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CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

carter

It’s hard to help somebody who doesn’t want it.

Arden is busying herself to try and distract herself, but her distress is all over her.

She wants sex frequently, which I am definitely not complaining about, but I worry she’s just using it to avoid thinking.

I have tried to broach the subject, but she will not discuss it. It’s completely off the table.

I’m not forcing her to do anything she doesn’t want to do.

I just want Red to be okay. She’s over more often than she isn’t nowadays, so our ‘three days a week’ rule is pretty much null and void.

She’s been taking extra shifts as frequently as she can.

She’s either working, hanging out with Autumn and Whitney, or having sex with me.

That woman who was finally giving herself a break has gone right back to who she was before our deal began.

I’m worried about her.

I help her in the only way I know how. I’m here. I’m present. I bring her lunch to work, I ask her what she needs, and I give her orgasms that let her sleep soundly at night .

And I walk into police stations to have little chats with her snivelly friends.

I’m still leaning against the desk when he rounds the corner, irritation flashing over his face when he sees me. I smile, big and wide and arrogant. I pull my sunglasses from my nose and nod at him.

“Officer Peck.”

“You’re the individual who wants to make a report?” He slows to a stop in front of me, his posture screaming that he’s annoyed. I don’t miss how he places his hand on the butt of his gun in its holster, either.

Little dick move.

“Oh, yeah. A big one.”

He stares at me, unamused. The officer at the desk starts busying himself with paperwork, skittering away to a photocopy machine.

Noah stares at me, his head angled to the side like I’m a petulant child. After a long moment, he lets out a breath and raises his hand only to drop it.

“Care to elaborate?”

“My girlfriend’s got this guy that won’t leave her the fuck alone.

Annoying little twerp, really, but it’s all the same.

All men are dangerous men. How do I report a stalker?

” I ask, resting my elbow against the desk.

My eyes trail down his uniform. “And is there a different protocol if he's a boy in blue?”

Noah’s eyes narrow. He takes a step toward me, but I don’t move. I just smile at how easy it is to push his buttons.

“Is this seriously something that you want to start, Forkerro?” he asks, voice low. “I have half a mind to report that incident at the hospital.”

“So, do it.” I shrug. “Here’s the difference between us, Peck. I don’t give a fuck what you try to do to me, or how you feel about me.”

“I don’t see how that’s any different. The feeling is mutual.”

“You didn’t let me finish,” I snap, and he slowly shuts his mouth. “The difference between us is that Arden wants me around. She’s an adult. Trust her decisions and stop trying to insert yourself.”

Noah shakes his head, letting out a little scoff. “We’re friends, Forkerro.”

“Bullshit,” I bite out. He glares at me, which only fuels my anger. “If she gave you any indication that she wanted you, you’d jump at the opportunity.”

“I protect her the same way I do Whitney and Autumn.”

“The point is, get your fucking nose out of her business,” I say through my teeth.

I step toward him, slapping my hand on the counter and dragging the file folder with me.

I stop when we’re close enough that he has to crane his neck to look up at me.

“Unless she asks you for it, you’re done ‘helping’ her, alright? ”

Noah’s glare could kill. He angles his head, a tight, small smile growing on his mouth. The picture-perfect image of a cop, this one.

“How do you think this is going to end, Forkerro?” he asks.

When I don’t respond, he searches my face like a detective.

“You’re going to do what you do best and hurt her.

I’m not buying this act. You are who you are.

There are thousands and thousands of men just like you, man, and your type doesn’t change. ”

That itch tickles my palms again. Hit him.

I don’t want to. Hit him.

It’ll prove his point. Hit him.

I force that anger to a simmer, breathing long breaths through my nose as we glare at one another, eye-to-eye. Hit him.

“Thank you for that beautiful speech, Officer Prick,” I bite out, sliding the folder into my hands.

I smack it against his chest with enough force to have him stumble back a step.

“And thank you for all of your research. Feel free to tack my mugshots to your bedroom wall, buddy. If you’re nice, I’ll sign one for you. ”

He grips the folder, eyes going dark and knuckles white. “This is your last warning, Forkerro.”

“Fuck your warnings,” I snap, sliding my sunglasses back onto my nose. I smack my hand on the counter before grinning at him. “And fuck you, too.”

I open the door to my condo, and a little minx in a cherry-print pyjama set launches herself at me. Her hands are running over my hair, her legs wrapped tightly around my waist. Her mouth slides against mine and my dick hardens at the taste of her lip gloss.

Well, damn. Hello, Red.

I walk into the condo with her, placing her on the edge of the dining room table when we reach it. When I pull away, she’s immediately going for my joggers, fumbling with the drawstring. As much as I want to see where this goes, I reach down and stop her busy fingers.

She freezes, big brown eyes looking up at me.

I smile softly, sliding my hand to her cheek, treasuring the way she relaxes against it. “How you feeling, Bub?”

“I’m fine,” she says with a bit of a bite. “I’d be better if you let me get back to what I just started.”

I chuckle, but don’t let go of her hand. I lean forward to kiss her softly, keeping her fingers away from my dick. We’ll get there, but we need to actually talk first. We haven’t spoken in days. Not really.

“How was work?”

She glares up at me, eyes scanning my face. “It was fine. It was long. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I say, giving her a small peck on the mouth. “Can’t I ask about your day?”

“Well, as this arrangement is completely pretend, besides the sex, I think we should shift the priorities a bit,” she says.

Wow.

That felt like a slap in the fucking face. I didn’t like those words, not even slightly. I know that’s what we agreed to, but we’ve always done the talking thing. We’ve been good at the communication part of this.

I pull her hand away from my pants and shake my head, stepping back and out of her reach. She pouts like a scolded child and I don’t really give a fuck, because she said something a bit shitty and I don’t feel like sleeping with someone who makes me feel that way.

She pisses me off sometimes. This girl could smack me in the head with a pan, and I’d still be able to come up with one hundred reasons why I need her in my life.

She could whole heartedly support Philadelphia, and I’d still kiss her in that disgusting orange jersey.

I can count the number of times I have ever felt like this about a woman (it’s one, by the way.

It’s her), and she’s still bringing up that fucking contract.

“Carter.”

“Lowesy and Sweets are having some people over tonight,” I tell her, retying my pants and turning to fill the coffee machine. I need to put my back to her right now. I don’t want to see her pouting and horny because I’ll cave. “Do you want to go? ”

She lets out a long sigh, and I hear her feet hit the floor. “Yeah, that would be fun.”

“Okay,” I say, nodding to myself. I pack the espresso into the machine, refusing to look at her. Her bare feet softly thump against the floor, and then her arms are sliding around my middle as she rests her head against my back.

I freeze, my eyes sliding shut, my hand on the nozzle of the machine.

“I don’t like when you’re mad at me,” she says into my shirt.

“I’m not mad at you,” I say, even though I do feel a bit pissed off. It’s not her fault. It’s that stupid fucking paper we signed. “I just had a long day, too.”

“I should have asked about it,” she admits. “But I already know. Noah reached out to me.”

My eyes snap open. I stare at the cabinet for a second, realizing that the snivelly little weasel is not going to comply with the demands that I made. I slam the machine shut and whirl around, letting her stay wrapped around me as I study her face. I can’t gauge how she feels about it.

“He texted you?”

“Called,” she corrects me. “Why did you do that, Carter?”

I grind my teeth together. “He needs to back off.”

“He hasn’t been around much. Hasn’t done anything, either.”

I cock a brow. I don’t need her defending him. My animosity toward that goof can’t take it. “Why was he at the hospital then? The other night?”

“He was bringing in a patient. It was a coincidence.”

“Did he text you after?” I ask her.

She pauses, but nods slowly.

“What did he say?”

“He just asked if I was okay. ”

I let out a long sigh, reaching up to cup her face in my hands. “I don’t like him, Arden. I don’t trust him. Can we please keep communication with this guy to a minimum? If he was truly your friend, I’d butt out, but he’s not. He’s just a lurker. He lurks.”

Like Irina, but with a badge.

“He’s an acquaintance,” she clarifies, and I feel a bit relieved that she doesn’t consider him close. I’d worry about her judgement. “I only ever talk to him at work. Occasionally, we’d see him out and have a drink, but you have nothing to worry about. Don’t get into more trouble over this.”

Unfortunately, trouble and I are well acquainted.

“I had to tell him to back off, alright? I didn’t like how he looked at you at Icebox, and I fucking hated the way he was touching you the other night.” I explain it to her as calmly as I can, and she nods like she gets it. “I’ll leave it at that. I said my piece. He’s clearly not respecting it.”

“No, he’s not,” she agrees, running her hands up my back and pulling herself closer to me. She looks so deeply into my eyes, I swear she’s peering at my soul. “But I am. I told him I supported everything you said, and that if he can’t talk positively about you, I want nothing to do with him.”

I blink. I shouldn’t be shocked, because the girl is a little guard dog, but I’m happy she’s with me on this.

“Yeah?”

“Anyone who doesn’t see you for who you are as a person, I have nothing to say to.”

I smile, reaching up to tuck a strand of red hair behind her ear. “You trying to get my pants off me again, Red?”

She smiles a big smile, leaning up on her toes to kiss me. “Is it working?”

Fuck yeah, it is.