16. Josh
16
JOSH
Instead of going home and burying myself between Nia’s legs like I’ve wanted to do for the two days since I last had her, I find myself watching her drive away alone.
“Great,” I mutter before turning back to the administrative offices and cursing.
Being called into my boss’ office, like a child sent to the principal for something they did wrong, is not how I want to end my shift. Especially when neither Nia nor I have plans for the next forty-eight hours beyond getting naked and staying in bed as long as we can.
“Come on in, Harmon.”
Proving that I may be wearing a different uniform but will never lose the instincts I’ve had since I turned twenty-one and applied to be a cop, I know something is off as soon as I step over the threshold into his office. Not only from the lines I can see on the chief’s face, but the stack of paperwork that he normally never lets pile up. Combine all that with the fact that he called me in at the last minute, literally as I was walking out of the fire department, then top it off with the fact that he isn’t alone in his office, and I’m walking into something… I just don’t know what.
Standing just behind Chief Hayes, casually leaning against the wall as if he has all the time in the world, is Chief Townsend from Birch Harbor Police Department. His presence is like a shadow cast over the room, adding weight to the situation. Townsend isn’t the kind of guy who shows up for no reason. He’s methodical, precise, and always in control. The last time I saw him, we were both dealing with a particularly messy case. The fact that he’s here now, in this office, with that same unreadable expression on his face, tells me that whatever’s coming isn’t just routine. It’s something big, something that’s going to demand my full attention.
“I’m not getting fired, am I?” I sit down when no one says anything, taking the chair across from my boss. “I really don’t want to get fired. That means I’ll end up working in Bangor, and I hate that drive.”
When I realize they aren’t saying anything, I shut my mouth and do my best to keep my foot from tapping the floor like I feel the uncomfortable urge to.
“Of course not,” Chief Hayes says with a laugh after far too long of me sitting there uncomfortable. “Why would you think that?”
I don’t get a chance to answer his question because Chief Townsend cuts in. “Wouldn’t you think you were getting fired if you were called into the boss’ office at the very end of a shift and don’t know why?” He chuckles to himself. “Everyone knows you fire someone at the end of shift on a weekend.”
“Well, you’re not being fired,” Chief says succinctly. “In fact, we were hoping to use your particular skill set, since there are only four fire marshals in Maine.”
“No,” I answer without hesitation. “I’m not a cop anymore.”
“You weren’t just a cop, though, were you?” Chief Townsend unfolds his arms and stands up straight. “Which would have been good to know, since you didn’t even bother trying to get on with Birch Harbor PD or even the sheriff’s. You went straight for fire.”
“Because I didn’t want to be a cop anymore,” I reply, my voice calm but firm, making it clear that this isn’t up for debate. It’s the obvious answer, and I’m not about to delve into the personal reasons behind it—not to them. I can feel both sets of eyes on me, scrutinizing, evaluating, but I resist the urge to squirm under the weight of their gaze. They can try to read me all they want, but I’m not giving them anything more than that. My reasons are my own, and I’ll be damned if I let them drag me back into a world I worked so hard to leave behind.
That’s not even including Nia’s haunting words.
I don’t date cops.
“You led the special investigations unit for the Maine State Police for five years,” Chief Townsend states, his voice devoid of the earlier amusement, now all business. The way he says it so matter-of-factly, like it’s just another line on a resume, makes my skin crawl. The job almost destroyed me mentally, and he doesn’t care. He’s stripping away the humanity of those years, reducing it to a skill set he can use. “It makes sense that you’d be an asset as a fire investigator for Birch County,” he continues, each word measured, calculated. “Maybe not as a full fire marshal, but in a joint position with the police department and the fire department. We could use someone with your experience, someone who knows how to handle complex investigations and bring them to a close.”
“No,” I try again. “That’s a lot of paperwork and time that I don’t want to take away from the department.”
“I don’t think we’re giving you a choice in the matter,” Chief Hayes announces, his tone as cold and unyielding as a glacier. The words hang in the air, a stark contrast to the earlier casual conversation. “I’m telling you what you’re going to do for the department. This isn’t just about a string of arson cases. We’re dealing with an arsonist who’s also a murderer. I shouldn’t have to explain how serious this situation is.” His eyes bore into mine, and I can see the weight of responsibility in them, the kind that keeps him up at night. The kind that’s now being passed on to me whether I want it or not. There’s no room for argument here. He’s laying down the law, and it’s clear that my options are limited.
Either take the job they’re offering or find a new one completely.
I run a hand down my face, rubbing my cheek before covering my mouth to hide the grimace. He is right. They both are. Arson isn’t anything to screw around with. Not only that, but Birch County has a history with arson, and with a particularly nasty firefighter who’d gone off the deep end before I had anything to do with the department.
“Okay,” I relent against my better judgment.
“Fantastic.” Chief smiles like that is the end of it. Like he hasn’t just ripped the comfortable rug out from under my feet. “There are a few stipulations that came down from the fire marshal’s office.”
“You still have the licensing to be a police officer in Maine, so that’s not an issue,” Chief Townsend says. “And since you have experience with special investigations, I’m not worried about you making headway. I’ll have my department give you everything they have on the case, but you should be able to access the computer system by the end of the day. I’ll need you to come to the sheriff’s office with me before you head home for the day, so that you can get sworn in as a deputy with the sheriff, and so you can get issued a weapon.”
“As for your work,” Chief Hayes interjects. “You’re not going to be working shifts, at least not when you have an active investigation. We’ll call in one of the reserve men, who will be able to cover until you’re done. You’ll still have to maintain your physical and training, but you’ll work out of one of the offices here.”
I literally walked into the trap, and there is no one to blame but myself. “You’ve been planning this for a little while, haven’t you?” My question catches the chief off guard, if the momentary shock is anything to go by.
He recovers quickly, I’ll give him that. “Since I got the first report of suspicious circumstances from the marshal’s office. You used to work with Benton Mays, and he brought your name up as a potential solution to our problem.”
“Mays is a good man. Even if he did start out as a lawyer.” I have to agree. “I didn’t know he was working with the fire marshal’s office.”
“He’s not.” Chief Townsend sighs. “Benton still works for the state attorney’s office. But like you, he’s been put on loan to the various departments that might benefit from his expertise. That includes the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and the various departments.”
“So, essentially what we’re asking you to do,” Chief mutters and then clears his throat. “Except for the fact that we’re going to want you to exclusively work for the fire departments and police agencies in Birch County.”
“Okay, when is all of this supposed to start?” Suddenly exhausted, I want to go ahead and just get done, go home, and spend the rest of the day in bed with Nia.
If she doesn’t run when I tell her the latest shit that’s going to stand in the way of our relationship.
“Now.” Chief taps his desk with the pen in his hand.
By the time I finally make it to Nia’s place, I’m ready to crawl into bed and forget everything that happened or that I wanted to do.
Until I open the front door and she is standing in front of me completely naked.
Her long blond hair is wrapped around her shoulder and cascading down her chest, covering her nipples in a way that sends all the blood in my body straight to my dick.
“What took you so long?” She lifts one hand and her fingers wind in her hair, giving me an enticing peek at the light-pink treasure it hid only a second before.
“Work bullshit,” I answer, unable to keep my mouth closed or my head clear enough to answer her question.
The only thing I can think about is getting naked.
Fast.
Kicking off my shoes, I grab the hem of my shirt as I stand back up from pulling off my socks and tear it from my head. Unsnapping the button on my jeans is the last thing I do before all logical reason flees my mind.
Why?
Because Nia starts touching herself, and I can’t be held accountable for what comes next.
An almost primitive growl leaves my throat, and I’m across the room before I know what is happening. Nia’s body presses against mine, and as I lift her into my arms, her lips smash into me in an assault that I will never forget.
Her back slams into the wall behind us with the force of my body hitting hers, but instead of pain, she moans and clenches her fingers into my shoulder.
"More," Nia demands as she tears her lips away from mine. "Now."
Her hips are pressed against me, and my dick stands straight against her stomach, squished between our bodies. The heat from her center, along with the proof of her arousal, starts to slide down my shaft.
Fuck. Is this what it’s always going to be like between us? An inferno of raging need and desire that I don’t stand a chance of surviving if I don’t have her.
Right there, against the living room wall, I bend my knees slightly and shift her body against mine, loosening one hand so that I can reach between our bodies and guide my hard and waiting length to her entrance.
"Ready?" I whisper against her neck. "Do you want this?"
In answer, Nia lifts herself in my arms and slams down onto my dick.
Her tightening channel squeezes around me and her erotic scream of pleasure fills my ears and makes it impossible to do anything but thrust. Over and over, until she starts fluttering around me.
"Soon," she gasps, her head slamming back against the wall. "So close."
Unable to do anything else or give her the words she needs, I do the only thing I can. I thrust harder. Faster. Deeper. Until she screams again, falling over the edge.
When she bites into my shoulder, I know I’m not going to last much longer.
Not when her orgasm lasts longer than a minute. More than sixty solid seconds of her body convulsing around mine, milking my dick for everything I have.
I holler her name as my balls tighten and I’m helpless to pull from her body. My load comes in long, hot spurts, and even in her depths, I feel the mix of our heat and fluids joining together, coaxing even more than I think I possess.
"Fuck," I moan when she lets go of the hold her teeth have against my skin.
"You're amazing," Nia whispers. "But I need you to put me down so I can take a shower and clean up."
"I'll carry you." As my dick slips out of her body, I’m already counting the seconds until I can take her against the cold tile in the bathroom.
Nia's laugh fills my ears until I set her down and shut the bathroom door behind us.
"You know there's no one else in the house," she says when I lock it for good measure. "There was about as good a chance of someone walking into the house and catching us as there is of anyone coming into the bathroom and seeing what we're doing."
"Yeah." I slap her ass, relishing the way it echoes in our tight quarters. "But it makes me feel better for what I'm about to do in here. The dirty things I’m going to make you do.”
Then with one hand wrapped in her hair, I spin her around and smile fiercely as she presses her hands against the wall and pushes her ass back against my already-hard cock.
"Again?" But her question has the same laughter and promise that her smile had when I'd opened the door to see her standing there naked.
When I slide into her, using her willingness to take her in one thrust, Nia shouts her pleasure.
I keep my hand wrapped in her hair, careful to make sure I hold her next to her scalp, refusing to actually hurt her. And Nia gives me the power, the control that she took when I walked into the house.
"Harder." My voice comes out a deadly whisper, and she doesn’t hesitate to yield to every movement, meeting my body with matching physical need. "That's it, Nia." I coax her with words and desire that knows no bounds.
It isn't until we both finish again that we even turn on the shower, and by the time we make it to the bedroom after I take her on her knees the third time, Nia is yawning.
While I slide into a pair of gray sweatpants, she crawls into bed wearing one of my shirts.
"What happened?" she asks as I wrap her in my arms. "Why'd Chief need to see you in such a rush after work?"
I sigh, tightening my arms into an unbreakable band around her.
"About that," I start slowly. "We need to talk, and I know you're going to get mad. But I need you to listen, and if you're pissed, I'll give you whatever space you need to process it. No running away from me this time, okay? We can get through it. I just… I need you to listen.”
Even saying the words hurts me in a way I’m not prepared for, but I know I can't hold anything back.
Not when it comes to Nia.
Especially not when I know without a doubt that I’m in love with her, and there is no way in hell I can live without her in my arms every single night.