Rocky Ride (Thompson & Sons) (12 page)

Mitch was giving her all her sexual fantasies. Could he give her what she needed most? She watched the couple across the room and listened to the steady beat of Mitch’s heart.

And wondered.

Chapter Nine

L
AUGHTER RANG
over the heavy beat of the music. Mitch turned away from the group gathered by the dance floor and tapped his fingers impatiently on the table, sipping his beer between moments of glancing at his watch.

Anna was late. Again. He’d bet big money that it would be Nick’s doing. The man seemed determined to mess with Anna’s time, and along with it, Mitch and Anna’s relationship. Mitch didn’t know if he should be jealous along with the frustration.

A heavy beat pounded in his chest as Anna finally strutted in.

“
Jesus
,” Mitch moaned, rising to his feet, accidentally kicking his chair over as he took in her outfit.

Her hair was coiled into a fancier-than-usual ponytail that he looked forward to messing up. A wraparound sweater clung to all her curves, the bottom edge stopping mere inches above her skirt line.

The skirt itself wasn’t that short—not really—but enough of her legs were exposed to make his mouth water, and the entire smooth length led to those drop-dead shoes he loved. Mitch couldn’t take his gaze off the straps of red leather on her feet.

Fuck, she’d worn the shoes.

Something inside stood and cheered. The rest of him just got harder than a spike. Since the night at Cassidy’s, it was as if she’d let loose the woman he’d seen small glimpses of forever. That passionate side came out far more often now, visible in the daytime as well as in the secret moments they’d steal together.

The smaller than usual Tuesday night crowd pivoted to watch Anna glide toward him. She ignored them, fixated on his face. She must have seen something she liked, because a smile escaped. A flirty, naughty smile as she stepped right into his arms and kissed him.

Mitch was the one to hold back, because his first impulse was to wrap her leg around his hip and start dry humping her right there in the middle of the fucking bar.

Screw sitting and talking. He wanted her in his arms where she belonged. He slipped his fingers over her hip and guided her straight to the dance floor. “Come here.”

Anna settled against him, one leg on either side of his as she pressed close. “Not even going to buy me a drink first, sailor?”

“You already got my cock so fucking hard I can’t sit down,” Mitch confessed.

Her dirty chuckle in response only stoked the flames higher. So be it. Mitch rested his hands on her ass and pulled up tight until there wasn’t a lick of breathing room between them.

Music and voices blended together into the background as Mitch stared into her eyes. Anna draped her arms around his shoulders, her fingers teasing the short hairs at the back of his neck. The expression she wore couldn’t be considered anything but a smirk.

“You’re looking damn pleased.” Mitch slipped one hand farther around to the center of her lower back. “I love the shoes, but this sweater has got to go. I’d prefer you in a short T-shirt so I can get my hands on bare skin.”

“Just enjoy rubbing that soft fabric instead.” Anna hummed happily, her hip grazing his dick as she shifted position. “God, you are hard, aren’t you. Poor man.”

“Jeez. Do that again, and I’ll flip you over my fucking knee right here, right now.”

Her tongue darted out, leaving behind a shimmer of moisture on the pouting surface of her lower lip. “I don’t think so. I think you’re going to buy me a drink first. Then we can talk about fucking on our knees.”

Mitch laughed. The song ended, and she dragged him to one of the tall tables lining the dance-floor perimeter. Easy conversation followed over a drink. Laughter and dirty talk. All the time, Anna was never so far away from him that some part of their bodies wasn’t in contact.

He was going to explode if he didn’t take a breather soon. Or take her home and bury himself in her sweet body for the rest of the night. “Keep that thought,” Mitch interrupted their discussion. “I’ll be right back.”

He hit the can, more to regain control than anything. After splashing cold water on his face, he dragged his wet hand over the back of his neck. Checked in the mirror only to see proof his expression was as hungry as his gut warned him.

She did things to him he couldn’t control. Hell, things he didn’t
want
to control, and that was the trouble.

Only three steps outside the door, he slammed into a woman exiting the ladies’ room. Mitch grabbed on tight, familiar soft material gliding under his fingers.

“Shit, sorry.” Anna wrapped her fingers around his biceps as she regained her balance.

It was too tempting. Mitch twirled her, crowding forward until her back hit the wall. “Time to pay a toll,” he quipped.

Then his mouth was on hers, his tongue dipping between her lips. The front of his body pressed her to the wall, his cock nestled over the V of her legs.

She gave as good as she got, writhing against him, her breathing picking up as she tangled her fingers in his hair. Mitch twisted slightly to one side so he could drop a hand to her leg, easing around and dragging his fingers along the soft flesh on her inner thigh.

Anna gasped for air as he brushed her panties, thumb unerringly striking her clit. “Jesus, woman. You’re soaking wet,” Mitch whispered.

“Mitch,
oh
…”

He closed his fingers on the hard little nub of her clit again, pinching enough that her head fell back to the wall leaving room for him to attack her bare neck. He worked his way up to her ear, speaking quietly but frantically. “Take me home, or I swear I’m turning you around and riding you right here.”

She didn’t get a chance to respond.

“Ahem.”

The shock of the sound pulled Mitch back from the brink of lust.

Anna’s sharp gasp warned him more than the sight of the somewhat familiar man behind them. Mitch blocked the view as much as possible while he smoothed her skirt and allowed her to compose herself.

The extra time to let his cock stop trying to leap out of his jeans was also needed.

The man cleared his throat again. “Anna.”

Her fingers were still curled into the material of Mitch’s shirt, only now not in passion, but in fear. “Stewart.”

Oh shit—Mitch recognized that name. One of her coworkers.

Stewart didn’t look away as Anna stepped from behind Mitch, her chin held high by sheer willpower. The RCMP’s gaze dropped, lingering on the exposed length of legs and the fiery red shoes before returning to assess Mitch. Eyeing the distance between the two of them. It seemed Stewart hadn’t missed the way Mitch surreptitiously slid his hand out of Anna’s skirt, and the visible disapproval in the man’s eyes filled Mitch with unease.

Nothing more was said before Stewart pushed past them into the men’s room.

Anna’s head hit the wall behind her with a far-too-solid thud. “Oh, God.”

Mitch skimmed his hand down her arm and linked their fingers together. “Sorry if I got you in shit.”

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “We got ourselves in shit.” Anna leaned her forehead on his chest briefly before squeezing his hand and tugging him forward. “Come on. One more dance for the road before we go home.”

Holding her chastely in his arms was a huge change after the feverish pitch they’d built up to, but Mitch still enjoyed it, except for the concern over being damn near caught in the act. He trailed his fingers over her back and attempted to soothe out the tension.

Stewart paused on the edge of the room and watched them for a minute before disappearing, and Mitch hoped like hell that any troubles would vanish along with him.

I
T WAS TOO MUCH
to hope that nothing would come of her and Mitch’s indiscretion the previous night. The phone on her desk rang the instant Anna walked into her office. She stared at it as if it were going to bite her. The coming turmoil was her own damn fault. Time to face the consequences.

Staff Sergeant Max was brief as he summoned her to his office.

She double-checked her uniform before pacing down the hall, the long walk feeling far too reminiscent of the one and only time she’d been called to the principal’s office.

Only this time she feared the consequences would be more than detention.

The staff sergeant stood by the window, his back to her as she entered. “Sit down, Constable Coleman.”

Anna pulled a chair to the side and lowered herself gingerly, fighting the urge to burst out with apologies or explanations. She wasn’t going to leap to conclusions concerning exactly where this conversation would go.

The knot in her stomach wasn’t about to get any smaller, though. Not until she knew.

“Constable Stewart spoke with me earlier today.” No preamble. The staff sergeant pivoted, a stern look set in place, including a furrow between his brows. “I have to admit, I was disappointed to hear what he had to share.”

Her lips hurt from pressing them together.

Max sighed heavily. “The good news is he insists you were not so far out of line that you deserve to receive a formal reprimand, but I’m afraid I’m torn. I don’t want to put anything on your permanent record that’s going to harm your career, but public indecency isn’t the way to make a good impression.”

“No, sir.” The words whispered past the tightness in her throat. This was so not good.

Her superior officer folded his arms. “Even when you’re not in uniform, you’re still being watched. You’re still representing your position. The heat of passion needs to be controlled, Constable.”

The situation was as bad as having a discussion about sex with her mother when she was a teenager. “Yes, sir. It was inappropriate, and it won’t happen again.”

“I don’t expect my staff to be cookie cutters. I expect you all to have different interests and hobbies. Relationships outside of work.” He met Anna’s eyes and wouldn’t let her look away. “But being involved in legal dirt biking is one thing, lewd acts in public is another. Especially since you’re the liaison for the high school students. There’s an even higher expectation of moral control expected, something I thought well within your capabilities.”

She had to fight to stop from cringing. She’d been surprised how much she was actually enjoying working with the kids. Having unwittingly jeopardized that position increased her guilt.

“Was I wrong about you, Constable?” Staff Sergeant Max demanded.

“No, sir.” She didn’t offer any excuses, because there were none she could give.

He stared at her for a solid minute before nodding. “I’m going to put a note in your file, Anna. A personal reprimand that I will remove after a reasonable amount of time. What do you think?”

She thought she was going to fall over, the relief was so strong. “I won’t disappoint you again, sir.”

“See that you don’t. If there’s another incident, of any sort, I’ll have no choice but to follow official guidelines, including misdemeanor charges if appropriate. I hope I’m making myself clear.”

Anna tangled her fingers together tighter to stop from fidgeting. “You are. Perfectly.”

He dismissed her, and she paced back to her desk, pulling out work and spreading it on the surface. Her eyes barely focusing on the pages before her.

Remorse at her actions rushed her. It wasn’t the relationship with Mitch she regretted, but loosening her carefully held control too far. What she’d done wasn’t horrifyingly wrong, only getting caught
was
complicated by her job.

The idea of anything tearing apart what she’d worked so hard for made her ill. The fact it was her own damn fault was even worse.

A strange numbness set in as she wondered how to deal with this—the next steps. Because while she didn’t want to give up her career, she didn’t want to give up the changes in her life since she’d started seeing Mitch.

Going back would be like closing a part of herself into an icy-cold storage, and she didn’t know if she could do that.

The only good part was that she didn’t have to make her next decision alone. She sent a text to Mitch, asking to meet that evening. Right now she had no idea what even to suggest. She sank into work and let it distract her.