“Will do. I’m taking her out next weekend. Actually, I need to call her and confirm—I can’t have some other guy swooping in and stealing what’s mine.”
“What’s yours? Goddamn. She must’ve been amazing.”
“Hell, understatement of the year.”
“Okay, I gotta go talk to the chief,” Derek said, slapping Colton on the back. “I definitely want to hear more about this though. I’ll catch you later,” he said, walking off toward another group of officers.
Colton watched his buddy walk off, shaking his head. Several firemen were getting off the truck further down the block, waiting on standby in the event of an explosion. He shouted hello to two of the crew members he knew and then walked toward the K-9 team gathering around the front of the store. “What’s the status?” he asked.
“No explosive materials detected. Are you guys going to send in the robot?”
“Negative. Looks like a damn Amazon package,” Colton muttered. He glanced over to where the box was sitting in the ground, yellow police tape still blocking off the area. “If the dogs have checked it, we’re good.”
The other man nodded, talking into his walkie-talkie to update the others.
“I’ll call up the team and tell them to stand down. They’re already on their way.”
Colton walked over to confer with the police chief and then went back to his cruiser. Jesus. Nothing like starting off the week with a bomb scare.
His radio crackled, and he picked up the receiver. “Pierce,” he said as he answered.
“ETA is seven minutes. We just received word to head back though,” one of the bomb technicians said over the intercom. “Are you on scene?”
“Roger that,” Colton said. “False alarm. I’m headed down to the station in a few.”
“Roger. See you there.”
Colton scrubbed a hand across his jaw, climbing all the way into his car. The firetruck pulled away, headed back to the station, and he waved as they drove by. He needed to get into the police station and get himself organized for the start of the week. He had a joint training exercise on Wednesday with the K-9 team and a hell of a lot of paperwork left over from last week.
He grabbed his phone and thumbed a quick message to Morgan before he drove off.
Good morning, gorgeous. Dinner on Saturday?
He glanced at his phone, waiting for a reply, then shook his head. Morgan was a teacher, which meant she was busy with her students. She wouldn’t be texting him back first thing in the morning. He’d be lucky if he heard from her at lunchtime.
He’d had half a mind to give her a call yesterday, but he wasn’t the type of man to contact a woman so soon. Sure, they’d slept together, but he wanted her thinking about him. Wondering when she’d hear from him.
Not that he was opposed to a woman chasing after him. Morgan was different though. If he wanted to see her again, he had a feeling he’d be the one doing the pursing. And hell if it wouldn’t be worth it.
He texted another quick message that was sure to leave her blushing.
I can’t wait to taste you again, sweetheart.
Chuckling, he stuffed his phone into his pocket. He needed to be nice since she was likely with a roomful of kids. He wasn’t lying though—he couldn’t wait to taste her again. To lie her down on his bed, kiss those sweet lips, and then trail his way down to the promised land.
His groin tightened just thinking about it, and he shook his head to clear it.
He needed to focus on work. Filing the paperwork he had stacked on his desk. Doing the usual Monday morning routine.
Hell if Saturday wasn’t too damn far away.
Chapter 12
Morgan watched as the school buses pulled away, blowing out a sigh. It had been such a hectic day, she’d skipped lunch to catch up on lesson plans. She probably had a granola bar in her desk drawer or something, which she was thankful for, because at the moment she was totally famished.
Anna crossed over to her, pulling off the bright orange vest she’d been wearing. “I hate bus duty.”
“Afternoons are better than mornings though,” Morgan said with a laugh. “Standing outside in the freezing cold first thing?” She shuddered.
“Girl, you need to toughen up,” Anna joked.
The two women walked into the building, saying hello to some of the other staff. After passing the front office, they headed toward the back of the building, toward their individual classrooms.
“Did you get all those books handed out earlier?” Anna asked. “The teachers must’ve been so happy.”
“They were shocked. I’m thrilled I collected so much, but sheesh. That was a heck of a lot of work hauling boxes around.”
“Get yourself a man,” Anna joked, playfully ribbing her in the side.
“My brother did help me load the car last night, so I wasn’t exactly on my own. And one of his friends helped me unload stuff over the weekend when I had to sort through everything.”
“His friend, huh?”
“A police officer buddy of Jake’s,” Morgan admitted. “Jake was in training and he sort of just showed up at the front door.”
“This sounds promising….”
Morgan laughed. “Yep. I opened the door thinking my brother had forgotten something and bam—there he was. Hotter than hell,” she added in a whisper.
Anna clapped her hands together in excitement. “And? Tell me more. Rick and I are so happy, but I can live vicariously through you, too.”
“Well, he helped me, like I already said. Then we went out to dinner.”
“Wait—hold up. You just met the guy and he took you out?”
“And the worst part is, I didn’t tell him that I was Jake’s sister. He thought I’d just moved in as his roommate or something.”
“What’s his name?”
“Colton. He’s a bomb tech.”
“That’s hot,” Anna commented as they paused at Morgan’s classroom door.
Morgan nudged her. “Anyway, that’s not even the point of the story. He took me to dinner and drove me home, and then one thing led to another….”
“Holy hell,” Anna said. “You slept with him!”
“Shhh!” Morgan hissed, grabbing her arm and dragging her into the empty classroom so no one else could hear. The students were gone for the day and most teachers engaged in their own discussions, but she wasn’t about to risk anyone overhearing her talking to her friend. “Yes, we slept together. And it was amazing! But I can’t ever see him again—he’s friends with Jake.”
“So what? You’re an adult, not his teenage sister or something. See who you want to see. Date who you want to date.”
“You’d understand if you had an older brother.”
“Psshh!” Anna said, waving a hand.
“Anyway, that’s not even the exact issue. I lied—I didn’t tell Colton who I was. He thought I was Jake’s roommate, and I didn’t correct him. He never, ever would’ve taken me to dinner or bed if he knew I was Jake’s sister.”
“That’s not technically a lie—you omitted the truth.”
“Try telling that to a cop,” Morgan said, rolling her eyes. “It was totally lying to him. So yes, it was amazing, and he’s awesome and gorgeous, and a hotter than hell bomb tech with the NYPD, but I can’t see him again.”
“Has he called you?”
“No. He wanted to get together next weekend, but he was probably just saying that to be nice or something. I’m worried about nothing, right? I never heard from him after Saturday.”
“Yeah right. Did he sneak out the door in the middle of the night or something?”
“No, he made me breakfast.”
“Girl. Come on. A man would not have stuck around and made you breakfast the next morning if he wasn’t interested. He’ll call you.”
“Maybe. Actually, I haven’t even checked my messages all day.”
“See! There you go. Go grab your phone. I bet he already did and is mad you never responded.”
&nb
sp; Morgan crossed the classroom to her desk, rolling her eyes. “You’re so bossy. And he was probably at work today just like me. Maybe he’ll call one night this week. Oh shit—what if he calls and Jake overhears us? I never should’ve even spoken to him.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. And being bossy isn’t a bad thing. That’s why you love me,” Anna countered.
Grumbling to herself, Morgan pulled her phone out of her purse. “Holy shit!” she whispered.
“What?” Anna asked, hurrying over. “I can’t wait to taste you again?” she squealed.
“Shhh!” Morgan said. “Oh my God. I cannot believe he texted that to me!”
“Girl. Come on! He’s totally into you. Now spill the details. Was he any good?”
Morgan’s cheeks pinkened, and Anna began to laugh. “I knew it!” she said. “It was good. You’re blushing like a teenager. Call the guy! Go out with him again. You deserve it after your disaster of an ex. If he gives you shit about being Jake’s sister, tell him it slipped your mind or something.”
Morgan laughed, beginning to regain her composure. She put her phone back into her purse, shaking her head. “Slipped my mind? That’s not how it works. He literally showed up at Jake’s house. It’s not something you just accidentally forget to mention.”
“It does if you’re so smitten with him you can’t think straight,” she said with a wink. Eyeing the clock on the wall, Anna began moving to the classroom door. “I’ve got a parent/teacher conference call at four. Call that man back. Text him. Whatever. And next time, I need to see a picture of this gorgeous hunk that has you blushing like that.”
Shaking her head, Morgan called out goodbye to her friend and began tidying up her classroom. She’d text or call Colton later, after she figured out what to say. Because she couldn’t see him again. She just couldn’t. She’d have to hold on to the memories of their night together and just move on. Heaven’s knew he never would’ve slept with her if he knew who she was. Never.
Why did the idea of never seeing him again seem so damn depressing though?
Two hours later, she stuffed her books and papers into her tote bag, grabbed her purse, and headed out of her classroom. She had papers to grade, but she was ready to get home and could do it later tonight. Walking down the empty hallway, she realized that she still hadn’t eaten anything all day.
God knows Jake probably hadn’t gone grocery shopping today.
Maybe she’d swing by the store on the way home tonight.
After walking across the lot to her car, she climbed inside and started the engine. Her phone began buzzing in her purse, and she did a doubletake as she realized it was Colton.
“Hey sweetheart,” he said when she answered, his deep voice sending shivers racing down her spine.
“Hey yourself,” she said, turning down the radio. “What’s up? I’m just leaving school.”
“Busy day?” he asked.
“Understatement of the year. The kids were crazy, but I did get all the books dropped off.”
“Hell, I hope you roped Jake into loading your car. You had a ton of stuff.”
“That I did,” she said with a nervous laugh. Why was he bringing up her brother? Because they lived together, she reminded herself. As far as Colton knew, they were roommates. Of course it was perfectly normal to mention him. “How was your day?” she asked, deciding to change the subject.
“We had a bomb scare this morning and then it was just paperwork and some training I had to do.”
“A bomb scare?” she asked in alarm.
“Suspicious package. It happens more than you’d probably believe. I had to check it out but all was good.”
“Well, I guess it’s good people call it in. I still can’t believe you dismantle bombs for a living.”
“Someone’s gotta do it,” he said with a low chuckle. “And as for people calling it in? It’s always better to be better safe than sorry. I swung by the scene on the way in, and I’ve been stuck in the office all day. We’ve got some new hires I was showing around. I’ll be busy with training later this week, but I wanted to quick give you a call about next weekend.”
“Oh, about that—crap!” she suddenly said, watching as what looked to be the black SUV from earlier drove into the parking lot. The vehicle slowly pulled into a space along the edge, and her heart sped up as she saw a few neighborhood kids running down the sidewalk nearby.
Why had they come back again?
It certainly looked like the SUV from earlier and was near the same spot as this morning.
And once again, the driver seemed to be all alone.
“What’s wrong?” Colton asked, suddenly all business.
“It’s probably nothing, but I saw this SUV in the school parking lot early this morning. They left as soon as a little girl was dropped off—I don’t know, it was just weird. They weren’t dropping off their own kids. They waited there a moment and then drove away. School’s out now, and I was getting into my car when you called. They just showed up again.”
“The SUV?”
“Yeah, I think it’s the same one.”
“You’re in your car?”
“Yeah, I’m still in the parking lot.”
“Lock the doors,” he instructed.
“They’re already locked,” Morgan said, smiling. Colton was just like her brother—overprotective and totally alpha male even when nothing was wrong. Still, it was sweet that he was concerned about her. Unnecessary, but sweet.
Most guys that had a one-night-stand with a woman wouldn’t think twice about her again. He was calling to ask her out. Concerned about her safety.
And she was supposed to not see him again, not think he was sweet and protective toward her.
“What’s the plate?” Colton asked.
“Uh—I’m not sure. They’re all the way across the lot. I can drive over there and tell you if you need it.”
“No, stay where you are.”
“A guy is getting out of the vehicle now. He looks a little sketchy, actually—scruffy clothes, unshaven. He’s just standing there by his car acting kind of agitated about something.”
“Your school’s in Brooklyn, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I’m on my way home, but I’ll swing by.”
“Colton—you don’t have to. I can call school security or the police. It’s probably nothing but my overactive imagination.”
“Text me the address. I’m already on my way.” She heard a siren come on in the background and stared at her phone for a moment in disbelief. Sure, Colton was a police officer, but she hadn’t expected him to come rushing to her rescue.
Not that she needed to be rescued. She was paranoid over a random car in the parking lot.
“Actually, just tell me the address so you can stay on the line.”
Dutifully, she repeated it over the phone, watching the man outside of the SUV. He started waving his arms in the air, talking loudly. Crinkling her brow in confusion, she realized he must be on the phone. Either that or he was talking to himself. The guy glanced back at the school, looking irritated, and then climbed into the SUV again.
“I’ll be there in three minutes,” Colton said.
“Okay. I think he might be leaving. No, he’s just sitting in his SUV on the phone or something.” She looked around the parking lot. It was already starting to get dark outside, the sun sinking lower in the sky. She missed the endless summer days where it was light until nine at night. Well, that and her summer vacation. Being a teacher had certain benefits.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice husky. “I’ll be there as quick as I can.” The siren wailed, and she felt a bit guilty that he was racing toward her. It’s not like she’d called 911 for a strange car in the lot. It’s not like she was actually in any danger. Still, Colton had realized she was concerned and was rushing toward her.
Her heart fluttered the tiniest bit. His protectiveness toward her was attractive. She already knew he was a nice guy an
d an amazing lover, but this was something different. And she had no business feeling the way she did.
“Morgan?” he asked, when she didn’t answer immediately.
“I’m fine, just a little bit freaked out. It’s weird—I don’t know why the same SUV would show up twice with no kids. First it was here before school started, and now tonight after everyone’s left for the day. I’m in my car though and safe.”
“Is anyone else around?”
“Some kids were nearby playing, but I think they went home. Most of the teachers have already left, although a few people are inside the building. I stayed late to get some work done.”
“You’re fine, sweetheart. I’ll be right there.”
She nodded to herself and shrieked as a car suddenly backfired on the street.
“Morgan, what’s wrong?” he asked urgently.
“It was just a car backfiring,” she said, letting out a shaky breath. “Jesus. That scared the crap out of me. I thought he was blowing up the parking lot or something.”
“Unlikely with no one around. Assholes like that want casualties. I’m turning onto the street now. I see the school up ahead. Stay in your car while I talk to him, then I’ll come to you.”
She nodded, realizing he couldn’t see her, and a second later Colton’s squad car was pulling into the school parking lot. The guy in the SUV threw up his arms in exasperation as he looked out the still open door.
Morgan ended the call as she watched Colton come to a stop, leaving his flashing lights on, and step out of the vehicle. He looked hotter than hell in his Kevlar vest with all his weapons and gear strapped on. She’d seen her brother in his police uniform a million times, but Colton was scorching hot in his bomb squad get up. He looked rougher somehow, like he was ready to charge into battle or something.
He threw a quick glance in her direction but was all business as he looked back to the SUV and approached the occupant.
Holding her breath, she watched from afar as Colton talked to the man.
She shouldn’t like watching him, shouldn’t feel relieved that he’d rushed to her.
Be Mine Tonight (Line of Duty Book 2) Page 7