Chapter 16
At the end of the week, Brandon was two things: ecstatically happy that he had Leah in his life, and stressed beyond belief at not being able to find Will Huntington.
How one man could fall off the face of the earth, he had no idea. And he had to be close. Sunday’s break-in proved that. He’d known that the girls were going to be out of the house all day at the opening and that practically the whole town would be there, too.
If he was going to break into a house, that would be the perfect time. No one would be around and he could get in and out almost undetected.
Logan’s friend Tony was finished installing the security system at the house and Brandon had asked him to install it covertly as possible just in case Will was out there watching. His hope was that he wouldn’t know they had it and he would try to break-in again. Making catching him a piece of cake.
As a precaution, he’d stayed at the house with Leah most the week. And while he loved Carly and Melanie, he was ready to have Leah to himself. And tonight would be their first real date. He was taking her to dinner at a nice restaurant in the next town over. She’d promised to wear a dress and his mind had been wandering all day with the image of her in it.
Since he’d first met her, she’d already put on a few pounds that she had apparently lost during her dad’s trial. She looked healthier now and not as fragile. He’d love her body no matter what, but the extra curves the weight gave her tiny frame made it hard to keep his hands off her.
He was just leaving the station to go home and change before their date when his friend and Deputy Tim caught him.
“I got some news, boss.”
Brandon shook his head at Tim calling him ‘boss’. “What’s up?”
“Mrs. Haggerty over on Meadow Court may have spotted your guy.”
His whole body went on alert.
“When?”
“This afternoon. She was outside doing some weeding and she went into her shed to get her tools and there he was. He ran away as soon as she opened the door, but she is pretty sure it was him from the picture we have been circulating.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he swore. “He’s squatting in sheds?”
“So it seems,” Tim said. “What should I do?”
He looked at his watch and swore. “I’m supposed to be picking Leah up in thirty minutes for our date but I guess I can cancel and go take a look.”
“I can do it,” Tim said eagerly.
Brandon thought about it. Tim was a good cop and he knew all the protocol.
“You call me if anything seems off or you find a single piece of evidence?”
“Absolutely,” Tim said.
“All right, then it’s all yours,” Brandon said.
Brandon trusted Tim and while he wanted to be there going over it himself, he really didn’t want to cancel on Leah unless he absolutely had to. Tim would keep him in the loop and, if anything came up, he’d give him a call.
Rushing home, he changed from his uniform into black dress slacks and a button-down that he rolled at the sleeves. If Leah was going to be in a dress for him, he wanted to be dressed nice for her.
Locking his gun away in his safe, he grabbed his car keys and headed out the door.
He’d told Leah that he would pick her up at seven and he made it to her house with two minutes to spare. Deciding that knocking was better than just walking in when he was picking her up for a date, he knocked and waited.
When she opened the door, she took his breath away with her beauty. Wearing a navy blue, extremely short dress that showed off legs that were accentuated by heels that brought her several inches closer to his height, she looked amazing.
“I’m speechless,” he said. “You are gorgeous.”
A smile lit up her whole face. “You look pretty good yourself there, Chief.”
She’d taken to calling him Chief as a joke and somehow it had stuck.
He shook his head. “Are you ready?”
“Sure am,” she said and hit the alarm panel before closing the door. He thought about telling her that Tim was out checking on a lead right now about Will being spotted, but he wanted a few hours that was just them.
“I’m really looking forward to this,” she said as he opened the car door for her. “It’s been months since I’ve eaten at a nice place.”
He slid in beside her, starting the car and pulling out. “Why months?”
She shrugged. “After my dad was arrested and before the trial, I really stopped going anywhere unless I had to. I hated that people would stare at me, or even worse, come up and say nasty things.”
He reached across her seat and took her hand in his. “It breaks my heart that people were that mean to you.”
“I’m coming to the realization that it was more about them and less about me. People who are afraid are sometimes rude and mean and that’s why they take it out on others. And they were just afraid that what happened to many people because of my dad and uncle would happen to them.”
“You’re pretty damn amazing.” He squeezed her hand.
“It’s being here in Cedarville that’s helped. It’s given me so much time to think and also meet good people. People who don’t judge you based on a past that had nothing to do with you.”
“I’m glad you like it here.”
“I love it here and I’m dying for summer. Melanie says the lake is full all the time and that the town does all kinds of cool events.”
“We do,” he acknowledged. “It gets busy and I tend to work a lot.”
“Well, that will suck,” she pouted. “What will I do if you are always working?”
He laughed. “I think I can manage to spend a little time with you.”
“You better,” she said.
The restaurant was packed when they walked in, but Brandon had been smart enough to make a reservation, so they were seated immediately.
“I know you’re not a wine guy,” she said when they were seated and browsing their menus, “but would you want to share a bottle?”
“I like wine,” he said and looked at her over the top of his menu.
“When have you drunk wine?”
“I’ll have you know that my mom serves wine with Christmas and Easter dinner.”
“I stand corrected,” she said. “Do you want to pick a bottle?”
He wasn’t lying when he’d said he drank wine but picking a good bottle, no way. He had no idea what was good or what was bad. “Why don’t you go ahead and pick something you like.”
Her knowing smile told him that she knew he was full of shit and her laugh when she said, “I’ll make sure I go easy on you,” told him she didn’t really care if he drank wine or not.
“How was work today?” he asked after he decided he wanted steak from the menu.
“Since there were no classes, it was good.” She folded her menu and set it down in front of her on the table. “Not that the kids and parents who come to the studio aren’t awesome. It’s just easier when it’s quiet.”
“I feel the same way at the station. Whenever there are people coming in and out with questions or problems, I get very little done.”
Their waiter came by and they both ordered, him his steak and her the salmon along with a bottle of wine she had chosen.
“I made a decision today,” she announced,
Not sure if he should be nervous he said, “Yeah, about what?”
“I hired a mover to pack up my apartment in New York and bring it all here. My lease is up at the end of this month and I don’t plan on renewing.”
“That’s a big step, are you sure?” He wanted her here, hell needed her here, but he wanted it to be the right choice for her.
“This is my home now,” she said with not an ounce of uncertainty in her voice. “I love it and more than that, I’m happy here. And happiness was in short supply in New York.”
“What about your family?” he asked. Since they had been together they had talked about many things but her family was not one of them.
“It’s just my mom and honestly, her bad attitude on learning to be self-sufficient drives me up a wall. If she’s not willing to try then there is nothing I can do.” She sighed. “But I do miss her.”
A thought occurred to Brandon that maybe he could do something about that. Maybe he could invite her mom here to visit and she and Leah could work things out.
He’d think it over and chat with Carly to see what she thought.
“Did Tony finish the security system at the studio?” he asked.
“Yeah and thank God he’s finished. He and Carly fight like cats and dogs.”
“Really?” he asked, amused at anyone who annoyed his cousin.
“He purposely makes comments to get her riled up and she falls for it every time.”
He didn’t know Tony that well but from what he did know, that didn’t seem like him. “How do you know he does it on purpose?”
“Oh, because when Carly’s not looking he’ll wink at Mel and me to let us know he’s messing with her.”
Brandon didn’t love another man winking at Leah and his face must have given him away.
“Don’t be jealous,” she laughed. “While Tony is pretty hot, there is only one man for me.”
“Can you maybe not call other men hot, at least when I’m around.”
“So I’m allowed to do it when you aren’t around?”
He scowled. “Scratch that.”
Her laughter rang out, causing his groin to tighten. It made him wish they were anywhere but in a crowded restaurant. When her laughter subsided, her face, filled with heat and yearning, let him know that she was thinking the same thing.
“Wanna get out of here?” she said, her voice raspy.
Not waiting for their food or the check, he fished for his wallet and dropped two hundred dollars on the table. More than enough to cover their food and wine. Grabbing her hand, they practically ran out of the building and into his car.
Inside his car, Leah didn’t wait for a beat to climb over the seat and plant herself on his lap.
“Fuck,” he said loving the feel of her on top of him.
“I can’t wait till we get home,” she purred in his ear, her lips torturing him with wet open-mouthed kisses down his neck.
“I’m a fucking cop,” he hissed out grabbing her ass in his hands. Her dress was up around her waist and his hands were touching bare flesh.
“Shit, are you wearing underwear?”
“Uh uh.” She bit her lip and shook her head. “Surprise.”
“Screw it,” he swore and covered her mouth with his. He didn’t give a damn if he got arrested for public indecency when all he could think about was that she had been bare all night long.
“Brandon I need you,” she moaned.
Lifting his hips just enough to grab his wallet from his back pocket, he found the condom he’d been keeping in there since they’d started their relationship. Her hands were busy unbuttoning and unzipping his pants, just far enough to release his cock.
Grabbing the condom from his hand, she ripped it open with her teeth and slid it down to the base of his cock before sliding down on top of him.
“Oh God,” she moaned.
“We have to hurry,” he told her, aware enough to know they weren’t invisible in this parking lot even if it felt like it.
“Not going to be a problem,” she moaned and began to ride him hard.
His hands found her ass again and he pumped into her just as fast and hard as she was driving down onto him. Their breathing matched, each of them holding eye contact with the other. He wanted to kiss her as he came but he also wanted to watch her go over. Watching her come was quickly becoming one of his favorite things. She was so free – all her worries and problems gone. She looked at peace.
And it did something inside him to know that he had a part in putting that look on her face.
She was close, he always seemed to know, so he slid an arm between their bodies and added his fingers on her clit. He could feel how swollen she was as his fingers played her like a fiddle.
“Oh yes,” she moaned and he felt her shake, squeezing him tighter. Her eyes darkened and he followed her over, both of them still staring into the other’s eyes.
“Wow,” she whispered, a smile lighting up her whole face. “I’ve never had car sex before.”
His ears were ringing from the force of his orgasm. “Glad to be of service.” He looked around out the window and saw several people walking and figured they’d be close to them in less than a minute.
“Not to be a downer, but people are coming.” She turned her head, looking for herself.
Climbing off him, Brandon helped her get back on her side before tearing off the condom and zipping his pants back up.
“Home?” he said and started the car.
“Home,” she agreed.