Ride-along (Bounty County Series Book 1)

by Maren Lee

  He had no choice. He grabbed the rolled up newspaper and threw it in the toilet. Gross.

  He knew he would have to get it out. “Son of a! Shit. Of all the luck.”

  Chloe came in behind him, “What’s the prob-. Well, what the fuck?” She started laughing. “Damn, my morning plans are shot. How in the hell did you do that?” She put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips together to stop herself from laughing.

  “I, uh, went to grab it and didn’t have a good hold and it fell right out of my hand.”

  “Those big manly hands had a clumsy moment? Not often that happens.”

  “Yeah, not usually a problem I have. Sorry.” He shrugged and pulled her hands away from her waist, pulling her to his chest. He held her for a moment and kissed the top of her head. “Do you want me to get a glove so you can grab the paper out of the toilet?”

  “Get. Fucking. Serious. Justin. I am not grabbing it. That was all you, babe.”

  “Worth a shot.”

  “You going to shower with me?”

  I wish. “No, I showered first thing. It’s all yours. Be quick so we can head out.”

  “You are on top of it this morning, Mr. Hunt. It’s my turn to be on top later.” She winked at him and headed to the master bedroom. He fished out the newspaper, tossed it in the trash and then carried the trashcan to the garage to toss it in the big can. He barely got a chance to read the comics this morning. Dammit. No time anyway.

  As he came back inside, Chloe sauntered into the kitchen. Stark. Ass. Naked. “Sorry, I need a coffee refill.” Christ. He wanted to lift her up and fuck her against the wall right then and there. No time. Fuck. If Chloe kept this temptress shit up it was going to be a long fucking day. He needed to call Brenden and figure out what he could do to keep Chloe busy. Being on the road with him today was not going to be an option for her. “Chloe. I love this view, but we gotta get a move on, baby.”

  “Alright, alright. I’m hustling.” He watched her soft body parts bounce as she walked back to the bedroom. He was completely gone for this woman. He shook his head to pull himself out of the thoughts of their future together, and called Brenden to let him know they’d be heading in soon.

  He wasn’t sure what to tell Chloe about the lasagna dinner, so Brenden suggested bringing her to the office and asking her for a list of ingredients so that they could send someone to pick up all the ingredients and bring it back to the station. She could cook the lasagna in the kitchen at the station just as easily as at home. He heard the shower turn off and quickly ended the call with Brenden. Chloe shouted from the bathroom, “Justin! I left my towel laying on the bed. Could you bring it to me, please?”

  She didn’t forget her towel on accident. She did it on purpose. Temptress! “Just a second, honey.”

  He went into the bedroom and grabbed her towel off of the bed.

  “I’m freezing in here!” she shouted.

  Instead of opening the door and getting a peek at her sinfully beautiful body, he barely cracked the door open enough to get his forearm through and tossed it to her.

  “There ya go.”

  “Thanks? I wouldn’t have yelled at you for opening the door!” she yelled.

  “You have before!”

  “Oh please. That was a completely different circumstance.”

  “Playing it safe, darlin’.” He shut the door and hurried to get dressed in his uniform before she was done in the bathroom. Justin wasn’t sure he had ever gotten ready so fast. He had Avery ready to go and sitting by him at the front door when Chloe came out, dressed and looking fresh and ready.

  “Do you need anything else before we leave?”

  “No, I think I’m good. Can you take me to the store on the way home this evening?”

  Yeah, she wouldn’t be coming back here until they found that stalker piece of shit, but he wasn’t going to tell her that just yet. “Of course.”

  “Okay, I’ll get my purse.” She was back in seconds and smiling at him with the sweetest look in her face.

  “What’s that sexy smile for?”

  “No reason, just happy.” She walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Me too, babe. Let’s hit the road.” The sound of his voice made her doubt its truth.

  Chapter 15

  The ride to the Sheriff’s office was quiet. Chloe could tell something was up with Justin but she wasn’t sure what. Maybe she farted in her sleep or something.He didn’t seem like the type to freak out about something like that -- shit, he’d warned her out of the bathroom this morning because he, quote, “blew it up” -- but maybe he was sensitive about lady bodily functions. He practically ran from the kitchen when he saw her naked and then he didn’t even peek at her when she “forgot her towel.” What the hell? She needed to say something to get his attention.

  “So, you think Jake is up for another threesome?” she said snarkily.

  “Yeah, I’m not sure what area I’ll be patrolling today,” he responded, clearly distracted.

  Are you kidding me? He wasn’t even listening to her.

  “Justin!” she shouted.

  He jumped, startled. “Jesus! What? Why are you yelling at me?”

  “Because you are off in lala land not listening to me, and you’ve been acting strange since we finished breakfast. What’s going on with you?”

  “I’m sorry. There’s just a bunch of work shit on my mind that I can’t talk about right now. It’s not you. It’s not us.” He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. “I promise.”

  “Okay. I believe you. I was just worried maybe it was something I’d done in my sleep.”

  “Done something in your sleep? Like what?”

  “I don’t know, like maybe I farted on you or drooled on your chest or something!”

  Justin threw his head back and laughed. Loudly. She loved the sound of his laugh, but if a normal person were listening now, they would think he was crazy.

  “Justin! Stop laughing at me.” She slapped his thigh.

  “Babe, I’m not laughing at you. You just crack me up. You caught me way off guard.”

  “Well, is that something that would make you act weird?”

  “No. Not even a little bit. Everybody farts. Even beautiful college girls.” He reached out and grabbed her hand. “I would totally still lo-....look at you like you’re an angel even if something like that happened...or whatever.”

  Seriously? He almost said he loved her again. Quit holding back, Justin and let it rip! She giggled quietly to herself at that thought.

  They were pulling up to the Sheriff’s office so she decided to let it go. Chloe went to open her door, but Justin leaned over the front of her and forcefully pulled her door shut.

  “I will help you out,” he said, curtly.

  Good lord, his mood shifts were so unpredictable today. “Okay. Jeeze.”

  Justin got out, looked around, let Avery out, and then went around the back of the vehicle to her door. He opened it and then stepped back against the passenger door and pulled her close to him. He walked her into the building, practically shielding her body the entire way. This was so not normal. Chloe had a gut feeling something more was going on, but she knew that even if she asked, he wouldn’t tell her.

  He was practically hugging her with Avery at his side.

  “Justin, a little breathing room, please?”

  He looked down at her, around them and then stepped back. “Oh, sorry. Let’s go to my office.”

  They walked back to his office and he let Avery off the lead so that she could get a drink and lay down. He motioned to the chair on the opposite side of his desk for her to Chloe to sit down. Weird. She’d obliged him even though she didn't like the way he just aimed her that direction. Justin picked up the phone.

  “Hey, boss.” That would be Brenden. “Yep. Yep. Okay.” He hung up the phone.

  That was fast.

  “I’ll be right back. Stay here okay, darlin’?”

  “Can you give me a k
iss first?”

  He walked around the side of the desk and leaned down to meet her gaze. “It would be my pleasure, baby.”

  The kiss was soft and sweet, he took his time softly kissing her lips, the corners of her mouth, the tip of her nose, her forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay,” she sighed.

  Chloe pulled out her phone. She may as well catch up on some facebook drama while she waited.

  ➰

  Justin met with Brenden in his office. It was just down the hall, so he was close enough that he could see if Chloe tried to leave his office, but far enough away that she wouldn’t be able to overhear their conversation even if she tried.

  Brenden was quiet for what felt like an eternity. The man could keep a straight face in any situation. It felt like Justin was in his office to get an ass chewing even though he knew that wasn’t the case. Finally Brenden spoke, “How’s she holding up?”

  “She’s good. I figured last night with the drama with Kari she would be a little on edge, but she’s great.”

  “Good to hear that. Does she know about the photos?”

  “No. Like you advised, I haven’t told her anything yet. What’s the plan for today?”

  “I’ve got Jake and Wesson undercover. Wesson is watching your house. Jake’s on patrol. We need to get as many deputies on the road as possible, and that includes you. I know you don’t want to leave her alone, but we need you out there looking for this son of a bitch. Every square mile of Bounty County needs to be searched.”

  “We can’t narrow it down to a smaller search area? I think we should pull the security footage from the FedEx on Glenmont. Where else could he have gotten a photo printer in such a short amount of time?”

  “Already done. I’ll let you know if there’s anything useful on it. But as for the search area, there were pictures of you two pretty much everywhere you’ve been in the past week. We know he has the white van, but we can’t rule out his ability to hitchhike anywhere or steal a different car. The possibilities of where this fucking creep pops up are endless at this point.”

  “What am I supposed to tell Chloe?”

  “You tell her you’ve got a missing persons call. I’ll see if I can get Sierra and the kids down here to visit and keep her entertained for a while. Get her grocery list for the lasagna. I’ll have Sierra bring everything she needs. We’ll play it off as the brave men and women on duty need a good home cooked meal.”

  “Can you keep her occupied until shift change?”

  “Sierra and the kids will keep her busy for a while. I figured I’d have her sit in with Dispatch if she started getting restless.”

  “That’ll probably work. When do we tell her what’s going on?”

  “When we find this piece of shit.”

  “Gotcha. I’ll go tell her.”

  Justin walked back to the office thinking of ways he could spin her staying at the office as her idea. So far he’d come up with nothing, so he stopped to get her a fresh cup of coffee in the breakroom. When he rounded the corner into his office he found her with her feet kicked up on the desk scrolling through her Facebook feed on her phone.

  “Everything okay?” she asked.

  “Yes. Well, no. But yes.” He could see the confusion cross her face.

  “That doesn’t make sense, Justin.”

  “I know. I heard myself say it and I confused myself. We have a missing person. They need my help, so I have to leave you here by yourself. I’m so sorry, honey.”

  “If that coffee is for me, I’ll forgive you and love you forever,” she held out her hands. Even if the coffee weren’t for her, he would have given it to her. Did she just say “love”? Justin hoped his eyes didn’t bug out of his head when she said it. Stay cool, man.

  “Of course it’s for you. Just like you like it. Nice and creamy,” he winked as he handed it over. “But Brenden did feel sorry for you, so he called Sierra and asked her to come down and hang out with you. Unfortunately, I can’t wait for her to get here, though. I’ll have to leave you to your own devices.”

  “Oh. Well, are you going to be okay if I stay here?”

  “As long as you don’t leave the station without telling anyone. Clear everything -- and I mean everything -- with Brenden. Don’t get into any trouble.”

  “How dare you think I would do something to get into trouble.” Justin narrowed his eyes at her. “Fine. Stay safe out there, Ponch.”

  “Ponch?”

  “Yeah, you know, Ponch? Frank Poncherello…? Eric Astrada? CHIPS? His partner was John Baker?”

  He smiled at her and let out a soft laugh, “Yeah, I know, Chlo’. Wanna know a secret about me? I’ve never actually seen CHIPS.”

  “How has a cop never seen CHIPS? I’m calling the governor! This must be rectified immediately!”

  Justin laughed again and pulled her up. “It’s gonna have to wait until I get back, sweetheart. But it sounds like a good Netflix and chill evening.”

  She stood up, wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, and flirtily said, “I know what the boys mean when they say ‘Netflix and chill’, Justin. You’re not fooling me.”

  Justin chuckled again and looked in her eyes. He pushed a stray hair back behind her ear and stroked her jaw with his thumb. Her eyes sparkled. She was staring up at him as if he could move mountains for her. Damn it if he didn’t want to try. He broke the moment. “You make me laugh.”

  “You’re not laughing.”

  “I am. On the inside,” he whispered.

  “Well, then. Happy to keep you entertained, Mr. Hunt.”

  “Thanks, darlin’. It is much appreciated.” He kissed the top of her head. “Can you text me your shopping list for the lasagna? I’ll make sure and get it picked up.”

  “Oh...sure. You think you’ll be gone that long?”

  “I’m not sure yet, but I’ll make sure to check in, okay, babe? Why don’t you just make it here in the kitchen and then we can bring it home or eat it here, depending on how long I’m out?” He hated every second of lying to her. Lying was the wrong word. Withholding information, yeah. But it was really still lying in his book.

  “Okay.” She tilted her head up to kiss the arch of his chin. “Be safe out there, handsome.”

  “Always. I’ll miss every second without you, Barker.”

  She laughed, “Close. It’s Baker.”

  “Barker, Baker. Same difference. I was getting used to my new, sexy partner. Now I guess it’s back to my old slobbery one.” He kissed Chloe one last time. Her lips parted, allowing him full access for a deep soul searching kiss. Tongues colliding, biting, sucking. God she felt good on his lips. He’d love nothing better than to take her right now in his office. Bend her over his desk. Maybe sit in his chair while she played “secretary” and sat under his desk and sucked him off. Damn it. It would have to wait. His cock sighed with disappointment as he slowly released her and backed away.

  “See you in a little while, baby. Avery, load up,” he commanded and they headed out of the office and toward the exit.

  He felt sick to his stomach leaving her. The only thing keeping him at ease as he drove off was knowing that Brenden and Sierra would be there for her while he couldn’t.

  He headed northbound on the highway toward the Lodge where he and Chloe had their epic makeout session in his vehicle. The memory made him tingle, but he shook it off quickly. He was going to find this mother fucker. No matter how long it took.

  ➰

  Initially Chloe was disappointed she couldn’t go with Justin today, but the opportunity to see Sierra, Jayce, and Emma helped her work through her feelings. Now the question was what to do while she waited for them? Her phone buzzed on the desk. It was a text from Sierra.

  SR: Hey, swinging by the store. Justin told Brenden U R making him lasagna, yum! I was told to pick up your list. Send it to me!

  CT: Ok. R U sure?

  SR: No problem! Will come by office when I’m done.

  CT: TY! I
’ll text you a picture of my list.

  SR: K! C U soon!

  Chloe knew she would need to check out the kitchen, but she decided to wait for Sierra to get there before she went venturing off on her own. She wasn’t in the mood for anymore awkward run ins with folks she didn’t know.

  Chloe looked at the clock, it was only 7:15AM. Good lord. Justin got me up early! Chloe leaned back and closed her eyes, hoping to catch a few Z’s until Sierra got there. It seemed like she had just reclined back into her chair when she heard a phone ring. It jolted Chloe forward and she looked around, trying to remember where she was. Shit. She must’ve fallen asleep for a bit. It was already 9:30am. It was her phone that was ringing and the screen indicated that it was Lane. This could be a good or bad call. Chloe cleared her throat and answered.