Sullivan (Laurel Springs Emergency Response Team Book 5) Read online

  “Sullivan, did you just handcuff me to this chair?”

  Nosing her hair out of the way, I get to her ear. “Sure did. You okay with that, Counselor?”

  The length of her quietness almost makes me take them off, but when I’m just about to do it, I hear her answer. Strong and loud. “Perfectly…”

  Reaching around her, I place my hands on her chest, allowing her to get used to the feel of them against her. Quickly, she tilts her head back, resting it flush against my chest, which gives me the perfect angle to lean down and fuse our lips together again.

  This kiss? It’s a sensual exploration coupled with a slow fuck between our tongues. It might have lasted two minutes or two hours, all I know is when I pull away, we’re both panting, affected by what’s going on here.

  Cautiously I drop my hands to cup her breasts, just to see how she responds. When she presses them harder into my palms, I know she’s down for my plans. Coming around to her front, I grab the other chair and have a seat, so that we’re almost at eye level with one another.

  Leaning forward, I capture one of her hard nipples, nipping slightly against the cotton of her shirt and the material of her bra.

  She makes a frustrated sound in her through. “I want this off,” she pulls at the cuffs around her hands.

  “Do you love this shirt?” I ask the question with a raised eyebrow.

  “Why are you asking me this right now? It’s not a favorite if that’s what you want to know.”

  I slightly shift to the side, reaching into my boots to grab a knife I keep there. I open it.

  “Don’t move,” I caution her as I slip it into the neckline, the fabric slicing cleanly.

  She gasps, her eyes wide with what appear to be wonder. There’s not a doubt she likes this. Shelby seems to have a bit of the same side I have, and if we can explore it together, then all the better for it.

  What’s before me is more than I ever imagined. Her breasts are larger than I thought, barely held in by the lace cups shielding them from my gaze. Tilting my head to the side, I give them a good look, dropping my eyes to where her jeans button at her waist.

  Reaching forward, I pull one of the cups down as far as I can. It’s not far enough to get access to the flesh, though.

  “Take it off,” she moans.

  Because her hands are still cuffed, it’s not that easy. Flipping my knife open again, I place it in the middle of her chest. “Seriously don’t move this time.”

  “I trust you,” she whispers.

  With a flick of the wrist, I slice through the fabric, leaving it gaping open. Her chest is jutted out because of the position she’s in, and before I take her hardened nipple with my mouth, I place the blunt edge of the knife against the peaked nub and rub it down in a swift motion.

  Shelby jerks slightly, her eyes dilating as they watch what I’m doing.

  Once they’re hard enough to my liking, I lean forward, taking her nipple in my mouth, tonguing at the pebbled flesh, nipping and kissing.

  My hands move down her body, stopping at the closure of her jeans, before unbuttoning it, and quickly taking them off. Her panties are wet in the middle, just how I wanted them to be. Pulling back from her tits, I ask, “You want me?”

  Her blonde hair falls into her eyes as she nods, tilting her head back against her shoulders. “Please, please,” she begs thrusting up to me. “I’m so empty.”

  What I wouldn’t give to slide my dick deep into that pussy, but I don’t have protection, and this isn’t the type of woman you go raw in on the first date. But this is more about her, than it ever was about me. Instead, I take two fingers, stick them in my mouth, swirl my tongue to make sure they’re nice and lubricated before removing them and thrusting them into her core.

  She clamps down hard enough to almost make me come in my jeans.

  “Sully,” she screams as I feel her tight channel gripping me.

  “You okay, Counselor?” I wipe my fingers on my jeans, before looking up at her.

  Those green eyes of hers are closed, and her head is tilted to the side, her lips parted slightly as she breathes a rhythm sending her chest up and down. A laugh rumbles up into my throat, and I give myself a couple of minutes to get my shit together.

  Once I do, I get up, un-cuff Shelby and pick her up. Even though I’ve been here a few times, I’ve never been to her bedroom, but luckily for me, her apartment is the exact same layout as mine.

  Her blankets are already pulled back, I lay her down, take her shoes off, get rid of the clothing hanging from her arms, and cover her up.

  For a woman who always looks so fierce and put together in everyday life, she resembles a teenager in sleep. I can’t help but lean over and place a kiss on her forehead.

  “Sleep good, Counselor.”

  I lock up, and exit. Outside, I run my fingers through my hair wondering what in the hell has just gone on between us.

  And, when will it happen again?

  Chapter 1

  Shelby

  My hand trembles as I stand outside Sully’s apartment. I know he’s off-shift, both his cruiser and Mustang are parked next to one another. I’m holding a roast in my other palm, nervous as hell. Lifting up the trembling hand, I knock quickly on the door, inwardly dying as I wait for him to either answer or come to the door.

  “Coming.” I hear his strong voice through the barrier between us. When he opens it, I literally lose my breath.

  “Counselor.” He grins as he sees me standing there.

  “Hey,” I answer. “I made a huge dinner, and was wondering if you wanted to split it with me.”

  He rubs his stomach, inadvertently lifting his shirt up so I can see his abdomen muscles. It’s an unconscious move he makes, but I still let my gaze drift down and enjoy the fruits of his exercise labor.

  “Whatever that is smells amazing, c’mon in.”

  Ducking under his arm, I enter, feeling shy because this is one of the first times we’ve seen each other since the Christmas party. It’s not that I’ve avoided him, I’ve just waited for him to make a move.

  He hasn’t.

  Which is why I’m here tonight. To try and figure out if I can convince myself to be bold again.

  Going over to the island, I put everything down, starting to unpack it.

  “What did you bring?”

  He has a seat in one of the chairs, looking at me expectantly.

  “Top round was on sale at the grocery store and I couldn’t pass it up, it’s way too much for just me though.”

  I’m rambling and I know it, but I can’t seem to stop. The last time we were alone together he rubbed a knife against my nipple for God sake’s.

  “I don’t wanna eat all your food.” He seems maybe almost as awkward as I am after what happened between the two of us.

  “This is only half of it, believe it or not.”

  His eyes bulge as he sees the Dutch oven I have almost full to the brim. “No shit?”

  The uttered words cause me to laugh. “No shit. I hope you like slightly spicy though. I put pepperoncini’s in it.”

  “Never had it before, but I’m up for anything.”

  I grin, happy to share with him. Excited to be in the same space together. Hoping like hell we’ll be able to move forward from what went on in my apartment. Putting the bag I have shouldered on the island, I pull out rice and corn bread too, along with a big piece of chocolate cake. “Kinda went all out.”

  “I can see that.” His eyes are huge, but his stomach growls loudly. “Have to admit, I’m not sorry you did.”

  “Let me get us some plates.”

  I’ve been here enough times that I know where things are. I’m comfortable in a way I haven’t ever been with anyone else, but I don’t know how to approach the subject of us being together. In a perfect world, he would take control of this, just like I asked him to that night, but Sullivan is a gentleman. Unless he’s told not to be.

  Can I do that?

  Will I ever be as bold as I
was that night?

  I’m not sure I can be, but I want more than anything to be the woman he comes home to. The one he lets that side of himself out with, and the lover he calls in the middle of the night when he needs relief. So I know I have to somehow figure out what I want to do, which is why I lunge forward. “The Christmas party was fun, huh?”

  Putting a plate piled high with food in front of him is a way for me to hide my embarrassment.

  “Yeah, it was. Glad I could get you safely into your apartment.” He takes a bite. “You were pretty out of it.”

  Not as out of it as he thought. With my heart is sinking, I take my plate and have a seat next to him. “Yeah I was.”

  “Figured you wouldn’t remember anything the next day.”

  The way he says it, I wonder if that’s what he wanted. To not move forward with what we started. “Anything you wanna tell me?” Here’s the opening for us to discuss it all.

  “Nah.” He swallows, wiping his mouth. “Got you into bed with no problem. Just glad I could help.”

  And that’s when I realize, everything I’ve been building up between Sully and I was completely in my head. “Yeah.” I lick my lips, looking away from him, trying to hold it together. “Glad you could help too.”

  “How was Houston?” he asks later when we sit on the couch, eating our cake, discussing the holidays.

  “It was good.” I let a smile work its way to my face. “I saw my parents and a couple of friends. I haven’t seen them since I moved here.”

  “That was your first time back, right?”

  “Yeah, a lot of memories.” I set my cake down, pulling my knee up to my chest.

  “Did something happen to make you come here? I don’t think we’ve ever really talked about it.”

  I’ve not told anyone here about my past, but maybe it’s time. “I worked for a law firm, and we were prosecuting a big drug case. One of the lead witnesses was a twelve-year-old girl who was testifying against her father. We had her in a protected location, but it wasn’t enough.”

  “Oh, Counselor.” He reaches over, grabbing my hand. His thumb strokes my palm. “Sometimes best laid plans turn into shit shows.”

  Don’t I know it?

  “Yeah, so after that happened, I couldn’t stay there anymore. I didn’t want to do public prosecution work anymore. That’s really what we were doing, and it just didn’t interest me. Not after we lost her. Life is fleeting as fuck.”

  “Yeah,” he whispers, his eyes getting a far off look. “Yeah it is.”

  Maybe, just maybe the two of us have a lot more in common than we think.

  Chapter 2

  Sullivan

  “Thank you for volunteering to work Valentine’s Night,” Nick says as we start the shift-change. “We would’ve made it work, the way we always have, but it’s nicer when I can be home with the wife and kiddos, ya know?”

  I don’t, but I pretend like I do. “I’m sure they all appreciate it.”

  Nick grins. “And I appreciate when they go to bed, just leaving me and my blushing bride to do whatever we want.”

  Rolling my eyes, I grab a cup of the worst coffee known to man.

  Welcome to Laurel Springs Police Department.

  “Dude, don’t remind me you’re married, and have a woman to sleep next to you, and all that good stuff.”

  “What’s up with you and Shelby?”

  His southern accent makes her name almost two words. Shell Bee.

  “Didn’t you take her home from the Christmas Party?”

  Steeling myself, I sip some of the sludge, grimacing as I force it down. “Just because I took her home doesn’t mean something happened.”

  He studies me a lot fucking closer than I want him to. “Yeah it did.” He smirks back at me. “But I’m also getting the feeling that not a damn thing’s happened since.”

  Glancing at my watch, I see the time. “Look, Romeo, it’s clock out o’clock. Unless you wanna pull a double and take my spot. I’m sure I can go find something to do for the night.”

  “Fuck. That.”

  He rushes to clock out, before saluting me with a wave of his hand, running out the back door of the police station. I’ve been cornered by no more than three of my fellow officers the last week, asking me what’s going on with the attorney. Interrogation avoided.

  Finally some peace and quiet, allowing me to look over my duties for the night. We’ve called in a couple of cadets, which will let us have more cruisers on the street tonight. Even though Valentine’s is supposed to be the most romantic night of the year, sometimes it can also be the deadliest.

  “You riding with us tonight?”

  I glance up, hearing Renegade’s voice.

  “Yeah, kinda surprised you’re here, to be honest. Figured you’d be at home with the wife.”

  “She’s taking Keegan for the night. Ransom and Stelle don’t get too many nights off together, so when they asked, how could we say no?”

  “You don’t.” I run a hand through my hair, taking another drink from the Styrofoam cup I hold. Hopefully this shit will perk me up and force me to stay awake. I haven’t done an overnight in a while.

  “Exactly. Then I’d be hearing it from both my wife and my daughter, and I make it a rule never to hear from both of them on the same subject, at the same time. Head on into the conference room so we can have our pre-shift briefing. Catch ya in a few.”

  The room is quiet as we have our briefing. Renegade is the shift commander tonight, and he reminds us of some very important points. Valentine’s Day can bring out the best and worst in people, just like every other fucking holiday.

  I don’t know what it is about the supposed happiest days of the year, maybe it’s all the togetherness mixed with the alcohol? Holidays and full-moons are my least favorite shifts to work, but I do it because it’s what I signed up for.

  We’re dismissed in a quick fifteen minutes, and everyone disperses to head out to their cars.

  As we walk out, I realize I forgot a jacket, and a beanie. Northern Alabama is cold for this Southern Alabama boy, especially tonight. I can see my breath in huge puffs of white air. Here’s hoping I don’t have to be outside too much. If I do, I’m good and fucked.

  Freezing to death isn’t how I imagined I would go.

  The night has been surprisingly quiet, and I’m fifteen minutes from ending my shift, when a call comes in from my apartment complex. It’s a domestic, and I thank God I don’t recognize the names.

  “Show me as responding, dispatch,” I radio in, turning on my sirens and lights.

  The sun is just starting to come up over the horizon, as I head toward home. If I weren’t in such a hurry, I’d stop and admire the sky. It’s a fiery one this morning, full of pinks, reds, and oranges.

  “I’ll be responding too.” I hear Tank come over the radio.

  He lives the closest to me, and he’s just about to go on-shift. I appreciate the fact he’s willing to clock on a little early to help with what could be a potentially dangerous situation. The morning after Valentine’s could be tricky.

  I try to think up all the scenarios I could be walking into. That’s how I was taught by my Police Chief dad. Always try to be a step ahead, be prepared for any situation you could walk into. Don’t let anyone get the upper hand on you.

  I’ve done my best to follow all of that advice since I first put on a vest and a shield. It’s never steered me wrong, and I don’t think it will this morning either.

  Pulling up to my apartment complex, I immediately see what’s happening.

  “Dispatch, be advised it looks as if the female is throwing everything the male owns out of the window of their third floor apartment.”

  I do my best to keep the tiny grin off my face. As I see lips moving, I roll down the window so I can hear what they’re saying to one another. Maybe it’ll give me a clue on how to proceed.

  The guy, whoever he is, is begging her to stop, promising all kinds of shit he’ll probably never give h
er.

  “C’mon, Miranda, stop it!” he yells. “You’re making a scene.”

  “You made a scene!” she screams. “You were supposed to be working on Valentine’s Day, then I walk into a restaurant with all of my friends, and there you are, having dinner with another woman. Don’t tell me I’m the one making a fucking scene.”

  Oh shit, this is going to definitely take longer than fifteen minutes.

  Tank pulls in next to me, amusement tugging at his lips too. I shake my head slightly, telling him without words now isn’t the time. This girl will probably go to our homes and throw our stuff out the window too.

  We both get out at the same time.

  “I’ll take him,” he volunteers. “You’re the single one, go work some of that big dick energy on her.”

  I roll my eyes, making a mental note to kill Ransom next time I see him. He pranked me when I joined the squad, and I still can’t get people to stop talking about it. “Real funny. It’s been months, when are y’all gonna let it go?”

  “Never,” he chuckles.

  A TV crashes to the ground, causing us to turn our attention back to the arguing couple.

  “Guess I better get up there,” I sigh, taking the steps two at a time.

  Knocking on the door with the edge of my flashlight, I announce myself. “Ma’am, Laurel Springs Police Department, please come to the door.”

  She shuffles around inside, and I’m met with a pair of blazing green eyes, which remind me of the one woman I can’t get out of my head.

  Shelby.

  But now’s not the time to be thinking about her. Now I need to be doing my job.

  “I’m glad you’re here.” She opens the door wider, allowing me inside. “I want him gone from this apartment, and I never want him to be able to come back. How do I make that happen?”

  Fuck my life.

  “First of all, what’s your name?”

  “Miranda, his name is Jeff, and I want him gone.”