BEAUTY AND THE BADGE Page 6

  “Your hair is longer than I imagined,” he murmurs as I walk toward him.

  I stop and reach up with my right hand and smooth it self-consciously. “Is it too much?”

  He shakes his head as he takes three steps toward me. Frowning, he stops in his tracks and shoves his hands in his pockets. “No,” he says, his voice gravelly. “It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.”

  We stare at each other for a second. When Millie clears her throat, I feel a blush spread over my cheeks. I don’t think I’ve ever been a big blusher, but since meeting Tyler, it’s like I’m powerless to stop it. I know darn well it’s just giving Millie more ideas too.

  “You better go before all the good parking spots are gone,” she says. I wonder if Tyler notices her tone is laced with amusement.

  “I’ll get my purse,” I announce, ducking my head as I turn and head for the kitchen counter and slide my crossbody bag on. “I’m ready.”

  Millie walks out the front door with us, since I already locked the sliding doors in the back. “Have fun, children.”

  After I lock the door to the house, we head to the driveway. Tyler’s got an extended cab, dark-gray truck with tires that make it clear off-roading would not be a problem. Most trucks this size would have a running board. Crap. I’m going to look awkward as all get out trying to get into this truck. If I were shorter, I’d probably need to take a few steps back in order to run and jump in.

  I suck in a breath when Tyler opens the door and holds his hand out to me. “I’ll help you up,” he says. Swallowing, I nod and slide my hand into his as I step forward. The warmth of his large hand enveloping mine feels almost sensual. He guides me forward so that I’m looking into the cab and then lets go of my hand. I immediately miss the contact. And then, he sets his hands at my waist and lifts me up just enough for me to put my foot on the floor of the truck and maneuver in. There’s something so hot about the fact that he just lifted me without grunting like my body weight was too much. I bet Tyler would be strong enough to hold me against a wall while he…

  Stop. Stop. Do not think of your boss that way.

  Once he closes the door, I take a deep breath and pull myself together. Boss and employee or just friends is probably all that will ever be on the agenda for us, because I’m certain anything more is against the rules.

  When he gets into the truck, he seems normal and unaffected. I’ve been imagining things. Clearly, I’m not on his radar in that way. Which is good… even though just thinking that makes me feel a little queasy.

  “You good?” he asks.

  I nod and give him a thumbs-up. “Yep.”

  When he turns on the truck, the radio is on. I pretend to be super-enthusiastic about the classic rock song that’s playing so I can turn it up a little and hum along. The radio is just the buffer I need. It fills the silence and makes it acceptable not to talk on the way. I need to get a firm grip on myself where Tyler Jameson is concerned. The sooner, the better.

  A few minutes later, I have myself in the right frame of mind. Tonight is about fun, sharing a drink or two with my new work friends, catching up with some of the locals I know who are sure to be inside, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll also meet some new people. And by people, I specifically mean a man. It’s no surprise that the best parking space we can find at Ted’s is half a block away.

  When Tyler gets out and comes around the truck, I try to open the door and jump down. I’m not quick enough. When he takes my hand in his, my body is once again alight with a riot of sensations I’ve never felt before I met him. I use the short walk toward the bar to get my head straight. Again.

  When Tyler opens the door to the bar, we’re greeted by the sounds of people talking and music playing. Once inside, he leads me to the back of the bar, which consists of a game area with a shuffleboard table, two foosball tables, an air hockey table, and four dartboards. There are also a bunch of six-seater pub-style tables throughout the area, and the right wall has booths from the front of the room to the back.

  Ben, Jana, and two men I’ve never met are all gathered at one of the pub tables. A second later, I realize one of the two men looks familiar. I stop thinking about it when Tyler nudges my side. My heart skips a few beats when he leans in closer. “Now that I know where everyone is, I’m gonna go get a beer. What should I get you?”

  I tilt my head back to answer. “Whatever light beer’s on tap is good for me.”

  When I unzip my purse and go to pull out my wallet, he gives me a pointed look filled with amusement. “Put that away,” he laughs.

  “But—”

  He holds up a hand. “I’m buying. No matter what you say, that’s what’s going to happen, Ashley.”

  I love it when he says my name. For my entire life, it’s felt generic and average, right until the moment it came out of his mouth. Now it’s something different. Something more.

  I can tell by the expression on his face that he’s serious about buying the beer. It’s a losing battle, so I’m not going to bother. Inclining my head, I say, “Thank you.”

  He shoots me a grin before he turns and heads toward the bar. I watch for a few seconds longer than I otherwise might have if his rearview wasn’t so drool-worthy. The way he carries himself is stupid hot. By that, I mean it shouldn’t even be something I find attractive, but I can’t help it. Ergo, stupid hot.

  I almost jump right out of my skin when someone sets a hand on my shoulder. “Are you coming back to hang with us or will you be staring longingly after the chief all night?” Jana asks.

  Fortunately, she does this right next to my ear so no one else could hear her over the music and talking. Otherwise, I’d be melting into a shame puddle on the floor.

  Schooling my expression, I turn and give her a who, me look. “What? I was looking at the bar.”

  The way she throws her head back and laughs makes it clear she’s not buying what I’m trying to sell. Turning her attention back to me, she grins and points to herself. “You know the saying, don’t bullshit a bullshitter?”

  I nod. “Of course.”

  “Take that and add on that I’m a cop. If this were an interrogation, I’d know you were guilty. Besides, why bother denying it? The chief is hot. I’ve checked out his ass a time or two myself.”

  “Jana!” I laugh.

  “What? It’s a really good ass. I’d probably still be checking him out if I saw him as anything other than a mentor slash bruncle.”

  I wrinkle my nose. “Bruncle?”

  “A mix between a brother and an uncle. He’s cool enough to be a brother, but he’s my boss, so there’s a lot of uncle thrown in. It’s a shame though.”

  “What is?”

  “That spending fifty percent of my days with two men who do nothing for me is throwing my ratio of hot-guy-to-single-girl way, way off.”

  I raise a brow. “There’s a ratio?”

  She looks at me like I’m whacked. “Um, yeah. Of course there is. Every girl has a certain amount of hot guys that’ll come across her path throughout her life. Tyler and Ben are on the hot list, but I’d never put either one of them on the board.”

  “Is that because you’re in the friend zone with them or because it’s against department policy for co-workers to date?”

  “Oh, there’s not a department policy against co-workers dating,” she answers.

  Too fast though. Either Jana is the type to read manuals in her spare time, or she went looking for that specific policy. It’s a little suspect that she had that piece of information so readily available.

  “So if another officer were to ask you out, you could accept without any problem?” I ask, trying to look innocent.

  She gets a faraway look on her face, which is very enlightening. I see the very moment she realizes where I’m trying to go with that question. “Shit, you’re sneaky,” she admits with a laugh.

  Before I can ask her which officer she likes, Tyler is back.

  “You ladies planning to post up here all night?” he jokes.


  As he asks, he holds out a red Solo cup to me. Jana and I assure him that no, we’re not going to stand in the middle of the large opening to the game area all night. We then make our way to the table Ben and the other two men are at.

  As we walk, I think back to the lie I told myself earlier about looking for a hot guy at this bar. I’m freaking looking at three of them right now and I couldn’t be less interested if I tried. Tyler is the only man here who has my attention, and I don’t think that will change.

  Arriving at the table, I say hi to Ben before Tyler gestures to the two men I don’t know.

  First up is the one I’m positive I’ve never seen before. “This is Reese Elliott. He owns Elliott’s Engines over on Third Street. Great mechanic, terrible dart player. Reese, say hello to Ashley. She’s the new office manager at the precinct.”

  Reese is sexy as all get out, but he gives off a vibe like he’s not to be messed with. One side of his mouth hitches up in a quasi smile as he shakes my hand. “For the record, I’m a great dart player,” he says dryly.

  And that quickly, he turns away. He’s not rude, but his version of polite is done at top speed. My hand just barely has time to slide into his before he’s letting go. I can tell he doesn’t enjoy being the focus of attention, so I turn toward the other man at the table. Tipping my head to the side, I try to narrow down why he seems familiar to me.

  “Ashley, this is Will.”

  As soon as the name comes out of Tyler’s mouth, I put it together.

  “Will Carter!”

  The guy looks at me for half a second before his expression becomes one of recognition. “Ashley Colton,” he says as he leans in to give me a hug. “Holy shit.” He pulls back. “I haven’t seen you since probably the summer before college. How have you been?”

  Going by the look of things, not as good as he has. For starters, he’s easily dropped sixty pounds. He used to wear oversized T-shirts with Star Wars or Lord of the Rings characters on them, but now he’s dressed in a white Henley that isn’t hiding the fact that he’s got muscles. Instead of his uniform back then of baggy jeans or sweatpants, he’s in jeans that, while not tight, leave no doubt he’s fit.

  The other difference is he’s no longer hiding behind his hair. Sometime in middle school, he grew it down to his shoulders and it was always hanging in his face. Now, it’s cut and styled, shorter on the sides than it is on the top. Will went and became a hot guy. Like, very much so. I’m happy for him. He was absolutely one of the sweetest guys on the island. It used to drive me nuts that he had to put up with a ton of shit from the same bully I did, Rita Ramsey. “Will the Whale” she called him. While I’d had the benefit of being able to leave the island—and Rita’s mouth— for ten months a year, he hadn’t.

  “I’m good,” I tell him. “Happy to be back.”

  “So you’re the new girl running things at the precinct,” he says.

  “That’s me.” I laugh. “I’m who you call if you ever need someone to take care of a parking ticket for you,” I joke.

  “Will’s the assistant chief at the fire department,” Tyler says. “We don’t ticket him.”

  The stilted tone of Tyler’s voice is not something I’ve heard before. The fact that Will’s eyebrows go up in surprise at the same moment mine do tells me I’m not imagining it. Several seconds pass as Will and Tyler have some intense-looking non-verbal standoff.

  Well, hell.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  ____________________________________

  ASHLEY

  WHEN WILL’S LIPS curl up into a smile and he shakes his head at Tyler, I assume I imagined the sudden tension.

  “I’m going to run and get another beer,” he announces. “Anyone need anything?”

  “I could use one,” Ben says. Taking his wallet from his back pocket, he opens it, pulls out two one-dollar bills, and hands them to Will. “For the beer and the tip,” he adds.

  “I want a beer, but I also want a shot,” Reese chimes in, “so I’ll go with.”

  Tyler and I each hold up our cups to indicate they’re full. Jana says she could do with a shot, so she heads to the bar with Will and Reese.

  “Dartboard’s not available yet, so we’re just hanging at the table,” Ben tells us.

  Tyler pulls out one of the pub stools for me. Taking a seat, I perch my feet on the chair rung and settle in. I used to come to Ted’s a lot with my grandmother when I was younger. She loved the buffalo wings, so we’d come in for lunch or an early dinner many times over the years. I didn’t make it in on my last trip to the island with my grandfather, so it’s been a while since I was here. Looking around, I note that not too much has changed. There are more brand signs—Blue Moon, Fat Tire, two Seattle IPAs, and three craft beers for starters—and the bar-height pub tables are newer. The booths against the wall across the room look to be the same though.

  “You said you used to come here?” Tyler asks.

  I smile as I fill him in on my grandmother’s love of the wings.

  He chuckles as he sets his beer down. “She had damn good taste,” he says. “They’re solid. I come in on Wednesdays sometimes and order twenty to go.”

  “As good as the wings are, there’s something even better these days,” Ben tells me.

  “Is it the burgers? Because those were always good.”

  He shakes his head. “Nah. Ted’s daughter is working here now and she added a few things. One of them is a bomb as hell roast beef. Better than that, they do gravy fries. It’s the au jus from the roast and it’s got small bits of the beef in it. I could eat those every day. The fries themselves are righteous, but the addition of the gravy takes it to the next level. Add in some banana pepper rings and you’ll be in heaven.”

  Damn, they sound good. Better than the Cup o’ Noodles I ate earlier, that’s for sure.

  “I’m kind of wishing I’d come here for dinner tonight instead of eating at home,” I groan.

  “I’ll pick up lunch from here for us one day next week,” Ben says. “And speaking of Meghan, she just showed up. I’m going to go say hi.”

  Frowning, I turn and look at Tyler. “Were we speaking about a Meghan?” I ask.

  His eyes light up with humor. “It wasn’t at all clear, but yes. She’s Ted’s daughter,” he chuckles. “These days, a lot of conversations with Ben are about Meghan. I’m learning to read between the lines. No shit, when he first started doing it, Jana and I had a talk to ascertain whether we were flat-out missing chunks of conversation.”

  “So he likes her,” I say as I lift my cup to take a sip.

  “More than likes her,” Tyler replies.

  “Does she know that?”

  He shrugs. “I don’t think so, and it’s not for lack of Ben dropping not-at-all-subtle clues. She just moved to town about six months ago. Before that, she lived with Ted’s ex-wife in Texas, and I get the impression that woman is a real piece of work—kept her daughter on a real short leash. Ted about fell over when Meghan called to say she wanted to move here.”

  “What’re you two talking about?” Jana asks as she takes the seat across from me.

  “Meghan,” Tyler answers.

  Just that, nothing more, but it’s obvious from her expression that Jana gets it. “Ah yes, the future Mrs. Benjamin Gates. If Ben doesn’t ball up and ask her out on a real date soon, I’m going to lock them in one of the holding cells at work. I bet they’d be doing a horizontal dance in no time.”

  Will laughs as he slides onto the stool next to Jana. “You’d make a terrible matchmaker.”

  “Ain’t that the fuckin’ truth,” Reese says as he sets a cup of beer down on the table and then takes a seat.

  “Bitch, please,” Jana laughs. “You’re just grumpy because you hate romance. You’re like the old mean guy in the wheelchair in It’s a Wonderful Life, just shooting down people’s dreams like it’s no big thing.”

  This earns her a laugh. An actual, honest to God laugh. Apparently, Reese can warm up. Will is al
so cracking up.

  “For the record, you’re no better, William,” Jana jokes as she pins him with a mock glare. “You’re so anti-relationship I think it’s morphed into an all out aversion. I think you’re terrified of being with one person. You should probably see someone about it.”

  He shrugs, unfazed by her statement. “It’s not my fault there are a lot of really beautiful women in these parts.”

  It’s weird to see the man Will has become. I never could’ve imagined he’d grow up to be so attractive—or so confident. I’m happy for him that he was able to make such a big change. Jana likely doesn’t realize what Will put up with when he was younger. He’s just twenty-six now, so there’s plenty of time for him to find the right woman and settle down.

  All thoughts of anyone who isn’t Tyler disappear in a blink when he leans forward, his shoulder brushing my arm. When I turn my head in his direction, I find him staring at me, the green flecks in his brown eyes prominent due to the light hanging over the table. Just like that, heat races through my veins. God. With Tyler Jameson around, I could probably get away with wearing short-sleeved tops year round. If we weren’t in a bar with people around us, I’d be fanning myself right now.

  “You any good at darts?” he asks.

  “I’ve only played a few times, so not really.”

  Honestly, even if I played on the regular, I’m fairly certain if I were to throw a dart right now, it’d go awry. I’m not super-steady with Tyler this close to me. Not that I want him to move, mind you. No, even though I now know that interoffice relationships aren’t an issue at the department, nothing has changed. I have to keep my distance, even though I like when he’s close. I’m more than a little addicted to the way his sporty, clean scent tickles my senses, for starters. The list only grows from there.