After dinner, Janet insisted on helping with the clean up, so Carter and I left her and Riley over a warm sink full of suds. It was kind of cool to see Riley with his shirt sleeves rolled up, his forearms covered in foam. "I don't think I've seen that in a long time," Carter said as we walked out of the main building of Mount Zion.

With Carter and I forming a new marriage, there was talk about us getting our own place. We'd decided to build our own house on the premises, however. In our line of work, it was kind of important that we all be close by. Therefore, another house was built where some of the old Hospital Buildings were. Nowhere near as grandiose as the main building, it was still a pretty impressive house, with four bedrooms and lots of s.p.a.ce. It was technically Carter's, since I was supposed to be staying in the main house until we were married, but other than for public relations purposes, we'd shared the house from the day construction was finished.

"Did you see the way he looked at her during dessert?" I asked Carter as we crossed the walk towards our house. "He's so into her, I was surprised he didn't hit himself in the cheek with his spoon at some point."

"I remember when I did that," Carter said with a chuckle. "It was right about the time that I realized all of our fighting and bickering was because I was in love with you."

"Took me a while to come to the same realization," I said, "but I'm glad I did."

We went inside the house, kicking off our shoes in the entryway. Turning to Carter, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, letting go of the pa.s.sions that had been coursing through my veins for the past hour or more. "Speaking of being in love...."

"I thought you wanted to wait until the ceremony?" Carter said with a grin as he kissed me back. "What happened to that?"

"We can save the playroom until after the honeymoon," I mock-growled. "You'll see your me on your honeymoon often enough."

Carter shivered in reply, smiling. Having grown up in a household like ours, we hadn't grown up with any of the s.e.xual hangups that a lot of people did. The idea of him and I playing BDSM games was just normal to us, and a thrill that sent shivers down both of our spines. We weren't heavy into it, but it was fun every now and then, and a little thing we were withholding from ourselves prior to our wedding. It was something to look forward to.

Carter's arms wrapped around my waist and picked me up, carrying me easily back through the house towards our bedroom.

I love being in Carter's arms, because he's one of the few men who can truly make me feel tiny. At nearly six feet tall and athletic, I'm no little twig, so an average-sized man just wouldn't do. But Carter can literally sweep me off my feet and carry me like I'm a feather. His arm muscles bulged under his shirt as he looked into my eyes, a grin on his face before he turned me sideways so as to not bang my head on the doorway of our bedroom. Laying me on the mattress, he collapsed beside me, his lips already finding mine and our tongues wrapping around each other. We kissed for long, wonderful minutes, his full lips caressing mine. Carter has the most sensuous mouth I've ever seen on a man, with a full set of lips that he inherited from his mother. And my G.o.d does that man know how to use them.

A feral grin spread across his face as he kissed along my throat, his right hand stroking up and down my spine through my blouse. While it's true I normally wear tomboy-ish clothing, and almost always wear pants instead of dresses or skirts, I loved the feeling of the air on my bare legs as he reached my hip and cupped my a.s.s. He nipped the skin along my carotid artery, a silvery spear of desire shooting through me. "You're not wearing any stockings."

"I didn't just get dressed up for Riley and Janet's benefit," I said, pushing his head back. "I got dressed up for you too."

"Does that mean?" Carter asked, antic.i.p.ation and excitement flaring in his eyes. I nodded, and his smile was pure and broad. "Delicious."

While Carter and I had grown up without any s.e.xual hangups, there were still some things that weren't common, and finding in each other the perfect s.e.xual partner was just another layer to our relationship that showed we were literally meant for each other. Reaching under my skirt, Carter eased off my panties, which was already damp with arousal, and set them next to the bed. "Now your turn."

I kissed his forehead, dragging my fingernails down his shirt. Carter's breath caught in his throat when I paused at his waistband, only to explode in a gust of soft laughter when I merely pulled his shirt from out of his pants and worked on unb.u.t.toning it. "You're teasing me."

"Yep," I said with a laugh. "And the best part is, the more I tease you, the more you get me back, and the more that I get satisfied."

I pushed Carter over onto his back, mounting his hips and sitting back. Slowly, I unb.u.t.toned his shirt, running my hands over the exposed stomach muscles. Carter's body was like an anatomy chart, with golden tanned skin and just the faintest hint of hair.

"I still don't know how you do it," I said, leaning over and kissing the ridges of his abdominal muscles.

"What?" he asked in between groans. I could feel his c.o.c.k swollen and deliciously thick under me within his pants, his hands ma.s.saging my a.s.s as I kissed my way up his torso.

"You're nearly so Irish you should be considered for a stereotype," I said, "yet you have the most perfect tan to your skin. I know you don't have a tanning bed, so what gives?"

"I was created with one purpose only, I think," Carter said, stroking his fingers through my hair. I licked around his nipple and sucked it into my mouth, biting softly on the hard nub. Carter groaned, his fingers tightening on my head, then continued. "I was made to please you."

"And you certainly do that," I said, coming up and kissing him again.

His hands found my blouse again, tugging it from the waistband of my skirt and pushing the fabric upward. I love loose blouses, even when I wear pants. They give me freedom of movement and airiness, along with having the added bonus that when Carter and I are in bed together, he can reach all the way up to my shoulders without having to worry about the b.u.t.tons at all.

Carter took advantage of it now, unhooking my bra and letting my b.r.e.a.s.t.s dangle free. I was actually wearing something strapless, so he was able to fully remove the support and let my body feel almost totally naked.

"So delectable," he said, bringing his lips to my breast through my blouse. The thin silk was soon soaked, molding to my skin but still tantalizingly separated from his warm tongue. It didn't stop Carter from running his tongue around and around my left nipple, teasing it until I was moaning and gasping in his arms, pulling him up to feast upon my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. I was straddling his lap, his c.o.c.k pressing through his pants against me, his lips sucking on my breast, and I was in heaven. I ground back and forth, my c.l.i.t rubbing against the slightly rough fabric of Carter's pants, groaning. "That's it. You can come for me."

Each time we made love, it was unique. Sometimes one of us was more in control, sometimes the other, and sometimes we were equals. This time he was in control, holding me closely and pushing my body towards a climax.

The first o.r.g.a.s.m built somewhere below my b.r.e.a.s.t.s, just above my stomach. I ground my hips back and forth, soaking his pants and adding to the wonderful friction. The tension built within me, tighter and tighter, until I felt Carter's finger slip inside me. He had curled his hand all the way around my a.s.s, and it was all I needed, that single intimate caress. All of the tension within me uncoiled, shudders racking my body. I kissed him hard, moaning into his mouth as my first o.r.g.a.s.m rippled and rolled, happiness coming behind it. He held me tenderly through it all, safe and secure.

When it finally pa.s.sed, I sat in his arms, leaning my head on his shoulder. After a moment, I kissed him again, feeling the need within him underneath me. "Want me to leave my skirt on?"

"Would you?" Carter asked with a grin. "It's so much naughtier that way."

I nodded, returning the smile. We'd discovered it purely by accident, one of the first times we'd acknowledged that we had a s.e.xual attraction to each other. We were still in the bickering phase of our relationship, when we knew we needed each other but sometimes refusing to accept just how much. We'd had a patrol that had gone pretty well, except that Carter refused to stop with his wisecracks. Getting back to the strike base, he could tell I was fuming.

"What? It was boring as s.h.i.t out there!"

"Still, I don't need to listen to your c.r.a.p Carter. I nearly missed that last jump you were so up in my ear."

"Then focus better, Andi. Don't blame me for your f.u.c.kups."

"Kiss my a.s.s, Carter."

He'd frozen, his eyes flaring with a light I had just started to become familiar with. One thing led to another, and we both ended up doing something in the strike base that I'd never even considered before.

I brought my mind back to the present as I got on my hands and knees, my legs slightly spread. Carter got off the bed, his belt jingling as he undid his pants and stripped down. Glancing back, the first flares of fresh heat filled me looking at his absolutely ripped body. Sure, I get it that a lot of women like the lean, lithe look, but give me Carter with his barrel chest and rippling muscles any day of the week. He was a strong man, and just as smart and emotionally strong as he was physically. "And you're all mine."

"What's that?" he asked, climbing on the bed behind me. He reached forward with his right hand, sliding it under my skirt and over my a.s.s. I groaned thickly, pleasure shooting through me as he rubbed me.

"You're all mine," I said, lowering my head. I let my eyes close as I focused on the wonderful feeling of Carter's hands ma.s.saging my backside, his fingers kneading and easing the tension I carried in there. With each sweep of his thumbs, I felt more tension run out of my muscles and gathering between my legs. When Carter's thumbs stopped, and his breath danced over my spread apart hips, the breath caught in my throat.

The first feeling of Carter's lips on my a.s.s was as it always was, warm and electric. Fresh heat and wetness flared as he made his way to my lower back. His tongue traced over me, and I cried out. He added to the sensation by bringing his fingers up to stroke between the lips of my p.u.s.s.y, gathering the moisture before slipping inside.

He pulled back, giving me a chance to calm my breath, and I felt his c.o.c.k instead easing between my l.a.b.i.a, brushing over my c.l.i.t and sending another fountain of fireworks through my body. "Carter . . . "

"Yes, my love?" he asked teasingly.

"I need you," I groaned. I turned over, keeping my legs spread and hips as high as I could, giving me a view of Carter's c.o.c.k. Long and thick, he'd once told me after we started sleeping together that he knew I was the woman for him s.e.xually because I never complained about him being too big. But I was woman enough for him, and that was all I needed. "Make me yours."

"What's the magic word?" he teased, holding his iron hard c.o.c.k in one hand, tracing the head between my lips. I shivered each time he brushed it against my c.l.i.t, which was so swollen and needy it literally stood up at the top of my cleft, visible above the smooth skin surrounding it. I knew if I didn't answer he could keep me there, teased and desperate for as long as it took for my will to break, never losing his erection. It was just one of the ways I knew I aroused him. "You know the magic word."

I smiled, and spread my legs wider. "Please, my soon-to-be-husband?"

I didn't even need to wait as Carter slid inside me in one long smooth, powerful thrust, both of us freezing temporarily when he was all the way inside me. I knew that the pause was necessary, or else neither of us could hold back and prolong the process long enough to enjoy it. For Carter and I, s.e.x was like food. Necessary, and sure sometimes a quickie was all you needed, but like a fine dinner, it should be savored and relished when we could. We had the time this night, and wanted to enjoy it.

Looking Carter in his eyes, I nodded slightly, and he returned the nod, his hands once again coming under my blouse, this time lifting and pushing it to expose my b.r.e.a.s.t.s to his caress. At the same time he pulled back slowly, thrusting in and out at an almost glacial pace, our bodies so on edge that it was all we could handle.

We toed that line, Carter controlling his thrusts, easing his c.o.c.k in and out of my body so that we were both building, ever building toward another o.r.g.a.s.m, but never going fast enough or hard enough to launch us over the edge. Instead, with every inch of his c.o.c.k disappearing in and out of me, I felt more and more pleasure rippling through me. As we sped up, it was like ripples on a pond, each impact of his hips against mine sending golden rings of blissful energy spreading from my p.u.s.s.y and throughout my body. My heart hammered in my chest as I looked Carter in his beautiful green eyes, the same color as a flawless emerald. "Go, Carter."

It was a familiar refrain, one borne from even before we'd been intimate, back when we were kids sparring on the martial arts mats. It was my call for Carter to not hold back, to show me all his power, his strength, and everything inside him. Only now, instead of asking him to try and kick my a.s.s, I was begging him to take me to paradise.

"My Andi," he said, something he'd only started after we'd become lovers. It thrilled me and filled me with purpose, my body coursing as he pounded me, hard and fast, his c.o.c.k going from adding pleasure, to igniting a fire within me. I wrapped my legs around his waist as his powerful hips rose and fell, driving that wonderful c.o.c.k into me while his chest pressed against mine. I was in total ecstasy, and only wanted more of this man, this perfect man for me.

I could feel the warning swell and tremor from within his c.o.c.k, but I was ready for it, greedily needing it. With a shudder and a groan, Carter came. It was the final straw that broke the cable keeping my o.r.g.a.s.m at bay, and I screamed my climax, biting down on Carter's lower lip it was so powerful. We stayed there, his c.o.c.k filling me while my body tried to pull all of him inside me for what seemed like forever before the moment pa.s.sed, and we collapsed, him on top of me.

Later, lying in his arms and now happily devoid of my blouse, I touched his swollen lower lip. I hadn't broken the skin, but he'd be sporting a pretty epic bruise the next day. "Does it hurt?"

He shook his head lightly and smiled. I was curled against his chest, my head in the crook of his elbow. "Does it hurt when I paddle you?"

I shook my head. "Never. Well, I mean yeah, but then again, it's a good hurt. Kind of like when you and I spar on the mats."

"I think that's why our parents stopped us sparring together," Carter said with a laugh, thinking back to a year prior. It had been soon after we'd 'come out' to them about our attraction and desire to date, and Patrick had walked into the gym to find his son and I engaged in some sparring maneuvers that were certainly not taught to us by any of our parents. "Thankfully, we've got plenty of partners there to work with."

"Hmm, I still think I kicked your b.u.t.t more than you admit," I teased, tracing my finger down the line between his pecs. "Or maybe you just like it when I kick your a.s.s."

"Hmmm, maybe," Carter said. We were both s.e.xually satiated, and didn't need to engage in more physical intimacy while we recovered. "So do you think Riley and Janet are doing the same thing?"

I shrugged. "I don't know if it's tonight, but based off of the looks they were giving each other, I'd say it's only a matter of time. Kind of weird, part of me was somewhat hoping that he and Barb would hook up the way the two of us did."

Carter thought about it, then shook his head. "Nah, they're too much alike, it'd never work out. You and I, we compliment each other's weaknesses and strengths."

He kissed me on the forehead, then looked me in the eyes again. "So, after the wedding, we're going to have to discuss making sure we stay professional on patrol, you know?"

I nodded. "Yep. I could always just work with Riley. Or go solo?"

Carter shook his head. We made a good team, and while we were both effective on our own, there were times it was better to team up. Besides, there was n.o.body in the world I would trust to have my back better, and he felt the same way. "I love you, and can't think of anyone better along side me. That is, until we have our own family." He paused, then smiled. "Just think, a baby between us."

"Based off of the floor plan our parents gave us and the four bedrooms, I think they want at least three."

"All the better."

Chapter Six.

Carter

"We've got to find out more about this Mr. Clean," I said, looking over the crime reports that Dad had brought home from City Hall. "Even with the increased patrols that Riley, Andi and I are doing, the number of a.s.saults and gang related violence is exploding. Especially near the Docks and in Filmore Heights."

"Every time something new happens in town, it comes through those areas," Mark commented. "Nearly three decades of digging, and we still don't have the roots out in those communities. Then again, for quite a few years I helped deepen those roots, but still . . . it's been a long road."

"There's always going to be areas where the poor people live, and those areas are going to breed crime," I commented. It was one of the areas that Mark and I approached things differently, but we had the same goals. Mark, with his self-obtained education in business and a practical life education as a former criminal hitman, he knew the nuts and bolts of the way poverty and corruption worked hand-in-hand. He'd grown up in the bad side of town, where the difference between doing crime or not was the difference between eating or going hungry.

I didn't. After all, by the time I was born MJT was already working magic in the city, the Confederation was broken, and some of the biggest wars on crime were done. I grew up surrounded not so much by ostentatious wealth, but by the security that comes with wealth. My family could have lost ninety percent of our money and still been able to afford to put good food on the table and clothes on my back, without even touching the 'escape fund' that Mark had put together to make sure all six of us could escape if our vigilante activities came to public light. I knew all of that intellectually, but without literally giving up my money and going around as a poor person for years, I would never understand the same way Mark did. Even then, I knew it wasn't the same. One mention of who I was, and I'd be able to draw on a line of credit world-wide.

All of this meant that when Mark and I discussed things, I would often make comments from an intellectual point of view that afterwards I knew left Mark resisting rolling his eyes. Still, he didn't talk down to me or denigrate my ignorance, he knew that I would fight just as much as he did. "Unfortunately you're right. When the carrot doesn't work though, sometimes you have to apply the stick."

"Intimidation alone isn't working?" I asked.

Mark shook his head. "The police are still stretched thin, the recession-based layoffs means the department is ten percent understrength. Your Dad is trying to talk to the council about freeing up funds, but until the crime numbers are a lot higher than what they are, the council isn't going to do anything."

"Which will be too late," I said. "You know, a st.i.tch in time and all that."

Mark nodded. He had been my mentor and primary teacher for my entire life, the man who'd shown me how a surgical application of pressure can create a ripple effect in almost any area of life. Precise surgical investment by MJT had helped vast swaths of the city, and precise use of political pressure had allowed Dad to climb all the way to Mayor. And of course, precise application of pressure on the streets had allowed us to take the city most of the way back from those who had been taking advantage of it for so long. "The council doesn't think like we do. Which means that you, Andi and Riley are going to have to be the tip of the spear. I've already talked with Sophie, and she's going to be getting herself back into shape if it is necessary. I'm doing the same."

I shook my head. "When we're talking about you two getting out on the streets, things have certainly gone into the realm of the weird. No offense, but you're too old for this s.h.i.t."

Mark shrugged. "I'm a generation behind and don't have your skill with the new tech that you have, but I've got a little bit left in this body."

"That can be better used in City Hall than on the rooftops of Filmore Heights," I retorted. "You know that one-on-one in the dojo you can still hang with me, and you could probably take Riley for the next few weeks until he's back in top condition, but that's different than an alley fight."

"I know," Mark said, frustrated. "Sometimes though, it's appealing. Trust me, the real rats are still in City Hall, even if the rat catcher is now in charge."

"So how do we get information on Mr. Clean?" I asked, changing the subject back to the matter at hand. It wouldn't help Mark or me to let our attention drift to matters that we couldn't control. "They're not scared enough of Andi and I to give up the information we need."

"Or you're just not applying the pressure to the right people," Mark replied. "In the old days, I had the advantage of already knowing the entire system of the Confederation and Owen Lynch before I started my war. I was able to cut the head off the snake quickly. But later on, when the Yakuza tried to infiltrate again in the remains of the old Han network, I had to start at the lower ranks again and chase my way up the chain. It's harder, it's uglier, and it's more dangerous."

"So where do we start?" I asked. "The only thing we know for sure is that they want the pharmacies shut down for some reason, and that they're most likely bringing in a new drug. The obvious areas for application would be observation on the pharmacies in Filmore and the Playground, and monitor the Docks. With increased gang activity in that area, it's most likely that they'd try to bring in their product over the ocean."

Mark thought, then shook his head. "That's good, but I've got a gut feeling that the Docks are a feint. Something about the way this Mr. Clean has operated so far, he knows what he's doing. I'd put more surveillance and resources on the airport instead."

I nodded. Mark didn't override my ideas often, and usually they were the result of one of his gut feelings, but he was almost always right. "So how can we coordinate this with the police to cover the gaps?"

"I'm going to talk with Patrick today," Mark said. "He'll talk with the Police Commissioner, get the cops out on the streets covering the Playground more. With Andi's actions there a few days ago, it'll play easy. Also, the crime numbers in the Docks means we can get that area covered more. A little coordination with the Customs people at the Docks will help cover that too. Think you three can cover Filmore Heights and the airport?"

I nodded. "It's been a while since I've been out to the airport. Maybe a trip out there would be fun."

"If you do that, send Riley and Andi up to Filmore," Mark said. "And you limit your work at the airport to just intelligence gathering."

I chuckled. Even though we'd discussed it just the night before, the truth was Andi and Riley never did work well together on patrols, bickering like the siblings they were. Andi had two more years street experience than Riley, who chafed at having to follow his big sister's orders. "That'll be fun. Who gets to handle coms on that one?"

"I think I'll talk to Sophie about it," Mark said. "The presence of their mother should keep those two in line."

Mark and I finished our morning routine, and I left the room to find Andrea in the gym, doing her morning workout. "Interns don't have to go in every day," she explained. "So I decided to use the chance to take it easy this morning. How'd the meeting with Dad go?"

"He wants you and Riley to patrol Filmore Heights tonight while I get to check out the airport," I said. "Think you're up for it?"

Andrea nodded, jumping up to grab the pull up bar above her head. "You sure Riley is okay with it? After bringing Janet to dinner last night, I figured he'd be anxious to see her again."

Andrea started doing her pull ups, making sure to stop at the bottom of each one, pausing to let her muscles stretch and to make the lift as hard as possible. I knew she was taking it easy, knowing now that she'd be on patrol later. After completing her first set, she dropped to the ground and went over to the wall, where the first of the weight vests she'd use was hanging.

"I think Riley will do fine," I said. "I'll talk to him before going in to MJT. Unless you want to?"