The Bad Boy Next Door (Kendrick Place)

by Jody Holford

  He turned to see Shay snickering. “Did you get in trouble?”

  His eyes roamed over every inch of her. “I don’t know. And right now, I don’t care.”

  She smiled, backing away from him with a teasing smirk on her lips. He was addicted to her lips. The way they curved upward when she was happy, or formed a straight line when she was lost in thought. The way they parted a little when he touched her.

  “You’re bringing a girl home to meet your parents?”

  Wyatt advanced a step for every one she retreated. “Uh-huh. My mom is just like Abigail. She’ll talk your ear off. My dad, well, he doesn’t say much, but he’s a good guy.”

  Shay backed into the wall leading to the hallway. Wyatt flattened his hands on either side of her head. He leaned down so their noses were touching. Shay placed her hand on his chest, and he knew she could feel his heart trying to beat its way out.

  “Sounds serious,” she said, her voice low and breathy.

  “Feels serious.” It was getting easier to admit it.

  Her hands wandered, smoothing down his sides until her fingers dipped into the waistband of his track shorts. “Does it?”

  He pressed against her, closing his eyes to just breathe in the sweet, citrusy scent of her hair, still damp from the shower. “To me.”

  She went up on tiptoe, which brought them closer and whispered, “To me, too.”

  “That’s a good thing,” he said, kissing her neck. She arched her head, encouraging him to continue.

  “A bit scary,” she said. He pulled back and looked down at her, locking his gaze on hers so she knew how very serious he was.

  “It is. But worth it. I didn’t think that before you.”

  Her eyes widened, and she was so easy to read; everything she felt shone in her eyes. He felt it, too—all of it. God, he felt it more and more every second he spent with her. He was looking forward to seeing her all dressed up tonight for Gabby’s show. It had been a long time since he’d wanted to take a woman out and just be with her. Shay made the restlessness that churned inside him settle. The way she was looking at him now—it was a look he could get used to, if he let himself. If he didn’t mess it up.

  “I have a few errands to run and a couple more things to set up for the meeting next week,” he said, glancing above her head to the wall clock.

  “I still can’t believe you were in the same room with him and managed not to hit him,” Shay said.

  Sharing anything about his work hadn’t come easy, but last night he’d told her about meeting with Jake and setting up a meet with his supplier. It wasn’t exactly pillow talk, but it had been spinning in his mind. She’d known something was distracting him. Because she was getting to know him. Because you’re letting her and she isn’t running scared.

  “Bigger picture. Trust me, I wanted to. I hate that you were hurt,” he said, placing a kiss on her collarbone.

  “I know. But I’m okay and you’re finally going to have closure on this. Besides, it’s not your fault.”

  Pulling back, he looked down at her. “We disagree there. Why don’t you start getting ready? I won’t be long. I’ll meet you downstairs, or do you want me to pick you up at your door like a proper date?”

  She reached out and stroked her hands up and down his arms. “Lobby is fine. I’m excited about tonight. Not just about going out-out with you, but the whole group. Being part of Gabby’s night, going out with friends. It feels like I’m making the life I planned to. And sticking to it.”

  Wyatt stepped back from her because if he didn’t, he wouldn’t make his calls. “Out-out?”

  “Yeah, like out of the apartment for more than the grocery store or Baby Emporium.”

  “Don’t forget Target,” he said.

  Her cheeks flushed red, and he couldn’t resist kissing her. “You do not have permission to tell that story,” she said.

  Wyatt laughed. “That’s a shame. It’s a good one.”

  This time she pushed away from him as she pretended it wasn’t funny. The twitching lips proved she was trying not to laugh. “Go run your errands.”

  When he realized he was watching her walk away, he told himself to focus. Life wasn’t all about Shay, though at the moment, that sort of life sounded pretty damn good. But there were still bad guys to catch, and he was very close to getting a two for one with Jake and his dealer.

  Jake had not been easy to convince but threatened with several charges, he’d been flexible. He’d arranged a meeting with Ice, who was eager to get his money, at an all-night diner downtown.

  Wyatt let himself into his apartment and dropped his keys on the counter. His captain hadn’t been at the station, so he’d have to connect with him tomorrow or the next day. Jimmy had made arrangements at the diner. Everything was ready to go. For once, Wyatt’s plate was free and clear, and he was looking forward to a night of focusing solely on Shay.

  It was Gabby’s night, but Shay was right when she’d said it felt special for all of them. The start of something new. He fingered the small jewelers box in his pocket, part nervous, part embarrassed that he’d picked it up. He’d already given Shay more gifts in a two-week period than he could remember giving any woman, ever. Other than Abigail or his mom. But they didn’t count.

  In his room, he pulled out the small, square gray box and opened it again. Inside was a thin silver multi-strand bracelet. Delicate, like Shay, it had a star on one strand, a moon on the next, and a sun on the third. It suited her perfectly, and he couldn’t wait to give it to her. He closed the lid and tossed the box on his unmade bed.

  As he pulled his suit from the closet and tripped over a pair of sneakers, he realized he should probably clean up again. He was hardly ever here so he didn’t see how it got so messy. He’d tidied up a week ago to have her over. Why couldn’t he have kept it that way? He shrugged. We’ll just keep sleeping at her place. Easier and, surprisingly, the idea of spending each night with her didn’t twist his stomach in knots. He was fumbling with his tie when his phone rang.

  “Daniels.”

  “Wyatt.” Captain Stram’s voice boomed through the earpiece.

  “Sir.”

  “Missed you at the station, but I went through the file. Looks like everything is in order. You trust your informant?”

  Wyatt scoffed. “Hell, no. But he doesn’t want to do hard time so I think he’ll show. He’s met Ice there before so it’ll be a natural setting.”

  “Okay. You’re doing well taking the lead on this. Jimmy’s learning from the best.”

  Wyatt scoffed again and when he spoke, his voice was gruff. “If you say so. Thank you, Cap.”

  “Eventually, you’re going to have to tell those demons you let follow you around to piss off. You know that, right?”

  Giving up on his tie for now, Wyatt scooped up Shay’s present and put it in his suit pocket. “Working on it.” And finding my way back to a real life. One that includes the kind of woman who makes it easier to fight back against the darkness.

  “All right. You’ve earned your night off and then some. We’ll touch base before Wednesday. You might want to meet with Jake once more before then and go over what he’ll say. You and Jimmy both.”

  “I’ll set it up.” They’d already been over it more than once. Jake would meet with Ice, tell him he couldn’t find the drugs, and didn’t have the money. Jake would beg for another chance and try to get him talking about the product. If Jake did what he was supposed to, he’d walk away without charges and they’d have a big-time dealer off the street.

  He said good-bye, still unsure how he felt over his boss’s praise. Captain didn’t say things to make friends, so if he said it, he meant it. Was Wyatt being too hard on himself? It was tricky to separate the incident with Maria from his now-cynical view of his ability to do his job. It was one of the reasons he would never again go undercover. He wanted to make the world a better place, but he needed to be able to come home every night and shake off the day. He couldn’t have a persona
l life if his career reached into every pocket of him. Best to keep the two well separated. Work. Home. Bad guys. Shay. It could be a good balance.

  Looking at his watch, Wyatt swore. He’d been doing so well on time. He grabbed a black wool coat from his hall closet and sat down at the table to pull on his shoes. Owen had rented a limo for the ride to the gallery. Shay had accepted for both of them. Wyatt still wasn’t sure how he felt about being buddy-buddy with so many people. It was one thing to ease back into socializing in the arms of a beautiful woman. Shay naturally gravitated toward others, even appreciated their open-armed acceptance. It was taking some getting used to on his part. Even before going undercover, he hadn’t been an overly social person.

  Wyatt was just fastening his watch when a knock sounded.

  Maybe Shay came up instead. Swinging it open, he was faced with an attractive, somewhat familiar looking woman who seemed to be about his age. Her strawberry blond hair was long and cascaded down her sweater dress. Lips painted far too bright smiled at him. In her hands, she held a non-descript box. Wyatt’s heart flipped and began to gallop.

  “Hi. You’re Wyatt, right? I’m Shanna. I live in 203.”

  He opened the door, gesturing for her to come in. Shutting it, he tried to slow his pulse. He absolutely loved when everything came together. Every now and again, all the pins lined up perfectly, just ready to be knocked over. “Where’d you find that box, Shanna?”

  He stayed with his back to the door, and Shanna looked down at it, then back up at Wyatt. She gave a nervous smile. “In my box of yearbooks. My boyfriend brought up a bunch of our Christmas stuff from storage, and we were going to go through everything like you asked—okay, he was. I thought I’d take a trip down memory lane.”

  Wyatt held his hand out and she set the box in his hand. “You haven’t opened it.”

  She shook her head, eyes wide. “No. Honestly. I don’t know what happened. When I asked Kyle—that’s my boyfriend and this is our first Christmas together—he said he just grabbed everything on my shelves, tucked some boxes inside others so he could bring it all up in one trip. He didn’t really remember putting the box in with the yearbooks, but I found a couple of other small ornament boxes, too. If he hadn’t accidentally brought the yearbooks, this would still be downstairs.”

  “Okay. Thank you, Shanna. This is really helpful. Truly.”

  She shrugged, but smiled. “Good. I just want to feel safe, you know?”

  “I do know, and you have my promise that the Boston Police Department is working toward making that happen.”

  Still holding the box, he opened the door and gestured for her to go.

  “Thanks, Wyatt. It makes me feel safer having you live here.”

  Wyatt’s cheeks warmed. He was just doing his job. He nodded. “Anytime. Thank you.”

  She gave a small wave, turned, and walked toward the elevator. Wyatt didn’t watch her go. He was running behind, but he had to be sure. In the kitchen, he used a steak knife to slowly and carefully slit the tape on top.

  Peeling the sides open, Wyatt looked down at perfectly packed, tiny packets of white crystals. Jake said Ice was trying to make a name for himself and had created some hybrid drug that blended heroin, cocaine, and speed. Jimmy and Wyatt had just stared as Jake described the effects. How messed up did people really want to be?

  Wyatt picked up a small packet. It was the length of his pinky. According to Jake, each packet was worth a thousand dollars. From a glance, Wyatt would say that there was at least a hundred thousand dollars’ worth of product in front of him. A small capital I was engraved, almost like stitching, into each bag. It was the final piece of the puzzle. No wonder Jake was getting his life threatened. He was lucky Ice hadn’t killed him already.

  Wyatt was practically vibrating with excitement. It pulsed through his veins, making him feel alive. The only thing that made him feel as amped up as doing his job was Shay.

  “Shit.” Shay. Putting the package into a drawer, he grabbed his keys and his jacket and hurried to the elevator.

  He was off duty tonight. Miraculously, he had the package and all of his loose ends were getting tied up. Now, it could wait. He had a date to keep, and there was nowhere else he’d rather be tonight. When the evening was finished, they’d come home together, and when he crawled into bed beside her tonight, he knew that he’d sleep. It was another thing she’d brought into his life. Peace. It scared him how easily he could imagine coming home to Shay each night. One more reason to be glad he was done with undercover. For good. She was his shot at a normal life. Starting tonight.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Shay refused to cry. She pressed her back against the elevator as it descended to the lobby. The beautiful blonde coming out of Wyatt’s apartment was explainable. He’d been pretty clear, just this morning in fact, how crazy he was about her. She may not have had the best judgment in the past, but she knew—knew she could trust him. He wouldn’t deceive her. Not like that. But he would withhold information. Just like everyone else in her life because…why? He thought she couldn’t handle something? He didn’t trust her?

  Thinking to meet him at his place, since he was taking a while, she’d gone up to see if he was ready. The blonde didn’t look familiar to Shay, but she only knew a handful of neighbors in the building. It could be anyone. The doors slid open, and she breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. Pressing a hand to her stomach, hoping the sudden queasiness would pass, she told herself everything was fine. She’d just ask Wyatt about her.

  The others were waiting in the lobby, including Wyatt. When he saw her, his eyes widened. He looked pretty sharp himself in a black suit tailor cut to highlight his sleek, muscular body. He was a couple of inches taller than Brady and Owen and definitely had a more broody presence. Owen looked like the quintessential GQ businessman, and Brady had cleaned up nicely in a gray suit and light blue tie that worked with his eyes. Wyatt walked toward her as she came closer.

  “Baby, you look incredible. Stunning,” he said, his voice so sincere that it made Shay’s heart hammer painfully.

  Her dress was a shimmery black with a scoop neck. It narrowed at the waist and had a small flare to the skirt. It was the back, however—or lack thereof—she’d been drawn to. “Thank you. You look pretty good yourself.”

  Wyatt pulled her black wool coat from her arms and held it out for her. She turned, slowly, letting him drink her in while she slipped one arm in, then another. As he brought it together around her, his body crowded closer and then his breath was in her ear.

  “Holy crap, Shay. How am I supposed to look at art when you’re wearing that?”

  Shay turned, her stomach dancing. She smiled up at him, grabbing the lapels of his long coat. “I could just stand beside you.” She tilted her head and his eyes narrowed.

  “Like hell. Then someone else can look at your naked back all night? I don’t think so. I think you’ll just stand in front of me, nice and close. You look at the art; I’ll look at you.”

  Some of the hurt in her chest untangled. He wouldn’t deceive her, but why wouldn’t he totally open up to her? She couldn’t be in another relationship where she was the only person all the way in. And a relationship where someone withheld information to protect her was no better. She held his gaze, wondering if she could look deep enough to see any of what she felt in his eyes. The fingers of his hand sifted over her wrist, butterfly kisses on her skin. Her pulse beat wildly as he brought her wrist up and placed a kiss there.

  “I have something for you,” he whispered.

  She glanced around, wondering why he was talking so low. Brady was telling Owen and Gabby a story. Wyatt and Shay were in their own little bubble—him looking at her like she was everything and her wondering if she could believe what she saw.

  She grinned, some of her worry pushing back. “Are you going to give it to me?”

  “Let’s go, you two. Limo is here.” Owen waved them over.

  Wyatt sent the others a look
, then leaned into Shay’s ear. “Later. When we’re alone.”

  He took her hand and Shay made herself stay in the moment. She’d ask him about it later, and he’d tell her. She squeezed Wyatt’s hand tighter, and he smiled down at her with so much warmth she barely felt the cool evening air on her face.

  “Are you nervous?” Shay asked Gabby as the limo pulled to the curb in a surprisingly residential neighborhood.

  When she stepped out of the car, the heritage house that had clearly been transformed into a gallery charmed Shay. Gabby stood beside her, rubbing her gloved hands together.

  “I am, but I think I’d be worse if it was just my stuff. There are five of us who were asked to show our work. If I have to talk to anyone about one of my pieces, I’ll probably feel like I’m going to throw up, so maybe I can avoid that.”

  Owen put his arm around Gabby’s shoulder and kissed her cheek. “Your art speaks for itself, sweetheart. It’s beautiful and amazing. Just like you.”

  Shay started to say how sweet that was when Brady cut in, laughing. “Christ man, she already said yes. You don’t need to overdo that syrupy sweet shit.”

  The five of them stood looking in front of the Klein Gallery, waiting for Gabby’s signal that she was ready to walk up the few steps where other people were already entering. Shay was positive that Owen whispered something in Gabby’s ear. She smiled, took a deep breath, and nodded.

  They stepped into an already busy parlor-like area with high ceilings and wainscoting on the paneled walls. Canvas prints hung in groups, sculptures decorated the floor, and a few abstract pieces hung from the ceiling. Shay craned her neck, beyond curious how someone could actually get up that high.

  “Scaffolding,” Wyatt said, following her gaze. His hand rested on the small of her back in that intimate way she loved. Loved. Don’t think about love while he’s standing so close to you. Low music pumped through speakers that hung in each corner. A glass staircase led to a second floor.

  Despite what she’d said, Gabby’s eyes darted around nervously, and Shay was close enough to hear her take a few deep breaths. Shay gripped her fingers and leaned in. “I can’t wait to see. It’s going to be wonderful.”