Chapter 5 Gareth
GARETH
I’m actually excited as I walk with Briar out of the truck stop.
Can you believe that? Me. Excited?
Just a few days ago, I would have thought it would be impossible. But then she stepped into my life. And now it’s like I can feel the continent moving beneath my feet.
My eyes travel up her body as she takes the steps down to the parking lot. She’s wearing the same torn-up jeans and another T-shirt beneath her apron that’s seen better days. But she is still a goddess. A bolt of lightning in the darkness of my life.
She may not know it yet, but she was made for me.
I’m fighting back a smile as she walks up to her car. I watch her face light up as she sees the repairs: a fixed broken taillight, new back door panel, new wipers, new driver’s side door handle, and of course a wash and wax.
When she finally looks back at me, I see the probing curiosity in her eyes. “Are you messing with me?”
I have to laugh. “And how would I do that?”
She waves her hands aimlessly at her Honda, stunned. “I–I dunno. You replaced my car with another one?”
“No, that’s your car, Briar. Just had a little work done on it.”
She frowns and walks right up to me. “You just ‘had a little work done’ on my car in less than a day?”
I shrug. “What can I say? I pulled some strings.”
Her eyes flash again, like they’re holding something back. Something she desperately wants to reveal but is afraid to.
I hear the door groan behind me and look back to see the girl she was sitting with step out. “Briar, Ross is shouting about wanting some hash browns.”
“I have to finish my shift,” Briar mutters.
My body goes cold. I want to call after her as she walks away, but I just watch as she goes back into the truck stop.
She was touched by what I did. I know that.
“So you’re the corrupt cop.”
I stop, looking back at her over my shoulder. “Depends on who you ask,” I reply. Her expression flickers. I get back into the cruiser.
I guess Briar told her about me. Shit, I wish I’d been there for that conversation. Did she tell her everything? Or did she leave out the most intimate details?
Even as I sit in my car, watching Briar through the window, I can’t stop playing back every moment of her ‘interrogation.’ Christ, what I wouldn’t give to be back there with her right now.
I close my eyes and replay everything. A vision of her body enters my mind, playing out in slow-motion. Her sweet curves, tender breasts, smooth thighs, delicious pink pussy.
The truck stop’s sign flickers, the siding is peeling, and the roof looks ready to fall in, but Briar shines through it all like a beacon of beauty. She’s a work of art surrounded by scraps. She deserves a better life. And I’m gonna give it to her.
I sit here for the next two hours watching her work. Every time she bends to wipe a table, tucks her hair behind her ear, or serves someone a drink, my pants get tighter. But I don’t touch myself. I’m saving that for her.
My abs tense as two truckers walk through the front door. One of them blatantly checks Briar out and pretends to jerk off to his friend. They both laugh, and I’m this close to hopping out of the car and breaking both of their noses when Briar tosses her apron, grabs her bag, and comes outside.
It’s midnight. Her shift must be over. Thank God. The last thing I need right now is two random assault charges.
I wait for her friend to drive off, then pull up to Briar’s car as she’s about to get in. “Excuse me, miss? I’m gonna need you to come with me.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she replies, a fresh sassy tone to her voice. “Except back to my place for a nice hot shower.”
“I’ve got a shower at my house.” I grin. “Along with a few further questions.”
Her eyebrows fold above her nose into the most adorable frown. I drag my eyes down her baggy T-shirt, picturing her ripe breasts beneath, and my mouth starts to water.
“More interrogation?” she asks. She licks the side of her bottom lip and glances away like she’s thinking, then shakes her head. “No. I have to get home.”
She reaches for her car door, but before she can open it, I raise my handcuffs out the window and shake them. The metal clang of steel on steel echoes through the parking lot.
“Don’t make me cuff you again, Briar,” I tell her. “Unless of course, that’s what you want me to do.”
Again, a flare behind her eyes, like tiny little sparklers that were just ignited. There’s more to this girl than people know, and I’m going to discover it.
“Okay, Officer,” she replies, her sultry lips twisting slightly. “You drive. I’ll follow.”
Balls aching, I pull out of the parking lot and watch as she swings out behind me. It may be night, but the moon is out, and I can see her eyes in the rearview.
They tease me. Two orbs of beauty, just taunting me, knowing I’m desperate for the rest of her. By the time I pull up at the house, I’m about to come apart. I can barely get my cock stuffed back into my pants. In fact, I have to leave the top button undone just to be able to walk.
“So this is Casa de Gareth, eh?” Briar asks as she hops out of her car. Her hair is an absolute mess. She looks fried from her shift. But all I see is beauty. Gorgeous, mouth-watering sexiness that makes me want to devour her.
God almighty, look at this girl. The way her jeans hang off her hips, I want to tear them off with my teeth and lick her pussy until she passes out.
And knowing she’s untouched has me flaming with anticipation. All the things I’ll teach you, Briar. You’re mine. You’ll never leave me.
“You speak Spanish, eh?” I ask.
She shrugs. “Truck stop Spanish. Mostly just ‘more coffee’ and ‘the bathroom is over there.’”
Not only is she hot, she’s fucking adorable. So cute that I can’t restrain myself any longer. I move in and sweep her up into my arms, like a groom carrying his bride down the aisle. She lets out a giggle that goes straight through me, causing my cock to flex as I bring her inside.
Her scent hits my lungs again, only this time it’s much more potent. It’s raw. It’s her. No shampoo or soap. Just her.
And Christ, it’s like a drug. I start to spiral and have to set her down and brace myself against the wall.
Thankfully, Briar doesn’t notice. I blink away the trance coming over me and watch as she inspects my house. She looks stunned, but then I remember; Briar is from across the tracks. Even my modest home must feel like a mansion to her.
I stay quiet as she goes over to the photo of my mom on the wall and runs her hand across the rosary beneath it.
My eyes are glued to her ass, watching her hips sway as she walks into the kitchen and opens the fridge, staring like it’s something she shouldn’t have access to.
And it makes me want to burn down whatever world told her she doesn’t deserve a decent fridge.
“Lots of milk,” she teases, shaking a carton. That’s it. I can’t take it anymore.
In an instant, I’ve got my hands around her waist and am lifting her onto the counter. The milk spills on the floor, but I don’t care. I’m sliding my hands up Briar’s T-shirt, cupping her tender breasts, rolling her nipples between my fingers.
She lets out a soft cry that just sends my lust skyrocketing. I snatch a fistful of her hair and tug, arching her body in and against mine, then move my lips to hers.
I’m this close to kissing her when I hear a pounding knock against the front door.
What the hell? It’s past midnight!
“Rawls! Open up right now!” My heartrate leaps. Fire burns through my chest. I recognize the voice immediately. Morgan Felch, captain of my department.
I want to scream. Tear the goddamn walls down and kill this son of a bitch for interrupting me.
She is here. And I need my time with her.
“Who is that?” Briar whispers.
“It’s my captain,” I curse, using all my willpower to step back from her.
“Why don’t you just tell him to fuck off?” she suggests. I almost smile. “It’s past midnight.”
“I really, really would like to do that.”
“Come on, Rawls!” Felch bangs again. “Open up!”
Doing my best to push my hard-on down, I walk to the front door. With a deep breath, I unlock it. Before I can even pull it open, Felch bursts in like he owns the place. Hands on his hips, chewing an unlit cigar, he looks around the room, notices Briar for a moment too long, then looks back at me.
“So this is her, huh? That girl you’ve been utilizing departmental resources on.”
My muscles tighten. I clutch my fists behind my back. Just seeing his eyes on her has my protective instincts surging. “It was just a tow, Captain—”
“I know what it was,” he snaps. “You’re under IA investigation, Officer Rawls. You think I don’t know what you’re up to?”
I’m burning. Steam’s coming out of my ears. I’m about to boil over. But there’s something else in the look he’s giving me. Something he’s trying to hide back, but the longer I look at him, the less disguised it becomes.
And then I get it.
Captain Felch is the one holding up my investigation. He’s the one behind the charges of excessive force being brought on me. And it’s because I scare him. Because there’s been talk of me being promoted to captain.
He thinks I’m coming after his job. And that makes me a threat.
“And what am I up to, Captain?”
He stares back at me with cold, calculating eyes.
“I’m adding misuse of departmental property and departmental funds to the investigation.
” He turns again to Briar, and I have to fight the urge to lay him out.
“And if your girlfriend here was in the cruiser without a booking number, I’ll be adding unlawful detention, and she can be subpoenaed. ”
I’m two seconds from snapping and shattering this prick’s face with my fist. Briar must see this and steps up beside me, gently touching the back of my arm with her hand.
And that’s all it takes.
My heartrate drops, and I’m able to take a breath as Felch turns his back on me. I watch as he walks out, leaving the door open behind him. I close my eyes, ready to punch a hole in my wall.
“He’s gone,” Briar says, closing and locking the door. “Now take a breath before you add a murder charge on to…whatever it was he’s talking about.”
I take her advice and draw a long, deep breath, then slowly exhale. “Yeah…”
“What was he talking about, Gareth?” she asks.
I’m shaking with adrenaline. I’m about to crack, but her touch is grounding me. Pulling me back from the edge.
Such a tiny thing with so much power over me…
I look down at her innocent eyes, gazing up expectantly at me. I didn’t want to lay my baggage on her this early, but what choice do I have after what just happened?
No. Briar is mine. And I trust her.
“There was a home invasion at my mother’s house,” I say slowly. “She’s ill, and a man came in, grabbed her, and threatened her with a knife. The other officers told me to back off and talk him down.”
I shake my head, replaying the incident in my mind.
“This is my mom we’re talking about. And I wasn’t taking any chances.” I see recognition in Briar’s eyes. Understanding. Acceptance. “I broke the guy’s jaw. Shattered a few ribs. His lawyers are claiming excessive force, and I was busted down from detective while they investigate.”
“Gareth…” Her voice is like a bell on the wind. So soft, yet so strong, anchoring me to the here and now.
“And I know now that Captain Felch is the one behind it.” I swallow hard, lift Briar into my arms, and carry her to the couch. I sit, holding her in my lap. “I’m a threat to his job, and he wants to ruin me.”
She doesn’t speak for a long time. Just runs her fingers up and down my left arm, tracing the lines of my muscles. Then she looks up at me. “Well, why don’t you just kill him?”
I’m so shocked by her response that my body stiffens. I frown down at her, and she just looks back up at me, her face as flat as freshly paved concrete. Then the crack appears. Her lip twists up, and her eyes begin to glitter.
“Oh, you…” I smirk, twisting my thumb into her side, causing her to giggle.
“Just kill him, Mr. Big, Bad Corrupt Cop!” she laughs, twisting in my arms as I pin her down beneath me.
Her body’s warmth radiates up, filling me with something more than physical. Something that goes straight through me, right into my soul.
I pin her arms over her head and lean in, enveloping her lips in mine. My kiss is passionate, loving, possessive. And she knows it. She kisses me back, locking lips with me in an embrace that goes beyond what we’ve done before.
When I pull back, I see honesty in her eyes. A trust I haven’t seen yet.
“You did the right thing, Gareth,” she says. “And no matter what anyone else says, you’re a good man.”
It’s right then, at that moment, that a realization hits me like a mainline of pure electricity.
I love this woman. With all my heart, I love her. And I will give my life to protect her. Even if it means going up against my entire department.