Now Or Never (Erotic Romance) Book 2 (The DeLuca Brothers) by Lucinda DuBois Page B

assignment, complete with a new
shift, she'd been relieved. Nothing like a complete change in sleeping habits,
accompanied by having to pay attention to surroundings, to prevent stray
thoughts from popping up. Stray thoughts like a pair of dark eyes that nearly
glowed black when filled with desire, or the scent of spicy aftershave.
    She'd taken the
good-natured ribbing from her co-workers when she'd emerged from the locker
room in her hooker heels, short skirt and tight top, but hadn't been able to
muster any real enthusiasm even though she'd been dreaming about going
undercover for the NYPD since she was a little girl. Even Fredericks' leers
couldn't elicit more than a lukewarm response.
    All week, she'd
put in extra hours, including picking up someone else's shift to avoid her
first day off. Now, however, she had to go home and she wasn't looking forward
to it. As she changed out of her 'hooker-wear,' she went over every minute detail
of the night's arrests. She told herself it was to make sure she was prepared
if she had to testify or if any of her reports were questioned, but she knew
that they'd all been open and shut cases. The real reason for her obsessing was
there in the back of her mind, hovering as it always did, just waiting for the
slightest crack so it could push its way forward.
    As she headed
back to her apartment, she couldn't help but be frustrated at herself. This was
what she'd always wanted and she should be happy. She was living in New York
City, away from the bickering and drama of her family who saw her living in
Ohio as taking sides. She was working undercover in Vice and should be able to
graduate from prostitute to druggie in no time. If Lieutenant Day was impressed
with her work, she might even get a transfer to Missing Persons within a year
or so. He had connections. The people she worked with were great, even if
Fredericks could be a bit of an ass-hat, when it came down to it, he was as
loyal as they came.
    There were the
downsides, of course. Working the streets in barely-there clothes when the
temperature was dropping was far from fun, and she found it difficult to
restrain from breaking fingers when her 'customers' got overly friendly before
she could get them to her team for the arrest. Her feet ached from the heels
she wasn't used to wearing and it took at least an hour in a scalding shower
before she felt even remotely clean again.
    Cecile knew,
though, that none of these things would have bothered her very much if there
hadn't been this whole thing with Anthony. She hated that just a few days with
him had made her so weak. She'd never been the type of girl who moped after
break-ups. Usually there was just a night of comfort food and pajamas, maybe
two if she had a day off after, but it had never been more than that. She'd
always prided herself, in fact, that she wasn't like a lot of the women she'd
grown up with where their priorities were always finding and keeping a man, no
matter what they said. Her career had always been number one, the place where
she'd found purpose and joy. Now, it all seemed pale and dull and she hated
that he could make her feel that way.
    She began
undressing as soon as she closed the door behind her, leaving her clothes
wherever they happened to fall. She knew she should eat something, but she
hadn't had much of an appetite lately. She told herself that it was because of
the shift change, that her body still wasn't used to being up all night and
sleeping during the day, but she knew it was a lie.
    After showering,
she forced herself to eat a cereal bar and then curled up in her bed. She
didn't cry, hadn't cried since that first night, but she didn't do anything
else either. As she pulled the blankets tighter around her, she squeezed her
eyes shut and tried not to think about anything.
    Her phone woke
her up a few hours later and she couldn't stop the stab of hope that went
through her even as she scolded herself for even considering that it was
Anthony calling.