Nick shifted to look at her, concern filling his pale green eyes. “Why?”
“I just wondered,” she said, feeling a little bad for not sharing what she’d been experiencing. She didn’t want to worry him, though, especially when they had so much going on—the construction, setting up his and the team’s new business, her work at the ER, planning the wedding. During their off hours this week, they’d managed to send out invitations, find an officiant, hire a DJ, and apply for their marriage license. Luckily, all the guys already had their dress blues from when the Army had held a memorial service for the fallen members of their A-team a few weeks before.
Eyes narrowed, Nick studied her. “You know we sent the harbor police out to that island where we dropped him, but he was gone when they got there. So once Detective Vance joined our investigation, I had him search for Woodson. Just to be on the safe side.”
Gone? Becca pushed up onto an elbow. Vance’s inquiry was news to her. “So what did he find?”
Nick tucked her hair behind her ear. “Woodson’s not in custody anywhere, but he’s not here. Vance tracked him to South Carolina using credit card transactions. Apparently he has family down there. Looks like he left town right after everything went down. Marz took that video of him spilling all kinds of secrets. No doubt he wanted to get clear of the city in case we turned it over to Church like we threatened.”
Relief flooded through Becca so fast that she sagged back down to her pillow. He wasn’t in Baltimore. Hell, he wasn’t in Maryland. So it really was her imagination at work. “Oh. That’s good.”
Leaning over her, Nick cupped Becca’s face in his hand. “Shit, Becca. I’m sorry. Have you been worrying about this? I should’ve said something, but—”
“No, not worried, exactly. I guess I just needed to know. For closure.” And it was true. Maybe she could stop seeing ghosts around every corner now.
Nick nodded. “Why don’t I have Vance run another trace on him? Make sure he’s still out of the picture? I can’t imagine why he’d come back with how volatile Baltimore’s gang scene is right now. Since the Church Gang imploded, Louis Jackson told us that the word on the street for former Churchmen is leave or die. It’s been open season on them as other gangs fight to consolidate power and take over the heroin trade.”
Becca nodded, Nick’s words strengthening the bulwarks against her fear. “Yeah, that makes sense. But have Vance run the check. It can’t hurt, right?”
“Absolutely. You know I’d do anything to keep you safe, Becca.” He nailed her with a stare full of such fierce love that it stole her breath.
“Of course. And so would I,” she said.
It only took the weekend before Vance had news. He called Monday night after Becca’s shift while everyone was hanging out watching movies in Nick and Jeremy’s living room.
“Vance,” Nick said as he answered his cell and got up from the couch. “How are you?”
“Want me to pause it?” Jeremy asked, sitting in the corner of the other couch next to Charlie, Eileen attempting to fit her growing body on his lap.
Nick waved him off and headed back down the hall toward his office. Becca followed. “And what did you find?” Nick asked as he settled into the chair at his desk. As Becca looked at him sitting there, memories came rushing back. One of her first nights here. Giving Nick a massage after his back had been hurt when he and Beckett had gotten into a fistfight. How he’d kissed her. “Well, that’s good news then.”
The words pulled Becca from her thought. Good news had to mean Woodson was still far away, right?
“Okay, sounds like a plan. Thanks, man,” Nick said.
“What did he say?” she asked when Nick hung up.
He tossed his cell to the desk and reached out for her, pulling her down to straddle his lap. “As recently as last Wednesday, Woodson got a speeding ticket in South Carolina. Vance is still working on recent credit card transactions. But that’s pretty good evidence that he’s stayed put.” Nick stroked his fingers through Becca’s hair. “Vance is going to put out a be-on-the-lookout for Woodson’s car with local PD, on the off chance he returns to the area.”
Becca nodded. “That all sounds good. Thank you for having him do that.”
“A little extra peace of mind never hurts,” he said. Hand slipping behind her neck, he gently pulled her down until their lips met. The kiss was slow and soft and exploring, full of the heat that always flared quickly to life between them. “You’re gonna be my wife in less than two weeks,” he whispered around the edge of the kiss.
The words made her smile. “I am.” The kiss deepened. “Yours to do with whatever you want.”
Nick’s gaze flashed hot. “My thoughts exactly.” He urged her to stand up, then he crossed to the door and closed it. When he turned to her, the expression on his face was predatory, so damn sexy she was immediately wet with anticipation. Without a word, he stood in front of her, unbuttoned and pushed down her jeans and panties, and sank to his knees in front of her. “Right now what I want is for you to come all over my tongue.”
Becca clutched onto the desk behind her as Nick planted his mouth between her legs, his tongue immediately plunging into her folds and finding her clit. Together they worked her jeans the rest of the way off, then Nick pushed her stance wider and settled his big body in tight between her legs.
He was relentless, his fingers holding her open, his tongue alternating between lapping at her and hard, fast flicks, his mouth sucking.
“Oh, God, Nick,” she rasped, her hand falling on his hair and clutching at it. He growled against her, not letting up for a second, and she thrust her hips forward, yearning and seeking and craving even more. She tugged his hair, pulling him in tighter, unable to restrain herself from demanding what she needed.
And it seemed to drive Nick harder, because he worked a thick finger inside her slickness and sucked her in a fast rhythm that had her panting and thrusting and straining. The orgasm hit her like a shock wave, not there one moment and then throwing her head over heels the next. She got light-headed and her knees went soft, forcing her to sag back against the desk.
“Holy shit,” she rasped.
Nick eased his hand free of her and looked up, his gaze so full of smug satisfaction that it made her shake her head as she smiled. And then, eyes on hers, he sucked the wetness off his finger and licked his lips. “You taste fucking delicious, Sunshine.”