Page 57 of Justice for Samara

“Great. I get to defend myself against?”

“Oh, no. You won’t. Because she’ll never say anything to your face. She’ll just say it all to me behind your back. To your face, she’ll be sweet as pie.”

“Great.”

“But I’m also telling you this so you know that nothing she says will sway me. I don’t give a damn what she thinks. I love you, and that’s all that really matters.”

“I love you too. As long as I know you love me, I can handle it.”

“I’ll always have your back, babe, when it comes to my mother or anybody else in this town who gives you trouble. If they do it once and I find out, they’ll never do it again.”

He really meant it. She could tell. “I believe you,” she whispered into his skin, then pinched his nipple.

“That’s gonna get you in trouble,” he warned and pinched hers.

“I want it to get me some more cock.”

“Not tonight. Go to the bathroom. Don’t want any honeymoon cystitis going on here.”

She couldn’t believe what he’d said. “How do you know about that?”

“Quit asking questions and just go to the bathroom so I can have a turn.”

“Gah. Okay. Bossy.”

“That’s me. The boss.” That made her laugh. He might be her boss at work, but he made her feel like an equal everywhere else, and that was surely because he thought of her as one.

She crawled to the edge of the bed and stood, but before she left the room, she leaned over and kissed him. “I love you, boss man.”

“I love you too, beautiful girl. Go. Get finished. I’m tired and tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

When she was finished, he went in, and she lay there while he was gone, thinking about what had just taken place. Michael looked meek and shy most of the time, but he was one helluva fuck, and she’d hit the motherlode with him. If a guy could be the whole enchilada, he was definitely a whole plateful of them.

His arms felt good around her as they snuggled there in her bed, and she smiled. It was hard to believe she could possibly be happier anywhere than she was in his arms. “Michael?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“I love you.”

“Oh, baby, I love you too. I can’t wait to see what morning brings because I know it’ll be another day that I can spend with you.”

Samara felt the same way. The man holding her was the one she wanted holding her when she was eighty. A lifetime with Michael wouldn’t be long enough. But it was what she wanted more than anything.

CHAPTER 8

Samara was planningto work from home again, so he told her that the guys would be driving by from time to time, and he made her promise that if she went anywhere, she’d let him know. She said her plan was to visit at least two of the rape victims, and she told him which two, so he felt good about that.

His desk was fairly clear, so he worked on the few things he had lying there and wondered where Carter was. He was usually there bright and early, but he hadn’t been in as far as Michael knew, unless he’d been there even earlier.

Anand had been out at the front desk all morning, answering the phones and filling out some reports from activity he’d had the day before, when Michael’s desk phone came to life. He hit the speaker and said, “Yeah.”

“It’s SheriffMelton on line one for you.”

“Thanks, Chadha.” He left the speaker on and pushed the button. “Hey, sheriff!”

“You got me on speaker?”

“Yeah.”