Perfect Night

by Laine, Terri E.

  Hours later, a man in a crisp suit walked in. It was late and Bess was gone. I heard the bell and greeted the man.

  “Can I help you?” I asked.

  “I’m here to pay whatever bail to get Evan Daily out of jail.”

  I made a show of checking my watch. “That will have to wait until the morning. Everyone is gone for the evening.”

  “I’d like to talk to my client,” he said.

  I showed him to the back where the cells were and grabbed him a chair in case he wanted to sit in front of the bars. Then, I left them.

  Twenty minutes later, I heard a knock on the cell area door, and I went to open it.

  “Can we talk?” the lawyer said.

  I took him to my cramped office as there weren’t many places to have private conversations at the station. We didn’t have the crime that warranted conference rooms and multiple interrogation rooms. We did have one of the later, but it was smaller than my office and didn’t seem appropriate for this meeting.

  After he sat, I did. He didn’t wait for me to speak.

  “It seems my client’s rights were violated when he was arrested. I think the best thing for you to do is to release him and I’ll get him not to sue the department.”

  I put my hands behind my head and leaned back. “Really? You probably think a small department like this doesn’t have updated technology, but we do. We have video cameras on our cars and body cameras.” I sat up and pulled mine from the drawer. Not everyone in the department used it. But it was here, and I was used to using it in LA. “I can show you the footage of your client holding a woman against her will. I had to ask him twice to release her. When he did, he shoved her to the ground. While arresting him, he fought me. And you know what else? I’ve found out this isn’t the first time your client has assaulted someone.”

  “That was dismissed,” the lawyer said.

  I arched a brow. “Only because it was settled out of court. Maybe if you let him pay for his crimes, he wouldn’t be an asshole.”

  He wasn’t deterred. “What can we do to fix this?”

  “Like I said, he needs to pay for his crimes and learn a lesson that there are consequences for his actions. But believe me, I will suggest to the victim that she pursue a civil case against him. There are pictures of the bruises he inflicted that match with the video, you see.” The lawyer looked grim. “Anyway, you can see if he’s granted bail in the morning.”

  “Is there somewhere to stay?”

  I grinned. “There is a motel out on the highway, five or so miles south of here.” There was a better one north, but he didn’t ask me for better, did he? I showed him out and left Sam in charge with instructions to ignore the prisoner unless he needed medical attention.

  I reached out to Darcy and she texted me her apartment number and asked me to come over.

  The apartment complex she lived in was near the covered bridge. I’d never been inside until now.

  After a quick knock, she tore open the door and threw herself in my arms.

  “Oh, Aiden,” she cried.

  Darcy was strategic when she cried. However, when I pulled back to read her expression, I noticed the bruise.

  “Did he hit you?”

  She bobbed her head.

  “Tell me what happened,” I asked because I didn’t want to be an ass and ask her who hit her. I assumed it was Evan.

  “He was all pissed off that Emma had embarrassed him at the bar.” So, it was Evan. “He came here, and I tried to calm him down. I might have suggested she’d moved on with one of the cops in town.” When I narrowed my eyes, she said, “I didn’t tell him who. Anyway, he blew up, slapped me, and called me a liar. I told him to get out.”

  “Did he?” I said, feeling a fresh wave of anger. I may not be in love with Darcy, but we’d spent too many years together for me not to care about her.

  “Yeah. I was never more grateful for bolt locks.”

  “What time was that?”

  She told me.

  “He went for Emma after.” The timeline fit.

  “What? Did he hurt her?”

  I nodded. “He’s in jail for now, but I suggest you not talk to him or open the door for him if he comes back. Do you want to press charges?”

  “I don’t know.”

  I didn’t like that look in her eyes. “I can’t tell you what to do, but if no one speaks up, he won’t stop.” I hated guilt tripping her, but that was the truth. I saw it far too often in LA. Battered women taking their abuser back. The vicious cycle usually ended up with someone’s death. Most of the time it was the victim.

  “What should I do if he comes back?” she asked.

  “Call me,” I said, before I could think. “Better yet, call the station or 911 so it’s on the record.”

  “Will you keep me safe?” she asked.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you,” I promised and shouldn’t have. Even I knew, if it came to a choice, I would choose to save Emma over her.

  She threw herself at me again. I caught her and sighed as she shook from tears.

  “No one’s ever hit me before. Not even my daddy.”

  I got her a bag of ice and ibuprofen and told her to rest before I left. I longed to be home and comforting Emma. I felt guilty that I was here.

  Before I left, I remembered why I’d come. “Darcy.”

  “Mm, hmm,” she said, curled on her couch.

  “How long have you been seeing Evan?”

  “It was only one time a few weeks ago, I think. He’d been flirting with me all week, and then he called and said he couldn’t stop thinking about me. I fell for it. It was late and I was lonely.”

  “Do you think you could pinpoint what day that was?”

  She sighed. “Probably. I’ll check my phone later and text you. Is that okay?”

  I nodded and left. I would have gone home, but I got a call to respond to another domestic event on the other side of town. Two brothers. One woman. It had turned ugly. Wyatt had responded but called for backup.

  That one took a while. It was late when I finally arrived home. I stood in the doorway for a while just watching Emma sleeping in my bed.

  It made my hellish day turn into heaven sliding in next to her. She was warm, soft, and mine.

  “This is exactly where you belong,” I whispered in her hair as she circled into me. “Right here with me.”

  I’d slept next to enough women to know the difference.

  Chapter 23

  Emma

  Sunshine on my skin drew me out of my dreams. It wasn’t the sun that warmed me but Aiden’s body cocooned around me, heating not only my skin but every inch underneath. If I didn’t leave his bed now, I couldn’t be blamed for what I would do next.

  I slipped quietly out of bed and went for a run. I didn’t care who spotted me. Let the town talk; I knew what I was doing. That was all that mattered.

  Running in the morning was to me the equivalence of drinking coffee. The fresh air and working my muscles cleared my thoughts.

  With every step, I worked through the anger and fear I’d felt. I hadn’t reacted well in the face of Evan’s hostility. Never again. If he came at me, he would need either heaven or hell to save him if he tried to hurt me again. I smiled at my resolve, feeling better. I circled back and found I enjoyed the view of the mountains in the morning. Dad and I had hiked there many times over the years.

  My steps faltered when I was almost back to Aiden’s house. What would Dad think of me? How would he feel about my budding relationship with Aiden?

  I didn’t have to think too hard about the answer. The words in his letter replayed in my mind. He trusted me to make the right decision.

  When I walked in, Aiden was downstairs in the kitchen. “Morning stranger.” He winked. “Coffee?”

  Damn him for being so darn sexy. “Soon. I’ll have water first,” I said, and ran a hand over his hair before kissing his cheek.

  He grinned and moved to the refrigerator and took out a bott
le of water, handing it to me. He then opened a cabinet and grabbed two mugs. I found myself memorizing where to find things.

  “Any plans today?” he asked, having caught me watching him.

  “Funny enough, yeah.” A notification had popped up on my phone. “I scheduled a haircut over a month ago.” I laughed at the startled look on his face. “It’s just a trim.”

  “It’s your hair. No matter what, I’ll still find you the most beautiful woman in the world.”

  I pursed my lips in good humor. “I bet you say that to all the girls,” I teased.

  “You’d be wrong. I’ve only ever said that to you.”

  The water not only cooled my throat, but it also helped keep the fire that raged inside me. “What are we doing here?” I asked. My heart was getting tangled up in him, and I needed to know where his head was.

  He stopped and turned to face me. He leaned back on the counter as I found the wall at my back. Several feet separated us, but there was an electricity that crackled between us.

  “That’s all up to you,” he said.

  “I feel like I’ve liked you my whole life,” I admitted.

  “Same here.”

  “I’m afraid.” When he said nothing and didn’t look like he’d breathed, I added, “I’m afraid if things don’t work out between us, I’ll lose an important friend.”

  “I’ll be honest and say I don’t want to be your friend, Emma. I’ve waited most of my life not to be your friend.”

  “So what do we do?” I whispered.

  “Take things slow, very slow.”

  I nodded, but I kept the honesty going. “I don’t think I can keep sleeping in your bed and not want you inside me.”

  His eyes either darkened or dilated. Whatever it was, the intensity of it pinned me. The flutter of butterfly wings vibrated in my belly.

  “You can’t say things like that and expect me to keep things slow,” Aiden said.

  “I don’t want to ruin things.” Evan’s words about my lacking in bed, as much as I’d pretended to discard them, had stung. If I went there with Aiden, would he find me lacking too? It was part of the reason why after Aiden had gotten me off at the cove, I’d run afterwards.

  “Me either.” He pushed off and stalked over to me. His calloused hand cupped my cheek before he bent down and placed a tentative kiss on my mouth.

  He pulled back and I bit my lip before saying, “I should go. I have an early appointment.”

  “Wait.” He checked the time and held up a finger. He took out his phone, pressed a few buttons and put it to his ear. “Has our guest left?” he asked the person on the other line. I couldn’t hear the response, but he nodded. “Okay, thanks Bess.” When he got off, he said, “Evan’s not out yet. I’d like to follow you to your appointment before heading to the station. But I need to grab a shower first if you have time.”

  “I was actually going to go home first to do the same.”

  He kissed me again. “I like you in my bed.”

  “I like waking in your bed.”

  “You really need a change of clothes and other things here, so you don’t have to go home in the morning.” His gaze burned into me.

  “I thought you said slow.” My checks were a raging inferno as I felt his arousal against me.

  “This is slow. Otherwise, I’d pick you up, put you on the counter and screw all the rules I’ve given myself when it comes to you.”

  “What rules are those?” I asked, feeling far from shy.

  “To take my time. We have forever in the making.”

  “And what if I don’t want to wait.” That truth warred with the fear of losing him.

  “I’d remind you that you’ve just broken up with your fiancé. I don’t want to be your rebound. There’s a lot going on in your life right now. I will be patient if it gets me the forever I want with you.”

  “How can you know that?”

  “Because the grass was never as green as it is in your yard. I’ve loved you from afar for as long as I can remember.”

  “Why did you wait?” I asked.

  “Advice from someone important.”

  “Are you going to tell me that advice?”

  “One day, not today,” he said.

  “Then, I suggest you go grab that shower because I’m not feeling very patient.”

  He placed another heart-stopping kiss on my lips. “I promise I’m worth the wait,” he said, cheekily.

  I hope I am, I thought as he jogged upstairs. I finished my bottle of water and went for the coffee. I could have changed out of Aiden’s shirt, but I didn’t. I was upstairs in his room gathering my things when he came out of the shower.

  Neither of us spoke. He moved to his dresser, grabbed clothes, placed them on his bed before dropping the towel. My mouth could have caught flies as it hung open. Aiden just watched me watching all of him, as he got dressed.

  “You’re not playing fair,” I managed in a choked whisper.

  His mouth curled up on one side in a smirk that could make any woman self-destruct. “Let’s go,” he said once his uniform shirt was buttoned.

  All I could imagine was his long thick cock that hung between his thighs a second ago. It took me that long to get my feet moving. I thought about the bundle of clothes in my hands and how he’d suggested I leave some things here. I’d never lived with anyone except my father and had no idea how the dating thing where you stayed at each other’s places and left things behind worked. I’d have to ask some of my more knowledgeable friends.

  My thoughts sobered when I came to a stop in front of my house. Evan’s car was still there. I glared at it. I wouldn’t allow him to make me afraid. I practically slammed the car door as I got out and stomped to my front door before Aiden caught up.

  “He’s never going to touch you again.”

  His pronouncement thawed some of my fury. I reached up and almost touched his hair. It was still damp, and I almost kissed him before remembering my nosy neighbor. A glance at her house didn’t reveal her ever present vigilance at watching over the neighborhood. Still, I unlocked the door and let Aiden inside.

  “Go get your shower,” he said.

  I dumped my purse on a side table and left my shirt there as well. As I ascended the stairs, I took off his shirt and let it fall. Then, my jeans.

  “Emma.” It sounded more like a growl than a word.

  “Two can play…”

  I tossed my bra downstairs and then my underwear when I reached the top. I walked straight to the bathroom. Part of me wanted him to chase me. Then, we could end the stalemate. If he thought me lacking in bed, then I could find out sooner before my heart was too tangled in his.

  He didn’t come. I stayed far too long under the shower, and I’d likely be late for my appointment if I didn’t get a move on. Reluctantly, I left the bathroom. Aiden wasn’t in my bedroom, and the house was silent. Had he left?

  I got dressed and went downstairs. My clothes were gone from the stairs and landing. He’d folded them and set them on top of the shirt I’d left on the side table. His shirt was still in the pile.

  Was he leaving his things here too? A little thrill zipped through me.

  I went out onto the front porch and joined Aiden who wore a grim expression. I looked out onto the street. Evan’s car was gone.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “I’ll tell you later. You’re going to be late.”

  He followed me to the salon but didn’t get out. After I parked, I jogged over to his car.

  “Thanks for everything,” I said.

  “One day, you’re going to stop thanking me and just accept I’m here for you.” My eyes dropped to his lips. “Your choice,” he said, and he didn’t have to tell me what.

  I could kiss him and let the town know we were a thing, or I could wait. I leaned in and kissed him. It wasn’t long, but when I pulled back there was a big smile on his face.

  “My girl has kissed me. I wonder how long before someone asks me about it
?”

  Though I’d gotten a little thrill by him calling me his girl, I glanced around. “I don’t think anyone saw.”

  “Maybe not, but now I can kiss you when I want.”

  I sauntered away and went into the salon. “Hey, Faith,” I said, my cheeks felt as red as a cherry tomato.

  “Hey you,” she said. “So, it’s true. You and the chief deputy sheriff are a thing?” I shrugged. “It’s a good thing.” Her eyes dropped to my arm where I’d forgotten the cuff to hide the bruise Evan had given me. “Aiden’s one of the good ones. A trim?” she asked.

  “I think he likes my hair as is.”

  Faith laughed. “Yeah, probably better to do something drastic after you walk down the aisle,” she joked.

  I laughed. “I do have a question.”

  “Go ahead. Judgment free zone here.”

  “What are the kinds of things you can leave at a boyfriend’s house and what’s too much?”

  “Good thing we have a little time,” she began and schooled me on the etiquette of dating.

  Chapter 24

  Aiden

  It had taken a Herculean effort not to follow Emma up those stairs and give into the desire we both felt. I’d been truthful with her when I said I wanted more. If that meant waiting until I was sure she was ready, I’d wait.

  To keep me sane, I stepped outside. Hearing the shower running wouldn’t help my mental fortitude. Instead, my brain shifted gears. Doug Hawkins’s killer, who was he or she?

  Frustration broiled over as I felt powerless to help Emma find the person responsible. My hands were tied even with the leads I had because all led nowhere without more information. I couldn’t get that information without some proof that a crime was committed. It was a catch-22 situation. Hopefully, the autopsy would give us the proof I needed to open a formal investigation where I could get the judge to sign off on warrants to gain me the information I needed.

  Jack was still high on my list. I couldn’t ask him for an alibi yet, not legally at least.