I grimaced. “Former girlfriend.”
Recognition flared in his eyes as he took a look at the counter again.
Lydia’s eyes were filled with longing as she stared at the table we were occupying.
I turned before I could make eye contact.
The thought of talking to her did not sound appealing. In fact, anything would sound more appealing than that.
Like pulling out all the hairs surrounding my nipples.
“That’s the bitch who broke up with you because you had a kid?” Downy exclaimed rather loudly.
I nodded. “The one and only.”
“What a bitch,” Reese said under her breath.
I nodded. “Yep.”
Downy’s eyes finally moved to Reese and he held out his hand.
She took it and shook it twice before she let it go.
“Hi,” she said timidly.
He grinned. “Downy.”
She smiled wider at him and said, “Reese.”
He recovered quickly, then turned back to me as he continued the conversation without missing a beat.
“I thought she lived in Wyoming,” Downy said, bringing his sandwich up to his mouth and taking a large bite.
I nodded. “Me too.”
We ate in silence. Downy choking down three cinnamon rolls. Reese finishing off her beignets. And me eating my sandwiches.
“Alright, gentleman,” Reese said as she stood and brushed off her shirt, freeing her shirt of the white powdered sugar covering her abdomen. “It was a wonderful breakfast. We should do this again sometime. Although not here, ‘cause I find that it’s not as appealing as I thought it was. Have a good day.”
I downed the rest of my coffee in one gulp and followed her outside, leaving my half-eaten sandwich on the plate.
She didn’t notice I was following her until she opened her car door and saw me directly behind her. Which caused her to screech.
“You’re exceptionally unobservant,” I said, scowling slightly.
She tilted her head. “I’ve never had a reason to be that observant. The worst I have in my background is a baby daddy who refuses to pay child support. Why would I need to worry about anything like paying attention to what’s behind me in broad daylight?”
She had me there. But it never hurt to be cautious.
“True. But most people don’t know what danger’s out there. All it takes is a pretty female swaying her hips to entice some men. That’s not why I came out here, though. I wanted to know who did the paint job on your car,” I explained.
“Well,” she blinked. “My dad, I guess. I got this car for my sixteenth birthday.”
I shook my head, wondering what the hell was going through her father’s mind to give his daughter a ride like this one. If that’d been me, I’d have killed myself racing the fucker.
“Can you have him call me? I’m looking for someone to paint mine, but I don’t want to take it to just anyone. I’d appreciate his insight,” I continued.
She blinked and shrugged. “Sure.”
Then she dropped into the car.
Once she closed the door, I sat there waiting for her to realize that I was holding my card out for her, but she never did.
Instead, she started the car up with a growl and my skin started to tingle.
Holy shit but it was hot seeing a woman get into a car like that.
And when she rolled the window down and roared out of the parking lot, pulling in front of a large diesel truck, I didn’t even contemplate my next decision.
It was a done deal.
She was going to be mine.
I’d just have to convince her of that.
“Your ex is crying,” Downy said as he walked up to my side, both of us watching Reese as she zoomed in and out of traffic.
“She’s breaking about eighteen laws right now,” I said to Downy, tucking the card back into my pocket.
“Yeah, but she’s fucking hot doing it. I’d let her off with a warning,” Downy grinned before walking to his cruiser and pulling out of the parking lot.
“Me too,” I murmured to no one.
My eyes caught movement at the front entrance, but I refused to acknowledge her.
I didn’t have anything to say to her. And I really didn’t want to listen to anything she had to say.
Nothing she could do would ever repair the damage she’d caused, so what was the point?
Besides.
I had a new desire now.
And she was currently on the top of my to-do list.
Chapter 5
Sisters are like fat thighs. They stick together.
-T-shirt
Reese
“Reese’s Pieces. Will you do me a favor?” My sister asked over the phone.
I sighed.
“Sure. What do you want?” I asked, idly flipping through my magazine as I waited for my nails to dry.
It was two days later, and I was relaxing after a long week.
It’d been eventful, that was for sure.
And I couldn’t seem to get my mind off the large blonde man.
Him and his eyes. The ones that changed colors.
In the darker light, they resembled more of a light honey brown with the inner edges taking on a greenish tint.
In the light, they brightened, going from a light brown to a pale green.
They were mesmerizing.
Then there was his beard.
It was sexy as hell, and I wanted to sink my hands into it while I rode his face.
“Reese!” My sister yelled.
I blinked, jerking out of my daydream about officer hot-stuff.
“What?” I asked, inspecting my nails for any flaws.
“Can you get the cake and decorations in the next couple of weeks?” She asked.
I nodded. “Sure. But you know you’ll have to remind me. I can’t write it down right now because my fingers are wet. I just painted my nails hot pink with black dots.”
“I need to do that. You should’ve just gone to get a pedicure with me,” she sighed. “Now I’ll have to go alone.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know, pity doesn’t sound good on you. It makes you sound fat.”
She giggled. “Fat has a sound?”
“I’m sure it does,” I explained. “I just don’t know how to put it into words.”
She snorted. “Whatever. I’ll send you a text tomorrow. I’m going to bed…there’s a certain firefighter that’s making me horny.”
“La-la-la-la!” I said as I hung up.
Gross.
She knew I hated talking about her sex life. Yet she did it anyway.
She was such a shithead.
Tru liked to call me a prude, but really, what the hell was wrong with not wanting to discuss your sex life in front of your little sister?
That’s right. Nothing.
Yet, she always got bent out of shape when I refused to tell her about my sex life.
Not that there was much of a sex life.
I’d only had sex with one man. Not that I hadn’t tried to have it more.
Last year I’d tried to have a one-night stand.
Needless to say, it hadn’t gone very well, and I now refused to even contemplate having any type of sex that didn’t have me at least knowing the man’s last name and some of his likes and dislikes.
Mainly, for instance, whether he only liked to have anal sex.
Sure, I’d contemplated the act before, but I sure as fuck wouldn’t be doing it with someone I didn’t love and trust.
I ended the night all worked up with nothing to show for it. However, I’d learned a valuable lesson.
Don’t be a slut.
It was that simple.
And I’d broken that rule when I’d chosen to try to get back in the saddle, so to speak.
Bright flashing lights outside my front window had me placing the magazine on the coffee table and peekin
g out through the living room blinds.
My eyes widened at the sight of three police cars outside my house.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized they were working on arresting someone in a large red pickup, and not going to a house.
I’d chosen this neighborhood carefully.
I wanted what was best for my little girl. Somewhere she could play outside, and I wouldn’t have to worry about her getting run over by someone.
This neighborhood, the realtor had assured me, was a great one for kids to play in.
There was a community playground the next street over, and a large duck pond one street beyond there.
What had sold me, though, was the fact that the driveways were all flat, as were the streets.
Before, I hadn’t had a place where Rowen could go ride her bike. Now, I did.
I had a lawn she could play on. A backyard I could put a jungle gym in, and a hot tub for the times where mommy needed a little bit of relaxation time.
Such as right now.
I watched until they led a young woman from the red truck to one of the police cars.
The lights obscured the faces of all involved, and I decided now would be a good time to get in the hot tub.
Dropping my fingers from the blinds, I walked to my bedroom and started stripping off my clothes.
I slipped into a tankini, making sure my boobs were fully covered, then exited my bedroom and grabbed a towel off the couch.
Leaving the sliding glass door open, I walked outside to my patio and flipped the lid back on the hot tub.
Then all the way off until it rested on its side next to the spa.
I’d just submerged myself up to my neck when a commotion had my curiosity raging again.
Thankful that it was a mild September night, I got out without grabbing my towel, and walked to the side yard where my large eight-foot privacy fence enclosed the backyard from the front yard.
Undoing the latch on the gate, I opened it and peeked outside, eyes widening when I saw a man that’d been standing at the back of the truck they’d pulled over take off. Directly toward my backyard.
He didn’t use the gate, though. Instead, he went for the top of the fence, not realizing that the gate was open.
When he got to the top, I somehow found the metal rake I’d been using that afternoon in my hand, and I’d swung it in an arc over my head.
It hit the man just as he swung both legs over the fence.
He teetered on the edge of the fence before he fell forward, hitting the ground with a loud thump.
I winced in sympathy, dropping the rake to the side and peeking at the man in worry. But only until a large male body hit me like a battering ram.
I fell flat on my back with a harsh thump.
My breath left me when a large man dressed in black straddled my belly, holding me down just with the power of his legs.
My eyes must’ve resembled something close to dinner plates when I finally got my breath back.
A powerful light shined in my face, and I heard the man on top of me hiss.
I gasped for air, closing my eyes tightly shut to block out the blinding light.
“Shit,” an all too familiar voice said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you.”
“I got the perp,” another voice said, as I heard the sound of a body being dragged across the grass.
“It’s okay,” I wheezed. “But it’d be awesome if you could stop shining that light in my eyes.”
The light was removed from my eyes quickly, then placed on the ground by our bodies. The body, however, didn’t waver.
Luke still straddled me, but my arms that had been pinned above my head were now free, and I’d moved them to rest on his powerfully muscled thighs.
His eyes were on my chest. My wet chest. My exposed, wet chest.
I gasped and covered my exposed breast, accidentally brushing across his large erection with my hand in the process.
The hissing happened again, and suddenly I was free.
Pulling my tankini over to cover my boob, I stood without the aid of the hand he offered me and looked around in dumfounded silence.
“What the hell?” I asked again.
“Sorry. We had a couple of tweakers get pulled over when they tried to make a drug deal about two miles down the road. We got a tip that they came to the house two doors down from you. They were in the process of leaving when we showed. I didn’t think he’d run. You were lucky he didn’t hurt you,” Luke mumbled, not bothering to hide the adjustment of his cock with his hand.
I blushed and turned, walking to the patio and grabbing my towel.
I thought I heard a sigh when I covered up with it, but I could’ve been mistaken.
“That’s okay, really it is. You just scared me is all,” I said as I walked into the house.
I needed to check on Rowen after all the commotion that had just happened.
Luke followed me, not asking if he could come in. Just taking the initiative and walking in without invitation.
“Nice place,” he said, looking around.
I nodded. “I thought so. Although, I didn’t buy it. I’m renting it for the time being to see if I like the place.”
He nodded, stopping in the kitchen when I continued down the hallway. “I’ll be back in a few.”
Rowen was sound asleep when I went to check on her.
The girl could sleep through just about anything. Unless it was the silence of the power going out. Then she was wide-awake.
I made a pit stop in my room for a pair of sweat pants and a tank top, feeling lucky that I’d just washed my clothes. Otherwise I would’ve been wearing ones that were a little more tight and shabby looking.
I’d been wearing much the same clothes since I’d graduated college, refusing to buy more because I’d gained a size and I knew it.
I hated going shopping when I knew I no longer fit into what used to be pre-Rowen clothes.
I found Luke at my front door, letting Downy and a blonde man in who I’d never seen before.
Shaking my head, I padded into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee.
The smell of the brew brought them into the kitchen, and I smiled at Downy before looking at the blonde curiously.
He was tall like Luke, but leaner. Almost as if he ran a lot, keeping his muscles slim and trim compared to Luke’s sheer brutishness.
This new guy was more the type I seemed to lean toward in my dating history, but the man had nothing on Luke.
My eyes strayed toward Luke’s lower body.
He was wearing black tactical pants with a big belt around his waist.
The belt held his gun, a pair of shiny, silver handcuffs, a baton, flashlight, radio, pepper spray, and a few other things that I was insanely curious about.
I’d have to ask him sometime what they were. Maybe when I could get my mind off the fact that he still had an erection.
That seemed to be growing.
My eyes bugged out and shot up to his face.
He was staring at me intently, watching me check him out.
Face flaming, I busied myself taking out coffee cups, wondering how my Friday night had turned from relaxing to entertaining three police officers.
“Reese,” Luke said, calling my attention back to him. “This is James Allen. He’s another officer with the KPD and a member of the SWAT team.”
My eyes moved from Luke to the new man, James, and I smiled. “Nice to meet you.”
He nodded. “You took that hit like a champ. I’ve been on the receiving end of one of those during training. I’m surprised you can still breathe.”
I giggled. “Me and my sister used to fight like that all the time. I can’t say that I’m used to somebody Luke’s size taking me down, but at least I knew how to fall, right? It was definitely a humbling experience. He was just telling me the other day that I’d never know what was out there, and I should be more obs
ervant.”
Luke chuckled at my expense, and I stuck my tongue out at him, which only caused him to outright laugh this time. Which elicited raised brows from his fellow officers.
He laughed until I thrust a cup of black coffee in his direction, and I watched the column of Luke’s neck work as he took a careful sip.
Why was his jaw so sexy and appealing to me?
Then I got a load of the coffee cup I’d given him, and I wanted to burst into laughter.
It was my favorite, and surprisingly, I’d gotten it from my sister for Christmas.
It was plain and simple.
White ceramic with black lettering declaring, ‘I like to fuck,’ in bold, black letters.
I wondered, secretly, if that was true.
He was a very attractive man, and I bet he was a beast in the bedroom.
That’s about when the other two started to pay attention to the cup.
But before they could start teasing him about it, the silence was breached by their radios.
All three of theirs went off at once, causing them all to move fast.
“Gotta go, Reese. Thanks for the coffee.” He said before rushing out the door just as quickly as he’d arrived.
Well shit.
Taking the coffees to the sink, I dumped them out, locked up, and went back to my hot tub.
I couldn’t get Luke’s face, nor his erection, out of my thoughts for a long, long time.
Chapter 6
No, ma’am. You cannot feel my baton.
-Luke to a perp
Luke
“You killed my husband!” The woman screamed from the side of the road.
A young patrol officer, by the name of Wednesday Carmine, had the young woman by the shoulders, trying her hardest to keep her back from barreling toward me.
Downy stepped in, grasping the woman around the middle and taking her to the opposite side of the crime scene, shutting her into his cruiser.
I gave him a thankful nod and turned my attention back to the Chief who was staring at the scene unblinkingly.
I closed my eyes, bile rising up my throat.
“Tell me what happened,” the Chief ordered softly.
The Chief looked tired, and I didn’t blame him one bit. He’d been called in after only getting off a few hours before. We’d all been putting in quite a bit of overtime lately, seeing as we were short in every department.
Code 11- KPD SWAT Box Set Page 4