by Liv Arnold
Table of Contents
Law & Disorder
Publication Information
Dedication
PRAISE FOR AUTHOR
Law & Disorder
About the Author
Also Available
Also Available
Thank You
Law & Disorder
by
Liv Arnold
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Law & Disorder
COPYRIGHT © 2019 by Liv Arnold
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information: [email protected]
Cover Art by Diana Carlile
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
PO Box 708
Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708
Visit us at www.thewilderroses.com
Publishing History
First Scarlet Rose Edition, 2019
Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-2519-4
Published in the United States of America
Dedication
Thank you...
To my husband Tim for
all his ‘witty’ lines with this story.
To my mum and dad for
their lifetime of encouragement.
To my two brothers, Bon and James, for
being the best brainstormers an
author could ask for.
To my dog Groot for
watching me write until he falls asleep.
To Susanne Bellamy for being
the guiding star on my writing journey.
PRAISE FOR AUTHOR
Liv Arnold
“Liv Arnold makes a fun and fabulous debut with Law & Disorder.”
~Annie Seaton, Multiple AUSROM Today
Award-Winning Author
~*~
“I enjoyed the story; it’s fun and sexy with the clash of personalities.”
~Susanne Bellamy, Bestselling Author & Emerald Award Finalist
~*~
“Liv writes from a fresh perspective; thoughtful and entertaining.”
~Sally Odgers, Winner of the 2018 Alice Award for Services to Australian Literature
~*~
“Liv’s stories have a nice sense of place and a twist at the end.”
~Michael Pryor, CBCA Notable Author
& Nine Times Aurealis Award Finalist
Law & Disorder
Juliet Jackson paced in front of the witness stand. Her heels clicked on the wooden floor before she stopped in front of the witness box and cross-examined Sergeant Jesse Burns, aka that arrogant ass. “So, let me get this straight. You think my eighteen-year-old client, Wayne, who’s had no prior problems with the law, robbed a liquor store in broad daylight, then managed to get to his exam fifteen minutes later as confirmed by a number of teachers and students?”
She’d had her fair share of assholes in the courtroom—criminals, narcissistic lawyers, even the occasional difficult judge—but Jesse took the cake. They’d faced each other on more than one case.
His track record of arrests and convictions was impressive. Relentless, like a dog with a bone, he didn’t stop chasing until his suspect was in handcuffs. But often her clients had more to their story than doing bad things for the sake of it. She saw their hidden layers. A lot were victims of their environment and could be rehabilitated if given a chance.
But Jesse Burns’ goal seemed to be to lock up everyone he arrested, regardless of circumstances. His raised eyebrow seemed to say he pitied her naivete, and her dislike intensified for her next-door neighbor with a face that made panties drop.
“Yes, Ms. Jackson. A sample of Wayne’s hair was found at the crime scene.” Jesse tilted his head as if explaining to a small child. “His parents have had multiple convictions. The apple usually doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Icy calm washed over her. Being a woman in a man’s world, she often had to put on a mask to keep from showing emotion. Why did he rattle her so much? She was the first lawyer under thirty-five to make senior partner at her law firm and the best closer in the city.
She stood tall and pinned the jurors with a look that said she knew they were too smart to fall for his kind of arrogance. “Here’s hoping our jurors aren’t as narrow-minded as you are and realize you only threw that in to wedge doubt in their minds.”
What a pompous prick. So black and white. How are Wayne’s parents his fault?
Jesse ran a hand over the most incredible head of wavy chocolate hair she had ever seen on a man. If only he couldn’t talk. Then he would be perfect. Duct taping his lips together would do the trick.
****
“Teddy, come back here.” Juliet had opened her front door slightly to let a fly out, but her little Jack Russell had other ideas. He squeezed through the gap to chase a bird. Not that he would ever be able to catch it. That didn’t worry her, but his lack of road awareness sure did.
“You’re in so much trouble when I catch you.” Still wrapped in a towel and dripping from her shower, she sprinted to catch him.
Teddy stopped to lift a leg to pee on a tree and then continued trotting until he reached the streetlamp. He turned to look back at her with a silly grin on his face.
“You’d make the worst prison breaker ever, Teddy.” She caught up to him and scooped his small, plump body into her arms. “Gotcha.”
His tongue stuck out as though this were a game.
Dr. Mendes’ midnight-black Mercedes drove past. She half-lifted a hand to wave, but he ignored her as usual.
So unneighborly. She shook her head as his car drove into his driveway and the garage door opened. A real snob with his designer suits, a fancy car, and the largest house on the block, plus being the only one who didn’t participate in their neighborhood watch or street parties.
Five houses along, Ava headed indoors with a bunch of flowers in her hand. They would likely be the centerpiece for the dinner party she was hosting for most of the other neighbors. Juliet headed back to her front door and turned the knob, but the door wouldn’t budge.
She rattled the door knob, shaking it from side to side. Still nothing. Stupid dog. Shit shit shit. Stranded outside her own house. She glanced around. None of the neighbors were out on their front lawn—one thing to be thankful for.
Her shoulder-length black hair clung to her neck as she glared at Teddy. “Look what you’ve done.”
Water dripped down her shoulders, trickled through her legs and left a small puddle where she stood. Teddy licked the droplets from her right arm, but she wiggled for him to stop.
She reached for her cell until she realized she had no pockets. Dammit, my phone is on the kitchen bench. She couldn’t call anyone, let alone a locksmith, and dressed in only a towel, knocking on one of her neighbor’s doors was a last resort. It was only a matter of time before a car drove by or a neighbor came out.
Had she left the back door open when she filled Teddy’s water bowl? Please, please, please. Cradling Teddy in her arms, she pushed the side gate open and tiptoed toward the back of her house. Reaching for the door handle, she twisted it left, right, and left again. Not even a twitch.
Heat rose to her face, and she could feel sweat in her hairline. This wasn’t good. Why did this sort of accident always happen to her?
Think, Juliet, think. There must be a way to solve this.
She lowered Teddy onto the grass, and he ro
lled onto his back for a belly rub. “Now’s not the time, buddy.”
There must be a way to get back in. She closed the gate to her backyard behind her so Teddy couldn’t escape again. He ran to the corner and pushed his nose into a bush while she edged along the side wall of her house, gripping the knot of the towel until she halted and looked up. A window was open two or three inches. Yes. Knew that the fly came in from somewhere.
One foot balanced on an upturned pot plant, the other on the pile of bricks leaning against her house. She reached for the windowsill with one hand and attempted to lift the window.
The brick at her foot wobbled. Her grip loosened, her legs gave way, and she fell deep into flowering shrubs onto her back. A fly buzzed in her ear. Will that pesky thing ever go away? Chirps from the treetops high above her pushed her daze aside and she realized how inelegantly she was sprawled in the shrubbery.
This is the most humiliating moment of my life. Thorns edged into her flesh. Pollen floated in the air. Honeysuckle wafted up her nose. Her nose twitched as she sharply inhaled through her mouth and a loud sneeze escaped. Cotton brushed against her skin as her towel slid open, exposing everything from her breasts to her groin.
Could this get any worse?
“Whatcha doing, Juliet?” A deep voice laced with honey reverberated through her bones.
She looked up into the amused face and charcoal eyes of Jesse Asshole Burns.
Tall, gorgeous and entirely evil. Even on a good day, she wanted to slap him. The last thing she needed was this jackass in front of her. Too bad he didn’t come in any other model.
His handsome face smirked before he averted his eyes and turned his head, but she could still see the profile of his face. His police uniform stretched across his chest. Wonder if that chest is chiseled underneath all those clothes.
Her ears burned hotter than chili sauce, spreading to her neck and chest. No point in putting on a mask this time, because there was no escaping this. Her fingers found the ends of the towel to cover her naked body, but her legs froze on the spot. “I got locked out of my house.”
“You got locked out of your house…naked?” A grin spread across his face, revealing the dimple on the bottom lip. She wanted to bite it but didn’t know if it was to hurt him or because of the temperature between her legs.
Scowling at his sarcasm, her fingers gripped the bricks of her house and she pulled herself up. “Yes. Why are you even here? Didn’t you have enough of me this morning?
“Never enough.”
She firmly tied the towel into a knot, securing it in place. “The feeling’s not mutual. You can turn around now. I’m decent.”
His eyes locked on hers. Specks of silver sparkled in them. A Greek god in comparison to other men, it was too bad his outer beauty didn’t match the inner man.
She sucked in a breath. He was the worst person to find her like this. They had been mortal enemies since his massive housewarming party four years ago. The noise had rocked her house. Grouchy because she needed to prep for the make or break case for her senior partnership, she called the cops. Only to find out he was the police.
He’d never let her live the moment down.
“Forgot if it was my turn or yours to bring wine for Ava’s dinner. Didn’t realize the dress code was so casual.” He motioned to her towel.
“You have the memory of a goldfish.” Why, when good-looking men forget things it’s lovable, but for women it’s ditzy?
“I take it it’s me then.”
“Are you going to help me or just stand there?”
“I’ll get my tools.” He turned toward his house but stopped and looked over his shoulder. “For the record, from the glimpse I saw, you have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
****
Jesse tweaked the hole in Juliet’s doorknob with a screwdriver. A small red toolbox lay beside his feet. How many sexual innuendos could she think of with this scenario?
She gnawed at the inside of her cheek. Her hair had stopped dripping, but her feet still shuffled whenever a breeze drifted past. She clapped her hands together, rubbing them for warmth.
He removed the screwdriver, wiggled the knob, and pushed the door open.
Her shoulders sagged in relief, her heartbeat slowing to normal rate. She burst into her hallway. Finally, inside. Her feet relished the cool tiles as if they were gold. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
She sighed and turned to Jesse, who leaned against the door. “Thanks. I can take it from here.”
She knew she was being an extreme bitch, but his assistance didn’t change that he was her arch nemesis.
But if he noticed her hostility, he didn’t show it. His gaze lingered over her, hot and fiery. She swallowed. Her nipples puckered against her thin towel, heat blazing throughout her body. If he continued to look at her like that, she might combust on the spot.
His lips curled into a cocky grin. “A bit nippy, are we?”
She tried to act as if he wasn’t in her doorway, watching her every move, but the thought of him looking at her, desiring her, stroked a fire low in her belly. Usually, she was body confident because she hit the gym five days a week, but his stare switched on her inner supermodel.
She crossed her arms. Like that’ll cover me up more. “I’ll see you at Ava’s.”
But he didn’t leave. Instead, he moved toward her in slow easy steps. Why did her pulse beat faster the closer he came? Her breath caught in her throat. His pinewood scent lingered beneath her nose. Had she completely lost her mind? This was Jesse Burns.
She moved her hands to her hips and lifted her chin, meeting his arrogant stare. He was a good seven inches taller than she, and the breadth of his shoulders made the room appear smaller than it was.
He curled a lock of her damp hair over his fingers and gave it a gentle tug. Every part of her logical brain wanted to scream at him to leave, but her body had other ideas. Despite her better judgment, she leaned into his touch.
Juliet’s heart pounded into her chest like hammers at a construction site when neither of them said a word. A few feet away, the washing machine shuddered as the wash cycle ended.
Jesse’s gaze wavered, as if he were waiting for her to tell him to stop as his fingers grazed up and down her arms. But there had been ample opportunity for her to do so. Goosebumps lined her skin like a snail trail, and her lower lip quivered. Did their constant arguments bring out lust? What wouldn’t she give to have his hands all over her naked flesh? Anything and everything.
His index finger drew lines at the curve of her cleavage. His fingers hovered at the knot of her towel and tugged. Her muscles clenched.
The towel loosened, falling with a small thump to the floor. Oh my God. Naked in front of him.
His eyes widened, and his chest rose and fell, each breath deeper than the last. Juliet sucked in a breath, feeling as if she were melting from the inside out. Her body was such a traitor. She still wanted to injure him, but the need for him to keep going overpowered four years of antipathy.
He stood there, absorbing her before his gaze zeroed in and he cupped her left breast. Squeezing her nipple, he thumbed the center. “I want to do filthy things to these pretty tits. They’re heaven on earth.”
His dirty words sent impossibly delicious tremors through her core, soaking her inner thighs. How could she actually like this? She arched closer into the palms of his big, callused hands. Somehow, his rough skin made her want him more, want him harder.
He lowered his head and fastened his mouth over her nipple, sucking hard before biting the skin next to it. A part of her desired a mark as a reminder for tomorrow.
He murmured between licks, “Suckable strawberry nipples.”
His tongue slid under the curve of her breast, sweeping to the other nipple.
To her absolute horror, she whimpered.
“I’ll have you dripping more than once tonight.” Husky tones infiltrated his voice, and his grin became crooked.
“You’ve got a filthy
mouth.” A muscle jumped at the corner of her mouth. What was wrong with her?
He kneeled and traced a hand up her soft inner thigh.
Go higher. Higher. She pleaded with her eyes.
But he stood and pushed her backward until her bottom grazed the dining table. Grabbing his face with two hands, she kissed him roughly, biting his lower lip. His mouth opened to lick and suck the tip of her tongue before he spun her to face the table, bending her over. Metal jingles came from behind her as he handcuffed her left hand to the leg of the table. She bit her lip. Damn, Sergeant Burns. How many women have you played this with?
“Spread your legs.” He gently kicked the insides of her feet, making her legs quake.
“What are you doing?” She wiggled against the handcuff. The muscles in her stomach clenched at every movement as she tried to steady her breathing.
“Trust me. You’ll enjoy this.” Two fingers outlined her pussy lips. “So smooth.”
“I’m a busy woman and don’t have time for men to find the right spot.” Every part of her ached as he drifted closer and closer to where she wanted him.
He chuckled as he slipped a finger inside her. “You’re so wet. Must have been thinking about this the whole time since we met.”
“Trust me.” She imitated him. “I’ve had better.” But a rush of moisture enveloped his finger, betraying her.
“We’ll see.” He slipped his finger out. “Spread your legs wider. I need room to stick my tongue in.”
Hot damn. She swallowed a mouthful of saliva as she shifted her feet. His cock prodded through his pants onto her back. Even though she couldn’t see it, she could tell it was big. Gigantic in fact. But no way she would ever tell him that. Warmth spread up and down her spine.
Please don’t come the moment he touches you. She held her breath. How did she look from back there, all displayed for him while swelling with need? Another gush leaked out, making the walls of her pussy tremble.
He bit her ear, then her shoulder, leaving static electricity in its wake. Crouching to kneel, his tongue swept inside of her. “Such a sweet pussy. So responsive.”
She pushed against his mouth as his tongue swirled deeper inside her. When he removed his hot tongue, she sizzled for him. But it didn’t take long until he latched onto her hard nub, alternating between the tip and the flat surface. With strokes and flicks, he changed the pressure from hard to soft, slow to fast, in an unpredictable rhythm. How had she ever overlooked the erotic curves of his mouth? Everything about him was so damn sexy, in an irritating type of way.
