“Yes, Jacob.”
I sucked my lip back between my teeth. Though I’d replied appropriately, it wasn’t what I wanted to say. I wanted to scream, to tell him he was crazy, tell him that I’d remember next time. I would. He didn’t need to do this. I also wanted to tell him to just get on with it. Stop making me wait. But then the caress ended, and I changed my mind. I didn’t want him to get on with it. I wanted to beg for it not to happen.
The still air filled with a whistle and then a crack.
It was a split second before the pain registered. In those milliseconds, I knew that I’d never forget this. I also knew that I’d never had this done to me. If I had, I’d remember, because I sure as hell wasn’t ever going to forget this.
“Sara, you need to count. Next time I won’t remind you.”
Next time? No freakin’ way! I am stronger than this.
“One.”
Whistle. Crack!
“Two.” Tears fell from my cheeks to the vanity below.
CHAPTER 13
Stella
“He works in narcotics and homicide, right?”
I stared incredulously at Bernard, hoping that maybe I’d misheard his innuendo, or that the chatter of the other patrons and clinking of the dishes had affected my hearing. “Umm, yes, he does, and I work for you. Would you like me sharing my research with him?”
Bernard’s lips formed a tight line before he replied, “No. You know I wouldn’t. I want to break this story, not DPD.” He leaned across the small coffee shop table in Midtown where we’d met. “But Stella, you have a hell of a great resource at your disposal. I mean, I knew you two were friends, but I didn’t realize how friendly you were until he called me. The guy was very determined to learn your location.” He sighed and leaned back. Picking up his coffee cup, he asked, “What if you’d been out on assignment instead of going to the Wayne County Medical Examiner? Would he have expected me to tell him where you were then?” His brows rose. “I got the distinct impression that he doesn’t often take no for an answer.”
I shook my head. “Really? You’re Bernard Cooper, since when do you worry about someone not taking no for an answer? I’ve never known you to even be fazed by the word. As a matter of fact, isn’t that your calling card?”
“I don’t take no for an answer, and yes, it is my calling card.” His jaw clenched.
Unsure where this was going, I replied, “You lost me.”
“I realize that this is overstepping my bounds, but, well, I have Mindy in the back of my brain, and I want to be sure you’re all right. Does Detective Richards take no for an answer?”
Oh my God!
My neck stiffened. “I don’t know if I should be flattered or offended. Let me tell you that yes, you’ve overstepped your bounds, but not just once. You’ve overstepped your bounds on two counts: First, Dylan and I do not talk work while we’re together. We recognize the conflict of interest. So no, I won’t ask him for information that could substantiate the rumors that something big is happening on the drug front. Second, my personal relationship is none of your business. While I appreciate your concern, I hope you know me well enough to know that I wouldn’t be with a man who didn’t take no for an answer. I’m not wired that way.” I tilted my head to the side and took a drink of my coffee. When he didn’t respond, I added, “After all, I love this job, and I’m damn good at it. But if I can tell my boss, the great Bernard Cooper, to mind his own damn business and take his suggestion to spy on my boyfriend and shove it up his ass, I think I can handle Dylan Richards. And since you’ve admitted to not taking no for an answer, should I be concerned about your wife?”
By the look on Bernard’s face and the color of his neck and cheeks, I might have gone a little too far. Unfortunately, speaking my mind had never been something I was good at monitoring. In business I was usually pretty good at filtering, but not when it came to my personal life. My mouth would take on a mind of its own.
This was both business and personal. I should have filtered. I’d blame the fact that I hadn’t on lack of sleep or worry over my friend. No matter the cause, I’d look for another job before I let Bernard Cooper or anyone else think that he or she could tell me what to do when it wasn’t something I was comfortable doing.
The longer Bernard remained silent, the clearer my future became. Finally I nodded and threw my phone in my purse. As I began to scoot from the booth, Bernard said, “So you’re walking away from this job you love because I’m concerned about you?”