Innocent intent, p.16
Innocent Intent, page 16
Davis filled one chair, legs set wide, arms lazy in his lap until he lifted one and allowed it to rest on the table. Cassidy sat with her spine straight after she kicked off her flats and tucked one leg beneath her. He took note of how nervous she was.
“I supposed you want to know how that happened since it’s immensely frowned upon.”
“I’d rather know if your relationship with him is why you’ve been questioning things with the Arnold case all these years later.”
“Yes.” She huffed as her shoulders deflated. “It feels good actually to say that out loud. I’ve been wanting to for a while. I just . . .” She shook her head and lowered her eyes. “Who could I hand my concerns over to? So many lives would be affected. The department, the families that received justice because of my testimony. It would be such a mess.”
“They would, but the truth is the truth, Cass. Sometimes, the truth is ugly.”
“What Arnold did was uglier. Those women . . .” She paused and swallowed. “He was guilty. There was never a doubt in my mind, and had I not handled things the way I did, he would have gone free—again.”
“What exactly did you do?” Davis’s body was stiff with anxiety while he waited. He didn’t want to believe Cassidy to be dishonorable, and even if she lied, that didn’t make her one. Only someone who chose to serve a greater justice than the facts presented would have allowed. He would never judge. How the hell could he? No one was perfect—least of all him.
Here he was, sitting across from a beautiful woman, wanting the opportunity to have more of her than he should be allowed to have. He desperately wanted that opportunity.
“His wife and daughter were his alibi. They both remembered him being home that night. Arnold and his wife argued. It got bad. Their stories contradicted, but there was no way to prove the timeline for him being home that night.”
“Did you believe them?”
“The wife, no. She’d lied for him before. They had him, but she provided an alibi, and he got away with killing another woman. She knew who he truly was back then. I could see it in her eyes when I watched the tape of when I talked to her. She believed him guilty back then and with Allison’s case. There was no missing the truth. I felt her lies, and she knew I had.”
“Then what’s the problem? It doesn’t seem like you did anything wrong.”
“I didn’t,” she quietly defended.
“What am I missing, Cass?” Davis frowned at Cassidy, and she looked away when she said the next thing.
“His daughter. I believed her. She wasn’t lying, and she remembered him being there. The wife wasn’t credible. Everyone knew her history of lying for Arnold, but his daughter, she would have raised reasonable doubt. I kept my true thoughts out of my notes that I believed the daughter’s testimony when she said her father was home during the time of the murder. One slip, a small margin of doubt, and he would be free again. I shouldn’t have caved, but . . .”
“Trent convinced you to?”
“Yeah,” she said softly.
“He used you, Cass. He was your superior. Your training officer and someone you should have been able to trust. He took advantage of the fact that he was sleeping with you to manipulate the case.”
“But I agreed.”
“You did, and there’s accountability for your role, but he should have never asked.”
“Right, but there’s not much I can do about it now. It just . . .”
“Haunts you?”
Cassidy’s eyes expressed so much remorse. “I lied to her. His daughter. She asked me if I believed her, and I said yes. I made her a promise to make sure everyone knew that she was telling the truth, which I broke. She was a kid protecting her family. No matter how dysfunctional they were, they were hers. I can’t blame the child for wanting to protect her father . . .”
“Who was a rapist and a murderer.”
“You don’t think I know who and what he was? That I haven’t gone over my decision a million and one times trying to justify my actions?”
“I’m sure you have. With the case file and all the notes and questions, I know you have.”
“Which makes me a horrible person.”
He shook his head. “Not a horrible person. Someone with a conscience who considered the greater good, and that’s okay.”
She nodded. “So now what? You know what I did.”
“Doesn’t matter. Sometimes, you have to allow things to be what they are. Arnold deserved what he got.”
“You’re not going to tell anyone? You have the case file that was in his safe deposit box. It’s evidence.”
“It was, but no one has to know why. Did you kill him because of that file?”
“No.”
“Then I don’t see how tearing down the department and the reputations of all its key players behind a case that served justice is necessary.”
She nodded and released a breath that had Davis relaxing as well . . . until the next thing came out of her mouth.
“My turn to ask a question . . .”
18.
“So, fiancée, huh? You know all my secrets. It’s only fair that I get to know yours.”
Cassidy watched Davis intently. His handsome face shifted through several emotions before his eyes fastened on hers.
“That feels like a very long time ago.”
“Was it?”
He smirked. “Not exactly. She ended things shortly before I packed up and moved to Atlanta.”
“So, less than two years. That’s recent enough to still feel things.”
“The only thing I feel is contentment that she married him and not me.”
“But you were engaged.”
“Unofficially. No ring, just a promise that it would happen. Thinking back, I realize that was one of our issues.”
“Women love the presentation. It’s not official without a show,” she joked. “What were the other issues? The ones that mattered the most.”
“She wanted a lawyer, and I was content being a cop.”
“She cheated?”
“No. Just kept urging me to get my law degree. I wasn’t interested, so we took a break, and she surfaced a few months later engaged to the new DA for my precinct.”
“Ahh, I can see how that would be awkward.”
“For me, no. At least, not at first. But the guy had a bit of a hard-on for complicating my life. Seems he didn’t appreciate the idea of being the consolation prize. Had I gotten my law degree like she wanted, like her father wanted, then I would have been the one with her at dinner tonight. Not him.”
“Which means you wouldn’t have been there with me.” She smiled softly.
“I’m okay with how things turned out.” His look communicated so much more. Emotions she felt but shouldn’t have.
“Do you still have feelings for her?”
Davis scoffed. “I have plenty of feelings for her . . .”
“Oh . . .” Cassidy rushed out on a husky breath right before he added, “But none that are favorable.”
“Oh.” That time, her tone was a little lighter.
After long moments of silence, Davis stood and glanced around the room. “So, I guess we’re done here. I should go. Early flight.”
Cassidy stood seconds after and cautiously moved to him. “Or, you could stay for a while. That is, if—”
Before she could finish the sentence, his arm hooked around her waist. She collided with his body, and his mouth crashed against hers. The kiss was perfect. Nothing was gentle about the way he pushed his tongue into her mouth, exploring. Cassidy’s mind was reeling with so many different reasons why this was a bad idea, but she couldn’t settle on one bad enough to make her stop what was happening.
Stepping back, Cassidy removed her jeans by forcing them slowly over her hips and down her legs. Davis’s eyes warmed her skin, so she settled into the assumption that the visual she had provided worked in her favor. A cocky smile surfaced on his face as he unbuttoned his pants, allowing them to hang loosely while he worked on the buttons of his shirt, revealing rippled abs. There was the faintest line of hair that disappeared into his pants and briefs. Cassidy’s breath grew slightly labored from anticipating what was to come.
Are we really doing this?
Before Cassidy was allowed to second-guess, Davis responded, allowing his lips to crash into hers once again. One hand moved to her hip while the other slid under her sweater until the pad of his thumb roughly moved over her nipple. It tightened from the warmth and pressure of his contact.
“Fuck,” he murmured, allowing his mouth to travel to her jaw and neck. “You sure about this?”
“Very.”
So very sure.
“Good.”
Cassidy’s sweater was ripped up and over her head, then tossed to the floor. She pushed the thin fabric of his shirt from his shoulders as he walked her toward the bed.
“You’re beautiful.”
She blushed when Davis took in every inch of her exposed skin, and another rush of warmth blazed through Cassidy’s veins. As she sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers found his zipper, which she dragged down slowly, admiring the thick impression of his dick beneath the cotton fabric of his briefs. Her eyes lifted briefly before her hands went forward, but he quickly grabbed her wrist and leaned in to place a kiss just below her palm.
“Starting with me in your mouth might not work in our favor.”
Davis slipped a hand into his pocket and revealed a condom, which he tossed on the bed.
“Should I be concerned that you have that?”
He smiled smugly as Cassidy leaned back on her elbow. “I had them with me here but not on me. It’s why I asked you to give me a minute.”
“So, you had expectations?” She arched a brow.
“No, but I’m a man spending time with a very beautiful woman I’m attracted to. I also have it on good authority that she is attracted to me. I was hopeful and learned never to leave anything to chance.”
Davis kneeled between her thighs, dragging his hands from Cassidy’s ankles up her legs before pressing his palms firmly against the inside of her thighs. They spread at his silent command.
“Now would be the time to object if you disagree with anything I just confessed, Cass.”
He didn’t give her a chance to argue and, instead, leaned in and placed a kiss just below her navel. His mouth continued to move down her body, leaving a trail of warmth on her skin until his tongue swiped the entire length of her pussy.
Cassidy exhaled a shaky breath. “You can’t expect me to object to any of this after that.”
Her statement drew a wide grin out of Davis before his face was out of sight again. “No, I can’t, which was my intention. Not playing fair gets us both what we want tonight.”
He added a little more pressure, further spreading her thighs. The tip of his tongue made slow, torturous circles while he introduced one finger and then two. They dragged in and out of Cassidy, causing her body to clench and release, climbing slowly toward her peak. While Davis’s mouth pulled pleasure from her body, he watched with a trained focus, examining her reaction. She felt his eyes on her even during the brief moments when hers were closed. Each time Cassidy braved a glance at his position between her thighs, his intense eyes were waiting, heightening her experience.
One last very intentional swipe of his tongue, slowly dragging from bottom to top, set Cassidy’s climax in orbit. The sensual drag back and forth of his fingers, which were eventually replaced by his tongue, prolonged the downward spiral that had Cassidy feeling as if she were completely falling apart. By the time her body relaxed, Davis was between her legs again. When his thighs brushed hers, she realized his pants were no longer there.
The slow pull of desire quickly shifted to frantic need as the hard muscles of his body settled against her softness. The minute his dick nudged forward, Cassidy swung her head left, sighing in relief when she noticed the ripped condom wrapper near her head.
Oh, thank God. I don’t think I have the restraint to stop this moment.
Cassidy spread her thighs wider the more he pressed forward. There was no guilt, remorse, or contemplation. Only an instant desire for more, and Davis delivered. He shielded her from his weight with one hand, and the other grabbed her jaw, holding her steady while his mouth consumed hers.
“I . . . oh . . .”
He was buried deep after one meaningful thrust. Her body tensed, and her pussy embraced him. The deep, throaty moan that barely escaped his mouth had Cassidy tilting her hips, wanting him deeper. Davis lifted onto his arms, hovering slightly above her, and adjusted his position, driving in harder.
Wish granted.
Cassidy was lost. She clung to him, needing something to keep her grounded. When she felt the warmth of his hand moving up her side and then the tug and pull of her nipple, she inhaled a sharp breath. The sensation traveled south, sending a strong, pulsing throb all the way to her clit.
“Focus, Cass. I need to see it.”
It?
See me.
Unraveling.
His hand trailed higher and settled at the base of her throat with a gentle, leveling pressure that had her eyes fastened to his. The slow smile and arrogance in his stare was a mind trip. Punishing thrusts, back-to-back, pressing her deeper into the mattress had the ecstasy settling in. Davis’s tongue slipping into her mouth triggered the implosion. She crashed hard. Shattering.
He tipped into bliss right behind her, pushing the last waves of Cassidy’s release to the surface. His plunges slowed to an impossibly torturous pace once more, his dick dragging in and out while he kissed Cassidy through her climax and his own. She handed it all over to him, even if it was just for that moment.
19.
It had only been a few hours since Davis and Cassidy had landed, and both were exhausted from the quick turnaround. Back-to-back flights were never easy; the two had been to New York and back in less than thirty-six hours. Davis was physically spent and would much rather be heading home to crawl into his bed, or better yet, Cassidy’s, but that wasn’t an option. He needed to get to the precinct and figure out how to make something of his case.
Not only had he crossed lines by sleeping with Cassidy, but he’d also enjoyed every minute of their time together and was hopeful about crossing those same lines again. Hence, the hesitation he currently felt as they pulled into her driveway after he demanded to provide a ride home instead of Cassidy taking a ride share from the airport.
“So, I guess I’ll wait to hear from you.” Cassidy blushed and quickly added, “about the case. You know, if anything new comes up.”
Davis chuckled lightly, reaching across the vehicle and clasping his hand over hers. He laced their fingers, bringing her wrist toward him, placing a chaste kiss against her skin. He watched Cassidy exhale slightly before she gently tugged her wrist away.
“Maybe we should leave New York in New York.”
Davis’s expression hardened. As much as he wanted to play it cool, everything about the woman sitting next to him had already seeped into his soul and created a need that only she could satisfy. “Is that seriously what you want?”
Her eyes darted around briefly before landing on his. “No, but you can’t be confused about how this looks.”
“I’m not. It’s complicated.”
“Complicated?” She scoffed sarcastically.
“Yes, complicated, but not impossible. We’ll figure this out.”
“My deceased husband conned me into a fraud of a marriage, stole money, and intended to blackmail me with a case that could end my career. Regardless of my intentions to make sure no other women suffered being assaulted and murdered, my decision was still unethical in the eyes of the law. After I discovered all of the above, I then shot my husband to get retribution for the way he lied to me and mishandled my trust. Definitely a little more than complicated, Nate.”
Davis’s muscles locked tight. “You didn’t kill your husband, Cassidy.”
Her shoulders sank, and some of the tension also escaped Davis’s body as well. “No, I didn’t, and you may believe the truth, but there’s no way the rest of the world will. At least, not until we know who actually shot and killed Niles.”
“Then I work harder to figure that out.” He was part of the problem. There was no way he shouldn’t already have a suspect or at least a valid trail leading to them.
Cassidy nodded. “And until then . . .”
“You want to put this on hold.”
“I think that’s best. This isn’t smart. Nowhere near practical . . .”
“It wasn’t practical in New York, but you still allowed me in your bed.”
“I have no regrets, Detective.”
“Detective?”
“Nate . . .” she said softly.
“What you’re saying and not saying sounds like regret, Cass.”
She quietly shook her head. “No regrets. I’m only being practical.”
“I hear you loud and clear,” he muttered before popping the trunk and getting out of the vehicle. He rounded the back, lifting Cassidy’s travel bag. When she got out and tried to intercept it, he turned slightly, moving the luggage out of her reach.
“I got it.”
“You don’t have to walk me to the door.”
“I didn’t have to sleep with you either, but I did. The least I can do now is be a gentleman.” He could sense that Cassidy wanted to object further, but she allowed him to carry her things to the porch and put them inside once she unlocked the door, and the two of them stepped into the foyer.
“Well, thanks for allowing me to tag along . . .”
She shifted awkwardly, and Nate smirked, stepping into her personal space. Without much notice, he had one hand gripping the back of her neck, pulling Cassidy into a kiss that left them both breathless. When he stepped back and saw her flushed cheeks and dilated pupils, Davis felt he’d accomplished his goal. Give Cassidy a reminder why pressing pause might be practical, but it wouldn’t be easy.
