Lord Have Mercy

by Vale, Lani Lynn

  “Why are you running in a cemetery?” I asked curiously.

  Her eyes opened and she smiled up at me tiredly.

  “It’s well lit, peaceful, paved, and nobody ever comes here,” she answered honestly. “Plus, it’s about a half mile from my house, so I can walk it and loosen up my muscles.”

  That was fairly good reasoning.

  “Oh, and an added bonus is that there’s always a grounds maintenance guy here working, so I’m never truly alone.”

  All very good points.

  “Those are good.” I paused. “And honestly, I’m surprised that you even put that much thought into your runs.”

  I could tell she was working herself up to a good snit, and I started interrupting her before she’d even gotten a word in edgewise.

  She frowned, and I waved my hands slightly to the side. “No, that’s not what I meant. You’re thinking that I think you don’t think. That’s not what I meant. What I meant was that I feel like you put more forethought into running than a lot of other female runners do. It’s actually a very good habit to have.” I looked around the cemetery. “Technically you could run around here at night and still be safe. Honestly, this is one of the best places you could find.”

  I was honestly jealous that she’d thought of it. I’d seen this cemetery hundreds of times since I’d started as a cop. I’d made arrests almost everywhere, but not one single one had taken place in this cemetery.

  “Okay,” she sighed and blew her hair out of her face. “You’re forgiven before I’ve even given you a good talking to.”

  I snorted and my eyes caught on something at the entrance to the cemetery. My bike. But there was a crow sitting on the gas tank, and I prayed that it wasn’t shitting on it.

  “Do you think I could hit that bird from here?” I asked teasingly.

  She turned her head and looked at the bird in question. “More like you’ll hit the gas tank and the whole thing will explode.”

  I snorted. “Such lack of faith you have in my skills.”

  “More like honesty,” she pointed out and held her hand up for me to take. “I don’t want that pretty beast to die a fiery death if I can help it. I want to ride it.”

  I grinned and hefted her up, pulling her straight into my arms, sweat and all.

  She melted into me, pushing her face up underneath my chin and pressing a kiss to the hollow of my throat.

  “Thanks,” I murmured, meaning it.

  “Thanks for the sweaty kiss?” she teased.

  I wrapped my hand around her ponytail and pulled until she was looking into my eyes.

  “I’ll take sweaty kisses. I’ll take sleepy kisses. I’ll even take pissed off kisses. As long as it comes from you,” I told her.

  She licked her lips as her face softened.

  “Why are you being so sweet?” she teased. “What happened to the mean Flint that liked to give me shit and drive me nuts?”

  I let her hair go and smoothed my hand down her neck, stopping when my hand rested against her heart. “I don’t know. He’ll come back eventually. Right now, he’s a little high on all things Camryn Presley.”

  She laughed and pulled out of my arms, walking forward with a gesture of her head in the direction of my bike. “Let’s go for a ride…to my house. I’m sweaty and I want to look good on the back of your bike. Meaning I need to change out of these sweaty clothes.”

  I growled and lurched forward, wrapping my arms around her waist and tossing her easily over my shoulder. She shrieked for me to put her down, but I didn’t let go.

  “Put me down! I’ll break your back!” she squealed.

  I smacked her ass and continued to walk through the well-lit cemetery, over the well-groomed footpath, until finally I came to a stop in the parking lot next to the entrance. The bird was gone, and luckily the bike was as clean as when I’d left it.

  Setting Camryn down next to my bike, I smiled when I saw the look of indignation on her face.

  “I’m too big for you to be carrying like that,” she muttered, her face red.

  I caught her before she could turn her back on me fully.

  She looked at me with a frown when I wouldn’t let her go.

  “You’re beautiful,” I told her bluntly. “Even when you were a sweaty, cursing mess on the first day of boot camp. Even when you were spitting fire at me the day you rear-ended me.”

  She wrinkled her nose up at me. “I thought we’d agreed to never discuss that again!”

  My brows rose. “I’m not sure I ever agreed to that. And…you never told me why you hit me.”

  She licked her lips and looked away. “I’m not sure what it is you speak of.”

  I caught her around the hips and pulled her into me, making sure that she could feel my hard cock along the length of her belly.

  “Tell me,” I ordered.

  She sighed and leaned into me, pressing her forehead against my chest.

  “I was thinking about your ass, and how you looked in your jeans earlier that day when I saw you at the supermarket,” she muttered. “And when I saw you, you had these aviator sunglasses on, and you were sexy as hell. Your beard had gotten a little bit longer, and I was finding it hard to focus on the road and not your jaw.”

  I burst out laughing. Then dropped my hand down hard on her ass, grinning wickedly when she jolted at the hard smack.

  “Flint!” she cried out. “What’s with you and being so freakin’ handsy today?”

  I lifted her up and sat her down on my bike, following her in with a sound kiss straight on that smart mouth.

  “I want you to go out on a real date with me,” I said. “And I’m finding it incredibly hard to keep my hands off of you when you’re wearing tight workout pants like the ones you have on, while also being covered in a sheen of sweat.” I paused. “It’s giving me other ideas that don’t have anything to do with taking you out to dinner.”

  Her eyes twinkled as she situated herself on the bike.

  “I’ve never been on a motorcycle before,” she said softly.

  I felt my heart skip a beat.

  Being her ‘first’ anything sent what felt like euphoria-laced adrenaline through my veins.

  “Well, then let’s ride, honey,” I growled.

  She patted the seat between her thighs, and I didn’t hesitate to deposit my ass there, making sure that her thighs weren’t pinched between my butt and the seat. Once we were comfortable and her arms were wrapped around me, I started the bike up with a throaty roar.

  She shivered behind me, causing me to chuckle.

  “It’s so loud!” she cried out.

  I turned so that she could hear what I had to say. “We’re going to go slow. I need to go by my house and get the helmets, then we can go to yours and get you changed for dinner.”

  She gave me a squeeze around the waist in answer, and then rested her chin against my shoulder as she studied everyone and everything.

  I drove the backroads through the residential district, realizing if I went this way our houses were about two miles apart.

  When I shut the bike off in my driveway, she started to laugh. “You do realize that you had to cut through someone’s driveway, right?”

  I shrugged. “I didn’t want to get on the main road without you protected.”

  Her grin softened to a sweet smile.

  “Go.”

  I went, letting Dooley out into the yard to pee while I went inside for my things.

  It was only when I was coming out that I realized what I’d done. It’d been an ingrained habit to allow him outside to do his business. I never even thought about the fact that Camryn was there and scared of him.

  I rushed out of the house with both helmets in my arms only to find her in my yard, on her knees, petting Dooley. Dooley’s hind leg was going a mile a minute as she scratched him on his chest, and his tongue was lolling out to the side and resting against the grass.

  “You
know,” I said softly as I walked up to them. “You’re going to have him forever rolling over at your feet if you continue to do that for him.”

  She looked up with a satisfied, happy smile on her face. “I’m not scared of him anymore.”

  I reached down and forward to swipe a tendril of hair out of her eyes.

  “That’s good, baby,” I said softly. “Because you and he are going to spend a lot of time with each other now that you’re my girl.”

  Her eyes widened. “I’m your girl?”

  I tugged on her ponytail, causing even more of her hair to fall out of her band and around her face.

  She snickered and pulled away, standing up and causing Dooley to groan out in frustration.

  He rolled over and tossed me a glare.

  “Hey,” I said to him, holding up my hands. “I didn’t tell her to stop.”

  Dooley turned his head away and gave me the cold shoulder, causing me to roll my eyes.

  “Are you ready?” I asked, ignoring my temperamental dog.

  “Yes.” She stood up and groaned. “My knees hurt. And my abs. Also my butt.”

  I grinned. “Then you’re probably not going to like hearing that we’re doing squats tomorrow, or that burpees are going to be thrown in there, too.”

  She made a gagging sound, and I pulled her into my chest before dropping a kiss to her shoulder.

  She picked up the helmets that I’d transferred to one hand and then gestured at Dooley. “You might want to get him inside before he tries to follow us back to my place.”

  I grunted in reply but started back up the walk, calling out to Dooley on the way.

  She whistled at me when I bent over to give him a good scratch.

  “You’re getting hair on your nice pants!” she called out.

  I looked down and sure enough, I had hair all over me.

  Shrugging, I urged Dooley inside and then closed the door, locking it with the key before setting the alarm on my phone.

  Once I was back on my bike with Camryn wrapped around me once more, I said, “Hopefully it all flies off with all the wind we’re about to get.”

  She laughed, thinking I was joking. I wasn’t.

  Chapter 12

  I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. I’ll let you know.

  -Text from Camryn to Flint

  Flint

  “Your cheeks are all windburned,” I teased.

  She touched her fingertips to her face and only ended up smearing barbeque sauce all over herself.

  We were at one of the fanciest places that I’d willingly walk into in town—I wasn’t really all that excited about going out to eat at a restaurant that I couldn’t enjoy because I was worried about the goddamn people staring at me rather than eating.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked warily.

  I gestured toward her face with my chin. “You just rubbed barbeque sauce all over your cheeks, and I’m contemplating licking it off.” I paused. “If my chief wasn’t two tables over, I might.”

  She looked over at my chief, who we’d greeted when we’d arrived.

  Two tables on our opposite side sat Nivea and none other than Carver, the man I’d wanted to kill since he’d started showing interest in Camryn.

  It hadn’t mattered that I was seeing Nivea—I’d wanted Camryn.

  Unfortunately, at the time, I knew that if I did anything with Camryn, dating or even a one-night stand, I wouldn’t be able to get her out of my head.

  And I was right.

  I hadn’t.

  All it’d taken was one single time with her and I knew that I wouldn’t ever be able to let go.

  Not that I wanted to—at least not anymore.

  Before Camryn—BC as I liked to call it—I’d been adamant that I needed to remain unattached so I could grow my business. I just had way too much to do with the gym, working full-time at the school, as well as picking up oddball shifts here and there at the station.

  I didn’t think that a girlfriend could fit into that.

  But I was wrong.

  Camryn fit so seamlessly that it was like she was always there…like she was meant to be.

  “Your chief is looking over here again,” she muttered. “And Nivea hasn’t looked away since we walked in the door. Do you think she’s looking at you thinking she wants to do you, or do you think she’s looking at me thinking she wants to pull my nipples off and shove them up my nose?”

  I frowned. “Ummm…”

  She burst out laughing, throwing her head back and really letting go.

  I watched her, loving the way her hair was flowing around her face, and couldn’t help myself.

  I had to kiss her.

  And I did.

  Right on the mouth that was still covered in barbeque sauce.

  I licked my lips once I pulled back, and her eyes followed the movement.

  My eyes dropped down to the dot of barbeque sauce, and I had to physically grab ahold of my chair with both hands to keep myself from leaning forward and licking it off.

  I wasn’t a big fan of barbeque sauce, but coming from Camryn’s skin? I most definitely was a fan of that.

  “I think that she’s jealous of me,” Camryn murmured, sounding breathless. “She hates me.”

  I looked over at Nivea, who was playing on her phone while also glaring a hole into us each time she lifted her gaze to aim toward our table.

  “Maybe,” I shrugged. “But I told her from the beginning that we weren’t going to be anything more than what we were. I’m not sure why she’s acting like this, to be honest.”

  “Let’s put it this way.” Camryn lifted her napkin to her face and cleaned her skin free of any sauce. “If you were standing next to someone and a person was choosing between you and that someone to win a million dollars, and the other person won it because she’s cooler, would you be mad?”

  “Are you thinking that I’m the million dollars?” I asked. “And did you just say that you were cooler than Nivea?”

  Camryn grinned. “If the shoe fits.”

  I just shook my head, unable to help the grin that tilted up the corner of my mouth. “Did you decide what you were having yet?”

  She looked at the appetizers that were still half-eaten in front of us and shrugged. “I was thinking about a steak, but then I saw the chicken fried chicken and the barbeque cheese fries.” She paused. “But then I saw the dessert menu and decided that maybe I should go with something that’s a little bit smaller so I can eat the brownie explosion sundae.”

  I flagged down the waiter and he rushed toward us, stopping at the end of the booth with a welcoming expression on his face.

  “Have you decided what you’d like to eat?” he asked pleasantly.

  I ordered myself a steak, salad, and mashed potatoes. Then I ordered Camryn the steak, salad, and baked potato. I also made sure to place the order for the dessert once our dinner had been brought out.

  “I’m never going to finish a sixteen-ounce steak,” she said with a shake of her head.

  I snorted. “I know. But I will eat what you don’t finish, not to mention it’ll drive Nivea crazy to see me sharing steak off your plate.”

  “Why?” she questioned.

  I sat back and watched her break a piece of bread in half and slather it with the honey butter.

  “Because she always used to try to eat off my plate and I wouldn’t let her.” I paused. “Then when she’d offer me her food, I’d always decline.”

  Her brows rose. “Why?”

  “I don’t like sharing my food with people.” I paused. “And I also don’t like eating off of people’s plates. It’s unsanitary.”

  “You’ve eaten off of mine plenty of times,” she pointed out.

  I nodded once. “I have. Which makes you different.”

  “What’s so unsanitary about it?” she pushed.

  “Do you remember when I suggested you use my old too
thbrush and you said that was ‘gross?’”

  She took a bite of her bread but made an agreeing sound with her throat.

  “How is that any different than sharing food? It’s all touched your teeth in some way,” I explained.

  She shook her head. “That’s the most back-ass-ward shit I’ve ever heard, but I can definitely see how you feel that way.”

  Before I could reply to that, my chief walked up to the table and offered me his hand.

  I took it and said, “How’s it going, Chief?”

  He shook it back, eyes going to Camryn as he said, “I’m out with my wife for the first time in years without kids. I’m doing pretty goddamn good. Who’s this, Flint?”

  Camryn offered him her hand, and he dropped mine to take hers. “I’m the girl that rear-ended Flint’s cruiser…”

  The Chief’s eyes went wide before understanding dawned. “Let me get this straight. You ran into his cruiser, caused him to get written up, and he dates you?”

  Camryn looked over at me in horror. “You got written up because I rear-ended you?”

  “He got written up because he didn’t turn the correct paperwork in, causing us to drop your ticket because it wasn’t done in the correct way,” the Chief said. “But now I can see why he might have been distracted in normal protocols.”

  Camryn snorted. “More like he was trying not to turn around and kill me and forgot what it was that he was supposed to do.”

  The Chief laughed. “I like you, kid.”

  Camryn blinked. “I wish my students liked me. They think I’m mean.”

  I grunted. “Technically, you kind of are. I’ve walked by while you were teaching class once and was outside when a young girl came out crying because you yelled at her for putting on makeup during the middle of your lecture.”

  “There’s a time and place for that,” Camryn huffed indignantly.

  I grinned. “You can play stern teacher with me anytime.”

  Camryn promptly choked on her sweet tea, so much so that it started to pour out of her nose.

  I leaned back in my chair and laughed. The Chief slammed his hand down on my shoulder and said, “You should really be more careful about what you say. The last time I pissed off my wife, she wouldn’t speak to me for a week. Not to mention I had to grovel.”