Legal Intentions

Prologue

Lacey

“You’re the perfect girlfriend,” my best friend tells me through the phone.

I suppress a giggle and walk up the five big steps to the police station. “Shut up, no I’m not.”

“You’re bringing him self-baked banana bread at work,” she argues, and I cringe inwardly for doing what I’m about to do.

I’m bringing my boyfriend, who hasn’t even said the three magical words yet, a self-baked treat. I feel so stupid now that I’m here, but at home, everything felt right.

Adrian just turned thirty and is almost eleven years older than me. This is my first relationship, so I’m very inexperienced, but I want to be a good girlfriend. A young girl that just finished High School wouldn’t bake her boyfriend a banana bread, but a caring, loving, and mature girlfriend would.

I hope I look as mature as I’m acting. What Adrian and his friends and coworkers think of me really matters a lot to me because I’m truly, deeply in love with him.

I met Adrian at the little coffee shop I work at part time. He and his partner came in for weeks, and I always had butterflies when I served him coffee. At first, he would flirt with his eyes only, their blue so enchanting. I instantly wanted him to just ask me for my number, but he didn’t.

I thought he had a girlfriend, or that he just didn’t like me and only flirted with me to be nice or to show off in front of his friend.

But then one day when I was done with my shift, he caught me alone. He flirted, and I batted my lashes at him. A few minutes later I wrote my number down for him on a paper cup.

He didn’t even make me wait. He called the same day and we met up for dinner that night. And the night after, and again a week later.

I only had experiences with guys my age who would try to rush me into things I wasn’t ready for, but Adrian was different. He made me feel special and treated me like a real lady.

He only ever kissed me at first. But on date four, he picked me up and brought me back to his place. I was very nervous, but he kissed me so much that I all but forgot about everything else. He promised to be my boyfriend that night, and I fell in love.

That is how I got here, bringing my boyfriend a banana bread at work. Gosh I feel stupid…

“I know… I’m too much.”

“Hey, don’t ever say that. You’re not too much. Actually, you’re pretty damn perfect. A perfect girlfriend.”

A laugh bubbles up in my throat but dies down quickly as the door opens and a tall guy in uniform walks out, holding a phone to his ear and rolling his eyes.

“I said I’m still at work, stop calling me like a crazy person.”

OK, that sounded really rude.

His eyes wander down to me for a second as he holds open the door. His gaze wanders off into the distance before it comes back to rest on me, doing a double take. I smile sweetly as I slip through the little space under his arm.

His eyes are still on me when the door closes in his face and I breathe in deeply.

Kind of feeling lighter now that he‘s not looking at me anymore.

“You’ve gone quiet, did you see someone in uniform?” Briana asks, cackling away on the other end of the phone.

She knows what a bitch in heat I am for men in uniforms. No, not for men in plural, only one, Adrian.

“Shut up Bri.”

She still giggles, telling me goodbye. “See you after work honey. I would suggest you tell Adrian I said hi, but we all know he’s not my biggest fan.”

My heart sinks, knowing how he truly hates Bri, which completely guts me because that girl has my heart and will always be my best friend.

“I’m sorry,” I tell her again.

“Don’t be, Lace, see you later,” she says, but it still bugs me that he doesn’t like her.

“Bye,” I press out before she hangs up.

I put my phone back into my handbag, wrestling with it a little, only having one free hand because I’m currently holding the banana bread with the other.

“Hey, do you need help?” someone asks.

When I look up, I see another guy in uniform. He has shades up on his head, blue eyes, and there is a lot of stubble and a little beard covering his face. And he is built like a brick.

“I’m uh… I’m fine,” I finally say after managing to push the phone into my small, black handbag.

“Good, it didn’t look like it for a second.” He grins, coming closer to me.

He looks really good, but I take a step back. I have a boyfriend.

“I’m good now,” I tell him, trying not to sound flirty.

But I still smile sweetly at him because I can’t help it, I can never be standoffish. Unlike Bri, I always come off as the nice, flirtatious girl. I could never just flat out tell someone to fuckoff like my bestie usually does.

I look away from him, seeing if I can figure out where I’m going, but come up empty as we’re still only in a little hallway.

“You sure I can’t help you?” he asks, smiling and showing me his perfect teeth.

“I’m looking for a friend,” I say, holding up the banana bread wrapped in aluminum foil like an idiot. “I brought him a treat.”

The guy in front of me looks down over my body, nodding his head. “I see.”

Goosebumps erupt all over me. I can feel his eyes on every part of me but I’m quick to shake off the feeling.

“Who is this friend? I can lead the way,” he offers, walking further into the hall.

“Adrian,” I say, following him, but he stiffens.

“Adrian Sterling.”

He whips his head around, looking at me from head to toe again, but this time, it’s different. He scratches his neck and looks nervous now.

“You’re his girlfriend?” he asks, and I just bob my head up and down, nodding.

His face goes a shade lighter and he swallows.

OK that’s not weird at all…

“Come this way,” he says, finally shaking the weird look on his face before he leads me further down the hall.

A little registration office with a window comes into view. Behind it sits a woman in uniform with brown hair and bright red lipstick.

“Rayna,” the guy greets her.

She nods briefly before her eyes land on me. “Hello,” she says.

I smile as brightly as I can, trying not to come off too stupid, even though I cringingly brought something baked to the police station for a man who might not have even mentioned me to his coworkers.

“I’m Lacey, I’m here to see Adrian.”

Her red mouth drops open as her eyes search out the guy next to me.

OK this is getting really weird now.

I look back to him, seeing him shake his head no before he gives me a crooked smile. My palms get sweaty, and I feel like something is off.

The woman clears her throat, snapping my attention back at her. She raises her eyebrows at the guy to my left before looking back at me.

“He’s inside,” the officer in the reception says, pointing to the milky white door next to the blue cubicle she’s in. Police Department is written in bold letters on it with an American flag beneath it.

I take the two steps toward it, sweating and desperately wanting out of this awkward situation with the lady at the desk and the weirdo who took me under his wing, but too chicken to back out now and leave.

The woman presses something in front of her, and the door buzzes right before it opens.

I give her a quick “thank you” and another sweet smile, to try and get a nice response back, but she still looks quite… spooked.

OK, now I’m scared…

I walk quickly into the office. My face heats as the door shuts behind me.

The feeling that was making me sweat has now entered the pit of my stomach, taking me on a rollercoaster ride to the brink of hyperventilation.

“How long have you been together?”

I flinch, momentarily pulled out of my misery as I look into the blue eyes of the nice man who knows a secret I don’t.

“A month,” I press out.

My cheeks flame even more in embarrassment. Here I am walking into my boyfriend’s place of work as if we’re married. I’m such a dumbass.

“There he is,” hallway guy says, and the view that greets me makes my breakfast rise up my throat.

I see Adrian’s dark-brown, gelled-back hair, his shoulders covered in the blue of his uniform shirt. In front of him, on his desk, sits a blonde woman.

She must be in her late thirties, but could be a bit older, I can’t tell due to the fillers in her face. She sits on his desk, her skirt very high on her legs. I can’t see Adrian’s eyes, but his head is bowed, probably looking down at her very naked legs, or what’s going on between them, I can’t see from back here. What the fuck?

Don’t be jealous, don’t be jealous, don’t be jealous. I chant in my head, over and over again. But since everyone acted so off about me being here, I can’t help but hurt over the way my boyfriend sits so close to another woman.

Is this why they were so weird? Because he already has another girlfriend? Who is as stupid as me visiting him at work?

“Hey, Sterling, I brought you a surprise,” hallway guy’s voice rumbles, breaking my spell.

Adrian stiffens before glaring back at him.

“Fuck off, Hyde,” he spits out.

His beautiful features—his light-blue eyes, strong nose, and lips that make the butterflies in my tummy go crazy when I see him—look vile and ugly when he turns around and glares at the guy beside me.

I try to force a smile, but it disappears as the darkness surrounding his aura seems to thicken when he sees me.

I have never seen him look like this. He is usually quite happy to see me.

I knew coming here was too much. I am too fucking much…

His gaze wanders between me and hallway guy, and his mood seems to become shittier by the second as he stands up and strides over to me.

“Lacey, what the fuck are you doing here?” he spits out.

I flinch. He has never talked to me like that.

I hold up the banana bread like a weapon. “I uh brought you some banana bread.”

The blonde on his desk snorts and scoots down, flattening her skirt. She comes to stand next to the desk instead of sitting on it spread open.

I look over to her and try to hide my jealousy, but I’m sure I can’t really control my facial features when I see how beautiful her blonde curls bounce down to her obviously very large chest. My heart flutters wildly and I feel my cheeks flaming red with embarrassment. How ridiculous am I for even coming here?

“I’m sorry, I should’ve called… I uh… I’m just gonna leave this here. See ya,” I press out, setting the bread on the desk next to me before turning around and walking straight back to the door where I came in. Tears threaten to fall loose from the corners of my eyes.

“Wait up,” Adrian says.

I stop in my tracks, feeling a little hopeful, but I don’t turn around. He grips my arm tightly, and I keep quiet even though the strength he’s using pinches my skin painfully. I’m sure I’ve embarrassed him enough with my coming here and I don’t want to say something to make him—or me—look even more stupid.

“Careful, Sterling!” hallway guy growls.

He takes a step toward us, looking just as wild as Adrian, his eyes boring into Adrian’s hand on my arm.

“Fuck off,” Adrian tells him, flipping him the finger before whisking me away. “Let’s go, Lacey,” he mutters in my ear.

His voice is threatening. Usually, I get goosebumps from him whispering in my ear, but this time, it gives me a different kind of shiver.

He glares at the other guy, directing me back to the entrance.

Just when Adrian is about to touch the door it swings open and a big, white, blond man saunters in.

He has no uniform on, but jeans and a white dress shirt. I really have to look up when he stops in front of me. He blocks the way out, smirking cockily as his eyes wander over my body before they rest on Adrian behind me.

“This your girl, Sterling?”

Adrian clears his throat before gripping tighter onto my arm. I make a strangled sound of pain, and blondie’s eyes flick to me and narrow. The tension is really thick as Adrian doesn’t answer him. My heart skips a beat with the realization that, to him, I might have just been a fling when he is the guy I fell in love with.

“Hanes,” a feminine voice shouts behind me, breaking the spell we are all under.

The blond guy grins, showing off a dimple, then bows, which looks ridiculous, especially with his height.

“MiLady, excuse me, I’m needed,” he says, winking at me.

I don’t have time to react before I’m pulled away by my arm. Adrian pulls me out the door, venturing away from the reception desk.

“Adrian!” the receptionist shouts, but he ignores her completely, pulling me behind him like a dog on a leash.

The second we are around the corner, Adrian takes my face into his hands, painfully hard.

“Stay the fuck away from the department.”

My heart beats wildly. Shit I went too far… I feel tears threaten to fall out of my eyes but I bite my lip to stop me from embarrassing myself.

“And stop the shy girl act, don’t fucking go around giving these guys false ideas and especially stay away from motherfucking Hyde!”

I’m too stunned. Speechless really. I can’t say anything, so I just nod my head.

Why is Adrian like this? Everything seemed perfect. I’m shocked.

Before I can over analyze, he lets go of my face, gently tucking a lock of hair behind my ear and kissing the spot on my cheek that hurts the most from his grip.

“I love you, Lacey. You belong to me, do you get that?”

Adrian loves me?

My heart melts, and the butterflies in my stomach flutter wildly. I have waited for him to say these words, but because of what just happened they feel tarnished.

Who was that woman in there? Why was everyone acting strange?

I would love to tell him that I love him too, but my mind rumbles with loud questions. I would like to have answers to right now, but I don’t want to ruin this moment, nor do I want to give these people even more of a scene. Someone could walk around the corner any second.

So I just nod my head lightly, scared to open my mouth and go ballistic on him for sitting like that with another woman. He seems pleased with my reaction because his features relax to their usual handsomeness.

“Come on, I’ll bring you outside, babe.”

He walks me out the front door, holding my hand. When we walk through the door, we see the other guy I met, and he looks at our intertwined fingers before glaring at Adrian. The weird feeling that has haunted me since I stepped foot into this building is back in full force.

Something isn’t quite right… But when Adrian kisses my nose and tells me he can’t wait to meet me later tonight, I almost forget about everything that just happened.

Almost…