Chapter 6

Even as his mind screamed at him not to, he was unable to resist. In one move he scooped her up and deposited her on top of the counter where she had stood moments before making their coffee.

“Coffee needs to cool down,” he muttered as his lips found hers. She did not resist but returned his kiss immediately.

Their tongues clashed with desire and their mouths melted together in passion. Zane breathed deeply inhaling her scent again. It was so not her, not what he expected anyway, and it drove him even wilder than he could have imagined. He broke their kiss and took her head in his hands as he bent to kiss her face. He kissed her just in front of her ears and trailed down the side of her neck. Then he moved to the other side and kissed her in the same place. She threw her head back exposing her neck to him and he smothered it with his kisses as he drank in her perfume before returning to her lips again.

She circled his neck with her arms and ran her fingers through his hair as she tried to pull him into an even deeper kiss. Then with one hand, she began to unbutton his shirt until it was open and she gently ran her fingers over his hairy chest.

He ran his hands over her back and her sides and felt her ribs through her shirt. He tugged and lifted her shirt and they broke their kiss briefly so he could lift her shirt over her head. He tossed her shirt on the table behind them and enjoyed tracing his hands over her warm scented skin to her breasts hidden in their lace bra.

This was trouble. She was trouble. But he was beyond helping himself and surrendered to his desire for Hope.

When their passion was spent, they were still as she lay down on top of him and listened to his heart beating.

He was silent too wondering what the hell he had just done.

He chastised himself. He was a fool for letting his self-control go. This woman was a criminal and he was going to have to arrest her. She couldn’t continue her activities in his town. He had worked long and hard to become the Chief of Police. This was his kingdom and he couldn’t afford to fuck it up.

Finally, she rolled off him onto the bed.

“That was the best,” she murmured as she nibbled his ear.

“Thanks. You were awesome too,” he replied as he continued staring at the ceiling.

She raised herself onto her elbow and ran her fingers through the hair on his chest. She sensed that something wasn’t right.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Zane turned to look into her eyes and then looked away quickly as he felt his resolve begin to crumble.

“You can’t stay here,” he said calmly.

“I know. But it would be the best place to stay. No one would ever look for me in your house, now would they?”

“What?” Zane was surprised, “I wasn’t talking about my house. I was talking about Hurstville. You can’t stay here. You need to leave town else I’m going to have to arrest you.”

“So arrest me now,” she smiled as she began kissing his chest. He didn’t react but he didn’t stop her either.

“I don’t want to. Just move on. Go to another town Hope.”

“I can’t Zane. I don’t get to choose where I go and set up shop. I’m told where to do it.”

“By who? Tell me who they are so I can arrest them and then we can end this.”

“It’s not that easy Zane,” Hope replied.

“Why?”

“I can’t tell you who gives me orders.”

“Why not? There’s a witness protection program. If your boss is that important, I’m sure we can get you into it.”

“That’s not an option, Zane.”

“Why not?”

Hope sighed, “I can’t tell you. You’ll be in danger if I tell you. Trust me.”

“Well, you can’t be here. I’m the chief of this town and I’m responsible for everything that happens here. You’re not going to start peddling drugs here. I won’t let it happen.”

“So arrest me then. Arrest me right now chief,” Hope said. She sat up and held her arms out to him, hands together, squeezing her breasts together between her upper arms.

Zane sat up and turned away. He grabbed his shorts and pulled them on. He left the room and returned to the kitchen where their coffee still stood on the table. It was cold.

He put their mugs in the microwave and heated them as Hope followed him into the kitchen. She was still naked. She retrieved her panties and put them on. Then she put on her skirt and top and sat at the table.

“Those drugs are low-key stuff but still drugs. That’s where it starts. Kids just want a gentle lift or high and before they know it, they want something stronger. Then they move on to the really bad shit and from there it’s a one-way ticket.”

“I don’t peddle bad shit. Have you never had your share of weed in your life?”

“Who hasn’t tried it? The problem is some people don’t know when to stop. Others can control their need for use of drugs. As I said, it starts with the mild stuff and it’s just downhill from there.”

“You should stop looking at the drugs. I put a lot of poor kids through school. Poor kids that want to go to school but can’t, for whatever reason. I give them a place to stay, I feed them, and I try to give them a better life. They don’t do drugs. I make sure of it. That’s part of the reason I’ve come as far as I have. The kids know what I do for them and they look after me ‘cos that means they’ll get looked after.”

“There are lots of organizations out there that support people like you. Why don’t you go work with one of them, or for one of them?”

“What? Do you think they want to fund me? Help me? I am a queenpin. Do you think they’re going to believe for a moment that I’m not going to use their money for drugs? I probably make more money than they’ll give me anyway. And I use a lot more money to help the kids. That’s why the kids call me ‘Flamingo’”. Why don’t you go ask about

Flamingo and see what you come up with? Not in your police computer but on the streets where you know I’ve been.”