by Tess Summers
“Well, maybe we should start with a breakfast date then?” he countered as he stood up.
Her lips turned to a pout, thinking he was serious. He leaned down and kissed her cheek to growl in her ear, “Or better yet, we could end our dinner date with breakfast.”
Her tiny gasp was the reaction he was hoping for, and he grinned before kissing her hand goodbye. “I’ll text you about Saturday,” he said with a wink, then turned to hustle to his car.
Chapter Three
Cassie
She watched Luke stride to the patio gate. The first time she ever saw him was from her sister’s bedroom window on New Year’s Eve day, getting out of his topless jeep in a tight grey t-shirt and mirrored aviator sunglasses. Cassie thought he was sex on a stick; that sentiment had not changed. The fact he was leaving to go be a badass kind of turned her on even more.
But she also liked the sweet side to him. The side that fostered rescue dogs like Brenna’s lab, Zona. Actually, Zona was what brought Luke into her life since that’s how he originally met her sister who in turn introduced them when they were splitting dog watching duties last January.
They’d hit it off or at least, she thought they had, but then he just disappeared, and she was not about to chase him. She fully endorsed Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo’s advice in He’s Just Not That Into You: If a guy wants to be with a girl, he will make it happen, no matter what. When he didn’t make an effort to see her, she conceded he didn’t want to make it happen, and that was that.
Then she went to the Heroes of San Diego Calendar Event and Charity Auction in June, and he sat at her table. They flirted and drank, and when it came time for his date to be auctioned off, he whispered in her ear he’d make it worth her while if she won his date. That was all the encouragement she needed. When he was on stage, he blew her a kiss, and her competition all bowed out, and she got him for the bargain price of five hundred dollars. She would have gladly paid more.
But then she didn’t hear from him again, just like in January.
Unlike a lot of women she knew, a guy didn’t have to hit her over the head to convince her he wasn’t interested. Also, unlike a lot of women she knew, she was never too broken up about a man’s lack of concern. She reduced how she felt about it to one word—next.
Cassie had to admit though, she was glad to find out Luke wasn’t blowing her off this time, they’d simply had a misunderstanding.
Although, frankly, she really hated poor communication. It was the kiss of death for even some of the best relationships. It had almost ruined Brenna and Ron’s relationship before it even had the chance to get started. Cassie preferred the direct approach.
Unfortunately, much to her sister’s chagrin, the direct approach tended to scare most guys off. That was fine with her, Cassie didn’t want a guy to get too serious, anyway. The minute he started wanting more from her, she let him know it was never gonna happen. It wasn’t that she didn’t want a monogamous relationship, she just wanted one that didn’t suffocate her. She liked her space.
Too bad there wasn’t another man like Ron waiting in the wings somewhere. That would be the perfect relationship. Him being gone for weeks at a time and fabulous reunited sex when he returned.
Except if he was anything like Ron was with Brenna, he’d want to spend every possible minute with her when he was home on leave, probably even asking her to call in sick and spend the day in bed with him.
Oh, no, no, no.
Even in her daydream, the thought stressed her out.
Boundaries. A man needed to learn them and respect them if he wanted to be with her. The biggest ones—never, ever talk about the two of them getting married and having babies or her giving up her career. The gorgeous pediatrician she’d dated for almost a year made that mistake.
Cooper seemed to have decided to capitalize on Luke’s departure and brought her another drink—the third one he’d put in her hand since Luke left. Or was it the fourth? She was a little worried walking in her heels at this point and voiced her concern when he asked her to dance again.
“Then take them off. Let’s go for a walk on the beach, instead.”
He really was a stunning specimen of a man. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, movie star looks, and man, was he smooth. Too smooth.
It was a perfect summer night in San Diego. She knew where a moonlit walk on the beach could lead, especially with her defenses down in her tipsy state.
“Okay, but so we’re clear, we’re just walking, not messing around.”
That elicited a chuckle from him as he rolled up his pant legs and took his shoes off, and he wasn’t at all convincing when he replied, “Of course.”
Still, he was a perfect gentleman and only held her hand as the waves lapped at their feet on their romantic walk. Their conversation flowed easily, and Cassie found herself laughing out loud more than once. She didn’t know whether she was disappointed or relieved he was behaving.
They stopped where the wedding arch still stood in the sand from the ceremony earlier, a testament true love did exist for some people. Cooper tilted her chin up and leaned down to gently kiss her lips. The soft kiss seemed purposefully intended to leave her wanting more. A move she was sure he’d perfected with the help of many women over the years.
“Go out with me. Tomorrow.” His tone was urgent.
She didn’t respond right away, so he continued, “I have to see you again, I feel this connection with you.”
Her player radar had been quietly beeping all night around him, now it was blaring horns. Cassie had no problem with players when they were upfront about being one. She got the feeling Cooper was trying to sell her a line of bullshit, pretending to be more into her than he really was. Part of that, she suspected, was because he liked the idea of competing with Luke for her affection.
She knew Cooper would be fun to hang out with, but she was fairly certain he would lose interest quickly once he had conquered her. She knew his type—good-looking guy who thought he was God’s gift to women. Unfortunately, those guys tended to be horrible in the sack—they were never called out for being selfish in bed, so they never learned how to properly please a woman. Pretty boy shoots his wad and is either asleep or dressed five minutes later, completely clueless or doesn’t give a shit she’s left aching.
Been there, done that. No thank you.
Now, Luke, on the other hand… She’d be willing to bet money he’d go all night and make damn sure she was satisfied—probably more than once—before he came. She’d only kissed him once, but, oh, baby, he definitely knew how to leave her wanting more.
So much more.
Technically, she didn’t owe Luke anything, and it would be perfectly acceptable to go out with Cooper. Still, she wasn’t sure how interested she was in the Marine.
“How about lunch on Friday?”
He smirked. Maybe he subscribed to the A-team/B-team theory too. “Sure, lunch on Friday sounds great.” With a wink, he added, “But don’t be surprised when you find yourself wanting to go to dinner, too.”
That brought a smile to Cassie’s face. She did like a man with confidence.
Chapter Four
Luke
Imagine his surprise on Friday afternoon to find Cassie having lunch with Cooper Johnson at the same bistro where he was meeting Hannah Flynn, the Commo, or Communications, Division’s supervisor. He knew he had no right to be bothered seeing Cassie with another man, but fuck if he wasn’t. Especially after the flirty texts he’d exchanged with her all week and how beautiful she looked in her plum colored dress and matching three-inch pumps that showcased her toned legs.
He wasn’t exactly innocent. While his intentions concerning Hannah weren’t amorous, he was pretty sure hers toward him were, and yet he still agreed to meet the pretty redhead for lunch. She did portray it as work-related, but he knew whatever information the 911 manager was going to provide could have been done electronically. Commo handled all communication with the general public--its most import
ant function being 911 calls and dispatch operators who prioritized calls and sent officers where they were needed, in the order they were needed. Dispatch was his officers’ lifeline, so he always made sure to be extra friendly and appreciative of their work. He realized he might have been too friendly and appreciative when Hannah started sending him flirtatious private messages over his mobile data computer in his work ride.
He reciprocated, even though he wasn’t really interested. That probably made him a dick.
Even though Luke flirted with her, he knew better than to fuck her. He didn’t need the headache in his professional life. He’d seen that shitstorm in fellow cops’ lives, especially the idiots who were married and thought fucking around at work was a good idea. There was no way he was going to deal with the blowback of a scorned woman on the job.
He saw Cooper’s hand above Cassie’s ass while directing her to a nearby booth, and he clenched his jaw. They hadn’t noticed him yet.
Luke debated about pretending he hadn’t seen them and ignoring them, but he knew that would be impossible. His attention was going to be on what they were doing all through lunch, he was sure of it. Fortunately, they were seated over Hannah’s shoulder, so it would at least seem like he was listening to her.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
Cassie’s face popped up on his screen before he clicked on her text.
Cassie Sullivan: Enjoying lunch?
The SWAT Sergeant wasn’t even aware she’d noticed him. So much for his observation skills. Or maybe she was just that good at being discreet. He looked over, and she seemed completely focused on what Cooper was telling her. As she adjusted her long gold necklace, he saw her look down and suppress a smile five seconds after he’d sent his return text.
Luke: I’d rather be with you. Think Cooper would mind trading lunch dates?
How she managed to text him back without looking down was impressive.
Cassie Sullivan: Probably. He wants to have dinner tonight, too.
Luke tried not to snarl while reading, especially since Hannah was now telling a story about her yoga class. Ordinarily, thinking about hot women in yoga pants while they bent and stretched would have him with a chubby. The way his lunch date was swirling her straw and looking at him when she put it between her lips, he guessed that was her intention. Unfortunately for her, nothing moved in his pants.
God, he felt like a jerk for not paying attention to Hannah. She was hot, sweet, and not at all what he wanted. He wanted the petite dark-blonde a few booths over. Preferably naked. Possibly restrained. Definitely wet and panting his name.
Ah, there’s that semi-wood.
Smiling kindly at his companion, he said, “I’m sorry to be rude, but I need to answer this text. My friends are going on their honeymoon and want me to watch their dog.”
It was sort of true. Brenna had asked Luke to be her back up to take care of her Labrador mix, Zona, in case Cassie had an emergency. Cassie might have plans he needed to know about.
Like he’d been worried she had on New Year’s Eve.
The night he saw her naked, and she still had no idea he had.
He was supposed to be the one staying with his former foster pup that night, but then the department had mandated everyone be available, so he had to cancel on Brenna. She asked Cassie to dog sit the lab instead, but once it became clear Luke wasn’t going to be needed at work, he headed to the beach house. He had felt guilty, thinking Cassie had given up her New Year’s Eve plans and was hoping to let her salvage them.
He walked in on her as she left the hot tub, soaking wet and not a stitch of clothing on. Okay, yes, he was a creeper and watched her dry off, then snuck out the door to pretend he’d just arrived.
They ended up hanging out all night, ushering the New Year in together with a kiss so hot, he wanted nothing more than to take her clothes back off and fuck her until morning. Luke was pretty sure she would have let him too, but he came to his senses and got the hell out of there.
He never pursued anything with her despite giving her the impression he was interested-because he was interested. Too interested, and that bothered him. At the time, he’d been unable to offer her more than a one-night stand, and she deserved better.
Now, he was ready to date—at least casually. In fact, he was looking forward to it. The little spitfire could be exactly what he needed to get back on the horse.
His fingers flew over his phone’s keyboard. He’d already decided at Brenna’s wedding he wasn’t above playing dirty.
Luke: Tell him you’re busy.
He looked over at the blonde beauty and their eyes connected. Her glossy wine-colored lips parted slightly, and her stare sent a thrill through him that led straight to his cock.
It was no longer semi.
She’d had him hard all week with their sexy banter back and forth over texts and private messages. Their exchanges had teetered on sexting but had never actually crossed that line.
Had—as in past tense. Her next text kicked it up a notch.
Cassie Sullivan: Well, I was planning on masturbating tonight.
He glanced over at Hannah to make sure she wasn’t able to see what Cassie had written, then quickly responded:
Luke: Want some company?
Cassie Sullivan: Eight o’clock at the beach house. Bring Rex and food. Now, pay attention to your lunch date.
He’d try his best, but all he could think about was how hot she’d looked on New Year’s Eve when she was wet and naked, and the possibilities tonight might bring.
Chapter Five
Cassie
Cooper was on his game at lunch, and he knew it. He seemed surprised when she turned him down for dinner, telling him she was busy as Luke had instructed. Maybe if she were five years younger, she might have been more receptive to the Marine, but she’d had too much experience, and heartbreak almost dripped from Cooper Johnson’s lips.
The more he talked, the more she wondered if maybe he wanted to believe what he was saying. She knew better than to trust he could follow through.
Yet, he seemed so genuine. Bless his heart.
She wanted to tell him to slow down and get to know a woman. Implement a no sex rule for the first ten dates. If after the ten dates were up, and the sex was good, then start telling her how connected he felt, blah, blah, blah. None of that bullshit until then.
It struck her she should try practicing what she preached. Except, unlike Cooper, she wasn’t trying to convince anyone she wanted a relationship. Because she didn’t.
Still, maybe she’d implement the ten-date rule with Luke, or at least try.
She’d seen him in his SWAT gear in the pictures she found when she’d stalked him online. It made her panties melt. Today, he’d been in black trousers and a sage green shirt and tie that made his green eyes look even greener. But the gun and badge on his belt were almost like a siren’s song. There was something incredibly sexy about a guy who kept people safe for a living and carried a weapon while doing it. She supposed it was probably because it translated to making her feel safe.
Okay, she’d be proud of herself if she got through the weekend without jumping his sexy bones.
****
The doorbell at the beach house rang at seven fifty-eight, and a barking Zona struggled to gain traction on the wooden floors while attempting to race to the door. Her bark turned into an excited whine when she saw Luke and her furry boyfriend, Rex through the side windows of the entry’s nine-foot, alder wood double doors. Cassie cautiously opened the door and stepped aside, so as not to get run over by the two ninety-pound dogs, expressing their joy at seeing each other.
With a smile, she said, “Come in,” then eyed the large, brown bag in his hand that said Figurino’s Italian Restaurant on the side and bounced on her red-painted toes, squealing with delight. “Oh my God, that place is my favorite! Please tell me you got the ravioli.”
“Oh, this isn’t for us.” Luke held the bag at shoulder height. “There’s nothi
ng in here but Rex’s food. I was planning on ordering Chinese for us.”
She knew by the smell emanating from the paper bag, he was a big, fat liar, but she played along, frowning. “Gosh, that’s too bad. There’s no telling what I would have done for Figurino’s ravioli.”
With eyebrows raised, he broke out into a wicked grin. “Oh, really? Is that so?”
Cassie bit her bottom lip while giving her own naughty grin. “Yeah. That’s so.”
He shook his head slightly, and in a low tone warned, “You’re playing with fire, doll.”
“I’ll take my chances,” she shrugged and turned toward the kitchen. The growl coming from behind her should have given her pause, but all it did was make her nipples stiff.
He had changed into more casual clothes than he’d been wearing this afternoon. The shirt, tie, trouser, gun, and badge look had been sexy in an authoritative I’m-in-charge kind of way, but his Levi’s and navy-blue t-shirt, which showcased his chest and arms, worked quite nicely too.
A small gasp escaped her lips when she felt his hand hold her at the hip, trapping her against him so he could breathe into her ear, “There is ravioli; the question now is, how badly do you want it?” He gently squeezed before releasing his grip on her.
Oh, fuck. It was all she could do to not rub her ass against him like a cat in heat.
Ten date rule, ten date rule, ten date rule.
That had to be the craziest idea she’d ever had. That’s how she knew it was precisely what she should do.
*
Luke
This woman might be more than he bargained for. She had the potential to make him do things he swore he never would do again. Still, he thought he was ready.
God, he hoped he was ready because if he blew it with her this time, he knew the chance of her giving him a third shot was nil.
After playing hot and cold with her at the beginning of the year until she finally quit returning his texts, he still hadn’t stopped thinking about her. That both intrigued and dismayed him.