“You’re awfully grumpy, officer,” the woman in my arms said, tilting her head to the side. “We were just cooling off. It was so hot outside.”
There was only the slightest hint of a slur in her words, but I had instantly become attuned to her, so I caught it. “Are you drunk?” I asked in a steely tone. I hated the idea of her being drunk and causing a ruckus out at night without anyone to protect her. “I should arrest you for being drunk and disorderly,” I grumbled. The idea had some merit, but I wasn’t sure how I’d explain it to my captain.
She grinned and shook her head. “I only had a glass and a half of wine. Of course, I’m not drunk.”
My eyes narrowed, trying to decide if she was lying to me. It didn’t make any sense, but deep down, I was confident that she always told the truth.
“Kaia’s always been a lightweight,” one of the other girls announced with a giggle.
Kaia. My girl’s name was almost as beautiful as she was.
Glancing in the direction of the other girls, I saw them both climbing out of the fountain. They were also soaked to the bone, but neither one was wearing anything that showed off their bodies the way Kaia’s outfit did.
She wasn’t decent. Practically fucking naked! She should be— “I’m going to have to take you in,” I stated. The words were out before I even knew I was going to say them.
“What?” she yelped. “You’re arresting me?”
I didn’t answer, letting her draw her own conclusion as I turned her around and cuffed her, making sure they were loose enough that they wouldn’t hurt. Immediately, I realized my mistake and almost sighed. Images of her cuffed to my bed were bound to keep me up at night.
“For being drunk and disorderly?” her dark-haired friend asked incredulously. “Seriously? We were just—”
I cut her a look that sent most men running in another direction, and she snapped her mouth shut.
“I’m going to call you a cab, ladies. Go home and sleep this off,” I commanded sternly.
The same friend took a deep breath and braved my ire to ask, “Why are you only arresting Kaia?”
The blonde hovering behind gasped and poked her friend. “Shut up, Elizabet! If he only wants to arrest Kaia, that’s her problem. I’m getting out of here before he changes his mind.” She tugged on Elizabet’s hand, but the brunette held her ground. After a minute, blondie gave up and took off.
The two argued quietly while I made a quick call to summon a cab.
“Why are you only arresting Kaia?” Elizabet asked again.
“Because she’s the only one who could be charged twice,” I explained, being deliberately vague.
“Charged twice?” Kaia parroted as she attempted to turn around and face me. I let her twist but kept one hand on a cuffed wrist.
Her hazel eyes were blazing with anger, and I met them with my own enraged stare. “Public indecency,” I growled.
She gasped and tried to take a step away, only to jerk to stop when she couldn’t move any farther. I released her wrist and grasped her arm to keep her steady on her feet.
Kaia gasped. “I’m not naked!”
Leaning in close until our mouths were a breath away, I scowled. “You might as well be,” I gritted out through a clenched jaw.
My eyes dropped to the peaks of her round tits, which were on clear display through her dress. Her gaze followed mine, and when she saw what had my attention, her face flushed pink, the pretty hue spreading down to the tops of her breasts.
Despite her embarrassment, she raised her chin and gave me a haughty sniff. “I’m not naked,” she insisted with less conviction.
Kaia struggled, trying to dislodge my hold on her arm by twisting her wrists in the cuffs. I quickly curled my palm around one of her hands and frowned at her. “You’re going to hurt yourself.” She rolled her eyes and started wriggling again. I used my free hand to pinch her chin and force her to still her head. “Don’t make me add resisting arrest, ba—” I stopped to clear my throat, hoping she hadn’t caught my slip.
The lies were piling up, and I spared only a moment to consider how she would react when she realized I was bluffing. Then I shrugged it off. To my way of thinking, the end justified the means.
“I’ll take her and make sure she gets home safe and dressed,” Elizabet piped up hopefully. Her voice still shook slightly, and some of her bravado drained away when I turned to stare at her again.
Kaia sighed. “It’s all right, Elizabet. No sense in us both getting into trouble.”
Her friend shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, clearly at war with herself.
“Should I call for backup?” I threatened. I gave her my scariest scowl so she would be too afraid to call my bluff.
Elizabet took in a fast, shallow breath, and her shoulders dropped in resignation. “Call me for your phone call, and I’ll come bail you out, okay?”
Kaia glared at me before she met Elizabet’s guilty eyes with a soft expression. “You’ll do no such thing, Elizabet. We both know you can’t afford it.”
“I’ll make sure to get your car home,” Elizabet said on a sigh.
“Thanks.”
Elizabet spied something in the fountain and bent to retrieve what turned out to be a small purse. “Shit. Is your phone in here?” She handed the sopping wet clutch to me since Kaia was cuffed. I took it, secretly pleased to know her phone was likely ruined and she’d be dependent on me for outside communication. Lady Luck was clearly smiling down on me tonight. I’d buy her another one when I was sure she wouldn’t use it to run away from me.
Kaia groaned and nodded. “Can you also let my sister know what’s going on? I don’t want her to worry. Jaelyn won’t be home until tomorrow, though, so don’t bother her before that.”
“Sure,” Elizabet agreed.
I handed Elizabet my card, knowing the shit would hit the fan when she showed up to get Kaia, and she wasn’t at the station.
With a gentle nudge to Kaia’s shoulder, I indicated that she should start moving. “Time to go, baby.” This time, the endearment slipped out before I could quash it. “Hop to it, Kaia.”
“Ms. Whittaker,” Kaia grumbled. Her sorry attempt to scold me was adorable, and since I was walking behind her, I let myself smile.
“Not for long, baby,” I murmured under my breath.
She walked a slightly crooked path, reminding me of her inebriated state, so I kept a closer watch on her to make sure she didn’t lose her balance and topple to the ground. Especially with her hands secured behind her back.
We reached the street, and I looked to make sure it was clear before guiding her across to my plain black SUV.
Her friend was watching us warily as she approached a beat-up old car that looked like it could blow away with a strong wind. The make and model told me it was at least thirty years old. Elizabet opened the door and grabbed a few things before locking it and heading to the cab idling at the curb.
“That’s your car?” I snapped. “And I use that term very loosely.” I could feel myself getting angry all over again, but now it was fueled by fear. That piece of junk was dangerous. Worst-case scenarios raced through my mind. Accidents, breaking down in remote, unsafe places… I whirled around to face Kaia, breathing heavily and ready to lecture her about safety, but she was glaring at me just as fiercely.
“This is your police car?” she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm, but her expression became skeptical when she asked, “How do I know you’re a real cop? You don’t have a name tag or anything.”
Rolling my eyes, I opened the door to the SUV. I tossed her soggy purse on the floor and grabbed my windbreaker and badge from the center console, where I’d stowed them before running into Gatsby’s earlier. I showed her the badge that clearly said, “Ewan Kelley,” then the patch sewn into my jacket that officially declared me a member of SWAT. I raised my brows and asked, “Satisfied?” Though I hadn’t meant it to be a double entendre, I couldn’t help thinking that I certainly hoped to be ve
ry soon.
She bobbed her head, and muttered, “I suppose so.”
“Good.” I tossed the items in the back and transferred the food there as well. Then I gave her a stern look before turning her around and uncuffing her. I massaged her wrists for a few seconds and turned her back around. I dangled the cuffs from my hand and asked, “Will you behave, or do I need to cuff you in front?”
She bit her lip and furrowed her brow, thinking it over. “Fine,” she huffed. “I’ll behave.” She said the word with disdain, her mouth twisting as though she’d eaten something sour.
I suppressed a smile as I turned her around to face the car’s interior. I was about to boost her up when she craned her neck to look inside, then turned her head to stare at me with narrowed, accusing eyes. “Shouldn’t I be sitting in the back? And where are the bars? And where is your cherry?” It required great restraint to stop myself from commenting on her word choice. “Does this car even have a siren?”
Chuckling, I wrapped my big hands around her waist and easily lifted her into the seat. “You’ve watched too many movies. First, I’m not a patrolman, and this isn’t an official unmarked car, so it’s illegal for me to pull someone over for a traffic violation,” I explained. “Second, my strobe lights are mounted on the visors. Third, my siren is right there.” I pointed at a button near the car’s display screen. “Besides”—my eyes swept over her quickly before they focused on her face, not bothering to disguise my amusement—"I’m confident that I’m safe from a little thing like you.”
Kaia blushed again, making me ache to kiss every inch of her pinkened skin. She snorted and eyed me skeptically. “Little is not a word that is used to describe me.”
I raised a brow and closed the distance between us, looming over her to emphasize the differences in our size. “Tiny,” I insisted.
Pleasure lit Kaia’s blue-brown orbs, but she tried to hide it with a superior lift of her chin. “I could be an expert ninja for all you know.” She did a few awkward karate chops and almost fell out of the seat. I quickly righted her and pulled the seat belt across her chest, giving in to impulse and letting my arm graze her tits as I buckled her in. She gasped but didn’t comment on the connection
“See?” she muttered stiffly. “Ninja.”
I laughed heartily as I shut the door and swiftly rounded the vehicle to climb into the driver’s seat. She was so fucking adorable. There was also a feisty side that turned me the hell on.
It wasn’t a far drive to my precinct, and we rode in silence. When I turned into the parking lot, Kaia sighed. I glanced at her as I maneuvered into an empty spot across the lot that faced the building and killed the engine. She looked a little green. “Why didn’t you tell me you get carsick?” I demanded.
“I don’t,” she stated. In a quivering voice, she added, “Usually.”
Shit. It was the alcohol. Getting her home before she lost the contents of her stomach was going to be tricky.
“Are you really going to do this?” Kaia asked tiredly as she rested her head back and closed her eyes.
I twisted my torso so that I was looking directly at her. “That depends.”
3
Kaia
I peeked an eye open and saw Officer Ewan Kelley—good grief, even his name was sexy—cock his head to the side and observe me thoughtfully.
“Depends on what?” I asked warily. My head was still tipped back against the headrest, and I shut my eyes again to avoid staring at him anymore. I wasn’t sure if he’d noticed that I’d been studying him the whole ride. As an added benefit, I was no longer admiring two of him.
“Baby, I spent a shit ton of time on paperwork today before my team was deployed for a particularly hairy hostage situation. I’m tired as hell and charging you would mean even more paperwork.”
I perked up, hoping he was considering just letting me go. I opened my eyes and straightened up in my seat. I moved a little too fast and had to grab the nearest thing to steady myself, which happened to be Ewan’s arm. The hard muscle and corded veins screamed strength. Once I wasn’t so dizzy, I released him but kept my eyes trained on his face. As I examined him, it was the first time I noticed just how exhausted he looked.
“You’re going to let me go?” I asked optimistically, giving him a bright smile.
He scratched his beard before running both hands through his brown hair. “Not exactly.” His arms folded over his chest, almost distracting me with his panty-melting muscles. His expression had taken on a hard quality that helped me stay on track with our conversation.
My eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Then what, exactly?”
“You’re in no condition to take care of yourself”—I started to sputter out an argument, but he raised his volume one notch and spoke over me—"And you said no one is home, so you’d be by yourself.”
“Yes, but—”
“I’m too fucking tired to drive any more than I have to, which means the ten-minute drive to my house. You have no way to get home. Even if you had your car, I still wouldn’t let you drive that piece of shit. So, you’ll just have to come home with me.”
“Your house?” I shrieked in shock. “Go home…what?!”
“Spend the night in jail or in my guest room. Those are your choices.” He regarded me with a stubborn set to his lips and a hard glint in his royal blue eyes.
I glanced at the police station, then back at the gorgeous man sitting across from me. He was definitely the lesser of two evils. Except…he wasn’t really an evil, was he? And that, right there, was the problem.
“Guest room?” I repeated hesitantly. I’d never felt attraction like I did with Ewan. I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d have the strength to stay away from him sober. But…drunk?
“If that’s where you want to sleep,” he answered evenly. His matter-of-fact attitude threw me off.
“Of course, it’s where I want to sleep?” I was asking myself, and it accidentally sounded like a question when I said it out loud.
Ewan chuckled and ran his knuckles softly over my cheekbone. I knew he was touching my blush, and the sweet gesture combined with the hunger in his eyes sent a tingle straight to my pussy.
He studied me intently for a moment, and the corners of his mouth tilted up in a tiny smirk as though he knew exactly what he was doing to me. I felt my blush spreading, and his gaze followed its path down to my breasts. They lingered there, and the tips hardened and poked through the built-in bra of my dress. It was rapidly drying, so at least it was no longer transparent.
A shout in the parking lot startled us both, and Ewan glanced toward the source. There was a group of young guys, probably college age, laughing and walking to the car next to us. A couple of them were clearly inebriated, and their friends were giving them crap about having to bail them out. One of the sober guys glanced in my direction as he climbed into the driver’s seat.
Ewan growled and his blue orbs darkened, flashing with anger as he pressed his lips together into a flat line. He looked as though he might start yelling at any moment, but he wordlessly unbuckled me, then whipped his shirt over his head and dropped it down over mine. I was too shocked to do anything but sit there as he pulled my arms through the sleeve and tugged it down. I was almost completely covered since the shirt was freaking huge.
“That fucking dress is going in the trash as soon as we get home,” he growled before turning back to face the front and starting the car.
I opened my mouth to argue, especially since he was being totally irrational. I was almost positive that dude hadn’t been able to see anything through Ewan’s tinted windows. But then I shut it and mentally shrugged. Pick your battles, Kaia. Anyway, Jaelyn had picked it out, and I’d worn it to make her happy, but it wasn’t really my style, so I didn’t care if I ever wore it again. “Okay,” I said, visibly shrugging this time.
Ewan had been gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles had turned white. At my easy agreement, his hands and shoulders relaxed. “Thank you.” He sighed and
drove toward the main road. “The thought of another man seeing your body has me contemplating all the ways I could get away with murder.”
I tried not to stare at his bare chest but holy crap. Ewan looked like he’d been chiseled from stone. Who the hell had muscles like that? And why was my mouth filling with saliva at the thought of tracing each one with my tongue?
When we stopped at a red light, his eyes swung over to pierce me with their dark intensity. I glanced away, hoping he hadn’t caught me ogling him, but he gripped my chin and forced me to look into his eyes. “You might as well know now.” His tone was low, loaded with warning and steely determination. “You’re mine, Kaia.”
I swallowed hard and squeaked, “Yours?”
He nodded seriously, then turned back to the front and drove on. “I’m claiming you, baby. From the moment I saw you, I knew you belonged to me.” He explained it as though he were reciting the days of the week. Basically, informing me that this was the way it was, and there was no other option. “And I don’t share. No other man is allowed to see what’s only mine.”
The caveman attitude should probably have offended me, but instead, I found it hot. The heat beginning to spread through me made it clear that my body agreed.
I could blame it on the alcohol, but I knew that excuse would only last for so long. Pretending that my attraction was an effect of being drunk would be blasted to smithereens in the morning when I was forced to be honest with my sober self.
Ewan’s hand covered mine, drawing me out of my jumbled thoughts. After a moment, he flipped it over and threaded our fingers together. It was a sweet gesture that seemed at odds with the tough, alpha cop I’d seen so far. It made me all melty, and the pull I felt toward him strengthened.
I’d been so wrapped up in Ewan that I hadn’t noticed the drive was over until the purr of the engine suddenly ceased. He climbed out of the vehicle and slammed his door shut. I peered out the window and took in the sight of a pretty, ranch-style house. The façade was a mixture of stone and blue-gray shiplap with white accents and an adorable red front door.
Alpha Heroes Page 2
