“Oh, but you can throw shade at mine?” he shouted back.
“You fucked my wife.”
He threw his hands in the air, turning in a circle before facing me again.
“When are you going to get past that? Is that what this is? You’re getting back at me for having an affair with Juliet and trying to destroy my career, my reputation.”
Before I could respond, Wes stepped in, creating a buffer between us and forcing us apart.
“This isn’t going anywhere,” he rumbled. “Stand down,” he said, turning to me. “And you—” He swiveled to Matt. “Yourname is on the report.Youwere the officer to log it into the case file. This is about a man behind bars due to false evidence and a young girl who still needs justice. Fuck an affair. No one cares.”
Matt blinked back at him, the anger in his face slowlydisappearing as Wes put it into perspective.
“I didn’t get the report. I thought you did,” Matt said to me.
I shook my head. “I didn’t touch that evidence.”
“Then someone else within the department has an agenda. It wasn’t me, I swear on my life.”
I scratched my hand along my jaw, trying to process this.
Fuck.
I believed him. But if it wasn’t Monroe that was dirty, then who was? And who were they covering up for?
29
Scarlett
Cold water splashing across my face was the invigorating boost I needed to start my day. Black flecks from my mascara still dotted under my eyes. After getting home from Charlie and Sheila’s house last night, I fell asleep waiting for Luke to get home again. I hadn’t even washed my face before getting into bed.
“Morning. What time did you get home last night?” I asked Luke. His bare back was begging for my hands to climb it as he stood at the coffeepot. His body was so warm. Even shirtless in late October, he pumped heat off his skin like a space heater.
He turned around and pulled me to his chest. A sexy growl purred in my ear.
“Just after 9:00 p.m. After we talked to Monroe, Wes and I went back to his garage to go over everything. You were already passed out in bed when I got back.”
“Mmmm. You should have woken me up,” I said. Luke’s hand slipped up the front of my sleep shirt, his thumb making slow circles around my nipple.
“You’ve needed the sleep,” he said. “But you’re not sleeping now.” The sting of his nip on my ear sent a shot of desire through me.
“Don’t you have to get to work?” My voice was breathy, my pulse quickly rising.
“We’ll just have to be quick.” His hand slipped into the waistband of my underwear. His fingers parted my slit, and he swiped through my wetness while his mouth clashed with mine.
It wasn’t five minutes later that stars blinded my vision as Luke slammed into me, his thrusts finding the sensitive spot along my inner walls. His movements picked up pace, his breath hot on my skin where he sucked on the pulse point in my neck. He followed me over the edge on a groan.
What a way to start the day. And he wasn’t even going to be late for work.
Luke wet a paper towel and kissed a path up the inside of my thigh before gently wiping away the evidence of our passion.
When he finished, he helped me back into my panties, sliding them up my legs for me.
“Is it weird that I get just as much enjoyment out of helping you dress as I do helping you undress?” he said with a laugh.
“I love… that you about you.” Luke’s mossy green eyes brightened, his gaze roaming my face. I tried to redirect. To catch myself before I said the words that I really wanted to say. I never wanted him to feel pressured, especially just coming out of a marriage before he and I got together. He deserved to take as long as he needed without feeling rushed to meet me where I was.
“I love you, Letty. You know that, right? That I’m madlyin love with you. That I have been for longer than I think I knew.” His hand pushed into my curls, his other hand on my hip. Butterflies erupted in my belly. I laughed in part astonishment and part relief. His words went straight to my heart.
