He burned her once...
Sophie Gallo has survived a lot in her twenty-three years. Both parents
gone, dreams abandoned, and a heart shattered. But she came out on the
other side stronger than ever.
Then, one night with Luke in her bed... on her kitchen table... against
the wall... made Sophie feel alive again. Right up until he ran before the
bed stopped shaking. Seeing him every day at the Middleburg Police
Station, thanks to her job as the office manager, is a special kind of
torture. But she clings to her hate and anger, hiding her sadness and
desire, even from herself.
She weakened him once.
Sergeant Luke McCracken lives to serve and protect. Not only the
citizens of Middleburg, but also the woman who captivates him mind,
body, and soul. Even if that means shielding her from the biggest threat
to her happiness - himself.
Luke gave in to his lust once. But he won't allow himself to be reckless
with Sophie's heart again. Though he can't help but provoke her just to
see her passion, even if it comes in the form of hatred. He'd live on
nothing but the memories of their night together if it meant she'd have
the life she deserved.
His town is being plagued by a rash of break-ins and an increase in drug
overdoses, and his desk overflows with cases waiting to be solved. But
never, in all the time he told himself to protect Sophie from the risks he
presented, did he think she would find herself in danger from outside
forces.
One night with her stole his heart, one dispatcher call stopped it.

Reckless Conduct Blue Line Book One
Brandy Ayers

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are
either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously,
and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business
establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Reckless Conduct
COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Brandy Ayers
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in
any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or
reviews.
Contact Information:

[e-mail]

Visit me at

www.brandyayers.com

Digital ISBN

Published in the United States of America

Contents Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter
Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Epilogue
Acknowledgments Also By Brandy Ayers Sneak Peek About Brandy

Dedication
To all the men and women in blue who risk Their lives to serve and
protect their communities.

Chapter One
Luke
That laugh did strange things to Luke. Things that a naked woman
within his reach normally did. The ring of Sophie Gallo's laugh made
his dick jump and his traitorous heart swell. She didn't give up smiles
easily these days, but when she did, the whole world got two shades
brighter.
He'd do just about anything to make her happy more often. Which
might explain why he was playing a modified version of blind man's
bluff poker in the middle of a bar. Modified in that the loser of every
hand had to take a drink. At this point, he was three shots of tequila
down and working on a nice buzz. Sophie was kicking his ass at only
one shot.
Eyes narrowed at her in a suspicious stare, he slapped his hand on the
first card in the deck, and stuck it onto his forehead so that it faced
outward toward his opponent. A moment later, she did the same,
giggling as the card slid down her nose. She held it back in place just
above sparkling blue eyes. The queen of hearts sat stoically on Sophie's
brow.
The laughter forming in his throat was hard to contain, but he just
managed it. "I bet ten peanuts I have you beat." He counted out ten nuts
from his pathetic pile and slid them to the center of the table, giving her
his best poker face.
"Ten, huh? Chump change, my friend, chump change." Her delicate
fingers counted out double the number of currency and slid them to join
his. "I see your ten and raise you another ten. Beat. That."
"Okay." The only way out of this was to bluff like hell. "I see your ten,
and go all in. That's another thirty-seven nuts." He deposited the
remainder of his pile in the pot and leaned back. "You can call, but
you'll feel pretty stupid when you see that single digit you're holding."
"Wow McCracken, for a cop you sure are a shitty liar. I'm going to
enjoy taking all your nuts."

Jesus, now an image invaded his mind of sweet Sophie taking his nuts
into her mouth and swirling her tongue around them.
A wide smile bunched her pink cheeks and crinkled the corners of her
eyes. Losing was well worth it to see that happiness on her face. "I see
your thirty-seven. On the count of three. One... Two... Three..."
They both slapped their cards onto the table. The barely contained
laughter escaped as his eyes landed on the two of spades. He never had
a chance.
"I am the queen of poker! Bow at my feet, and drink up, sucka!" She
wiggled her hips back and forth on the other side of the tall table.
The laugh died in his suddenly dry throat. God, he wanted to grab those
hips and bury himself deep between her legs.
No.
This was Sophie he was thinking about. Office Manager at the
Middleburg Police Station. Niece of the chief of police. Daughter of the
recently deceased district attorney. She wasn't some skank cruising the
Blue Line for cop cock on a Friday night. If he crossed that line with
her, there was no going back. Relationships were not his thing, and she
had girlfriend written all over her cute little body.
He grabbed the last shot on the table and threw the amber liquid to the
back of his mouth. The liquor helped to warm his limbs, but did nothing
for his resolve, as his eyes returned to her triumphant smile.
"New rule. Loser has to dance with the winner." She sauntered around
the table, took a sip of his abandoned beer, and held out her hand to
him.
"That makes no sense. There're only two players, so no matter what, we
would just end up dancing together." The effects of the tequila hit
home, and he closed his eyes in a snail-paced blink. He was pretty sure
he still made sense, though.
"Ahh, but the winner also gets to pick the song."
Relying on the tall table to steady him, he watched as she sashayed to
the jukebox. On weekends, the bar brought in a DJ or a band to provide
music, but during the week an old relic from Happy Days gone by
played a random song selection.
His eyes stayed glued to her as she tapped her fingers on the glass,

surveying the options. She was a feisty little thing. Shorter than him by
a good four inches, even in the heels she insisted on wearing day in and
day out. Despite her lack of height, she had lean legs that disappeared
under the hem of her short skirt. It didn't escape his drunken attention
that the men around her appreciated them as well. Now that he thought
about it, that skirt really should be a couple of inches longer.
Her shirt could be looser, too. It was a simple pale pink t-shirt, but the
outline of her breasts was clearly displayed, the V-neck in front dipping
just low enough to show the slightest bit of cleavage. They may not be
the biggest tits he'd ever seen, but fuck if he didn't want to play with
them for the rest of the night.
Shoulders shaking with giggles, she turned to face him, making her
long brown hair swing out behind her. Fuck, she was perfect.
The humor on her face was soon explained as the painfully high
pitched whine of Celine Dion echoed through the bar. A collective
groan rolled through the dozen or so patrons.
"Seriously? The song from that fucking boat movie? I'm not dancing to
this."
"Oh yes you are, because you're the loser, and I'm the winner, and I say
so." Tiny hands gripped his large calloused ones, and she tugged at
him.
Giving in, he let her pull him to the dance floor. She wrapped his hands
around her waist, resting them on the small of her back. Her arms were
pinned behind her, thrusting her chest into him. Once more his dick
twitched. Looking down into her smirking face, he fought the urge to
crush his mouth against hers.
Her hands slid up his arms to the back of his neck. For a moment they
stood there, unmoving, in an embrace. Their eyes locked together as his
cock grew to half-mast. She sighed, tucking her head under his chin.
Her cheek rested against his chest. He tried in vain to calm the wild
pounding of his heart.
Just move your feet, McCracken.
Slowly, he swayed them back and forth in a small circle. Fred Astaire
he was not, but he managed not to step on her toes.
He might be able to resist kissing her, but the draw of her hair

beneath his nose proved too much. Dipping down, he buried his face in
the soft waves, breathing the coconut and lime scent of her shampoo. It
reminded him of sipping pina coladas on a tropical island.
The small sigh that slipped from her lips was felt more than heard. She
tightened her arms around his neck, and he matched the pressure.
Bodies flush against each other now, there was no doubt in his mind
she could feel the problem growing in his pants.
Think of something else. Anything else.
Reminding himself that she was still recovering from the loss of her
father helped things a little, but not much. Just over a month ago, Mac
Gallo gave in to the cancer that had been tearing him down for months.
Luke was sad to have lost someone as dedicated to putting scum behind
bars as Mac was, but secretly thanked the man's death for bringing his
daughter into the station and his life.
Much of what Sophie went through was a mystery to everyone, but
Luke had been able to cobble together a rough picture from different
sources. The Chief had mentioned that she needed a job because of the
medical and funeral costs. Apparently insurance only went so far, and
most of the money her fath er left behind went to cover the
remainder of the expenses. A fellow officer's wife found out that
Sophie had had to drop out of college to care for her father. She 'd been
majoring in education. Without a degree, she had few job prospects that
would be able to both support her and help pay some of the debt.
It was hard not to admire the woman in his arms. She'd gone through
hell, come out the other side, and now she was working hard to get on
with her life. He just hoped she could find someone to see those things
in her, someone who wouldn't put her through more heartache.
On their next rotation, she added an extra sway of her hips, rubbing her
stomach against his bulge. Half-mast was a distant memory as the
friction brought him fully to life. He dropped his head to nuzzle her
neck, and planted a chaste kiss on the curve of her shoulder.
She pulled back to find his eyes with hers. Fire burned behind those
baby blue irises. Fingers fisted in his hair, she pulled up onto her toes
while dragging his face down closer to hers. Lips met, hesitant at first,
urgency ramping up the heat quickly. He slipped his hands onto her ass,

pressing her against his rock hard cock. Chests heaving, they separated.
"My car. Now." Turning on her spiked heels, she gripped his hand and
dragged him to the door.
They were outside before he realized they never paid the tab. No big
deal; he'd settle up over the weekend.
Trying hard not to think about how much this could fuck everything up,
he stayed in the moment with her. He caught up in one long stride,
wrapped his arms around her slim body, and nibbled the back of her
neck, while she giggled and squirmed against him.
When they reached the car, he pressed her front against her shitty little
Corolla. Leaving no part of her neck unexplored, he rolled kisses, licks,
and bites across her skin. A trail of goose bumps sprang up wherever
his mouth ventured.
She placed her hands on the roof of the car and spread her legs a little
over shoulder-width apart. The street lamp across the way lit her
profile, lending a glowing halo effect to her already angelic face. "Are
you going to frisk me, Officer McCracken?"
Just like that, he attained a new level of hard. He'd be lying if he said
the fantasy of pulling over a hot woman and fucking her against the car
hadn't crossed his mind a time or two.
"I think I should, ma'am. Need to make sure you're not packing." Going
down onto one knee behind her, he glided his hands over her smooth
calves, sweeping around to rub her shins. She started panting as he
moved higher up her legs. "Wider."
She shuffled her feet out another six inches or so. He slid his hands
onto her inner thighs. Her whimper set his chest and groin on fire.
Finally, he found the junction of her legs. Warm and wet, her panties
were soaked.
"Fuck." He rubbed his palm over the damp cotton. Her responding
moan was a lightning rod straight to his dick. If he didn't calm the fuck
down, this would be over before it started.
With effort, he removed his hands and continued his journey up her
body. He traced the slope from her hips to waist. Spinning her around,
he pressed her back against the door.
The hem of her shirt drifted up, revealing a smooth, taut stomach.

He skimmed his hands over her ribs, exposing a few more inches of
skin. He kissed the flat landscape down to her navel and dipped his
tongue into the hollow.
A stinging pain shocked him from his lust-fogged state. She fisted both
hands in his hair and pulled him to his feet. Their lips met in a frenzy.
She tasted of mint, tequila, and something sweet he couldn't place, but
made the desire to devour her grow. But not here. Forcing himself to
stop kissing her might have been the hardest thing he'd ever done.
"Are you okay to drive?" He searched her eyes for a sign that he
underestimated her level of intoxication.
"One shot an hour ago, half your beer, and I've been drinking water all
night. I'm fine, officer." She ground her hips against his, making him
groan in pleasure.
"Let's get you home, then."
The drive to her house was torture. Despite his near constant warnings
to keep both her hands on the wheel, she continued to tease his
seemingly permanent erection. He knew he wasn't playing fair either.
With the lightest touch he could muster, he repeatedly traced her thighs
almost to their peak, before retreating back to her knee and starting
over.
Both panting by the time they reached her house, he was ready to rip
the clothes from her body. The moment the front door closed behind
them, he launched at her, pinning her to the wall. "Fuck, you're
beautiful. And wild."
Her mouth opened to respond, probably with a smart-ass comment, but
he didn' t give her time. Covering her lips, he used the opportunity to
slip his tongue in for a slow, deep kiss. Her whimper set his body on
fire.
The pull on his scalp as she gripped his hair, tugging him closer, made
him chuckle.
"What's so funny?" Her pink tongue licked along her swollen lips. God,
he wanted that tongue, those lips, wrapped around his cock in the worst
way.
He smiled down at her. "You keep pulling my hair and I'm gonna have
to shave it all off."
She tightened her fist in his hair and tilted his head back. Starting at

the base of his neck, she licked and sucked up his throat, ending with a
nip to his chin. "I'll just find another way to get the leverage I need to
reach that mouth."
"How about we find a way to even the playing field?" He slid his hands
down her sides and gripped her ass in his palms. As he lifted her feet
from the floor, she wrapped her legs around his waist. "Better."
Their lips met again in a frenzied kiss. He couldn't get enough; every
inch of her body begged to be touched, tasted. Searching for a place to
lay her down, he shuffled blindly down the hallway. Another wall
blocked his path. Sophie moaned as his body collided with hers; she
writhed against him, rubbing herself against his cock.
"Fuck, I need to get you naked right now. Which way?" The moment he
ripped his lips away, her mouth moved to his neck, mumbling
something he couldn't understand as she lavished his Adam's apple
with open-mouthed kisses. Looking around frantically, he spotted the
kitchen to the left.
He sat her on the edge of a sturdy looking round table, gripped the hem
of her shirt, and yanked it off over her head. The bra hidden underneath
was the same pale pink; her breasts swelled over the edge of the fabric.
A debate raged in his head: take his time and admire the perfection that
sat before him, or give in to his intense need to have her now.
The decision was made for him when he was jerked forward by the belt
loops on his slacks. "Less admiring, more touching."
Darkness enveloped him as she pulled his shirt over his face, leaving it
there. A warm, greedy mouth sucked in his nipple, tongue swirling
around the sensitive skin, then a sharp sting as she bit down. The
resulting shock of pleasure almost made his knees buckle. Ripping the
shirt from over his head, he discarded it to the floor with hers.
"Take off your skirt. Now." The words came out as a growl. A furious
red blush crept up Sophie's chest, letting him know she liked the
demand in his voice. He unbuttoned his own pants while she slid the
tiny square of denim off her legs. Her sex was barely concealed behind
a narrow strip of cotton held together by mere strings. "Good thing I
didn't know what was under there this whole time. I would've taken you

against the car if I had."
"I would've let you." Pure lust glowed in her eyes.
The idea that the sweet girl he'd seen occasionally since he'd been a
rookie cop, and had gotten to know better after she was hired at the
station, was the same woman as this no-nonsense seductress, made his
head spin and his dick long to be surrounded by her.
He slid his hands up her legs, gripped her hips, and hauled her body to
his. The thin layers of fabric keeping him from being inside her became
more hated than any criminal he'd come across in his career. As gently
as he could in his over-stimulated state, he slid the panties from her
hips. Halfway down her thighs, his eagerness got the better of him, and
he tore them in half in his haste. A moan poured from her mouth.
She reached behind her back, unhooked her bra, and tossed it onto the
chair behind them. The sight of her reclining on the table before him
dumbfounded his senses. Not one inch of her went unnoticed as he
allowed his hands to roam over her slight frame. Returning her earlier
move, he sucked one of her nipples into his mouth, swirled his tongue
around it, and bit down gently. She gasped, gripped his hair and
dragged him up her body. Her naked sex rubbed up and down his
length trapped behind boxer briefs.
"Condom? Please tell me you have one." Her hips never stopped
gyrating against him, seeking relief from the mounting sexual tension.
"Yeah, hold on." He discarded his boxer briefs in record time and
kneeled down to grab the square packet from his pants. Instead of
standing, he threw the condom onto the table and moved his head
between her thighs.
Her breathing grew more rapid before he even touched her. Once he
did, she became a live wire. Every sweep of his tongue across her clit,
plunge of his fingers into her sopping wet pussy, made her back arch
from the table and primal sounds rip from her throat. He felt her thighs
quivering, felt her collapse around his fingers, as she gave in to the
orgasm he wanted so badly to give her.
He climbed to his feet, made short work of opening the package, and
rolled the condom onto his achingly stiff cock.
Still recovering from the first of many highs he planned to take her

to, she looked at him with a smirk on her face. "I always knew you had
a smart mouth, but damn, I didn't realize it had talent too."
"That's nothing, darling. Normally I would lap at you until you begged
me to stop. But if I don't get inside you right now, I think I might go
insane." He traced her opening with his cock, trying to fight the urge to
plunge in, taking her fast and hard.
"We wouldn't want that." She propped herself on her hands, gazing at
his dick perched at her entrance, a look of fascination falling over her
face.
The memory of her expression as he sank himself deep into her would
be burned into his brain for all of time. The moment his thick head
breached her tight opening, she dropped her head back between her
shoulders, moaning. He stilled, savored the feeling.
"Don't stop." Her eyes returned to their joined bodies. Inch by inch, he
drove into her, taking in the pleasure she felt written all over her face.
He'd never been so in sync with a woman during sex. Almost as if their
pleasure was shared instead of given. Gathering her into his arms, he
found her mouth with his. She wrapped her legs around him and pushed
her heels into his ass with every thrust, urging him to go faster, harder.
Following her lead, he pummeled into her, the slap of their bodies as
they met reverberating throughout the room.
Moans turned into screams. Sophie clung to his body as he gripped her
hips and bounced her up and down along his cock. Guttural sounds he
never knew he was capable of clawed their way from his throat. Every
muscle in her core clamped down around his cock, and at the same time
she bit his shoulder, releasing her ecstasy around him. With a final
thrust, he let go.
Gently, he laid her limp body back onto the table and rested his head on
her chest.
"Holy shit, that was amazing." Her voice was hoarse from the
screaming, and he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. He
did that to her.
"No joke." The soft stroke of her fingers through his hair lulled him
into a post-sex stupor.

"Can we do it again?"
Six hours later, they finally made it to her bed, after christening every
surface of her house on the way.
Sophie collapsed on top of him. They were both panting and covered in
sweat.
"No laughing tomorrow at work when I can't walk right." She nuzzled
her face into the crook of his shoulder. "But maybe you can find some
time to kiss it and make it better." Her giggles shook the bed.
Fuck.
Reality made an unwelcome appearance. This was Sophie. Sad,
vulnerable Sophie. They worked together. Her uncle was his boss.
Panic swelled in his chest as the full weight of the situation bore down
on him. She had no clue. No idea that he was not boyfriend material.
One night stands were all he did.
As calmly as he could, he rolled her onto her back, freeing himself.
"Yeah, shit. Work." He swung his feet onto the floor and sat up on the
edge of the bed. "I gotta get home. Shower, get my uniform."
"Okay, you want to have lunch? We haven't hit up that new Mexican
place yet." The note of unease in her voice made him cringe.
Shit, he was an asshole.
"Depends on what's going on. Let's just wait and see." Unable to look at
her, he stood to throw the condom into the trash can next to the bed. "I
gotta find my clothes and get going. You get some sleep."
"I'll drive you; your car's still at the bar."
"Nah, I'll call a cab. Stay in bed." He tried to tell himself this was for
the best. Being with him would cause her nothing but heartache. It was
better this way. Rip off the Band-Aid. It would hurt her today, but at
least it would be over fast. "See ya."
Padding across the room, he tried to resist the urge to look back at her.
Once he reached the door, he gave in, turning for one last glance. She
sat knees to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs. There was no
mistaking the sadness on her face, and it tore him up inside. But this
was the way it had to be. He had made a promise to himself. One that
no woman would make him break. No matter how amazing that woman

might be.
"Thanks, Soph." The way her face collapsed right before he turned
away from her would be etched in his mind forever, right alongside her
face as he'd entered her for the first time.
With every step he took away from her, he built a wall up around his
feelings.
It was for the best.

Chapter Two Two years later Sophie
Deep, raucous laughter filled the lobby of the police station, sending
spikes of pain straight into Sophie's brain. Two men in fitted, navy blue
police uniforms strode toward her.
"How's my girl this afternoon?" Sergeant Luke McCracken stopped to
lean against the partition separating her desk from the lobby. Laughing,
Officer Wright slapped him on the back and continued past them to the
inner office.
The cocky grin on McCracken's face made her want to slap him.
Hard.
"Perky and pleasant, I'm sure." He tapped the bulletproof glass
surrounding her work station, as if she were a fish he tried to lure
closer.
"Fuck you, McCracken." A glare capable of melting steel shot from her
eyes. "And stop smudging my glass, or I'll snap off those stubby
fingers."
Head thrown back, he howled in amusement. "Someone woke up
cheery. Still not getting laid, sweetie?" His chocolate brown eyes
sparked with mischief. "I told you I'd help you with that little problem
anytime." He leaned in close to the glass, blowing a hot stream of
breath that fogged the surface. One finger traced a lopsided heart
directly in her line of view.
The shrill ringing of the phone set her teeth on edge. The damn thing
never stopped. She flipped him the bird as she answered the call.
"Middleburg Police, this is Sophie, how can I help you?" A reporter
chattered rapid-fire in her ear, asking about the connection between the
increase in armed robberies and heroin overdoses. Sophie pinched the
bridge of her nose. It didn't help to relieve the tension building behind
her eyes.

"Ma'am if you will just hold on for one moment, I'll see if someone is
available to speak with you." She punched the hold button harder than
necessary. As the office manager for the station, the job of gatekeeper
between the public and law enforcement fell on her. Under normal
circumstances, she'd send the reporter a generic statement regarding
the case, but the opportunity to mess with McCracken tempted too
much. "You feel like talking to a reporter about the increase in crime
and overdoses?"
He rubbed his ever-present five o'clock shadow. "Depends. Who's the
reporter? If it's that leggy blonde thing from Channel Nine, I'll consider
it."
She tried hard to ignore the jealousy that spiked through her. "I swear to
God, the day they made you the media liaison was the third worst day
of my life." She took the call off hold, maintaining her hard stare with
Luke. "Sergeant McCracken would be happy to do an interview with
you. How about I just have him swing by your newsroom about four
this afternoon?"
The amusement left his eyes, replaced by a pissed off scowl.
"Fantastic, he'll see you then."
He waited until she returned the receiver to the phone cradle before
lighting into her. "What the fuck, Gallo? You couldn't at least have her
meet me here?"
"Oh, I' m sorry. Is that not convenient for you?" The false innocence in
her voice fooled no one. "By the way, it's with Barbara. You know, the
married veteran reporter who doesn't pull any punches. Have fun."
Waving her fingers at him, she gave him her biggest doe eyes.
"Batting those baby blues at me will get you nowhere, woman. I'll get
you back for this." With a shake of his head, he pushed away from the
desk. "Always a pleasure, Sophie. Don't go changing that charming
personality."
Several words came to mind when she thought of McCracken, most
starting with the letter A. Asshole. Arrogant. Annoying. Infuriatingly
attractive. Amazing ass. Which she tried hard not to stare at as he
stalked back into the office, and failed.

Sophie wrapped her anger around her like a blanket during a storm. As
long as she clung to the anger, it helped suppress the sadness,
loneliness, and desire that threatened to take over each time she saw
Luke. She hated the effect the mere sight of him had on her. Panties dry
only moments ago were now soaked.
Switching the phone lines to go to the county dispatch center, Sophie
stood to stretch her limbs after hours spent in the same position at her
desk. She rubbed her computer-screen-fatigued eyes.
Caffeine. That's what she needed.
She spent most of the day cramped in what she laughingly called her
office. It was a five-by-five box surrounded by plexiglass on three
sides. A row of security monitors sat to one side of the room, filing
cabinets on the other side. Squeezed at the front of the small space were
her desk and computer.
She looked forward to the few times she could escape her little
fishbowl in favor of the open floor plan of the rest of the station.
Weaving her way through the officers' desks, the sight of Wright, feet
propped up, and a smart-ass grin plastered on his face, made her slow
her pace. "Hey Soph, you leave McCracken's balls intact?"
Several fellow policemen surrounding them chuckled.
"Watch it, Wright, or I'll tell your wife you've been getting take-out
barbecue every day this week. Pretty sure she won't be too happy
you've been throwing out the salads she's packing for you." Even in her
crappy mood, she couldn't help the affectionate smile she gave the
short man. "How's she feeling, anyway?"
"Better, now that the morning sickness is gone. Have I shown you the
latest ultrasound pictures?" At the shake of her head, he pulled out four
small squares filled with images of their tiny baby.
"That's so amazing! Tell her I'll call her later this week so we can grab
lunch." She gave his shoulder a squeeze as she left him gazing at the
pictures of his future son or daughter.
The break room was blissfully quiet. She filled her cup to the brim with
coffee and took a sip of the strong brew, moaning in gratitude to the
caffeine gods.
"Calm down, woman. I know I make you moan just by walking in

the room, but try to contain your excitement." McCracken crossed to
the coffee pot to fill up his own mug. The writing on the damn thing
said Stud Muffin.
"You wouldn't know how to make a woman moan if she gave you
step-by-step instructions." Unmistakable venom dripped from her
voice. She never could hold back her disdain for the man, despite what
the sight of his body might do to her panties.
He placed his mug on the counter and sauntered over to where she
leaned against the fridge. The tension in her shoulders grew the closer
he came, until she was nothing but a tight ball of aggravation.
"As I recall, I made you moan for several hours with my only directions
being 'God yes, right there,' and 'harder, harder.' " A violent blush
swept across her cheeks at his imitation of her voice in the throes of
passion.
Her body shook with the effort of containing the intense desire she felt
for him. No way would she let this walking dick know how much he
affected her. "Aww, it's kinda sweet. After all these years of
disappointing women, you still can't recognize the sound of a fake
orgasm when you hear one. I was just trying to save your delicate ego."
A primal growl ripped through his mouth. He gripped the edges of the
silver refrigerator on either side of her head, trapping her between his
arms.
"We both know there was nothing fake about your screams that night."
He pressed his body against hers, and every hard muscle from his chest
to his knees melded against her soft curves.
Anger spiraled through her. "We agreed to never talk about that night.
It was two years ago. Get over it." She spat the words at him, trying to
keep her voice low so no one would overhear them. Their coworkers
were unaware of her and Luke's brief indiscretion when she first got the
job at the station. She had been an idiot, thinking he would stick around
long enough for the condom to hit the bottom of the trash can.
"Nothing to get over, sweetheart. I just like seeing you squirm." He ran
the tip of his nose down her hairline until he buried it behind her ear,
inhaling the scent of her shampoo. "Have I told you yet I like the new

hair?" The whisper of his breath made her skin stand at attention. "Suits
you more than that bleached crap you were trying to pull off."
A ribbon of her dark brown hair fell over her face, and he brushed it
back with one finger. No one else had commented on the switch back to
her natural color.
"Don't you have a job to do? Or do you want to stand here all day
talking hair?" Narrowed eyes shot her patented bitch glare at him. It
had very little effect.
"You're right, there's a reporter across town waiting for me." He pushed
away from her, a cold stream of air filling the space where his warm
flesh had just been.
Sophie breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned at the door. "You going to the Chief s birthday drinks
tonight?"
Her responding nod was hesitant. Giving Luke McCracken information
was never a good idea. Just ask the dozens of guys he had put behind
bars.
"Good. Maybe I can buy you a shot of tequila tonight."
Bastard.
Tequila was the reason she was in this mess with him.

Chapter Three Luke
Luke couldn't help but chuckle, as he stalked away from the break
room. The temptation to tease Sophie was just too much to resist. Like
a damn punk pulling the pretty girl's pigtails on the playground. That
was him.
Seeing her every day was the sweetest kind of torture he'd ever
endured. But he got used to it, like having a dull pain constantly in the
back of his chest for months on end. Pissing her off every day had
become an addiction. The fire and passion crackling in those eyes as he
needled her made him feel more alive than he had since the morning he'
d left her alone in bed.
Driving into work the day after their roll in the sack, he'd sworn up and
down to leave her alone. The whole situation was a big enough mess;
from that moment on he would be nothing but professional.
That didn't last long.
The hope that she'd act cool the next day and pretend like it hadn't
happened vanished when he walked into the station that morning to
scathing anger rolling off her in waves. It didn't take long until he was
cornered and read the riot act. The anger made her eyes sparkle and her
body shake. Her skin flushed the exact same shade of pink as when he
brought her to orgasm. Even her finger poking into his chest couldn't
dampen his need for her; he'd almost taken her again right there against
the copy machine. But he held back. Because that was the way it had to
be.
Since that day, he found himself teasing her, just to see that spark
again. Without fail, she rose to the occasion every time, giving him
exactly what he was looking for. Getting told off by her had become the
best damn part of his day.
The tension crept up his shoulders as he crossed the threshold into his
office. Stacks of files neared their tipping point on almost every

surface. The desire for an upgrade to their antiquated computer system
surged through him once again. Too many fucking papers in this place.
But try as he might to convince the chief it was necessary, he knew the
city council would never approve it. Hell, they denied their request,
year after year, for the money to hire a detective, despite the increase in
serious crimes.
The stats for the first quarter this year had him worried already.
Burglaries up fifteen percent, robberies involving assault eleven
percent, and they already had twice as many drug overdoses in three
months compared to all of last year.
It' s no wonder the media had gotten wind of it. Normally the news
stations stuck close to Pittsburgh, but their little suburb wasn't so far
that they didn't occasionally make it on the radar.
A sharp knock on his open door jolted him from his thoughts.
"Hey Sarge, I got the report for the incident last night. Wanna walk
through it?" Officer Reilly stood in the doorway, another fucking folder
in his hand.
Luke rubbed his hand over his buzzed hair, trying not to take out his
aggravation on the good cop before him. "Yeah, Reilly, come on in and
sit down."
Reilly looked like a kid to him; that had to be a sign he was getting old.
In reality, he was only five years older than Reilly.
One of their newest recruits, Reilly probably could've gone to a larger
precinct in the city. But in his interview, he'd said that in the city he' d
be writing tickets and directing traffic around crime scenes for the first
five years of his career. At Middleburg, a smaller station with no
dedicated detectives, he'd actually be able to do some investigating and
get his hands dirty.
Kid wasn't wrong.
He sat ramrod straight in the chair, all business. After another year, he'
d start to loosen up around his commanding officers, but it took a while
for the new guys to realize they were all in the same boat together.
"What're we looking at?" Reaching across the desk, Luke took the thin
file and leaned back in his chair, flipping through the various reports.

"Sir, this was the worst one yet."
Glancing up, Luke saw the look of determination in the young cop's
eyes. Nodding, he encouraged him to go on.
"Shortly after midnight last night, Robert James was awoken by the
sound of glass smashing in his home. He went downstairs to
investigate. He described the intruder as a tall man, long dirty hair,
pale. He wore plastic gloves, similar to dish cleaning gloves, but made
no attempt to cover his face." The man took in a deep breath before
going on. "Upon confronting the intruder, Mr. James was attacked. The
assailant beat the homeowner unconscious with a rolling pin he'd found
sitting on the kitchen counter. James sustained multiple broken ribs and
fingers, facial lacerations, and a concussion. After the beating, the
suspect then continued to toss the house. We have a partial list of
missing items from the victim's daughter. Mostly jewelry, cash, and
prescription medications. Same as the other houses."
Snapping the folder closed, Luke placed his elbows on the desk,
leveling the kid with a no-nonsense stare. "Theories?"
"Sir, this guy is getting more desperate. We've had the same description
of this assailant from four other victims in the past month. The other
times he didn't become violent. Simply grabbed what he could and ran.
This is the first time he's hurt someone, and he almost killed the guy."
Reilly stopped talking. For the first time a sliver of doubt crept into the
kid's dark eyes. He was obviously holding something back.
"Go on." While he waited for a reply, Luke studied the officer.
The younger cop leaned forward in his chair, resting elbows on knees.
For the first time since starting his report, Reilly let some anger slip
into his voice. "If we don't get this guy soon, we're going to start ending
up with bodies on our hands instead of just robberies. I'd suggest
canvassing the local tattoo shops with a sketch of the piece on the guy's
neck, and pay a visit to Shady's Bar. It was their logo on the
sweatshirt."
"Agreed. Good work." Grabbing several of the files from his desk,
Luke stood, rapping them on the edge to straighten the errant papers
inside. "Time for the shift briefing. I'd like you to present the incident
to the squad this morning. You up for that?"
The officer's momentary hesitation didn't escape Luke's notice.

This was a big moment for the rookie; it was the first time he'd been
asked to make a presentation on a case to his fellow officers. Luke
couldn't help the feeling of pride in seeing the kid advance swiftly.
Recovering quickly, the kid pulled himself up to his full height,
lowering the mask of "unaffected cop" over his previously impassioned
expression.
"Yes, sir."
In addition to overseeing all the current investigations, Luke also took
care of scheduling, briefing each shift, and handing out assignments.
The guys were stretched thin. They'd all been putting in a minimum of
ten-hour shifts to make sure enough units were on duty overnight when
most the robberies were occurring. The midnight rotation had just
ended, so it was time to get the day side guys up to speed on the night's
events.
The crew was in good spirits. They rotated schedules on a bi-weekly
basis, and after a couple of days off, this group was finally trading in
the graveyard shift for the much easier day side shift. They'd all be
home tonight to eat dinner with their families and tuck their kids into
bed.
The guys milled about the cramped briefing room, sipping coffee,
ribbing each other, and discussing their weekends. Luke stood behind
the podium, waiting for them to notice his presence and settle into their
seats. It didn't take long. He'd cultivated respect from these men over
the years. Tough but fair; that was his leadership style. Or at least what
he strived for.
Chairs scraped against the floor, and the voices slowly died out.
Reflexively, he glanced to the back corner of the room. There she sat,
notebook in hand, ready to take down everything they said for the daily
patrol note. The tight black skirt she wore inched up her thigh as she
crossed one leg over the other. He swallowed, struggling to wet his
mouth enough to speak. Her eyes narrowed when they made contact
with his. She was in rare form today. The smirk slipped onto his face
involuntarily, causing her glare to sharpen.
"All right, guys. Welcome back to day side. Hope you had a good
couple of days with your families. But just because you're off the

graveyard doesn't mean you get to slack. We've had a major incident
overnight, and I'm going to be sending some of you out to help with the
investigation."
The men sat up straighter after hearing his words. Some made notes;
others simply listened. But every single eye in the room focused on
him. Including hers. He could feel her gaze on his skin, and it distracted
him for a moment. "Officer Reilly was the first on the scene last night;
he's going to bring everyone up to date." Stepping to the side, he let
Reilly take his place behind the podium.
Luke took the opportunity to watch his girl for a moment. No. Not his.
He needed to remember that. She would never be his. But that didn't
mean he had to stop admiring her.
Shoulders hunched over, she propped the notepad on her knee, copying
down everything Reilly said. It had been her idea to start the daily
notes, filled with updates on various investigations, a list of where each
unit was assigned, and any other information that would be helpful for
them as they worked out in the field. Her brow crinkled in
concentration. A surge of longing to smooth the skin down and put her
mind to rest shot through him. He knew she worried about the safety of
the guys.
As she flipped to the next page in her small notebook, her pen skimmed
the side of her leg, leaving a short black line. She licked her thumb,
then rubbed at the ink, trying to wipe it away. He twitched in his pants.
Returning his attention to the officer speaking, he admonished himself
for continuing his self-imposed torture. He'd made the decision to spare
her a life with him; he needed to stick with that and let it go.
Reilly finished speaking and turned to him. "All yours, Sarge."
Giving him a swift nod, Luke thanked Reilly and returned to his spot at
the front of the room. "Here's the plan for today. We've got four known
tattoo establishments in our town limits. Delgato, Smith—you guys
take the two on the east side of town. Schmidt, Manzetti—take the
other two. I also know of a guy who does cheap art out of his garage on
the sly; I'll check him out with Wright. Then we'll head over to Shady's
to ask around about our suspect. Coy, you're solo today. That pain in
the

ass over on King Street is complaining about speeders blowing through
the stop signs in her neighborhood again. Set up a trap, and hand out
tickets like they're candy to get her off our backs." A low, collective
chuckle swept through the room.
"No problem, McCracken. She might be a pain in the ass, but she's hot.
I'll take that detail any day." Coy was a cocky shit, no matter what his
name might imply. The light laughter in the room turned to whistles
and whoops.
"Okay guys, settle down; don't forget there's a lady in the room." He
nodded his head toward Sophie's chair.
She smiled good naturedly at him, flipping him the bird. "Fuck you,
McCracken."
"That's our girl!" Wright spun around in his chair to high five her.
"Hey Sarge, why does she get to talk to you like that, but I get put on
nights for a month when I mouth off?" Coy was getting on his nerves
fast today.
"Because she has better legs, man." Sophie slapped Wright upside the
back of the head for that comment, but laughed all the same.
"Okay, okay, I can see this meeting has dissolved into our usual
fifth-grade antics. Get to work, people. Be safe out there. Report back if
you find anything out."
The group rose from their seats and meandered out of the room to load
up their squad cars. Luke tried hard not to watch as Sophie sashayed
from the room, but failed. As he did every day after the briefing.
Reilly's presence next to him snapped him out of his Sophie-induced
haze.
"Sarge, I'd like to come with you and Wright today, if that's okay."
Reilly stood at attention with his hands clasped behind his back. All
business.
"Kid, you've been on for at least ten hours, probably more. Don't think I
haven't noticed you coming in long before your start time and not
marking down the hours."
The guy at least had the decency to look sheepish at being caught.
Technically, he hadn't done anything wrong; he wasn't beefing up his
paycheck by logging unnecessary overtime, but they had a schedule for
a reason. It was easy to get burned-out working their job. Downtime
was

essential.
"I appreciate the dedication, but you're going to wear yourself out. Go
home. Grab a shower. Put something on other than the uniform. Hell,
come out to the Blue Line tonight for the Chief's party. But I don't want
to see you in here before ten, got it?"
"Yes sir."
Back in the relative silence of his office, Luke sat back in his chair.
Under normal circumstances, he would stay in the station working on
schedules and paperwork. But today was one of those days he couldn't
be in the same building with Sophie without wanting to rip her clothes
off. He needed to get out before he did something stupid.
After collecting himself for a moment, he strode to the large room
where the officers' desks sat. "Wright, you ready to head out?"
"Yes, sir." Wright was one of the few men on the squad Luke truly
considered a friend. Off the clock he was a loud, sometimes crass,
jovial family man. But as soon as duty called, he snapped into
professional cop mode. They trusted each other implicitly.
As they made their way through the front lobby, Luke was dismayed to
see Reilly through the glass, leaning against the inner door talking to
his Sophie. They were smiling, talking about something Luke couldn't
hear. Jealousy raged through his system; he hated the idea of men
hitting on her. The few that she'd dated since their night together had
been blissfully short lived. He wasn't sure if he could handle one of his
men going after her.
Approaching the glass, he rapped his knuckles on the smooth surface.
"Reilly, I thought I gave you an order to get home." Trying for fatherly
disapproval, he thought he sounded closer to pissed off ex-lover.
"Yes sir, sorry sir." The kid straightened up, looking appropriately
chastised.
Luke couldn't help the smug feeling as he watched Reilly turn and
retreat from Sophie's office. The moment passed as soon as her blazing
fury focused in on him. She didn't need to say anything for him to feel
her wrath. The anger etched on her face only made her beauty more
intense. He shot her a smile before catching up to Wright at the outer
doors.

"Yup, that's the way to win her." The words dripped with sarcasm, and
his friend leveled him with a pitying glance. "Just don't let any man talk
to her ever again, and she'll have no choice but to run into your studly
arms."
"If I've told you once, I've told you a million times. There is nothing
between Sophie and me. Drop it."
"Yeah, and I told you you're full of shit. Ever since that girl walked in
here on her first day, you've barely looked at another woman." Wright
shook his head as they reached the car. He opened the passenger door
and stared Luke down across the roof of their squad car. "I just hope
you realize what an idiot you are. That girl's one in a million. I should
know, I got one at home, too. You keep playing the fool, and she's
gonna eventually figure out it's time to give up on you and move on.
Only a woman in love can get that pissed at a man. Trust me."
"Drop it. Get in the fucking car." Luke tried his best to shake off his
friend's words, but they worried a path in his brain as the men drove in
silence to their first stop.
Three hours later, they had very little to show for their day's work.
Eddie, the guy running a tattoo operation from his house, hadn't done
the tattoo they asked about. He also said it was a fairly common piece,
and the location on the perp's neck wasn't even that unusual. Another
dead end in this frustrating-as-hell case.
They pulled up outside Shady's Bar. The scent of stale beer and foul
body odor hung in the air like a curtain, overwhelming Luke's senses
for a moment when they walked in the door. Despite barely being one
in the afternoon, the place had a good number of people milling about.
To say it was a dive was being generous. It was a pit, known for its
cheap drinks and corrupt owner.
"Officer McCracken, what brings you into our fine establishment
today? Didn't figure you for a day drinker." Shady sat at his usual spot
in the corner of the small dining room. Looking at the guy, Luke found
it hard to believe people feared him. Skinny enough to see his
collarbones straining against his skin, thinning hair greased back, and
yellow stains on his fingers and corners of his mouth from too much
smoking, he looked more and more like a rodent every time Luke saw
him.

"I felt like I haven't paid you enough visits this month, thought I should
change that. I miss our little chats." The fake smile Luke plastered on
his face felt wrong. Blood boiling at the sight of this pathetic excuse for
a human, he fought to keep his cool. One hand rested on his holstered
Glock, the other hung loosely at his side.
It was no secret Shady ran an elaborate underground gambling
operation. Try as they might to bust him, he managed to slip by every
time. Never able to make anything stick, he was considered the great
white whale of the town. Tall tales about the time Luke had almost
managed to make a charge stick grew each year.
Unlike the wild rumors circulating, Luke didn't go deep undercover in
the criminal underground. The truth was much more boring. He'd been
the one on duty when a gunshot victim stumbled into the ER with a
bullet lodged in his knee. The guy was pissed and willing to testify.
That is until Shady and his goons got to him. A master at intimidation,
Shady convinced the poor guy to recant his statement. Word was the
guy's debts got wiped clean; he skipped town and took their case with
him.
Ever since, Luke had made sure to keep track of Shady's movements,
but had never been able to come as close to making something stick.
Wright hung back, scanning the room. The goons were spread out
across the place, keeping an eye on the action. No one would make a
move unless Shady told them to.
"Was there something special you wanted to talk about? You know me,
I'm an open book." Rotting teeth flashed with Shady's smug smile.
Someday, Luke would wipe that confident look off the scum's face. But
today he needed to play nice; he was here for information, not a fight.
"Actually, I think we might have a mutual friend. Tall, skinny, long
light brown hair. Tattoo of hands praying on his neck. Ring any
bells?"
Shady's nicotine-stained fingers rubbed at his bottom lip in thought.
"I'm not sure. Why would you think I know this friend of yours?"
Luke was losing his patience with the criminal; he fought to keep

his temper suppressed. "Well, a man he had a slight run-in with last
night said he wore a shirt with your fine establishment's logo on it.
Didn't realize you guys sold merchandise." Luke shot him a wry smile.
"I'd love a coffee mug."
"Sorry. Can't help. We gave some shirts away during an event a few
weeks ago; anyone could have grabbed one. Now, if you don't mind,
we have a strict 'order or get out' policy." His expression turned cold.
Apparently, they were done with the banter portion of the visit.
But Luke got the distinct feeling he had struck a nerve. "Tell you what,
you remember who our friend is, give me a call. I'm pretty sure you
remember our number." He rapped his knuckles on the table. "Stay out
of trouble, Simon." The scumbag's face reddened with anger. He hated
being called by his given name. The reaction never failed to amuse
Luke.
Back in the safety of their squad car, Wright finally spoke again. "He
knows the guy. Did you see how pissed he got when you mentioned the
shirt? Someone's going to be getting a talkin' to tonight."
"Yeah, I noticed." Luke tapped the steering wheel with the side of his
fist. "All the evidence so far points to these robberies being drug
motivated. Prescriptions are always taken, and anything easily pawned
for cash. This doesn't feel like a guy trying to pay off his gambling debt.
I'd be willing to bet this guy's all about getting his next fix." He rubbed
his hand over the stubble on his head in frustration. "So why's Shady
involved? He's never been a drug pusher. Illegal sports gambling,
casino games he rigs in his favor, underground fighting rings. That's
Shady. Drugs? I don't think so for some reason."
"Maybe our guy's branching out. I wouldn't put it past him."
Wright had a point. Luke wouldn't put it past Shady to take every
opportunity to make a quick buck. But something still felt off to him
about the whole thing. "I want a detail put on Shady. Rotating shifts,
but we'll make it obvious. Not try to hide that we're tailing him. Our
sweet Simon gets stupid when he's pissed. Maybe if we piss him off
enough, he'll slip up and point us in the right direction."
"Ten-four, Sarge." Wright gave him a stiff nod, quickly followed by his
signature shit-eating grin. "Now let's get back to the station;

there's a bar stool and a shot glass with my name on it."
Luke couldn't help his own smile creeping onto his face. That's right, it
was time for Chief Gallo's party. And for him to spend some more
quality time teasing Sophie. There could be no finer way to end his day,
as far as Luke was concerned.

Chapter Four Sophie
The sounds of dozens of rowdy off-duty cops nearly knocked Sophie
over as she made her way into Blue Line, the resident police bar.
Flat-screen televisions lined the wall behind the bar, with various
baseball games playing on each one, the commentary adding to the
chaos of noise in the bar. Almost every stool and table had a police
officer or family member occupying the seat. She nodded and waved to
several people as she weaved her way through the crowd, looking for
her uncle.
"Soph, over here, sweetheart." She couldn't help but smile. Her uncle
never used terms of endearment with her in front of the other guys. As
the chief of police, he tried to keep their work relationship as
all-business as possible, even when they weren't technically at work.
She stepped up to give the giant, grey-haired man a hug, and he draped
his heavy arm around her shoulders, holding her tight to his side. The
smell of alcohol wafted from his skin. He had been drinking a lot lately.
"Hey Chief, how are you doing?" Try as she may to keep the tone of
worry out of her voice, it seeped through, earning her a look of
reproach from the only family member left in her life.
He recovered quickly and smiled down at her. "I'm fine; no worries,
sweet girl." He picked up a glass containing some brown liquid and
held it up to the picture of a bald man behind the bar. "We were just
about to drink to your father. The best DA the county ever saw."
Sophie teared up at the thought of her father. "Not to mention the best
Dad. And Mom, for that matter." Her Dad had raised her by himself
after her mother had died at the hands of a DUI driver when Sophie was
a baby. Her father had taken everything on his shoulders, and she
would never forget him for it.
She liked to remember her dad as he appeared in the picture. Tall,
strong, clear mind. Not the shell of a man the chemo and pain killers
had

turned him into toward the end. The cancer transformed the once-proud
man into a frail child, barely able to hold a thought in his head for more
than a minute.
Dozens of glasses around the bar raised to salute the photo. Her favorite
drink materialized before her, as if by magic. Even in a bar filled to
capacity with law enforcement, she still wasn't naive enough to drink
something given to her by a stranger.
But then a hand rested on her hip, and McCracken's mischievous grin
appeared as his body leaned next to her at the bar.
"Cranberry and vodka, right?" He raised his glass of dark beer, tipping
it toward her father's image.
"Thanks." Turning her back to him, she mimicked the gesture.
"To Mac!" Her father's name rang throughout the bar, and she had to
concentrate to hold back the tears from spilling down her cheeks.
It had been over two years since he passed, and she still wasn't over it.
Maybe she never would be. But the men and women in this bar made
up her family now. A sense of security poured over her as she looked
around. They had loved him almost as much as she did.
"How are your classes going, sweet girl?" Her Uncle's pride-filled eyes
brought her back from her somber thoughts.
"Fantastic! With any luck, you'll officially have a certified child
psychologist on staff next year." Gratitude swept over her once more
for the generosity of the man who'd become her surrogate parent after
her father's death. "I still can't believe you got the grant approved for
the station to add the position. It's been six months, and I'm still so
excited to go to class."
"It wasn't just my doing. Luke here was the one who brought the idea to
my attention. I simply filled out the paperwork."
Sophie turned to find the sergeant still leaning against the bar behind
her. "You never told me you had anything to do with the grant."
His detached shrug infuriated her. "If I'd known it meant making you a
permanent fixture in the station, I never would've looked into it." He
glanced away, avoiding her eyes.
"You watching out for our girl tonight, Luke?" Uncle Jon was oblivious
to the tension between them, thankfully.

"I don't need a babysitter. Especially not him." She shot her Uncle an
exasperated look. With the exception of his full head of hair, he looked
exactly like her Dad, his older brother. They had the same strong
jawline, kind blue eyes, and imposing stature.
"Aw come on, honeybee. Luke's a decent guy. And I don't want you
going anywhere alone after dark anymore." He leveled her with his best
"don't mess with me" stare. After a decade as the chief of police, he had
perfected the art of getting his point across with a look. "Not until this
rash of armed robberies gets solved. There are too many damned
addicts out there looking for something to trade for their next hit."
She knew the case weighed on his mind and didn't want to add to his
worries, so she dropped her protest. For the moment.
"Luke, she doesn't leave this place without an escort to her car, and I
expect a patrol car to follow her back to her house. Got it?" There was
that look again. McCracken didn't have a chance.
"Yes, sir. You have my word." Despite the lack of uniform, Luke's
posture automatically snapped to attention at the order from his
superior.
The Chief nodded his approval and walked off to talk with some of the
other men. As soon as he left, Luke visibly relaxed his stance.
"Looks like you drew the short straw tonight. You really don't need to
watch me; I' m fine."
His attempt at giving her the same no-nonsense look as her uncle struck
her as so ridiculous she had to bite back a laugh.
"My Chief gave me an order. I'll follow it, thanks." He swallowed the
rest of his drink in one go, and depositing the pint on the bar, he nodded
to the bartender. "Two shots down here."
"No shots! " The response burst from her lips a little too fast.
He chuckled at her declaration. "Afraid of what will happen?"
"You've already proved once you can't be trusted when it comes to me
and tequila, so yeah, I'll keep my head on straight tonight."
"First of all, you only had one shot that night. If anything, I was the
drunk one being taken advantage of." Sliding forward, he pressed his
firm thigh against her crotch. The seam of her jeans rubbed against her
mound, and she gasped in surprise. "Besides, I can get you into bed
with or without shots."

"You think I'm that easy, huh?" One light shove from her and he
willingly backed off, but not as much as she would've liked. "No, I
think I'm that good."
The desire to hit him bubbled up again. She didn't consider herself a
violent person. But for some reason this pig of a man brought it out in
her. "You're disgusting, you know that, right?"
He shot her a panty-melting smile. She pressed her thighs together,
both in an effort to relieve some of the pressure building there, and to
keep his leg from advancing further between them.
"You know, I would be curious to have you again, sober this time." He
leaned forward, invading her space, causing her logic to falter. "You
were so wild and uninhibited that night. Are you always like that in
bed? Or was it the tequila talking?"
The only reason this asshole felt like he could play with her like this
was because she never gave him anything back. Screw that. Two could
play this game.
She brought her body closer. Her hand brushed against his crotch and
she was surprised to find him hard beneath his jeans. "I'm better sober.
You got the clumsy version. The things I'd do to you when there's
nothing fogging my brain?" She brought her lips to graze against the
outer shell of his ear, rubbing her body against his. "You'd never be
satisfied by one of these bimbos you chase around this place again."
She nipped his earlobe and stepped back to give them both more space.
The playfulness vanished from his eyes, replaced now with obvious
lust. "Who said I ever was?"
A response escaped her. What on earth did that mean? Instead of
continuing their heated conversation, Sophie picked up her drink and
headed toward the dance floor.
Several of the station wives danced in a huddle on the small, square
wood floor. They squealed and welcomed her into their circle as she
approached. If the guys in the station acted as her brothers, their wives
were like the best friends she'd never had as a teenager. Being raised by
her father and uncle had left Sophie with very little experience
interacting with women. Men had always been whom she gravitated
toward when choosing friends.

But these women took her under their collective wing. Maybe it was
their natural instinct to protect the orphaned girl, or they recognized she
needed a friend. Not a week had gone by since her father died that she
didn't get a request for a midday coffee or lunch date from one of them.
The music spurred her to move with complete abandon. Dancing was
one of the few activities that allowed her mind to let go and just drift.
She rolled her body, swayed her hips. Laughed and shimmied her small
chest along with the rest of the ladies. The feel of several pairs of eyes
evaluating her brought some of her self-consciousness back to the
surface, but she tried to ignore it.
Just as she was really getting into the groove, a slow, sexy song came
on. Men filtered onto the floor, finding the women they had pledged
their hearts to, pulling them close. Sophie drifted to the sidelines.
Strong hands circled her small waist.
She didn't need to see his face to know Luke held her.
"Dance with me."
Forcing an exasperated sigh from her lips, she willed her heart to cease
its wild beating. "Fine."
He spun her around and pulled her tight to his chest, but he kept his
hands at a respectable distance from her ass and rocked back and forth
to the rhythm.
She had to be careful. Two years ago, she had let her hopes and
emotions get crushed by this man. The wall she had so firmly built
around her heart could crack at any moment if she didn't watch it.
Attempting to put a little distance between their bodies was useless.
Every time she went to take a step back he followed her, not giving an
inch. He cupped the back of her head, cradled it against his chest.
"Stop trying to escape." He chuckled in her ear. "You looked amazing
out here. Every man in the room has been watching you. Even the
married ones. I couldn't let anyone else touch you. No one but me."
Her heart skipped a beat, then resumed pumping at double time.
A hand caressed her back, traveling lower until it came to rest at the dip
just above the curve of her ass. He applied a slight pressure there and
she allowed him to hold her tighter. The feel of his arousal against

her belly set her body on fire.
Fuck. This was a bad idea. She had to get out.
Two giant steps back and she broke free of his grip. She turned and
rushed toward the front door. A coat hanger crashed to the floor as she
snatched her leather jacket on the way out, but she didn't bother to stop
and pick it up.
The door swung shut behind her, and she sent a silent prayer out to the
sky that he wouldn't follow her.
No such luck. Not three paces from the door, it swung open with
enough force that it slammed against the brick wall.
"Sophie! Where the fuck are you going?" He bellowed across the quiet
parking lot.
"Home. Stay away from me; I'm warning you. I have pepper spray."
Tears threatened to spill once more. She would not cry in front of this
asshole.
"I promised your uncle I'd watch you tonight. You can't leave without
me." Footsteps echoed off the walls of the surrounding buildings as he
stalked after her.
She stopped on a dime and spun to face him. "Don't you dare try and
use my uncle as an excuse to try and get into my pants, you asshole. We
both know you don' t give two shits about my well-being. Just go back
inside. There are plenty of badge bunnies in there that would love to do
you in the bathroom. Go bother one of them." It hadn't been her
intention to yell at him, but once she got started, her control quickly
snapped and anger spewed from her mouth.
"Listen, I'd be lying to your face if I said I didn't want to fuck you
against that car right this second. But I swear to you, I will just make
sure you get home okay. I gave the chief my word, and damn it, I keep
my word."
She could tell he was struggling to keep his cool. But his bullshit moral
self-righteous act needed to be called out.
"Really? You keep your word?" She shoved a finger hard into his chest,
the pain and anger she'd held for far too long finally breaking free.
"What about two years ago when you said I wasn't just a hook-up?"
Luke hung his head, unable to meet her gaze.

"That's what I thought, fuck-wad."
"Jesus, Soph, it was two years ago. Like you said, get over it. I was an
asshole, I admit it."
"Yeah, you were an asshole, all right. You took advantage of a girl
who'd lost her dad not four weeks before." The crack in her voice made
her even madder. "Sure, the tequila was my idea, but you went along
with it. You were the one saying crap like I was the most beautiful
woman you'd ever seen, and you just wanted to be closer to me. You
have any fucking idea what words like that do to a woman?" She wiped
at the bitter tears that spilled from her eyes. "I thought you liked me. I
thought we had a future. The bed hadn't even stopped shaking from our
fucking before you were out the door. Then at work you just pretended
like nothing had happened. And now, what? You want a repeat
performance?" Silence filled the air as she waited for a response.
"Sophie..."
"No. Fuck you, I don't give a shit about your answer. I'm done. I' m
going home."
Before she could move an inch, his hands gripped her biceps, pulling
her flush against his hard body. His lips crashed into hers. She tried to
retreat, but he followed until her back pressed against the cold metal of
her car.
Her initial resistance to the kiss evaporated as soon as his teeth nibbled
her bottom lip. A needy moan slipped out as she opened her mouth,
welcoming his tongue. She clutched at his shirt, wrapped a leg around
his hip, and thrust her mound against his arousal.
Breaking the connection, Luke's voice was thick with desire. "We
should get you back home."
Regret swept through her as reason returned. This was Luke
McCracken, infamous womanizer, classic alpha male. Not a potential
boyfriend, just a heartbreak waiting to happen. Again.
"No. I'm not doing this again." The words were for herself as much as
for him. She shoved his chest with all her strength; he stumbled back in
surprise.
Sophie wrenched open the door of her shitty Corolla. Glancing in her
rear view mirror, she saw him running across the parking lot and

getting into his own car. Whatever.
Every minute of the twenty-mile drive back to her house was pure
torture. After looking back once to see that he was following her, she
had to force herself to not look again.
The kiss played in her mind on repeat. Why did he have such a
profound effect on her hormones?
She half expected him to bum-rush her when they arrived at her house.
Instead, he sat in his car across the street from her driveway and
watched as she walked to the door. Once inside, she locked the door
and peeked out the window through the drapes. His car had yet to
move. She let the curtain fall back into place and turned to head
upstairs.
The sound of his car speeding away filled her with disappointment.
Part of her had wanted him to follow her inside. To fight for her. Tell
her she was wrong. But apparently, she was right.

Chapter Five
Luke
Fuck.
What had he done?
Luke silently berated himself the entire ride to Sophie's house. How
had his teasing and annoying her for the pure thrill of her reaction
turned into pressing his hard cock against her on the dance floor and
mauling her in the parking lot?
It had just been so long since he'd been with a woman. That was the
only explanation he could think of. Every time he had even tried to take
a woman home, in the time since his night with Sophie, he couldn't
follow through with it. Sophie's sweet face would swim before his eyes,
and a vague feeling of nausea followed behind the vision. No woman
even half interested him since that night. Even thinking about brushing
his lips against anyone but Sophie made his dick shrivel.
Sophie Gallo had well and truly ruined him for all other women. Not
that he would let her know that.
Luke pulled up to the curb opposite her house and watched as she
slammed her car door closed, stalked up the stairs to her front door, and
slammed that door shut even harder. He collapsed against the seat back,
his stomach churning with the desire to run after her. Take her in his
arms. Kiss her until she forgot why she hated him so much.
As much as he loved pissing her off with his needling and
third-grade-boy antics, seeing that disdain for him so bright in her eyes
felt like a punch to the gut every single day. Lying in bed with her that
night so many years ago, he had felt at home.
Right up until he'd panicked and run. He'd been adrift ever since.
Could he fix things?
Luke gripped the door handle, ready to fling it open and break into her
house if he had to.
Fuck! Luke pounded his fist against the steering wheel.

He couldn't. Nothing had changed. Every reason for why he'd walked
away from Sophie two years ago still rang true. He reminded himself of
that once again. She may not ever know it, but by staying away, he was
saving her a life of pain.
Maybe he should move on. Stop torturing himself. Go back to the bar,
find a willing woman — which wouldn't be hard — and fuck Sophie
out of his system.
A sense of dread filled his chest as he turned his car back toward the
Blue Line. The police scanner crackled next to him, as the dispatcher
called for units to head toward a suspicious vehicle a couple of miles
away, and for a moment Luke considered answering the request. But he
was off duty, had drunk a couple of beers, and even though he was okay
to drive, he really shouldn't go to a scene with beer on his breath.
Another unit answered the call, and Luke accepted the fact that he had
just been trying to find an excuse not to go back to the bar.
But it had to be done.
The parking lot had filled even more since he and Sophie had left. No
surprise there; ten on a Friday night was always a busy time for the
place. Cops, ex-cops, their wives and girlfriends, and the women
hoping to become their girlfriends, all packed the place to unwind and
blow off a little steam. Exactly what Luke needed to do.
Despite the extra bodies and noise in the bar, it felt somehow empty
without Sophie there. Luke pushed the thought aside. No more thinking
about Sophie, only of finding a not-too-tipsy, attractive lady to get this
over with and move on. He felt vaguely guilty that he would be using
whatever woman went home with him to break the seal on his
unintentional celibacy, but not enough to make him change his mind.
It didn't take long after he bellied up to the bar before a badge bunny
slinked up beside him, batting her lashes. Even before Sophie came
into his life, Luke had never been one to chase the bunnies or holster
sniffers. They were only interested in his steady job and pension, the
thrill of the title. Not the real him. But this girl wasn't bad as far as
bunnies went. She was tall and curvy, bleach blonde hair tumbling over
her shoulders. The blue of her eyes was a little startling, as though they
might be contacts, but he could ignore that. She was the exact opposite

of the girl who'd been haunting his dreams for years. Just what he
needed.
"Hello there, officer. Can I buy you a drink?" Her sultry voice did
nothing to him, though he wished like hell it would at least cause a
twinge in his pants.
"Aren't I supposed to be the one buying you a drink?" Luke gave her his
patented half smile that seemed to make the panties drop, but even that
made him feel like he was wronging Sophie in some way.
"Well, if you insist. I don't want to break some unwritten law." The
giggle that spilled from the girl's mouth left Luke cold. It sounded
forced, false. Much like the overly large breasts that she pushed into his
side.
Everything about this was fake: the woman, Luke's desire to spend time
with her, everything. She draped her arm around his shoulder, leaned
in, and then ran her tongue along the shell of his ear. Luke's dick
promptly retreated, seemingly trying to take shelter inside his body
from the woman he had started referring to as Notsophie in his head.
This level of shrinkage had only ever been achieved before by running
into the local pond mid-winter for a penguin plunge charity fundraiser.
Never in his life had Luke been so happy to hear his phone ring. He
stood quickly from his stool, almost sending Notsophie tumbling to the
floor. "Sorry, got to take this, could be police business."
He raced from the bar, the cool spring air chasing the last remnants of
Notsophie's perfume from his nose. His phone flashed the words
"Number Blocked" across the display; a shiver of unease crept up his
spine. He slid his finger across the screen, accepting the call.
"McCracken here. Who is this?"
"We need to meet." There was no mistaking the slimy voice.
Shady.
Luke couldn't fathom why the scumbag would call him; criminals
weren't exactly known for ringing up the guys chomping at the bit to
put them behind bars. But Shady had unwittingly done Luke a solid by
interrupting what would most likely have been a huge mistake, so he
was willing to give the guy a few minutes. "What can I help you with,
Shady?"

"We need to meet, tonight." The guy whispered, his already gruff voice
made even more hoarse by the low volume.
Luke chuffed a humorless laugh. "Why would we need to meet? Unless
you plan on coming clean with all your criminal activity? Turn over a
new leaf and all that."
"Just trust me. You're going to want to hear what I have to tell you. But
you need to call off your henchmen. These assholes have been
following me around all night. It's bad for business."
Luke smirked as he climbed into his car. He knew putting a tail on
Shady would drum up something. After getting the location of where
Shady wanted to meet, Luke radioed in and called off the surveillance
detail. The entire drive over, his thoughts fluctuated between Sophie's
anger and hate toward him, and what on earth Shady could want to talk
about. Truth be told though, most of his brain was dedicated to the sass
and fire of the woman plaguing his mind day and night since she'd
walked into his station.
Luke wouldn' t soon forget that day. It had been a few years before her
father died, when she had come home from school to visit and go with
her dad to an appointment. The appointment that would ultimately start
his battle with cancer. Luke had been a rookie cop just starting out in
the station. Sophie couldn't have been more than eighteen. She came
into the station to talk to her uncle about something, and Luke had been
working the front desk while the normal secretary stepped out for
lunch. He'd been stunned silent by her beauty for a good ten seconds.
Long enough that she approached the window and asked to see the
chief, then stood there as Luke just stared at her, his dick throbbing and
hard in his pants. Just by seeing her damn face.
It took her knocking on the glass partition to break him out of his
stupor. Once he came to his senses, he slid that panty-dropping smile
onto his face and flirted with her until her uncle came out to greet her.
Each time she came home to visit over the next few years, they would
chat and flirt in the station. Then, in her junior year of college, right
after turning twenty-one, she dropped out to care for her dying father
full time. Any time she needed a break from being a caretaker, they
would meet up, go to a movie, bowling, or just sit at the bar.

Anything to get her mind off the state of her life.
Luke swore up and down he wouldn't make a move on her. Sophie was
way too good for the likes of a lowly cop trying to work his way up the
ranks. He knew all too well the dangers of being the girlfriend and wife
of a police officer, and he refused to do that to her.
It hadn' t been easy.
Everything about Sophie drew him in: her laugh, her easy-going
attitude, her ability to talk about any subject, her effortless beauty. But
Luke made good on his silent promise to keep his hands off.
Right up until he couldn't anymore.
A rap on his window startled Luke out of his introspection. Shady's
pockmarked face hovered on the other side, looking at Luke as if he
were nuts. "You getting out anytime soon, or should I just shout what I
have to tell you through bulletproof glass?"
Luke rolled his eyes as he opened the door and stepped from his car.
"Simon, always lovely to see you again. Twice in one day, I feel like
I've won the lottery or something."
"You think you're such a badass calling me by that name, but don't
forget I knew you when you were a knock-kneed little freshman,
pissing your pants every time a senior so much as brushed past you in
the hall." Shady sneered at Luke, his disdain written all over his face.
Part of the problem with being a cop in his hometown was knowing
personally almost all the criminals he was busting. Shady had been on
his way out of their school when Luke was a freshman. They barely
crossed paths, but the few times they did had been memorable. Mostly
because they involved Luke getting smashed against a locker for
having a cop as a father.
Luke rolled his eyes, refusing to be intimidated or take the bait that
Shady loved to dangle in front of him. Luke wasn't that knock-kneed
kid anymore. Hadn't been for a very long time. "Sorry for the slip there,
Shady. Now, you said you had something to tell. Out with it before I
leave."
The slimeball shifted back and forth on his feet, his eyes sweeping
around the empty parking lot where they had met up. "Listen dude,
there are things I refuse to touch, things that aren't worth the risk."

"You saying there's a crime you won't commit? Huh, I gotta admit, that
is pretty shocking." Luke leaned back against his car, leaving his arms
relaxed at his sides, but ready to pull the gun hidden beneath his shirt if
need be.
"Fuck you, McCracken. I' m talking about drugs. I like my clients alive;
that way I can get more money out of them. If I pumped 'em full of
drugs, I'd be threatening my bottom line. The drugs aren't coming from
me. But they are here." Shady shifted on his feet once again, scanning
the surrounding area.
"You know who's bringing the drugs in?" Trusting Shady was as
foreign a concept to Luke as calculus, yet something about his words
rang true.
"I might." Shady brought his beady little eyes back to lock on Luke.
"But I' m going to need some assurances that this doesn't get traced
back to me. Talking to the cops is dangerous in my line of work."
"Don't worry, Simon, I don't want anyone to know I'm talking to you
any more than you do."
Shady shot him the bird and rolled his eyes before continuing. "Word
going around is there are some new kids on the block. Trying to pick up
the slack from the increase in busts in the city." Shady ran his fingers
through the greasy hair combed over his ever-expanding bald spot.
"Some idiots that have watched too much Breaking Bad. From what I
hear, they started off just selling pills to housewives. But they've
ventured far beyond that now. And the junkies that can't get their fix
downtown anymore have started to get word that there is some
premium shit to be found here."
Goddamnit.
Of course, Luke had been following Pittsburgh's new mayor and his
anti-drug initiatives. The PPD had thrown three times as many drug
dealers behind bars this year as they had the previous year. But Luke
never thought the cleaning up of the city would mean his town would
get all the runoff. They were a good forty-five minute drive from
Pittsburgh, without traffic. These guys must be really desperate to
come all the way out to Middleburg to score.
"And you have nothing to do with this? Really?" Luke found it

hard to believe there was a criminal element in their town that Shady
didn' t have at least a helping hand in getting started.
"Hey, believe what you want, man. Off the record, I'm not saying I
haven't sold some weed in my day. But the crap these guys are peddling
is going to result in bodies piling up fast. The guy you're looking for,
the one breaking into all the homes? He used to be a client. Had a
penchant for the underground fights. But he's been scarce lately, and
word is he got mixed up with these new pushers. Owes them money,
and he isn't getting his product."
"You got a name, or are you going to keep talking in riddles?" Luke' s
patience with this idiot was wearing thin.
"Billy Jennings. Ran across him a few weeks back. Dude is going
downhill fast." Shady held up his hands as if to show he was washing
his hands of the situation. "Like I said, I make more money off my
clients while they're breathing and making shitty bets on mediocre
sports teams." Shady started walking back to his car, still facing Luke.
"Do what you want with this Sergeant, but I'm telling you, check out
the local pharmacies if you want to get rid of this problem. The drugs
go bye-bye, the break-ins will stop."
Luke stayed leaning against his car for a good half-hour after Shady
drove away. He rolled the criminal's words over in his head. Could he
trust the guy? No, definitely not. But he did trust Shady's desire to keep
making money. If the new drug element was starting to affect Shady's
clientele, then what he said could hold water.
Blowing out a huff of breath, Luke climbed into his car with the
intention of heading back to the station and getting started on this new
direction for the case. First, he would swing by Sophie's house one last
time, like he did most nights. It assuaged his guilt a little, knowing she
was safe in her house. He longed to be in there with her, cuddled up on
the couch watching some idiotic comedy. But he knew he'd bring her
more pain than he ever could joy. And he couldn't live with that. Just a
drive-by would have to satisfy his craving for her.
But as he made his way toward her house, a call squawked out of the
dispatch radio that made his stomach plummet like a boulder and fear
spike through him in a way it never had before.

Chapter Six Sophie
Sleep refused to come easily that night. Sophie tossed and turned,
unable to shut her brain down. After hours of counting backwards,
thinking about her to-do list for the next day, and even a fast and
furious self-administered orgasm, she finally gave up on the idea of
sleep. She flung the blankets off and made her way to the master
bathroom. If she couldn't sleep, she could at least clean. It had always
been her way of unwinding. Probably another by-product of being
raised by a man with less than exemplary bathroom habits.
Cell phone propped up on the vanity, she bopped along to her favorite
scrubbing music, '60's girl groups like The Supremes. But not even
Diana Ross and scouring the tub until it gleamed could make her forget
the feel of Luke's lips.
The delicate skin around her mouth still tingled with the memory of his
rough end-of-the-day scruff abrading it. Which called to mind how that
same sensation had felt between her thighs years ago.
Sophie shook the dirty thoughts from her mind, focusing on ridding her
shower of hard water stains instead.
A distant crash pulled her from her cleaning stupor. She had no idea
how long she'd been at it, but a second, louder crash made her stop and
sit back onto her heels.
Pausing her music app, she listened intently, trying to figure out where
the noise had originated.
Another crash and the tinkling of glass shattering.
Then footsteps.
Shit.
Someone was in the house.
She closed the door to the bathroom as quietly as she could, locked it,
and crawled into the tub, phone in hand.
For a moment, she remained frozen in place. The sounds of

rummaging and more glass shattering filtered through the house. As if
her mind had been plunged into mud, she struggled to pull her thoughts
together and remember what to do. Fear like she had never known
raced through her body.
Footsteps pounding on the stairs snapped her back to reality.
Pressing the shortcut button for 9-1-1 on her phone, she waited through
two rings before a dispatcher picked up.
"9-1-1, what is your emergency?" The operator sounded bored on the
other end of the line, an occupational hazard when working in a quiet
suburb.
"There's someone in my house. My address is 201 East Cass Street.
Please send police." The quiet, calm voice coming from Sophie's
mouth surprised her. Terror rippled through her body, begged to be
released in sobs and screams, but she held it at bay, knowing histrionics
would do her no good. Her heart rammed against the inside of her rib
cage; for a crazy moment she thought the intruder would be able to hear
the drumming of it through the layers of plaster and insulation in her
walls.
"Okay ma'am. I'm sending a police unit right now. Where is the
intruder now?" The operator tried to keep her talking. Sophie
recognized the tactic from first responder training the guys had to go
through. Talking helped to keep the caller calm, while also giving
police important information.
"He's down the hall. I'm locked in my bathroom. My gun and pepper
spray are both in other parts of the house, so I have nothing to defend
myself. My name is Sophie Gallo." The eerie calm tone to her voice
started to crack.
"Sophie Gallo?" Silence echoed through line for two beats. "You
answer the phones at the Middleburg Police Station?" Recognition rang
in the dispatcher's voice.
"That's me."
"Okay, Sophie, the car is on its way. Don't worry."
The sound of feet stumbling down the hall grew closer until the
stranger stopped outside the bathroom door. Low muttering sounded
just inches away, so close it seemed to fill the space, though she
couldn't

make out a word the stranger said.
"He's right outside the door," she whispered to the operator.
"Okay Sophie, you know what to do if he comes in. If he asks for
money or medication, give him anything he wants. If he tries to hurt
you, fight like hell." That wasn't standard protocol advice for a 9-1-1
dispatcher. But then Sophie had interacted with almost every
dispatcher in their county at some point or another.
She jumped when the doorknob rattled, straining against the locking
mechanism.
The silence that followed ramped up her fear another notch.
The whole door shook violently. Metal grated on metal as the cheap
builder-grade hinges threatened to give way.
"Come out. I won't hurt you." A strange voice with just a twinge of
desperation echoed through the locked door.
The hair on the back of Sophie's neck stood on end. Every instinct in
her body screamed at her to run. But there wasn't anywhere to go; she
was trapped in her own home. The same house her mother and father
had brought her home from the hospital to. The place she had learned to
crawl, walk, drive. Where she had posed for pictures in front of the
fireplace before high school dances. The last place her father saw
before he took his final breaths in the makeshift bedroom that hospice
care had made in the dining room. The one place she had always felt
safe.
She didn't dare say anything, either to the intruder or the 9-1-1 operator.
Heart pounding against the wall of her chest, she closed her eyes, trying
to quiet her breathing. Maybe he would give up and move on.
"Fucking bitch, come out." The desperation in his voice increased. "I
know you're in there. I watched you. I can hear you."
How long had it been since the car was dispatched? Thirty seconds? A
minute? Would they get there in time?
Wood splintered as a heavy object made contact with the door, making
Sophie jump and clutch her knees to her chest. Another kick, and the
cheap door hung in pieces from the hinges.
A skinny man wearing black pants, a dirty white shirt, and rubber
gloves stumbled into the bathroom. Parts of his hair clumped together

from a lack of washing. Scruffy facial hair spotted his jaw and chin.
Sophie cataloged every detail, knowing if she managed to survive this
hell, she would need to recall it for the police. For some odd reason,
that was all her mind could cling to. Make sure you see everything,
remember everything. You'll need to know details later so they can
catch this bastard.
"I told you to let me in, you fucking cunt." Boot clad feet stomped
toward her, and she screamed while trying to scramble back as far as
she could go in the tub. She curled into a tight ball, covering her head
with her arms, making herself as small a target as she possibly could.
Smooth rubber-covered hands gripped her biceps, ripping her from the
floor of the tub. Harsh fingertips dug into the flesh of her arms. Her toes
hooked on the lip of the bathtub as he hauled her over the side, making
them both stumble and almost collapse onto the ground. The force of
their tripping bodies slammed her into his chest. The scent of
weeks-old body odor, alcohol, and tobacco made her gag, vomit
threatening to push from her stomach.
Before she could even try to regain some footing, the intruder slammed
her back against the wall beside the sinks. Her head made contact with
the drywall, and the room swirled around her.
"Money, pills, where are they? I know you have some." The man kept
one hand firmly pressed against her throat, holding her against the wall
and making it a little harder to breathe. With the other, he ripped open
the medicine cabinet that hung over the vanity. Face wash, tampons,
and over-the-counter drugs tumbled to the granite countertop.
"I swear, I don't have anything." She croaked around his grip on her
neck.
"Bullshit. Everyone knows your old man was sick before he died. You
have to have some good stuff left over." His fingers squeezed ever so
slightly more. But just that little pressure made her lungs burn with the
struggle to get oxygen to her bloodstream.
Unable to speak, she shook her head back and forth as much as she
could, begging him with her eyes to believe her.
"Money then. I know you have money." One corner of his thin mouth
curled in a sneer, exposing teeth so decayed they faded from

yellow to green the closer they came to his greying gums. "Big house
like this doesn't come cheap, even when Daddy gave it to you."
Sophie nodded, forcing one word from her raw throat. "Safe."
Mercifully, his grip slackened enough for her to suck in a great lungful
of air.
"Where?"
When she didn't answer immediately, his fingers pressed into her
windpipe once more, causing her to wheeze and her eyes to water. Both
her hands flew to grip his wrist, desperately trying to pull him from her.
"Down..." The word came out more a squeal than anything, but his hold
on her loosened once more. "Downstairs." She forced the words out
between bittersweet gulps of air. "Safe is downstairs."
His hand slid around to the back of her neck, and pinching the nape, he
pulled her from the wall and shoved her out the door into the master
bedroom. "Show me."
As the air began to flow more easily into her lungs, clarity came with it.
If she couldn't pull herself together and find a way out of this, she
would die.
Knees threatening to collapse with every step, she walked down the
hall to the stairs that bisected the house. Sophie knew her advantage in
all of this was her knowledge of the layout, but she wasn't sure she
could get the opportunity to make a run for it. If her intruder turned out
to be the same man breaking into homes and beating the occupants,
then she would have to act quickly. He had already proved to have little
regard for the life of his victims.
Sophie glimpsed the front door at the base of the stairs. Could she make
a run for it straight out the front? No. Even if she managed to throw this
guy off balance, somehow it would take precious seconds to unlock the
deadbolt, time during which he would recover, and then she would just
have an even angrier junkie on her hands.
The safe was in the den to the right of the stairs. If she gave him the
combination to open it, she could possibly get away while he
rummaged through. Or grab one of the weapons she knew were stored
there. But it wouldn't take him long to figure out the only thing of value
in the safe were family heirlooms that held no real monetary value. He
might be

able to get a couple hundred dollars for the jewelry, but that was a long
shot. She had long ago moved anything of real value to a safety deposit
box at the bank.
Halfway down the staircase now, and Sophie still had no real idea of
how she would get away. She could lead him in the wrong direction,
turn left at the bottom of the stairs instead of right. In the kitchen she
could grab a knife, make a run for the garage.
"Pick it up girlie. I don't have all night." A slight shove and Sophie
went spilling down the last three stairs and sprawling onto the cold tile
floor of the entryway.
A crash sounding from her right and something hard clipping across
her ribs and back had her shrieking in pain and burying her face in her
arms on the ground. Confusion swept through her mind. Had the
intruder had enough of her and decided to beat her to death before even
getting to the safe?
Too afraid to look, she held still and listened. Grunts and groans
filtered into her fear-riddled mind. Flesh hitting flesh. A cursing voice,
more feral growl than human. But even laced with anger, Sophie would
recognize that voice anywhere.
Luke.
She turned onto her back and shrank back against the door. Luke had
her captor pinned against the stairs, his fist cocking back for another
blow to what was already a very bloody face.
Sophie whimpered involuntarily, equal parts relief and terror warring
in her body at the scene laid before her. The small sound must have
pulled Luke's attention from the man below him, because he turned to
look at her. The rage in his eyes made Sophie press back harder against
the door.
The distraction gave the man enough time to pull his feet up and kick
Luke away from him. Luke recovered quickly, but the intruder
managed to slip by and run toward the back of the house.
Still plastered against the door, Sophie listened to the echoing sounds
of the two men grunting and struggling in the place she had called
home her entire life.
A yelp of pain from Luke broke through her increasing shock and

pushed her to action. She'd lost the most important people in her life
already. Even if Luke didn't hold the same feelings for Sophie as she
did for him, there was no way in hell she would let a drug addict
looking for his next score take away the man she had fallen in love
with. Even if that man had shattered her heart.
Scrambling to her feet, Sophie rushed into the den and pulled open the
bottom drawer of her father's desk. She took out the small pistol that
she had learned to shoot with at the age of sixteen, thankful for her
reluctance to put the thing in the storage locker in the closet with the
rest of her father's gun collection. She checked to make sure it was
loaded and held it down and away from her body as she stalked toward
the sounds of struggling.
Something heavy hit the floor, sending vibrations through the boards to
shake her bare feet. A low groan filled with pain came from one of the
men, though she couldn't tell which. As she rounded the corner into the
family room, relief swept through her to find Luke flat on his back, his
huge bicep holding the intruder in a tight choke hold. Luke's other arm
held the man's arm behind his back, wedged between their two bodies.
The junkie squirmed and fought against Luke's hold on him, but it was
useless. Luke's strength was no match for the scrawny, strung-out man.
But still he kicked and fought, trying to drive his head back into Luke' s
nose.
"STOP." Sophie yelled at the top of her lungs, and both men froze. She
leveled the gun at the man who had broken into her home, the one place
on earth she had felt safe. A sick sense of satisfaction spread through
her as she saw the fear creep into the man's crazed eyes.
"Good girl, Soph." She shifted her gaze to Luke's eyes; he looked at her
with admiration. "Keep the gun trained on this dirt bag. He gets away
from me, you pull the trigger, got it?"
Sophie nodded, no doubt in her mind she'd be able to take the shot if it
came down to it. The criminal's body went slack as he gave in to the
inevitable.
Still keeping his hand around the man's neck, Luke rolled him onto his
stomach and gripped both the guy's arms behind his back. Once the

man was secure on the ground, one of Luke's knees pressed into his
lower back, both hands held tight in one of Luke's, Sophie let out a sigh
of relief.
"Don't fucking move. You're under arrest." Luke practically growled in
the guy's ear.
Arms instantly weak, Sophie lowered her hands and let the gun fall to
her side, flipping the safety on as it went.
A loud crash from behind her had Sophie wheeling around. Raising the
gun once more, she staggered back until she hit the wall.
Officers Reilly and Jones burst into the foyer with guns drawn and
ready, but the moment they saw Sophie, they lowered their weapons
and ran to her side.
Sophie lowered her gun as well, allowing her body to slump to the
ground in a heap against the wall. Her vision blurred as the tears that
she had been holding back since hearing the man break into her home
loosened and streamed down her face.
"Reilly," Luke barked out from the other side of the family room. "Get
your ass in here and cuff this fucker."
"McCracken, what the fuck are you doing here?" Reilly holstered his
gun and removed a set of cuffs from his belt. Kneeling down next to the
intruder, he slapped the metal rings around the man's wrists and helped
Luke stand him up.
"I was in my car when I heard the call come over the scanners. I was
nearby." His eyes slid over to find Sophie still huddled on the floor,
curled in a ball and shaking. "Get this lowlife out of here. I'll help her."
The officers dragged the man in cuffs from the room, reading him his
Miranda rights as they went.
Slowly, Luke walked to where Sophie sat sobbing on the ground.
"Sophie, are you okay? Did he touch you?" He knelt down a foot away,
talking and approaching her as if she were a wounded animal that
would break at any moment.
Unable to speak, Sophie nodded, another sob ripping from her throat.
"I' m going to kill him."

Chapter Seven Luke
Rage like he had never known before surged through Luke's body. The
thought of that asshole's hands on his Sophie made red flood his vision.
Luke started to stand, but Sophie threw herself at him, wrapping her
arms around his neck and dragging him back to the ground with her.
"Shh... It's okay sweetheart, I won't leave you." He drew in a deep
breath, striving for calm, and stroked the hair at the back of Sophie's
head. "What did he do, Soph?"
God, he didn't want to know. But he needed to make sure the guy paid
for everything he did to this sweet woman's body.
"N-n-nothing, really," she stammered. "Just roughed me up a little.
Choked me, pushed me around."
Relief and anger battled for dominance in his chest. For a moment, he
had thought the scumbag had raped her; knowing that he hadn't put his
hands on her in that way was the kind of relief that made Luke's limbs
feel light. Yet at the same time, knowing the man had tried to harm the
only woman Luke had ever considered giving up his promise for, made
him want to exact some very painful revenge on the lowlife.
He blew out a heavy sigh, resigning himself to let the law do its thing
and let justice exact his revenge for him.
"I heard your address on the scanner, and I swear my heart stopped for
a moment." The words tumbled from his mouth before he could stop
them. And once they started, there was no stemming their flow. "I
didn't think I'd get here in time. But I was closer than the responding
squad car. I don't think I've ever driven that fast. I just kept thinking
about you in danger, and I knew I'd never forgive myself if something
happened to you."
"I don't want to think about what would have happened if you hadn' t
made it in time," Sophie whispered against his chest.

Sirens wailing and cars screeching onto her street made Sophie jump
slightly in his arms. He tightened his grip around her and kissed the top
of her head, unable to resist the pull of her sweet scent.
"Come on, let's get you some water. You'll have to make a statement."
Luke slowly pulled them both up from the floor, never loosening his
grip on the most important person in his life.
Over the next hour, police swarmed Sophie's house. Some were there in
an official capacity; most had heard one of their own was targeted and
came to help in any way they could.
Luke never left her side. He held her hand through her giving her
statement, as officers swirled around the rooms collecting evidence,
and while she wandered the house, numbly taking in the damage.
Helplessness threatened to squash him beneath its weight, but he held
strong and stood by her side, hoping that just his presence would help
her in some small way.
At one point, it occurred to him he should be worried about what their
coworkers thought of his attentiveness. But just as quickly as the
thought came, he dismissed it. They could go fuck themselves if they
had a problem with him holding her hand and comforting her.
The only time his hands left hers was when her uncle showed up. Luke
shoved them into the pockets of his jeans and took a step back at that
point. Both out of respect for his superior, but also out of respect for the
woman who had wormed herself into his cold, walled-up heart.
"My Sophie girl. Are you okay?" The man who might as well have
been her second father rushed into the room. His large hands cupped
her face.
"I'm fine, Uncle Jon. Luke got here just in time." She nodded toward
Luke, standing quietly behind her shoulder.
"Luke, I can't thank you enough." Chief Gallo wasn't known for his
overt emotions, even after the passing of his brother. But the large
man's voice cracked as he reached his hand out to shake Luke's.
"Just doing my job, Chief." Luke pulled himself up straighter, locking
his spine into attention.
"Bullshit. You were off duty and put yourself at risk for this girl." The
Chief pulled Luke into a back-slapping hug, and mumbled words

into his ear that Sophie wouldn't be able to hear. "Don't think you've
ever fooled me, boy. You don't make this girl yours, someone else
will."
The comment left Luke reeling. The Chief knew about them? And
more, he approved? Luke had spent so much time in the past two years
suppressing his feelings for Sophie, he didn't know what to do with the
knowledge that his mentor and boss had known all along. The reasons
for staying away from Sophie had nothing to do with her uncle, but he
had always assumed that if the chief ever found out about their night
together and his continued feelings for her, he would be livid. Knowing
that wasn't true made Luke consider if all the other reasons for staying
away had been bullshit as well.
As soon as the chief left, Luke took up his spot by Sophie's side once
more, taking her shaking hand into his steady one. The need to sit and
analyze his feelings, and whether it was possible to allow himself to
love Sophie and still keep her safe nagged at him. But he put it to the
side. Right now he had to be there for her, not confuse her further with
his own bullshit.
Once all their statements had been recorded, and the window that had
been busted out where the perp entered boarded over, people filtered
out, leaving the two of them alone.
They stood awkwardly for a moment, hands still connected, but neither
seeming willing to be the one to let go. He knew he should leave, let her
alone to recover from the night's events.
But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Selfish prick that he was, the
thought of not being with her at that moment made acid bubble in his
stomach.
"I' m not leaving," he blurted out, at the same time as she whispered,
"Please don't leave."
Their words stumbled over each other. She smiled, and warmth spread
through Luke's chest. Finally, he allowed himself to give in to the
feeling. If only for one night, he would allow himself to be Sophie's
rescuer. He'd worry about building those walls back up around his heart
tomorrow.
For the first time since the police descended on them, Sophie began to
really look around her house. Luke followed the path of her gaze,

taking in everything as she did. What a mess.
Drawers and cabinets were pulled open, their contents scattered over
the floor. The window above the kitchen sink was broken, but plywood
now covered the gaping hole.
Curiosity filled her eyes. "How'd you get in?"
"You keep a spare key in that stupid ass fake rock next to the porch."
He dropped her hand abruptly, and walked around her kitchen, picking
up the silverware that littered the floor. Unexplained anger slinked
through his body; Luke tried to hold it off, knowing she didn't need a
lecture from him, but thoughts of how careless she had been with her
own safety spurred him to let loose on her. "Which, by the way, is the
worst fucking place to hide a key. If that junkie had been in his right
mind, he could have made it into your house without you ever knowing
it."
The scumbag's face surged into his mind once more, the dazed yet
determined look in the man's eye as he'd pushed her down the stairs.
Suddenly Luke felt the need to do something, anything. The pressure of
what could have happened, the images of what shape he could have
found her in wouldn't stop flashing behind his eyelids every time he
blinked. A clatter echoed through the kitchen as he chucked the utensils
into the sink. "You should know better, working with a bunch of cops."
Silence filled the space between them.
Luke turned to face her, needing to see once again that she was okay.
She had survived.
Sophie looked pissed. Tired, but pissed. "Are you seriously berating me
for my choice of key hiding places right now?" She flung her arms
open, gesturing to the disaster area that was her home.
Luke looked down at the plate he hadn't realized he'd picked up in his
distracted state. Guilt burned in his chest. How could he resolve his
own feelings of failing her, with his anger toward her attacker and his
need to comfort her? All the emotions were getting mixed up, leaving
him confused and taking it out on the wrong person. He shook his head,
mumbling under his breath.
"If you have something to say to me, just freaking say it. Stop

muttering like an old man." Sophie grabbed a broom and dust pan then
turned her back to him and swept up the broken glass from the window.
The need to touch her overwhelmed him. With a deep breath, he closed
the gap he had forced between them. The scent of her washed over him
as he stood just behind her, coconut and her own sweet scent filling his
nose. He gripped her shoulders and spun her around so they came face
to face. She squeaked, dropped the broom and tried to jump away from
him, all at the same time. He refused to withdraw his hold on her,
though. She had no reason to fear him, and the sooner she remembered
that the better.
"Do you have any idea how terrified I was when I heard your address
come across the scanner?" Barely contained emotions strained his
vocal cords. He needed to yell, scream, anything to release the fear that
still knocked around his bones, even knowing she was safe and with
him. "Every fucked-up crime scene I've ever been to flashed through
my head, only your face replaced the victims. I thought I was going to
puke every time I heard another scanner update." He took a deep,
steadying breath. "When I think about what could've happened if I
hadn't made it in t i me . " His forehead lowered to press against hers.
Sophie's soft, warm breaths huffed against his lips, and he sucked in a
lungful of her, wanting as much of her inside him as he could get.
A devastating sob came bubbling out from her throat, her body shaking
with the effort of her emotional release. He pulled her closer to him,
cradling her head against his chest as she let the fear and relief pour out.
Her knees collapsed, but before she could hit the ground, Luke lifted
her into his arms and carried her to the couch.
"Shh... It's okay. You're okay. I'm here." It was in that moment that he
made a new promise to himself, and silently to Sophie. Before he had
vowed to stay away, but now he made the opposite vow. He'd never
leave her again. Giving in to the love and passion he had been trying to
ignore every day for two years, he swore to be the man she deserved.
He pulled her away from his chest, inspecting her face. "I'm never
going to let anything like this happen to you again. I ' m sorry I didn't
get here sooner. He never should've even touched you."
"How did you get here so fast?" Sophie searched his face for

answers.
He tucked her head under his chin again, stroking her hair. "It doesn't
matter; I made it; that's the important thing." "It matters to me."
The stubborn determination in her voice made Luke smile. God, he
loved her. Without a doubt, she would not stop asking him questions
until he came clean, so he decided to save her the trouble.
His ragged sigh sent strands of hair fluttering over her face. "I tried to
go back to the bar, told myself I would finally move on, find some
bunny and just get the first time after you over with. But I couldn't do it;
thankfully an informant called and I had to leave. After meeting with
him, I decided to drive by your house one more time and make sure
everything looked okay. It's something I do. Every night after my shift,
I drive by, make sure your house is secure and you are safe. I was
already on my way to you when I heard the call." A sardonic laugh
pushed from his mouth. "I made it here so fast, because this was always
my destination."
Sophie gasped, backing up until their bodies no longer touched, and she
could look him in the eye once more. "What do you mean, first time
since me? And you watch me? What the hell, Luke?"
"It's not like I stalk you. I just make sure you're safe. I check to make
sure the doors and windows are all locked, no one is lurking around.
Stuff like that. It's no big deal."
There had been many times over the years he'd told himself to stop his
nightly check of her house. But he could never do it. What if that night
had been the one something happened? And now something did
happen, and there had been nothing he could do about it. If he had been
in her house, in her bed, she never would have gotten hurt.
"No big deal. Are you insane? Why would you be watching over me
this whole time? You've treated me like crap for the past two years.
You alternate between teasing me like your little sister, ignoring me,
and doing a pathetic alpha, macho flirting act that drives me insane."
Sophie sucked in a huge breath, stood from her perch on his lap, and
began pacing the room. The broken glass crunching occasionally under
her feet kept the attack on her in the front of his mind. "And you still
didn't

answer my question about the whole 'first since me' thing. Do you
really expect me to believe that you haven' t slept with anyone since
me?"
"Fuck. Me and my fucking mouth." Luke closed his eyes, not wanting
to look at the doubt on her face anymore. Not that Sophie didn't have
every right to doubt him. He'd done all he could to make sure she never
tried anything with him again. Well, he'd done the job, all right. With
the way he'd handled things, there would be no chance that Sophie
could forgive him and allow him a second chance now that he was
beginning to see the light. But he couldn't deny her questions anymore.
"I know you won't believe this, but no, I haven't slept with anyone since
you. I've tried a couple of times, but as soon as I kissed someone else,
or even thought about it, I wanted to punch myself in the face. So I
stopped even considering it for a while. I just accepted that you had
ruined me for all other women, and decided I could live with that as
long as I knew you were safe. Even from me."
"This makes no sense. How did I ruin you for other women? And why
would you need to keep me safe from you?" Sophie stopped pacing and
planted herself in front of him, arms crossed over her chest and hip
jutting out with that sass he loved so much.
"I realized about two seconds into our first kiss that you were different
than any other woman I've ever been with. You were wild. But sweet. It
wasn't just my body that reacted to you, it was my head." His jaw
clenched. Not known for talking about his feelings, this wasn't a
conversation that came easily to him. "My heart."
Seeming as though she needed to sit, Sophie plopped onto the couch
beside him, leaned against the arm so she could look at him, and swung
her legs up onto his lap. Without thinking about it, Luke brought his
hand to her shin and rubbed along the smooth skin of her legs in a
comforting gesture. But he wasn't sure if the comfort was for Sophie or
himself.
"Look, I promised myself when I joined the force that I would never
put a woman through what my mom went through with my dad. When
he got shot, she was a wreck for months while he recovered. Even after
he went back to the job, she was terrified every time he walked out the
door. And he had a fucking desk job at that point. I never wanted

anyone to be at home ripping her hair out over me."
He kept his eyes focused on the floor, not wanting to see the pity on her
face that everyone else showed him when the topic of his father came
up. "Dad changed after the shooting. Drank. Got mean. He never hurt
us, but he lost the pride he'd had when he was out patrolling. He hated
being stuck in the station. And he took it out on us. Yelled, called us
names, cheated on my mom. One kiss with you, and I knew. I knew you
would be that woman waiting at home for me, worrying, cleaning up
after drinking binges if it ever went wrong, loving me even when I
didn't deserve it. One kiss and I knew. I tried to stop, but as soon as I
pulled away, you fucking grabbed my head and attacked me with that
sweet mouth of yours."
Gathering every bit of courage he had ever needed during his time as a
cop, Luke glanced back up at Sophie. Her eyes were filled with the
memory of their time together. He recognized the mix of lust and
sadness that he felt each time he recalled that night. He could almost
see the night replaying behind her irises. She sat there silently watching
him, and with one small nod, encouraged him to go on.
"I figured I could have you once, get you out of my system, and we
would both move on. But fuck, watching you under me, over me, in
every position I could think of that night, I knew it would never be
enough. It scared the shit out of me." He shook his head, tearing his
eyes from her. "So yeah, I ran. I regretted it the minute I got in my car.
But I was too chickenshit to just knock on the door and apologize."
" B u t . " She paused, and Luke could practically see the gears turning in
her head. He loved that each of her emotions played out over her face at
that moment. Normally Sophie guarded her emotions and kept her
thoughts close to the vest until she felt they truly needed to be shared.
"It's been two years. Why did you never try again?"
"Like I said, I didn't want to do to you what my dad did to Mom. I like
you, Soph; I always have. More importantly, I respect you and think
you deserve the absolute best there is. That isn't me. A life with me isn't
what you deserve." Luke broke their eye contact, instead focusing on
her sweet legs and the feel of her silky skin beneath his fingertips.
Luke reared back in shock when Sophie pulled her leg from his

gentle caress and kicked him in the thigh with her heel. "So you thought
the best way to protect me was to act like a total asshole?"
He couldn't help but grin at the obvious annoyance and anger in her
voice and the fire in her eyes. Circling her slim ankle with his fingers,
Luke pulled her leg back into his lap. "So fucking hot. I love seeing you
get all worked up. Second only to getting you worked up in bed. I
figured if I couldn't have your passion in the bedroom, I would take it in
your anger. So yeah, I treated you terribly just to see you mad."
His hand trailed up her leg as if being pulled by a magnetic force, but
Sophie reached down, stopping him from advancing past her inner
thigh.
"Not so fast, hotshot."
Luke expected her to launch into some diatribe about what a jerk he had
been and how none of this made any sense. He wouldn't blame her, and
quite honestly, his dick twitched at the thought of getting her all pissed
and sassy before making her all warm and gooey from orgasms.
Instead, she locked gazes with him. "What now?" Luke let out a huff of
breath. "Fuck if I know. I ' d like to try and show you I ' m not a
complete prick."
"Wow, you must really like a challenge." She sent a wink his way, and
his pants got even tighter with the growing problem hiding there.
He groaned and leaned his head against the back of the sofa. "You aren'
t going to make this easy, huh?"
"No. After two years of you being a complete ass, I'm definitely not
going to make this easy for you." The corners of her mouth twitched as
she obviously tried to hold back a laugh. But the next second, the mirth
from her face disappeared, and her expression grew serious. "How do I
know you won't run again? Nothing has really changed. Of course I
will worry about you every single day on the job. Just like I worry
about Uncle Jon. And everyone we work with. And you can't know
what will happen if you get injured."
"You're right." He reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers, a
sense of completion overwhelming him at her touch. "But if you give
me a chance, I promise to try and deal with my shit. I swear I will be a
good man for you." Hope filled every inch of his body, mixed

with equal amounts of fear. This woman had no idea of the power she
held at that moment. "You need to know if we do this, I can't do it half
way. I ' ve had to be without you for two years, watching from the
background and taking whatever scraps I could get. I can't do that
again. I want you one hundred percent."
Sophie stared at him for a long time. Long enough that sweat trickled
down his back, and the hope began to ebb away. The night around them
seemed to hum and pulse, equally anticipating her reaction.
"Okay. Let's go to bed."

Chapter Eight Sophie
"What?" Luke looked at her with confusion, and she once again had to
stifle a laugh.
She stood from the couch, trying to tug him with her as she went. "I've
spent two years trying to keep myself from jumping you every time we
were alone. Trying to hold onto my anger and make sure you knew
what a bastard you were that night. You're going to take me upstairs
and make it up to me. "
"Sophie, it's been a long night; you've been through a lot. Maybe I
should sleep on the couch. We can talk more in the morning. We don' t
have to do this tonight." The look of stubborn determination on his face
pissed her off.
"McCracken, you saved my life tonight. I'll feel safer with you next to
me in bed. And honestly, I could use a distraction from the day full of
cleaning I have ahead of me." He still didn't move from his seat on the
couch. Damn hardheaded idiot. She'd just have to take matters into her
own hands. Before he had enough time to react, she straddled his lap.
"But if you insist on staying on the couch, I'll just have to make do."
Lips collided as they both moved to attack. Two years of pent up
frustration, sexual tension, and longing poured into that kiss. He
hardened beneath her. Her hips had a mind of their own, grinding
against him.
The growl that ripped from his throat sent a rush of moisture straight to
her core. He gripped her ass, stood, and she wrapped her legs around
his waist. Glass crunched beneath his shoes as he carried her to the
stairs.
She couldn't stop touching him. Her fingers ached to feel every inch of
his skin. Her lips craved the taste of his body.
He headed for the bedroom, but she stopped him as he reached the
door. "No, I don't want to go in there yet. Down the hall. Guest room."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Doubt filled his voice.
She pressed her hips down to rub his trapped cock. "I'm sure. I just
don't want to look at the mess in there while I have my fill of you."
Capturing her mouth once again, he moved down the hall to the small
spare bedroom. He placed her gently on her feet by the bed. "Take your
clothes off." His gruff voice sent goose bumps across her flesh.
He took half a step back and studied her as she crossed her arms in front
of her torso, grasped the hem of her t-shirt, and pulled it up over her
head. She let it drop to her feet. Flames licked through her body as his
heavy gaze traveled the length of her. Slipping her fingers into the
waist of her thin sleep shorts, she pulled them from her curved hips.
They fell to join her discarded shirt.
"Now you." Her raspy whisper brought his eyes back to her face.
Both his shirt and pants joined her clothes in a pile on the floor in
record time, every toned muscle free for her viewing. If possible, he
looked even more incredible than he had on their night together all
those years ago.
Closing the space between them, he seized her head; fingers wound
into her long dark hair. The kiss stole her breath, left her weak. She
could taste the longing on his tongue. Returning his passion tenfold,
she wrapped her arms around his back, filled her hands with his high,
solid ass.
His growl filled her mouth as he lifted her and tossed her onto the bed.
Their bodies were separated for no more than a moment, but it was still
too long. She reached for him, dragging him between her legs. Shocks
of desire sparked through her as his lips found her nipples.
Some might consider her breasts small, but they held a treasure trove of
pleasure for her when worked correctly. And without a doubt, Luke
knew how to work her. While his tongue flicked and swirled around
one nipple, his fingers pinched and elongated the other. She moaned as
the pressure built in her lower stomach.
Her hips rocked back and forth, stroking his length caught between
their stomachs.
She whimpered as he abandoned his work at her chest and traveled
south, settling his head between her toned thighs.

"The things I've picture doing to this pussy..." Reverence filled his
voice. His hand stroked her slit. She quaked with the need for his touch
to deepen.
"Luke. p l e a s e . " The throbbing in her core ached to be released.
"Shh... Don't worry, baby. I'll take care of you." The sincerity in his
words caught her off guard. He gave her no time to dwell on their
double meaning. Spreading her folds with his fingers, he lowered his
mouth to meet her sex. His warm tongue traced her from opening to
above her pulsing clit.
" Y e s . " She screamed her pleasure. His hair was too short for her to
grip; instead she held his ears, using them to pull his face closer to her.
His chuckle vibrated over the bundle of nerves he worked with his
tongue.
One finger slipped into her channel, slick with her juices. He groaned,
sending more vibrations through her. Another finger joined the first,
pumping in and out until she lost all control. Writhing and screaming
on the bed, she released his head. Her hands clutched at her tits,
massaging them in time with his tongue lapping at her hot button. She
gyrated against his face as her climax crested, gradually coming down
from the intense high.
Jumping from the bed, Luke searched the pockets of his discarded
jeans and produced a square packet. "Thank God. I was afraid I didn't
have one." He tossed the condom onto her stomach and lay down next
to her. "Put it on me." His commanding tone sent waves of excitement
through her body.
She obeyed his demand, rolling onto her knees. His cock stood at
attention before her. She straddled his upper thighs, placed the condom
on the bed next to his hip. Positioning his dick to lie flat against his
stomach, she moved her slit over the base of his manhood. She glided
up and down, surrounding it in the outer folds of her pussy.
Once it was coated in the juices he elicited from her, she returned to her
seated position on his legs. She brought one hand to grip his now
lubricated cock at the base and she stroked up, swirling her palm over
the head of his penis before letting go. Her other hand repeated the
same upward motion. Alternating hands, she increased the pace of her

ministrations until he was panting with every muscle in his body
tensed. "Soph... If you don't stop..."
She didn't need him to finish the sentence. Repositioning herself over
him, she reached down to place his naked cock at her entrance. "Forget
the condom. I haven't slept with anyone since you, either. I ' m on the
pill. I want to feel you bare inside me."
"Fuck, yes. Stand up." Under normal circumstances, his pushy attitude
would piss her off. But now, in bed with him, it drove her crazy with
desire. She climbed off him and stood on the bed as he rose up to sit
with his legs folded beneath her. He licked and kissed her body as she
slid down to sit in his lap, her legs wrapped around his back.
Reaching between them to grip his rock-hard cock, he thrust into her in
one swift motion. She gasped as he filled her to the brim. They pressed
together, every inch of skin touching from their waists up. His eyes
found hers as she stilled, enjoying the complete feeling that having him
inside gave her. Holding their eye contact, she slid up and down his
length.
"Sophie. beautiful. oh. f u ck . " He licked the sweat from her neck.
Brought his mouth to hers.
The taste of her essence on his tongue spurred her to increase the pace,
the need for release building in her core once again.
"Say my name, my amazing Sophie."
"Luke. My Luke. Y e s . " His mouth covered her words, his tongue
stroked the inside of her mouth. Her orgasmic scream rolled up from
her belly, bursting onto his invading tongue. Nails digging into his
back, she fell over the edge of pleasure.
Collapsing onto him, she bit his shoulder as he found his own release.
His pulsing inside her as he came sent tiny aftershocks of pleasure
through her body.
Both spent, they sat wrapped around each other, trying to regain their
composure.
"I'm such a fucking idiot." The emotion in his voice surprised her.
"What are you talking about?" She nuzzled her face into the crook of
his neck, inhaling the testosterone-laced smell of him post sex.
"We could've been doing that every night for the past two years."

He brushed her shoulder with his lips.
She couldn't help but laugh. "Well, you'll just have to make it up to me.
A lot. In all sorts of different ways."
"Deal."
The sound of voices downstairs ripped Sophie from a deep sleep.
Who was in her house? Where was Luke? Had he run again?
Panic swept through her, paralyzing her limbs so she couldn't move
from her spot on the bed.
Footsteps from down the hall made their way closer. Hysteria swelled
in her chest, making it difficult to breathe. Knees to her chest, she
curled into a ball.
Someone knocked on the door. A burglar wouldn't knock. Right? She
reasoned with herself, trying to talk the panic away.
"Soph, you awake?" Luke poked his head in, smiling broadly at
her.
Relief swept through her.
His face creased as he took her in. "Hey, it's okay. I ' m still here. No
one is going to hurt you. I just got us some coffee and straightened up a
little downstairs." Three long strides and he was by her side, coffee cup
in hand.
"I thought you ran again." She concentrated on pulling in long, slow
breaths, then releasing them, calming her anxiety.
He smoothed her hair, tangled from their night of passion. "That's
never happening again. After last night I could never imagine a life
without you. Got it?"
Face cradled in his strong hands, she nodded.
Under normal circumstances, his words would have seemed empty,
just more promises from a guy after amazing sex. But she knew the
bond they had forged the night before was too intense for either of them
to deny.
Hammering echoed through the house. "What's going on? Who's
here?"

"Everyone who doesn't have a shift today. And a few guys from
neighboring precincts. They've been working all morning. I ' m actually
surprised they didn't wake you before now." He kissed her forehead.
"Come see. I got some jeans and a t-shirt from your room." He nodded
to the folded clothes on the dresser in the corner.
"Underwear?" She raised one eyebrow at his devilish grin.
"As long as I ' m around, there's no point in wearing them. It'll just delay
my making amends for depriving you of my amazing sexual prowess
for two years."
The slap she delivered to his arm probably stung her fingers more than
his impressive biceps. "Nice to see you haven't lost your giant ego after
all that groveling you did last night."
His lips brushed against hers. Without any hesitation, she welcomed
his kiss.
She dressed in a hurry, pulling her rat-nest hair into a loose ponytail.
One hand on the small of her back, Luke led her through the house. In
her bedroom, Reilly and Wright were hanging a new door to her
bathroom.
"Hi guys, thanks so much for doing this." Emotion made the words
stick in her throat and tears welled in her eyes. "You didn't have to."
"You're one of us, girlie. We got your back." Wright smiled at her
while Reilly silently held the door in place.
Luke and Sophie continued downstairs. Familiar faces were
everywhere. Sweeping up the broken glass, replacing the drawers and
cabinets, and boarding up the broken window.
"The window will take a couple of days to come in, but it's all taken
care of." Luke's large hand rubbing circles on her lower back made
every bit of fear she still held dissolve.
She leaned into the strong man by her side. Tears streamed down her
face. Love and support filled her house, making it feel like a true home
for the first time since her father died.
"I can't thank you enough, Luke. This is just amazing."
His solid arms wrapped around her, and he kissed the top of her
head.
"Did someone order donuts and bagels?" Uncle Jon came striding

past them to place bags filled with delicious pastries on the table.
Straightening up, Luke dropped his arms from around Sophie and took
a step away from her.
A deep chuckle reached them from where the Chief stood across the
room. "Don't bother, Luke. Anyone could tell just by looking at the two
of you what happened after we left. It's about damn time. You two have
been hell to deal with."
Laughter spread through the room as the men ambled in. A deep blush
crept up Sophie's face as friend after friend patted Luke's back,
congratulating him on finally getting his head out of his ass.
"Sorry. I was going to try and be cool about the whole thing, but I just
can't keep my hands off you," he whispered into her ear.
"Who gives a shit? I ' m glad everyone knows. Now we don't have to
stay away from each other at work." She wrapped her arms around his
lean waist, resting her face on his shoulder.
"Sounds good to me." He hooked one finger under her chin and guided
her lips to his. It was a slow kiss, full of promises for the future.

Epilogue
Six Months Later Luke
"Dude, what do you have in this box? Weights?"
Luke laughed at Coy as he lugged a box, which was indeed loaded with
hand weights, out of the U-Haul truck and into Sophie's house. Now
Luke's house, too.
"Nah man, that's my box of pillows, you're just weak." Luke chuckled
as Coy shot him a glare and knocked his shoulder against Luke as they
passed on the stairs leading up to the front door.
"If I had my hands free I ' d give you the finger, dick-wad," Coy
grumbled.
"Okay boys, try and keep it civil out here."
Luke turned and admired his woman as she jogged down the stairs
behind him. Her dark hair swept up in a ponytail with bits falling out
and sticking to her sweaty forehead, wearing one of his old t-shirts
from a marathon he'd ran in years ago, tight yoga pants covering her
slim legs, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
"The less you two bitch, the faster we get this done and can start in on
the pizza and beer." Despite her growing annoyance with the guys and
their need to complain, a smile played at the edges of Sophie's mouth.
A mouth that he had woken up to swallowing his cock that morning.
Just the memory of the best wake-up call ever had him growing in his
pants once more. Luke reached out to pull her into his arms, but before
he could she was pulled away by a laughing Coy running down from
the porch.
"I'm not so weak I can't snatch your woman out from under your nose,
Sarge, so watch it." Coy wrapped his arms around Sophie in a bear hug,
lifting her feet from the ground and running with her to the truck as

she shrieked and giggled at their antics.
Luke fought a smile and growled at Coy to put his woman down. As
much as he hated anyone else touching her, he was equally glad that
she had a group of men that cared for and wanted to protect her. Luke
knew that if the time ever came that he was injured or killed in the line
of duty, his Sophie would be cared for by the family of blue he had
found himself part of.
Once Coy released her, Sophie turned and ran the ten feet or so back to
Luke with a huge smile stretched across her face. As she reached him,
Sophie launched herself into his arms, the wind knocked from his lungs
momentarily.
"Don't worry, McCracken, you're the only cocky cop I have eyes for."
She grabbed his ears and pulled him down into a kiss filled with smiles
and chuckles vibrating against his lips.
The kiss quickly ramped up from playful to heated. Luke thrust his
tongue into her mouth, devouring her in the way that made him want to
rip her clothes off and take her right there on the grass. He picked her
up by the ass as she wrapped her legs around his waist. His cock was
never far from being at full power when she was around. One touch,
hell one look and his pants would be tenting with an epic erection. That
moment was no different. The heat of the space between her legs
cradled him and he rocked his jeans clad cock against her cotton
covered pussy. Fuck he loved the tight as hell yoga pants she wore
when they were doing chores.
Pulling back Luke let reason back into his lust addled brain. They were
standing on her lawn practically dry humping with Coy mere feet
away. Sophie continued kissing and nipping down his jaw and neck,
pulling a groan from deep in his belly. He needed in his woman,
immediately.
Glancing around the yard, Luke searched for Coy's tell-tale red hair,
only to find him crouching by a car idling at the curb. Luke chuckled
and shook his head at the guy he'd known and worked with for most his
adult life.
"What's so funny Sergeant McCracken," Sophie whispered in his ear
with that husky voice she got when horny.
"Our boy is up to no good over there." He tilted his head indicating

the man.
"Oh yeah, that's Lexis."
A tinkling giggle floated over the yard from the woman sitting in the
driver's seat of the car. Luke turned his attention to her and rolled his
eyes. She was so typically Coy's type it wasn't even funny. The guy had
a thing for blonde curvy women, and the girl fit that to a T. Luke didn't
even need to see her body to know that she would have hips and an ass
to rival the huge tits that peeked over the edge of the window.
As for Luke, he much preferred the athletic little body Sophie rocked.
But to each his own.
"Lexis... why does that name sound familiar?" Luke searched his mind
trying to place where he knew the name.
"Duh, that's the woman over on Maple Lane that keeps complaining
about people running the stop signs and speeding in her neighborhood.
Her son is deaf and she's been trying to get the town to put out signs
warning drivers to slow down because there is a deaf child at play.
They're shutting her down so far though." Obvious irritation slipped
into Sophie's voice, which made Luke smile in return. His girl had a
soft spot for kids, one of the many things he loved about her. He
couldn't wait to plant some babies in her.
"That's right, Coy's been the one volunteering to go out whenever we
set up the enforcement traps in that neighborhood." Luke laughed out
once more. "I guess now I know why."
"Okay, so you know I hear all the gossip being at the front desk and
everything. I usually don't repeat it, but I have heard from several
people that Coy has stopped with the buckle bunnies and is putting all
his efforts into Lexis." Luke arched one eyebrow in shock. No one on
the force had more of a reputation for being a slut than Coy. The
twinkle in Sophie's eye told him that wasn't all the gossip she heard.
"And apparently she is refusing all advances so far. She's making him
work
for it."
"Smart woman." Luke turned his attention back to Sophie. "Now, I
think it's time for a break. As in I need to break my cock out of these
pants and bury it inside you."
Sophie threw back her head, laughter spilling out of the lips that

drove Luke to distraction.
"Nice try buddy. Little Luke isn't get anywhere near me until all these
boxes are out of the truck and at least put in the right rooms." She patted
the bulge tenting his jeans and took two steps back. "Come find me
then."
Luke growled in reply. "I' m going to spank your cute little ass later
just for calling him little."
***
Sophie
Peeking through the curtains in the room she now shared with Luke,
Sophie watched as Luke pulled into the driveway after returning the
moving truck. Excitement and a tiny bit of nerves drummed through
her, sending her skin into a riot of goosebumps.
She threw off her fuzzy pink robe and crawled onto the bed wearing
nothing but silk thigh-highs attached to a garter belt and a black lace
bra. No panties.
The house rattled as he shut the door behind him "Soph, I ' m back."
Shit, she had to stall him just a minute more. "Great, can you grab me a
drink? Maybe a little tea?"
"Sure babe," he called up the stairs.
When she was sure he had moved away from the stairs, Sophie reached
over to the bedside table and removed a black velvet box from the
drawer. Inside were the handcuffs she had ordered especially for this
occasion. Luke had been begging to cuff her to the bed for weeks, but
up until now she resisted. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but rather
that giving up that control was still a little daunting after the break in.
But she wanted to give this to him, show him that she was no longer
afraid, even if the arrest of her attacker hadn't been the end of the
problems for Middleburg.
Scooting back against the headboard, she swung one of the cuffs closed
around her wrist, the metal cool against her skin made her shiver. Next
she strung the opposite end through the slat in the center of the
headboard and twisted around so she could secure the other wrist. Both
hands now secured over her head, Sophie waited, her breath already

coming quicker and her sex growing slicker by the minute.
Luke's heavy footsteps echoed up the stairs, Sophie's heart pounding in
sync with the dull thuds. The door to their bedroom swung open, and
Luke froze before crossing the threshold.
"Holy fuck. Am I dreaming?" His gaze wandered up and down her
body, causing her to squirm in anticipation.
Sophie drew her knees up and let them fall open, giving Luke a front
row seat of her pussy, wet and ready for him.
"Fuuuuuck."
"That's the idea." She giggled, her nerves getting the better of her for
moment. "Put the tea down and take of your clothes."
"Yes ma'am." Luke quickly deposited the cup of tea on the dresser
beside the door and peeled off his clothes. Within seconds he stood
before her with his cock jutting out from his body like a divining rod
pointing its way towards the source of thirst quenching water. "Baby,
you have no idea how fucking sexy you look right now spread out for
me. I ' m afraid the minute I touch you I ' m going to go off like a
geyser."
"Well, that is a risk we're going to have to take because if you don't get
over here immediately and touch me I think I might pass out." The
pressure of her building arousal pushed at her core, desperately seeking
a release that Sophie was powerless to do anything about with her
hands cuffed.
"We wouldn't want that." Luke crawled onto the bed and laid on his
belly between her legs, coming face-to-face with the very source of her
need. "Goddamn you have the prettiest pussy. I want to live here,
staring at it all day."
"God, please don't just stare at it," Sophie whined.
An evil chuckle slipped from his lips and immediately Sophie knew she
was in for a long ride before he allowed her to come. No night with him
was ever the same. Sometimes he fucked her fast and furious, making
her come as quickly and as many times as he could. Others it was a
slow, sensuous build. Then there were the nights like tonight, when he
would bring her to the edge over and over until she begged and pleaded
to come.
Just as the realization that tonight he would be torturing her sunk

in, he dove face first to devour her pussy. He licked her from opening to
clit in one long sweep before latching his lips around her hot button and
flicking it repeatedly. The cliff of her orgasm rose swiftly until she
teetered ready to go over, then he backed off, sucking and nipping of
the puffy lips of her sex. Sophie whimpered as the orgasm backed off.
Once her breathing returned to as normal as it could be, Luke focused
once more on her pussy. This time he speared his tongue into her
swirling it around as his thumb caressed her clit in the same pattern.
Once more the orgasm rushed at her like a freight train but the moment
she thought she would spill over into ecstasy Luke disappeared entirely
to kiss along the edge of her thigh-high stalkings.
The torture seemed to continue for hours, until she was a wet sticky
mess, panting and begging, tears stinging behind her eyes. "Please
Luke, I need to come. Please make me come." One hot tear seeped out
the corner of her eye, blazing a trail down her temple. Helplessness and
frustration raged through her until she regretted the decision to cuff
herself to the bed.
"Shhh, sweet angel, you know I'll always take care of you," he
whispered against the skin just above her pubic bone. "You giving
yourself to me like this is the most beautiful gift. Trust that I'll take you
to a place that you'll never forget. That I'll never leave you wanting for
anything. Sweet Sophie. Let go."
A stuttering sigh slipped past her lips as she released a breath she hadn't
realized she'd been holding. As her body relaxed against the soft
mattress, Luke took his place between her thighs once more,
enveloping her throbbing clit in his mouth, and sliding two fingers into
her needy cunt. Once again the orgasm built to a level she had never
known existed, all the blood in her body rushing to pool in her pelvis.
Stomach quivering, legs shaking, mind spinning. Only Luke didn't
back off. He thrust his fingers into her faster and faster, curling his
fingers inside her to brush against the bundle of nerves hidden deep
inside. The squelching sound of her wetness as he pummeled into her
would have been embarrassing had she the capacity to care about
anything other than her impending climax. The first brush of his teeth
against her clit set her off like a stick of dynamite. Sophie thrashed and
screamed, the never ending

sensations pounding through her over and over. The orgasm had no end
in sight, her mind stopped functioning on a logical level, instead
reduced to mere sensation and need.
Before her orgasm could begin its descent on the other side of bliss,
Sophie became aware of Luke raising onto his knees and throwing her
legs over his shoulders. In one swift thrust he buried himself so far
inside her they seemed to fuse into one entity.
"Goddamn Sophie, I can feel your pussy clenching. So fucking tight."
Luke threw his head back, just as lost in the ecstasy their bodies created
together. He began to withdraw from her still pulsating body, but
before he could Sophie wrapped her legs around his waist, digging her
heels into his ass. With her hands restrained above her it was all she
could do to keep him from leaving her.
"Don't move." Sophie panted and heaved the words from her throat,
still mostly lost in her pleasure. It took control she never truly realized
she had to collect her thoughts and open her eyes while every inch of
her still rioted with sensation. But she wanted the memory of his
expression when she said the words she had been thinking about all
day. "You like how my unprotected pussy feels, Luke?"
Luke squinted and tilted his head in confusion. They hadn't used
condoms since they got back together, but Sophie was religious about
taking her birth control. Much to his disappointment.
Since the day after the break in Luke had been talking about getting her
pregnant. The thought woke a beast inside him that Sophie didn't
totally understand. The minute he would start talking about their future
children and her having a round belly with his child growing inside
something would overtake him and he would need to be inside her
immediately. But after what he had put her through their first time
together, Sophie had needed more time to know that she could truly
trust him not to get freaked out and leave again.
"Are you going to fill me up with your cum Luke? Put your baby inside
me?"
Luke's eyes widened, and if Sophie wasn't mistaken, went a little glassy
with emotion. At the same time his cock seemed to twitch inside her,
making her breath hitch with renewed interest. "Sophie, are you

sure? There is nothing I want more than to watch you pregnant with my
baby, but I know you need time."
"Shut up, Luke. I stopped taking the pill weeks ago, I checked the
calendar. You let loose inside me and we have a really good shot and
making a little McCracken tonight."
"You planned this." Luke's whisper held so much awe and love, Sophie
found herself tearing up.
"I did. I want to give you your two greatest fantasies in one night. I can't
pull on your ears, and you can knock me up." She couldn't hold back
the giggle at the huge smile spreading across Luke's face.
"Hold on woman. You're not going to sleep until that pussy is filled to
the brim with my seed."
Before she could respond, Luke pulled himself from her, flipped her
onto her knees with her hands crossed and gripping the headboard, and
ass high in the air. "Got to get in there deep baby. Give my boys the
best chance I can."
He slammed into her once again, working at furious pace, all thought of
the teasing from earlier now gone. One hand snaked around her hip and
zeroed in on her clit, rubbing and flicking it furiously. "I need you to
come hard, honey. Make that pussy clench and pull my cum into you."
Luke was like a man possessed. In less than a minute he had her
plummeting over the edge again, her orgasm never seeming to end as
he worked her body in the way only a man truly dedicated to his
woman's pleasure can. Sophie screamed and chanted his name, begging
him to fill her with his cum.
And boy did he. With a roar, Luke slammed to the hilt inside her,
holding her ass flush against his hips with a grip so strong she couldn't
move an inch, even if she had wanted to. Sophie felt every pulse as he
released inside her, setting off another smaller orgasm.
They slumped together against the headboard as their mutual orgasms
ebbed away, Luke's forehead pressed into her shoulder. "Stay right
there baby, I ' m not pulling out for a good long time."
Sophie laughed and twisted her neck around to find his lips waiting for
her. They kissed for what seemed like an eternity. Long enough for

Luke to recover and harden inside her once again.
His hands slipped down along her arms, which had gone a little numb
from being locked in such an awkward position for so long. He
caressed them back to life, then continued down to remove her hands
from the cuffs. Keeping his cock firmly lodged inside her, Luke sat
back on his heels and clenched her back tight against his chest so they
wouldn't separate.
As Luke broke their emotion filled kiss, something cool slipped onto
Sophie's finger. "If I ' m giving you my baby, I ' m damn sure giving you
my ring, too. Soph, be my wife."
"Is that a question?" Tears burned a path up her sinuses, welling behind
her eyelids so her vision went blurry and she couldn't really see the
engagement ring he put on her. Not that she needed to, as long as it was
Sergeant Luke McCracken giving it to her, she didn't give a fuck what
it looked like.
"No. It isn't a question. Because we both know this was meant to be.
You were meant to be my wife, my partner in life. Just like I am meant
to be your husband, and keeper of your pleasure." That damn
shit-eating grin spread over his face and Sophie doubled over with
laughter. Then moaned from the new angle of his cock still inside her.
"I tell you what, Luke. If you can give me three more orgasms tonight,
I'll be your wife."
"Done."
Thanks for reading everyone! Did you love Luke and Sophie? Keep
reading for a sneak peek at Book Two in the Blue Line series, Officer
Coy and Lexis' story, Possession, coming out in early 2017. If you
enjoyed this book, please swing by and sign up for my newsletter. I only
send it out when I have news to share, usually when a new book is
coming out, and it is always full of fun and giveaways! Click here to
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Acknowledgments
The romance writing community tends to be a very tight group, which
is one of the things I love about being a romance writer. So to shake
things up a little bit here, I want to call attention to some of the
awesome ladies I've come across that encourage me on this journey
through self-publishing. Show these ladies some love and go check out
their books: First is Taylor Sullivan, you are my self-pub guru. I
seriously could not do any of this without you! I aspire to be like all of
these ladies, and they are all worthy have your sweet, sweet Kindle
love: Anna Brooks, Kishan Paul, Kelly Lincoln, Kathryn L. James,
Mika Jolie, Misty Simon, Natalie J. Damschroder.
And finally, a huge shot out to my editor, Bree at Vivid Words Editing.
She has edited every single thing I have put out there. The woman
seriously deserves sainthood for putting up with my atrocious use of
the comma. Thanks for making me look at least semi-smart Bree, I
know it is a tall order!

Also By Brandy Ayers Piece by Piece:
Jax was there to do a job... His mission was simple: go undercover,
poke around The Beanstalk, take down the sex trafficking ring run out
of the seedy strip club. The absolute last thing on his mind was getting
involved with a woman.
But then he saw her. Harper took the stage and everything else faded
away. He couldn't resist the pull of the gorgeous, damaged woman. No
matter how hard he tried.
Harper loathes her job. But she'd had few options since losing her
sister and taking in her orphaned niece. I t ' d been years since she felt
anything other than revulsion toward men, especially the ones that
worked and played at The Beanstalk.
Until Jax. He was cocky, mysterious, and sexy as hell. Everything
Harper didn't need in her already complicated life. She pushed him
away, but he kept coming back for more.
As the pull between them intensifies, will Jax allow his need to possess
Harper jeopardize his case and the lives of dozens of victims? Can
Harper let Jax tear down her walls piece by piece?
This is a quick and dirty read, with a dash of insta-love; a pinch of
suspense; a bearded, tattooed alpha male; and a smart, sexy stripper.
Enjoy!
The Arrangement:
The mind is a tricky thing. No one knows that better than Michelle O'
Brian due to maladaptive daydreaming, an undiagnosed disorder that
makes HER question the line between reality and fantasy. Forced to

change careers after her goal of making a mark in the journalism world
implodes, she finds herself unable to stop fantasizing about her new
boss. And every other man she comes across.
Her uncontrollable daydreams are a problem at work. Not even an
orgasm inducing visit to her sexy as hell friend, Russ Seko, can stem
the need for her mind to wander. But as it becomes clear that Russ
wants more, and her workplace flirting may not be all pretend, things
get out of hand. Fast.

Sneak Peek
Possession: Blue Line Book Two
Chapter One
Bryan
Bryan threw his squad car into park, settling in for his morning of
pulling over drivers, listening to their excuses, then writing them
tickets for whatever traffic law they decided to ignore that day. Most of
the guys hated traffic detail, but Bryan would happily volunteer for this
particular gig any day.
And the reason for his enthusiasm sauntered out of her house just as he
reached for his coffee and took a sip. The burn of the hot liquid against
his tongue was nothing compared to the level of heat her swaying hips
inspired in his groin. He'd been on this detail three times over the past
month, and ever since that first day he looked forward to seeing here
with a fervor he hadn't experienced since losing his virginity and
discovering that he loved everything about pussy. The texture. The
smell. The taste.
Goddamn the taste. He knew it always surprised the buckle bunnies
when he went down on them for hours before ever letting them touch
his cock. But there was just something about burying your face in that
sweet spot between a woman's legs that excited him like nothing else.
Pussies were like snowflakes, no two were the same. And for years
Bryan had made it his mission to trace every soft fold of as many
women as he could.
But the woman walking across her lawn to her mailbox seemed to have
put a stop to that, and she had no idea. Ever since the first glimpse

of her, he hadn't been interested in a single one of the bunnies that
practically crawled all over him when he went to the Blue Line Bar.
Under normal circumstances he'd be taking a new girl home every
night. But lately he barely even saw them. He could think only of the
blonde beauty that every other officer saw as a pain in the ass for
constantly complaining about the traffic violations on her street.
Everything about her called to him. The honey blonde hair piled in
thick waves on top of her head. The seemingly impossible curves of her
body. High full tits that sloped down to a tiny waist before flaring out to
hips so thick and lush all he wanted to do was grab them and dive face
first into the heaven he was sure existed between her thighs. She looked
like a modern day pin-up girl. Tight jeans, tall heels, tiny tank top, and
tattoos swirling over her upper arms.
So distracted by the mere sight of her, Bryan didn't realize she was
walking toward him until she smiled and signaled for him to roll down
his window.
His mouth went dry and heart pounded at double speed as he pushed
the button to lower the glass separating them. He never reacted to
women this way. A cock-sure attitude and deep dimples had taken him
far when it came to the ladies. Not to mention his bigger than average
dick. But this woman sent him reeling like never before.
"Hi Officer...' She leaned in slightly to catch a glimpse of his name
badge and smirked at the name there. "Officer Coy. So are you?"
Her eyes, he'd never seen them up close before, and now that he did
they captivated him entirely. Ice blue irises circled by a deep denim
colored ring, almost as if they were designed to pull you in and trap you
in their depths. "Am I what?"
"Coy?" Her eyes sparked with mischief and humor, and her plump lips
curled up into a teasing smile that he desperately wanted to run his
tongue over.
"Not at all. I ' m forward. Very forward. Want to marry me?" Pride
pulsed through him as a laugh burst from her sweet mouth at the same
time a deep blush stained her cheeks.
"I think I'll pass, but thanks for the offer." Her eyes swept his face and
Bryan was struck at how confidently she held herself. Normally

people found the uniform intimidating and tended to avoid eye contact,
almost as if he would be able to see every bad thing they had done
simply because he was a police officer. And if the clothes didn't get
them, usually his looks did. Bryan knew he was good looking. He
worked out hard every day to maintain a body that could give pleasure
for hours upon hours. His face looked youthful, but he had a dimples on
both his cheeks and his chin that women seemed to love, and green
eyes and red hair that they found charming for some reason.
But this woman wasn't intimidated at all. And that thrilled him. Bryan
had a feeling she'd be able to give just as good as she got both in and out
of bed. His interests mostly lied in the in bed part.
She stuck her tiny hand in through the window, obviously wanting to
shake his hand. "I'm Lexis Johannes, I ' m the one that keeps bugging
you guys to come out and do something about the maniacs driving on
this street."
Bryan slipped his hand into hers, curling his fingers around the back
and caressed the delicate skin at her wrist. They didn't pump their
hands up and down, but just held them there, a spark traveling from
their joined flesh through the rest of his body.
Damn.
"Bryan Coy. I ' m the police officer happily making sure your street is
safe. And the man that will happily make sure your body is satisfied as
well." He gave her his trademark panty dropping smile and waited for
the hitch in her breath that would let him know said panties were
sufficiently soaked.
But it never came.
"That works a lot for you, huh?" She tilted her head and eyed him with
equal parts amusement and suspicion. "That whole innocent awww
shucks naughty boy look combined with the dirty mouth. Spreads a lot
of legs for you I bet."
Fuck this woman didn't do anything he expected. Even as the words
came out of her mouth the color on her cheeks deepened to an almost
crimson. He affected her, that much was obvious, but she apparently
had a will power most women weren't able to maintain around him.
The combination of sass and sweetness made his cock

harden to steel in his pants. "I do okay."
"I bet you do." She shook her head slightly and removed her hand from
their hot connection. "Anyway, I just wanted to come down and thank
you for taking this seriously. I've noticed people slowing down and
actually stopping at the sign lately, and I know it's because of you guys.
I appreciate the attention the department gave my complaints."
"No problem, ma'am. I ' m here to assist you in any way I can. Any.
Way." Bryan fought to keep his eyes centered on hers. To not let them
slip down to the mounds of flesh dangling just at the edge of his
peripheral vision. Women tended to get annoyed when men talked to
their breasts. He learned that the hard way. But damn if he didn't want
to look his fill.
"You're good. I'll give you that." Lexis laughed, obviously amused by
his antics.
"So Lexus, as in the high class car? Because that would totally make
sense."
The blush that had started to fade away built back to full power once
again at the apples of her cheeks. "Well, it was supposed to be Lexus as
in the car, my Dad is a mechanic, but my Mom filled out the birth
certificate and could give two shits about cars. She spelled it wrong so
it is actually Lexis with an ' i ' instead of the 'u'." She started to ramble a
little, and the fact that it could possibly be because he affected her made
Bryan swell with pride again.
"It suits you. I like it." Bryan opened his mouth to ask her out for real,
without the sexual undertones that naturally found their way into his
conversations with women. But just as the words were about to let
loose, the door to her house slammed closed and a boy of no more than
five came streaking down the lawn. Streaking being the operative
word. The kid was only wearing a pair of tighty whities.
The boy came to a halt right next to Lexis and his hands began flying in
intricate gestures that Bryan immediately recognized as sign language.
He was obviously upset about something. He huffed out deep breaths
occasionally, and his face was tight with annoyance.
A soft smile crept onto Lexis' face as she responded with her own

string of signs. What was the deal with these two? Was she his
babysitter or aunt or something? She couldn't be his mom. Lexis was
way too young and hot to be a mom. She couldn't be more than
twenty-one or twenty-two.
As the conversation between the two zipped back and forth Bryan
shifted his focus from Lexis to the boy trying to follow along. He didn't
know anything about sign language, but noticed the boy kept repeating
one sign that looked like he was pulling up his pants.
Lexis sighed in exasperation and pulled the boy to her side. "Sorry
Officer Coy," she kept signing as she said the words, apparently
translating for the boy's benefit. "This is my son, Ashton. Like most
men, he is apparently incapable of doing anything without a woman
giving him step-by-step instructions and can't find any pants in the
entire house."
Bryan' s jaw dropped. This edgy, sexy woman was a mom? And if he
had to guess it seemed like she was a good mom, treating the boy with
equal parts firmness and humor.
"Well, we men are pretty useless when it comes to most things." He
shifted his gaze to the little boy, Ashton, and saw that the kid watched
Bryan's mouth as he talked. "Women think they know everything dude,
get used to it." He tried to speak clearly so the kid would catch his
words, but not in an obnoxious over enunciating way.
The kid's hands started flying again, as his mom translated for him.
"Tell me about it. Know it alls."
Lexis laughed and spun the boy around, gently pushing him toward to
house. "Alright we are going inside before you two decide to crack a
couple of beers and start complaining any more about women." She
walked backward while signing to the boy, and smiled at Bryan. "Nice
meeting you Officer Coy. Stay safe."
"Nice meeting you too Lexis. I look forward to seeing a lot more of
you." His words brought that blush back to her cheeks. God damn he
liked how quickly she responded to his words. "By the way, Aston as in
Aston Martin?"
"Only with an ' h ' , I guess it is a family tradition now." She winked and
turned back to chase her son inside.

Bryan sat in shock for a moment. He wanted that woman like he had
never wanted anyone before. Even knowing she was a mom. He had no
clue what the situation with the kid's dad was, but he knew she wasn't
married. There was no ring on her finger, and no indent or tan line
either. And if there was some idiot that had gotten her pregnant and
failed to get his ring on her, that was his mistake.
Because Bryan knew at that moment that he would not hesitate one bit
to steal her from any asshole that thought he had a hold on her. Lexis
would be his, and Bryan swore he would keep her for as long as he
could.
About Brandy
Brandy Ayers is a writer of erotic romance. Or romantic erotica,
depending on how you look at it. She has been telling stories in one
form or another since she was a child and decided her English / Irish
heritage was boring. Instead, for a 4th grade class genealogy
assignment, she weaved a tale of mystery and intrigue about her great,
great grandpa chief of the Navajo tribe. No one bought it. Brandy lives
in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, daughter, neurotic boxer, and
Satan worshipping cat.
Find her:
BrandyAyers. com
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