Hot Cop Next Door: A Second Chance Romance

by Brooke Noelle

  “No, Mom. It isn’t like that. I was kind of a jerk to her when she moved in. I asked her to come over for dinner. It wasn’t a big deal,” I explained.

  She smiled. “Maybe you should take her out to dinner to make up for being a jerk.”

  I shook my head. “Let it go, Mom.”

  “I like her, Daddy,” Lily chimed in.

  I felt like they were ganging up on me. I knew when I was defeated. I changed the subject.

  “What do you want for dinner?” I asked, hoping to distract her.

  “I want pizza, and we should ask Savannah to come over again.”

  My mom started laughing. “Maybe another night, Lily. Daddy’s tired tonight.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “I’m going to leave you two to it. Lily, be good for Daddy. I will see you tomorrow after school. Good night, you guys,” she said before hugging each of us.

  “I’m going to change, and then I’ll make dinner,” I told Lily.

  I headed into my room and quickly changed. I looked at my bed and felt heat rush through my body as I remembered what I had done on that bed last night.

  I shut the door and headed to the kitchen to see what I could throw together for dinner. Lily was busy at the table reading a book out loud. I loved that she was already reading.

  “That sounds like a good book,” I said when she closed it and set it on the table.

  She shrugged. “It’s boring. It’s a little-kid book. I want to read real stories.”

  I laughed. “We’ll take a trip to the library and see what we can find. Maybe Grandma can take you after school tomorrow.”

  That seemed to satisfy her. We sat down to a simple dinner of Hamburger Helper. I liked our life together. It was a little lonely, and I knew Lily could probably use a woman in her life to act as a mother, but I couldn’t put her through the ups and downs of a relationship. She had already been through so much. It wasn’t fair to put her through anything more.

  Chapter Nine

  Savannah

  It was after noon, and I was growing anxious to see Emma. She was coming for the weekend. It’d only been a week since I’d last seen her, but it felt like so much longer. We had texted every day, but it wasn’t the same. I had never felt so alone in my life. The brief interlude with Lily and Cameron had been nice, but I needed more.

  I was like a kid waiting for Christmas morning. I was pacing while I waited. When I heard a series of honks, I squealed and ran outside.

  “You’re here!” I said, jumping up and down.

  She climbed out of her car, and I practically knocked her back inside with the force of my body weight slamming against her.

  She was giggling. “Jake is going to be very jealous.”

  “I’ve missed you.”

  “I can tell.”

  “I’m so glad you came. I’m going crazy here by myself,” I said, walking arm in arm with her back to the house.

  “Any more from crazy pants?” she asked.

  “No, thankfully. I’m hoping it was just one last jab at me.”

  “Me too, or I’m going to have someone jab him,” she warned.

  I laughed. Emma wasn’t much bigger than me, but she talked like she was a muscle man. I wished I had her strength, even if it was imagined.

  “So, where we going tonight? That same place?” she asked.

  “If you want.”

  “Tell me everything,” she said, flopping down on the couch.

  I laughed. “I’ve texted you everything that’s happened.”

  I hadn’t actually, but that was one little piece of information I would keep to myself. I knew she would think it was great. For some reason, I wanted to treasure that for a little longer. It was my little secret, and keeping it that way made it more special.

  “Let’s get ready to go. You are not wearing that,” she said, taking in my T-shirt and jeans.

  We rummaged through my closet before picking out outfits. We were going for “casual sexy” that didn’t make it look like we were trying too hard. We did our makeup and then called a car to take us out. We decided to head to the same bar we’d been at last weekend. We both liked the vibe, and the music had been great.

  After getting a drink, we found a small table and checked out the scene.

  “Dance with me,” a man said, nearly stumbling into me.

  “No, thanks,” I said politely.

  “Come on, one dance,” he said, his face too close to mine.

  “She’s with me, buddy,” Emma said, putting her arm around my shoulders.

  I batted my eyes at her and smiled.

  “Whatever. Don’t be a bitch. You’re not that hot,” he growled.

  I froze. The man had triggered something inside me that had me paralyzed. I couldn’t move. I waited for the shouting and name-calling I knew was coming. I couldn’t draw in a deep breath.

  “Take a walk, asshole,” a male voice cut in.

  I turned around and came face to face with a broad chest. My eyes moved up, and I found Cameron’s blue eyes looking back at me. I immediately calmed down. Cameron was here. He would keep me safe. My heart rate slowed, and I breathed again.

  The drunk guy looked at me, then at Cameron and clearly decided I wasn’t worth it.

  “Thank you,” I told him.

  He shrugged. “To protect and serve, even when I’m not in uniform.”

  I noticed another man standing next to Cameron.

  “I’m Adam,” he said with a charming smile.

  “I’m Savannah and this is Emma.”

  “You’re the new neighbor,” he said.

  I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. Cameron had told him. I could see the guilt in his eyes.

  “Emma, dance with me,” Adam said.

  “No, thanks.”

  “Come on, I’m a great dancer. You know what they say about good dancers,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.

  “No, I don’t know,” Emma said dryly.

  “Let me show you.”

  “I don’t think my boyfriend would like that.”

  Adam made a show of looking around the room.

  “I don’t see him here.”

  Emma rolled her eyes. “You’re not going to give up, are you?”

  Adam grinned. “Nope.”

  “Fine. Come on, you big beast.”

  Cameron and I watched the two walk away.

  “What are you doing out?” I asked. “Where’s Lily?”

  “She’s with my mom. I switch to nights next week, so I’m trying to stay up late and get used to the new shift.”

  I nodded. “I see.”

  “Dance with me,” he blurted out.

  I smiled. “I’d love to.”

  We left our drinks at the table and walked onto the floor, our hands clasped. The song changed to a slower beat. He put his hands on my hips and began to slowly grind against my pelvis. I forgot all about the other people bumping into us. It was only me and him. I let myself get lost in his blue eyes as his hands ran up my sides before running back down and pulling me close against him again.

  “Cameron?” I whispered his name.

  “Shh,” he mumbled before pressing his lips to mine.

  We kissed, slow and easy, letting the rhythm of the music guide our movements. His body moved against mine, and memories flooded my brain. I wanted him again. I wanted him right then and there.

  At some point, I realized we were making out on a crowded dance floor. I pulled back and looked up at him.

  “I should find Emma,” I said.

  He nodded. “I’ll try to rein Adam in. He considers himself a bit of a womanizer.”

  His hand moved to the small of my back as he walked me off the dance floor. Emma and Adam were at the table with a fresh round of drinks. She was looking at me with a shocked expression. I shrugged one shoulder in response to her silent question.

  “You two probably need a cold drink after that, uh, dance,” Adam quipped.

  Cameron didn’t look bothered
by the comment. “Thanks for the beer.”

  I took a drink of my Long Island iced tea, feeling parched after the dance.

  “How come you don’t dance like that?” Adam asked Emma.

  She smiled. “I do—with my boyfriend.”

  Adam slapped a hand over his heart. “You’re killing me. Come on, what’s he got that I don’t?”

  “Me.”

  We all burst into laughter.

  “Come on, Adam. Let’s leave the ladies alone. Enjoy your night,” Cameron said, looking at me with heat in his eyes.

  That look was enough to make me want to ditch Emma and go home with him. I couldn’t. Emma had come a long way to see me, and I wasn’t going to up and leave her so I could get laid.

  “I think you guys should stick around. You can be our bodyguards and keep the irritating, obnoxious guys away,” Emma said, looking purposefully at Adam.

  Cameron laughed. “Adam will be on his best behavior. You guys pretend we’re not here. We’ll be over there,” he said, pointing to a cushioned bench against the wall.

  “Thank you,” I said, appreciating him keeping a close eye on us.

  Emma and I stayed at the club for another hour before we decided to call it a night. I said good-bye to Cameron and went outside to wait for our Uber.

  “He’s hot,” Emma said gleefully.

  I shrugged. “He’s all right.”

  “You are such a liar. You practically ate his face off on the dance floor. He is really into you.”

  I laughed. “I did not.”

  “Yes, you did. Not to say he wasn’t very much enjoying it. You two were on fire out there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that kind of chemistry between two people. I mean, I wish I could experience that kind of attraction with Jake. Hell, with anybody,” she said.

  I could admit it was pretty intense. I couldn’t explain what it was, but something about the man made me hot and wet.

  Our car arrived and we climbed into the back seat.

  “Well?” she asked.

  “Well what?” I wondered if I had spaced out and not heard something.

  “Don’t lie to me.”

  “What am I lying to you about?”

  She lowered her voice. “You slept with him, didn’t you?”

  I didn’t say anything.

  She pinched my arm. “You better tell me.”

  “Yes.”

  She squealed. “I knew it. There was no denying what was happening between the two of you.”

  “It was just one time.”

  She laughed. “Savannah, that one time was obviously pretty explosive. He wants you and you want him. Why are you holding back?”

  I scoffed. “Asher. What if he finds out about him? I don’t know what he’ll do.”

  “Um, isn’t your man a cop? A sexy cop.”

  “True, but that doesn’t mean Asher won’t get mad at me.”

  “Don’t be afraid of him. You can’t let him control your life,” she said.

  It was the same thing I’d heard her tell me several times.

  “I know. I won’t, but I still have to be careful.”

  She squeezed my thigh. “It’s going to get better. You’ve only been here a week. Give it some time. Pass the time with Mr. Hot Cop.”

  I laughed. “I think it was a one-time thing. He’s very devoted to his daughter. I don’t want to interfere with that.”

  “Ohhh, a hot cop and a daddy. Damn! You hit the jackpot.”

  The car stopped and we climbed out.

  “Is it too soon?” I asked after changing into a pair of pajama bottoms and a T-shirt.

  “Is what too soon?”

  “Me and Cameron. Is it too fast? I mean, I was with Asher a couple weeks ago, and then I jumped into bed with a guy I don’t even know. That is so not like me.”

  “It is normal for a healthy, gorgeous, twenty-six-year-old woman. And you weren’t with Asher. You broke up with him months ago. He just didn’t seem to get the picture. I think when you have that kind of chemistry with a man, you don’t pass it up. Have fun. See what it’s like to live life and be free of the chains that horrible man bound you up with—and I don’t mean that in a good way,” she joked.

  I sighed. “I guess we’ll see what happens. It was probably just the one time.”

  Emma laughed. “Sure it was. You two live too close together for it to be just once. That little row of bushes is not going to keep you two apart. You guys are like dogs in heat,” she said with feigned disgust.

  I laughed. “Thanks. That is quite the image.”

  If she only knew how close to the truth she was about the dog thing.

  “Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I told her, heading to my room to go to sleep.

  I lay in bed and thought about what Emma had said. Before Asher, I had been carefree. I’d had several boyfriends and done the party thing. Then I’d met Asher and thought I was in love. He had been so sweet and adoring back then. I hadn’t even realized things were slowly changing until it had already happened. I woke up one day and realized I was in an unhealthy relationship. When I tried to leave, things had gotten ugly. Then he changed his ways and we got back to the beginning of the relationship when he was sweet and loving before he reverted to his controlling ways.

  Then there was Cameron. I had no idea what we were doing, if anything at all. For now, I was happy to let things go as they were. If only we could have a few more of those dances.

  Chapter Ten

  Cameron

  I had crawled into bed around four. I’d had to fight the urge to knock on Savannah’s door. She was so close, yet so far. The feel of her body pressed close to mine was imprinted on my brain. Adam had given me a rash of shit after the women had left. He thought Savannah was pretty, although a little on the young side. She was, but I got the feeling she was mature beyond her years.

  I looked at the clock and saw it was just after noon. It was as good as it was going to get. I hated graveyards. I sucked at sleeping through the day. I always felt I needed to be up doing something or spending time with Lily. Sleeping away the hours she was awake felt wrong, like I was wasting time.

  Today, Lily was with my parents at an amusement park. I knew my mom had planned it that way on purpose. If Lily was just sitting at their house, I wouldn’t have felt right. Fortunately, I only had to cover one graveyard shift, and then I could go back to the day shifts I preferred.

  I got up and showered before strolling out to the mailbox in just a pair of shorts and my tennis shoes.

  I was flipping through the mail when I heard voices.

  “Hey.”

  I looked up upon hearing the woman’s voice and saw Savannah and Emma walking toward me.

  “Hey,” I said, looking at Savannah.

  “Did you get some sleep?” she asked.

  I smiled and nodded. “Yes. Probably not enough considering I don’t get off work until seven tomorrow.”

  “Graveyards, huh?” Emma asked.

  I nodded. “Do you work them?”

  She laughed. “Not anymore. I used to. Now I have seniority and work in an actual clinic. I’m a nurse,” she clarified.

  “Oh, then you know what a Saturday-night graveyard can be like.”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “Is it bad?” Savannah asked.

  Emma laughed. “Let’s just say all the crazies come out to play on a Saturday night.”

  I nodded. “Crazies is one way to put it.”

  “We’re going out tonight. We’ll be some of those crazies,” Emma joked.

  “Be careful out there,” I warned.

  “Of course,” Emma said, grinning devilishly.

  I looked at Savannah and saw her blush a little. Her eyes were roaming over my chest, and I had just caught her staring.

  “Marines,” Emma said, pointing to my chest.

  I looked down at the globe and anchor on my left pectoral. “Yep. Eight years.”

  Savannah looked surprised. “I didn’t rea
lize what that was,” she mumbled.

  I smiled. Of course she didn’t realize. There had been little light, and her focus had been on other things. The tattoo was faded and needed a touch-up. I had gotten the thing my first year in, and it hadn’t been a real high-quality shop that had done the work.

  “I should go,” I said, feeling a little awkward with both women gawking at my chest.

  “Lily?” Savannah said, looking at the infant feet that were on the other side of my chest.

  “Yes.”

  “That is very sweet,” she replied, her eyes still on my bare torso. I should have put on a shirt. While I didn’t mind the attention from Savannah, it was a little odd to be half-naked and so thoroughly checked out.

  “Be careful,” she said.

  I smiled. “I always am.” I pulled one of my cards out of the wallet in my pocket. “I was going to give this to you the other day. Call me anytime if there are any more problems.”

  She took it and nodded. “Thank you.”

  I headed back inside and watched the two women walk down the road from my living room window. Savannah was killing me with those little shorts she was wearing. The thought of her legs spread wide and me between them was going to be with me all day.

  I kicked around the house, cleaning up and killing time until I had to go to work. I was mentally preparing myself for a busy day.

  When I got to work, I headed straight to the briefing room. We were expecting a busy night. There was a country music concert in town with a big headliner. Things tended to get a little rowdy after the concerts. The alcohol flowed freely, which always meant trouble.

  As expected, there were a lot of drunk drivers on the road. Adam was off, so I was alone for the night. I was extra cautious and made sure I wore my vest. I couldn’t take any chances. I spent the first half of my shift writing tickets, giving sobriety tests, and breaking up bar fights that had poured out into the streets.

  I had just dropped off my recent DUI snag at the jail and finished the paperwork when I got a call on my cell. My immediate thought was Lily. I looked at the number on the caller ID and relaxed a little. It wasn’t my parents. That was a good thing.

  “Hello?”

  I heard a sob and walked outside to hear a little better.