by A. M. Kusi
Maybe they did have something in common after all.
Chapter 5
Bently
Cold water rained down on Bently’s slick skin. The bite was needed to calm his arousal. For the second week in a row, Belle had come to his class in a sports bra and leggings that left almost nothing to his imagination—and he had a vivid one. He prided himself on his professionalism, and having to leave class to deal with his hard-on was anything but appropriate. That had never happened during a lesson for him. He was supposed to be showing these women how to defend themselves against attackers, not fantasize about how Belle would look on her hands and knees while he pounded into her from behind that sweet, shapely ass.
Damn. He was at full mast just thinking about her. The way she smelled like vanilla and cocoa butter. Her full red lips that he just wanted to bite. His palm wound around his hard cock. If a cold shower wouldn’t work, then he had to take matters into his own hands.
He closed his eyes imagining her dark curls swept onto the mat. They’d be the only two people in the classroom. She’d pant with him on top of her, her body trembling with her own need. He’d lean close, his lips brushing hers lightly. She’d squeeze her legs around him, pulling him closer. His hand pumped faster, envisioning it was her reaching down to stroke him. His spine tingled with the building pressure. Those brown eyes would look up at him as she said, “I want you. Fuck me, Bently.”
His self-control would snap. He’d tear off her leggings, and she’d be bare underneath, already so wet and ready for him. He’d slip inside with one quick thrust. They’d moan together because they felt so good. He tightened his fist around his shaft, moving it faster and faster. His abs clenched as his release spurted all over the tile wall. Bently groaned as pleasure shot through him. He took a moment to get his ragged breathing under control, switching the water to nearly scalding.
What was Belle doing to him? He never obsessed about a woman like this. He just needed to fuck her and get her out of his system.
Fifteen minutes later, he was staring at the array of police reports on his bed. He had just enough time to browse through the cases again before leaving to meet the boys at the bar. He dried off his hair, then tied the towel around his waist. He’d brought work home because he’d hit a dead end with all of them. Muggings, break-ins, and some minor complaints with very few witnesses wasn’t a lot to go on. There’d been no trace of the perpetrator. Whoever was responsible knew how to avoid being caught. They were like ghosts.
Smash! Beep! Beep! Beep!
What the hell?
Bently rushed over to the window that overlooked his dark front lawn. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and grabbed his Glock before he rushed down the stairs and out the front door.
“Fuck!” His truck’s windshield had a large hole in it and spiderweb cracks weaving through the smashed glass.
Adrenaline coursed in his veins. He turned around, searching the area for any movement. Nothing caught his eye except a few nosy neighbors whose porch lights quickly flicked on as their curtains moved.
Bently ran inside and grabbed his keys and phone from the bowl by the door and shut the alarm off.
“Everything okay over there, Sheriff?” Nosy Nancy Plotts asked from across the street.
Why was this happening in his town, and now to his own property? Why would someone do that? He ran a hand through his hair. Plenty of people disliked the police—but in Shattered Cove, things were generally quiet. Well, until recently.
“Sheriff?” Nancy asked.
“Yes, ma’am. Nothing to worry about.”
After dialing Vargas, he called in the incident. He went back inside and got dressed properly before dialing his brother.
“What’s up?” Mikel answered.
“Can you pick me up before you head on over to the bar?”
“Sure, I can’t stay too long tonight though. It’s my turn to put the kids to bed.”
“No problem.”
“See you soon.”
***
Ding-dong.
He buttoned up his shirt and jogged down the stairs to open the door.
“Vargas,” he greeted her.
“Evans. Looks like you’ve had some trouble.”
He headed outside with her, careful to lock his front door. “I didn’t ask the neighbors if they saw anything, but by the time I made it out, there was no trace of the dickhead that did this.”
“I got Lincoln on his way to tow it to his garage. Said he’d have it fixed up quick for ya.” She walked towards his driveway shaking her head. “Any theories?”
“Probably some punk kid who thought he’d show off to his friends and smash the sheriff’s truck,” he said dryly.
“You sure you didn’t piss off any woman in class tonight? Marcy get tired of being shut down time and time again?” She smirked.
He shook his head. “I’ve been a choir boy. Besides, you know I don’t shit where I eat.” Until Belle, I’ve never been tempted.
She laughed. “You, Bently Evans, are many things, but a choir boy will never be one of them. You forget I’ve known you since junior high.”
“I’ve grown up a lot since then,” he argued.
“That’s true.” She eyed him up and down.
“How’s Millie?”
Vargas beamed. “Millie is successfully halfway through her pregnancy.”
“That’s awesome. You two will be great moms. Do you know what you’re having yet?”
“A human, hopefully,” she deadpanned.
He chuckled. “Guess I walked into that one.”
“We find out if it’s got a sausage or a taco at the appointment next week.”
“That’s exciting. I went with Jasmine when she found out with Zoey—it was definitely something special.” His chest tightened at the memory. His sister had been through so much, and now she was a damn good single mother.
“Looks like your brother’s here.” Vargas pointed over his shoulder.
“I’ll see you in a couple hours at the station.” He waved goodbye and hurried to get to Mikel.
Sliding into the passenger side of the truck, Bently sighed.
“What happened?” Mikel asked, backing out onto the street.
“Someone smashed my windshield into smithereens.”
“Why?”
“Let’s not talk about it. I’m already pissed off enough. I just need a drink and to relax.”
Mikel chuckled. “Is it just the car that’s bothering you?”
Bently shook his head.
“Rough week?” Mikel asked.
“That’s the understatement of the fucking century.”
***
Once they arrived at The Shipwreck, Bently found a seat at the bar and Mikel took the one next to him.
“Andre still coming?” Bently asked.
“As far as I know.”
“Good. I got a little something special planned for him.”
Mikel’s eyebrows formed a triangle.
“Mia is meeting me here soon.”
“What can I get you guys tonight?” Charli asked.
“A very large, very cold beer, please,” Bently said.
“Pepsi for me.” Mikel gave Bently a once-over as Charli got to work getting their drinks.
“What?”
“You don’t seem like your usual self. Something wrong? Is it the car thing?” Mikel asked.
“Nah. That’s probably some kid with an issue with authority. Maybe I gave him a ticket or something. Hazards of the job.”
“So, what is it?” Mikel wasn’t dropping the subject.
Bently sighed. “There’s this woman.”
Mikel clapped a hand over his chest. “Thank god. I thought you were gonna tell me you had cancer again or something.”
Bently sho
ok his head. “Nope.” The reminder stung. One more reason he wasn’t a whole man.
“Well, don’t leave me hanging,” Mikel said, as Charli delivered their drinks. Bently handed over a twenty, then shrugged. “Not much to tell. She’s fine. I mean a ten out of ten.”
“Is she married?”
“No. Nothing like that. She just won’t give me a chance. But I can’t get her out of my head. No other woman even sparks my interest anymore.” Bently took a long sip of his beer. He wouldn’t tell his brother this lack of interest had been going on long before he met Belle.
“She immune to the Bently Evans charm?” Mikel smirked.
“Seems to be a bit more than that.” He sighed.
“Why’d you invite Mia, then?”
“To get Andre’s stubborn ass back into enjoying life.”
Mikel glanced up. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
“What are you two troublemakers up to tonight?” Andre asked, taking a seat next to Bently.
“Bent is having a bit of woman trouble,” Mikel supplied.
Andre exaggerated his shocked expression. “The myth, the legend, the man-whore of Shattered Cove is having . . . woman troubles?”
Bently punched his arm hard enough to leave a bruise. “It’s not like you could help. You’ve been a fucking priest for the last year, unless you hooked up with that blonde awhile back?” He smirked.
Andre shook his head. “Nah, I don’t have it in me to take the kind of risks you do.”
“What risks? My heart isn’t ever involved. I think you might be defective—you are the only man I’ve ever known to always get his heart involved when he uses his dick. Don’t you know they’re separate organs?” Bently chuckled and took another swig of his beer.
“I meant risks like herpes, you dumb fuck.” Andre smacked his friend’s back.
“What can I get you, Dre?” Charli asked, interrupting their chiding.
“I think I need the hard stuff tonight,” Andre answered.
“It’s probably the only thing that gets hard for you anymore.” Bently chuckled and Mikel burst out laughing. He needed to poke the bear for his plan to work.
“Bently likes a woman who won’t give him the time of day,” Mikel said, changing the subject.
“What? Your charms are not working on someone for once?” Andre’s smug smirk brought a wave of defeat crashing over Bently like a bucket of ice water.
“They seem to have the opposite effect on her actually,” he grumbled.
A very beautiful woman with dark hair entered the bar, her gaze scanning the room until it locked on his and she smiled. He grinned as a spark of determination lightened his chest. “You know what they say though, try, try again. I think I’ll practice a little more with Mia.” He laughed.
Mia approached them with a hesitant smile directed at him. Andre’s body tensed beside him. Jackpot.
“Hey, baby,” Bently said, standing up to give Mia a hug.
“Another.” Andre waved to Charli, having downed his first whiskey already.
“Sorry I’m late,” Mia said, adjusting the strap of her dress. The woman was gorgeous, but she still did nothing for him. Her touch didn’t elicit sparks. Mia’s closeness didn’t make breathing difficult. He saw her the same as Charli—as a friend.
“You’re right on time and my you look delicious.” He put the flirt on extra thick, knowing it was going to drive his friend nuts.
Mia laughed. “Is he always this much?”
Mikel answered her. “Bently never changes. His ego is bigger than anyone else I know.”
“That’s not all that big, unlike some of my other body parts,” Bently said, purposely revving up his buddy.
Andre scowled.
“Don’t mind our rude friend—he’s just cranky because he hasn’t gotten laid in a loooong time,” Bently joked as Andre turned around to face them.
Mia’s eyes darted from Andre to the dance floor, her cheeks glowing with a slight blush. “That’s okay. How about a dance?” she asked Bently.
He hooked his arm around her waist and led her towards the other couples. Mikel was talking to Andre while his best friend glared daggers at him.
He spun Mia and nodded to Mikel who got up and winked on his way out. She felt good against him, but as beautiful as she was, she didn’t make him want to throw caution to the wind and . . . and what? Break his rule for one night that was sure to be amazing, just to get her out of his system, and then? It wasn’t like he could do more than one night with Belle anyways. Maybe he needed to make that clear to her. She may not like him very much, but the way her body reacted to his told him she was attracted to him too.
“How are you enjoying Shattered Cove so far?” he asked Mia. He could ask Belle for a brief encounter—a short and dangerous hookup.
“It’s nice. And small.” She smiled.
“It sure is.”
She chuckled before resting her head on Bently’s shoulder as they moved to the slow music. Bently slid his hand down her waist to the small of her back, knowing full well it would drive his friend crazy. The man was too stubborn for his own good. Anyone with two eyes could see these two had a thing for each other. If Andre wasn’t going to man up, it was Bently’s duty as his best friend to push him into the deep end.
A rough tap on his shoulder brought a smile to his face.
“Mind if I cut in?” Andre said brusquely.
“About damn time.”
Mia looked between the two men.
“I gotta get going anyways. You’ll make sure she gets home safe?” Bently asked.
“Of course.” Andre wrapped his arms around Mia as they started to dance.
At least he could still do something right. Now, he needed to man up and ask Belle if she’d be interested in fucking this out of their systems for one night only. The sooner he had her, the sooner he could move on with his life and get out of this funk.
Chapter 6
Bently
A knock sounded at Bently’s closed office door.
“Come in.” He shuffled the papers on his desk into a neat pile as Officer Luke Parsons walked in.
The older man nodded and pulled out a seat for himself across from Bently. “Good afternoon, Sheriff. Man, after all these years, it still seems weird that the same newbie I trained is now my boss.” Parsons tapped his fingers on Bently’s ancient wood desk.
“Tell me about it.” Bently smiled.
“I heard your truck got done in last week.”
Bently sighed. “Yeah, probably kids. What can I do for you today?”
Parsons sighed and leaned back in the metal chair. “I had a run-in with a group of kids spray-painting those abandoned buildings on Kent Street.”
Bently nodded. “Did you catch ’em?”
“I may be old, but I’m still light on my feet.” Parsons chuckled.
More like your partner is. Bently eyed the man’s bulging belly.
“We caught two of them.”
“You got them fingerprinted and booked?”
Parsons sat a little straighter. “One kid was Mary Braxton’s boy. I gave him a warning and brought the other one in for booking.”
Bently’s brows furrowed. “Why not give both of them a warning, or book the lot of them?”
“It was just kids being kids. Abandoned building and all, I didn’t think there was much harm done. Scared the shit out of them when we blared the sirens.”
“So why arrest just the one, then?”
“I just had a feeling that this one was trouble. Maybe you want to consider him for that mugging involving Andre Stone. Fits the description he gave us.” Parsons set a file on his desk. Just one more in the seemingly endless pile of paperwork.
“Why didn’t you bring this to Deputy Vargas?” Bently asked.
Parsons
rolled his eyes—something no one else in the small department would dare do. But the man was old enough to be Bently’s father, and taking orders from a man young enough to be your son was hard on most people. “The princess was not in her office. Probably getting her nails done. Besides, she tends to be lenient with these types of cases.”
“Vargas is a damn fine officer—that’s why she’s my deputy,” Bently said, hating that he had to say anything at all. Sure, ribbing was normal on the job, but it still didn’t sit right with Bently.
Parsons held out his hands as he laughed. “No offense, snowflake. Didn’t realize it was that time of the month for you. I just wanted to make sure this crime was solved. Excuse me for trying to do my job.”
Bently raked a hand over his face and stood. “Alright. I’ll call Dre in to see if it’s the same kid who mugged him.”
Parsons grunted as he got to his feet, seeming to take extra effort.
Bently should really talk to him about retirement, but a small-town sheriff had to take what he could get for help.
“Alright, I’ll have Owens put the kid in holding until you have your friend make an ID.”
After Parsons left, Bently picked up his phone and dialed his best friend.
“Hey, man. What’s up?”
“Dre, can you come down to the station? Just need you to look at a picture and confirm if someone we got into custody is your mugger’s accomplice.”
“Be there in ten.”
***
Bently opened the door, finding Betsy his secretary blowing her nose into her handkerchief. Her platinum-gold curls were never out of place, though she was nearing seventy. She touched the same strand of pearls around her neck she wore every single day as she smiled up at him. “Mister Evans, do you need something?”
“How about you order us both some lunch from the High Tide Diner. It’s on me.” He handed over his credit card.
“You want your usual?”
He nodded. “Yeah, but have them add a chocolate milkshake this time too.” He gave her a wink.
