Forbidden Attraction: A Contemporary Romance Box Set

by K. C. Crowne

  “You punched him for me?”

  “Hell yeah!” he exclaimed proudly, puffing out his chest a little. “He messed with my sister, and he got what he deserved. I saw him the day he left, and a quarter of his face was purple and green.” My laughter interrupted him, and he grinned happily, relishing the moment if the look on his face was any indication. “Seriously, I replay that moment in my head over and over every time I’m feeling down. The way that douchebag flew backward and bounced off the floor was priceless. If I’d had a cell phone back then, I would have totally gotten that shit on video.”

  “Oh, my God,” I said, my words mumbled because of the loud laughing. I slapped the table as I tried to regain control of myself. “That is the best thing I have ever heard. I seriously almost spit my coffee all over you.”

  “That might have been equally as amusing.” He sipped his tea, smiling around his cup. “Kind of like the milkshake incident when we were at the diner that time.”

  “Shit,” I swore, shaking my head. “I could smell mint chocolate chip for at least a week after that. I was blowing ice cream out my nose for days.”

  “You couldn’t even help yourself because you got that brain freeze,” he said and laughed loudly. “Everyone thought you were having a seizure or something.”

  “You’re the one who made me laugh while I was trying to swallow!” I grumbled as his grin widened.

  “Yep,” he announced proudly.

  “Lord,” I said, giggling and wiping my eyes. “I can’t believe you hit him. You’re the biggest softie I know. You’ve abhorred violence your entire life, even feeling bad during a football game when you sacked someone. It would take you a lot to get violent with someone.”

  “It did take a lot, but you are my sister,” he reiterated. “You got me through high school in one piece, and I can’t ever repay you for that.”

  “You don’t have to repay me,” I said, taking his hand. “I love you. I’d do it again.”

  “And I’d gladly punch Martin again if you needed me to.” He chuckled and shook his head as if it were a fond memory.

  “Thank you, though,” I said. “Seriously, you’re my knight in shining armor.”

  “More like knight in sparkly armor,” he retorted, a fake dreamy look in his eyes.

  “You’re picturing it, aren’t you?”

  “Of course, and it’s glorious.”

  “I don’t know what I would have done without you when we were growing up,” I confided. “Shit, I don’t know if I’d survive without you now.”

  “You? You’re the big bad copper,” he scoffed. “You got yourself now, along with the little one.”

  “Do I need to be worried about you two holding hands?” Dante, Bobby’s partner, asked with a smile as he walked up. He was as tall as his sweetie but with less mass, his brown eyes twinkling with good humor.

  “Dante,” I said, standing up and hugging him tightly. “I was wondering where you were hiding.” I plopped back down across from Bobby. “It feels so good to be with you guys. It’s the best thing about coming home.”

  “Bobby hasn’t slept in a week waiting to see you,” he revealed, kissing Bobby on the forehead while he grinned awkwardly. “We miss you out here. Everybody does.”

  I smiled, feeling so much better than I had when I left work the night before. Martin had shaken me with his shift into obvious flirtation, but some friends and familiarity made that go away. Being around people I loved was much better than dealing with cocky cops and people trying to sabotage each other.

  Damn him for hitting on me. I know he’s just trying to throw me off—that and he’s a horny bastard. But how am I supposed to believe he’s innocent when he’s already doing everything he can to manipulate me?

  I’d gone into police work thinking I would find a brotherhood. Instead, I’d found a bunch of fools playing politics and trying to take each other down. The cops in the pen were overworked and caught between a hostile public and the politicking brass, but they tended to cover each other’s asses when necessary. Maybe looking at all those case studies had created a negative feeling about the force in me, or maybe Martin’s specific case was the problem. But either way, it was just good to be away for a couple of days.

  The raspberry turnover was amazing, the coffee strong and tasty, and the company the best I could ask for. I lingered as long as I could, catching up with them about everything. Jenny, my fruitless search for an affordable rental in Salt Lake City and subsequent finding of a house here, their home renovation work, their plans to adopt in a few years. I wanted to stay longer, but the alarm on my phone beeped, alerting me that my time was getting short.

  “Okay, boys,” I said, stretching as I rose. “I have to go finish unpacking.”

  “God I’m glad you’re back for good,” Dante announced happily. “He drives me crazy. You’ll be a good buffer,” he teased.

  “You better be careful or you’ll need a rental,” Bobby sassed. He eased the jeer with a quick peck on the cheek.

  “Well, like I told you, rent’s too high in Salt Lake City and the distance is an easy drive, so I figured why not? It’s time I came back home.” I smiled. Home with my loved ones, where Jenny can grow up in a home where the light rail doesn’t practically go past the window.

  “Yes!” Bobby cooed, standing up and squeezing me tightly. “We’ll bring you a housewarming present when you get all moved in.”

  “We’ll have dinner at my new place once all the unpacking is finished,” I decided, smiling. “So, you know, in a month or so.”

  We shared a laugh, and Bobby said, “Please tell me you’re hiring a decorator.”

  “I don’t have money for that,” I said, rolling my eyes. “And I’m not so pretentious that I need one.”

  “Ugh, fine,” he replied. “My housewarming gift will be some fabulous piece of art that will put your dollar store posters to shame.”

  “Jerk,” I said, growling at him. “If you didn’t feed me so good, I might kick your pretentious ass.”

  “You couldn’t if you tried,” he said, snapping his fingers.

  “Speaking of being able to kick your ass, I’m stopping by the gym on my way home to get a membership. My best friend owns a bakery. I have a feeling I’ll need to work out on a regular basis.”

  “Mmmm, girl, go to Express Weights,” he suggested. “It’s hometown, but they have all the new yoga and Pilates classes as well as brand new machinery. Hold on, I’ll text the address to you.”

  “Thanks,” I said, watching him walk over to the counter and grab his phone to text me. Of course, burly Bobby would know the best gym in town. My phone dinged as he walked back with his.

  “Ask for Selena. Tell her the baker sent you over, and she’ll give you a discount. We like to send her people because when they fall off the wagon, they come here.”

  I chuckled at his announcement. “Good business move.”

  “You going now?”

  “Might as well,” I said, checking my watch. “Dad texted a bit ago that he was taking Jenny to lunch to introduce her to all his buddies.”

  “She’ll be the hit of the café,” Dante assured her.

  “I’m sure she will.” I rose and hugged them both. “I’ll see you guys soon.”

  “Bye, girl. Be careful.”

  I hurried out of the bakery and to my car, smiling as several kids giggled and ran past me down the street. I felt like a normal person again, enjoying my days off and accomplishing random chores and errands. I hadn’t had a proper day off in a long time, and I was seriously in need of it.

  I definitely made the right choice in moving back home. It was amazing how having a normal day with no cop drama felt so good. I was home with my best friend, my dad, and a new house. I put the car in drive and headed over to the gym to get signed up. It was the last errand I had to run that day, and then I would deal with the ordeal of moving into the townhome.

  Martin

  I pulled the weights up to my chest and unfolde
d my arms, breathing heavily as I worked out. I was trying to purge my mind of Rene and that sexy auburn hair I wanted to see cascading over my pillow. She’d gotten to me when I’d been trying to get to her. I hated that I was so preoccupied with her now—and not because of the damn case, either.

  And just when I thought I’d worked her out of my mind, she walked into the main area of the gym. I could see her behind me in the reflection of the mirrored walls.

  “Fuck,” I growled, slamming the weights down on the floor. What the hell is she doing here instead of in Salt Lake City?

  I couldn’t seem to catch a break these days, but I had to think positively. I was trying to get the girl into bed so she could start taking my innocence seriously. Maybe her coming to the gym was a way into her personal life. I’d be able to talk to her when she was running on the treadmill, her walls of annoyance crumbling as she exercised. In reality, her walking into the gym put her right where I wanted her: out of the precinct, not on duty, and perhaps a little less stuck inside her badge and power suit. It would be off-duty me and off-duty her, deciding which way we wanted to take the tension between us. She could deny it all she wanted, but something was going on between us that was pretty damn hard to ignore.

  Except I was supposed to maintain objectivity, but the stirring in my gym shorts reminded me once again that I was failing.

  I watched her walk around the gym, checking out the equipment. She was wearing a tight pair of yoga pants and a sleeveless top that showed off her toned arms. Her ass was perfection, bouncing just slightly as she walked through the room. All the guys looked at her, but she seemed clueless.

  I liked a woman who didn’t have a big ego about her looks. She went about her business, barely noticing anyone unless they were on a machine she wanted to use. I sat down in the back, watching as the manager led her around the floor, explaining about the equipment. She seemed to already know what the woman was showing her, but she was patient, listening and smiling at the information politely.

  When the manager finally walked away, I looked at myself in the mirror and smoothed down my hair, wanting to look good but still like I was there to work out. Okay, here we go.

  I turned and spotted her sitting down to use some hand weights on the bench across the gym. I slipped past a few of the other gym rats who were grunting and groaning through their workouts. I’d come to know their faces with all the time I had on my hands. I figured if I wasn’t drinking, I might as well be lifting weights to get my mind off all the shit going on in my life. I slowly approached Rene and stood next to her, watching her lifting in the mirror. She didn’t even realize I was standing there until I spoke.

  “Those are some pretty big guns,” I complimented, sidling up to her.

  She gasped, fumbling hard and dropping the weight on the ground. For a moment her expression was almost horrified. I burst into laughter. Her surprised look was hysterical, and I could tell she’d been lost in her own mind, not paying attention to anything around her. She glared at me with anger as she breathed heavily.

  “I can’t believe a cop scares so easily,” I said as my laughter subsided. “Has IA really whipped you that bad?” I held my hands out in front of me. “I mean, I get it. I’ve been on my own for weeks now, but man, you’ll never survive out here among the civilians.”

  “Oh, shut the hell up,” she hissed, looking around. Her scowling face landed on me as she said, “What the hell are you doing in Mapleton?”

  “I live here.”

  She mumbled under her breath, something I couldn’t understand, then glared at me. “I came here to get away from cop bullshit. But here’s my biggest source of it” –she gestured antagonistically at me— “standing here when I thought I was away from you for a few days.”

  “Yup,” I said, grinning. “It’s me. Your favorite person.”

  “You have never been my favorite person,” she growled, standing up and walking away.

  “Where you goin’?”

  “We shouldn’t be talking to each other outside of the station,” she announced, grabbing her towel. “It’s against regs while you’re being investigated, especially since I’m the detective working your case. It’s unprofessional.”

  “Alright.” I shrugged. “I just came over to welcome you to the gym.”

  “The hell you did,” she sighed in exasperation as she wiped sweat from her neck.

  I walked away, watching her in the mirror staring at me as I crossed to the other side. She shook her head and continued her workout. I moved strategically around the machines, always making sure I was somewhere in her line of sight. She seemed irritated when our eyes met, but I could feel her glancing at me when she thought I wasn’t paying attention.

  I lifted the heavy weights that day to give her a show. I had to hold back a smirk when I caught her multiple times watching me in the mirror. She switched to one of the machines, and I sat on the bench for a minute, trying not to be obvious as I watched her. Slowly, I wiped off the bench and moved to the speed bags. I breathed quickly through my mouth, throwing punches as fast as I could. I glanced toward her, saw her looking, and smirked at her. She scowled and turned her head in the other direction.

  I smiled to myself, knowing I’d finally caught her attention. Apparently, she liked the pumped-and-half-naked look. I watched as she toweled off the machine and left the main area, climbing onto the elliptical. I smiled to myself, wondering if she was thinking about me, feeling me watching her move up and down.

  I finished on the speed bags and moved to the treadmills, just two rows down from her. I was far enough away for her to not realize I was there but still able to see her and hear her as she worked out.

  She picked up her speed and incline, sweat glistening on her shoulders. I could hear her groaning as she pushed herself harder and harder, and I had a feeling it wasn’t about fitness. She was trying to work me out of her head, something she didn’t think she would have to deal with when she initially was assigned to the case. On the outside I was cool and calm, but on the inside, I was punching the air, feeling triumphant.

  I watched her nearly kill herself on the elliptical until she finally slowed for a cool down. Sweat poured down her face, and she was breathing forcefully. Once she recovered, she climbed off the elliptical and walked to the water fountain. She took a drink, wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, and reached for the towel dispenser. She looked extremely frustrated, and not just because she couldn’t pull the towels out of the machine.

  I chuckled to myself, slowing my treadmill until it stopped. I wiped my forehead with my towel and walked over to her. I watched her for several seconds before reaching up and pounding my fist against the dispenser. A towel moved out, and she sighed, looking up at me. She pulled the towel off and wiped her face, grabbing a couple of fresh ones to wipe down her machine.

  “Why are you following me around?”

  “I’m not.” I chuckled. “I saw you struggling.”

  “I’m not struggling,” she said through gritted teeth. “I think I can handle a towel dispenser.”

  “I don’t doubt you.” I grinned. “But this one here, it takes a learned touch. It takes a special caress to start working. It’s sticky. It needs a good grip.”

  “Is that what it took to steal that money? A good grip?” she asked heatedly, an angry color in her face that wasn’t from working out.

  “You don’t really believe I’m guilty. You’re just angry at me,” I guessed. “It’s understandable, but at some point, the statute of limitations runs out and you’ll have to forgive me.”

  “There is no statute of limitations on what you did.” She stopped herself; for a moment it looked like she wanted to elaborate on the effects our night together had on her.

  I wished I could coax that out of her, but my tone was light and a little teasing. “You are as fiery and stubborn as you were thirteen years ago.”

  “How would you know? You didn’t stick around long enough to figure out who I was in the fir
st place,” she said with irritation.

  “You needed to have a little fun.”

  “You’re ridiculous,” she groaned, her anger melting into exasperation.

  Maybe she figured I was too dense to understand why what I had done had hurt her so much, and though I felt bad about it, it really was a long time ago. Young and stupid had to be forgiven. Perhaps an apology was necessary.

  “Listen, I’m not quite sure why you’re so pissed at me after all these years.”

  She looked at me as if I’d sprouted a second head. “You’re not quite sure?”

  I shook my head. “No. I thought we had a nice time,” I said stupidly.

  “A nice time?” her eyes nearly bulged out of her head.

  “Ok, I admit it. I was wrong,” I said, spreading my arms wide, still not knowing what the fuck I was apologizing for. “I beg for your forgiveness.” Sometimes it was just easier to tell people what they wanted to hear.

  She stared at me for a moment, judging my sincerity. The tense muscles of her shoulders relaxed some, and she said, “Okay fine. Now go bother someone else before we both get in trouble for fraternizing.”

  I laughed, grabbing a towel to clean off my own machine. I turned and walked away, whistling as she cursed under her breath. I watched her sitting at the fountain as I cleaned off the treadmill. She was damn cute when she was irritated, but she was even cuter when she was pensive.

  I finished wiping off the machine and tossed my towel in the basket. I grabbed my water bottle and walked toward the locker rooms, passing slowly by her. I put my hand up in the air and smiled. “See ya next time,” I called, walking around the corner out of her sight.

  I really wanted to see her facial expression, to see the reaction when I nonchalantly said goodbye. I hoped I was pulling her in with every interaction we shared. I walked into the locker room and laughed, knowing my plan was working. I was annoying the hell out of her, making her think about me even if she didn’t want to.