It’s not just any phone call that I need to return.

It’s my contact, Max, which means it must be important. In three years, he’s contacted me once, because it’s not worth the risk, unless what needs to be shared is potentially lifesaving.

“They’re pulling you out.”

“What?” I laugh. Just the idea of that is ridiculous. “When?”

“Next week.”

“Do you know why?” I ask. My jaw twitches.

They can’t do this, can they? Only I know they can, because they’ve done it before.

“No. You know how it is. Cut backs. Change of focus.”

I snort. Change of focus? I shake my head.

“This is not a reflection on your ability. You’ll get a new assignment—”

“I know that,” I snap.

I take a deep breath, because this isn’t Max’s fault, so he doesn’t deserve me taking it out on him. I just hate that I can’t do anything about. If they say I’m done, then I’m done.

“I have to go.”

I end the call and walk back over to the motel room, but I don’t go in. Instead, I sit down, my back pressed against the freezing cold bricks.

The feds had been watching Alberto for a long time. They knew of his involvements and that he was the key player in a major drug trafficking ring, but they didn’t have enough on him to land him a jail sentence. Going after him without enough evidence to put him away for life was not a good idea. That’s where I came in.

How do I turn that off and walk away? And what about Alberto?

He just gets to go on doing whatever the fuck he wants, knowing that nobody can touch him. I’ve been playing a role for so long that I’ve forgotten who I am. I’m not the same guy I was three years ago. I’ve changed and I’m not sure if it’s for the better or worse. I thought becoming a cop was a magical solution to everything, but it didn’t change how I felt about myself.

I walk around the parking lot until I’ve calmed myself down enough that she won’t know something is up. I take a deep breath and walk back inside. My tension eases when I see the lights are off, because it makes it easier. Through the darkness, I can make out the bed and the Katie shaped lump in the middle of it. I push the phone call from my mind as I walk over there, a smirk on my lips.

If she thinks I’m just going to accept this, then she’s in for a shock.

She stiffens when I slide into the bed next to her. I smile. Yes, she definitely wasn’t expecting this. I put my hand on her thigh, my throat tightening at the feel of her warm skin against my fingers. The towel is gone, which means she’s naked. I force my hand upward, sliding it over the curve of her body. She reacts when I drag my fingernails over her back, pressing her ass against me. I groan, my cock hardening as I kiss along her neck.

“Really, Katie Harris?” I suck her earlobe, then place my mouth against her ear. “Pretending to be asleep so I don’t kick you out of bed? You play so dirty.”

She rolls over, her smirk visible in the soft glow of the streetlight that seeps through the curtain. I stare at her, the need to be inside her growing stronger by the second. She’s so fucking irresistible. Her mouth lifts into a seductive smile.

“Is it working?”

I grab ahold of her wrists and pin her against the bed, kissing her roughly, while I grind my body against hers. Even though I’m still dressed, I’m hard. Hell, I was hard before this, because just thinking about her in my bed was enough to make my cock stiffen. She stares up at me as I tighten my grip on her wrists, then kiss along her neck.

“What do you think?” I murmur, barely coming up for air.

She doesn’t answer, she keeps her eyes on me, watching as I let go of one wrist and roll my fingers over her stomach. I smirk and place my mouth onto her skin, running my tongue up over her breasts. She shivers, her back arching when I take her nipple in my mouth and roll it around on my tongue. I bite down, just enough to make her jump, because I love this control I have over her. I lick my way up to her lips and kiss her, rolling my tongue around her mouth.

“It’s not just ice-cream I get hot and sticky licking,” I murmur.

She laughs and wraps her arms around me when I let go of her hands. I brush the hair away from her eyes and then kiss her again, because it’s the one thing I can’t get enough of. I flick my tongue around hers, our mouths fitting together like two pieces of a puzzle, like we were made for each other.

“Now that’s a kiss.” I smirk at her.

“Hey.” She laughs when I lift her onto my lap, one leg on either side so she’s straddling me. My fingers grasp hold of her hips and I rock her forward, into my erection, the sight of her making me so hard my pants feel like they could burst open.

“God, you’re hard.” She tilts her head back and rides me, her breath catching in her throat.

“You’re riding me, naked,” I point out. “How could I be anything but?”

She giggles, then cries out when I roll her nipples between my fingers. I pinch it until it’s harder than I am, then I prep the other one. She gasps, rocking gently against my cock, riding me, her eyes not leaving mine. She shuffles back, just enough to unbuckle my jeans. I grunt as she lowers the zipper, then slides her hand inside, wrapping her fingers around my shaft.

“What are you doing?”

I mutter, groaning when it bounces free. She grins, slowly sliding her fist along my shaft. She’s slow to start with, but then she works up speed, until I’m almost ready to come in her hand.

“I’m showing you how well I handle a stick shift.”

“Holy fuck.”

I grunt, letting out a strangled moan.

“Tell me how wrong you were.” She bites down on her lip to hide her smile.

“What?” I laugh, then I gasp when her grip tightens. “I was wrong. I should’ve let you drive, because it’s clear you can handle a stick better than I can.”

Yep. She can definitely handle it.

I tilt my head back against the pillow while she strokes my cock. Cupping her ass, I pull her so she’s sitting on my waist, with me almost inside her.

“If you feel inside that pocket, you’ll find a condom,” I murmur.

She digs around until her fingers brush past the small foil packet, then she brings it to her mouth and tears it open. She stands up on her knees and carefully rolls the rubber down over my length, teasing me as much as she can in the process.

I grab her hips and bring her down hard on my length, rocking her back and forth. She groans, one hand clasping mine. I rock her hard, back-and-forth groaning as my length drives into her.

“God, you’re amazing.”

She smiles down at me, her beautifully rounded breasts bouncing with every movement. I run my hand up over her stomach, the sudden urge to squeeze them. She laughs, a tiny dimple appearing in her left cheek.

“God,” she gasps when I roll her nipples between my fingers.

She throws her head back and cries out, her bottom lip catching in her teeth. I growl and move harder, fucking her faster when I sense she’s close. My cock throbs as I slide into her wetness, her slick pussy contracting around me, pushing me to the edge until I’m falling off. I fly over that cliff, not even caring what’s below, because the high I’m feeling right now is worth anything.

I wait until she’s right there with me, then I come so hard my cock throbs. She gasps as her body spasms and clutches onto my arm so hard her nails dig into my skin and draw blood. Her thighs clench around mine as she climaxes, while I’m still inside her.

Panting, I reach up and caress her face, then guide her mouth down onto mine. My lips crush against hers, the kiss lingering, because neither of us want to pull away.

I smile, then run my fingers through her long dark waves as they fall around us. She laughs, then climbs off me. I kiss her forehead and gaze down at her while she snuggles against me. She can barely keep her eyes open, and then she’s fast asleep.

I lie there for a while, just watching her. The longer I do, the more I start to think that maybe this is a good thing. Maybe I should be looking at this as a fresh start? I smile, because that sounds familiar, even if it’s not what she meant. 

An hour later, I’m still awake. I get up, thinking maybe if I do something else for a while, sleep will come easier. I creep outside and go for a walk. I don’t go far, because it’s three in the morning, in a strange town; it turns out I don’t need to go far.

I sit down on the curb and stare up at the sky. The silence, the darkness and the freezing cold air seem to be doing exactly what I needed. I can feel the tension leaving my mind. I close my eyes and just enjoy it for a moment. Until my phone interrupts. I check the message, and then wonder why I bothered. I shake my head, because that brings it up to about number forty. I guess I should be happy I’m so popular. I look at the message and groan.

Unknown number: All your needs are in this.

Do I click on it or not?

No. I’ve seen enough dick to last me a lifetime.

The text does remind me I still need to pay her back somehow. I have a few ideas, but none of them feel big enough. I want something that’s really going to blow her away. I smile when I think of an idea. Still not enough, but it will do for now. A little teaser, just so she knows I haven’t forgotten.

I sneak back into the bedroom, stopping when I pass her phone. I pick it up, cracking her passcode the first time. I groan silently, because I want to yell at her for having such an easy access code. One, two, three, four? Come on. When I’m done messing with her phone, I set it back down. She might not find it funny, but I sure as hell will.

I shift back the covers and climb into the bed next to her. She molds her body against mine, and I grunt. My dick doesn’t care it got some action a few hours ago. It wants more. Hell, I do too.

I run my fingers down over her naked body. I chuckle when her hand grabs hold of my wrist. I study her face—or what I can make out of it—and I’m pretty sure she’s still asleep. I let her guide my hand lower, until it’s resting against her pussy. If I ever needed any encouragement, this was it.

It’s not exactly sleeping, but if this is the alternative, I don’t care if I never sleep again.