Witches of Three: Charlene (8 page)

His lips tightened, and he glared at her then slowly his attitude changed.

“All right,” he sighed. “Just use common sense about this,” he said, and his voice held a softness he hadn’t shown before. “I don’t want word to get out as to who is making the identification.”

“Thanks, Captain,” she said softly. They sat looking at each other until a shadow fell over them. Nick jerked his head up.

“What do you want, Latimer?” he asked sharply as the burly man stepped into the office.

“Sorry, Captain, I didn’t hear voices so I thought you were alone.” His bright gaze slid from Nick to Charlie, and his lips were curved in a leering grin.

“That’ll be all, Spencer,” Nick said, and she got to her feet.

“Thank you, Captain,” she repeated.

Without looking at Ralph, she left the office. He troubled her more and more. Obviously, he thought something was going on between Nick and her, and of course, he was right. The problem was what would he do with those suspicions?

Charlie worked through the afternoon, filling out forms and manning the phones. Just as she was about to leave for the day, word came in that Kermit Nolan had managed to elude the police. She glanced toward Nick’s office, but he had already left for a meeting with the mayor. Although frustrated that Nolan had gotten away, she was glad not to have to listen to Nick’s admonitions to be careful again. She gathered her purse and headed for home. She felt no anxiety that Nolan was out there somewhere. He had no way of knowing that Charlie was the one who was going to identify him, but when she reached her condo, she took extra care to lock up.

Chapter Six

The knock on the door startled her until she realized it must be Nick. She hurried to open it for him. He stepped inside, closed the door and pulled her into his arms. His kiss was warm and insistent, and she forgot all about the lasagna she’d just put into the oven. His hands closed over her breasts, skimmed down her stomach to her crotch then closed over her buttocks to press her closer.

“I’m making dinner,” she whispered, proud of her culinary accomplishments even if they did involve a little witchery.

“That’s not what I’m hungry for,” Nick whispered against her neck. “I can’t get enough of you. I want you now.”

Her own passion flared, sending rivers of heat through her. Her clitoris throbbed with need, and she felt the moisture of her desire in her panties. She went limp, acquiescent in his arms, and he swept her up and carried her down the hall to her bedroom.

“I’ve wanted to do this all day,” he said, standing her up by the bed and divesting her of her clothes.

“Me, too,” she said, unbuttoning his uniform, undoing his belt and the zipper of his pants. She eased his pants down and giggled when they caught on his protruding hard-on. “You are so ready,” she whispered in delight.

“I have been ever since you walked into my office this afternoon.” He shoved her onto the bed, falling beside her while his hands took command of her body and her senses. His fingers teased her nipples until they ached for his mouth. He laughed.

“You’re so easy, Charlie,” he said.

“Only with you,” she answered and knew it was true.

She’d had other lovers, but they’d come and gone from her life with little fanfare. Now here was Nick, who had only to touch her and she was aflame with desire. She looked into his eyes, shoved her hands through his hair, kissed his stubbled jaw and moaned with mounting need. Her fingers swept down to his cock, and she cupped his balls, kneading them slightly with one hand while she caressed his penis. He groaned and pushed her hands away.

“We’re not going that fast,” he said.

Immediately, she began to caress him again but with less urgency than before. If he wanted to go slow, she’d go slow, although she wasn’t sure she’d last very long. She had a need for him that overpowered any of her reserve. He bent over her, suckling her breasts, gently rolling the tips between his teeth while he laved them with his tongue. Her body tightened with electric pulses, and her crotch flooded with cream. Her body readied itself for his penetration, but he had other ideas.

He caressed her with such thoroughness she was stunned at how each part of her body turned into an erogenous zone. His teeth nibbled her earlobe, his mouth moved over her neck, nipping and sucking, until she feared she’d show up at the station the next morning with ample evidence of her evening’s activities, but she didn’t push him away. How could she when every nerve ending clamored for more?

He tasted every part of her and worked his way down to her crotch with a clear intent that made her catch her breath in anticipation. He licked away the cream of her desire then rose and kissed her, driving his tongue deep so she tasted herself and was further enflamed. She pushed him away and took his penis into her mouth, sucking on him hard, swirling her tongue over his head, drawing his essence into her mouth. She coached a trickle of semen from him, but he was holding back, and now he pulled her to him, spread her knees and entered her with one smooth movement.

She drew in her breath sharply as he filled her. Then he began to move against her, slowly, deliberately until her body was screaming for him to go faster, deeper, still he kept her waiting for her release. His eyes shone as he gazed into hers. Then they darkened, and she knew he’d crossed a line of desire he couldn’t recover from. His plunging motions increased, and she felt the friction within her body. She moved with him, striving toward that pinnacle that existed just beyond their grasp. They pumped harder, faster, and suddenly it was there, pushing them over the edge of their world into a vortex of explosive sensations.

She couldn’t breathe. She didn’t need to. She existed in a world of pleasure and delight and supreme satisfaction. She heard Nick’s cries of elation and knew he was experiencing the same as her. She held on to him and rode out the storm of their culmination. Just before she fell into an exhausted sleep, she remembered the lasagna and snapped her finger to turn off the oven.

“What are you doing?” Nick asked drowsily and went right back to sleep.

Charlie chuckled and cuddled next to him. She’d never been so happy before.

“What smells so good?” he asked later when he wandered into the kitchen.

Charlie had made a salad and was just taking the lasagna out of the oven. The table was set with everyday dishes, but the glow of candles lent a shine to everything. They settled across from each other and sat gazing into each other’s eyes. Nick reached across the table to take her hands.

“I could do this every day for the rest of my life,” he murmured. “Will you marry me, Charlie, or am I rushing you?”

“Yes, you are, and yes, I’ll marry you whenever you want.”

“Thank you,” he said and squeezed her hand.

“For what?” She looked at him, puzzled.

“For making me so happy, for filling my life as if you’ve always been there, for being you with all your quirky, sassy ways. You delight me completely.”

Tears started to her eyes at his words.

“Then I must thank you as well,” she said.

They forgot about the food as they sat contemplating what life together would be like, then Nick’s stomach growled, and they laughed. Charlie served up the food, and Nick was appropriately complimentary. They talked of many things, filling in blanks in their knowledge of each other, but eventually, their conversation turned to work.

“We’ll get you in for a lineup,” he said at some point.

Charlie put down her fork and regarded him. “You don’t know?”

“Know what?” he said. “I came here directly from the Mayor’s office. What is it I don’t know?”

“Kermit Nolan gave your police officer the slip at the hospital. They don’t know where he is. He’s disappeared.”

“Son of a bitch,” Nick said, and Charlie realized it was the first time she’d ever heard him curse.

He took out his cell phone and put through a call. Charlie cleared the dishes while he talked to someone at the station. Finally, he hung up and turned to face her.

“You’ll have to take extra precautions until we pick him up,” he said.

“There would be no reason for him to single me out,” Charlie protested.

“We can’t be sure. Foster, who was supposed to bring him in, said Nolan received a phone call while he was being patched up. Made the nurses and doctors angry, but he wouldn’t shut off his phone. Shortly after, he slipped away without waiting for the antibiotics emergency had for him. He said he was going to the bathroom and disappeared after that.”

“Do you think someone warned him?”

“It could be.”

“But who would be able to warn him that he’d been tagged as the man who shot a cop?”

Nick shrugged, thin-lipped, then he glanced at Charlie and forced a smile. “I’ll help with the dishes,” he volunteered.

“That’s not necessary. I have a dish washer.”

“I’ll wipe the counters,” he offered.

They settled into an easy mood, cleaning the kitchen, chatting about nothing of any real consequence. Although Nick laughed easily and seemed attentive, she knew he was mulling over what had happened. When the dishes were done, they took a bottle of wine and settled on the sofa in front of the gas fireplace where they talked and drank and kissed and sometimes just sat silent and contemplative. Charlie wasn’t aware she’d dozed until Nick nudged her and ordered her to bed. She was conscious of him turning off lights and fireplace and putting away the glasses and the remainder of the wine.

She stumbled to the bathroom, brushed her teeth and showered and donned her satin pajamas. They weren’t sexy, but they’d already done sexy for the night. Nick whistled when he saw her in her pajamas. She fell into bed and napped while he was in the bathroom. She felt him get into bed, felt him pull her close and cradle her against his chest. She’d never felt anything so wonderful. She felt safe in his arms, although she would have said she had nothing to fear. Still, it was good to feel his big, warm body wrapped around her so protectively.

When she woke, he was still there, sound asleep. She lay studying his relaxed features. She’d never seen him like this before, all vulnerable and unaware that he looked like a beloved little boy. Her heart squeezed with some emotion she hadn’t felt yet, a combination of love, protectiveness, desire, trust and so many more complicated feelings that made up a relationship. She glanced at the clock and gave a start. He woke up and stared at her then at the sunlight pouring through the window. Cursing, he leaped out of bed and grabbed his clothes.

“Well, there goes your reputation,” he snarled. She knew he was angry with himself.

“My reputation will survive,” she said, rising to dress. They ended up in the bathroom at the same time, staring at themselves in the mirror.

“We make a pretty couple,” she said lightly.

“Yeah, we belong,” he said with such certainty her heart trembled. “But you know if we get married, it will change things for us.”

“How?” she asked curiously. “You won’t find me sexy anymore?”

He quirked an eyebrow at her. “You’ll be sexy until the day you die,” he said. “The change will be that we can’t work in the same precinct. One of us will have to transfer, and because I’m a captain, it’ll have to be you.”

Charlie contemplated what he’d said. “I’ll miss the guys I’ve worked with, but if that’s what it takes, I’ll transfer.”

He reached along the counter and touched her hand with his little finger in a way that made her heart melt.

“I’m sorry it will disrupt your life,” he said softly.

“You’re worth it.” She smiled at him, and he drew her into his arms and kissed her.

“There’s something else we need to talk about,” she said reluctantly.

He’d asked her to marry him last night, and she’d agreed. It was time she told him everything. He might not want to marry a witch. He glanced at his watch.

“Look at the time,” he said. “I’d better go.” He kissed her hastily and hurried away.

She stood looking in the mirror a long while after. Well, she had tried. It wasn’t her fault if he’d rushed off. She thought of the ways their lives would change. She had agreed so willingly to give up working in his precinct. Would she have given up being a cop if that was what it took? She was very afraid she would. Nothing seemed as important as having Nick in her life. How did a well-behaved, hardworking witch get in this fix?

When she arrived at the station, everyone was quiet with their heads down. Loud voices came from Nick’s office.

“What’s going on? Who’s he got in there?” she asked Ray Somnes.

He shrugged and didn’t meet her gaze. “Ralph,” he said abruptly.

“Oh.” She didn’t want to pry, but she couldn’t help wondering what it was about.

Suddenly, the shouting escalated, and the sound of crashing furniture came to them. Several men ran to the office. Charlie followed. When the door was thrown open, they saw Nick and Ralph Latimer wrapped in a deadlock hold.

“Sir!” Sam Turner said loudly, and the two men broke apart.

Nick straightened his shoulders, shrugging his uniform back in place then glared at Latimer, who stood wiping at his bloody mouth.

“Get out of here,” Nick ordered. “You’re suspended for the rest of the week. I’ll see you get transferred to another precinct.”

“I don’t want to leave this one,” Ralph said belligerently. “If you try to get rid of me, everyone will know what I know.” He grinned, and Nick stepped forward and gripped the front of his uniform.

“If you mention this to another soul, I’ll kill you,” he said hotly.

“Captain,” Turner said again sharply.

“Get out of my sight,” Nick said, letting go of Ralph’s shirtfront with a shove that sent him stumbling backward.

With an insolent leer, Ralph left the office. The other officers made room for him to pass then slowly dispersed. Charlie could do nothing else than leave as well, but not before Nick called out to her.

“Spencer, you and Somnes patrol today.”

“Yes, sir,” she answered and looked at Ray Somnes, Ralph’s partner.