“Lay off, Brig,” Gina said. “The point is that Demi's a mess.”
“Am not.” Demi hated that Gina was probably right, and that her sisters saw right through her protest. “Okay, so maybe I am tense. I haven't had a break from the job forâ¦hell, since I got back from St. Croix over two months ago.”
“Fine.” Cal sighed. “I'll ask the chief if we can have some time off.”
“Chicago will be okay for a few days.” Gina smiled. “It'll still be here when you get back, with all the creepy paranorms roaming around stirring up trouble.”
Cal's lips twisted. “That's what I'm afraid of.”
“See?” Demi threw her hands up. “He thinks he can save all of Chicago.”
“Not possible, man.” Aurai laid a hand on Cal's arm. “Takes more than you two to put the pinch on the renegades of the paranormal community.”
“Hey. I'll still be here while they're off humping in the sheets,” Brigid said. “What am I, chopped tinder?” The dragons stirred beneath the netting, shooting out blasts of flames. “You understand me, don't you?” She leaned close to the little fire-starters, cooing as if they were a litter of puppies. “It's okay. We'll get you out of that mess soon enough.”
Gina stepped in front of Brigid. “They stay where they are until we can get them somewhere safe.” One of the dragons shot out a long stream of fire, singeing Gina's butt. She squealed and leaped out of the way. “Damn it.” She twisted her arm and formed a ball of water, throwing it like a snowball at the offender. The water splashed over the dragon and it hissed its displeasure.
“Leave it to me.” Cal slipped an arm around Demi and pulled her against him. “I'll get us some time off.”
Demi let the stress roll over her shoulders, feeling tired to the bone. Cal's warm body next to hers stirred up a valiant rebirth of her flagging libido. “Really?”
He kissed the top of her head. “Yeah.”
“What about the rising stats of paranormal crimes?”
His arm stiffened around her middle as if he was fighting his instinct to stay and contribute to the greater good of the city. Then he sighed and loosened his hold. “Let someone else handle them for a couple days.”
“Don't worry about Chicago,” Brigid said airily. “I'll manage fine while you two take a vacation.”
The paranormal extraction van rolled up beside them and two technicians hopped out, loaded the demon into the back and reached for the net with the dragons trapped beneath. Fire shot out between the tiny squares of fireproof strands. “Ouch!” One of the technicians yelped and jerked his hand back.
“Amateurs.” Brigid tucked her long ebony hair down the back of her black leather jacket, gathered the edges of the net together and slung it gently over her shoulder. The dragon flies hissed and fluttered as they tumbled inside the webbing. As if they sensed a kindred spirit in Demi's sister, they didn't attack her. She nodded to Gina, Selena and Aurai. “See you guys at dinner tomorrow night.” She turned to Demi and Cal. “And I better not see you two.” With a grin at the paranormal extraction techs, she climbed into the back with the demon. “Let's get this paddy wagon rollin'.”
Demi couldn't help the smile and the slight sense of relief she felt at Cal's promise to ask for time off. If only it was that simple.
* * *
An hour later, Cal stood in Chief Warner's office pleading their case. “We haven't had a day off in two months. Demi and I are burned out.”
“And everyone else is in the same boat. But every day we get another two or three calls about strange happenings in the city. I don't know what's going on, but it's as if someone left the gate open and every slimeball paranorm is crawling out of the gutters, stirrin' up trouble.”
“Yeah, and do you see an end in sight?” Cal asked.
“No.”
“Neither do we. But we can't keep pushing ourselves like we have. If your team gets too tired, they start making mistakes.”
“Are you telling me Demi allows herself, or you, to make any mistakes?”
Cal shook his head, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. “No, but it could be a matter of time. I'm only asking for three days. Three lousy days in which I can get Demi out of the city, far enough away from here that she won't be sucked back in for some emergency or other.”
The lieutenant lifted a file from his desk and tapped it across his open palm.
“Three days and I'll pull doubles for a week when we get back,” Cal added to his plea.
“Okay.”
“I'll even take a shift in the paranormal retention centerâ”
“I said okay. And stop begging.” The chief held up the folder. “You can have the time off, on one condition.”
Cal's heart pounded at the thought of getting Demi alone for three days and all the sexy things he would do to her body. “Anything.”
Chief Warner's lips twitched in his otherwise poker face. “You and Demi deliver a package to the Fifth Precinct in New York City and you can have the next three days off.”
Hope surged, then crashed to his stomach at the way the chief's lips jerked on the corners, as if he was holding back a grin. Dreading the answer, Cal asked, “What's in the package?”
Chief Warner's lips spread into a wide grin. “I'll let you know when you get to the airport.”
* * *
“Three days? Away from the city? Where are we going?” Demi stepped out of the bathroom dressed in a sheer forest-green baby-doll nightgown and paused, running the toes of her right leg along the back of her left calf, fully aware that her breasts showed through the thin fabric.
Cal's Adam's apple bobbed as he leaned his back against the headboard, wearing nothing but a smile in the bed of his apartment. “It's a surprise.” His gaze raked over her, his cock hardening and coming to attention. “Where'd you get that?” he asked, nodding toward her.
Demi shrugged. “It's a little something I was saving to wear for a special occasion.”
“We're not on our vacation yet. Not that I'm complaining.” He held out his hand. “Come here. I'd come to you, but I don't think I can move.” He stretched his back and cringed. “That demon⦔
Demi nodded. “I've a few bruises of my own.” She did her best vamp across the room. “We could just lie in bed and count each other's bruisesâ¦or⦔ Walking her fingers up his bare chest, she touched his lips. “We could start our vacation early.” Her back ached and the bruises hurt every time she bumped one, but dammit, she wasn't going to pass on this round of sex.
Cal captured her finger and kissed the tip. “I've had one cup of coffee over my limit so I'm jacked up on caffeine. I'm good for at least twenty minutes.” He winked and tugged her closer.
“As tired as I am, I'm determined to stay awake for the concert and the encore.”
“I'd be satisfied with the concert.” He pulled her across him, his heart tugging as she winced. “I wanted to kill that demon for throwing you.”
“Kinda felt the same way when he threw you.” She sat in his lap, wiggling her bottom.
Grinning, Cal pinched her naked ass. “Mmm. I like that. No panties means we can shave a few minutes off that twenty.”
“No way. I want foreplay.”
He frowned. “Last time I tried a little foreplay, you fell asleep.”
She straddled his legs and rubbed her pussy along his erection. “I think I can stay awake tonight. Considering we're officially on vacation, I can sacrifice a little sleep to the cause.”
“Uh, Demi, about this vacationâ”
She pressed a finger to his lips. “Shh. I really don't care where we go as long as it's not Chicago.”
“It's not Chicago.”
“I still can't believe you got the chief to let us leave.” She grinned, excitement revving her internal engines.
“Oh, I can believe he'd let us.” Cal swallowed. “I wasâ¦uhâ¦pretty convincing.” He gave her a crooked smile.
She loved this man more than she ever imagined she could. “Let me show you how appreciative I can be.” She kissed his eyelids and the tip of his nose, rubbing her pussy along his length. “I'm going to make you so hot you could heat the state of Illinois.”
“Honey, it won't take much.” He squeezed his eyes shut, his fingers digging into the comforter.
Demi lifted his hand and guided it beneath her nightgown to one of her breasts. “Pinch it.”
He complied, rolling the taut nipple between his thumb and forefinger. “Why are you still wearing this?” He flapped the gown.
“Shh. A little less talking, a little more action.” She sealed his lips with a kiss, her tongue thrusting through to tangle with his. When she broke free, Demi slid her mouth along his jawline and down to his throat, scooting over him to take one of his little brown nipples into her mouth.
Already his cock was so hard he could drive nails with it and she wanted it even harder when he drove it into her.
His body tense, his jaw tight, Cal said, “Babe, I'm not sure I can take much more of this.”
“Two minutes. That's all I'm asking you to wait. Then it's my turn.” She ripped the gown over her head and tossed it over the chair beside the bed. “And I want the whole enchilada.” Demi plumped her full breasts. “These haven't seen near the amount of action they should.”
“I'm on it.” He leaned forward and sucked one nipple into his mouth.
Her core heated and she pressed her breast deeper. “That's more like it. But I'm not done with you.” She tore free and wiggled her way down his legs, her mouth blazing a path along his chest and over his flat abs to where his cock jutted up, straight and proud, pulsing with his need.
“Ready to be ignited?” She slid her lips over him, tonguing the tip, dipping into the hole on the end.
He surged upward, filling her mouth with his thick girth, thrusting deep until his cock bumped the back of her throat. She pulled back. “Eager, are we?”
“It's been more than a week,” he said through gritted teeth. “What can I say?”
“Please?”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Please.”
Demi cupped his balls and lowered her mouth over him again, taking him all the way in, then slipped up to the velvety rim and back down again. He pumped into her mouth, his hips rocking.
Demi loved to get him off. It made her hot and slicked her channel better than anything. Well, almost as much as when he went down on her. That was pure heaven.
The thought made her impatient for her turn. When she thought she had him on the very edge, Demi pulled free and spun around, giving him access to her.
He scooted diagonally across the bed, parted her thighs and positioned her knees on either side of his head, then captured her buttocks in his big hands and lowered her on top of him until his tongue could flick the lips of her channel.
A moan rose up her throat and she sank down, sucking his dick into her mouth, taking him in and out, loving the musky taste of him, the hard shaft encased in velvety skin.
Cal parted her folds and tongued her clit, licking it in long, sweeping strokes, priming her engine before he began flicking the strip of flesh so tightly packed with nerves.
Her fingers sinking into Cal's buttocks, Demi pulled him deeper into her mouth as he thrust his tongue into her cunt. It was greatâ¦but not nearly enough. He fingered her anus, poking his thumb into the tight hole.
Demi arched her back and sank lower until he could suck her clit into his mouth. She was on fire, so hot she was going to explode.
It started in her core, rippling outward like a flash of lightning, spreading across her body in tingling waves all the way to her toes. She let go of his cock and held her breath in her throat while she rode the waves for a few brief seconds.
Then Cal was shoving her down his legs. She crawled forward as he scooted out from under her, and came up to his knees on the bed behind her. His hands gripped her hips, he positioned his cock at her entrance and slammed home, filling her to full, his girth stretching her deliciously.
With each thrust, she rocked backward, taking him deeper, loving the rapid-fire pumping, the animalistic position and the vigor with which he took her.
Faster and faster, he fucked her until he halted suddenly, leaned over her and grasped her breasts then thrust one last time, his cock throbbing inside her.
After a long, thoroughly satisfying moment, he pulled her down on the bed beside him and into his embrace.
“Now that's a good start to this vacation,” she said, snuggling into the crook of his arm, her cheek resting against his warm chest. “Where is it you said we were going?” She yawned, her eyelids already drooping.
He stroked her arm, his hand gliding over her hip to cup her buttocks. “I didn't.”
She smiled sleepily. “That's right. It's a surprise.”
Chapter Two
“I don't know what he has planned.” Demi juggled her cell phone against her ear as she balanced her purse on one arm and dragged her suitcase with the other toward the hangar at the Chicago Midway International Airport. “He wasn't in bed when I woke up this morning. He left a note to meet him at the airport. That's all I know.”
“Oh, I'm so excited for you,” Selena gushed into Demi's ear. “He's taking you away from Chicago, by charter air, no less. What could be more romantic?” She sighed. “I've got to get out more.”
“You really need to date, sweetie. You're a catch by any man's standards.”
“Yeah, but you and I know it would take a very special man to accept me for who I am.”
“I found one.” Demi's heart swelled as she caught sight of Cal at the corner of the hangar, talking to a man Demi assumed was a pilot.
“Yes, you did. I hope I'm lucky enough to find a man like Cal to love me and all my baggage.”
“You'll find one even better suited to you. We're all different.”