CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Austin smiled as Beatrice’s laughter drifted across Jack’s to where he was seated at the stools. Since she’d said yes to Kim a month ago, Beatrice spent her days creating magic for Cranky Bea and her nights with him creating a different kind of magic. Except for Sundays. They spent Sundays at the ranch with his family.

And on Wednesdays, she line danced.

He was in the corner closest to the small dance floor, where there were currently about a dozen people following the line-dancing instructor. Pearl was in her sixties with high hair and low expectations.

He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Beatrice since she’d walked into Jack’s tonight. He’d had to work back and had arranged to meet her here, and it was just as well, because if she’d been wearing that at the apartment, there was no way they’d have made it to Jack’s.

It was a dress. A bright yellow dress. Big Bird yellow. A stark contrast to the vibrant red of her hair. And it was strapless with two ties that sprouted from the fabric at a point between her breasts, which she’d pulled up and crossed at her nape to anchor around her neck before being brought through to the front and crisscrossing under her breasts, and then winding around and around the bodice several more times, before they’d been tied at her waist at the back, their ends almost trailing to the floor.

It was made from some kind of slippery fabric that draped lovingly against her body and disguised the fullness of the skirt. But when she spun around, the skirt flared out like a spinning top, flashing glimpses of bare thighs and those sexy red cowgirl boots she’d bought online especially for this class.

It was a far cry from sweats and bunny slippers.

But the thing that made the dress shine and made every person in the class with her—all of them at least thirty years her senior—smile indulgently and nod was that she knew, maybe for the first time, that she looked hot. It was in the way she swished around and put a little extra roll in her hips, and the way she flicked her hair and exaggerated the snappy little foot movements as she performed each heel dig.

And then there was the way she kept sneaking glances at him as she went through the routines. A side glance over her shoulder, a peek from under the cover of her rich red hair as it swished around her face. The way she smiled all playful and secretive, her lips shining with a clear gloss that he knew tasted like bubble gum. She was bristling with sexual energy, and he felt its force all the way across the bar.

Someone whistled quietly beside him, sitting on the stool next to his. “That’s some kind of dress.”

Austin glanced to the side—Drew.

“Yup,” Tucker agreed, also joining them, leaning his elbows on the bar, watching the dancers as they popped and locked it to Hoedown Throwdown. “Should be illegal in all fifty states.”

“How’d you get so lucky, Junior?” Arlo added as he, too, joined the fray.

Austin should probably be affronted at the way these guys were appreciating Beatrice. But he was just exceedingly fucking pleased that Beatrice had stumbled across him first.

“Must be the uniform,” Drew offered.

Arlo shot his friend a scowl. “I wear a uniform.”

Tucker snorted. “Yeah, but you also wear yours to bed. Women do not dig that shit. Clearly, given how long it’s been since you’ve seen any action.”

Drew nodded. “I bet your underwear even has police officer stamped across the ass.”

Arlo flipped them both the bird. “Bite me.”

“Face it, man.” Tucker shook his head, trying to control a smile as he attempted seriousness. “You have no idea how to turn that crap off.”

“I know how not to be a cop,” he protested. “I can relax and…unwind.”

Drew and Tucker laughed like Arlo’s statement was the most hysterical thing they’d ever heard. Austin joined them, and Arlo pierced him with a look he’d come to know well. A look that said he’d be doing paperwork tomorrow. “You don’t think I can, Junior?”

Well, crap. Austin’s smile died. “I think you…” Austin chose his words carefully. “Take your role and responsibility in the community very seriously.” He nodded, happy with his response. Then he added, “Chief,” for good measure.

Tucker and Drew cracked up a little more. “Man, you are such a suck-up,” Drew said when he’d drawn enough breath to form a coherent word.

Which was true, but no way was he going with the real answer. Which was Arlo made RoboCop look like a bumbling British bobby. But Credence need never worry while Arlo was at the helm, which was exactly what the town demanded of him and, when Arlo finally hung up his handcuffs, would hopefully demand of Austin. In the meantime, there was a lot he could learn from his boss about being a small-town cop.

Arlo clapped him on the back and announced, “This kid is going far.”

Austin’s hackles suddenly rose as he shrugged away Arlo’s hand. He wasn’t a goddamn kid. He might not be near forty like the other three guys, but he wasn’t some wet-behind-the-ears virgin, either. He’d grown up on a ranch where he’d fenced what felt like halfway around the planet, had delivered calves in the dead of night while a blizzard howled around him, and put down dying animals with a bullet.

He’d trained as a cop, where he’d seen tragedy and miracles in equal measure. He’d seen the helplessness of poverty and the excesses of wealth and witnessed the depravity and the humanity of both. He’d arrested people and he’d dug holes looking for missing people and he’d held people who had collapsed during the dreaded death knock.

Hell, he’d delivered a goddamn baby.

“I’m not a kid,” he growled, glowering at his boss and the other two. “I’m not Junior. My name is Austin or Deputy.”

The music cut out, and Austin glanced over at the dance floor to see Beatrice hugging her golden oldies—as she called them—goodbye. The elderly folks were beaming at her, obviously still infected by that special kind of energy she was pumping out.

“Gotta go, bye.”

He didn’t wait for a response to his previous statement or his farewell, just ambled across the bar and met Beatrice halfway. She went straight into his arms and up onto her tippy toes, winding her arms around his neck and kissing him in front of everyone.

There was clapping and good-natured whistles and calls to get a room, but Austin was oblivious. He only had eyes for Beatrice in her yellow dress, red boots, and her bubblegum lips.

“I hear my apartment calling,” she whispered as she finally broke the kiss.

Austin’s whole body thrummed with the desire to get her out of that dress. But she was sparkling tonight, her eyes dancing, her body brimming with a vibrant sexuality. She was like a sunbeam, and hiding her away seemed criminal. She deserved to shine in all her glory, and he couldn’t help but think she belonged in nature right now.

“I’ve got a better idea,” he murmured. “C’mon.” And he took her by the hand and led her outside.

…

Twenty minutes later, he was pulling into the parking lot at the lake. At seven thirty, the harsh sunlight of the day was softening into rose golds and would soon be pink and purple.

“It’s so pretty out here,” Beatrice said on a sigh as she looked out over the lake, which was also changing color from blue to slate.

Soon it would turn silvery, and Austin couldn’t wait to see the siren yellow of her dress and the red of her hair streaking along in the twilight. “You want to go for a walk?”

“You trying to get me alone, Officer?”

Austin grinned. He hadn’t planned on there being anyone out here at this time on a Wednesday evening, but given that the days had turned suddenly warm and were getting longer and longer, he shouldn’t be surprised. There were several groups on the grassy areas leading to the lake. They mostly seemed to be packing up now, but Austin didn’t want to wait to be alone.

“Yes, ma’am.” He made sure he added a little dirty to the ma’am because he knew how much it turned her on.

“Ya know, we could have already been on round two by now.”

Maybe, but tonight, the lake seemed like the perfect destination for the force of nature that was Beatrice.

“You ever heard of delayed gratification?”

She shot him an impatient look. “Only a twenty-five-year-old would think that was a good idea.”

It was the first time she’d mentioned their age difference in a while, and with his irritation at the guys from the bar still fresh, it picked at the scab a little more.

“Humor me,” he said as he reached across her to open the glove box and grab the flashlight for when it got darker.

Hand in hand, they walked along the shoreline, away from the jetty and the few remaining people, following the arc of the narrow, rocky beach. To their right, a wide stretch of long grass delineated the beach from the woods that stood farther back. Tiny purple wildflowers that had sprung among the grass waved in a light breeze as dainty as the trunks of the nearby towering pines were solid.

As they wandered, the grassy area started to narrow until it disappeared altogether, and the tree line thinned out as it merged with the shoreline. The road was visible through the woods in places, and the headlights of cars heading back to town poked through the trunks.

They talked about inane things as they wandered. And all the time, the lake lapped against the shore and the last beams of sunshine faded from the sky and the pinks and purples fused to a dusky kind of mauve, which deepened and darkened, giving way to night and the first pinprick of stars overhead.

It felt as if they were the only people in the world and, as a lone bird cry rang around the lake, Austin flicked on the flashlight.

Suddenly the beach widened and became sandy. Patches like this were few and far between, which made them popular, as evidenced by the well-worn track through the woods to their right.

Austin drew them to a stop, and Beatrice turned. “That is some dress, Beatriss.”

“What? This old thing?” she demurred, a smile on her mouth as she let go of his hand and performed a little twirl. “You like?”

“Oh yeah.” He shone the flashlight straight at her, pointing it at her feet and slowly raising it, his eyes devouring every inch of her body. “You still a rule breaker, Beatriss?”

She raised an eyebrow. “What do you have in mind?”

“Town statute four three eight subsection fifteen,” he said, plucking numbers out of thin air.

“Which would be?”

Austin reached for his belt and undid it, pulling it through the loops and tossing it on the ground. “Public nudity.” He reached for the button on his pants next and undid it as he kicked out of a boot. “I seem to remember skinny-dipping was something you wanted to try?”

He kicked out of his other boot as the suggestion floated between them. Her rule breaking seemed to have gone by the wayside this past month as she’d settled into her work routine for Greet Cute.

Was she still interested?

For a moment, he thought she might decline and he was going to have to go all WWDD on her ass, but then she smiled. “Is that why you brought me out here, Officer Cooper?”

He smiled back. “Maybe.”

She didn’t do anything for a beat, then, in the beam of the light, she reached behind to the tie that circled her bodice several times and had trailed enticingly just off the ground. It loosened as she undid the bow, and Beatrice unwound it from her body before pulling it from her neck, the tails pooling against the sand at her feet.

Austin, his pulse thumping, his hands trembling, yanked his shirt off over his head and threw it down on the sand. Beatrice followed by peeling the dress off her body, taking her underwear with it. Stepping out of it, she stood before him in nothing but her red cowgirl boots.

“Jesus,” he whispered, his gaze roving over all her lush curves, the swell of her breasts, the tight scrunch of her nipples reacting to the cooling night air, and the dark patch of her pubic hair.

She nodded at him. “Now you.”

Fumbling for a second, Austin managed to step out of his jeans and underwear in a far less elegant fashion than Beatrice. But, when he stood, his boner bobbing out front like a fucking divining rod, her low, appreciative hum made him forget everything but her.

Bending over slightly, she slid her legs and feet from her boots and pushed them toward the pile of clothes on the ground. With one last glance at his erection, she said, “Race you to the water,” then bolted.

Austin was far less capable of sudden movement, and it took him a beat or two to respond as he watched the red fan of her hair across her back and the flash of her lily-white ass as she legged it into the lake.

Her gasp followed by a “God, it’s freezing,” galvanized him into action.

Despite the chill of the water, she wasn’t turning around, and Austin, finally getting signals from his brain to his muscles, tossed the flashlight on the ground, gave a loud whoop, and followed her in. The water hitting his testicles was excruciating and should have given him an instant soft-on, but not even a plunge into polar ice was going to kill that fucker.

He sucked in a breath as he immersed his body in the lake and struck out after Beatrice, who was churning the water in a brisk freestyle just ahead of him. He caught her easily, grabbing her by the ankle and pulling her back to him, then kissing the hell out of her as she twined her arms around his neck, their wet lips cool and slippery as they devoured each other.

After long, drugging moments, she pulled away, smiling at him as she swam just out of reach. Austin enjoyed the tease as she cavorted around him, coming close and kissing him, drifting her hands over him, lingering on his ass and his hips, stroking his chest, brushing her lips against his neck and her fingers along his dick, dragging a groan from his throat before sliding away with a grin and a splash of water.

There was something about the gleam in her eyes, about her knowing how close he was to the edge and keeping him there, that cranked up his desire. And he returned the favor. Getting in his own touches, grazing the hard tips of her nipples, feeling the roughness of goose bumps beneath his fingertips as he stroked her belly and squeezed her ass. It might be dark, but he could see the glitter of sexual fever in her eyes. Knew it was the same fever reflected in his.

It appeared delaying gratification was working for both of them.

They chased and splashed and dived around each other for what felt like forever, his balls as tight and heavy as sinkers. It was excruciating and arousing all at once, and Austin knew when the moment finally came—he was going to utterly disgrace himself.

“Well,” Beatrice announced casually after they’d frolicked for about half an hour. “It’s getting cold—think it’s time to leave.”

She grinned at him, clearly knowing the kind of torture that announcement was inflicting, then turned away, flashing her ass at him as she swam toward the shore. Austin laughed at her gold-embossed come-get-me invitation. He waited and watched, moving slowly toward the shore, his feet hitting the bottom but staying low, partly to keep out of the cool air, partly to get ready to spring.

Water sluiced off her hair and down her body as she rose from the lake, heading to their pile of discarded clothes. She picked up the flashlight, then turned, finding him and catching him in the beam. “You want some of me, Austin Cooper, you better come and get it.”

With a deceptive grin and then a roar, Austin did just that, springing from the water like an alligator lunging at prey in a huge churn of water. Beatrice squealed in surprise, dropping the flashlight as she turned to run, but Austin was bigger and faster and his need had reached a breaking point. He was on her in several strides, wrestling with her slippery, naked body for a moment as she twisted and tried to evade his grip to no avail. Swinging her up in his arms, he laughed as she squealed in protest.

“Let me go!” she yelled at the top of her lungs before laughing some more. “Let me go.”

With her hands anchored around his neck, Austin growled, “Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin,” and strode back into the water, sinking down when they got deep enough.

He hadn’t caught his breath and neither had she when he kissed her, but Austin didn’t care that his heart was hammering and his lungs were starved of oxygen as she slid her legs around his waist and they kissed like the world was about to end.

Settling her hot, slick core over the top of him, she whispered, “Now.”

But, even this far gone, Austin was aware they had no protection. He knew she had a contraceptive implant, but he had to be sure. “No condom,” he panted against her mouth.

“I don’t care,” she also panted. “I’m protected and I need you. I need you more than I’ve ever needed anything.”

Her eyes were huge and earnest, her pupils dilated with lust, and Austin tried not to read any more into her statement other than the same immediate and urgent need for sexual joining that was burning through his system. He plunged inside her then, bare and hot and wet, and she gasped, her nails digging into his shoulder.

Austin groaned, withdrawing quickly and entering again, their gazes locked. And he kept doing it, quickly reaching a crescendo with her as they ground together in the cold waters of the lake. Stars blurred overhead. Black holes formed. Galaxies came to life while others sputtered out their last dying breath. In a matter of seconds, Austin had lived and died and was born again, and it was gratifying to hear the same kind of noises from Beatrice as she pulsed around him.

“Are you okay?” he asked when he could finally speak, holding her close in the water that now felt as warm as a spa.

She half laughed, and it was low and breathy and spoke volumes about her satisfaction, and he loved it. “Uh-huh.”

“You want to do that again in your bed?”

“You have no idea how much,” she replied.

Except he did know. He wanted to get her alone and naked and horizontal so damn badly. “We’re going to need to get dressed and walk briskly,” he murmured.

“I’m up for that.”

He smiled and kissed Beatrice’s forehead as he withdrew on a shared moan. They emerged from the water then, slow and stumbling and laughing at their newborn-foal-like progress. The very last thing he expected as he stepped onto the gritty sand was the harsh beam of a flashlight and a voice barking, “Stop right there.”

Reacting purely on instinct, Austin shoved Beatrice behind him as he grabbed for his genitals. “What the fuck?” Austin demanded, blinking against the spotlight.

“Ju… Austin?”

Austin blinked. “Chief?” Great…this was going to make for awkward conversation at work tomorrow.

“What the hell are you doing?” Arlo demanded as he quickly dropped the beam of light and turned his back.

“Who is it?” a woman’s voice somewhere behind Arlo demanded. It was high and no-nonsense. Then there was an “Oh dear,” as Winona’s face came into view, clocking it was Austin—a naked Austin—with Beatrice sheltering behind him, before turning abruptly around, following Arlo’s lead.

“I thought I told you to stay at the house,” Arlo grouched.

“Why would I do that?” she demanded.

“Because it’s a direct police order.”

Winona snorted. “Settle down, RoboCop. In what universe would I obey your orders?”

Austin and Beatrice exchanged a look. On any other day, it’d have been cute to witness Arlo being owned by an erotic romance author, but now wasn’t the time or the place.

“What are you doing here?” Austin demanded as he picked up Beatrice’s dress and handed it to her before reaching for his own clothes.

“Winona reported that there were lights flashing around down here and a woman yelling let me go.”

Austin and Beatrice exchanged a guilty look. He’d not realized they were so close to Winona’s place. Sorry, Beatrice mouthed, and Austin almost laughed out loud despite the absurdity of the situation.

“Well, as you can see,” Austin said, shoving his legs into his jeans, not bothering with his underwear for efficiency’s sake, “there’s nothing to see here.” Not now anyway. “Perhaps we could have some privacy and we’ll head back to town. And maybe…we can never speak of this again.”

“No arguments from me,” Arlo agreed, his voice laced with relief, like seeing his deputy with his balls in his hand had been the epitome of too much information.

“Ah…not okay with me,” Winona said. “Bea…call me tomorrow.”

Austin watched a quick grin curl Beatrice’s mouth. “Sure thing,” she said.

“Okay,” Arlo announced, flicking the flashlight beam at the ground. “Let’s go, Winona.”

Winona huffed out a breath and mumbled something about Arlo not being the boss of her, but she departed with him without further incident, although she didn’t go quietly. Their particular brand of bickering banter gradually faded as they moved farther away.

Austin glanced at Beatrice, who was dressed now, her wet hair slicked back, water droplets from the wet ends dripping onto her shoulders. “That was…unexpected.”

She laughed, and he joined her, relieved she was seeing the funny side. “C’mon,” she said after their laughter died. “Let’s go home.”

Home. His breath hitched a little at the word, and Austin suddenly felt warmed all the way through. Did she mean it? Or was it just a generic term for the place she lived? Because Beatrice felt a lot like home to him.

But was it reciprocated? Or was he just a stopgap?