Nothing.
“Paisley!” I called out louder this time from the landing in the middle of the stairs.
Silence. I continued up the stairs to check the rooms. My cop senses taking over. Everything looked ok, except the door had been left unlocked and the girls were nowhere to be found. I gritted my teeth and made my way out the back door. The pool was empty as was the deck and patio. Where the fuck did they go?
I went down the wooden path to the beach to see if they’d gone down there, and sure enough, I saw Paisley’s honey blond curls spread out on a beach towel.
It was the olive-toned beauty beside her that caught and held my attention. Her firm, lithe body was barely covered in her black bikini. She looked like a wet dream waiting to happen. I stopped dead in my tracks as I tracked every grain of sand clinging to her body. Fuck me. My dick went from zero to hard in two seconds flat, something it hadn’t done since I was a horny teenager going through puberty.
Her toenails were painted a soft pink, she had a belly button ring that had a little jewel dangling, tempting me to play with it with my tongue. Her breasts were barely contained in the black triangles that were held together by a series of strings, and her luscious brown locks hung down to the middle of her back.
“Who are you?” Her voice was husky and gravely. If her normal voice sounded like she’d just had a good fucking. I couldn’t wait to hear her actual bedroom voice.
Fuck. No. No. No. Off limits.
“You both left your shit in your cars and the front door was unlocked. Are you asking to be robbed?” There, cover up the fact that you’ve got a boulder in your pants by being pissed at them.
“Hey, Gabe!” Paisley sat up on one elbow and waved at me.
I gritted my teeth. Not even two seconds in and already she’s on my last nerve—Paisley, not her friend. “Stop calling me that, Paisley. You know damn well I hate that name. Both of you get inside and put some clothes on. I’ll start unloading y’all’s shit and order a pizza. We are going over some ground rules tonight.”
I turned around and walked back up the wooden path. Ground rule number one, no touching Paisley’s friend, she’s as off fucking limits as Paisley herself.
Chapter Three
“Wow,” I said, watching the angry gorgeous guy walk away. “You weren’t kidding.”
“I know, right? He could be a model or movie star, but he’s a small-town cop.”
“A cop . . .” I sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Why’s he so pissed off?” I asked, trying to change the subject from his occupation. I didn’t want to let on that I was curious about the man who I’d be living in close proximity to for the next few years.
“Not sure what bee crawled up his bonnet. Maybe he had a bad shift? But we better go see what he has to say.” She rolled her eyes, “Wouldn’t want to piss off the local law enforcement.”
I laughed. “We didn’t do anything wrong. There’s nothing he can do to us for laying out on the beach or being stupid for leaving the house unlocked and our stuff in our cars. None of that’s illegal. Stupid, yea. Illegal, no.
“It’s barely stupid, Lex. We aren’t in Nashville anymore, and everyone knows that a cop lives here. That’s part of the reason daddy rents him the guest house so cheap. Someone would have to be stoned or stupid to try to break into this place with Maddox here. I mean, you saw him. He’s six feet four inches of muscled hot beefcake that carries a badge and a gun.”
“How come you didn’t mention him before we got here?” I picked up my towel and shook out the sand as we gathered our stuff to head back up to the house.
“I don’t know. He’s just Gabe.” She shrugged, then paused and looked at me before a big goofy grin spread across her face. “Oh my god! You’re curious about him.”
Busted. I swear I felt my cheeks flush even through the warmth of our sun tanning. “I’m just curious why you didn’t mention him.”
“Careful, counselor. Don’t perjure yourself.”
“I’m not a lawyer yet, and I’m not under oath.”
“Ah, but you didn’t say you weren’t lying,” she laughed.
“He’s a cop, Paisley,” I reminded her. “Even if I am curious about him; I’d never go down that road or pursue him. Plus, I’ve got four years of school, then law school. There’s no time for a relationship.”
“Who said anything about a relationship? I’m talking dirty, sweaty sex.”
She grinned and I nudged her shoulder.
“Let it go, please,” I mumbled when we were almost to the house. There was no way I wanted the sexy, growly cop to overhear our conversation. I might find him attractive, and he may make my tummy tingle with unknown desires, but he was all wrong for me.
“Fine. There will be plenty of guys at school anyway.” Paisley shrugged her shoulders and moved ahead, leading the way into the house.