27. Sam
Sam
“Sam! Someone sent you flowers!” Ben, the new hire, yells down the hall, his voice getting closer with each word. “Mmm, they smell amazing too.” He pushes the door open and steps inside my massage room, still holding the flowers to his nose. My smile falters when I see the purple sweet peas.
“Is there a note?” I ask.
“Nope.”
I take them, double-checking for a note inside. “Here.” I hand the bouquet back to him when I confirm there was none. “You can have them. Me and those flowers have bad blood.”
He shrugs his shoulders. “Fine by me. I’ll pretend they’re mine to make my boyfriend jealous.”
I’m sure he will have them on display at the front desk in case his boyfriend stops by, like he has been doing on his way to work.
My ex, who is missing a finger, used to give me those damn flowers after our…
escapades…after he would take it too far.
Sweet peas for his sweet pea. Barf. Who came up with the notion of giving someone flowers when you mess up?
They should be reserved for happy times only.
To show love, not guilt. Why ruin the beauty of flowers by tainting it with ugliness?
It’s the thought that counts, though. I’ll explain to Shadow my reasons for disliking those flowers.
Wait.
Could it have been Ki?
“Sam!” Ben whisper-shouts, disrupting me from my thoughts while I mindlessly clean my chair with disinfectant.
“If it’s more flowers, you can have them,” I grumble.
“No, it’s not that. The police are here looking for you. Run!” He peeks his head out the door, waving for me to slip out behind him.
“What are you talking about?” I laugh, knowing I have done nothing to warrant a police visit. Many of them book appointments with me now.
I walk around him and see Kioni and Ryker at the front desk. “Those are friends, Ben. But thanks for having my back, man. I appreciate that. You’re definitely a friend to keep around.” I smile, nudging him playfully.
“Oh, phew,” he says, following me. “Do you think you can sneak a picture of me with the hot one?”
“And which one is that?” I tease and he scoffs.
Everyone else is looking at Ryker, but my eyes are on her.
In her uniform, with SWAT across the chest. I immediately picture myself looking up at her from my knees with handcuffs around my wrists.
Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Down, you demon.
You already had some this morning. So much so that I had to wear a cardigan the rest of the morning to cover the rope marks around my arms. And there’s no way in hell I’m letting you talk me into being with two people at the same time. I’m a freak, sure, but I’m not a slut.
Hmm. On my knees for a woman. What would that be like? Stop it!
“Hi!” My voice comes out too high-pitched, which totally did not make it sound like I wasn’t just picturing dirty things.
“Ma’am, you are under arrest,” Ryker announces, holding onto his vest and walking to stand in front of me.
“Shh!” I scold him, and the corner of his lip twitches.
“He’s joking,” I announce loudly, looking around to make sure they all heard me and gravitating towards Kioni until I’m pressed to her side.
“We are here to take you through,” she says, placing her hand on my lower back. The warmth from her hand heats me from the outside in. “Is it okay if I touch you in public?” she asks in a hushed tone.
“I want you to touch me all the time.” I really just said that out loud, didn’t I?
“Don’t say things you can’t take back. We are going out for lunch. Come on.”
“I’m taking my lunch. I’ll be back in an hour,” I tell Ben, and he smirks at me, making it obvious he’s pointing out that Kioni still has her hand on me and waggles his eyebrows.
She hands me a white and pink helmet with cat ears on top. “Now you have your own helmet.”
“Thank you.” I grin and shove it over my head. She got me my very own helmet to ride with her, so that means she sees this continuing for a while.
She holds up a pair of shorts, and I open my visor before taking them from her.
“Your skirt is too long. Slip these on underneath and take your skirt off.” She steps in front of me, blocking me from view.
I slip them up my legs and shimmy out of my skirt.
The shorts are tight, pink yoga shorts that match the pink in my helmet.
Actually, my entire outfit matches the helmet.
My tank is white, and so are my shoes. I hand her my skirt and she tosses it in their cruiser along with her vest.
“I figured you would prefer this instead of riding with us in that.” She nods to the car Ryker is in. “But we need to keep it with us in case of an emergency.”
I’m more confident climbing on the back of her bike this time, and my arms find their home around her waist. “Ready?” Her voice comes through speakers inside my helmet.
“Ready,” I confirm. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” She squeezes my hand, and I hold her tighter.
“When does this stop being terrifying?” My voice shakes a little after we make a sharp turn.
She chuckles softly. “Fear mixed with pleasure is a great combination.”
“I agree. But that’s beside the point. I don’t want to actually die.”
“I’ll keep you safe, Red. Promise.”
When we stop behind Ryker at a red light, a man in the car next to us looks our way and rolls down his window.
“Hey,” he yells at me, but before he can say anything else, Ki has a gun pointed in his direction.
“What the fuck, man?” He spits.
“She’s mine,” she growls, claiming me in front of this stranger, even though we have definitely not discussed if I am hers or not. It makes me feel something, though. A lot of something. Possessiveness looks good on Kioni, and knowing she could one hundred percent back it up makes it even hotter.
“Hmm,” I hum. “I’m yours?”
“I don’t like to share. And fuck that guy for hitting on you when you are on the back of my bike.”
“He only said ‘hey’,” I correct. Technically, she’s already sharing me, and now I feel like a shitty person even though I don’t even know the person she is sharing me with. And I’m not technically with either of them…yet.
“I know what he was thinking and about to say,” she argues.
“Because you’re a cop?”
“Because I know that look. It’s the same look I try not to let show every time I lay eyes on you. ‘Fuck, she’s stunning, perfect, and I want to make her mine in every fucking way possible’.’”
My breath hitches. “Ki,” I whisper so softly I’m not sure she heard me.
“Go on a date with me, Sam.”
A date? What if I’m not dating material for another woman? What if I’m only good at being hidden away?
She places her hand over mine again. “Red?” her voice breaks up my silent conversation.
“Okay,” I answer. “But what if I’m already sort of seeing someone?”
“Seeing or dating?”
Can I really even say seeing because that isn’t exactly true either?
“I don’t know how to answer that question,” I admit.
“Then it’s settled. You’re single and I’m taking you on a date.”
I giggle nervously. This is such a messed-up situation, but I can’t seem to get out of it, nor do I want to either.
We come to a large, secluded spot by the river, shaded by trees. Ryker spreads out a large blanket and places a brown bag in the middle before plopping down and resting his back against the tree with his legs stretched out in front of him.
“We are having a picnic!” I squeal with excitement.
“Told you this was a good idea,” Ki tells Ryker.
I place my helmet next to me and sit down on the blanket while Kioni hands out our food and drinks—deli sandwiches, fruit, chips, and bottles of water.
Such a classic lunch, but when you pair it with the thought, place, and people, it’s spectacular.
I’ve never had a lengthy relationship, but even when I was with ex-boyfriends, they did nothing like this.
Who would rather sit in crowded restaurants where you are not only uncomfortable but can’t even have meaningful conversations without being overheard?
“You guys are the best. I’m glad I met you,” I tell them both.
Ryker may not have had the idea, but he’s here, and that says something about his character.
He could have easily just remained close enough to where Ki was to pick her up if there was an emergency they needed to rush off to.
There’s some sweetness underneath all that hard exterior. “Where’s your lady?” I tease.
“Who says she is not you?”
I choke on my sandwich. “Funny,” I croak, chugging my water while Ki glares at him. I’ve already ruled him out as Shadow.
“Women can be…” he contemplates his words. “annoying.”
“I mean, I can’t really argue there. There are women I wouldn’t wish to be stuck in a room with.”
“Most women want me just to say they have me. Like when you see a cute puppy and you just have to have it. Then, once you bring it home, you become the boss and controlling and won’t let it out of your sight because it might wander off or chew your furniture. Very fucking annoying.”
I snort at his metaphor. Did he just compare himself to a puppy? It is true, though. Sometimes I wish I had a dick. They don’t need anything but some petting…like a dog.
“Men aren’t much better.” I raise my eyebrows, waiting for him to argue.
“Touché,” he replies.
When we finish our meals, Ki lays down and props herself up on her elbow, and I slide in between her and Ryker on my stomach, crossing my arms under my head to make a pillow.
She plays with my hair, and my eyelids grow heavy.
Birds and the gentle rushing sound of water overpower the muted traffic in the distance.
This is where a massage table needs set up.
Not inside a building with recorded sounds of nature.
I don’t even realize I’ve fallen asleep until I hear Ki’s soft voice saying, “Wake up, Red.” She tucks my hair behind my ear, and the brush of her fingers across my cheek sends shivers skating across my skin. “Not that I want to, but we need to go, so I need to drop you back off at work.”
I groan, not wanting to move. “I’m so comfortable. Just leave me here and pick me up later.”
I can hear her quiet laughter. “I will not be leaving you to sleep out here alone.”
“Then stay.”
“If I stay here with you, sleep will be the last thing on your mind.” Her warning sends a rush of need through me.
I roll over. “Kiss me,” I demand, my pussy controlling me as usual.
She cups the side of my face, rubs her thumb across my cheek, and leans down to claim my lips. I become liquid beneath her. Her kiss always makes me feel like I’m floating and falling all at once.
She rests her forehead against mine. “We need to leave before I show you why all your relationships before me have failed.”
I whimper and she stands, pulling me with her and pressing a quick kiss to my temple before tugging me towards her bike.