And she certainly shouldn’t be imagining him walking over to her when he was done, pinning her against her car, and kissing her senseless.
Chapter 13
Colton clenched his jaw, stepping toward the black SUV. Morgan’s car was parked on the other end of the lot, and he hadn’t been able to avoid taking a quick glance in her direction. A few other remaining cars were parked in other spaces, but this guy and Morgan appeared to be the only people actually around.
Why that bothered him, he didn’t want to focus too closely on.
Morgan was a grown woman. He’d spent the night in her bed, yes, but she wasn’t his.
Yet.
She hadn’t even agreed to go out with him again, and here he was rushing to her like she was his to protect. Hearing her frightened voice over the phone had set off a wave of protectiveness in him though.
He didn’t even think twice; he just came. The fact that he was already on his way back to Brooklyn made it all that much easier.
And although he hadn’t planned on any sort of long-term relationship with Morgan, he knew he needed to keep seeing her. Kissing her. Making love to her.
Morgan was his. Whether she knew it or not.
“Is there a reason you’re in the school parking lot, sir?” Colton asked, watching the disheveled man step out of the SUV. He had several days’ growth of beard, rumpled clothes, and looked as if he hadn’t slept in a week. “School’s dismissed for the day.”
“So what, now I’m getting pulled over for parking? What the hell kind of nonsense is this?” he ground out.
“You’re not getting pulled over; I came to check out a report of an SUV sitting in the school parking lot.”
The man glanced to the building and then back toward Colton. “My damn kid goes here. I have every right to be in the parking lot.”
“Are you picking up your child? School is over for the day.”
“No, I’m not picking up my damn child. How could I when I don’t have fucking custody?”
Colton’s gaze narrowed. “If you’re violating a custody order, you’re going to have to come with me.”
“I’m not violating any goddamn order. I’ve got visitation rights and want to visit my kid’s school.”
“You’re on school property after school hours, so I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“You see that?” the man said, pointing to the street less than twenty feet away. “That’s a public road. I can park there as long as I want. Arrest me for that why don’t you.”
“Sir, I’m going to need to see your license and registration.”
The man muttered to himself but began reaching for his wallet. “I’ll show you my goddamn license. Look up my custody case, too, why don’t you. That goddamn bitch and her rich ass husband have sole custody of my kid. She stole everything from me.”
Colton took the guy’s driver’s license, looking at it and then back at him. “I’ll be right back,” he said, walking toward his police cruiser.
Jesus.
Just some asshole involved in a custody matter. He didn’t typically deal with domestic disputes like this with his position on the bomb squad. Most of the time he arrived on scene after other police officers were already there. Clutching the guy’s license in his hand, he sank down into his vehicle.
He saw a text from Morgan on his cell phone.
Everything okay?
He’d reply to her in a moment after he checked out this guy. After pulling up his info, he was surprised to see he was clean. No arrests, only one speeding ticket. He’d half expected this idiot to have a rap sheet a mile long.
His gaze moved to his rear-view mirror, watching traffic on the street behind him. Headlights were turning on as it got darker, and most people were on their way home for dinner. Slowly, he noticed, since he was sitting here in his cruiser with his lights on. Clenching his jaw, he got back out of the vehicle.
There was no reason to hold this asshole—not if he willingly drove away and left school property.
“Here’s your license back, sir. You’re good to go. No loitering on school grounds after hours.”
Nodding, the man snatched the things back from Colton and climbed into his SUV. Colton pulled his car away so the guy could back out, and then he drove across the lot to where Morgan was.
She unrolled the window after he’d gotten out and walked to the driver’s side of her car. The black SUV pulled out onto the road, and his gut clenched.
Something was off about the guy, even if he hadn’t done anything illegal.
Morgan looked up at him, her eyes wide. He noticed her hands were tightly clenching the steering wheel, and his gaze softened. She was afraid. Just because he didn’t like the guy didn’t mean he should freak her the hell out.
“He was a parent involved in a custody dispute with his ex-wife over their kid. It sounds like he doesn’t see his child much. I’ll give you the name to pass along to your school principal. He seemed a bit worked up but has a clean record.”
“He seemed kind of agitated,” Morgan said. “Something’s not right with him coming here alone twice in one day.”
“Agreed, but I can’t arrest him for sitting here in the lot. I told him to leave, and he did. Your school will have to notify the other parent regarding his actions. If the other parent has primary custody, he probably shouldn’t be showing up at school several times a day.”
Morgan blew out a sign, releasing the steering wheel.
“Are you all right?” he asked, meeting her gaze. Her brown eyes were still wide with fear, and he didn’t like the way it made his chest clench.
“Yeah, I’m good,” she said in a shaky voice. “It just creeped me out seeing that SUV here again.”
“I was on my way home. Why don’t you come over and I’ll make you dinner? I don’t like the idea of leaving you sitting alone here, scared.”
“Dinner? Tonight?”
He smiled, loving how flustered she suddenly was. Her cheeks had pinkened again, and he saw her chest rise as she took a breath. He didn’t like that she’d been frightened. No doubt Jake would’ve helped her if needed, and of course she could have called 911 if it were an emergency.
She was essentially dealing with the public in her teaching job, just like him. All kinds of people passed through the school doors. Except where he was armed with a gun and properly trained, she was helpless to whoever she needed to deal with as a teacher.
“Yes, dinner,” he said, his lips quirking. “What do you say?”
“At your place?”
He nodded, hoping she’d consider the idea. Although he’d planned to see her next weekend, he liked the idea of having Morgan over to his place sooner. He didn’t like that she’d been scared, and at the moment, he had the urge to pull her close and hold her in his arms.
He couldn’t exactly yank her out of her car though.
“All right,” she said, nodding. “I skipped lunch today and am starving.”
“You should eat,” he said with a wink.
She flushed, and he wondered if she was thinking of his text earlier. Damn. He’d been having a little lighthearted fun, but now he’d rushed off to her aid. So much for keeping things casual. He could whip up a quick dinner for the two of them though. Maybe drag her off to his sofa for a little make-out session.
He'd love to have her in his bed, but he wanted an entire night with her, and he knew they both had work in the morning.
“Awesome. I’ll text you my address, but you can follow me back to my apartment.”
“Sounds good. And Colton?”
“Yeah, sweetheart?” he asked, his heart catching for a brief moment.
“Thanks for helping me. For rushing over here,” she hastily added.
“My pleasure,” he said with a wink. “Just follow me out,” he said, turning away and walking toward his own vehicle. He’d had the strongest urge to duck down and kiss her, but she wasn’t his girlfriend.
Hell.
For a woman he’d spent
exactly one night with, he had a hell of a lot of strong feelings about her. He hadn’t even thought about it—he’d rushed here when she was scared.
And now she was coming back to his place?
Jesus.
He was in way over his head.
***
Morgan clutched the steering wheel tightly as she backed out of her parking space and followed Colton’s police cruiser across the parking lot. What was she thinking agreeing to go back to his place?
She wasn’t even supposed to be seeing him again.
She was more rattled than she wanted to admit about the black SUV though, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Nothing had happened, per se.
But something about the situation had her feeling on edge. And at the moment? The idea of spending time with Colton calmed her in a way she didn’t entirely understand. She felt safe around him. Secure. She was attracted as anything to the man, but he put her at ease, too. She felt like she didn’t need to worry about anything when he was around. And after dealing with her ex who couldn’t handle the most basic of things, that was comforting to her.
Colton was assured and confident. Calm. When she’d been feeling frazzled, he’d rushed to help her. And there wasn’t even anything she needed help with exactly. She’d just been scared, and he was there.
Her phone buzzed, and she put it on speaker.
“We’re less than ten minutes from my place,” Colton said. “You okay?”
“Yeah, fine,” she said quickly. “Sorry if I freaked out before. Here you’re used to dismantling bombs and dealing with all sorts of crazy people, and I’m worried about a car in the parking lot.”
“Hey,” he said softly, in a deep voice that somehow sent shivers racing down her spine. “It’s always better to trust your gut. It is concerning that that man showed up twice at your school. I’ll get you the info when we get to my place, so you can pass it along to the principal.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’m just used to be cautious, and I’m always looking out for the safety of our students.”
“You did the right thing,” Colton said.
“So what are you making me for dinner anyway?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Not pancakes tonight,” he quipped. “I’ve got training early in the morning.”
She giggled and blushed, just listening to his sexy voice mention that. The pancakes. With syrup. Goodness knows if that fantasy ever came to fruition, she’d probably melt into a puddle on the floor. The idea of Colton’s large body moving over her, his tongue trailing over every inch of her flesh?
Heat bloomed over her skin.
“Not pancakes tonight,” she agreed. “I’ve got papers to grade later and have to be at school early tomorrow. What is for dinner then?”
“Spaghetti and sauce from a jar?” he asked.
She laughed. “Sounds good to me. As you may or may not have noticed, our kitchen was pretty sparsely stocked. I actually love to cook, but since I was only planning to live there temporarily, I didn’t stock up on, well, anything.”
“I can’t say I noticed,” he quipped. “My eyes were only on you, sweetheart. And hell, what a sight to behold you were. Oh, that’s me up ahead. Building on the right. There’re guest spots out front. We’re early enough that you should be able to nab one. Just go ahead and park there and then climb in with me.”
A minute later, Colton had parked, and they were climbing out of his police cruiser.
“I would’ve gotten the door for you,” he complained.
“I’m fine,” she said, smiling up at him.
He walked closer, stopping right in front of her, only inches away. “Hey,” he said quietly, looking down at her with those piercing blue eyes.
“Hey yourself,” she said, her breath catching. He was big and broad and buffer than hell standing here—cargo pants and boots, Kevlar vest still on. The guy at the school had probably been intimidated as hell to see him. And rightfully so.
But right now? She was ready to melt in his arms.
He took her hand in his much larger one, running his thumb over her skin, and ducked down, brushing a soft kiss over her lips. She swore sparks shot straight through her at his touch. He smelled masculine, with a faint trace of sweat and grease. It wasn’t unlike when he’d been working in the garage last weekend, and something about his gruffness was enticing. Exciting. Colton was gorgeous and strong and hers for the taking.
She rose onto her tiptoes, kissing him once more before he took control, deepening the kiss.
She gasped as his large hand moved to her back, holding her close, right where he wanted her. Exactly where she wanted to be.
Cars honking on the street had her jumping back, and he chuckled.
Colton’s blue eyes were wide with arousal as he gazed at her, and she forced herself not to look down to the bulge in his pants. She’d certainly felt it when he’d held her close, but they weren’t going to sleep together—this was just dinner. And then she’d be on her way.
After tonight, she shouldn’t even see him again.
He took her hand, tugging her along beside him. “Let’s go inside.”
Chapter 14
Colton’s lips quirked as he glanced down at Morgan when they stopped at his front door. “I have to admit, I haven’t had a woman over here in months. Not since my ex actually.”
“Oh,” she said, looking surprised.
Although Colton certainly didn’t mind spending the night with a woman, he made sure to stay at her place. And he usually left before dawn. He’d had no desire to get up and leave when he’d been at Morgan’s though. He’d been more than happy to make love to her all night long and then hold her close when they finally drifted off to sleep.
Imagine that.
He hadn’t intended to get involved seriously with a woman anytime soon, but even though he hardly knew Morgan, he was falling for her already. Hard. Why the hell else would he rush to her side?
And wasn’t that a surprise.
In the past, he’d been more than happy to have sex with a woman and then move on. He wouldn’t get her number to set up another date, and he certainly wouldn’t bring her home.
And yet here they were. It was fast and unexpected, but he liked the idea of Morgan here. He’d like it even more if she were in his bed, but he needed to pull back and not frighten her.
He pushed open the front door, taking her hand and guiding her in. “Yeah, I guess I haven’t wanted to bring a woman here in a long time.”
She paused, and he forced himself to take a deep breath as he shut his front door. He wasn’t about to toss her down on the couch and fuck her. She’d been scared earlier. Upset. And when he’d kissed her a moment ago, she’d tasted sweeter than sin.
“I need to change out of this gear,” he said, gazing down at her. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, her cheeks flushed. He didn’t know if he wanted to pull her into his arms and keep her safe or strip her down and drive into her welcoming body.
Conflicting emotions danced through him.
He reached out, his fingertips brushing against her soft cheek. “I should quick shower and change,” he said gruffly. “I’ve been in this gear for hours.”
She nodded, her eyes running over him. He felt about ten feet tall when she looked at him that way, her eyes wide with arousal. He kept in great shape, but hell if he didn’t appreciate Morgan’s gaze on him. “I need to lock up my gun,” he said, looking down at her.
“All right,” she said, and they both began moving down the hallway. She was still scared, he realized. It’s not like they were pawing at each other’s clothes, kissing their way to his bedroom. She needed comfort. She needed him.
He paused in the doorway, removing his holster and Kevlar vest. The air between them thickened as they stood there, his bed in sight. And although he was only removing part of his uniform, there was sexual tension in the air.
She watched as he removed the rest of his gear, looking like she wanted to r
each out and touch him. He wanted her. Needed her. Needed to kiss her and caress her and make sure she was okay. Yeah, there’d just been a jackass in the parking lot of her school, but when he’d heard her frightened voice on the phone, something inside him had flipped. He needed to get to her as quickly as possible.
“Shower with me?” he asked gruffly. He was already hard, his erection straining against the confines of his pants. He needed to clean up and change, and he wanted nothing more than Morgan beside him.
The thought of water dripping over her naked body was arousing as hell.
He really should slow things down. Make her dinner like he promised. But he also loved the idea of comforting her with his body. Touching her, bringing her to pleasure, making her forget about anything and everything but him.
“Yes,” she whispered, and he ducked down for a quick kiss.
Morgan reached down with trembling hands to lift her shirt up. Colton caught them in his, lifting them to his mouth, and softly kissing her knuckles. She whimpered as he lightly sucked on her skin, and then he was stripping her himself, lifting off her shirt, tugging down her pants.
She stood there in his bedroom wearing nothing but a black bra and panties, and he swore he’d never seen anything sexier in his life. Hell. They were standing there, barely touching, and the way she trusted him just slayed him.
Colton tugged his own shirt up and over his head, loving the way her gaze raked over his chest. Her eyes on him felt like a caress, and before he undressed more, he knelt down in front of her, kissing her stomach.
His hands wrapped around her, cupping her bottom and holding her to him.
She whimpered as he peppered a trail of kisses across her skin. He could smell her arousal, and male pride filled his chest. He’d barely touched her yet, and she was turned on and ready for him. He nuzzled against the front of her panties, watching as she shivered.
“Colton,” she said breathlessly.
“You’re mine, sweetheart.”
He kissed her sex and then stood, removing his own jeans and boxer briefs. His erection sprang out, hard and throbbing against his taut stomach. He was a big guy, and he watched her eyeing him.
Be Mine Tonight (Line of Duty Book 2) Page 8
