12. Garrett
CHAPTER 12
Garrett
My feet hit the pavement in a steady rhythm and sweat dripped down my temples. It was a nice day for a long run. Clear sky, but not hot. A gentle breeze coming down from the mountain peaks.
It was a much-needed day off. Juggling patrol shifts with investigative work and all the requisite paperwork was a lot. The day before, I’d responded to a call that had turned into a mess. A neighbor had reported a loud argument that had turned out to be a mother and her adult son. She was trying to kick him out of her house and he was refusing to leave. I’d done what I could, but he didn’t have any warrants and, despite the mom insisting I take him to jail, I had no cause to arrest him. Although I’d basically taken his side, he hadn’t been happy with me either. Fortunately, I’d de-escalated the situation, but it didn’t seem like I’d helped them resolve anything.
And the Joyner case was never far from my mind. Something about it ate at me, my instincts prickling like there was a lead just out of reach that I couldn’t quite see.
I checked my watch and picked up the pace, deciding to push it for the next half mile or so. Mayor Bill Surrey drove by and lifted his hand in a wave as he passed. I waved back. My legs started to burn and my breath came faster as I took a right at the corner, then stopped in my tracks.
Harper’s street. I was about to run right by her house.
I stood there, hands on my hips, breathing hard. I hadn’t planned on passing her house, but my subconscious must have been working overtime to get me there.
Her car was in her driveway. I could see it, just up the street from where I was standing.
I was planted to the spot, my eyes locked on her house. It must have been her day off. And there I was, several miles from home, and I couldn’t seem to make myself turn around.
What was it about her? We’d gone out once. Just one date. I hadn’t even kissed her. I still had all the regrets about that. I should have. I’d been thinking about it ever since.
I wanted to know what she tasted like.
Somehow, this woman had gotten deep under my skin. The fact that my son liked her only made it worse. I couldn’t hide behind the single dad thing as an excuse.
I wanted to be cautious. To hold back and take things slow.
But I also wanted to fuck her brains out.
That wasn’t like me. I was the responsible one. The guy who did things by the book. Zachary made fun of me for it, but it wasn’t a bad thing. It made me a good father, especially under less than ideal circumstances. It made me good at my job.
I couldn’t just show up at her house.
Could I?
No.
I was standing on a residential street corner, sweating all over my T-shirt and shorts, not moving. Someone was probably going to report me for suspicious behavior.
That got me walking again. But instead of turning back the way I came, I was heading toward her house, as if an invisible line had hooked me right in the chest and kept pulling me closer.
I was not normally a spontaneous guy, but she was right there.
And she was irresistible.
I jogged up to her door and knocked. That was when I realized I might not smell the best, considering I’d just run several miles.
Too late. She opened the door, greeting me in a black tank top and knee-length skirt, her hair loose around her shoulders. The smile that lit up her face just about knocked me on my ass.
“Hi there. This is a nice surprise.” Her green eyes sparkled without a hint of suspicion. She looked genuinely excited.
By me.
“Sorry to just show up. I was out for a run and wound up on your street. Thought I’d stop by.”
“I can see that.” She gestured to my workout clothes. “Day off?”
“Yeah. You?”
She nodded. “We’re closed one day a week so I can pretend I’m a normal human.”
“Feeling like a normal human once in a while is good.”
“It really is.”
My eyes drifted to her mouth. I wanted to taste those soft, pink lips. I’d missed my chance the other night. I wasn’t making that mistake again. “I know I already said I had a good time the other night. But I’m not exactly happy with how it ended.”
“No?”
Shifting closer, I reached out to slip a hand around her waist. “No.”
She didn’t resist as I drew her near. There was a gap between her tank top and skirt, right in the middle of her back, and my heart sped up as I felt the heat of skin against my fingertips.
Her lips parted and she drew in a quick breath.
I pulled her tight against me and inhaled her vanilla scent. With one hand splayed across her back, I tilted her chin up with the other.
“I wanted to do this.”
Dipping my mouth to hers, I took her lips in a kiss.
I’d meant for it to be a do-over goodnight kiss. Just a taste.
I didn’t stop at a taste.
Parting her lips with my tongue, I delved into her mouth, suddenly ravenous for more. She threw her arms around my neck and pressed herself against me while my hands slid down to cup her ass.
She tasted minty and sweet. I couldn’t get enough. I kissed her deeply, enjoying the velvety smoothness of her tongue, the wetness of her mouth. The fact that we were making out on her doorstep in broad daylight didn’t even register.
I just wanted more.
She pulled back slightly and our lips parted. “Come inside.”
Every molecule in my body ached for this. “You sure?”
“Yes.” Her voice was breathy and she fisted my shirt, pulling me in. “Now.”
Fuck, yes.
I kicked the door shut behind me and pounced like a predator, hauling her against me. Our kisses were frantic—we were hot and desperate for each other. I backed her into a wall, instinct taking over. The feel of her body set me on fire. She moved her hips, rubbing against me, and I growled into her mouth.
Clothes. Too many clothes.
Pulling away, I met her eyes and she nodded. She hiked up her skirt and slid her panties down her legs while I yanked my shorts down .
I hesitated. “I don’t have anything with me.”
She grabbed my shirt and pulled me close. “I have it covered.”
With a low growl, I picked her up and pressed her against the wall. Her legs wrapped around my waist and before I knew what was happening, I was deep inside her.
My eyes rolled back and I groaned as we started to move. Up against the wall wasn’t the easiest maneuver, but with the adrenaline coursing through my veins, it was effortless.
Our bodies fit together like we’d been made for this. She held on, fingers digging into my back, moaning with each thrust of my hips. It was sweaty and rough and hard. And so fucking good.
Her breathy string of yeses in my ear intensified, spurring me on. I picked up the pace, my breath ragged. It was too much. She was too much. I’d never been so consumed, so obsessed. With her taste on my tongue and her body wrapped around me, I let go, losing control.
I felt her climax begin and I unleashed.
Growling into her neck, I let the waves of pleasure rip through me. She held on, her body pulsing, her moans raw and uninhibited.
As I felt her grip on me loosen, I gently set her down and placed my palm against the wall, leaning on it to catch my breath.
“Oh wow,” she said, a lazy smile lifting her swollen lips. “What did you just do to me?”
One corner of my mouth tugged upward. “I didn’t plan that.”
She brushed her hair out of her face and rested her head against the wall. “Either way, I’m glad you stopped by.”
I leaned in and kissed her, softly this time. She smiled against my mouth and warmth spread through my chest. I didn’t know what it was about that smile, but it got me every time .
“Would you like to come all the way inside? Maybe have coffee or something?”
“Maybe we should have done that first.”
“No, this was great.” She tilted her chin up and kissed me. When she pulled away, her expression shifted, eyes widening in alarm.
It sent me into instant protector mode. “What? Is everything okay?”
“I have cookies in the oven.” A timer started to beep and her shoulders relaxed. “Never mind. They’re fine. I thought maybe I missed the timer.”
I tugged my shorts back up. “Want me to get those out for you?”
She looked down at herself. “Would you? I should clean up.”
“I’ve got it. Do what you gotta do.”
She scooped her panties off the floor and headed up the stairs as I went into her kitchen. The timer had stopped beeping—must have been automatic—so I put on the oven mitts she’d left sitting on the island and took out a sheet of cookies.
The warm, sweet scent filled the room. I wanted to grab one and bite into it, but of course they were too hot to eat.
My head was starting to come back to reality. But it wasn’t regret that filled me. I wanted her to come down so I could touch her again. Get another taste of her mouth.
She appeared in her tank top and skirt with her long hair loose around her shoulders and a flush in her cheeks.
I liked that I’d done that to her.
“Hi,” she said.
I approached and slipped my hands around her waist. Leaning in, I brushed a soft kiss against her lips. “Hi.”
She wound her arms around my neck. “That was, um…”
“So good,” I growled .
“That’s an understatement. Thanks for getting the cookies.”
“Is this what you do on your day off?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes. I like to experiment and I don’t always have time, especially when the bakery is busy.”
“They smell incredible.” I leaned in to her neck and inhaled. “Almost as good as you.”
She giggled. “You smell good too.”
I leaned back and raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure I don’t.”
“No, you really do.” She dropped her hands and took a quick breath. “Okay, before I lose my mind and start taking my clothes off again, do you want some coffee?”
Taking our clothes off sounded great, actually, but I didn’t push. “Sure. But only if I get one of those cookies.”
“I’m warning you, they’re experimental. I have no idea if they’re good.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
She started the coffee maker and slid all the cookies onto a wire rack. They were dark and chocolatey looking with little flecks on the top.
“What are they?” I asked.
“Grain-free chocolate coconut cookies. They’re made with almond flour and sweetened with maple syrup, so they’re a little different than my usual.”
I picked one up with the tips of my fingers. It wasn’t too hot. I took a bite and groaned. It was unreal. Crisp edges with a rich, fudgey middle, and the flakes of coconut added the perfect contrasting texture.
“These are amazing.”
“Yeah? I hoped they’d be good.” She picked up a cookie, took a bite, and chewed slowly. “Oh yeah. That’s not bad.”
“Not bad?” I resisted the urge to shove the rest in my mouth and start devouring another one. “They’re incredible.”
She put the rest of her cookie down. “Thank you. I’m glad you were here to taste test. ”
I set the rest of mine on the counter. Suddenly I wasn’t nearly as interested in chocolate coconut cookies as I was in the irresistible woman in front of me.
What was it about her that made me so insatiable?
I didn’t stop to ponder. Instead, I pulled her close and kissed her, tasting the chocolate on her tongue.
Clothes came off, and as we stumbled to the couch, our kisses intense and frantic, I couldn’t help but think I had to be the luckiest guy on the planet.