“Then who.” Again, not a question, but a demand.
A muscle ticked in his jaw as he turned right off the main road onto a stone lane.
“Why are we at a tree farm?” She twisted in her seat to finish reading the sign by the road. “Wait. That’s says Bryson’s Tree Farm. Is this your place?”
“No.”
“I need an explanation,” she insisted as she returned to face him.
“You’ll get it and I will only say it once.”
“I’m listening,” she said, impatiently.
He pulled up to the farm house and parked. “Let’s go.”
“Fine, Chatty Cathy. Let’s go. I can’t wait to hear this.” She got out of the car and stood glaring at him, hands on her hips.
Now he could see some of her curves. And they were just right. Full. The perfect topping for her long-ass legs.
He grabbed her elbow to escort her up onto the wrap-around deck and into the house. The door wasn’t locked. And never was.
They stood just inside the door when he yelled out, “Ma! Pop!”
His mother’s head peered out from the kitchen, and his father yelled out, “In here!”
Matt pushed Carly forward through the entrance to the living room where his father slouched in his favorite worn recliner.
“Who’s this? Boy, that’s some knot you have on your head, young lady,” his father stated, slamming the recliner closed and standing up to approach Carly. “Damn. That had to hurt.”
“Dr. Stephens!” Mary Ann called out as she entered the room. “How are you? What are you doing here?”
“Oh, I thought you looked familiar. You just delivered our first grandbaby,” Ron said, a proud smile spreading across his face.
“Yes. I met you last night at the hospital.”
“You look terrible, dear,” Matt’s mother clucked. “Come. Have a seat on the couch.” She shooed Matt away and took over like a mother hen. “What happened?”
“Car versus deer,” Matt stated before the doctor could answer.
“Oh no!”
“I have a favor. Can you keep an eye on Dr. Stephens?” he asked his parents. “She may have a concussion and has no one to watch her.”
“I don’t have a concussion and I don’t need a babysitter,” Carly grumbled.
“Why certainly, honey,” his mother agreed happily. “She’s welcome to stay here until she’s out of the woods. You caught me just cleaning up from breakfast. Do you need something to eat?”
“If she has a concussion, she may be nauseous,” Matt warned his mother.
“I don’t have a concussion,” Carly insisted, her voice raising a notch. “I’m a doctor, I’d know if I had a concussion.”
“Oh nonsense, Dr. Stephens. Better to be safe than sorry.” Mary Ann stated, waving her hand. “We need to keep you happy and healthy to deliver all our future grandbabies. Right, Matt?”
Matt groaned under his breath. “Right, Ma. I’m sure Amanda will want more after last night.”
“Ah, she will. She’ll forget the pain quickly.”
Matt wasn’t so sure Amanda would forget anything. She didn’t seem the forgiving and forgetting type.
“And there’s Leah. Marc and her will be married soon and they’ll be making me a proud grandmother too.”
Matt wondered if Marc knew of their mother’s plans.
“And then you just need to—”
“Well, I have to get back on patrol. I left the portable radio in the car.”
And he rushed out, his father’s booming laughter following him out the door.
3
Mary Ann looked down at the baby and cooed. “I don’t know what I want her to call me.” She cooed again, making baby faces inches from Hannah’s. “Grandma, Gram, Grammy, Nanny. Nanna. Maw-Maw—”
“Holy shit, Mom! Just pick one,” Max snapped.
“Don’t you curse in front of the baby!” Mary Ann scolded him.
“Mom, right now Hannah doesn’t care about what you want her to call you. You have time to decide. She doesn’t even know the difference between the words shit and Grandma.”
Matt almost reversed right back out of the house. He smothered a yawn and rubbed at his eyes. His shift had worn him out since it had been busy with petty nonsense calls. Barking dogs, teenagers mad because their parents grounded them, a kid stealing a soda from Wal-Mart. Stupid shit.
He moved into the living room where everyone gathered around his mother holding the newborn. “They let you out of the hospital already?” he asked his sister-in-law, surprised. “It’s only been a couple days.”
Amanda lounged in Ron’s recliner—another surprise since this father allowed no one to sit in his recliner—watching with soft, ooey-gooey eyes Mary Ann holding the baby.
What the fuck? Max’s wife had to be on some sort of pain meds. No one went from being hell-on-wheels to a sweet, loving woman in just forty-eight hours. Especially Amanda.
“She had a normal birth. They don’t want you hanging around the hospital taking up space,” came a female voice behind him.
Matt spun on his heels to face the Dictator Doctor. Why the hell was she still here?
She pushed past him and went to stand over his mother, reaching down to wiggle the baby’s tiny, pink fist and coo. Cooing must be contagious.
Hell, if he knew the kid would be at the farm, he’d have gone straight home. “I guess you lived through your concussion,” he stated to Carly.
“I didn’t have a concussion,” she responded, not bothering to even look up at him.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Uh huh.”
Concussion or not, the bump on her head remained only slightly visible, but the bruise looked horrendous. Definitely not an attractive look for her.
He couldn't deny he found what she wore attractive, though. Denim sheathed those lengthy legs of hers and she sported a worn V-neck T-shirt in a blue color that enhanced her complexion and made him realize how blonde her long hair really was.
He wondered if the color was natural.
Did he want to find out?
No.
Maybe.
Damn it.
“Why are you staring at her like that?” came a low murmur behind him. He turned his head to look at his brother, Marc.
“I’m not.”
Marc chuckled and entered the room, pushing past Matt.
“You’re next,” Mary Ann said to her middle son and Marc paled.
Matt took his turn chuckling.
He finally gave up his position by the door and joined his family. He moved behind Amanda, putting his hands on her shoulders and leaning in. “So how’s the demon spawn?”
She laughed, her eyes crinkling, and glanced over at her kid. “Perfectly healthy. And has all ten fingers and toes and, surprisingly, not one cleft hoof.”
“Well, that’s a good start.”
“Thanks for getting me to the hospital.”
“What else was I gonna do? Deliver the kid myself?”
Carly snorted from across the room. He had no clue why the woman remained at his parents’ house.
“And why are you here?” he asked her.
His mother gasped, quickly handed off the baby to Max, and came over to thump him upside the head. “Mind your manners, boy.”
Matt rubbed his aching ear.
“Is he always such an asshole?” Carly asked.
A resounding yes sounded around the room, flanked by Amanda’s laughter.
“Ever since he’s gotten back from that godforsaken—”
Matt stiffened and cut his mother off. “Ma! Don’t start. Please.”
“Fine,” she sniffed. “You have issues.”
“We all have issues,” Matt told her.
“If you’d just get married, settle down, and have a family, you’d be fine.”
His mother’s answer to everything was to provide her with grandchildren. Her ultimate elixir to any problem. He’d told her plenty of times to look at his
brothers for children to spoil, not him.
“Are you staying for dinner?” Pop asked.
“I was, but you guys are busy. I’ll head out.”
“You don’t have to, son. You’re welcome to stay.”
“I know,” he answered.
His father nodded, knowing how Matt felt around a bunch of people, activity, and noise. In fact, if Max hadn’t been the chief of police, he might have never gotten his job back when he returned from overseas. He might have been put on leave or even let go.
Matt knew Max took a risk by handing him back his badge and gun. But his family seemed determined to get him back in the swing of things, back to a normal life as soon as possible.
If only it was that easy.
He walked out of the house, passing Leah, his fellow officer and future sister-in-law, on her way up the porch steps.
“Where are you headed?” she asked him. She wore her uniform since she currently worked the second shift.
“Anywhere other than here.”
“You don’t want to hang out with the fam?” Leah asked, though her eyes crinkled at the corner, fighting a knowing smile.
Leah, out of everyone, understood him the best. Though he wasn’t sure why. He hardly knew her. He only met Marc’s live-in fiancé about six months ago when he was discharged from the Marines and reluctantly came home.
They just seemed to fall into a natural camaraderie. Her father had been a cop down in Philly who ended up killed on the job and she wanted to follow in his footsteps. She was one determined woman and Matt respected that about her.
They had ridden double a few times when he returned to patrol while trying to get back on track. And the more he got to know her, the more he liked her. Lucky for his brother Matt had been away, or he would have seriously considered giving Marc a run for his money.
“Nah. I’m beat.”
Leah only nodded her head, whacked him hard on the arm, then jogged up the steps and into the house.
Matt sighed and headed toward his 4Runner.
“Wait!”
He stopped short, but didn’t turn around. He listened to her footsteps as she rushed up behind him. He worked hard to keep his muscles from stiffening as Carly approached.
She is not a threat. She is not the enemy. He repeated the mantra in his head until his heartbeat slowed.
She stepped in front of him, blocking the driver’s door. “Can you give me a ride home?”
“You don’t live here now? I dropped you off two days ago and you’re still here. I thought maybe you moved in.”
Her expression closed down and she pinned her lips together. “Never mind.” She brushed past him, purposely bumping his shoulder hard with hers.
He snagged her arm and swung her back around to face him. “Where are you going?”
“Back in the house where I’m sure someone will be nice enough to take me home.”
He searched her face, then worked his way down her body. Her breasts heaved from anger. Her waist looked tiny compared to her full, flaring hips.
“Done?”
He lifted his gaze to meet hers. “With?”
“Checking out my tits.”
He released her and stepped over to his SUV. “Get in if you want a ride. If you’re not in the seat by the time I put it in first gear, you’re shit-out-of-luck.”
“I’m not that desperate,” she said from behind him.
“I’m sure you’re not,” he replied to the driver’s door. Then he yanked it open with more force than necessary, and climbed in.
He started his truck, not checking to see if she moved, and shoved it into first gear. He released the clutch and pulled away.
Fuck it. He would only offer a ride once.
Even so, he couldn’t help put glance in the rearview mirror. She stood stock still, her head held high, her long hair loose around her shoulders, her hands on her hips, and he felt sure-as-shit certain she glared at him from behind those goofy turquoise-colored framed glasses.
He wanted to rip those glasses off, drag his hands through her thick hair, and fuck the shit out of her.
He slammed on the brakes, the Toyota skidding to a stop on the stones.
Jamming it in reverse, he popped the clutch, and smashed the gas pedal, fishtailing it backward to where she stood.
She still hadn’t moved and just glared at him through stubborn, narrow eyes.
He powered down the window. “Get the fuck in the truck.”
Finally, she moved and surprised him by going around the SUV to climb into the passenger seat. He stared as hard at her as she stared straight out of the front windshield. “Put your seatbelt on.”
Without a word, she did. Though he couldn’t help notice her jaw tighten and her mouth become a tight, angry slash.
He smiled.
Fucking hell.
He might have just met the woman of his dreams.
She didn’t know why the angry asshole sitting next to her made her want to fuck his brains out.
Yet something pulled at her.
Maybe it was the challenge.
Or the fact she hadn’t had sex in…hell, forever.
Maybe she needed a night of angry sex to relieve some of the stress of being an overworked OB/GYN at a small hospital.
Maybe she just needed a few explosive orgasms to help her forget about all the debt she had. All the responsibilities.
She peeked out of the corner of her eye at him. Officer Asshole had a shit-eating grin on his face. Surely, it wouldn’t take much to wipe it off.
“Where are you heading?” she asked.
“Taking you home.”
“Take me to your place.”
His head snapped in her direction and the truck swerved when he jerked the wheel. He straightened it out and concentrated back on the road. “What?”
Yep. Now he wore a frown instead of that cocky grin.
“Take. Me. To. Your. Place.” The words were distinct and forceful. She wanted to make sure he knew she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Why?” he asked, the suspicion thick in his voice.
“Really?”
“I want to make sure I’m not hallucinating,” he said.
“To fuck me into oblivion.”
His eyebrows rose, but he kept his eyes on the road. “What if I suck at sex?”
“You won’t.” She smirked. “Assholes are always good in bed.”
His brows crept even higher. “Sounds like you know from experience.”
“I do.” Unfortunately, it was the truth.
“Maybe I can’t get it up.”
Carly looked at his lap. The distinct bulge in his jeans kind of shot that lie to bits. “Assholes can always get it up.”
With a cocked eyebrow, he asked, “You have a thing for assholes?”
“I must.”
A low chuckle rumbled out of him.
He didn’t stop the truck; he didn’t turn around. Nothing. She guessed he didn’t believe her. She returned to staring out of the window. That’s when she realized he had never been heading to the boarding house. He drove through town instead of out of it.
“I thought you were taking me home,” she mumbled, reading the passing street signs.
“I am,” he said. And the shit-eating grin returned. “To mine.”
Well, damn. “You had the same idea,” she stated, because it wasn’t a question. He clearly had the idea not to take her home from the beginning.
Arrogant asshole.
“Nope.”
She turned to look at him. “So, why are you taking me to your place?”
“Because I can’t stand the thought of you staying one more night in that roach-infested, crime-ridden boarding house.”
“Since when did you become my keeper?” And why would he even care? They were strangers. They had no connection other than her being his sister-in-law’s OB/GYN.
“Since I rescued your ass along the road and I saw your address.”
“Is that th
e reason you dropped me off at your parents?” She never even considered it could be anything other than him thinking she had a concussion. Now she wondered.
“Why do you ask so many questions?”
“Because I need answers.”
“And I need quiet,” he grumbled.
Carly shut up and faced forward, biting her tongue. He made a turn onto a street that she didn’t catch the name of, and then pulled into the driveway of a small house. It appeared older, though well-maintained. The name Barber was painted on the mailbox.
“I thought this was your house.”
“It is and it isn’t.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
He shoved the shifter into first gear and pulled up the emergency brake handle before turning the SUV off. After unbuckling his seatbelt, he turned towards her. “It’s Amanda’s old place. She moved in with Max a couple years ago and it’s been empty. I crash here.”
“So why did you bring me here if not to have sex?”
“Oh, I didn’t say we weren’t having sex, especially since you offered. But I brought you here because there’s plenty of space. And instead of renting a room in that dump, you can rent one here.”
“Oh, I see. You’re suddenly making my life decisions for me.”
“Yep.”
Carly couldn’t help but laugh. “You really are an asshole.”
“I’m not arguing that fact.”
“I’d think you’d want your privacy,” she stated.
“I’ll have it, don’t worry.”
That comment made her wonder about this whole thing. “So, I’m just supposed to go along with your decision and move in with some stranger who, by the way, is a man.”
“I’m a hell of a lot safer than any of those people living in that boarding house.”
“Says who? You?” She snorted. “Are you your own best reference?”
“Nope. My mother is.”
Once again she laughed. He wasn’t even trying to be funny. He appeared dead serious.
She pinched the skin on her arm to make sure she was awake and not having some bizarre dream. She studied his face. He had an extremely strong jawline, however, it appeared tight, as if it held tension. He wore his dark hair in a severely short crew cut of sorts with it shaved along the sides. His eyes though…such a light blue, almost a crystal blue. Normally, she’d think they were striking. However, something hid behind them. Shadows, or secrets. Or hell, she didn’t know what. Yet, it worried her.
Brothers in Blue: The Complete Trilogy: Brothers in Blue Boxed Set - Books 1-3 Page 42