Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
C ole Carter’s Review
Protecting Sarah Sloan: 5 stars
This just feels right. I can’t imagine letting anything happen to her. Whether she likes it or not, I will always protect her. I could get addicted to this far too easily.
Perhaps I already am.
“Where is she?”
“Does it matter?”
Cole forced himself to remain calm. Once upon a time he might’ve commiserated with Donovan about Sarah, but now the man’s constant disrespect irked him. He didn’t know when he’d starting taking her side, but he had to forcefully restrain himself from rebutting the insolent deputy.
Scott walked up. “She’s on special assignment in Burkeville, some sort of hush-hush job. She said you’d stop by to pick up some paperwork. It’s on the desk in her office.”
“Thank you.” Cole ignored Donovan as he strode into the unlocked office. He spotted the paperwork right away, grabbed it and turned to leave when something caught the corner of his eye. Her belt, including tools vital to any police officer – her baton, flashlight, handcuffs, even her gun – sat neglected on the desk. They were tools that could make a difference in a serious situation.
His phone rang. He looked at the caller I.D. and answered. “Hey, Dad.”
“Hey, son, are you busy?”
“No, it’s my day off. I’m just grabbing something at the station.” Cole moved further into the office, out of hearing range of the other officers.
“Is Sarah there?”
Cole glanced back at the equipment. “No, but her tool belt is. She went out on special assignment, but apparently forgot it. She even left her gun.”
Jack whistled low. “That’s unusual for her, and also very dangerous.”
Cole rubbed his chest. The thought of Sarah in danger placed a vise around his lungs and squeezed .
“Son, is there anything I should know about you and Sarah?” his father said lightly. “There was some talk of a balloon toss gone awry.”
The smile in his dad’s voice was as obvious as a snowball in the Sahara. “Just a little fun, that’s all.”
“A couple's massage?”
“A booby prize.” Cole cringed. Hopefully his father wouldn’t guess the double entendre of that one.
“And there was talk of her getting stuck in a log. Let me guess. Snake?”
Cole smiled. Contrary to Sarah’s beliefs, there wasn’t a person in town who didn’t know about her phobia. “Actually, yeah.”
“But you’re not afraid of snakes. They said you were both flushed when they found you.”
“The heat.” He sure as hell wasn’t going to explain what kind of heat.
“And then there was Cupid’s Day at Andy and Annie’s.”
Yeah, there was that.
“And there’s nothing you want to tell me?”
If word got back to his father, it must have gone through a lot of people. Far more than Bobby and Shannon and Angie and… “I know what you’re suggesting, but there’s nothing to talk about.” Not exactly true. But he wasn’t going to discuss it with his father until he figured it out.
“Well, that’s too bad,” Jack said affably.
How unexpected. While his mother was always happy to express her feelings on his love life, his father had never commented before. Did he know more than he was letting on? “Dad, when you were sheriff, there were other kids like Sarah, kids who got into trouble all the time, but you never treated any of them like her. You always got her off the hook. Why?”
Jack hesitated for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was low, measured. “You see things in black and white, and that’s because of how I raised you. You had every advantage, so I expected a lot from you. Too much, I realize now.”
What? His father had been affectionate but strict, and perhaps a little too demanding. He’d resented it at the time, but now he was grateful. It allowed him to fulfill his potential.
His father continued, “With Sarah, things were more… complicated. You didn’t know the entire story then.”
Did he know it now? “Is there something I’m not aware of, some reason you gave her a break? Did it have anything to do with her dad? I saw him again, by the way. He was lying on the sidewalk outside his apartment, moaning and groaning about how he deserved to be punished. Sarah could barely get him in the door.”
Jack swore. “That man will never change.”
Cole held the phone closer, lowered his voice even though no one was around. “If Sarah’s father was that bad, why in the world wasn’t something done?”
“He wasn’t quite so bad then. Despite his faults, he loves her. And at least in our small town, there were people to look after her. Neighbors, teachers, myse… others.”
He’d been about to say himself. How far had Jack gone to protect her?
“Believe me, it could’ve been far worse.” His father suddenly stopped. “It’s not my place to talk about this. You should ask Sarah, especially if something is going on between the two of you.”
“Dad, I just said there wasn’t–” Cole stopped. It was no use. He might be able to fool the townspeople, but his father could detect a misdirection from a mile away. “I better go. I’ll see you soon.”
Cole braced his hands on the desk. He’d never seen Sarah on the job without her equipment. Only now she was, not on an ordinary sting, but some secretive operation in another town. She must have forgotten it, and it was just like her to carry on without the necessary tools. He took another step toward the door, stopped and turned back. In more than one instance, he would’ve been in serious trouble if he hadn’t had his equipment. Those items could make the difference between life and death.
Burkeville was only an hour away, and he didn’t have anything planned for today. He could run the belt to her and be back before lunch. And while he was at it, perhaps he could do a little more investigating into the mystery that was Sarah Sloan.
* * * *
It wasn’t easy being a prostitute. Nope, not at all.
The hours were irregular, the company sketchy and the outfits – they were downright uncomfortable. Yeah, Sarah was glad she’d never taken the prostitute route.
Of course, that didn’t mean she didn’t pretend to be one occasionally.
One of the nearby towns had a small but frustrating problem with prostitution. Somehow the town had gotten labeled as a good place to get a girl for the night or hour, depending on your desires. They’d caught some of the prostitutes, but after a couple of nights in jail, they’d start again. The only way to make it stop, they decided, was to catch the men. If people started getting arrested for soliciting prostitution, they would look elsewhere, making the town an undesirable place to find a good time.
That’s where she came in. One of the limitations of police work in a small town was the difficulty of going undercover. It was hard to pretend to be someone else when half the town knew you since diapers. Thus when Burkeville needed female officers to provide the bait, it tapped the police in neighboring towns. Sarah had volunteered.
Going undercover as a prostitute might seem like a hard day’s work, but to be honest, it was a welcome break from Cole and the rest of the team. Cole was constantly sniffing around her business, even as his end game remained a mystery. Did he think she was the arsonist? Did the others think so, too? Donovan had never liked her and would take any excuse to get her removed as sheriff.
Unfortunately, as much as Cole affected her, she couldn’t stop herself from liking him. More than liking perhaps, but she would absolutely not explore that. He was dedicated to his job and had already proven a valuable asset to the force. She tried to avoid him as much as possible, but it would be difficult going forward. They needed to work closely to solve the arsonist case. Of course, they also had their prize, the trip to the Renaissance fair, this weekend. How was she going to handle that?
She forced her thoughts back to the present. She had a mission to complete, which involved standing in a back alley in a skirt a little too short and a lot too tight. Small town prostitutes might not dress quite as boldly as their big city counterparts, but potential clients still had to identify them. Three similarly dressed women from different police districts stood next to her.
Although it didn’t seem like a particularly dangerous mission, these things were unpredictable. One of the men might find arrest disagreeable and turn violent. Because of their skimpy outfits, she’d had to leave her belt with most of her tools back at the office, hiding only a small gun under her skirt. Of course, there’d be a team of fully-equipped police officers ready to burst in at the first indication of trouble, but they wouldn’t be in the room with them. Instead, they would be listening via the wires one of her fellow officers wore. Sarah and the rest of the women would need to stay alert to control the situation.
Thanks to a lead, they knew the exact place a group of regular clients would come looking for a little action. Because the men saw many different women, hopefully they wouldn’t be surprised by the fresh faces. Most importantly, word would get around quickly if they got arrested, hopefully putting a crimp in the burgeoning prostitution business.
Sarah shifted in her five-inch, hot pink stilettos and tugged on the leopard print skirt. Even when she was at her most rebellious, she never dressed like this. The one time she’d tried in high school, Cole had cornered her between classes and lectured her until she agreed to go home and change.
“Those are our men,” one of her co-workers, garbed in a neon green latex dress, whispered. Three muscular men strode to them, wearing faded denims and lecherous smiles. They were as greasy as a thirty-nine-cent hamburger.
Sarah formed her red painted lips into a wide grin. “Well, hello boys.” She whistled. “So glad you could make it.”
The men smiled broadly. “Well, hello girls.” They looked from one to the next. “This seems to be our lucky day.”
“I’d say.” One of the women giggled. “Are you looking for a little fun?”
“We sure are.”
The thrill of success emblazoned Sarah. Once the men offered money, the officers could arrest them, and they would be on their way back home within a few hours. She could use a successful mission after the stagnating arson case.
The seedy man stared at the breasts threatening to burst from her top. “There’s four of you and only three of us.” He grinned at his friends. “That doesn’t seem fair. Should we flip a coin to see who the lucky one is?”
“That won’t be necessary,” a new voice rumbled from behind them. “I’ll take the black-haired beauty.”
Oh, hell to the no.
It couldn’t be.
There was no way, no possibility, he had followed her here.
Yet the voice was unmistakable, the confidence familiar, the authoritative power only he wielded.
Cole Carter was going to be dusting for the rest of his career.
She plastered a smile on her face, or something as close as she could muster, and slowly turned. He could only be referring to her – the others were brunettes or blonds. And there he was, wearing a smile that was anything but fake.
Then he gave her the look . Not a quick, cursory look, not a gentlemanly look that stayed where it was supposed to. No, this look started at her toes, slowly made its way up her legs and hesitated noticeably on her hips. The smile grew wider as his gaze made its way up again, stopping at breasts forced into generous cleavage by the best of Victoria’s Secret, nipples already pebbled and hard. He licked his lips.
Hers dried.
He smiled wider, only then moving his attention to her face. “Not bad.” He winked. “You’ll do.”
The other men stood tall. “This is a private party, buddy. Who says we want to share?”
Cole turned a mild gaze to the ruffians. Though large, the men didn’t match Cole’s powerful presence. “You said there’s more than you need. Tell you what – how about I pay double my portion? Triple even. Sound fair?”
The idea of extra money clearly appeased the men, as they smiled greedily. “Why not? Sharing is caring, right? Maybe we can all share everyone?” He put a hand on Sarah’s shoulder.
Something flashed in Cole’s eyes, something intense, something powerful, something dangerous . He glared at the man as if seriously considering tearing him apart. The sleazeball’s eyes widened for a second, then he withdrew. “One per person is good, too.”
Cole nodded, looking no less willing and able to commit cold-blooded murder. “Good idea.”
Sarah fumed. With every word, Cole was sabotaging their mission. In reality, no one was having her, shared or otherwise, especially not him. Time to bag the bad guys and get away from her would-be bodyguard. “Let’s get this party started. First some business, then playtime.” She smiled suggestively.
“Out here? No way.” A stocky man with a thin goatee waved a hand weighted with rings. “Anyone can see us. Come on, we’ve got a nice place picked out and a large SUV to take us there. There’s plenty of room for all of us, even him.” He jerked a finger toward Cole.
Sarah giggled with the other ladies, forcibly restraining herself from arresting the men here and now. All of them, including the deputy who was enjoying his role a little too much.
The men quickly paired off with the woman. One pair held hands. Another man looped an arm around his woman’s shoulders’. The third put a hand around a waist. What did Cole do?
He smacked her bottom.
Sarah gasped. “You ass!”
Everyone looked at her in shock.
This. Was. Bad. She couldn’t blow this operation just because Cole was playing the role a little too well and a lot too heartily. She forced her lips back into a smile, wagged a finger at him. “I mean how did you know I loved… um… when guys slap my ass?”
What the hell had she just said?
Cole’s expression lit up. “Really?”
Yeah, she hadn’t imagined it.
“Oh yeah, I mean what girl doesn’t?”
His eyes twinkled. “That’s good to know.”
Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap.
She should’ve expected the next move. He planted his hand right on her ass. And there it stayed. Now she didn’t have to worry about keeping the smile. Her entire face was frozen.
Cole winked. “Do you like this?”
Yes.
No! She meant, no. No, no, no! Sarah wiggled to break the contact. Only instead the move brought an even more interesting place into contact with Cole’s hand. She choked back a gasp as his smile grew wider.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” he inquired mildly.
Sarah stood perfectly still, silently crafting a list of 1001 creative and fun ways to get revenge later. It was definitely going to involve hungry lions. Or tarantulas. Maybe both. “Can we go now?”
Then Cole winked and… gave her ass a squeeze. Yes, a squeeze. And while she should be professional and ignore it, instead the sensation electrified every nerve in her body, including that oh-so-interesting part extremely disappointed at missing out on all the fun.
Oh yeah – lions, tarantulas and sharks.
They walked to the car, the real clients still holding assorted hands, shoulders and waists. And Cole’s hand? Yup, still on her ass.
Although the SUV was spacious, eight people, four of whom were men, still comprised a tight fit. They entered in pairs, and Sarah found herself squeezed between the door and Cole’s massive body. He reached across her, brushing against her breasts, and brought the seatbelt securely over her. “Wouldn’t want you going anywhere.” He tugged on it to make sure it was tight.
And just like that, he held her captive once more.
Even sitting, he was power defined, a solid wall of muscle. With every breath, she pressed against his commanding form, every movement shifting her closer. She edged back, but there was nowhere to go. She was trapped.
But she didn’t have to admit it. “I’m not going anywhere,” she gritted out. “At least not until you get exactly what you deserve.” She tapped a finger on his arm.
He reacted in an instant, reaching out and capturing her hand, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss.
Focus on the mission. Ignore him. Do not feel and most certainly do not fall. This needed to stop, and it needed to stop now. She would only touch him if absolutely necessary. And no matter what, it would not affect her.
She endured a minutes-long drive that seemed like hours. They travelled to a more rural part of town, with stately farmhouses and storybook barns, each on multiple acres. Past them, the area became even quieter, with sparser buildings in questionable condition. Finally, they rumbled down a dirt road through a copse of trees and finally came to an abandoned hunting lodge. The rounded logs were weathered with age and most of the windows were broken or missing. It was the perfect place for solitude… and criminal mischief.
The group exited the car, Sarah and Cole last. The women cast anxious smiles, tight with unease. She shared their concern. It wasn’t supposed to go this far before money was offered and the charade ended. Backup should’ve followed behind, but because of the quiet country roads, they needed to stay far back to avoid suspicion. And suddenly, despite how he irked her, Sarah was actually glad for Cole’s presence.
One of the men unlocked the door, and they filed in together. The leader closed and locked the door. “This is nice and cozy, but I’m ready for a little privacy. There should be more than enough room for all of us.”
Cole put his hands firmly around her waist. And her body, caring nothing of her resolve to not be affected, perked up and asked for more. She forced a smile. “Let’s take care of business quickly so we can get started. We’re ready when you are.”
The men hesitated, but then nodded. Sarah let out a breath of relief. If they’d insisted on service first, the supposed prostitutes would be in big trouble. Instead he voiced the question she’d hoped for, “How much can we offer for your services?”
Sarah suppressed a grin. This was it. She named the price she knew the men had paid before.
“Sounds good.” The man gestured at Cole. “But of course, you’ll pay triple.”
Cole shrugged. “The deal of a lifetime.”
The men reached into their wallets and pulled out cash, including Cole. The women tucked the money into stockings, pockets and pouches. “And what services can we provide for your generous contribution?” one of the women asked breathlessly, continuing the ruse. The more information they had, the better the case for prosecution.
And they sure provided them.
Sarah fought to hide her blush as two of the men explicitly spelled out the sexual favors, positions and techniques they desired. They considered it a game, striving to outdo each other. Finally, they finished, and Sarah turned to the remaining suspect. Once he listed his desires, they could get on with the arrests and she could finally escape. Only the ringleader pointed at Cole instead. “Your turn.”
Sarah’s breath caught in her throat. Cole couldn’t decline, not if he wanted to preserve the integrity of the mission. He had no choice but to describe his exact desires.
She had no choice but to listen.
He started in a deep voice, “First, I intend to strip you until you’re wearing absolutely nothing. Strike that.” His gaze returned to her legs. “You can keep the heels. Nothing else. Next, I’m going to spread you out. I’m going to explore. Every. Single. Inch. Touch every inch. Kiss every inch. I’m going to make you breathless. Once I’ve explored with my hands, next I’m going to–”
“That sounds fantastic,” Sarah cut in to avoid accidently exploding . A thousand images accompanied his description, pictures filling her mind in an erotic play-by-play. He’s just acting. He’s just acting. He’s just acting. She repeated it a thousand times, believed it zero. The heat never lessened from the sun-drenched Sahara.
Thankfully the other men were satisfied with that, and the last criminal described his amorous plans, a tale more raunchy than sensual. And with that, it was done. Backup would arrive any second to arrest the men.
And yet a second passed. Then a few more, and then a minute as the men smiled in anticipation. The ringleader rubbed his hands together.
Something must have happened to delay the backup. Although they were well-trained, the men were large and Cole may or may not have his gun. The best path was to wait until backup came or they had no choice.
Unfortunately, no choice came rather quickly.
“This has been fun, but I’m ready to get started.” The ringleader clutched the brunette’s hand, tugging her to the stairs. The undercover cop hesitated, but went along, looking over her shoulder. This couldn’t happen. They were pretending to be prostitutes, not actually playing the part. The other women exchanged glances, and Sarah stepped forward. Before she could do anything, Cole spoke, “Wait a minute.”
He must have a plan. Sarah relaxed as the ringleader stopped just before he reached the steps. “What’s the matter?” He tightened his hold on his quarry, licked his lips. “I don’t have a lot of patience right now.”
“Remember what you said before – that we should share?”
Um, what exactly was Cole’s plan?
The man’s eyes lit in interest. His lips stretched open, showcasing smoke-stained teeth. “Yeah?”
“Well, I’m still not into sharing, but would you like to watch?”
“Watch?” the man replied.
“Watch?” the women echoed.
“Watch?” Sarah whispered.
Clearly this wasn’t happening.
“Why not? Maybe it would put you in the mood.” Cole traded his gaze between the three men and their partners. “You could first watch us.”
Several possibilities loomed:
A. Cole’s brain had taken a tropical vacation and forgotten to inform him.
B. Cole had consumed something that replaced his good sense with cottage cheese.
C. Cole had been possessed by an alien/demon/ghost/parasite/zombie/random creature.
D. All of the above.
No matter which was correct, she couldn’t be held liable if she accidently did something like… oh… tase him. Not to cause a serious wound, but just to let him know his suggestion was, well, disappointing.
She looked back at the other men. They couldn’t possibly go along with something like this. But they were smiling. And nodding their heads.
This was not good.
“Why not?” The ringleader led his clearly surprised prize back to a couch, and the other men did the same. They sat and looked at expectantly at Cole. But Cole? He only had eyes for her.
He couldn’t be serious. He wasn’t actually planning on seducing her while they had an audience. She ignored the fact that she wouldn’t mind if he seduced her when they didn’t have an audience. He took a step closer, leaned down. The scent of heated spice surrounded her.
Her breath hitched. She gave a sultry smile, pretended to whisper sweet nothings, “In case you’re curious, I am planning to arrest you for this.”
He winked. “Can’t wait,” he said loudly for all to hear. Then lower, “Isn’t backup coming? I’m trying to stall.” He planted a kiss on her neck.
She shivered. To convince the others, of course. “They are, but something must have delayed them.” She tried to form words while he kissed her again. And again. And what was she thinking again? “I’m all for buying time, but a strip show? Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Because you’re not as creative as me?”
“Or maybe because it’s the worst idea in the known universe.” She clutched his muscular, hot, heated… um… body. Squeezed (for show, of course).
He lifted himself back, removing the tortuous kisses she definitely didn’t want a thousand or so more of. “I’m open to suggestions if you got a better one. I wasn’t planning on going all the way.”
Well, crap.
Wait, no, that was good.
Restraint from the confounding man = good.
Unrestrained attraction = bad.
Climbing him like a tree = Very bad.
“Kissing is great, but how about a little more?” one of the men hooted. “I bet you can’t wait to get your hands all over that.”
He didn’t deny it. Nimble fingers started to roam. How far was he planning on going?
“Should we just arrest them?” Sarah whispered, as those capable hands became a far greater threat than the criminals. “Take them out?”
“Not yet,” he murmured. “Let’s give the cavalry a little more time.”
If they give them anymore time, they would get arrested right along with them. Before she could speak, the ringleader called, “You guys seem to be doing a lot of talking over there. Are you sure you know what do to?” The men laughed.
Cole looked down at her, and at that second what he wanted became very, very clear.
Her.