Sorry this chapter took so long to post. Thanks for everyone's patience.
Disclaimer: Not mine!
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"It's Juliet."
Lassiter felt a horrible sense of déjà vu creep over him as he took off in a dead run, ignoring Vick's commands for him to stay. When would she learn? When it came to Juliet, nothing else in the world mattered to him.
He broke all speed limits in getting to Juliet's apartment building. There were already firefighters and other cops at the scene, and his stomach clenched at the sight of smoke billowing out of the building. Before anyone could stop him, he bolted into the building and up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time as he fought the smoke.
"Juliet!"
Coming around the corner leading to her street, Juliet's brow furrowed when she saw the smoke curling around her apartment building. There were fire engines and police cars parked on the street and curious onlookers milled around on the sidewalk. Juliet slowed her pace, her expression curious and concerned.
"Juliet!"
Juliet spun around, coming face to face with a worried woman she barely recognized as her boss. Karen Vick had visited her a handful of times during and after her hospitalization. Her visits were always brief, but Juliet got the feeling she was a kind woman. "What happened, Karen?"
"We got the call about a fire in your apartment building." Karen waved her hand toward the building, but her expression set Juliet on edge.
"And?"
"And…"
It was in that moment Juliet realized Carlton was nowhere to be seen. Her palms started to sweat. "Where is Carlton?" She knew he had gone into work earlier in the morning; he had texted her a few times after leaving just to make sure she was okay. She had left her phone in the apartment when she went for her run. Her stomach recoiled with the sickening thought of Carlton being in the building.
"Juliet-"
"Where is he?"
The look on Karen's face said it all. Carlton was inside the blazing inferno which had been her apartment. He could already be dead. Oh God, what if he was dead? She turned toward the building, completely ready to break into a run. She knew the chances of getting back out with Carlton, but she couldn't stand around and do nothing.
As it turned out, she didn't have to.
Just as she was preparing to take that first step, two figures emerged from the building. Juliet held her breath and waited, her heart pounding. When she saw Carlton's face, she let out a tearful breath and jogged over to him, her arms extended. He was filthy and reeked of smoke, but she didn't care as her body collided with his. He stumbled back a few steps and stiffened, but recovered quickly and wrapped his arms around her.
"You're okay," she breathed as she rested her forehead against his broad chest. Her fingers gripped the back of his shirt tightly.
"I was worried about you," he replied, his voice wavering.
Pulling back, Juliet let go of his shirt and slammed her hand against his cheek. "You are so stupid! You could have died!" Then, before he could respond, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him closer to her. Her lips were unforgiving as she stood on her toes and kissed him fiercely.
Once again, he seemed too stunned to respond. Juliet was about to pull away when he finally parted his lips and nipped at her bottom lip. Reassured, she closed her eyes and settled into the kiss until a familiar voice broke them apart.
"When the hell did this happen?"
Carlton just groaned and buried his face in Juliet's hair. Juliet couldn't stop smiling as she held tightly to him. Behind them, her apartment building continued to blaze, but she had what she needed.
She had him.
"I know it's not as nice as your place, but you'll be comfortable here."
Juliet wandered around his living room, her eyes drinking in everything she saw. His home was sparsely decorated, but she spotted quite a few Civil War books and awards on the bookshelf and surrounding walls. He still reeked of smoke, but she continued to be grateful he had emerged safely from her burning apartment building. Her world remained fuzzy, as did her memories, but what she was feeling now was very much clear and real.
Carlton walked around the couch and removed his holster. "Please, make yourself comfortable, Juliet. I'm going to grab a quick shower, then I'll cook dinner for us."
"Sounds great."
He looked at her with a strange gleam in his eye, but before she could question it, he turned and walked down the hall, disappearing into the bathroom. Alone in his living room, she began to wander around. It didn't come as a surprise to her when she didn't find many personal items, but she was happily surprised when she noticed that all of the pictures on the wall featured the two of them. Most were candid snapshots, most likely taken during parties or other festivities. In every one of them, Carlton was smiling.
He has a beautiful smile, she mused, and her own happiness reflected in the images didn't surprise her, either. Who wouldn't be happy taking a picture with a man like him?
She must have been staring at the pictures longer than she realized, because she jumped when she felt a familiar hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she was treated to the sight of Carlton standing in front of her in nothing but a pair of jeans which had obviously seen better days. They hung low on his lips, giving her an eyeful of a masculine chest dusted with coarse hair and a strip of hair just below his belly button leading…
"Juliet? Are you okay?"
She tore her eyes and thoughts away from his abdomen. "Fine," she answered, plastering a smile on her face.
Liar…
He nodded as he rubbed a towel over his head to dry his thick hair. "I asked what you wanted for dinner."
Other than… "Surprise me." With…
"Okay." He smiled warmly at her and went into the kitchen. A few moments later, she heard him searching through the cabinets, and she sighed.
What had she been thinking?
Oh, just about breaking me off some of that delicious looking…
Shut up!
Several hours after dinner and a shower for Juliet, Lassiter showed her into his bedroom. "I don't have another bed," he said apologetically. "You can take the bed, and I can take the couch."
"Why?"
He almost swallowed his tongue. Because I want you more than anything. Because if I feel you pressed up against me in my bed, I'll never let you go… "Because I'm a restless sleeper," he concluded lamely.
"And your couch is way too small for you, Carlton." She sat down on the foot of the bed and patted the empty space beside her. "I promise I'll behave myself."
I can't make any such promises… "Juliet…"
"Either you join me, or I'll sleep on the couch."
The idea of her sleeping on the couch was unacceptable to him. But the alternative, sharing a bed with her and knowing he couldn't touch her was pure torture.
Juliet seemed annoyed, and the next thing he knew her lithe fingers curled around his wrist. Then she pulled him down onto the bed without a word. The memory of the kiss they'd shared earlier in the afternoon was suddenly thrust to the front of his mind as Juliet tugged the covers back and slid between the sheets.
Shit, he was in trouble.
Juliet kept an eye on Carlton as she slid between his sheets and settled against the pillows. He had the look of a deer trapped in the headlights of an oncoming semi. A giggle passed her lips despite her best attempt to keep it in.
He raised a dark eyebrow curiously. "Care to let me in on the joke?"
"The look on your face… is the idea of sharing a bed with me so terrible?"
"Of course not!" he protested as he quickly joined her under the covers.
She smirked and turned the lamp off, immersing them in darkness. The bedsprings squeaked as they both sought comfortable sleeping positions. Once he stopped moving, Juliet turned onto her side and sought out his face in the darkness. "Thank you…"
"For what?" His tone reflected surprise and dubiousness.
"For going after me, even though I wasn't in there."
"Juliet…"
She was surprised when he scooted closer to her and fumbled for her hand in the dark. His long fingers closed around her own.
"You are my partner, and you're my best friend. I would run into a burning building for you every time, because you're important to me."
"Even though I slapped you?"
He chuckled, and the sound reverberated pleasantly through her. "Yes, even though you slapped me and I didn't deserve it."
"I didn't say that…"
Another chuckle. "Okay, I don't think I deserved it. But I don't hold it against you."
"Thank you."
Carlton moved closer to her, until she could feel his body's warmth. "Juliet…"
"Mm?"
"Thank you for not being in your apartment."
There was a hint of pain in his voice as well as some regret mixed with anger, and she was deeply touched. "Carlton…"
Whatever she wanted to say was cut off by the sensation of his warm, tender lips pressed against hers.
To Be Continued...
