15. Whats Changed?
Chapter 15
What's Changed?
Whitney
The traffic between Biloxi and Jackson was better than usual. After swinging by the Taco Bell drive-thru, I got home at eight-fifteen. I ate my tacos at the breakfast bar of my apartment, willing the A/C to work a little faster.
My phone conversation with Mensa kept replaying in my mind. He took my news somewhat well. I hadn’t expected him to be so gruff, or so… alpha about it. But calling me his woman threw me for a loop.
‘But, Blume we got more to discuss.’ Why did those words thrill me?
It had to be my hormones talking, and I needed to get them under control.
Logic said we would never work. Even if I took over Hard Pressed and turned my back on law enforcement, it didn’t change who I was. A straight-arrow. A goody-two-shoes… legally speaking.
So far, though, I didn’t have any evidence that Mensa routinely broke the law. In my limited free time, I had put some effort into catching him doing just that. But, it seemed that wasn’t who he was, not deep down.
I had to stop thinking about this. Overthinking it wouldn’t help one bit. I grabbed my nightie and fresh underwear and hit the bathroom for a shower.
As soon as I had donned my nightie and stepped out of the bathroom, my cell rang.
I grabbed it off the charger, Mensa’s name on the display.
“Hey, Mensa.”
“Sounds like you made it to your place.”
“I did. Are you at the clubhouse or still dealing with club business?”
His voice lowered an octave. “I’m at the clubhouse, in my room, on my bed, and wishing you were here.”
My eyes slid to the side. “That was rather precise.”
“Where are you right now? Your living room? Guest bedroom, packing boxes?”
“I’m in my bedroom.”
“Are you packing a box right now?”
“No. I just got out of the shower a few minutes ago.”
His hum sounded appreciative. “What are you wearing?”
“My nightie.”
“Take off your panties.”
“What? You’re joking.”
His tone turned authoritative. “Take off your panties, Blume.” He paused. “Now.”
The way he said ‘Now,’ sent a jolt of heat straight to my vagina.
I chuckled. “Mensa. We’re not having phone sex.”
“Why not?”
“It doesn’t do it for me.”
He chuckled. “Baby, that just means you aren’t doing it with the right person.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, really. Think about it… if you take the phone out of it, it’s just sex. If sex doesn’t do it for you… then, doesn’t it stand to reason you’re having sex with the wrong person?”
I laughed. “Your logic seems sound, but there’s something to be said for physical chemistry between me and the other person.”
“You’re right, but considering our chemistry… give me a shot. Wanna know what I’m wearing?”
For some reason, I decided to play along. “What are you wearing?”
“A smile, and that’s it.”
My head tilted. “That’s all? You’re naked?”
“Yeah. Really wish my woman was here to take care of me.”
I ignored the ‘my woman’ comment, even though it sent a warm sensation through me. “Like you can’t take care of yourself.”
“Seems I’m gonna have to, but you could help me out.”
“By taking off my panties?”
“Yes, because you’re gonna want to touch yourself while you get on your knees and suck my dick like a good girl.”
At his words, without thinking, my hand went to my center.
What was I doing?
“Mensa,” I whispered.
“What?”
“This is insane.”
“You’re right. The size of my hard cock is insane. Your fingers always feel so good wrapped around it.”
“I bet my hot mouth would feel better.”
“Yeah, it would. Did you take your panties off?”
I stood and shoved my underwear to the floor. “Yeah.”
“Yes, sir, you mean.”
My lips quirked. “Yes, sir.”
“Is your nightie silk or satin?”
My nightie was actually soft cotton, but he didn’t have to know that. “Silk.”
“Are you lying to me?”
“No.”
“I think you’re fibbing, woman. What color is it?”
“It’s purple with little pink roses.”
“Are there spaghetti straps?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Put me on speaker, so your hands are free. Then pull your tit out so I can suck on your rosy nipple.”
His last words riled me up, but I wasn’t good at working solo. Another reason I didn’t engage in phone sex. “Mensa—”
“Whitney, you gotta relax so I can get you off.”
I pulled the phone away, and hit the icon to put him on speaker. “I thought I was getting you off since you wanted me to suck your cock like a good girl?”
A dark chuckle came through the line. “If you’re good, you might get that as a reward. First you’re gonna help me glide my finger through your pussy. Is it wet?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Are you sure? How do you know?”
I knew because of his earlier words, but I traced my slit. “I know because I felt it.”
“You felt it when, baby? Were you so wet for me that it covered my finger and yours?”
I closed my eyes. “Yes.”
“Do I do that to you?”
“You know you do.”
“Should I drive one finger or two inside you right now?”
I chuckled. “Two, but why not three?”
“So greedy, baby.”
“For you, always.”
He made a satisfied hum. “Mmm, your pussy is always ready to go. Let me see what happens when I suck on your tit and finger you at the same time.”
“Mensa,” I wheezed.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. You need me to pinch that nipple, don’t you? Or would you rather I bite it?”
Dammit. I’d never done anything like this before, but my fingers found my taut nipple and I pinched and rolled it with more force, imagining it was Mensa doing it.
“You’re breathing pretty hard there, Blume.”
“I’m gagging for your hard cock, Mensa.”
“Good things come to those who wait, baby. You want me to rub circles on your clit, or flick it? Maybe with my tongue?”
It was like his words were a direct instruction to my fingers, and I flicked my clit. “Flick it,” I breathed.
“That’s what I thought. You like it like that don’t you?”
“Mmm,” I hummed.
“I’m throwing your legs over my shoulders, dragging your sweet pussy right to my mouth. Yeah, your clit needs some attention.”
With his words, I rubbed at my clit like never before. I felt it building, and moaned.
“What do you want, Whitney?”
“Suck it, lick it, do whatever you want. I need your mouth.”
“Damn right you do.”
I pictured Mensa going down on me. Seeing as he’d done it roughly fourteen hours ago, the picture was pretty fresh in my mind. My body tensed, and an orgasm came over me.
“Oh my God,” I moaned.
“That’s right, baby. Come on my tongue. Lapping all of that up, while I jack my cock.”
“You gonna let me jack your cock?”
“Only way you’re jacking me, is if you take me in your mouth.”
“Done, baby,” I murmured.
“You sure?”
“Certain. I love running my tongue around the head of your dick.”
“Yeah, what else do you love?”
“Catching that first bit of pre-cum… is your cock weeping?”
“Definitely.”
“Poor guy. I better take you deep and suck you dry.”
“Shit. How are you gonna do that, Blume?”
I kept working myself, though a second orgasm was highly unlikely. “Gonna use my hand to squeeze that monster cock of yours just how you like it.”
“You gonna go faster?” he asked, his voice exceptionally husky.
“Show me how fast you want it, baby.”
He went quiet for a moment. Then he grunted and hissed out, “Shit.”
I kept quiet for a moment, and thought I heard him moving around. “Everything okay… sir?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. Haven’t come on my stomach like that in years, and it was never quite that satisfying. Only way it could be better is if you were fuckin’ here .”
I stretched out on my bed. “I know, but things need to happen here… and this seemed like the right time.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it about the timing. Did I change your mind about phone sex?”
I laughed. “Let’s just say, the jury’s still out, but I definitely prefer the real thing.”
“No shit. Most people do.”
“How many boxes did you get packed tonight?” he asked.
I heard background noise, like clothes rustling. I shook off the thought of him pulling on his underwear. “Are you crazy? I rolled in here at like eight-fifteen, Mensa. So, I’ve packed zero boxes because I had enough time to scarf down my Taco Bell, then hit the bathroom, and now I’ve been on the phone with you, having phone sex of all things.”
He laughed. “Not sure what this says about me, but I love hearing the outrage in your voice. Don’t sound so disgusted about the phone sex, Whitney. You came and from the sound of it, I suspect you might have gone twice. If I’d been there, you would’ve definitely gone twice.”
I groaned. “Don’t remind me, honey.”
“I’m coming up there tomorrow,” he said.
“What? You can’t do that. Biloxi PD told you not to leave town.”
“I’ve left word with Monica and she’s gonna see if that’s still true. There’s no reason to call me a person of interest in this thing. It’s bullshit that they said that.”
“It isn’t necessarily bullshit, Mensa. Don’t get yourself into more trouble because of me. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Why not? Give me one good reason why I should stay here.”
In reality, there weren’t any, so I glommed onto the only thing I could. “We’re total opposites. We will never work as a couple.”
“Nope. Now you don’t make sense. Gamble and Vickie are total opposites. She’s a lawyer for fuck’s sake.”
“Yeah, she mentioned she practices family law at Riley and Finn’s wedding,” I muttered.
He chuckled. “When they met, she was a public defender. We all thought Gamble was crazy for being with a lawyer, but they work. Really well, seeing as they’re getting married later this year.”
I nodded and sat back on my bed. “Oh, that’s right. I heard about that. Her situation was extreme from what Riley told me.”
“It was, but you haven’t given me a good reason to stay in Biloxi. Two people will get the job done quicker, Blume.”
I sighed. “That logic is true, but you don’t want to leave town before you’ve heard from your lawyer. Going against a police order only makes you seem more suspect.”
From the tone of his voice, I thought he might be smiling. “I’m aware, woman. I’ll wait, but you better expect my company tomorrow.”
I let silence fill the line as I debated posing a question. “What happened to what you said when I was driving? You were going to make sure Ron forgot about me?”
“I’ve learned some other information, and I’ve tabled that.”
“Really? What kind of information?”
“Not anything I’ll share over a cell.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please. Do you know the amount of paperwork involved in getting a phone tap?”
He still sounded like he was smiling. “It’s not the government I’m concerned about, Whit.”
I chuckled. “My point stands. Do you have any idea how hard it is to bug someone’s phone?”
“Whatever. I’ll tell you when I see you, woman.”
“Are you coming on your bike?”
“That was the plan. Why?”
“I was going to ask you to bring me some boxes, but don’t worry about it.”
“You’re definitely moving?” he asked.
“I’m definitely not keeping two apartments,” I said.
He went quiet for a bit, and I wondered if me moving was the thing to push him away.
“I’ll see if Har needs his truck this week. If he doesn’t, I’ll borrow that and bring some boxes with me.”
“I don’t want to cause any prob—”
“It’s not a problem, Blume. I’m gonna let you get some rest, sweetheart. Later.”
The following afternoon, I was kneeling on my bedroom floor, taping up a moving box when my cell phone rang. My place looked almost empty, seeing as Mensa had arrived four hours ago and had hauled away the items I knew I wouldn’t take to Biloxi.
Now he was in the shower, and if things went well tomorrow, I’d have the rest of my stuff packed in no time.
I grabbed my phone off the nightstand, Wyatt’s name on display. I answered and pressed the button to put the call on speaker so I could continue to pack another box. “Hey, Wyatt. Surprised you have time for me.”
“I made time. Did you go back to Jackson?”
My lips quirked in a half smile. “Yeah, for once I listened to you. Did you have a change of heart or something?”
“Not really. I’m giving you a heads-up. Rod asked other members to Google your name. They find it real sketchy that you didn’t have a single listing. I diverted them by pointing out that plenty of women protect their privacy. ”
I grabbed a box that was half-full of my winter clothes and stacked it on top of another box. “So, I still need to watch my back. Got it. And just to say, that’s pretty flimsy.”
“That’s why you’re getting a heads-up.”
“Thanks, I guess,” I said with a chuckle.
“What’s the deal with Phil?”
My head reared back, and I heard the shower turn off. “What?”
“He said he paid you a visit after your questioning.”
I nodded once. “Yeah. I asked him to leave and he wouldn’t take the hint. Which reminds me, did you give him my address?”
Wyatt hesitated. “I mentioned you were living in that complex.”
My unease grew. “But you didn’t give him my unit number?”
“Shit, Whit. I don’t know. Not that hard to find your apartment number on a police report. That doesn’t make him a creeper. He’s a great guy. Why are you leading him on?”
My eyes widened. “Wyatt, that’s way out of line. I don’t lead people on.”
Mensa leaned toward my phone and I wished I’d taken it off speaker, but I hadn’t expected this turn in conversation.
“She asked him to leave and he wouldn’t. That makes him pretty suspect if you ask me,” Mensa said.
Wyatt’s tone went dry. “If I’m talking to Mensa, Phil says she told you the same thing.”
Mensa cocked a brow. “He told you that, and you still accuse your sister of leading on your friend?”
“Why is he there, Whit?”
“Don’t answer that,” Mensa whispered in my ear.
I grinned. I wasn’t planning to answer, but he couldn’t get used to bossing me around either. “What’s it to you, Wyatt? I don’t ask about every woman you spend time with. Besides, many hands make light work… especially when it comes to moving.”
“What about your job?” Wyatt asked.
“What job? We went over this, I resigned. There’s no getting my job back.”
My twin sighed. “I was hoping going back to Jackson would make you rethink that and rescind your resignation.”
“What’s done is done.”
“Bullshit. There have been agents who come back as long as it’s within a quick time frame.”
I shook my head. “You’re right, but I’m not doing that, Wyatt.”
My twin was undeterred. “If you want a decent job outside the Bureau, you’ve got to take care of your reputation.”
“Wyatt, I appreciate your concern, but I’m due for a change.”
“But with a biker?”
I pressed my lips together in a humorless smile, grabbed my phone, took him off speaker, and put my cell to my ear. “I thought we were talking about my work life”
“We’re talking about both. How could you give up the job? It took so much just to get into the Academy.”
I took a deep breath. “I hate to say it, but things change. I’ve changed.”
Wyatt sighed and something struck me. “You seem more disappointed than I am.”
“Yeah… it won’t be – hell, it already isn’t the same without you.”
I shook my head because we didn’t work the same cases together. “You’ll adjust. You should get back.”
“Sure, but when you get back, we’re having a chat about Mensa being in Jackson with you. How long has that been going on? It seems like you just split up with Ben.”
I opened my mouth to answer, but Wyatt kept speaking.
“Don’t answer that. I’m glad you got rid of Ben. Hear me when I say, you’re too good for either one of them. Remember that. Later.”
The phone gave a double beep and with a seething breath, I put my phone back on the charger.
“Take it that last part was about me,” Mensa surmised.
I glared at my bed, then softened my expression to meet his eyes. “That was about my brother being bossy.”
Mensa scratched his jaw. “Noticed you don’t like that. It’s odd that you don’t take authority well.”
“That’s ‘odd’? I don’t know many women who like being bossed for arbitrary reasons, Kenneth. And definitely not by their brother.”
He chuckled. “All right. Chill out, woman.”
“Yeah. Do you drink wine? I got a bottle of Conundrum calling my name.”
Mensa grinned. “With a name like that, how could I say no? You aren’t drinking on a empty stomach are you?”
I stared at him. “I suppose not. It won’t make me very productive tomorrow.”
He nodded. “I’ll grill those chicken breasts you took out earlier. You make a salad or whatever vegetable you want.”
I wandered to the kitchen. “The things I have to do for a glass of vino.”
“You’ll thank me later,” he said, from behind me and giving my ass a squeeze.
An hour later, Mensa forked up a piece of chicken, but didn’t put it in his mouth. “Heston said you weren’t cut out for duty?”
I took my time swallowing some white wine. “He didn’t say it quite like that, but even before my psych evaluation, he raised concerns about my focus, ability, and mentality.”
“Why?”
I shot him a sheepish grin. “He thought I was obsessed with you.”
He nodded. “So…what’s changed?”
“What do you mean?”
“You said, things change and you changed. What’s different?”
My jaw clenched as I thought about it. This would put a damper on things… but if this scared Mensa off, then that’s the way the cookie crumbled.
“I want a family and even though I knew moving would be part and parcel of being an agent, the older I get the less I’m at one with uprooting my family.” I shrugged. “That’s a big strike against the FBI and with Aunt Nadia offering me the chance to take over Hard Pressed… it seemed like life stepped in for me.”
Mensa stared at me for a long moment. “There are other agents with families, I’m sure.”
“Yeah, but being undercover puts a different strain on me and my family.”
“Then drop the undercover work.”
I sipped my wine. “Yeah, but that thrill wouldn’t be there any longer.”
He mulled that over while he chewed a bite of chicken. “I can see that, but Hard Pressed isn’t going to give you that thrill either.”
I put my glass down and speared a cherry tomato with my fork. “No, it won’t. But it will give me a sense of purpose, and it’s actually a better income than I’d expected.”
Mensa’s head reared back. “Really? I’d think those Cricut machines have hurt Nadia’s business.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “Sure, for the smaller orders, but you’d be surprised how many orders she gets for jerseys, t-shirts, and the like.”
We ate in silence for a few minutes.
Mensa finished his chicken. “How many?”
My brows drew together. “How many what?”
He drank some wine. “How many kids do you want?”
A bizarre, but enjoyable, thrill shot through me at his question. Nobody else had bothered to ask me that.
“Two, but I’m not opposed to three if the timing’s right and all goes well.”
The way he nodded, I suspected he approved.
The ensuing silence between us felt comfortable… even normal.
Finally, I said, “You look like you approve of my answer.”
His head tilted for a moment. “Yeah. If I settled down, that would be what I’d want too.”
If he settled down.
There it was.
In a playful tone, I said, “But you aren’t settling down any time soon, I take it.”
His eyes locked with mine. “I didn’t say that. You don’t normally put words in my mouth. Don’t start now.”
“I was only trying to lighten the conversation, but that’s fair.”
He stared at me for another moment. “This keeps on, I don’t know if I could handle two of you.”
I laughed. “Works both ways, Mensa.”
He stood and picked up his plate. “So, how many more?”
I aimed some side-eye at him. “More? I told you three.”
He chuckled. “I meant boxes. How many more have you got to pack? Are you aiming to head back tomorrow or the next day?”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Definitely the next day. I have to handle some things tomorrow, like arranging a moving truck with a car trailer.”
His focus shifted to my neck. “And it’s stressing you out?”
“A bit. I’ll be—”
He set his dish on the breakfast bar and stalked back to me. “Nope. Don’t say you’ll be fine. I’ll give you an orgasm or two, and then you’ll be fine.”
I stood and grinned at him. “Pretty sure I’ll be better than just fine.”
“Damn straight.”
I started my Friday by having a ninety-minute, heated conversation with the office manager. Thankfully, I’d had the presence of mind to take a copy of my original lease with me and I had already highlighted the language waiving the penalty for breaking my lease. Still, this woman tried to argue that the FBI clause in my lease wasn’t binding since I didn’t have any of my credentials on me. It wasn’t until I repeatedly pointed out where her manager had initialed the changes that she finally relented.
Not the best start to my day.
Last night – and this morning – Mensa had relieved my stress in the most delicious way. Following my encounter in the leasing office, his magic had worn off.
“Jesus, you look ready to hurt somebody,” Mensa said when I walked inside.
“Violence doesn’t solve anything,” I muttered.
He grinned. “Don’t knock it, until you try it.”
“It wouldn’t be worth it on that lady.”
“How long before we have to leave to get the moving truck?” he asked.
I glanced at the microwave. “Is that time right?”
He pulled out his phone. “Yeah.”
“We have an hour.”
His expression was easy to read. Part calculating, part mischievous, part hungry.
The next thing I knew, he hauled me over his shoulder and spanked me hard. “Then it’s time to relax you again, Blume. Can’t have you all wound-up and shit.”
I laughed. “Put me down, Kenneth.”
“I’m gonna put you down, all right. Put you down on my face.”
If he weren’t so talented, I’d refuse, but Mensa had ruined me for other men. I couldn’t get enough of him.
“That sounds fun.”
“Yeah. Since we gotta be quick, you gotta do some work too, sucking me off.”
“Even better,” I murmured.
He put me on the bed and undid his belt. “Help your man out, and get naked.”
I did as ordered.