I stared at him.
Then I whispered, “You know the president of a biker gang?”
His arms gave me a squeeze. “Baby, I’m a cop. I know a lotta people and a lot of the lotta people I know aren’t one hundred percent solid citizens.”
“Um…” I started hesitantly, “does this president of a biker gang perhaps owe you a favor?”
“No,” Mitch answered which meant if he did this, he’d owe the president of a biker gang a favor.
“Is that a good idea?” I asked quietly.
“No, owin’ Tack is not good. But I also got a woman and two kids who sleep on three almost brand new Spring Deluxes. Since she got them delivered, my ass, most nights, has been in her bed and the kids have been off school so my Mom’s been here watchin’ ‘em if you and me aren’t. The windows for another break-in have been rare and he probably knows your boyfriend is a cop so if he’s lookin’ for a chance, he’s probably bein’ cautious. I can’t know if he’s found what he was lookin’ for and I’m not takin’ any chances. Even if he has, I wanna know why he destroyed everything you owned, how he’s connected to your cousin and I want to ascertain you, Bud and Billie are under no threat. And I’ll do what I gotta do to ascertain that. Even owe a favor to the president of a biker gang.”
Well, one could say he had a point there.
“Okay,” I whispered.
“Okay,” Mitch replied.
“I have to say,” I started to inform him, “this has kind of freaked and bummed me out and put me off a night of cosmos and women I don’t know giving me the third degree to make sure I’m good enough for you.”
Mitch smiled.
Then his arms got tight around me and he returned, “And I have to say pretty much nothing puts me off a night that’s gonna end with you drunk on cosmos and still in that dress and those shoes considering the sex was seriously f**kin’ hot when you weren’t drunk so I’m lookin’ forward to how much hotter it could get when you are.”
Suddenly, I was back in the mood for a night of cosmos and women I didn’t know giving me the third degree to make sure I was good enough for Mitch.
“Right,” I said firmly, “off we go. Time for me to commence Operation Drunk Sex Later.”
Mitch burst out laughing.
I smiled as he did it.
When he was done, still grinning, he assured me, “I’m gonna make it okay.”
And, still smiling, I assured him instantly, “I know.”
He stopped grinning and I knew he liked that I trusted him, just how deeply and just how immediately, when he whispered, “Fuck, Mara, I love you.”
I didn’t stop smiling when I whispered back, “I know.”
But whispering that made Mitch grin again.
Then he kissed me.
Then he let me go, moved through the house to turn out the lights as I moved to the door and waited for him.
Then he took me to Club where I commenced Operation Drunk Sex Later but only after he walked me in, greeted the already at least one sheet to the wind girl gang and laid a hot, wet, heavy one on me.
I sat down, got introduced, ordered my cosmo and heard the gorgeous, blonde Gwen say to the equally gorgeous, African-American Camille, “Sex hair. Mitch got the business before going to work. She’ll do.”
Third degree over.
I passed.
It was time to get drunk.
Chapter Twenty-Eight