Fic: The Morning After (1/1) NC-17
TITLE: The Morning After
AUTHOR: Laura Smith
PAIRING: Veronica/Lamb
RATING: NC-17
SUMMARY: We won't be searching anymore. This is a sequel to Poseidon Adventure. You probably don't have to read that first, but you might want to for the benefit of sense-making.
DISCLAIMER: Veronica Mars and all the characters therein belong to people who are not me. I make no profit from this, I just like playing with them.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Many super big thanks to oxoniensis for the speedy beta and encouragement in the form of lovely pictures from VMars episodes.
“I gave at the office.”
“The multitude of sexually transmitted diseases you share with Bubba and his friends in the holding cells really doesn’t interest me.” Veronica smiles at him, tilting her head so her blonde hair falls in her eyes as she leans against his screen door. “Mornin’, Sheriff.”
“Sheriff, huh? You must want something.” He steps away from the door and heads for his kitchen. “We’ve done white slavery. So what is it this time, Mars? One of my big, bad detectives give you a parking ticket?”
“One of the girls at school is pregnant.”
“I promise you, Mars, I’m not the father. High school girls really aren’t my thing.” He lets his gaze roll over her, lingering on her stomach for a brief moment before lifting his eyes to hers. “With a few exceptions.”
“Yeah, you’re all class.” She smirks as he reaches into the refrigerator and pulls out two bottled waters, tossing one in her direction. “But don’t worry, no one’s here to accuse you of paternity.”
He twists the cap off his water and drinks half of it down in one long swallow. “So why are you here?” He moves over to the couch and stretches his legs out, watching her with a sly smile. “Miss me?”
“Only when I’m on the practice range.” She sits opposite him and takes a sip of her water. “She was approached by a representative from an agency offering her a quarter of a million dollars to give up her baby. If she didn’t accept, they promised to make sure that everyone knows who the father is.”
“And who is the father? Aaron Echolls?” He almost smiles as she flinches at the name. “Jake Kane? Duncan Kane? Logan Echolls?”
“She’s an 09er. The father is on a lower rung on Neptune’s social ladder. She’s not that far along. She doesn’t know how they knew. Her boyfriend doesn’t even know. And neither does the father.”
“You 09er girls. You do like your bad boys.”
“Is that how Lilly thought of you?” She bites her lip after she speaks, and he can almost hear her berating herself.
“I don’t imagine Lilly thought of me at all, Mars, except when she was fucking me.” He finishes his water and sets the bottle aside. “As heartbreaking as your little story is, Mars, I don’t see what it has to do with me. Just tell your friend to get rid of the baby and everything’s fine, even if she is out a quarter mill.”
“They said if she has an abortion or induces any kind of trauma, they’ll alert the media, her boyfriend, her parents and just about everyone else in the free world. She’s scared.”
“And so she came straight to Veronica Mars, hero of the people?” He shakes his head. “Sorry, Mars. No sale.”
“It’s a black market adoption ring, Sheriff. How do you say no to that?”
He leans forward, his eyes locked on hers. Her hands clench into fists, but she doesn’t pull back, though her tongue sweeps over her lips, catching his gaze. “I’m not saying no to that, Mars. I’m saying no to you.”
“We could…”
“No.” He stands and reaches for her hand, tugging her to her feet. She stops, their bodies almost touching as she looks up at him. “No.”
Her hand trembles as she touches his chest and he can feel the heat of her fingers through the fabric of his t-shirt. “Please?”
He shakes his head and steps back, making his way toward the door. He opens it for her and waits until she takes a deep breath and follows him, stopping just inside the door. He doesn’t let her speak. “No.”
**
“Go away, Mars.”
“I haven’t even said anything yet and you’re already hostile, Deputy.” She smiles as she sits across from him, her legs draped over one arm of the chair. “You’re going to hurt my feelings.”
“I have real police work to do.”
“Yeah. We’ve all seen how up on that you are. Your own trusted deputy sells out the department for lower than market value and you were busy pumping iron while my dad had to investigate. That doesn’t put you or your department in the best light.”
“Well, if you think I’m incompetent, Mars, why are you here?”
“I don’t think you’re completely incompetent.” She drops her legs down and leans forward, elbows on her knees. “But I do think you could use a boost in the popularity ratings right now.”
“Why is your friend sleeping with a low rent boy if she’s got an 09er?” He leans back in his chair and watches her. “Is it true the boys with the big money can’t get it up? Or maybe it only works when the girl’s drugged and defenseless.”
She ignores his dig and stands, setting a sheaf of papers in front of him. “I did a little research based on the business card she gave me. The agency itself looks legitimate, but they usually do. So the question is: why would they offer her the money and not blackmail her?”
“They know only someone like Lilly Kane could actually pull off swindling her own family out of a quarter million?”
Her voice cools at the mention of Lilly’s name. “Or they’re getting paid even bigger bucks on the other end of the transaction. What do you have to get paid off for a quarter of a million dollars to look like chump change?” He rests his chin in his hand and lets his gaze drift over her again. She shifts in his vision and rests her hands on her hips. “What?”
“It didn’t bother you that Echolls slept with Lilly.” He looks up at her eyes. “Why does it piss you off that I did?”
“Are you going to help me?”
“I already told you, Mars.” He pushes the papers back toward her. “The answer’s no. The last thing I need, regardless of the popularity polls, is to be caught working a case with my archrival’s teenage daughter. I get caught with you, Mars, and I look bad.”
“Getting caught with me can’t make you look any worse than you already do, Sheriff. Trust me.”
“Yeah? You think I should pose that question to your father?” He takes a sip from the coffee cup on his desk. “What’s this really all about, Mars?”
“I’ve already told you.”
“No. You’ve told me what you want me to think this is all about. But there’s something you’re not telling me.” He stands and moves around his desk, swinging his office door closed as he comes up behind her. His breath stirs her hair as he leans in. “What’s the matter, Mars? Miss me?”
“Meg was pregnant with Duncan’s baby.”
“The Boy Scout slept around on you?” He reaches out and eases her hair back behind her ear, leaning closer. “Ouch.”
“There’s a good chance that her father’s using this agency.”
“And you want to adopt? Set up the newest Kane household and see if you can fuck the little tyke up as much as Jake and Celeste did their kids?”
She whirls around and glares at him. “What does it matter? You’re not going to help.”
He smiles as she starts for the door. “I’ll help.”
She stops, her hand around the door handle. “You will?”
“Is there really a girl at school?”
She nods without looking at him. “Something’s wrong with the picture.”
“And you want to bring everything back into focus.” He approaches her again, crowding her. “What if you don’t like what develops, Mars?”
She closes her eyes and exhales quietly. “Do you want to adopt a boy or a girl, Sheriff?”
“I’d rather get my kids the old fashioned way.” He trails a finger along her shoulder and then down her spine before leaning in and whispering in her ear. “Your call, Mars.”
**
“Move over.”
She raises an eyebrow but slides into the passenger’s seat as he settles behind the wheel. “Where are we headed?”
“Santa Monica. That’s where their offices are.” She runs a hand through her hair, attempting to control it as the wind whips it around her face.
“What’d you tell your daddy?”
“You know what? We do much better when you leave my dad out of things.”
“All right.” He smiles at her, predatorily. “What’d you tell your boyfriend? Or are things a little strained now that you know he might have been lying when he told you he used a condom?”
“Can we just do this without talking?”
He nods, pursing his lips as he hooks his arm over the back of her seat. Veronica gives him a dirty look and hunches over toward the door. “So what’s our cover?”
“We’re looking to adopt.”
“Why? We look like a relatively young, sexually compatible couple.” He brings his hand down and catches hers, rubbing her thumb with his. “Why aren’t we shagging like bunnies and popping out our own kidlets?”
“You’re an up and coming executive and a major force in Kane Software. They’re big on family, but not on taking time out of work. I’m a software developer fresh out of MIT and I want to help you with your image, but I’m not about to take nine months out of my own work to carry your spawn.” She stares at their hands before pulling hers away to rake it through her hair again. “We’ve decided our best bet is adoption - premade babies for our manufactured lifestyle.”
“Wow, you know that’s not going to fly, don’t you?”
“It will when they get a look at my trust fund and your shares of Kane Software stock. Not to mention your net income last year puts the national deficit to shame.”
“That good, am I?”
“You pretend to be that good.” She licks her lips and sighs. “If they’re on the level, they’ll toss us out on our ass. If they’re not…well, there’s a good chance we might be able to purchase ourselves the best on the market.”
“Or, in the case of your friend, what they’re billing as the best. How are they going to explain to the nice, white couple that their baby’s got a really, really good tan?”
“I have a feeling that they’re not going to care. Delivery will be done, baby will be bought and paid for and who are they going to complain to? You can’t exactly go to the Better Business Bureau and bitch that the black market baby you just bought doesn’t have the pedigree you thought he would.”
“But these are powerful people they’re messing with.” He gives her a small smile. “Present company excluded, even if we do look good on paper.”
“Well, my thought is that they’re going to have something on them, even if it’s just brokering the deal. That’s kind of where we come in.”
“And what do they have on us?” When she doesn’t answer, he shoots her a glance and raises an eyebrow. “Mars?” When the silence continues, he snaps on the signal and pulls over to the side of the road, hazard lights flashing. “Mars?”
“Well, I had to put myself through MIT somehow.” She smiles and shrugs. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“You have a trust fund.”
“Which I can’t access until I’m 25. Really, you’d think you’d know this stuff, given that we’ve been together for two years.”
He reaches over, cupping her cheek. Her hair falls around his fingers and he leans in, his eyes closing as he finds her lips with his. “What’s my deep, dark secret?”
“You used to be a woman.” He jerks back as she laughs, her eyes dancing. “Okay, well, maybe not that.”
“You bet your ass not that.”
“Prejudice, Sheriff?”
He reaches for her hand and pulls it toward him. She doesn’t resist as he presses it against his erection. “No, Mars. Just damn sure that this is all part of the original package.”
“You stole your biggest idea from your partner who is currently languishing in a mental hospital not far from Seattle. It’s really very sad.”
“Do I feel bad at all?”
Veronica blinks and glances down at her hand. Her voice is low and rough. “No.”
“So I’m completely without remorse?” He leans in toward her, his gaze focused on her mouth as she licks her lips. “I don’t regret a thing?”
“Sheriff…”
“We’re going to have to come up with a different pet name, Mars.” He pulls back and smiles at her, his gaze cocky and confident as it sweeps down to her chest and the tight pull of her nipples against the fabric. “Sheriff’s gonna be a dead giveaway.”
“How about asshole? I’m sure I can make it sound endearing if I add a few other adjectives.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest as he snaps off the hazard lights and turns on the blinker, pulling back into traffic.
“Probably doesn’t uphold the sweet, happily married, desiring to have a baby image we’re going for. How about you just call me Don.”
“How about I don’t. Your name is Ben.”
“Ben?”
“And I’m Jennifer.”
“You’re kidding.” He sighs and shakes his head. “You couldn’t have been reading the works of Tolstoy or something when you came up with the names?”
“Be glad. We could have been Nick and Jessica.”
“Okay, so we just go in there and demand a baby?”
“No. I submitted an application by e-mail. They know we’re coming, though I made sure to give them plenty of time to do a little investigating of their own. I booked us a room at the Fairmont Miramar…”
“Daaamn, Mars.”
“And, before you ask, my father thinks I’m spending the weekend with Mac.”
“Because a lesbian love affair is more acceptable than the thought you’re going to be sleeping in the same room with the Sheriff of Neptune?”
“Considering who the Sheriff is?” She turns away from him, the pulse beating hard and fast at the base of her throat. “Yeah.”
**
“Holy shit.” Lamb breathes the words as they enter the hotel room, the bellboy setting their bags on the bench at the base of the bed. “I thought you didn’t get your trust fund until you were 25.”
“I didn’t buy the hotel, honey. I just rented a room.” She slides a tip into the bellboy’s hand and follows him to the door, shutting it behind him. “The initial meeting is in three hours.”
“And you want to know how I think we should kill some time?” He sits on the edge of the bed and leans back, his hands fisting in the thick comforter. “Come here and we can start making a list.”
“The only list you’ll need is one that clearly states that I have no intention of sleeping with you. Ever.”
”Again.”
“What?”
“Ever again. You can’t say ever, since you’ve already done the deed.” He gets to his feet and tugs his shirt over his head, dropping it on the floor at her feet. She stares at his bare chest as he brushes past her. “I’m going to shower.” He stops and turns, leaning forward to whisper in her ear. “You’re welcome to join me.”
“I’d sooner rot in hell.”
“You’d better be careful, Mars. You’re really turning me on.” He undoes the button of his jeans. “Last chance to change your mind.”
“Keep dreaming.”
He laughs and shuts the door, stripping off his jeans and turning on the water. All 10 jets come to life and he closes the glass enclosure and leans against it, staring at himself in the mirror. “What the fuck are you doing, Lamb?” He mutters softly, shaking his head. He closes his eyes and remembers the feel of her hand earlier, which reminds him of the feel of her body which he thinks about far too much. “Fuck.” He rips open the shower door and steps inside, turning the liquid heat down to something barely above freezing, trying to forget that Veronica is right outside the door.
**
“You want a drink?” She holds up the bottle of champagne for a moment then sets it back in the bed of ice. “Apparently it’s a gift from the agency.”
“They want us to show up three sheets to the wind?” He picks up the bottle and whistles low. “Three 500 thread count sheets to the wind.”
“It’s nice to be courted, isn’t it?” She gets to her feet and turns to face him, stopping at the sight. He’s wearing a towel and a few random water droplets. “What are you doing?”
“I left my clothes out here.”
Her expression doesn’t change as she glances down to the knot holding the towel closed, up over the flat plane of his stomach to his chest. His breath catches in his throat as she meets his eyes. “So I see.”
“Is that what you’re wearing?”
“I’m a little closer to dressed for the occasion than you are.” She swallows hard and looks away before meeting his eyes again. “This is about helping my friend at school. Helping Duncan. Keeping a promise to Meg. That’s it.”
“No one said it was anything more.”
“I don’t like you.”
“Trust me, Mars. I don’t like you either.” He catches her chin and holds it, his eyes burning into hers. “But that apparently doesn’t have a damn thing to do with how much I want you.”
“Surely I can’t compare to Lilly.” She steps away from his touch and heads toward the bathroom. “Just think about that whenever the urge strikes you.”
**
“Everything looks well in order, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews. You’re very much the type of people we’re looking for. However, there are a few issues that come up with regards to every adoption and, as you can imagine, dealing with such issues isn’t easy…or inexpensive.”
“You need money,” Veronica states.
“Just to cut through some of the red tape. One of the reasons our agency is so well spoken of is because we take care of those issues so that you don’t have to. No meddlesome representatives coming out to your house, no social workers prying through your things to determine whether your choice of undergarments qualifies you to be a good parent.”
“What undergarments do qualify you?"
“Ben!” Veronica slaps him across the arm, her eyes narrowing.
“Because I’d hate to have to give up you in that thong for this.”
“Ben.” She shakes her head, smiling apologetically. “I’m so sorry. He’s always like this when he’s nervous. Just babbles about whatever comes to mind. Which I’m sure you can appreciate is one of the reasons we’d rather not go through all the legal rigmarole that one has to deal with in a government controlled adoption.”
“Absolutely.”
“And it’s imperative that the baby look something like us. I realize that we’re probably asking a lot, but our goal is to make the child feel as much a part of our family as any naturally born child would. I know that there must be a surplus of,” she looks at Lamb and blushes, “well, you know…”
“Oh, absolutely, Mrs. Andrews. I can assure you that your child will meet all of your specifications.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“I’m sorry?”
Lamb leans forward, reaching over to grab Veronica’s hand as he does so. “As you can imagine, this subject is very near and dear to our hearts. Jennifer and I debated for a long time about the merits of this - how the child might feel in the future when we get pregnant, how society might view the child in our social circle were he or she not to…fit in. We want this baby to be the basis of our family, not a piece we’re going to leave behind when our lives become more manageable for Jennifer to take the time off to have children of our own. What recourse do we have if the baby isn’t what we want? What we ask for? What we pay for?”
“I can assure you, Mr. Andrews, we’ve never had a client complain. I’m sure if you research all our past adoptions, everyone has been very, very satisfied with the results. I doubt you could even find one negative word about our company from any of our clients. And, if you don’t mind me saying so, we do tend to have very…explicit instructions from our clients. Ones we follow to the letter. You’ll get what you pay for.”
“All right.” Lamb stands, Veronica’s hand still in his. She joins him, moving close enough that he can put his arm around her. “We’ll take this information to the hotel with us then and get back with you tomorrow?”
“Of course. Fill out the questionnaire so that we can assess your needs, and we’ll get the process started.”
“For a small fee,” Veronica adds softly.
They can hear the smile in the response as they walk out the door. “For a fee.”
**
“Hungry?”
Lamb falls down on the bed and stretches out, his arms over his head. He stretches, the movement pulling his shirt free from his slacks and exposing his stomach. “Not for anything that features the words cordon and bleu.” He rolls over and digs into the nightstand drawer. “You think they’ve got a pizza place around here?”
“You’re going to get pizza delivered to the suite at the Fairmont Miramar?”
He rolls back over and smiles at her. “No?”
“No.” She shoulders her purse and nods toward the door. “Come on. We’ll go out for pizza.”
They drive in silence, Veronica heading toward the back booth as he orders. He brings the pitcher and two mugs and sits across from her, sliding one of the mugs in front of her. She stares at it as he pours, filling her glass and then his own before taking a long drink. “What?”
“You know I’m underage, right?”
“Not according to that pretty little degree from MIT.” He takes another drink. “I promise not to bust you.” He reaches over and touches the lapel of the jacket she’s wearing. “Besides, no one seeing you right now would think you were anything less than an up and coming business executive. Your high school days are far behind, Mars.”
She lifts the mug and takes a small sip then a larger one, making it half way through her beer before the pizza comes. He ignores her raised eyebrows as she notices her favorite toppings - he learned something from all those late nights she spent at the station with her dad - serves her then picks a second slice up, angling it toward his mouth. He eats his first bite, chewing as he watches her, finally setting his pizza on a plate. She tilts her head and looks at him. “Penny for your thoughts.”
“Given how much our little rugrat is going to be costing us? We don’t have a penny to spare.” He shrugs. “Kane doesn’t know you’re doing this, does he?”
“No.”
”Why not? Or why bother? He can afford to buy his kid if it comes to that, which, given what we’re starting to get on Meg’s family, it won’t. So why are you doing this for him?”
“It’s his kid.”
“But not yours, Mars. And if you tell me you plan on settling down with Duncan Kane and raising his ex-girlfriend’s love child? I’ll say the only person you’re fooling is yourself.” He reaches over and touches the back of her hand before pulling back. “That’s not the girl you are, Veronica Mars.”
She picks up her pizza and takes a bite, swallowing it and chasing it with the rest of her beer. “How many times did you sleep with Lilly?”
“Well, I’d have to look in my diary to make sure…” He shakes his head. “I don’t know, Mars. Why?”
“I just thought I knew my best friend. But I don’t think I knew her at all.”
“If it helps, and it won’t,” he assured her, “I don’t think she was balling every cop that pulled her over.”
“Is that what happened?”
“Pretty much. She was drunk, she was high, she was driving like a maniac. I pulled her over, she laughed and she went down on me. That was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.” He smirks and takes a bite. “Two nights later, I’m at home and she shows up on my doorstep. Informs me that if I don’t want Sheriff Mars to hear about what I’ve done to her, I need to let her in and I need to fuck her until she screams.”
“Well, that sounds like Lilly.”
“I tried to put her off and then I figured ‘why not?’. So I fucked her. It happened a few more times, but then the thrill was gone. No one cared if we were fucking. Then the last time it happened, we were going through the motions and…”
“And she mentioned me.”
“Yeah.”
She grabs the pitcher and pours more beer in her glass, drinking half of it down. “Good to know that I was fodder for my best friend’s floundering sex life.”
“I think she was playing me more than she was you, Mars.” He takes another slice of pizza and sets it on his plate. “She wanted to see how I’d react. And I’m pretty sure that if she hadn’t died, I would have been at her mercy for a hell of a long time.” He shakes his head and stuffs more pizza into his mouth.
Veronica stares at him for a long time. “Why did you tell me?”
“You’re the detective, Mars.” He takes a long pull of his beer. “Figure it out.”
**
The suite is dark and he reaches out and stops Veronica as she starts to turn on the light. He closes the door behind them and stands there, his hand over hers on the switch. “Don’t.”
She shivers at his voice. “I…”
“Don’t,” he whispers it again in her ear, his free hand curving around her waist, sliding flat along her stomach. “Just don’t.” He closes his eyes and bends his head, his breath feathering over her neck. His lips follow the trail, tasting her. “Please?”
Her whole body trembles in his hands and he presses his advantage, easing her hand off the switch. She stands before him as he moves his hands to her shoulders and eases her suit jacket off her, letting it drop to the floor between them. He runs his hands up and down her arms before turning her, not looking at her as he unbuttons the white dress shirt.
Veronica’s hands clench into fists at his touch then relax, repeating the process over and over as he unfastens her shirt and guides it off her as well. His gaze lifts to her face for a moment and he meets her eyes, one eyebrow cocked in question. She doesn’t say anything and he smiles, his eyes dropping back down to her breasts as his hands skim down her stomach to her jeans.
He unsnaps them and she moves suddenly, her hands framing his face as she finds his mouth with hers. It’s hard and hot and frantic as he shoves at the denim with one hand, wrapping the other around her waist as she sucks hard on his tongue. He groans and stumbles forward until he feels the hard wood of the dresser against his hand. Veronica’s hands have moved down to his shirt, tugging it free of his jeans and jerking at the fabric until it pulls free of the buttons.
He lifts her up onto the dresser as her mouth leaves his. He breathes sharp and heavy as her lips find his shoulder and chest, licking and sucking and biting at the flesh as she shoves his shirt off his arms. He presses her back against the mirror, feeling her hiss in the sharp sting of her teeth as her pale skin comes in contact with the glass. He pulls back and stares down at her, watching her chest rise and fall as he reaches down and insinuates a hand between her legs, his fingers pressing hard against the wet cotton.
She’s breathing roughly, panting as her legs part farther, allowing him to slide two fingers beneath the elastic and feel the soft, wet tendrils of hair that cling to her skin and his. His other hand works at his jeans, jerking his belt free and undoing his fly. She’s arching her back and pressing against him and he’s shoving his pants and boxer-briefs down.
He finds her mouth and captures it as he eases his fingers free, his hands moving to her waist to tug at her panties. She arches her back again, lifting up so he can slide them off her. She shivers and he pulls her closer, one hand behind her back as the other strips her, her parted legs warm against his bare thighs.
Veronica’s hand closes over him, and he shudders, burying his face against her neck. He kisses the soft skin, feeling her tremble in response as his stubble scrapes her skin. Her grip tightens for a moment then changes as she begins stroking him, her breath feathering hotly over his chest, her tongue tracing the hard ridge of his nipple.
“Mars,” he bites the swell of her shoulder then pulls away, his whole body shuddering as her hand slips free of his cock. She stares at him, her breath as loud as his in the quiet room. “I don’t…”
“I always knew you weren’t a Boy Scout.” She nods toward the door. “My purse.”
He kicks free of his jeans and shoes and grabs her purse, conscious of her eyes on him. He tosses it toward her before moving back between her legs, finding her mouth as she pulls a blue packet free. “Should I ask what a nice girl like you is doing with something like this?”
She breaks his kiss and opens the pack, sliding off the dresser to ease the condom onto him, smiling as he gasps. “I’d say I’m saving you from another cold shower, Sheriff.”
His hands find her hips and he turns her, catching her surprised reflection in the mirror. He bends her forward slowly, his free hand guiding his cock to the heat of her opening. “Yeah, Mars? What am I saving you from?”
She gasps as he pushes deeper, his hand sliding up to press against the mirror as he lowers himself down, his chest against her back. She lifts her head to keep watching him, her mouth open. He closes his eyes for a moment and then bends his head, kissing the base of her neck, his tongue trailing over the top of her spine. She pushes back against him, her hands braced on the edge of the dresser. “It’s better than a Lifetime movie and a pint of Ben and Jerry’s.”
He straightens and catches her hips, still watching her in the mirror as he holds them, changing his rhythm. She bites her lower lip in an effort to hold back the low moan that escapes as he increases his speed, lengthening his thrusts. “Glad to know I rank over Tori Spelling and Chunky Monkey.”
“Ba…Barely,” she pants, bending her head forward so her hair fell in her face. She slides her hands free from the edge of the dresser and folds them beneath her head, burying her face against them as she arches her back and pushes back against him. “Only because I’m not a huge fan of…of…oh.” She shudders, her body tightening around him. He gasps and bends his head as well, gasping for breath as the flood of her orgasm engulfs his cock.
He keeps thrusting, his control slipping as he begins moving faster, his grip tightening on her hips. Veronica braces her hands on the dresser and lifts her head, meeting his gaze and holding it as his muscles grow tighter, flexing as he comes deep inside her.
**
He eases away from her and disposes of the condom, sitting on the edge of the bed as she slowly pulls away from the dresser and turns to look at him. He reaches down for his shirt and tosses it to her, watching as she slips it on. “You still look good in my clothes.”
“I need a shower.”
“Mars.”
“Please, whatever you do, don’t tell me you want to analyze this.”
“You don’t?” He scoffs, his voice laced with sarcasm. “The great Veronica Mars not wanting to know what something means? Why do I find that hard to believe?”
“I don’t need to analyze it to know what it means. It means I am a colossally bad judge of character when it comes to random hook ups.”
He reaches for her hand and pulls her down onto his lap. “And how does this carefully engineered weekend together qualify as a random hook up, Mars? Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure you’re all gung ho to find the evil-doers that are likely to adopt your boyfriend’s illegitimate child, but there are a whole lot of people you could have chosen to play pretend with.”
“You’re so good at pretending to be Sheriff, I figured you’d be a natural.” She struggles against his grip.
“You figured I’d want to pick up where we left off.”
She stops moving and meets his eyes. “As I recall, we left off with you telling me you’d been sleeping with my best friend.”
“We left off with you in a very similar position, Mars. You were dressed in my clothes, straddling my lap. And there was no one and nothing else on your mind but me. You and me.”
“Temporary insanity brought on by the stressful situation and too much alcohol.”
“All right, Mars.” He releases her and shrugs. “We’ll play this your way. Too much pizza and beer and not enough sweet lovin’ from your millionaire boyfriend.”
“Leave Duncan out of this.”
“I just call ‘em like I see ‘em, Mars.”
“Well, Sheriff, as your arrest record suggests, you don’t see much of anything. And when you do see, something you usually look the other way.”
He watches her walk to the bathroom, waiting until her hand is on the knob to call out. “Hey, Mars? I’m not looking the other way right now.”
**
He waits until he hears the water starts before he walks into the bathroom. Veronica screams as he opens the shower door, but he cuts her off, placing his hand firmly over her mouth. “Don’t get your hopes up, Mars. I just want to get cleaned up.”
“Wait your turn!”
“Considering I was the one we both came all over, I think I get first dibs. You’re welcome to sit outside, since it’s a favorite roosting spot of yours.” He reaches around her for the soap and rubs it between his hands “Of course, I could always wash your back if you wash mine.”
She crosses her arms over her chest and moves to the corner of the shower. “I’ll just wait over here.”
“Your loss.” He closes his eyes and begins rubbing the soap and his hands over his chest, creating a froth of bubbles. He tilts his head until his neck pops and sighs, turning into the nearest jet of water. “You really should come on in, Mars. The water’s fine.”
“Just hurry up.”
He opens his eyes and smiles at her, reaching out and rubbing her shoulder with one soapy hand, massaging the tight muscle. “It’s nice and warm and soapy, Mars. Feels good.” She swallows and shakes her head until he moves his hand up to the side of her neck. He moves closer, his other hand cupping her breast as his thumb runs over her nipple. “You have to admit it feels good.”
“I imagine the first hit of heroin feels pretty nice too, but you still have to wake up and live with yourself in the morning.”
“You’re comparing me to heroin?” He chuckles soft and low against her lips. “I think that might be a compliment in your book, Mars.”
“Only you would take it that way.”
He pins her against the slick wall and places a hand on either side of her head as he kisses her again. They move and melt together as he edges a knee between both of hers, as her hands slide around his neck and she presses herself closer. He closes his eyes and loses himself in the taste of her until the water goes cold.
**
“So, Great and Powerful Wizard of Mars,” his voice is low in the quiet of the room as he slips his leg between both of hers, thrusting his hips forward until his cock rests against the curve of her ass. The mattress shifts as he moves, and the sheets cling to him, still damp from their shower and more. “What’s our next step?”
“Oh, Sheriff.” She moves against him, her body rocking into his as she looks over her shoulder to smile at him. “If you only had a brain.”
He laughs low, the sound pressed against the skin beneath her ear. “What I don’t have in brains,” he nips at her earlobe as he guides his cock against her, pressing just the tip inside her, “I make up for in other areas.”
“Really?” Her hand slides over his hip and pulls, edging him closer. “Who told you that?”
He thrusts forward and she gasps, her fingers curling against his flesh. “Call it a hunch.” Rocking slowly, he pushes deeper. His eyes close as he inhales the smell of her - soap and sex and powder and innocence - and tastes her on his tongue as her body belies the scents and clenches around him. “How are we going to prove this agency is going to give us less than we pay for?”
“Do you really want to talk about this now?” Her voice is husky from lack of sleep and something more as she adjusts her position, sliding her foot behind his leg and pulling him closer, deeper. She turns her head as well, and he looks at her, the ghost of a smile on her features. “I mean, you’ve got limited thought capacity, Sheriff. I’d hate to see you lose your train of thought at an inconvenient time.”
“You think this requires thinking, Mars?” He licks her lips and kisses her, his hand sliding over her hip and down between her legs, fingers tangling in the slick hairs. “This is all instinct.”
“If your instincts for this are anything like your cop instincts? I’d rather have you concentrate.”
His fingers slip down and find her clit, circling the hard nub slowly, deliberately as he slows his strokes, barely moving inside her. “If you’re finding my performance…lacking, Mars, just let me know. I can stop.”
“You can?” She reaches down and places her hand over his and guides it to her clit, pressing his fingers against her and then sliding them down to where the slick flesh of his cock pushes inside her. “Can you?”
“You’re a cocky little bitch, aren’t you, Mars?”
“Isn’t that why you like me?”
He moves his fingers back up to her clit and her whole body jerks. “Who says I like you?”
Veronica shivers as his voice washes over her. “If you don’t, I’m a little worried about what you do to girls you like.”
“If I had my handcuffs here, I’d show you.” She bites her lower lip to hold back a moan and he jerks hard inside her, his fingers moving over her clit in rhythm with his increasing strokes. “Fuck, Mars.”
“You’ve had me in handcuffs before.”
“Trust me,” he growls deep in his throat, “I remember.”
Veronica makes a soft sound as he bends his head to taste her neck, licking the thin sheen of perspiration from her skin as she tightens around him, her muscles clenching. Her fingers slide down from his and touch his cock as he continues to thrust against her orgasm.
He moves his hand up to her hip, his fingers damp against her skin as he holds her, his face against her shoulder as he rocks forward, barely pulling back as he thrusts harder and deeper with every stroke. His body trembles as he comes, her heel digging into the back of his thigh. He lets his hand slide up over her stomach, his thumb brushing the underside of her breast. After a long minute, he sighs softly. “Now can I ask about the plan?”
“Now,” she leans back into him and closes her eyes. “Now, you can ask about the plan.”
**
“It’s not going to work.”
“It will work.” She shifts on the bed, the movement baring a bit more of her thigh from beneath his shirt. “So long as you follow the script and don’t ad-lib like yesterday.”
“I was asking what any smart businessman would ask. Always know the return policy, Mars. Hasn’t working in retail taught you anything?”
“I work food services, Sheriff. Not retail.” She gets off the bed and moves over to the coffee maker. “Though your knowledge does explain a lot about you.”
“Two sugars.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Say please.”
“Please.”
“No.” She pours her own and takes a sip. “So why don’t you think it’s going to work?”
He starts to answer, stopping at the knock on the door. “Yeah?”
“Room service.”
Veronica shakes her head and he rubs the back of his neck. “We didn’t order room service.”
“Courtesy of the agency, sir.”
“When fruit baskets and champagne don’t speak loud enough.” He walks to the door and opens it, stepping back. “What’s on the menu?” The server shuts the door and locks it. Lamb reaches instinctively for the gun that isn’t there and then stops as the server raises his head. “Jimmy?”
“None other, Don.” He smirks and glances at Veronica. “Or should I say Ben?”
“What are you doing here?”
“And,” Veronica snaps, “who are you?”
“Oddly enough, I can answer both questions with one answer.” He looks directly at Veronica. “I’m James Carver. High school friend of one Don Lamb. And current agent for the FBI.” He smirks at her wide eyes. “I did tell you that breakfast was from the agency.”
“That doesn’t explain why you’re here.”
“Wow. She’s a real people person, isn’t she?” James takes the cover off the main dish and grabs the server. “Might as well dig in. We’ve got a lot of explaining to do.” He looks at Veronica again. “All of us.”
**
“Ms. Carlisle, who you met yesterday at the desk, is an agent. We’ve been working this ring for almost a year and are pretty close to busting them on a federal level. There are at least three in California alone, but there’s no less than one in every state but Montana.” He takes a bite of bacon and chews, shrugging as Veronica refuses the empty plate Lamb offers her. “Nothing in your application sent up red flags, which scares the hell out of me, to be honest.”
“Thank her for that.”
“Fear her, I think is the phrase you’re going for, Donny, my boy.” He takes another bite. “But when you got there, she knew something was up. Your application was idiot proof, Ms. Mars,” he nods in her direction, “but next time you do undercover work, you might not want to involve the Sheriff and prime witness for a prominent murder case involving a major motion picture star.”
“So did we compromise your case?” Lamb reaches for Veronica’s coffee and takes a long sip of it, ignoring her glare.
“No. Thankfully. But the information we pulled from Neptune is going to help immensely.”
“Information?” Veronica snaps.
“Neptune?” Lamb’s voice echoes over hers.
“Yeah. Your friend, Meg, and her baby. Her parents. We read through the file you have on them at the station, Don. Good leg work there. We met with Duncan Kane and then your dad let us glance through some stuff you had, Veronica.”
“My dad.” She gets to her feet and grabs her suitcase, dropping it onto the bed. “My dad.”
“Yeah, honey,” Keith’s voice was dry and flat as it came from the doorway. “Your dad.”
**
“This isn’t what it looks like.”
“It isn’t you going off on your own to investigate a major, probably dangerous situation for which you have no training without anyone to back you up? It’s not you getting in the middle of a major FBI case because you’ve decided to take matters into your own hands?” Keith’s voice stays calm as he walks into the room, his eyes never leaving Veronica. “Is that not what it looks like? Or were you referring more to the sleeping arrangements?”
“It’s not…”
“I know. What it looks like. Get your things, honey. We’re going home.”
“Dad…”
“Veronica.” His voice changes and her head jerks up slightly. “I’m going to wait outside with Agent Carver while you get dressed and get your things together. I’m going to give Sheriff Lamb the benefit of the doubt and assume he’s here because you blackmailed him into helping you and he had some unfamiliar sense of duty to keep you from getting killed. I’m also going to expect that he’s going to stay right here in this fucking room while you get dressed in the bathroom, because the other alternative is that I kill him right where he stands, and I’d hate to get blood on Agent Carver’s food.”
Carver picks up the last piece of bacon and gives Lamb a look that borders somewhere on accusatory and apologetic as he follows Keith out into the hallway. The door shuts and he and Veronica stand there, staring at each other. “I haven’t been busted by someone’s dad since I was 14.”
“You have ten minutes,” Keith’s voice comes from outside the door.
Carver’s voice follows Keith’s. “Uh, Don? He’s got a gun.”
“Right. You stay here,” he suggests. “I’ll be in the bathroom.” He gets up from the table and starts for the bathroom, stopping as Veronica’s hand catches his arm. “The FBI’s going to keep your boyfriend from losing his kid, Veronica.”
“I…”
He reaches over and removes her hand. “You didn’t imagine this was all hearts and flowers, did you, Mars?” He smiles, his eyes sharp as they skate down her body, taking in the sight of her still clad only in his shirt. “What was it you said? It’s not what it looks like.”
“Seven minutes.”
“Get dressed, Mars. Your daddy’s waiting.”
**
He doesn’t look up from his desk as she walks into his office, though he does glance up when she shuts the door. “Is this because I forgot to send a baby shower gift?”
“Duncan made sure the baby went to a good home.” She shifts and places her fingers on the edge of his desk. “Thank your friend for him…us.”
“Just doin’ his job, ma’am.” He taps his pencil on the file in front of him as the silence grows louder. “Was there anything else, Mars?”
“Is it true you’re looking for receptionist help on the weekends?”
He laughs softly, shaking his head. “Mars, even if it didn’t mean your father would come after me with a shotgun? I wouldn’t hire you on here in a million years. You’d have your fingers in every case in the department and I’d spend more time arresting you for interfering with a police investigation than I would arresting real criminals.”
She turns her hands up in supplication. “You’d get to see me in handcuffs.”
“I’d get to see an internal affairs investigation from the wrong side.” He stands up and places his hands on hers as he leans into her. “No sale, Mars.”
“You’re sure?”
“You offering some sort of payment in kind?” He laughs softly at the look on her face. “Don’t worry, Mars. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, despite our propensity to end up in bed, is that you’re not for sale.”
“Wow. Was that a compliment from the great and powerful Sheriff of Neptune?”
“Careful, Mars, or I may just have to remind your daddy that you’re 18. A legal adult. Fully capable of making your own choices in regards to sexual partners and illicit activities. Hell, I can even arrest you and make it stick.”
“You really do want me in handcuffs, don’t you, Sheriff?”
“Veronica?” He tugs at a strand of her hair, his lips ghosting over hers. “Call me Don.”
AUTHOR: Laura Smith
PAIRING: Veronica/Lamb
RATING: NC-17
SUMMARY: We won't be searching anymore. This is a sequel to Poseidon Adventure. You probably don't have to read that first, but you might want to for the benefit of sense-making.
DISCLAIMER: Veronica Mars and all the characters therein belong to people who are not me. I make no profit from this, I just like playing with them.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Many super big thanks to oxoniensis for the speedy beta and encouragement in the form of lovely pictures from VMars episodes.
“I gave at the office.”
“The multitude of sexually transmitted diseases you share with Bubba and his friends in the holding cells really doesn’t interest me.” Veronica smiles at him, tilting her head so her blonde hair falls in her eyes as she leans against his screen door. “Mornin’, Sheriff.”
“Sheriff, huh? You must want something.” He steps away from the door and heads for his kitchen. “We’ve done white slavery. So what is it this time, Mars? One of my big, bad detectives give you a parking ticket?”
“One of the girls at school is pregnant.”
“I promise you, Mars, I’m not the father. High school girls really aren’t my thing.” He lets his gaze roll over her, lingering on her stomach for a brief moment before lifting his eyes to hers. “With a few exceptions.”
“Yeah, you’re all class.” She smirks as he reaches into the refrigerator and pulls out two bottled waters, tossing one in her direction. “But don’t worry, no one’s here to accuse you of paternity.”
He twists the cap off his water and drinks half of it down in one long swallow. “So why are you here?” He moves over to the couch and stretches his legs out, watching her with a sly smile. “Miss me?”
“Only when I’m on the practice range.” She sits opposite him and takes a sip of her water. “She was approached by a representative from an agency offering her a quarter of a million dollars to give up her baby. If she didn’t accept, they promised to make sure that everyone knows who the father is.”
“And who is the father? Aaron Echolls?” He almost smiles as she flinches at the name. “Jake Kane? Duncan Kane? Logan Echolls?”
“She’s an 09er. The father is on a lower rung on Neptune’s social ladder. She’s not that far along. She doesn’t know how they knew. Her boyfriend doesn’t even know. And neither does the father.”
“You 09er girls. You do like your bad boys.”
“Is that how Lilly thought of you?” She bites her lip after she speaks, and he can almost hear her berating herself.
“I don’t imagine Lilly thought of me at all, Mars, except when she was fucking me.” He finishes his water and sets the bottle aside. “As heartbreaking as your little story is, Mars, I don’t see what it has to do with me. Just tell your friend to get rid of the baby and everything’s fine, even if she is out a quarter mill.”
“They said if she has an abortion or induces any kind of trauma, they’ll alert the media, her boyfriend, her parents and just about everyone else in the free world. She’s scared.”
“And so she came straight to Veronica Mars, hero of the people?” He shakes his head. “Sorry, Mars. No sale.”
“It’s a black market adoption ring, Sheriff. How do you say no to that?”
He leans forward, his eyes locked on hers. Her hands clench into fists, but she doesn’t pull back, though her tongue sweeps over her lips, catching his gaze. “I’m not saying no to that, Mars. I’m saying no to you.”
“We could…”
“No.” He stands and reaches for her hand, tugging her to her feet. She stops, their bodies almost touching as she looks up at him. “No.”
Her hand trembles as she touches his chest and he can feel the heat of her fingers through the fabric of his t-shirt. “Please?”
He shakes his head and steps back, making his way toward the door. He opens it for her and waits until she takes a deep breath and follows him, stopping just inside the door. He doesn’t let her speak. “No.”
**
“Go away, Mars.”
“I haven’t even said anything yet and you’re already hostile, Deputy.” She smiles as she sits across from him, her legs draped over one arm of the chair. “You’re going to hurt my feelings.”
“I have real police work to do.”
“Yeah. We’ve all seen how up on that you are. Your own trusted deputy sells out the department for lower than market value and you were busy pumping iron while my dad had to investigate. That doesn’t put you or your department in the best light.”
“Well, if you think I’m incompetent, Mars, why are you here?”
“I don’t think you’re completely incompetent.” She drops her legs down and leans forward, elbows on her knees. “But I do think you could use a boost in the popularity ratings right now.”
“Why is your friend sleeping with a low rent boy if she’s got an 09er?” He leans back in his chair and watches her. “Is it true the boys with the big money can’t get it up? Or maybe it only works when the girl’s drugged and defenseless.”
She ignores his dig and stands, setting a sheaf of papers in front of him. “I did a little research based on the business card she gave me. The agency itself looks legitimate, but they usually do. So the question is: why would they offer her the money and not blackmail her?”
“They know only someone like Lilly Kane could actually pull off swindling her own family out of a quarter million?”
Her voice cools at the mention of Lilly’s name. “Or they’re getting paid even bigger bucks on the other end of the transaction. What do you have to get paid off for a quarter of a million dollars to look like chump change?” He rests his chin in his hand and lets his gaze drift over her again. She shifts in his vision and rests her hands on her hips. “What?”
“It didn’t bother you that Echolls slept with Lilly.” He looks up at her eyes. “Why does it piss you off that I did?”
“Are you going to help me?”
“I already told you, Mars.” He pushes the papers back toward her. “The answer’s no. The last thing I need, regardless of the popularity polls, is to be caught working a case with my archrival’s teenage daughter. I get caught with you, Mars, and I look bad.”
“Getting caught with me can’t make you look any worse than you already do, Sheriff. Trust me.”
“Yeah? You think I should pose that question to your father?” He takes a sip from the coffee cup on his desk. “What’s this really all about, Mars?”
“I’ve already told you.”
“No. You’ve told me what you want me to think this is all about. But there’s something you’re not telling me.” He stands and moves around his desk, swinging his office door closed as he comes up behind her. His breath stirs her hair as he leans in. “What’s the matter, Mars? Miss me?”
“Meg was pregnant with Duncan’s baby.”
“The Boy Scout slept around on you?” He reaches out and eases her hair back behind her ear, leaning closer. “Ouch.”
“There’s a good chance that her father’s using this agency.”
“And you want to adopt? Set up the newest Kane household and see if you can fuck the little tyke up as much as Jake and Celeste did their kids?”
She whirls around and glares at him. “What does it matter? You’re not going to help.”
He smiles as she starts for the door. “I’ll help.”
She stops, her hand around the door handle. “You will?”
“Is there really a girl at school?”
She nods without looking at him. “Something’s wrong with the picture.”
“And you want to bring everything back into focus.” He approaches her again, crowding her. “What if you don’t like what develops, Mars?”
She closes her eyes and exhales quietly. “Do you want to adopt a boy or a girl, Sheriff?”
“I’d rather get my kids the old fashioned way.” He trails a finger along her shoulder and then down her spine before leaning in and whispering in her ear. “Your call, Mars.”
**
“Move over.”
She raises an eyebrow but slides into the passenger’s seat as he settles behind the wheel. “Where are we headed?”
“Santa Monica. That’s where their offices are.” She runs a hand through her hair, attempting to control it as the wind whips it around her face.
“What’d you tell your daddy?”
“You know what? We do much better when you leave my dad out of things.”
“All right.” He smiles at her, predatorily. “What’d you tell your boyfriend? Or are things a little strained now that you know he might have been lying when he told you he used a condom?”
“Can we just do this without talking?”
He nods, pursing his lips as he hooks his arm over the back of her seat. Veronica gives him a dirty look and hunches over toward the door. “So what’s our cover?”
“We’re looking to adopt.”
“Why? We look like a relatively young, sexually compatible couple.” He brings his hand down and catches hers, rubbing her thumb with his. “Why aren’t we shagging like bunnies and popping out our own kidlets?”
“You’re an up and coming executive and a major force in Kane Software. They’re big on family, but not on taking time out of work. I’m a software developer fresh out of MIT and I want to help you with your image, but I’m not about to take nine months out of my own work to carry your spawn.” She stares at their hands before pulling hers away to rake it through her hair again. “We’ve decided our best bet is adoption - premade babies for our manufactured lifestyle.”
“Wow, you know that’s not going to fly, don’t you?”
“It will when they get a look at my trust fund and your shares of Kane Software stock. Not to mention your net income last year puts the national deficit to shame.”
“That good, am I?”
“You pretend to be that good.” She licks her lips and sighs. “If they’re on the level, they’ll toss us out on our ass. If they’re not…well, there’s a good chance we might be able to purchase ourselves the best on the market.”
“Or, in the case of your friend, what they’re billing as the best. How are they going to explain to the nice, white couple that their baby’s got a really, really good tan?”
“I have a feeling that they’re not going to care. Delivery will be done, baby will be bought and paid for and who are they going to complain to? You can’t exactly go to the Better Business Bureau and bitch that the black market baby you just bought doesn’t have the pedigree you thought he would.”
“But these are powerful people they’re messing with.” He gives her a small smile. “Present company excluded, even if we do look good on paper.”
“Well, my thought is that they’re going to have something on them, even if it’s just brokering the deal. That’s kind of where we come in.”
“And what do they have on us?” When she doesn’t answer, he shoots her a glance and raises an eyebrow. “Mars?” When the silence continues, he snaps on the signal and pulls over to the side of the road, hazard lights flashing. “Mars?”
“Well, I had to put myself through MIT somehow.” She smiles and shrugs. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“You have a trust fund.”
“Which I can’t access until I’m 25. Really, you’d think you’d know this stuff, given that we’ve been together for two years.”
He reaches over, cupping her cheek. Her hair falls around his fingers and he leans in, his eyes closing as he finds her lips with his. “What’s my deep, dark secret?”
“You used to be a woman.” He jerks back as she laughs, her eyes dancing. “Okay, well, maybe not that.”
“You bet your ass not that.”
“Prejudice, Sheriff?”
He reaches for her hand and pulls it toward him. She doesn’t resist as he presses it against his erection. “No, Mars. Just damn sure that this is all part of the original package.”
“You stole your biggest idea from your partner who is currently languishing in a mental hospital not far from Seattle. It’s really very sad.”
“Do I feel bad at all?”
Veronica blinks and glances down at her hand. Her voice is low and rough. “No.”
“So I’m completely without remorse?” He leans in toward her, his gaze focused on her mouth as she licks her lips. “I don’t regret a thing?”
“Sheriff…”
“We’re going to have to come up with a different pet name, Mars.” He pulls back and smiles at her, his gaze cocky and confident as it sweeps down to her chest and the tight pull of her nipples against the fabric. “Sheriff’s gonna be a dead giveaway.”
“How about asshole? I’m sure I can make it sound endearing if I add a few other adjectives.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest as he snaps off the hazard lights and turns on the blinker, pulling back into traffic.
“Probably doesn’t uphold the sweet, happily married, desiring to have a baby image we’re going for. How about you just call me Don.”
“How about I don’t. Your name is Ben.”
“Ben?”
“And I’m Jennifer.”
“You’re kidding.” He sighs and shakes his head. “You couldn’t have been reading the works of Tolstoy or something when you came up with the names?”
“Be glad. We could have been Nick and Jessica.”
“Okay, so we just go in there and demand a baby?”
“No. I submitted an application by e-mail. They know we’re coming, though I made sure to give them plenty of time to do a little investigating of their own. I booked us a room at the Fairmont Miramar…”
“Daaamn, Mars.”
“And, before you ask, my father thinks I’m spending the weekend with Mac.”
“Because a lesbian love affair is more acceptable than the thought you’re going to be sleeping in the same room with the Sheriff of Neptune?”
“Considering who the Sheriff is?” She turns away from him, the pulse beating hard and fast at the base of her throat. “Yeah.”
**
“Holy shit.” Lamb breathes the words as they enter the hotel room, the bellboy setting their bags on the bench at the base of the bed. “I thought you didn’t get your trust fund until you were 25.”
“I didn’t buy the hotel, honey. I just rented a room.” She slides a tip into the bellboy’s hand and follows him to the door, shutting it behind him. “The initial meeting is in three hours.”
“And you want to know how I think we should kill some time?” He sits on the edge of the bed and leans back, his hands fisting in the thick comforter. “Come here and we can start making a list.”
“The only list you’ll need is one that clearly states that I have no intention of sleeping with you. Ever.”
”Again.”
“What?”
“Ever again. You can’t say ever, since you’ve already done the deed.” He gets to his feet and tugs his shirt over his head, dropping it on the floor at her feet. She stares at his bare chest as he brushes past her. “I’m going to shower.” He stops and turns, leaning forward to whisper in her ear. “You’re welcome to join me.”
“I’d sooner rot in hell.”
“You’d better be careful, Mars. You’re really turning me on.” He undoes the button of his jeans. “Last chance to change your mind.”
“Keep dreaming.”
He laughs and shuts the door, stripping off his jeans and turning on the water. All 10 jets come to life and he closes the glass enclosure and leans against it, staring at himself in the mirror. “What the fuck are you doing, Lamb?” He mutters softly, shaking his head. He closes his eyes and remembers the feel of her hand earlier, which reminds him of the feel of her body which he thinks about far too much. “Fuck.” He rips open the shower door and steps inside, turning the liquid heat down to something barely above freezing, trying to forget that Veronica is right outside the door.
**
“You want a drink?” She holds up the bottle of champagne for a moment then sets it back in the bed of ice. “Apparently it’s a gift from the agency.”
“They want us to show up three sheets to the wind?” He picks up the bottle and whistles low. “Three 500 thread count sheets to the wind.”
“It’s nice to be courted, isn’t it?” She gets to her feet and turns to face him, stopping at the sight. He’s wearing a towel and a few random water droplets. “What are you doing?”
“I left my clothes out here.”
Her expression doesn’t change as she glances down to the knot holding the towel closed, up over the flat plane of his stomach to his chest. His breath catches in his throat as she meets his eyes. “So I see.”
“Is that what you’re wearing?”
“I’m a little closer to dressed for the occasion than you are.” She swallows hard and looks away before meeting his eyes again. “This is about helping my friend at school. Helping Duncan. Keeping a promise to Meg. That’s it.”
“No one said it was anything more.”
“I don’t like you.”
“Trust me, Mars. I don’t like you either.” He catches her chin and holds it, his eyes burning into hers. “But that apparently doesn’t have a damn thing to do with how much I want you.”
“Surely I can’t compare to Lilly.” She steps away from his touch and heads toward the bathroom. “Just think about that whenever the urge strikes you.”
**
“Everything looks well in order, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews. You’re very much the type of people we’re looking for. However, there are a few issues that come up with regards to every adoption and, as you can imagine, dealing with such issues isn’t easy…or inexpensive.”
“You need money,” Veronica states.
“Just to cut through some of the red tape. One of the reasons our agency is so well spoken of is because we take care of those issues so that you don’t have to. No meddlesome representatives coming out to your house, no social workers prying through your things to determine whether your choice of undergarments qualifies you to be a good parent.”
“What undergarments do qualify you?"
“Ben!” Veronica slaps him across the arm, her eyes narrowing.
“Because I’d hate to have to give up you in that thong for this.”
“Ben.” She shakes her head, smiling apologetically. “I’m so sorry. He’s always like this when he’s nervous. Just babbles about whatever comes to mind. Which I’m sure you can appreciate is one of the reasons we’d rather not go through all the legal rigmarole that one has to deal with in a government controlled adoption.”
“Absolutely.”
“And it’s imperative that the baby look something like us. I realize that we’re probably asking a lot, but our goal is to make the child feel as much a part of our family as any naturally born child would. I know that there must be a surplus of,” she looks at Lamb and blushes, “well, you know…”
“Oh, absolutely, Mrs. Andrews. I can assure you that your child will meet all of your specifications.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“I’m sorry?”
Lamb leans forward, reaching over to grab Veronica’s hand as he does so. “As you can imagine, this subject is very near and dear to our hearts. Jennifer and I debated for a long time about the merits of this - how the child might feel in the future when we get pregnant, how society might view the child in our social circle were he or she not to…fit in. We want this baby to be the basis of our family, not a piece we’re going to leave behind when our lives become more manageable for Jennifer to take the time off to have children of our own. What recourse do we have if the baby isn’t what we want? What we ask for? What we pay for?”
“I can assure you, Mr. Andrews, we’ve never had a client complain. I’m sure if you research all our past adoptions, everyone has been very, very satisfied with the results. I doubt you could even find one negative word about our company from any of our clients. And, if you don’t mind me saying so, we do tend to have very…explicit instructions from our clients. Ones we follow to the letter. You’ll get what you pay for.”
“All right.” Lamb stands, Veronica’s hand still in his. She joins him, moving close enough that he can put his arm around her. “We’ll take this information to the hotel with us then and get back with you tomorrow?”
“Of course. Fill out the questionnaire so that we can assess your needs, and we’ll get the process started.”
“For a small fee,” Veronica adds softly.
They can hear the smile in the response as they walk out the door. “For a fee.”
**
“Hungry?”
Lamb falls down on the bed and stretches out, his arms over his head. He stretches, the movement pulling his shirt free from his slacks and exposing his stomach. “Not for anything that features the words cordon and bleu.” He rolls over and digs into the nightstand drawer. “You think they’ve got a pizza place around here?”
“You’re going to get pizza delivered to the suite at the Fairmont Miramar?”
He rolls back over and smiles at her. “No?”
“No.” She shoulders her purse and nods toward the door. “Come on. We’ll go out for pizza.”
They drive in silence, Veronica heading toward the back booth as he orders. He brings the pitcher and two mugs and sits across from her, sliding one of the mugs in front of her. She stares at it as he pours, filling her glass and then his own before taking a long drink. “What?”
“You know I’m underage, right?”
“Not according to that pretty little degree from MIT.” He takes another drink. “I promise not to bust you.” He reaches over and touches the lapel of the jacket she’s wearing. “Besides, no one seeing you right now would think you were anything less than an up and coming business executive. Your high school days are far behind, Mars.”
She lifts the mug and takes a small sip then a larger one, making it half way through her beer before the pizza comes. He ignores her raised eyebrows as she notices her favorite toppings - he learned something from all those late nights she spent at the station with her dad - serves her then picks a second slice up, angling it toward his mouth. He eats his first bite, chewing as he watches her, finally setting his pizza on a plate. She tilts her head and looks at him. “Penny for your thoughts.”
“Given how much our little rugrat is going to be costing us? We don’t have a penny to spare.” He shrugs. “Kane doesn’t know you’re doing this, does he?”
“No.”
”Why not? Or why bother? He can afford to buy his kid if it comes to that, which, given what we’re starting to get on Meg’s family, it won’t. So why are you doing this for him?”
“It’s his kid.”
“But not yours, Mars. And if you tell me you plan on settling down with Duncan Kane and raising his ex-girlfriend’s love child? I’ll say the only person you’re fooling is yourself.” He reaches over and touches the back of her hand before pulling back. “That’s not the girl you are, Veronica Mars.”
She picks up her pizza and takes a bite, swallowing it and chasing it with the rest of her beer. “How many times did you sleep with Lilly?”
“Well, I’d have to look in my diary to make sure…” He shakes his head. “I don’t know, Mars. Why?”
“I just thought I knew my best friend. But I don’t think I knew her at all.”
“If it helps, and it won’t,” he assured her, “I don’t think she was balling every cop that pulled her over.”
“Is that what happened?”
“Pretty much. She was drunk, she was high, she was driving like a maniac. I pulled her over, she laughed and she went down on me. That was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.” He smirks and takes a bite. “Two nights later, I’m at home and she shows up on my doorstep. Informs me that if I don’t want Sheriff Mars to hear about what I’ve done to her, I need to let her in and I need to fuck her until she screams.”
“Well, that sounds like Lilly.”
“I tried to put her off and then I figured ‘why not?’. So I fucked her. It happened a few more times, but then the thrill was gone. No one cared if we were fucking. Then the last time it happened, we were going through the motions and…”
“And she mentioned me.”
“Yeah.”
She grabs the pitcher and pours more beer in her glass, drinking half of it down. “Good to know that I was fodder for my best friend’s floundering sex life.”
“I think she was playing me more than she was you, Mars.” He takes another slice of pizza and sets it on his plate. “She wanted to see how I’d react. And I’m pretty sure that if she hadn’t died, I would have been at her mercy for a hell of a long time.” He shakes his head and stuffs more pizza into his mouth.
Veronica stares at him for a long time. “Why did you tell me?”
“You’re the detective, Mars.” He takes a long pull of his beer. “Figure it out.”
**
The suite is dark and he reaches out and stops Veronica as she starts to turn on the light. He closes the door behind them and stands there, his hand over hers on the switch. “Don’t.”
She shivers at his voice. “I…”
“Don’t,” he whispers it again in her ear, his free hand curving around her waist, sliding flat along her stomach. “Just don’t.” He closes his eyes and bends his head, his breath feathering over her neck. His lips follow the trail, tasting her. “Please?”
Her whole body trembles in his hands and he presses his advantage, easing her hand off the switch. She stands before him as he moves his hands to her shoulders and eases her suit jacket off her, letting it drop to the floor between them. He runs his hands up and down her arms before turning her, not looking at her as he unbuttons the white dress shirt.
Veronica’s hands clench into fists at his touch then relax, repeating the process over and over as he unfastens her shirt and guides it off her as well. His gaze lifts to her face for a moment and he meets her eyes, one eyebrow cocked in question. She doesn’t say anything and he smiles, his eyes dropping back down to her breasts as his hands skim down her stomach to her jeans.
He unsnaps them and she moves suddenly, her hands framing his face as she finds his mouth with hers. It’s hard and hot and frantic as he shoves at the denim with one hand, wrapping the other around her waist as she sucks hard on his tongue. He groans and stumbles forward until he feels the hard wood of the dresser against his hand. Veronica’s hands have moved down to his shirt, tugging it free of his jeans and jerking at the fabric until it pulls free of the buttons.
He lifts her up onto the dresser as her mouth leaves his. He breathes sharp and heavy as her lips find his shoulder and chest, licking and sucking and biting at the flesh as she shoves his shirt off his arms. He presses her back against the mirror, feeling her hiss in the sharp sting of her teeth as her pale skin comes in contact with the glass. He pulls back and stares down at her, watching her chest rise and fall as he reaches down and insinuates a hand between her legs, his fingers pressing hard against the wet cotton.
She’s breathing roughly, panting as her legs part farther, allowing him to slide two fingers beneath the elastic and feel the soft, wet tendrils of hair that cling to her skin and his. His other hand works at his jeans, jerking his belt free and undoing his fly. She’s arching her back and pressing against him and he’s shoving his pants and boxer-briefs down.
He finds her mouth and captures it as he eases his fingers free, his hands moving to her waist to tug at her panties. She arches her back again, lifting up so he can slide them off her. She shivers and he pulls her closer, one hand behind her back as the other strips her, her parted legs warm against his bare thighs.
Veronica’s hand closes over him, and he shudders, burying his face against her neck. He kisses the soft skin, feeling her tremble in response as his stubble scrapes her skin. Her grip tightens for a moment then changes as she begins stroking him, her breath feathering hotly over his chest, her tongue tracing the hard ridge of his nipple.
“Mars,” he bites the swell of her shoulder then pulls away, his whole body shuddering as her hand slips free of his cock. She stares at him, her breath as loud as his in the quiet room. “I don’t…”
“I always knew you weren’t a Boy Scout.” She nods toward the door. “My purse.”
He kicks free of his jeans and shoes and grabs her purse, conscious of her eyes on him. He tosses it toward her before moving back between her legs, finding her mouth as she pulls a blue packet free. “Should I ask what a nice girl like you is doing with something like this?”
She breaks his kiss and opens the pack, sliding off the dresser to ease the condom onto him, smiling as he gasps. “I’d say I’m saving you from another cold shower, Sheriff.”
His hands find her hips and he turns her, catching her surprised reflection in the mirror. He bends her forward slowly, his free hand guiding his cock to the heat of her opening. “Yeah, Mars? What am I saving you from?”
She gasps as he pushes deeper, his hand sliding up to press against the mirror as he lowers himself down, his chest against her back. She lifts her head to keep watching him, her mouth open. He closes his eyes for a moment and then bends his head, kissing the base of her neck, his tongue trailing over the top of her spine. She pushes back against him, her hands braced on the edge of the dresser. “It’s better than a Lifetime movie and a pint of Ben and Jerry’s.”
He straightens and catches her hips, still watching her in the mirror as he holds them, changing his rhythm. She bites her lower lip in an effort to hold back the low moan that escapes as he increases his speed, lengthening his thrusts. “Glad to know I rank over Tori Spelling and Chunky Monkey.”
“Ba…Barely,” she pants, bending her head forward so her hair fell in her face. She slides her hands free from the edge of the dresser and folds them beneath her head, burying her face against them as she arches her back and pushes back against him. “Only because I’m not a huge fan of…of…oh.” She shudders, her body tightening around him. He gasps and bends his head as well, gasping for breath as the flood of her orgasm engulfs his cock.
He keeps thrusting, his control slipping as he begins moving faster, his grip tightening on her hips. Veronica braces her hands on the dresser and lifts her head, meeting his gaze and holding it as his muscles grow tighter, flexing as he comes deep inside her.
**
He eases away from her and disposes of the condom, sitting on the edge of the bed as she slowly pulls away from the dresser and turns to look at him. He reaches down for his shirt and tosses it to her, watching as she slips it on. “You still look good in my clothes.”
“I need a shower.”
“Mars.”
“Please, whatever you do, don’t tell me you want to analyze this.”
“You don’t?” He scoffs, his voice laced with sarcasm. “The great Veronica Mars not wanting to know what something means? Why do I find that hard to believe?”
“I don’t need to analyze it to know what it means. It means I am a colossally bad judge of character when it comes to random hook ups.”
He reaches for her hand and pulls her down onto his lap. “And how does this carefully engineered weekend together qualify as a random hook up, Mars? Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure you’re all gung ho to find the evil-doers that are likely to adopt your boyfriend’s illegitimate child, but there are a whole lot of people you could have chosen to play pretend with.”
“You’re so good at pretending to be Sheriff, I figured you’d be a natural.” She struggles against his grip.
“You figured I’d want to pick up where we left off.”
She stops moving and meets his eyes. “As I recall, we left off with you telling me you’d been sleeping with my best friend.”
“We left off with you in a very similar position, Mars. You were dressed in my clothes, straddling my lap. And there was no one and nothing else on your mind but me. You and me.”
“Temporary insanity brought on by the stressful situation and too much alcohol.”
“All right, Mars.” He releases her and shrugs. “We’ll play this your way. Too much pizza and beer and not enough sweet lovin’ from your millionaire boyfriend.”
“Leave Duncan out of this.”
“I just call ‘em like I see ‘em, Mars.”
“Well, Sheriff, as your arrest record suggests, you don’t see much of anything. And when you do see, something you usually look the other way.”
He watches her walk to the bathroom, waiting until her hand is on the knob to call out. “Hey, Mars? I’m not looking the other way right now.”
**
He waits until he hears the water starts before he walks into the bathroom. Veronica screams as he opens the shower door, but he cuts her off, placing his hand firmly over her mouth. “Don’t get your hopes up, Mars. I just want to get cleaned up.”
“Wait your turn!”
“Considering I was the one we both came all over, I think I get first dibs. You’re welcome to sit outside, since it’s a favorite roosting spot of yours.” He reaches around her for the soap and rubs it between his hands “Of course, I could always wash your back if you wash mine.”
She crosses her arms over her chest and moves to the corner of the shower. “I’ll just wait over here.”
“Your loss.” He closes his eyes and begins rubbing the soap and his hands over his chest, creating a froth of bubbles. He tilts his head until his neck pops and sighs, turning into the nearest jet of water. “You really should come on in, Mars. The water’s fine.”
“Just hurry up.”
He opens his eyes and smiles at her, reaching out and rubbing her shoulder with one soapy hand, massaging the tight muscle. “It’s nice and warm and soapy, Mars. Feels good.” She swallows and shakes her head until he moves his hand up to the side of her neck. He moves closer, his other hand cupping her breast as his thumb runs over her nipple. “You have to admit it feels good.”
“I imagine the first hit of heroin feels pretty nice too, but you still have to wake up and live with yourself in the morning.”
“You’re comparing me to heroin?” He chuckles soft and low against her lips. “I think that might be a compliment in your book, Mars.”
“Only you would take it that way.”
He pins her against the slick wall and places a hand on either side of her head as he kisses her again. They move and melt together as he edges a knee between both of hers, as her hands slide around his neck and she presses herself closer. He closes his eyes and loses himself in the taste of her until the water goes cold.
**
“So, Great and Powerful Wizard of Mars,” his voice is low in the quiet of the room as he slips his leg between both of hers, thrusting his hips forward until his cock rests against the curve of her ass. The mattress shifts as he moves, and the sheets cling to him, still damp from their shower and more. “What’s our next step?”
“Oh, Sheriff.” She moves against him, her body rocking into his as she looks over her shoulder to smile at him. “If you only had a brain.”
He laughs low, the sound pressed against the skin beneath her ear. “What I don’t have in brains,” he nips at her earlobe as he guides his cock against her, pressing just the tip inside her, “I make up for in other areas.”
“Really?” Her hand slides over his hip and pulls, edging him closer. “Who told you that?”
He thrusts forward and she gasps, her fingers curling against his flesh. “Call it a hunch.” Rocking slowly, he pushes deeper. His eyes close as he inhales the smell of her - soap and sex and powder and innocence - and tastes her on his tongue as her body belies the scents and clenches around him. “How are we going to prove this agency is going to give us less than we pay for?”
“Do you really want to talk about this now?” Her voice is husky from lack of sleep and something more as she adjusts her position, sliding her foot behind his leg and pulling him closer, deeper. She turns her head as well, and he looks at her, the ghost of a smile on her features. “I mean, you’ve got limited thought capacity, Sheriff. I’d hate to see you lose your train of thought at an inconvenient time.”
“You think this requires thinking, Mars?” He licks her lips and kisses her, his hand sliding over her hip and down between her legs, fingers tangling in the slick hairs. “This is all instinct.”
“If your instincts for this are anything like your cop instincts? I’d rather have you concentrate.”
His fingers slip down and find her clit, circling the hard nub slowly, deliberately as he slows his strokes, barely moving inside her. “If you’re finding my performance…lacking, Mars, just let me know. I can stop.”
“You can?” She reaches down and places her hand over his and guides it to her clit, pressing his fingers against her and then sliding them down to where the slick flesh of his cock pushes inside her. “Can you?”
“You’re a cocky little bitch, aren’t you, Mars?”
“Isn’t that why you like me?”
He moves his fingers back up to her clit and her whole body jerks. “Who says I like you?”
Veronica shivers as his voice washes over her. “If you don’t, I’m a little worried about what you do to girls you like.”
“If I had my handcuffs here, I’d show you.” She bites her lower lip to hold back a moan and he jerks hard inside her, his fingers moving over her clit in rhythm with his increasing strokes. “Fuck, Mars.”
“You’ve had me in handcuffs before.”
“Trust me,” he growls deep in his throat, “I remember.”
Veronica makes a soft sound as he bends his head to taste her neck, licking the thin sheen of perspiration from her skin as she tightens around him, her muscles clenching. Her fingers slide down from his and touch his cock as he continues to thrust against her orgasm.
He moves his hand up to her hip, his fingers damp against her skin as he holds her, his face against her shoulder as he rocks forward, barely pulling back as he thrusts harder and deeper with every stroke. His body trembles as he comes, her heel digging into the back of his thigh. He lets his hand slide up over her stomach, his thumb brushing the underside of her breast. After a long minute, he sighs softly. “Now can I ask about the plan?”
“Now,” she leans back into him and closes her eyes. “Now, you can ask about the plan.”
**
“It’s not going to work.”
“It will work.” She shifts on the bed, the movement baring a bit more of her thigh from beneath his shirt. “So long as you follow the script and don’t ad-lib like yesterday.”
“I was asking what any smart businessman would ask. Always know the return policy, Mars. Hasn’t working in retail taught you anything?”
“I work food services, Sheriff. Not retail.” She gets off the bed and moves over to the coffee maker. “Though your knowledge does explain a lot about you.”
“Two sugars.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Say please.”
“Please.”
“No.” She pours her own and takes a sip. “So why don’t you think it’s going to work?”
He starts to answer, stopping at the knock on the door. “Yeah?”
“Room service.”
Veronica shakes her head and he rubs the back of his neck. “We didn’t order room service.”
“Courtesy of the agency, sir.”
“When fruit baskets and champagne don’t speak loud enough.” He walks to the door and opens it, stepping back. “What’s on the menu?” The server shuts the door and locks it. Lamb reaches instinctively for the gun that isn’t there and then stops as the server raises his head. “Jimmy?”
“None other, Don.” He smirks and glances at Veronica. “Or should I say Ben?”
“What are you doing here?”
“And,” Veronica snaps, “who are you?”
“Oddly enough, I can answer both questions with one answer.” He looks directly at Veronica. “I’m James Carver. High school friend of one Don Lamb. And current agent for the FBI.” He smirks at her wide eyes. “I did tell you that breakfast was from the agency.”
“That doesn’t explain why you’re here.”
“Wow. She’s a real people person, isn’t she?” James takes the cover off the main dish and grabs the server. “Might as well dig in. We’ve got a lot of explaining to do.” He looks at Veronica again. “All of us.”
**
“Ms. Carlisle, who you met yesterday at the desk, is an agent. We’ve been working this ring for almost a year and are pretty close to busting them on a federal level. There are at least three in California alone, but there’s no less than one in every state but Montana.” He takes a bite of bacon and chews, shrugging as Veronica refuses the empty plate Lamb offers her. “Nothing in your application sent up red flags, which scares the hell out of me, to be honest.”
“Thank her for that.”
“Fear her, I think is the phrase you’re going for, Donny, my boy.” He takes another bite. “But when you got there, she knew something was up. Your application was idiot proof, Ms. Mars,” he nods in her direction, “but next time you do undercover work, you might not want to involve the Sheriff and prime witness for a prominent murder case involving a major motion picture star.”
“So did we compromise your case?” Lamb reaches for Veronica’s coffee and takes a long sip of it, ignoring her glare.
“No. Thankfully. But the information we pulled from Neptune is going to help immensely.”
“Information?” Veronica snaps.
“Neptune?” Lamb’s voice echoes over hers.
“Yeah. Your friend, Meg, and her baby. Her parents. We read through the file you have on them at the station, Don. Good leg work there. We met with Duncan Kane and then your dad let us glance through some stuff you had, Veronica.”
“My dad.” She gets to her feet and grabs her suitcase, dropping it onto the bed. “My dad.”
“Yeah, honey,” Keith’s voice was dry and flat as it came from the doorway. “Your dad.”
**
“This isn’t what it looks like.”
“It isn’t you going off on your own to investigate a major, probably dangerous situation for which you have no training without anyone to back you up? It’s not you getting in the middle of a major FBI case because you’ve decided to take matters into your own hands?” Keith’s voice stays calm as he walks into the room, his eyes never leaving Veronica. “Is that not what it looks like? Or were you referring more to the sleeping arrangements?”
“It’s not…”
“I know. What it looks like. Get your things, honey. We’re going home.”
“Dad…”
“Veronica.” His voice changes and her head jerks up slightly. “I’m going to wait outside with Agent Carver while you get dressed and get your things together. I’m going to give Sheriff Lamb the benefit of the doubt and assume he’s here because you blackmailed him into helping you and he had some unfamiliar sense of duty to keep you from getting killed. I’m also going to expect that he’s going to stay right here in this fucking room while you get dressed in the bathroom, because the other alternative is that I kill him right where he stands, and I’d hate to get blood on Agent Carver’s food.”
Carver picks up the last piece of bacon and gives Lamb a look that borders somewhere on accusatory and apologetic as he follows Keith out into the hallway. The door shuts and he and Veronica stand there, staring at each other. “I haven’t been busted by someone’s dad since I was 14.”
“You have ten minutes,” Keith’s voice comes from outside the door.
Carver’s voice follows Keith’s. “Uh, Don? He’s got a gun.”
“Right. You stay here,” he suggests. “I’ll be in the bathroom.” He gets up from the table and starts for the bathroom, stopping as Veronica’s hand catches his arm. “The FBI’s going to keep your boyfriend from losing his kid, Veronica.”
“I…”
He reaches over and removes her hand. “You didn’t imagine this was all hearts and flowers, did you, Mars?” He smiles, his eyes sharp as they skate down her body, taking in the sight of her still clad only in his shirt. “What was it you said? It’s not what it looks like.”
“Seven minutes.”
“Get dressed, Mars. Your daddy’s waiting.”
**
He doesn’t look up from his desk as she walks into his office, though he does glance up when she shuts the door. “Is this because I forgot to send a baby shower gift?”
“Duncan made sure the baby went to a good home.” She shifts and places her fingers on the edge of his desk. “Thank your friend for him…us.”
“Just doin’ his job, ma’am.” He taps his pencil on the file in front of him as the silence grows louder. “Was there anything else, Mars?”
“Is it true you’re looking for receptionist help on the weekends?”
He laughs softly, shaking his head. “Mars, even if it didn’t mean your father would come after me with a shotgun? I wouldn’t hire you on here in a million years. You’d have your fingers in every case in the department and I’d spend more time arresting you for interfering with a police investigation than I would arresting real criminals.”
She turns her hands up in supplication. “You’d get to see me in handcuffs.”
“I’d get to see an internal affairs investigation from the wrong side.” He stands up and places his hands on hers as he leans into her. “No sale, Mars.”
“You’re sure?”
“You offering some sort of payment in kind?” He laughs softly at the look on her face. “Don’t worry, Mars. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, despite our propensity to end up in bed, is that you’re not for sale.”
“Wow. Was that a compliment from the great and powerful Sheriff of Neptune?”
“Careful, Mars, or I may just have to remind your daddy that you’re 18. A legal adult. Fully capable of making your own choices in regards to sexual partners and illicit activities. Hell, I can even arrest you and make it stick.”
“You really do want me in handcuffs, don’t you, Sheriff?”
“Veronica?” He tugs at a strand of her hair, his lips ghosting over hers. “Call me Don.”