Chapter Fifteen Addie
Cole leaves for the station, and my thoughts are already racing.
I’m full of extra energy, which is nuts considering what we did the entire night, so I work out until I’m dripping sweat and panting hard from my exertion.
After a quick shower—this one not nearly as memorable as earlier, when Cole had me pinned against the tiles, pounding into me—I get dressed, wander downstairs and eat an early lunch.
My mind is on overload, and I can’t seem to focus on anything except what happened between us last night. And again this morning.
Cole freaking Vaughn fucked me silly. I can still feel him between my legs, and it’s a sensation I like far too much. His fierceness and passion surprised me.
It shouldn’t have. I can see how intense he is when it comes to his job. Apparently, he’s a man on a mission in all aspects of his life.
I’m not sure how much time I spend daydreaming about my detective when a video call jolts me back to the present. It’s The Man, and I assume he has a job for us.
“Hi,” I say, focusing on his purposely-blurred face.
We haven’t been able to figure out his true identity, and I wonder why he doesn’t want us to know.
But my mom told us to trust him, so that’s what we do.
She would never steer us wrong or put us in any kind of danger, and he’s come through time and time again with valuable intel and various jobs.
If he wanted to screw us over, he’s had ample opportunity.
Instead, he’s come through with everything he’s promised, and more.
“Hello, Addie.” His distorted voice gives away nothing, but his chest and arms are visible, giving me the impression he’s in good shape.
“You have a job for us?” If he wants us to steal the Phoenix Kiss, I don’t know what I’ll do. Try to talk him out of it, I suppose. And pray he doesn’t find out why.
“You can’t trust Detective Cole Vaughn,” he states.
Shit. I nearly choke, wondering what would possess him to say such a thing. There’s no way he could possibly know we slept together.
Right?
Clearing my throat, I do my best to keep my expression blank. “Obviously.” I force out a laugh, trying to appear amused. “The good Detective is the bane of my existence.”
For a long moment, The Man doesn’t respond, and I shift under his quiet scrutiny. Then he finally says, “Denver PD has an agenda. Don’t work with them, don’t believe them.”
He knows I’m working with Cole. Letting out a sigh, I sit up straighter in my chair.
“Vaughn claims they have some kind of evidence against someone on the team. I don’t know what or who, but if I don’t help him protect an upcoming exhibition at the museum, he’s going to arrest someone I love. I can’t let that happen.”
“You’re so much like your mother,” he says, but because of the voicebox, I can’t hear his tone.
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“No, Addie. It’s a good thing. But allowing yourself to care so much, putting others before yourself, can hurt you, too. It opens you up to a world of vulnerability and potential downfall.”
It almost sounds like he’s speaking from experience. But I refuse to back down.
“They’re my family,” I clarify. “Ryland, Knox, Brighton, Linc and Ryder are all I have. I refuse to let them go down.” I swallow hard and lift my chin. “I’d turn myself in if it meant protecting them, and there’s nothing you can say to change my mind.”
“Somehow I expected you to say that.” He sighs, not sounding pleased. “But don’t let blind loyalty be your downfall. I promised your mom I’d watch over you.”
“I appreciate that, but I’m a grown woman capable of making her own choices. And accepting the consequences.”
He shakes his head then cocks it, as though he’s studying me. “I understand. If you take away anything from this call, let it be this: do not trust Vaughn or the Denver PD. My influence may be wide, but it only goes so far. If you end up in jail, I won’t be able to help you.”
“Understood.”
“Be careful, and I’ll be in touch soon.”
“I will,” I assure him, and we disconnect the call.
Slumping forward, I drop my head in my hands and wonder what the hell The Man actually knows. Sometimes he seems practically omniscient. It’s extremely disconcerting.
Ah, shit. What the hell am I going to do?
Keep working with Vaughn, I suppose. What other choice do I really have?
I wasn’t exaggerating when I said I’d go down for my team.
I’d take a damn bullet for any one of them.
But I also can’t ignore The Man’s advice because, well, he’s never been wrong. And that scares me.
“You can’t trust Detective Cole Vaughn.”
Part of me wants to believe Cole will keep his word, while my more cautious side agrees with The Man. Am I a complete fool? Or just good and dickmatized?
Sliding my fingers through my hair, I sit up straight and frown. As though my thoughts conjure him up, my phone dings with a text and it’s immediately followed by a knock on my front door.
“It’s me, Addie. Open up.”
Popping up, I hurry over to turn off the alarm, flip open the deadbolt, and step back to allow Cole to come inside.
And, damn him, he looks even better than he did earlier.
I want to throw myself against his firm chest and kiss him all over, but I restrain myself.
Unable to hide my smile, I feel something I’ve never felt before in my life—shy.
“Hi,” I say softly.
“Hi,” he responds, then slides a hand through his mussed hair, glancing away.
“What’s wrong?” Right away, I can tell something is up.
He looks back, and I don’t miss the brief flash of concern in his hazel eyes before he shakes his head and smiles. “I just… missed you. Crazy, right?”
Stepping forward, I smooth my hands down the lapels of his rumpled suit—it’s a different one, so I assume he stopped by his place and replenished his go bag—and I look up at him. “Not at all. I sort of missed you, too.”
His hands land on my hips and he pulls me against him. “Only sort of?”
My lips twitch, and I pretend to think. His hands slide over my ass and squeeze. “Okay, more than I’d like to admit. So kiss me hello, Detective, or I’ll think you don’t care.”
His head dips and he captures my mouth in a passionate kiss that makes my toes curl and my heart pound. Our tongues reacquaint, and when he tangles his fingers through my hair, tugging, angling my head back, I moan.
“You can’t trust Detective Cole Vaughn.”
The Man’s words echo through my head, confusing me and breaking through the haze of desire tempting me to rip Cole’s clothes off. One night of release, Addie, I remind myself. That’s all. It’s time to focus on the issue at hand.
But for the first time in my life, I find myself wanting more. It’s impossible, though. Cole Vaughn is the good guy and I’m the bad girl. We’ll never see eye to eye. Except, of course, when we’re in the bedroom.
Breaking away from him, I take an unsteady step back and motion to the couch. “Sit. We need to talk about the museum exhibition.” That’s good. If we focus on coming up with a plan, I can redirect my mind to business and away from a repeat performance with Cole and his amazingly talented cock.
“Yeah,” he breathes, loosening his tie as he sits down beside me.
“I’ve got building schematics of the museum for you, and their security plan for protecting the Phoenix Kiss.
” He clears his throat, shifting. “I’d like you to review it and offer any ideas to help improve things.
The whole goal is to prevent the necklace from being stolen.
Word on the street is there’s going to be a big local theft in the near future, and all eyes are on the Phoenix Kiss. ”
Merely preventing the theft won’t lead to an arrest, but I don’t tell him that. Instead, I settle in, curling my legs up beneath me, and listen to every single detail he presents—from the expected arrival of the necklace, to the number of security guards, and everything in between.
“The necklace’s owner, Mr. Hans Seung, wants the opening night gala to be unlike anything the museum has done before.”
“How so?” I ask, leaning forward.
“He’s proposed an immersive experience. Something detailing the necklace’s history. You know those exhibits that use projection technology?”
“I went to the Van Gogh immersive exhibit. They’re interactive and sensory-focused. Makes you feel like you’re a part of his art, as though you’re inside the painting.”
“Exactly. They’re setting it all up to do that, and they plan on having a live model wear the necklace at one point.”
“Really?” I sit up straighter as an idea strikes.
“I can see your gears turning,” he murmurs.
I meet his inquiring hazel eyes, and a slow smile spreads across my face. “I think I just figured out what we need to do.” He arches a dark brow, and I already know he’s not going to like what I propose. “Now hear me out.”
“Always.”
“Think about it. So many of the items that have been stolen over the past year or so are recognizable—paintings, jewelry, statues. Items and artifacts that attract a certain kind of buyer. And finding the right buyer takes time. Right?”
“Right.”
“It all needs to be handled very discreetly.”
“And?” he presses.
“And in the meantime, those hot items need to be hidden somewhere safe while waiting for a sale. If we can find Nyx’s or Diamond’s or Warrant’s hidden stash, then you can connect them to the thefts and get your thieves, all while keeping the necklace safe. Two birds, one stone.”
“And how exactly do you propose we do that?”
“Let the ruby necklace get stolen—and then my crew will steal it back.”
“What?” His eyes practically bug out of his head. “Absolutely not.”
“I’ll wear the Phoenix Kiss, act as the bait, and let Nyx or whoever steal it. We’ll maintain eyes on the necklace at all times.”
“How do we maintain eyes on the necklace once it leaves your neck?” he asks, doubt lacing his words.
“A tiny GPS tracker which will lead us straight to their lair. Or, in this case, to their stash. And voilà. Detective Vaughn gets his man—or woman—and probably other stolen goods, and the Feds go away.”
For a moment, he seems to actually be contemplating my crazy idea. And I love him for it. Well, not love him, but if he’s considering it, that means I’m gaining his trust.
“What about using a reproduction of the necklace. We can keep the real one in a safe—”
“No,” I interrupt. “Any thief worth his, or her, salt will know it’s a fake.”
“Not necessarily.”
“C’mon, Vaughn. Professional jewel thieves can sense a fake a mile away. It’s junk.”
“Unless we pay to get a perfect recreation.”
“We don’t have time and you know it.”
He growls, clearly not loving my brilliant idea. “It’s a huge risk,” he argues.
“We need to let the thief steal the real necklace and think they got away with it. Then I’ll get it back. Easy peasy.” He still doesn’t look entirely convinced. “Oh, c’mon, Vaughn. Live on the edge. For once in your do-good life, forget protocol. Join me over on the Dark Side,” I tease.
Without a word, he gets up and begins pacing. I can practically hear the thoughts whirling around in his head. After a couple of minutes, he drops back down beside me and scrubs a hand over his stubbled jaw.
“Shit, I can’t believe I’m considering this.”
“You’re considering it because you know it’ll work.
” I lay a hand on his thigh. “Don’t you ever get tired of playing the good guy?
Aren’t you ever tempted to be bad? To break the rules a little and be a maverick?
That’s how big moves happen. And to bring these players down, you need to make a very big move, my Detective. ”
“Am I yours, Addie?” he asks, covering my hand with his and squeezing.
Oops. I press my lips together, realizing the slip too late.
When I try to pull my hand back, he catches it, lifts it and kisses a knuckle.
Then another. Flipping my hand, he presses an open-mouth kiss into my palm, eyes locked with mine.
I ignite like dry tinder and red-hot heat sizzles between us.
“You tempt me, Addison. More than anyone or anything ever has before.” He drags my hand down, covering the front of his pants where he’s hard and throbbing.
“And if you think one night in your bed was nearly enough, you’re mistaken.
There’s still so much more I want to explore and worship and taste.
So many orgasms I’m going to give you, if you’ll let me. ”
“Cole…” My voice catches, knowing we shouldn’t make this a habit, but needing him desperately. Craving the feel of his lips on mine and his cock filling and stretching me. Combustible. It’s the best word to describe us.
“Lay back, baby, and remind me why I couldn’t stop thinking about you all morning.” He releases my hand and slowly unbuckles his belt. “Spread those long legs and let me fuck you with my mouth. My fingers. My cock. Let me give you more pleasure than you can possibly imagine.”
Before I can think too hard, I fall back on a couple of pillows, shamelessly drop my legs open, and wait for Cole to make good on all of his wicked words.
“Is that a yes?” he murmurs, palming himself.
“It’s a hell yes, my Detective,” I answer and lightly touch myself in return. His eyes light up when I slip a hand down my leggings and moan. “You have no idea how wet I am right now.”
A muscle jerks in his cheek before he crawls over me and grips the elastic waistband, his long fingers curling around its edges. “Show me.”
I remove my hand and lift my glistening fingers. He captures my wrist and draws my fingers into his mouth, licking and sucking them clean.
And my panties catch fire.