the Christmas party, like truly loathed the idea of stepping foot into the rented room above the swanky hotel and having to face the questions, congratulations and curious stares of all her colleagues. News had traveled like a wildfire in a windstorm about her pregnancy, and she was not looking forward to rehashing it with some and filling in the newly informed either. God, police stations could be such gossip pools. And if she thought being a field cop was bad, the gossip and rumors were ten times worse in the office. She’d even heard one rumor that she was having twins and they belonged to two different fathers.
So, no. The idea of yuletide cheer around a bunch of off-duty cops while sober wasn’t what she had asked Santa for, not even close. But Allie, one of the few friends Krista had managed to make on the force in the past six months, was going and had all but begged Krista to go when they’d run into each other earlier in the week.
Krista just wasn’t feeling up to it. And even though she now no longer worked nights and had bought a ticket to the party many months ago, thinking at the time it’d be fun and maybe she’d have a sexy new boyfriend she could show off, now things were different. Brock wasn’t exactly her “boyfriend,” and she’d bet dollars to doughnuts he had zero interest in coming even if she did work up the nerve to ask him.
“You’re coming tonight, right?” Allie asked as they walked out to their cars. Krista hadn’t hung out with Allie in quite some time, not since she’d moved in with Brock. She missed her friend dearly.
Krista made a reluctant face. “I don’t think so.”
“What? Why?”
Lifting one shoulder, she hit the fob for her car. “Morning sickness isn’t always in the morning … or so it seems.”
Allie made a mock pout. “Oh, come on, you don’t have to stay late. Just come for the dinner portion and then you can leave. Do you have a date?”
Krista thought about Brock again. He’d most definitely say no. She could tell he hated parties. The crotchety hermit vibe was strong with her roommate-slash-fuck-buddy-slash-future-co-parent. Jeez, they should really nail down a title for each other.
She shook her head. “No. No date.”
“Well, come with Violet and I. We can all go together.” Violet was Allie’s wife. The two were beyond adorable together and had welcomed Krista as a friend since her first shift, when Allie took pity on Krista’s newness and bought her a coffee and croissant, filling her head with all the detachment gossip.
“I don’t know,” Krista said with a moan, immediately irritated with herself. If she were Allie, she’d be pissed right off with Krista’s pity-party behavior.
But Allie didn’t seem fazed or irritated. She simply shook her head. “You’re coming, end of story. You already bought your ticket, and the food at this thing is usually good. Just come, eat, dance a couple of dances, and then you can go home to your cat, okay?”
Krista let out weighted sigh. Allie could be pushy when she wanted something.
Resting her hand on Krista’s shoulder, she gave her a friendly head tilt. “I’m worried about you. I know you’re pregnant, and this wasn’t at all inyour plan, but it’ll all work out. I promise. I also hate that Myles kept meddling in the schedule for so long. You know he deliberately had our schedules changed sothat we never had a day off together?” Her eyes grew wary, and she leaned in closer to me. “I’m really glad you’re no longer partnered with him. But still,” she glanced at the door for a second, “you just be careful around him, okay?”
A noise at a nearby car had both their heads snapping up from where they’d been bent tight together. It was just another officer heading home.
