Chapter 2

A few more days passed, but the detectives weren't having any luck with the case.

"Check it out, Chelsea," Eddie said one afternoon as he tossed a gossip magazine onto her desk. "Page twenty-six. There's an article about your girl."

Not sure who he was referring to at first, she flipped to the article and saw a picture of Raven Baxter walking down the street hand in hand with a woman. A quick scan of the article told her they were exiting a restaurant in L.A. and it was an ex-girlfriend. "Guess she isn't an ex anymore," Chelsea said indifferently as she closed the magazine and set it aside.

"She's always in the magazines for some reason or other," he said.

"That's hardly big news, Eddie. Heaven forbid she walks down the street with her girlfriend. The shocker is that you actually read those magazines enough to know that she's always in them," Chelsea teased. "Keep your opinions to yourself because I'm about to call her," Chelsea warned. She needed to give the designer an update.

Before Chelsea could pick up the phone, it rang. "Detective Daniels speaking," she answered. "Raven, I was just getting ready to call you." Chelsea shrugged as Eddie looked at her questioningly. "Sure…I'll see you then."

"What was that all about?" Eddie asked immediately.

"She says she needs to speak with me about something. I'm meeting her in half an hour."

"Probably another phantom burglar."

Chelsea looked at Eddie reproachfully. They had zero reason to believe this was a false report. "Dude, what is up with you? You're acting crankier than normal."

Eddie's face softened. "Sorry," he said. "It's Chantel. She's stressing me out with this whole wedding thing. My cookie-lips has expensive taste."

Chelsea mentally rolled her eyes at Eddie's nickname for Chantel. "Why don't you just tell her to slow her roll?"

Eddie looked at her like she was crazy. "She won't take it very well."

"Better that you tell her now and let her be upset than to be drowning in debt before you're even married," Chelsea said as she straightened up some files on her desk.

"You are no help at all, Chelsea."

The detective smiled as she stood up and grabbed her jacket. "I'm going to meet Raven. I'll catch up with you later."

Eddie watched her go and sighed as he looked at the stack of files on his desk.


Raven sat outside at a small café with a glass of water. She nervously tapped the business card Detective Daniels had given her a few days ago on the table while she waited for her to arrive. It was a sunny day and her sunglasses were firmly in place as she watched the people around her.

San Francisco was one of the few places she could go without too much recognition and she loved it. Most people knew her name, not necessarily her face, but her publicist kept her informed at the alarming rate she seemed to be appearing in magazines more and more these days. She liked the anonymity she had, but it was slowly deteriorating and the attempted burglary from a few nights ago made her question just how much her privacy had been compromised.

When Raven finally saw the pretty detective coming her way, she felt a sense of relief wash over her, but she wasn't sure exactly why. She barely knew the woman. Sitting up a little straighter in her chair, she pushed her sunglasses up to rest on top of her head.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hi. Is everything okay?" Chelsea asked as she took a seat across from the designer.

"Everything is fine. I just wanted to talk about the case in person rather than on the phone," Raven explained. She was starting to feel a little silly for dragging the detective out for no better reason.

"Well, unfortunately, we don't have much. The fibers were a dead end and the fingerprints aren't coming up in the database. Are you sure you can trust everyone that works for you?" Chelsea asked. A waiter approached and she ordered a glass of water.

"That's a loaded question," Raven said, chuckling softly. "When you become famous, you learn that most of the people around you just want something from you. But as far as the housekeeper goes, I trust her."

Chelsea noticed that the designer seemed to be troubled about something. "Are you sure there's nothing else?"

"Actually, I haven't even been home yet. I was wondering if…maybe you'd go with me," Raven said bashfully.

Chelsea watched her for a beat before answering. "Sure," she said gently. Raven gave a relieved smile and Chelsea felt her stomach flutter. Oh boy, she thought to herself.


"Everything is all clear," Chelsea said as she made her way down the last few steps to where Raven was waiting.

The designer let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I feel much better now," she smiled.

"No problem," Chelsea said and found herself returning the smile as they stood there staring at each other. "Well…I should get going."

"You don't have to," Raven said softly as she took a step closer. "Maybe we could…" She was cut off by a sound coming from the detective's pocket.

Chelsea quickly pulled her phone out to see that she had received a text from Eddie. "I have to get back to the station," she explained, "but…maybe I could come back later." Her heart sped up as she waited for a response. She couldn't believe she had the nerve to suggest it, but there was something about the designer that drew her in.

Raven smiled prettily. "That'd be nice."

After saying goodbye, Chelsea left the house and climbed into her car. So much for not getting involved, she thought.

Eddie was going to freak.


"So, what did Raven want?" Eddie asked. His eyes remained focused on the road as he drove. They were on their way back to the station after checking out a call. The burglar was still inside the home when they arrived and had been apprehended easily.

Chelsea glanced at him from the passenger seat, knowing that it would be in her best interest to keep the fact that she was going to see Raven later to herself. "She was just scared to go back home. I went with her."

Eddie grunted. "You know, we have better things to do than babysit."

Chelsea furrowed her brow. It was obvious that she and her partner had developed two very different opinions of Raven Baxter and she found herself feeling defensive of the woman. "Eddie, we have dealt with people in the past, celebrity or not, who have been more difficult than Raven was. What is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem," Eddie retorted angrily as he pulled into the station, "but it sure does seem like you have a soft spot for her."

They got out of the car and Chelsea slammed the door a little harder than necessary. "So now you're going to pick a fight with me?"

"I'm not picking a fight, but you seem to be defending this woman at every turn."

"And you seem to dislike her for no good reason," Chelsea said. "This is ridiculous. My shift is over. I'll see you tomorrow."

Eddie watched as she made her way to her car and ran a frustrated hand through his hair before making his way inside.


Still jumpy from all that had happened, Raven nearly had a panic attack when she heard the doorbell ring. A quick glance at the clock told her that it was nearing seven-thirty and she quickly wiped her hands on a dishtowel before going to answer the door. A feeling of excitement ran through her when she saw the detective on the other side. Her hair, which was always in a ponytail whenever Raven saw her, flowed beautifully down her back and around her shoulders. She was dressed simply in a snug t-shirt, jeans and a pair of brown leather boots.

"Hi," Raven finally said.

"Hi…I'm sorry. I probably should have called first," Chelsea said, feeling self-conscious.

"No, it's okay. I'm just glad you came. Please, come in." She moved aside and studied Chelsea as she shut the door.

"Has everything been okay?" Chelsea asked.

"Fine. I'm still a little paranoid, but I think I'll be okay," Raven said before making her way to the kitchen.

Chelsea followed and took the opportunity to check the woman out, her full hips filling out the jeans she wore nicely. She couldn't remember a time in her life where she had ever been so attracted to someone.

"Something smells great," she said as she took a seat at the island.

Raven smiled and grabbed two oven mitts. "Well, I thought you might be hungry, so I made lasagna," she said, taking the dish out of the oven and sitting on the counter to cool.

"Um…actually, Raven…I'm a vegetarian," the detective said, feeling guilty. Raven pouted and Chelsea couldn't help but smile at how cute she looked.

"Oh," Raven said dejectedly. But her pout quickly turned into a grin as she hurried to the fridge. "Bam!" she exclaimed as she pulled out a clear glass bowl. It was filled to the top with a garden salad. "I got you covered," she said proudly.


"Your home is beautiful," Chelsea said a short while later as she looked around the dining room.

"Thanks," Raven said before taking a sip of wine. "Most of my work is in L.A., but I prefer to live away from the hustle and bustle. I used to want that when I was younger, but I've come to realize that it isn't important."

Chelsea laughed softly. "You talk as if you're old."

"I feel old sometimes. I'm twenty-eight. How about you?"

"Twenty-nine," Chelsea answered. "You must've had success at a very early age."

"I started my own clothing line before I finished high school. I did fairly well in a couple of the local stores, but my big break came when I landed an internship for Donna Cabonna. I'd like to say that my success came solely from my own talents, but sometimes it's all about who you know," Raven smiled.

"True, but talent must have a lot to do with it considering how popular your clothing is," Chelsea said.

"Thanks," Raven said. "So, how about you, detective? You seem pretty successful yourself."

Chelsea shrugged as she took a sip of wine. "After high school, I went to college for a couple of years to become an environmental biologist."

"An environmental biologist to a police officer," Raven inquired. "Seems like a strange transition."

"It was," the detective agreed. "When I was in high school, I was totally into the environment and being a vegetarian. I had every intention of becoming a biologist, but somehow everything changed. I decided that I wanted to really help the world in a very direct way and I couldn't think of anything better than becoming a police officer. Needless to say, my parents freaked, but eventually they supported me and here I am," she shrugged.

Raven listened closely, interested in learning everything she could about Chelsea. "Don't you ever get scared?" she asked.

"Believe me, I was at first. Ever since I was kid, I was always going on about the animals and how you shouldn't harm other living things, but then, suddenly, there I was being issued a gun and a badge," Chelsea explained. "I guess somewhere along the way I decided that it was important to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. And now…here I am in property crimes."

Raven let out a melodious chuckle. "Property crimes? I don't think I've ever heard of that division."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," the redhead smiled. "Actually, I started off as a homicide detective, but…it was difficult," Chelsea finished softly as she looked away and took a sip of her wine.

Raven watched her quietly and she could only imagine the horrors Chelsea must have seen as a cop. "Well," the designer began, "I, for one, will forever be grateful that you transferred to property crimes."

Chelsea returned Raven's bright smile.


After dinner, they moved to the living room, sitting closely on the sofa as they continued to talk, half empty wine glasses forgotten on the coffee table.

"When I was in high school, I had the biggest crush on Boyz 'N Motion," Raven admitted as Chelsea laughed. "Actually, I was kind of just boy crazy in general and rarely did it work out. I'm pretty sure I know why now," she joked.

"I dated a few guys," Chelsea said. "There was one who was pretty special. His name was Ben. We just kind of clicked." She hadn't thought about it in a long time, but she remembered the secret Ben had shared with her and all of the trouble it caused them in school. She had always kept that secret for him and decided that it was best to continue doing so. Raven probably wouldn't believe it anyway, Chelsea thought to herself.

"What happened to him?" Raven asked. She tucked one leg underneath herself and rested an arm on the back of the couch, giving herself a better view of the pretty detective.

"College. He went out of state. We tried to make it work, but eventually we grew apart. Needless to say, it wouldn't have worked out in the long run. In the end we were more like best friends than boyfriend and girlfriend anyway," she said.

Raven watched as Chelsea seemingly became lost in thought. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

Chelsea snapped herself out of it. "I'm sorry," she said as she looked at Raven. "It was just a tough day at work. My partner and I got into a disagreement."

"Was it about me?" Raven asked.

The detective furrowed her brow. "What makes you think that?"

The designer shrugged innocently. "Just a guess. I've always been pretty perceptive. It's a gift." She was relieved when Chelsea seemed to accept the explanation. "I know he doesn't like me very much."

"Eddie's anger is just misplaced at the moment," Chelsea said.

"I don't want to cause trouble for you. Maybe we shouldn't…"

"No," Chelsea interrupted gently. She reached across the short distance between them and grabbed Raven's hand. "Eddie is my partner and my friend, but he doesn't dictate what I do or who I see," she said.

Raven was relieved to hear it. She caressed Chelsea's fingers with her own and moved a little closer. "I'm really glad you came tonight."

"Me, too," Chelsea said softly. She closed her eyes as Raven leaned in and her body tingled as she felt soft lips press against her own.

The attraction that both women felt was strong and they lost themselves in the kiss as it grew deeper. Raven was the first to break away, but it wasn't long before she moved in again, her tongue tasting Chelsea's lips before sliding inside.

Chelsea moaned softly. She didn't want to stop, but she pulled away and rested her head against Raven's. "That was…" she breathed, unable to describe how she felt.

Raven smiled beautifully as she looked into rich brown eyes. "I know," she agreed, but her smile fell when Chelsea stood up from the couch.

"I should probably get home," the redhead said, still a little breathless. She could have happily traded kisses with the designer all night long, but she didn't want to rush into anything no matter how badly her body yearned for it.

"You don't have to go," Raven said softly, moving to stand close to Chelsea. She settled her hands on the detective's hips and kissed her again.

Eventually, Chelsea managed to free her lips, but was unable to stop herself from planting one last kiss on Raven's mouth.

"Hey, I wasn't finished," Raven protested as she looked at Chelsea with a pout. She lightly brushed a lock of hair away from the detective's face. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm incredibly attracted to you," she confessed.

Chelsea smiled and kissed Raven yet again. "I'm attracted to you, too, but I don't want to rush this," she explained gently, laughing when Raven gave an exaggerated groan in defeat.

"So, when can I see you again?" the designer asked as she slowly rubbed her hands up and down the length of Chelsea's arms.

"My schedule can be pretty crazy sometimes, but I promise I'll call you," Chelsea said softly.

"I'll be waiting," Raven replied with a grin. She slowly walked the detective to the door, reluctant for her to leave. Chelsea's presence made her feel safe. "As you can see, my new security system has been installed," she said, pointing to the device located on the wall.

"Good," Chelsea said as she inspected it. She disliked the fact that they hadn't been able to find out anything more about who tried to break into the designer's home and she felt better about leaving if she knew Raven had some sort of protection. "Make sure you set it and check all of the doors and windows after I leave," Chelsea ordered as she slipped back into detective mode.

Raven thought the authoritative tone in the detective's voice was sexy. "Yes, ma'am," she said with a devilish grin.

Chelsea returned the smile and with one last kiss, she finally left.