Crushing on the Cop

by Piper Rayne

  Lauren jabs me again. For the love of all that is holy.

  “I’d prefer not to have a bruise there,” I whisper to Lauren.

  “Okay, I’ll talk to Ian. From what I know, he’s a great guy. Chicago police officer.” The girl waggles her eyebrows at her friend.

  The friend’s eyes widen and she holds out her wrists. “Cuff me. Order me to do naughty things.”

  Ugh. I stick my finger down my throat. Lauren laughs, but her face still holds that smug expression that says I’d better hurry up and claim him.

  “You’re so bad,” the friend says.

  “It’s impossible to behave around men like that. He could frisk me any time,” the redhead continues.

  I roll my eyes.

  “I’m not sure Cristian is like that. I mean he’s not really the one-night stand kind of guy.”

  “All men are the one-night stand kind of guys,” the she-lion insists.

  I tend to agree with her even if I don’t like her.

  “Not Ian. He wanted a relationship right from the start,” the friend says with pride.

  “That’s because Ian knew he was trading up with you.”

  Lauren snickers next to me and when the girl turns around, she hits Maddie in the arm.

  “What?” Maddie’s head twists away from Mauro.

  The girl turns back around thinking Lauren’s snicker was to our other friend. I shoot her a friendly smile and all is back to normal in the bleachers.

  “I don’t get it, we can’t see shit.” Lauren stands, peering into the woods like she has binoculars or something.

  “He’ll come through there and we can go to see him at those six obstacles,” Luca volunteers the information.

  Lauren ignores him, but grabs my arm, prying me from the seats and walking down the stairway. “We’re getting closer,” she says to Maddie and the guys.

  “Um, wait for me.” Maddie follows us.

  The three of us head down, and I can hear the guys footsteps descend after us.

  “Well, hello there,” the redhead drawls behind us, probably scoping out the other two Bianco brothers.

  Maddie swings her arm through Mauro’s, but Mauro quickly places his arm around her shoulders and gives her a kiss on the temple, murmuring something that makes her blush. This is now a regular occurrence with the two of them I try my best to ignore.

  “Why are we going over here? I was fine on the bleachers,” I whine, slowing my pace.

  “I can’t listen to that girl anymore and I swear I’ll knee Cristian in the nuts if he goes out with her. Plus, we’re here to watch him race. This is where it’s going to get good and I want a front row seat.”

  “Want me to prop you up on my shoulders so you can see, Hunt?” Luca’s egotistical tone holds more than enough sarcasm to annoy Lauren.

  “Yeah right. You’re not getting your head between my thighs—ever.” She stands in front of the rope. “Asshole,” she mumbles but surprisingly she doesn’t go after him any further. Maybe she doesn’t want to ruin Cristian’s day.

  It takes twenty more minutes before Cristian and another guy emerge from the woods. Cristian is caked in mud, some dry, some wet, sweat pouring off his face, but despite that, I have a hard time not picturing the two of us rolling around in the mud together and getting our own kind of dirty.

  Damn it, I’m screwed.

  He gets to a throwing arrow station, picks up the long stick and flings it right into the red bullseye. The other guy quickly gets his in although his is just outside the target area.

  “GO IAN!” a girl screams in my ear from right next to me.

  The girl from the bleachers and her friend have joined us at the rope line now.

  So, that’s Ian. I look him over. Her friend is right, he looks like he’d be an expert in the missionary style in bed.

  Cristian gets out first, on to some other task that involves pulling a rope.

  “GO CRIS!” Lauren screams. “KICK HIS ASS.”

  “I think it’s more about beating your individual time and stuff,” Mauro offers.

  “Bullshit. No such thing.” Lauren doesn’t even spare him a glance, her hands wrapped around the rope, inching as far over as she can.

  “Ma’am,” some high school boy tries to tell her to step back.

  Yeah, that’s not going to happen.

  “Come on CRIS!” Luca joins in as Cristian starts to look fatigued. He’s edging Ian out who has nowhere near the guns as Cristian.

  “I get why he doesn’t wear sleeves, he’d rip his shirt.” Lauren knocks me with her elbow for the third time and I’m about to do it back twice as hard.

  “You’re lucky it’s not bikini season,” I mumble.

  She has no expression on her face, like she doesn’t understand her own strength and that I’ll be sporting a bruise for the next week.

  Cristian jogs by us, giving Lauren and Luca a high five.

  “Go, Cris, you got this guy!” Mauro yells and Maddie claps.

  The girl I noticed all up on Cristian earlier sprints out of nowhere and I wonder where she’s been this entire time. I saw her flirting with Cristian as she pulled her hair back before the race and I can tell she likes him.

  Falling to the ground, they start sliding through more mud with wires above them. The girl holds an advantage because of how little she is.

  “I could take that girl,” Lauren says next to me.

  “She slithers like a snake,” Luca adds, and Lauren rolls her eyes not granting him her attention, which I think he might be after.

  “GO CRIS!” Lauren screams and I press my fingers to my ear with the hopes she didn’t do any permanent damage. “DIG HARDER!”

  “He’ll never let you come again,” Mauro says to Lauren who is about a second away from hopping the rope.

  “You guys know Cristian?” The girl from the bleachers finally realizes Lauren’s been screaming his name for the past ten minutes. Brilliant, that one.

  “Yeah, these are his brothers.” Leave it to Maddie to be the nice one.

  The girl takes in Mauro and Luca, obviously enjoying the view. I can’t really blame her. Add in Cristian and it’s an Italian trifecta.

  “Oh, I’m Ian’s girlfriend.”

  The two guys smile politely, clearly not knowing who Ian is.

  “Mauro.” He stretches his arm past Maddie to offer his hand. “This is my girlfriend, Madison.”

  The girl shakes both of their hands.

  “These are my friends, Vanessa.” She touches my arm because Maddie is affectionate. “The loud one is Lauren.”

  “I’m Luca.”

  After all hands are shaken, a pained scream echoes through the air.

  Luca’s attention moves right to the scene past the mud pit, about fifty feet from the finish line. The girl from earlier is howling in pain, gripping her ankle and mindlessly swaying back and forth.

  “I bet she rolled it,” I say.

  “That’s more than a roll,” Lauren corrects. “Cris is going to stop.” Lauren almost sounds disappointed in him.

  “Definitely,” Luca agrees and the two of them look at one another as surprised as the rest of us they just agreed on something.

  Sure enough, Ian stops briefly to check on the girl, but once Cristian falls to his knees, trying to help, Ian jumps up and runs to the finish line.

  “There’s my man,” the girl next to us says. “I knew he’d be first.”

  I try not to sneer. Really, I do, but if that was my boyfriend who just sprinted past someone who was injured without even trying to help, I’d question what kind of person he was.

  With only a few people in sight still crawling through the mud, Cristian picks up the girl because she’s probably a hundred and ten pounds counting all the mud caked on her. She holds on to his neck and he runs, carrying her over the finish line.

  I suppress the dreamy sigh that wants to escape my lips. He drops her and motions for Luca.

  “Gotta go be a hero. Try not to miss me, Hunt.�
� Luca saunters past us.

  I have to say, I like Luca. Not sure what it is about him, but I like the way he challenges Lauren.

  She doesn’t answer, her disappointment that Cris didn’t capture first place evident in all her features.

  “Should you go?” Maddie’s cheek rests on Mauro’s chest and she stares up at him.

  His arms tighten around her. “Nah, those two got it covered.” He kisses her lips because hey, it’s probably been like a whole minute since their lips have touched.

  The four of us watch as the girl leans on Cristian’s chest while Luca looks over the ankle. Another howl of pain leaves her lips and she stares up at Cristian as if he can make it stop.

  “Don’t they have a medical team?” I ask.

  Maddie’s sly grin says she’s getting the wrong idea. “You two seem really interested in the girl or is it…”

  Lauren rolls her eyes. “I’m still pissed at Cristian. I mean seriously. He came in second when he could’ve totally taken that guy.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Ian’s girlfriend says like Lauren’s smoking crack.

  “He so would have. And at least he stopped to help that poor girl.” Lauren steps in front of me.

  As much as I want to back her on Cristian’s behalf, I can’t. It would only display my weakness where he’s concerned and the last thing I need is to encourage my friends in that regard.

  “Let’s just go congratulate him. He did an admirable thing,” I say.

  Lauren eyes the girl, but I pull on her arm to follow me.

  Thankfully by the time we hit the scene, the medical team has the girl on a stretcher and are carrying her away. Where were they earlier?

  Luca stands, wiping his hands down his shorts and fist bumps Cristian. “You totally had that guy.”

  Before any of us can approach him, or he even has time to respond to Luca, that Ian guy smacks him on the back. “I’ll set up a Kayak for flights to Colorado.” He winks and I’d like to punch him in the gut, but he’s walking away already.

  “Colorado?” Luca asks.

  Cristian waves off the question. “Just a bet. Guess I’m competing with him in Colorado now.”

  “I don’t think it should count. That ass didn’t even stop to help that girl.” Lauren steps up, placing her hand on Cristian’s back. “Congratulations on second place. Usually I don’t endorse anything besides first, but you were clearly the better competitor.” Her eyes seek out Ian who is now in a hug with his girlfriend.

  “Thanks, Lauren.” His gaze finds mine, slowly running down my body and back up. “Hey, Vanessa.”

  Suddenly, it’s so hot out here that I want to strip off my jacket.

  “Hi. Good job out there.” I thumb toward the course like an idiot.

  My body’s doing that low-level hum like it always does in his presence.

  “Thanks. Thought I had him.”

  “You did.” Mauro barrels into the group, Maddie in tow.

  He does a whole slap of the hands lean in for a hug thing that guys do. “Had to go and be all noble, didn’t you?” Mauro laughs. “Luca would’ve run right past her.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa…who was the one looking at her ankle? Mr. Do-Not-Disturb-when his-girlfriend-is-around.”

  Mauro smiles over at Maddie. “Jealous?” he asks, his eyebrows raising.

  “Never,” Luca scoffs.

  “Let’s go to the house. Ma was complaining about a headache last night. She’ll need help today.” Mauro entwines his hand with Maddie’s and they walk off.

  “Assholes. There’s a medal ceremony,” Cristian says.

  “I don’t think I can see that jerk get first place. I might toss my coffee over his head,” Lauren says even though she isn’t actually holding a drink.

  Cristian swings his arm around her shoulders. “You’re a great little cheerleader. You’re welcome anytime.”

  She smiles. “You have me thinking I want to be a Spartan.”

  “Great.” Luca rolls his eyes.

  “What? Afraid it’s another thing I’ll be better at than you?” she asks.

  “Try it. I bet you can’t even get over that wall.” Luca points to the first obstacle Cristian had to do, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows.

  “Watch my ass get over that in one attempt.” She runs off toward the wall. Of course she does. She isn’t even in athletic wear. She’s wearing jeans and a sweater with cute rain boots.

  “Yeah, watch her ass, Luca,” I say through a chuckle.

  Cristian laughs, stepping back from his brother so we’re right next to one another.

  Lauren does just as she said she would which is more than impressive. “Let’s go, Bianco.” She raises her hands as she comes back around from the other side of the wall.

  “You’re so screwed,” Cristian says to Luca who isn’t really paying attention because he’s already heading toward the wall and Lauren. Exactly where he wants to be.

  Me, on the other hand, am exactly where I shouldn’t be—alone with Cristian.

  “Thanks for coming,” he breaks the awkward silence first.

  “It was fun. I’m glad I came.”

  We both turn toward one another. My body is more aware of his proximity now that I’ve slept with him and know what’s under his mud-caked clothes.

  “You been good?” he asks. “That guy hasn’t bothered you anymore?”

  I shake my head. “Nope.”

  After I returned Bill’s calls and made it clear I would not be going back to work with him, I haven’t heard from him again, thank goodness.

  “Good.”

  I nod. “Well, I should get going. Lunch with my dad. Congrats again.”

  “You’re not coming to my parents’?” A crease mars his forehead.

  “No. My dad wants to introduce me to his girlfriend. Should be horrible.” A hollow laugh escapes my throat.

  I’ve wanted my dad to get a girlfriend for years, but now that it’s happened and I have to face seeing him with someone other than my mother, I’m finding it more difficult than I expected.

  “Vicki came by the station a few weeks ago. She made a bunch of cookies to drop off. She seems really nice. I’m sure you’ll like her.”

  I nod and plaster a fake smile on my face. I’m a good liar, the last few months have proved that, but somehow Cristian sees through it.

  He reaches out and places his hand on my arm. “Do you want some company? Just someone to be on your side of the table?”

  I should decline his offer, but my gaze meets his, and for some reason, the answer that comes out of my mouth is, “That would be great.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Vanessa

  Cristian parks along the curb and I walk down the steps in the front of the house prepared to tell him to leave. His family wants to celebrate his achievement and he should be with them. He has no reason to be here for me.

  He rounds the front of the car, much cleaner than I last saw him. He looks model worthy in a pair of dark jeans and a button-down shirt. His hair that was matted with mud is now clean and gelled.

  “Am I dressed okay?” he asks, taking in the conservative dress I’m wearing.

  “You look perfect.”

  Since I was an asshole on our date and wore ripped jeans, this dress is to somehow make up for that fact. Especially since he’s offering to have lunch with me and my dad.

  “You look gorgeous. As always.” He opens up the passenger door and I slide into his Audi.

  It’s spotless on the inside and smells of his cologne. The same cologne from our date. Citrus with sandalwood. The familiar fragrance brings our night together to the forefront of my mind and images of our naked bodies pressed against one another take over my thoughts.

  By the time he slides into the car, I remember what I was going to tell him.

  “You don’t have to come. You should be with your family.”

  His hand pauses on the keys before turning the ignition. “I know this is hard for you.”

/>   “How? You don’t even know me.” It comes out snarkier than I’d intended.

  No one except for the girls has seen the real me. I mask my emotions well. There’s no way I can be that transparent to this man.

  “I have great instincts thanks to my job.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “It’s in your voice. You don’t have to admit anything to me. We don’t have to call this anything other than a friend doing another friend a favor.”

  “So we’re friends?” I ask, the term leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

  “Well, since my brother is probably going to marry your best friend, I think we might as well try to be friends. We might end up godparents to my soon-to-be niece or nephew.” He smiles and chuckles.

  Maddie isn’t pregnant, but I suspect he thinks much like me with the ‘yet’ hanging right after that statement. Maddie and Mauro are moving so fast, a jetliner couldn’t keep up.

  “I guess that’s true.” I place my hand on his where it rests on the center console. “Thank you for doing this.”

  He nods and pulls away from the curb. “You’re welcome.”

  For the twenty minutes it takes us to reach the restaurant, the car is filled with conversation about the Spartan race and how Cristian forfeited first place. We talk about Ian and Tara and a few other competitors he’s developed a friendship with. I have a feeling Cristian makes friends easily. Another drastic difference between the two of us.

  If it wasn’t for Maddie and Lauren, I’d be a loner. During high school, I had friends who enjoyed backstabbing one another more than having my back. The guys were only interested in one thing. And since I had a workaholic cop for a dad who never took his eyes off of me, and a dead mother, I rebelled for attention. My reputation proceeded me as I continued to be too free with my body. Once Maddie and Lauren came into my life, and I escaped my dad’s microscope, I finally figured out who I really am.

  “If you just want to stay for a bit and then leave early enough to get back to your parents, that’s fine.” I ignore the shivers up my spine as he places his hand on the small of my back leading me into the restaurant.

  “No, we’ll swing by there after lunch.”

  Huh? I don’t remember agreeing to that but how can I say no when he’s doing this for me? Damn, I should’ve known there was a catch.