“You’ve never told me what you do.” I change the subject, and her body relaxes.
“I’m a social worker. I work for Giving Hearts. I’ve been there for the last five years.”
“That’s not an easy job.” It’s an understatement. Being a cop, I understand better than most how dedicated social workers need to be, how much time they spend protecting kids and working to bring families back together. A lot of love goes into the job, and they don’t always get the credit they deserve for the time and energy they put into their work.
“No it’s not, but I love what I do. It’s rewarding in its own ways, and knowing I’m helping kids is what really matters to me.”
“What you do is important.”
“Yeah,” she agrees with a slight shrug, like she’s not comfortable with my praise, and then her eyes go to the TV. “Nothing is on. Are you okay with watching the Hallmark Channel?”
“Do I get a choice?” My response is sarcastic, and her giggle is instant.
“You don’t like the Hallmark Channel?” She turns to look at me.
“Lovey-dovey shows aren’t really my thing,” I mutter, listening to her laugh again.
“It’s a mystery.” I look at her once more when I feel her eyes on me. “I think even you might like it.”
Fuck, I like her. She’s a mystery to me. A mystery I want to spend the rest of my life trying to solve. I have never met another woman like her. I’ve never met a woman who leaves me questioning everything. A woman who leaves me wanting more of whatever she’s willing to give me.
“We’ll see,” I mumble, and she smiles before looking away. I focus—or try to focus—on the show, but with her so close, just out of arm’s reach, it’s hard to do. After I’ve eaten the pizza off my plate and finished my beer, I set my plate on her coffee table and lean back. When she sets her plate down, I don’t think; I hook her around her shoulders and pull her into my side without asking her for permission. She tenses, but after a few minutes, her body relaxes, her head comes to rest against my chest, and her hand slides over my stomach.
I watch the television, not really seeing it at all. My mind and body are hyperaware of every inch of her pressed against me. I never thought I’d be sitting with a woman like this, thinking the things I’m thinking. I know it’s too soon, but I also know without a doubt that I could spend every evening for the rest of my life with her curled against me, with her scent of peaches bringing me peace, with us doing nothing but just this.
When the movie comes to an end, she tips her head back toward me. I study her small smile, gorgeous face, and beautiful eyes, and then without thinking, I touch my lips to hers. I hear her sharp intake of breath and feel her fingers wrap tightly around my side. I don’t move away; I swipe my tongue across the seam of her lips then groan in approval when her tongue comes out to touch my own.
“Cobi,” she breathes my name against my mouth, making my cock jerk in response.
Fuck. I have never heard anything hotter than my name on her lips. Without thought, I move my hand into her hair to hold her in place then I kiss her again, deeper than before, thrusting my tongue between her lips. She doesn’t hesitate. She doesn’t pull away. She kisses me back. Her fingers curl into my tee and her nails dig into my skin, making me rock-hard. I move her, lifting her up to straddle my lap, and nip her bottom lip when she rolls her hips against mine. My cock jerks, and my hands on her hips tighten.
I should probably stop this. I know I should at the very least slow this down, but with every whimper, every moan, every flick of her tongue against mine, I’m fighting a losing battle. Since the moment she looked into my eyes, I knew who she was to me, knew exactly what she meant for my future. Knew she was mine.
Sliding my hand around her hip, I slip it down between her jeans and stomach then watch her back arch, and growl, “You’re so fucking soft everywhere.” When my fingers find her clit, my cock jumps against my zipper.
I roll my fingers and listen to her moan. “Please don’t stop,” she begs as her hips jerk, and I bite back a curse. She’s silky smooth and wet, so fucking wet that I can smell it, so fucking wet that I know if I got my face between her legs, my mouth would fill with her juices and her taste would be with me for days. “God, don’t stop.” Her nails dig into my skin.