Blue Diablo

This morning, Saldana had treated me like his worst enemy, and now he whistled in the kitchen, making me a cold pack for my sore head. Last night, Chance told me he still loved me, and this evening, he was making the beast with two backs with Twila. What with the conflicting signals from men in my life, I was about ready to become a lesbian.

Fucking men. Chuch was the only good one, and he was married. Eva’s laughter underscored that point. It would’ve been nice if they’d asked me if I was okay before disappearing for the slap and tickle, though. I scowled.

I still needed to do laundry, damn it.

I sat there brooding until I heard Butch scratching at the bedroom door. Oh, yeah. As I didn’t want him to pee on the carpet, I hurried to let him out. He went straight out, did his business, and then came back in. The little dog leaped into my lap and curled up, as if he knew I needed a warm body.

When Saldana emerged from the kitchen, he drew up short, ice pack in hand. “Tell me that’s not Lenny’s dog.”

Butch growled.

“It’s not,” I said obediently.

“Is there no end to the trouble you’ll get into?” He sighed and came toward us.

“It hasn’t ended yet.”

As Jesse sat down, the Chihuahua lifted his head and snarled low in his throat. Honest to God, he sounded like a much bigger animal.

“Is that dog for ‘touch her and I bite your nuts off’?”

Butch barked once.

Briefly I considered explaining the exchange and then decided that puzzlement was better than comprehension. It wouldn’t do to share all my secrets. Hell, half my secrets typically sent guys running, and this one had something I wanted. I reached for the ice.

“He’s a little unsettled,” I said instead. “I’m sure he’ll calm down once he gets past his recent bereavement.”

Jesse’s look said, It’s a dog, but he didn’t speak the thought aloud. “I came by to apologize. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I was mad at myself and I took it out on you. There’s no excuse. I’m even sorrier I found you hurt and being hassled by my partner. Guy doesn’t know when to cut somebody a break and he’s not much on the people skills.”

“You don’t like him.” It wasn’t a question.

He hesitated a moment and then answered, “No. Not really. When he makes up his mind about a case, he doesn’t much care about the facts. And I’m sorry he’s got a hard-on for you. I’m also really feeling like shit about this morning.”

I put the damp towel on my head and closed my eyes. “Don’t worry about it.”

“No, I overstepped, and it matters that you forgive me.”

“Why?”

His tone gentled. “Because you’re just getting to know other gifted, and I’m supposed to make it easier for you, not blame you when things go wrong, sugar.”

“It’s okay.” The apology warmed me. I didn’t often hear those words from people who meant them.

“I also came over to tell you something else. I don’t want you to be alarmed, but Kel Ferguson slipped his leash in Louisiana.”

Shock washed over me in a shivery wave, knotting my insides like a macramé rug. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, if he was after me, I couldn’t run far enough. In the courtroom that day, his eyes said he’d never give up.

“So he might be coming for me.” Yes, I stated the obvious.

After what I’d been through this afternoon, however, Ferguson didn’t scare me quite as much. That made a nice change.

Butch growled again. Cracking my eyes open, I saw Jesse leaning closer. He lifted the compress to check my forehead, test the edges of the bump with gentle fingertips. “You want to tell me how you got this?”

I thought about it. “Not really.”

The shadow thing seemed surreal now. Jesse might even think I was crazy or on drugs. Worse—he might believe I made the story up. I couldn’t face that tonight; too many years locked in my room for “lying” about how I came by the scars on my hands.

“Will your guard dog tear out my throat if I put my arm around you? You seem like you could use a hug.” I’d almost forgotten he could sense how I felt.

The Chihuahua barked twice.

“Nope,” I said, smiling.

Jesse eased closer and drew me against him in a movement so careful it didn’t even upset Butch. His palm cupped my shoulder and I felt him drawing tiny circles with his fingertips. With a small sigh I leaned my head against his chest, listened to his heart.

“Better?”

I exhaled slowly. “Some. Maybe.”

“You smell so good,” he whispered, like he couldn’t help it.

His nose brushed my cheek. Do I? It was just oatmeal soap and my natural scent. No perfume.

We sat there a while before I confessed, “I had another run-in with the forces of darkness. That takes a lot out of you.”

Naturally he couldn’t leave it at that, and with a cop’s skill, he pried the rest of the story out of me. “He sent you away so he could hook up with Twila?” Jesse shook his head. “The man has brass balls—I’ll give him that. She’ll chew him up and spit him out.”

I didn’t trust myself to reply because I might come off jealous, and I didn’t want to give that impression when I sat in the circle of Jesse’s arm. I liked it too. So I murmured something noncommittal.

As I shifted closer, I caught his deep dark gaze roving my face. It had been such a long time since I kissed someone who knew my real name or anything about me. I hadn’t been with anyone who knew more than the sheen of my skin moving under him in the dark in over a year. I wanted a taste.

“Corine,” he whispered, soft and husky. “You’re giving me that feeling again.”

I lifted my chin. “Which one is that?”

“It’s warm, honey sweet, and it tells me you want your mouth under mine.”

“Maybe I do.”

My eyes drifted shut again. Jesse didn’t waste any more words, just angled his head down so our lips touched. To my surprise, the dog in my lap didn’t even stir. I guessed that meant he approved.

Bliss. His mouth played just so, teased my lower lip until I needed to taste him. My tongue grazed his. Shifting, I sank my hands into his sun-streaked hair, and we kissed for ages in a soft, sensuous give-and-take punctuated by tiny gasps and delicious shivers.

He intuited what I liked from the delicate plucking at my upper lip to the sexy swirls of his tongue against mine. I sucked gently, commanding a moan from him.

When I pulled back to get my breath, he licked his lips. “You’re good at that.”

Ridiculously I felt my cheeks heat. “You sure?”

Longing licked through me. Without a doubt we’d enjoy ourselves in bed.

Jesse’s smile sparked me all the way down to my toes. “Not entirely. Maybe I need to conduct a little more research.”

As he kissed me again, I heard Chance snarl, “Well, isn’t this fucking great?”

The Little Things

I refused to play further into the scene.