Page 27 of Heart Me Up
Monday morning,Amy’s call woke me from an intensely pleasant dream involving Craig’s ass and my well-placed fingers. Fuck.
“Yes?” I rasped out.
“Wow, late night?”
“No, good dream.” I made ammmnoise as I snuggled into the sheets.
“Well, fuck me sideways, did you get laid over the weekend? Wait, he’s not still there, is he?”
“Mmm, no.”
“No, you didn’t get laid, or no, he’s not still there?”
I made myself open my eyes. “He didn’t stay over. It wasn’t last night anyway. And we only had phone sex.” Well, if you don’t count me coming in my pants from Craig just talking in my ear while we werestanding outside on my driveway.I coughed and sat up. “What’s going on?”
“Okay, I’m gonna need details later, but we caught a case. Looks like another overdose.” That woke me up completely.
“Let me get dressed and I’ll be right there.”
Amy snorted. “No offense, loverboy, but if your dream was that good, you’re not getting in the car with me until you’ve had a shower.”
I huffed a laugh. “No comment. See you in thirty.”
* * *
The body was in an abandoned warehouse in southeast Bent Oak. Our little town didn’t really have a seedy side, but in my opinion, some of the areas closest to Austin were getting there.
The building had no air conditioning. Central Texas in September meant the daytime temperatures were still in the nineties, and the guy had been dead for at least a couple of days. Patrol had sent over some rookies to cordon off the warehouse for us, and more than one of them vomited from the smell. I compensated by breathing through my teeth and taking frequent breaks.
By the time the coroner had transported the body away and Amy and I had canvassed the other businesses in the area for leads and security cameras, I was ready for a shower and a beer, in that order. But reports didn’t write themselves, so Amy and I made the most of a pack of baby wipes she kept in the glove box and got on the road back to the station.
Great Aunt Charlotte could always sense when I was unoccupied. Especially if she wanted something. When her name come up on my phone, I went on the offensive before she could even say hello. “I’m not letting you set me up again,” I told her. I’d said the same thing the morning after my disastrous blind date with James, but I’d learned to make my boundaries clear with Aunt Charlotte.
“Is that any way to greet your elderly great aunt?” Charlotte enjoyed a little manipulation. Maybe that’s why James’ grandmother disliked her so much.
“Uh huh. Why are you calling?”
“Not to set you up with anyone. In fact, I’m a little ticked off—no, let me be clear—I’m alotticked off you let me set you up with Helen’s grandson in the first place.”
“Um, what? You were the one who bribed me to do it.”
“Well, that’s because you didn’t tell me you were seeing someone, isn’t it?” Her tone was hurt and angry.
I groaned. No doubt James had told his grandmother Craig was my boyfriend. I’d avoided telling Aunt Charlotte how exactly I’d extricated myself from James, but now I’d have to come clean. “It’s really new and—”
“Not if you’ve given him a collar already,” she snapped out. Oh,fuck.
“Um.” I struggled with how to respond. Next to me, Amy was casting concerned glances my way. “It was—”
“Helen was all in an uproar over James finding out you were into puppy play.” She gave a dainty yet disdainful snort. “She called you all sorts of names, as if being in the lifestyle was something to be ashamed of.”
“Huh?” was all I managed.
“Foster, I get it. No one wants to discuss their sex life with their great aunt.” I turned to Amy and mouthedHelp me, but she shook her head, grinning. She couldn’t hear what Charlotte was saying, but Amy could never be counted on to take my side against my aunt anyway. Maybe I could turn on the siren and pretend there was an emergency. “But your Uncle Baxter and I were quite adventurous in our day.” Oh, god, no. I made a whining sound, but Aunt Charlotte took it as an inquiry.
“Oh, yes. Baxter used to love it when I put him in cuffs. And a little spanking got him all revved up.”
I covered my face with my entire arm. “Aunt Charlotte, I—”
