Her gaze was equally locked on me as I said, “Maybe it was better we didn’t have then.”
“Why?” she asked, scrutinizing me with a look.
“Because I probably would have made mistakes, young and dumb as I was.”
“Pussy-whipped by Darcy,” she suggested.
“Maybe a little of that and a lot of guilt,” I said. Darcy had been good at using her tears until I became immune to them.
“Now that you have me, what are you going to do about it?”
I didn’t answer with words. I showed her. I promised slow and steady, so I didn’t rush the kiss. My movements weren’t hurried as I licked across the seam of her lips until she gasped. Then, I dipped in and did a little slow dance with my tongue against hers.
We waded over to a spot where my feet touched bottom, yet we were mostly submerged. She wrapped her legs around me and I held her tight.
“I’ve waited for this so long,” she said.
“Me too.”
Her core was perfectly placed on the ridge of my hard cock. Nothing but a shift of my boxers down and her underwear to the side, and I could be inside her in under a minute. As much as I wanted to fuck her raw, I didn’t act.
She rocked her hips against me almost breaking my resolve. We would fuck. “Not here,” I said, on a long exhale of breath.
She sighed too.
Her little moans and writhing against me forced my hand. Rather, I gave in to giving her the pleasure she sought but with my fingers, leaving my cock hard and jealous. I worked her tight bundle of nerves before slipping one, then two fingers inside her heat while thrusting until she found her release. I kept kissing her until we were both breathless.
When the water had calmed around us, no longer rippling from our movements, she said, “Aren’t you supposed to be working?”
God, she was sexy, and it was taking all my resolve to wait this out. I had to remind myself she was so worth the wait. “I am actually. I think I have a lead on your father’s case.” That had been my other motivation to see her.
“What?” she asked. There was a fierce woman inside her. Determination was beating out sadness.
“I told you about the video from the auto body?”
“Yes,” she said.
“I was caught up trying to watch the car that went by slowly. After I went forward, it shows your father leave.”
“He left?”
“Yes, he was at the bar maybe twenty minutes and then he left.”
“Where did he go?” she asked, but I didn’t think she expected me to answer.
“I couldn’t see from that angle, but he came back maybe fifteen minutes later, and he wasn’t alone.”
Her eyes grew. “You know who it was?”
“Unfortunately, no. The problem was, I never saw them leave.”
I’d been watching over and over again, hours before her father came and hours after. The angle was off. It was possible they could have left another way. “We’re getting close,” I said, feeling it in my gut. I could go canvas the town for more video, but the autopsy had begun. If I waited, I should have what I needed for a formal investigation.
“There’s something you should know,” she said, untangling herself from me. She waded away, putting space between us, and I didn’t like it.
“Evan came to the bar today and he wasn’t alone.”
“This is when you gave the ring back to him?”
She grinned. “Oh, it should be news in town. Least of which was that he admitted to me the ring didn’t have a real diamond.”
“Asshole.”
“No, it’s fine. Honestly, I felt better. I thought I was hurting him when I wasn’t. He didn’t love me. He loved the idea of me. The native backwater girl whom he could show the world through his prism. My dad had been right about him all along.”
“I’m still, sorry. You deserve better.”
She shrugged. “A learning experience. Besides, I have you.”
I swam in closer and kissed her because I couldn’t stop.
She grinned and held up a finger. “You’ll want to know this. The interesting thing is Darcy acted like she knew him.”
“Okay,” I didn’t see where she was going until I did.
“Like she really knew him. She dared me to choose between the two of you as if she’d be happy to take the other.”
Though I shouldn’t be shocked, I was, somewhat. “Darcy told me she had a thing with the mayor.”
Emma gave me a look like I was dense. “The mayor’s too full of himself to settle down. I don’t know. But Darcy seemed a little too sure of herself.”
Would Darcy sleep with Emma’s fiancé? I wanted to think no, but that wouldn’t be what any other investigator would consider if they didn’t have a close relationship with her. It was time I had a talk with Darcy.
“I’ve got to get to the bar,” Emma said. “Jack and I have come to an understanding, but I don’t know how long it will last. I’ll see you later,” she said.
We got out of the water and used towels I had in the back of my car. I was prepared for almost every situation, including a change of clothes.
“Will I see you tonight?” I asked.
When she looked at me like she did now, I lost my breath every time.
“I’ll be late,” she said.
“My door will be unlocked.”
She grinned.
I watched her drive away. Emma Hawkins was mine and she’d be my wife, even if she didn’t know it yet.
Chapter 21
Emma
It was hard leaving Aiden. A part of me had wanted to cross that finish line right there in the cove. We’d been alone, I’d been reasonably sure of that. The other part was scared. What if I didn’t live up to his expectations? It wasn’t like I had the kind of carnal knowledge about sex that Darcy did.
Though I’d told Aiden I had to go to the bar, I needed a shower after that. Only, there was a car parked in front of my house. It wasn’t close to my neighbors. Whomever it was, wanted to see me.
I got out knowing that the out of state license plate could only be one person.
“Were you with him?” Evan’s car door had opened the minute my feet hit the pavement. “Have you been screwing him this entire time?”
I didn’t want to have this conversation especially out on the street. No doubt, my neighbor, Ms. Watson, was watching from her window. But I also didn’t want him inside my house. I didn’t like the hate beaming from his eyes.
“What does it matter? You’ve been screwing Darcy.” Though I’d angrily threw that at him, I honestly didn’t care if he had.
“If you’d pry your legs open more than just occasionally, I wouldn’t have to fill my needs elsewhere.”
There were so many things I could say, like if he’d been good in bed, he wouldn’t have to pry my legs open. But I was done with the conversation.
“No worries now. You’re free to screw whoever you want.” I left him standing on the street or at least I tried.
He caught up to me and wrenched my arm so that I spun to face him.
“I’ve invested a lot in you,” he sneered.
“Yeah, like what the ring cost you? Twenty-five cents from the gum ball machine.” I tried to yank my arm away. He gripped tighter, pulling me closer.
“You won’t make a fool of me. We’re getting married.”
Pain hurdled through my arm where his hold felt like the Jaws of Life had clamped down on me.
“Let me go,” I seethed through gritted teeth.
“You belong to me,” he said, his other hand grabbing my ass.
Sirens resonated in the distance. I glanced over to see the curtain move in my neighbor’s window. A Sheriff’s SUV came barreling down the lot. Evan was so surprised he hadn’t released me.
Aiden came around his vehicle which he’d parked to the side of us. He glanced at me and then narrowed his eyes at Evan.
“Release her,” he said, using a commanding voice. Though he
appeared calm, there was a storm brewing behind his eyes.
“Officer, there’s not a problem. I’m with my fiancée, right Emma?” Evan had the nerve to think I’d agree with him.
I jerked, but his hold was firm. “It’s actually Chief Deputy Sheriff and I got a call about a disturbance. Ms. Hawkins, are you okay?”
Though I let him see it in my eyes, I said, “No. He won’t let me go.”
Aiden’s hand slipped to the butt of his gun. “Sir, I’m going to ask you again to release her.”
“Fine,” Evan barked and pushed me away.
I hadn’t been expecting it and my heel caught the edge of the curb and I went down, hard on my butt. I didn’t see what happened next only that Evan was wrestled to the ground, his arms wrenched behind his back.
“You have the right to remain silent,” Aiden began to recite the Miranda warning I’d heard so many times on TV shows as he heaved him to his feet and perp walked him back to his vehicle.
“You broke my nose, you asshole. I’m going to sue you,” Evan screamed as Aiden shut him in the back of his vehicle.
Then, he was there beside me. The situation was almost déjà vu to that of the guy I’d had to teach a lesson to at the bar. Too bad the town hadn’t seen that. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “I hadn’t expected it. He caught me off guard.” Evan had never showed this side of himself to me. We’d had verbal fights, all couples did. It had never gotten physical. “Can you arrest him?”
Aiden grinned. “He assaulted you.”
“I don’t know that I want to press charges,” I said without thinking.
“You don’t have to. I witnessed it, along with your neighbor. Besides, maybe the fear of prosecution will make him leave you alone.” His eyes dropped to my wrist, which was ringed in a red handprint. “You should go let the doc check you out.”
I murmured an agreement as I caught a side view of Evan spitting mad in the back of Aiden’s SUV. His eyes were wild, and it scared me. “Are you sure you’re okay? I can call Jessie for you.”
“I’m fine. I’ll call her.”
He looked like he wanted to kiss me, but he didn’t. “I’ll call you later.” I nodded, and he marched around to his driver’s side door all cop-like. I didn’t want him to go. I could handle myself in a fight, but Evan rattled me simply because I’d never expected it. My mind drifted to a not so long ago future that might have been mine. What if I’d married him and he’d gotten violent? It had come out of nowhere. I shook myself out of that because that future had been thwarted, gratefully. At least I knew now what he was capable of.
As I walked to my house, I waved at my neighbor. Her nosiness had come in handy. I’d been gearing up to use some of my self-defense training. I’d also been so confused that Evan the monster had been the same man I’d been engaged to. That was part of the reason I hadn’t reacted quicker.
Under the shower, I allowed myself a little weakness and cried. Cried because I hadn’t listened to my father, who’d seen something about Evan he didn’t like. I’d assumed he believed no one would be perfect for me because he’d never liked any of my boyfriends.
I folded my arms and propped them against the tiles, resting my head on them. “I miss you,” I said out loud, hoping my father heard me. When would the pain ease? I had no one to ask. Aiden had both of his parents and so did Jessie.
Though I’d been there before when Mom died, I had my dad to lean on. He could have buried himself in his own grief, but he’d been there for me. He’d shown me the light when I’d believed it was my fault. She’d only gone out because of me.
What I hadn’t told anyone was that I also felt responsible for Dad’s death. We’d had a fight over Evan. Dad and I didn’t fight often and when we did, it was never anything monumental. It would be over and done before we could think too hard about it.
That last night had been different. I’d wanted my father’s approval so badly when he didn’t give it, I’d lashed out. And now he was gone, and I could never take back my words or tell him he was right. I couldn’t tell him how much I loved and respected him.
The evidence of how stupid I’d been was the bruise on my arm. Out of the shower, I decided not to go to the docs. My arm hurt, but nothing ibuprofen couldn’t take care of.
I fished out a cuff bracelet. It was wide enough to hide the marks. I thought about the women that covered up evidence of abuse and convinced myself this was different. I wasn’t doing it to protect him. I was doing it to avoid questions and then the answers I would have to give.
Then I left, locking up my house tight and wishing I had a better security system like the one I had at the bar. I had no idea how Evan was going to react to being locked up. I didn’t think I knew the real person who’d hidden behind a mask our entire relationship.
I hated the shaky feeling that consumed me on the way to the bar. I forced myself to walk on steady feet as I kept an eye on my surroundings. Sure, it was prudent for anyone to do that. I didn’t like doing it here or at home where I’d spent my life feeling safe.
I planted myself in my office but didn’t shut the door all the way. Jack barged in minutes later with fury reddening his face. “Let me see,” he demanded, as Jessie barreled into the room after him.
The office seemed smaller with two additional people hovering over my desk. Jack had my arm in his hand, and I sighed before removing the cuff.
“Holy shit,” Jessie exclaimed.
“I’ll kill him,” Jack muttered.
“You’ll do no such thing. He’s locked up anyway.”
“I’ll slash his tires,” Jessie promised.
“You won’t do that either. The last thing I want is his car at my house any longer than need be.”
“Miles is on his way over,” Jessie said.
“You didn’t?” I asked her with a glare.
“I did,” she said, holding my gaze as if daring me to say something else.
“Does everyone know?” I said, throwing up my hands.
“Most do,” Jessie said.
“You should go home,” Jack said. “I’ll handle things here today.”
I held his gaze. “It’s a bruise. I hardly think it will affect me running numbers.”
Jessie got a text from Miles. “I’m going to bring him back.” She left the office.
“I know you don’t want to hear this, but with your father gone, he would want me looking out for you.”
“I’m fine,” I snapped, but then took a deep breath. “I appreciate you wanting to help, but really I’m fine.”
He nodded. “Okay then. I’ll get back to work.”
After he left, I put my head in my hands, only for Miles to be hustled over by Jessie. “See,” she pointed.
I gave in and let him exam my arm. He even took pictures. “You might want a record of this someday. Maybe not now, but if you do in the future, you’ll have it.”
Of course, Jessie thought it was funny to photo bomb a few of the pictures. I loved her more for trying to make me feel better.
When they left, I shut and locked the door. I was more out of sorts than I’d admitted, but too spooked to go home.
Aiden texted me later that he would be late. He told me where he kept a spare key and for me to use it.
I did.
In his room, I took off my clothes and got a shirt from his drawer before I slipped between his sheets. His pillow smelled faintly of him as I buried my face in it. Being that close to him even when he wasn’t there was the balm I needed to drift off into sleep.
Somewhere in the night, I felt him gather me in his arms.
I might have heard him say, this is where you belong. Right here with me. Or had I imagined that?
Chapter 22
Aiden
Emma’s ex-fiancé was a piece of work. I’d had to tune out his lunatic ravings on the way to the station so I wouldn’t do anything stupid.
As it stood, I deserved an award for not going all bad cop on him when I saw his han
ds on her. He fought me arresting him, and he didn’t disappoint by fighting me into the station. It was déjà vu all over again. Billy 2.0.
“I want my lawyer,” he hollered as I put him into one of the cells. “And I’m going to sue your ass.”
The door closed and I sighed. As much as I wanted to beat the crap out of him, I couldn’t. That wasn’t my job.
I went to the front to tell Bess I’d brought in the guy causing the disturbance.
After leaving Emma, I’d almost made it back to the station when Bess radioed in that Ms. Watson, Emma’s neighbor had called about trouble in front of Emma’s house. I turned on my lights and sirens which wasn’t necessary most of the time here in Mason Creek and high-tailed it over there.
Emma wasn’t a weeping willow of a woman. She hadn’t been as a girl either. How she’d handled Billy was proof of that. To see the fear in her eyes when I rolled up had stirred something primal in me. I wanted to get out of the car, guns blazing. Evan was the kind of guy to exploit that. I’d done my job by the book. I didn’t smash his head in the ground even when I wanted to.
I balled my hands in fists wishing for the time of gunslinger punishment or even a good fight.
Wyatt wasn’t in, so I found Sam. “I need you to handle the asshole in the cell back there.”
Evan was the only prisoner at the moment. So, I didn’t need to give further information about who.
“Let him call his lawyer in,” I checked my watch, “two hours. If he puts up too much of a stink, then an hour. I don’t want him out tonight.” I wanted to be with Emma when he got out.
“What are we charging him with?” Sam asked.
“Assault, assaulting an officer, resisting arrest. That should do it for now.”
Sam nodded and left while I did the paperwork. Evan ranted the entire time. I wondered if he would have a voice by the time his lawyer showed up.
I’d wanted to talk to Darcy, but that would have to wait. I didn’t want to leave Sam to deal with the asshole. He wasn’t used to his type. I’d worked in LA, and I knew guys like him all too well. A guy who thinks his self-importance was tied to their bank account and used bullying to get what they wanted. He couldn’t intimidate me. So, I stayed.
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