Sean first lay the dog comforter down over the couch and then let Phoenix inside, with a command to stay. He heard the water start to run in the shower and felt his cock lurch.
Close one.He’d almost said something like, “I wish I could come home to this picture every night,” or some such shit. Something he would have regretted as sure as he was a fucking US military soldier. And what right did he have to go say or do something like that? He couldn’t offer her anything except some endless nights of fucks and blowjobs. He’d never had to say dumb crap like that with any of his other girlfriends to get into their pants.Except it wasn’t Tori’s pants he really wanted. Well, yes, he did want to fuck her six ways to sunrise, to be perfectly honest, but he wanted her to want to be there. In that split second, he fantasized that Tori felt she belonged to him.It was dangerous territory. Why couldn’t he just fuck her so hard she wouldn’
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Risen To The Top CHAPTER 143
***“Aaron, I think we should cancel the dinner tonight,” Rachel said as she stepped out of the shower. Morning sunlight poured through the picture window in their bedroom. Dr. Hoades was shaving in his shorts.“Can’t do that, Rachel. Dole says we go about our lives just like normal. I go to the office. But you stay here, or if you go back to the house, you get help, or have Lib—”Dr. Hoades turned and strode across the bedroom, opened up the door to the living room and stepped inside, noting the opened door to the other bedroom. Her bedroom that had not been slept in.He stormed back into the bathroom. “She didn’t come back last night.”“No, of course not. She’s with him, like the letter said.”“The letter said she’d be back later,” Dr. Hoades answered.“The letter said she was with HIM and I think she’s safer there than over here with us, if you want the truth. Aaron,” she droppe
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 144
Sean had to get back to his Team and let them know what he was up to. He left Tori and her mother to go shopping in downtown new York while he rode his scooter over to Duke’s apartment.He knocked twice on the front door and didn’t wait for an answer before he tried to open it. It was locked.“Duke?” he knocked louder. The soldier’s truck was in the parking lot, so he knew the Team guy was home.Duke appeared at the doorway in his shorts and a sleeveless tank top. The security chain was still affixed so the door was only open a few inches.“You picked a helluva time to come showing up at my door.” Duke whispered.“Why, you getting a nooner? I thought you dated—”The door slammed, then Duke walked outside and closed the metal door behind him. A pair of shiny silver handcuffs dangled from one wrist. “Asshole, I’m paying by the hour, get my drift?”Sean shook his head with renewe
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 145
Tori was looking down at her shoes when Sean grabbed one of her hands and led her over towards Dr. Hoades at the bar. Two men in tuxedos were in a heated conversation. She recognized them as colleagues of her father’s. Sean was interested and nudged her to within earshot.“You can’t just take them out of the home without knowing where they’ll go. Foster care isn’t always the answer,” one man scoffed.“I don’t have time to interview all the potential homes. That’s not my job,” the other answered.“Maybe His Highness could donate some of his considerable salary to bankroll another part-time position. It’s the least he could do. He’s getting all the awards and plaques. That way he could earn them.”Tori saw the other man’s eyes grow wide as her father positioned himself behind the man who just spoke.“I gather I didn’t have your vote, then, Donald.” Dr. Hoades said to the back of the man’s head. Donald jump
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 146
Detective Ryan Dole watched the crowd from a corner in the ballroom, back in the shadows. These people always made him nervous. Movers and shakers and people who could end his career with a phone call, and nothing the union could do would save him because they were in bed with them, too.He’d watched Tori dance with the guy she was definitely involved with. It didn’t take a detective’s eye to see the comfortable way in which their bodies glided across the dance floor. She was a gushing young bride, if he wasn’t mistaken. He’d have to talk to them again about cavorting with someone who was a suspect. He thought he’d made himself pretty clear earlier.Hormones.He’d seen girls fall for these soldiers before. His sister had been one of them. Thought she’d snagged a soldier, but in the end he’d been killed in Afghanistan. She was left with a broken heart and a little girl she had to raise on her own.The soldier married h
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 147
The guests were leaving the grand ballroom. Sean noticed Dole as he filed out between Rachel and Tori. He gave the detective a nod but no smile. He knew part of the reason Dole was there was to watch him interact with the Hoades family.Everyone trying to play psychiatrist. Get inside my head. He saw the man disappear behind a potted plant and then reappear before they made it out on the driveway at valet parking.“Where’s Aaron?” Dole asked Rachel.“Oh, he’s back there talking to a friend. He’ll be along. Asked us to get the car.”Dole gave a brief nod of recognition and then spoke to Rachel again, ignoring Tori and Sean. “Might I have a word with the two of you ladies? No offense, Sean.”Of course I take fucking offense. He wondered what Dole was up to.“I’ll go get your father, “ Sean said to Tori as he kissed the top of her head and removed his arm from around her waist.H
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Tori was trying to concentrate on a television program her mother was watching, but she found herself daydreaming, and hoping Sean would want to spend the night. She knew he’d have to get back to take care of phoenix. She’d left her dress and stockings on. So had her mother.Both women stood when they heard the key card and then watched the door open. Dr. Hoades looked tired, coming over to give his wife a hug. Sean gave a boyish grin to Tori.Thank God. All is well.At least they appeared to be getting along, and that was a huge relief. Sean had his shirt unbuttoned, and the back of his hair was mussed a bit, as if he’d been rubbing it. The dark blue of his suit matched his dusk-colored eyes. She could watch him forever, how he walked with that free-flowing style of a world-class athlete, slight hip movement and flat stomach muscles. And the best of all, he was walking straight to her, eyes fixed on her mouth.That’s
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 149
Sean stopped by the McLaren and retrieved phoenix, who wasn’t used to riding in Duke’s truck, and he had to help the dog up and into the second seat. As planned, Sean stopped by the Hotel Del and picked up Tori, who needed some things at the house. Rachel had also given her a list of things to bring back for her and her dad.Tori was dressed in mid-calf capris and a stretchy peach top that showed off all the parts Sean liked the best. But he preferred to not have to feel or look through stretchy cotton and lace, even though it was enticing as hell. He was hoping somehow they’d be able to get lucky over at the house, but he didn’t want to push Tori into anything about which she felt uncomfortable.“Dad told me you guys really had bonded last night in the bar,” she ventured. “Must have been pretty important. Neither my mother nor I could get him to say two words about it.”Sean made a note that this was a good sign, and he trusted th
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 150
Tori slammed the door and dug in her purse for the front door keys. phoenix was taking a long pee on her mother’s flowers in the front yard. Sean stood watch, searching up and down the street, his duty bag slung over one shoulder, hands in his front pockets.“All clear?” Tori yelled out to him.Sean put his finger to his mouth, but nodded. phoenix followed him as the three of them entered the foyer. Sean spotted an open sliding glass door to the patio from the kitchen.“I don’t like that at all,” he said to her. “Stick with me. We’d better check things out first.”Tori came up behind him and embraced him from the rear. “I have no intention of going anywhere.”They looked through the kitchen windows to the back yard and, other than the sprinklers running, nothing appeared out of place. They locked the slider and then tried all the windows downstairs. Sean made sure the plywood covering the broken window in her dad’