Chapter 19
Jamie dabbed his napkin in the corner of Pauley’s mouth to catch the juices that were trying to run down her chin.
“Thank ye for catching that,” she quipped, then took another bite of the roasted turkey leg she held in both hands. “Mm,” she moaned, closing her eyes in ecstasy.
Jamie dabbed her chin again with a chuckle. “This isn’t the cleanest way of eating, but it’s certainly delicious.” He swiped some juice off his plastic bib before taking another bite of his own turkey leg. He was glad that Pauley wasn’t shy about eating in front of him. This was certainly the place to do away with such inhibitions though, if she’d had any.
The chic restaurant was decked out like the inside of a castle with bench style tables in private nooks, and big tables for groups in the middle. Long tapestries hung down the stone walls depicting coats of arms and all sorts of weaponry and dragon designs in the silky sheen of the rich fabrics.
The taste of the steamy, roasted brussels sprouts, asparagus, and small potatoes seasoned with garlic and oils was delicious. The savory baps brushed with butter and honey teased his appetite unmercifully. A robust red wine complimented the flavorful foods.
They could have cheated and asked for silverware, and it would have been provided, but Pauley had gamely declined. He liked that about her. In fact, he liked just about everything he knew so far about the plucky detective.
After a voluptuous young girl in braids and a Viking outfit served their dessert, Pauley turned to him, her expression rather brooding.
“Just what exactly are ye proposing, Jamie? Because ye need to think carefully about getting hooked up with a detective for very long. This last week hasn’t been the normal in my life. I’m a very dedicated detective when I have a case. It becomes a priority.”
“Are ye saying a husband wouldn’t be a priority?” he asked, watching her expressions.
She stiffened in surprise. “Are ye proposing marriage?”
“Are ye against marriage at some point?” he countered, wanting to be clear as to his intentions.
“I didn’t say that. I just need to understand yer definition of priorities.” She gazed at him from beneath hooded lids. “I will never become the traditional version of a housewife again. No more rushing home to fix the evening meals, no more picking up or doing laundry for someone who can’t be bothered to do their own, and no more listening to whining because I’m not there to hold a hand, or engage in an obligatory sex night once a week. The household shopping and chores get done when I have time, or feel like doing them, and if that’s not good enough, then my partner can do them himself. After all, the household workload should be shared.”
Jamie could hear the dissatisfaction in her words and suspected that her and Peter’s relationship had crumbled years ago. He couldn’t help grinning as he thought about his and Rhonda’s marriage. It had been nothing like Pauley was describing. He covered her hand with his and played with her fingers.
“Pauley, I’ve never had a traditional marriage and don’t plan to. I want a life partner, a wife who loves me, someone to share things with, and everything else that might include. I don’t need a maid, a chef, or someone to manage my money. I’m perfectly capable of living alone, and have done so for the last three years.”
“My job doesn’t bother ye?” she asked skeptically as if she couldn’t believe what he was saying.
He shook his head. “Yer job doesn’t threaten me,” he assured her.
“Even if it means I could get hurt? Law enforcement can be dangerous.”
“Aye, it can. I’m not going to lie and say it doesn’t scare me to think of ye getting hurt, but I also trust that ye are a capable and seasoned detective who will take precautions to keep yerself as safe as ye can be. If I see ye taking careless chances, ye may end up over my knee, but we’ll talk about it first. Does that bother ye?”
After a few seconds, Pauley shook her head, a bit of pink diffusing the pale skin of her cheeks. “Not at all,” she husked, trying not to look embarrassed.
“I suspect ye’ll be over my lap a lot,” he predicted softly, “and there won’t be a need for an obligatory sex night on a calendar. It’s a great way to relieve tension on both sides.” He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip and then leaned down to drop a kiss on her mouth.
“I’ll tell ye what,” she sighed against his lips and then pulled back. “Let’s give ourselves a trial run. If we are still together in three months, then I’ll think seriously about taking that early retirement, although it’s still five years away for me.”
“Six weeks,” he countered.
She stared at him. “Eight weeks,” she insisted.
He smiled and nodded his assent. “Eight weeks...and ye accept this from me. It’s a promise ring, or an engagement ring if ye want it to be. Either way, it’s yers. I want ye in my life, Pauley, and I won’t change my mind no matter how long ye put me off. But I do want the world to know ye are promised to me before anyone else.”
He opened the jeweler’s box he took out of his pocket and watched her eyes light up. He’d been hoping for that reaction. What woman didn’t love jewelry?
“A chocolate diamond,” she breathed as the gorgeous ring in its gold setting came into view. “How did ye happen to choose that?”
He chuckled. “I asked Elliott if he had any idea of what ye liked, and he told me ye have always wanted one. And it matches yer lovely brown eyes.”
Those eyes were shining as she stared up at him. “It’s beautiful, Jamie, I love it.”
She hadn’t taken it from the box and he was beginning to get a bit worried. “Enough to put it on?”
She chuckled then and held out her left hand. “We’ve only known each other for five days; I can’t believe I’m doing this. But aye, ye can put it on for me.”
Jamie’s fingers trembled slightly as he pulled the ring from the box and slid it on her slender ring finger. The lights caught the brilliance of the beautiful facets and cuts, gleaming with a rich, dark shimmer.
“It fits perfectly,” he husked. “And we’ve learned a lot about each other in those five days, certainly enough for me. That’s the beauty of being older, we recognize what we want a lot faster than when we were younger.”
Pauley lifted her wine glass in a salute. “I’ll drink to that,” she purred. “I have to confess though; I’ve had my eye on ye before this.”
Surprise shot through Jamie, then his eyes narrowed. “Stalking? Isn’t that against the law?” he murmured, reaching for his glass to tip with hers. He was very pleased at her words.
Pauley chuckled and took a sip from her drink, then ran her tongue over her luscious lips in a knowing gesture. “I might have spotted ye now and then, walking along the riverfront and such.” She tilted her head sideways and studied his smile. “I believe ye are right about recognizing things we want, or might want. I do remember thinking more than once that ye were a right braw figure of a man, and that ye kept yerself in good shape. That was impressive.”
“My health is important to me,” he agreed, “but I also have a healthy metabolism to thank for part of that.”
“I’ll drink to that,” she giggled.
It was good to hear the girlish giggle after the tense days they’d spent together. Jamie smiled down at her thinking how very beautiful she was, and how quickly he was falling in love. Desire tickled his tadger and he wished they were alone. Was she ready to take the next step in their relationship? He certainly was.
“Let’s go home,” he rasped. “Unless ye have any objections, I know where we can continue this exploration of each other, mentally and physically.” He traced a finger down her cheek and along the soft bare skin of her shoulder until he met the spaghetti strap of her little black dress. He pushed beneath it and slid it off her shoulder, enjoying the feel of her warm, silky flesh.
“Why, Mr. MacNamara, are ye trying to seduce me?” she taunted softly, running her palm inside his dinner jacket and between the buttons on his white shirt.
“Is it working?” His skin prickled at the touch of her fingers on the bare skin of his chest. His breathing deepened.
She leaned forward and nibbled on his ear. Her breath was warm on his skin and he could feel the tip of her tongue lathe his earlobe. “Oh, aye, it’s working.”
He quickly slipped her strap into place on her dress and turned away from her to get out his wallet and throw some notes on the table. It would more than cover their bill, and the waitress should be very pleased. He didn’t want any change, he just wanted to get Pauley home as fast as he could.
“Let’s go, I can see ye are in need of correction yet again,” he replied, his heart in his throat.
Pauley laughed and allowed him to tuck her into his side as he urged her forward and out of the restaurant. She’d given him a cue and he didn’t intend to waste a second collecting on it.
Mr. MacNamara always kept his promises.
***
T O SAY SHE WAS DISAPPOINTED to see Mica’s big figure under the porchlight at the door of Jamie’s home was an understatement. He was glaring down at the lighted phone in his hand. The text notification on her phone lit up and she glanced down to see it was from Mica asking where she was. She rolled her eyes when he looked up as the sound Jamie’s tires on the concrete gave him the answer.
“Ye have got to be kidding,” Jamie groaned as he pulled in and put the car in park. “What is Mica doing here?” He glanced wryly at her. “It looks like our timing is off yet again.”
Pauley sighed. “Ye might as well get used to it. It’s a cop’s standard issue when it comes to relationships.” She reached instinctively for the door, then waited when he shot her a warning side eye.
She stayed put, the thought that she might have unleashed a monster that could get in her way racing through her mind for a few seconds. Then again, this particular monster had always been there in Jamie; it was a part of who he was. Playing games was one thing, but he still had certain expectations, and she could genuinely land her butt in serious punishment if she stepped over them. Daydreaming about submitting to a dominant spanking male, and reality, were two different things. Was she really ready for that?
The car door opened and his large hand engulfed hers, making her feel small and protected as he helped her out of the car. The touch of his fingers wrapped around hers sent her pulse zinging, and all she wanted to do was wish Mica away and resume their original plans. He drew her up close to his body, his dark gaze gleaming with sensual hunger as he stared down into her face.
Cripes! She was more than ready.
“Ye two coming in or what?” Mica complained loudly, his voice half amused and half impatient.
“More like or what ,” Jamie growled as he led Pauley around the car and up the sidewalk. “Yer timing could sure use some polishing.”
Mica whistled in admiration. “Where have ye been all dressed up like that? Did I miss something?” He stepped back so Jamie could unlock the door.
“It’s a private party,” Jamie snapped back.
“Sorry to intrude, but I needed to catch my partner up on what’s been happening,” Mica replied cheerfully, ignoring Jamie’s attitude.
“I’ll put on some tea,” Jamie grumbled, leading the way to the kitchen after taking off his and Pauley’s jackets and hanging them on the coat rack inside the door.
“I bet ye have been to The Castle Kitchen,” Mica guessed, following them down the hallway and into the kitchen. “It’s the poshest spot in Inverness. I love that place, but I have to put it in my budget for a once a year visit just to take Miley there.”
“It is expensive,” Pauley agreed, taking some mugs off the mug rack and setting them on the table for the three of them.
“But delicious, and all ye can eat,” Mica replied, his eyes twinkling. When Pauley’s diamond flashed in the kitchen light, Mica reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Ye are engaged,” he exclaimed in delight. “Well done, Jamie. The Castle is the perfect place for a proposal. Congratulations, ye two.”
Pauley’s gaze caught Jamie’s where he stood by the teapot taking his black tie off. “Pauley has agreed to wear my promise ring,” he corrected. “Engaged is on the table and up to her.”
Mica’s eyebrows shot up. “Promise ring? Isn’t that a bit juvenile?”
Pauley shrugged. “I think it’s a great idea. But it’s none of yer business, ye nosy git,” she shot back with a smile. “We’re adults, we can do as we please.”
“If ye are playing partner catch-up, do ye need me to leave?” Jamie asked politely.
Mica shook his head. “Ye are in this one with us, Jamie. It’s about Brodie.”
Pauley’s eyes narrowed in apprehension. “Don’t tell me he’s dead too?”
“Nay, but he would be if Eva had her way,” Mica replied.
“Eva? The owner of the animal shelter?”
“Aye, but she’s no longer the owner. She sold it lock, stock and barrel this morning. Although, I suspect she just put one of her cronies in charge while she planned to take cover for a while.”
“So, what happened?” Pauley asked.
“Actually, I picked her up in the parking lot right after the hearing,” he explained. “I was just going to come over to congratulate ye on the judge’s decision regarding Luca when a black sedan came slowly driving by right in front of me. The windows were tinted, but not so much that I couldn’t see Eva in the back seat staring in yer direction. At first, I thought she was going to follow ye two because ye were just getting into Jamie’s car, but then she went the other way so I decided to follow her.”
“Why?” Jamie asked with a frown. “Why would she be watching us?” He brought the teapot over and began pouring tea into their cups, then sat down at the table.
“I thought that was a very good question myself,” Mica replied, his steely gaze cutting to Jamie. “Since she is a person of interest, she piqued my interest with her behavior. As it turns out, my gut was right.” He added some cream and sugar to his tea.
“Where did she go?” Pauley asked.
“She went to the hospital,” Mica replied. “That’s when my gut really went haywire. I tried to stay out of sight as I followed her into the hospital, but I lost her. I just went straight to Brodie’s room then and heard Quinn inside. I hung out in the loo right beside Brodie’s room and watched through a crack in the door. I don’t have a clue where Withers went, but he hadn’t returned by the time Quinn left. There was a code somewhere else on the floor and all the nurses went running down the hall way except for one. This one had on one of those masks over the lower half of her face, and she went into Brodie’s room.”
Pauley was caught up in Mica’s low growl as he told his story. “Was it Eva?”
“At first, I couldn’t tell for sure if it was or not, but she did have blonde hair. I slipped over to the door, it was half shut, and listened. I heard them arguing. When she called him Leonard and told him that filthy undercover cops, or something like that, get their just dues, I stepped out and saw her with a hypodermic getting ready to inject something into his line. The poor bastert passed out, and I managed to stop her. She’s sitting in jail as we speak.”
“What did ye overhear?”
“Enough to know that she’s right in the middle of all this, and that she was leaving town once she finished Brodie off,” he replied. “The best thing is, Quinn had a couple of bugs put in Brodie’s room, so now we have everything on tape,” he finished triumphantly.
“That doesn’t explain what she was doing at the hearing,” Jamie said with a worried frown. “Or why she was watching us.”
Mica nodded and took a sip of tea. “Aye, I’ve been thinking about that myself. I’m guessing she just wanted to know the results of the hearing and figure out if Luca might know anything,” he explained. “Still cleaning up loose ends is my guess.”
“I didn’t see her in the hearing, so it might be interesting to know who she got her updates from,” Pauley murmured, the light of battle in her eyes.
“She’s lawyered up,” Mica replied, a sour expression on his face. “Unless she’s willing to cut a deal, we won’t get anything from her.”
Pauley sighed. “So, it’s all over for now.”
“That’s a good thing,” Jamie added. His eyes roamed possessively over her, caressing her without words, relief that she was safe dancing in their depths.
“It’s only at a standstill for the moment,” Mica reminded her. “With the drug business and all that goes along with it, it’s never over. The Dunlaven Market business owners can rest easy for a while until someone new comes into power. Deficits are always filled, and then it starts all over again.”
Pauley nodded. They all sat silently sipping their tea as she reflected on Mica’s words. He was right, it was never over. She had no idea how many drug sellers and buyers she’d arrested over the years, the lesser people who were pawns in the clutches of the bigger drug lords. As soon as one was removed, another took his place. Teenagers would still die, people would continue to buy, and the circle would keep going around and around. You saved some, you lost some. And when you went down, some other would-be savior would step up to take your place. In the end, you just hoped your sacrifices made a difference to someone.
Law enforcement was a tireless, never-ending grind that chewed you up and spit you out until there wasn’t much left of your personal life. But it hadn’t been the reason she and Peter’s marriage had failed. It was just a stressor that helped to destroy the weak links that were already dead or dying.
Her gaze met Jamie’s and she suddenly realized he filled something in her life that had been missing for a long, long time. Love, respect, and acceptance. She felt tingles run along her skin and her heart swell with the sudden realization that he truly loved her. He’d told her, but she hadn’t believed him.
Staring into her teacup, she also came to the rueful realization that she didn’t trust in love. In her life, it had been capricious and conditional. Given liberally when she performed to expectations, but when she didn’t, it was withheld, and reproval and disfavor replaced it. Only time would tell if Jamie was a man of his word. She desperately wanted to believe that he was. Her feelings for him were very strong, but was it love? The kind that would last? She twisted the ring on her finger. She had eight weeks to figure it out.
At last, Mica stood up and stretched. “See ye at the office in the morning, Pauley. I’ll let ye two get back to what ye were doing,” he teased, breaking the heavy silence surrounding them all.
Jamie didn’t even flinch. He never shot her a reproving look at Mica’s words either. “Do ye know how long before I can get back into Happy Housekeepers?” he asked Mica as he stood up with him. “It’s time I got back to work as well.”
“I’ll check with Quinn, but I’m guessing it will be off limits until at least Monday,” he said apologetically.
Pauley stood up. “Why so long? Luca’s hearing is over and there are no charges.”
Mica shrugged. “I don’t know. Luca was my investigation and I’m done with it, but mayhap the drug task force wants to look at it. At any rate, Quinn isn’t releasing the scene yet.”
Pauley rolled her eyes. “Any time they are involved, it always takes forever.”
A sense of dissatisfaction suddenly filled her as they walked with Mica to the front door. Police procedures would never change, but something had changed for her in the last five days. She had a new man in her life, one she wanted to explore a relationship with. Maybe spend the rest of her life with. She thought she might be in love with him, but her heart was holding out, refusing to trust easily. It was too soon.
Jamie’s talk about priorities made her feel a little guilty, mostly because he was right. True, there was always someone who needed help, and she loved helping people. She loved training the new detectives as they came up the line. Her caseload was always full, and it was why she’d gone into law enforcement in the first place.
As career paths went, she was a detective superintendent with senior privileges at a crime scene. She’d worked hard to get where she was, a lifetime in fact, and only a few others in the council had the seniority that she enjoyed. She had no intention of giving that up. She also had more vacation time than she would ever use in a year, and there was always more.
She glanced over at Jamie as they came to a stop at the front door and made a heart-swelling decision. When Mica reached for the doorknob, she put her hand on his wrist. “I won’t be in until Monday, Mica,” she said firmly, her blood rushing in excitement, her eyes catching Jamie’s start of surprise. “I’ll call Quinn and let him know. Ye will have to get along without me for a few more days, I’m going to be out of town.”
The smile on Jamie’s face broadened, and Mica looked from one to the other with a sly approving eye. He was no slouch—he could read the signs.
“Am I to assume ye are going to celebrate yer promise?”
Pauley didn’t hesitate as she took Jamie’s hand and slipped to his side with a knowing smile. “Actually, we are going to celebrate our engagement. Just a promise is juvenile, adults make commitments.”
Mica’s deep laugh rang out. “Enjoy yer time off, ye certainly have enough of it built up,” he told her. “I’m really happy for ye both.”
Jamie shook his hand when Mica reached for it, and then Pauley allowed him to give her a hug. “Thank ye, Mica.”
“Aye, thank ye, Mica,” Jamie added with the biggest grin Pauley had seen yet lighting up his face. The door closed behind Mica and Jamie took both of her hands. “What changed yer mind, lass?” he asked, pulling her in close to his body.
Pauley shivered with reaction as he placed her hands on his shoulders so his arms could slink around her on the silky black dress and rub her back and buttocks. “It occurred to me that if we are going to give the next eight weeks a fair shot, we needed to spend enough time together to get sick of each other,” she mocked. “That can’t happen if we are both working all the time.”
“And the engagement part?” He purred with satisfaction.
She could feel the hard length of him pressing against her abdomen and it set her blood on fire. “That was juvenile,” she admitted with a throaty laugh.
He picked up her hand and kissed her ring finger. “I wanted to show the world that ye are mine, and if juvenile was what it took to get my ring on yer finger, then I was ready to be juvenile,” he admitted, his attitude lacking in repentance or regret.
“Why, Mr. MacNamara, I’m shocked,” Pauley smirked. “I wonder what other lengths ye will go to in order to get what ye want?”
Jamie’s eyelids slid to half-mast and that evil grinchy grin appeared. “Ye are about to find out, my wee firebrand,” he murmured. Then his arms went beneath her buttocks and she squealed when he picked her up. Her arms locked around his neck as he stalked down the hallway and into his bedroom where he set her down and closed the door behind him.
Pauley’s heart rate picked up even more as he pulled her to the bed and raised her black sheath to reveal red garters and red lacy scraps of panties. Something she hadn’t worn in years and years. Somehow, she had the feeling he might like it if the evening went the way she hoped it would. She was right, his eyes lit up like roman candles.
“Ye are a naughty lass, aren’t ye?” he growled in delight as he guided her down and across his lap. Her upper body rested on the bed, leaving her rounded backside in the perfect position for his exploration.
Pauley shivered as he pulled down the scraps of red lace and moved aside the garters, leaving her buttocks free and clear for his touch.
“Beautiful,” he murmured, “just beautiful. Ye have firm, lovely skin, Pauley.”
“Not as firm as it used to be,” she mocked, glancing back at him.
He turned her head towards the closet door where the double doors closed to create one large mirror. “Look at yerself,” he whispered. “Ye are perfect as far as I’m concerned.”
Pauley looked at the sensuous scene they created together. Her legs were up, her high heels crossed in the air, and the white mounds of her buttocks stood out beneath his tanned palm. The only color in the picture besides the black and white in their clothing was the bright red garter belt and clasps, and her scrap of panties at mid-thigh.
“That’s probably the only part of me that doesn’t have a scar of some sort,” she joked feebly. “Motherhood and thirty years of law enforcement have a way of doing that to ye.”
She was surprised when he merely nodded. His eyes, dark in the low light, gleamed at her reflection in the mirror.
“Then ye’ll be in good company,” he replied. “I have a few scars of my own, courtesy of some of the dangerous places I’ve worked during my career, and my brothers. We can exchange battle stories.”
“Let me see,” she demanded.
He landed three sharp spanks against her milky white skin. “Oh no, wee one,” he replied firmly. “Ye aren’t getting out of yer correction that easily.”
“I don’t want it anymore,” she pouted into the mirror. “I want to explore us.”
His eyebrows raised their respective hairs towards the ceiling. “Ye push the buttons, I deliver. That is the rule, and pouting will nae get ye anywhere, wee brat.”
Pauley was glad she wasn’t really in trouble because Jamie’s spanks bordered on painful. Lucky for her, he paused in between to touch, caress and soothe her heated flesh, stoking the fire in her blood even hotter.
When she couldn’t take anymore, her body danced to the uncontrollable pleasures he gave her. She was exhausted and panting when he gathered her into his arms and stood up, then turned around to settle her on the bed. She watched in sated pleasure as he sensually slipped his clothes off. Standing before her without a shred of shyness, he watched her eyes explore him before he lay down with her on the bed.
“Now it’s my turn, and then we can discover every scar on each other,” he murmured in her ear. “We’ve got all night.”
“Aren’t ye supposed to say the rest of our lives?” She laughed when his eyes lit up and his evil, grinchy grin turned up the corners of his mouth.
“Aye. Ye made a commitment now, wee firebrand, and I’ll no be letting ye go.”
She bit his shoulder. “It’s me who won’t be letting ye go,” she promised fiercely, sudden tears in her eyes. In spite of her fears, her lack of trust, and the mistakes she’d already made with love, she was all in. If she couldn’t make things work with Jamie, who had indeed stolen a piece of her heart, then she was destined to remain single for the rest of her life. It was time to take a chance.
Gramma Caulfield’s satisfied expression floated into her thoughts unbidden, and she could see her smiling and nodding her head. Surely, she was imagining the whispered words in her ears?
“Good choice, darlin’ lass. Ye finally got it right.”
Jamie stared down at her with a concerned face. “Ye have gone silent, wee firebrand. Are ye having second thoughts already?”
She shook her head fiercely and grabbed his face between her palms. “Not a chance, ye are stuck with me now for at least eight weeks if ye can stand me that long.” She pulled his head down for a kiss.
“As long as ye mean that, I’ll hold ye to it,” he groaned as he took her mouth.
Pauley meant every word. Eight was just another number, though. In eight weeks, they could be man and wife.
Or less.
The End