Strangers with Benefits (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  “Hmm. Okay.”

  “Don’t say it like that.”

  “I didn’t say a thing.”

  “You didn’t have to, Lish.”

  Elisha laughed. “Well, how is he?”

  “He’s fine. Should be able to go home in another day or so. The doctor was a bit concerned about infection due to the amount of debris in the wounds before they removed the bullets.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m glad he’s going to be okay.”

  “Me, too.”

  By the time she looked up, it was five and she needed to get home.

  Katie was in the process of programming in a set of commands to make the grasshopper leap in the air.

  “Okay, time’s up!”

  “Really, Mom?”

  “Yes.”

  They sighed in unison and sluggishly walked back to the car.

  When they were on the way home, Sidonie realized she had to tell them about the fact that Den’s parents would be dining with them.

  She turned down the radio.

  Katie stopped dancing. “That’s my joint mom!”

  “I have to tell you guys something before we get home.”

  “Okay… what?” Mark asked.

  “We’re going to Ruth Chris’s tonight.”

  That was followed by a fit of hollering and whooping.

  “But we are going to have guests. You know I went to the hospital to see a friend of mine, right?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Okay, well his parents came into town and he asked me to take them to dinner since he can’t.”

  “Is he your boyfriend?” Katie asked slyly.

  “It’s not like that. We’re friends.”

  That was a lie, but there was no way she would let her children have any idea of what she had been up to with Den.

  “Uh-huh,” Katie said and Sidonie glimpsed into the rear view mirror at her daughters smirk. “Mom’s got a boyfriend! Boyfriend!” Katie sang out and Mark added a beat box sound to the chorus.

  “You two, shut it.” Sidonie couldn’t help laughing, though.

  They stopped, although the pair of them snickered all the way home.

  So much so, that neither of them asked for her to turn the music back up on the ride.

  They ran upstairs, Katie snagged the hall bathroom first and Mark went into his room to choose something to wear.

  Sidonie popped in to Katie’s closet and found a simple peach colored dress and white cardigan that was age appropriate, but dressy enough for where they would be. She wouldn’t have time to straighten her hair, but she could do a quick French braid.

  Thank goodness Mark was a boy. Dealing with his wardrobe was much simpler. She found his woolen brown golf cap and he pulled out a pair of chestnut colored slacks, matching vest and paired it with a leaf green button down shirt. By the time he brushed his closely cut waves, the boy was ready to go.

  She had to find something for herself, and that took much longer. She only had to touchup her makeup, with a dusting of powder and a new application of lipstick.

  Once they were finished, they piled into her SUV and set off to Den’s house. She sent Den a text to let him know that she was on the way to pick up his parents, but she didn’t expect a response any time soon. More than likely, he was napping.

  “So, Mom, when do we get to meet him?” Katie asked as Sidonie turned the corner.

  “I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”

  “Why not? It’s not like we can’t pretend to have manners. Mark won’t pick his nose and I won’t curse my little brother out when he does something stupid.”

  “Stop calling me little brother. You were born fifteen minutes before me and I don’t want to hear about it for the rest of my life.”

  “But that fifteen minutes made a big difference in our maturity levels, dontcha know?”

  Sidonie sighed. She probably had the only set of living twins with two different birthdates and different astrological signs to boot.

  Katie was born at eleven fifty-one January nineteenth, and Mark was born at twelve-o-six on the twentieth.

  They were definitely two different people for sure, although they had each other’s back. No one could mess with their twin and get away with it.

  “Look Katie-did, he’s just a friend and there are no plans for that to change in the near future. Capice?”

  “Okay, Mom.” Katie sulked. “But why can’t we meet him? We’re about to have dinner with his parents and we’ve met all of your other friends before.”

  “I just met his parents because I was at the hospital and mentioned the reservation, so he asked me to bring them along. And, little miss nosy, you haven’t met all of my friends.”

  “Have so.”

  “Have not.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Fine. Prove it.”

  “We know Ms. Mimi. We met Diyah and Maya and we even went to the work barbeque and met all of the people that you work with.”

  Sidonie sighed. Maybe Katie was right, but that didn’t have to mean that she was about to admit it.

  “There are others not on that list.”

  “Okay. But you aren’t friends with them. You don’t introduce us to associates.”

  Damn, foiled by her own kid. “Either way, no, you’re not meeting him. Can you please save the inquiry for when we get back home?”

  “Okay, Ma.”

  “Thank you.”

  When they arrived at the front door, she called Den’s house phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Mrs. McTavish?”

  “Is that you, Sidonie?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I just wanted to let you know I’m outside.”

  “All right, Earl and I will be out in a sec.”

  “No problem.”

  When Mr. McTavish opened the door for his wife, she took the front seat and he took the back, despite the disparity in their heights.

  “Katie and Mark, say hi to Mr. and Mrs. McTavish.”

  The couple asked the children a few questions, ones she was used to hearing as a parent.

  Did they know what they wanted to be when they grew up?

  Mark wanted to play professional basketball, but decided that his backup plan was to take engineering in undergrad. Katie said she wanted to be a nurse, but that changed from day to day, although nursing was the most frequently offered choice.

  Of course, Mrs. McTavish mentioned Den’s desire to be a police officer since the age of five, which made Sidonie cringe inside. Her children were already curious about the man and she didn’t want to spur further questions she couldn’t really answer.

  Not in a PC manner that would satisfy the two amateur detectives in the back seat.

  Once they arrived and took their seats, Sidonie had to admit that the twins were on their best behavior. They didn’t probe too much, just a touch of their natural adolescent curiosity came out to play. But for the most part, they ate their meal without an elbow on the table and no bickering, which was highly appreciated.

  After the meal was finished, Sidonie had to deal with the sticker shock of spending a car payment on dinner. But the meal was delicious and nothing was out of place, the service pristine and, in all honesty, she earned enough to splurge on occasion.

  She loaded the car back up and when everyone was inside, Mrs. McTavish looked at Sidonie. “So you’re going back to the hospital tonight?”

  “Yeah.” She smiled.

  “Do you have someone to watch your babies while you are away?”

  “I have a girlfriend that is going to come over.”

  “Call her and cancel. Earl and I would love to take care of them for the night.”

  She didn’t want to refuse and seem rude. But it felt even ruder to accept.

  “I don’t think that’s necessary. But thank you so much for offering.”

  Mrs. McTavish took her hand. “Now, I’m Den’s mother. But I am letting you take care of my son while he is in the hospital, because h
e wants you there. If I am willing to trust you with my baby, you can trust me with yours.”

  When it was put that way, how could she refuse?

  Sidonie messaged Mimi and told her to not worry about it. It felt odd, was odd, but she loved the couple on sight. She grabbed her bag and talked to the twins before she left.

  Of course, Katie played a game of twenty-one questions.

  So, are we going to meet him?

  What happened to him exactly?

  Why hadn’t they heard of him before?

  Was the house they went to his?

  Were those really his parents or was he adopted?

  What did he look like?

  And were they going to move into his place?

  As she was going to work in the morning, she would dress at the hospital, but she planned to go home in time to take the kids to school, so they wouldn’t even have a hiccough in their schedules. When Den was ready to go, he’d call her so she could come and get him. His parents would have to take over from there.

  It was nearing ten when she dragged her tired feet back into Den’s room. When she arrived it was to pandemonium. There were five people outside of the room, munching on cake and conversing, plus three in the room.

  Den looked at her and grinned. “They decided to have a party.”

  There was even a cake. What was left of it looked like a half dissected torso, but apparently there was a bullet hole wedge removed from the middle of it. Den’s tray contained that piece and she shook her head.

  She walked next to the bed and looked at him. His coloring was better and instead of the pale complexion of his father, some of the sun seemed to be back in his skin, more like his mother. “I’m gone a few hours and come back to this?”

  “Yeah, they don’t have any home training.” He chuckled.

  “So they didn’t get any of your bad attitude?”

  He scoffed. “Nope, saved all of my vinegar and piss for you, dear.”

  “Ugh. I want a shower and my night clothes. Now.”

  He nodded at the group of chattering people. “I can tell ’em to get out. It’s been like this for about two hours anyhow.”

  “Please?”

  Den put his fingers up to his mouth and gave a quick whistle.

  The handful of people looked at him. “I’m alive, appreciate the visit, the cake was good and thank you for the flowers. Now get out.”

  All of them laughed.

  One of them even had the nerve to say, “Tell your old lady that I’ll take care of her while you get better. I hear that she makes a lot of noise.”

  Sidonie narrowed her eyes, but didn’t say a word. But a second glance at the man led her to realize that she had met Jackson before, the night she started sleeping with Den. She didn’t talk to him much that night, but he looked like an entirely different person in his blues.

  She didn’t have to say anything as Den had it under control. “Jackson, I don’t care how many bullets I’ve taken, I can still kick your ass from here to kingdom come.”

  “Okay, okay, I’m just kidding.” Jackson chuckled. “Have a good night.”

  Anna popped her head in the door as the officers left the room.

  She shook her finger. “Do you have to make so much noise?”

  “You know you like that I make a ruckus. Keeps you awake.”

  “Me and everyone else on this floor, half of who actually need their rest to heal.”

  Den looked abashed. “Sorry about that.”

  “It’s okay, but next time? It’s the clapper for you, see.” Anna laughed at her own joke all the way out of the door.

  Sidonie couldn’t help it, she was laughing, too.

  “You don’t have to cosign that. Supposed to be on my side.”

  “I am at your damn side. Get it? Side… Side?” She motioned to the distance between her ribs and his with her hands.

  “You must be a liquid gold digger with your cheesy behind.” He grabbed her dress front with his good hand and pulled her over the rail.

  She pushed away. “Stop before you hurt yourself.”

  “You hurt me worse by pulling away. Come here, Sidonie.” She let him pull her close to him and their lips met.

  He tasted like sugar and slippery sin.

  And home.

  Chapter Fourteen:

  Hunger Strike

  Den felt a little irritation that he wouldn’t have Sidonie’s company for the rest of the day after she left. His mother picked up on it. Despite how hard he tried to hide it, his attempts were less than successful.

  “I like her,” his mom said no sooner than Sid walked out of the front door.

  His dad gave a grunt that confirmed his mother’s point of view.

  “So how long have the two of you been dating?” She stressed the latter so skillfully, he didn’t know whether to outright confess or try and bluff his way out of it.

  He doubted Sidonie would have said anything, but his mother was intuitive. She was the one that gave him the deductive skills that he used as an officer. She could perform an inquisition without the target even getting suspicious.

  No doubt she had plumbed Sid for information left and right while he was doped out of his gourd.

  “A month or thereabouts.”

  “Okay. So have you met her children yet?”

  “No. She is protective of them and wouldn’t bring just anyone around them.”

  “Why don’t I believe you?”

  “I dunno.”

  “Boy, after thirty years on a farm supervising animal mating, you think I won’t know when humans have done it?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He couldn’t get anything past her.

  His mom was the sharpest tool in the drawer. “So is it one of those friends with benefit things like the movie?”

  “Not quite.” It wasn’t.

  Even if that is what it started out as, the last while their friendship had evolved. But then again, he knew when he saw her that he wanted her. And he hadn’t wanted in a long time.

  Not the way he craved her, like he could devour her every night and talk to her all day, then still want more of her time. More of her.

  No matter how often he touched her, how often he tasted her, how often he fucked her, it wasn’t enough.

  He didn’t think it was possible to get enough.

  “You love her.” His mother looked at him seriously, no bullshit. No chaser.

  Den looked at her eyes, the ones he’d inherited from her. “If I don’t, it’s not far off.”

  “Good.”

  His mother sat down and started tatting, a habit she tried to get into for something to do, but she was truly terrible at it. His mom hadn’t finished a single viable piece of lace since she started a class three years ago. When his parents left for his place, he knew that he was going to be bored as fuck.

  But he wasn’t.

  Within a half hour of his parents’ departure, the room began to fill with people. Officers came by to see how he was. Others came by to offer unnecessary advice.

  He knew how to jump out of the path of a moving vehicle thank you very much.

  He knew that his brothers and sisters were concerned about him. Officers tended to be like an extended family that could bug the hell out of you, but most would take a bullet to save another officers life.

  An attack on one was an attack on them all.

  Not to mention, always taken personally.

  It was little surprise that the perps were caught. The entire force would canvass the city until they were found.

  Oohrah.

  When Sidonie arrived, all he wanted was the chance to look at her, be silent with her.

  Be still with her.

  He was a goner.

  She washed her face and put on a little pink nightgown that was all granny with polka dots. She even had a little scarf atop her head.

  “Like the nightgown, makes me horny,” he muttered.

  “Not wearing lingerie in the hospital. Not even for you.�
��

  He slid over gingerly.

  “Get in bed.”

  “No. You take up most of it and I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You can’t hurt me worse than I’ve already been hurt at this point.”

  ‘But I could roll over and—”

  “Sid. I was shot twice and dragged behind a moving car.”

  “B–but…”

  “You packing a gun in that granny gown?”

  “No.”

  “A car?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Then what more can you do?”

  “Fine. But when you wake up hurting, don’t blame me.”

  “I blame you for everything, Sid. You’re my scapegoat, so suck it up.” He winked.

  Sidonie rolled her eyes, but she crawled into the bed with nary a word and he tossed his childish replacement into the bed side chair.

  Her head laid on his good shoulder and for the first time in the last three days, Den slept without replaying what happened the night he was shot.

  When he awoke, he didn’t open his eyes because he wanted to pretend that the way he felt, as if everything he knew happened was only a dream, was real. Even if he knew it was a delusion, he wanted to foster it.

  This was the first time he’d ever had to be taken off rotation due to injury, although he’d seen other officers on desk duty after shootings or stabbings.

  Both were fairly common and usually there was at least one person that had to spend a convalescence riding as desk jockey. Now it was his turn to knuckle under lady luck.

  Didn’t mean he had to like it.

  But with his eyes closed and Sidonie’s soft warmth next to him, he could pretend as if this was their normal weekend sexploits and that he would be returning to work the next day.

  She yawned and rolled slightly, but unlike her usual sprawl, she remained contained to his shoulder as if even in rest, she worried about hurting him.

  The woman loved him.

  She had to.

  There was no way she would have taken his parents to dinner if she didn’t care about him.

  She may have showed up at the hospital and checked on him. She may have even ran an errand or two. But she wouldn’t have stayed the night, especially considering that she had obligations that carried more weight than he did.

  Then he wondered if she would even let him near her children. He wasn’t a bad man, but he didn’t have much experience with kids.