BEAUTY AND THE BADGE

by cpsmi

  He considers my words for a minute before he nods. “You’re right. It’s not like I can warn entire towns that she’s trouble.”

  “Exactly. Unless or until she pops up here again, forget her.”

  God willing, that’ll be a long, long time, because not thinking about her at all is something I know I’ll get used to damn fast.

  “Looks like things with Ashley are going good,” Ben says, changing the subject entirely.

  I can’t hold back my shit-eating grin. “Better than good,” I admit. “She’s something else.”

  Ben snickers. “I had no idea you were such a sappy fuck.”

  “I didn’t either,” I confess, laughing as I do.

  I’m not mad about it at all. Something about Ashley brings out a whole different side of me. Fierce, protective, and desperate for her around the clock, I’m all the fuck in on her. She’s the full package, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep her.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  ____________________________________

  ASHLEY

  TYLER AND I have done something every night this week. One night, we went to the movie house in town that plays older movies during the off-season and saw the first Avengers movie. Another night, we had an early dinner at Ted’s right after work. I can confirm that the roast beef sandwiches and gravy fries were as delicious—in fact, even better—as Ben said they were. Last night, we ate dinner at my house. I made a simple pasta with Pomodoro sauce, he made a side salad, and cooking together in my tiny kitchen was far more entertaining than I could’ve imagined.

  Tonight, he took me to dinner at Chuck’s, a steakhouse that overlooks the water. Now, we’re on our way back to his place, and judging by the looks he’s been giving me since he picked me up, I think tonight is the night. For the past few nights, we’ve made out like crazy, and he’s gotten me off, but he’s never let me touch him. When I pressed, he said he was too close to the edge.

  The idea that I might finally be able to touch him when we get back to his place has me giddy and a little nervous. The anticipation is so high I can barely stand it. I was so keyed up at dinner that I didn’t do my meal justice. He didn’t eat a lot either, so we’ve both got big containers full of leftovers. I’m counting on working up an appetite so I can tuck into them later.

  Rolling the window down, I stick my hand out and enjoy the cool breeze. I love the smell of the air in Charlotte’s Cove. It’s fresh and clean with a hint of saltwater, sea breeze, and something indefinable that’s exclusive to this island. I’ve been to Hawaii, Malibu, and Santa Monica, but the scents in those places weren’t like this.

  As Tyler pulls into his driveway, I roll up the window. I was keyed up the whole way here, but I’m even more so now. When he hops out of the truck to come around and get me, I give myself a quick pep talk about not being disappointed if tonight isn’t the night as I take off my seatbelt. Tyler helps me down. I love that he does this so much that I hope he never gets a car that would be easier for me to get in and out of. Once I’ve got my feet on the ground, he reaches into the truck and grabs our leftovers, links his hand with mine, and walks us to his door.

  Inside, an excited Boo greets us. After loving her up for a few seconds, Tyler puts the food in the fridge and then gestures toward the sliding door. Nodding, I follow him as he opens it so Boo can go out. For the next ten minutes or so, we play fetch with her, laughing as she races up and down the rocky beach with her glow-in-the-dark ball. When she brings it back and drops it into her bin next to the sliding door, it’s clear she’s finished playing for the night. Wandering off, she pees and then strolls back into the house. Inside, she goes right to “her” loveseat and stretches out.

  “That’s it for her for the night.” Tyler chuckles. “I got some more of the Riesling you like. How about I pour us a glass and we sit outside for a few minutes?”

  Have I mentioned how thoughtful he is? Because it’s everything. I love that he made note of the fact that I like Riesling. I went on two dates with someone who continually ordered me red wine with meals, even though I detest red wine—especially if it’s a dry red, like that guy always ordered. He seemed surprised when I stopped returning his calls, which confirmed that he was oblivious. He’d been so hell-bent on imposing his will on me that he never realized how off-putting it was. I know I’ll never have to worry about that with Tyler. He considers me, which is priceless. I wish more women realized how absolutely imperative that is.

  “I’d love a glass,” I answer, hoping it’ll do something to settle my jitters. I’m almost as nervous as a virgin on prom night.

  I can’t contain my smile when he pours one glass for us to share before he holds his hand out to me and then leads me outside. Once he settles into an Adirondack chair, he has me sit on his lap. Another thing I love is how tactile he is. Curling up against him, I take the glass of wine and take a sip before handing it back.

  “Noticed you didn’t eat a lot at dinner,” he says after he takes a sip from the glass. Before I can respond, he continues, “I’m thinking you picked up on the way I’ve been looking at you all night.”

  My breath catches in my lungs, holding there as I nod. “I noticed you seem, um… more intense than usual.”

  Setting his hand on my knee, he squeezes gently. I’m wearing a teal off-the-shoulder summer dress that ends two inches above the knee, which means he’s touching naked skin.

  “I had it in my mind that I wanted to wait until the fifth date before we took it to the next level. I wanted you to know I’m serious about you, about us.”

  I stare at him like a complete idiot for several seconds as I process that. My first thought is that if I didn’t already know he’s different than any man I’ve ever known, this would be the thing that would clue me in.

  The second thing I think is that this was our fifth date. What he just said and the way he’s watching me right now make it clear I’m about to get very, very lucky.

  “Say something, babe. You feel me?” he asks.

  I nod like a bobblehead in a New York City cab. “I feel you,” I answer. Then, after taking a deep breath, I blurt, “Can we start now?”

  His eyes darken, his expression going from intent to feral and sensually charged in a blink. “Fuck, my girl’s impatient,” he says, his voice gravelly.

  My girl.

  He just called me his girl. I wonder if it’s possible to go on overload from happiness.

  “You ready for me to take you inside?” he asks. “Because once we’re in there, I’m not stopping until we’re both naked, sweaty, and too wrung out to move after all the fucking we’re about to do.”

  His words paint a picture that makes me shiver. “I’m ready,” I tell him, my voice steady.

  Nodding, he dumps the remainder of the Riesling—such a waste, but under the circumstances, I’m willing to overlook the crime against wine—and then helps me off his lap. Once I’m on my feet, he takes my hand, linking our fingers together, and we walk back into the house. Inside, he lets go of my hand, secures the sliding door, and closes the curtains. He then walks to the kitchen and sets the empty wineglass down on the counter before he turns.

  The intensity in his eyes as he makes his way to where I’m standing is everything. Stopping in front of me, he cups my face and leans in for a kiss. It’s not gentle or tentative at all. This is heat and desperation, and I meet him every step of the way. I’m so wrapped up in it that I don’t even realize we’ve been moving until my knees hit the back of his bed at the same time his mouth lifts from mine. With a quick glance around the room, I see he already shut the bedroom door. A lamp on his dresser casts a soft glow to the room. This is the third time I’ve been in Tyler’s bedroom, and each time, I marvel at how nice it is. He’s got a wrought iron sleigh bed that was designed and constructed by a friend of his dad’s. On that bed is a super fluffy down comforter with a white duvet. The first night he brought me in here, I knew right away that Tyler likes to be comfortable when he sleeps. If
the duvet and the pillows hadn’t clued me in, the mattress would have. It’s like lying on a cloud. It doesn’t hurt that his sheets are the softest cotton I’ve ever felt in my life.

  “For what I have planned, I need you naked,” he says, bringing my attention back to him. As he says this, he starts pulling up the hem of my dress.

  “Okay,” I reply softly, lifting my arms so he can get it up and over my head.

  After folding the dress in half, he sets it on the dresser and turns back to me. With the dress gone, I’m left wearing a black strapless satin push-up bra, matching underwear, and a pair of espadrilles with a four-inch wedge heel. The way his eyes take in every inch of my exposed skin makes my pulse race. I thought I’d be self-conscious about getting fully naked in front of him for the first time, but that’s not happening. It’s clear that he likes what he sees.

  I squeak when he abruptly lifts me up and drops me down on the bed. “Love the way you look on my bed,” he says, his voice rough.

  I love the way I feel in his bed. Beautiful, powerful, and consumed with desire for the most amazing and incredible man I’ve ever met. Propping myself up on my arms, I lift my right leg. “I didn’t get a chance to take my shoes off.”

  Smiling, he wraps a hand around my ankle to hold me steady as he takes the shoe off with his other hand. After repeating the process on the other side, he keeps his hand around my ankle. “Even your feet are sexy as hell. These legs though. They’re the perfect length to wrap around my waist and hold on tight while I give you what you need.”

  I suck in a breath as he trails the fingers on his free hand up the middle of my leg from ankle to thigh. He makes a sexy-as-hell rumbly sound, real low in his throat, as he repeats the movement. This time, he doesn’t stop at my thigh. Instead, he continues on, his fingers skating over the front of my underwear. “So perfect. You’re already wet for me.”

  Turning his head, he traces his tongue against my ankle. My entire body breaks out in goose bumps as my already pebbled nipples tighten even more. Chuckling, he sets my leg down before he lifts the other back up. He starts at my ankle and then keeps on going, kissing his way toward the apex of my thighs. The closer he gets, the faster my heart beats. When he gets there, he stops and straightens up. I can’t hold back a frustrated groan. He grins at me and makes a tsk-tsk sound. “Patience, baby. Gotta take my clothes off.”

  For that, I’ll wait. Because we went out for a nice dinner, he’s wearing a dark gray button-down shirt and black slacks. After kicking off his shoes and undoing his belt, he undoes the front of his pants and pulls them off. Bending over, he takes off his socks as well. Straightening, he deals with his cuffs before he moves on to the front of his shirt. Every undone button reveals a little bit more of his incredible chest. Once he slides the shirt off, he’s left in a pair of black boxer briefs. Biting my lower lip, I trail my fingers over his body.

  First, his chest is even sexier than I imagined. His six-pack abs and muscular arms are incredible. I like that there’s some hair on his chest. It’s groomed but it isn’t waxed or shaved, which I love. The happy trail from just below his belly button down into his boxers draws my attention, but it’s the sight of what the fabric of his boxers reveal that holds my attention. I’ve felt him through our clothes over the last few days, so it’s not like I didn’t know he’s working with something that isn’t small, but holy wow. The outline I’m seeing now makes it clear that Tyler’s very well endowed. My clit flutters and my core clenches as I stare, the anticipation for what’s to come growing. No pun intended.

  “Look at me,” he says.

  Licking my lips, I tear my gaze from his boxers and look up to meet his eyes.

  “You’ll see and feel it all soon,” he rasps, “but before that happens, my mouth has a date with your pussy. Take off your bra and then scoot back so your head is on the pillows. I want you to watch.”

  My body goes hot all over. As I follow his instructions, I wonder if I may actually spontaneously combust. I probably won’t, but the filthy things that come out of his delicious mouth are so hot they have to be frying my brain.

  Climbing onto the bed, he settles between my legs. “Reach behind you and hold on to the bars.”

  I quickly comply.

  “Don’t let go.” When I suck in a harsh breath, he grins. Leaning in, he kisses the spot just under my right ear. “I’m going to put you through your paces tonight,” he promises.

  I don’t get a chance to verbally respond, because he’s now kissing and licking his way down my neck. He takes his time, trailing kisses down my collarbone and the center of my chest before he turns his attention to my left breast. He kisses and licks every bit of it except for my nipple, which is driving me nuts. Whimpering, I arch my back. “Please.”

  He groans and meets my eyes, holding my gaze as he skates his tongue across my nipple. It’s a ghost of a touch, barely there, but somehow it packs a powerful punch. I suck in a breath when he does it again then let it out in a whoosh when he captures my nipple between his teeth and gives a gentle tug. At the same time, he swirls his tongue against the tip. It’s the most incredible kind of pleasure mixed with a hint of pain, the edge between the two so sharp it makes me a little dizzy. Letting go, he laves my nipple with his tongue, alternating between flicking and sucking. At regular intervals, he uses his teeth on my nipple, which is keeping me on the edge.

  He watches me through hooded eyes as he transfers his attention to my other breast, giving it the same treatment. He turns me on when he breathes, but this is next level. I thought I knew what to expect, but I didn’t. The things I’m feeling right now make everything else we’ve done seem pale in comparison, which is crazy. I’ve had four straight nights of the wildest, strongest orgasms I’ve ever experienced, but I already know this is going to put all that to shame. My pussy is already so wet he could take me now without another moment of foreplay.

  “It can get wetter,” he growls.

  Only then do I realize I said that last part out loud. I’d be embarrassed if it weren’t for the fact that the expression on his face makes it clear he liked hearing that.

  I’m half out of my mind when he moves from my breasts and starts dropping kisses down the center of my stomach. The lower he goes, the more the anticipation builds within me. When he gets to my panties, he stops and traces his tongue beneath the waistband. He chuckles when I shift my hips in an attempt to urge him on. Shaking his head, he hooks his fingers into the sides of my underwear and tugs. I raise my hips to help, and in just a few seconds, my panties are down and off.

  He rubs his hands down my legs, hooking them behind my knees and pushing them toward my chest. “Take your hands from the bars and hold your knees back.”

  My fingers tingle as I let go of the bed and set them on my knees. He looks down between my legs and makes a growly sound. “Fuck, babe. You’re so goddamn sexy.”

  Me. Ashley Colton. Sexy. Until Tyler, no one ever called me that before. Then again, until Tyler, I never felt that way. I do now though.

  I suck in a breath when he positions himself between my legs. Because he has such broad shoulders, I have to spread my legs more to accommodate him. He nods in approval before he bows his head and licks up the center of my pussy.

  “Tyler,” I moan, shocked by how incredible that feels.

  Using his fingers to spread my lips, he goes from gentle to flat out devouring me so fast that I can barely breathe. All the while, he watches me, gauging my reactions as he uses his tongue to rock my entire world. With his other hand, he slides one finger inside and starts thrusting it in and out. I’m just getting used to it when he pulls that finger out and adds another, pushing it back in. The way he moves them in time with his tongue is making me crazy. When he stops and pulls his fingers out, I let out a curse and beg him not to stop. Chuckling, he adds a third finger. My head thrashes back and forth on the pillow, the pinch of fullness from the extra finger nearly more than I can take.

  “That’s it, babe. Roc
k your hips and fuck my fingers. Gotta make sure you’re good and wet before I give you my cock.”

  The very mention of him being inside me makes my pussy clench. “Oh, please,” I moan. “I want it now.”

  “Not yet. You’re going to come on my tongue before you come on my dick.”

  As he says this, he adjusts his fingers and starts rocking them against my G-spot. The orgasms he’s given me from rubbing that spot are legendary. My body shakes as he rocks his fingers just so.

  “Let go of your knees and pinch your nipples.”

  I whimper as I do just that, twisting at the stiff peaks as he puts his tongue back on my pussy. When he sucks my clit into his mouth and starts rubbing on my G-spot at the same time, I lose it. The edges around my vision go gray as my body locks up, the strongest orgasm I’ve ever had slamming into me like a tornado touching down during a summer storm.

  “Oh, God!” I scream, shaking as he continues working his magic.

  “Fuck, Ashley,” he growls before he goes back to what he was doing. The way he sucks at my clit while his tongue swirls the hood takes me to another dimension entirely. If I had any shame, I’d probably be embarrassed about how hard I’m coming and how loud I’m being, but I feel too good to care.

  I’m still trembling with aftershocks when he sits up. Standing, he yanks his boxers down before he returns to the bed. The quick glimpse I get of his hard, thick length makes me more breathless than I already am. Reaching out, he grabs a pillow. He then puts his arm behind my knees, pushing me back so that my ass rises from the bed. He slides the pillow beneath me before putting me back down then spends a minute maneuvering it until I’m just right. Spreading my legs, he settles between them, setting his cock against my pussy.

  He bows his head and rocks back and forth three times before he stills. “Baby,” he groans. “You make me so fucking crazy.”

  There are no words for what he makes me, because it’s too big to define. Luckily, I don’t have to put that into words, because he leans in and kisses me. It’s wild and hot, the taste of him mixed with me, and at the moment, the way he’s kissing me is like sex. I know he’s about to fuck me, and I want it bad.