Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Lorcan
“You didn’t have to come to the station.”
We’d walked silently to our vehicles at the detachment. Cody had gestured toward his condo building. I’d nodded and followed him home. Because he’d given me his second remote, I was able to follow him in and park in the spot next to his.
All neat and tidy.
And yet messy as all fucking hell.
He plugged his SUV into his charging station. “Do you wish I hadn’t? I should’ve asked.”
I shook my head.
Cody frowned.
“You didn’t have to ask. I’m glad you came—even though I didn’t like you seeing me that way.”
“What way?” He slung his messenger bag over his shoulder, then extended his arm.
Without hesitation, I grasped his hand. My lunch bag hung on my other shoulder. “Thank you.”
He blinked. “I see you, Lorcan. I said that before. Not all the nooks and crannies—” He winced. “God, that was my mother’s expression.”
I smiled.
“What I’m trying to say is I don’t see all of it. You have tons of secrets—and you’re entitled to keep some things to yourself—but the essence of you. The good man you are. What I’m saying, though, is that I’m here. For all of it. The good, the bad—”
“The horrendously awful?” I held his gaze.
“Yes. So let’s get out of this unheated underground garage and get upstairs. I vote we order Chinese food.”
“I thought tonight was my turn to cook.”
He eyed me. “If you want to, then I certainly won’t stop you. I thought we could shower while we wait for the delivery.”
I arched an eyebrow.
He laughed. “We’ll set a timer.”
Because every time we got into the shower together, shenanigans occurred.
“I’m not in the mood for…”
Cody tugged me toward the elevator. “I completely understand. So we’ll just wash each other off. I know I was stinky sweating in that place, even in the ten minutes I spent there.”
Following his lead was easy. Although I hadn’t worn my jacket in the interrogation room, I’d sweated through my shirt as well.
In the elevator, I tucked myself against him. “There are things you don’t know.”
“I’m here to listen. If you’re up to sharing. And if you’re not, then we’ll just have Chinese food, watch a hockey game, maybe play with squeaky toys, and then go to bed.”
“Just like that?” The ping sounded when we reached the top floor.
He guided us out. “Or I shower with you and, if you want, take you home. I mean, I really want you with me tonight, but I’d also understand if you need time.
The spare room is yours if you need it. Personally, I’d prefer you not be alone tonight.
You’ve had a hell of a shock.” He unlocked his door, flipped on the overhead light, and led me inside.
“You know.”
“Yeah. Constable Seth Jacobs told me. He didn’t figure the news would be under wraps for long.”
“This is going to bring scrutiny.” I leaned against the kitchen bar as I undid my boots. “You might not want to be associated with someone under suspicion.”
“Did you fly down to Mexico when I wasn’t looking and kill him?”
My head snapped up so fast to meet his gaze that I almost toppled over. “Uh, no.”
“Did you come into a hoard of cash and hire someone to kill him?”
“No.”
“Well then I don’t see what I have to worry about.” He finished removing his boots and then hung his coat in the closet. He held his hand out for mine—which I handed him. “Colton Pritchard is full of bluster. I know guys like him. Self-righteous.” He blinked. “Oh shit.”
I winced. “Do I want to know?”
“I can’t believe I didn’t make the connection. He’s Sunshine Dixon’s ex-husband. Her asshole ex-husband.” He hung up my coat and closed the closet door. “Although she married and divorced not one, but two outstanding human beings.”
No missing the sarcasm.
“Oh?” I opened my lunch bag and started sorting the containers to put in the dishwasher.
Cody scrolled on his phone. “Yeah. Her first marriage was to a guy who was nice enough. He was with the Canadian Armed Forces. He saw something while overseas.” He shrugged.
“I don’t know what. And while I’m completely empathetic to PTSD, hitting someone is not okay.
Nor is not getting help when you clearly need it. ”
“Ouch.” A bit of sauce had spilled, so I wiped out the bag. “So that marriage ended?”
“Yep. Tell me what you want.” Cody handed me the phone.
I handed it right back. “I’m not allergic to anything, but I’m not certain I could eat anything right now anyway.”
He put the phone on the bar and held out his arms.
I fell into them.
His hug was about the best thing ever, and it almost—almost—soothed my jangled nerves. He rubbed my back. “I’ll order comfort foods—mushroom egg fu young, spring rolls, beef and broccoli, and maybe sweet and sour chicken balls.”
“And fried shrimp?”
He kissed my forehead. “Of course, fried shrimp.”
I pressed my ear against his beating heart. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He snagged his phone.
Reluctantly, I released him.
He pressed himself against me even as he typed, scrolled, and typed again. “I have an order with them that I make all the time. I’m adding fried shrimp…” He frowned. Then grinned triumphantly. “Forty-five minutes.”
“How often do you order from them?”
He grinned. “Not often because I go with the one on First Avenue.”
“Ah.” The most expensive of the several.
“Aunt Genessa takes me there as a treat. I have an affinity for their spring rolls.” He feathered my hair. “Tonight’s special.”
“Because I’m not spending the night in a cell?” I deadpanned.
He laughed.
I hadn’t expected that.
His eyes softened. “If you’d been spending a night in the cell, then I’d have brought a toothbrush for you and a pillow and blanket for myself. That bench in the waiting room didn’t look comfortable.”
“Don’t joke, Cody. This is serious.”
“So am I.”
“We’ve known each other a couple of weeks.”
He cocked his head. “So you’re thinking that I might not know the real you?
The generous and considerate man who tries to pull off tough?
The man who has shown me—over and over—how he can be vulnerable and yet loving at the same time?
You’d have every right to be cynical and finished with the world.
The world that hasn’t been so good to you in the last few years.
But you haven’t. You took your second chance, and look what you’ve done with it. ”
I frowned.
“You got a good job.”
“Yeah, okay.” Thanks to Arnav and Foster, I really had landed softly.
“You’ve found a good therapist.”
I arched an eyebrow.
“Justin didn’t say anything—he’s way too discreet. But what little you said last night had me believing things went well. Unless I was wrong?”
I shook my head.
“Right. And you’ve made friends.”
I pressed myself against his side. “You’re my friend.”
Cody chuckled. “I might’ve just told the world you’re my boyfriend.”
“Yeah, that was kind of obvious. I think Seth was amused.”
“Arnav as well. Did he say he was going to call later?”
“Did he? All I could think was how fucking badly I wanted to get out of that place. And to never have to go back there again.”
He held me close. “Same here. Now, we better have a quick shower.” He checked his phone. “Forty-two minutes.”
I laughed when he answered the door thirty-eight minutes later wearing just a bathrobe. I hid behind the bedroom door—still naked. So much for not being up for anything. He’d given me what had been—bar none—the best blow job I’d ever received.
After he shut the front door, he said, “Ears and paws? Well, maybe not while eating. Unless you want me to feed you.” He made his way to the kitchen. “I’m happy to eat in bed if you like.”
I hotfooted to the cupboard and pulled down my special box. I snagged the ears and paws. My hand, though, hovered over the tail.
With the butt plug.
Why the fuck not? I’m not in jail. I’m never going to jail. I didn’t do this, and Arnav said everything is going to be okay. So I’m going to be a fucking optimist. And optimistically believe Cody will love this.
I added the butt plug to my stash and headed into the ensuite bathroom.
He might wonder why the door was closed—but he’d totally respect my need for privacy.
Fortunately, we’d left a bottle of lube in the bathroom.
And a bottle in the bedroom.
One in the living room as well. Guys had to do something between periods in hockey, after all.
After I got the plug securely in place, I donned my ears and finally, my paws. Then I tried to open the bathroom door and discovered that I couldn’t turn the knob. So off came the paws, I opened the door, then I put them back on. Finally, I flicked off the light.
“I didn’t know if you wanted plum sauce.” Cody sat on the bed with two plates of food as well as several containers of sauces.
“I love plum sauce.”
“Right? I mean, who…” His voice trailed off as he watched me cross the room and, with as much elegance as possible, crawl onto the bed. Well, dignity as far as the butt plug would allow. “Oh.”
I wiggled my butt and batted my eyelashes. “You like?”
He shifted. “If I didn’t know you were starving, I’d put all this food back in the kitchen and fuck you senseless.”
I pouted.
He laughed. “If you can manage to eat with the plug in place, then by all means, let’s eat.” He eyed the paws.
I nodded.
His smile lit my insides. He dipped a fried shrimp in tempura sauce and held it out for me to nibble.
The flavor hit my tongue, and I moaned as I sank my teeth into the juicy shrimp.
He double dipped, giving me more sauce.
I savored the last bite. “This is going to be a very slow meal.”
“We have all night.”
He might say that, but it was well past seven. My mornings started way earlier than his, but he liked to get up with me and make breakfast for us while I got ready.
Stephen had never done anything like that for me. Ever.
And you’re going to stop thinking about him. Was I sad he was dead? Sure. Had he been dead to me for two years? Also, yes.
“Some broccoli?” Cody held a fork with the green vegetable dripping with sauce.
I nodded.
He grinned.