by Tia Siren
I walked into the briefing room and found Noah already sitting. He waved me over, and I took the seat next to him.
He looked at me funny. “You look…” He paused, as if he couldn’t find the right word.
“I look…?”
“Happy?” he said, as if it was a foreign word.
I shrugged. “I’m not angry if that’s what you mean.”
He shook his head. “No. That’s not it.”
He didn’t get a chance to figure it out. The chief took his place at the podium and began the morning briefing.
Later, when we walked to the patrol car, I tossed Noah the keys.
“Now I know something’s wrong,” he said, shaking his head.
I shrugged. “I don’t want to drive.”
“Whatever. I’ll get it out of you eventually.”
We headed out to one of our favorite spots. It was a school zone and notorious for speeders. It always pissed me off, and whenever we busted someone speeding or driving recklessly, we slapped them with the biggest ticket we could scratch together.
“There!” I said, pointing to a car clocked at forty with the woman behind the wheel holding up her phone and obviously texting.
I hit the lights while Noah got behind her.
I stalked toward the driver’s side of the car. The woman was attractive and had a fair amount of cleavage showing, which she was working hard at showing me.
“License and registration!” I barked, not in the mood for stupid flirting.
“I’m sorry, Officer. Was I doing something wrong?”
I quickly listed her offenses and asked for the documents again.
She pulled off her sunglasses and batted her eyes at me. “I’m so sorry. I was in a rush to get to work.”
I stared at her. She smiled back. Her eyes darted to my nametag before purposely looking at my left hand.
“Officer Campbell, you wouldn’t want to ruin my day, would you?” She pouted.
I snatched her license out of her hand and stomped back to the car. There was no amount of flirting in the world that was going to get her out of a ticket.
“She’s laying it on thick,” Noah commented, getting in the driver’s seat.
“It isn’t going to work.”
He laughed. “It never does. You would think the fine citizens of Nashville would realize you’re a hard-ass.”
I glared at him. “She could have hit a little kid and not even known it.”
“I know. You’re right. Hit her hard.”
I wrote up the ticket and delivered it to her. She was pissed. Her smile disappeared and was replaced with a sneer.
“You need to loosen up a bit, Officer. When a pretty woman flirts with you, you acknowledge it.”
I looked at her. “I always do—when I see a pretty woman.”
Her mouth fell open before I smiled and walked away.
The day rolled on with more speeding tickets issued.
“I’m hungry and it’s slow. Let’s get lunch,” Noah said.
“Fine.”
He drove to a sandwich shop. We each ordered and sat down. I looked up and found him watching me.
“What?” I asked.
“What’d you do last night?”
“Nothing.”
“Liar.”
“I invited my neighbor over for pizza.”
He smiled. “A female neighbor?”
I nodded. “Yes. She just moved in.”
He was grinning like an idiot. “She’s pretty?”
I nodded. “She is.”
“Single?”
Another nod. “Yep.”
“You sleep with her?”
I nodded again.
“Ha! I knew it! I knew you were way too happy this morning.”
I smiled. “You didn’t know shit.”
“Who is this woman? Was Ella home?” he asked.
“Yes. Ella met her a couple days ago. Her name is Scarlett. She moved in last week and that’s that.”
He gave me a knowing smile. “Are you going to see her again?”
“I’m sure I’ll see her. She lives next door,” I said dryly.
He laughed. “Yep, you’re definitely going to see her again. I can see that look in your eyes. You’ve never actually been happy after one of your one-nighters. This is different.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I’m happy for you, really. I hope you can actually date and enjoy a woman’s company without feeling like it’s a dirty little secret. You’re a healthy man with needs. Stop trying to pretend you’re not,” he lectured.
“I have a daughter.”
“And there are plenty of men and women who do. That doesn’t mean they stop living and enjoying relationships.”
“I know. We’ll see. I’m not sure if I’m there yet.”
He laughed. “I want to meet this new neighbor. When are you inviting me over?”
“Never.”
That made him chuckle. We finished our lunch and headed back out on patrol. It was another good day, and I was going home safe to my daughter. When I pulled in the driveway, the first thing I saw was Scarlett. She was chatting with my mom and Ella. Flashes of last night sprung before my eyes. It had been amazing. I would have been a fool to say I never wanted it again. I did.
I got out of my truck, and my eyes briefly met Scarlett’s before I picked up Ella and hugged her.
“What are you ladies doing out here?” I asked.
My mom smiled. “Ella introduced me to your new neighbor. She was very persistent that we come over to chat. We were chatting about nothing you’d care to hear about,” she said with a wink.
My eyes darted to Scarlett’s. She smiled. “Flowers and the best places to go shopping,” she explained.
I nodded. “Say no more.”
“Scarlett told me she’s hoping to be a music producer. You could be living right next door to a woman who rubs elbows with some of the big names in the music world,” my mom said with glee.
Scarlett burst into laughter. “If by rubbing elbows you mean fetching coffee, I have a slight chance.”
“You’ll do fine. I just know it. I can tell you’re destined for big things,” my mom said with all the confidence in the world.
That made Scarlett smile. “I appreciate the confidence. I hope I can prove you right.”
“Can you come over for dinner again tonight?” Ella asked.
I froze. Scarlett was going to get the wrong idea. She was probably thinking I was using my daughter to get her in my bed.
“Oh, sweetie, I would love to, but I have to get some things done. I have a friend coming tomorrow, and I still haven’t unpacked my boxes,” she said, her eyes growing big. “I’m going to get in trouble when she sees how messy my house is.”
Ella shook her head. “That’s not good. My dad gets really cranky when my room is messy.”
“Maybe another time,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t sound too strained.
I didn’t want my mom to know there had been something between Scarlett and me. That would start a conversation I didn’t want to have, especially with my mother.
“Bye, Ella, and it was nice to meet you, Mrs. Campbell,” Scarlett said in that easy way she had about her.
It was that laid-back way of hers that drew me in. I felt like I could talk to her for hours and never get bored.
“We’ll see you later,” I said.
She turned her smile to me. “You guys have fun, and enjoy your dinner.”
She waved and made her way back to her house. I wanted to watch her go but didn’t want to risk my mom seeing me do so. I turned to invite my mom in and realized it was too late. She was smiling. It was a smile only a mother could give. It said something along the lines of I know more than you think I do. Damn mother’s intuition.
“What?” I asked, suddenly feeling guilty.
“She seems like a nice girl,” my mom said.
I groaned. I knew what was coming next. “She’s a
woman, Mom.”
“To me, they’re all girls. She’s very pretty.”
“Yes, she is,” I agreed.
“Ella likes her.”
“Yes, she does.”
We walked into the house, and I waited for what I knew was coming.
“I can watch Ella if you’d like to take her out for dinner or something,” my mother said.
“No, Mom. It isn’t like that. I was kind of a jerk to her when she moved in. I asked her to come over for dinner. It wasn’t a big deal,” I explained.
She smiled. “Maybe you should take her out to dinner to make up for being a jerk.”
I shook my head. “Let it go, Mom.”
“I like her, Daddy,” Ella chimed in.
I felt like they were ganging up on me. I knew when I was defeated. I changed the subject.
“What do you want for dinner?” I asked, hoping to distract her.
“I want pizza, and we should ask Scarlett to come over again.”
My mom started laughing. “Maybe another night, Ella. Daddy’s tired tonight.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“I’m going to leave you two to it. Ella, be good for Daddy. I will see you tomorrow after school. Good night, you guys,” she said before hugging each of us.
“I’m going to change, and then I’ll make dinner,” I told Ella.
I headed into my room and quickly changed. I looked at my bed and felt heat rush through my body as I remembered what I had done on that bed last night.
I shut the door and headed to the kitchen to see what I could throw together for dinner. Ella was busy at the table reading a book out loud. I loved that she was already reading.
“That sounds like a good book,” I said when she closed it and set it on the table.
She shrugged. “It’s boring. It’s a little-kid book. I want to read real stories.”
I laughed. “We’ll take a trip to the library and see what we can find. Maybe Grandma can take you after school tomorrow.”
That seemed to satisfy her. We sat down to a simple dinner of Hamburger Helper. I liked our life together. It was a little lonely, and I knew Ella could probably use a woman in her life to act as a mother, but I couldn’t put her through the ups and downs of a relationship. She had already been through so much. It wasn’t fair to put her through anything more.
Chapter Nine
Scarlett
It was after noon, and I was growing anxious to see Hannah. She was coming for the weekend. It’d only been a week since I’d last seen her, but it felt like so much longer. We had texted every day, but it wasn’t the same. I had never felt so alone in my life. The brief interlude with Ella and Cameron had been nice, but I needed more.
I was like a kid waiting for Christmas morning. I was pacing while I waited. When I heard a series of honks, I squealed and ran outside.
“You’re here!” I said, jumping up and down.
She climbed out of her car, and I practically knocked her back inside with the force of my body weight slamming against her.
She was giggling. “Jake is going to be very jealous.”
“I’ve missed you.”
“I can tell.”
“I’m so glad you came. I’m going crazy here by myself,” I said, walking arm in arm with her back to the house.
“Any more from crazy pants?” she asked.
“No, thankfully. I’m hoping it was just one last jab at me.”
“Me too, or I’m going to have someone jab him,” she warned.
I laughed. Hannah wasn’t much bigger than me, but she talked like she was a muscle man. I wished I had her strength, even if it was imagined.
“So, where we going tonight? That same place?” she asked.
“If you want.”
“Tell me everything,” she said, flopping down on the couch.
I laughed. “I’ve texted you everything that’s happened.”
I hadn’t actually, but that was one little piece of information I would keep to myself. I knew she would think it was great. For some reason, I wanted to treasure that for a little longer. It was my little secret, and keeping it that way made it more special.
“Let’s get ready to go. You are not wearing that,” she said, taking in my T-shirt and jeans.
We rummaged through my closet before picking out outfits. We were going for “casual sexy” that didn’t make it look like we were trying too hard. We did our makeup and then called a car to take us out. We decided to head to the same bar we’d been at last weekend. We both liked the vibe, and the music had been great.
After getting a drink, we found a small table and checked out the scene.
“Dance with me,” a man said, nearly stumbling into me.
“No, thanks,” I said politely.
“Come on, one dance,” he said, his face too close to mine.
“She’s with me, buddy,” Hannah said, putting her arm around my shoulders.
I batted my eyes at her and smiled.
“Whatever. Don’t be a bitch. You’re not that hot,” he growled.
I froze. The man had triggered something inside me that had me paralyzed. I couldn’t move. I waited for the shouting and name-calling I knew was coming. I couldn’t draw in a deep breath.
“Take a walk, asshole,” a male voice cut in.
I turned around and came face to face with a broad chest. My eyes moved up, and I found Cameron’s blue eyes looking back at me. I immediately calmed down. Cameron was here. He would keep me safe. My heart rate slowed, and I breathed again.
The drunk guy looked at me, then at Cameron and clearly decided I wasn’t worth it.
“Thank you,” I told him.
He shrugged. “To protect and serve, even when I’m not in uniform.”
I noticed another man standing next to Cameron.
“I’m Noah,” he said with a charming smile.
“I’m Scarlett and this is Hannah.”
“You’re the new neighbor,” he said.
I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. Cameron had told him. I could see the guilt in his eyes.
“Hannah, dance with me,” Noah said.
“No, thanks.”
“Come on, I’m a great dancer. You know what they say about good dancers,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.
“No, I don’t know,” Hannah said dryly.
“Let me show you.”
“I don’t think my boyfriend would like that.”
Noah made a show of looking around the room.
“I don’t see him here.”
Hannah rolled her eyes. “You’re not going to give up, are you?”
Noah grinned. “Nope.”
“Fine. Come on, you big beast.”
Cameron and I watched the two walk away.
“What are you doing out?” I asked. “Where’s Ella?”
“She’s with my mom. I switch to nights next week, so I’m trying to stay up late and get used to the new shift.”
I nodded. “I see.”
“Dance with me,” he blurted out.
I smiled. “I’d love to.”
We left our drinks at the table and walked onto the floor, our hands clasped. The song changed to a slower beat. He put his hands on my hips and began to slowly grind against my pelvis. I forgot all about the other people bumping into us. It was only me and him. I let myself get lost in his blue eyes as his hands ran up my sides before running back down and pulling me close against him again.
“Cameron?” I whispered his name.
“Shh,” he mumbled before pressing his lips to mine.
We kissed, slow and easy, letting the rhythm of the music guide our movements. His body moved against mine, and memories flooded my brain. I wanted him again. I wanted him right then and there.
At some point, I realized we were making out on a crowded dance floor. I pulled back and looked up at him.
“I should find Hannah,” I said.
He nodded. “I’ll try to rein Noah in. He considers himself a
bit of a womanizer.”
His hand moved to the small of my back as he walked me off the dance floor. Hannah and Noah were at the table with a fresh round of drinks. She was looking at me with a shocked expression. I shrugged one shoulder in response to her silent question.
“You two probably need a cold drink after that, uh, dance,” Noah quipped.
Cameron didn’t look bothered by the comment. “Thanks for the beer.”
I took a drink of my Long Island iced tea, feeling parched after the dance.
“How come you don’t dance like that?” Noah asked Hannah.
She smiled. “I do—with my boyfriend.”
Noah slapped a hand over his heart. “You’re killing me. Come on, what’s he got that I don’t?”
“Me.”
We all burst into laughter.
“Come on, Noah. Let’s leave the ladies alone. Enjoy your night,” Cameron said, looking at me with heat in his eyes.
That look was enough to make me want to ditch Hannah and go home with him. I couldn’t. Hannah had come a long way to see me, and I wasn’t going to up and leave her so I could get laid.
“I think you guys should stick around. You can be our bodyguards and keep the irritating, obnoxious guys away,” Hannah said, looking purposefully at Noah.
Cameron laughed. “Noah will be on his best behavior. You guys pretend we’re not here. We’ll be over there,” he said, pointing to a cushioned bench against the wall.
“Thank you,” I said, appreciating him keeping a close eye on us.
Hannah and I stayed at the club for another hour before we decided to call it a night. I said good-bye to Cameron and went outside to wait for our Uber.
“He’s hot,” Hannah said gleefully.
I shrugged. “He’s all right.”
“You are such a liar. You practically ate his face off on the dance floor. He is really into you.”
I laughed. “I did not.”
“Yes, you did. Not to say he wasn’t very much enjoying it. You two were on fire out there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that kind of chemistry between two people. I mean, I wish I could experience that kind of attraction with Jake. Hell, with anybody,” she said.
I could admit it was pretty intense. I couldn’t explain what it was, but something about the man made me hot and wet.
