Saving Sky Page 7

  Every time I took a drink of coffee, she would take a drink of her own. Every time I would glance around the room, she would do the same. She had one of her hands on the table, laying palm down and partially open, but it was extended lightly toward me.

  All body language cues that were telling me she was attracted to me. I tried not to let it excite me as much as it did, but the thought of her truly being as affected by me as I was by her outside of her work environment was enough to make me hard where I sat.

  Shit, this wasn’t going to be an easy interview.

  “So, your boss, is he involved in anything illegal that you know of?” I dropped my voice so no one else in the shop could hear our conversation and watched her intently the entire time I spoke.

  “I’ve suspected before he might be,” she said. “But he’s really careful. When shady looking people come to see him, he shuts the door to the office and we aren’t to interrupt until they’re done.”

  She broke eye contact as she spoke, and I had a feeling she knew more than she was letting on.

  “What kind of ‘shady looking people’ come to see him?” I asked.

  “They usually wear suits though some of them look like they don’t belong in them. I don’t know anything about them except for the fact that they don’t like us to bother them, and he tells us to do whatever they like for free.”

  “Do you always have to do as he says? Even when you aren’t comfortable with the request or the person you’re entertaining?” I asked.

  “It’s part of the job,” she said, almost defensively. “He doesn’t pay us to stand around.”

  “I see,” I said. She looked around the room again. It was clear she was afraid of something, but I didn’t know how to approach the subject. Her cooperation was tenuous at best. She had been so quick to shut me down before, I didn’t know how to bring it up again.

  “Would you be willing to do something for me?” I changed the subject. “I would be happy to pay you for your help, and it would really help with what we’re trying to do.”

  “What is it?” she asked. She was watching me intently but didn’t hold eye contact for long. I could get lost in the blueness of her eyes. They were flawless. More beautiful than anything I could describe, and I found myself wanting to make her smile just so I could see them sparkle.

  “Would you be willing to let me put a microphone on you? It would record what you were doing at work, and if he was to say anything, we could use it against him,” I said. “It would be entirely hidden. No one would be able to see it, and you would only have to turn it on or off at the beginning and end of your shift, that’s it,” I said with a smile.

  She shook her head. “There’s no way I could pull that off. You’ve seen what we wear there. It’s not like there’s a place it could be easily hidden. Not to mention, if he found it, he’d kill me.”

  Immediately her face changed, and I could see that I was losing her. She had offered to help but I had pushed it too far too fast. I needed to ease into things.

  “Forgive me if I’m being too bold, but I think you are our best shot at putting him away,” I replied. She looked at me, her eyes round with a mixture of fear and something else. She was clearly fighting with herself. She wanted to help, but she was afraid for her own safety and after what I’d witnessed in the alley that day, I couldn’t blame her. I needed to push, but I couldn’t do it too far too fast. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Your boss has been tied to several cases in the past. Cases that were violent and involved murder at times. There hasn’t ever been enough evidence to arrest or convict, but he isn’t a safe man,” I said. “I don’t want to scare you, I just want to make sure you stay safe.”

  She fell silent, looking down into her cup of coffee with an almost ill look on her face. She shook her head again. “I can’t wear a wire. I’m sorry. I agreed to talk to you, but I really don’t know what more I can do. If you’re going to press me for more, I’m going to have to put an end to this and go.”

  “No, don’t do that,” I said quickly. Almost too quickly. I knew she detected the tone of my voice as she looked up with slightly raised eyebrows. I was showing more emotion than a man who was just conducting an interview. Hell, there was almost a desperation in my tone.

  What the fuck was wrong with me? I wasn’t one to lose my professional edge over a woman. Ever.

  “Okay,” she said. She had started to rise, but she relaxed once again in the seat, looking at me with an expectation to which I wasn’t sure how to respond. Did she sense my desperation? “What’s your name?” I asked.

  “Sky?” she looked at me like I was crazy.

  “Your real name,” I said.

  She hesitated, so I pressed further. “You can trust me.”

  “Susie,” she said at last. “Susie Blake. I’ve gone by Sky since I was a kid. My eyes.”

  “They are beautiful,” I said. The words slipped out, and the way she looked at me proved they had an effect on her.

  “Thank you,” she said shyly.

  “Is there anyone you can go to for help or support? I’d love for you to get away from him as soon as possible,” I said. Again, she shook her head. I wanted to ask her about her family. Where were her parents? Any siblings? Any extended family? But she was clearly uncomfortable.

  “Then please let me help you. You do have options to get out of there. And if you’re in danger, you should. People like him aren’t going to change, and I don’t want to see you get hurt, so let me give you some numbers,” I offered.

  Out of the blue, something suddenly changed in her expression. I didn’t know what it was I said that had offended her, but she suddenly pulled back.

  “Look, I’m sorry, but this was supposed to be about my boss,” she rose from her chair. “And I’ve really told you all I know. I need to get ready for work, so I’ve got to get going.”

  “I didn’t mean to offend you,” I started, but she shook her head.

  “Sorry I couldn’t be a bigger help,” she said as she started to leave. I didn’t know what came over me, but I suddenly reached out and took her hand. A shock ran through my body like an electric current, and she clearly felt the connection, too.

  She didn’t pull back from me. In fact, her face changed again and I wondered if she might break down in tears.

  “If you need anything at all, at any time, give me a call. You have my number, and I’ll be there in an instant,” I assured her. There were slight tears in her eyes, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she just nodded.

  “I mean it,” I said. “I don’t care where you are or what time it is.”

  “Thank you,” Sky said at last. I let go of her hand but noticed she didn’t pull from me. She just let it fall and walked out of the coffee shop, leaving me with my mind spinning. There was so much more to her than I had realized, and I needed to figure it out.

  But I already knew I wasn’t going to be able to be around her without wanting more. She was too beautiful, and our connection was too strong. The spark between us had been undeniable, and I didn’t want that to go away.

  I’d burn down the whole damn city to make her mine.

  12

  Sky

  It was hard for me to concentrate at work that night. My mind kept replaying what had happened in the coffee shop that afternoon. Rocco was his normal dick self when I walked through the door, but there was nothing in his reaction to seeing me that led me to believe he knew anything about my meeting with Jack.

  I had been careful to select a venue where I was certain no one who knew me would see us, and I was careful not to disclose any names. Rocco never liked it when we dated anyway, I knew he’d be pissed if he found out about Jack.

  That wasn’t a date. But fuck! What happened when he touched you? Everything. Everything happened, and that’s the problem.

  It was true, a thrill ran through my body when he had reached out and grabbed my hand. I didn’t know it was possible to feel that way. I was used to men runnin
g their hands over me as much as I’d let them get away with, but nothing ever felt that way before.

  I couldn’t deny the attraction that was between us, and the connection I felt when I was with him. When he looked into my eyes, I felt he was staring right into the core of my being. It was almost as though he could see the pain, and he cared.

  And that’s why you want him. And exactly why you shouldn’t have him. You don’t need someone to pity you, to save you. You need someone to love you.

  “Sky! Lap dance at table four!” Rocco called out. I hated it when he was out on the floor. He would find men and offer us to them, and they were typically the sleaziest ones in the place because they were the most willing to part with their money. In fact, the only good man he’d ever offered me to was Jack, and after that morning, he was the only one I wanted touching me.

  “Sky!” Rocco shouted. “I don’t pay you to stand around!”

  Reluctantly, I headed out onto the floor to perform the dance, but this time, everything felt different. I didn’t even want to fake it. I wanted nothing more than to walk out. No amount of money was worth it to me anymore. And I was suddenly unafraid of the consequences.

  Jack said I could go to him, no matter what. He didn’t care what time it was, or where it was. I looked over the man’s shoulder as I writhed on top of him. It was getting late, nearly ten. In an hour I’d be off.

  And I knew exactly what I was going to do next.

  “Sky?” Jack sounded surprised. “Hey, I’m glad you called.”

  “I just got off work,” I said. “I thought maybe –”

  I wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence.

  “What’s up?” his words brought me back to the moment.

  “I thought maybe if you weren’t working,” I said, this time with a bit more confidence in my voice, “You might want to come over for a bit? I know it’s late and you really don’t have to but –”

  “I’d love to. What’s your address? I’ll be over in half an hour,” Jack said.

  My heart raced and I almost backed out, but then I remembered that morning and how good it felt when he’d touched me. I wanted that again. I wanted more, and I was going to go for it.

  After giving my information to him, I hung up and headed for the bus stop. It was the fastest way home, and I had to get changed. I didn’t want to be in my club makeup and after work outfit when Jack showed up, I wanted him to see the real me. And soon enough, he would.

  Forty minutes later there was a knock at my door. I took a deep breath, opening it with a smile.

  “Wine?” he asked, holding up a bottle of red.

  “Wow,” I said in surprise. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I like to relax with a glass after work, figured you might, too,” he said.

  I wanted to cry. He wasn’t treating me like most people did. He was treating me as if I were a normal woman with a normal job who came home and needed a glass of wine to destress from her day. It was the kindest thing anyone had done for me in a long time.

  “You’re very thoughtful,” I said. “Come in.”

  I stepped back so he could come into the apartment, and I showed him the kitchen and living room. “It’s nothing fancy, but it’s home.”

  “I like it,” he smiled. “Glasses in the kitchen? I’ll get them.”

  “Top shelf on the left,” I nodded. He headed to fill the glasses, and I went into the living room to put on some music.

  He came back in with two a glass in each hand and handed me one before settling on the opposite end of the couch from where I had sat with me feet tucked up under me. It was obvious by his posture that he wanted to be closer to me but was trying to be respectful.

  Again, like no man I’d really ever known. Most of them wanted to paw at me whether I wanted them to or not. I nearly laughed at the irony that the one who’s hands I wanted on me was the one who was the most hesitant to put them there.

  “I’m really glad you called,” Jack said, finally breaking the silence. “After our meeting this morning I wasn’t sure that I’d hear from you again.”

  I nodded and took a sip of wine to fortify my nerve. “Yeah, I’m sorry I ran out like that. It’s just –”

  He held up his hand to stop me. “No, I get it. You’re in a really tough spot and I pushed too far. And I need to apologize for implying that you needed someone to take care of you. Obviously you can take care of yourself,” he said, motioning to the place around him.

  It wasn’t a palace by any means, but my place was tidy, clean, and decorated as nicely as I could afford it to be. I took a lot of pride in making my home a sanctuary of sorts.

  “Thank you for saying that. And you’re right, I am in a tough spot. Rocco isn’t a good man and I’ve been wanting to get out for a long time. Dancing at the club wasn’t exactly my childhood dream,” I told him. “But shit happens, you know?”

  He nodded and took a sip from his glass. “I really was serious that I wanted to help you,” he said. “And not just so that you’d help me,” he was quick to add. “When I saw Rocco with his hands around your throat that day in the alley, it was all I could do not to end him right then. I was practically praying for him to give me a reason to pull my gun.”

  My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Wow. I kind of wish he had too,” I admitted.

  We spent the next hour talking about nothing in particular. He told me a little bit about being a cop, I told him about some of the things I liked to do when I wasn’t working. We got more and more comfortable just being around one another and without realizing it, had gravitated toward one another on the couch until we were both in the middle, our legs touching.

  I leaned forward to put my empty wine glass on the coffee table and when I sat back up, Jack’s eyes were firmly on mine. I swallowed, taking in his chiseled jaw and perfect Roman nose. His broad shoulders turned ever so slightly toward me and I felt a tingle run through my body. I leaned forward just a fraction before he closed the space between us and touched his lips to mine. The kiss was tentative at first, but then evolved into something deeper. As I opened my mouth to invite his tongue to pass through my lips to mingle with my own, a moan escaped from low in his chest. Heat immediately pooled between my legs and my panties were ruined.

  Breaking the kiss, Jack sat back and ran a hand through his hair. “Would you like another glass?” he said, standing.

  I bit back a smile as he tried to discreetly adjust the bulge in his jeans and nodded my head. “Yes please.”

  He walked into the kitchen to pour us each another glass of wine. Suddenly couldn’t help myself. I stood up from the couch and pulled off my t shirt and jeans, then my bra. I left my panties on and waited for him to come back.

  When he did, he stopped short. “What are you doing?”

  “Something I’ve wanted to do since that first night in the club,” I told him.

  There was a slight smile on his face as he walked over, his eyes searching my body. But I didn’t feel violated; I felt sexy. Wanted. One glance at the way his erection pushed at his zipper and my mouth nearly watered.

  He handed me the wine. “You don’t have to do this.”

  “I want to.” I didn’t bother taking a sip. Setting the glass on the table, I knelt in front of him on the couch and unzipped his pants, pulling them and his boxers down. He was long and thick and a shiver went through him when I took him in my hand and pumped.

  “Fuck,” he whispered, and I smiled up at him before wrapping my mouth around his girth.

  I worked my tongue around the head of his cock, running my hands over his ass and up his chest as I sucked him off. He shuddered at my touch, moaning slightly. I brought him to the brink of release, then pulled back, releasing him with a pop. “Jack, I want you inside of me. Right now. Please.”

  With a look of primal need, Jack pulled off his shirt. I pulled down my panties, letting them drop to the floor and laying back on the couch as he knelt down and dove between my legs. I closed my eyes,
moaning and writhing on the couch as his hot breath and soft tongue swirled around my clit.

  “I want you inside me,” I whispered again. “Please, I need you. I need to feel all of you.”

  I was begging and I didn’t even care. Jack was a craving and I had to have him before I exploded. He crawled up on the couch over me, kissing my body the whole way up. He stopped at my breasts, teasing them and sucking on first one nipple and then the other before reaching my neck.

  He took his cock in his hand and pressed it to the slit of my pussy. I could feel him dripping wet, eager to be inside me. I was just as aroused, wanting him there. I didn’t know how to express my want more. His face was just inches from mine, his mouth so close.

  “Are you sure you want this?” he asked. “I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do, or anything you think you have to.”

  My heart fluttered at his words. He was so kind and giving. I knew he cared, but I couldn’t find the words to answer him. I didn’t want to ruin the moment with my emotion, so I just acted out of passion.

  As an answer, I took my hands and put them on either side of his face, pulling him toward me, kissing him hard. He pushed his cock inside me, causing me to moan as our mouths were locked together. He, too, let out a little moan of pleasure, his rock-hard dick seated fully in my pussy.

  He held himself there for a moment, as deep as he could go. Then, he started thrusting himself in and out of me. His cock was ribbed, the head of it huge. Each time he pushed himself inside, I felt another sensation run through me. This wasn’t just sex. This wasn’t like the times I’d hooked up with guys because I wanted something from them before.

  This was so much better, so much more. I felt connected to Jack. I felt like he understood me, and there wasn’t an ounce of judgment in his body. He pushed into me, pulling almost all the way out before pushing all the way in again, his cock gliding easily.