Merry with a Lawman (Love Beach, Holiday Collection)

1. The Pull of Her

ONE

THE PULL OF HER

DAVIS LEVIGNE

Gotta love sleepy little towns. With Summer over, Love Beach returns to the quaint beach town we locals enjoy. The only major trouble me and my fellow officers should see over the holidays are local kids holding keg parties out in the fields along the county road.

Except tonight. The much celebrated QB on the high school football team decided to throw a party while his parents were away. We drew complaint after complaint down at the station.

“Been a long time since we busted up a good house party,” Noah Dawson drawls and hoots, leaning an elbow on his knee. The toe of his boot rests on the bumper of his cruiser with the lights flashing. We stand and watch the teenagers scramble away.

He and his four brothers settled here from Mississippi with their folks back in freshman year of high school. We became instant friends the day I defended him against a couple of upperclassmen. He towers over me now by at least six inches and with a solid presence honed by hobby farming and gym time. No one messes with him now.

“Remember our senior year when Beau and Jackson threw one helluva party while their grandparents were away?” Alden Parker, voted class clown, scrubs at his whiskers. As one of my most respected friends on the force now, we’ve collected plenty of memories between us since the first grade.

“Yep. That’s the night I lost my virginity to your sister.” Dawson’s shit-eating grin pokes fun at him, producing a scowl from Parker. Still a touchy subject, as his knuckles turn white. Whereas Beau and my sister are married now with a baby on the way. That doesn’t bother me one bit. I think I’d always known someday they’d end up together, and Beau is like a brother to me. “Speaking of, how is Ms. Parker, Esquire, these days anyway, sitting up there in New York in her fancy corner law office?”

“Probably never coming home again because you traumatized her with your dick.” Gotta give Parker points for that comeback. Even as my friends, these old boys sometimes can irritate the crap out of me.

“Enough, you two. Let’s split up and walk the streets. Two-block radius. Assure any citizens standing by that the party is over. Love Beach is peaceful once again, and they can go back to bed.” I command. The guys nod and part ways, no doubt knowing by the tone of my voice that I’m in no mood tonight.

With a sideways glance at the neighbor next door to the party house, I know the exact cause of my mood. Belle Baymont stands on her porch hugging her sides, in her yellow silk robe, like a ray of sunshine to this messy night.

“I feel so much better knowing we have you protecting us, Officer Levigne,” she calls as I approach, her eyelashes batting at me. Even makeup-free, and her hair in a ponytail, she’s gorgeous. The sash tied around her waist accentuates her curves. The thin fabric fails at hiding her erect nipples. My hands itch to touch her. I’ve come to know every inch of her body intimately for the past year, but now…

We’re over. Or we’ve been trying to be over. Standing here in her robe like this—and I know damn well she’s daringly naked underneath—is not helping.

“Go back inside, Ms. Baymont. Or I’ll arrest you for indecent exposure.”

“If I don’t? You’ll handcuff me and place me under house arrest? You know I love when we play that fantasy,” she smiles coyly, with a sultry purr, dropping her hands to the railing, spreading them out and leaning over. Her thigh peeks out through the split of the silk.

These houses are spaced far enough apart any onlookers would think I was doing my job, protecting a citizen. My Adam’s apple bobs, knowing the truth. I’ve gone well beyond my call of duty when it comes to Belle.

I quickly calculate the time I have left on this shift when I could sneak back here, sending my cock swelling like a traitor in the face of temptation. We’re supposed to be over, to bring an end to our friends with benefits arrangement. She’s making this really difficult.

She chuckles, nervous-like, straightening up, and returning to her normal voice. “Really, though. How are you Davis? I haven’t seen you all week.”

“Fine, Bells.” I use that friendly nickname I’ve heard no one else call her, and pick that moment to roll my shoulders. They get tight, part of the job stress, but also a reminder of injuries I sustained from a hit-and-run accident last year. Belle helped me, the main reason I’m upright today.

“I could work those knots out for you. It’ll only take a few minutes.” Her professional tone gives no indication, but I know us well. One minute would lead to an hour in her bed. A very pleasing sixty minutes minimum.

Belle has a body on her built for sin, and I’m her greatest sinner. I took more than a fair advantage of her over the past year. Although she started it.

Her body on the massage table. Legs straddling me. Pussy taking possession of my cock. The things she did to me that day, I’m talking earth shattering, quaking from the inside out as I came inside of her. I attributed it to the coma after the accident, because every experience since waking has been like new again.

Yes, Belle made a tremendous difference between me surviving the past yearor not. I’d like nothing more than to restrain her with my handcuffs and do very naughty things to her. And I have, plenty of times—but I’ve never been fond of commitment.

I don’t know how it happened, that we went from patient and physical therapist to secretly fucking every chance we could. But I made it clear from the beginning, I couldn’t give her more than that. Not with a past like mine that still haunts me to this day.

I hope to put the past behind me once my mother gets sentenced soon for almost killing me with her car.

“Go back to bed, Bells.”

“Fine. But if you change your mind… Your shoulders would be good as new by the time I’m through.”

“Or I could call your office and make an appointment like everyone else during regular business hours.”

“Right. Okay then. Goodnight… Officer.” Back to that sweet purring voice, she sashays into her house. Her eyes lock on mine until the second her door closes. I don’t hear the click of the lock.

Goddamn, this woman confounds me. “The lock, Bells,” I warn her loud enough for her to hear inside.

I don’t back away until I finally hear the click of it, ensuring she’s safe. Even in this small town, we have our problems, and the last thing I need is for her to be as careless with her locks as she used to be before we started sleeping together.

I’m just doing my job, protecting her like I would every citizen here.

Later, back at the station, until 5am rolls around, I do paperwork, even taking out a few unsolved case files to give those a fresh set of eyes. Anything to avoid thinking of Belle—but it doesn’t work.

Since our talk about ending things between us, I keep picturing another man with her. “Ridiculous,” I mutter, and shrug it off, but my vision turns crimson. But I have no right to react with jealousy. We’re only friends and this was a simple arrangement for a limited time.

Nothing more than a convenience. A break from using my hand to get myself off. A warm pussy to park in, a body to hold just a few times a week to feel normal. Enough to get a taste of what life might be like if I’d allow myself to fall for someone.

That’s all I can give after growing up with the monster—I hardly think he deserves to be called my father. Thanks to him, I have one worry. Did I inherit the same monster inside of me? I won’t take that chance, not with Bells, or any woman.

Doesn’t make ending our arrangement any easier, though. In fact, since trying to break things off between us, the urge to take her has multiplied tenfold.

Soon I’m parking in the alley, a block from her place, and sneaking into her backyard, like I have no self fucking control. I find the spare key hidden behind the rainspout and go to unlock the door, but it swings open.

Standing there, she’s still in her robe, silky red curls falling loose down her shoulders. Her eyes sparkle at me and she renders me weak in the knees.

The pull of her pussy is too strong, and I’m weak. Just one more time. I’ll get her out of my system. Then this is the end. I swear it.