A Case of Love Page 2

  "I thought you didn't want a piece."

  "I changed my mind,” Hawk said, pulling Kenzie close to him. He grabbed the ties at her neck and let the bodice of the short dress fall to her waist, exposing full, rounded breasts tipped with red nipples. His hand came up, cupping one, his thumb brushing back and forth against the turgid tip, feeling it grow harder, either from his caress or from the coldness of the air in the warehouse, he wasn't sure.

  The dress started to slip further, but Hawk stopped it, dragging her up against his chest so that her breasts were flattened into him. He leaned closer, his mouth finding hers for a short moment before sliding to her jaw and nibbling his way to her ear. “Play along,” he whispered, running his tongue around the whorl of her ear. “The cops will be here soon."

  She turned her head, her eyes staring up into his, narrowing as she studied him. Then with a low moan, she moved closer to him, her hands moving up and over his chest, wrapping around his neck... Her mouth found his, this time by her own initiative, her soft lips clinging moistly.

  Hawk groaned, pulling her even closer. She was responding to him wholeheartedly, her body moving against his, her lips and tongue tempting him to take her. He felt her stomach brush against the hard ridge of his cock and he felt the insane urge to lift her in his arms and take her somewhere they could finish this in private.

  He could hear the men making lustful remarks and calling out encouragement, but it was a dull buzz of noise behind the taste of her mouth and the feel of her body. He was going up in flames and didn't care if he burned to the ground, not now.

  "Police!” The front door of the office burst open, the battering ram that had done the deed thrown to the side as black garbed officers in heavy tactical armor flooded the room. “On the ground! Now!” was shouted.

  Hawk lifted his head, breathing a sigh of relief as well as a sigh of disgust for the timely interruption. He quickly retied Kenzie's top, hearing her gasp as he zipped up the skirt as well.

  Then he felt himself pushed to the ground, and he turned to lie on his stomach as he was instructed, his legs crossed and his arms behind his head. He was patted down and cuffed before being lifted to his knees. He saw the girl standing over by one of the officers, holding out her identification even as another cop handed her a blanket to wrap around herself.

  She seemed to feel him staring and turned, meeting his eyes with the beautiful amber of her own. “Mackenzie Hunter,” he said softly, sending her a smile that she quickly turned away from.

  Then he was led outside and put in a cruiser.

  * * * *

  "Damn it, Hawk, next time I get to go undercover you get to sit in the van and listen to me kissing the babes."

  Hawk grinned as his partner Detective Angelo Gutierrez stormed back and forth in front of his desk. “Yeah, sure, Ang, I'll make sure you get the undercover assignment with the babes. But what are you going to do when an anonymous envelope full of incriminating pictures, arrives at your door addressed to your wife?"

  Angelo turned, grinning sheepishly. “You wouldn't...you would,” he answered himself, seeing the shit eating grin on Hawk's face. “Dammit all, Hawk!"

  "Shut up, Ang, you know Carla is everything you ever wanted in a woman. You'd cut off your own dick before you'd hurt her.” He laughed as his partner got that lovesick puppy dog expression on his face as he thought of his own beautiful Carla.

  "I got lucky, Hawk. Maybe someday, if you can quit playing the field long enough, you'll have a grown up relationship with a woman.” He patted his partner on the head as he passed his desk in the Narcotics bullpen, going to his own desk to sit down and finish his report.

  "I've had relationships,” Hawk growled, glaring at Angelo. “Just because I don't want to walk down the aisle and subject some innocent woman to the life of a cop's wife doesn't mean that I don't have relationships."

  "We work too many long hours, it's dangerous...” he began.

  "...and the divorce rate for cops is out of this world,” they finished together, making Angelo laugh and Hawk grit his teeth.

  "Yeah, buddy, so you keep saying. So how come Carla and I have been together so long?"

  "She feels sorry for you. Pity is a huge inducement for women."

  "Fuck you,” Ang laughed. “She just can't get enough of this sexy body of mine.” He glanced down at the soft flesh that ringed his middle, patting it with his hand.

  Hawk snorted, kicking his feet up on the corner of his desk he leaned back in his chair. “I can't believe we got him, finally."

  "Yeah, Jimmy Tanelli is going down, possession with the intent to sell, kidnapping, assault, and we found three pistols in the back of the warehouse. Ballistics has them now and they're going to see if they match the bullets found at the scene of the three murders we think he did. You did good, partner."

  "It's going to be good to go home to my own bed tonight. That motel the captain set me up at was the worst ever. I swear the bed had bugs.” He leaned back a little further while stretching, and a yawn caught him by surprise, almost popping his jaw. “I think I'm going to get out of here, Ang. You can finish writing this up, can't you?"

  "Yeah, I got it. Go home, get some sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

  Hawk grabbed his jacket and the roll bag he'd picked up from the motel before he'd been dropped off back here and headed out. Narcotics was on the fifth floor of the biggest precinct in Monroe City. They had the entire floor, a nice set up with conference rooms and offices as well as a room they called The Crib. It held cots, set up with blankets and pillows for anyone needing ten minutes. Hawk had spent his fair share of time trying to blank out the noise of the precinct to catch five minutes of sleep to keep him going when things got hairy.

  Now he had a couple of days off. He'd been eating, sleeping, and breathing the Tanelli case since that bastard came to town two years before. No one had been able to get close enough to him, no one until Hawk. It had taken him months of careful planning to be able to infiltrate Tanelli's world and get close enough to him to be trusted.

  Mackenzie Hunter came to mind. She'd almost blown it for him tonight, showing up at exactly the wrong time. How had the press gotten wind of the deal happening tonight? He'd been careful, well more than careful; he was almost obsessive-compulsive over his dealings with Tanelli.

  Well, there was only one way to find out. He whistled as he got on the elevator, hitting the button for the basement parking lot. He glanced at his watch, it was only a little after two a.m. What could be a more perfect time to find out?

  * * * *

  Mackenzie finished her story, sending it in by email to her editor. She rose, pulling the ties on the dress and yanking it off, leaving it on the floor as she went into the bathroom.

  Minutes later, she emerged flushed from her shower, her hair still wet, curled riotously around her head. She pulled on a big soft tee shirt over her still damp body, grabbed a pair of boxers out of a drawer and slid them over her long legs before heading out to the kitchen. She hadn't been able to eat earlier today, too nervous about what she'd decided to do.

  Opening the refrigerator, she groaned, realizing she'd forgotten once more to go to the grocery store this week. She pulled out a bottle of water and a box that contained leftover Chinese from two nights before, slipping it into her microwave and turning it on.

  While she waited, she leaned against the counter, her mind on what had happened tonight. He'd saved her, Hawk or Hawkins, whatever his name was. He'd saved her from being raped right there in front of all those men. What was he, a criminal with a conscience?

  There was a loud knocking on her front door and she sighed, setting down her water. It had to be Selena. Only she would be up this late at night and think that everybody else would be as well. She headed toward the door, picking up the dress from where it lay, wrinkled on the floor.

  "Thanks, Selena,” she said, as she undid the four locks and the chain on her door. “I appreciate the loan. Let me know how much the dry cleaning.
..is...... What are you doing here?” she rasped harshly as she opened the door and saw who was on the other side.

  "I thought you might be hungry,” Hawk said, holding up a pizza box that had a six pack of beer balanced on top of it. “I know I always am after closing a case."

  He walked in, not waiting to be invited, hearing her gasp at his audacity. It made him smile, she was such a prickly little thing, and in that tee shirt and boxers, she'd have looked almost twelve if it weren't for the lush curves that rounded underneath that soft material.

  "Who the hell are you?” she gasped, reaching over and grabbing her cell phone off the charger. She started to close the door, thought better of it and left it open a crack. “I thought you were arrested tonight along with your partner Tanelli?"

  "Ah, darlin’ that's what you get for thinking too much.” He set the box down on her counter just as the microwave beeped. Opening it, he brought out the box that now steamed with heat, bringing it to his nose to sniff cautiously at the contents. “Eww, tell me you weren't planning on eating this.” Without waiting for an answer, he dropped it in her trash can.

  "That was my dinner,” she gasped.

  "Oh no, Mackenzie, you can't eat something like that, stunts your growth,” he said, noting her diminutive size. “Anyway, my name is Gideon Hawkins, or Hawk if you like.” He held out his hand to her, watching her eye it like it was a venomous snake. Smiling, he dropped it and turned to start going through her cupboards.

  "What are you doing?"

  "I'm looking for plates,” he answered, glancing back at her and noting where her eyes alighted when he said that. He opened the cupboard, pulling down two plates and then grabbed a couple of paper towels off the roll on the counter. “I hope you like mushrooms,” he added, opening the box and pulling out thick gooey slices of pizza. He picked up both plates and set them on her coffee table, before picking up her bottle of water and grabbing a beer off of the plastic rings. “Dinner is served,” he announced, settling himself on her couch.

  Kenzie stared at him as if he was deranged. She held her cell phone opened, 911 already typed into it, her finger on the send button. “I thought you were arrested tonight."

  "Well, you thought wrong. I was working undercover tonight. You almost blew my case for me.” He took a bite of his pizza and chewed thoughtfully as he stared at her. “Well, you can either make that call or come here and eat dinner with me while we talk, choose one."

  "Your case?” she asked, closing up the phone though she kept in it hand. “What do you mean, your case? Are you a cop or something?” She moved two steps closer, wrapping her arms around herself protectively.

  "She finally catches on,” he said, glancing up at the ceiling. “Hallelujah."

  Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him as if she could kill him with one look. “Who are you?"

  "Detective Gideon Hawkins. I thought we'd been through this before. I'm Hawk, you're Mackenzie Hunter, a very pretty name by the way. Now that we've got this out of the way, you should come and eat some of this pizza before I scarf it all and end up hating myself."

  She stepped around the couch, sitting gingerly on the very edge of the cushion, her eyes watching his every move. “You were working undercover?"

  "Yeah, for the past ten months.” He watched as she leaned forward and grabbed her tape recorder, setting it up on the coffee table in front of him.

  "You don't mind if I tape this, do you?"

  "Yeah, I do. I work undercover with criminals, Mackenzie. You write anything that has to do with me and it could end up getting me killed.” He reached out, grabbing the tape recorder out of her slender fingers, shifting on the seat he set it down out of her reach.

  "Okay,” she said slowly. “Do you mind if I ask what you're doing here, especially at almost three a.m.?"

  "Pizza,” he said, pointing at his half eaten slice. “I'm celebrating. I thought you might like to celebrate too, since you made it out of there with your life."

  "Thanks to you,” she said. “If you hadn't stepped in, that man would have hurt me. I guess I owe you a thank you."

  He waved it away. “Just have some pizza. I have the next couple of days off, you wouldn't want to go out with me, would you?"

  He said it quickly, as if he could just slip it into the conversation. It startled her as she reached out and picked up the pizza, taking a bite as she stared at him. “You want to go out with me?"

  "Yeah. I don't think either of us was imagining the attraction we felt earlier."

  She felt the blush climb into her cheeks, thinking of earlier reminded her of being half naked in front of all those men and the way his hand had felt as he'd gently cupped her breast.

  "I...I don't..."

  "Oh no,” he said, shaking his head sadly.

  "What?” she asked, her eyes narrowing again as she tried to keep up with his continual changing of subjects.

  "Well, you were about to tell me you didn't feel anything earlier. Then I'd have to call you a liar and that's not the way to start any kind of relationship.” He reached out and laid his hand against hers, hearing her gasp as he felt that same shock of awareness he had before. “See what I mean,” he said, his voice growing husky.

  "How do you know I'm not already seeing someone?” she asked, pulling her hand away from him.

  "Are you?"

  "Well, no. But you didn't know that."

  "I'd like to hope that a classy woman like you would never lead a man on,” he said, reaching out and tugging on a lock of her hair. “So, will you go out with me?"

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Two

  * * * *

  Mackenzie Hunter walked into the newsroom early the next morning despite the lateness of her night before. She carried her briefcase in one hand and a huge cup of coffee in the other. As she left the elevator, a round of applause started from the people already gathered at their desks.

  "Great job, Mackenzie,” her boss and Editor-in-chief Ron Brent said, as he walked up to greet her. “Front page is all you."

  Kenzie took the copy of the Press that he handed her, dropping her briefcase down on top of her cluttered desk as she did. Her byline ran under the heading “Dog Caged In Warehouse Raid". A picture of the warehouse from the air and another of Jimmy Tanelli were prominent under it. “Thanks, Ron.” She sat down, scanning the piece quickly. “You ran it almost word for word."

  Ron stared down into her astonished face, patting her flushed cheek. “It was a good piece. It really didn't need much editing. Keep at it kid."

  Selena sauntered up as Ron turned away. The tall redhead stood on another pair of four inch heels. They made her legs, showcased in thin black silk hose, look endless. A tiny black leather skirt covered what was absolutely necessary, to keep her out of jail for public nudity. It hugged her hips, leaving a good three inches of exposed taut stomach between it and the hem of her sweater.

  "I told you the dress would work,” she said, tapping a bright red, lethal looking nail against the paper. “I hope you remember that when you win the Pulitzer. I expect a thank you."

  "I owe you that and a new pair of shoes.” She said the last quickly, muffling her voice behind her cup of coffee.

  "What was that?” Selena's painfully arched brows raised. “What did you do to my shoes?"

  "Damn, what are you psychic?” Kenzie sighed. “They got scuffed up on the cement and then the heel snapped as I was walking back to my car."

  "You've got to be kidding me,” Selena screamed, drawing all eyes to her. “Do you know how much those damn shoes cost? They were..."

  "Yeah, I know, expensive, came from Italy, cost two weeks worth of salary and you probably only wore them once,” Kenzie broke in, stopping the tirade. “I'll buy you new ones."

  The tall, slender woman stared down at her seated companion. “You couldn't afford them. Besides,” she said finally, “they were last years. I was getting ready to give them to Good Will anyway.” She bent, giving the men in the
room stiff necks as they tried to get a better look up her skirt, and buzzed a kiss by Kenzie's cheek. “You really did do good, kid."

  "Thanks.” Kenzie watched her saunter away, male heads turning as she passed, and took another sip of her quickly cooling coffee. She'd done it, she'd gotten the story and come out the other side alive. This wasn't her first front page story since leaving Texas and her tiny little hometown, but it was the biggest and the most dangerous. This front page of the Monroe City Press was definitely being framed.

  "Hunter!"

  She looked up, and saw Ron standing at the door of his office. “Yeah Ron!"

  "Apartment fire on Third and Houston. They called in the Arson Squad. Get down there and quit resting on your laurels.” Ron grinned as she shot up, grabbed her purse and headed out of the newsroom.

  * * * *

  Hawk's radio squawked loudly with static buzzing, and then a loud voice came over the airway.

  He reached out, batting at his clock radio, knocking it off the nightstand. When it kept making a noise, he reached down, ripping the cord out of the wall and threw it across the room. With a sigh, he settled back into the warm nest of his blankets, his eyes closing.

  Next to his door another radio blared, heavy metal music screaming into the room. The shock forced him to sit up, glaring at the damn machine where it sat safely across the room from him. “O-fucking-k, I'm up,” he growled, pulling himself out of his bed and slamming his hand down on the off button. “Whoever decided that morning starts at six a.m. needs to get their fucking heads examined."

  He tossed a wistful glance over at his bed and then sighed heavily. He couldn't get back in it. He had court today on another case and he wasn't going to miss it... With his eyes half opened, he made his way into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Staring into the mirror while the water heated, he scratched at the heavy stubble on his chin, yawning again.

  Sleepy, blood shot brown eyes stared back at him. Set in an oval face with a stubborn jaw and a mouth that was just a touch to wide to be symmetrical, he considered himself to be a good enough looking guy. He usually didn't have any problems wooing the ladies when he set his mind to it. So what had happened last night?