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“I’m scared,” she mumbled barely above a whisper, her throat bobbing. “I don’t want to lose my job. And Phoenix… there’s so much about me you don’t know or understand. I have so much baggage and—”

I silenced her words with a deep kiss, earning a throaty moan that had me pressing her body harder against the counter and shamelessly grinding my erection against her pelvis.

“I don’t care,” I mumbled against her mouth, nipping her bottom lip and making her hand fly up and cover said spot in frank surprise. “I’ve made my decision and there’s nothing you can say or do that’ll change my mind.”

“You don’t want this,” she pressed, shaking her head. “You don’t want me.”

“Are you sure about that?” I asked, being bold by grabbing her hand and forcing her to feel how fucking hard I was. “Because I have nine inches of heaven ready to prove you otherwise.”

“But-but we work together,” she stuttered, and I knew her restraint was cracking from the way she’d nervously licked her lips and from how hard she was squeezing her thighs together.

She wanted this just as badly as I did. If not, then she would’ve shoved me away, and her hand sure as fuck still wouldn’t be grasping my cock through my slacks right now.

“So what?” I questioned, making her breath shake harder as I began popping gentle kisses behind her ear and down her neck. “Nobody has to know. If you want to keep it a secret, then that’s fine. The three of us can be each other’s dirty little secret.”

My words had her squirming against me, panting hard.

“I’m serious, Charlotte. Nobody has to know. And if you’re scared about getting hurt again, don’t be. If there’s one thing Spike and I are good at, it’s keeping a woman satisfied inside and outside of the bedroom.”

“That’s two things,” she breathlessly murmured. “And I’m not just some random woman.”

I chuckled softly. “You’re right. You’re not just some random woman. You’re our woman. My woman. At work we’ll remain professional, but behind closed doors, you’re mine. I will lick you until you’re weeping. I’ll have Spike tie your sexy little body to a chair, and then stand back and watch as he does nasty, filthy things to you. And for fun, you can even tie me up and have your way with me. I love it when a woman takes control and forces me to be their good little boy.”

Her breath hitched, and for a moment I thought I broke her because all she could do was ogle up at me with her plump lips parted, frozen in an O.

“I know it’s complicated,” I whispered, pecking the corner of her open mouth softly, cracking a tiny smile when she slightly kissed me back and then caught herself, trying to play it off. “But there’s no avoiding what’s already happened between us.”

“I’m scared, Phoenix.” She blew out a trembling breath and then reached up to knuckle under her eyes. “I-I like you. I do. But I don’t know if I can do this again. I was lucky to make it out of my divorce in one piece. But this—me, you, and Spike? It’s crazy.”

“I know you’re scared, Charlotte. You have every right to be given everything you’re going through. And yes, it’s crazy. I know it is. But I wouldn’t be standing here right now confessing my feelings if I didn’t think this was worth it. That you are worth it.”

I stepped away from her and grasped her hands, bringing them to my mouth and kissing them gently.

“Don’t quit. Stay, work these cases, and help us put this son of a bitch behind bars. The three of us can figure out the rest later. Let us show you just how good we can be to you. Just give us a chance. Please, Charlotte.”

She opened and closed her beautiful mouth, grappling for a response.

Then she sighed, heavily, and before I had time to react, she was in my face with her mouth molded against mine and a hand wrapped around my cock, pushing me toward the living room.

twenty-one

Spike

“Alright,” I said, dropping the folder I was holding when Phoenix walked past me and plopped down behind his desk. “That’s it. What the hell is going on with you?”

“What do you mean?” He placed his coffee cup down and began sorting through the small stack of pages in front of him, neglecting to look at me.

I scowled.

For the last three days he’d been prancing around the precinct with this huge shit-eating grin on his face, and the fact he’d up-and-suddenly adopted a more snazzier wardrobe hadn’t exactly gone unnoticed either. Plus, when I saw him yesterday, his hair was longer.

Today, he had a fresh haircut.

He even styled it with gel, which was not common Phoenix behavior.

“This,” I stressed, emphasizing by throwing my hands up and gesturing to the fucking stranger sitting in front of me. “What the hell is this—”

“Good morning,” a chipper voice cut me off, which had me cocking my head hard to the left, choking on a breath when my eyes landed on Charlotte Greene.