And I knew.

But I asked anyway and I did it on a whisper. "This is not about justice, it's about payback."

He looked over his shoulder and then back at me, his other arm sliding around so he could hold me loosely but his head dipped close.

"This isn't where I wanna have this conversation but it has to be had. You're right. This isn't about justice. It's about payback."

I didn't have a good feeling about that so I started, "Ty " he shook his head and gave me a light squeeze so I stopped.

"I told you who Tate is and who he was. He pulled out all the stops when that shit started goin' down. He got nowhere except on radar. I pulled him back from that so he didn't get caught in the same shit storm as me. And this goes to what I told you earlier. You do not get on radar. They get you in their sights, they'll chew you up, babe, spit you out and not fuckin' blink. And, sucks for you, but you got shit in your past they will use to fuck you with. And make no mistake, baby, the instant you picked me up outside the penitentiary they started lookin' into you. That means you gotta keep your mouth shut and a tight handle on it. At all times. Carnal PD is infested. The citizens of that town keep their heads down and go about their business. You do that too. You let me handle my business and I'll let you know if I need you."

"Aren't there any good cops in that department?" I asked.

"Huddle with the boys first night I was home?" he asked back, I nodded and he went on. "Update. Nothin's changed except Fuller is now Chief of Police rather than just the captain. Which is worse. There are three cops Tate trusts and all of them are in uniform. No rank, no power."

"Isn't there some other authority ?" I began.

"Babe, they are the authority."

I pressed my hand into his chest to get him to listen to me and I said, "Some other authority."

He shook his head but said, "Tate had hope. At the party, I heard Betty talkin' to you about Dalton, that guy who kidnapped Laurie, stabbed her and Jim-Billy?"

I nodded.

"FBI got involved in that. Agent in that case, name's Tambo, smelled somethin' funny workin' with Carnal PD. Tate thought he'd run with it. He didn't."

"Maybe you could talk to him?"

"And tell him what? I got played by pussy and dirty cops in two fuckin' states not even connected conspired against me? He'd think I was a fuckin' nut."

I slid my eyes to the side and had to admit this was true.

"Lexie, look at me."

I slid my eyes back and I got another light squeeze.

"Keep your head down and a handle on that sass. You unleash it, you do me no favors. Worse, you put yourself out there and you do, I think you get from where we met I cannot protect you."

"Can I have one exclusion? If I run into bitch-face Misty, can I unleash my sass?"

His chest started shaking and I guessed it was with laughter considering his mouth was also twitching but he said, "She's married to a police detective."

"I'll be discreet."

"You rub up against Misty, you'll be fucked."

I held his eyes thinking he was probably right about that too.

Then I gave in, "Oh, all right."

That got me another light squeeze but only with one arm because his other one left me so his big hand could cup my jaw as he dipped his head so his lips were against mine when he whispered, "Thanks, baby."

Then he kissed me lightly.

My heart fluttered not only at the kiss but because his hand felt nice on my face and his arm felt nice around me.

When he lifted his head, I said, "One thing. Misty's fair game after you wreak your vengeance."

His shades held mine. Then he whispered, "I can give you that."

"Thanks," I whispered back.

"Got 'em!" We both heard Stan shout and we looked to the side to see him running to us, hand up, jingling a keyfob. "Magnetic gray!"

Five minutes later, Ty and I were pulling out of the lot on a test drive.

An hour after that, I was in the Viper trailing Ty in the Cruiser on our way home.

And sitting behind the wheel of the Viper, I was having the weird feeling that Lady Luck was beginning to like me.

Ty parked under the deck, I parked the Viper in the garage. He took the outside stairs. I took the inside ones.

I met him in the kitchen, bouncing on my high-heeled wedges.

"That was awesome! Can we go back... oof!"

The "oof" was because I was so excited about driving the Viper, I didn't see his intent when he was coming at me and only saw it when his shoulder dipped when he made it to me. And his shoulder dipped so it could hit me in the stomach and he could heft me up.

My stomach got tight and I felt another tickle between my legs, this one nicer than the Viper tickle. Way nicer.

"Ty," I whispered to his back as he started up the stairs.

"Told you, Lex, a man released from prison's got his first day off work, he's gonna spend it fuckin' his new wife."

Another tickle. A lot nicer.

It seemed that Ty was getting around to giving me an orgasm. I wanted Ty to give me an orgasm. Therefore, I fell silent.

He took me to the top and set me on my feet by the bed.

The first thing I did was pull off my top.

His eyes went dark and he pulled off his tee.

Another tickle. A really good one.

God, he was perfect everywhere.

I reduced the area between us by half and since we were less than a foot away that made us super close. Then I undid my shorts and shimmied them down.

Ty picked me up and threw me on the bed.

No tickle that time. A spasm.

Then he hooked his fingers in my panties and tore them down my legs, he put a knee to the bed, an arm around my waist, he lifted me, dragging me further across the bed, then he planted me in it. He wasted no further time, he spread my legs wide with two hands and then his mouth was there, he tossed my legs over his shoulders then his big hands came around, cupping my ass and pulling me up to him.

At the feel of his mouth and tongue and just how good it was, my entire body arched and the heels of my sandals dug into his back.

I should have known, the way he could kiss, he could use that mouth. I should have known.

Now I knew.

And he used that mouth to build it hard and he built it fast.

"Oh God, honey," I whimpered, my hips surging up, my hand going to his head to hold him close but he wasn't going anywhere, he was hungry.

Starved.

And it was so good, I was close.

But I wanted him.

"Ty, God, I need you, baby."

He kept eating, pulling me deeper into his mouth.

Oh yeah, he was good at this.

"Ty, God," I moaned, "I need you inside."

I said it and his mouth was gone but I was up then I was straddling him, one of his arms around my waist, the other hand between us working his jeans.

"You get it, you take it like I give it to you," he growled as I tried to focus on his face.

"Whatever you want," I breathed, I felt the tip of him, my thighs quivered in anticipation then his arm drove me down so I was full of him.

Oh yes. Yes.

My head fell back and I gasped.

Then I tried to move but his arm stayed tight around me, keeping me impaled.

My head righted. "I have to move," I whispered.

"You take it like I give it then I take," he rumbled then his hand was back between us and his thumb was at my clit.

I sucked in breath and my head fell forward, my forehead colliding with his, my arms circling his shoulders.

Oh, God. That was good. That was unbelievably fucking good.

But I had to move.

"Honey, please, I have to move," I begged, my head shifting so my mouth was on his but I couldn't kiss him, I was breathing too heavy, fighting his arm, trying to slide up.

"You wanted me inside, baby, I'm inside." His voice was thick, tight, hoarse.

He was, deep inside, so much of him, his thumb...

I made a sharp noise as I felt it starting and my body started bucking against his before it started then it happened and I arched back, crying out.

Beautiful.

Beautiful.

Like everything Ty.

Then I was on my back and Ty was driving deep, fast, hard, grunting with each stroke, oh God... phenomenal.

My orgasm washed out slowly, taking its time, my hands moved over his skin, my legs shifted around him. He caught one behind the back of the knee and yanked it high then pounded deeper.

I moaned.

He went up on his other hand in the bed, looked down at our bodies, our connection, his thrusting cock then his eyes came to my face, he fell down to his forearm, keeping my other leg held high as he held my eyes and I breathed heavy as I listened to his grunts.

Then the power behind his thrusts magnified, I knew it was coming, he was going to give it to me, my arms around him tightened, pulling myself up, my hand went to the back of his head and I tugged it down to me and took the force of his groan in my mouth.

He kept moving inside me, kept my leg up as his climax moved through him and then his tongue slid inside my mouth, he swung my leg around his waist and gave me more of his weight as he kissed me, deep, hard and sweet.

Then he slid in to the root, his arm in the bed moved up so his fingers could sift into my hair on one side, his mouth glided down the other side and I felt his nose flick my ear.

I sighed as I squeezed him tight in my limbs.

Then I turned my head and in his ear said, "You lasted a long time, long enough to let me move."

His head came up and his beautiful eyes hit mine.

"It wasn't good for you?" he asked but not in a way where he didn't know the answer, in a way he was making a point.

"Uh... yeah."

"Then quit bitchin'," he ordered and I smiled.

Then my hand slid up to his head as I lifted my head from the mattress.

His mouth met mine halfway.