Page 16 of Girl Code
Mickey’s throat tightened at his words, “You think she knew?”
“That we had sex? No. But that I was in love with her best friend?Ourbest friend? Yeah. I think she knew, Mick.”
“God.” She felt another rush of tears and tried to shake them away, “I’ve been a horrible friend to her all these years. I never told her about us or that night, about why we stopped talking. She had to have put it together but she never confronted me.”
“Tiffani’s a smart girl but she’s also kind and understanding. She’s your friend. You’re hers. She wouldn’t have wanted to hurt you any more than you’d wanted to hurt her.” Dante sighed again, “Besides, you’re really good at avoiding problems you don’t want to face.”
“Ouch.” She frowned.
“Sorry.”
“It’s true though. I run away from problems. If she’d confronted me, I’d have run away from her the same way I ran away from you.”
“Never again.” Dante nipped at her ear. “Do you hear me, Mick? You’re not running from me anymore. Promise me.”
“I promise.” Mickey swallowed hard.
“Whatever happens with this case, with the hard drive, I’m not losing you again.”
A sense of dread that she’d been steadily attempting to ignore took root in her stomach and Mickey fidgeted, “What if you have to arrest me? I broke the law, Dante. I only have that information because I stole it.”
“I’m not arresting you and I will do everything in my power to make sure nobody else does either.” Dante tilted her chin so that she had to look back over her shoulder at him, “I promise.”
She nodded when he released her face. It wasn’t a promise he could make. Not really. She knew that. Dante was the lead on this case. He’d gone in undercover. But he wasn’t in charge and if his superiors decided to prosecute her, they’d have every right. Dante would fight it though. She knew that. He’d fight for her and he’d protect her, just like he’d promised he would all those years ago.
She believed in him.
“Can you crack it?” He asked suddenly, surprising her.
“The encryption?”
“No, an egg.” Dante chuckled, “Yes, the encryption.”
“Of course I can. I just need a computer and some time.”
“That’s my girl.” He kissed her jaw, “I’ll send a message to my partner tomorrow morning. I’ll tell him where we are and to bring whatever it is you need. Don’t worry. I trust him. He’ll do it without tipping anyone else off. We’ll buy you some time to crack the encryption and then once you do, I’ll call it in and we’ll make a deal with my boss. You hand over the data in exchange for full immunity.”
“That’s…” Mickey sucked in a deep breath, “A well-thought out plan. You didn’t just come up with it now, did you?”
“No.” He admitted, “I’ve been thinking on it from the minute we left your apartment and I knew you still had a copy on you.”
“So why wait? You said you’d contact your partner tomorrow. Why not now?”
Dante’s answering smile was so big she swore she could see the gleam of it reflected in the tile walls, “Because right now, I have the woman of my dreams all to myself, naked and wet and I don’t intend to let her go anytime soon.”
One of his big hands slipped between her legs and Mickey moaned. His other hand moved to her breast. His mouth caressed the shell of her ear and Mickey’s blood turned to molten lava as she arched against him, wantonly begging him for more.
“I want you again.” Dante whispered against her skin.
“Yes.” She found herself whispering back as his fingers found their way to her clit and began to rub.
“Say you’re mine, Mickey. I need to know this isn’t a fantasy. This is real. You’re here with me, every step of the way. You’re mine, even after we leave this house. Say you’re mine.”
Mickey’s hips rose of their own accord, struggling to find a pace with his stroking fingers. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck. The position bowed her back into a tight string and she knew he was looking down her body, past her pert breasts and pointy nipples, straight to the place beneath the water where his fingers were sliding inside of her.
“I’m yours. I’ve always been yours. Always.”
Dante’s answering growl sent a shiver through her and he nipped at her skin, “That’s my girl. Mine. Now come for me again, Mick and don’t stop saying it. You’re mine.”
