by Lily Kate
I take in a breath of fresh air. “I asked if you’d be interested in watching the girls for a night, mom. Not lecturing me on how to spend mine.”
“I am not lecturing you. I’m merely bringing things to your attention.”
“What are you bringing to my attention? Mila and Jess are happy. Tyler and I are happy. We’re spending time together—is that what you want me to tell you?”
“It’s not right, you gallivanting around town with him. He’s left you once before, and I watched you try to pick up the pieces for years. You’re my daughter, of course I care for you—and if you don’t want to heed my warnings, then fine. What about Mila?”
I stay still, silent and stony.
“She’s my granddaughter,” my mother continues. “She’s too young to know better. You should know better, Margaret—fool you once, shame on Tyler. Fool you twice, well, shame on you.”
“It’s different. He loves me, mom, and I love him,” I blurt out, surprising myself with the admission. But once it’s out there, I know it’s true. I love him, and I don’t care who knows. “Things are different—we’re exploring how things go. We’re being careful for the girls.”
“I can see I’m not getting through to you. I’ll pick up my granddaughter now, and her friend. Have fun tonight.” My mother moves toward the door and rests a dainty hand on the knob. “But just remember, he loved you then, too, and you loved him. That’s what made everything so hard.”
Her words are like a stake through my chest, and I freeze—my heart pounding erratically—as she pulls the door open.
“I’ll be back at noon. Have fun tonight,” she says. Then louder, she calls, “You too, Emily.”
Emily pokes her head out of the room, her voice squeaky as she gives a sheepish wave. “Goodbye, Mrs. Marshall. Nice seeing you.”
My mother waits outside for me to join her, and I do, once I catch my breath. We march down the hall silently.
“I hope you know I tell you this because I love you.” My mother clears her throat as we come to a stop outside Tyler’s door. “I am only watching out for your best interest.”
I barely manage a nod before the door is flung open and two giggling girls greet us with masks over their faces. Halloween was yesterday, and Tyler and Emily and I took the girls trick or treating first through the inn, then around town, as we always do. After, we settled in for popcorn and snacks, and a slumber party that included an extra special treat for me.
The girls have clearly hopped themselves up on sugar, and I turn to apologize to my mother, but she’s got a genuine smile on her face. As if the only time she’s truly happy is with her granddaughter. Mila snakes her arms around her grandmother’s leg and does a happy little dance, and even Jess offers a polite handshake and a smile.
They’ll be sleeping over at my mother’s tonight, so the adults can enjoy the party. Even if the enjoyment has been slashed in half for me, and a heavy weight has fallen over my shoulders instead.
“You look great,” Tyler says above the roar of the girls. He winks when he’s sure nobody’s looking, and I can sense the meaning behind it.
I’d normally blush under his stare, or ogle the way his cop uniform molds around his biceps. I might even eye his handcuffs, suggesting subtly that they may come in useful later this evening—but I’m too distracted by my mother’s warning, by the confession I made to her not five minutes before.
I love Tyler Daniels.
I love him with so much of me that if he leaves this time, I’ll break. It will destroy me, and I’ll shatter.
I tried not to fall in love with him, and now, it’s too late.
Tyler must sense the heaviness in my gaze because he wraps up the goodbyes with the girls and guides me through a series of kisses to Mila and Jess, along with the standard warnings to behave and go to bed on time.
It’s with a bright smile that my mother ushers them away, completely oblivious to the way she’s turned my night upside down.
“Hey,” Tyler says, once they’re gone. He pulls me into his room and shuts the door behind me. “What’s wrong? You’re looking far too sad on an evening where it’s just the two of us. I’ve been waiting forever to have you alone for this long.”
“I know, it’s just—”
“What?”
“I love you.” I bite my lip, looking up to him. Tears pool in my eyes, giving away the frustration I feel. I can’t mask my feelings—I’ve never been able to, and now that I’ve fully realized them, I need to explain to Tyler. “I didn’t mean to tell you now; I thought I would wait, but—”
“Why would you ever wait?!” Tyler pulls me to his chest, holding my head against him. “Sweetheart, I love you, too.”
“What does it mean for us?” I beg. “We haven’t talked about work, or life, or—or where you’ll live. Are you going to rent a hotel room for the rest of your life?”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you,” he says, his voice soothing. “I love you, Margaret. I love you more than you can imagine.”
And then my worries are carried away, something he does so well. He kisses them gone, draws the blackness from my mind. In the back of my head, somewhere, I know we have a party to attend, a friend waiting in my room, a boss who’s expecting us—but it vanishes.
Before I know it, we’re in Tyler’s bedroom and he’s unhooked my costume and unzipped the front of my orange jumpsuit. His mouth is hot on my skin as we tumble together into a pile on the sheets.
“The party,” I gasp. “Tyler, we’re going to be late.”
“It can wait.”
“But—”
He sits on the bed and pulls me onto his lap, silencing me this time with a look. An expression that I’ve never seen before, something so tender my argument falls mute to the wayside.
“The woman I love,” he begins. “Told me she loves me back. The party...can wait.”
My hands, trembling, reach for his shirt. I unbutton the uniform slowly, my fingers savoring the feel of his warm chest underneath. “For a minute there,” I whisper, easing closer to him, straddling him on the edge of the bed. “I thought you were going to use your handcuffs on me.”
He groans. “That’s for later. Like you said, we have a party to get to.”
“And later?”
“Later, I’m going to take my time.”
For now, we’re in a frenzy. Moments later my uniform is gone and Tyler’s shirt is undone, his pants lost. I stand before him as he sits on the edge of the bed. He reaches for me, but I gently guide his hands to my back, urging him to pull me close.
“You can touch,” I tell him. “But this time, I’m in charge.”
I back away just as quickly, lowering to my knees before him. I take him in my mouth, and as my lips close around his length, he throws his head back, his hand coming to nestle in my hair. There’s nothing like the control I feel, watching Tyler driven mad with desire, knowing that it’s me who’s responsible for his nonsensical groans and murmurs of pleasure.
Only when he curses, begging for me to join him, do I agree.
I climb onto him, feeling his delicious weight between my thighs as I sink down. I latch my arms around his neck and begin to move, driving the two of us until he can’t hold back.
“Dammit,” he murmurs, gripping me tight. “What are you doing to me?”
I don’t stop, riding him harder, faster, until he bites my name against my neck, digging his fingers into my back as we climax together. I slow, purposefully drawing out every last wave, grinding my hips against him until he shudders and pulls me onto his chest, crumbling onto the bed.
We’re both spent, panting, curled together.
Finally, I laugh.
“Cops and robbers,” I murmur. “That game has a whole new meaning now.”
“Just wait until I break out the handcuffs.” He squeezes my hips, pulling me closer. “This is just me getting started.”
Chapter 28
MAGGIE
“Nice.” Em
ily surveys us both as we reach the lobby. Her expression says everything. “Did you tell him you loved him, or did you just have sex because you felt like it?”
I give her a cheesy smile.
“I didn’t mean you had to tell him now.” She exhales, grumpy. “Anyway, call Luca. I’m ready to go.”
“Don’t tell me you and Luca aren’t talking.” I roll my eyes. “You’re going to a party as a couple. This is going to be awkward.”
“We’re talking,” she says, slowly. “I’m just annoyed.”
“Why?”
She scrunches up her face. “It’s embarrassing. Let’s go.”
“Is this about me and Tyler?” I hold onto her arm. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” She sighs. “It’s just not fair. I mean, I’m happy for you and Tyler, I really am.”
“But?”
“But I have been sending Luca hints forever! I had to beg him to be my date to the party.” She crosses her arms. “Then there’s Tyler, and he follows you like a puppy dog even after you’ve pushed him away for weeks. I want someone to want me that much.”
“Well, I’ll tell you what.” I link my arm through hers. “If Luca doesn’t get his shit together, someone else will come along and whisk you away. Who knows? Maybe one of Claire’s handsome—and very rich—friends will have his eye on you tonight, and it’ll make Luca snap to attention.”
Emily considers this, then eventually sighs. “I hope not. Claire is old—her friends are probably in retirement homes.”
“We’re her friends, aren’t we?” I point out. “We’re not old.”
“I suppose not, but we’re her business contacts. Isn’t this a professional mingling sort of party?”
I shrug. “Either way, we’re going to be late. I saw Luca head outside.”
Emily gives one more tug on her horns, surveys my costume, and then yanks my zipper the rest of the way to my neck. “There we go,” she says. “Can’t have you popping out. That’d be criminal.”
I roll my eyes again at her joke, and we head out. Julia from the bookstore is covering the front desk—she opted to skip the party and go for the time and a half holiday pay—and she’s standing in the doorway speaking to the boys. With the rumors of the bookstore possibly going out of business, Emily and I have been trying to include her as much as possible in scheduling.
“I’m so glad your girls like the books,” Julia is saying. “I told you to bring the girls to the store, but I’ve yet to see them!”
“We’ll be back soon,” Tyler says, sounding rushed as his eyes land on me. “We should be going.”
I shoot him a strange look. It’s as if he’s gone all jumpy, practically ignoring Julia’s presence at my arrival.
“Okay,” I say, unsure. “Julia, if you have any questions, give us a call. You know how to reach us—otherwise, I’m sure we won’t be out late.”
“Right,” Emily muttered. “Someone’s in a hurry to get to bed.”
For quite possibly the first time ever, Tyler has the courtesy to look down at his feet. I avert my eyes, too, as Luca snorts with amusement.
“Well, we probably should be going.” I make the same lame excuse as Tyler. “See you later!”
“Have fun!” Julia’s either too polite to comment on the pile of awkwardness before her, or she’s completely oblivious. “Don’t rush back; I can stay as long as I’m needed.”
“The girls should call my cell if they need anything,” I add as a last caveat. “But if they call here instead—”
“I know where to find you.” Julia winks. “Really, it’s fine. Have a great time at the party.”
Tyler slides his arm around my shoulders, and we follow Luca—the most handsome vampire I’ve ever seen—and Emily out toward the car.
I begin to relax at once. Tyler’s touch has some magical effect on my body that relaxes my worries and sends me to a calmer place. The weight of his sturdy body, the easiness of his gait, the now-familiar scent of his breath against my cheek as he leans in to kiss my neck—all of it eases some of the tension that I hadn’t realized built up in my shoulders.
“Relax,” he says, nuzzling against me. “It’ll be fun. The inn won’t burn down, and the girls will survive a night away. Your mother though, she might be in trouble...”
I laugh, letting my head rest against his chest as we climb into Luca’s car. I let my body huddle next to Tyler’s warmth in the backseat, finally feeling the rest of my tension ease as he snuggles me close.
For a wistful moment, I want to ask Luca to turn the car around and drop us back off at the inn. I want my mother to bring the girls back, and I want the four of us to pop onto the couch at Tyler’s and fire up a Disney flick. We’d make the group trek down to the newly fixed popcorn machine, grab a basket of lavender towels for the girls, and make a night of it.
“We don’t have to stay long,” Tyler whispers against my forehead, as if reading my mind. “And I’ll watch Cinderella later, if that’s what you’re sighing about.”
I laugh, soft against him, and welcome the kiss he offers with gentle lips. “I miss the girls.”
“Me too,” he says, his hand reaching for mine as he squeezes. “Let’s put on a good face, enjoy the party for an hour, and if you really want, we can swing by your mother’s on the way back.”
“No,” I say with a sigh. “The girls will kill us. I know their secret plan to stay up until all hours of the night.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Tyler murmurs against my neck, his breath hot as his tongue snakes out and presses there, sending shivers down my spine. “Because I’ve been daydreaming of whipping out those handcuffs later...”
“We’re here,” Emily says pointedly. “Time to stop making out back there. Tyler, you’re supposed to know better.”
Tyler freezes. “Know better?”
Emily’s face crinkles into a smile. “You’re the cop—you’re not supposed to fraternize with the criminal.”
Tyler laughs, a deep belly laugh. Then he gathers me in his arms, plants a huge, wet kiss on my lips, and dips me halfway to the ground once we’re out of the car. His hand snakes through my hair and grabs tight, a dramatic display for everyone watching.
For me, on the receiving end of things, it’s just as sexy. Tyler’s other hand is at my back, and in spite of my orange jumpsuit, he’s making me feel as if I’m the belle of the ball. By the time he rights me, Emily, Luca, and a few other guests nearby give a slow clap of approval.
“I guess you know how to make an entrance,” I say grudgingly. But the warmth on my cheeks gives away my excitement, and despite my prior misgivings, I lean against Tyler as we approach Claire’s house, enjoying myself already.
“So this is where she lives?” Tyler wonders. “I thought you said she spent her time in New York.”
“She does, most of the year,” I say. “But Claire’s from just down the street, and this was the first house she bought. I think she probably considers it home, despite the fact she spends about three weeks a year living in it.”
“It’s gorgeous,” Tyler admires. “Or, spooky, I should say.”
The house is both gorgeous and spooky. It’s an old Victorian, quirky in its design with lots of pointy peaks and bright colors around the outside, but quite stately and grand at the same time. Claire has been known to go all out on her decorations—she once had real reindeer in her yard for Christmas—and this time around is no different.
The front yard has been converted into a cemetery, and as we wander through, I clutch Tyler’s arm time and time again as ghosts materialize from nowhere. Frankenstein figures pop out of their graves and live persons in costume jump out from behind trees and offer us glasses of orange-tinted smoking champagne.
“I’m going to have a heart attack,” I whisper to Tyler as we climb the front steps. “Claire’s double my age; I don’t know how she does it.”
Another round of drinks is provided as we step through the front door, but I wave it
off, still holding my untouched glass of smoking champagne. A man dressed as a skeleton instructs us to find our name tags on the table.
“Sorry, I didn’t RSVP you—” I turn to Tyler, but he’s already located his name tag and is fastening it to his cop uniform.
“You can call me Detective Daniels,” he says with a wry grin.
I find my own nametag, left to ponder how Claire had managed to get every detail of the party perfect—including a nametag for a guest I hadn’t even RSVP’d—while I could barely manage to pull a comb through my hair and get Mila out the door with her lunch packed every morning.
“Shall we?” Tyler swoops an arm around my back, and in the thick of the entryway, we temporarily lose sight of Emily and Luca. “Fancy a quick, private tour of the place?”
“That sounds nice.”
Mostly, I want to keep Tyler’s arm around me and that low purr happening in my ear. The warmth of the house, each sip of champagne, the bustle of other adults having conversations that don’t center around homework and loose teeth—all of it is finally making me feel like someone I haven’t been in years. The carefree woman who dresses up for parties and laughs at crude jokes and drinks the second or third glass of champagne without worrying about a hangover in the morning.
“Thank you for coming with me,” I murmur as we sneak up a back staircase. I’m guessing this isn’t on the formal tour of the house, but I’m too caught up in the moment to concern myself with such things. “It’s nice to get out and about.”
“Next time, I’ll take you somewhere you can wear a pretty dress,” he says, his hand creeping lower and lower on my back until it reaches my bottom. He squeezes, pulling me tight against him in the upstairs hallway. “Not that I don’t think you look sexy as hell in that jumpsuit.”
“Oh yeah?” I press against him, relieved Tyler’s managed to find the one dark, unoccupied hallway in this entire place. He presses against me, and I can feel his arousal through those police pants. “How sexy?”
“I’m ready to leave when you are,” he murmurs, pulling my hips tight against him. “I thought I’d be fine for a few hours after you visited my room earlier, but...”