A Valentine's Loves (The Valentine's Trilogy Book 3) Read online

  "One I've waited to come for a long time. I suppose I'll get the bill for my student loans on Monday," I joked. While my undergrad expenses had been covered by the Quigley grant, there wasn't any avenue of assistance for my masters except working for the university and taking out loans. We were prudent and paid for my books when we could so as not to run up more debt. At the end of the day, I walked away with a lot less debt than some of the other people in my program, thanks to my husband.

  Derek swept me into his arms and settled his lips on mine. His soft tongue teasing mine was incredible, and it reminded me of when we first got together. There were a lot of kisses we'd shared over the years. There was the "hello/goodbye" pecks every couple shared. It was a quick way to reaffirm our connection as we hurried about our respective responsibilities.

  Like every relationship, there were the "I'm sorry" kisses when one of us had blown our top over something as silly as dirty socks which missed the hamper, or as serious as "I made dinner and you didn't call to say you were going to be late because you were studying with friends" kisses. Then there were the "I'm so fucking horny I'm going to make sure neither of us can walk tomorrow" kisses which usually followed after Derek had to be in Austin for training.

  Derek’s new job with the Texas Rangers was what precipitated me stepping up my classwork to finish as quickly as possible so I could be with him every fucking night instead of only the weekends. It had been hard to be apart while he was training, but thankfully, we didn't fall apart. It actually made us stronger as a couple.

  Derek broke the soft kiss and looked into my eyes. "Go back to our bedroom and light the candles. I've got a bottle of champagne I've been saving for since you graduated your undergrad. It's now hidden in the fridge. I'll be back in a few minutes," he ordered.

  I nodded and started down the hallway. "Baby boy, be naked, will ya?" I nodded again. I'd give the sexy man anything he wanted.

  I walked down the hallway and finished stripping off my suit. I hung it up because it would need to go to the dry cleaners…it had been a hot fucking day sitting on that goddamn field in a black robe and mortar board while listening to the most boring people in the world try to offer us guidance.

  Taking care of the day-to-day routine of running our home would be my priority when we settled in Walnut Creek. I was looking forward to a little domesticity before I started my job. It would give me a chance to get acclimated to a new city before I started my job and it would be fun to spoil my husband for a while.

  I lit the candles and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I sniffed my pits to see if I was too ripe, and I was happy to know the Axe had held up. I trimmed my underarm hair just like my pubes, so hopefully, I judged it right that it was all me and a little Axe. It seemed Derek liked that scent best.

  I turned down the bed as I heard music in the living room. It was some sexy Spanish-influenced music, and I knew it was Derek's go-to when he was feeling frisky. I heard his footsteps down the hall, and I couldn't help but smile. The man was sex on two very long, strong legs.

  He walked into the room with a bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice in one hand, and two champagne glasses in the other. I sat up on the bed, seeing his eyes taking in my hard cock. He gave me that sexy smile as he walked over to the bed and sat down on the side. He placed the bucket on the nightstand and shoved the glasses into it, upside down, to chill.

  "I'm very proud of you."

  I giggled a little. "I'm very proud of you as well, Ranger."

  I knew he loved the organization, and I knew he was psyched to be a member of such an elite and historic group of law enforcement officers. I knew how limited the opportunity was, and I was so fucking proud of him for the achievement, I told everyone who would listen.

  Derek tsked. "That was fucking luck. You worked very hard for what you've achieved, baby boy, and I'm so…I'm really happy you reached an important goal, and I’m very glad I was able to help you. I love you so fucking much." He stood from the bedside and began peeling off his clothes. I put my hands behind my head to enjoy the fucking show.

  When Derek became a Texas Ranger, he had to undergo intense training which resulted in him being in the best physical shape of his life, as he'd told me. He had to participate in training exercises much like those for the military, and his bulging muscles were very, very impressive.

  I patted the bed when he was naked, and he laughed, maneuvering himself on top of me. I reached back and untied the leather wrap to free his glorious mane. I was grateful the Rangers hadn't required him to cut off his hair. He got it trimmed…hell, I'd trimmed it a time or two…but they respected his ethnicity and allowed him to keep it long. It looked sexy as hell under the cowboy hat he wore for his job. I was the luckiest mother fucker on the planet as I continued to remind myself at every opportunity.

  I tugged at him to settle between my legs, and then I drew him in for a passionate, "fuck me hard," kiss. He knew my tells, and he didn't hesitate to satisfy me with a swivel of his gorgeous hips and a pounding I wouldn't forget anytime soon. I actually screamed when I let go.

  After a shower, we settled on the bed and Derek opened a bottle of Cristal. "That shit costs like two-hundred bucks a bottle," I complained as he poured each of us a glass and returned the bottle to the ice bath.

  He turned to me and handed me a glass. "Yes, it does, but how often does my husband graduate with a master's degree? We can splurge every now and again, Gray.

  "Here's to you and all the good I know you'll do. It's deep inside you, and that's one of the things that drew me in. You're kind and loving and you'll help anyone who needs help. This is to you achieving your goal. I'd bet my salary Gerry is looking down and smiling," he offered as he held up his glass.

  I touched my glass to his, and we drank…and we drank…and it was damn good so we drank it dry as we plotted our future hopes and dreams. We fell asleep in a semi-drunken, giggling mass of limbs akimbo and kisses aplenty. It was another "best night of my life."

  ~#~

  I walked into the house in Walnut Creek to see the love of my life asleep; ass on the floor and head leaned back against the wall with eyes closed and his baseball cap low over his eyes. We'd had a lot of help packing up to leave Houston, but nobody offered to come with us to Austin to help unpack all of our shit. We'd unloaded the large U-Haul by ourselves, and then I offered to go grab us something to eat.

  The moving truck was due at the lot the next morning, and while I'd been gone to grab food, Derek had left the garage open so I could pull the Camaro into the two-car garage. I knew he'd want me to put his baby to bed, so I did. I walked over to him and knelt next to him, kissing his forehead. "Baby, I have tacos," I whispered.

  His eyes flashed open, and he smiled. "Thank God. I'm fucking starving. You got them from that place, right?" he asked.

  ‘That place' was a food truck he'd eaten at once and developed an immediate obsession. He followed it on Twitter, so when I asked what he wanted to eat, he looked it up and told me where to find it. Thank goodness, my phone had GPS.

  I nodded. "Two fish, two pork, and two carne asada. Double sides of guac, sour cream, pico, and green chile salsa. I also bought a six-pack of Modelo at the bodega across the street from the truck. Go wash up. I'll put the tacos in the oven on warm. You want a beer to take with you to shower?" I asked.

  He hauled himself up from the floor and followed me to the kitchen where I had dropped the food. He looked around at the boxes and smiled, walking over to one and opening it to retrieve a large metal mixing bowl. He went to the refrigerator/freezer and pushed the button on the front which distributed ice. When he had what he wanted, he went into the fridge and grabbed four beers.

  "Let's put the tacos in the oven and go use that big bathtub. That's part of the reason we bought this place, remember?" I smiled because I remembered when we looked at the house one weekend when I came to visit him while he was in Austin.

  The realtor was babbling on about the amenities of the house,
but Derek took my hand, leading me away from her. "This is one of the reasons I wanted you to look at this house. Imagine you and me inside with some bath salts," he began. I cocked an eyebrow and he smiled, pulling me into a kiss. "Bath salts are nice. You won me over."

  I'd tried to get him to let us take bubble baths and the like back in the apartment, but he wouldn't hear of it, so I soaked in the tub alone, usually while I listened to music and lit nice candles. My macho husband objected for a long time until one day he had to chase down a john who resisted arrest and then proceeded to try to beat the crap out of a cop.

  When he got home that night and I put some nice fizzy bath salts into the tub while I gave him a glass of wine and gave him a bath, he changed his mind about a nice soak though he was hard pressed to admit it for a while.

  "Sounds good. I bought a large box of those nice vanilla scented bath salts you love," I reported as I went to a moving box and pulled it out, shaking it at him. That bright smile on his face let me know he was quite happy with my surprise.

  I went to another box where linens were stored and pulled out two large towels, a bath kit we both used equipped with sea sponges, pumice stones, intimate razors, and loofahs. As much as my big, tough husband wanted to pretend he didn't give a shit about personal hygiene issues beyond washing his body and his hair, the man was as vain as any man I'd ever met.

  He stripped down and turned on the water in the tub. "I made the seller pay for a cleaning crew to come through. That way we don't have to clean out the fridge or the tubs and toilets. It was a good idea, right?" he asked as he regulated the temp.

  I laughed. "You bet, baby. Here," I told him as I handed him the box of bath salts. He sprinkled them in and closed the box, placing it on the vanity. I set the towels next to the box and closed the toilet lid, putting the bowl with the beers next to it. I grabbed Derek and pulled him into my arms, urging him down for a kiss. My love for the man was a constantly expanding entity. Every day, I loved him more.

  He drew back and we began stripping each other, our clothes landing near the hamper. Derek whipped his hair up and secured it in an elastic on top of his head. He took my hand and we both climbed into the tub sitting at opposite ends, stupidly happy about our new life.

  Derek grabbed two beers and opened them, tossing the caps back into the bowl. He handed one to me and grinned. He pulled me forward and settled the two of us in the middle of the large tub. He situated my legs over his thighs and smiled. "So, we should make this a weekly date night. A few drinks and a soak as we discuss what's going on. I don't want us to get so lost in our new jobs we ignore each other, baby boy.

  "If we're going to survive, we have to make sure we keep the lines of communication open. I want to know what happens at your job, and I want to make sure you know what's going on with me, okay?" he asked as he sipped his beer.

  I took a deep breath because I'd heard a phone call he had regarding an investigation. He didn't think I was paying attention, but I always paid attention when it came to Derek's job. He'd get himself into all kinds of bad situations and pretend things were peachy keen, but I knew better.

  "Do you? I mean, you're in a different job, and I know you're not picking up hookers any longer. I also know you're getting ready to go undercover. I heard you arguing with someone regarding cutting your hair, Derek. I'd say a makeover of that extreme is something I deserve to know about," I explained as I sat on his thighs, looking into his gorgeous brown eyes. I wasn't sure if he remembered he had the power to completely break me into pieces, but I thought it was important to remind him.

  If we were smart, we'd have moved to Florida where we got married. We could have had a great life there. I could have found a job at a shelter or with the State, and Derek could have signed up with a sheriff's department in a small county where the worst crime was somebody stole a rooster or a newspaper.

  Unfortunately, my man…he had dreams that went back to when he was a little boy and Rick Valentine took him to the Ranger's Museum in Waco. From that day forward, he had that dream stuck in his head, and he was finally living it. Who the fuck was I to take it away? No, I wouldn't make him choose between his dream job and me. I'd just do the best I could to keep my sanity while he did it.

  Derek smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes which was a tell he was planning to only give me the partial truth about his assignment. "Don't lie to me. I know you too well," I told him as I swigged down more beer.

  He took his own gulps and placed the bottle on the floor. "Fine. I'm being assigned to a case regarding a State Senator. He's become friends with some people who have business interests in El Paso. The area's a sieve for coyotes to transport illegals into the country, along with a hell of a lot of drugs. We think the Senator is turning a blind eye to all of it because he's getting a nice paycheck from some businessmen in Mexico.

  "I have to cut my hair and go through a crash course regarding the Senator's habits. I'll be undercover for a few weeks, a month, at the most. It's just a fact-finding mission so when we turn it over to FBI, we have all of our ducks in a row. I'll call you and drop by when I can, baby boy. I won't have my personal cell, but I'll figure out how we can stay in touch. I'll be in a small apartment near the Capitol, but I'll call you when I can," he explained.

  I stood from the tub and climbed out. He had lost his fucking mind if he thought I was going to be on board with him going into such a dangerous situation. The Mexican drug cartels were ruthless, and if someone in the state legislature was in bed with them, as a voter, I'd choose another candidate. For my husband to venture into that territory? I was without words.

  "You've got to be shitting me," I told him as I grabbed a towel and dried off. I wrapped it around my waist and left the bathroom. I went to the kitchen to check the tacos, pulling them out before they were dried out.

  I pulled out the condiments and set him a place. I had no appetite. What I'd heard sounded like a death sentence to me. I had no idea how to react, so I simply shut down. He didn't push it either. It wasn't a good place for us to be upset with each other and I knew it, but I couldn’t help myself. He was my life.

  ~#~

  "Welcome, Mr. Carson." I was greeted by a bottle blonde woman with some junk in the trunk. She had a bright smile and a bubbly demeanor. I was giving her the benefit of the doubt, but she had an air about her that told me she was the beginning of the office grapevine.

  "Seems I'm at a deficit. You know me, but I don't know you," I responded, trying to sound friendly, even if I didn't feel it.

  I was pissed off because Derek was getting his hair cut off that afternoon and donating it to a non-profit that made wigs for financially disadvantaged children suffering from cancer and the ravages of the treatments necessary to try to save their lives. He knew I couldn't argue with his intention to do a good thing regarding the charity. I wasn’t mad about him having to get his hair cut, but he’d planned to lie to me about his new assignment, and he acted like it was just another day on the job.

  I’d tried to talk with him about how dangerous it could be, but he just shook his head and rolled his eyes at me. That probably pissed me off more than anything else. It was my first day at my new job so I had to put it to the back of my mind and try to elevate my mood before all of my new coworkers hated my cranky ass.

  The woman in front of me was smiling. "I'm sorry. My name is Laura Crow. I'm the assistant assigned to the group you'll join. Mrs. Flores is in a meeting, but she asked me to show you to your office. Trust me, it's a shitty office alright, but it's all yours," she told me with a giggle.

  I followed her down the hallway to a five-by-five cubicle which looked as depressing as anything I’d ever seen in my life. There were a particle-board desk and a really awful chair, but it was my new home from where I was going to change the world…I wouldn't take no for an answer.

  Four

  Derek

  I sat in that barber chair and held my breath. The man standing behind me had looked at me like I was crazy when
I told him I wanted my hair saved to donate to a cancer charity. He actually called his daughter and she explained it to him, so he put a few rubber bands around my long mane and looked at me in the mirror.

  "Are you sure about this? My daughter told me about the charity, but this is a part of your culture…your heritage. I have a very good friend who is part Chippewa, and his hair is important to him. Are you sure?"

  It was hair. It would grow. It wasn't like I was abandoning my heritage by cutting it off. It was for the job, and I was all about the job. I closed my eyes and put it out of my head. "Yeah. I'm sure. You'll be sure it gets to the charity?" I asked again.

  "Sure, son, if that's what you want." I nodded and he cut it. He held up the tail and placed it in a plastic bag.

  "My daughter told me she'd take care of it. Now, what kind of cut do you want?" he asked.

  Gray had taken to a shorter cut since he was out in the business world. He had a little natural curl to his hair I didn't have, so I knew his cut wouldn't suit me.

  I looked at the man and smiled. "I guess we'd better go with something shorter because my hair's straight as a board. It's up to you," I told him. I closed my eyes and put myself in his hands.

  I felt an electric razor working over my ears and around my neck. I hoped and prayed Gray didn't hate the cut because he was pissed at me anyway. I was leaving the next day to go to the apartment I'd been assigned before I joined the Senator's staff, so I hoped I could at least get laid before I had to leave. I wanted a lot more than that, but I doubted I was going to get loving understanding from my man before I left him alone, yet again.

  The barber spun the chair around and pointed me toward the mirror. I looked into it, and I didn't exactly hate it. Yes, my hair was short, but he'd left me a little on top so I could sweep it to the side. It wouldn't touch my shirt collar, but it was…for all intents and purposes…a business professional's haircut.