Shielding You (Baytown Boys Book 13)

by Maryann Jordan

  Her mind drifted to the night before. The dinner. The easy conversation. The comfortable silences. Then coming back to her place. She squirmed slightly, squeezing her legs together at the memory of sex with Dylan. Off-the-charts, rocking-her-world, a-night-to-remember sex with Dylan.

  Forgetting her thoughts of letting him sleep, her hand lifted and she gently smoothed his hair away from his face. His eyes opened, and it appeared to take no more than a second for him to realize where he was. His lopsided smile greeted her.

  “What a sight to wake up to,” he said, lifting his hand to smooth over her cheek. “You’re a gift I never thought I could have.”

  “I didn’t mean to wake you, but I was lying here and couldn’t resist touching you.”

  “Babe, I hope you never resist touching me whenever you want.” They silently appreciated the moment. “So, what were you doing? Just lying there staring at me?”

  Laughing, she said, “Yes… um… no. I mean, yes… I was staring at you. Admiring you. But I was also just thinking.”

  He tapped her nose with the end of his finger. “You wake up and your mind starts racing with things, doesn’t it?”

  “Guilty. Usually, as soon as my eyes open, I’m either planning my day, pondering something, or worrying over something.”

  “Which of those three were you doing this morning with me in your bed?”

  “I guess I was pondering.” Seeing his lifted brow, she hurried to explain. “I was thinking about how different we are than we were four years ago. Maybe we started too quickly after arriving here. We hadn’t given ourselves time to settle into our jobs before we became involved.”

  He shifted slightly in the bed, sliding his arm under her neck to draw her closer. “Are you saying you think this timing is better?”

  Nodding slowly, her thumb continued to glide over his face. “Yeah, I do. It’s not like we were teenagers beforehand. We’d both worked, been in the military, had law enforcement experience, had life experience. And yet, becoming involved with each other so quickly might have been disastrous in the end, even if there was no other issue.”

  “I never really thought about it that way, Hannah. To be honest, I missed what I thought we could have been and what I thought I’d never have a chance at getting. Now, all I can think of is how glad I am to have this second chance with you.”

  His words wrapped around her as warm as his embrace. “I know, and there’s no way to look back and see what could have happened. We’ve also had to set aside personal feelings to work together professionally, and I think maybe that’s good. We understand each other better. We understand what’s expected of us from the community.”

  As soon as she said the word community, his eyebrows lifted. “That makes me wonder what’s going to come next. Do you want us to hide?”

  His question surprised her, especially since she hadn’t given it much thought, which was odd for her. Nibbling on her bottom lip, she held his gaze and admitted, “I don’t really know. I know that I don’t want to run out this morning and tell everyone that we’re seeing each other. I’d like to have something that’s just for us for a while before inviting everyone else in.”

  “Good God, I never thought about other people knowing about us as inviting them into our lives. That sounds crowded!”

  She laughed again and shook her head. “You know what I mean. Once people know we’re dating, they somehow get involved. Maybe it’s little comments they make. Maybe it’s suddenly asking us to go out with them. Maybe it’s just other people’s expectations. Whatever, it tends to crowd in, and I’m not ready for that. I’d love to have more us time.”

  “When you put it that way, babe, you’ve got no argument from me. I certainly don’t mind shouting from the rooftops that you’re giving me this chance, and I’ve got no problem with our friends knowing, but private time sounds perfect.”

  Her sensitive skin tingled as his hands glided over her shoulders and down her arm, skimming her waist to pull her tighter. The electricity that always vibrated between them increased and her nipples ached for attention, already shooting a jolt of nerves to her core. He pressed his ready cock against her pelvis and closed the distance between their lips.

  In between nibbling kisses, he mumbled, “How about a little more private time before we get ready for work?”

  Grinning, her answer was to pull him close and take the kiss deeper.

  After another round of vigorous sex, she insisted he take a shower by himself or they’d be late for work. He grumbled, but she prevailed and hurried into the kitchen to fix breakfast. Usually, she ate light in the mornings, having a bagel with cream cheese and yogurt with granola. Now, glad she’d had the foresight to stop by the store the previous day, she scrambled eggs with cheese and quickly cooked bacon to go along with the bagels.

  Percy yowled to make his presence known and she placed food in his dish. “You’re just grumpy because I kicked you out of the bedroom last night.”

  Hearing footsteps, she glanced up as Dylan walked into the kitchen, his damp hair finger-combed to the side. Standing, she stared. Damn, he makes khaki pants and a police polo look sexy. Now wishing she’d taken a shower with him, she pushed those thoughts away.

  He bent to pet Percy and said, “Don’t blame you, man. I’d be pissed if I’d been kicked out of her bed, too.”

  Laughing, she plated their breakfast as her heart melted a little more. After eating, she jumped into the shower, glad that her morning routine was easy. A quick blow-dry of her hair and it was pulled back into a bun. Donning her uniform, she met him in the living room as she secured her belt and weapon. Their eyes met and she laughed, twirling in a slow circle. “Not terribly sexy, but then you know that.”

  He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close, kissing her hard and fast. “I’ve always known you were gorgeous, uniform or not. And now that I know exactly what that uniform hides… damn, girl, being around you is going to be hard!”

  “It’s actually going to be harder today since we start with the LEL meeting.”

  “Yeah, but I can’t complain. I get to spend more time with you first thing this morning.”

  Lifting her hand, she wiggled her finger back and forth in front of him. “Remember what we talked about. No one’s going to know anything about us right now.”

  “Yes, Ma’am. Can’t say it’ll be easy, but I’ll be good.”

  Walking out, they kissed again before heading to their separate vehicles, both driving to the Acawmacke County Sheriff’s Office where Liam was hosting the group meeting.

  Dylan had asked to be put on the agenda, and when Liam nodded toward him, he began. “I want to let you all know what I’ve done at the Seaside Harbor. I talked with Owen since he’s the harbormaster and owner of The Wharf Restaurant, and because I knew he had security cameras up, I decided to see if we could utilize those. I let him know what I was checking on, and he was more than willing to cooperate. He only has two—one directed to the back delivery area of his restaurant and another one that is focused on the gas pumps for the boats. With his permission, I worked with my officers, and we were able to alter the angle of the cameras slightly so that Owen would still have security on what he wanted but we’d have a wider scope for seeing who comes in and out of the harbor.”

  “That’s great,” enthused Colt.

  Shrugging, Dylan admitted, “It’s not perfect. I can’t see everywhere, especially on the far side of the harbor. If someone knew that the cameras were there and studied the angle, they could probably figure out where they could come in and we wouldn’t be able to see.”

  “Any chance of getting more security cameras?” Liam asked.

  With his forearms planted on the table, he clasped his hands together and shook his head. “I’ve already checked with the Mayor, but that was a lesson in futility, not that I expected it to be any different. I get it. Tiny town, tiny budget, but it’s frustrating.

  The others all nodded, having the same problems with the
ir mayors or Board of Supervisors.

  “Any possibility for a grant?” Hannah asked.

  His gaze snapped over to her, noting the way the fluorescent lights in the ceiling made her eyes appear bluer. Blinking, he quickly said, “I’m up for any way to get more money, but I’ll be the first to confess that I know nothing about how to get a grant.”

  “I’ve had a little experience,” she said. “I don’t mind helping at all.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to say ‘I’ll take anything you want to give me’, but at the last second he managed to choke out, “I’d appreciate the help.” The meeting continued, but it took all his energy to stay focused on the matters at hand and not on Hannah. He had chosen to sit across from her instead of next to her, thinking it would be better to not smell the delicate scent of her shampoo or be tempted to press his leg next to hers.

  Instead, he noticed the shine of her hair, focusing on one tiny strand that had escaped her bun. He noticed the way her body armor fit over her torso, now wondering if it chafed her sensitive breasts. With her directly across from him, he could see her porcelain skin and knew exactly how soft it was. Her eyes held intelligence, but he also knew they could light with passion. Sucking in a deep breath, the scent of her shampoo reached him anyway. Fuck! I’m never going to keep this hidden!

  “Dylan?”

  Startling, he looked toward Mitch. “Sorry, man. My mind was on the… um… grants that Hannah said we might be able to obtain.”

  Mitch nodded. “I can understand that. Hell, we’re all looking for money. I think the grant idea is a good one, but the problem is that will take some time. Is there anything else we can do now?”

  “I’ve also talked to my brother about helping me keep an eye on the Seaside Harbor.”

  That news was also met with enthusiasm.

  “I don’t want the news to get out to a lot of people, but I’m going to have David pass along the idea that we want to be cognizant of anything strange that they see. We don’t expect them to be policemen and don’t expect them to act, but they can radio when they see suspicious behavior.”

  Clapping him on the shoulder, Mitch said, “I’m going to talk to our harbormaster, also. Once I get his acceptance, I’ll hold a meeting with a few of our regular fishermen in Baytown. I’m glad to hear that your brother was receptive.”

  At Manteague, Wyatt also had a small harbor. “I’ve been trying to keep an eye on things with myself and my officers, but your ideas are good. I’ll go back and talk to our regular fishermen and see what we can do.”

  “If nothing else, if the drug runners discover that the Eastern Shore takes this seriously, maybe they’ll start avoiding us.”

  Mitch added, “I’ve got the Coast Guard that can help me at Baytown, and they can do the same for Seaside. Wyatt, you’re just out of their district for our station, but the Coast Guard in Chincoteague would be able to assist you.”

  “Don’t forget about the Virginia Marine Police,” Colt added. “I’ve been in touch with Callan and suggested we have a meeting with them to see what they can help with.”

  As the meeting concluded, the gathering decided to go to an Italian restaurant near the Sheriff’s Office. Once there, Dylan maneuvered to sit next to Hannah, and he watched her lips curve as his leg brushed up against hers underneath the table. The conversation stayed light, talking about friends, and focusing on the latest American Legion activities. When the lunch was over, everyone said goodbye, but Dylan hung back with her. Standing on the sidewalk near the parking lot, to all the world they looked like they always had… two colleagues, two police chiefs, two professionals chatting. Glancing around, his lips quirked as he said, “This is harder than I thought.”

  “Harder?” Her gaze dropped to his crotch.

  “Stop that. This is hard enough… shit, I mean difficult enough without you staring at my cock.”

  She threw her head back and laughed, and his lips curved into a wider smile. “I’ll behave, I promise,” she said. “Anyway, we have an example to set.”

  “How would you like to see my house tonight?” he blurted. “I might even manage to fix you dinner.”

  Eyes widening, she tilted her head to the side. “You cook? I seem to remember years ago that was not something you tackled.”

  His fingers itched to reach out and touch her, so he locked his hands on his hips to keep from forgetting and drawing her near. “Well, you’re getting to know the new me. Since I couldn’t afford to eat out every night, I had to figure out how to fix more than a grilled cheese sandwich.”

  “Hey, don’t knock a good grilled cheese sandwich.” Holding his gaze, she asked, “I take it that dinner will be casual.”

  “Oh, yeah, it’ll be casual. But bring an overnight bag.”

  “Are you sure? Do you have neighbors that can see us?”

  “No neighbors that can see my house or my driveway. And I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

  Her top teeth landed on her bottom lip, driving him to distraction. She looked up and asked, “Is it crazy that I want to kiss you right now?”

  “Not any crazier than me wishing you would.”

  She sucked in a deep breath and he tried to ignore the way her chest heaved with the maneuver. Sticking out her hand, she said, “I’ll see you later, Chief Hunt.”

  His fingers wrapped around hers as he gave them a shake, loving the feel of her palm against his. “Good afternoon, Chief Freeman.”

  At that moment, the hardest thing he did was turn and walk away, going straight to his vehicle without looking over his shoulder to see if she was still standing there. But once in his vehicle, he could see that she was safely pulling out of the parking lot. He looked around and saw people going about their business, no one aware of the undercurrent of emotions that had just zapped all about them on the sidewalk.

  He knew that one day they would have to figure out how to go public with their relationship. But right now, his radio blared, and he needed to get back to work.

  17

  Dylan had just entered the town limits of Seaside when he saw an old SUV stranded on the side of the road. Recognizing it, he chuckled. Turning on his lights, he pulled behind it and climbed out of his police vehicle. “Sam, when are you gonna put this thing out of its misery?”

  Samantha, wearing her standard uniform of blue jeans, big rubber work boots, and a t-shirt with the logo Hoofs and Paws looked over and grinned. She plopped her hands onto her hips and shook her head. “As long as I can keep it running, it’s better than having to fork over money for a new one.”

  “Have you called for anyone yet?”

  A sour look came across her face, and he bit back another chuckle. Pulling out his phone, he pushed a few buttons. “Jason? It’s Dylan. Can you send someone with a tow truck? Looks like Sam needs some more help.” He listened as Jason replied, then said, “Yeah, that’ll be fine.”

  Sam’s arms were now crossed over her chest, a scowl firmly on her face.

  “I don’t know why you’re grumpy. Jason has the best garage in the area.”

  “I was going to call someone from just up the road,” she complained. “Now you’ve got me being towed all the way back to Baytown.”

  “Not if the person can fix it here.”

  “Oh, is Jason sending one of his mechanics?”

  “I don’t know,” he lied. He stayed by the side of the road, keeping her company, not wanting a woman to be stranded by herself even in a small rural area. Thirty minutes later, the rumble of a large truck could be heard rolling down the road. Samantha lifted her hand over her brow, shading her eyes. She huffed loudly, and Dylan lost the battle to hide his grin.

  Joseph Hernandez climbed down from the driver’s seat and inclined his head toward her. “Samantha,” he rumbled in his deep voice. Looking toward Dylan, he offered a chin lift.

  Since almost everyone called her Sam, he found it interesting that Joseph used her full name.

  Joseph had been in the N
avy and was invited to come to Baytown after his service. He settled into Baytown and worked for Jason who owned both the garage and tattoo shop. Joseph worked part-time at both places. Big, quiet, long hair, and tatted. He kept to himself but had always been ready to lend a helping hand. The few times he’d seen Joseph and Sam together, they mixed like oil and water, but there was something funny about the glares she offered to him and the calm way he seemed to ignore her.

  “Well, I’ll leave y’all to it,” Dylan said, climbing back into his vehicle, ignoring the wide-eyed, pleading expression on Sam’s face. As he drove into town, he looked into the rearview mirror, watching as the two of them appeared to argue. Joseph stood in one place, his arms crossed over his chest, while Sam’s arms waved and danced around as she talked. Just before he turned onto another street, he noticed her forefinger poke Joseph in the chest.

  Shaking his head while laughing, he was almost to the station when his radio alerted him to a problem at the harbor. He drove quickly and parked in the large lot. Owen jumped up, hustling from behind his desk as soon as Dylan walked to the open doorway of the office.

  “Chief Hunt, got something you need to see.”

  Without hesitation, he followed Owen down the boardwalk to The Wharf restaurant where they headed straight to Manuel’s office. Manuel twisted around, his eyes darting between both men.

  “Manuel, show him what you’ve got.”

  Stepping behind Manuel, Dylan peered over his shoulder and stared at the computer screen of the security feed. A glance at the time, and he could see that what he was observing occurred shortly after two a.m. A small motorboat appeared in the upper left corner, barely visible as it seemed to glide to a stop. Along the planks of the pier, they observed a figure in dark clothing with a hood pulled over their head obscuring their face, walking rapidly toward the boat. The activity took place just out of camera range. After only a moment, the hooded figure jogged out of sight, his arms in front of him as though he were carrying something.