Chapter Three
Missy
Officer Howard’s home is as surprising as the man himself. It looks nothing like the house of someone supposedly living off a civil servant’s salary.
My jaw is practically on the ground as I take in the unexpected grandeur that stretches in front of me. The house, with its inviting warm tones and well-manicured lawn carries a charm I didn’t expect to see from such a man.
A little prejudiced of me, but I am fast learning that there is nothing ordinary about this man. I should have known this when, back at the station, he changed out of his uniform and into a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved shirt that revealed a mosaic of tattoos. Are cops even allowed to have those?
And his house is just as surprising. I marvel at the way the sunlight glints off the large windows. I take in the intricate details from the charming porch swing swaying gently in the breeze and the flower beds neatly trimmed and well taken care of.
Who is this man?
Maybe he’s one of those corrupt cops who take bribes, but then again, what bribe could afford someone such a grand home? Okay, now I’m being unfair to someone who is kind enough to let a stranger into his home, but I’ve been on guard so much lately that my mind automatically jumps to the worst-case scenarios.
“Are you coming in?” I look up to find Howard standing by the door, holding my bag. I take a good look at the him. At a little over six foot three, the man looks even more intimidating out of the uniform than he did in it. I try not to linger too much on his bulging muscles and those broad shoulders, but I can’t help myself. “Missy?”
Right.
“I’m coming,” I call out, walking up to him. This was my idea. Coming to his place was my idea, so why the hell am I so nervous about being here? My stomach is fluttering, but that’s not the only thing that’s quivering. The spot between my legs has been throbbing from the second this man walked up to me and hasn’t stopped since.
This is not good. This can’t be good!
“You’ll be safe here,” Howard says, opening his front door and moving aside for me to walk in first. “No one can get into this house unless I let them in.”
Before I can question what he means by that, a loud bark echoes through the walls, and then I barely have time to locate the noise before a massive figure comes barreling toward me. My heart leaps into my throat as I catch sight of the largest dog I have ever seen—a hulking beast with a broad back, long legs, and piercing dark eyes that glow with an intensity that sends a chill racing down my spine.
“How-Howie,” I whimper, instinctively taking a step back and bumping into a solid wall of muscles. “W-what is that?” I don’t even notice at first that I’ve given my new protector a nickname. He doesn’t comment on it though, so I don’t think he minds.
“My puppy.”
“P-puppy!” I cry out as the dog skids to a halt a few feet away, those eyes watching me, and I bet calculating what to bite first. “Please tell your ‘puppy’ that I’m all skin and bones. I wouldn’t make a very satisfying snack.”
Howard chuckles from behind me. “He only bites when I tell him to. And yes, he is a puppy. He’s only eight months old, so not fully grown yet.” Even with his assurance, I don’t move a muscle as his “puppy” and I size each other up. This gigantic beast isn’t even fully grown yet? My initial fear slowly fades as the dog lets his tongue roll out of his mouth and pants happily, and I realize that he’s beautiful. A strikingly black dog with long wiry hair. His size and thick coat make him look more like a wolf than a dog.
“What’s his name? And what breed is he? I’ve never seen a dog like him before.”
“Bear. He’s an Irish wolfhound. They’re not very common around here.”
“And you promise he won’t bite my hand off if I try to pet him?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
I roll my eyes at his words before slowly stepping forward, my heart still racing, but I’m curious more than anything. I don’t even have to crouch down as I extend my hand slowly, palm turned down and fingers slightly curled, like I’ve seen people do with dogs before. I keep my voice soft and gentle as I speak to him. “Hey, Bear. It’s okay, I don’t bite. You probably do though, so let’s be best friends.”
Howard snickers at my words but says nothing. I ignore the man and focus on his dog. I lean closer and notice the way his ears perk up as the tension in his stance starts to ease. I gently tap my thigh, encouraging him to come closer, and when he takes a tentative step forward, my heart nearly busts out of its cage. Bear’s nose twitches as he sniffs the air, and I hold my breath, waiting for him to make the next move.
And he does.
When he closes the distance between us, I reach out, my fingers brushing against his thick, soft fur. I stroke his back gently, smiling when he leans into my touch, then nearly losing my balance as he presses his weight against my leg.
“He likes you. He doesn’t like most people.”
I giggle at that. “I’m sure you’re just saying that.”
“It’s the truth.”
I look up to find Howard watching me with surprise in his expression. There is something else in those gray eyes as he watches me that brings back the fluttering to my stomach. I quickly shift my attention back to Bear and away from the man who leaves my knees feeling a little wobbly, and what’s up with that? The hopeless romantic in me has always imagined what it would be like when I met a man I was attracted to, but I never imagined it would bring out such intense feelings.
It must be the adrenaline of dealing with my stalker or the exhaustion of the last couple of weeks, and now my body is confused about how to react. Yes, it has got to be something like that.
“So, um, when do you think they’ll catch my stalker?” I ask, in an attempt to shift my thoughts off this man and to the one haunting me.
“Depends.” I look up, and a shiver rolls down my body when I find those stormy gray eyes pinned on me. “It depends on a lot of factors, Missy. If he followed you to Valor Springs, then we’ll have to wait for him to make a mistake. And he will. Valor Springs is a small town; the residents will recognize an outsider. He won’t be able to stay hidden here.”
I blink at the man in confusion. “You are not going to track down the number that sent me those pictures?”
“The photos were sent from a burner phone. He’s clearly no amateur. Odds are this isn’t his first time doing something like this.” My eyes widen when Howard steps close beside me, petting his dog, but those stormy grays stay firmly on me. God, he’s so close I can smell his cologne. He must’ve freshened up when he went to change out of his uniform because he smells amazing, like cedar and musk. And when he stands and leans toward me, so close I can see the flecks of dark blue in his gray eyes. “You are safe here with me and Bear. You can rest easy now and let me take care of you.”
It’s the adrenaline…or exhaustion. I don’t care which, but it has to be one of them that makes me want to climb into this man’s lap and burrow into his chest, feel those trunks he has for arms band around my body. The way he promises to protect me when all others have shown me the cold shoulder does things to me. His strong presence does things to me.
“I…I…”
“I believe the word you are looking for is thank you.” Not quite, but I don’t say that.
I let him believe that the only thing I feel for him is gratitude. That my sex is not slick with arousal and the dampness between my legs hasn’t stained my favorite panties. I choose to pretend that the fire licking up my body has nothing to do with the man whose lips are only a few inches from mine.
Snap out of it, Missy!
“Yes, thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t agreed to help me.”
He nods, stepping back, and I suddenly miss his closeness. “Come with me, I’ll show you around.”
I pat Bear's head before following the man deeper into his home. The inside is just as grand as the outside, a seamless blend of elegance and coziness that steals my breath away. We stop first in a quaint, sparsely decorated guest room where I leave my bag. Then he takes me through his spacious living room that is dominated by a plush sectional sofa in rich navy blue that contrasts beautifully with the soft cream walls. Large windows draped in sheer curtains allow natural light to flood the space, illuminating the carefully curated art pieces that hang on the wall.
I fall in love with the space immediately. The only other room I have seen so far is the guest room, but I know without question that this right here is my favorite.
“I’m in the wrong career, it seems,” I say, breathing in the subtle hint of sandalwood clinging to the air as I walk to an art piece hanging on the wall.
“We both are.”
I turn to face the man standing behind me with his hands stuffed in his pockets. “This is not your home?”
“It’s not mine alone. I share it and the expense.”
I stop, my eyes widening with horror when I realize that through my panic-driven actions and the lust-filled haze I’ve been riding, I never once considered that this man could be in a relationship. I didn’t see a wedding band on his finger, so I thought… I assumed…
“You’re married!” I gasp, palming my mouth in horror and looking around as if expecting an angry woman to pop out of one of the rooms. I should have known someone as amazing as Howard could not be single.
“I am not married, Missy.”
“Engaged?”
He sighs. “I co-own this house with my brother. At least on paper, considering he hasn’t been back here since we bought the place.”
“Is he…” Dead? My tone must give away the unspoken word because Howard looks stricken.
“No, Jesus, Missy!” He shakes his head, walking away from me, and I follow him into the kitchen. The open layout connects the kitchen to a cozy dining area where a beautiful wooden table is set and surrounded by mismatched chairs that give it an eclectic feel. I only have a moment to take in the grand granite island before I am reminded of the conversation we were having.
“Does he not live in Valor Springs, then?”
“He’s a race car driver and hasn’t been home in years, too busy touring the circuit.” Howard walks to the fridge and grabs a bottle of water, which he uncaps and offers to me. “When I left the military, we both realized we wanted to return to our roots in Valor Springs, so we pooled our funds and bought this home five years ago. He even shipped those art pieces in the living room here, but hasn’t been back himself.”
The water bottle stays suspended in his grasp as I stare in shock at the man. There is a lot to unpack about what he just said, but I focus on the most surprising thing. “You were in the military?”
“The Marines for almost ten years before I decided to be a cop.”
“Why did you leave the military?” I ask, finally accepting the bottle of water.
“The same reason I went in,” he says, leaning back against the counter and fixing those gray eyes on me. “A sense of duty, I suppose.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s quite simple. I was driven to enlist by a personal need to serve and protect my country, and I left for the same reason. I felt I had fulfilled my obligation and wanted to continue serving in a different capacity. I wanted to know the people I was helping. I felt I could protect my community as a cop.” Well, that’s pretty noble of him. I don’t imagine it’s ever crossed my mind to do something so selfless, especially something that would risk my life. “So, what about you? What is it you do for work?” he asks. “You said you have a manager?”
Oh right, Howard was changing while I filled out my personal information on the police report. I’m about to answer him when I am momentarily distracted. Seemingly bored with our conversation, Bear, who had followed us into the kitchen, picks that exact moment to leave with a sense of urgency and apparently no appreciation for his big body. He dashes past me, and I move aside quickly so I’m not plowed over, accidentally spilling the water Howard had given me all over myself, soaking my top.
I hiss at the chill that licks up my body as I quickly place the nearly empty water bottle on the island counter. “Oh God, that’s so cold.”
“Fuck,” Howard curses, stepping forward. He backs me to the counter, and I swallow hard when his eyes drop to my soaked top. My nipples pebble behind the silk bra, poking at the see-through material. The room falls silent and a tension unlike anything I have felt before settles in. “You must be freezing.”
I swallow at the attention my tits are getting. “Yeah.”
“Let me get you a towel.”
“Okay,” I say with a nod, but neither of us moves a muscle. We stand staring at each other, the tension growing thicker by the second, and I try to remind myself that I do not know this man beyond the fact that he’s a cop and has agreed to help with my stalker. Being intimate with him would no doubt make the rest of my stay awkward.
I try so hard to convince myself that it’s a bad idea, but my knees are weak and my feet seem to be glued to the floor, making it impossible for me to move, and it seems he is dealing with the same issue.
This is a bad idea. No, it’s a terrible idea. But terrible has never looked so good.