Officer Next Door (Lock and Key)

by Ranae Rose

  “What about Troy Levinson?” The question tumbled from Alicia’s lips, a manifestation of all the suspicions she harbored, of the theory just about everyone in the room seemed to agree on.

  Jeremy let out a long breath, his fingers sliding against the surface of his glass, carving trails through the condensation beaded on its side. “Not so sure about him. There’s a good chance he’s still in the area. You been keeping your house locked up?”

  A hint of heat crept into her cheeks despite the air conditioning. She’d never stop feeling like an idiot for leaving her bathroom window unlocked. “Yes.”

  “She’s planning to stay with me at night until he’s caught,” Liam volunteered, causing Alicia’s face to go a little warmer. Along with the faintest of buzzes from the sangria, it was a pleasant feeling.

  Jeremy just nodded. “Good. Which reminds me – an officer combing the woods behind yall’s houses found something just an hour or so ago. Little bit of blood-stained gauze caught on a tree branch. We think Troy left it behind.”

  “Nothing else?” Liam asked.

  Jeremy grimaced. “’Fraid not. They’re still looking, though. Be careful, and keep all your doors and windows locked, even if you won’t be home.” He shot Alicia a pointed look.

  She murmured her agreement, taking a long sip of her drink. If she devoted any more thought to her upcoming night at Liam’s, she’d blush visibly. The fact that she was able to think about anything besides Troy Levinson and the likely possibility that he was still lurking in Riley County was a testament to Liam’s appeal.

  “Of course we’re running that extra patrol on your road,” Jeremy added, “but nobody in Riley County can afford to let their guard down as long as the Levinsons are on the loose, least of all you two.” He nodded toward Henry and Grey. “You guys as well. You’re part of PERT – could be that Troy’s targeting members. Don’t know for sure yet, so watch your backs.”

  “Dinner’s done,” Sasha called from her station by the stove. Steam billowed out of the soup pot in fragrant clouds that made Alicia’s stomach cramp with hunger.

  “Need help setting the table?” Alicia asked.

  “I’ve got it.” Henry rose, abandoning his seat.

  Alicia couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at Sasha, who looked like she’d been given an early Christmas present. She quickly turned her back on her low land boil for the sake of helping Henry distribute plates and silverware.

  Alicia didn’t feel bad for eating like she was starving, mostly because everyone was doing the same thing. Looking around the table, she realized what a toll the past couple days’ events had taken on everyone’s nerves, especially Liam, Jeremy, Grey and Henry’s. They had to live with the reality of criminals – possibly vengeful ones – every day, and now this.

  One thing was for sure: so far, small town life wasn’t what she’d expected.

  “This boil’s got to be the best I’ve ever had,” Jeremy said after devouring his first plate. “And that’s not just the hunger talking.”

  “Sasha’s the head chef down at Wisteria,” Henry said. “You should try one of her brownies.”

  Alicia cast a surprised glance in his direction and saw that he too had cleared his plate.

  Sasha beamed like a beauty pageant contestant. “I could whip up a batch tonight. Henry, do you have ingredients on hand?”

  A brief conversation transpired, during which it was discovered that Henry had neither baking chocolate nor cocoa powder in his cupboards.

  “That’s all right,” Sasha said. “I can run to the store and get some.”

  “I’ll take you,” Henry said. “No sense in going out on your own after dark if you don’t have to.”

  It wasn’t quite dark – the sun still cast an orange glow through the evening sky – but Sasha didn’t point that out. “I’d appreciate it. Thanks, Henry.”

  “Don’t feel like you have to go out for my sake,” Jeremy protested. “I appreciate the dinner – you’ve done more than enough.”

  “It’s no trouble.” Sasha eyed her plate like she was gauging how quickly she could finish its contents, how soon she could be alone with Henry. “Really, as soon as I get back with the ingredients, I can have the brownies in the oven in fifteen minutes. I could do it in my sleep.”

  She finished eating in record time, and Henry was the only man at the table who didn’t head to the stove for a second plate. Considering that, it seemed like Sasha’s attraction was far from one-sided.

  They left together, supposedly for the same Piggly Wiggly Alicia and Liam had stopped at earlier that day.

  But they were gone for far too long to have simply gone there and back. It wasn’t long before Grey remarked upon that fact, and a ripple of uneasiness seemed to pass through the room.

  CHAPTER 17

  Alicia couldn’t help but catch Kerry’s eye, where she saw the same sense of dubious speculation she felt. Surely Sasha and Henry hadn’t given in to a mutual attraction on the way to Piggly Wiggly for brownie ingredients … had they?

  Liam picked up his phone. “I’ll text Henry, see what’s going on.”

  But no reply came, at least not right away.

  Kerry picked her purse up from beneath her seat and fished her phone out of it. “I’ll see if I can get in touch with Sasha.” She didn’t bother texting, just called. But there was no answer.

  “I don’t like this,” Grey said. “You know how Henry is. Sees everything as a mission, even a trip to Piggly Wiggly. He wouldn’t just ignore us for no reason – not when he knows we’re waiting.”

  Jeremy cleared his throat, wiping a last bead of sweat from his brow before draining the last of his water. “Maybe he’s got a reason. He and that blonde – Sasha – looked like a couple of kids headed for the candy store when they traipsed outta here. Don’t mean to be indelicate, but…”

  “Yeah.” Grey leaned back in his chair, frowning. “Maybe.”

  Kerry was still gripping her phone, slender fingers wrapped around its plastic casing, faintly white at the knuckles. “I don’t like it either. Sasha and Henry may be enjoying each other’s company, but it’s not like Sasha to just blow people off.” She glanced down at her phone. “Usually I have to fake a reason to get off the phone with her.”

  “Well.” Jeremy planted his hands on the table. “If you all think something’s off, I can have an officer cruise by the grocery store, keep an eye out for their vehicle. They take Henry’s truck?”

  “Yeah.” Liam nodded. “Heard it pull outta the driveway.”

  “All right. Blue Dodge Ram, right? Any idea what the tag reads?”

  Before anyone could reply, Liam’s phone went off. He picked it up before the first ring was over. “Henry.”

  A collective sigh of relief circulated around the table, and Alicia felt herself melt into her chair as all the dangerous, half-crazy scenarios her worried mind had tried to present her with faded away.

  Liam, however, didn’t sound quite so relieved. In fact, he sounded pretty incredulous. “Keep us posted,” he said before hanging up. “Let us know if you’re going to be any later than that.”

  “What’s going on?” Alicia was the first to ask, though everyone else echoed her, apparently just as eager to know.

  “Henry said they nearly hit a little old lady on the way home from the grocery store. She ran out into the street in a panic. Said someone had broken into her house. Henry and Sasha called the police, stayed with her until they arrived. They’re answering some questions, should be back in about half an hour.”

  Jeremy swore under his breath and shook his head. “Riley County’s crime statistics are going straight to hell this week. Next thing you know we’ll be competing with every city in the state of North Carolina for violent crimes. The woman wasn’t hurt, was she?”

  “Didn’t seem like it, from what Henry said,” Liam replied. “I don’t know any details, though.”

  Jeremy nodded, lips compressed into a firm line.

  At least n
o one had been hurt.

  “More sangria, anyone?” Alicia reached for the pitcher, ready to pour. It seemed like everyone could use another drink, and they had time to pass while they waited for Sasha and Henry to return.

  Everyone accepted, except for Jeremy, who also refused a fresh glass of water.

  “Appreciate it,” he said, “but I’d better not get too comfortable, just in case Troy Levinson decides to show his face again. Hell, it coulda been him who broke into that old woman’s house.”

  Memories of broken glass and dirty footprints in the bottom of Alicia’s tub seemed to support that possibility, and she wasn’t sure whether she hoped it had been him or not. On one hand, if Troy Levinson was lurking in Cypress and was bold enough to break into neighborhood homes, surely he was desperate and would be caught soon.

  On the other hand… If it really had been him, that didn’t bode well for the short-term safety of Riley County’s residents.

  By the time Henry and Sasha arrived, the low land boil and sangria had nearly been decimated. Grey had put on a pot of coffee in preparation for desert, and the rich smell of brewing grounds filled the kitchen. Wolf and Holden were the first to rush to the door, and moments later, Henry was setting a grocery bag down on the kitchen counter.

  When Jeremy asked for details on what had happened, Henry looked to Sasha. “You can tell it.”

  She looked half-pleased, half-serious. “Well, we were on our way back from the store, on Magnolia Street, when this elderly woman ran out in front of us, just a few yards from the front of the truck. Henry had to put on the brakes, then he jumped out to see if she was all right.

  “She was practically in hysterics. Said her friend had dropped her off after bingo night at the fire hall, and when she got inside, she heard the back door slam in its frame. Her kitchen was a mess and when she looked out the back window, there was a man running into the woods behind her house.”

  “She say what he looked like?” Jeremy asked.

  “At first she just kept calling him ‘that thief who ate the rhubarb pie I made for the church social’, but when the police pressed her, I heard her say that he was tall and she thought he might’ve been dark-haired.” Sasha shrugged. “She was sure it was a man.”

  “So he broke into her house through the back door, ate food out of her kitchen and fled to the woods?” Jeremy frowned. “He steal any valuables?”

  Sasha lifted her hands, palms up. “I really don’t know. She just kept going on about her kitchen being disturbed.”

  “Breaking in to steal food… Sounds like a desperate man on the run to me,” Henry said.

  Jeremy nodded. “Well, if it was him, that means he’s this close to being caught. And I’d better go. Wouldn’t be surprised if I get called back in to work before the night’s over.”

  As everyone bid Jeremy goodbye, a twinge of sympathy sailed through Alicia. He didn’t look like he’d slept much over the past few days, but at least he’d had a good meal.

  “Sorry you’ll miss out on the brownies,” Henry said, walking him to the door. “They’re really something.”

  Alicia didn’t have to turn around to look at Sasha to know she was grinning.

  Henry was right – the brownies were heavenly, especially paired with a cup of strong coffee. Not as heavenly as the feeling of Liam’s fingertips against the small of her back as they walked to his car after dessert was over and they’d said their goodbyes, but still.

  As they passed through the street-lit night, he seemed alert, senses trained on their surroundings, as if the Magnolia Street intruder might be lying in wait behind a nearby bush or car.

  He still had attention to spare for her though, in the form of touch, if not his gaze.

  It was enough to have heat sweeping through her, reminding her that she couldn’t wait to get back to his place and have him all to herself.

  * * * * *

  “Before we do this, I want to make one thing clear.” Liam paused with his arms braced against his bedroom wall and Alicia secure between them. His lips nearly brushed the side of her neck, and her hair tickled his jaw, soft as sun-warmed silk. His cock was hard as steel, aching inside his jeans, and it took all his willpower to speak instead of act.

  “What’s that?” Her voice came out breathy, hot against his face, smelling of chocolate and coffee. For some reason, that turned him on. Everything about her turned him on.

  “I’m going to take you on a date,” he said. “A real, honest to God date.”

  He wanted to – really. Almost as badly as he wanted to take her against the wall he had her against now.

  She slipped into a few seconds of breathless laughter. “Okay.”

  “Really.” He let himself taste her neck, sweeping the tip of his tongue against the delicate arch of it, unable to resist. “You deserve it and it’s happening.”

  She let out a long sigh, tipping her head back a little more against the wall.

  “I work the next four days.” He harnessed what little bit of self-control he had left. “How about we go out Monday evening? It’ll be the last day of my shift, assuming Troy Levinson is caught by then – we can take our time, stay out late.”

  “Yes,” she breathed, and that one little word tore through him, leaving an ache deep in his balls. “Can’t wait.”

  Neither could he, though now that he’d made his promise, he was no longer thinking of their plans to visit Wilmington. He was thinking about her – her naked, on his dick and breathing ‘yes’ again. The thought consumed him.

  She still had on what she’d worn to work that day – the long skirt, soft and the color of wisteria blossoms, paired with an ivory blouse that draped over her shoulders and breasts, just hinting at the curves that lay beneath. Demure, and somehow, sexy as hell. Though the fabric shielded the finer details of her anatomy from his view, it was like nothing beneath his hand, allowing him to feel everything as he cupped her breasts.

  Her nipples sprang up hard and tempting against his hands, making his mouth water. The blouse buttoned down the front, and he took the time to undo each one, focusing on the pearl-like shine as he revealed the cami she wore beneath. When he pulled down a strap, shock hit him like an arrow to the gut, hot and sharp, affecting him at a visceral level. The reason why was simple: she wasn’t wearing a bra.

  No wonder he’d been able to feel her nipples like she’d been wearing nothing at all. The cami was one of those with an elastic band under the breasts, a semi-sheer layer of cotton that might qualify as some sort of undergarment but definitely wasn’t a bra.

  Now, one of her breasts was exposed, as bare as could be, raised a little by her top. Her nipple was a dark pink pinprick against pale skin that had never seen a hint of sun, lily-white in contrast to the barely-there golden tan that casual time outdoors had dusted across her shoulders.

  She arched against the wall when he pressed his mouth to her breast, drawing her nipple deep into his mouth, tongue sliding against the bud that had made his fingertips tingle. When she gasped, the sound tore through him and he felt her breath in his hair, barely touching his scalp and sending a frisson all the way down his spine.

  Still cupping her other breast in one hand, he teased the peak through summer-light cotton, wondering why women wore bras at all if something like this was an option. He hadn’t realized until he’d touched her, hadn’t imagined…

  Well, maybe he’d imagined. Imagined her naked beneath her airy top, though that had only been a fantasy.

  Dinner at Henry’s had been a good time in some ways, sheer torture in others. He’d spent half the evening fighting an erection that threatened to spring to life every time he so much as glanced at Alicia. Having her once had ignited a fire that had grown and grown throughout the day, the flames fed by equal parts memory and imagination.

  He didn’t know if having her again would put out that fire, but he was willing to try. Again and again, if need be. If he could get to the point where he wasn’t walking around with a constant h
ard-on anymore, he’d be happy. And if he couldn’t, he’d be happy trying.

  It was a win-win situation, just like the way she moved was, arching her back against the wall, pressing her shoulders harder against it and her breast more firmly against his face.

  He relished the feeling of soft flesh swelling against his cheek and jaw, the tip harder than ever inside his mouth.

  It was so, so good. But it wasn’t enough.

  CHAPTER 18

  Hands desperate, balls aching, Liam lifted his head, relinquished his hold on Alicia’s breasts and reached below instead. His palms glided against her smooth thighs as he gathered her skirt in his fists, holding on hard and lifting it high.

  She might’ve forgone a bra, but she wore panties. Panties the color of ivory, just like her blouse, and trimmed with lace around the edges. He noticed those things in a split second, then tucked a thumb into the waistband and tugged, lower and lower.

  She’d already taken off her sandals; with a little effort he got her panties over her bare feet. When that was done he was on his knees in front of her, eyes drawn to the bare folds of her pussy like iron to a magnet.

  He tasted her, gripping her hips and letting her long skirt drape around him, brushing his shoulders as he buried his tongue inside her, tasting wetness and heat that he could remember feeling wrapped around his dick.

  She gasped, arched again and buried a hand in his hair. He wore it short, but liked the feeling of her fingers raking through it anyway, not quite able to hold on but pleasurable nonetheless. There was just something about the scrape of her nails against the curve of his skull, accompanied by the sound of her breath rushing past her lips as he drew his tongue over her clit.

  As badly as he wanted to be inside her, he ached to hear her breath rush harder, to make her come. The way she was reacting already told him it wouldn’t take long, though every second spent outside her felt like a small eternity.