Page 2 of Resolution

“We’ll meet you somewhere else then,” Miguel said, taking the phone out of my hand. “Would that be okay?”

“Well, that’s why I was calling,” Cassidy said. “I’m hoping you two can help with our homicide investigation. Like I said, the scene is pretty gruesome. You guys really don’t want to see this body. How about we meet you for breakfast somewhere?”

I blew out a relieved breath as I glanced at the clock then back at Miguel. The very last thing I wanted to wake up to was a request to go look at a moldering body that’d been dead for weeks. “Okay, give us an hour or so. Where would you like to meet, Cassidy?”

“How about we meet at Mel’s Drive-in?”

I glanced at Miguel who nodded. “That’d be fine, Cass,” he said. “Is the one in Santa Monica okay? The one here in Hollywood isn’t as good.”

Cassidy chuckled. “That’s fine with us. Closer to our office where we’ll be heading after breakfast anyway. How about we say six-thirty?”

“That works. See you then, Cass.” I hung up and set the phone back on the bedside table, glancing at Miguel. “If Dave Reynolds is dead, I suppose it explains why he didn’t return any of my messages.”

Miguel nodded, thinning his lips. “I’d say that’s accurate.”

I inclined my head absently before I caught the scent of my own sweat. I lifted my arm to sniff my pit. “Shit, I need a shower.”

He smiled before reaching for me and we fell back onto the bed in each other’s arms. “I love the way you smell,” he said against my lips.

My lips twitched. “Of course, you do. You fucked me last night and I smell like your come.”

He kissed me softly, holding me against his big body. I groaned as I felt his erection pressing urgently into my thigh. Kissing him back, I wanted nothing more than to give in to my body’s urges now that I had him right where I wanted him. I reluctantly pulled back from the kiss and looked into his eyes, worry suddenly rushing back as I thought of the conversation with Cassidy.

“We need to get into the shower if we’re going to meet them on time.”

He groaned, dropping his forehead and resting it against mine. “Damn…it!”

I slapped his ass before letting him go and rolling away. “Come on…up with you.” I slid to the floor, standing naked beside the bed as I held out my hand. “Come on.”

He pulled the comforter down, showing me his rampant erection as he slowly pumped it up and down. He grinned. “I am up…clearly.”

My mouth began to water but I dutifully tore my gaze away, dropping my hand, and turning to go.

“Wait. Where are you going? You can’t leave me like this,” he whined.

I grinned to myself, walking to the bathroom as I called over my shoulder, “We’re gonna be late!” I heard his grunt and words of protest as I turned on the water, sobering as my thoughts turned to the dead investigator. His murder had to tie in to our case; I just didn’t know how. But I also knew that whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.

Chapter One

MIGUEL

We climbed into Raven’s truck a half hour later. Thankfully, Dolly had shown up on time and we’d just had time to brew coffee and pour it into travel mugs before leaving her with Raven’s nana. If nothing else, I had to admit I was becoming increasingly addicted to Raven’s fancy Starbucks coffee, having spent over two decades drinking the swill Marines call coffee and then the cheap stuff, which was the only thing I’d been able to afford over the last decade. As he slid into the driver’s seat beside me, I settled in and lifted the mug to take a huge sip. He started the engine and I nearly spat the “coffee” onto the dashboard, holding the cup away from my face, staring at it like it’d sprung a cobra’s head, baring venomous fangs.

“What the fuck is this?” I asked, swallowing the vile stuff with a grimace rather than soil Raven’s truck. He glanced over at me, and I was relieved to see the devilish smile on his full lips since he’d obviously been worried after the phone call with Cassidy.

“It’s coffee.”

My jaw dropped open as I spluttered, trying my best to forget the taste on my tongue. “It is not! It tastes like dirt.”

“It’s not the usual,” he said, sounding way too flippant.

I stared at his profile and the amused smile he was wearing. “I should say not. What the fuck is it?”

“Mushroom coffee.”

My eyes flew wide with horror. “Oh, God, no! How could you just replace your Starbucks with this?” I held the cup out, staring at the offending object before bringing it close and sniffing it through the tiny hole in the plastic lid. My nose wrinkled as I looked over at him. The grin on his face as he stared out the windshield while he drove was downright evil. I narrowed my eyes at his profile as a thought occurred to me. “Wait a minute. We were at Sprouts yesterday and I asked you to make sure to grab coffee while I went to the meat section. Is this what you bought?”

He turned to look at me with an inscrutable glance. “Yes, I went back and swapped it after I saw what you picked up in the meat department.”

---