Thank you all SO MUCH for the great response to chapter two! I really love hearing what people have to say about the story so far. Keep it up!
And I know from reviews that many of you have concerns about Ryan, but that story line is going somewhere, so you'll just have to be patient and wait ;)
This chapter is a bit slower, I know, and I had to split in into two pieces or else it would have been massively long. Plus, now you all get an update (during college finals week, I might add. This is nothing short of a miracle here, people). Anyway, please enjoy and remember to read and review!
Oh! And last but not least, a very special thank you goes out to my beta, balladofbliss - I have no idea what I'd do without her!
Disclaimer: See chapter one.
Andy's eyes slowly swept open as she felt warm lips trailing up her chest. A small smile graced her features as she moved her hands from her sides to the back of Ryan's head, tangling them in his thick wavy hair as he hovered over her. As his lips passed over her collarbone he parted them, letting his breath tickle her slightly. She let out a small giggle and felt him smile against her skin.
"Good morning," Ryan spoke softly, continuing his mission up her neck.
"Morning," Andy returned sleepily. She was quiet for a few seconds as his mouth traveled up the rest of the way to her jawline and waited for him to press his lips to hers.
Before he gave her what she wanted he brought his large, tan hands up to cup her cheeks. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. Satisfied with the chocolatey brown look that he was met with, he finally brought his lips down to hers with a warm, friendly kiss.
"Mmm," Andy sighed, enjoying his feel and his smell overtaking her in the Thursday morning bliss. At that moment she opened her eyes and noticed the sun shining in through her windows, bathing the room in a glowing, peaceful light. "What time is it?" She murmured.
Ryan reluctantly broke away from her and pushed himself up on his palms and glanced at the clock. When he grinned and looked back at her, she looked at him curiously and asked, "What?"
"It's only 6:30."
"Only?" She questioned back, incredulously. "I have to shower and get ready and then you, my friend, have to take me to class."
Ryan raised his eyebrows at her. "I do?"
"Mmmhmm," she nodded.
"But it's so out of the way…" he trailed off, not actually being serious.
"You are not going to make me walk in that snow. C'mon, just do me this favor."
He seemed to ponder the suggestion, more trying to annoy her than trying to actually think about making her walk. "Well, I'm sure there's a way I could be persuaded," he suggested quietly, looking back down at her lips.
Andy chuckled lightly and trailed her hands up and down his bare back, feeling the muscles beneath flex and move as he dropped his weight back down so he could claim her lips.
Ninety minutes later they were out her front door and piled into his car. Andy took in the cramped interior and the overwhelming scent of leather of the fancy sports car as they drove. "So explain to me again how a lowly city attorney can afford a car like this?"
Ryan looked over at her and laughed at her bluntness. "It was a gift from my parents when I got the job."
"Nothing says 'Congrats!' like an expensive car," she commented sarcastically, causing him to chuckle at her again.
When his laugh cleared he shrugged his shoulders in response. "Well, what can you do? I think they were trying to buy my love a little bit. Don't your parents ever do that?"
Andy knew that he really didn't know what he was asking her, so instead of getting indignant or short with him she just nodded, "Yeah, I think so."
She really, really didn't want to have the conversation about her parents with him yet. It had only been a month and half since she ran into Ryan in a coffee shop while she was with her dad and they started talking. He knew her dad, sure, from some retirement party five years ago, but she knew that Ryan didn't know the whole story. And she sure as hell wasn't ready to share it. Everything with their relationship was perfect (knock on wood) so far, she didn't want to tell him anything that would chase him off in a hurry.
Soon enough they were driving only a block from the academy when it hit Andy. If Traci saw him dropping her off, she'd have to explain a whole lot of information she wasn't in the mood to share. On the other hand, how would she bring it up to Ryan? Hey, let me out here so my best friend doesn't see us and tease me all day about our sex life. Yeah, no.
So she sucked it up and held her breath as they entered the parking lot, praying that Traci was already inside. She quickly scanned the lot for Traci and found no sign of her or the boys, who would probably ogle over the fancy car and talk about it all day. Ryan brought the car to a stop right in front of the entrance, not catching onto Andy's nervous grip on the seat or her chewing on her lip. He leaned over to her for a goodbye kiss. After the first and the second, and the third, Andy giggled.
"Okay, okay. I have to go, Ry."
He kissed her long and deep one last time and released her. "Ugh, fine," he sighed in mock disappointment, "Go learn cop things."
She smiled and gathered her things and exited the car. She stood for a second in the parking lot and watched him drive off, a silly grin on her face. A low whistle from behind her caused her to whip around.
Andy's cheeks flushed when she saw none other than Sam standing a few feet behind her, catching a glimpse of Ryan speed off down the street.
"Your boyfriend's got a nice car there, McNally."
Okay, and yeah, it's not like Ryan's really her boyfriend anyway. They're not at the 'define the relationship' phase yet. They're just… having fun, or whatever. Nothing too serious but not just a fling, either. But Andy let the whole 'boyfriend' comment and the way he sort of spat the word go as she thought of a response, oddly feeling the need to defend Ryan a little.
She just shrugged, "It was a gift."
Sam raised his eyebrows in question, waiting for more of an explanation. Honestly, when he first commented, he couldn't have cared less about the car; he was just hoping to pester her. But now his attention was caught; who gets a Porsche as a gift?
"From his parents, when he made city attorney," she supplied, already annoyed slightly with the conversation. What business was it of Sam's as to how Ryan got his car?
Sam immediately forgot about the car, his grip tightening slightly on the coffee in his left hand. "Harding? You're dating Ryan Harding?"
"Yep," she said curtly. At his pause, which was accompanied with a furrowed brow, she asked, "What?"
Ever since their little spat last week in class, Andy had kept her head low, trying not to attract any attention from him. Any time he did call her out, she tried to be a little snappy. The academy wasn't the time to show any weakness, she needed to be strong and proud and not let Sam Swarek's demeaning little comments get her down.
Broken from his little reverie, Sam shook his head a little, schooling his expression. "It's nothing. I just worked a case with him a while back, that's all."
Oh. That's not at all what she was expecting. Ryan had said last week that he didn't know Sam. Why would he lie? Andy made a mental note to ask him about it later. It was probably nothing; Ryan's a busy guy who works with a ton of people every day. So what if he didn't remember Swarek.
Andy nodded and Sam turned to walk toward the doors. She followed and murmured her thanks when he held the door for her. As they walked down the hall side by side, Sam turned to look at her.
"Plus, you know, it's kind of a perfect fit. Mayor's son and the daughter of Tommy McNally, the city's top detective for seven years before he retired," he teased, a mocking edge to his tone.
Andy ignored the patronizing comment, "You know my dad?"
"Yep. Worked with him for quite some time before he retired."
"Oh."
Andy was quiet for the last few seconds as they approached the room and went to enter first. When she placed her hand on the knob, Sam's voice from behind her stopped her movements.
"Actually, McNally, I was going to ask you about Tommy."
She turned to face him, waiting for him to speak. Sam was caught off guard by how quickly she turned and almost ran right into her. He was met with the strong smell of lavender, probably from her ponytail flinging about, and found himself staring deeper into her eyes than usual. Had she always been so tan? He took a step back and exhaled, finding himself inexplicably nervous.
"Oliver – I mean, Shaw said he asked you about Tommy a few weeks back," he trailed off.
"Yeah, and?" She shot back, not really seeing where this was headed.
"Well, I just," he hesitated, not sure how to phrase it without sounding weird or overly concerned. "You know what, never mind. Forget I asked."
Andy looked at him strangely before nodding and headed inside the room to her seat, leaving Sam out in the hall. He inwardly cursed himself before turning the knob and heading into the classroom, angry at himself and for some reason, at Andy McNally.
As he got to the front of the class, he scanned the room quickly for attendance.
"Good morning," Sam spoke loudly, a small grin on his face. Today was one of his most favorite days in the academy, even when he was a rookie himself. "Today we'll be going to the shooting range downstairs for round one of the shooting competition."
Small talk broke out across the room as people's excitement took over.
"And yes, it's what you think. First we'll just do target practice by groups and then after lunch we'll have a little competition, ending with the champion, who will get bragging rights until the next showdown."
In the back of the class, Dov turned to Chris with the biggest grin and held his fist out for Chris to fist pound.
Andy hid her excited smile as she thought about the day ahead. He dad had her enrolled in shooting classes when she was 16 as a birthday present (not one that she had really wanted at the time, but whatever, she still went to them). This competition was going to be a piece of cake, that's all. And plus, maybe winning would make Sam be a little nicer to her and earn her some respect. Honestly, she thought, could the man dislike her anymore?
Throughout the morning groups of six went into the stalls and took turns unloading their rounds. Andy was the best in her group, there was no question, but it wasn't that she was worried about. It was the competition that she really had to show her stuff. She started out the morning a little rusty, not having been to a shooting range in about a year, but by lunch she was back at her A-game standard.
When she went back to the classroom for lunch she made her way over to Traci, who was sitting next to Chris, Dov, and another girl with short blonde hair. As Andy retrieved her lunch she heard Dov whispering excitedly to the blonde, whose name might be Gail, Andy thought.
"Can you imagine how awesome that would be? Legacy versus legacy, Peck versus McNally, in a shootout, fighting for…"
"Nothing, really," Traci interjected. "I mean, yeah, the idea of the competition is cool. But there's really not an award. I'd be trying much harder if I had something worth winning for," she shrugged and took a bite of her quesadilla she got from the Mexican place down the block.
Chris spoke up, his mouth full of his tuna fish sandwich. "Yeah, but can you imagine if it did turn out that way? Andy and you," he motioned to the blonde, "battling it out for the title. Man, that would be awesome."
Dov elbowed him as Andy came over and sat by the group, tuning into the conversation. "What would be awesome?" She asked, looking around at the group.
Chris and Dov were silent as they both tried to come up with something to say. The blonde sitting next to Andy turned to her, her fork stacked with salad.
"The dweebs think it'd be cool if we ended up the last two remaining opponents in today's little competition."
"Oh," Andy shrugged, not thinking much of the idea, and unwrapped her sandwich, "What would make that so special?"
"'Cause you and Gail are both legacies," Dov said, as if it were as obvious as the sky being blue.
Andy took a bite of her sandwich and looked around at all of them staring at her and Gail. Andy let out a laugh when she realized they were serious.
"Seriously? Just because we're legacies doesn't make us special, Dov. I'm no better than anyone else in this class."
Dov nodded and leaned forward, "You're just saying that to mess with me, aren't you?"
Andy kept laughing while the others chuckled.
"Dov! Just let it go," Traci said, grinning.
"Whatever, mark my words. One of these two will end up winning, I swear."
Gail just glared at him, "Whatever you say, dork."
Andy would never admit it, but after the conversation at lunch, she felt a little pressured to perform well. The competition round involved strobe lights, flashing lights, loud noises and different pictures of people, thus forcing them to make the split second decision whether or not to shoot.
So, yeah, she may have psyched herself out a little for it as she advanced through the rounds. At the final six, Andy realized that Peck was still in the running. Well, shit. Way to make her freak even more, universe. As Andy stepped forward to enter her stall, she stopped and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She felt a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing. She opened her eyes to find Traci standing next to her.
"Relax, it's just a stupid competition. Don't let those guys get to you."
Andy nodded. Traci was right, why the hell was she so nervous? There were no stakes, no rewards, nothing. She exhaled deeply as Traci moved away, back into the crowd with the boys and the other members of the class.
"Alright," Sam called order to the class, "Peck, Howard, Thompson, Sandowski, Beckwith and McNally, you are our finalists! You may enter your stalls." Sam said her last name like he was surprised and a little angry to find her in the finals.
The intonation was lost on the class as they hooted and hollered for their classmates as they stepped into their stalls. Andy of course noticed it, and resented the fact that he treated her differently for no apparent reason. It was starting to get to her. But no, she wouldn't let that happen. Andy McNally was strong. She was fierce. A pompous, arrogant man wouldn't make her question her abilities she knew were strong, no matter how handsome he was.
Shit, did she just call him handsome?
Well, he was, she supposed. Those dark, mysterious eyes, the way his biceps moved around under his t-shirt, and his smell…
Wait. Focus, Andy, Focus.
Andy heard Traci and the boys rooting for her as she put her safety glasses and earmuffs on. When everyone had their gear on, the class quieted down to watch in concentration.
"Ready?" Sam called.
"Yes sir!" They all chanted back in unison.
The red light flashed three times before the sequence started and they all started shooting.
Please review! And remember, things happen in the next chapter. :)
