Chapter 2
Lucas – a man whose arrival on Smuggler’s Hideaway will cause heads to turn and hearts to yearn
Lucas
“Y ou have arrived at your destination.”
I scowl at the GPS. I’m in the middle of nowhere. This can’t be my destination. I check the address I typed into the GPS. It’s correct – 5 Treasure Trail in the town of Smuggler’s Rest.
Damnit. Did I get catfished?
This is what I get for renting a house sight unseen. I should have known better when the address was Treasure Trail. I should have gone house hunting when I was on the island to interview for my position as a police officer on Smuggler’s Hideaway. But I didn’t want to be away from my daughter any longer than necessary.
Natalia is twelve and pushing for her independence but I need to protect her. After her mother – my ex-wife Holly – abandoned us, I don’t want her to ever feel as if I’ve abandoned her. I wouldn’t. Natalia is my world.
She’s at a tennis camp this week, which gives me the chance to get us settled into our new house. She’s not happy about moving but I couldn’t live any longer in the city where everyone looked at me and my girl with pity. I’m hoping that presenting her with a brand-new teenage girl’s dream bedroom will help smooth the transition.
I dig my phone out of the cup holder and dial the real estate agent.
“You have reached Buccaneer Rental Agency. We’re closed for the weekend. We’re happy to answer your enquiries when we return to work on Monday morning. Have a lovely weekend.”
Fat lot of good the rental agency is. I type the address into the map app on my phone.
“Shit,” I swear when the map app shows I’m at the exact location of the house.
I throw the phone onto the seat before doing a U-turn and heading back toward the town of Smuggler’s Rest. It’s a small town. I can find Treasure Trail without the GPS.
I take the first left when I arrive in town. I scowl when I notice none of the streets I cross have street signs. Maybe moving here was a mistake after all.
I pull my truck into a parking lot. I better ask for directions or I’ll be driving around town all day and night.
The parking lot is packed, but I manage to nab a spot in the rear. When I step out of my truck, the music hits me. What is this place? Five Fathoms Brewing. There’s a brewery on this small island?
The door slams open and a man stomps outside. I step to the side before he crashes into me.
“I wouldn’t go in there. The bartender’s a bitch.”
He keeps going before I get a chance to ask him what happened. It’s none of my business, I remind myself. I’m not on duty.
I enter the building. It’s an old barn, which has been renovated with wide wooden floors, stained wooden beams, and big glass doors looking out over the dunes to the ocean beyond.
A waitress immediately approaches me. “Did he bother you?”
“Who bother me?”
She waves toward outside. “The jerk who stomped out of here all mad claiming he was going to sue us.”
“Oh him. He didn’t bother me.”
She blows out a breath. “Good. He grabbed one of the owners when she wouldn’t give him her phone number. When she fought back, he got mad.”
I frown. “Was she injured? Do you need the police? I’m a police officer.”
“You are? Where?”
“Here.”
Technically, I haven’t begun my job yet but I will soon.
“Here? As in the island of Smuggler’s Hideaway?”
“Yes.”
She giggles. “Nice try. I know all of the police officers on this island. You aren’t one of them.”
I hold out my hand. “I’m Lucas Fellows, the newest police officer on the island.”
Understanding lights in her eyes. “I’m Addy. Nice to meet you.”
“Now you know I’m legit. Is the owner okay?
“Chloe’s fine. You can see for yourself.” Addy points to the woman standing at the mouth of the hallway.
No wonder the customer asked this woman out. She’s a complete knockout with her porcelain skin and shiny auburn hair. She’s tall, slender, and elegant. She should be on the cover of one of those fancy magazines my ex used to buy in bulk.
She’s wearing shorts and I can’t get enough of those long legs. I bet they’d feel wonderful wrapped around my hips. My cock twitches in agreement.
I clear my throat and force thoughts of Chloe’s legs out of my mind. I’m not getting involved with a woman when the ink on my divorce papers is still fresh. Besides, my focus has to be on my daughter, Natalia, now. My needs can wait.
“Do you want a table? Will anyone be joining you?”
“Nah. I’m not staying. I need directions to Treasure Trail.”
She grins. “Treasure Trail?”
“Please tell me I haven’t been catfished.”
She pats my hand. “Don’t you worry. Treasure Trail exists and I think I know what house you’re moving into.”
Her amusement has the hairs on my neck rising. What’s funny? Is the house I rented some kind of haunted house? Or derelict? Crap. Natalia’s joining me in a week. I need the house finished before she arrives.
She steers me toward the door. “I’ll give you directions.”
I worry her directions are some kind of ruse considering the looney smile on her face but I arrive at the house I recognize from the pictures the realtor sent me five minutes later. It’s not derelict. And if it happens to be haunted, I’ll hire a witch to get rid of any paranormal presence.
I dig out the keys the realtor sent me. Time to figure out if I need to search for a witch.
I climb up the stairs to the porch and unlock the door. The scent of lemon hits me the second I enter. Good. The extra two hundred dollars I paid for a cleaning crew was worth it.
The living room has an oversized L-shaped sofa facing a large television perfect for watching football on. Beyond the living room is the kitchen. It’s separated from the living room by an island with four chairs at it. Off to the side is a kitchen nook.
I’m curious about the backyard. I open the French doors and step out onto the back deck. The area is fenced in. Perfect for a dog.
I’ve always wanted one, but Holly claimed she was allergic. She wasn’t allergic. She was afraid a dog would claim my attention. My ex-wife needed to be the center of attention at all times. Which is impossible when you’re a police officer working shifts in a big city.
Ever since Holly left, Natalia’s been begging for a dog. I haven’t given in yet, but I plan for one of our first excursions on Smuggler’s Hideaway to be a trip to the pound to pick out a new pet.
I step back inside the house and climb the stairs to check on the bedrooms. There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms. I pick out a room for Natalia before returning to my truck to start bringing in the boxes.
I rented the house furnished but there’s still a lot to unpack – kitchenware, sheets, towels – and then there’s Natalia’s stuff. I admit, I might be spoiling her a bit much since her mom left us.
I nearly have my truck empty when a woman pedals by on a bicycle. She turns into the driveway next door and parks her bike before removing her helmet. She shakes out her auburn hair and…
Fuck.
No wonder the waitress at the brewery was laughing when she gave me directions to my house. She knew my new neighbor would be none other than her boss, Chloe.
I can’t look away as Chloe struts to the front door of her house. Her pert little ass jiggles as she moves and I groan.
If I didn’t have Natalia, I wouldn’t hesitate to march on over there and introduce myself. I bet it wouldn’t be long before Chloe and I were rolling around getting sweaty in her sheets.
But I can’t. I’m not against one-night stands but I can’t have one with my new neighbor. How awkward would it be when she wanted more and I refused? I don’t need to introduce my daughter to that kind of drama.
My cock disagrees. He’s on board with drama as long as at the end of the night he can bury himself between Chloe’s creamy thighs.
It’s not happening. My priority is and always will be my daughter.
I can resist the temptation of my new neighbor.