Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
MILES
There was, in fact, something worse than driving aimlessly around town searching for someone I already knew was at my house. Paperwork.
No, scratch that. Worse than paperwork was doing paperwork while manning the front desk at the station.
I’d rather have been anywhere else, like in a conversation with Grams about the effectiveness of condoms. That sounded like a blast compared to the front desk at the station. The one silver lining was that, once I was done, I could kick back, put my feet up, and indulge in some reading.
By reading, of course, I meant flipping through the gossip magazine Linc had tossed on the desk earlier as a joke before heading out on patrol. There was an article about Loxley in there, something about her demanding a "do-over." I doubted any of it was true. But the pictures were fun to look at.
Just as I was leaning back precariously in my chair—feet propped up on the desk, magazine dangling loosely from my fingers—the bell above the glass doors jingled.
That damn bell. Linc had stuck it up there yesterday, probably to irritate me, but I couldn’t deny it was effective.
With a sigh, I started to straighten up, ready to plaster on a smile for whoever the citizen was needing some assistance. But then I froze.
There, hovering near the door, was Loxley herself.
She waved shyly with three fingers, looking like a kid caught sneaking into a candy store. Her eyes darted around the room like she was expecting a SWAT team to pop out of the walls.
In my panic to get up, I forgot my boots were still propped on the desk. The sudden shift in balance sent me—and the chair—tipping backward in a spectacularly graceless fashion.
I hit the ground with a loud thud, disappearing from view behind the desk.
“Miles?” Lox whispered frantically, leaning over the counter. “Are you okay?”
I groaned, waving off the pain and the faint bruising to my dignity. Scrambling upright, I peeked over the desk to find her staring at me with wide, worried eyes.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed, my voice barely above a whisper, though my expression screamed disapproval. “You can’t be here!”
“I know!” she said, wringing her hands. “But I did something bad, and I didn’t know where else to go!”
I glanced over my shoulder, heart pounding. Thankfully, the station was deserted. Grabbing her arm, I pulled her toward the wall, away from the line of sight of the door.
“Lox,” I said, taking a calming breath, “how did you even get here? And what exactly did you do?”
“I wanted to make you an apple pie!”
Damn it. I loved apple pie.
“Go on,” I said, motioning for her to keep talking.
“Well,” she began, her voice climbing with each word, “I needed fresh apples, and butter, and this lady in the store told me I should get cinnamon sticks for freshly grated—”
“Lox!” I interrupted, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Focus. What. Happened?”
She froze, her hands flailing for emphasis. “I borrowed your Jeep and lost the keys.”
“What?”
“When I checked out at the store, I went back to your Jeep, but when I got there, the keys were just… gone! I thought maybe I dropped them inside, so I retraced my steps, but I couldn’t find them anywhere.
And I didn’t ask anyone if they’d been turned in because I didn’t want to cause a scene.
Then I saw the sign for the police station and remembered you’d be here, so I walked. ”
“Jesus,” I wiped a hand down my face. “When are you gonna chill out with the grand theft auto?”
“I’m sorry!” She started flailing her hands again, but I caught them, pressing them down to settle her. “You said the only thing off-limits was the gun safe.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, because technically she wasn’t wrong. Still, I figured she’d at least mention it before taking my Jeep for a joyride into town. Especially since she was dead set on not being seen.
“Come on,” I sighed, rubbing a hand down her back to ease her nerves. “I’m driving you home. We’ll deal with the Jeep later.”
Guiding her outside and around the building, I was texting someone to cover the desk for a few minutes when I heard her voice again.
“Who’s that?” Loxley asked.
I looked up just in time to see Linc pulling into the lot.
“Shit,” I muttered. Think fast. Without hesitation, I whispered, “Just play along,” then pulled my cuffs off my belt and snapped them onto her wrists.
“The hell—?!” She tensed, instinctively pulling back, but I was already guiding her toward my car.
Linc rounded the row across from me just as I opened the back door and gently, but with the right amount of roughness for show, tossed Loxley inside. “It’s jail for you,” I announced. “Don’t even think about escaping.”
I winced immediately. Jesus, I sound like Barney Fife.
Linc slowed his steps, raising a brow. “Whoa. What’s going on?”
“Gotta transport this perp to the next town over for booking.” I shrugged like it was no big deal. Just another day of crime-fighting.
“Who is it? What happened?”
“Wish I could tell ya,” I sighed, actually meaning it. If he knew who was really in my car, he’d lose his damn mind. “I’ll be back in twenty.”
Linc gave me a look that screamed bullshit, but he didn’t push. I climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled out of the lot, gripping the wheel a little tighter than necessary. Loxley was still laying over in the backseat, her laughter filling the entire car.
“I’m glad you think this is funny,” I grumbled, though I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. “I’ve lied to my captain, my family, and now my best friend. All to keep you a secret.”
“I know,” she gasped, still laughing. “I’m sorry.”
“You better be making me the best damn apple pie in existence. Three kinds of apples, cinnamon, and some damned allspice.”
“Oh no,” she sat up suddenly. “I forgot the allspice.”
I drummed my fingers against the steering wheel, taking the next turn onto the road that led home. Did I even own allspice? Pretty slim chance. What single guy, who barely cooked and let his grandma feed him most of the time, would have allspice in his cabinet?
When we got to the house, I hurried to get Loxley out and uncuffed.
But when I opened the door to the backseat, she was still biting back a laugh that threatened to spill from her beautiful lips.
I wasn’t sure what possessed me, but instead of uncuffing her like a reasonable person, I hauled her over my shoulder.
“What the hell—Miles!” she squealed, kicking her legs.
“You’re a repeat offender, Lox. Gotta make sure you learn your lesson.”
She wriggled and laughed, half-protesting as I carried her up the stairs and into the house. We went through the front door, down the hall, straight to her room. I noticed that she had taken the time to make her bed, which, honestly, impressed me a little.
She squirmed as I tossed her onto the bed. She landed with an “oomph” before I flipped her onto her stomach and kneeling on the bed behind her. “Don’t be a pain in the ass, Lox. That wasn’t part of our deal.”
“Neither was handcuffing me and throwing me around like a damn ragdoll,” she shot back, her laughter still filling the room.
I shook my head, finally undoing the cuffs and slipping them back onto my belt as I stood back up next to the bed. She rolled onto her back, grinning up at me, rubbing her wrists without thinking. But it instantly reminded me of the bruises Sam left on her and my humor was gone..
“Oh, fuck, Lox…”
Her face fell for half a second before she realized where my mind had gone. Immediately, she shot up onto her knees, scooting toward the edge of the bed where I stood.
“Stop,” she ordered, her voice firmer than I’d ever heard it. “I’m fine.”
“I was just playing around, I forgot—”
“Miles.” She grabbed my face, keeping my eyes locked with hers. “It’s okay. I’m okay. That was the most fun I’ve had in a long time, and I’m gonna kick your ass if you ruin it by worrying.”
I swallowed hard, nodding, understanding her words but still frozen in place. Her hands were warm against my skin, her scent wrapping around me. It was something sweet, something light. That scent had definitely never been in my house before but now I wanted it everywhere.
I turned my head slightly, meaning only to take a breath, to ground myself. But instead, I pressed my lips to her wrist. It was so wrong. But it also felt right.
Her breath hitched, but she didn’t pull away. She understood what it was—an apology, a quiet plea for forgiveness in case I’d hurt her. She nodded, her smile small but real, telling me without words that it was okay.
Her hands dropped from my face, and she backed up on the bed. I took a step back too, needing space before I did something even dumber.
“I left the groceries in the Jeep,” she said, breaking the moment.
“I’ll grab them after my shift. And I’ll pick up some damned allspice while I’m at it.”
“What about your Jeep?”
“I have a spare key here. I’ll figure out the rest later.”
“Sorry,” she said sadly, no longer feeling the joy from the craziness that had ensued.
I knew that was my fault. Once I sucked the room dry with my worries, we were no longer in the mood to laugh.
I had to get it back, I needed to hear her laugh again.
So I pulled my hand cuffs out and slung them around one finger, teasing her.
“I should cuff you to the bed while I’m gone,” I mused, my voice all mock authority.
Her eyes widened. She scooted back so fast she nearly fell off the other side of the bed. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“That’s two run-ins with the law, Loxley Belle Anderson,” I teased. “One more strike and you’re looking at a tiny cell, a hole in the ground for a toilet, and worst of all, communal showers.”
She shuddered dramatically but laughed. “I’ll be better, Mr. Officer. Promise.”
I smirked, satisfied. Dammit I wanted to hear that sound every day.