“And therein lies your problem. You’re too damn proud to ask for help when you so desperately need it.” He spits the words at me like venom, and I can’t help but recoil. I trust this man with my secrets, but it comes at a cost. It always does with him. He always uses it to his advantage. To win an argument or to win a game. How could I have thought this would be any different?
I suck in a deep breath, restoring the defenses I’d dropped for him.
“It’s time for you to leave. Thank you for your help with the kitchen.”
His cruel laugh sears down my spine as he slips out from under the blanket, pulling his T-shirt roughly over his head. “Sure thing. Don’t wanna say thanks for the orgasms too? Or was that one time all you needed? That’s your style, isn’t it, Katie? Just use them until you’re done with them. I’ll be sure to let Detective Biceps know you’re done with me and it’s his turn now.”
My blood rushes between my ears, the food I’d just eaten sitting heavy in my stomach. How dare he talk to me like that? How dare he suggest I use people when he’s been doing the same thing to get a rise out of me for years? He’s no better than I am, and yet he’s the one acting all high and mighty because he feels like he’s done me a favor by giving me a few orgasms.
“Get. Out.” I spit.
“With pleasure. Sleep well.” He sneers, slamming every door he walks through before I hear his boots crunch into the gravel path outside.
Chapter Eighteen
Jonesy
I’ve been summoned to the precinct. It’s been four days since they started digging up the backyard of Connor Maddox, and we’ve been told to sit and wait until we have more information.
So instead of attending to my marching orders, I’m in Lululemon talking to an assistant named Ashleigh, trying to work out what size I should buy for Katie to replace the ones I ripped off her.
“So you don’t know her size?” she says, pushing her cropped red hair behind her ear. It’s almost as red as Katie’s, but hers has a little more brown mixed in. Jesus, I’ve fucked up so badly.
“No...I have a photo...but maybe I can just guess. She’s about your size, I guess. She has full hips, though.”
“Okay, we have a two-week return policy, so you could give her the leggings with a gift receipt, and if they don’t fit, you can always bring them back?”
“Perfect. Thank you, Ashleigh.”
She packs up the items I bought, handing me the bag. I quickly make my way to my car, slipping the other gifts I’ve bought for Katie, to apologize for being the world’s biggest asshole, into the bag.
We haven’t spoken since that night, and I’ve been half hard ever since. God, the way she moaned, the way she begged. My cock has been leaking at the memory of it. It’s that, or the poor thing has been crying knowing I’ve screwed up so badly when she was at her most vulnerable. The goddamn she-devil has ghosted me for three days. Refused to answer my texts or calls. But guess what? She can’t avoid me at work. I shouldn’t relish the fact that she’ll have to be polite or explain to Biceps why she’s so pissed off, but I do. But at least for now, I’m going to put my apology face on, because I am in fact apologetic.
The media are once again insane, and this time they home in on me as I walk toward the precinct doors. Officers are stationed outside acting as little more than security guards, but hey, you’ve got to pay your dues somehow.
Bag in hand, I head straight to Katie’s office. Peeking through the window of her door, I watch her staring out at the parking lot. Her cheeks are shallow; the gray bags under her eyes are back. Considering how tired she looks, she still looks edible, and my cock stirs just at the sight of her.
A cough sounds behind me, and I turn, holdingthe pink bag in front of me.
“Been shopping?” Biceps smirks.
“Yes, just a few things.” I smile despite wanting to smack the smirk right off the stupid prick.
He leans into my space, knocking the door to Katie’s office, and I steel myself for a conversation I’m not sure she’s ready to have.
We both step through the door, and she rolls her eyes at me before fixing her eyes on the detective.
“I came to return these. You left them at my house last night,” he says with a Cheshire grin on his face. He passes her a sweater and a stack of files. Bile crawls up my throat.
Her eyes flick to mine before giving him a small nod. “Thank you, Detective.”
“Are we still on for dinner tonight?” he asks, which I’m sure is for my benefit. He doesn’t know about us sleeping together. There’s no way Katie would have told him, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t suspect we have.
“I’ll come back later, Katie. When you’re not busy,” I say, desperately wanting to remove myself from this situation.
“Don’t you want to give her the gifts you bought her?” Biceps smiles.
“Later is fine.” I head to the door.
