27. Indiana
Watts sighed. “You two have been through hell. Go home and rest.”
Reluctantly, Tyler stood, and I did, too, feeling the weight of exhaustion, adrenaline, and, worse of all, disappointment crash over me.
“Go.” Watts shooed us away. “I’ll call you if anything urgent crops up before nine tomorrow.”
“Sir, my phone was destroyed,” Tyler said.
Yeah, well, my everything was destroyed.
Watts growled. “I’ll send a squad car for you then. Now go.”
We stepped out of his office, and as Tyler led me past the desks, a hush settled over the area as everyone studied us again.
“Indiana, if you want to take a seat, I’ll find you a place to stay.” Lacey indicated to a chair, revealing writing tattooed across her right wrist, but I couldn’t read what it said.
“It’s okay, Lacey,” Tyler said. “I’ll look after Indiana.”
His voice was edged with frustration. Like he was doing something that he absolutely did not want to do.
“No worries.” Lacey seemed relieved, and she nodded at me. “I’ll talk to Whisper about getting some clothes together for you. She did that for Piper when she lost everything when her boat capsized. In the meantime, try to get some sleep.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” I hadn’t even thought about clothes.
Tyler leaned into her ear. “Do not tell anyone what you just heard in that office, or what you’re investigating.”
“I know.” Her gray eyes looked like they would carve his head off.
We exited the building, and as I followed him to the parking lot behind the station, I waited for him to talk, but he didn’t. I needed him so much right now that my chest ached, but I was angry enough to walk away. And I would have, too, if I had somewhere to go.
Tyler was setting off some seriously negative vibes, which were a million miles away from what I’d felt over the last day or so. A chill raced down my spine. Maybe he was just putting on a show to get us through that deadly situation.
I didn’t know whether to punch him in the nose or make the annoying bastard talk.
He stopped at a car and his twisted expression confirmed that the Tyler I got to know on that deserted island was gone.
“Look,” I said, “I get it. Now that the fun’s over, you just want to get rid of me.”
“What?” Scowling, he shook his head.
“I can tell you don’t want to take me back to your place.”
“Yes, actually, you’re right.”
My jaw dropped.
At least he’s honest.
“You got a wife back there you neglected to mention?”
He rolled his eyes. “No. But it’s . . . it’s complicated.”
“Complicated.” I scoffed. “At least you have a place to go to. Just forget it, Kingsley. I’ll walk to the motel.”
I marched away.
“Indiana.” His shoes thumped on the gravel behind me. “Will you just?—”
He gripped my arm and spun me to face him.
“Just what?” I hated the emotion swirling inside me. I hated that I thought we had something going on between us.
His shoulders sagged. “I, um . . .”
I yanked my arm from his grip. “What?”
“It’s embarrassing, okay?”
I jerked back. I wasn’t expecting that. “You scared I’ll find your sex toys in your closet, Officer Fancy Pants?”
He grabbed my hand.
“Come on, you’ll see,” he murmured, almost too low for me to hear, but I caught the resignation in his voice.
“Now you have me intrigued.” I grinned.
He squeezed his warm palm to mine as he led me back to his car. We climbed in, and he shot out of the parking lot like a man who had to do something before he changed his mind.
A dozen questions raced through my brain as he threaded through the streets, heading back toward the wharf. He turned off the main road before he reached the wharf entrance and drove along the street that ran parallel to the beach. At the end, he stopped at the boom covering the entrance to the Rosebud Caravan Park. He lowered his window and swiped a key card over the scanner to lift the boom.
In the light of his dashboard, his eyes were like the color of the ocean after a storm.
Maybe he was taking me to a safe house or something, where victims of crime were kept until more permanent housing was arranged.
He slowly drove through several streets where rows of permanent and casual trailers were set up. Some sites were empty, too.
He paused several times for kids on bikes and for families to shift their street games of cricket and soccer out of the way.
At the end of a street, he pulled his car alongside a small trailer home and turned off the engine.
“Here we are.” He heaved a sigh.
“Where are we?” I cocked an eyebrow.
“My place.”
“Oh.”
A trailer home. I was not expecting that for Officer Fancy Pants. I climbed out of the car, and sea breezes drifted up from the nearby beach. At the base of the three steps, he removed his shoes, and I did the same. He placed our shoes in a row next to a pair of gumboots and a pair of flip-flops.
At the top of the steps, he pushed a key into the door and offered for me to lead the way inside. The interior was neat, everything in its place, not even a dirty cup in the sink. The tiny space was the exact opposite of the chaos I usually thrived in. It felt like him—orderly, restrained.
“You live here?” I said, unable to mask the surprise in my voice.
“Yep.” He tossed his keys onto a blue bowl on the tiny table nestled between two booth seats. “Let me show you around.”
He flicked a switch on the wall to turn on strip lighting that ran along the ceiling corners of the short hallway, giving the area a warm glow.
“There’s the bed. Bathroom is in there.” He pointed at a door along the hallway. “And here’s the kitchen.”
He swept his hand to the sink and microwave.
I chuckled. “Well, well, Officer Fancy Pants, aren’t you full of surprises?”
“It’s only temporary.” A shadow crossed his face. “But it’s home for now.”
“It’s nice. Better than our accommodation last night.” The small cave was already a distant memory.
He huffed. “That’s true.”
A faint scent of quality coffee mingled with the salty air. “No coffee machine though.” I nodded toward the small kitchenette.
“I forgot about that. Those bastards are going to pay for destroying my prized possession.” A tiny smirk crossed his lips, and then he turned and marched toward the bed at the end and reached for something I couldn’t see. He turned with a folded towel in his hand. “You can shower first. I’ll order some food. You like Indian?”
He opened the door to the bathroom and held the towel toward me.
I took the towel from him. “Thanks. And I don’t know about Indian.”
His eyebrows jumped. “You’ve never tried Indian food?”
I shrugged. “Nope.”
His smile took my breath away. “Then you’re in for a treat. Take as long as you want in the shower. I’ll go next.”
His gaze swept me into heaven.
The urge to tell him to join me lingered on my tongue, but he seemed too distracted to give my body the attention that my mind was craving.
Inside the tiny bathroom, I stripped out of my salt-stiff clothes and tossed them into the base of the shower to wash with my feet. The shower hissed until the hot water kicked in. I stepped into the cascade, and the spray scalded my skin. It seemed like forever since I’d had a shower and washed my hair. I used the suds to wash my bikini, but I planned to throw away Kane’s shirt, so I didn’t waste time on that.
Conscious that Tyler may have limited hot water, I cut my shower much shorter than I would have liked and wrapped his towel around me. Even his towel oozed a quality that suited him.
His home was an interesting twist, though, and I sensed that there was a good reason why he lived in temporary accommodation.
I stepped out of the shower, holding my wet clothes. “Where shall I hang these?”
“I’ll hang them out on the line in a sec.” He took my bikini from me and put it into his kitchen sink. “Was the shower okay?”
“It was perfect. Thanks.”
“Good. Make yourself at home. Help yourself to any clothes that are in there.” He pointed to a closet beside his bed. “I’ll be out in a sec.”
“Am I going to find sex toys in there?” I grinned.
“You wish.”
He stepped into the bathroom, and unfortunately for me, he closed the door.
While he showered, as I tried not to think about him being naked a few feet away, I opened his closet doors. I’d never seen a wardrobe so neat. It was like looking into a prize home display where even the shirts were hung in colors and his four pairs of shoes were placed in a precision row on the bottom.
Careful not to mess up anything, I found a navy T-shirt, and the fabric hung loose over my hips when I slipped it on. The cotton was soft, worn from use, and it carried a scent that was unmistakably him—a mix of quality cologne and the sea air that seemed to cling to everything in his trailer. His T-shirt was comforting, yet unlike Kane’s shirt, Tyler’s shirt made me feel sexy.
In the second drawer down, I found a pair of drawstring shorts to pull on and shut the closet doors. His bedroom was almost clinical, no dirty clothes piled in a corner; there weren’t even crinkles on his bed linen.
I strolled to the kitchenette. He didn’t have any photos, or books, or mementos of his life.
How long has he lived here?
He emerged from the bathroom with his hair slicked back again and darkened to ebony. Droplets traced paths over the hard planes of his torso and disappeared into the towel knotted at his waist.
Holy wow. I had to stop my jaw from dropping.
Grinning, he swept me up in his gaze.
“Good, you found some clothes. They look much better on you.” He strolled to his bedroom. “There’s some beer in the fridge. Not much else, though.”
I removed two beers from the fridge, and as I placed them on the table, he strolled up the tiny hallway, tugging a shirt over his magnificent torso.
“Dinner won’t be long.” He bent over, and as I admired his sexy butt, he removed two plates from the small cupboard.
As he set the table, I drank the cool beer and tried to wrap my head around this surreal moment. A month ago, I would never have dreamed of sharing a meal with a cop. But Tyler had already proven he was more than that.
With the table set, he seemed to look for something else to do, but because his place was so freaking neat, there was nothing.
He sat opposite me and raised his beer. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.” I clinked my bottle to his.
A headlight swept behind the curtain over the front door.
“Dinner’s here.” He strode out the door and returned carrying plastic bags filled with tubs that came with a delicious aroma. He laid them out and opened the lids.
“Wow, it smells amazing.” My stomach growled.
“Sure does. Want me to dish out?”
“Yes, please.”
He served a generous portion onto our plates and sat opposite me. “Dig in.”
The first mouthful was a flavor explosion, and I let out a moan of satisfaction.
Tyler chuckled, and his divine eyes shimmered. “Told you.”
With each bite, the initial awkwardness I was sensing from him melted away, and neither of us spoke about what happened over the last couple of days.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more to Tyler that I was yet to discover though. His neat and orderly living space, the lack of personal mementos, and his temporary accommodation all hinted at a deeper story. But I pushed those thoughts aside because the food was delicious, and my view with him in it was too spectacular to ruin with my stupid curiosity.
After I’d eaten more than my fill, I leaned back and sighed.
“How was your first taste of Indian cuisine?”
“Amazing,” I said, feeling a warmth spreading through me that had nothing to do with the delicious curry we’d had. “Why have I never had Indian curry before?”
“I don’t know, but it’s a crime. Have you eaten Thai food?”
“You mean spring rolls.”
He burst out laughing. “There’s a lot more to Thai food than spring rolls.”
He started to clear the dishes, and I stood to help him. As we cleaned up his kitchen and stacked away the leftovers, he told me all the delicious meals that I absolutely had to try. I admired the definition of his back muscles under the thin fabric of his shirt, and all I could think about was the taste of him.
His easy laughter and warm smile made it hard to resist watching him, and as we moved about his tiny home, our hands brushed way more than was necessary. As he dried the plates and showed me where to put them away, every movement he made seemed so freaking sexy I was drawn to him in a way I had never felt before.
Was the adrenaline from our escape still racing through me? Or was there something more between us? Something deeper. Something I had never tapped into before.
When we finished cleaning up, Tyler leaned against the kitchen counter and turned to face me. The air between us crackled with unspoken words, and a silent question formed on his lips that stole every thought from my mind.
“Thank you for dinner,” I said softly.
“Thank you for everything.”
A rush of warmth flooded my chest at the desire in his eyes. There was something raw and intense in his gaze that I had never seen before.
Without breaking eye contact, he took a step closer until there was barely a breath between us. He turned off the kitchen light and the hallway strip lighting.
The darkness enveloped us as he brushed his fingers against my cheek. His palm was warm and firm, guiding my face toward his. I held my breath, waiting for what felt like an eternity.
Just as I thought I couldn’t take it any longer, he pressed his lips to mine.
His soft, gentle kiss sent shivers down my spine. I tasted beer and curry, but what I tasted the most was lust. Red hot lust.
His hands slid around my waist, and he pulled his shirt off my body. “I’ve needed to see your miracle boobs all day.”
I giggled as he captured my breast in his mouth and wrapped his lips around my nipple.
Leaning against his kitchen counter, I moaned as he sucked and licked my nipple like it was the best dessert he’d ever tasted.
He stopped abruptly and crushed his lips to mine. I opened my mouth, and our tongues glided against each other in the perfect tango.
With our mouths locked together, he pressed his body against mine and walked me backward to his bed.
He yanked the drawstring on his shorts I was wearing and dragged them down my legs, and with his arm behind my back, he lowered me onto his bed.
I wriggled back, giving him room.
He undressed in a flash, and in the muted light from the front of his tiny cabin, he was like a mythical god. His body was incredible. Muscular, toned, fucking amazing.
He grabbed my ankles and pulled my bottom back to the edge of the bed.
“Oh.”
Words escaped me as he placed his warm hand on my belly like he was touching a magnificent artifact for the first time. His eyes devoured me.
“You’re so beautiful.” He leaned forward and threaded hot kisses from my navel to my thigh.
My insides purred.
He glided his amazing hands over my flesh to the inner thighs.
I parted my legs, letting him know I wanted him to explore more of me.
As his fingers grazed my tender flesh, waves of pleasure surged through me. I bit my lip to keep from moaning aloud as he traced delicate patterns on my skin. Despite the minimal light, hunger blazed in his eyes, fueled by the desire that had been building between us for what seemed like forever.
He slid a finger into me, and a breath escaped my throat as he stroked me gently.
I arched my back, yearning for more. His touch was like an electrical current, fueling a fire inside me that threatened to consume me whole.
He lifted his hand to his mouth, and with his eyes locked onto mine, he sucked his finger clean.
“You taste like heaven,” he whispered hoarsely.
My heart pounded in my chest as I swallowed hard. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined being with someone like Tyler. We were opposites in every way, yet now I couldn’t imagine being without him.
He knelt between my knees, and as he spread my legs open, I clawed my fingers through his wet hair. He lowered his head and licked me.
Gasping, I put my feet on the bed and parted my legs more.
His touch was sensational.
His tongue. His breath. His mouth.
His magical tongue licked and teased me, building a climax within me that made me see stars.
I gripped the sheets, reaching sensation overload, and as my moans filled the room, the longest climax I’d ever had shuddered through me.
With one swift move, Tyler rolled me onto my side and raised my leg. With his hand behind my knee, spreading me apart, he squeezed my breast as he entered me in one long, sweet thrust.
I gasped as he filled me so completely.
“Is this okay?” he whispered, his voice rough with desire.
“It’s better than okay.” I adjusted to the glorious sensation of how hard his rod was.
He paused, holding himself deep inside me. “You feel so good.”
“So do you.” I squeezed the taut muscles on his arm.
He rolled his hips. . . slowly at first, but with each passing moment, the pace increased until we were moving together in perfect harmony.
Our bodies glided against each other, skin on skin, sweat mingling together, creating a bond that was both physical and emotional.
We molded as one, and I timed my movements to match his thrusts. When he adjusted my position, he somehow went deeper, touching something inside me that had never been touched before.
The air in the room seemed to vibrate with the intensity of our lovemaking. Or maybe it was his entire home.
I gripped his arm, pulling him closer, wanting to feel every inch of him inside me.
His breaths came in gasps as he thrust harder, his muscles flexing with every movement. I matched his pace, moaning loudly as delicious sensations built within me.
Just when I thought he’d reached his peak, Tyler sucked air through his teeth and slowed down. He pulled out and plunged back in with a deep groan.
I arched my back, meeting every thrust as he pounded into me with renewed vigor.
As he went deeper and harder, my moans grew louder. The pleasure was almost unbearable, building within me like a volcano about to erupt.
“I’m going to come,” he whispered, his voice filled with a raw need.
“Me too,” I breathed.
“Oh, Indy.” He groaned, and he thrust harder and faster until his body shuddered against mine. I felt his release inside me, and I let go, too. Waves of absolute bliss washed over me, leaving me weak and trembling.
He fell forward, gasping for breath, and I ran my hand over his back, feeling every defined muscle.
After we caught our breath, he pulled out of me and lay at my side, his body still trembling as he nestled his chest against my back. His lips found my neck, and his hot breath whispered against my skin. “I’ve never wanted anyone like this before.”
His words sent glorious shivers through me, and I knew that for the first time in my life, I was experiencing true intimacy.
I rolled toward him, and as I buried my face in his chest, I whispered, “Me neither.”
He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me to his body like tonight was his last night on earth. His heart pounded rhythmically against my ear, and his breaths were hot and ragged, a testament to the intensity of our lovemaking.
He slid his hand down my side, tracing the curve of my hip, and then back up my side until his fingers trailed through my hair.
The desire that had been building between us was real and raw, and as we lay there, wrapped in each other’s arms and our bodies still trembling, I couldn’t help but think about how special he made me feel.
I wanted to stay in his arms forever.
Releasing a long, contented sigh, I pressed my hand to his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath my fingers. “So, what do we do now?”
He kissed my forehead, and it was so sweet and loving, I knew Tyler had entered my heart. “We sleep.”
I giggled. “Good idea.”
We took turns in the bathroom again, and while he was in there, I crawled beneath the covers naked. I wanted to fall asleep feeling this hot, incredible man next to my flesh.
He pulled on a pair of soft shorts, checked that the front door was locked, and then climbed into bed with me.
He opened his arms, and I wriggled closer, molding my body to his.
He glided his hand down my back to my bum. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
I kissed his nipple. “What a way to go?”
“You, my Indy, are greedy.”
“Greedy for you.”
He kissed the scar on my forehead. “I’m going to take you first thing in the morning.”
My heart fluttered. “Promise?”
“Yes. And I want you to think about that in your dreams.”
“Hmmm, sounds perfect.”
I closed my eyes and inhaled his glorious scent.
Something creaked, and Tyler sprung from the bed.
From the darkness of the trailer, a man growled, “Don’t move.”