(This story is posted on the Literotica website. Do not repost anywhere else without the author's consent. This story is a bit different from my usual fare. To be clear, this is a story where the woman cheats on her man. But a lot of my usual themes are present. There is betrayal, seduction, and heartbreak. It features huge tits and big cocks. And don't expect a happy ending. This is a story about cops and criminals... such stories aren't always pretty. The good characters have shades of darkness, and the bad have shades of appeal. One other thing to point out, as it has come up from time to time, the villain of this story is quite arrogant. Over the years, I've noticed some readers bristle at characters like that, so be warned. If you don't enjoy stories featuring arrogant antagonists, this story won't be for you. So, for those who think they can handle a story like this, go forward.
Additionally, this story is a LONG one, even for me. You have my permission to skip around if you don't want to get too in the weeds. This story is a slow-burn over multiple chapters that ratchets up the tension until it explodes. Not every chapter features sex, but there are heated moments throughout that build up to the main event. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, just don't say you weren't warned.)
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Joel sat at his desk, already hard at work before his partner arrived. He had been re-interviewing some of the witnesses from the hotel over the last few days, trying desperately to turn up some new information. But the Delvecchios did a good job keeping everyone there on a leash... no one was talking. He flipped through his notebook and found nothing new, nothing he could use. The case felt like it had reached a dead end.
It was disheartening.
He looked up just in time to see Monica entering the office, and he immediately noted that she seemed to be in an equally rotten mood. By her own admission, Monica had a resting bitch face, but this morning it seemed especially pronounced. Slamming herself into her seat roughly, she got to work without a word.
Joel couldn't deny that things had been slightly awkward between them since their kiss in the interrogation room. While both he and Monica stated they didn't regret that moment of intimacy, neither of the two cops were exactly the most emotionally available people in the world. That, in combination with their busy work schedule, meant they hadn't taken the time to really address the elephant in the room in any real way since that day.
Joel resolved to change that.
Knowing not to pick this moment when Monica was in a bad mood, he waited until later in the morning before addressing her for the first time about a non-work thing.
"Do you want to get lunch today?" he asked in a quiet moment. She'd been frosty and withdrawn all morning, and as she heard this question, she had to visibly check herself from responding on reflex with a biting comment.
"Uh... yeah, that'd be good," she responded, giving him a slight smile, the first time he'd seen her face light up all morning.
"Maybe we can go out to that place you wanted to try on the north side," Joel offered. It was some fancy new, all-green, all-healthy place, all things that were up Monica's alley. Her face flashed with recognition, but her response was odd. She almost winced, as if he'd said something wrong.
"You know... you don't always have to take me to the places you think I want to go to," she said, gently. "I don't mind going to places you want to go."
"Oh..." Joel said, surprised that she was making a big deal over the choice of restaurant. "That's okay. You have guidelines for what you'll eat, so it's usually easier to aim toward your preferences."
"I can usually figure something out," Monica replied quickly, with a slightly impatient tone. While Joel momentarily panicked, feeling she was chiding him somehow, he was able to quickly regather himself. He wasn't above learning from his mistakes and course-correcting. So, he did just that.
"Understood, partner," he responded with a nod and an easy smile. The respect he showed her erased the slightly pained response she gave him, replacing it with a warm feeling in her heart and a grin on her face. But as Joel got back to work feeling good about how things were going, the affectionate smile of hers faded ever so slightly. Her gaze lingered on Joel as he resumed reviewing interview notes, her mind drifting back to the facts about her partner that David had highlighted.
With Monica's naturally intimidating demeanor, she was used to men ceding ground to her, so as to not risk upsetting her. In cases like Joel, she appreciated his consideration, though most of the time she found it rather unappealing to have men she was attempting to date just back down like that when challenged. It just happened ALL the time, and it had gotten rather old. She just wanted someone with a little spine. As much as she hated to admit it, someone like David would definitely not crumble in front of her like so many others had. He would be decisive. If his offered dinner ever happened, David would unquestionably call the shots with little consideration of Monica's tastes. He would choose the time. He would choose the place. Hell, he might even choose Monica's meal. While this type of thing seemed old-fashioned and brash, the kind of behavior someone like Monica would normally reject... after years of men being timid around her, she could almost see the appeal of it.
But Joel was different than those other guys. His deference to her came not from timidity, but from a genuine care for her as a person. Yes... it was obvious he'd had feelings for her for years, feelings that had long gone unaddressed. But she had felt the same way, so she was no better. What they had, while remaining unspoken over many years, was something deeper. A bond. A friendship. A real love. Even when she was dating other guys, it was there. Even when he was married to Dana, it was there. So, it was understandable that he would feel a certain... deference to her. With other men, it was shameless intimidation, which she didn't enjoy. With Joel, it came from a place of love, which she didn't mind.
It wasn't like what David claimed. It wasn't like Joel was a 'simp'... a 'beta'... a 'cuck'. Those were terms that only a macho, fratty, alpha douchebag like David would use.
But if that was the case, why did those words insulting Joel echo so much louder in her mind than her own defenses of him? And after this discussion, those alarm bells in her head that kept repeating those terms were only getting louder. Why didn't Joel just suggest a place he wanted to go? And when she called him out on it, why did he immediately back down instead of insisting on the vegan place? It was a little frustrating. David's voice was only getting more prominent in her mind...
She tried to silence all that and enjoy their lunch later that day. Joel wound up choosing a Thai place near the precinct. Both she and Joel seemed to share an unspoken deal to not bring up the floundering Chapin case, trying to talk more about their personal lives. That being said, both were so devoted to their work that neither had that much going on beyond it. Usually, Joel tried to avoid rambling about himself and bulldozing their conversations with talk of his ex-wife Dana and his son, but Monica was happy to let him talk considering the state of her personal life of late. He said he'd talked with Dana recently, and that there was some issue with their son at his elementary school. Nothing major, but something that Joel had to take care of. Monica was always filled with a warmth and affection for Joel when he talked about his son. He clearly loved the boy with all his heart and took pride in being a father, even when he was always so busy with his job.
