BEAUTY AND THE BADGE Read online

  Ben gives him the finger, and Jana closes her eyes and makes snoring noises. Tyler grins as he walks to me, drops a kiss on my lips, and then moves on to the fridge, where he pulls out his brown bag lunch.

  “Grab mine too,” Ben says.

  Reaching back into the fridge, Tyler takes out Ben’s lunch—also in a brown bag—and slides it across the table to him.

  Setting his lunch down, Tyler takes a seat in the chair next to me and then scoots it closer so we’re as close as two people in separate chairs can be. My heart is beating like four miles a minute, and I just know I’ve got a big goofy grin on my face, but I don’t even care. He turns his head and smiles at me, and just that simple thing turns me into a puddle of goo.

  “Babe. Eat before your food gets cold,” he tells me.

  Mentally scolding myself about the importance of not looking like a spaced out goofball, I turn to my lunch and pick up my fork and knife. Realizing no one is speaking, I look up and find Jana and Ben looking between Tyler and me with undisguised interest.

  “OMG, you two are so freaking adorablllle,” Ben squeals in a high-pitched voice. As he says that, he flaps his hands and bops up and down in his seat, doing his best impression of a teen girl at a K-pop concert.

  It would be impossible to try to hold this laugh back, so I don’t bother. Jana is also laughing hysterically.

  “Not sure how to feel about the fact that you said OMG instead of oh my God.” Tyler snickers. “I feel like that came super easy to you.”

  Ben shrugs as he opens his lunch bag and pulls out a plastic bag with a pretty crispy-looking chicken cutlet in it. “What can I say? I’m just that good.”

  “Good God,” Jana grumbles. “Can we talk about the elephant in the room please?”

  My stomach clenches. What horribly inappropriate thing is she going to say now?

  “What is it with you and all that burnt food lately?” she asks Ben.

  Phew. Talk about food is fine.

  “I’m trying to stop eating out as much to save money for a house, so I’ve been making shit at home,” he answers. “Thing is, I’m afraid I’m going to poison myself, so I cook it until I’m positive the food’s not raw. Can’t cook for shit and don’t have a woman. It ain’t pretty.”

  Next to me, Tyler snorts. “No shit, it’s not pretty. I think that chicken stopped being raw about half an hour before you took it off the stove,” he deadpans.

  Ben shrugs. “That’s why I keep this big ass bottle of ketchup on the table here,” he explains. Picking up the bottle, he pops the cap and squeezes a small mountain of it onto the end of his cutlet. After taking a bite, he gives the thumbs-up.

  Shaking my head, I cut into my golden-brown, ridiculously delicious pork chop and bring a bite to my lips. Thanks to Millie, I’ll never starve. Thanks to my grandmother and Millie, I also know how to cook. Thank God, because burnt food isn’t for me.

  Lunch is interrupted when all three of their walkie-talkies go off at the same time, advising that there’s a 911 call about a three-car accident on the bridge into town. Springing into action, they all stand and shove their uneaten lunches into the fridge. Tyler leans down, drops a soft kiss on my lips, and tells me to finish eating my lunch.

  “You’re all mine tonight,” he reminds me.

  “I can’t wait.”

  He grins and kisses me again, fast, before he sprints out of the break room to go respond to the call.

  For the remainder of my break, there’s a massive grin on my face.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  ____________________________________

  ASHLEY

  WHEN TYLER KNOCKS on my front door to pick me up for our date, my stomach is full of butterflies and nervous energy. This is so wild to me. The hottest guy in the world—who just so happens to be my boss—is taking me on a date. Me. Ashley Colton. Whose life is this?

  Opening the door, I’m reminded all over again of how hot Tyler is in jeans.

  Licking my lips, I smile at him. “Hi.”

  “Babe,” he growls.

  Just that. Babe. Why is that so stupid hot? I can’t put words to the why; I just know I love it when he says it. What I love more is the way he pulls me into his arms and kisses me deeply. When he lifts his head, I’m flushed, aroused, and ready to say “forget the date, let’s go to bed.” Who knew there was a horny trollop in me just beneath the surface waiting to be discovered? Certainly not me.

  “You ready to go?”

  His voice has that sexy rasp to it that he gets when he’s aroused. It’s funny I’ve picked up on that in one day. I could get used to hearing a lot more of it.

  “I think so,” I answer. “But since I have no clue what to expect….”

  He grins. “You’re perfect.”

  He won’t tell me where we’re going, not even a hint. When I pressed and told him I had to have some idea to know what to wear, he grinned. “It’s not dressy. Wear jeans, sneakers, and a T-shirt. Maybe bring along a jacket in case you get cold.”

  I’m wearing my favorite faded jeans, red Chucks, and a white long-sleeved T-shirt made of the softest cotton ever. I kept it simple with my makeup: eyeliner, mascara, a hint of blush, and some tinted cherry-flavored lip balm. I left my hair down, but I’ve got an elastic in my purse if I need to put it up. Without the benefit of knowing where we’re going, I feel like I should try to cover all the bases.

  “You’re a pain.” I laugh as I pluck my black hoodie from the hook next to the door and lay it over my arm.

  “Surprises are good,” he teases.

  I grin at him as I lock the door handle and step outside. Pulling it shut behind me, he checks to make sure it’s secure before he walks me to his truck. When we get to the passenger door, he opens it and then helps me up.

  “Do you have something against the running boards?” I joke.

  “Hell if I’m going to give up a chance to touch you,” he answers.

  “I…. You…. Really?”

  “Babe. Do you think I’d pick Ben up by the waist and help him into the truck? Or Jana? Fuck no. For anyone else, I hit the button for the running board. I’m not about to turn down any opportunities to touch you.”

  I’m so… I don’t know… surprised, I guess, that I can do nothing but gape at him. Smiling, he makes sure I’m in before he closes the door and walks around the front of the truck.

  I was sure once he started driving that I’d know just where we’re headed, but it’s been almost ten minutes and I’m not only clueless; I’m confused. There are no bars, restaurants, or cafes in the area we’re in right now. In fact, it’s pretty dead. This is the old part of town where the houses are farther apart—some with as much as five or six acres of land—and the islanders have purposely kept it out of the hands of developers, just like we’ve done down in my part of town.

  Charlotte’s Cove keeps its charm because it isn’t overrun with idiots like Rita’s ex-boyfriend and the guy who hit on Jana and me at Ted’s. They swoop into town, buy some land, and then build a behemoth house that in no way compliments its surroundings. They then rent it out for several weeks a year, as they aren’t going to use it themselves. Tourism is a big part of the economy, but the people of the Cove aren’t about losing our way of life. Back when people started coming here for vacations and with the understanding of how much money could be made, the town council granted permits for two hotels and a golf course in the undeveloped area of town. Since then, that area has grown by leaps and bounds, but it’s removed enough from the rest of us that what makes the Cove special hasn’t been lost.

  The houses in the area we’re driving through now are among the oldest on the island, but none of the families will sell unless they know it’ll be going to a local. When Tyler pulls off the street and onto a gravel driveway, I furrow my brow. “Where exactly are you taking me?”

  “You have no patience,” he chides.

  “I’m naturally curious.”

  “Well, babe, you’re about to get your answer
s.”

  Looking out the windshield, I see we’re pulling up next to a dock that looks brand-spanking-new. It’s long, about fifty feet, give or take, and pretty wide as well. At the end, it widens to a massive covered, screened-in seating area. There are two separate benches built into the deck, about fifteen feet apart. The coolest thing is that there are six light posts from the beginning of the dock out to the covered area. I’ve seen a lot of private docks on the island, but this is the first one that probably cost as much as my cottage.

  After hopping out of the truck, Tyler comes around and helps me out.

  Once my feet are firmly on the ground, he says, “Stay here.”

  Going around the back of the truck, he opens the cab cover and pulls out a large blue and white rolling cooler. When he makes his way back to me, he holds his hand out. Sliding my hand into his, I shiver. What happens inside my body when this man touches me even in the simplest of ways is just… more. A lot more.

  “Whose dock is this?” I ask as we step onto the wood planks.

  “It’s mine.”

  I stop walking. “Wait, what?”

  “I mentioned before that I bought a piece of land to build a bigger house. Well, this is that land. Since I already have the cottage, I’ve got plenty of time to build the permanent house, so I decided to do the dock first. It was finished about five weeks ago, and since then, I’ve been coming out here a lot. Can’t beat the peace and quiet.”

  I look back over my shoulder at the land. In the distance, I notice there are stakes with bright blue tips marking the property line. “This is what, four acres?” I ask as I turn back to him.

  “Four and a quarter. When I said I didn’t love city living, I wasn’t kidding. This right here is the dream. It’ll probably take me two or three years to get it all to come together—I’m six months out from meeting with an architect to talk about the style and size of the house I need—but once it’s done, this will be it for me. A little slice of heaven right on the water. Doesn’t get any better.”

  “I’m so glad you love it here,” I tell him as we start walking again.

  “Best decision I ever made was taking the job and moving here.”

  At the end of the dock, Tyler opens the door to the screened in seating area. In here, the scent of the fresh lumber and sealer is more pronounced. There’s a four-seat table in the center of the room, built-in seats in two of the corners, and an outdoor sofa that faces the water. He guides me to the table then pulls out a chair for me and waits until I’m seated before he begins unpacking the cooler.

  There are ham and cheddar sandwiches, two big deli pickles, containers of macaroni and potato salad, potato chips, two bottles of water, a bottle of wine, and a bottle of chocolate milk, which he slides toward me. Finally, he sets two sleeves of plastic utensils and two paper plates on the table.

  “It’s nothing fancy, but the view is amazing,” he says as he pulls out the chair next to me and sits down.

  “It’s perfect,” I assure him, and I mean it. He didn’t just bring dinner; he brought chocolate milk. The way he treats me is unexpected, because I’ve never had a man do anything like this for me before. Not even close. I had a boyfriend in high school whose idea of date night was taking a six-pack of cheap beer up to the top of Dirt Dixie, a canyon road in the valley. Inevitably, the night would end with some uninspiring sex in the back of his SUV. It would conclude with him smoking a cigarette while I straightened my clothes and wondered if romance still existed. My grandparents had still been alive at the time, and I’d seen the way their relationship worked and the time they both put into it, but aside from them, the only couples I knew were all living in the Cove. Divorce in LA was so common it almost seemed like it was a rite of passage.

  “If you think it’s perfect now, wait until you take a bite,” Tyler says, pulling me out of my thoughts. “I went to Smith and Sons Deli over on the bougie side of town. Hands down the best sandwiches on the Cove.”

  Excited, I clap my hands. “Ooh! I’ve been wanting to try them. Jana claims their salads are better than sex.”

  Tyler’s bark of laughter makes me realize what I’ve just said. Embarrassed, I bite my lip and get real busy opening my sandwich.

  “Hey.”

  I school my expression before I look up. Hopefully now I look like a normal, non-idiotic person who didn’t just put her foot in her mouth on date one.

  “Until last night, I’d have agreed with Jana,” he says. “Haven’t even been inside you yet, but I already know that as good as this food is, it’s garbage in comparison. Just kissing you got me so hard I had trouble walking out of your house.”

  I can’t hold in my laughter. “So you’re saying that walking with a hard-on is hard.”

  When Tyler grins, the hazel flecks in his eyes always seem more pronounced. “It definitely isn’t easy,” he answers.

  I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been nervous about tonight, but now I realize that was a waste. We don’t just have sexual chemistry; we’re also comfortable with each other. That makes him even more appealing to me.

  After we put potato and macaroni salad on our plates along with handfuls of chips, we dig into our food. One bite into my sandwich and I know I’m going to be driving out to the touristy side of the Cove more often. Swallowing, I grin at Tyler. “I didn’t know sandwiches could be this good.”

  “So worth the drive,” he says. “The real shitty thing is that during high season the line to pick up food was out the damn door every single day.”

  I moan as I swallow a bite of the potato salad. “For this, I’d say it’s worth it.”

  “You saying that makes it worth it,” he answers.

  My stomach flutters, the butterflies back in full force. I’d probably be too keyed up to eat if this food weren’t so delicious.

  “Tell me about California. Do you miss it?”

  I’m shaking my head before the question is even all the way out of his mouth. “I miss my cousin Rob and his girlfriend Karen, but other than that, no. I’d lost touch with my friends because of my job, and by the time I got my head out of my ass about that, it felt like they’d all moved on. We email, text memes, and like each other’s posts on Instagram, but that’s about it. My girls are still hanging out together, still clubbing every weekend, but that never felt like me, even when I had the time to do it. I’ve always gravitated to quieter stuff. Big crowds aren’t my thing.”

  He nods. “I get that. Not overfond of them myself.”

  “My grandfather always said the Cove called to me, and I think he was right. This place, it’s in my blood. I love that I know all the people on my street. I love that if I go into Al’s Drug Emporium when I’m sick, then Nettie will come out from behind the counter and tell me what I need. I further love that most of the things she suggests are home remedies. I love that this is a town where your neighbors look out for you and you look out for them. Most of all, I love how peaceful it is. There are no billboards telling me to take a medication with nine million life-ending side effects. No one drives down the block at three a.m. with their bass turned all the way up, people don’t throw trash out onto the road while they’re driving, and there’s no thick, gray layer of smog hanging over us. Oh, and I love that nothing much has changed since I was little. This is a community full of people who love where they live, know what they have, and are invested in preserving it. To me, Charlotte’s Cove is perfect.”

  Holding my gaze, he smiles. “I agree with everything you said, and I dig that you love it here. Every time my sister drives out here for lunch or something, she can’t wait to leave, because—and I quote—‘it’s too quiet.’ Didn’t know that was even a thing, but according to Eve, it is.”

  “My grandmother was a little bit like that,” I say. “She loved it here, but only in small doses. My grandfather would’ve moved back in a heartbeat, but Gram would’ve lost her mind after a few months. She always said daily sunshine, a pool in the yard, and proximity to a good mall were all she
needed to feel right.”

  “The indoor pools at the Country Club on the other side of town and the high school are the only ones I’ve ever seen around here.”

  “It never gets warm enough here to justify having one. I mean, I’m sure it’s possible, but the expense of having to heat it would be a pain in the butt. Plus, it’s not like there’s a pool supply store nearby, so regular trips into Seattle would be necessary and pools aren’t cheap.”

  “So you don’t need a pool to feel right. And, going by the fact that we get cloudy days and a good amount of rain, I’m thinking constant sunshine ain’t on that list either. Taking a shot in the dark here, I’m also thinking you couldn’t give a shit about a good mall.”

  I snicker. “That’s because there’s no such thing as a good mall.”

  His eyes go comically wide. “Are you telling me you don’t like to shop?”

  “I love to shop; I just prefer to do it online.”

  “Shit, babe. You really are the full package.”

  I roll my eyes as I look at him over the top of the water bottle I just opened. “That was all it took?”

  He shrugs. “What can I say? I’m a simple man.”

  “Sure you are.” I laugh, setting my bottle down and picking my sandwich up.

  He just laughs as he takes another bite of macaroni salad. Sheesh, even the way his jaw moves when he chews is sexy, and I don’t think that’s something anyone has thought about someone else in the history of ever. I can’t get over just how handsome he is.

  After we finish, he stands and gathers the trash, putting it into a plastic bag and then into the cooler. While he has that open, he pulls out two clear plastic cups and a sandwich bag with a travel-sized wine opener in it. I get a little lost watching his corded arms move as he opens the bottle of white wine and pours some into each of the two cups.

  Picking up the cups, he gestures with his neck toward the sofa that looks out onto the water. It’s getting dark now, but there’s still just enough light to enjoy a few more minutes of the view. Standing, I walk over to the sofa and sit down. It’s only got two cushions, so we’ll be quite close together, not that I’m complaining. Handing me the cup of wine, he sits down and watches as I take a sip.