BROTHERSINBLUE:MARC

THEBROTHERSINBLUESERIES,BOOK2

JEANNEST.JAMES

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ABIGthankyoutomybetareaders:

LesleyClarkandFerrisBaehr

eetthemenofManningGrove,threesmall-towncopsandbrothers,whomeetthewomenwhowill

changetherestoftheirlives.ThisisMarc’sstory…

fficer Marc Bryson doesn’t believe women should be in law enforcement. Ever. When his older

brother, Max, is promoted to the small town’s police chief the first thing he does is hire a woman

freshoutoftheacademy.ThenmakesMarcherFieldTrainingOfficer.

Determined to follow in her late father’s footsteps, Leah Grant has the moxie to break any glass

ceilingthatstandsinthewayfrombecomingapoliceofficer.Evenifthatmeansprovingtohercoach—

who only wants her in his bed and not in the field—she’s worthy of being a permanent member of the

force.

Workinginaman’sworld,LeahchallengesMarc’smisconceptionsaboutwomeninthelineofduty.

Butastheystruggletoseparatetheirworklifefromtheirundeniablechemistry,thingscontinuetosteam

upandgetalittlekinky.Thesetwoofficersofthelawmusttoethelineafterbeingcaughtred-handed.

Intheend,canLeahprovetoMarcthatsheisgoodasbackupaswellasinbed?

“Thelionessisnotsubmissive.

Shemerelyletsthelionbekingforaslongasitpleasesher.”

~Unknown

CHAPTER1

hatthefuckdoyoumeanawoman?”CorporalMarcBrysonallbutsputteredoverthechief’sdesk

andthetoo-tidypilesofpaperwork,whichwereperfectlyspacedapartonthespotlesssurface.

The chief, who just happened to be his older brother, lifted an eyebrow. “I would hope you would

know what a woman is by your age, Marc. Though, now that I think about it, you never did bring any

womenhomewhenyousquattedatmyhouse.”

“Oh,veryfunny.AndIwasn’tsquatting.Igaveyoumoneyeverymonth.”

MaxBrysonsnorted.

“Anyway,let’sgetbacktothisdiscussion—”

Maxcuthimoffattheknees.“Therewillbenodiscussion.Period.Ihiredherandyou’regoingtobe

herFTO.”

Marcdidn’twanttobesomewoman’sFieldTrainingOfficer.Noway,nohow.Womenshouldn’tbe

cops.Ever.

“WhydoIhavetotrainher?WhynotDunn?”

“BecauseIsaidso.”

Whatthefuck.Bigbrothersayssoandthat’sall,folks.FellowofficerTommyDunnwasn’tgoingto

bethenewrookie’sFTObecausehewastooeasygoing,hewouldcoddlethefemale,nottrainherforthe

realworldinpolicing.AndMarcwould.Plus,Dunnwasn’tcertifiedtobeanFTO.Thoughthatwasjust

semantics.Right?

Shit. Marc wouldn’t give any slack to a woman fresh out of the academy. Max knew how much he

opposedwomeninlawenforcement.Ifshewantedtobetreatedasanequal,thenMarcwouldhaveno

problembeingtoughandinflexiblewiththerulesjustbecauseshewasaw—newrecruit.Right.

Fine.Buthedidn’thavetobehappyaboutit.

“Letmejustremindyouthatyou’reacorporalnow.Iwarnedyouwhenyouacceptedthepromotion

that with the buck more weekly salary increase you’re getting”—Max snickered—“comes more

responsibility.”

Max was obviously enjoying this, not giving a flipping fuck how Marc felt about this new

“responsibility.”Ifhisolderbrothercouldfindawaytobusthisballs,hedidit.

Fightingthiswouldbepointless.Marcexhaledloudlyindefeat.“Whendoesshestart?”

Max glanced at his black G-Shock wrist watch. “As soon as Dunn is finished issuing all her

equipment.”

Marc’s head snapped up and he thought he’d have to shove his eyeballs back into their sockets.

“Today?”

Maxlaughed.“Gotaproblemwiththat,Corp?”

Marctookanotherdeepbreath.HekeptplayingintoMax’shands.Heneededtoactlikethiswhole

thingdidn’tbotherhim.Otherwise,Maxwouldridehimharduntilhebroke.Bigbrotherswereassholes

likethat.Thepowerofbecomingchiefhadgonetohishead.Hedidn’tknowhowhiswifeputupwith

him.

Oh,that’sright.Amandadidn’ttakeanyofhisshit.Onemisstepandthatwomanbroughthimtohis

knees.Whap!Marclookeddownatthefloorwhilehechuckled.

“Somethingfunny,brother?”

“Nope.Max,youinterviewedher,sowhatdoesshelooklike?”Hehopedshewasn’tsomeoneprissy,

more worried about breaking a nail than doing actual police work. Nor did he want a beast. A woman

whowouldlooklikeshecouldbreakMarcinhalf.

“Itshouldn’tmatterwhatshelookslike.Getyourprioritiesstraight.Shegraduatedtheacademyatthe

topofherclass.That’swhat’simportant.”

“Chief, we’re done,” Tommy Dunn called out from the hallway as he turned the corner. His large,

lankybodysuddenlyfilledtheofficedoorwayandMarccouldn’tseethenewofficer.

ApparentlyneithercouldMax.“Whydon’tyougetthehelloutoftheway,andletherthrough?Get

backoutonpatrol.I’msureMrs.Johnsonneedshercatrescuedagain.”

Theredheadshuffledhisfeet.“Noproblem,Max.”

Marcshookhisheadandchuckledsoftlyjustwaiting.Dunnneverlearned.

MaxclearedhisthroatloudlyandgaveTommythestinkeye.“Excuseme?”

Dunn’s face paled which illuminated the countless freckles that covered his face. “I meant chief.

Sorry,Chief.”Withamumble,Dunnbackedup,thenjerkedforwardashebumpedintothepersonbehind

him.Heexcusedhimselfandrushedoff.

Marcleanedbackinhischairandcrossedhisarmsandanklesandwaited,afrownfrontandcenter

onhisface.

Afterafewmomentsofnosignoftherookie,Maxbarked,“Grant,getinhere!”

Afigureappearedintheopendoorwayandshestoodatattention,herbodystiffandtight.Marcdida

preliminaryinspection,startingatherfeet.Sheworeblacktacticalboots,thedarkbluesummeruniform

ofthedepartment,afulldutybeltthatlookedlikeitweighedmorethanshedid,andashisgazerose,her

torsolookedoutofproportion.Whatthehell?

TherewassomethingseriouslywrongwithherKevlarvestunderneathheruniform.

Marc jumped to his feet and stood with legs apart, pointing at her chest. “What’s wrong with your

vest?”

Ablushrosefromthetightcollarofhershirtintohercheeksasshestaredathisfinger.“Sir,it’stoo

big,Sir.”

Fuck that double sir shit. Academy bullshit that was drilled into you. While attending the academy,

youcouldbeatthegrocerystoreontheweekendandhavetoaskastockboyaquestionandyou’dstart

andendthequestionwithasir.Sir,wherearethekumquats,Sir?Theteenagerwouldlookatyouasif

you’dgrowntwoheads.

“I’ll order you a new vest,” Max said. “Just bear with that one for now. I don’t want you going

without.It’sinourFieldRegulations.”

“Sir,yes,Sir.”

“Oh,forfuck’ssake,dropthesirecho,”Marcbarked.Okay,maybealittleharshforthefirstday,but

hewasannoyed.Justatad.ThiswholeFTOthingwasaflamingbunchofbullshit.Andnowhewasstuck

training someone who probably would faint at the sight of blood and hide when shit went down. “And

stopstandinginthedoorway.Getinherefrontandcenter.”

SherushedtothecenterofMax’soffice,heelstogether,fistsclampedtothesidesofherthighs,head

up,eyesstaringforwardfocusedonsomespotaboveMax’shead.

“Bytheway,Grant,thecorporalherewillbeyourFTO.”

Marcnarrowedhiseyesatthewidesmilehisbrotherwore.Thenhecaughtthequickflickofhergaze

towardhimbeforepinningitstraightaheadagain.Hecircledherclosely,lookingherupanddown.He

checkedthetuckofheruniformshirtintoherpants,hecheckedthecreaseonhersleeves—ithadtobe

centered from her shoulder directly through the patch to the hem. It was. He moved around to stand

directlyinfrontofher,lessthanafootaway.Bybeinginherpersonalspacehewastestingher.Would

shestepbackorstandherground?

He flicked her name tag with his index finger. “Your tag is crooked. Fix it. Did you even read the

regulations?”

As she repined the black and silver tag that said GRANT straight with trembling fingers, Marc

wonderedifMaxhadevenprovidedhercopiesofthedepartment’sAdministrationandFieldRegulations

aswellastheirSOPs—StandardOperatingProcedures—yet.

“Sir—”

“Corporal,”Marccorrectedhersharply.

“Corporal…” Her eyes jumped to his nametag. Confusion crossed her face, but it was hidden in a

flash.“Bryson.IhavestudiedtheSOPs,theFRs,andtheARsasrequired.”

Well,well,well.Maxwasonit.Goodforbigbrother.Andgoodfortherecruit.Butshe’dhavetodo

alotmorethanthattoimpresshim.

“Everydaywhileyou’reinfieldtrainingexpecttobeinspectedlikethis.Getusedtoit.Andmake

sureyou’resquaredawaybeforebeginningyourshift.”

He studied her from head to toe one last time. But this inspection was of her, not her uniform. She

stood about five-six. She probably weighed a hundred and twenty pounds at best. And she was young.

Maybe twenty-five. Young enough to think she could make a difference out in the world. She may be

disappointed.

Hesuckedinadeepbreath,steelinghimselfforwhat,hedidn’tknow,butitturnedouttobeamistake.

Abigone.Heinhaledherunmistakablescent.Notperfume,no.Itwaslight,floral.Hecouldn’thelpsniff

alittlemore,tryingnottobeobvious.Itwashershampoo,orhersoap,orherbodylotion.Somethingthat

caughthisattention.Herdarkhairwaspulledbackintoathick,tightbun,notastrayhairtobeseen.It

madehimwonderhowlongitactuallywaswhenletdown.Herthickeyelashessurroundedamazinghazel

eyes. It had to be his imagination when they flashed different colors, from gold to brown to green, all

within a dark outer ring. Had to be; irises didn’t change colors. Her nose was thin and straight, her

cheekboneshighandbloomingwithcolorfromhisdetailedinspection.Andherlips…

Fuck.Marcsteppedbackandclearedhisthroat.

Maxcutintohisthoughts.“Grant,whydon’tyougoandwaitinthepatrolroom.YourFTOwillbe

with you in a couple minutes so he can start showing you the ropes. Close the door on your way out,

wouldyou?”

“Thankyou,S—Chief.”Shespunontheballofherrightfootandmarchedstifflyoutoftheoffice.

Polyesteruniformpantswereneverflatteringonanyone,manorwoman,butsomehowshemanagedto

makehertightlittleasslookedgoodinthem.Asighalmostslippedpasthislips.

“Wasitgoodforyou?”Maxaskedhim.

“What.”

“Youstrippingherbareinyourhead.”

“Ididn’t,”hegrumbled.Wasitthatobvious?Hedidn’twanttocheckforit,orevenlook,buthemight

haveachubby.

“Keepitprofessional.Don’tmakemehavetowriteyouup,orworse,fordoingsomethingstupid.”

“Whydidshehavetobeso—”

Max slammed his palm on the desk top, making Marc jump. “Don’t fuck this up, Corporal. We’re

alreadyshorthandedandIneedher.Weneedher.WithMattstilloverseasandsinceChiefPetersretired,

there’sbeenagapinghole.Unlessyouwanttoworkconstantdoubles,thendoeverythingyoucantomake

sureshe’strainedproperlyandisanassettothisdepartment.Asforyoubeingstuckwithallsixtydaysof

hertraining,Ihavenootheroption.You’reituntilourbabybrothergetshisfeetbackonAmericansoil.

Andeventhen,Idon’tthinkhisheadwillbeinthegameenoughtotrainanotherofficer.”

OncetheiryoungestbrothergetsbackfromhisstintintheMarines,itcouldbepossiblethathewould

needrefreshertraininganyway.

Likeitornot,Marcwillhavetospendthenexttwomonthsastheirnewfemalerecruit’sshadow.He

wassoscrewed.

CHAPTER2

arc bee-lined it down the station hallway and as he passed the patrol room he barked “Let’s go”

withoutbreakingstride.Heheardthescrapeofachairandsomescramblingbeforeheslammedboth

palms against the panic bar of the station’s back door with more force than was necessary. It took off

someoftheedge,butnotenough.

HesteppedoutintotheearlymorningAprilsun.Alittlechillstillpermeatedtheair,buthecouldlive

withit.Itwasbetterthandealingwithhumidity,whichwouldbeheresoonenough.Wearingpolyester,a

dutybelt,andbullet-proofvestsuckedbigtimewhenitwasmuggyandhot.

Hewenttothenearestblack-and-white,turnedonadime,andtossedthekeyswithoutwarningtothe

rookie. Luckily, she was only steps behind him and caught them mid-air like a pro. “Do your pre-shift

inspection.”

Withouthesitationorevenaquestion,shemovedaroundthecartochecktiresandforbodydamage.

Afterpullingonleatherpatrolgloves,sheopenedthedoors,checkingforhiddendrugsandweaponsin

thebackseatandunderthefrontseats.Sheopenedthetrunktomakesuretherewereenoughflaresandthe

firstaidkitwasfull.

Marc stared at the pavement, toeing some loose gravel, but would occasionally lift his head as she

movedaroundthepatrolcartomakesureshewasdoingtheinspectionproperly.Ofcourse,everytimehe

looked she just happened to be bent over. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. Just his

fuckingluck.

Whenshefinished,shesteppedinfrontofhim,thetopsofhernew,shinyblackbootsfillinghisview.

Withoutaword,heheldouthishandandshedroppedthekeysintohispalmbeforewalkingaroundtothe

passengerside.Heheardthedooropenandshutandwhenhefinallyopenedthedriver’sdoor,shewas

alreadyseated,pullingtheseatbeltacrossherchest.Theoversizedvesthadpushedupandhecouldonly

seeherhead.Shenolongerhadaneck.

“Ifyouneedtotakethatoff,doso.”

“Sir.”Shestoppedwithagrimaceandquicklycorrectedherself.“No,Corporal,I’mfinewithiton.”

Hervoicesoundedjustlikehoneytasted.Thick,sweet,andsticky,clingingtohisbraincells.Notonly

theonesbetweenthisshoulders,butalsotheuncontrollable“brain”hangingbetweenhisballs.Hegave

himselfaminutebeforegettinginthecar.

Sixtydayswasgoingtobeafuckinglifetime.

eahswallowedhardashernewsupervisorstrappedhimselfintothedriver’sseat.HestartedtheFord

andcheckedthesidemirrorsbeforeadjustingtherearviewmirrorbyasmidgeon.

The first day on any job was always nerve wracking, but when you were a rookie police officer,

everythingseemedathousandtimesworse.Itwastobeexpectedthattherewouldbemorethannormal

pressureonherduetobeingafemale.Andshewasjoininganall-maledepartment.Leahwasokaywith

working with all men, though, and actually preferred it. She hated female work drama. However, she

wasn’tquitesuretheyweregoingtobefinewithworkingwithher.

Leah straightened her spine. Tough shit. They’d have to accept it. She worked her ass off in the

academyandgraduatedatthetopofherclass.Sheevengaveaspeechatgraduation.Fuckthehaters.And

no doubt there were plenty, even during the academy. Fair? No. However, life wasn’t fair, and

unfortunately, she was entering a male-dominated career. But following in her father’s footsteps was

importanttoher.

Thehellifshewasabouttoletsomearrogant,butadmittedlyhot,corporalruinitforher.

Hedidn’t know justhow stubborn shecould be. When shewanted something, shewent balls to the

wallforit.Well,he’dfindoutsoonenough.

She just had to last sixty days with him. Forty working days. Three hundred and twenty goddamn

hours.Sheglanceddownatherblackutilitywatch.Threehundredandnineteenhoursandfifteenminutes.

Yep.Andthenonceshewascutloosetopatrolonherown,hewouldn’tbebotheredwithheragain.

Unlesssheneededbackup.

Orhedid.

Shit.Thejoysofworkingforasmalldepartment.Youweren’tescapinganyone.Forthatreason,you

betterallgetalong.Or,atleast,pretendto.

Thecorporalgassedthepatrolcar,chirpingthetires,whippingLeah’sheadbackasheheadedtoward

theparkinglotexit.Withoutwarning,heslammedonthebrakes,thrashingherheadforward.Eventhough

theseatbelttightenedfromthesuddenstop,herhandinstinctivelyjammedagainstthedashboard.Shesure

hoped he didn’t drive like this on a regular basis, otherwise she wouldn’t be wearing her bullet-proof

vestawkwardlyaroundherneck,butinsteadaneckcollarfromthewhiplashshe’dhave.

HestaredatalimegreenChevySparkparkedinoneofthespots,hismouthgaping.“Whatthefuckis

that?That’sthesmallestcarI’veeverseen!”Hisheadspunandhepinnedherwithhiscrystalblueeyes.

“Forfucksakes,don’ttellmethat’syours.”

Leahbitherbottomlip.Great.Somethingelseforhimtoragon.

“Canthatevengetoutofitsownway?”

Sheliftedoneshoulderinahalfshrug,butshedoubtedhecouldseeitundertheill-fittingvest.“It’s

goodongas.”

“Idon’tcareifitcanmakeyoubuttermilkbiscuits.Howisitinsnow?”

“It’sfrontwheeldrive.”

Thecorporalsnorted.“So,it’llbefineinaboutaninch.Whenwegetacouplefeetdumpedinafew

hours’time,thenwhat?Youdon’thaveachoiceaboutcomingtoworkforyourshift.Youareessential,

Rookie.”

“Don’ttheyplowtheroads,Corporal?”

Marclaughed.“Yourealizewhereyou’reat,right?Inatownsurroundedbymountains.Howfastdo

youthinktheyopentheroads?”

Okay, maybe it wasn’t the most practical car for northern Pennsylvania. Most people around here

probablydrovepickuptrucks,oratleastall-wheeldriveSUVs.Butshecouldn’tdomuchaboutitatthis

point.Sheneededtofindherownplacefirst.Whichrequiredpaychecks.Likeonaregularbasis.

“I’llfiguresomethingout,”sheassuredhim.

Noway,nohowwasshegoingtoshowhimthatshecouldn’tdothingsorthinkforherself.Shewas

quitecapableoffiguringoutmessesonherown.Ifshehadtobuyahundreddollarrustedshellofafour-

wheel drive hoopty she would. Whatever she had to do to show him—as well as the rest of the

department—thatshecoulddothejobandplannedtostickaround.

Withalastshakeofhishead,thecorporalchirpedthetiresoutoftheparkinglot.

She shouldn’t. No, she really shouldn’t, but… “Aren’t the patrol vehicles rear-wheel drive,

Corporal?”

His sudden death grip on the steering wheel made her turn her head to watch the passing scenery

throughthepassengersidewindow.Shepressedherlipsflat,fightingasmile.

“Inthewinter,weusesnowtires,studdedtires,andchains,ifnecessary.Yourchiefhasafour-wheel

driveSUVandthereisanotheroneforpatrolduringstorms.”Heclearedhisthroat.“Now,I’mgoingto

giveyouatourofthezones,sopayattention.”

“Yes,CorporalBryson.”

Sheheardhissigh,butwouldn’tlookathim.Withinmoments,hepulledintotheparkinglotofCoffee

andCream,locatedattheoneendofManningGrove’squaintmainstreet.

He slapped the shifter into park and let his seat belt fly. “Stay here. Keep an ear on the radio.” He

climbedoutofthecar,hikinghispantsanddutybeltupbeforetakinglongstridesintothecoffeeshop.

AsLeahwatchedthemanandhisbroadshouldersretreat,shereleasedasighofrelief.Sheglancedat

herwatch.Twentyminutesin.Howwasshegoingtogetthroughthisday?Hell,thenextsixtydays?She

groanedatthethought.

And minutes later when he exited the shop, she groaned again. This time for a completely different

reason.Thiswasthefirstchanceshegottoreallystudythemanheadingtowardthecar.Hewasalmosta

carboncopyofthechief.

His short, dark hair reminded her of someone in the military. He was tall and leggy, his body built

solid.Hisfaceheldaseriousexpression,hiseyebrowsfurrowedasifinthought.

But,whenhegotbackinthecar,itwashiscrystal-blueeyesthatstoppedherbreath.Theypinnedhers

causing a shiver to run up her spine. It was almost as if he could peer into her soul. She shook herself

mentally.

Heshovedthecardboardcoffeecupholdertowardherandindicatedsheshouldtakeoneofthelarge

cups.

Ohjeez.Shehopeditwasn’tblack.Shehatedblackcoffee.ShepreferredChaiteabutnowwasnot

thetimetomentionit.

“Lessonnumberone:thisplaceisarequiredstopatthebeginningofeachshift.Theymakethebest

coffee.Nexttime,I’lltakeyouinsidetomeettheowners.”

Noddingherhead,shemadesurethecuplipwasonsecurely.“Thanks,Corporal.”Shescrunchedher

faceassheanticipatedthedreadedfirstsip,knowingitwasgoingtotasteliketoxicsludge.Shesipped

hotliquidcarefully.Thendrankagain,closinghereyesinrelief.Whateveritwas,itwasgood. Creamy

withjusttherightsweetness.Oh,didithitthespot.

Withbrowsraised,shelookedoverathim.

Hewaswatchingher.“It’soneoftheirbestsellers.ACaramelMochaLatte.”

“Didyougetthesamething,Corporal?”

Hesnorted.“Fuckno.Idrinkitblack.”Leahheardtheunsaidpart…likearealman.“IgotyouwhatI

thoughtagirlwouldlike.”

Agirl.Shewashardlyagirl.Butagain,herfirstdaywasnottherighttimetocorrecthim.

“Well,thankyou,Corporal.Iappreciatethegesture.”

Heblinked.“Lessonnumbertwo:StopcallingmeCorporal.Especiallyattheendofeverysentence.”

“Yes,Sir,”shesaid,emphasizingthesir.

Hebouncedtheheelofhispalmoffofhisforehead.“No.No.No.Juststop.”

Sheraisedhereyebrowsinfeignedinnocence.

Hetwistedinhisseattogiveherhisfullattention.“Listen,we’regoingtobeintightquartersforthe

nextcoupleofmonths.YoucancallmeMarc,orevenCorp,ifyouhaveto,butnomoreSirsandnomore

Corporals.Actually,youdon’tneedtocallmeanythingwhenyou’retalkingtome.JusttalktomelikeI’m

yourfriend.”

Friend.Yeah,thatwouldn’tbehappeninganytimesoon.

CHAPTER3

uck.HejusttoldtherookietocallhimMarc.Talktohimlikethey’refriends.Notevenanhourinto

herfirstday.Whatwashethinking?ButhewaslosinghismindeverytimesheaddressedhimasSiror

Corporal.He’dhadenoughofthatformalshitinboththeMarinesandtheacademy.

Heeasedoutoftheparkinglot—drivingcarefullynowduetothehotcoffee—andheadeddownMain

Street.Uncomfortablesilencefilledthevehicle.Whentheycametotheonlyredlightintown,whichwas

atthesquare,theybothstaredoutoftheirrespectivesidewindows.

Therookieclearedherthroat.“Allthesmallshopsreallymakethistown.”

Shewasrightonthatpoint.Hewasluckytohavegrownupinatownwithoutalotofcommercialism.

Lotsofsmalltowncharm.Andnoonewasastrangerforthemostpart.That’swhyhe’dstayedafterhigh

schoolandhistimeintheMarines.Hecouldn’timaginelivinganywhereelse.Visitelsewhere,yes.Live,

no.

“It’sgotpersonality,that’sforsure.Ifyouhaven’tseenthemyet,wehaveaSearsandaWal-Mart.Oh,

and a Tractor Supply. They’re just outside of town.” Outside of town where those big box stores

belonged.

Surely, coming from a metropolitan area, she was impressed by their vast shopping choices. Right.

Thelightturnedgreenandthecarrolledforwardslowly.

“Where’sthenearestlargeshoppingcenter?”

Ofcourse.Whatwomandoesn’tliketoshop?

“Oh,aboutanhourorsosouthofhere.Orifyouwantabettervariety,headtoHarrisburg.”Hisvoice

driftedoffwhenheeyeballedamanstandingonthesidewalk,wavinghimdown.

Shit.

Didhesaythatoutloud?Hemusthave.Hergoldengreeneyeswereturnedtowardshim.Theywere

justeyeballs,heremindedhimself.Heneededtostopbeingmesmerizedbythem.

HepulledovertothecurbinfrontofManesonMain,andsighedasheputthemarkedpatrolcarin

park.“Youmightaswellgetouttoo.Wecouldbehereawhile.”

As they were climbing out of the car, the shop’s owner rushed over to them. Teddy bounced on his

toesandclappedhishands.“Hey,yousexything.It’sbeenawhilesinceyoustoppedtoseeme.”

Marcmovedaroundthecartothesidewalkandleanedhisassagainstthefrontfender,crossinghis

armsandankles.“What’sup,Teddy?”

Teddywaslikefamily,butsometimeshewasoverthetop.AndtodayMarcdidn’thavethepatience

forit.

“Nothing.ButIwishtherewas!”Thehairdresserreleasedadramaticsigh.“JustopeningupsoIcan

workonbluehairstoday.”

Marc waved a hand toward Grant. “This is our new recruit. This is Rookie Grant. Rookie, this is

Teddy.”

TeddyscrunchedhisnoseatMarc.“Don’tbeagorilla.I’msureshehasaname.”

Grantsteppedupandofferedherhand.“LeahGrant.Otherwise,knownasRookie.”

Teddygaveherawidesmileandgrabbedherhand,kissingit.“Lookatyou!You’rethebestlooking

copontheforcenow.”HegaveMarcalook.“Ooo.She’sgivingyouandMaxarunforyourmoney.”

Sureshewas.

“Youbetterwatchthisone.He’sacharmer.SinceMaxisoffthemarketnow,allthesinglewomen

aroundherefollowBrysonBuckNumberTwoarounddrooling.”Teddyleanedtowardher,cuppinghis

hand next to his mouth to fake whisper, “And some of the single guys too.” He pointed to himself and

laughed.“Areyousingle?”heaskedher.

Marc’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. Typical Teddy, get right to the point. No filter. At all. But he

heldhisbreath,waitingfortheanswer.Ifshewasmarried,thenitwouldmakethingssomewhateasieron

him.Lesstemptation?Maybe.

“Yes.Singleandlovingit.”

Theairescapedhislungs.Disappointed?No.Buthetoldhimselfheshouldbe.

“Look at all that luscious dark brown hair you have. I can’t wait to see it down. I’ll tell you what,

whenyouneedatrim,stopinandthefirstonewillbeonthehouse.WhenAmanda—that’swhostoleMax

outfromunderneathusall—rolledintotownwequicklybecamebesties.Youknow,herbeingabigcity

girlandall.Maybewecanbeathreesome.Thistowncouldusesomehip,youngblood.”

Unfortunately, the word threesome conjured up some dirty thoughts in Marc’s head. Picturing Grant

with all that “luscious dark brown hair” loose and having a threesome with another woman made him

fightbackagroan.

Teddyclickedhistongueandscoldedhim.“Getyourmindoutofthegutter,gorilla.”

Busted. As the heat rushed up his throat into his face, he turned away quickly, causing the portable

radio on his hip to smack him hard. Pretending like it didn’t hurt, he said, “Okay, we need to go. I’m

showingherthelayoftheland.Anditlookslikeyourfirstbluehairisonherway.Mrs.Inmanisheading

thisdirection.”

Whileheclimbedbackintothedriver’sseat,MarcheardTeddysay,“Anditbegins.”

Marc rolled down the passenger side window so he could watch Teddy and the rookie make small

talk. Her back was to the car and he couldn’t resist skimming his gaze over the curves of her ass. She

mightbebuiltslim,buttherewasabitofjunkinthattrunk,enoughcurvestomakeanymandrool.

Fuck. He was such a lech. Why, oh, why did the new recruit not only have to be a woman, but an

“

attractive one? Attractive? Hell, hot and downright sexy. He needed to find a distraction every time he

caught himself ogling a part of her that he shouldn’t be gawking at…since he was her supervisor and

trainer. He had to picture a car crash or something ugly. Like, yes! Like the big, fat, pink pig that was

paintedontothestorefrontwindowofBanyon’sBBQ,whichwasrightnextdoortoTeddy’splace.He’d

conjureupahoginhismindwheneverhewastemptedtogluehiseyeballstoaninappropriateareaofthe

rookie’sbody.

Likeherass.

Porkbutt.

He opened the glove box and pulled out a pocket-sized field incident notebook. And when she got

backintothecar,heshoveditherdirection.“Here,keepthisinyourbackpocket,you’regoingtoneedit.

I’msurprisedDunndidn’tgiveyouone.”

“Hedid.It’sinmypatrolbag.”

Of course it was. That’s where his was. But he wanted—no, needed—her to keep it in her back

pocket,notbecausesheshouldhaveitwithheratalltimes,butbecausehewantedittodistorttheviewof

hergloriousrear-end.Something,anythingtohelphimkeephisgazefrombeingdrawntoit.

Pickledpig’sfeet.

Shit.

Hestartedthecarandturnedintoatourguide.

e get a lot of calls to this house. She’s one of the regulars. She has dementia and her family

strugglestotakecareofher.You’llgettoknowherwell.”

HisdeepvoiceaffectedLeahlikenoother’s.Shehadbeenaroundmenherwholelife,ofcourse,why

didthisone’svocaltonesmakeherwanttomelt?Especiallysincehedidn’tseemtorespecther—orany

woman—beingacop.

Heturnedacornerandsloweddowninfrontofthelocalschool.“Themiddleschoolandhighschool

arecombined.OursergeantdoublesastheSchoolResourceOfficer.”

Theschoolsatontheirleft,whichgavehertheperfectopportunitytostudythecorporal’sprofileas

heexplainedthisandthat.Sheremindedherselfsheneededtopayattention.Shewouldn’tbesurprisedif

hepulledapopquizattheendoftheshift.Anythingtojamherup,toprovewomenshouldn’tbeinlaw

enforcement.

“I’llpickadayandgiveyouatourofthisschoolandtheelementaryschool.It’llbegoodtoknow

wheretorespondifyougetanincidenthere.I’llintroduceyoutothesuperintendentandtheprincipal.”

Hisjawwaschiseled,hischinstrong,hisnosestraightandalmostperfectlyshaped.Hischeekbones,

well…indescribable.Andthoseeyes…Shecouldn’tseethematthemoment,buttheyhauntedher.Inreal

life,asopposedtoworklife,hewouldbethekindofmanshe’dbeattractedto.Unfortunately,workand

pleasurenevertendedtomixwell.

“Iassumeyouwenttoschoolhere?”sheaskedhim,sincehewasstaringwistfullyatthesprawling

brickbuilding.

“Yeah,that’smyalmamater.”

Thoughshecouldguesstheanswer,sheaskedanyway,“Didyouplaysports?”

“Football,wrestling,baseball,track.”Shesworehischestpuffedoutalittle.

Ofcourse.Atypicalhighschooljockwhogrewupthinkingwomenwereonlygoodforcertainthings.

Likebeingreceptaclesfortheir“strong”semenandbearersoftheirchildren.Cleanthehouse,cookthe

meals,andraisetheoffspring.NothingLeahhadanyinterestin.

Insteadshewantedtobeindependent,haveasenseofself-worth,andfollowherfather’spathinlaw

enforcement.Whetherthecorporalbelieveditornot,womenhadanimportantroleinpolicework.And,

ifshehadto,shewasdamnwellgoingtoproveittohim.

Hisicyblueeyescutthroughherasheturnedhisheadtostudyher.“You?”

You what? Oh, sports. “I played volleyball, but I preferred to exercise my brain. Spanish club,

Debate,NationalHonorsSociety,Keyclub,andIwasclasspresident,aswellasValedictorian.”

She didn’t miss the widening of his eyes before he schooled his facial expression. Maybe he was

impressed.Maybenot.Shecouldcareless.Hergradesandherextracurricularactivitieshadlookedgood

onhercollegeapps.

“Letmeguess,youwenttoanIvyLeagueschool.”

Sheleanedbackintothepassengerseat.“No.Icouldn’taffordtogo.IwasacceptedtoCornell,but

couldn’taffordthetuition.NordidIgetenoughscholarshipstoevenremotelycovertheexpenses.Iended

updoinganacceleratedBachelor’sdegreeprogramonline.”

“Inwhat?”

“CriminalJustice,ofcourse.”

HegaveheraquicklookandshefiguredhewassurprisedsomeoneacceptedtoCornellwouldend

upwithCriminalJusticeashermajor.Butshehadherreasons.Bustingherass,sheearnedherB.S.ina

littleovertwoyears.Notonlydidsheworkfull-timetosupportherself,shewenttoschoolfull-timeall

year round. She had never asked for or accepted a hand-out and never planned to. By scrimping and

saving enough money on her own, she put herself through the municipal police academy with the hope

she’dgetajobofferaftergraduation.

Evenwitha4.0gradeaverageinbothhighschoolandcollege,noonehadfoughttohireher.Themale

cadetsgotsnappedupeasily.Andasforthefemalesinherclass…Heronlyopportunitycamefromthe

ManningGroveP.D.Andshewould’vebeenafooltosayno.Shehadschoolloanstopayoff.Anymoney

cominginwasbetterthannomoney.

ComingfromthegreaterPhiladelphiaareatothisPodunktownwasgoingtobequiteachange,butat

leastlifewasmoreaffordableinthisarea.Besidesthat,shecouldn’timaginethatManningGroveP.D.

receivedevenafractionofthecallsthatPhillyP.D.dealtwithdaily.Andshewantedtoconcentrateon

communitypolicing,notjustwritingcitations,orarrestingpeople.Shehopedshecoulduseherdiscretion

moreherethanshecouldatalargerdepartment.Whenthechiefinterviewedher,he’dsaidtheydosome

communityoutreach,butwantedtoexpanduponit.

Thecorporalsteppedonthegas,leavinghishighschoolmemoriesbehindandcontinuedtoshowher

thepatrolzonesandthedepartment’sareaofcoverage.Theirareawasactuallylargerthanshethoughtit

wouldbe.NotonlydiditincludethetownlimitsofManningGrove,itcoveredalotofruralandwooded

townshipsthatbuttedthetown.Morelikearegionalpolicedepartment.Beyondthatwasallstatepolice

coverage.

Astheydrove,he’dsaylittlegemslike,“Youneedtobeproactive.Youneedtothink.”Or,“Youneed

to be squared away. But in this community you have to be approachable. Everyone will know you and

you’llknowthem.Ifyoufuckup,everyonewillknowitwithinthehour.”Leahwouldjustnodherhead

enoughtimestolethimknowshewaslistening.

Thenontheirwaybacktostation,Marcmurmured,“Well,well,well.Lookwhoshowedhisfacein

town.”

The corporal pulled behind an old Chevy Caprice that was two-toned rust and black primer. The

vehiclehadnorearlicenseplate,whichwasrequiredintheCommonwealthofPennsylvania.Itgavethem

probablecausetopullthevehicleoverandcitethedriver.

“This will be your first traffic citation. Let’s see what they taught you in the academy and how to

handledriverslikethis.”

Hehithislightsastheoldvehicleturnedacorner,noturnsignalused.Leahmentallyaddedthatplusa

brokentaillighttoherlistofviolations.

Atfirstthedriverappearedunwillingtopullover,buthalfwaydowntheblock,jerkedthecartothe

curband,ifthequickflashofthereverselightswereanyindication,finallyputitinpark.

Drivers like this. The corporal knew something about this particular driver and wasn’t going to

enlightenher.Okay.Hewastestingher.Shewasgoingtomakesureshepassedwithflyingcolors.

She observed the driver for a few moments to see if he made any suspicious moves or reached for

anything, but he didn’t. She reached into the back seat and dug her metal pinch pad, which was stuffed

withanewpackofcitationsstillwrappedincellophane,outofherpatrolbag.Asshestraightenedback

intotheseat,shenoticedaglimmerinMarc’seyes.

“Youwon’tbeneedingthatjustyet.Leaveitinhere.”

Andthatgaveheralltheconfidenceintheworld.Sheexpectedhimtogetoutandbackherup.Buthe

didn’t.Whensheglancedbackatthepatrolcar,hejustgaveherathumbsupandasmile.

Great.Whatwashegettingherintoalreadyonherfirstday?

AssheapproachedtherearoftheCaprice,shepressedherthumbagainstthetrunkofthesedanand

keptherbodyclosetothevehicleassheapproachedthedriver’ssidewindow.Whichhappenedtostill

berolleduptight.

Standingslightlytotherearofthedriver,sheasked,“Rolldownyourwindow,Sir.”

Thedriver,awhitemale,inhismid-fortiessheguessed,remainedfacingforward,hishandsonthe

steeringwheel.

Sherepeatedherself,thistimemorefirmly.“Rolldownyourwindow,Sir.”

Nothing.Notevenablink.

Maybehewasdeaf?Sherappedonthewindowwithherknuckleandherespondedwiththemiddle

finger,stillnotlookingather.

Well,allrightythen!Shepeekedintothebackseattomakesureitwasclear.Andtherewasnoonein

thepassengerseat.Butthatdidn’tmeanMr.Personabledidn’thaveaweapon.Hershoulderstensed.

Though doubting the man would cooperate, she went through the motions, knowing she was being

observedcarefully.“Licenseandregistration,please.”Shewidenedherstanceandunsnappedherholster,

placingherrighthandonthebuttofherGlockwhenhereachedforsomethingonthedashboard.Andthen

hepushedwhatlookedlikealaminatedbusinesscardagainstthedirtyglass.

Thetypewassmall,butshecouldmakeoutafewwordslikesovereigncitizen,rights,andlaws.She

wascluelessonwhattodoexceptpullhimoutofthecartomakehimcomply.Shewantedadvicefrom

her coach, but she refused to turn and give him a pleading look. That’s what he wanted, her to ask for

help.

Butshedidn’tneedtoask.Sheheardtheslamoftheblack-and-white’scardoorandhesteppedupto

thepassengersideoftheoldChevy.

He looked over the roof at her. “Nice job with the print. Though on this rust bucket, touching the

taillightwouldhavebeenbetter.”

Theacademyhaddrilledintoherheadthatyoualwaystouchedthetrunkortaillightofacaryouwere

stopping. No matter what. Most drivers never even realized police did it, but it was done for officer

safety.Evidencethatthecopcameincontactwiththevehicle.Justincasethestopwentbad.

MarctappedtheendofhisMagliteontheroof,attemptingtogettheoccupant’sattention.“Bruce,roll

downyourdamnwindow.”

BruceturnedhisheadslightlytowardMarc,whodidn’tfeeltheneedtohavehishandonhisweapon.

Leahbreathedalittleeasier.

“Bruce…”thecorporalsaidlowandwithclearwarning.

Thedriverfinallypowereddownthepassengerwindow.“Fuckyou,pig.”

“Now,Bruce,youknowmynameisn’tpig.Ihaveaperfectlygoodnamemymothergaveme.”

“Idon’tgiveashit.Youhavenorighttostopme.”

“Well,youseemtobemissingyourregistrationplateandyourcarhasn’tbeeninspectedsince2004.

That’salittleproblematic.”

“Maybeforallyouconformists.ButIamasovereigncitizenandIdon’tfollowthesamelawsasthe

restofyousheep.”

“IthoughtIwasapig,nowI’masheep.”Marcshookhishead,chuckling.“Yougotathingforfarm

animals,Bruce?”

Brucezippedhislipsshut.

“Bruce, I know we’ve discussed this before. But in PA there’s a thick book called Title 75, which

includesallofthevehiclecodes.You’rebreakingafewofthemrightnow.Now,wecouldarrestyouand

towyourvehicle—”

Withoutacknowledgement,Brucerolledupthepassengerwindow,cuttingMarcoff.“Butyoualready

knowthat,don’tyou?Buthowaboutyouheadoutoftownandbackuptothemountainandwe’llletyou

gowith—”Bruceputthecarindriveanddroveawaywithasquealofthetires.“Awarning.”

Luckily,LeahhadsteppedbackassoonasBruceputthecarindrive.Shestillhadallofhertoes.

“Iguesswe’llmakethataverbalwarning.Youokay?”

LeahturnedfromwatchingtheChevydisappeararoundthenextcornertolookathercoach.“Yeah.”

He gave her a wide grin. “We’ve got some of them out in the woods and through the mountainside.

Theyusuallykeeptothemselves.Whenyou’reoutintheboonies,youhavetoexpectsomemilitia,white

supremacists,methlabs,andjustplainloonies.”

Heturnedandheadedbacktothepatrolcar.Shefollowedbehind,frowning.Shedidn’tevengetto

breaktheplasticonhernewpackofcitations.

When she climbed back in the car, he told her, “He’s a self-proclaimed Sovereign citizen. Feels he

doesn’tneedtofollowanylaws.Nodriver’slicense,noregistration,noinsurance.Wecouldpinchhim

andmailhimacopy,buthewon’tpayit.He’sneverpaidtheoneswe’vewritteninthepast.I’msurethe

districtjusticehasafewbenchwarrantsonhim,butnoonewantstodoanythingaboutit.WithoutID,I

can’tsearchinthesystemforanyandIdoubtheevenhasasocialsecuritynumber.Itisn’tevenworththe

timeoreffortaslongastheyheadbackoutoftownassoonasyoumakecontactwiththem.”

Sheclimbedintothecruiserandmovedtheunneededpinchpadoutofherway.Asshetuckeditback

into her patrol bag, she asked, “Why is the department still handwriting pinches? Why haven’t you

switchedovertotheelectroniccitationsystem?”

“Isthathowtheytrainedyouattheacademy?Ifso,it’schangedsinceIwentthrough.Ourdepartment

issmall,asisourcitizenbase.Wedon’thavethebudgetforanelectronicsystemsincewedon’twritea

lotoftraffictickets.”

“Maybeifeveryonewritesmore,thedepartmentcouldaffordthesystem.”

Heshotasurprisedlookather.“YouwanttocreatethefirstrioteverinManningGrove?We’renot

goingtonit-pickourcitizens.Max—thechief—wantstorunacommunity-baseddepartment.Wewantthe

community to be our partners, not the enemy. Verbal or written warnings work just fine for most

incidents.”

Maybe she would talk to the chief about a new system. She’d make sure she did her research first,

though.Andwoulddefinitelywaituntilafterherfieldtrainingwasover.Nodoubt.

It wasn’t long before they were pulling into the station’s lot again. Leah had officially survived her

firstdayasacop.Shesighedinrelief.Onlyfifty-ninedaystogo.

“Gogetchangedandgetagoodnight’ssleep.Ourshiftisthreetoeleventomorrow.Thenadouble

back.Youneedtogetusedtoworkingallthreeshifts.Wehaveregularmidnighters,butthatdoesn’tmean

youwon’tgetstuckonaseriesofmiddies.Weallfillinwhenthey’reoutforwhateverreason,likeon

vacation.”

Sincehehadtogasupthecar,hedroppedheroffatthestation’sbackdoor.

She thanked him, though the sentiment lacked any obvious enthusiasm. As she approached the

building,hestoppedher.

“Grant!”

Sheturned.

Hislightblueeyesburnedintoher.“I’mnotgoingtodoyouanyfavorsbybeingeasyonyou.”

Shenodded.“Treatmeasyouwouldanewmaleofficer.”

“Oh,Iplanto.”

Withoutadoubt.Sheexpectednothingelsefromhim.

“

CHAPTER4

ieldtrainingisanextremelyimportantpartoflawenforcementtraining.Why,youask?Well,ithelps

youlearnthepracticalfacetsofpolicingandcommunityserviceanditwillalsohelpyouassimilate

intoourparticulardepartment.”

Holy crap. The corporal had been going on and on about the training program and sounded like he

wasreadingfromindexcards.Hemusthavespentalldayreadingtheinsandoutsoffieldtrainingsohe

couldvomitalltheinformationbackuptoher.Maybehewastryingtoimpressherwithhisknowledge?

Leahfoughtbackayawn.Itwouldn’tbegoodononlydaytwoofhertrainingtoappearboredbyher

FTO.But,oh,didheneedsomeImodiumforhisdiarrheaofthemouth.

“And as your coach, I need to evaluate you on a daily basis. There are twenty categories I’ll be

grading you on. Anywhere from your appearance to how you handle yourself at an incident, on your

drivingtechnique—”

Ifheeverallowedhertodrive.

“ToyourrangeskillsandyourknowledgeofTitle75andtheCrimesCode.”

Their shift had started at three. And—she peeked at her watch—it now was three-thirty. He’d been

blah-blahingforalmostahalfhour.Shewantedtopokeherselfintheeyewithasharppencil.

“Sothatbeingsaid,Iwillbemonitoringyouconstantly.Youreverymove.”

Shemadesurethatshefacedhimsoitseemedshehungonhiseveryword.Theastutestudent.Even

thoughshe’dalreadyheardandreadabouteverythinghewassayingwhenitcametofieldtraining.She

couldn’thelpbutlethergazedriftoverhisbodyinstead.Unlikehers,hisbullet-proofvestfithimwell,

andjustmadehisbroadchestlookwider.Histattooedbicepmusclesflexedwitheverylittlemovement

hemadewhenhetalked...andtalked.Oneofhislargehandswasproppedonthesteeringwheel.Theother

hadanincidentnotebookgrippedwithinhislongfingers.

Sheshiftedinherseatwhenshewonderedhowskilledhecouldbewiththosedigits.

Hisspeechdronedonandonandshecouldn’thelpbutimaginehisdeep,silkyvoiceinherearashe

wassuspendedaboveher,thrusting—

Herbodyjerkedbacktoreality.Whatthehellwasshethinking?She’sknowntheguyforoneday,and

hewashercoach.Hecouldmakeorbreakherprobationperiodand,ifnotcareful,shecouldquicklyfind

herselfoutonherass.Sansjobandaplacetolive.

Butshecouldn’tresistwatchingthecordedmuscleinhisneckmoveashelecturedandsheadmired

hisdeeply-tannedskin.Heprobablyspentalotoftimeoutdoors.

“Areyoustaringatme?”

Ugh.Shewassobusted.Sheliftedhergazetohis.Thecrystalblueofhiseyesalwayscaughtheroff

guard.Heatrosefromherthroatintoherface.

“No,Iwasenthralledbythehaircomingoutofyourear.YoumustbeolderthanIthought.”

Hesatbackinsurpriseforamomentbeforeclosinghisgapedmouthandopeninghisnotebook.He

tookapenoutofhisfrontshirtpocketandscribbledsomething.

Shewouldn’tbesurprisedifhehad“gigged”her.

Andassoonashespoke,sherealizedthatwasexactlywhathe’ddone.

“I’m trying out a new system for your evaluation. Yesterday was a freebie, by the way. But now it

officiallybegins.Everyshiftyou’llstartoutwiththemaximumpointsandwhenyoumessup”—Shenoted

hedidn’tsayif—“youwillbedockedpoints.”

Great.Foreveryminorinfractionshe’dbegigged.Likeduringtheacademy,buttheretheinfractions

werepaidwithpushups.Andlotsofthem.Shehadhopedshehadneverheardthetermgigagaininher

life. But no, riding along with the corporal would be just like an extension of the academy. Though,

admittedly,noneoftheacademyinstructorshadlookedquiteasgoodashim.So,therewasthat.

Sheraisedherhand.“Question,Marc.”

His eye twitched when she said his name. He probably regretted telling her to do so. Leah made a

mentalnotetoalwayscallhimMarcinsteadofCorp.

“Yes,Grant?”

“IthoughtI’dgettwodifferentFTOs,oneforeachthirtydays.”

“Inalargerdepartmentyouwould,butwe’renotbigenoughtohavethatluxury.Afraidyou’restuck

withmeforthenexttwomonths?”

Andhowdidsheanswerthatone?Shedidn’t.Itwasbettertoignoreit.Thelastthingshewantedwas

forhimtolickthetipofhispenbeforejottinginhisnotebook.Shefoughtbackachuckleattheimage.

“I’msureyou’lldoafewride-alongswiththechief,andtheothers.Don’tworry.”

Nowwhatdidshehavetoworryabout?

arcsatacrossfromtherookieinaboothatDino’sDiner.Theeveninghadbeenslow,givingthem

plentyoftimetohaveamealiftheshiftremainedquiet.Heplacedtheportableradioonthetablein

betweenthemandturnedthevolumedownsoitwouldn’tdisturbtheotherdiners.Hewantedtoremove

hisdutybeltandtuckitontheseatnexttohimsohe’dbemorecomfortable,buthewantedtobeagood

mentor,sohe’dsufferthrougheatingwhileheworeit.

Butifithadbeenhimandtheotherguys,theyallwouldhavebeenditchingtheheavy,glorifiedtool

belt.

Hemadesuretoputtheevaluationnotebookonthetablenexttotheradio.Justtoremindherhewas

watchinghereverymove.

Fuckyes,hewas.Evenwiththeoversizedvestdistortinghertorsoandthebulkydutybeltridingher

slim,butcurvyhips,LeahGrantwasgracefulandsexyasallget-out.Hecouldn’twaittoseeheroutof

uniformandincivviestoseehowbigherbreastswere.Nakedwouldworktoo.Andhewasdyingtotake

downherhairtoseehowlongthesilkystrandswere.

I’m her supervisor. I’m her supervisor. I’m her supervisor, he reminded himself. And his older

brotherwouldbereallypissedifanythinginappropriateoccurredbetweenthem.

But damn, he couldn’t help appreciate the natural beauty in front of him. If she wore makeup, he

couldn’t tell. Between that perfectly ivory skin, her dark brown hair, and those warm hazel eyes, she

fascinatedhim.

Andshehadabrain.Shewassmart.Incontrasttohimbeingjustasmartass.Butherintelligencewas

ahugeattractionforhim.

He broke his gaze to stare at his water. He ran a finger down the sweating glass, catching the cool

beads on his index finger. Besides ordering, they’d hardly said two words to each other since sitting

down.Maybeheshouldgooversometechnicalstuff.Orquizheroncrimecodes.

Nah.Fuckit.Hereallyjustwantedtostareatherforhours.

The waitress bringing him a cup of Italian Wedding soup and Leah a small side salad broke the

silence.

“Thanks,Pam.”

The waitress nodded. “You got it, sweetie. Your meals will be up soon.” she said, before

disappearing.

Theybothreachedforthepepperatthesametime,theirfingersbrushing.AshockranthroughMarc,

buthedidn’tpullaway.Insteadhegrippedhisfingersaroundhersbeforeshepulledherhandback.

“Sorry,”shemumbled,busyingherselfwithpouringRanchdressingfromthelittleplasticcupitcame

inoverhersad-lookingsalad.

Heheldthepepperouttoher.“Here,youfirst.”Hewantedtosayladiesfirst,butheshouldtreather

likeanyothermalecopinthedepartment.Though,ifheactuallydidthat,hewouldn’thaveofferedthe

peppertoheratall.Itwaseveryoneforthemselveswhenitcametogrubbingdownduringbreak.

Still,hecouldn’thelpnoticeherlong,slenderfingerswhenshetookthepeppershakerfromhis.Her

short,butroundedneatlynailsweren’tpainted.Hehadaflashofthosefingerswrappingtightlyaroundhis

cockandsqueezing.Thenheslappedhimselfmentally.Andthenonceagainforgoodmeasure.

Thiswasonlydaytwoandheneededtocutoffanylecherousthoughtshehadofher.Itwasnotonly

unprofessional,butworse,theywoulddrivehimmad.

Insteadofhandingtheshakerbacktohim,sheputitontheFormicatopandslidittohissideofthe

table.Hepepperedhissoupgenerouslybeforetastetestingit.Mmm.Justright.

If he was here with the guys, he’d pick up the cup and just drink it down. But he wasn’t. And they

weren’t.Sohedidn’t.Heimpatientlyusedthesoupspoonsohedidn’tlooklikeacaveman.Oragorilla,

asTeddywouldsay.

AshewatchedherpickatthelimpIceberglettuceandpushtheslicedonionstothesideoftheplate,

hecouldn’tstandthesilenceanylonger.

“So…whereareyoufrom?”

Hergazepoppeduptohisandshepushedthehardly-touchedsaladtotheendofthetable.Shespun

theforkonthetableabsently.“Phillyarea.”

“You’reanEaglesfan?”

Shelookedup,surprised.“Definitely.Whywouldn’tIbe?”

Hepulledouthispen,openedhisnotebook,andscribbleddeliberately.Letherthinkhe’djustdocked

herapoint.“Uh,becausetheyhavenoringsandmaybeneverwill.Aroundhereifyouain’taSteelers

fan,youain’tshit.”AndasaPittsburghfan,hehadamandatoryobligationtotrashtalktheirPennsylvania

rivals.

“Holdon.IgetagigforbeingaPhiladelphiafan?”

“Yes,andyou’llgetoneeverydayforjustthatreasonuntilyoucometoyoursenses.”

Suddenly,shethrewherheadbackandlaughedwithabandon,apparentlynotcaringthattherestofthe

diners’headswerespinninginherdirection.Marcblinked,mesmerizedbyherthroatylaugh.Hedidn’t

wantherlaughtertoend,evenifitwasdrawingattention.Itstokedsomethingdeepinsidehim.

She laughed so hard, tears rolled down her cheeks. Finally, with a hiccup, she calmed herself and

gave him a big smile. She appeared as if she was going to say something smart to him, but decided

otherwise.Hergazeflickedtowardthenotebookandshetookadeepbreath.“Sorry.”

Marcdidn’tknowwhattosay,butluckily,Pamthewaitressplunkedtheirentreesinfrontofthem.He

lookeddownathisReubensandwich.Hewasstillhungryashell,butnotforthefoodonhisplate.

Hewassofucked.

he chicken croquettes she had ordered were godawful and she could only eat half of them before

givingupandpushingherplateaway.Instead,shewatchedhimfrombeneathhoodedeyeslickatthe

ThousandIslanddressingthatdribbleddownhisfingers.EverytimehetookabiteofhisReubenandthe

saladdressingandcoleslawjuicedrippeddownhisdigits.Andoutcamehistonguetolapitaway.

Heatpooledbetweenherlegsandbeforeshecouldstopherself,shesquirmed.Whichinturncaused

thingstotighteninherlowerbodywhensheaccidentallybrushedherlegagainsthis.Hejerkedawayand

sodidshe.Butallthatdramaoccurredunderthetable.Fromthewaistup,noonewouldsuspectathing.

Hecontinuedtobiteandlickandshecontinuedtomelt.

Whycouldn’tshestopstaring?Why?

Hisgazeliftedashelickedhisfingersonceagainandthistimetheirgazesheld.Shetightenedherjaw

tokeepfromgroaning.Butherlipspartedeversoslightlyandherbreathquickened.Anditwasn’tasifhe

hadn’t noticed. He definitely did. He stared at her lips as his tongue came out even slower. She licked

themandclosedhermouth,breathingdeeplythroughflarednostrils.

Pamcameoverandpickedupherhalf-eatenplate.“Dessert?”sheaskedLeah.

“No,”shesaidabsentlywithoutlookingup.Thewaitresswanderedaway,mumblingunderherbreath.

But,hellyes,shewanteddessert.However,nothingthatwasrevolvinginthediner’spastrycase.She

staredatMarclikehewasapieceofDeathbyChocolatecake.

Andshewasachocoholic.

Marcslammedhisfistonthetable,makingherjumpandbreakherstickysweetthoughts.

“You can’t look at me like that and expect me to remain professional the rest of this shift. Or

tomorrow.Orforthenextfewweeks.”Hisvoicewasgruff,butcrackedtwicelikeateenager’s.Hewore

apainedexpression,hishandsclenchedintofistsonthetable.

Heclosedhiseyesforamoment,flatteninghishandsontheFormica.Afterreleasingalongbreath,he

openedhiseyes.Insteadoflookingatherwhenhetalked,hekepthisgazeonhershoulderinstead.

“Grant,didyouhearme?”

Shenoddedherheadbuthewasn’tfocusedonher,sosheroughlywhispered,“Okay.”

“Good.Throwsomeonesonthetableforatipandlet’sgetthehelloutofhere.”

It took him a few minutes to slide out from the booth and approach the cash register. Leah couldn’t

imaginewhy.

nceagaintheysatinthepatrolcarinstrainedsilence.Itseemedtobeathemewiththetwoofthem.

Thesquawkoftheradiomadethembothsighwithrelief.

“CountyDispatchtoManningGrovesix.”

Marctiltedhisheadtowardtheradio,expectinghertotakeit.Shepickedupthemicandsqueezedthe

trigger.“ManningGrovesix,goahead.”

“Manning Grove six, there’s a struck deer along Mountain Road that needs dispatched. The striking

vehiclehasnodamage.Noinjuries.It’sinfrontoftheMiller’splace.”

LeahlookedatMarc,hopingheknewwheretheMiller’splacewas.Hegaveheraslightnod.

“Okay,Dispatch.MarkManningGrovesixenroute.”

Shit. Injured animals were her weakness. And as much as she didn’t want to kill the deer, she also

didn’twanttoseeitsuffer.

“I’llcallthegamewardentomakesurehegetstheretopickupthemeatforthelocalfoodbank.”

Leah,herheartlodgedinherthroat,justnoddedherheadinthedarknessofthecar.Thefewbitesof

herdisgustingchickencroquettesnowchurnedinherstomach.

Ohplease,don’tletmepuke.

Hedrovecodetwotothescene.Justlights,nosirens.Andwhentheyarrived,hepulledtheshotgun

fromthedashboardholderbetweenthetwofrontseats.

“Howareyouwiththeshotgun?”heaskedherastheybothcamearoundthefrontofthepatrolcar.

“It’smyweaponofchoice.”Andeventhoughshewasshakyashellbecauseshewasabouttokilla

livingbeing,shedidn’tdoubtherskillwiththeshotgun.

“Haveyoueverhuntedbefore?”

“No.”Shechewedonherbottomlip.

“I’lltalkyouthroughit.”

Good.Shedidn’twanttomessupandletthepoordeersufferlongerthannecessary,especiallyather

ownhands.

They approached the downed animal, the headlights of the vehicle spotlighting the area. He handed

hertheshotgunandsherackedit,lookingdowninpityatthebuckwhosebackendlaymangled.There

wasnosavingthisdeer.Atleasthismeatwouldgotogooduse.

Andthat’swhatshekepttellingherselfassheraisedthelonggunupandputthebuttfirmlyagainsther

shoulder.Marchadpointedouthertarget.Sheslowedherbreathingtocalmhernerves.

Shewasdoingthisanimalafavor,damnit.Squeezingthetrigger,therecoilabsorbedbyherbody.It

wasoverquickly,butsheremainedtorn.Thoughrelievedtoendthebuck’ssuffering,shestillwantedto

cry.Afterloweringtheshotgun,sheswipedatherface.

“There’snocryinginpolicework,”Marcsaidsoftly,takingthegunfromher.“Waituntilrut,you’lldo

thismorethanyoucanstand.”

Shehadnoideawhatrutwas,andshewasn’tabouttoaskatthispoint.Buthewasright.Therewas

noroomfortearsorheartbreak.Sheneededtoturnoffheremotionsasmuchaspossiblewhenworking.

Sheneededtobepracticalandnotemotional.

ShewenttostandatthebackofthepatrolcarwhileMarcwaitedforthegamewardentoshowup.

Andwhenhedid,Marcintroducedherbeforehelpingthewardenloadthedeerintothebackofthepickup

truck.Withinminutes,thewardenwasgone,leavingMarcandheralone.

“Areyougoingtohaveaproblemwithdoingadoubletaptocentermassifneeded?”

Leahsnappedherspinestraight.“No.”

“Yousure?Nobodywantsbackupwhocan’tpullthetrigger.”

“I’llhavenotroubledoingwhat’snecessary,”sheansweredhimwithconviction.

“Withouthesitation.”

“Withouthesitation,”sheconfirmed,lookinghimstraightintheeye.

“You’lljustcryalittleafterwards.”

Leahfrownedwhenhesnorted.Heshookhisheadandgotbackintothevehicle.

arc had mixed emotions about Leah’s tears. Even though he didn’t say so, he understood the

compassion when it came to having to kill an animal unexpectedly. He never liked to see anything

suffer,humanorotherwise.

Buthewasahunter.Andadamnedgoodone.Therewasadifferencebetweenaquick,accurateshot

witharifleorabow,comparedtoananimalgettingstruckbyacarorstuckinatrap.Unfortunately,he

hadseenbothtoomanytimes.

He was always thankful to the animal providing meat on his table. And he, or his family, ate

everythinghekilled.

Despitethetears,Marchadbeenimpressedshehadn’tbalkedormelteddownatdispatchingthebuck.

Shealsoimpressedhimyesterdaywiththetrafficstopaswell.Hehadthrownacurveballatherandshe

handleditfine.Shehadevenbeenagoodsportwearingtheill-fittingvest,somethingMarcwouldn’thave

hadthepatiencefor.

Allinall,sheseemedcapablesofar.Evenifshewasafemale.

Astheypulledawayfromthesceneoftheincidentanddownthedarkcountryroadawayfromtownto

do some patrol, something stirred his curiosity. He flicked on the high beams so they wouldn’t have a

repeat of the previous scene and as he scanned the roadway and the grass shoulders looking for

movement,heasked,“Whywouldatopcadetcomeupheretonoman’slandinsteadofsomewheremore

exciting?Wereyouafraidofrealaction?”

“Wereyouafraidofrealaction?”

Boom.Nicecomeback.

“Themalesinmyfamilyhavealwaysbeenapartofthispolicedepartment.It’stradition.”

“So,ifitwastraditiontojumpoffabridgewouldyoudothesame?”

Marcglancedatherquicklybeforedirectinghisgazebacktotheroad.Shewasgivinghimtheside-

eye.Hestoppedthecarandbackedintothestoneentranceofaveryoldcemeteryattheborderoftheir

coveragearea.Itwashisusualturn-aroundspot.Heshovedtheshifterintoparkandunfastenedhisbeltso

hecouldfaceher.Theglowfromthedashboardandthecomputerbetweenthemcastenoughlightonher

toemphasizeherdelicatefacialfeatures.

Shefollowedhisleadandunbuckledherseatbelt,shiftingtofacehimdirectly.Shecertainlywasn’t

shy.Oreasilyintimidated.

“Honestly?Idon’tthinkanyotherdepartmentwantedme.Itestedforabunchoflocaldepartmentsand

wouldendupontheirhiringlist,butsomehowtheyalwayshadanexcusetoskipovermyname.”

“Whydidn’tyousuetheirasses?”

“How do I prove that they were discriminating against me due to my sex? And if I sued, I’d get

blackballed.Noonewouldwanttohireme.”

“Howunfair,”hemurmured.

About as unfair as Marc’s opinion of women in police work was. He got it. It proved he was a

hypocriteontheissue.Doesn’tmeanhewasgoingtoadmitit.

Leah shrugged. “It happens when you’re a woman in a male-dominated career. The good ol’ boys

club.That’swhatmostdepartmentsare.Iwalkedintothiscareerpathwithmyeyeswideopen,believe

me.”

Hecouldn’timaginewhatitwasliketobediscriminatedagainst.“Whynotpickanothercareer?”

“WhyshouldIhaveto?”

Goodquestion.Andhetriedtolookbeyondhisownprejudices.Butitwasdifficult.Whenhelooked

ather,hesawawoman,notacop.Shewouldneverbebigenoughorstrongenoughtotackleandsubdue

somecrazyassholehighonmeth.

Herbodywasbuilttofitperfectlyagainstaman’s.Forpleasure.Toaccepthimdeepandfully.Those

bow-shapedlipswereperfectforkissingandsucking.Andherstraightwhiteteethforbitingandnipping.

The thought of some asshole attacking her as she went to arrest him, or some anti-police joker

ambushing her just because she wore a uniform… It disturbed something deep down inside him. Some

kindofprotectivenaturebubbledtothesurface.

Maybehecouldprotectherwhenshewaswithhim,butwhenshewasoutonherown?Backupcould

bemilesaway.Hedidn’teverwanttoseeherhurt.Thethoughtmadehimclenchhisfists.

Fuck.

Thiswasnotgood.Not.Good.At.All.

CHAPTER5

arclookedatthewomanacrossfromhim.Herstancewaswideandlowtotheground.Herhandsout

frontinreadyposition.

She wore a T-shirt that had her last name emblazoned in block letters written in black permanent

markeracrossthefrontandback.Aleftoverfromheracademygymclasses.Shealsoworethegreynon-

descriptshortsthathadbeenrequiredduringtraining.However,theyrodeupherthighsallthewaytothe

creaseinherlegsasshesquattedinawrestlingstance.

Marc was sweating already and they hadn’t even done many moves yet. Just some basic cuffing

techniques. The T-shirt she wore pulled so snug across her chest he could see through the thin white

fabric.Sheworeablackbraandhernippleswerelikebeaconsthroughthetwolayersofclothing.

Maybetestingherself-defensetacticshadn’tbeensuchagoodidea.Thoughhehadwantedtoseeher

insomethingotherthanheruniformandoversizedvest,hedidn’tthinkhe’dhavesuchastrongreaction.It

wasn’tevenlikeateddyorabikini.ItwasadamnboringT-shirtandshorts.

Shewas barefoot sinceshe said shehadn’t brought any sneakerswith her whenshe moved up. She

probably couldn’t fit them in that infant-sized clown car she drove. She promised she’d go buy some

soon.

But in the meantime, Marc had stripped off his sneakers and socks so he wouldn’t crush her toes.

Which,unlikeherfingernails,werepaintedaveryfemininepink.

He faked a move to the left and then rushed her to the right. She responded with surprisingly quick

reflexes,puttingoutalegtotriphimandwhenhewentoffbalance,shegrabbedhim,usinghismomentum

topropelhimoverherarm.Helandedflatonhisbackwithaloudthwaptothemat.Ittookhimamoment

ofstaringattheceilingofthehighschool’swrestlingroomtocatchhisbreath…andhismanhood.

Yeah, his virility was a little scorched. A woman maybe a buck-twenty just threw his six-foot-two,

twohundredandtenpoundframetotheground.

Heblinkedasshecametostandoverhimwithabigsatisfiedsmileacrossherlips.

“Oh,lookatallthatcockinessnow.Iwasbeingeasyonyou.NomoreMr.NiceGuy,”hesaid,trying

todisguisethediscomfortfromhisvoice.Do.Not.Groan.

“Uh-huh.Sureyouwere.”

Hepushedhimselfuptohiselbowsandsheofferedahand.Hedidn’tneedhelp,buttookitanywayas

anexcusetotouchher.Buthemostlyusedhiscorestrengthtopushhimselftostand…untilsheusedhis

forwardmotiontotosshimagaintotheground.Thistimehelandedonhisstomachsplayedout.Hewas

sogladtheyweredoingthisbeforelunch.Otherwise,hemighthavebeentossinghiscookies.

Shemadeafatalmistakethoughbyneverreleasinghishand.Withasharptug,shelostherbalance

and fell to her knees on the thick pad. Moving quickly, he twisted her hand behind her, pushing it up

behindherbacktoinbetweenhershoulderblades.

Withashove,shefellforwardandwithinsecondshehadbothhandscontainedandherkneesbentand

ankles crossed as he leaned all his weight against her, pushing her heels toward her ass. The perfect

positiontokeepsomeonefromresistingwhentryingtocuffthem.Hershinswerepushedintohisthighs,

onehandgrippedherstightly,keepingthedebilitatingtwistonherarms.Therewasnowaytogetoutof

thispositionwithoutthesubjectdislocatingashoulder.

Withonecheekpinnedtothemat,strandsofherhair,whichhadescapedherbun,billowedslightly

overhermouthasshebreathedinshortbursts.

“Mercy?”

“There'snoroomforsoftness...notinSparta.Noplaceforweakness.Onlythehardandstrongmay

callthemselvesSpartans.Onlythehard,onlythestrong.”

Huh?

Thenithithim.Shewasquotingamovie.Hereplied,“Tonight,wedineinHell!”Hereleasedherand

collapsednexttoheronthemat.“Oneofmyfavoritemovies.”

Withherhandsnowfree,shedrewoneacrossherface,sweepingthehairaway.“Minetoo.”

Heturnedhisheadtostaredirectlyintohereyes.Theywerebarelyinchesapart.“Youjustlikeogling

GerardButler’sbody.”

“Thattoo.”

Herhairfellbackacrossherfaceandhebeathertoitthistime.Withoutthinking,hesweptitoffher

facewithhisknuckle.Thenherealizedwhathe’ddonewhenhereyebrowsdrewtogetherinconfusion.

Yeah,heknewthefeeling.

Insteadofdrawinghishandawaylikeheknewheshould,hetracedherjawfromhereartoherchin.

Herbreathhitched,hereyeshooded.Butshedidn’tpullaway.Andhecouldn’teither.

He rolled her onto her back and straddled her waist. Snagging both of her wrists in his hand, he

stretchedherarmsaboveherhead.Herbreathreleasedinaraggedsigh.

Hewashardasafuckingrock.Anditwasimpossibletohidesinceheworecottonrunningshorts.His

dickwasanunmistakablecompasspointingnorth.Heleanedforwarduntilhecouldfeelherbreastsrise

andfallagainsthischest.Hebroughthislipsabreadthawayfromhers,herbreathpuffinginquickpants.

Her T-shirt had come free of her shorts leaving her skin exposed to just above her belly button. He

placedhisfreehandoverthesmoothexpanse;theheatofherburnedhim.Heslidhispalmoverherribs

and with a groan smashed his lips to hers. She opened her mouth to welcome him, her tongue sparring

withhis.HearchedawayfromhersohishandcouldexplorehigherunderherT.Hefoundtheedgeofher

braandhepushedthecupupandaway,givinghimaccesstoallherripeflesh.

Hetwistedhismouthtighteragainsthersashepluckedherpebblednipple.Hefoundthehardpeak

withhisthumbandforefingerandtwisted.Hecapturedherwhimperbetweenhislips.

Andthensomewhereadoorslammed.

Henevermovedsofastinhislife.Hewasonhisfeetbeforetheechoevenquieted.Hewaslight-

headedfromalackofbloodinhisbrainsinceitjusthappenedtobeallpooledinhiscock.

Withoutaword,heofferedherahandupandwhenshetookit,shejumpedtoherfeet,straightening

herclothes.Hemovedawayandwithhandsonhiships,hestartedtopace.Hecursedhimselfunderhis

breathuntilhiserectiongotbackundercontrol.Somewhat.

Hecouldn’tlookather.Shehadbeendew-eyed,herlipsswollenandshinyfromtheirkissing.Hehad

seenitbeforehe’dturnedaway.Heneededtowipethatmemoryorhewasgoingtoshoveherupagainst

thewallandtakeherhard.

Heremindedhimselftothinkofporkproductstogethisracingmindoffhisreactiontoher.Offher

smokingbody.

Hamhock.Porkshoulder.Bacon.

Fuck.

Withoutfacingher,hesaid,“Grant,gochange.I’llmeetyouatthecar.”

Thesoundofherbarefeetpaddingagainstthematsreleasedsomeofthetensionwithinhisbody.But

notenough.

Onceheheardthegym’sdoorclosequietlybehindhim,heletoutasearingcurse.

Itwasbadenoughwhenhehadn’ttouchedher.Butnow…

Hewassoscrewed.

Andhewasriskingbothoftheircareers.Likethedumbasshewas.

arclethimselfinhisparents’frontdoor,histen-montholdpuppy,Menace,squeezingpasthimina

rush.

“Jeez, asshole, you almost knocked me over,” he scolded the dog, not that the gangly mastiff was

listening.Hewasalreadybee-liningtothekitchenwhereheknewtherewouldbefood.Afterall,hewas

agrowingdog,nowwasn’the.

Marc was beat. After doing the double-back from the three to eleven shift last night to working the

seventothreeshiftthismorning,hewasfreakingexhausted.Andhewasn’tevenincludingthewrestling

heandLeahhadgottenintoonthemat.Thathadtakenatollalso,aswellastheirstiltedconversations

throughouttherestoftheday.

Hedidn’tseemtobetheonlyonerelievedatthreewhentheirshiftended.HebetLeahhadgonehome

and collapsed. If he hadn’t already committed to dinner at his parents’, he’d be snoozing on the couch

withtheTVon,acoldbeernexttohim,andafartingmastiffdoublingasablanket.

But family obligations and all that. And anyway, his mother was a better cook than him. So no

complaintsthere.

HefollowedthedirectionMenacehadgoneandendedupinthekitchen.Theoversizedpuppysatat

hismother’sfeet,histailthumpingheavilyagainstthefloor,asshestirredsomethingonthestove.

“Smellsgood,Ma.”Hewalkedoverandpeeredintothepotbeforelandingaloud,sloppykissonher

cheek.

Mary Ann Bryson pushed him away with a laugh. “Stop it. You’re as bad as Dennis with sloppy

kisses.You’renevergoingtofindawomanifyoukisslikethat.”

Ew.He’dneverkissherthesamewayashewouldawoman.Nothismother.

And, obviously, one of his mother’s immediate goals in life was to get him hitched and to start

producingoffspringlikehewasaprizedfarmanimal.

“Ma,hisnameisMenace.”

She wiped her hands on the dish towel tucked into her waist band. “You know I refuse to call him

that.”

“Youdon’thaveanyproblemwithChaos’name.”

Marccouldseenodifferencebetweenhispuppy’snameandMaxandAmanda’sbordercollieChaos.

ItwasprobablyonlybecauseMaxwasherfirstborn.Beingthemiddlechildalwayssucked.

Hismotherjustwavedherhandathimlikehewasagnatbuzzingnearherear.

“WhonamestheirdogMenace?”

Marcspuntowardthefemalevoice.Therookiestoodinthedoorwaytothekitchen,leaningagainst

thejamb,herarmscrossedatherchest.

Whatintheholyfuckwasshedoinghere?

“Someonecool,that’swho,”heansweredherwithafrown.Heliftedhishandsupinquestionwanting

toknowwhatthehellwashappeninghere.

Leahignoredthegestureandgavehimanexaggeratedeyeroll.“Someonecool,huh?”Iftheeyeroll

wasanybigger,shewould’vesprainedthem.

Sheworeform-fittingbluejeansandamaroon,snug—Yes!—long-sleevedT-shirt.Herfeetwerebare

againstthewoodfloor,and—SweetbabyJesus—herhairwasdown.Itdrapedaroundhershoulderslike

asilkcurtain.Straightasanironingboard.Notonecurltobeseen.

Animageofhimrunninghisfingersthroughallthatlengthflashedthroughhim,buthepusheditaway

whenhenoticedthedarksmudgesunderbothofhereyes.Shewasjustasexhaustedashewas.

Menacegotoffhislankyassandbarreledtowardherlikeagallopinggiraffe.Leahmovedtobrace

herselfbeforetheimpact.Marcrushedforwardandsnaggedhiscollarjustintimeasthedoglaunched

himselfather.

“Settle,youfool,”hetoldtheexcitedpuppy.

Ignoringtheneardisaster,hismotheraskedinherboomingvoice,“OhLeah!Howwasyourshower?”

“Hotanddeliciouslywonderful.”

Likethewomaninfrontofhim.

“I’m sure it felt good after that stupid quick turnaround shift. Those ridiculous things. I don’t know

whythedepartmentdoesthat.I’veneveragreedwithit,evenwhenyourfatherdidthemwaybackwhen.”

SheshookthewoodenspoonatMarcbeforeturningbacktothestove.

ItwasMarc’sturntorollhiseyes.Likehehadanycontroloverdouble-backshifts.Sheneededtotalk

tohereldestson,theonethatwasactuallyincharge.“Where’sPop?”

“Idon’tknow.Butyouknowhewon’tmissdinner.Thatmannevermissesameal.Honey,whydon’t

yougointothelivingroomandcuddleupwithablanketuntildinnerisdone.”

Greatidea!Hecouldusealittlenap.

“Thatsoundslikeaplan,”Leahmurmuredandshedisappearedintothenextroom.Menacefollowed

onherheels.

Apparently,hismotherhadn’tbeentalkingtohim,herownson.Leahhadusurpedthe“honey”titlein

thehouse.Thatwasjustwrong.Butnevermindthat,whywashismotheractingasthoughshewasfamily?

WasLeahrelatedsomehowandMaxneversaidanything?Hethoughtbackinhorrorattheepisodeinthe

wrestlinggymearlier.

Noway.

Marc brought this voice down to a rough whisper. “What’s she doing here? She’s not related to us,

right?”

Ohsayno.Pleasesayno.

“No,silly!WhenMaxhiredher,shehadnoplacetostay,soweofferedtoputherupuntilshefindsa

placeofherown.”

FuckingMax.“SoMaxsuggestedthis?”

“Yes.Heactuallyencouragedit.”

Hewasgoingtokillhisbrother.Itwasbadenoughthathenotonlyhiredawoman,buthewasmaking

Marc coach her, and now… Now his pupil, recruit, rookie—fuck—his sexual fantasy was living in his

parent’shome.Right.Next.Door.

Porkroll.Pigcheeks.Porkbelly.

Shit.

“Don’tyouthinkit’sanoblegesturethatshewantedtobecomeapoliceofficerlikeherfather?”

Whenhismotherspoke,herealizedhe’dbeenstaringblindlyattheemptydoorwaysinceLeahhad

left.Heshookhisheadtoclearit.“What?Whatareyoutalkingabout?”

“Herwantingtobeacopafterherdaddiedinthelineofduty.”

Nowhe’dhavetoresurrectMax’sdeadbodyandkillhimalloveragain.“Yeah,that’sgreat,”hesaid

absently,thinkingaboutallthewayshecouldmurderhisolderbrotheranddisposeofthebody.

Hismotherstoppedwhatshewasdoingandglancedathim.“Youdidknow,didn’tyou?”

“Yes,Ma.OfcourseIdid.She’smyrookie.”

His mother’s eyebrows pinned together as she clicked her tongue. “Silly, she’s the department’s

rookie…Or…issheyourrookie,Marc?”

Wellifthatwasn’taloadedquestionthenhedidn’tknowwhatwas.Andhecertainlywasnotfalling

intohismother’strap.Oneslipandshe’dhavetheringspickedoutandthevenuebooked.Nomatterthat

he’donlyknownGrantforthreedays.She’safemaleandtohismotherapotentialcandidateforpopping

outgrandchildren.SheprobablyalreadyinspectedLeah’swomb,justtocheckherpotential.

Hewantedtoaskhismotheramillionquestionsaboutthebombshellshejustdropped,butcouldn’t,

sohebithistongue.Hewouldaskhisrookiehimself.Thoughhewasabitdisturbedonwhyshehadn’t

mentionedthistohimherselfinthetwenty-fourhoursthey’dspenttogetherinclosequarters.

WiththeexcusethathewaslookingforMenace,hewanderedcasuallyintothelivingroomtofind—

Hisfathersatatoneendofthecouch,whileLeahreclinedwithherfeetinhislap.

Whatthefuck!

Hisfatherwasactuallyrubbingherfeet.Hewastemptedtocallhismotherintotheroomtostopthe

shithewasseeing.

Leah’seyeswereclosedasshelaidherheadbackonthearmofthecouch,acrochetedblankettossed

haphazardlyoverher,clearlynotcoveringherbreastsorherlonglegs.

Totallyunacceptable.

His father was talking in a low voice, telling her about how he remembered doing those quick

turnaroundshiftsandhowtheysucked.Andwhenhegothome,MaryAnnwouldalwaysmassagehisfeet

anddrawhimanicehotbath.

Hewasplayingthesympatheticflirt.

Oh,todaywasjustfulloffuckingsurprises.

Hisfatherlookedupathim,ateasingsmileonhisface.“Didyoujustgrowl?”

Marcclearedhisthroat.“No,Ihadatickle.”

Leah’s eyes popped open as his mother bustled into the room, shoving Marc out of her way. Now

thingsweregoingtogetugly.Noonemessedwithhismother’sman.She’dputanendtoit.Anymoment

now.Justwait.

Mary Ann approached the couch, straightening out the blanket over Leah and tucking it around her.

“Well,aren’tyousweet,Ron,rubbingherfeetafteranexhaustingday.Youshouldtakesomelessons,son.

Yourfatherknowshowtotakecareofawoman.”

ButLeahwasn’thisPop’swoman,shewashis…rookie.

Marcwantedtopullhishairandrunoutoftheroom.Butinstead,hestoodtherelikeadumbassin

stunnedsilence,watchingthebizarredisplaybeforehim.Hisparentsmusthavebeenabductedbyaliens.

Nootherexplanationforit.

“IcrochetedthatblanketforRontwentyyearsago.Didn’tI,hon?”

Hisfather’s,“Yep,”andnodofhisheaddidn’tslowhisfingersfrompushingonthesolesofLeah’s

feet.

Along,loudfartfilledtheroomandalleyesturnedtowardMarc.Hiseyebrowsshottohishairline

andheatfloodedhischeeks.“Thatwasn’tme!ThatwasMenace!”

Thehalf-grownpuppyliftedhisheadforasecondwhenheheardhisname,thenwentbacktolicking

hisballs.

Onherwaybacktothekitchen,hismotherpattedMarconthecheekasshepassedhim.“Sureitwas,

honey,sureitwas.”

Heheardanoisefromthedirectionofthecouchandwhenheglancedover,Leahwasalmostpurple

asshesmotheredherlaughter.

Thatwasit.Timetobreakupthecozymassage.He’dhavetodoitsincehismotherfailedto.“Ma,

howlongbeforesupper?”heyelledoverhisshoulder.

Shepeekedbackintotheroom.“Maybeahalfhour?”

“Okay,I’mgoingtotakeGrantonashortATVride.Showherthepropertysome.”ToLeahhesaid,

“You’llneedtogetyourbootson.”Andyourfeetoutofanotherman’shands,evenifheismyfather.

“HernameisLeah,Son.Noreasontocallheranythingbuthergivennameoutsideofwork,”hispop

said in his typical gruff voice, offering a hand up to the woman whose feet he had just been touching.

Intimately.

Marcfrowned.“Fine.I’mtakingLeahforaridebeforeitgetsdark.”

RonaskedLeah,“Doyouwanttogo?”

Seriously?Hisfatherwascock-blockinghim?

“Sure.Soundsfun.”

See?Obviouslyshewantedtogo.

“Shouldyourmotherholdsupperforyouifyou’relate?”

“Wewon’tbelate.”

Hopefully,hewouldn’tbeeatinghiswordslater.

arc’sfour-wheelerwasparkedinfrontofthehouse.Moreaccurately,onthegrassrightinfrontof

theporchsteps.Wouldn’twanttowalktoofartostuffyourpiehole.Hemustlivecloseenoughtobe

abletorideittohisparents’property,becauseitclearlydidn’tlookstreetlegal.

LeaheyeballedtheATV.Shehadneverriddenonebeforeand,naturally,ithadasingleseatlikeona

motorcycle,sothey’dberidingintandem.

“Helmet?”sheaskedwhenhemountedtheATVandshimmieduptowardthehandlebarssoshecould

climbonbehindhim.Andstraddlehiships.Andtuckhisassinbetweenherthighs.

Notthatshewasgivingallthatintimatecontactmuchthought.Right.

“None needed. We’re taking a leisurely ride, not racing around.” He nodded at Menace who sat

crookedly, his pink, slobby tongue hanging out the side of his mouth while he panted. “Plus, dufus here

willwanttokeepup,andIdon’twanthimrunningtoohardongrowingbones.”

Hegaveherahandtohelpsteadyherassheliftedherlegupandover,settlinginbehindhim.The

heatfromhisbodywarmedherinnerthighsand…otherplaces.

“You’regoingtohavetoholdontight.Idon’twanttodumpyouinthedirt.”

Leah tentatively placed her hands on his waist, trying to avoid the sticky situation they had been in

earlierintheday.Maybetodaywasn’tthebestdayforsuchclosecontact.

“Tighter.”Hegrabbedherwristsandpulledthemaroundhisbodyuntilherhandsalmostreachedhis

belly button. She ended up smashed against his back. She wished both of them had worn thicker shirts

sincehernippleswerehardandtherewasnowayhewasn’tnoticingthempokinghimfrombehind.She

cursedsilently.

“Pulledpork!”Thewordsescapedhiminaburst.

“What?”

Marcshookhisheadandgroaned.“IhopeMaismakingpulledporkfordinner.”

“Oh.”

“Holdon,”hecommandedashestartedthemachinebetweentheirlegsandhittheaccelerator.

TheATVjumpedforward,whippingherback.Shescrambledtogetabetterholdontothemaninfront

ofher.Menacegallopedawkwardlyalongsidethefour-wheeler,barkinginexcitement.Atleastthepuppy

wassmartenoughtostayawayfromthefront.

Like the first day of work, Marc went smoothly into his tour guide persona. “My parents own two

hundred acres. Right before my pop retired from the force, he started planting trees. Lots and lots of

Christmas trees. It’s been a great venture for him since he retired to keep busy and out of my mother’s

hair.”

He drove slowly between a barn and a newer looking pole building. The sign above the door said

BoneyardBakery.

“That’s Max’s wife’s new place. Dad and Max built it for Amanda so she could start her own

business.”

Soundedlikealovingfamilytoher.Itwasnicetoseeawifeandin-lawsgettingalongsowell.“What

doesshebake?”

“Dogbiscuits.Natural,ororganic,orsomesuchshit.Tree-huggerbonesfordogs.”

Leahcoughedtocoverupherlaughathisdescription.She’dhavetokeepherowntree-huggingideas

toherself,sinceheapparentlyhadsuchanillopinionofthem.“I’msureMenaceenjoysthem.”

Heturnedhisheadtolookattheclumsydogstillkeepingup.“Yeah.Don’tevermakethemistakeof

lettinghiminthere.Idon’twanttohavetoreplaceheringredientsagain.”

Leahchuckled.ShecouldseeadognamedMenacecreatinghavocinabuildingfullofdogtreats.

“You’relaughing,butI’mserious.Itookafinancialhitonthatone.”

Oncetheyclearedthebuildings,hegavetheATVmoregasandshefoundthemridingalongadirtpath

between rows of pruned Christmas trees. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of them. The acreage was

dividedbysmoothtrailsintosquaresoftreesofdifferentsizesandtypesasfarashereyescouldsee.

Thetreeswerehealthyandbeautiful,andshebetduringafreshsnowtheylookmagical.Christmassy.

Fantastical.Butherattentionkeptreturningtothemaninfrontofher.Theonesettledbetweenherlegs.

Hismilitaryshorthairwasn’tevengettingmessedup,unlikehers.Itwouldtakeforeverandamiracle

togettheknotsoutlater.Sheregrettednottakingthetimetoputherhairupintobun,oratleastaponytail.

“Youliveclose?”sheaskedthebackofhisneck.Staringathisskin,shewantedtoreachoutandtaste

himwiththetipofhertonguetoseeifhewassalty.Shesighedassheimaginedpressingherlipstothe

topofhisspine.Thevibrationoftheengineandhisdenim-cladasspressingagainsthermadeherpussy

twinge.Heatwasbuildingathercoreandshefeltwetwithlonging.

“Irecentlyboughtthefarmthatbuttsupagainstthisone.”

Leahswallowedhard,tryingtoconcentrateonwhathewassaying.“Youwantedtobeclosetoyour

parents?”

“Yeahsortof,sincethey’regettingolder,butthemajorreasonwasitwentcheapandhadfiftyacres

theycanusetoexpandthetreefarm.”

Wow. Fifty acres. The biggest piece of land she’d ever lived on was a small lot in the suburbs

growingup.Onewhereitonlytooktwentyminutestomow.Withanoldrotarymower.

“Popalreadystartedsomeseedlingsonit.”

She wiggled against him trying to relieve some of the numbness in her rear from sitting on the hard

seat,aswellasthegrowinghungerbetweenherlegs.Thescoochingpushedherpussytighteragainsthis

ass,thesensitivepeaksofhernipplesbrushingacrosshisback.Theintensityoftheheatandtightnessin

herlowerbodymadeherclosehereyesandbiteherlowerlipforamoment.Herbreathpuffedagainst

thebaseofhisneck.

“Pigears!”

“What?”

Marcscrubbedthetopofhisheadwithhispalm.“Uh,Menace’sfavoritechewtoy.”

While she was having a meltdown being pressed against him, he’s spouting off about his dog’s toy.

“Andwhatdoesthathavetodowithplantingtrees?”

“Nothing.Igot…distracted.”

So,theirbodiesbeingmashedtogetherwhileheputtedthroughtherowsoftreeswasaffectinghimas

much as her. Good to know, but it didn’t do anything to solve her sticky situation. Simply, only two

solutionscametomind.GetofftheATVandwalkbacktothehouse.Or…

She rested her face next to his neck, her breath warm and moist against his skin. Goosebumps

appearedonhisarmsandhetightenedhisgriponthehandlebarsuntilhisknuckleswerewhite.

Sheflattenedherfingersonhisstomachandslidthemupuntilshefoundhistightnipples…andhard

rings? He had piercings in both nipples. She hadn’t noticed them under his shirt until she felt them.

Interesting.Shetracedbothofthemwithherfingersbeforeheadingsouth.Slowly,though.Ohsoslowly.

His stomach was ripped, she discovered as she felt the bulges of his muscles on her way down. She

wantedtocounteachfirmmuscletoseeifhetrulyhadasix-pack,butshewasonamission.Bothofher

handslandedonhiships,squeezingforamomentbeforemeetinginthemiddle.

The ATV suddenly swerved, causing her to rock against him. The denim under her fingers was

stretchedtoalmostthebreakingpoint.Hislengthhardandthickunderhisjeans.

“Hambone!”

Was that some sort of safe word? She looked at him curiously. “Do you have fantasies about pig

products?”

“No,justaboutthewomanbehindme.”

With a little smile, she tucked one hand down between his thighs to where his balls were. He was

emittingheatlikeafurnace.Hotandfull.Andshewantedeverythinghehadtooffer.Aftershewasleft

wantingearlier,sheneededarelease.Andshewantedagoodone.No,notgood.Glorious.Aseeing-stars

typeoforgasm.

“Fuck,Leah,”hegroanedandjerkedthefour-wheelertoastop.“Whatareyoudoingtome?”

“Nothingyoudon’twantdone.”

HekilledthepowertotheATV.“Getoff.”

Shewastryingto.Inmorewaysthanone.Butbeforeshedismountedthefour-wheeler,shegrabbed

hiscrotchtighterandbitthebackofhisneck.

Hisvoicebrokelikeatween’sasheyelled,“Getoff!”

Shequelledherknowingsmileandscrambledofftherecreationalvehicle,andhequicklyfollowed.

WithahandtothebackcollarofhisT-shirt,heyankeditoverhisheadandtossedittotheground.

Wastingnotime,hegrabbedthehemofherstopullitofftoo,throwingitnexttohis.

Grabbingherupperarms,hejerkedhertowardhim.“God,Ijustwanttofeelyouagainstme.”

Throughthefoginherbrain,shehopedhewantedmorethanthat.Waymore.Becauseshewasabout

toclimbhimlikeaslipperyslope.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. The skin to skin contact set off little electric

shocksthroughouther.Withease,heunsnappedherbraandletitfalltoherelbows.Withashake,shelet

itdroptherestofthewaytotheground.Shewantedtopressherselfagainsthimtofeelthelightdustingof

chesthairhehadandhisgoldhoopsbrushagainsthernipples.Buthehadotherideasasheheldheraway.

He cupped a hand around her breast, stroking the nipple with his thumb. He captured the other in his

mouth, tasting her, sucking, kneading the fleshy mounds. Her head fell back, her mouth opened as she

screamedsilently.Thepullofhismouthignitedallkindsoffeelingsinher.Dirty,naughty,filthyfeelings.

Allthegoodones.

Heswitchedandconcentratedhisattentionontheothernipplewhichstooderectduetotheattention

ofhisfingers.Hesuckedherwholenippleintohismouth,whilepinchingandtwistingtheotherone.Her

kneesbuckled.Shetriedtocatchherselfwithahandtohisshoulder,butheguidedherdownontopof

theirclothes.

He straddled her, staring down into her face. She could just imagine what she looked like. Her

expressionlax,herlipsparted,hereyeshooded.Butshecouldn’treadhis.Theonlyreactionshenoticed

washisnostrilsflaringandhispecsflexing,likehewashavinganinternalbattlewithhimself.

Ohno.Shewasn’tgoingtolethimgothistimeleavingherwetandunsatisfied.No,shewasn’t.She

cupped her own breasts and pinched both of her nipples, stretching them away from her body. A

breathlesswhimperescapedher.

Withacurse,hetuggedatthebuttononhisjeansandwrenchedonthezipperimpatiently.Herammed

both hands deep into the open jeans and pulled out exactly what she wanted, sliding the denim down

enoughtoframehisamazingcockandsac.“Isthiswhatyouwant?”

“Yes.”Sheliftedherselftoherelbows,thenpushedherselfupuntilshecouldplantherpalmonhis

chestandshovehimbackwards.HelethimselfgoandLeahsankbetweenhisspreadlegs,graspingwhat

heoffered.Hewormedhisjeansdownmoretogiveherbetteraccess.

Herfingerssqueezedhimattheroot.Watchingadropofglisteningprecumappear.Sheloweredher

head,herhairhidingherfacelikeacurtain,tolickthecrownofhiscockclean.

Andthensheswallowedhimdeep.

He said things. Lots and lots of things. He shoved his fingers into her hair, curling them into fists.

Every time he pulled her hair rougher, she sucked him harder. His hips rose and sank in rhythm to her

mouth,herhand.

Andthenhewastalkinglouder.Herepeatedthesameword.Hishandsreleasedherhairandpushed

onhershoulders.Shehesitatedlongenoughtohearwhathewassaying.

“Stop.Stop.Stop.”

Sheglanceduptoseethecordsinhisnecktight,hisfaceflushed,historsotwisted.

Shefreedhiscock,shinyfromhersaliva.

“Iwasabouttocome.”Heshiftedontohisside,pullingouthiswallet.Withshakyfingers,hegrabbed

a condom with a wrapper so worn that it looked like it he’d been carrying it around for a while. She

pluckeditfromhisfingersandbeforehecouldprotest,rippedthewrapperopenwithherteeth,spitting

thecorneroutofhermouthontotheground.Whenhetriedtositup,shepushedhimbackdown.“No.”

Mixedemotionscrossedhisfaceassherolledthecondomdownhisshaft.Excitement,surprise,and

maybeevenalittlefear.

Shekickedoffherbootsandwiggledoutofherjeansandpanties,notcaringwheretheylandedwhen

shethrewthem.Andinonemoveshewasabovehimandsinkingdownoverhishardlengthwithouteven

ahow-ya-doin’.Ashefilledherdeeply,sodeeply,sheclosedhereyesforamoment,justrevelingthe

feelofhimstretchinghertoherlimits.Neitherofthemmoved.Theirhipswerestill,buttheirchestsboth

bellowedwithharshbreaths.Evenwithoutmotion,shewasontheedge.Ithadbeensolong…

Thenhisthumbfoundherclitandsheopenedhereyes,watchinghimasshebegantomove.Beganto

speed up. Riding him hard, taking every inch of him. Squeezing him tight within her. She slammed her

pelvisdownagainandagainashecircledherclit,theroughpadofhisthumbmakinghercryoutandtilt

herhips.

Andshewantedhimtowatchhertoo.Shedidn’tschoolherface.Shedidn’tcarewhatshelookedlike

asthepleasureoverwhelmedher.Aclimaxcrashedthroughher,butsheplantedherhandsonhischest.

Hookingtwofingersintohisnipplerings,shetugged.Herpaceneverslowed.

Theword“again”rippedfromherthroat.Shewaswetandgettingslickerwitheachthrust.Herbody

was vibrating, shaking, as her insides clenched down around him. Her pussy squeezed him as she

climaxedoncemore.Shegaspedattheintensity.

“Ohfuck.Fuckme,”hegroaned.Hiseyesclosedandcolorbloomedonhischest.Hetensedandhis

pulsatingcockswelledevenmoreashereleasedviolentlydeepinsideherwithayell.

Shecollapsedonhimwithasigh,carefulnottodislodgehim.Hehadn’tbeguntosoftenyetandas

longashewashard,shewantedhimwithinher.

ShepushedthedamphairoutofherfaceandrealizedMenace’sblockyheadwasonlyinchesabove

theirs.Withasoftwoof,thepuppylappedatMarc’sfacewithaslimy,slobberytongue.

Marc’sfacebecameamaskofdisgustasherubbedatthethicksalivaclingingtohisforehead.“Oh

fuckingyuck,asshole!”

Leah’schuckledislodgedMarcandsheyankedhisT-shirtoutfromunderneaththem,tossingitonhis

chest.Hesearchedforaspotonthecottonthatdidn’thaveanyobviousdirtandwipedhisface.

“Atleasthedidn’tlickyouelsewhere.”Findingherpantiesandjeanshangingfromanearbytree,she

freedthemandtuggedthemonbeforepushingherfeetintoherboots.Shelocatedherbraandcorralled

herbreasts.

Outofherperipheralvision,shenoticedMarchadmadeittohisfeetandwastryingtocleanupthe

besthecouldintheenvironmenttheywerein.Withahop,hetuggedhisjeansuptowheretheybelonged

andthenbeathisdirtyT-shirtonhisthigh.Acloudofdustandpineneedlessurroundedhim.

“Holdup,”hesaidsharplyandshefrozeinplace.

He came behind her and parted her hair sweeping it over both of her shoulders, giving him a clear

viewofherback.Hetouchedthetopofherspinesoftly,hisfingertracingalongherskin.Sheknewwhat

hewasexamining.Afterherfatherdied,shegotasmalltattooatthetopofherspinetomemorializehim.

ShepicturedinhermindwhatMarcquietlystudied.Thetattooconsistedofapoliceshieldwithher

father’sbadgenumberandbelowitread“EOW5/5/2001.”Thedateofherfather’sfinalday.Hisendof

watch.

Shewaitedforhisquestionsbuttheynevercame.Heonlysweptherhairbackinplaceandwentback

todonninghisshirt,beforeglancingathiswatch.“Shit!Wegottago.”

LeahgrabbedherlongsleeveTandshookitoutbeforeslippingitoverherhead.Hemaynotpushher

totalkaboutitnow,buteventuallyhewasgoingtowanttoknowherfather’sstory.Itwasn’tasecret,but

for Leah, it was sometimes still difficult to talk about it. She appreciated the fact he didn’t demand

immediateanswers.

HemountedtheATVandshefollowedsuit,relaxingagainsthisback.Maybetheycouldskipdinner

and she could go crawl into bed after a badly needed shower to remove the grit and grime clinging to

partsshedidn’twanttothinkabout.

Assheclungtohim,hedirectedthefour-wheelerbacktowardthehouse.

“Youwanttotalkaboutit?”

Shewasn’tsureifhemeantthesexorherfather’sdeath.Buteitherway,shemumbled,“No”against

hisback.HejustnoddedhisheadandtheridebacktotheBryson’swasincompletesilence.

arcdidn’twanttothinkaboutwhathadjusthappenedandhisseriouslackofjudgment.Andhewas

finethatLeahdidn’twanttodiscussit.Butitwasn’tLeahhewasworriedaboutastheycreptinto

thekitchen.Theroomwasemptyandtwoplateswithaluminumfoiloverthemsatlikeflashingbeacons

onthelargebutcherblockkitchentable.

“Do you think they know?” It was more of a rhetorical question, because he really didn’t want the

answer.

“Thatwasalongrideyouwentonthere,Son.Weweregettingconcerned.”Hisfather’svoicemade

himjumpandhisheartthumpedwildlyinhischest.

Leahgavehisfatherasweetsmileand,withdread,herealizedhercheeksportedasmudgeofdirt.

Thenhenoticedherhair.Fuck.

“Where’sMa?”

“Luckily,shewentupstairstoread.”

Phew. A thought bubble full of cummerbunds and wedding cakes and birdseed would be floating

abovehismother’sheadifshesawthemlikethis.

HisfatherlickedhisthumbandwipedatthesmudgeonLeah’sface.And,Jesus,hestartedplucking

pineneedlesoutofherdisheveledhair.

“Didyoutwogetintoawrestlingmatchwithsomeofthetrees?”

Leahhadthegracetoblush,butMarcfrownedathisfather.

“Weranintooneofthepinetrees.Byaccident.Nodamage,though…luckily.”

“Anaccident,huh?”

“Yeah,sodon’ttellMa.Iwouldn’twanthertoworry.”

Hisfatherdidacirclearoundbothofthem,noddinghisheadslowly.“Right.”

“Pop,please.”Ifhehadtobeg,hewould.Hewouldgetdownonhiskneesandkisshisfather’sfeetif

needbe.

“I’mnofool.”

Ohshit.

“Iwouldneverwanthertoworryaboutalittleaccidentlikethis.Youknowhowshegets.Butinthe

future,bemorecarefulwhenyou’reoutriding.Onelittleaccidentleadstoanotherlittleaccidentandthen

another…untilboom!Ninemonthslaterthere’sabigaccidentthatcries,spitsup,andwearsdiapers.”

MarcrefusedtolookatLeah.“It’snotlikethat—”

“Sure,Son.Whateveryousay.Yourmothermadeyouupaplate.Ithinkyouneedtogohomeandtake

ashower.Youcantakeyourplatewithyou.I’lltellheryouthankedherprofuselyfortheexcellentmeal.”

Andwiththat,hisfatherleft,butnotbeforepattingLeahontheshoulder.

Marcblewoutabreathinrelief.Whenhecouldn’theartheolderman’sfootstepsanylonger,hesaid,

“Weshouldn’thavedonethat.”

“Noshit,”Leahanswered,concentratingonpullingthefoiloffoftheplateinfrontofher.

Absently, he wondered what his mother had made for dinner as he grabbed the remaining plate and

leftasifthehousewasonfireandtheflameswerelickingathisass.

Porkchop.

Porktenderloin.

Pigfucker.

CHAPTER6

eahsmoothedahandoverheruniformshirt.Hernewvesthadarrivedanditfitperfectly.She’dlefta

handwrittennoteonthechief’sdeskthankinghim.Shemust’vejustmissedhimsincesheandherFTO

wereworkinganothersecondshift.

Whenshehadgonedownforbreakfastthismorning,Marc’smomfilledherplatehighwithpancakes

andhadn’tsaidawordaboutthepreviousevening’sincident.Ronmusthavekepthismouthshutlikehe

saidhewould.WhentheoldercopycatversionofMarcjoinedheratthetable,hehadjustwinkedather

andthenfilledhismouthwithhiswife’swonderfulflapjacksandwarmmaplesyrup.Therealstuff.From

Vermont.

WhatherandMarcdidyesterdaycouldcomplicatethings.Notcould.Would.

Thelastthingsheneededwasthechieftofindoutandbootherasstothecurb.Sheneededthisjob.

Andshedidn’twantanythingfuckingitup.

Even if it meant she needed to be celibate until her probation period was over. And even then, she

mayhavetolookelsewhereforsomeonetoscratchheritches.Screwingaroundwithaco-workerwas

never a good idea. It didn’t matter what field someone was in. Sex on the job could get messy when it

cametosay…fuckinglikejackrabbitsinafieldoftrees.

Butthememorybroughtheattoherfaceandotherplaces.Shetookadeepbreathandpushedtheback

door’spanicbar,exitingtotheparkinglot.ShethoughtthatMarcandherhadjustmissedeachotherinthe

stationandthathewouldbeoutsidewaitingforherimpatiently.Buthewasn’t.Thepatrolcarsatquiet

andempty.

She glanced at her watch. Five after three. His truck was nowhere in the lot. She was surprised he

waslate.Especiallysincethepupilwasherebeforethecoach.Sheshouldgighimforeveryminutehe

waslateandseehowhelikedit.

With the sound of squealing tires, his pickup rounding the corner practically on two wheels. She

quicklymovedoutofthewaywhenhebarreledintothelotandparkedcrookedacrosstwospots.

He kicked the door open and tumbled out, dressed in a white, practically see-through, sinfully snug

UnderArmourundershirtthatclearlyshowedtheoutlineofhisnipplerings,loosecottonshortsthathung

downtohisknees,blacksocks,and—…fortheloveofhumanity—camo-coloredCrocs.

LeahsteppedbackinhorroratthesightoftheblacksocksandCrocscombo,herhandcoveringtheO

“

herlipsmade.Whatthehellhappenedtohim?Theviewbelowhiswaistwasenoughtoturnanyhorny

womanfrigid.

He flew past her. “Sorry! Sorry! I’m getting dressed right away.” And he rushed into the station,

lettingthebackdoorslambehindhim.

Stunned,shedidn’tknowwhethertostaywhereshewasorfollowhiminsidetoseeifhewasokay.

Orifhe’dlosthisfriggin’mind.

Histruckdoorstillhungwideopen,soshewenttocloseit.Forgottenontheseatwerehispersonal

weaponandwallet.

With the shake of her head, she gathered his stuff and, making sure his keys weren’t still in the

ignition,shelockedthedoorbeforeslammingitshut.

Shedecideditwasbestshegoinsideandcheckonhim.Whenshesteppedintothelockerroomshe

sethisweaponandwalletdownonthewoodbenchbetweenthelockers.Hisuniformpantshungopenas

hetuckedhisshirtin.Sheavertedhereyesfromthetightboxerbriefsthatpeekedout.

Breathe.

“I’mneverfuckinglate.”Hefastenedhispantsandslidtheplainblacktrouserbeltthroughthepant

loops.

“Shit happens,” she said dryly. Though he really had no good excuse to be this late. Besides

Armageddon.

Heheftedhisdutybeltaroundhiswaist,attachingittothetrouserbeltwiththeleatherkeepers.“No.

Itdoesn’t.”

owhathappened,Corp?”Leahaskedhim.

ShewasbacktotheCorpshitafterherwet,pulsingpussyhadbeenwrappedaroundhiscock,

draininghimdry?

Hestaredattheopenlockerinfrontofhim.Howcouldhetellherthathehadtowhackofflastminute

beforetheirshiftinanattempttocontrolhimselfaroundher?

After one last yank on his heavy duty belt so it settled more comfortably on his hips, he finished

buttoninghisshirt.Whenheturnedtohaulass,shestoppedhimwithapointedlookdownatthisfeet.

Hefollowedhergazeand—shit—hehadputhisCrocsbackoninsteadofhisboots.Withacurse,he

kicked them into his locker and slammed the metal door shut with a clang. Plopping himself onto the

bench,helaceduphisshit-kickersinrecordtime.

Helookedathiswatch…Fuck.Heforgothisgoddamnwatch.Leahshovedherwristinfrontofhis

face.Fuckingtwentyminuteslate.“Haveyouseenmybrother?”

“Thechief?”

Obviously,thechief.Whoelsewouldhebeaskingabout?Hisyoungerbrotherwhowasplayingin

somesandboxoverintheMiddleEast?Hebithistongueandonlynodded.

“No.”

Heletoutasighofrelief.Good.Maxwasthelastpersonheneededbustinghisballsrightnow.

Jumpingtohisfeet,herushedoutthedoor,onlystoppinglongenoughtograbashotgunandaboxof

shellsoutofthearmoryroom,alongwithaportableradiofromthepatrolroom.Hekeyedtheradio’smic

to go in service with the county dispatch center, but Leah stopped him with a hand to his forearm. Her

slenderfingersonhisarmmesmerizedhimasshesaid,“Alreadydone.”

Sheletherhanddropawayandhefeltasuddensenseofloss.Weird.Buthehadnotimetoexplore

thatoddfeeling—andhewasn’tsureifhewantedtoanyway—whenhehadsomethingmorepressingto

dealwith.“AndifyouwouldhavegottenacallbeforeIgothere?”

“IfitwascodetwoorthreeIwouldhavewentwithoutyou.Responsetimecouldbecrucial.”

Marcsnappedhisheadupandmetherhazeleyesforthefirsttimesincearriving.“Don’teverdothat.

Alwayswaitforme.”

Thosestunningeyesnarrowed.Andsodidhisashegaveherafiercescowl.

“Never. Ever. Go. Without. Me,” he reiterated, making sure she understood how serious he was.

“You’restillintrainingandIamresponsibleforyourassuntilMaxsignsoffonyou.”

Without acknowledgment, she turned and walked down the hallway. Really? She was just going to

ignorehim?Hecaughtuptoherbeforeshereachedtheexitandhe—sincehishandswerefull,ofcourse

—pinnedheragainstthewallwiththebulkofhisbody.

Thiswasimportant.Shewasn’tjustgoingtowalkawayandblowhimoff.Noway.Nohow.“Leah,

lookatme.DoyougetwhatI’msaying?”

Shepinpointedhergazetohisthroat,avoidingeyecontact.“Yes,Corp.Igetit.”

Shewasfuckingplacatinghim.Tellinghimwhathewantedtohear.Notgoodenoughforhim.

Heopenedhismouthtotellherhowshewasn’treadytobeonherown.Howsheneededtohoneher

skills.Howshewouldbeatrisk.Howshestilldidn’thaveenoughexperienceunderherbelt.Howher

petiteselfwasgoingtofaildefendingherselfagainstatwohundredandfiftypoundassholetryingtotake

herdown.

Marcwantedtotellheranythingandeverythingtokeephersafe.Heshuthismouthwithasnap.He

didn’ttellheranyofthatbecauseitwouldhavewentoverlikealeadballoon.Andthentheywouldspend

another shift hardly talking. He couldn’t prepare her for her solo shifts if she wasn’t listening. If she

wasn’tpreparedproperlythenshe’dbedefenselessandvulnerable.Andifshefailed,hefailed.

Soinsteadhesaid,“SonowI’mbacktoCorpagain?”

“You’rethecorporal.I’mtherookie.You’remycoach.I’mthepupil.Weneedtorememberthat.”

“Don’texpectmetobesoftonyousincewe’resleepingtogether.”

“We’renotsleepingtogether,Corp.Wefucked.”

He raised his eyebrows. Those cold words were like a sucker punch in between the eyes. “Fine,

Rookie.But you hadno problems sayingmy name yesterday afternoonwhen you wereriding me like a

—.”

Anoisecamefromthelobbyandhequicklymovedaway,lettinghergo.Itwasprobablythesergeant

startinghisfourtomidnightshift.

Thatwashiscuetoblowthispopsiclestandandhittheroad.

otevenanhourintopatrolhepulledintothemunicipalparkinglotatthecenteroftown.Groundzero

forMaxandAmanda’srelationship.Ifitwasn’tforherviolatingthetimelimitonthefreeparkingand

Max hadn’t written her a citation, they may have never hooked up. And that would have been a damn

shame,astheywereperfecttogether…whentheyweren’tbuttingheads.Fate?Theythoughtso.

Butfuckfate.IfLeahwantedtoplayitcoldafterthatamazingsexyesterday,evenifithadn’tbeenin

themostideallocation,thenfine,hecouldactthedefinitiveprofessional.Hewasn’tgoingtobegtohave

anothercrackbetweenthosesweet,lusciousthighsofher.Hewasn’tgoingtolongforthosebow-shaped

lipsthatturnedadeepershadeofredaftershewrappedthemaroundhiscock.Hecouldgowithouther

slenderfingerspullingonhisnipplerings.

Yep.Hecoulddowithoutallthat.

Herubbedhisdamppalmsonhisthighs,panickinghemaynevergettodelvebetweenherlegsand

tastehersweetnessagain.Orseeherreactionwhenhesankhisteethintothefirmfleshofherass.Orhear

hercryout,“Faster.Harder.Again.”Hemayneverhearhisnameonherlipsasheburiedhimselfdeep

insideher.

Shewaslikecrack.Onetasteandhewasaddicted.Fuckme.

Hishard-onwasrocksolidandcrampedinhisuniform.Heswallowedanuncomfortablelumpand

quicklygrabbedGrant’sevaluationnotebookfromthedashboard.Heplaceditoverhislapandtookapen

outofhisfrontpocket.Heclickedthepen.

“Arewegoingtodoanythingtoday,Corp?Orarewejustgoingtositherealldayinsilence?”She

scannedthelot.“Arewelookingforparkingviolators?”

Click.Click.“No.Popquiz.”

Heheardhersigh.Hemadeanoteinhisnotebook.Click.

Sheturnedtolookatwhathewrote,buthetiltedthepadawayfromherlineofsight.

“Sure,Corp.Onwhat?”

Click.Click.“Tencodes.”

The use of ten codes was being phased out of departments, everyone agreeing that using plain

languagewasmoreefficientandunderstandableforcrossagencyuse,especiallyduringanincidentwhere

more than one agency was responding. He knew that. And he wasn’t sure they even taught ten codes

anymoreintheacademy,butnomatterwhat,sheshouldknowthem.

“Uh…”

“Yougottaproblemwiththisquiz?”Click.Click.

“No,Sir.”

“Good.Ten-four.”

“Copy.”

“Ten-twenty.”

“Location.”

“Ten-seventeen.”

“Enroute.”

“Signalthirty-three.”Heliftedhisgazefromthenotebookandlookedoverather.Shewasfocusedon

his mouth, which did not help his erection problem. He clicked the pen at double time. “This is an

importantone,Rookie.”

“Corp…”Thetitleescapedherlipssoftly.

Ohfuck.Hercomingundonewaskillinghim.Rightnow,he’dratherdealwiththecoldcopthanthe

sultryvixen.Heclearedhisthroat,tryingtosteelhimself,tokeepfromcrushinghertohim.“Signalthirty-

three.Whatisit?”Heclosedthenotebookandthrewitinthecornerofthedash.

Hergazefelltotheunmistakablebulgeinhispants.“Marc…”

Hereyessoftenedandherlipsparted.

No, he would not let her change the rules of this game again. Either they were or they weren’t. He

clickedthepenclosedoncelasttimeandjammeditinhisshirtpocket.

Butfuckthegameofoneminuteyou’reallcoldandthenextallhotandbotheredandlookingathim

likea—

Likeasliceof—

Porkroll.

Hisbreathhissedbetweenhisteeth.“I’mwaitingfortheanswer,Rookie.”

“Help,”shewhispered,herthroatconvulsingassheswallowedhard.“Sendhelpquickly.”

He reached out to run his thumb over her lower lip, but before he made contact he pulled his hand

awaylikeithadbeenburnt.

Badidea,dummy,bad,badidea.

Leah caught her lower lip in her teeth and he forced his gaze away, taking a cleansing breath.

“Rememberthatone.Thatonecouldsaveyourlife.”

And then he saw them striding toward the car. One walking with a sway to her hips, which were

encased in skin tight, hip hugging, low riding jeans, a peek of pale, smooth belly showing. The other

rushing towards their patrol car with a similar gait as Menace. A rhino in a china shop. A big smile,

mussedhair,andtheever-presentstainonhisshirt.

Theoverzealousmaleinhisearlytwentiesdidabellyflopontothehoodofthecar,laughing.That

wasgoingtoleaveamark.Onthecar,notGreg.

MarclookedovertoseeLeah’seyesaslargeassaucers.

Theintellectuallydisabledman’spresencewasthemagicpotionneededtogetridofhisever-present

erection.Andthetemptationthathungthicklyinthecar.

Heclimbedoutofthecruiser.“Seriously,Greg.Ifyoudentthehood,someoneisgoingtohavetopay

forit.”

Gregpointedwildlyathim,laughing.“You!”

“No,notme.It’llbeyourgorgeoussister.”

“’Manda,”Gregsaidseriously,thenbustedoutlaughingagain.

AmandaBrysontookhergoodol’timegettingtothemandwhenshearrivedshescoldedheryounger

brother.“GregoryMartinBarber,why,why,whydoyouhavetodoshitlikethat.”

“Shit!”Gregparroted,runningclumsilyinatightcircle.“Shit.Shit.Shit.”

Hissister-in-lawjustshruggedandgaveMarcadefeatedlook.“I’vegivenupontryingnottocurse

aroundhim.”

Sheopenedherarmswideandsaid,“Givemesomesugar,handsome.”

Hewrappedhisarmsaroundherandhuggedhertight.

“Ooo.Something’shardagainstme.DidIdothat?”

Marclaughed.“Please,youknowit’smydutybelt.”

ShepeekedintothepatrolcarandtiltedaheadtowardLeah.“Sureitis.”

Marcstrugglednottoreact.Hewasnotgivingherball-bustingassanyfodder.

“How’sthatbig,dumbdogofyours?”

“Heshitinmyshoesthismorning.”

Amandalaughed,herwholefacelightingup.Shewavedherhand.“That’schild’splay.Chaosatea

sixhundreddollarpairofdesignershoeswhenIfirstmovedhere.I’msureyoursonlycosttwelvedollars

fromWal-Mart.”Sheelbowedhim.“So,who’sthenewhire?”

“Jealous?”heteasedher.

Amandapursedherlips.“Maybe.Shelooks…hot.Likesomeonewhomightgetyouintrouble,ifyou

knowwhatImean.”Shegavehimanexaggeratedwink.

Heignoredit.“Maxdidn’tgiveyouthelowdown?”

“Some.Ijustwantedtohearitfromherwomen-in-law-enforcementtoleranttrainer.”Shecrossedher

armsandsquintedupathim.

Marcsnortedandshookhishead.Shewasalwaysasmartass.

“Well,whydon’tyoufuckingintroduceus,meathead?”

“Fucking.Fucking.Fucking,”Gregcrowedintotheair,nowrunninglapsaroundthecar.

“Shit,”Amandamurmured,lookingaroundtoseeifanyothertownfolkwerecloseby.

“Shit,shit,shit.”Gregrepeated.

Amandasmackedthepalmofherhandagainstherforehead.

“Sowho’sthemeatheadnow?”heaskedherwithawidegrin.

Sheduckeddownenoughtopeerintothevehicleandsaid,“Hey,whydon’tyoustepoutsothisone

herecanintroduceus.”

“Grant,getoutofthecar,”hebarkedout.

“Well, that was totally unnecessary,” Amanda said in a low voice, so the rookie didn’t hear her.

“Don’tactlikeadouche.”

ThepassengersidedooropenedandLeahunfurledherselffromthecar.Outofthecornerofhiseye,

hecouldseeAmandacheckingherout.Andhewasthedouche.

Leahapproachedthedriver’ssideofthecaruntilGregblockedherpath,bouncingonhistoes.“Hi!”

Leahsmiledandsaid,“Hi!I’mLeah.”

“I’mGreg!ButmysistercallsmeBud.”

“ExceptwhenIhavetocallyouyourfullname,”Amandaremindedhim.

“Yeah,I’mGregoryMartinBarberwhenI’mdoin’somethin’I’snotsupposedto.”

“Whichishowoften,Greg?”Marcasked,likehewastalkingtoanaughtychild.

Greglookeddownandgroundthetoeofhissneakerintothepavement.“Alot.”

“It’snotyou,Greg,”Marcsaidtohim,pattinghimontheback.“It’sbecauseyoursisteriscrankya

lot.”

Greglookedupandgavehimawidegrin.“Yeah,sheis.”

Amandafrownedandcrossedherarms.“Thanksforthat,you-who-will-be-called-names-later.”She

plasteredasmileonherfaceandextendedherhandtoLeah,whoshookitfirmly.

“I’mAmanda.Yourchief’sbetterhalf.”

MarcchokedwhichresultedinaquickglarebeforeAmandapinnedthesmilebackonherface.Greg

poundedhimonthebacktwice.HewasgladtohavehisKevlarveston.Theguywasstrongerthanhe

appeared.

“Youokay,Marc?”

“Yes,thanks,Greg.I’llbefine.”

“Annnyway,howhavethingsbeengoingforyou?”AmandaaskedLeah.

Marcleanedbackagainstthecar,dyingtoheartheanswer.

“Great.I’mlovingithere.Everyoneisfriendlyandhelpful.AndIloveyourin-laws.”

Amanda nodded in agreement. “Yeah, they’re good people. Sorry to hear about your father. I worry

aboutMaxeveryday.”

Leahtiltedherheadandgaveasadsmile.“Thanks.Yeah,Imisshim.”

Whatthefuck!EvenAmandaknewaboutGrant’sfather.Andhedidn’t.Heshould’veaskedherabout

yesterdaywhenhesawhertattoo.Theyweregoingtohavethatdiscussion.Today.Ifitwasthelastthing

hedid.

“Well,we’reonourwaytovisitTeddy.Hesaiddon’tforgettostopbyforatrim.”

Leahchuckled.“Iwill.Thanks.”

AmandajabbedherthumbtowardMarc.“Don’tletthisonerunyouoff.Makesureyoustickaround

andbecomeathorninhisside.Heloveswomencops.”

Marclovedhissister-in-lawlikefamilyandheknewshewasjustbreakinghisballsbecauseitwas

hermostendearingqualityasthedaughterofSatan,evenifwhatshesaidwastrue.

They said their goodbyes and Amanda dragged Greg away toward the square as they climbed back

intothecruiser.

He turned to Leah to ask about her father and the radio squawked loudly. “County Dispatch to all

available units. Fight at Crazy Pete’s bar. Code three. EMS en route. Will stage until scene is cleared.

Anyunits?”

Marcyankedthemicoutofitsholderwhileheawkwardlystartedthecarwithhislefthand.Timewas

oftheessence.“ManningGrovesixenroute.Howmanyactors?”

“Unknownatthistime.”

Marc’sadrenalinespikedthroughtheroof.HelatchedhisseatbeltandcheckedtomakesureLeahhad

donethesame.Hehitthelightsandsirensandthecruisershotoutoftheparkinglotlikearocket,tires

squealing.TheV-8kickedinandtheyroareddownthestreet.

MarcglancedoveratLeahtoseeifshewasnervous,butshehadanexcitedlookonherfaceandshe

grippedthehandleabovethedoor,holdingonashetookcornersatwarpspeed.

“Somerealaction,”heyelledoverthesirens.

Shegavehimaquicksmileandthenconcentratedonwherehewasheaded.“Isthisanuisancebar?”

“Itcanbe.It’stheonlybarintown.Sowherethere’sdrunkpeople…”

Shenodded.

He stopped the car on a dime in front of Crazy Pete’s, grabbing the mic again. “Dispatch, Manning

Grovesixonscene.”

“Copy,ManningGrovesix.”

Hehadahardtimecontaininghisexcitement.Therewasn’talotofactioninthistown,butwhenthere

wasitusuallywasadoozy.

TheybothlettheirseatbeltsflyandLeahwashalfwayoutofthedoorbeforehecouldstopher.

“Grant!Don’tyougointherewithoutme!”

She hesitated long enough for him to catch up and he busted through the door first. This was not a

ladiesfirstsituation.Heknewthelayoutoftheplacebecauseastheonlybar,hedranktheretoo.Butthe

placewasdankandthejukeboxblaringashescannedthegetting-shitfaced-after-workcrowd.

“Stayrightbehindme,”hetoldLeah,thoughhedidn’tturntochecktoseeifshehadlistened.Hekept

hiseyesonthemeleeinthecornerwherethepooltableswere.Pooltablesmeantquesticks.Whichmeant

easilyaccessibleweapons.Abrokenquesticklaidonthepooltable,andabloodyeightballwasinone

oftheactor’shand.

“Puttheballdown,”Leahcommandedfromoverhisshoulder.

Ohno.Nuhuh.Hewasinchargehere.“Puttheballdownnow,Fred.”

Fredhadanotherguy’sshirtfistedhishandwhilehepinnedthevictiminthecorner.Thevictimhad

whatlookedlike,onquickglance,asmashedeyesocket.Ouch.

“Fuckyou,cop!”

MarcdrewhisASPbatonandflickeditoutwarduntilitexpanded.Hebroughtitdownalonghisright

thigh so it was ready, if needed. He heard Leah move up behind him and to his right. “ASP. Watch our

back,”hemurmuredtoher.Heheardherbatonexpandwithasharpclick.“Getontheradioandseeif

anotherunitisenroute.”

HekepthisconcentrationonFred.Andtherewasanotherobviouslydrunkguynexttohim,butMarc

didn’t know him. But Fred? Yeah, he knew him. A bad alcoholic with an extensive record. Domestic

violence,assaultwithadeadlyweapon,simpleassault,illegalfirearm,battery,harassment,andthelist

wenton.Simplyanall-aroundniceguy.

Sincehewasn’tactivelybeatingthemanhehadinhisgrip,MarcdecidedtoseeifhecouldtalkFred

intocomplyingbeforetakinghimdownbyforce.“So,whathappenedhere,Fred?”

“Nothing,pig.”

“Itseemstobealittlemorethanjustnothing.Didhecheatyouatagameofpool?”

Fred remained silent, his breathing harsh, his white-knuckled hand paused in the air with the pool

ball,likehewasgoingtobringitdownonthevicatanymoment.

Marchadtomakesurethatwouldn’thappen.Becauseifitdid,hemightnothaveanychoicebutto

takehimdownforcibly.Ofcourse,hepreferredalldrunkassholestosubmittoarrestpeaceably.Butthat

wasapipedream.

“You,”hetiltedhischintowardtheotherguynexttoFred.“Getoutoftherenow.”

Theseconddrunkblinkedathim,lookedatFred,shrugged,andstumbledtowardMarc.

“Mypartnerhereisgoingtocuffyoujustforyoursafetyandmine.Justuntilwecansortthisallout.

Grant,”hecalledouttoher.

Leah stepped around him, careful to stay out of Marc’s line of sight and, took the man into custody,

pattinghimdownandcuffinghim.

“What’syourname?”Leahaskedhim.Theguymumbledsomething.“Well,David,whydon’tyousit

downrightherebeforeyoufall.”

Hervoicewasevenandcool,andwithaquickflickofhisgaze,hesawshehadhimcuffedbehindhis

back.Shewasdoingwell,whichgavehimalittlesenseofrelief.Ifhedidn’thavetoworryabouthow

shewashandlingherself,hecouldconcentrateonthemaninfrontofhim.

“Fred,puttheballdownonthetableandstepaway.”

“Thisfuckercheatedmeoutoftwentybucks.Hecomesintotownwherehedon’tknownobody,and

thinkshecanmakeabitofeasymoneywithourtownfolk.Heneedstobetaughtadamnlesson.”

“Lookslikehelearnedhislesson,Fred.DoyoureallywanttogotoRockviewformurder?‘Cause

that’swhereyou’llbeheadedforalongtimeifyouhithimagain.”

“Doesn’tmatter,”hegrumbled.

“Oh,Ibetit’llmattertoyourkids.You’vealreadyspentenoughtimeinprison.Don’tyouthinkthey’d

missyou?”

Fredloweredhishand,butdidn’tletgoofvictim’sshirt.

“Fred,stepback.”

Fredshookhishead,butamomentlaterhereleasedthevicandsteppedback.Theinjuredmansankto

thefloor,hisbackstillinthecorner,hiskneesfoldeduptohischest.Bloodcoveredhisface,hisclothes,

andfloor.Atleastthepoorguywasoutofthelineofengagement.Marctightenedhisfingersaroundthe

rubbergripofhisASP,anglinghisbodysohecouldrushinandstrikeFredifhemadeanysuddenmoves.

“Put the ball on the table,” Marc commanded firmly but slowly. He needed to keep Fred calm.

Freakingoutwouldn’thelpanysituationlikethat.LastthinghewantedwastogetFredallkeyedupand

angryagain.Themanseemedtobelosingsteam.Probablybecausehisbloodalcohollevelwasrisingthe

longertheystoodthere.

Withalasthalf-assed,“pig”Fredlettheballslideoutofhisfingersandrollontothegreenfeltofthe

pooltable.Petewasgoingtohavetoredothetable,sinceitnowhadastreakofbloodrunningdownthe

center.

Marc’smusclesloosenafraction,butthisstillwasn’toverandwouldn’tbeuntilFredwasincustody

andbeingtransportedtocentralbookinginWilliamsport.“Now,Fred.We’redoinggoodhere.Ineedyou

tostepawayfromthetable.”Andthecuesticks,aswellastherestofthepoolballs.

“Fuckyou.”

Marcturnedhisheadslightly,butkepthiseyesonthemaninfrontofhim.Hekepthisvoicelowand

soft,hopingonlyLeahwouldhearhim.“GoaroundtherightsideofthetableandI’llgoleft.Keepyour

ASPreadyandwatchforanysuddenmovements.I’mgoingtotrytodistracthim,soyoucangoinand

takehimintocustody.”

As soon as he heard Leah move, he stepped to the left of the table, walking slowly, his gaze still

trainedonthetorsoofthemantheywereabouttotakedown.Hekeptaneyeonthesubject’shandsand

watchedforanybodymovement,howeverslight.

“Fred,how’syourwifebeen?”

Keephimtalking,keephimdistracted.LetLeahdoherjob.Right.Hewashavingahardtimenot

watching her every move. The urge to keep her safe overwhelmed him, but he had to push it aside. He

wassupposedtokeeptheperpetratorpreoccupied,nothimself.

“Thebitchislazy.Sitsaroundalldayonthedamncouchwatchin’thosedamnsoapoperas.”

“What’sherfavorite?”

“Idon’tfuckingknow.They’reallthesamegoddamngarbagetome.”

WhenLeahcameintoMarc’slineofsight,heshiftedmoretotheleft.Shewascomingupfrombehind

and Marc didn’t think Fred was aware of it. She walked silently, which was to her advantage, not to

mentionMarc’srelief.Somecopsaresobig,theyhadnochanceofsurprisinganyone.

Marc hoped Fred would show signs of swaying, so she would have no problem getting him off

balance,butFred’sliverwassopickledhewasoneofthosefunctioningnastydrunks.

Marc sucked in a breath and yelled “Fred!” to get his attention before moving in. Leah put a leg in

front of Fred, grabbed his hand, twisting it, and slammed him to the floor. Marc tossed his expandable

batonontothepooltable,jumpedin,anddugakneeintothebackofFred’sarm,whohowledinpain.

WithsmoothnessandskillthatimpressedMarc,Leahtookhishandcuffsoutoftheholderandsnapped

one end onto to the wrist she controlled. When she reached for the arm Marc had pinned down, he

releasedit,andhelpedhersecurethecuffonthatwristtoo.

“Fuckingdirtybitch,”Fredspat,hisfacesmashedintothegrimytilefloor.

“That’sright,I’madirtybitch,”Leahsaidthroughgrittedteeth.

MarcstruggledtokeepastraightfaceashehelpedLeahhaulFred’sdrunkasstohisfeet.Hekeyed

hismictoletdispatchknowthesubjectwasincustodyandtosendinthewaitingEMSunit.

ShesteeredFredawayfromthevictimbyhiselbow,makingsuretopullupjustenoughtomakehim

feelthepressureinhisshoulder.“Chestagainstthewall,feetspread,”Leahcommandedassheassisted

himtocomply.Shekickedhisfeetwiderandfartherawayfromthewallsohecouldn’tturnthetideand

trytoattackoneofthem.

Marcwasgettingachubbyattheauthorityshewasexhibiting.Hecursedhimself.Nowwasnotthe

time,bonehead.

Pigsnout.

TheEmergencyMedicalTechsrushedin,headingimmediatelytothemancrumpledinthecorner.The

victimwasnowingoodhands,allowinghimtofullyconcentrateonLeahasshepatteddownthemanin

custody.Shehaddonnedherleatherglovesandaskedhimifhehadanyweaponsoranythingsharponhis

person.

Insteadofansweringherquestion,Fredyelled,“Youneedtogetbackinthekitchenwhereyoubelong,

bitch.”

Marc smirked, knowing how badly Leah would want to give Fred a good shot in the balls at that

moment. But Leah ignored him and carefully patted the outside of his pockets, ran her hands down his

legs, felt around his ankles, and back up, grabbing his crotch to check to make sure he wasn’t carrying

anythingdangerousthereeither.

She checked his waistband and lifted his shirt, checking Fred front and back before feeling for

anythingsuspiciousaroundhistorso.

“You juss need a good fuck,” Fred spat at her. “You one of them women who wants to be a man?

Daddydidn’tgiveyouenoughattention?”

Leah tensed for a split moment before she straightened him up and pulled him away from the wall.

Nonetoogently.ShereadhimhisMirandawarningsandthenspunhimaround,clearlyreadytothrowhim

injailandslamthecageshut.Shehadarestrainedlookonherface,theinitialexcitementlonggone.

Marc grabbed his other arm and helped her walk him outside. Dunn was already outside talking to

somewitnesses,andoneofthemidnightguys,BobbyDuncan,hadjustpulledupinanotherpatrolcar.

“Everythingundercontrol?”BobbyaskedMarc.

Henodded.“Nowitis.Canyougetinsideandstartgettingwitnessstatements?Makesureyoutalkto

Pete.I’msurehesawthewholething.”

“Willdo,Corp.”

“Didthechiefcallyoutwoout?”

“Yeah,hesaidhe’dmeetyouguysatstation.”

“Thanks.”

They perp-walked Fred to the cruiser. “I’ll drive and you sit in the back seat with old Freddy-boy

hereandmakesurehebehaves.”

OncetheygotFredbeltedinbehindthepassengerseat,Leahgotinbehindthedriver’s.Marcclimbed

into the patrol car. He hated not having cages in the back of their patrol cars. It put them both at risk,

whichwasonereasonhewantedLeahbackthere.Lastthinghewantedwasaknifetohisthroatoragun

athistemplefromsomeonepissedoffanddrunk,and,nottomention,withnothingtolose.

After he pulled away from the curb, he tilted the rearview mirror toward Fred. “Be on your best

behavior,Fred.”

Fredmouthed,“fuckyou”andMarccouldchucklenowthatitwasoverandthemanincustody.

ButdidFredlisten?Obviouslynot.Drunkandstupidashewas,hebegantoinsultLeahsomemore.

“Betyougotsomesweetsnatch.”Hestuckhistongueoutinthegapwherehistwofrontteethshouldbe

andwiggleditather.“I’dliketostickmydickinyourassandshowyouwhattarealmanis.”

Sorry,Freddy-boy,shealreadyhadarealman.

“Youwannasuckmyelephantdick?”

Icouldanswerthatforyou,dude.

“C’mon,youknowyouwanttosuckit.”

Marcstoppedattheredlightatthecenteroftownandcarefullyobservedthepickledassholethrough

themirror.

Fredsuddenlyleanedforward.

“Situp,Fred,”Marcyelled.“SitupwhereIcanseeyou.Grant,makehimsitup.”

Leah grabbed his shoulders and then it happened… In what felt like slow motion, Fred popped up

jamming his shoulder under Leah’s jaw so hard, her head snapped back. She made a sound that made

Marc’sstomachheave.

Heslammedthecarinpark,andturnedaround,startingtoreachovertheseat.Butinsteadofgrabbing

thebastardandshowinghimaworldofhurt,heheldhishandsup.

Somehow,Fredhadmanagedtogethiscuffedhandsinfrontandinoneofthemwasaknifewitha

three inch blade. Small? Yes. Deadly? Absolutely. Big enough to splay her neck open or jab into her

carotidartery.Andthat’swhereFredheldtheknife,toLeah’sthroat.

OhGod,don’tpanic,hewilledher.Don’tevenmove.

Fredpressedthetipoftheknifeintoherskin,drawingadropofblood.

“Nowhowbigdoyafeel,bitch?Yathinkyou’rebetterthanaman?Well,youain’t.Youjussneeda

realmanbetweenyourlegstoteachyoualesson.”

Leah kept her gaze pinned on Fred’s face and said nothing. Blood trickled out of the corner of her

mouth,andherlowerlipwascoatedred.

JesusfuckingChrist.

Max’svoicecameovertheradio.“ManningGrovesixfromstation.”

Marcwantedtocollapseinrelief.Theradiowouldbeagooddistraction.“IneedtoanswerthatFred,

orthey’llcomelookingforus.”

“NotifIkillyoubitchesfirst.”

“StationtoManningGrovesix.Doyoucopy?What’syourETA?”

CompletesilencefilledthecarwhileMaxwaitedforananswer.

“ManningGrovesix.Doyoucopy?”

Marc could hear the concern in Max’s voice. Concern and a little anxiety, because Marc knew his

brotherwell.“Letmeanswerhimsohedoesn’tworry,”hepleadedwithFred.

“Answerhim,dickhead,butdon’tsayanythingstupid.”

Marc’seyesneverlefttheknifeheldagainstLeah’sskin,soclosetothelifelinethatranthroughher

neck.

She remained calm and he was proud of her for doing so. Other than her nostrils flaring with each

breath,herbodywasfrozen.

Marcreachedblindlyforthemicandheliftedittohismouthslowly,keyingitup.“ManningGrove

sixtostation.”

ThereliefwasapparentinMax’svoicewhenheanswered,“ManningGrovesix,goahead.”

With composure that was forced, Marc said three important words. “Signal thirty-three.” He hit the

panicbuttonwhichkeptthemicopen,thenhetosseditontotheseat.

“Whatthehelldoesthatmean?”FredscreamedinLeah’sface.

Herwordsonlyshookslightlywhenshewhispered,“Itmeanseverythingisokay.We’reheadedback

tostation.”

Goodgirl.

Marccouldreachforhisgunandputabulletbetweenthebastard’seyes,butiftheassholejerkedhe

could cut her badly. And if soon-to-be-dead Fred—if Marc got his wish—suspected Marc trying

anything…

ThatassholehaddoneenoughtimeMarcwassureFreddidn’twanttogetlockedupagain.Hemaybe

thatdesperate.Marcweighedtherisks.

Hedidn’tknowhowmanylightcyclestheysatthroughatthesquare,andthoughitwasn’tnormallya

busyintersectionatthistimeoftheevening,avehiclefinallycameupbehindthem,thedriverlayingon

thehornimpatiently.

WhenFred’sattentionmovedtooutofthebackwindow,Leahheadbuttedthefucker’snose,breaking

it.BloodgushedandFredscreamed.WithinsecondsFredliftedtheknifebackupandLeahcrackedhis

wristwithbothherfists,screaminguncontrollably,herfaceamaskoffury.

Marckickedthedriver’sdooropenandhauledasstothebackpassengersidedoor,flungitopen,and

pulledthedeadmotherfuckertothepavementbyhisthroat.

Leah climbed out the same side and fell to her knees onto the ground, about as angry as a feral cat

gettingabath.

“You try anything and you’re dead,” Marc warned Fred with a growl. He unlocked one side of the

handcuffs,holdingontightly,sohecouldre-cuffFredwithhishandsbehindhisback.

“GettherestraintfromoutofthetrunksoIcanhogtiethisassholeup.”

Without hesitation, Leah pushed herself to her feet, wiping her bloody mouth on the sleeve of her

uniform,andwithinsecondsreturnedwiththeankle/hogtierestraints.Withherhelp,hehadFredonhis

belly,hishandcuffschainedtotheanklerestraints.

“He’snotgettingoutofthatanytimesoon.”

Noteventhirtysecondslater,asmallarmyoflightsandsirenssquealedtoastop,surroundingthem.

Maxjumpedout,lookingfrazzled,andinwrinkledcivvies.

“Whatthehellhappened?”

BeforeMarccouldanswer,Leahspokeup.“Imissedaknifeinhisshoe.”Shewentfacetofacewith

herbossandadmitted,“Imessedup.”

MaxlookedtoMarcforconfirmation,andhecouldonlygiveasharpnodtohisolderbrother.

Shemessedupforsure.Anditcould’vebeenapermanentmessup.

Shewasluckythistime.

Marcwasproudofher.Buthewasalsopissedashell.

CHAPTER7

idnight.Tireddidn’tevenbegintodescribeher.Mentallyandphysicallyexhaustedwasmorelikeit.

Hours of paperwork and questioning had deepened the dark circles under her bloodshot eyes. She

wasreadyfortheday—ornighttobemoreexact—tobeover.

After changing into her civvies, she hightailed it out of the station. Once out in the lot, though, she

hesitatedintheshadowscreatedbytheparkinglotlightstostarebackatthebuilding.Shewonderedif

shewasgoingtoloseherjob.Shehadfuckedup.Plainandsimple.Someonecouldhavegotteninjuredor

killed,anditwouldhavebeenfromhernegligence.

Sheperusedthenightskyandreleasedalong,raggedbreath.

Diggingherkeysoutofherpocket,sheheadedforthecar.Shekepthereyesonthegroundinsteadof

scanningtheparkingareaassheshould’ve.Butshefeltoverwhelminglydefeatedandsad,andsometimes

itwashardtoholdyourheadup.Todaywasoneofthosedays.

Assheapproachedhervehicleshesensedsomeonewatchingher.Achillwentdownherspineand

herheadshotup.

The corporal leaned against her car. Arms crossed, ankles crossed. His face a blank mask. “Rough

day?”Hisdeep-timbrevoicewassmooth,soothingherfrazzlednerveslikewarmhoney.

Herfirstinstinctwastomeltintohisarmsandhavehimholdhertight.Butinstead,Leahnoddedand

steppeduptothedriver’ssidedoor.Butheblockedher.

“I’mtakingyouhome.”Hewasn’tasking.

Butstill…“Icandrivemyself—”

“I’mtakingyouhome,”hetoldhermorefirmly.Andshedidn’tthinkhe’dtakenoforananswer.“You

cangetyourcartomorrow.”

Originally, they had been scheduled for another double-back; they were supposed to return in the

morningforanotherdaylightshift.Shelookedatherwatch.Ortodaywasmorelikeit.Butthechiefhad

toldthembothtotakethedayoff.Andbeingitwastheendoftheirshortstretch,theywouldhavetwo

regulardaysoffafterthat.Leahlookedforwardtothreedaysofquiettogethershittogether.Ifshestill

hadajob.

Toowearytoargue,shewasn’tevensureshewantedtoanyway.Atthismoment,anydecisiontaken

outofherhandswasagoodone.Thinkingwouldtaketoomuchenergyrightnow.Soshegotintohistruck

withoutafussandhedrovecarefullyoutofthelot,unlikeearlierinthedaywhenhewasdrivinglikea

madman.Alifetimehadtranspiredsincethebeginningoftheirshift.

The tangy metallic taste of blood still filled her mouth. When Fred had shouldered her, she had not

onlybithertongue,buttheinsideofherlowerlipaswell.Itdidn’thurtasbadlynow,butitwasgoingto

makeeatingfunforawhile.Funasintotallysucking.

Butthetasteremindedherofhowtragicthingsmayhaveturnedout.

“Doyouthinkhe’sgoingtofireme?”

“I don’t know.” He reached out for her hand in the darkness of the pickup’s cab and gave her a

reassuringsqueeze.“Weallfuckup.”

Hergazerestedontheirentwinedfingers.“Likethat?”

“Yeah.Sometimesjustlikethat.”Marcliftedherfingerstobrushhislipsacrossherknuckles.“Tell

meaboutyourfather.”

Itwasthelastquestionsheexpectedfromhimtonight,especiallyaftereverythingthathadhappened.

Shedidn’teventhinkshewantedtotalkaboutituntilthewordsstartedtorolloffhertongue.

“MyfatherwasadecorateddetectiveforthePhillyP.D.Athirty-twoyearveteran.Hiswholecareer

he’dgonefromunittounit,expandinghisknowledge.Frompatroltovice,carthefttodruglaw.Gangs

to…hell,homicide.That’swherehelanded.Homicidedivision.Andhestuckthere.Helovedit,helived

for it. He didn’t want to rise up through the ranks; he wanted to stay down in the trenches doing the

footwork,theinterviews,theinvestigations.Hewasgoodatwhathedid.Hewasproudofhisclearance

rate.”

Leah’s father had spent a lot of time away from home. But both she and her mother understood. He

wasmarriedtothejob.Andhermothermarriedhimknowingthat.Alotofpeoplecountedonhim.He’d

alwaysbeenaheroinLeah’seyes.Hehelpedbringclosuretoalotofvictims’families.

Butwhenhewashome,hegavethemalltheattentionintheworld.Helovedhisfamily,butheloved

hiscareertoo.

“Hegotacallinthemiddleofthenight,aroundthree.Henevercomplained.He’dgetup,getdressed,

and go do his thing. Mom would go down and make him a Thermos full of coffee, shove some protein

barsinhispocket,andgivehimakissgoodbyebeforecrawlingbackinbed.SometimesI’dgetupandsit

atthetopofthestairslisteningtotheminthekitchen,beforewatchinghimwalkoutthedoor.Healways

wore a suit. His gun and badge on his hip, coffee in his hand, cell phone in his pocket.” She paused,

rememberingthatlastnight.

Hehadhastilypulledonabrownsuitandapale-yellowdressshirt.Histiehungloosearoundhis

neck.Hermomsmootheddownhisunrulyhairashewalkedoutthedoor.

The house phone rang not even a half an hour later. With an unreal wail her mother fell to her

knees,droppingthereceiver.Leahrushedintotheirbedroomtopickupitup.Hermother,curledon

thecarpetinthefetalposition,sobbedsilently.

“Hello?”shesaid,pressingthephonetoherear.

“Leah?Leah,thisisCaptainOwens.Rememberme?”

“Y…Yes.”

Somethingwassoverywrong.

“I’msendingacarovertopickupyouandyourmother.”

“She’slayingonthefloorbroken.”

“I know, honey. Can you tell her that someone will be there shortly? You need to get dressed,

okay?”

“Okay.”

She had been only eleven when her father was hit head-on by a drunk driver while en route to a

double homicide. Geoffrey Grant, who had dedicated his whole career—the majority of his life—to

helping victims, became one himself. DOA at the crash, his body ended up at the local morgue for

identification.Thedrunkdriverwalkedawaywithonlyacutoverhiseyebrowandabrokenankle.Itwas

hisfifthtimegettingcaughtbehindthewheelwithabloodalcoholleveloverthelegallimit.

Marc’swordsbroughtherbacktothepresent.“I’msorry.”

Leahclosedhereyes,listeningtotherumbleofthepickuptruck.Shefeltlikeshehadbeentalkingfor

hourswheninfact,ithadonlybeenminutes.

And as they passed the lit wooden sign that read Bryson’s Christmas Tree Farm, she looked at it

longingly.

“Ithoughtyouweretakingmehome.”

“Iam.Ineversaidwhosehome.”

No,technicallyhedidn’t.Butitwould’vebeennicetobeasked.

“Idon’tthinkyoushouldbealonetonight.”

“Yourparentsarehome.I’llbefine.”

Momentslaterhepulleddownalonggraveldriveway,finallystoppinginfrontofasprawlingranch

homewithaporchthatrantheentirelengthandadetachedthreecargarage.

“Ithoughtyoulivedinafarmhouse.”

“No,that’swhyIboughtthisplace.Theoriginalfarmhouseburntdownbackaroundtwothousand-

twoandthepreviousownershadthisbuilt.It’smodernandhasplentyofroom.”

After parking close to the house, he cut the engine and wasted no time in getting out and coming

aroundtoLeah’ssidetoopenthepassengerdoor.Marcpulledherintohisarmsbeforeshuttingitwithhis

foot.Hecarriedherupthreestepstotheporch,puttingheronherfeetonlylongenoughtounlockthefront

door, before swinging her up into his arms again. Menace paced in circles around him as he strode

throughthehome,throughadoorway,andthenlaidheronaking-sizedbed.

Leah sat up, watching him pull a T-shirt out of a dresser drawer. He handed it to her. “Get

comfortable.I’mgoingtoletMenaceout.”

Inthetimeittookforhimtotakecareofthedog,shehadutilizedthemasterbathroomtowashup,and

slippedthewell-wornT-shirtoverherhead.Itfelltomid-thigh.Shesniffedthescentofthefabric.Marc.

As she heard them coming back into the house, Marc talking to the enthusiastic puppy, she slipped

betweenthesheetsandcurledupinball.Thepillowsmelledlikehimtoo.Sheshuthereyes,hopingshe’d

beabletosleep.

eatandhardnesspressedagainsther.Leahblinkedhereyesopen,searchingthedark.

Marc spooned her, one arm cradling her head, the other flung over her waist, his hand splayed

over her belly. His soft breathing tickled the hair at the back of her neck. The T-shirt she wore had

gatheredjustunderherbreasts,sotheylaidskintoskin.Herbackplasteredtohischestandstomach.

Somethingsoftandwarmpushedagainstherassthroughherpanties.Hewascompletelynakedand

partiallyaroused.Shehopedhewashavingabetterdreamthanshe’dhad.

Shewasdyingforaglassofwaterandtousetherestroom.Shedidn’twanttowakehimthough,so

sheslippedcarefullyoutofhisembrace,movinghisarmgentlyoffofher,slidingaway,thentuckingthe

coversbackaroundhim.

Menacelaidcurledupinhisdogbedinthecorneroftheroom.Heliftedhisheadandthumpedhis

tail.Leahpressedafingertoherlips,willingthedogtostayquiet.Thepuppyyawnedandthenrestedhis

headbackbetweenhispaws,groaningsoftly.

Tiptoeingoutofthebedroom,shequietlyclosedthedoorbehindher.Sheheadeddownthehallwayto

theguestbathroomtorelieveherself,thenfollowedtheglowfromthelightoverthestovetofindherway

intothekitchen.

Grabbingabottleofspringwaterfromthefridge,shecrackedthesealandguzzledhalfofitinone

shotbeforesnaggingasecondbottletotakewithher.Maybesheshouldgrabherthingsandwalkbackto

theBryson’s.

“Youokay?”

Leah turned toward the husky voice. Marc leaned against the doorway, rubbing the sleep out of his

eyes.Bucknaked.Shywasnotinthisman’svocabulary.

Hewassomethingtolookat,thatwasforsure.Muscularbutlean,hisonlytattoovisiblewastheone

onhisrightbicep.TherecognizableMarineslogowithSemperFiunderneath.Hisnippleringsweresuch

adissimilaritytothemilitarycuthairstyle.Hemightbeaput-togethercop,buthehadafreakside.The

thoughtmadeonecornerofherlipslift.

“Yeah.You?”

Hereachedoutahand.“I’dbebetterifyoucamebacktobed.”

Sheregardedhislong,outstretchedfingers.“Yeah,metoo,”shesaidassheapproachedhim.Witha

quickmove,hehadherbackpressedagainstthedoorjamb,onehandburiedinherloosehair.Herana

thumboverherbottomlipandshewinced.Hermouthwasstilltenderandprobablywouldbeforawhile.

Hecarefullypulledherbottomlipoutsohecouldseethedamage.“Ouch.”Hecapturedherfacein

hishandandpressedakisstoherforehead.“IguessIcan’tkissyou.”

Shemethisgazeinthelowlight.“No.”Unfortunately.

Heslidhishandalongherjaw,overherneck,hershoulder,downherarmuntilhereachedherwrist.

Helacedherfingerswithhisandledherbackdownthehallwaytohisbedroom.

“Wereyouthinkingaboutleaving?”

Leah didn’t know why, but for some reason she felt embarrassed she even considered it after he’d

donenothingbutbeensupportive.“Yes.”

“ThenI’mgladIwokeup.”Hetookthebottlesfromher,placingthemonthenightstand,thenturnedto

faceherheadon.“Taketheshirtoff.”

Shecrossedherarmsinfrontofher,grabbingthefabricatherhips,andpulledtheoversizedT-shirt

overherhead.Beforehecouldtellhertoremovethem,shetuckedherthumbsintothewaistbandofher

panties and dropped them to the floor. She stepped out of them, moving closer to him until they were

barelyabreathapart.

“You’rebeautiful,”shewhispered.Shenormallydidn’tconsidermentobebeautiful,buthewaslike

aworkofart.Asculptureshapedcarefullywithexpertise.

“Soareyou.”

Sheplacedafingeratthelittleindentatthebaseofhisthroatandranitdownoverhissternum.She

flattened her palm over his heart, which thumped strongly and at a quickened pace. With her hand still

firmlyonhispec,sheusedherfreehandtocuphim.Hissacwaswarmandsoft,unlikehiscock,which

washotandhard,steel-likeunderherfingers.

Herpussypulsatedbetweenherlegs,wantingwhatshegrippedtightly.Heshudderedasshestroked

himslowly,hiseyeshoodedandhismouthparted.

HisAdam’sapplejumpedasherasped,“Iwanttotasteyou.”

eahraisedhergazetohisandMarcgrowled.Hereachedforher,pickingherupandplacingherinthe

center of the bed. He settled between her legs, pushing her knees up and out. Damn. Her pussy

glistened,readyforhim.Hewantedtojustsinkintoher,gomindlesswhilefuckingher.Buthereallydid

wanttotasteallofhersweetnessfirst.

Tuckingherlegsoverhisshoulders,heleanedintothebackofherthighs,openingherupevenmore.

Findinghercenterwithhismouth,histonguetwirledaroundherclit,flickingit.Hekissedherplushlips,

partingthemwithhisfingers,tastingherarousal.

Her thighs tremored as he glided his tongue in and out of her. Her wet, delicious heat frayed his

control.Alow,needymoancamefromherasshemovedagainsthim,butheheldhertight,settlingher

restless hips. He slid his hands under her ass, pulling her closer as he sucked at the swollen, sensitive

nub.Herbodyjerkedwitheachpullofhismouth.

Herhandsslammedontothebedoneithersideofherhips,herfingerswindinginthesheets.Herback

arched,herheadrolledsidetoside,andhewatcheditallupthelineofherbody.Hermouthmoved,but

hecouldn’thearher.Shereleasedthesheetsandpulledatherownnipples,twistingthepinktipsbetween

herfingers.

Her body tensed around him, but he didn’t slow. He loved watching her reaction, her pleasure, her

ride to the edge. And when she cried out that she was coming he pressed his mouth harder against her.

Whenshefellovertheprecipiceshethrashedagainsthim.

Hereleasedheronlywhenshestilled.Heranhisslickfingersoverhislips,tastingher,amazedhow

wet she had become. Her pussy was flushed and plump and the urge to seat himself deep within her

overwhelmedhim.

His balls were tight as hell, his cock painfully hard. And he wanted nothing more than her fingers

pulling on his piercings when he entered her. The image made him shudder and he crawled to the bed

stand,pullingoutacondom.Aftershreddingthewrapperwithhisteeth,herolleditdownhistwitching

hardlength.

Shemadeamovetogetontopofhim,buthestoppedherwithasharp,“No.”Shehadallthecontrol

lasttime.Hewastakingitnow.

Hepinnedherdownwithhisbody,spreadingherlegswidewithhisknees.Henippedatthecurvesof

herbreasts,leavinglittlemarkshereandthere.Hesuckedanippledeepbeforelettingitgowithalittle

pop.

Shetriedtositup,buthepushedherbackdown.Histime.Hispace.Hewasincharge.

Hegrazedhisteethalonghercollarboneandsheliftedherheadup.Enoughtosinkherownintohis

neck.Thepainshotthroughhim,hardeninghisnipples,makinghiscockfleximpatiently.

“Harder,”hetoldher.Shecompliedbybitinghisskinuntilalmostthebreakingpoint,thenlettingthe

fleshgoandswirlinghertongueoverit.

“Iwanttosuckyournipples,”shedemanded,reachingforhisrings.Whenshehookedthemwithher

fingers,shetuggedhard,theskinflexing.Hebowedhisbackawayfromher,stretchinghisnippleseven

further.Shereleasedthem,lettingherhandsslidealonghisribsandsheusedhisbodytopullherselfup.

She sucked on one nipple, the ring on her tongue, flicking the gold ring back and forth, then grabbed it

withherteethandyanked.Marchuffedwiththesharp,butpleasurable,discomfort.Andwhenshemoved

totheothernippletorepeathermachinations,hecouldonlygroanwithencouragement.Eachjerkofthe

nipple ring sent lightning through him. It was almost enough to make him come. There was something

aboutawoman—thiswoman—playingwithhisjewelrywithhermouthandfingersthatkepthimteetering

ontheedge.

His cock was like steel, unbreakable, unbendable. The erogenous pull on his nipples finally drove

himtomadnessandheplungedintoher.Shewasopenandreadyforhim,butherbodyfithimsnuggly.It

wasasifshehadwrappedafistaroundhimandsqueezed.Heshiftedhishipsuntilhecouldn’tgoany

deeperandstilledashedroppedhisheadforwardandtookafewdeepbreaths.

Thinkingofporkproductswasdefinitelynotgoingtohelphimnow.Hisbrainwasintoxicatedfrom

thehotsheathencasinghim,theperfectbreastsbelowhim,thosegoldengreenish-browneyeslookingup

athim,andthosecurvedlipsthatwouldmakeanymanlayatherfeetandbegformercy.

Herlegswrappedaroundhim,herheelsdiggingintothebackofhisthighs.Shecalledouthisname,

thefrustrationclearinhervoice.Butheneededasecond.Ortwo.Herwetheatwasalmostunbearable,

makinghimwanttopoundheruntilhecame.Buthisintentwastomakeherclimaxmorethanonce.And

heneededtokeephisshittogethertodothat.

Hebegantomove,slowlyatfirst.Hepumpedhishipsdeep,thenshallow.Deep.Shallow.Dipping

hishead,hekissedalongherribs,underherbreasts,downherstomach,whilehecontinuedtothrustin

andoutofher,workingtowardsacrescendo.Takinghertothesummitbeforelettingherfall.Hereyes

rolledbackandhermouthbecamelaxuntilhequickenedtherhythm.Hethrustharder,deeper.Herneck

bowed,hermouthformingwords.

“Fuckme.Ohyes.Fuckme.Likethat.”

Hewaslosinghimselfwithinher.Hispelvisslappingagainsthers.Hisassclenchingandunclenching

witheachthrust.Abeadofsweatrolleddownhisspine.

“Areyougoingtocome?”

“Itfeelstoogood.Iwantittolast.”Heranswerwasbreathless,ragged,strained.

“No.Iwantyoutocome.WhenItellyoutocome,youwillcome.”

“No,”shegroaned.

“Yes.”Heshovedahandbetweenthemtofindherslickclit.Hepushedit,circledit,pressedit.She

pulsated around him, which made him drive harder. He rubbed her swollen nub at a frantic rate. He

neededhertoletgo.“Iwantyoutocome…Now.”

Shebuckedwildly,jammingherpussytightlyagainsthimandthewavesofherorgasmdrownedhim.

Hedidn’tstoporslowhispace.“Iwantyoutocomeagain.”

Sheopenedhermouth,butnowordscameout.Insteadshesuckeddeepbreaths,herchestheaving,her

breastsbouncingwitheachthrust.Herheadcamedangerouslyclosetotheheadboard.Hepausedlong

enoughtoslideonepillowbetweenherandthebedframeandanotherunderherhips.

“Iwantyoutocomewithme.Doyouhearme?”

Alowgroanaccompaniedheransweringnod.Thesounddroveashockwavethroughhisbodyallthe

waytohistoes.

Whenherbodygrewhotterandherpussytightenedaroundhim,heknewshewasclose.Andsowas

he. Their bodies were slick with sweat, flushed with exertion. He leaned over, grabbing one of her

nipplesinbetweenhisteeth.Shetuggedonhis.Lighteningshotthroughhimandhehadnochoicebuttolet

go.Hecouldn’tholdonanylonger.

“Fuckingcomenow.”

“Yes,”shescreamedassheslammedherhipsupagainsthim.

Hegrittedhisteeth,andwithahiss,hereleaseddeepinsideher.

eforeheevenopenedhiseyes,heknewshewasgone.Thewarmbodysnuggledagainsthimhadbad

breathandstinkyfarts.

HesatupandsawtheT-shirtshehadborrowedfoldedneatlyattheendofthebed.Hegrabbedit,

holdingittohisnose.Thecottonheldacombinationofherscentandhis.Hiscavemaninstinctmadehim

wanttoheadovertohisparentsanddragherbacktohisbed.

But he shouldn’t. He couldn’t. He needed to back off and leave her be. At least for a little bit. He

knewwhereshewas,knewshewassafe.

Evenso,hecouldn’twaittoseeheragain.Toholdher.Totouchher.Torunhisfingersthroughher

dark,silkystrands.

Theyhadthenextthreedaysoff…Andsheonlylivednextdoor,wherehehadanopeninvitationto

showupatanytime.

Maybethatwouldworkinhisfavor.

CHAPTER8

twastimetoheadbacktothehouse.Theearlyeveningsunwasdroppingatarapidrate.Thelongwalk

LeahtookafterMaryAnn’sdeliciousandfillingdinnerhadbeengreatlyneeded.Shewantedtoclear

herhead,butasshewanderedthroughtherowsandrowsoftrimmedtrees,herthoughtskeptreturningto

whathadhappenedinthebar,thealmostfatalmistakeshe’dmade.Theriskshehadputbothherselfand

Marcinwasinexcusable.Sheranthescenariooverandoverinhermind,continuallygoingoverwhatshe

shouldhavedonedifferently.

Marchadbeenpissedimmediatelyaftertheincident,butlaterunexpectedlyunderstanding.Shemade

herselflookbad,aswellashimashercoach.

Assheapproachedtheoutbuildings,theunmistakablecrunchoffootstepsheadedherway.MaybeRon

hadcomelookingforher.Intheshorttimeshe’dknownMarc’sfather,hehadalreadytakenherunderhis

wingandtreatedherlikeadaughter.Shecamearoundthecornerofthebakery,readytocallouttohim,

andsmackedstraightintoMarc.

He caught her upper arms in his grasp, keeping her from falling backward. Without a word, he

draggedherovertothebackdoorofthebakery,foundthekeyabovethedoorframetounlockit,anddrew

herintothedarkbuilding.

Heslammedthedoorshut,lockingitbehindthem.Heturnedherawayfromhimandsteppedinclose.

Shehadnoideawhathewasupto.Excitementtingedwithfearranthroughher.Hehadn’tsaidaword,

andhisexpressionhadbeenintensewhenhehadpulledherintothebakery.

The limited light casted shadows across the wall in front of her. Marc was directly behind her, his

breathburningthebackofherneck.Goosebumpsbrokeoutalongherskinassheshivered.Hernipples

peaked,achingforhistouch.

“Putyourhandsup.”

Herpulsejumpedathiswords.“No.”

“Putyourhandsoveryourhead,now.”

What?Whatwashedoing?Tryingtoteachheralesson?

Withaslighttrembleofanticipation,shecomplied.Twocouldplayatthisgame.

“Good. Now keep them there. Don’t move. Are you carrying anything I should be aware of?

Weapons?Needles?”Hismouthwasnearherearandshebitbackagroan.

“No.”

“I’mgoingtosearchyouformysafetyandyours.No.Don’tturnaround.Facethewall.Don’tlookat

me.”

Thistimesheshiveredviolently.Shedidn’tfearhimbeingcruel;shewasn’tworriedhe’dhurther.

She was afraid of the control he so easily held over her body. How her body reacted to his rough

commands.Inherpastrelationships,howeverfewtheywere,shehadalwaysbeentheaggressor.Theone

demandingsexwhenshewantedit,howshewantedit.Maybethat’swhytherelationshipshadbeenshort.

He grasped her wrists and pulled her arms up higher, straighter. “Keep them up there.” He slid his

handsdownherarms.Shecouldn’tseehim.Shecouldonlyfeelhislong,masculinefingersbrushingup

and down from wrists to shoulders, then along her neckline. He raked his fingers through her hair as if

searching,thenbrushedhisknucklesoverhercheeksandoncemoredownherthroat,overhershoulders,

andunderherarms.Shetriednottojerkaway,butherskinwasonfire.

“Ifyouknowwhat’sgoodforyou,don’tmove.”Histonewastenseandgruff,solow.

His hands stroked along the sides of her breasts. She caught her lower lip between her teeth and

closed her eyes, trying not to cry out. He reached his arms around her, the heat of his chest against her

back.Hisnippleringsweredetectablethroughhershirt.Heranhisknucklesunderherbreastsalongthe

lineofherbra.

Shewasappalledatherreactiontohispower.Hernostrilsflaredasshesuckedinair.“Marc…”

Hepressedafingeragainstherlips.“Quiet.”Theorderwasshort.Herpussyclenchedinresponse.

Continuingthesearchdownoverherbreasts,hecaressedherpebblednipplesandtravelingoverher

stomachdowntoherwaist,wheretheycircledtwice.Shehadnoweaponshidden.

His ragged breathing beat a tattoo against the nape of her neck. His hands dipped lower, his inner

armsrubbingagainstherhips.Hesmoothedhislongfingersbackupagainstthefabricofhershortsand

theymovedintothesmallofherback,thendownoverherass.Shewasconcealingnothing.

“Stepforward.Putyourarmsstraightoutandyourpalmsflatagainstthewall.Leanyourchestintothe

wall.That’sit.Spreadyourlegs.”

Heputadenim-cladkneebetweenherbarethighsandnudgedthemwider.“That’sit.Don’tmoveor

I’llhavetocuffyou.”Hereacheddowntoslidehisfingersaroundheranklesanduphercalves.Itwas

pointless.Pointless.Herlegswerebare,nothingconcealed.Hegrazedthebackofherknees.

Shewastrembling,herbreathingshallow,herheartpounding.Shecouldn’ttakeanymore.

He ran his hands up the back of her thighs and his fingertips again searched the roundness of her

buttocks,thenalongthecentercrease.Longstrokes.Shetensed,wantinghimtomovefaster,togetitover

with.

“Isaid,don’tmove.”

Herheadwasspinning.“Fuck.”

“I’mnotfinished.Bequiet.”

Hisordersthrilledher,buttheunmistakablepowerthathecouldholdhercaptivewithonlyhistouch

alsoalarmedher.Sheneverhadthoughtthatshewouldletamandominateher.Never.Butshelikedit.

Damn,sheloveditfromhim.

He stepped closer so that her buttocks nestled against his pelvis. His heat and the unforgiving

hardnessofhisbodywereunbearable.Leahpushedherhipsback,grindingagainsthim.Hewrappedan

arm around her waist and gripped her like a vise, forcing her still. With a groan, he ordered, “Don’t.

Move.”

After a moment, Marc passed both hands along her hipbones down to the V in her shorts. She was

moist,hot,andthrobbingathercore.

His fingers probed at her, explored her, manipulated her until she couldn’t help the whimper that

escaped.

“Shh.”

“Ican’t…”

“Areyougoingtoforcemetokeepyouquiet?”

“Yes…yes!”

Heslidhisdampfingersfromhershortsandgraspedherwrists.Pullingherarmsoverherhead,he

pinnedthemagainstthewallonceagain,andwithatwist,turnedhertofacehim.Beforeshecouldsay

anything,hecrushedhislipsagainsthers,ravishinghermouth.Thekisswaspainfulwithherinjuries,but

shedidn’twanthimtostop.Thepainmadethepleasuresharper.Shecaughthisbottomlipbetweenher

teethandbitdownuntilthefleshalmostbroke.Heletoutasoundthatsentshockwavescrashingtoher

lowerbody.

Shelostallstrengthuntiltheonlythingholdingherupwashiskneebetweenherthighsandthefirm

griponherwrists.Hepulledbackslightlywhenshegroundherwetheatagainsthisthigh.

“Ithinkyou’reconcealing,I’mgoingtohavetostripsearchyou.”

“Please…”

Hehesitated.“Pleasewhat?”

“Don’t…stop.”

“Isthatonesentenceortwo?”

“Ah…”

“Isthat:Don’tstop?”Hepressedherwriststighteragainstthewall.“Or…Don’t.Stop.”

“I…”

Hethrustagainsther.“Whichisit?Thefirstorthesecond.”

“Thefirst…thefirst!Don’tstop.”

Hereleasedherarmsandshequicklywrappedthemaroundhisneck,tryingtobringhimcloser.He

wasn’t near enough. She needed him so much closer. Instead he peeled her arms from him and stepped

back.

Shefeltsuddenlyempty.Alone.

“Takeyourclothesoff.”

Anotherfierceshiverranthroughher.Sheswallowedhard.Thelightwassoinadequateshecouldn’t

readhisexpression.

Sheworeabutton-downsleevelessblouseandshewastemptedtojustripthethingopen,buttonsbe

damned.Instead,sheslowlyfreedeachoneoutofitsprison.

Suddenly, an LED tactical flashlight was shining on her fingers as they moved. He held the small

flashlightinhismouthasheunfastenedhisjeans,kickedoffhisboots,andstrippedthedenimfromhis

long legs. The beam steadied on her as she pulled the shirt from her shorts, letting it slide over her

shoulders.

“Turnaround.Iwanttodotherest.”

Whensheagainfacedthewall,heunfastenedherbra,slippingitdownherarms.Hereachedaround,

cuppingherbreasts,brushingthepadsofhisthumbsoverbothhardnubs.Thenervesinhertightnipples

hadadirectlinetohercore,makingherslicker,wetter,hotter.

Pullingathershorts,hepoppedthebutton,rippeddownthezipper,pushedthefabricoverherhips,

alongwithherpanties.Hesquattedbehindher,slowlyslidingtheclothandhisfingersoverherthighs,her

calves, her ankles before lifting each foot, removing her sneakers and then the clothes. Removing the

flashlightfromhismouth,Marcplaceditonanearbycounter,soit’sbrightnarrowbeamshinedonthem.

His palm pressed her wrists, still stretched above her head, harder against the wall. Nipping down

herspine,whenhereachedthebase,helickedallthewaybackup.Hesuckedattheskinatthebackof

herneck,justaboveherlittletattoo.

He reached around to grasp her throat. Tight enough that she could feel it. Loose enough for her to

breathe.

Trapped.Herhands,herthroat,herbodypinned,shefoughttheinstincttostruggle,tofreeherself.She

closedhereyesandconcentratedontampingdownthepanicashisfingersgrippedharder.

“Icouldcrushyourthroat,”herasped.

“Youwon’t,”shewhispered,herthroatmusclesworkingunderhisfingers.

Herlifewasinhishands.Hehadallofthepower.

“No,Iwon’t.ButI’mgoingtotakeyoufrombehind,”hesaidagainstherear.

“Yes,”shehissed.

“Keepyourhandsflatagainstthewall.”Hereleasedherwristsandshepressedherpalmsagainstthe

wall,shoulderlengthapart.Hehookedhisarmaroundherhipsandpulledherback.“Keepyourhands

wheretheyare.”

Herarmswerestretchedtotheirlimit,slightlyaboveherhead,herasspressedouttowardhim,her

feetwiderthanhipdistance.

He slid his cock between her buttocks, stroking his length up and down between the cheeks. When

he’dsaidfrombehind,shehadn’tthoughthemaymeansomethingelse.Sheopenedhermouthtoprotest,

but he separated her plump lips with his fingers, stroked her sensitive clit, and plunged a finger deep

inside.Sheclenchedaroundhimandwhenheslidasecondfingerin,shegroaned.

Shewassowet,soready,thattwofingersweren’tenough.Sheneededmore.“Fuckme.”

“Shh.Mytimenotyours.”

ShewantedtoscreamNo!No,shecouldn’twait.Now!

Hisfingersfuckedher,histhumbbrushedherclit,andshewhimpered.Shedroppedherforeheadonto

herextendedbicepandtiltedherhips.

Hisfingersweresuddenlygoneandshefeltanimmensesenseofloss.Butonlyuntilhedroppedtohis

kneesbehindherandhismouthcontinuedherdelicioustorture.Theexplorationofhistongue,hislips,his

fingers,drovehersenseless.Heronlythoughtwastheextremepleasurebetweenherlegs.

“You’realmostthere.”

“Yes.”

Hecurvedhisfingers,strokingherspot,whilehismouthsuckedhardonherswollennub.

Shetensed,hertoescurling,andsheexplodedoutfromhercenter.

“Yes,that’sit,baby.Letitgo.Iwantyoutodrenchme.”

Andthenhewasgoneagain.Butbackquickly,hislatex-encasedcockbrushingagainstherentrance.In

onewaytherewasrelief,inanotherdisappointment.Theymayhavetoexploretheotheroptionatanother

time.

Butforrightnow,hewasgoingtodrivedeepandfillher.

Shewasslickforhim.Ready.Shecouldn’tseehisface,shewasblindtohisactions.Thecrownof

hiscockwasrightthere,teasing.Andthenhesmackedherasscheekhard,thesoundfillingtheroom,the

stingmakingherjumpatthesametimeheseatedhimselfdeepwithinher.

Anunintelligiblesoundescapedher,endingwithalong,raggedhiss.

He pumped wildly at first, but then he slowed and controlled his pace. Since she was still leaning

towardthewall,herbreastshungawayfromherbody,hernipplesdiamondhard.Theyswungwitheach

strokeuntilhecaughttheminhishands,squeezing.Hekneadedtheflesh,makinghereyesrollback.

Hebitthenapeofherneck,hisbreathinglaboredagainstherheatedskin.Shecriedout.Notforhimto

stop,buttocontinue.

Hishardlengthstrokeherinsidesashetwistedhernipples.

“Youlikethat.”

“Yes.”

“I’m going to mark you as mine.” He moved his mouth to her shoulder and sank his teeth into her

again, this time harder. She could imagine the teeth marks left behind, the bruise that would appear

tomorrow.Amarkthatwouldremindherofhimfordays.

Sheshudderedashegentlykissedthesamespot.

“You’remine.”

Shesighed,“Yes.”Yes,shewashisatthismoment.Shedidn’twanttothinkbeyondthat.

“Icanfeelyougrabbingmetight,drawingmedeeper.Gettingwetter.”

Withahandtoherhair,hepulledthelongstrands,makinghergasp.Noonehadeverpulledherhair

before.Noone.Butholyshit,itwasamazingasadrenalineshotthroughher.

“You’resofuckingwetforme.”

His other hand clamped down on her hip and he used it for leverage to keep her still, his pelvis

poundingagainstthefleshofherass.Harderandharder,untilhehadnowherelefttogo.Shewantedhim

impossiblydeeper,couldn’tgetenough.Listeningtotherhythmicslapoftheirskin,sheclosedhereyes.

Astheseedofanorgasmplantedinhercore,sheblewoutabreath.Itgrewwithinheruntilitmatured

andshejerkedagainstMarc,wailingasherclimaxrooteddowntohertoes,andsweptbackupthrough

herarms,allthewaytoherfingertips.

Marccursed,thrustingonemoretimeashereleasedforcefully.Thestrongpulsationsattherootofhis

cockmadehercryoutonceagain.

Hedroppedhisforeheadinbetweenhershoulderblades,hispantinghotanddamponherskin.She

wasn’tbreathinganyeasiereither.Herchestroseandfellasshesuckedair.Shefinallyloweredherarms

andrubbedatthetingling.Hershouldersandarmswouldbesoretomorrow.Whatshedidn’tmindwas

thesorenessshe’dhavebetweenherlegs.

He stepped away from her and dumped the condom in the trash. Just wait until his sister-in-law

discoveredthatprizewhensheopenedthelidnexttime.

Shewatchedhimashemovedaroundgatheringhisclothes.Hismusclesmovedlikethickropesunder

his skin, the ridges in his abs rippled as he bent over. His lean, but strong thighs flexed. His biceps

popped.Andshecouldfuckhimalloveragain,rightthereinthedimlylitbakery.Shecouldn’tgetenough

ofhisbody,stronglybuiltbutstillgraceful.

And his skills… She needed to get her mind off of what he could do with his fingers, his lips, his

tongue, his cock. She turned away from him, searching the dark corners for her clothes. “How did you

knowwhereIwas?”

“Istoppedinatthehouse.Poptoldmeyouwentoutonyourown.Anditwasgettingdark.”

“Itwasn’tdarkyetandthefarmissafe.”

“Leah,there’scoyotesoutthere.”

“You’remoredangerousthanacoyote,”shesaidwithalittlegrin.

“Ibite.”

Hergrinwidened.“Thatyoudo.”Shetouchedthetenderspotwherehehadbittenher.

“Sorryaboutthat.Igotcarriedaway.Luckilyyourclotheswillcoverit.”

“UnlessI’mwalkingaroundinatowel.”

HisAdam’sapplebouncedandhiseyebrowsshotup.“Youshouldn’tbewalkingaroundinatowelin

frontofmyPop.”

“But in front of your mom it’s okay?” she teased. “What should I tell her if she asks? That her son

markedmeashis?”

Panicpassoverhisface.Hedroppedhisgazetoyankhisjeanson.Afterhefastenedthem,hebrushed

ahandoverhisshorthair.“How‘boutwearingarobe?”

“Idon’thaveone.”

“Whydon’tyou?”

“Doyou?”

“No,”hehuffed.

“Idon’thavealotofclothesyet.Idon’twanttomoveabunchofstuffwhenIfindmyownplace.And

I’veneverwornarobeanyway.”

Hisheadspuntowardherwhenshementionedfindingherownplace.Shewonderedwhatthatwas

about.Butshewassureshe’dfindoutsoonerorlater.

Scratchingsoundedatthereardoor,alongwithawhimper.Leahscrambledtogetdressed.

Then came a loud pounding. Ron Bryson’s voice was deep and demanding just like his son’s. “Are

youguysinthere?”Thedoorhandledrattled.“Thesparekeyismissing.”

Marclookedather,eyeswide,andmouthedthewordfuck.Hisalarmwasclearlyvisible,eveninthe

lowlight.HepulledonhisT-shirtwhileLeahfranticallybuttonedhertopwithshakingfingers.

“Iknowyou’reinthereMarcusWilliamBryson!Openthedamndoor.”

Marcus?Leahshothimaraisedbrow.Hefrowned,grabbingtheflashlighttoshutitoff.

“I’llberightout.”

“Don’tyoucomeouthereactinglikeyou’realone.”

“I’llberightout,Pop!”Heletoutasearingcurse.

Marcglancedatherandshegavethethumbsup.Shehadallherclothesbackon.

Heturnedthedeadboltlockandrippedthedooropen,thebothofthemcomingoutlikekidscaught

withtheirhandsinthecookiejar.Marclockedthebackdoorofthebakeryandslidthekeybackabove

theframebeforefacinghisfather.

Ronlookedthembothupanddown.“Whatwereyoudoinginthere?”

Leahwasgladitwasnowdarkoutside.Theshadowsweresuretohidetheheatinherface.

“IwasshowingLeahthebakery.”

“Withthelightsoff?”

“Ihadaflashlight.”

“Whydidn’tyoujustturnonthelights?”

“Atmosphere.”

Ronlookedathissonandjustsnorted.HeeyeballedLeah.“Why’shershirtallcrooked?”

Marc’sgazeshottohertopandsodidLeah’s.Inthedark,shehadnotonlymissedacouplebuttons,

buttherestweremisaligned.

Ronshookhishead.“ThisissomeSNAFUyou’rein,Son.DoesMaxknowwhat’sgoingon?”

BothMarcandLeahyelled,“No!”atthesametime.TheylookedateachotherandthenbackatRon.

“Noneofhisbusiness,”Marcsaidmorecalmly.

“Oh,Idoubthe’dthinkso,sincehe’sthechiefandyou’rehissubordinates.”Theoldermanshookhis

headagain.“BetterkeepthisfromyourMatoo.Youknowhowshegets.”

“Pop,dousasolidanddon’tsayanythingtoeitherofthem.”

Rondidn’tanswerMarc,butinsteadstartedwalkingaway.Theyendedupdoingthewalkofshame

behindhim.“Letmetellyouwhatagoodtrackingdogthisbumblingfoolofyoursis.Hemayjusthavea

usefulfuture...”

CHAPTER9

imeforhertoswitchitup.Beincharge.Getbackathimfordrivingherlustcrazy.Thosethoughtsand

morewerewhatmotivatedhertosneakoutofhisparents’houseandhoofitovertohis.

Ithadnothingtodowithherownself-gratification.Nope.Notatall.

Shealwaysseemedhungryforhim.Starving,really.Couldn’tevergetenoughofhim.

It’ssaidmenthinkaboutsexseveraltimesaday.Shewasworse.Andsheneededtodrivehimfrom

hermind.

Even though the sky was clear and the moon lit like a glowing nightlight, the darkness out in the

country seemed endless. Occasionally an owl would hoot. And the yipping of some foxes came from

somewhereoutinthedistance.Butsofar,nosignofanycoyotes.

However, she was packing just in case. It would be stupid to walk by herself at night without any

protection.ShehadborrowedoneofRon’scoats,aswellasalargeflashlight.Herpersonalweapon,a

SigSauer,fitperfectlyinthepocketand,well,thecoatjustkeptherwarmsinceshewasswimminginit.

WhenshefinallybrokethroughthetreesatthenorthendoftheBryson’sfarm,shecouldseeMarc’s

house,someofthewindowslitup.Afterthatwalk,shewasgladtoseehewashome.Thatorhejustliked

towasteelectricity.

Assheclosedinonthehouse,sheswitchedtheflashlightoff.Lastthingsheneededwasforhimto

lookoutofthewindowandseealightbee-boppingaroundhispropertyandhimgettinghisshotgun.

Atthefrontdoor,shekickedoffhersneakersandremovedhersocks,tighteningthecoataroundher.

Sheslippedonthehighheelsshehadcarriedwithher.Settingtheflashlightontheporch,sheknocked.

Loudenoughtowakethedead.Orasleepingman.Samething.

Menace’simmaturebarkwasdeafeningeventhroughthedoorandsowashispoundingpaws.Heleft

nodoubthewasbeeliningtowardthefoyer.Thensheheardaskid,scrambling,andathump.Leahcould

picturehimwipingoutonMarc’sshinywoodenfloors,crashingintothesolidfrontdoor.Thathadtohurt.

Shelistenedforawhimper,buttherewasn’tany,andshewasrelieved.Thatpuppywastheklutziest

thingever.Sheknockedagainandheranswerwasclawsscratchingatthebottomofthedoor.

“Youbetternotberippingupmydoor,oryou’llendupasathrowrug.”

Withnopeephole,Marccrackeditenoughtoeyeballher.Thenswungitwide.Andtherehestood.

Breathtakinglywrappedinonlyatowel,hishairdamp.Andwhatdoyouknow,ashotgunleaningnearby.

HereacheddowntokeeptheenthusiasticMastifffromleapingonher.Andhistowelslipped.Justenough

to reveal the top ridge of muscle that ran at an angle from the top of his hip to his groin. The one that

lookedgoodenoughtoeat.

“Leah,”hebreathed,soundingsurprisedtoseeher.

Well,thatwasn’tgoingtobetheonlysurpriseofthenight,shethought.

“Ididn’tcomeatabadtime,didI?”

“Uh.”Hehitchedthetowelbackuptohiswaist,keepingonehandsecurelyontheknot.“Ijustgotout

oftheshower.”

Itwashardnottonoticethat.Shedraggedhergazeoverhistorso,tothegleaminggoldnipplerings,

andbackdowntothebulgecoveredbythethickterrycloth,whichseemedtogrowbeforehereyes.

Heclearedhisthroat.“Whyareyouwearingmypop’scoat?”

Sheflashedopenthetwohalvesofthecoat.“Doesthatansweryourquestion?”

His nostrils flared and he took a step back, dragging Menace with him. “Those fucking panties,

though.”Hestaredwide-eyedattheredlaceyboyshortsclingingtoherhips.“Getinthehouse.”

Shesteppedinandclosedthedoorbehindher.Heroutfithadjusttheeffectshedesired.Andbyoutfit,

shemeantthelackofone.

“Goddamn,”hewhispered.Hereleasedthepuppyandrubbedhiseyes.“AmIhavingahelluvawet

dreamorareyoureallyhere?”

She separated the coat again, then cupped her naked breasts, their fullness overflowing her palms.

“FeeltheseandtellmeifI’mreal.”

Hepushedherhandsawayandtooktheweightofherbreastsintohisownhands.“Well,theyfeelreal,

butImighthavetotesttobesure.”

Steppingcloser,hedippedhishead,nuzzlingbetweenthemoundshehadpushedtogether.Hesucked

onehardnippledeepintohismouth.Histonguelavedcirclesaroundherareola.Whenherkneesbuckled

slightly, she grabbed onto his shoulder to steady herself. His teeth grazed the sensitive peak and he

releasedit,movingovertotheothertogiveitthesameattention.Thingsdidhavetobeeven.Leahsmiled

butitquicklyturnedtoagroanashegentlybitdownonthenipple.

“Ithinkweneedtomovethissomewheremorecomfortable,”hemurmuredagainstherskin.“Takeoff

thecoat.”

Leahshookherhead.“Notyet.”

Anoutlineofhiserectionthroughthetowelwasnowveryrecognizableashetookherhandandled

herdeeperintothehouse.“Didyouwalkhere?”

“Uhhuh.”

“With those heels on?” He looked back and down at the only pair of heels she had. And she had

boughtthemearlierinthedayatthelocalSears.Butthatwasonaneedtoknowbasis.

“Ifyouwanttothinkso.”

“Ido.”

Leah laughed as he pulled her through his open bedroom door. The only light came from the open

doorway of the master bathroom. She wanted the room to be well-lit, not like last time. Tonight she

wantedtoseeeverything.Andapparentlysodidhe.Heturnedonthelamponthebedstand.

He approached her from behind, causing her to suck in a breath with anticipation for his touch, his

skilled mouth. She gathered her loose hair and held it on top of her head, giving him no-holds-barred

accessforhimtokissdownherneck.Shesighedsoftly,hernippleshardeningtopainfulpeakswhenhe

pusheddownthecollarofthecoat,slowlyrevealingallofherbareskin,brushinghislipsagainstheras

hewent.Slowlyhegrippedtheshouldersofthejacketandsliditdownherback.

“Whatdoyouhaveinthepocketsofthisthing?It’sheavy.”

Before he removed the coat completely, she reached into the one pocket and removed two pairs of

handcuffs,holdingthemupwithherlefthand.Marctookthemfromherfingersandthrewthemonthebed.

She didn’t have to turn around to judge his reaction. His breathing quickened along the top of her

spine,theheatcausinggoosebumpstobreakoutalloverherbody.Shefoughtbackashiversinceherplan

wastobeincontroltonight,notlethisreactionsdriveher.Heletthecoatfalltothegroundaroundher

feetwithathump.

“Whatelseyougotinthere?”

“MySig.”

Hegatheredthecoattocarefullydrapeitoverthechairinthecorner,thenquicklyreturnedtopicking

up where he left off. His fingers led the way down her spine. His warm, soft lips followed. It took

everythingLeahhadtostandstillandnotturnaroundtojumphisbones.

Whenhereachedtheboyshorts,hespreadhishandswidetospanherhips.Hislongfingerspressed

againstthelaceaboveherpelvis.Hesmoothedhishandsaround,divingdown,touchingherheat,feeling

fortheseparationofhercleft.Hisfingersrubbingthelaceagainsthertendersexmadeherdropherhead

backontohisshoulder.Hecamecheektocheekwithherwhilehecontinuedtostrumherlikeaguitar.She

mademusicwithherbreath,hergroans,hermoansasheplayedher.

“Takethemoff,”shedemanded.

“Gettingimpatient?”Hiswordswereawarmbreathagainstherear.

Shedroppedherhairandwrappedanarmaroundhishead,bringinghiminfrontofher.Intheheels,

shecouldlookhimstraightinhislightblueeyes.Almost.Nearenough,though,toleanin,grabbinghis

nippleringstopullhimcloser.Leahsuckedhislowerlipintohermouthandbitdown.Hemadeanoise

andshe released hisflesh, stepping back.She hooked her thumbsinto the waistbandof her panties and

withwigglinghips,madeashowofslidingthemdownherlegsandoverherheels.

With a toss, they landed on the lamp, giving the light a pinkish glow. She raised her arms over her

head, stretching her body long, then turned to give him her back. She dropped her hands down to her

anklesandgrabbedthemtight.

Hisrushofbreathmadeherglanceathimfrombetweenherlegs.Oncehehadherfullattention,he

dropped his towel where he stood. Even from upside down, he was the hottest man she’d ever seen

naked.

His cock was hard, ready, weeping. Wrapping his fist around the thick root, he pumped it as he

observedher.Stillbentover,notbreakingeyecontact,sheplacedtwofingersintohermouth,suckingand

lickingthemuntiltheywerewet.Sheslippedthemfromherlipsandreachedbetweenherlegs,sliding

along her slick folds. Separating her lips, she gave him a peek inside before inserting them. Her eyes

closedforamomentassheplayedwithherself,givinghimtheperfectview.Hereyelidsflutteredopen

andtheirgazemet.Hischestroseandfelldeeply.

Withasmile,shecircledherclitonemoretime,straightened,andturnedtofacehim.“Heelsonor

off?”

“On,”heanswered,hisheatedgazewanderingfromherpumpstothetopofherhead.“Shityes.”

“Getonthebed.”

“Youthinkyou’regoingtobeinchargetonight?”

“Idon’tthink,Iknow.”Herownwordssentathrillofpowerupherspine.“Sodoit.”

Henarrowedhiseyesandregardedherforasplitmoment,beforemovingbackwarduntilhereached

thebed.Hesatontheedge,hisarousallikeathickpolerestingonhislowerbelly.Sheapproachedhim

slowly,theheelsexaggeratingtheswayofherhips.Hestraightenedhislegsandseparatedthem,making

room for her between his thighs. She turned at the last moment and backed against him, her slick folds

againsthissteelylength.Shedroppedherheadtowardtheflooragain,bendingandrisingherhipstoslide

againsthishardheat.

Itwasastrippermove,butshedidn’tcare.Itturnedhimon.Andheraswell.Oh,didshewanthimat

thatmoment.Hegrabbedthecurveofherhipsandpulledherback,grindingagainsther.

Shefelthimatherentranceandslightlyshiftedaway.Shewasn’tgoingtolethimbeincontroltonight.

Itwasallaboutherandshewassurehewouldgladlygoalongfortheride.

“No,”shetoldhim.“Getuponthebed.”

Without hesitation, he scrambled backward on the mattress until his head rested on a pillow. The

smileonhisfaceshowedhewasquitehappytocomply.Whichwasgood,becauseshewasabouttogeta

wholelotbossier.

She climbed on the bed, moving toward him slowly while on her knees. She snagged the handcuffs

andsatlightlyonhischest.Leahshookbothsetsofrestraintsinfrontofhisface,watchinghiseyeswiden

thengodark.Themetalclangofthecuffssentathrilldownherspine.

“Youwantmetofuckyou?”sheasked,soundinghuskyeventoherownears.

“Yes.Fuckyes.”Hissmilewidened.Hereachedforherandshestoppedhim.

“No.Don’ttouchme.Putyourarmsaboveyourhead.Yes,likethat.Griptheheadboard.”Shewas

luckyhehadonewithslats.Theratchetsoundassheclampedonecuffonhisrightwristandattachedthe

othertothebeddrewashiverfromher.Andshewaspleasedtoseealsofromhim.Shegrabbedhisleft

wristtodothesame.Lookingbehindherathisfreelegs,sherealizedsheshouldhavebroughtzipstrips

too.

She hadn’t even considered that when Ron had taken her to get her car at the station early that

morning. Her only thought had been to run into the station to grab her cuffs as well as his out of their

lockers.

Toolatenow.Timetogetcreative.

“You want me at your mercy?” he asked her. “Is that what gets you off? Do you like to show men

who’sboss?”

Theexpressiononhisfacewasfullofexcitementandanticipationashetauntedher.Hewasplaying

thegame.Likemostcops,hehadatypeApersonality,butsodidshe.Itwasrefreshingtofindsomeone

whocouldnotonlymatchhersexualappetitebutnotbeturnedofforhorrifiedbyherdominanceinthe

bedroom.

Shelefthimonthebedandwenttohiscloset,lookingfortherightrestraint.

“Whatareyoulookingfor?”

Withasmile,shefoundexactlywassheneeded.Atthebackofhiscloset,hehadahandfulofties.It

lookedliketheyhadn’tbeenworninages.Shetuggedonacoupletocheckthestrength.Theystillwere

strongandwouldbeperfectforheruse.

With a wicked smile, she held up two ties so he could see them. “I found what I need.” While

regardingMarcwitharmsstretchedoverheadandcuffedsecurelytothebed,shewonderedifsheshould

useanotheroneasablindfold.Shegrabbedathird,justincase.

Movingtothefootofthebed,sheinspectedhisbarebody.Herbreathhitched.Itwasaworkofart.

Lines,planes,curves.Hergazetracedthearcofhispartedlips.Theytemptedher.Teasedher.

“Slide down,” she commanded. “More.” He finally shifted his weight enough so his arms were

outstretchedandhehadnoroomtomovethem.

Leahbrushedherfingersovertheshinofhisleftleg.Whensheendedathisankle,shepushedittothe

cornerofthemattress.Shewrappedtheendofonetiearoundhisankle,makingsuretheknotwassecure

topreventhisescape.Aftertyingtheotherendtothemetallegofthebedframe,shetestedherknotthere

also. She brushed her fingers along his feet and his legs, lingering over his warm, smooth skin as she

movedtotherightlegandrepeatedtyinghimdown,untilhewasspread-eagleonthemattress.Inspecting

herhandiwork,shesmiledslowly.Nowaywashegettingloose.

Hewasallhers.Inhercompletecontrol.Ahissescapedherlipsatthethought.

Movingaroundthebed,shedebatedwhethertoblindfoldhimornot.Shewiggledthenecktieabove

hisface.“Hmm,Icouldusethisforablindfold,agag,or…”

“Mychoice?”

“Absolutelynot.”

Hegrimacedandrattledthecuffs.“I’msofuckinghard.Damnyou.”

Shecrawledbackontothebedandstraddledhiswaist,herdamppussypressedtohishotskin.

“Icanfeelhowwetyouareagainstme,”hegroaned.Thepulseinhisthroatbeatvisibly,themuscles

inhisneckstrained.

Shetookthetieinbothhands,stretchingitouttoitsfulllengthandholdingitacoupleinchesoverhis

eyes. “Einey.” She moved it to just against his lips. “Meaney.” Above his eyes again. “Meiney.” She

exaggeratedagasp,andbroughtthelongpieceofpolyesterdowntohisnipples.“Moe.”

Sheloopedoneendofthenecktiethroughhisleftnipplering.Itwasasnugfitbutshegotittowork,

andthentiedtheotherendtothegoldpiercingontheright.Shetuggedonthefabric.Bridlereins.That’s

whattheyremindedherof.Shecouldholdonandpullhisnippleringswhileridinghimhard.

Butnotyet.Shewasn’treadyyet.Eventhoughheclearlywas.

Shemoveduntilshestraddledhisfacebackward.Hewasexactlywhereshewantedhimtobe.

“Iwanttotouchyou,”hehissed.

“Toobad.Youcan’t.”

“Yourloss,”heteased.

“I’ll be okay,” she told him. “But you’re talking way too much. I guess I’ll have to muzzle you one

wayoranother.”

She lowered herself, suspending herself just above his mouth. His tongue barely reached her as he

outlinedherfoldswiththetip.

“Damn,youtastegood.Givememore.Iwanttofuckyouwithmytongue.”

Shewantedthattoo.Sheloweredafractionandhelickedalongherslit.

“OpenyourselftomesinceIcan’ttouchyou.”

Shedid,offeringhimaccesstothehard,slicknub,sohecouldflickit,lickit,suckithard.Leah’slegs

trembled,strugglingtoholdherweightwhenallshewantedwasletgo.Sheleanedforward,plantingher

handsoneithersideofhiships.Notonlydidthistiltherpelvisatabetterangleforhim,butitputher

wheresheneededtobetotakehimfullyinhermouth.

Marcgroanedagainstherpussyasshetookhishardlengthintohermouth.Thevibrationdroveher

wildandshesquirmed.Theurgetojustsitonhisfacewasstrong,evenknowingitwouldsmotherhim.

Oh,butwasshetempted.

Hishipsliftedwhenshelickedalonghisarousal,pausingonlytotakethecrownbetweenherlipsand

suck.Shescrapedherteethalongthehead,causinghimtoblowabreathagainstherwetheat.

As much as she wanted to concentrate on the glorious mouth action he was doing to her, it in turn

distractedherfromwhatshewantedtodotohim.Cuppinghisballs,sherolledthemalongherfingers.

Stroking the sensitive spot below his sac, she applied some pressure there as she quickened her pace,

plunginghiminandoutofhermouth.

Withtwofingerswrappedaroundthebaseofhiscock,shesqueezed.Theveinrunningalongtheback

ofhiserectionbecamethicker,darker.Sheswallowedhimdeeponcemore.

Sincehishandswereunavailable,shemissedhavinghisfingersdeepinsideherwhileheteasedher

clit and sucked along her plump lips. She needed something hard filling her as he worked his magic.

Frustrationpulledagroanfromher.Havinghimtiedupmayhavebackfiredonher.Itwasn’tgivingher

whatsheneeded.Whichwashislongfingersparticipatinginherpleasure.

Withalastlicktohisengorgedheadshepulledawayfromhimandturned.

Hismouthwasglossyandhiseyesunfocusedashedroppedhisheadtothepillowandcursed.“God,

Iwantyousobadly.”

Shefeltthesame.Actionswereneeded,notwords.Shestraddledhiswaist,andgrabbedthenecktie

attachedtohisnipplerings.

“Youwantmetopullthis?”

Hiseyelidsfluttered.“Yes.”Thentheywentclosedforamoment.

“Howhard?”

Heopenedhiseyesandmethergaze.Theyweredark,needy.“Hard.”

“Doesthisgetyouoff?”

“Yes,”hesaid,hisbreathhissingbetweenhisteeth.

Hishard-onwashotagainstherassandwhenshepulledthefabric,stretchinghisnipples,hiscock

bobbedagainstherashishipsshifted.

“Getonme.”

“Ohno.Youdon’tgettotellmewhattodo.Nothere.Notnow.Don’tmakemegagyou.”

Herpussyweptonhisskin,makingitslick.Thethoughtofhowtuggingonhisringsmadehimcrazy

drovehertotheedgeofsexualmadnessalso.Shecouldimaginetheheightenedsensitivitythepiercings

gave him. How every time she pulled his skin away from his body, it caused waves of ecstasy through

him.Shehadneverbeenwithamanwholovedhisnipplesbeingplayedwith.Andshefoundonewho

had gone to such extremes to increase his enjoyment of nipple play. Watching his reactions now as she

tuggedand released thetie made herenvious of him, disappointedthat she didn’thave piercings in her

ownbreasts.

Shemovedbackjustenoughsotheheadofhiscockwasatherentrance.Withalift,shethensettledon

him.He filled herdeeply and shereleased a long, lowmoan. Marc matchedher, his constrained hands

yankingagainstthecuffs.

“Ah fuck.” His head lifted off of the pillow to study the juncture where their bodies separated and

cametogether.“Thatissofuckinghot.Rideme,baby.”

“Saymyname.”

“Leah.”Hernamecameoutinabreath.

Sheclenchedtightaroundhim,herheadspinningwithhisdeep,lowvoiceechoinginherears.The

feelingofhowstretchedhemadeherfeel.Thesoftheatofhisballsagainstherassoneverydescent.

“That’sright.Pullmynipplesandfuckme.”

Inhererogenousfog,sheknewhewasattemptingtotakecontrolofthesexusinghiswords.Barringa

gagorcoveringhismouthwithherhand,sheneededawaytostayinchargeofsituation.

Thecuffsjangledagainsttheheadboardslats.“IfIwaslooserightnow,I’dflipyouoverandfuckyou

sohard.”

“Butyou’renot.”

Withoutreleasingthenecktie,shesatupstraight,grindingherpelvisincirclesagainsthis.

“Holyfuck,whatareyou…”Hegrunted.“Doingtome?”

Thegrindingchangedtosmallrocksofherhipsbackandforth.Justenoughtomakehimbrushagainst

the sensitive spot deep inside of her. The pressure built along her inner walls, the magical switch that

madeherevenwetter,madeheracheforrelease.

Hetensedbeneathher.“Don’tyoudarecomeyet.Don’t.Even,”shewarnedhim,hertoneleavingno

doubtwhowasinchargeandthathebetterobey.Orelse.

Heblewoutabreath,slammedhisheadintothepillow,andsqueezedhiseyesshut.“I’maman,nota

fuckingmachine,”hegroaned.

“Idon’tcare.Noexcuses.”

Grippingthefabricattachedtohisnippleringsinonehand,sheusedherotherhandtorubherclit.

“OhGod.Ifeelyousqueezingme.You’resofuckingwet.”

“Don’t.” The short warning was the only thing she could spit out. She threw her head back as the

orgasmbuiltwithinher.Sinkingdownonhimhard,shepressedherclitorisharderwithherfingers,and

thewaveofclimaxovercameher,makinghergasp.

Marcrockedhisheadbackandforth.“SweetbabyJesus.I’mnotgoingtolast.”

“You.Will.”Hehadto.Shewantednothingmorethantocomelikethatagain.

Sheleanedforwardontohischestandwasjustabletocapturehislipswithhers.Shestartedtomove

againasshekissedhim,rubbingherpubicbonewithhis.Herclitwasultra-sensitiveaftertheorgasmshe

justhadandthestimulationtookherquicklybacktothebrink.

Histongueplayedalongherlips,dippingandretreatingintohermouth,sparringwithhers.Shefinally

hadtoriphermouthawaytogaspforbreathasanotherclimaxcrested.

“I’mabouttocome,”shewarnedhim.

“You’renottheonlyone,”hegroaned,hislipsshiny,hismouthformingagrimace.

Shetuckedherfaceinthecreaseofhisneckandbithisfleshhard.Hishipsshotoffthebed,asfaras

therestraintsallowed,thebedalmostjumpingfromthemovement.Shemovedherlipsdowntohispec

andbitagain.

“I’mfuckingcoming,”hecried.

Asthepulsationsbeganatthebaseofhiscock,herownpowerfulorgasmmadeherjerk,thethrobbing

deepinsideherwasaheadycombinationofthetwoofthem.

Shereleasedashudderedsighandamomentlaterletherweightrestonhim.Herbodyroseandfell

along with his labored breath. She wiped the sweat off her brow and the hair out of her face as her

heartbeatstartedtoslow.

“Damn. That was just…awesome.” His words vibrated through his chest into her cheek. She could

listen to his baritone voice all day. She closed her eyes and the sudden sense of wanting to cuddle

overcameher.

Sheshouldreleasehimsotheycoulddojustthat.Sheshould…butnotyet.

Withoutraisingherhead,shereleasedtheknotsonthenecktiethatwasattachedtohisnipplerings.

Hisnippleslookedalittleredandpuffyfromallofherattention.

Shebrushedafingeraroundeachnipple,curious.“Dotheyhurt?”

“No.It’ssuchaturn-onwhenyouplaywiththem.”

“Didithurttogetthem?”

“It felt like a pinch when I got them done. But they took a while to heal. But now that they’re

completelyhealed,they’relikethebestthingever.”

“Why?”

“Whywhat?”

“Whydidyougetthem?”sheclarified.

“Ihadagirlfriendwhohadhersdone.Shehadthebarbells.ShefuckingloveditwhenIplayedwith

herpiercings.IhadthebarsatfirsttooandIcanswitchthemout.ButrightnowI’mlikingtheserings.I

amreallylikingtheseringsandwhatyoudowiththem.”

Andshereallylikeddoingit.

“Didyougetthemdonelocally?”Shewasalmosttemptedtogetthemdoneherselfandifhehadthem

piercednearby,she’dgotalktothestudio.

“Ohhellno.”Hislaughterechoedthroughhischestandthecornerofhermouthlifted.“Inthistown,

everybodyknowseverything.Youwanttodosomethingandkeepitprivate,believeme,youdrivealong,

longway.”

“Sojustyourfamilyknows?”

Heshiftedunderneathher.“Notquite.”

Heprobablydidn’twanthisparentstoknow.Shedidn’tblamehim.Howdoyouexplaintoyourmom

anddadthatyougotyournipplespiercedbecauseitenhancedsex?Youdon’t.

“Youcanreleasemeanytimenow.Myarmsaregoingnumb.”

Shekindoflikedkeepinghimshackled.Underhercontrol.Shethoughtofallofthepossibilities.

Butaquestioncametomindthatshe’dbeendyingtoaskhimandhearthehonestanswerandnotjust

himblustering.Notimelikethepresent.Especiallysincehewasacaptivatedaudience.

“So now that I have your undivided attention…I want the truth and no bullshit answer. Deep down

whatisyourhonestopinionofwomeninlawenforcement?”

“Theyshouldfindanothercareer.”

Blunt.Direct.Andabithurtful.ButLeahshouldn’texpectanylessfromhim.Shewasgoodenoughto

fuckhisbrainsout,butnottobehisbackup.

Sheslidoffofhimandsatup,lookingdownathisface.Hewasn’tjoking.Hewasturningouttobe

theperfectpartner.Inbed,though.Atworkwasstilldebatable.

Tomorrowtheywerebackondaylightaftertheirthreedaysoff.

Sheknewshehadtotrainwithsomeonewhodidn’trespectwomeninhiscareer.Itwaseasierbefore

their sexual attraction came to the forefront. Work with him. Go home. Now things were more

complicated,whichwastobeexpectedanytimebodilyfluidsgotexchanged.

She shook her head, flattening her lips into a frown. She worked hard to get where she was.

Sacrificedfinanciallytobecomeacop,tofollowinherfather’sfootsteps.Onlytoworkwithsomeone

whodismissedthefactthatwomenwerecapableofdoinganythingthatamancoulddo.

Shewasdedicated,motivated,aquicklearner…butthatwasn’tgoodenough.Hewasstuckwithsome

archaicviewthatwomenweretheweakersex.Thedisappointmentcreatedanacheinherchest.Herhope

forhimeverseeingherasanequalquicklydissolved.

“What.Youalreadyknewthat.”Heliftedshouldersoffthemattressinasemi-shrug.

Leahstoodandrippedthecondomoffhisnowflacciddick.Shewenttothebathroomtodisposeofit

andwashup.

“Leah,youknewthat!Especiallyafterwhathappenedwiththesearch.Itjustcementedmyopinion,”

hecalledoutfromtheotherroom.

Shepulledahandtoweloffoftherackandwentbacktostandbesidethebed.“Yeah,Iknewthat,but

Ijustwantedtohearitfromyourlips.”

“Grabthecuffkeyandletmeoutofthese.”

“Iforgottobringone.”

Shedidn’t.ShehadoneinRon’scoatpocket.

“Veryfunny.”Hewasn’tlaughing.“Iprobablyhaveoneinthejunkdrawerinmykitchen.”

Shenoddedandgotdressedsilently.Notthattherewasmuchtoputon.Herpantiesandhisfather’s

jacket.Screwtheheelsshehadkickedoffamidsttheirsexplay.Shehadsneakersandsockswaitingfor

herontheporch.

Sheusedthehandtoweltowipehimoffalittleandtosseditoverhispelvisareatocoverhim.

“Whatareyoudoing?LookforthekeyinthedrawerandIcancleanmyselfup.”

“Sure.”Shelefthimandheadedtothekitchen.Insteadofsearchingforthehandcuffkey,shepulledhis

cellphoneoffthechargerthatwasonthecounterandheadedback.

Marc’s light blue eyes widened when he spotted her carrying the phone. “You’re not going to take

pictures!”

“No.I’mnot.What’syourpassword?”

Hiseyebrowsrosetohishairline,andheseemedtopale.Justalittlebit.

“I’mnotgivingyoumypassword.Leah,seriously,thisisn’tfunny.Letmeoffofthisbed.”Hisface

wentfromwashedouttoredasthefrustrationbegantobuild.

“PasswordorI’llleaveyouhereasyouareuntilsomeonefinallycomeslookingforyou.Whichmay

notbeuntiltomorrowmorningwhenwe’reexpectedforourshift.”

“Fuck!”Themusclesinhisneckstrainedasheliftedhisheadtoglareather.Heslammedhishead

backintothepillowandyelledattheceiling.“6969.”

Leah fought back the burst of laughter that wanted to escape. Instead she shook her head while

unlockinghiscellphone.Shescrolledthroughhiscontactsandfoundthepersonshewaslookingfor.

“Leah,uncuffme,”hepleaded,hisfingersclenchingandunclenchingabovehishead.

Shepursedherlips,pretendingtocontemplatetheidea.Afterasecond,sheshookherhead,“Nah.”

ShehitSend,hitthespeakersymbol,andthenlaidthephonebyhishead.

“Whatdoyoumeannah?Youcan’tleavemelikethis!”

Butshedid.

helefthimwearingnothingbuthistattoo.

“Youknowthisiswar!”Marcyelledtoanemptyhouse.Heviolentlyjerkedagainsthisrestraints,

butthemovementonlysucceededinslidingthelittletowelfurtherdown.

Avoicecamethroughthephone.“Doyouknowwhattimeitis,fool?”Marc’solderbrothersounded

pissed.“Thisbetterbeanemergency.”

Marcturnedtoeyeballhisclockradio.Onea.m.Shit.

“Itis.”

“What?Ican’thearyouclearly.Doyouhavemeonspeakerphone?TakemeoffbeforeIhangup,”

Maxthreatened.

“No!Don’thangup.I…Ican’ttakeyouoffofspeakerphone.”

“Well,whatdoyouwant?”MarcheardAmanda’ssleepyvoiceinthebackground.“Iknow,baby.It’s

Marc.Idon’tknow.Makeitquick,dude.Youdon’tknowwhatit’sliketodealwithapissedoffwoman.

You’reinterruptinghersleep.”

Pissedoffwoman.Yeah,hemightknowathingortwoaboutit.

“Ineedyoutocomeoverhereand…bringacuffkey.”

“Awhat?”

“Youheardme,”hesaidtoMaxbeforeheyellingatthephone,“Endcall!”

“I’mstillhere,asshole.Youdidsaycuffkey,right?”

“Yes.Nowhangupandgetoverhere.”

Marcheardlaughterontheotherendbeforethephonewentsilent.

HewouldratherLeahhadkickedhiminthenuts.Yes,thatwouldhavebeendebilitating,butthepain

wouldhavegoneawayeventually.

This, on the other hand, he was never going to live down. Never. It would be painful forever. He

mightaswellmovetoSiberiaandraiseyak.

MarcsimmeredforthetwentyminutesittookforMaxtoshowup.Heknewexactlywhenhisbrother

hadarrivedbecauseMenacethunderedthroughthehousetothefrontdoorasitopened.

“Hey,assholejunior,where’sassholesenior?”

Marc was both relieved and embarrassed at his brother’s arrival. He was never using handcuffs

duringsexagain.Ever.

Okay,wellmaybeifhewassuretherewasakeynearby.

Marcsighedloudly.HewassonotreadyforMaxtoseehim.“I’minthebedroom,”hecalledout.

Dread filled him as Max’s heavy footsteps came down the hallway. He closed his eyes and just

waitedforthatmomentMaxcamethroughthedoorwayandspottedhim.

Three.Two.One…

“Uh…”TherewasanawkwardpauseandthenMaxbustoutlaughing.“Whatthefuck?”

Marccouldn’tlookathim.“Justreleaseme.Idon’tneedawholebunchofcommentary.”

“ThoughIfindthishighlyamusing,I’mactuallyalsoembarrassedforyou.”

MarcreluctantlyopenedhiseyesandlookedatMax,whoseexpressionwasnowserious.

Maxapproachedthebed.“Whatarethose?”

“Cuffs.”

“Noshit.Imeantthose.”Maxflickedbothnipplerings.Hisolderbrothershookhishead.“Ihaveso

manyquestions.Ijustdon’tknowifIwanttheanswers.”

“Canwegettothepartwhereyouunlockthecuffs?”

“I don’t know. I might have to take some pictures first for future use. At least whoever did this

coveredupyourlittlewinky.”

“Mywinkyisthesamesizeasyours,Brother.Remember?”

Andheknewthatbecausewhentheywereteensallthreebrothershadlinedupandcomparedeach

otherwitharulertoseewhowasthebiggest.Youngestbrother,Matt,won.Butnotbymuch.

“Okay, enough with the chatter. Just release me and get home to that wife of yours.” Mentioning

Amanda might get him moving faster. Especially since she had Max by the balls. Something that will

neverhappentohim.

“Damn. This is something Amanda would do. You will have your hands full with whoever this one

is.”

AtleastMaxdidn’thaveaclueitwasLeah.Smallconsolationforthemoment.“It’sjustsex.”

“Uhhuh.”

“Itis!”Marcinsisted.

“Right.”

MaxremovedthetiesfromMarc’sanklesandbeingabletofinallymovehislegsfeltawesome.Part

ofhisbodyhadbecomenumb,theothertingledpainfully.

Maxpulledacuffkeyoutofhispocket.NeverinhislifehadMarcfeltasrelievedashedidatthat

sight.AtleastuntilMaxmoveduptotheheadboard,leanedoverand…

“Holyshit,youidiot!Whatareyoudoing?Arethosedepartmentissued?”

Shit.Shit.Anddoubleshit.“Maybe.Releaseme,willyou?”

“Whodidthis?”

Marcrefusedtoanswerormeethisbrother’seyesasMaxreleasedhisarms.Withasighoffreedom,

Marccametohisfeet,holdingthehandtowelinfrontofhisjunk.Hepulledapairofboxershortsoutof

hisdresserandslippedthemon.

“Marc…”Max’slowwarningstilldidn’tdothetrick.Marcgrimacedashischiefinspectedthetwo

setsofhandcuffs,readingtheserialnumbers.

“Well,Ithinktheseareyours.Ihopetheothersetisn’tacertainrookie’s.”HetossedonesettoMarc,

whohadtoactfasttocatchthem.He’dbeentoobusyrubbinghissorewrists.Maxpeeredcloseratthe

tinyengravednumbers.“Christ!TheseareGrants?”Hiseyesnarrowedandalookofangercrossedhis

features.

He slammed Marc against the wall, pinning him with a forearm against this throat. “What are you

doing? What are you getting yourself into, you idiot? You better not be screwing around with my new

officer.”

A flush crept up Marc’s throat. His brother’s angry face was inches from his. “She was just getting

backatmeforsomethingIdidtheotherday.”

“She was, huh? She thought it would be funny to tie you up? Okay, so tell me this: why were you

naked?”

“Why does any man get naked?” He refrained from adding a duh to his question. His answer was

alreadyflippantandclearlyhisbrotherwasnotinthemoodforchildishhumor.

“Damn you, Marc.” Max finally eased back, stepping away from Marc. Max’s hands fisted as he

pacedtotheothersideofthebedroom.“Don’tscrewthisup.Shewasthetopcadetinherclass.Doyou

knowhowlongitwilltaketogetanotherrecruitifsheleaves?Thereisn’tanotherclassstartingforsix

monthsandthenthere’sfourmonthsoftrainingand…”

“Iknow!Sorry.Itwon’thappenagain.”

“It had better not. Otherwise, I might not have to worry about replacing Grant, but replacing you

instead.”

“Youwouldn’t.”

“Tryme.”

Marcneverexpectedhimtogetthisupsetaboutwhathappened.Andtothreatentofirehim?“Max.”

Maxheldupahand,stoppingMarc’swords.“I’mgoingtohaveatalkwithhertoo.Iswearifyou

guysarecaughtdiddlingonthejobthatwillbethelaststraw.”

“Seriously,youcan’ttellmethatyouandAmanda—”

“Keep my wife out of this. And no, we never did anything while I was on duty.” Max let out an

explosivecurse.“NowIhavetocounselherontwoissues.Theonewasenough!”

Withthat,MaxstrodeoutofMarc’sbedroomand,withinseconds,Marcheardhisfrontdoorslamand

windowsrattle.

Hecouldn’twaittoshowupforhisshiftinthemorning.Helookedathisclock.Itwasalmosttwo

a.m.Thedaywasalreadyturningintoashitshow.

“

CHAPTER10

rant,don’tmakemeregrethiringyou.Topcadetornot,youknowhowharditistogethiredinlaw

enforcement when you’re a woman. Just let me tell you, I didn’t have to fight off any other

departments.”

“I’msorry,Chief.Iregretthedangermyactionsputeveryonein.Andpromisetobemorevigilantin

the future.” She had practiced those lines for the past three days since she knew this sit-down would

happen.Shetrulydidregretwhattranspired,butshehadn’twantedtosoundlikeabumblingfoolwhen

shestatedthatfact.

Her boss nodded, shifting through some paperwork on his desk. “I read through Corporal Bryson’s

notes,youseemtobedoingwell.Thoughit’sonlybeenaweeksinceyou’vestarted.”

Leahschooledherface.ShewassurprisedthatherFTOhadmarkedherfavorablyinherevaluations,

butshedidn’twantherchieftoknow.

The man’s forehead wrinkled as he read. “Though, I’m not sure what this…demerit system is all

about. I’ll have to speak with him on that. Even so…” He looked up with a serious expression. “Your

searchwashardlytextbook,buthesaidthatyouhandledeverythingelsecalmlyandefficientlyduringthe

incident.I’mpleasedtohearthat.”

“Thankyou,Sir.”Thechiefcockedabrow.“ImeanChief.”

Maxnoddedandburiedhisheadbackinthefile.“Whenyou’redonewithtraining,orwhenyou’reoff

duty,youcancallmeMax.EspeciallysinceI’llseeyouatmyparents’.How’sthatworkingout,bythe

way?Iknowtheylovehavingyouthere.”

ShefondlythoughtofRonandMaryAnnandhowmuchtheyalreadytreatedherlikeoneofthefamily.

“It’sgreat.They’reverywarm,givingpeople.IappreciateyoufindingatemporaryplaceformeuntilI’m

offoffieldtraining.”

Maxlookedupagain,rubbingahandoverhisshortdarkhair.“Yeah,well.Don’tworryaboutrushing

tofindyourownplace;theylikethecompany.Emptynestsyndrome,Iguess.”

Leah nodded her head. She understood that. Her mother was going through it ever since Leah left

southeastPennsylvania,firstfortheacademyandthenforthisjob.

“So,areyouhavinganyissueswithyourtrainingofficer?”

LeahsquirmedunderMax’sperceptivestare.“No,Chief,nonethatIcanthinkof.”Sheknewexactly

whatissueshewasbringingup.ItwashisnumbershedialedlastnighttocomerescueMarc.Shewas

sureheknewbynowshehadbeentheonetherewithMarc.

Plus,shelefthercuffsbehind.Whichwereveryidentifiable.

“Noneatall?”

Whatadilemma.Lietohersuperiororadmitthatshe’dhadsexwithherFieldTrainingOfficer.And

morethanoncetoo.Sheneededtodeflectsomehow.

Theofficedoorswungopenwithforceandawhirlwindblewin.AmandaBrysonstrodeinonhigh-

heeled knee-high boots like she owned the joint. Leah tamped down a smile. She liked her. And how

couldshenot?ThewomanjustsavedLeahfromsayingsomethingstupid.

“Oh!I’msorry.Ididn’tknowyouhadanyoneinyouroffice,honey.”

Chief Bryson’s eyes narrowed at his wife’s syrupy tone. It was even clear to Leah that the other

womanwasuptosomethingandLeahhadonlymetheronce.

“Amanda,I’mbusy.”

“Too bad.” Amanda gave Leah a blinding smile.” Hi! I’m Amanda.” She pointed a thumb in the

chief’s direction. “This one’s wife. I’ve heard all about you.” She held out her hand, acting like they

hadn’tmetalready.

Leahshookit,confused.

“Ishebeinghisbossyself?”ShespuntowardMax.“Honey,can’tyoujustturnitdownanotch?You

knowwhatItoldyouaboutbeingbossyandoverbearing.”Sheclickedhertongueathim.

Max gritted his teeth and a frown wrinkled his forehead. “Amanda, we’re in the middle of an

importantmeeting.”Hewavedahandoverthefilelaidopenonhisdeskasproof.

“Well,Ihavesomethingimportanttotellyoualso.So…”Amandagavehimasexypout.Sheleaned

overhisdeskandLeahcouldimagineAmandagavehimaniceviewintothedeepVofherblouse.

The chief cleared his throat and rolled his desk chair back. “Leah, can you excuse us for a minute,

please?Don’tgofar.IneedtotalktoyouandyourFTOtogether.”

Well,hiswifesurehadhimwrappedaroundherlittlefinger.

“Of course.” Leah slipped out of the room. The door shut firmly behind her and she heard the lock

click. A few seconds later she swore she heard a female giggle. And then a moment after that, she

definitelyheardamuffledgroan.Leahrusheddownthehall,anddirectlyintoMarc’sarms.

“Whoa!”heexclaimed,grabbingherupperarmstokeepherfromplowingthroughhim.

“Youaregoingtomakemelosemyjob!”

Hiseyeswidenedandthenhisbrowspinnedinafrown.“Howisthismyfault?Youaretheonewho

leftmetiedtothedamnbed!Ifanyoneshouldbepissed,itshouldbeme.And,anyway,you’renotgoing

to lose your job.” In a complete about-face, a sly smile crossed his face. “I’ve sent in backup.” He

indicatedthenowquietoffice.Marcmovedclosertothedoorandpressedaneartothedoor.

Leahwhisperedfiercely,“Whatareyoudoing?”

“Justmakingsuremyplanisworking.”

“Ibustedmyasstobethebestintheacademy.Don’tscrewitupformebyinterferingandmakingit

worse.”Shestruggledtokeephervoiceatalowlevel.“Beingmaleyouhavenoideahowharditisfor

womeninthiscareer.Itisalwaysanuphillbattle.”

Athumpcamefrominsidetheoffice.Marc’samusedgazemethersandsheblushed.

“I’mnot going tostand here invadingtheir privacy. I’ll bein the breakroom.” She couldn’t escape

fast enough. But before she entered the kitchenette, she turned to see if Marc followed her. Nope. He

leanedagainstthewallnexttothechief’sdoorwithanaughtygrinonhisface.

Leah slammed her hands on her hips and was about to yell down the hallway when the office door

opened suddenly. Marc just about fell over in a rush to straighten up, trying to pretend he was just

innocentlywalkingby.

Right.

Amandacameoutoftheroomwithabiggrinandmussedhair.ShepokedafingerintoMarc’schest

andsaid,“Youareinsomuchtrouble.ButIdidwhatIcould.”

“Iheardthat!”thechiefbellowed.“CorporalBrysonandOfficerGrant,getinherenow.”

Leah’s spine snapped straight at his summons and as she closed in on Amanda and Marc, the other

womanturnedtoher.“Don’tworry,he’sjustabigteddybearwhogrowlsalot.”

“Amanda,go!”

Withagiggle,Amandawavedandwalkedtowardthefrontofthestation,herhipsswayingplayfully

inherskin-tightjeans.

Astheyenteredtheoffice,Marcsaid,“Lovethatwoman.”

“Asabrother,”Maxadded.

Marcputhispalmsoutinsurrender.“Ofcourse.”

“Grant,closethedoor.Bothofyoutakeaseat.”

Theysettledintotheuglygreenupholsteredchairsthatsatfacingthechief’sdesk.Bothhadtoadjust

theirdutybeltstofitinthetightseats.

“Now…” He gave them both a stern look before digging in the top desk drawer. Her pair of cuffs

appearedswingingfromthetipofhisindexfinger.Theheatrushedintohercheeks.Maxleanedtowards

Leah, giving her a direct, very uncomfortable stare. “You sure you don’t have any issues with your

trainer?”

Leah, transfixed by the metal handcuffs rocking back and forth on his index finger, chewed on her

bottomlip,notsurewhattosay.

Marcendedupspeakingfirst.“Max—”

“That’sChieftoyou,especiallyafterthatlittlesituationlastnight.”

Marccontinued,“Icanexplain.”

His voice faded off and both the chief and Leah leaned back in their chairs waiting for that

explanation.

“Ishouldputyoubothonleavewithoutpay.It’sbadenoughthatyoutwoare…”Hesighedandshook

hishead.“Doingwhateveryou’redoing.”Heraisedhishand.“Nodetailsneeded.Butusingdepartment

issuedequipment?”

Leahfinallyfoundhervoice.“Itwon’thappenagain.”

“Yeah, you said that earlier also. I’m not sure why I’m sitting here having to counsel you on what

couldgowrongwith…with…”Hewavedhishandtowardthetwoofthem.“ImeanseriouslyCorporal,

Iexpectedbetterofyou.Notevenaweekinandyoutwo…ThiscouldbecomeanEEOnightmare.Idon’t

need any problems with sexual harassment complaints down the road. I… Fuck.” He shook his head.

“Please,please,pleasetellmethisisconsensual,right?”

LeahpeekedatMarcoutofthecornerofhereyetogaugehisreaction.Hewasleaningbackinhis

chair, his arms crossed, a look of amusement on his face as he watched his older brother—and, not to

mention,superior—strugglewiththesituationbeforehim.

ThechiefslammedhispalmontothedesktopmakingLeahjumpslightly.Shecoughedtocoverupher

reaction.

“Youknow,Corporal,you’reputtingmeinatightspot.You’remyonlyqualifiedFTOrightnow.IfI

could, I’d put her with someone else.” He leaned forward again, this time pointing a finger at Marc.

“Hearmewell:Ifyouguysarecaughtdoinganythinginappropriatewhileonduty,you’rebothfired.IfI

evengetaslightwhiffthatyoumaybedoingsomethingyoushouldn’tbe,you’reasgoodasgone.Thisis

youroneandonlywarning.”Hewaggedhisfingeratthetwoofthem.“Bothofyou.”

Nowthattheyhadbothbeenscoldedlikenaughtychildren,Leahwasanxioustoescapeandgetouton

patrol.Butsheneededsomethingfirst…“CanIhavemycuffsback,Chief?”

“Ifyoucanrecitetheserialnumber.”

Shehesitated.Thensheclosedhereyes,tookabreath,andreadthenumbersofftheimageshehadin

herhead.Whensheopenedhereyes,boththechiefandMarchadeyebrowsraised,appearingimpressed.

Shehadbeenforcedtolearntheserialnumbersofbothhergunandcuffsshewasissuedintheacademy

andthatknowledgewastestedonaregularbasis.Shealwayspassed.

“Wassheright?”

ThechiefslidthecuffsacrosshisdesktowardsLeah.Asshereachedforthem,Marcsnaggedthem

away.Hesquintedatthesmallnumbers.

“Damn.”HehandedthemovertoLeah,whostoodtopopopenhercuffcase.Sheshovedtheminside

andsnappeditshut.

“Youtwoareexcused.”

Leahstoodatattentionandsalutedbeforeturningsharplytoleave.

“Asskisser,”Marcwhispered.

Asbothofthemfoughttogetoutofthedoorfirst,Leahscratchedherchinwithhermiddlefinger.A

moveMarcdidn’tmiss.

“Nomoredepartmentissuedcuffs.Buyyourown,”Maxcalledoutastheyhurriedoutofthedoor.

As they stepped out into the sunny back parking lot, they both automatically pulled out their

sunglasses,whichweretuckedintheVoftheiruniformshirts.

“I want to drive,” Leah told Marc. It was about time she got behind the wheel. Maybe he also

believedthatwomenshouldn’tdriveeither.Andshoulddressconservatively.Covertheirhead.Asktheir

husbandsbeforetheymadeanydecisions.Stayinthekitchenbarefoot.

Andpregnant.

Markmadeanoisethatdidn’tsoundpromising.“Areyougoingtoapologize?”

Andapparentlytakealltheblame.Right.“Forwhat?”

“Yousetmeup.”

Leahmadethenoisethistime.“Ididn’tdoitonpurpose.Itjusthappened.”

Marcgrabbedherwrist,stoppingherbythecruiser.“Bullshit.”

Sheregardedhishandforasecondbeforetuggingherarmoutofhisgrasp.“Honest.Imean,myplan

wastogetbackatyouforgettingtheupperhandinthebakery.Ijustwantedtoturnthetables.ButInever

intended—”

“Toleavemespreadoutonthebedlikeabuffetuntilmybrotherandchiefhadtofreeme.”

Shegavehimahalfshrug.“No.Thatideacamelater.”

“AfterIexpressedmyunpopularopinion?”

Yes. “Are you going to apologize for being a male chauvinist pig when it comes to women in law

enforcement?”

“No.”

“Well,thenmyansweristhesameasyours.Andanyway,youenjoyedeverythingIdidtoyou.”

“Notthepoint.”

“Sureitis.IclearlyrememberyoucallingmynamewhenIsuckedandfuckedyouuntilyoucame.”

Marc clamped a hand over her mouth, surveying the parking lot. “What the fuck, Rookie! Keep it

down.LastthingI—we—needisforwhatwedidtobecomepublicknowledge.”

“Ourchiefknows.”

“Yeah,thankstoyou.Butlet’skeepitnarroweddowntothatsmallaudience.”

Sheheldherpalmoutforthekeys.“Okay,thenletmedrive.”

Hestaredatherpalmforafewmomentsbeforereluctantlydroppingthekeysontoit.

“See?I’mnotamalechauvinistpig.”Hewalkedovertotheothersideofthecar.“Butyou’vealready

have lost ten points today for getting me dragged into the chief’s office. So make sure you drive

perfectly,”hetoldherovertheroofofthecar.

Thewordwhatever was on the tip of her tongue but she swallowed it. She only had to get through

sevenmoreweeksofridingwithhim.Justseven.

Fuck.

arc studied Leah’s profile as she drove. He made it seem like he evaluated her every move, just

waitingforhertomakeamistake.Hekepthisnotebookinhislap,penready,justsoshewouldthink

so.

Buthonestly,hewasn’tpayingattentiontoherdriving.At.All.Hewaswatchinghowthelatemorning

sunhighlightedherfeatures.Howastrandofherhairwasabouttoescapethehot-for-teacherhairdoshe

wore.Allsheneededwasapairofsexyreadingglassesandapencilshovedintoherbun.Itwashardto

lookatherandnotpicturehernakedwithallthatgloriousdarkmanedownsweepingaroundherlikea—

“You’refreakingmeout.Canyoustopstaring?”

“I’mobservingyourdrivingskills.”

“What’s the word you used earlier? Oh, right. Bullshit.” As Marc reached for the notebook, she

continued.“Youcandockmeatrillionpointsforthat.Idon’tcare.Let’sberealhere.”

Heshutthenotebookandthrewinonthedash.“Oookay.”

“Weneedtogeteverythingoutonthetable.”

Hecockedaneyebrow.“Dowe?”

“Yeah,otherwisethesenextfewweeksarereallygoingtosuck.”Shesteeredthepatrolcarintoadirt

pull-offalongaruralroadheadingoutoftown,putitinpark,undidherbelt,andshiftedtofacehim.

Toobadherdarksunglassescoveredherbeautifulgoldeneyes.Andthosethickeyelashesthatframed

them.

Butherlips…

Oneeyebrowroseoverherdarkglasses.“Youcan’tlookatmelikeapieceofapplepieandexpect

ustogetthroughthedaylikecivilizedadults.”

“Cherry.”

“What?”

“Cherrypie.Myfavorite.”Notthathewaseventhinkingaboutfood.Oreventhekindofpiethatyou

havetobake.OreventhesongbyWarrant.

But those two simple words brought about deviant thoughts that woke up his lower body, causing a

damnchubby.Leahwasright.Thissexualattractionwasgoingtobedifficulttodealwithforeighthoursa

dayforthenext—whatseemedlike—millionweeks.

Chitlins.Shit.

Nowthathe’stastedher,touchedher,beendeepinsideher,his“thinkpig”distractionplanwasgoing

tobeabigfatfailure.Nothingcouldsidetrackhimfromhisoutofcontroldesireforher.Hecouldhave

heronceoreventwiceadayanditstillwouldn’tbeenough.

Scary thought. He had never been this head-over-heels in lust before. It was to the point that he

wantedtowakeupinthemorningtofindherheadonhischestandallthatlusciousdarksilkdrapedover

him.Andallhewouldhavetodoisrollovertosatisfyhismorningwood.

Thenshecouldgetupandmakehimbreakfast.

Yeah, he’ll never be able to say that out loud. Otherwise, she might shove the radio mic down his

throat.Andthenmakehimeatit.

“So.”

“So?”

“Weneedtofigureoutaplanorsomething,”shesuggested,lookingathimseriously.“Orwecanjust

forgeteverythingthathashappenedandjustkeepthisprofessional.”

Forget? Easier said than done. And he wasn’t sure he was willing to take her up on her second

suggestionanyway.

Shecontinued,“Usgettinginvolvedwasstupid.Especiallysinceweworktogether.AndI’mgoingto

doeverythinginmypowertokeepthisjob.”

“We’renotinvolved.”

Sheliftedaneyebrowathim.

Herubbedhistemple.“Arewe?”

“We’vehadsexmultipletimes.”

Sothatmeanttheywereinvolved?Hepanickedalittle.Okay,no.Alot.Yes,hewantedtofuckher

andshewantedtofuckhim.Butcouldn’ttheydoitonacasual…

Ohfuck.That’swhatMaxhadwantedwithAmanda:casualsex.Andnowtheywereeachother’sball

andchain.

Hisolderbrotherhadn’tbeeninterestedingettingmarried,settlingdown…Andnow…Amandaruled

theroost.Tookhismanhoodinherpalmandsqueezedituntilitwasnomore.

Pussywhipped.

No.

No.No.No.

“Yeah,Iknow.Iwasthere,remember?Butyou’renotlookingforanythingserious,right?”heasked

her,hispitchalittlehigherthannormal.

“Holyshit.I’mjustlookingtokeepmydamnjob.”

“Butaslongaswedon’thavesexwhilewe’reworking—”Heshuthismouthquickly.Herglarewas

noticeableeventhroughhersunglasses.Itwashotenoughtosearthehairoffhisballs.

“Look, do you want to fuck me?” Marc asked her. “Because I sure enjoy fucking you. You seem to

enjoyit.Nooneneedstoknowwhatwedoinouroffhours.”

She peeled off her sunglasses and hit him with those golden green eyes of hers. They smacked him

rightinthechestandhisheartpickedupaquickerbeat.

“It’snottheoffhoursthatmatter,Corp.It’showthis”—shewavedherhandbetweenthem—“affects

ouron-dutyhours.”

“Wecanseparateworkandsex,”hesaid,half-heartedly.

Leahmadeanoise.Shedidn’tbelieveiteither.Damnit.

Hewasabouttosaysomethingthatwouldbebadenoughtohavehismancardrevoked.Hebraced

himself.“Howaboutwestopourextracurricularactivitiesuntilyourtrainingisover,andthenoncewe’re

notridingtogether,wecanfigureoutsomething?”Andthenwinced.

Yeah.Anoticeofrevocationwasalreadyinthemail.Howthehellwashegoingtoleaveheralone

forsevenwholeweeks?Seven.

There weren’t enough parts of a pig left to even get him through all those days. Hours. Minutes.

Seconds.

Howcouldhegothatlongwithoutsex?Heshookhimselfmentally.Right.Likehehadn’tgonemonths

withoutsexbefore.Probablyevenlonger,buthedidn’twanttothinkaboutit.Nordidhisfist.Buttolook

atheralmosteverydayandnottouch?Hell—notalmost—everydaysincesheonlylivednextdoorwith

hisparents.

Ifhecouldholdout,hewoulddeserveamedalattheend.Hell,anOlympicgoldmedal.Andaparade

throughtown.Onafiretruck.

Whenyou’rehornysevenweekscouldbeaneternity.Sevenminutescouldbealifetime.

“Okay.Deal.”

Deal? Oh, the I’m-going-to-be-fucking-my-own-hand-for-the-next-seven-weeks deal. “So the

minuteMaxsignsoffonyourtraining,thenallbetsareoff?”

Sheslidhersunglassesbackon,hidinghereyes.“Yep.”

Hotdamn!

Wait.Whywashecelebratingsevenweeksofadryspell?

“But we can see other people during that time.” She nodded her head and turned to gaze out of the

frontwindshield.

Whoa. Hold your horses. The thought of someone else easing between her sweet, succulent thighs

was…completelyunacceptable.Ohhellno.

Dumbass.ThiswasManningGrove,heremindedhimself.Whointhehellwasshegoingtohookup

with here? She would have about as much opportunity to find a decent date as he did up here. What

wasn’tmarriedwithalitterofchildren,wasuponthemountaincookingmeth.Mostpeoplewhogrewup

here tried to escape to somewhere more exciting. They couldn’t leave fast enough. And this wasn’t the

Meccaofthedatingworld.

Thewordstuckinhisthroat,buthefinallycougheditout.“Fine.”

“Fine,”sherepeatedlikeapetulantchild.

Theradiosquawked.“CountyDispatchtoManningGrovesix.”

Leahsnaggedthemicbeforehecould.“ManningGrovesix.Goahead.”

“ManningGrovesix.CallfromfifteenLovelaceLane.Mrs.Monaghanstatesthatsomeonestoleher

purse.”

Marcgroanedandshookhishead.“Ohbrother.”

Leahgavehimaquestioninglook.“Wecopy,dispatch.MarkManningGrovesixenroute.”

“Dispatchcopies.”

TheradiowentsilentandsheclippedthemicbackinitsholderbeforeturningtoMarc.“What?”

“RememberwhenItoldyouabouttheregularwhohasdementia?”

“Yeah?”

“Youfinallygettomeether.”Hegrimaced.“JustbeadvisedshethinksI’mherboyfriendsoshe’snot

goingtolikeyou.”

Leahrolledhereyes.“Icanhandleit.”Shepulledherseatbeltacrossherbodyandlatchedit.“You’re

nothingtofightover.Shecanhaveyou,”shesaiddryly.

“Veryfunny.”

“Ithoughtso.”

eahglancedaroundthehouse.ItwasneatandorderlybutthatwasonlybecauseMrs.Monaghanlived

withherdaughterandson-in-law,whohadbothspentfiveminutesapologizingprofuselybecauseof

the911call.

Thedaughter,Cathy,seemabitflusteredandherhusband,John,satatthekitchentable,lookingworn

out.Leahcouldimaginetakingcareofaparentwithdementiawasnoteasyatall.Infact,itwasprobably

afull-timejob.

WhenLeahcamebackintothekitchen,Marcwasleaningbackagainstthecounter,hisanklescrossed,

withbothpalmsanchoredontheedgeofthecountertop.Leahlethergazeroamoverhim,fromhissevere

militaryhaircut,tohissharpcrystal-blueeyes,downhistorsotohiships,thentojunctionofhisthighs

where—

Marcclearedhisthroatloudly,bringingLeah’supeyestomeethis.Hefrowned.Shecouldhearhis

voiceinherheadscoldingherfortheimpromptugoing-over.Hewassofuckinghot,though.Especiallyin

his blues. Their gazes held only for a searing moment before he returned his attention back to Mrs.

Monaghan.

“I had my purse on the table by the door because I was about to head out for lunch with my

girlfriends.”

“No,Mother,youweren’tgoinganywhere,”herson-in-lawsaid,hisvoiceanddemeanortired.

“Yes, we get together once a week,” Mrs. Monaghan insisted. “I had my purse ready to go so I

wouldn’tforgetit.”

“Mother,yourpursewasinyourroom.Cathyfounditinthere.”

“MaybeCathystoleitthen.”

“Mom,Ididn’tstealyourpurse,”Cathysaid,exasperated.“Noonestoleit.Youleftitinyourroom.”

Mrs. Monaghan waved a frail, age-spotted hand in the air. “Well, anyway, I’m glad you found it,

Matt.”

“Marc,”hecorrectedher.

“Marc,yes.Youhaven’tstoppedbyinawhilefortea.”

“Yes,Ma’am.Sorryaboutthat.”

“Howarewegoingtokeepthisrelationshipafloatifyou’realwaystoobusytospendtimewithme?”

“I’lltrytodobetterinthefuture,Mrs.Monaghan.”

Theolderwomanwavedherhandagain.“Now,Matt,weknoweachotherbetterthanthat.Callme

Maggie.”

“Ofcourse,Maggie.Well,nowthatthecasehadbeensolved,weneedtogetonourway.”

“Oh,youdon’thavetorushoff.Cathywillmakeyousometea.Won’tyou,Cathy?”

“Mom,theofficersneedtogetbacktowork.”

“Nonsense.”MaggiefinallyturnedherattentiontoLeah,asifnoticingherforthefirsttime.“Sowho’s

this?”

“Maggie, this is one of our new officers. This is Leah Grant. She might come to visit you too,

sometimes.”

“Areyoucheatingonme?”

“Ohno,Ma’am,”Marcsaidwithseriousconviction.

Leah moved forward and offered her hand. Maggie looked at it with disgust and made a sour face.

“Areyoutryingtostealtheloveofmylife?Areyouafloozy?”

“Mother!”CathyandJohnexclaimedatthesametime.

“Well,she’stryingtostealMatt.Iseehowshe’slookingathim.”

“No,Ma’am,”Leahsaid.“I’mnottryingtostealhim.Wejustworktogether.”

Maggieharrumphed.“Harlot.”

Leah might be a lot of things, but harlot wasn’t one of them. Marc appeared amused. Cathy and her

husband,however,lookedmortified.Again,Leahfeltforthem.Itcouldn’tbeeasy.

Leah decided that the best course of action was just to take herself out of the picture so Mrs.

Monaghan wasn’t bothered by her presence. “I’ll go wait by the car,” Leah told Marc. “It was nice

meetingyouall.”

Andbefore Marc couldstop her, shestrode through the houseand outside. Noteven a minute later,

Marccameouttojoinher.

“Itoldyou.”

“Itwastobeexpected.”Leahsaid.“Thosetwoprobablyneedtohirehelp.”

“Yeah,I’msurprisedtheirmarriagehaslastedsofar.”

Leahagreed.“Ithastobehardonarelationship.”

“Theysometimesdropheroffattheadultdaycare—theplacewhereGreggoes—forabreak,butthey

can’taffordtosendherthereonadailybasis.”

Leah nodded and looked back at the house. She hoped her own mother never had to suffer through

Alzheimer’soranykindofdementia.

“I’msureit’sfinanciallyandemotionallydebilitating,”shemurmured.

Marcsteppedinfrontofhertogetherattentionandsheglancedupathim.Hisunnervingeyespierced

hersoul.“Leah,youcan’tbelookingatmelikethatandexpectthisplantowork.I’maman,notarobot.”

BeforeLeahcouldanswer,theradiosquawkedagain.“CountyDispatchtoManningGrovesix.”

Marcreacheduptohisshouldertohitthemiconhisportableradio.“ManningGrovesix,goahead.”

“Manning Grove six, received a call for a cat in a tree. Caller is Mrs. Johnson. Do you need the

address?”

Even dispatch knew the regulars. Marc moved around the car to the passenger side. “That’s a

negative,Dispatch.We’reenroute.”

Marc regarded Leah over the hood of the car. “It’s going to be one of those days. I hope you like

pussies.”Heunhookedhisportableradiofromhisdutybeltandclimbedintothepassengerseat.“Iknow

Ido,”hemumbledasheslammedhisdoorshut.

Sheshouldn’tlaughwhenhewassocrude.Butshecouldn’thelpit.

“

CHAPTER11

ourmoreweeks,”Marcwhisperedastheymovedintothelivingroom,wherealongtablewasset

up.

She shivered at his low, sexy voice in her ear. She had to admit the weeks had been slow and

torturous.Theyhadavoidedtouchingeachother,evenaccidently.Onemisjudgeofmovementcausinga

brushoffingers,orskintoskincontact,wouldmakethembothwanttoripofftheirclothestogetdown

anddirty.

Thirtycalendardaystogobeforeshewasoffcoach-pupil.

TherestoftheBrysonfamilywanderedinlikeamobofhungrycowboysthathadjustheardthedinner

bell.Itwasn’tjusttheBrysonsincludedinMaryAnn’sMother’sDaydinner,Teddyhadalsobeeninvited.

“Dowehaveassignedseating,MommaBryson?”thehairdresseraskedinafalsettovoice.“’Causeif

not,Iwanttobesandwichedinbetweentheboys.Oh,whatafantasy!Weshouldalternateanyway.Boy,

girl,boy,girl,”hesaidashepointedattheemptyseats.“And,ofcourse,Icanbeagirl,ifneeded,toeven

thingsout.”

“Iwannabeagirl!”Gregshouted.

Marcsnickered.“Greg,you’rethemanofthehouse.Youcan’tbeagirl.”

“Yep.I’stheman,”Amanda’sbrotheranswered.

AmandasettledGregintheseattotherightofMaryAnn,whosatattheheadofthetablewhilePop

Brysonsatattheotherend.AmandasattoGreg’sright.Maxsettledtohiswife’sright,whichleftTeddy,

Marc,andLeah.TeddyploppedintotheemptyseatnexttothematriarchofthefamilyandMarcpulledout

theseatnexttohimforLeah.Thenhetooktheremainingseatbetweenhisflirtofafatherandher.

Oncetheyallweresettledthedishesbegantocirclethetable.Platesfilledupquickly,saltandpepper

were passed, and mouths chewed contently. As stomachs began to fill, the shoveling of food slowed

enoughforsomeconversation.

“I appreciate you girls cooking. All of it tastes like heaven,” Mary Ann announced. An echo of

agreementswentaroundthetable.“Theonlythingmissingfromthiswonderfulmealismylittleboy.”

Acollectivemalegroanroseupfromthetable.Leahcouldheartheunsaid,“Herewego…”

“Matt’shardlyalittleboy,Ma,”Marctoldher,stabbingathisdwindlingpileofslicedham.

MaBrysonsniffedloudly.Shewasn’tcrying,itwasclearlyfordramaticeffect.Leahknewshedidn’t

likethemeninthehousepoo-pooingherfeelings.“He’llalwaysbemylittleboy.”

“That’sprobablywhyhestaysinthathellhole.Stoptreatinghimlikeababy.”

“Marc!”Maxbarked.“It’sMother’sDay.Knockitoff.”

Marcrolledhiseyesathisbrother,thenfrownedathisplate.

“So,he’dratherbeovertherethanwithhislovingfamily?”MaryAnnasked.Thetouchofsadnessin

hervoicemadeLeah’sheartacheforher.Sheknewthewomanmissedheryoungestsonimmensely.She

talkedabouthimconstantly.Yes,itdroveherothersonscrazy,buttoughshittothem.

“Please,let’snotgetstartedwiththisagain,honey,”Ronsaidtohiswife.“Canwejustenjoythegreat

mealthegirlsputtogether?”

“Yes,thankyouforthegrub,baby,”Maxsaidtohiswifebeforeleaningoverandkissingheronthe

cheek.

Shegaveherhusbandawinkandasmile.“IjusthelpedLeah.Sheisabeastinthekitchen.”

AlleyesfellonLeah.“Well…”

“Look.I’mnotbadinthekitchenthankstoallofyourlessons,Ma.ButLeah’sgotmadskills.”

“Thanks.MygrandmothertaughtmewhatIknow.Shewasalwaysinthekitchen.”

Marcsaidunderhisbreath,“Asagoodwifeshouldbe.”BothAmandaandLeahshothimasearing

glare.Hehelduphispalms.“Justkidding!Jeez.”

RonlookedoverhisglassesatMarc,hisforkpausedhalfwaytohismouth.“Son,ifyoulikeyournuts

rightwherethey’reat,I’dkeepthosetypesofcommentstoyourself.Especiallyinmixedcompany.”

“Nuts!”Gregcrowed.

Maxsnorted,tryingnottolaughathisbrother-in-law.“Howdoeshealwayspickuptheonewordyou

don’twanthimto?”Maxshookhisheadbeforeshovelinganoverloadedforkfulofsweetpotatocasserole

intohismouth.

Teddygiggledattheotherendofthetable.“So,Leah,Ihearyou’relookingforyourownplace.”

“Iwillbe.TheBrysonshavebeenverygenerous,butI’llbewantingmyownplaceoncemytraining

isoverandIknowI’llbeapermanentpartoftheforce.”Leahintentionallydidn’tlooktowardherchief.

“Sweetie,youcanstayhereforaslongasyouwant,”MaryAnnassuredher.

Ron reached over his middle son to pat Leah’s hand. “You don’t need to rush. We have plenty of

room.”

“Yeah,noneedtomakeanyrushdecisions,”Marcadded,hisbrowspinnedtogetherasifhedidn’t

liketheideaofhermovingoutofhisparents’house.

Shewasn’tsurewhyhe’devencare.

“Icanspreadthewordatthesalonifyouwant,”Teddyoffered.

“Thatwouldbegreat,Teddy.Thankyou.”

MarcmadearudenoisebutLeahignoredit.“SheneedstopasshertrainingandhaveMaxsignoffon

herfirst.Sheshouldn’tthinkaboutmovinganywhereyet.”

“Don’tyouworryyourprettylittleheadaboutthat,”Maxsaidaroundamouthfuloffood.

“Yeah,”Marcmuttered.

Maxswallowedashegavehisyoungerbrotheraharshlook.“Iwastalkingtoyou.”

Leahcoughedtodisguiseherlaugh.

“Weenjoyhavingyouaround,Leah.”Rongaveherareassuringsmile.

arcwassurehedid.EspeciallywhenLeahwalkedaroundupstairswithjustatowelon.

SweetbabyJesus,hewasjealousofhisfather.

Butevenso,MarclikedhavingLeahlivingthisclose.Soaccessible.Itwasnicetobeabletocome

overtohisparentsandwatchher…likethestalkerhewasturninginto.Fuck.

Fourweeksfeltlikeforeverrightnow.ThedayMaxsignedoffonhertraining,Marcplannedtolock

herinhisbedroomandnotcomeoutfordays.

“So speaking of…” Amanda deepened her voice. “The force...” She chuckled at the Star Wars

reference.“Howarethingsgoing,Leah?EspeciallywithMr.ChauvinistMcPiggiebeingyourFTO?”

“Piggie!”Gregechoed.

MarcturnedtoLeah,waitingforheranswer.Thisshouldbegoodsinceshewasbeingputonthespot.

Aflushroseupfromherchestintoherneck.Shebitherlip.

“I’magreatFTO.”

Maxlaughedloudlyandslammedthetablewithhispalm.

LeahjumpedatthenoiseandavoidedMarc’sgaze.“He’s…uh…taughtmealot…sofar.”

“Likehowwomenshouldbeinthekitchenbarefootandpregnant?”

Hewasn’tthatbad,washe?“Heynow.Ihavenoproblemwithwomen’srights.”

“Then you need to respect women on the force. Women can do anything a man can do,” his mother

chimedin.

“Better,”Amandacorrected.

“Now,baby,”Maxsaid.

“Ohno.Don’tyounowbabyme.OryouwillbesleepinginthedoghousewithChaos.”

At hearing his name, the border collie, who was asleep at Greg’s feet, thumped his tail under the

table.

“Ohplease.ThatdogsleepsinGreg’sbed.He’sneverevenseenadoghouse.”

“Tryme,”Amandawarned.

Maxliftedhishandsupinsurrender.

“Well,anyway,I’mtheonlyFTOyouhave,”Marcsaid.

“Fornow,”hisbrotheradded.

“Youarewelcometopassthetorch.However,Istilldon’tthinkwomenshould…”Hisvoicedrifted

offasalleyesturnedtohim.Well,allexcepthispop’s,whokeptstuffinghisfacewithdessert.“What?”

“You’ve had the open-mouth-insert-foot syndrome lately. You might need a doctor to look at that,”

Teddysaidaroundaforkfullofcake.

Marctookalookaround.Hemirroredhisfatherandshovedapieceofhomemadecoconutcakeinhis

mouth,startedtochewwithexaggeration,thenpointedtohisfullmouthandshrugged.

“Well,we’lljustwaituntilyouswallow,”hismothersaidinanextremelypleasantvoice.

Shit.

Hechewedalittlelonger,buyingsometimetofigureouthowtogetoutofthismess.Withawince,he

swallowedthelumpofflourandsugarhard,tryingnottochoke.

“Youwanttofinishthatsentencenow?”hismotheraskedasshepushedherchairback.Hertonehad

gone from pleasant to intimidating in a heartbeat. With dismay, he watched his mother rise and stalk

aroundthetable.

Hewasafraidtolookbehindhim,butshewasthere.Lurking.Andwhenshegrabbedhisleftearand

yanked,hehowledashepartiallyroseoutofhisseattorelievethepullonhisbrain.

“It’s Mother’s Day. The celebration of how much us women have to deal with when it comes to

childrenasthick-headedasyou.AndIdon’tcarehowoldyouare.Youarestillmychild.Dropthatfork.”

Marcinstantlyopenedhisfingers,lettingtheforkclattertotheplate.

Hismotherfinallyreleasedherdeathgriponhislobe,butnotwithoutanothertugforgoodmeasure.

Shereachedaroundhimtosnaghisdessertplate.

“Untilyouhaveabetterattitudeaboutthecapabilitiesofwomen—don’tmakemedescribehowIhad

topushyourfatheadoutofmyladyparts—thenyoudon’tdeserveapieceofmycake.Infact,Ishould’ve

madeyourfathersetupthefoldingtable.”

“Forwhat?”

“Becausethat’swherethechildrensit.”MaryAnnhuffedandhandedtheremainderofMarc’scaketo

his father. Max found something interesting on the floor, but his face had turned red and his shoulders

shook.

Bastard.

Amanda and Leah stared at each other across the table, their eyes meeting and their faces masks of

neutrality.Butheknewtheywerereadytoburstoutlaughinganysecond.

HispopfinishedoffthelastbiteofcakeonhisplateandmovedtofinishoffMarc’s.Henevereven

lookedup.Smartman.

Greg?Greghadcakeandicingstuckinthecornerofhismouth,feedingthedogsunderthetable,not

caringaboutanydramaatthetable.

TeddyleanedaroundLeahtomakesureMarcknewhewaslaughingtoo.

Hewasjustownedbyhismother.

“Nextsubject,”Maxannounced.

“Youdon’thaveanyfamilynearbyTeddy?”Leahaskedthemannexttoher.

Marckickedhercalf,asilentsignalthatherquestionwasn’tanappropriateswitchoftopic.Leahshot

afrownathimbeforeturningherattentionbacktoTeddy.

“I got all the family I need right here sitting around this table. My dream is to marry one of Ron’s

handsomeboys,butit’sgettingnarroweddownwithMaxnowbeingmarriedtomyBFF.”Hisheadspun

toMax.“Unlessyouwouldn’tmindmebeingasisterwife?”

Max choked, a piece of cake flying out of his mouth, bouncing off Marc’s chest with a splat, and

landing in his lap. Suddenly Menace’s head was in between his legs, snagging the cake and almost

grabbingotherthingsthatweren’tfoodrelated.

“Ew!” Marc yelled, then said to Teddy, “Not ew to you becoming one of Max’s sister wives. I

encouragethat.ButtoMax’sspit-coveredfoodshootingmyway.”

Maxpickedupanotherpieceofcakeandwhippeditathimacrossthetable.Marcbatteditawayand

itskiddedtoalandingonhispop’splate,whoproceededtostabitwithhisforkandeatit.

“Ooo,Ron.Youtheman,”Teddysaid,laughingsohardatearrolledoutofthecornerofhiseye.

“Whenwillyouboysstopactinglikechildren?Iswear!”Hismothercamearoundthetablesmacking

MaxupsidetheheadandthenMarcgotthesamebeforeshestoppednexttoRon.

Marcasked,“Pop?”Hisoldmanmightaswellanswerhiswife.

“Never,” Ron answered. And his hand disappeared behind his mother’s backside causing her to

squealandjump.

“Oh,Ron,leavethatforlater.”MaryAnnchortled,pattingherhusband’sarm.

Ronwiggledhiseyebrowsandsmiledgrandlyathissons.Marcwasgladtoseehewasn’ttheonly

onedisturbedbythatlittleexchange.Maxworeahorrifiedexpressionandhismouthgapedopen.

“Closeyourmouthbeforeabugfliesin.DoyouthinkyourmotherandIaredead?”

“Oh,whatthefuck,”Marcgroaned.Heslammedahandoverhismouth,hopingtoavoidgagging.

“Juststop,”Maxpleaded,squeezinghiseyesshut.“Ineedtogobleachmybrain.”

LeahandAmanda’sgazesmetandtheybothlaughedoutloud.

“Goodforyou,Pop,”Amandasaid.“Nothingwrongwithgettingalittlesumthin’-sumthin’fromyour

sexymomma.IjusthopeMaxcanstillgetitupatyourage.”

ThelegsonMax’schairsquealedagainstthefloorasheshoveditbackandstood.“Igottago”—he

tookadeepbreath—“takeawalkor…something.”Hethrewhisnapkinonthetableandrushedout,not

lookingbackwhileeveryone’seyestrackedhim.

Marc shoved his chair back and followed his older brother out of the house. “Dude, gross, right?”

Marcasked.

“It can’t be any worse than finding you naked spread eagle on your bed, with nipple rings and

handcuffs.Seriously.Don’tyouknowtotapeacuffkeytoyourheadboard?”

Marcslowed,lettingMax’swordssinkhewhilehisbrotherrushedawaywithlongstrides.“Wait!Is

thatwhatyoudo?”Marcrantocatchup.

“I’mnotdiscussingmysexlifewithyou.”

“Butyourolder,youshouldbementoringme.”MarcwasonlyhalfjokingbutMaxapparentlydidn’t

seeitassuch.

“Getthefuckoutofhere.Mentoryou.”Maxshookhishead.“Idon’tevenwanttoknowwhatyouand

Leaharedoing.Ihavetoworkwithher.Idon’twanttopicturethetwoofyoutogethereverytimeIsee

her.”

Marcshadowedhisbrotherouttothebarnandonceinside,Maxshuttheslidingdoor.Hewenttoa

crudelymadebenchthatsatunderoneofthewindowstoaturnedoveranupsidedownfive-gallonbucket

andgrabbedthebottleofwhiskeythathadbeenhiddenunderneathit.

“Whatthehell?”

“It’sPop’ssecretstash,”Maxanswered.“Don’ttellMom.”

MarczippedhislipsshutwithhisfingersasMaxcrackedopenthetopandtookaswigdirectlyfrom

thebottle.

“Ah.Thatwillputhaironyourchest.”

MaxpassedthebottletoMarc.Heswallowedamouthful,thencoughedasthefumesflowedintohis

lungs.Heswipedthebackofhishandoverhismouth,tookanothernip,andhandeditbacktoMax.They

movedtoastackofloosestrawandbothsettledintoit,passingthebottlebackandforthinsilence.

After a while, when they were both feeling a bit looser, Max looked up at the ceiling and said,

“AmandaandIhadsexinthispileonce.Wewerehavingabitofadisagreement.”

“Nothingnew.”

Max’s gaze lost focus and he took another sip from the bottle. “I wanted her so much, but we were

bothbeingsopig-headed.”

Thatsyndromeraninthefamily.“DowegetthatfromPoporMa?”

“Both,Ithink.”

“Butthey’restillhappilymarried.”

“Yeah.”

“Andapparently,stillsexuallyactive.”

Hisbrothergrimaced.“C’mon.I’mtryingtoforgetthatconversation.”

“Butit’sstillawesometothinkwemaybevirilewhenwe’rehisage.”

Maxtiltedhisheadinagreement.

“It’sweird.It’slikePop’sprotectiveofher.”

Maxshookhishead,confused.“Who?”

“Leah.”

“Well,sure.Heneverhadalittlegirl.”Maxrolledhiseyes.“Andnotfortryingeither.Someoneto

protectandspoil.Notlikeusthreeknuckleheads,asMomwouldputit.”

“She’snotalittlegirl.”

“You’dknow.”

“Heneveractedlikethatwithyourwife.”

Maxworealittlesecretsmile.“That’sbecauseAmandaisaspitfire.”

“AndLeahisn’t?”

“Again,youwouldknow.ButLeahismoresubdued,Ithink.Shehasafilter.UnlikeAmanda.”

Shecertainlywasn’tsubduedinbed.Buthe’dkeepthattohimself.“Bytheway,Popwasrubbingher

feet.”

Maxliftedhiseyebrows,confusedonceagainforasecond.“Whose?”

“Leah’s.”

“So?”

“SohowwouldyoulikeitifherubbedAmanda’sfeet?”

Maxsnorted.“Morepowertohim.ThenIwouldn’thavetodoit.”

Marcpinchedthebridgeofhisnose.Washewrongtoexpectsomebrotherlysupport?

“Look,youknowPop’sashamelessflirt.Buthe’sharmless.Momknowsthatandcouldcareless.If

she’snotworried,neithershouldyou.”

“Buthe’stouchingmy—”Marcsnappedhisjawshut.

Maxraisedbothhands,onestillgrippingthebottle.“Whoa.Whoa.No.Stoprightthere.Yourwoman?

Ithoughtyouguyscooledit.”

“Yeah,untilwe’renotridingtogetheranymore.Wehaveaplan.”

“Right.IremembermakingdealsandpactswithAmanda.Letmetellyou,theydidn’twork.Somehow

wealwaysendedupnakedtogether.”

“We’vegotfourweekstogo.”

“IfIsignoffonherpaperworkthen.Shehastobeready.”

“She’llbeready.”

“So,areyourethinkingthewholewomeninpolicingthing?”

Marcpursedhislips.“Idon’tknow.”

“Whatdoesshehavetodo?Saveyourlifetoproveshe’llmakeagoodcop?”

“Maybe.”

Maxmadeasharpnoise.“Andwhyareyoutwobeingcelibateforallthatlong?”

“Yousaid—”

Maxcuthimoff.“IknowwhatIsaid,bonehead!Don’tfuckduringyourshift,oronthedepartment’s

property,anddon’tusethedepartment’sissuedequipmentforyour…whatever.Butyoucandowhatever

onyourowntime.Justdon’tletitaffectyourworkorhers.”

Marcsighed.“Wejustfigureditwouldbeeasier—”

“Saysthemanwithblueballs.”Maxchuckled.

Marcwasn’tfindingitsofunny.“I’mcurrentlyinanintimaterelationshipwithmypalm.”

“Youprobablyhaveblisters.”

Marcsmirked.“Wannasee?”

“Fuckno.”

eahwatchedAmandaputtaroundthecaninebakery.Bothofthemhadheadedtothelittlebuildingnext

tothebarnaftertheguysdisappeared.TeddyandRon,withthehelpofGreg,werecleaningupand

doingthedishes,sincethewomenpreparedthemeal.Theunspoken“Icook,youcleanup”rule.

SoAmandahadsuggestedtheydisappeartooforalittle“girltalk.”Sheexplainedhowthebusiness

wasgrowingandshewassellingherorganic,grain-freedogbiscuitsonlineandoccasionallylocally.She

hadrecruitedthepeoplewhoattendedtheadultdaycarecenterintowntohelpwithpackaging.Itkept

thembusyandshepaidthemfortheservice.Andsometimessheshowedupandthrewthemapizzaparty,

oranicecreamsocialtoshowhergratitude.

Theycouldn’tliveofftheincomebutitkeptherbusyandfrombeingbored.Amandahadlandedin

Manning Grove from Miami and had been shell-shocked with the laid-back attitude and lack of culture

here.Sothebakerykepthersaneandhermarriagesolid.

Thewomanhadgumption,thatwasforsure.

AsAmandashowedheralloftheprofessionalgradebakingequipmentthatherandMaxhadinvested

in,Leahdidn’twanttoadmitshehadalreadybeeninthebakerywithMarc.Thoughithadbeendarkthat

time.

“Ifyouneedsomethingtodoinyoursparetime,youarewelcometocomehelpmeout.Icouldalways

use an extra pair of hands. Greg helps to an extent, but I spend more time cleaning up after him than

anything.AtleastChaoseatsanythingthatdropstothefloor.”Amandatookwhatlookedlikeatancookie

outofaceramicjaronthecounter.“Wannatryone?”

Leahwrinkledhernose.

“Iusefoodgradeingredients.”

“I’llpass,butthanks.”

Amanda shrugged and tossed the biscuit back into the container. She opened an overhead cabinet,

pullingouttworedplasticcups,andfromthebuilt-incooler,abottleofredwine.Shehelditup.“More

yourspeed?”

“Absolutely.”

As Amanda unscrewed the metal top, she said, “It’s top notch shit.” And then laughed. After she

pouredtwohealthyportionsintotheplasticcupsandafterhandingLeahone,theyclinked“glasses.”

“So…” Amanda leaned back against the counter and regarded Leah carefully. Marc’s sister-in-law

wasabouttogosomewherewhereLeahdidn’twanttogo,sosheguzzledagoodamountofthewineto

prepareherself.Hell,whynot?Shedidn’thavetodrive.

“YouwantthedirtonMarcandme.”

“Well,speakingofdirt…therewasausedcondominmygarbagepail.Itwashardtomisssinceitwas

tossedrightontop.Alllooky-here-like.”

HeatcreptintoLeah’scheeks.Shetookanothergulpofthesweetwine.“Sorry.”

Amanda shrugged. “I don’t mind you using the bakery to knock boots, but just bury the evidence,

please.”Shehoppeduptositonthecounter.“Hey,whenmeandMaxfirsthookedup,wediditinsome

interestingplaces.ToavoidGreg,wesometimesstilldo.Youweren’tthefirsttochristenthisbuilding.”

Sheshruggedandlaughed.“Iwouldn’tbesurprisedifRonandMaryAnngotdowninhere,either.”She

tookabigswallow,theshineofthewinelingeringonherlips.

Leahdidn’twanttothinkofhersurrogateparentsgettingdownanddirty,notjusthere,butanywhere.

Amandacontinued,“Fuckingandfood,that’sthewaytoaman’sheart.Andyou’reagoodcook.So

yougotthatgoingforyou.”

“Holdon.I’mnottryingtofindthewaytoanyone’sheart.”

Amandaignoredher,almostasifsheknewLeahbetterthanLeahdid.Well,shedidhaveexperience

withaBryson.“Andthesexpartmustbeworking,fromtheevidenceleftbehindinmytrashcan.There

hastobesomethingbetweenyou,right?”

“Work.”

Amandascoffed.“Bullshit.”

“Okay,he’shot.”Andthatwasputtingitmildly.Scorchingmorelikeit.

“Thatheis.”

“But he’s got that whole caveman attitude about women.” Which was the one annoying—one she

almostcouldn’tlivewith—downfalloftheman.

“And the ol’ women shouldn’t be cops crap. I get it.” Amanda continued talking. “Hey, the Bryson

menseemarrogantandoverbearingontheoutsidebutreally,itonlytakestherightwomantoturnthem

intoputty.Ifyou’retherightone,hewilleatrightoutofyourpalm.Andifhelovesyou,hislovewillbe

fierce and true. They do not do anything half-assed.” She raised a finger in the air. “But only a special

womancanbringthemtotheirknees.”

“Again,I’mnottryingtobringMarctohisknees.”

“That’snotwhatIheardwhenMaxcamebackfromrescuingMarcafewweeksago.”

Okay,shemighthavebeeninthatinstance.“Wewerejust…Iwasjust…”

Amandaheldupahand.“Youdon’thavetoexplainittome.Igetit.Itsoundedfreakinghot.Theshit

wewoulddoifGregdidn’tlivewithus.”Hervoicedriftedoffaswellashergaze.“Damn.”Shefocused

again,grabbedthebottleofwine,andpouredtheremainderbetweenthetwocups.

Leahshookherheadwithamusement.Amandaraisedhercupandtappeditagainsthers.Shecould

definitelydrinktothat.

“Soisitmorethanjustsex?”

“It’snoteven‘justsex’rightnow.Wetookabreakuntilmytrainingisover.”

“Whythefuckwouldyoudothat?Areyoucrazy?”

Apparentlyso.Thenosexrulehadbeendrivingherupthewall.Itmadeherwanthimmorethanever.

It was hard sitting only inches away from him in the car and not touch him. Her imagination had gone

haywireandhervibratorkilledapackofbatteries.

“Weweretryingtostayprofessional.Thisjobisimportanttome.”

“Well,noshit.ButMaxisn’tgoingtofireyou.Atleasthe’dbetternot,orhewillgetoneofmypointy

high-heeledbootsuphisassandhe’llbeforcedtosleeponhisparent’scouchforawhile.”

Leahchuckled.Ifonlyitwasthatsimple.

“Whywouldyoudothattoyourself?And,bytheway,itdoesn’twork.Takemywordforit.”

“YoutriedtostayawayfromMax?”

Amandanodded.“Yeah.Andlookwherethatgotme.”Sheheldupherlefthandandwiggledherring

finger.“Withaballandchain.NowallIhavetodoisbecomepregnantandI’velostmyself.”

“Nonsense. Your surrounded by loving family, have a responsible—hot, I might add—husband that

adoresyou.Andlikeyousaid,he’sputtyinyourhands.”

“NeverinamillionyearsdidIexpectmylifewouldenduplikethis,sooppositeofhowitwas.But,

you know, you’re right. I now have a loving family, a small business, an awesome sex partner, and a

dreamhometolivein.Speakingofwhich,youshouldcomevisit.”

“Iwouldlovethat.”

“We’llinviteyouandMarcfordinnerorsomething.”

Leahhesitated.ItmightnotbegoodforMarcandhertospendaneveningtogether,especiallyifdrinks

werebeingserved.Shedidn’twanttoendupwithanycracksintheirplan.

AmandajabbedafingerLeah’sdirectionasifshe’dreadhermind.“Don’tbeafool.Goshowthat

manwho’sboss,makehimbegyouforit.Drivehimcrazy.”

ThecellphoneinLeah’sbackpocketvibratedandshelookedtoseewhowastexting.“Speakofthe

devil.”

“Ishesextingyou?”AmandapushedherselfoffthecounterandtriedtopeeratLeah’sscreen.

Leahtiltedthephonetowardher.“No.He’saskingifyou’llgoovertothebarnanddragMax’sdrunk

assoutofthere.”

“Ooo.”Amandarubbedherhandstogetherandhereyeslitup.“Hopefullynotsloppydrunk.Iwantto

beabletotakeadvantageofhimtonight.I’llhaveRonandMaryAnnkeepGregovernight.Oh,yes.Ilove

itwhenaplancomestogether.Let’sgo.”

Amandalockedupthebackdoorandtheysteppedintothebarn,whichwasonlyafewyardsaway.

Both men, looking handsomely relaxed, were sprawled in a large pile of loose straw. Since both wore

jeans and T-shirts with their department logo over their right pec, they looked eerily similar. Cookie-

cutter features and the same body style. If they weren’t a couple years apart in age, Leah figured they

couldprobablypassfortwins.

“Thatpilelooksfamiliar,”Amandasaid.

“Itshould,”Maxrespondedwithaslightslur.

“IguessI’mdrivinghome.”Amandaofferedherhusbandahand.

Maxtookitbutusedhisownstrengthtopushhimselfuprightwithagrunt.Whenhesteadiedhimself

onhisfeet,hesmackedAmanda’sasshard.“Doesthatalsobringbacksomememories?”

Amanda winked and smiled at Leah. “Sure does, big boy. Let’s go home. I have obscenely wicked

plansforyou.”

Herhusbandsmiled.“Thesetwoprobablyshouldn’tbeleftalone.Theymightfuckuptheirplan.”

LeahshotMarcalook.Guesstheemptybottleofwhiskeylyingnexttohiminthestrawhadgivenhim

looselips.Hejustshruggedinnocently,hiseyeswide.

Innocent,myass.

“Okay, we’re out. Dinner. Our house. Soon,” Amanda called out as she led her husband out of the

barn.

Leahturnedherattentionbacktothemansettledintheloosestraw.“Comfy?”

Hegaveherasexysmileandpattedthestrawnexttohim.“Joinme.”

“Areyousurethat’sagoodidea?We’vebothbeendrinking.ThoughIthinkI’mwaymoresoberthan

you.”

“Justslightly.”

“Justslightlywhat?Justslightlyabadideaoryou’rejustslightlymoreintoxicated?”

“Both.C’mere.Please.”Heheldouthishand.

Leahregardedhisoutstretchedhand,thelong,strongfingers,thebroadpalm.Memoryofwhatthose

handscoulddotohermadeherbodypulse.Talkaboutputty.Shewouldbetheoneturningintoamelted

pileofgoo.

“Whataboutourplan?”Shetriedtofindareasontoresist.Butitwashard.Andfromwhatshecould

see,sowashe.

“Iwon’ttell.”Hecurledhisindexfingerather,beckoning.

Leahshookherhead.“That’snotthepoint.”

“It’llbeonelittleslipup.We’llgobacktoignoringeachothertomorrow.”

Ignoreeachother.Sure.“Amandathinkswe’recrazytoeventry.”

“So does Max.” Marc shook his head slowly. “Leah, I… Yes, we need to try to control ourselves

duringworkinghours,butit’sdifficult.Nearimpossible.Wejustneedalittlereprievesowecanpower

throughthenextfourweeks.”

Leahwantedtolaughatthesoundofhisdesperation.Hislameexcuse.Butshecouldn’tbecauseshe

wasjustasdesperateashewasandhissuggestionhadmerit.Or,atleast,shewantedtobelieveitdid.

And it was sorely tempting. There was nothing she’d rather do than have roll in the hay with him. Or

straw,tobemoreexact.Butinthebackofhermind,sheknewitmaybeabadidea.

Herbodytoldhersomethingdifferent,though.

Shemovedtowardhim,pullingoffhershirt.Shethrewitathimandhecaughtit,bringingituptohis

nosetoinhaleherscent.

“That’sit,babe.”Hisvoicewasrough,fullofpromise.

Everystepshetook,shelostapieceofclothing.Herbra.Herslip-onsneakers,herjeans,theslipof

cloththatwereherpanties.Untilshestoodbetweenhisfeetnakedasthedayshewasborn.

Atthatmoment,shecouldcarelessifanyonewalkedinandsawherlikethis.Sawthem.

She didn’t care about anything but the man who was prone before her. His eyes were hooded, his

mouthparted,hischestrisingwitheachdeepbreath.Hisgazeroamedeveryinchofher,makingherfeel

appreciated.Wanted.Sexy.

She drew her hair forward, so only her nipples were exposed through the thick strands. Brushing a

fingerovereachone,shekeptdirecteyecontactwithhimandgavehimaslowsmile.

“Hotfuckingdamn.”

“You’reoffendingme,”shesaidwithascowl.

Confusioncrossedhisface.“How?”

“You’rewearingtoomanyclothes.”Shestuckhertongueoutathimandlaughed.

Withachuckle,herippedhisT-shirtoverhishead,thensatuptounlacehisboots,tuggingthemoff,

alongwithhissocks.Tossingthemaside,hisheavybootslandinghardontheconcretefloorofthebarn.

Heunsnappedthetopbuttonofhisjeansandthenlaidbackinthestraw.

Leahwantedtorememberthatsightforever.HecouldbeMr.Januaryinacalendarofhot,sexycops.

Orfarmers,sincehewasinabarn.Helookedediblelayingthere,framedbythebutter-coloredstraw.

Onecornerofhismouthlifted.“Helpmewithmyjeans.”

Her core pulsed intensely, sending little shockwaves spiraling through her body. Her breathing

shallowedasshestudiedeveryhardlineofhismusculartorso.

“Icanseehowhardyournipplesare.C’mere,soIcancheckhowwetyouare.”

She moved forward, dropping to her knees between his legs. Grabbing the tab of his zipper, she

slowly lowered it until the bulge of his erection was clearly visible under his snug boxer briefs, the

engorged head peeking just above the wide elastic waistband. She leaned over to lick the little bit that

wasexposed.

Heslidhisfingersintoherhair,grippinghard.Ashishipsrosetomeethertongue,shegrippedboth

thewaistofhisjeansandunderwear,yankingthemdown.Thecrownofhiscockreceivedaquickkiss

beforeshepulledhispantsdownandinsideout.Withafinaltug,theyslippedoverhisfeet,leavinghim

barebeforeher.Startingatthetopofhisfeet,shekissedherwaybackuntilhermouthfoundhimagainat

hiscenter.Wrappingherlipsaroundthetipofhiserection,sheslowlyswallowedhimuntilshecouldn’t.

Hewasthickandhard,anditwasimpossibletotakehiscompletelength.Butshetried.Andheseemedto

appreciatetheeffortashishipscontinuedtoriseandfallwiththewetstrokesofherlipsandtongue.He

moanedhername,hisfingersfindingherhairagain,gripping,pullingtight,makinghergasparoundhim.

Cupping his balls, she rolled the delicate skin between her fingers, then pulled them tight, stretching,

teasing.

His shaft became slick and wet with her saliva and she wrapped her fingers at the root of him,

squeezing,pumping.

“OhGod.I’mclose.”

Leahreleasedhimwithalastlickalongthethickvein.Shecrawleduphisbody,atigressstalkingher

prey. A flash of gold caught her attention and she sucked one of his nipples into her mouth, flicking the

ringwithhertongue.Shegaveitatugwithherlipsbeforemovingtotheotherone,takingtheringdeep

intohermouth,hertongueplayingwiththesensitivetipofhistightnipples.

“Fuuuuuck.”

“Yes.Let’s,”shemurmuredagainstthehotskinathisneck.Shespreadherthighsuntilshestraddled

his. The smooth tip pressed against her wet heat causing her eyes rolled back at the urge to sink down

uponhim.

“No,”hesaid,hisvoiceraspyandlow.“No.We’redoingitmyway.”

“Soyouthink.”

“No,Iknow.”

Slidingherhanddownhisarms,shecapturedhiswrists,grippingthemtight.Sherubbedthelengthof

his cock in between her slit while she raided his mouth, kissing him fiercely. Thoroughly. Nipped hard

enoughalonghislowerliptoalmostdrawblood.

Justwhenshethoughthewouldallowhertohavetheupperhand,heprovedotherwise.Withatwist

of his hips, he rolled her onto her back and pinned her with his body weight. His erection was rigid

againstherhip.Notwhereshewantedit.Sheneededitinsideher,strokingherslickwalls,drivingherto

orgasm.

She bucked against him. Fighting him. Not to escape. No, not that. But to make him work for it. To

increase the pressure on her wrists, which were pinned above her head in the rough straw. To use his

powerfulthighstokeepherfromkickinghim,pushinghimoff.

“Youwantitrough.”Hegrowledinherear.

Herchestheavedagainsthimandshecurledherbodyupwardtosinkherteethintohisshoulder.He

archedhisbackthendroppedhishead,grabbinghernipplewithhisteeth,scrapingthesensitiveareola.

“Damnyou,”shegroaned.

“You love it,” he grunted, nipping along the soft flesh of her breasts. She cried out as he bit hard

enoughtoleavemarks.“Doyouwantmetostop?”

Sherolledherheadsidetosideinthestraw.“Don’tyoudare.”

Abrokenlaughescapedhim.Buthisfaceturnedseriousoncemoreashemovedherarmsuntilthey

werepinnedtohersides.Heslidhisbodybetweenherpartedthighs,skimminghistonguealongthelines

and creases of her pelvis, keeping to the outside, when she desperately wanted him at the center. Her

pussybecameslicker.Literallydripped,preparingherbodyforhisentry.

Buthefoundherclitfirst.Suckinghard,licking,flickingthesensitivebud.Aclimaxbuiltdeepinside

her.Withoutreleasingherclit,heslippedtwofingersinsideher,curvingthem,findingthespotwhichhad

swollen in her desire. And following with the motion of his tongue and his fingers, she rocked against

him,smashingherpelvisagainsthismouthasthepaceofhishandincreased.

Hertoescurled,herspinecurved,hermouthgaped.Shejerkedagainsthimastherushoforgasmic

wavestookherunderandover,crashinghertotheshore.Hercenterbeatasintenselyasherheart.She

suckedinair,tryingtosteadyherbreath.

Hemovedupandkissedherdeeply.Shecouldtasteherselfonhislipsandtongue.Shegroanedinto

hismouth.

Hereleasedhertotrackdownhisjeans,pulledhiswalletout,openedit,and…“Ohfuck.”

AfeelingofdreadcameoverLeah.Thatdidn’tsoundpromising.Sheturnedherheadtolookathim

andheshowedhertheinsideofhisemptywallet.

“I,uh...Idon’t…I’mnot…Shit.”Hethrewhiswalletdown,andglancedwithamixofsorrowand

frustration at his hard-on that bobbed with every move. He went and dropped to his knees in the straw

nexttoLeah.“Youdon’thappentobeonanything,areyou?”

“Ofcourse,Iam.I’minmysexualprime.”

“Sexualprime?Howoften…Wait.Whoelse…Haveyoubeensleepingwithsomeoneelse?”

“Didn’tIsaysomethingaboutdatingotherpeoplewhilewewereonthisforcedcelibacy?”

Hisexpressionturnedthunderous.“You’rekidding,right?Wereyouseriousaboutthat?”

Sheputhimoutofhismisery.“It’sonlybeenyou.”

Thereliefthatcrossedhisfacewasinstant.“Wait.Youareonthepillthough,right?”

“Yes.IhavenoplansonsqueezingoutaBrysonboy.”

“There’snothingwrongwithusboys.”

She raised a hand to his cheek. “Then tell me everything that’s right about you while you’re deep

insideme.”

Heshifteduntilalmostallhisweightwasonherandhecouldlookdirectlyintohereyes.“Well,let’s

startoffbysayingwehavegreatbigcocksandarecertifiedexpertswiththem.”

Leah chuckled and turned her head to avoid his kiss. “Certified, huh? Have you taken customer

surveystobesure?”

“Ohyeah,Ileaveoneonthebedstandliketheydoatmotels.SometimesIgetanenormoustip,like

theoneyou’reaboutto.”

Shebitherlowerlip,smiling.“AmInow.”

“Guaranteed.”

“Sofaryou’reonlyalltalk,bigman.”

“Youwantamanofaction,then?”

“Many,manyactions.”

“Somethinglikethis?”Marcsqueezedbothofherbreastswithinhishands,drawingthenipplesclose

together.Heswirledhistongueoveronetipandthentheother,alternatingbackandforthuntilthepink

nubswereglossyandpebbled.

Shewrappedherhandaroundthebackofhishead.Hedidn’thaveenoughhairtograb,butshekept

himinplace,makingsurehespentenoughtimeandattentiononeachbreast.Lips,teeth,fingers,tongue.

Eachtouchsentaboltoflightningdirectlytohercore.Sheachedforhim.

Heslidahandbetweentheirbodies,circlingherclitwithhisthumb,makinghergasp.Shethrusther

hips up and without fanfare drove himself deep. He had no resistance because she was oh-so-ready.

Nothingcamebetweenthemandsheclosedhereyes,baskinginthewayhefilledher,fitherperfectly.

Leaningback,hegrabbedherlegs,pushingherkneestoherchest,givinghimselffullaccess.Toher.

Toherheat.Hepoundedherhard,relentlesslyuntilabeadofhissweatdrippedontoherbelly.Withher

thighsspreadwide,heslidhishandsunderher,liftingherhipsslightly,tiltingherpelvissoeachstroke

pressedherwheresheachedthemost.

She let out a high-pitched wail and he slowed. He can’t. He can’t. She dug her fingernails into his

lowerback,draggingthemallthewaytohisass.

“Don’t.Don’t,”shesaidbreathlessly.

“Ican’t,”hebreathed,squeezinghiseyesshut.“I’llcome.”

“Idon’tcare!”

Withacurse,hepickedupthepaceagain,pumpingintoher,showinghernomercy.Herownfingers

foundherclit,rubbingfrantically.Shecalledouthisnameoverandoveruntilshehadnoideawhatshe

wasevensayinganymore.Herheaddroppedback,herhipsliftedhigher,tryingtotakehimevendeeper,

thoughthatwasimpossible.Hepoundedheruntilherbodystiffened,shescreamedsilently,andtheworld

explodedaroundher.

Whenhersensescamearound,Marcwasjustasstillasshewas,hisbreathinghardandfast,hiscock

twitchinginsideofher.Theirbodiesslickwithsweatandfluids.

Marc’s eyes were closed, his face lax, and if he wasn’t still holding himself up over her, she

would’ve thought he had passed out. He lowered their hips back to the straw and his body turned into

Jell-Oashecarefullylethisbodymoldintohers.

“I’llgetoffifI’mtooheavy.”

Sheshookherhead.“Notyet.”Shelikedthefeelingofhisweightpressingonher.Hiscockslowly

recededasitsoftened,butshewantedtokeephiminsideheraslongasshecould.Andhemadenoeffort

tomove.

“I’mgoingtocrushyou,”hemurmuredintothecrookofherneck,hisbreathcoolagainstherheated

skin. He shifted his weight but she wrapped her arms around him, holding him there for a few more

seconds. Then reluctantly she let him go and he settled on his side next to her. He traced her arms, her

waist,herhipswiththetipsofhisfingers.Hedrewcirclesaroundhernavel.Hislighttouchmadeher

shiver.

“Cold?”

Withhimnexttoher?Never.“No.”

Hemovedtogetupandshemadeasmallsoundofcomplaint.

“I’llbebackinasecond.”

Leahwatchedhisnakedbodymovefluidlytoametalcabinettuckedinadarkcornerwherehepulled

outsomecleanrags.Withinsecondshewaskneelingbetweenherlegs,spreadingherthighsgently,and

wipingawaytheevidenceoftheir“slipup.”Thenhecleanedhimselfandsettledinthestrawnexttoher,

onceagainonhisside,anarmdrapedoverherwaist.Hekissedhershoulderlightlyandnuzzledherskin.

They ended up laying quietly for almost an hour, the only sound being their steady breaths and the

crunchofstrawastheyshiftedoccasionallytogetmorecomfortable.Togetcloser.

Eventually,withregret,Leahmadethefirstmovetogetup.Theycouldn’tlaythereforever.Evenif

theywantedto.

Nothing was said while they dressed. Nor when they hooked their pinky fingers together while

walkingbacktothehouse.

When they reached his ATV, she reluctantly released his little finger, stepping away, heading to the

porch.

“Hey!”

Sheturnedtolookoverhershoulder.Heappearedsomber,straddledonhisfour-wheeler.

“Justfourmoreweeks.”

Leahnoddedherheadandwentintothehouse.

CHAPTER12

very day was torture. Sitting in such tight quarters on a daily basis, they got to know each other’s

scentsandmannerisms.Sheheardbadjokesandgood.Eatingontheirbreaks,shelearnedwhatfoods

helikedandwhathedidn’t.Andwhathecouldn’tlivewithout.

Butthetensioncouldn’tbethicker.Theywerecarefultoavoidtouching,leaningtooclose.Staringfor

morethanasecond.Becauseitwouldn’ttakemuchforthemtogoovertheedge.Likeadieterinfrontofa

largebuffet.Thetemptationwasthere,keptjustoutofreach.Theywerebothreadytosnap.

Leah found that most days were routine around Manning Grove. Being a small town, most citizens

werelawabiding.Thiswasnotabigcitywherecrimeranrampant.Inoneway,itwasnice.Inanother,it

wasboring.Themorepatrolstheydid,thebettershegottoknowthetownspeople.

Andonherdaysoff,sheeitherspentthemwithAmandaandTeddyatthesalon,inthekitchenwith

MaryAnn,orhelpingAmandaatthebakery.Anythingtokeephermindoffthemancurrentlysittingnextto

herinthedriver’sseatofthepatrolcar.

“One week,” he whispered. She didn’t know if he was telling himself or her. But she ignored it.

Thinkingaboutitmadethewaitmoredifficult.

TheradiosquawkedandLeahleanedovertoturnupthevolume,expectingatypicalnuisancecall.

“CountyDispatchtoallavailableunits.DomesticdisputeatfourteenBalsamRoad.Calleriscurrently

on the line. She is a neighbor and reports that there is screaming of at least one male and one female

insidetheresidence.OneresidentofthehouseisJasonFisher.Fisherisanavidhunterandknowntoown

severallongguns,aswellashandguns.Proceedwithcaution.Fisherisalsoknowntodrinkheavilyand

hasahistoryofdomesticviolence,simpleassault,andaggravatedassault.Unitscopy?”

Marcgrabbedthemic.“ManningGrovesixcopies.Enroute.ETAunderfiveminutes.”

“ManningGroveonecopies.Markmeenroute.ETAfiveminutes.I’llbeIncidentCommand.”

Dispatchanswered,“CopyManningGroveoneandsix.Anyotheravailableunits?”

“Damn,Max,”Marcmurmured,surprisedthechiefwasgoingtorespondtothiscall.

“CoudersportfivetoCountyDispatch,I’llstartheadingthatway.However,beadvisedmyETAisat

leastthirtyminutes.”

Leah’slookedatMarcinshock.Thestatepolicewereevengoingtoassist,iftheycouldgettherein

time.

“DispatchfromManningGroveeight.I’llbeinservice,badgenumberfifty-four,that’sfivefour,and

I’llbeenroute.ETAfiveminutes,”TommyDunncalledin.Leahglancedatherwatch.Scheduledforthe

threetoelevenshift,Dunnwasstartingearlytobackthemup.

Max’svoicecameovertheradioagain.“DispatchfromManningGroveone,keepthecalleronthe

lineandkeepusapprisedofanychanges.”

“CopyManningGroveone,ManningGroveeight,andCoudersportfive,”cameovertheradiofrom

thecounty.

Marchadflippedthelightsandsirenson,butastheyclosedinontheaddressoftheincident,heshut

bothoff.Hestoppedacouplehousesawayandtookagoodlookattheoutsideofthetwo-storyrun-down

home.Itwasjustoutsidethetownlimits,wherethehouseswerestillclosetogetherbutonacountryroad.

“IknowI’vementionedthisbefore,but…mostcallsyougoon,therearegoingtobegunsinthehouse.

So expect it. Up here, the majority of the residents own at least one. If not for hunting, then for self-

protection.”

Leahobservedtheproperty,notingthattherewereseveraljunkvehiclesinthedrivewayandtheshed

and detached garage behind the house were deteriorating, as in starting to fall down. The house wasn’t

muchbetter.Theporchhadamajordipinthecenterandthestepstothefrontdoorlookedabitrickety.

“Seeanything?”Marcaskedher.

“No.Nothing.ButIdon’tlikeallofthehidingspots.”

“Meneither.”

A lady on the house next door waved her arm at them. She had one hand up to her ear with an old

cordlessphone.

“There’sourcaller.”Marcmovedthecruiserslightlyclosertotheneighbor’shouseandLeahrolled

downthewindow.

“Haveyouseenthem?”sheaskedthemiddle-agedwoman,whoworeahousecoatandslippers.

Theneighborshookherhead.“No,buttheywerecausingquitearuckus.Theystillare.”

“Okay,youcanhangupwith911andgoinside,”Leahcalledout.

Theladynodded,speakingintothereceiver,anddisappearedintothehouse.Butinsecondsshewas

infrontofherwindow,peeringoutbetweenthecurtains.Leahshookherhead.Nosyneighbors,gottalove

them.Sometimestheywereablessing,sometimesacurse.

Marcrolleddownhiswindowandtheybothlistenedcarefully.Yep,therewasyellingallright,along

withcrashingsounds,likepotsandpansbeingthrown.

“Okay, we gotta move,” Marc told her. “But we need to keep cover. I don’t know how drunk this

assholeisorifhe’spulledoutanyofhisweapons.”

“Haveyourespondedherebefore?”

“Oh,yeah.MostofthosechargeshegotinScranton.Heonlymovedhereinthelastsixmonthsafter

hemetthewomanwholiveshereonline.”

HesoundedlikeawinnertoLeah.“Thechiefshouldbehereshortlyforbackup.Dunn,too.”

“Yeah,butIdon’twanttowait,”hetoldher.

Leahnoddedandregardedthehouse.Shecouldseenomovementinthewindows,sotheoccupants

maynotknowtheywereevenoutthereyet.Whichcouldbeanadvantageforthem.

“Let’smovetothehouseandcheckifwecanseeanythingfromthewindows.Youheadtotheright

andI’lltaketheleft.Keeplow.Haveyourweaponready.”

LeahgavehimathumbsupandclimbedoutofthecaratthesametimeMarcdid.Theybothpulled

their service weapons, giving each other one last look before she moved toward the right side of the

house,hetheleft.

Whenshereachedafirst-floorwindow,shestoodonhertiptoestolookinside.Shecouldseenothing,

butfromthesoundofit,thefightwasstillgoingfull-bore.Shemovedtothenextwindow.Againnothing.

Theruckussoundedlikeitwascomingfromthebackofthehouse.Mostlikelythekitchen.

Fromthecornerofhereye,shesawthechief’sSUVpullintothefrontyard,nolightsorsirens.Max

gave her a nod and Leah pointed to the back of the house, to let him know where she was headed. He

pointedtothefrontdoor.Heapparentlywasgoingtoknockandannounce.Maybehecoulddistractthe

maleinthehouse,whileLeahwentthroughthebacktocheckonthefemale.

Shecreptquietlyontothebackporch,hopingtheoldboardswouldn’tcreakandgiveheraway.With

herheartbeatingoutofherchest,shepeeredinthroughthedirtybackwindowrightintothekitchen.First

thing she spotted was the bloody chef’s knife on the counter. The table in the middle of the room was

overturnedandachairsmashedintopieces.

Shit.

ShetightenedhergriponherGlockandpinnedherselftotherightofthebackdoor.Shedidaquick

checkaroundtomakesurenoonewasapproachingfromtheoutside.

Thensheheardapoundingonthefrontdoor.“Police!Openup!”

Leahheardacurseandascramblinginside.Amaninsidecrossedherlineofsight.Fisher.Hemust

havebeeninthecorner.

“Whatthefuck!Somebodycalledthefuckingcops!”

AfemalemumbledbutLeahcouldn’tmakeoutwhatshewassaying.Andshecouldn’tseehereither.

Shewonderedifthevictimwasinthecornerwhereherassailanthadcomefrom.Inablindspot.Sonofa

bitch.

Thechiefpoundedonthefrontdooragain.“Police!Comeoutnow!”Max’svoicesoundedstrongand

steady, not even a slight waver. Not a speck of fear in that man. “Jason Fisher! Come to the front door

withyourhandsupnow!”

“Fuck!IfIhavetogotojailagain,bitch,I’mgoingtocomebackandkillyou.Doyouhearme?You

tellthemthatthere’snothingwrongandtheycangetthehelloutofhere.”

Fisher raised a fist to threaten someone out of her view. The female whimpered. He reached down

andpulledthefemaleupbyherhair.Shewasbadlycutandbeaten,herfaceredandswollen,andoneof

hereyesalreadyshut.Hershirtwastornopenandbruisesintheshapeoffingersalreadybloominginto

colorsonherarms.

Yeah,thisguywasbadnews.Andhehadnothingtolose.Themostdangerouskind.

Grippingthefemalebytheupperarm,heshookherandthendraggedheroutofthekitchentowardthe

frontofthehouse.

“OpenthisdoornoworI’llkickitin,”Max’sdeepvoiceresonatedloudenoughtobeheardandnot

ignored.LeahhopedMarcwaswithhim.

Leahtriedtheknobonthebackdoorand,withrelief,itturned.Unlocked.Shecarefullyopenedthe

doorandslidin,clearingthekitchen.Itlookedlikeawarzone.Bloodsmearedonthecountersandfloor,

buttheroomwasempty.

Shepinnedherselfagainstthewallthatseparatedthekitchenandthefrontofthehouse,thenpeeked

aroundthecornerandpulledbackquickly.Fisherstoodbythefrontdoor,thefemalegrippedinonehand,

asawed-offshotgunintheother.

Fuckanddoublefuck.Thisguywasnolaughingmatter.HewasseriouswithacapitalS.

Leah took a deep breath to calm herself and then she heard the female call out to Max through the

closedfrontdoor.“I’m…I’mokay.There’s…nothinggoingon.I’m…fine.Itwas…all…amistake.”The

sobsbetweenherwordsindicatedotherwiseandevenablindmanwouldseerightthroughthebullshit.

“Thenjustopenthedoorandletmeseeformyselfthateverythingisokay.Ican’tleaveuntilyoudo.”

“No…I…”Theassholewhisperedsomethingintothefemale’sear.“I’m…notdressed.Iwasinthe…

theshower.”

“Ma’am,you’regoingtohavetoopenthedoorsoIcancloseoutmyreportthen.Okay?”

Alongpause.Thesilencewasdeafening.Leahpeekedaroundthecorneragain.Fisherwaspushing

thefemaleoutoftheway,pointingtothecouch.Shewentandsatdown,pullingherkneestoherchestand

wrapping her arms around them tightly. Even from where Leah stood, she could see the woman was

shaking.

The male stood back from the front door and raised his shotgun to chest height. Before Leah could

warnMax,Fishershouted,“Goaheadandkickthedoorin,asshole!”

AsthesoundofsplinteringwoodhitLeah’sears,sheonlyhadeyesforhertarget.Shesprintedtothe

front of the house, pulling her ASP baton and swinging it until it expanded. In what seemed like slow

motion,sheraisedherarmandswungthelongmetalbatondownuntilitstruckthewristsofFisher.She

hadtakenhimbysurprise,butitwasthecrackofhisbonesthatmadehimdroptheweaponatthesame

timethedoorswungopen.

Leah glanced up for a hot second to make sure Max was okay but the entryway was empty. With

anotherraiseoftheASP,shestruckthemanagainbehindhisknees,takinghimdowntotheground.She

dropped on top of him, shoving the baton horizontally across his throat. She put more pressure on then

whatwasneeded,notthatshecaredatthatmoment.Themanwasmoaningandwrithinginpainbeneath

her.Twosnappedwristswilldothattoyou.

Max appeared in the doorway, as did Marc. Marc turned his head and yelled, “Call for EMS!” to

someonebehindhim.

Theybothrushedinandheldthemandown,turninghimoverandcheckingformoreweapons.

Once he was cleared, Marc knelt next to her, a mixture of emotions crossing his face. “You should

havefired.”

Shegavehimalookofdisbelief.“Icouldn’t.Imighthavehitthechief.”

“Youshould’vedoubletappedtheson-of-a-bitch,”Marcsnarled.

“No.”

“Yes!” Pure anger emitted from him. The emotion was so thick that she shifted away from him. But

wayatthebottomofhisangerwashisfear.Shecouldseeitinhiseyes.

Whyweretheyarguingaboutthishere,now?Whatthefuckwaswrongwithhim?Shescowledathim.

Maxbrokeintoherthoughts.“Marc,damnit,giveherabreak.Shedidfine.Fisherisincustody.No

oneisdead.Itcouldn’thavegonebetter.”

“You could have both been killed.” Marc jumped to his feet and turned to so they couldn’t see his

face.

“Weweren’t,”Maxassuredhim.Thechiefturnedtoherandhelpedhertoherfeet.Shestillkeptone

eyeontheinjuredmanontheground.

TommyDunnrushedinandovertothevictim.“EMSisontheway.Twounits.”

Maxnoddedhishead.“Good.Dunn,IwantyoutoridewithMr.Fisherheretothehospital.I’llmeet

youtherewhenIcan.I’llgetthevictim’sstatement.”

“Noproblem,Chief.I’llgettheEMTstostraphimdownonthegurney.”DunneyedFisher’sinjuries.

“ThoughIdoubthe’sgoingtotrytoescape.”

“Bettersafethansorry,”Maxanswered.

“Truethat.Goodjob,Grant.”Dunnpattedheronthebackandthenescortedtheabusedwomanoutof

thehousetowaitfortheambulance.

“Helpmegethimup,”MaxsaidtoMarc.Whentheyhauledtheguyup,Fisher’sarmhunguselesslyby

hissidesandhefavoredoneofthelegsLeahhadhittotakehimdown.“Marc,takehimoutside.”

“Let’sgo,Grant,”Marcsaidtoher.

“No.Yougo.Sheneedstostayhereforaminute,”Maxtoldhim,hiseyesneverleavingLeah.

Shesquirmed.Wassheintrouble?

“But—”

“Go!”

DreadfilledLeah’schest.ShebangedherASPonthefloortocollapseitandplaceditbackonher

dutybelt.

“Nicejob.”

Leahlookedupatherboss.Wasthatacompliment?“Thanks.”

“Heiswrong.Youwererightnottoshoot.Youdidn’tknowwhatwasbehindyourtarget.Hewouldn’t

haveshoteither.He—”

“He’swasworriedaboutyou,”Leahfinishedforhim.“You’refamily.Igetit.”

“Youdon’tthinkhewasworriedaboutyou?”

Leahdidahalfshrug,lookingaroundtheroom,avoidingMax’seyes.

“Ithinkthetwoofyouhavegottenyourselfintoafinemess.”

Finally,Leahmethisgaze.“Whatdoyoumean?”

“Youguysaretooattachedtoeachother.Youguysweresupposedtobecoach-pupil.Notlovers.”

“Sorry.”

Maxshookhishead.“Look,youhaveonemoreweekofevaluationandtraining.Youimpressedme

today.Ican’tsayIregrethiringyou.Notonebit.

“Andthesilverliningofthisincidentisthathecan’tsaywomenshouldn’tbecops.Youprovedhim

wrongtoday.Whatyoudidtookgutsandphysicalstrength.You’reasgoodasanyofmyofficers…evenif

youareawoman,”hejoked,punchingherlightlyinthearm.“Butseriously,he’sgoingtobehardonyou

aboutyoutakingtheriskofgoinghands-on.Nomatterwhathesays,itwastherightcall.”

“IfIwasamanhewouldn’tgivemeanyshitaboutit.”

“Ifyouwereamanhewouldn’tcaresomuchaboutyou.”

Leahlookedupathim.“Youthinkhedoes?”

“More than you know. If you guys just think you’re going to be fuck buddies after next week then

you’reseriouslydelusional.EvenIcanseewhat’sgoingonamileaway.”

Leahhadtoadmit,she’sbeenignoringherfeelings.Shethoughtifshedisregardedthem,theywouldn’t

betrue.Butapparently,itwasobvioustoothers.ShewonderedifitwasobvioustoMarcaswell.Butshe

hadnoideahowhereallyfelt.Itwashardtofigureoutsuchapig-headedman.

“And by the way, Leah. If you don’t know it yet, you’re family too.” With that Max walked out the

frontdoor,leavingLeahtostandtherestunned.

You’refamilytoo.

Leahrubbedattheslightburningsensationinhereyes.

Shewouldnotcry.

Therewasnocryinginpolicework.

henalltheambulancesandblack-and-whitesweregone,onlyMarcandLeahremained.Leahsatin

thepassengerseatofthecruiser,scribblingnotesforherreport.Herbottomlipwastuckedbetween

herteethassheconcentrated.

Marcwantedtoscreamather.Butthedesiretotakeherinhisarmswasstronger.Hewantedtohold

herandnotletgo.Takeherhome,tuckherintobed,andlockthedoor.Whereshewassafe.Wherehe

knewshewouldbeatalltimes.

Shedidagreatjobhandlingtheincident,andithadbeenonlyhisemotionstalkingwhenhesaidthat

sheshould’veshotthesuspect.Shedidwhatanygoodcopwoulddo,gohands-ontopreventlossoflife.

Takecontrolofthesituationanddeescalatewhenpossible.

The incident could have gone horribly wrong. She could’ve been killed. His brother could’ve been

killed.Andhewouldnothavebeenabletolivewithhimselfifeitherofthosethingshadhappened.

But they were cops. This was their job. If they wanted a safe job they could’ve become librarians,

wheretheriskiestpartofthejobwasapapercut,orabookdroppingonyourfoot.

Howboring.

Leahonlyhadaweektogointrainingandtherewasnodoubtafterthisincident,sheshouldpasswith

flyingcolors.Imean,whowouldn’t,hethought,whenyouhadyourchief’sback.Therewasn’tanyoneat

thestationwhocoulddisrespectherasapoliceofficerjustbecauseshewasawoman.

Includinghimself.

Ofcourse,hewastheonlyonethatprobablyhadthatideainthefirstplace.Why?

Becausehewasadumbass.

Thereweregoingtobetimes,ifLeahremainedhislover,hewasgoingtoworryabouther.Hell,he

probablywasgoingtoworryaboutherallthetime.Buthehadtoletherdoherjob.

After all, if she hadn’t become a cop, Marc never would have met her in the first place. And that

wouldhavebeenadamncrimeinitself.

Fate.

Oh,thatfuckingfatebullshit.

He sighed loudly and Leah glanced up from her paperwork. She gave him a small smile, then went

backtobendingoverherclipboard,writingaway.

Hecouldn’timaginehislifewithouther.

Hewantedherinhisbedeverynight.

Aweirdacheconstrictedhischestandherubbedatit.Feelingnorelief,heshovedhishanddownhis

collarunderhisvest,desperatelyrubbingsomemore.Itwasn’tgoingaway.

Itwasn’tbecause…

No.

Nofuckingway.

Couldn’tbe.

Marc turned away from the patrol car and started to pace. His heart thumped in his chest. His skin

becameclammy.

Maybehewasjusthavingapanicattack.Hesuckedairinthroughhisnostrils,tryingtocalmhimself.

Breathe.Justbreathe.

Leahcalledouttohim.“Youready?TherestIcandoatstation.”

Wasittrue?

“Yeah,”hecalledback.Andstrodebacktothecar.

CHAPTER13

icktock.Ticktock.Tick…tock.

When Marc heard the click of Max’s office door opening, he rushed down the station’s hallway,

wherehehadjustbeenpacing,togohideinthepatrolroom.

Ifeverythingwentasexpected,hewasnolongerLeah’sFTO.UnlessFTOmeantFuck‘TilOrgasm.

He was about to blow a blood vessel. He’d had a perpetual hard-on all day and here it was—he

glancedathisplainblackwatch—twoforty-five.Andtheirlastshifttogetherwasalmostofficiallyover.

AslongasMaxsignedoff.

She’dstillbeonprobationforanothertenmonths,buttheir“plan”wascomingtoanend.Anysecond

now…

“CorporalBryson,”camebellowingoutofthechief’soffice.“Inhere.Now.”

Marc’sstomachjumped.

HehadbeentotallyhonestonhisevaluationofLeah.Hehadn’tgivenherabreakonce,hehadeven

beenalittletougheronherthannormal.Forherowngood,obviously.Butmaybehehadbeentooharshin

hisnotes?

Nah.TherewasjustnowaythatMaxwouldn’tsignoffonhertrainingtoday.Notafterwhathappened

theotherday.

Hepeeredaroundthedoor.MaxsatinhiscomfydeskchairandLeahstoodatattentionbeforehim.

HehadhisfingerssteepledinfrontofhisfaceandhelookedtowardMarc.

“Getinhere.”

MarcmovedtostandnexttoLeah,hiseyesnotleavingMax’sface.

“What’sup?”Itwasalameattemptatsoundingcasual,eventhoughhewantedtoshithispants.

“Corporal Bryson, I have to commend you for the job you did during coach-pupil. Even with your

beliefsyoudidverywellshowingOfficerGranttheropes.AnFTO’sjobistough,butimportant,andyou

willhaveanimpactonherfutureasapoliceofficer.”

MaxstoodupandofferedhishandtoMarc,whostaredatitlikeitwasapieceofliver.Heguessed

they were being professional at this moment. Marc took his brother’s hand and shook it firmly, his

stomach finally settling down. “Thank you, Chief. It’s been a—” Pleasure. “A good experience for the

bothofus.”

Marc finally snuck a peek at Leah. Her face was serious. She could at least crack a damn smile.

Maybeherassholehadbeenjustaspuckeredashiswas.

MaxshookhandswithLeah.“Congratulations,OfficerGrant,youarenowapartofthisdepartment,

thoughkeepinmindyou’restillonprobationuntilyourfirstyearisup.However”—hestabbedathumb

towardMarc—“youwon’thavetoridewiththisoneanymore.Unlessyougetstuckonamidnightshift

together.”

Marcwasactuallygoingtomissridingwithher.

“Letmesaywe’rejustgladtohaveyouonboard,Grant.Andkeepupthegoodwork…liketheother

daywiththattakedown.Youhaveagoodheadonyourshouldersandthosearethetypeofofficerswe

need.”

“Yes,Sir.”Shefinallycrackedasmile

“Youtwoaredismissed.”Heliftedabrow.“I’msureyou’rebothanxioustogo…celebrate.”

If his older brother meant “fuck fest” by using the term celebrate, he certainly was correct. Marc’s

cockwasalreadystirring.Down,boy,down!

“Don’t forget to eat, breathe, and drink plenty of fluids!” Max called as they both rushed out of the

office.MarchadtostoptoletLeahthroughthedoorfirst,otherwise,intheirhaste,theybothwouldhave

beenstuckinthejambatthesametime.

In the locker room, fingers shook in anticipation as they removed their uniforms and hung their

equipmentintheirlockers.Theireyesneverlefteachother.Itwasforeplaywithoutthetouching.

“Myhouse.”Hetossedherthehousekey.“I’llbetherebyfouro’clock.That’llgivemeenoughtime

topickuptake-out.Maxisright,we’llhavetotakeabreaksometimetoeat.”Hechuckledatthepicture

inhisheadofthemlockedinhisbedroomforhours.Andhours.

“Ineedtostopatyourparentstoshowerfirst.”

“No!Justgoshoweratmyplace.”LastthingMarcwantedwasforhertobedelayedbecauseofhis

parentsplayingtwentyquestionswithher.Theytendtobeacockblockwithoutmeaningtobe.

“Hurry,”Leahwhisperedbeforerushingoutoftheroom.

Hewasgladtoseehewasn’ttheonlyoneanxioustogetnakedandsweaty.

arcopenedthefrontdoorandwasmetwithsilence.Menacedidn’tevencomegreethim.

“Leah?”

Hervoicecamefaintlyfromdownthehall.“Inhere.”

Herattledtheplasticbagthatheldtheirdinners.“Foodnoworlater?”

“Fuckthefood.”

Marc smiled as he put the take-out in the fridge. She was his type of woman. Fucking before food.

Priorities.

“Where’sMenace?”heasked,takinglongstridesdownthedarkhallway.

“Ilethimoutandthenputhiminhiscrate.”

Thebedroomdoorwasonlyopenacrack.Hepusheditwide.“Good—”Helosthistrainofthought

forasecondashesawtheluscioussightbeforehim.“Thinking.”Heclosedhisgapingmouth.“Damn.”

Leahwaswearingnothingbutasmile.“Abouttimeyougethere.”

“Ididn’twanttogetpulledoverforspeeding.”

Herchucklewaslowandsultry,causinghiswholebodytoreact.Hisnippleshardened,hiscockwas

at full attention, and his breathing shallowed. Someone must have thought it was his birthday. Or

Christmas.Becausethiswasthebestdamnpresentlaidoutbeforehimthathe’severgotten.Andhedidn’t

evenhavetounwrapit.

Shecockedaneyebrow.“Youjustgoingtostandthere?”

“IthinkI’mparalyzed.”

Leahsuckedtwofingersintohermouth,wettingthem,andthenfoundherpussy.Shepulledherknees

up and let them fall to the side. Her pink smoothness called a siren’s song to him. Right now, someone

couldcomeupbehindhim,trytoknockhimoverthehead,andhewouldn’tevenresist.

“You’restilljuststandingthere.”Herfreehandkneadedherbreasts,onethentheother.

Marcswallowedhard.

Shedippedhertwofingersinsideherself,andMarcwatchedthemdisappear.Hotdamn.He wanted

tobethosefingers.

Pickingupafeverishpace,sheworkedtheminandout,smallsoundsescapingherlips.

“Iwanttowatchyoucome.”Hemovedclosertothebed,butnotcloseenoughforhertoreachhim.

He was loving this display. She writhed as she pleasured herself, tugging on her own nipples, fucking

herselfwithherfingers,thumbingherownclit.

As her delicate skin became slicker, his heart pounded out of his chest. He resisted tearing off his

clothes, because once he was naked, he wasn’t going to be able to stop himself from diving into her,

takingoverherpleasure.Makingherhis.

Her hips popped off the bed and she moaned, eyes slightly closed. She still watched him through

loweredeyelids.Sheranthetipofhertongueoverherlipsandthatsimplemovementalmostcausedhis

undoing.

Hishandsclenchedintofistsandhelockedhiskneestokeepfrommovingforward.Hewantedherto

bringherselftocompletionfirst.Herchestroseandfell,herhipsrespondingtotherhythmofherfingers.

She spread her knees wider and he fought the urge to bury his mouth against her, taste her slick, plump

sex.

Timestoodstillashewitnessedthechangesinherbody,theflushgrowingatherchest,thetensingof

hermuscles,herlipsparting,herbreathnowcominginlittlepants.Hertoescurledandherbodyjerked,

her hips thrusting toward the ceiling. Her low wail shot directly into his lower body and he twitched

alongwithher.Heimaginedherinnerwallsclenchingandpulsingaroundhishardcock.

Onebyone,piecesofhisclotheslandedinapile,startingwithhisbootsandendingwithhisboxer

briefs.Assoonashewasasnakedasher,hemoved,climbingonthebed,settlinghishipsbetweenher

thighs,cuppingherflushedfaceinhishands.

“Thatwasfuckingbeautiful,”hewhispered,drawingherunfocusedgazebacktohim.

He spread his knees apart, taking her legs even wider. “Sorry, but I can’t wait. Not this time. But

next…”

Theheadofhiscockbumpedagainstherslickfoldsuntilitwasdirectlyatherentrance.

Herfingerssweptoverhischeeksanddownhisjawline.“Yes.Takeme.”

Withapushofhiships,hewasinsideofher.Apartofher.Thedampwarmth,thevelvetysoftness,the

gripofherinnermuscles.Atthismomentshewashis.

Itwouldneverbethisright,thisgoodwithanyoneelse.Onlyher.

He rocked slowly, enjoying the feeling of being sheathed deep within her. She squirmed underneath

him,wrappingherlegsaroundhiships,tryingtopullhimtighteragainsther.

He kissed her long and fully, their lips meshed, until he finally released her to kiss down her neck,

findthehollowofherthroat.Hermoans,hergroans,hercriesvibratedagainsthismouthashethrustinto

her over and over. She raked her nails over his back and the sting of her breaking skin made him even

harder,thrustfaster.

Iftherewasaheaven,thiswasit.Nothingcouldfeelbetterthanthismoment.Nothing.Until…

Thesensationofanorgasmrippingthroughheralongwithherlong,lowwailmadehisballstighten,

hisbodytense.Therushofhisownclimaxovercamehim,fillingher.Hecalledouthernameasthelast

pulserockedhim.

Hewasn’tsureifhe’dpassedout,sawstars,orwhat.Butwhenhecaughthisbreath,herfingerswere

smoothing his short hair and she was murmuring something to him. Nothing important. Just words. He

inhaleddeeplyandreleasedtheairslowlythroughhisnostrils,comingbacktoearth,reality.

Withagrunt,heshifted,relievingherofhisweight.Buthekeptrollinguntilsheendedupontopof

him.Hisarmstightenedaroundherandshetuckedherfaceintothecrookofhisneck,snugglingdeeper

intohisembrace.

Hehadonelastlucidthoughtbeforehiseyesclosed.

Shefitperfectly.

yingonhisback,Marc’seyespoppedopen.Hewasn’tusedtohavingsomeoneelseinhisbed.Maybe

that’s why he became conscious, even though his eyes remained shut. He knew it was late, even

withoutlookingatthedigitalclockonthenightstand.

Leahmovedrestlesslybesidehim,makingnoisesinhersleep.Italmostsoundedlikea…yes,shewas

havingaconversation.Shewasmumblingunrecognizablewordswhileherhandsflailedunderthesheet.

Itwasn’tuntilsheaccidentallybrushedhimwithherfingersthatsheinstinctivelyreachedouttograbhim.

Thetouchcalmedhermovementsandslowedhermuttering.Herheadturnedtowardhimandshesighed

loudly.

Whatever had been bothering her in her sleep was now gone or solved. She shifted closer to him,

laying on her side. She rested her thigh on top of his and her hand settled along his lower belly. She

sigheddeeplyagain,thistimeutteringveryclearwords.

“Iloveyou.”

Marc’sheartstoppedforamillisecond,thenpoundedsostronglyhecouldfeelitfromhisheadtohis

toes.Hisheadspun.Hedidn’tknowwhattothinkaboutherdeclaration.Especiallysinceshewasstill

asleep.Wassheevensayingittohim?Shecouldbedreamingaboutanyone.

Right.Anyoneatall.

With her head on his chest he smoothed her long tresses along his skin, running the dark silkiness

throughhisfingers.Unabletofallbackasleep,hestaredattheceilingfortherestofthelongnight.

CHAPTER14

arcwhackedhisflashlightagainsthispalm.Thedamnthingwouldn’tlight.Itdidn’ttakeageniusto

figure out the batteries were dead. He dug through his patrol bag, hoping he had thrown in some

spares. But no. The batteries in the flashlight were probably the extras. He couldn’t go without a

flashlight,especiallyduringthethreetoelevenshift.

Leahwanderedintothelockerroom,heruniformshirtalreadyhalfunbuttoned.Shedroppedherheavy

patrolbagonthebenchwithasigh.

Thesightofhermadehimwanttotakeherinhisarmsimmediately,tofeelherbodyagainsthim.But

hedidn’t.Thiswaswork,heremindedhimselfaswellashisindependentcock.“Howwasyourfirstshift

goingsolo?”

“Quiet.”Shebarelyacknowledgedhim.Maybesomethingwasonhermind.Orsomethinghappened

duringhershift.

“Quietbecausetherewerenocalls?OrquietbecauseIwasn’tinthecarwithyou?”

Shelookedupwhilepullinghershirtfromthewaistbandofherpants.“Both.”

Hewantedtoaskherifshe’dmissedhim.Butthatwouldjustsound…likesomeonewhowasneeding

theiregomassaged.

Aftershe’dleftearlythismorningtoheadinforhershift,he’dfinallycaughtuponsomesleep.The

wordsutteredwhileshesleptkeptechoinginhismind,though.Hewantedtoaskheriftheyweremeant

forhim.Butagain…Hewasn’tgoingtoputhimselfinthatvulnerableposition.Ifshewantedtosaythem

whileshewasawakeandvertical,thenfine,shecould.Ifnot,then—

“Hello?”

MarcconcentratedonLeah.“Yeah?”

“Youdisappearedforaminute.”

Marcshookhisheadtoclearit.“Sorry.”

Leah shrugged. “I’m beat. All that extracurricular activity last night isn’t conducive to getting up at

halfpasttheasscrackofdawn.”

She did have dark circles under her eyes, which could explain the emotional distance she was

keeping.“Youwanttomeetmeonmybreakfordinner?”

She hesitated before she answered. “No. Your mom called me and asked if I’d be home for dinner

tonight.IpromisedherIwould.”

Hislipsflattenedoutandhenodded.“Okay.”

“Anothernight.”

“Sure.”

Sheslidhertrouserbeltoutoftheloopsofherpantsandhungitinherlocker.“Youokay?”

“Yep.”Heliftedhisflashlight.“Hey,canIborrowyourMaglite?Mybatteriesarekicked.”

“Yeah,Idon’tcare.Justmakesuretoputitbackwhenshift’sover.”Shetiltedherheadtowardher

patrolbag.“Inthere.”

Marcunzippedthebaganddugaround.Hishandbrushedagainstsomethingpaper.Areportfromher

shift? Without taking it completely out of the bag, he peered at it closer. An envelope. With the return

addressofapolicedepartmentnearPhiladelphia.Oneclosertohomeforher.

Whatthefuck.

“Findit?”

Marc tucked the envelope back in the bag and felt around until he found the flashlight on the very

bottom.“Yeah.Gotit.”

“All right. I’m out of here. I’m looking forward to your mom’s cooking tonight. I think Teddy and

Amandamightcomeovertohang.”Sheheadedoutthedoor.“Justthrowmybaginmylocker,willyou?”

“Sure.”

“Okay,thanks.Seeya.”

“Later.”Theexchangewaslikeacoupleofcoworkers,notliketwopeoplewhohadspenthourslast

nightexploringeveryinchofeachother’sbodies.

Sherushedoutoftherelikeshehadahotdate.Hestaredattheemptydoorwayforamoment,then

peekedhisheadout,makingsureshewasgone.Shewassplitsville.Hewentbacktoherbagandpulled

theenvelopeout.Thetophadalreadybeenslicedopen,sohedidn’tfeelsobadwhenhepulledoutthe

correspondence.

The letterhead matched the return address. He skimmed the two-page letter once, his stomach

droppingtohisfeet.Thenhesatonthebenchandreaditslowerthesecondtime.

The letter spelled out a conditional offer of employment from Valley Forge Police Department.

Skimmingthesalaryandbenefits,herealizedtheywereofferinghermoremoneyandbetterbenefitsthan

whatshewasgettinghere.Hewassureitwasabusier—certainlynotquiet—citywhichcouldofferher

moreopportunitiestogrow.

Theletterinvitedhertoanoralinterviewwithapanelofthreerankedofficers:thechief,thepatrol

sergeant,andacaptain.Itevenlistedthetimeanddatetoreport.Marcglancedathiswatch.Threeweeks

fromnow.

Hehadnowayofknowingifshe’drespondedyet.Butifshewasn’tinterestedwhywouldshestillbe

carryingaroundtheletter?Wouldn’tshejusthavethrownitout?Andwhyhideit?

He refolded the sheets of paper and carefully placed them back in the envelope. It was then that he

realizedhe’dmissedsomedelicatehandwritingontheback.

, this came in the mail for you. I hope it’s what I think it is. It would be great to have you back

home.Youmakemeveryproud.Missyou.Love,Mom.

he’dbefoolishnottogo.He’dbefoolishtolether.

Hewasinforalongshiftbecausenowhehadhellofaheadache.

nherwaybacktotheBryson’s,Leahstoppedattheliquorstore.Shefiguredshe’dpickupacouple

bottlesofwine,especiallyforafterdinneriftheyendedupallsittingaroundplayingcards.Ronand

MaryAnnlovedcardgamesandwhenevertheyhadguests,theytriedtoropethemintoplayingatleasta

fewroundsofGinRummy.

Lastnight’slateactivitiesandacoupleglassesofwinemayputhertobedsoonerthanlater,though.

Andshehadtogetupearlyforanotherdaylightshifttomorrow.

PoorMarcwasstuckonsecondshiftforthenextcoupledays,whileshe,therookie,wasgettingthe

coveted seven-to-three shift. She wouldn’t be surprised if Marc was a bit bent out of shape about it.

Thoughhehadsaidnothingtoher.

Atcheckout,threeolderwomenwereaheadofherinline.Allaboutthesameageandgossipingabout

randomtownfolk.Leahdidn’tgiveitmuchthoughtuntilafamiliarnameperkedherears.

“Oh,Bea!Didyouhear?MaxBryson’swifeboughtapregnancytestatthepharmacy.”

“No! I bet Mary Ann is excited to finally become a grandmother!” Bea said, like it was a major

scandal.

“Adreamcometrueforhismother,”theothergossipqueen,whowasnotBea,added.

“She’sbeenwaitingsolong,”gossipqueennumberonechimedin.

“Abouttimeoneofthoseboysmanup,”Beasaidwithslightdisapprovalinhervoice.

Manup?

Leahgrittedherteeth.Ifsheeverhadapregnancyscareshewouldbesuretobuyatestfromthenext

townover.No.Scratchthat.Onlineandindiscreetpackaging.

BeaturnedherattentiontoLeah.“Hey,Iknowyou.You’rethatnewladycopintown.Lee,right?”

Ohshit.“Leah.”

“Leah.YoulivewithRonandMaryAnn?”LikeBeadidn’tknowtheansweralready.

“Yes,temporarily.”

“So,isittrue?IsMax’swifepregnant?”gossipqueennumberoneasked.

She wasn’t going to contribute to the rumor mill, even if she did know the answer. “Sorry, I’m not

privytothatkindofinformation.”

She threw a twenty on the counter and told the clerk to keep the change. With two bottles of wine

tuckedunderherarm,shepushedpastthemtoescapethestoreandthegossipqueens,thebellsjingling

loudlybehindher.

IfAmandawaspregnant,therewouldbemorewineforTeddyandher.Andifsherefusedaglass,that

wasatell-talesignthattheremaybeabunintheBrysonoven.

Themouth-wateringsmellofwhateverMaryAnnwasmakingfordinnerhitherassoonasshewalked

in the front door. Chaos came barking through the house and spun three times in front of her, then ran

behindhertoherdherintothekitchen.Typicalbordercollie.

“What’scooking?”sheaskedasshewalkedintothekitchen.Achorusofhellosandgladyourhomes

surrounded her. She had to take a moment to collect herself as she realized these people were truly

becominghersecondfamily.

SheimmediatelythoughtofthelettershegotfromtheValleyForgePoliceDepartment.Theofferwas

tempting. How could it hurt just to take the interview? It would open up opportunities within law

enforcementforher.Andshe’dbeclosertohermother,whoshemissed.Butshestillcouldn’thelpthe

feelingofguiltatthethoughtofevenconsideringit.

Otherthanthegroupinthekitchen,hermotherwastheonlyrealfamilyshehadleft.Besidesafew

estrangedcousinsandasecondcousin.Ifshecouldjusttalkhermothertomoveuphere,she’dbeset.

Smalltownlifecouldbeboring,yes.Butafterlivinginaheavilypopulatedcommunityandinanarea

wheretrafficwasalwaysasnarlingnightmare,ManningGrovewasarefreshingchange.Didshereally

neednightsoutattheclubs?Ortogobarhopping?

Hellno.She’dneverhungoutwithgirlygirlsanyway.Herbestfriendsgrowingupwerealwaysthe

boys in the neighborhood. They’d play outside for hours and not go home until the street lights would

come on. They’d get dirty, climb trees, skin knees, and jump bikes off of homemade ramps. Fun,

adventurousthings.Notpaintingonbucketsofmakeup,puttingonfalseeyelashesandnails,andgoingtoa

clubtodrunkenlygrindagainststrangers.Thatwasneverherthing.

SheconsideredAmanda.Herewasawomanwhohadlovedthebigcityandnowwascontentwith

smalltownlife.Wasn’tshe?

Andwhodidn’tloveTeddy?Healwayslituptheroomandwouldgiveyoutheshirtoffhisbackif

youneededit.

AndGregwaslikeeveryone’slittlebrother.

Ron and Mary Ann had stepped in like a second set of parents. They were truly caring and loving.

Nothingfakeaboutthem.Hermomwouldlovethem.

And the Bryson’s sons… Honest and hardworking. They took pride in serving their community and

theircountry.

Theywereacloseknitfamily…allexceptforone.Thesonwhowouldn’tcomehomeevenwhenhe

wasableto.

Onedayshe’dmeetthismysteriousMatt.Ifshedidn’ttaketheinterviewappointmentatVFPD.Butif

shedidn’t,wouldsheregretitlater?Whatharmwoulditdotojustinterview?Shecouldalwayssaynoif

theyofferedheraposition.

Amandacaughthereyeandtiltedherheadtowardthelivingroom.Theybothslippedawaybeforethe

otherthreenoticed.

“What’sgoingon,girlfriend?Itlookslikeyou’recarryingaheavyload.”Amandamovedtothecouch

andpattedtheseatbesideher.

“Justtired.Latenight.Earlymorning.”

“Nah.It’smorethanthat.”

Leah wanted to change the subject. “Speaking of heavy load…I heard a rumor when I stopped for

wine.”

“Uhoh.Thosenastyrumors.”

“Ijustwantedtoletyouknowwhat’sgoingaroundtown.”

Amandapressedafingertiptoherlipsandlookedtowardtheceiling.“Hmm.Iwonderwhatitcould

be.”Shelaughed.“ThatI’mknockedup?”

Leahraisedherbrows.“Areyou?”

“Yeah,wethinkso.Istillneedtomakeanappointmentwithmygynotobeahundredpercentsure.But

yeah.”

“Areyouhappyaboutit?”

“Thetruth?”Amandahesitatedandtookadeepbreath.“I’mscared.”

“Iwouldassumemostpeopleare.”

“No. Like I never thought I’d be mother material. I never even had any maternal instinct. Then I

inherited Greg—and Chaos—which stuck me with responsibilities I never wanted. Until suddenly one

dayIdid.IwantedtotakecareofGregandthatdamndog.Andbythattime,IrealizedIdidn’thavetodo

italoneanyway,Maxhadforcedhiswayintomylife,whetherIlikeditornot.”

LeahcouldpictureMaxnottakingnoforananswer.Marcandhimwerejustalike.Butitworkedout

intheircase.Theyseemedpassionate,content,andreallyinlove.Therewasanobvioussparkbetween

thetwo.Leahwasabitenvious.

“Speakingof…whereisGreg?”

“AthomewithMax.Theydecidedtowatchmoviesandmakepopcorn.Ishould’veleftChaosbehind

toeatallthedroppedkernels.IknowwhenIgethome,thelivingroomisgoingtolooklikeablizzard

hit.”

Theybothchuckled.Amandalaidahandonherflatbellyandbecamepensive.

“Wait.”Leahtiltedherheadtowardthekitchen.“Dotheyknow?”

“Ohhellno!YouneedtokeepthisontheD.L.Nowonlyyouknow.Andtherumormill.Well,and

Max,obviously,buthewasthereduringthemakingofthelittledemonspawninsideofme.Ihopeitwas

oneofhisgoodspermsthatfoundmyegg.Anditbetterbeagirl.”

Leahlaughed.Thiswomanhadnofilter.Shelovedthattheotherwomanspokehermind.Sheleaned

over and gave Amanda a hug. “Well, congratulations to you guys. I hope your demon spawn comes out

healthy.”

Amanda squeezed her back. “We decided not to tell the fam until after the first trimester is over,

rumors be damned. Those first three months can be tricky and I don’t want to disappoint the future

grandparents.Iknowthey’realreadyhurtingwithMattbeinggonesolong.”AmandapattedLeah’sthigh.

“So,Iheardyoupassedtrainingwithflyingcolors.Maxisverypleasedtohaveyouontheforce.”

“Yeah.I’monmyownnow.”

“AndMarc?”

Leahpretendedtomisunderstand.“He’sbackonhisownnowtoo.”

Amanda snorted. “No, I meant how’s it going with him? Max told me you two would probably be

celebratinglastnight.”Amandaairquoted“celebrating.”

Leahblushed.DideveryoneknowshehadspentthenightoveratMarc’s?Ofcourse,theyknew.Duh.

“Doyouthinkit’llbecomeseriousnowthatyou’reheretostay?”

Leahhesitated.Shepicturedtheenvelopeinherpatrolbagbackatthestation.“Um...”

“Okay,somethingwasweighingheavilyonyouwhenyoucamein.Whatisit?”

“Igotajobofferfromanotherpolicedepartmentclosetohome.”

Amanda didn’t say anything, just stared at her. Leah waited for a look of disappointment or even a

look of encouragement. Something. Amanda leaned back on the couch and turned her gaze to the empty

fireplace.“Wow.That’snotwhatIexpected.”

“I’mnotsurewhattodo.I’mnotsurewhatIwanttodo.”

“Saynoandstayherewithus?”Amandasuggested,soundinghopeful.

“Mymomisbyherselfbackhome.Nofamilynearby.Imissher.”

“I’msureyoudo.”Amandawasbeingwaytoounderstanding.

“It’sbettermoneyandbenefitstoo.”

“That’shardtoresist.”

“Yeah.Iwouldneedtogodownthereandatleastinterview.Theysentmeaconditionaloffer.”

“Whichmeans…”

“ThatIwillgetthejobaslongasmyoralinterviewgoeswell.”

Amandajustnoddedherheadandclaspedherfingerslooselyinherlap.“We’dbesorrytoseeyou

go.You’dbeleavingbehindafewheartbrokenpeoplearoundhere.Includingme.”

“I’dbesadtoleave.Youguyshavebeenthebest.”

“Itsoundslikeyoualreadydecided.”

“No.Ijustneedtogiveitsomeseriousthought.I’dbefoolishnottoatleastconsiderit.”

“Youhavetodowhat’sbestforyou,Leah.Don’tletanyoneelsedecideforyou.Andyouknowwho

I’mtalkingabout.Youdon’twanttoholditagainsthimdowntheroadifyoutwodogetserious.”

“Who’s getting serious?” Teddy asked, coming through the door like a tornado. “What are you two

doinginherewithoutme?WhyamImissingthegirltalk?”Hestompedhisfootthenploppedonthecouch

nexttoAmanda,pouting.

“Leahjustneededsomeadvice,that’sall.”

“Aboutwhat?”Teddyasked,histypicalnosyself.

“Anotherjoboffershegot.”

LeahfrownedatAmanda.

“What? Where? No! You can’t leave!” Teddy crumpled against Amanda, acting devastated, wiping

awaytearsthatdidn’texist.

“Ididn’tsayIwasleaving.”

“Who’sleaving?”Ronbarkedashejoinedtheminthelivingroom.

“Noone,Pop.”

“Leah,wetoldyouthatyoucanstayhereaslongasyoulike.Noreasontoleaveandgetyourown

place.”

Leah shook her head. “Thanks, Ron. I appreciate it. But I’ll want to be on my own eventually

anyway.”

“Sure, sure. An independent woman. I get it,” he muttered as he settled into his well-worn recliner

andkickeduphisfeet.

RonpattedhisthighsandChaosjumpedupandcurledintoaballontheolderman’slap.Hestroked

theblack-and-whitesilkyfur.

Mary Ann came in moments later, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Dinner in twenty,” she

announced.

Leahthoughtsheheardeveryone’sstomachgrowlinsync.

Shelookedaroundtheroom,observinghernewfamily,andcalmclarityovercameher.

Sheknewherdecision.

erlockerrattledassheopenedit.Yawning,sherubbedahandoverhereyes.Herfirststopwasgoing

tobethecoffeeshop.Shemighthavetoaskforashotofexpressoinherlatte.Nochaiteaforherthis

morning;itjustwasn’tstrongenough.EspeciallyafterhangingoutwithTeddyandAmandaintothewee

hours.Theselatenightsweretakingatollonher.Itdidn’thelpthatsheandTeddyhadfinishedoffboth

bottlesofwine.Ithadn’ttakenTeddylongtoguesswhyAmandawassippingicedteainsteadofimbibing

alongwiththem.

Yep.Leahdidn’tthinktheirsecretpregnancywasgoingtokeepunderwrapsforlong.

She kicked off her shoes into the bottom of the locker, each of them landing with a clunk. Then

something caught her eye. A piece of paper was taped to the inside of the metal door. No, not just any

pieceofpaper.ItwastheletterfromValleyForgeP.D.Therewasanotehandwrittenonthebackinbig,

black,blockletters.

DON’TGO

PLEASE

hepleasewasunderlinedthreetimes.

Leahblinked,thenblinkedagain.Sherippedtheletterdownandturneditover.EventhoughMarc

hadwrittenonthebackside,themarkerhadbledthrough,obliteratingtheinterviewappointmenttime

anddate.Luckily,shehadputitonhercalendar,sonoloss.Though,shewonderedifhehaddoneiton

purpose.

Shewascrumplinguptheletterinherfist,whentheobjectofherirewalkedintothelockerroom.She

certainlywasn’texpectingtoseehimuntilshiftchange.

“Ithoughtyouwerethreetoeleven?”

Hetookaquickglanceatthecrumpledletterinherhand.“Iam.”

“Whatareyoudoingherethen?”

He regarded her seriously. “I came to see you.” His voice was husky and thick. Leah could cut the

tensioninhisbodywithaknife.

Shewhippedthepaperballathischest.Itbouncedlightlytothefloor.“Youviolatedmyprivacy.”

Hegrimaced.“Thatwasn’tmyintent.”

“Right.”ShepulledherKevlarvestoutofthelockerandstrappeditaroundhermidsection,smoothing

it over the white Under Armour undershirt she had worn into work. Not caring that anyone else could

walkin,shepeeledoffherblackyogapantsandstoodthereinherpanties.Sheplantedherhandsonher

hipsandfrownedathim.“So,youdon’tcarethatyoureadsomethingpersonal.”

“Willyouputyourpantson?”

“Why?Whatdoyoucare?”Shewouldratherdealwithhisangerthanhishurtfeelings.Hewasdoing

welltryingtohideit,butitwasthere,lurking.

“BecauseIdon’twantanyoneseeingyoujuststandingthereinyourpanties.”

“MaybeI’lljusttakethemoff.”

Marcglaredatherandmovedtoblockanyone’sviewwhowouldwalkbythedoorway.“Leah!Put

yourfuckingpantson.”

She flipped him the bird, but slipped on her uniform pants. But not because he told her to. She

could’vestoodtherealldayinherpantiesjusttogetunderhisskin.Hell,shecouldhaveparadedupand

downthehallway.

“Whatthefuck.Areyoutryingtogetmybloodpressureup?”

“Isitworking?”

Heblewoutaloudbreath,scrubbingthetopofhisshorthairwithhispalm.Heopenedhismouthbut

nothingcameout.Hesnappedhisjawsshutthenslammedhishandsonhiships.

Whichwerenicelyencasedinbluejeans,shenoticed.Leahscoldedherselfforgettingdistracted.

“I just spent the last two months training you, Leah. You’re going to just up and leave?” Now he

actuallysoundedwounded.Andhewasmakingherfeelguiltyforevenconsideringtheoffer.

“Soyouonlydon’twantmetoleavebecausethetimeyouspenttrainingmewould’vegonetowaste,”

she challenged him. She wanted to hear the truth of why he didn’t want her to leave. Not hear some

bullshitanswer.

Heflattenedhislips,hisinnerstruggleobvious.Yankingonheruniformshirt,hereyesneverlefthis

faceasshebuttoneditupasshewaitedforanhonestresponse.

Shecockedaneyebrow.“Well?”

HisAdam’sapplebobbedandheclearedhisthroat.

“Orisitbecauseyou’llloseasexpartnerthatiswillingtoplayashardasyou?”

“You’remorethanthat.”

“Really?WhatamI,Marc?Tellme.”

“Well,you’reanassettothisdepartmentforonething.”Onceagaintheexcusewaswork.Nothim.

“Sincewhen?LasttimeIchecked,I’mstillawoman.”Ifshewasn’talreadyhalfdressedshewould

haveflashedsomeboobtoproveit.Notthatheneededproof.

Sheputonhertrouserbeltandoncethatwassecured,heftedherdutybeltontoherhips,snappingthe

leatherkeeperstokeepitinplace.Shecheckedthedutybelttomakesureeverythingwaswhereitshould

be.

Thenithither.Everythingwaswhereitshouldbe.

Shewaswhereshebelonged.

Herangerdrainedawaywhensheglancedupatthemanstandingacouplefeetawayfromher.She

straightenedandreallylookedathim.

Hewasbotheredbythethoughtshecouldleave.Itwasn’tjustsomemaleblustering.

Asharpachewentthroughherheartatthethoughtofnotseeinghimagain.Ofnotseeinghisfamily

again.

Butshewouldmisshimthemost.

Movingbackhomewouldleaveagapingholeinherchest.

“Hassexbeenthisgoodwithanyoneelse?”Hisvoicewaslowandsoft,sendingshiversupherspine.

Sofirstthedepartment,thenthesex,butstillnothingabouthowhereallyfeels.

“Youreallywanttoknowthatanswer?”Leahcheckedherbagtomakesurehe’dthrownherflashlight

backin.Itwasthere.

Heheldhispalmupandout.“Iknowtheanswer.”

Normallyshewouldconsiderthatacockyresponse.Butthewayhesaiditdidn’tcomeoffasarrogant

inanysenseoftheword.Hewastryingtoremindherhowgooditactuallyhadbeen.Howgreatitcould

be.Theyhadonlyscratchedthesurfaceoftheirsexual…compatibility.

Nodoubttherewassomethingbetweenthem.Somethingthatclicked.Somekindofundeniablepull.It

hadbeentherefromdayone.Andsixty-somethingdayslaterthatattractionwasstrongerthanever.

She could touch him every minute of every day and it wouldn’t be enough. She could kiss him for

hoursandshe’dneverwantittostop.Shedidn’tknowifshecouldlivewithoutthefeelofhisskinagainst

hers. His crystal-blue eyes caressing all of her curves. His fingers touching her where she was most

sensitive.

She didn’t have to give that up. And last night she had decided not to take the interview. But his

blatant disregard of her privacy, and his difficulty at admitting his feelings had her reconsidering. “Are

youaskingmetostay?

“Thenotewasn’tobvious?”

That wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear. She wanted to beat her head against the locker in

frustration.Sheneededtohearitfromhim.“Gohome,Marc.Ineedtogoinservice.Wecantalklater.”

“When?You’releavingworkwhenI’mcomingin.You’rehomeinbedatmyparentswhenI’mgetting

offwork.”

Sheunderstood.Itsuckedworkingdifferentshifts.Shehadmissedhimtoo.

“Whenareyouoff?”sheaskedhim.

“SaturdayandSunday.”

“I’moffFridayandSaturday.We’lltalkFridayafterwork,”sheassuredhim.

As he nodded, she grabbed her patrol bag and brushed past him to head down the hallway, only

stopping for a minute to grab the cruiser’s keys and a portable radio out of the patrol room. As she

steppedoutintotheearlymorningair,ithither.

Twomonthsago,LeahhadcometoManningGroveastrangerandsincethenshehadbeenembraced

byalmosteveryone.Thecommunity,thefamily,theforce.Shecouldn’taskformore.

Well,shecould,butshewasn’tgoingtoaskMarchowhefeltabouther.Ifhewantedtoletherknow,

he’dtellher.

Butinthemeantime,shewasgoingtocanceltheinterview.She’dsurprisehimatshiftchange.

CHAPTER15

sshestepped into the Bryon’s farmhouse, she already knew Marc was there. His ATV was parked

frontandcenterintheyard.

Her heart had done a little flip when she saw it and that wasn’t the only part of her body reacting.

Theyhadn’thadanyphysicalcontactsincethenightofherlastdayontraining.

Gettingnakedandspendingthenightsweatyandsatisfiedwasprioritynumberone.Eventhoughshe

saidtheywouldtalk.Talkingcouldcomeafterward.

Yetthehousewasquiet.EvenMenacehadn’tcomerunningtogreether.Andshedidn’thearRonor

Mary Ann at all. She peeked into the living room to see if Marc’s mom was reading. She wasn’t. The

roomwasempty.

“Hello?”sheyelledout.“Anyonehome?”

Silenceansweredher.Thehousewasaghosttown.

Maybetheywereoutlookingattreesorsomesuchshit.Whatevertheyweredoing,she’datleasthave

timetoshower.

Shetookthestepstwoatatimeuntilshegottothesecondfloorthenwentstraighttothebathroom.

She didn’t bother to lock the door. The rule around here was if the bathroom door was closed it was

occupied.Simpleenough.

It felt good to pull off the snug Under Armour shirt and the offending sports bra. Her skin breathed

with relief. She peeled off her yoga pants and panties in one swoop. Naked, she flexed her feet and

stretchedhertightmuscles.Sittinginapatrolcaralldaywasgoingtomakeherfat.Maybesheshould

actuallywearheryogapantstosay…yoga.Anovelideashemayhavetoconsider.

She’ddragAmandaandTeddyalong,shethought,assheleanedintheshowertoturnonthewaterand

adjustthetemperature.Whenitwasjustright,shesteppedintothetubandletthehotwatersluiceover

her,washingawayherstiffnessandthestalefeelingshegotfromwearingapolyesteruniformforeight

hours.

She closed her eyes and turned her face up towards the spray, her wet hair sticking to her face and

shouldersandhangingheavilyallthewaytothesmallofherback.Sheraisedherarms,stretchingonce

more,thenturnedtoletthewater—

JesusfuckingChristonacracker!

Herhearthadjumpedintoherthroat,thumpingwildly.Shehadn’theardMarccomeintothebathroom,

buthecertainlywasthere,peeringatheraroundtheshowercurtain.Wearingonlyanaughtysmile.

Hepushedthecurtainbackfurtherandclimbedintothetubwithher.

“Hey,don’twaitforaninviteoranything,”shesaiddryly.

“Doyouwantmetogobackoutbucknakedinthehallwayandknock?”

Leahlaughedattheimagethatpoppedinherhead.“No.”

“Ijustwanttohelpyouwiththepartsyoucan’treach.”

“Suchagentleman,”Leahmurmured.

“Always.”Hegrinnedather.

Leahsnorted.

Marccamebehindherandwrappedhisarmsaroundherwaist.Sheleanedbackandraisedherarms

tohookthemaroundthebackofhisneck.

Hekissedhertattoo.“I’vemissedyouandthatlittletattoo.”

“Mytattoohasmissedyoutoo.”

Hemovedherthick,wethairtothesideandplacedhislipsatthetopofherspine,histonguetasting

herskin.Hecuppedherbreastsinhishand,kneadingthemwithhisfingers.

“Sosoft.”

“They’vemissedyoutoo.”

“I’vebeenignoringthem.Mybad.”

“Yes,youhavealotofmakinguptodo.”

He turned her in his arms and dropped his head enough to suck a nipple into his mouth. Leah put a

hand against the shower wall, steadying herself as he tugged on one nipple and then the other with his

mouth.Thepullofhislipsmadetinyshockwavesshootthroughher.Herkneesbuckled,causingherto

braceherotherhandonhisshoulder.

“Turnthewateroff.Myparentswillhaveafitifweruntheirwelldry.”

Leahreachedbehindhertoturntheknob.“Whereareyourparents?Shouldwebedoingthishere?”

“Isentthemtodinnerandthemovies.”

“Good thinking,” Leah whispered before cupping his jaw with both hands and kissing him hungrily.

God,shecouldeathimrightup.Hislipswheresmoothandfirmagainsthers.Shegaspedintohismouth

whenhefoundhercore,hisfingersseparatingherfolds,testingherwetness.

“You’rereadyforme,”hesaidwithsatisfaction.

“I’malwaysreadyforyou.”

“Mmm.Ilikethat.ButasmuchasI’dliketothinkwecouldfuckinthistiny-assedshower,I’drather

wemovetoyourbed.”

“Agreed,”Leahsaidwithrelief.Thetubwaswaytootighttodoanythingreallywell.Oneslipand

someonewasgoingtobetakenoutinanambulance.

Sheclimbedoutafterhim,catchingthetowelhetossedherway.Shedugintheclosetforanotherone

tosqueezetheexcesswaterfromherhairandtheyrandownthehallgigglingliketeenagers.Theslamof

herbedroomdoorsoundedlikeagunshotechoingthroughquiethouse.

Leah dropped her towel and she let herself fall backward onto the queen-sized bed with a bounce.

Marcmovedtotheendofthebedtoregardher,hiscrystal-blueeyeslitup.“Damn.Icouldwatchyoudo

thatallday.”

“Fall?”

“Bounce.”

Leahsmiledandsaid,“Youcanmakemebounceinotherways.”

“ThatIcan.”Heclimbedontothebedandtookherintohisarms,rollingbothofthemuntilLeahwas

ontop.

“Yes,”shemoaned,rubbingherbodyagainsthis.“That’swhereIbelong.Ontop.”

Marcsmackedherasslightly.“Don’tgettoocomfortableupthere.”

Leahpushedagainsthischest,risingtostraddlehiswaist.“Oh,really?Soyoudon’twantmetodo

this?” She slid her already slick folds down along his length and back up. “Or this?” She gave him a

knowingsmileasshetuggedthegoldringsinhisnipples.

Heputhishandsonherwaistandwatchedwheretheirbodiesmet.

“Icantieyouupagain,”sheteased.

“Ifanyoneisgoingtoberestrainedit’sgoingtobeyouthistime,andit’sgoingtobeinmybed,not

here.”

“Promises. Promises,” she teased. The thought of Marc tying her up and doing all kinds of wicked

thingstohermadehershiver.Shewasreadytogotohisplacerightthenandthere.

Butfirst,shewantedtofinishwhattheystarted.Evenifitwasjustaquickie.Thentheycouldgotohis

bed and do it all over again and take their time. Plus, she didn’t have any toys in her room, except for

her…

Leahreachedunderthesparepillowandpulledouthertrustyvibrator.

arcraisedhiseyebrowsandlookedatthepurpleoblongobjectthatLeahwavedaround.Whatthe

hellwasshegoingtodowiththat?

Shewasstraddlinghiswaistwithherhot,wetpussyontopofhisveryerectcock.Sheturnedtheknob

onthebottomandhervibratorcametolife.

“We’regoingtousethatonyou,right?”Hejustwantedclarificationtobesure.

“Why?AreyouafraidImayuseitinyou?”

The“in”partwaswhatworriedhim.Notthathewasn’tintotryingsomethingnew,butdoingsoinhis

parents’housemightnotbethebesttime.

Hewasjustmakinglameexcuses.

“Don’tworry,it’sforme.Iguessyou’veneverhadanalplaydoneonyou?”

“Youhave?”

“Of course.” The silly in her answer was silent. Of course, silly. I’ve had plenty of anal sex. But

seriously,thatsoundedbothhotandpromisingtoMarc.

“No,I’veneverbeentherecipient.”

“Youdon’tknowwhatyou’remissing.”

Apparentlynot.

“We’llgetabeginner’svibratinganalplugandgoslow.”

“Hey,thatholeisanoutput,notaninput.”

“Funnyhowwhenwomensaythattomen,theydon’twanttohearit.”Shepressedthevibratortoher

clitandgroaned,gyratingherhips.“So,Idon’twanttohearit.You’llthankmelater.”

Hewasgoingtothankherrightnow.Theviewhewasgettingwasfuckingspectacular.

Leahhadleanedbackwhileadministeringthepurpledildotoherclit.Closinghereyes,shehadone

handgrippedtohisthighbehindher,holdingherup.

Her pink lips were plump and smooth and Marc could see the skin glistening. She teased herself,

makingsmallsoundseverytimeshehitasensitivespot.Rightnow,hewantedtobethatvibrator.

“Doyouwanttowatchmecome?”

Ohhell…“Yes!”Whatmanwouldn’twanttowatchthebeautifulcreatureontopofhimpleasuring

herself.Towatchthefluidityofherhipsastheygroundagainsthimwhileshetookherselftotheedgeof

climax.

“I’m close,” she whispered. Her nipples were hard, her breasts bouncing with each move of her

pelvis.Leahhesitatedjustenoughtoriseandgrabthebaseofhiscocktostanditup.Andassheplunged

onto him, she kept the vibrator against her clit, and then she exploded with him deep inside her. The

contractionsofhermuscles,thepulses,madehimcryout.Thevibrationsfromhertoycouldbefeltalong

hishardlength.Anditwas…

Fuckingamazing.

Thecombinationofherwetheat,hersqueezinghimlikeafist,andthestimulationfromthetoydrove

him quickly to his own release. He wasn’t ready for it to end. He had to hold off. Make it last a little

longer.

Except he couldn’t. Digging his fingers into her hips, he held her still, and spilled his release deep

insideher.

The whole thing couldn’t have even lasted five minutes. Something he wasn’t proud of. But hey, he

hadtherestofthenighttomakeituptoher.Andthelookonherfacewasclearlynotdisappointment.

“DidyoufeelhowhardIcame?”sheaskedhimassheslidtohisside.

“Uh,yeah.WhydoyouthinkIlostit?”

Leahchuckledandpattedhisarm.“ShouldIstartcallingyouminuteman?”

“Thatwasmorethanaminute.”

Shegrunted,playfullyteasinghim.Sheflickedhisnipplepiercing.

“Mom!Pop!Whereareyou?”

BothofthemfrozewhentheyheardMax’sboomingvoice.Theylookedateachother,eyeswide.

“Ohfuck,”Marcsaid.

Leahburiedherfaceinoneofthepillows,giggling.“Wearesobusted.”

“Yo!Marc!Leah!”

Marcscrambledoutofbedandwrappedatowelaroundhiswaist.

“Whereiseverybody?”

Marc cracked her bedroom door open and yelled down the hallway, “What the hell do you want,

Max?”

“Where’sthe‘rents?Whatareyoudoingupthere?”

“Theywentoutandwe’re…talking.”

“Right.”Maxlaughedindisbelief.“Ew.Inourparent’shouse?Youhaveyourownplace.”

“Shutup,Max,andgetthefuckoutofhere.”

Max’schucklecouldbeheardfromdownstairs.“Hornybastard.”

“Potmeetkettle,”Marcyelledbeforeslammingthedoorshutagain.Helistenedatthedooruntilhe

heard Max leave. Then he turned back toward the bed. Leah had wrapped herself in a blanket and sat

against the headboard. Even wrapped in one of her mom’s crocheted blankets, she appeared absolutely

stunning. Her golden green eyes twinkled at him and her long dark hair framed her face and exposed

shoulders. Her cheeks were still flushed from their fast and furious sex, the rest of her skin a perfect

porcelain.

Jesus.Sheshouldbethesubjectofapainting.

Ifhehadanydoubtregardingwhathewasabouttodo,itwaswashedawayatthatmoment.

Marc inhaled deeply. “After that interruption, I think it’s the perfect time to tell you that I found a

placeforyou.”Somewherewheretheywouldn’tbeinterrupted.OrwhereLeahhadtowalkaroundina

towelinfrontofanothermale.Evenifthatmalewashisfather.

“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”

“Aplaceforyoutolive.”

Leahlookedathimsuspiciously.“Ithoughtyoudidn’twantmetomove.”

“Ididn’t.Butsinceyoucanceledtheinterviewandyoudecidedtostayaroundhere,youcan’tliveat

myparents’forever.There’snoprivacy.Andbytheway,ItalkedtoMax.He’srelieved.”

WhenLeahhadtoldhimthatshe’dcancelledtheinterview,hecouldhardlycontainhimself.Hehad

picked her up off her feet in the locker room and had swung her around, not caring who else was at

station.Hehadspentthewholethreetoelevenshiftthinkingandplanning.

“CanIaffordit?”

“Ibelieveso,”hesaidseriously.

“Howbigisit?”

“Whydon’tIjusttakeyouthere?Youcanseeforyourself.Getdressed.”

Marccouldn’tpullhisgazeawayfromherasshemovedaroundherbedroom,slippingonshorts,a

tanktop,andsomesandals.Shepulledherhairupintoaponytailandsuddenlyturnedintoafresh-faced

girl-next-door.Literally.

Anditwasfreakinghotashell.

Hegroanedandquicklyfinishedgettingdressedbeforehethrewherbackonthebedandravishedher

untiltheybothcouldn’tmove.

Whentheyleftthehouse,MarcstoppedattheATV.

“Shouldwetakemycar?”Leahsuggested.

“No,theATVisfine.”

“Soit’scloseby?”

“Leah,holycrap.Giveitabreak.Justgetonandallyourquestionswillbeansweredsoon.”

“I’mimpatient.”

Hegrunted.“Noshit.”

Leahclimbedonthefour-wheeler,slidingclosebehindhim,andwrappedherarmsaroundhiswaist.

“Likeyouweren’tearlier.”

Hard to argue that fact. But honestly, he was just as anxious and he knew what was coming. His

stomachhadbeenflip-floppingforhoursbecausehe’dbeenabundleofnerves.

Hehitthepowerswitchandtheytookoffdownthedrivewayandwithinminutesstoppedinfrontof

anotherfamiliarhouse.Heshuttheenginedownandgaveheramomenttoprocessit.

“Marc—”

“Beforeyousayno,justhavealook.Youmightlikeit,”heteased.

“There’snothingwrongwithyourhouse,but—”

Hischestconstricted.Heactuallyneveranticipatedshemightsayno.Shemightthinkitwastoosoon?

Shewasanindependentwoman.“Letmegiveyouatour.”

“I’vebeeninyourplaceplentyoftimes.”

“C’mon.Justpretendit’sthefirsttime.”HedismountedfromtheATVandhelpedheroff.

“Idon’tknow,Marc.”Shehesitated.

ButMarcquicklyliftedahandtostopanyfurtherwords.Hewouldnotlethisplanimplodebeforeit

hardlybegan.“Nodecisionsyet.Justgivemethenextfewminutesofyourtime.Ifyoudecidenowisnot

therighttime,ormaybeevennever,thenI’llrespectthat.”

Surehewould.Hemayturnintoasurlyoldshitifshesaidno,buthe’drespectherdecision.

“Areyouthinkingroommatesorsomethingpermanent?”sheaskedhim.

Heplacedhisfingertohislips,indicatingsheneededtojustwaitandgivehimachance.Hetookher

hand and led her through the front door and down the hall. He stopped in front of door to the master

bedroom.“Thiswouldbeyourroom.”

“Sowe’dshareit.”

“Ifyou’dlike.”

“Thatmeanswe’dbelivingtogether.”

“Itdoes.”

“But—”

“Butnothing.Openthedoor.”

Shelookedathimforamoment,thenpushedthedooropenandsteppedinside.

His stomach flipped. This was one of the biggest decisions of his life so far. He was so fucking

nervoushisheartwasthumpingoutofcontrol.

Little electric candles were scattered around the room, creating a soft glow, and real rose petals

decoratedthebed.ThepetalsspelledoutILoveYou.BothO’swerefilledwithobjects.

Leahmovedclosertothebed.ShelaughedandlookedbackatMarc.“Oh.Veryromantic.”

Hegrinned.“Ithoughtso.”Hehadfilledthecircleswithallkindsofkinkytoysthathewantedthemto

try.

Shesuddenlygrewserious,makinghimworry.Shecouldn’tsayno.Hehadsplayedhimselfopenby

admittinghelovedher.Bywantinghertomoveinwithhim.Shecouldnotturnhimdown.

“So…notjustcasualsex,”shesaid,stillstaringatthebed.

“Oursexwasnevercasual.”Andnowordsweretruer.

She ran a finger over a set of cuffs, which were not department issued. “No, it wasn’t,” she

murmured.

Hethrewsomethingouttosweetenthedeal.“Iboughtusaswing.”

“Aswing?”

“Yeah,thekindyouhangfromtheceiling.”Hislipswidenedintoanaughtysmile.

“Oh.Thatkindofswing.”

Hesteppedcloser,usinghershoulderstoturnhertofacehim.Hebrushedhisfingersalongherjaw.

“Yeah.Willyouplaywithme,Leah?Willyoubemypartner?”

“Likeaforeverpartner?”Nowshewasjustteasinghim.

“Doyouloveme?”Hisheartstopped,hopingtoheartherightanswer.

Shetiltedherheadandhergoldenbrown-greeneyesthathelovedsomuchmethis.“Yes.Iloveyou.”

Marc’sarmsweptoverthebed.“Asyousee,Iloveyoutoo.”

“Iseethat.”

“AndIloveus.”

Thecornerofhermouthturnedupandthewayshelookedathimmadehimactuallyfeelweakinthe

knees.“We’vehadourmoments,butIdotoo.”

NowheknewhowAmandahadMaxwrappedaroundherlittlefinger.Hewouldneverbusthisballs

about that again. Marc slid his palms down her arms to her hands, intertwining their fingers. He took a

deepbreathandgaveheralittlesqueeze.“Willyoumoveinwithme?”

“YouandMenace.”

“Ican’tpromisehewon’tshitinyourshoes.”

Leahsnorted.“NowIwillhavetorethinkthis.”

Hepulledheragainsthimandwrappedhisarmsaroundher.“Bemine.”

Sheplacedahandonhischeek.“Ialreadyam.”

Andwiththathebecamethehappiestmanalive.

Helookedtowardthebed,hislipstwitching.“So…whatdoyouwanttousefirst?”

ALSOBYJEANNEST.JAMES

The Brothe rsinBlue Se rie s:

(Canbereadasstandalonenovels)

BrothersinBlue:Max

BrothersinBlue:Marc

BrothersinBlue:Matt

The RipCordTrilogy:

RipCord:TheReunion

RipCord:TheWeekend

RipCord:TheEverAfter

The Dare Mé nage Se rie s:

(Canbereadasstandalonenovels)

DoubleDare

DaringProposal

DaretobeThree

Learnmoreaboutallofherbooksat

http://www.jeannestjames.com

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

JEANNEST.JAMESisaneroticromanceauthorwholovesanAlphamale(ortwo).Shewasonlythirteenwhenshestartedwritingsinceit

gaveheranescapefromteenageangst!HerfirstpaidpublishedpiecewasaneroticstoryinPlaygirlmagazineandherfirsteroticromance

novel,BangedUp,waspublishedin2009.SheishappilyownedbyfartingFrenchbulldogs.ShewritesM/F,M/M,andM/M/Fménages.

Keepaneyeonherwebsiteat

www.jeannestjames.com

orsignupforhernewslettertolearnaboutherupcomingreleases:

http://www.jeannestjames.com/newslettersignup

AuthorLinks:

Jeanne’sReview&BookCrew

www.jeannestjames.com

jeannestjames@outlook.com

Document Outline

Title Page
Copyright
Disclaimer
About the Book
Foreword
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Also by Jeanne St. James
About the Author

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