ARRESTED: A Stepbrother Cop Romance (5 page)

"So
what do you say?" Mom’s looking at me expectantly.

What
the hell did she ask me? Something about the wedding. Do they have my blessing?
Of course, they do. But what if the question wasn't asked like that? What if
saying yes means I'm not giving my blessing?

I
glance at Cory who gives the smallest nod I've ever seen. Relief rushes through
me, only to be followed by fear. Would he sabotage me?

"Yes."
I wait for mom's reaction.

A
smile spreads across her face and she reaches over the table to squeeze my
hand. "I'm so happy you said that! We'll go shopping for your dress next
week! A maid of honor has to wear something pretty special."

I
slump back in the chair with relief. I can do that. It’ll be a good distraction
from everything bad that’s going on in my life.

The
food arrives with three different wait-staff placing steaming dishes in front
of us. The chicken on the plate looks good but I can’t seem to find the
appetite to want to eat it. I push the food around on the plate, then take a
bite of chicken before my mom can ask me again if anything’s wrong. I'm not
good at lying to her.

Everyone
digs into their food but Cory got pasta. Only one hand required. His other hand
continues to rest on my thigh as he eats nonchalantly. Unable to take the
sensual torment I nudge him to get up.

"I
need to go to the restroom."

Cory
withdraws his hand and gets out of the booth. I hurry to slide out behind him,
smoothing my rumpled skirt as I dash across the restaurant and burst through
the door. I’m a mess; hormones raging, heart pounding, hot everywhere. I run my
wrists under the cold water to try and get myself under control and take a few
deep breaths to steady my nerves. My hands tremble, and I look at myself in the
mirror because I really need to give myself and internal pep talk.

I can
do this. I can make it through dinner. All it’ll take is a few more bites of
chicken, a bit more wedding talk, and then I’ll make my excuses so I won't have
to see Cory until the wedding. I can’t let anything ruin mom’s plans and I’ve
got enough going on dealing with Drew. Trust me to end up complicating my life.

As
long as Cory keeps his mouth shut about our little introduction, everything
will be fine.

Even
though I’m calmer now, I still feel so hot between my thighs and in the mirror
I can see the hard peaks of my nipples poking against my shirt. I should have
gone with the padded bra instead of the sheer one I chose but how did I know
that Jeff’s cop son would be so damn hot and cocky. I wasn’t exactly expecting
foreplay over dinner.

I
check my make-up, fluff my hair and paste on a smile. When I yank open the
restroom door I find Cory leaning against the wall beside the men's room,
waiting for me.

His
smile is gone but his eyes are still burning. I’m not sure which cop I like
better; the friendly one or the stern one. He pushes away from his position as
I'm walking past him, pinning me to the opposite wall with his body almost
pressing into mine and his hand resting against the wall above my head. I feel
tiny like this and he seems huge, all coiled muscle and raging heat.

"You
okay, sis?" he asks in a deliberately mocking tone. His eyes flash but it
isn’t with amusement. There’s something darker there, something that sends a
shiver up my spine.

"What
do you think? And don’t call me that. It’s weird when you’ve just had your hand
on the inside of my thighs.”

He
smirks, and this close I can see that dimple up close and personal. I want to
punch him hard and lick him softly. Then tell him he’s a shit.

"It’s
just funny isn’t it?” he says, looking at my mouth. “That you're going to be my
sister in a few months. I’ve never had a sister before."

"Stepsister.”

"Hmmm...why
does that sound so sexy?" He leans in closer and I get another whiff of
his cologne and behind it, the unmistakable scent of his skin. The heat from
his body seems to seep into mine, waking the little hairs on my arms and
sending a shiver over my scalp.

I
don’t know what to say to him. He’s talking like we’re going to be family but
he’s looking at me like he wants to taste me. I can’t take my eyes off his lips
and when he draws in the bottom one, wetting it with his tongue, I blink.

"Did
you think about me?"

"No,"
I lie. It sounds like a lie, too.

Cory’s
eyes crinkle at the sides as he smiles knowingly.

“Not
even a little bit?”

“No.”

“Liar,”
he whispers.
 
He’s so close, and moving
closer in such tiny increments that before I know what's happening his lips
press against mine. For a few seconds we stand like that, mouths touching but
neither of us moving. My mind is scrambled.
 
My hands hang limply at my sides but itch to take hold of his face and
pull him into me. It’s as though he’s giving me a chance to push him away, and
when I don’t he moves.

Those
lips that I’ve been fantasizing about push mine apart, his tongue finding its
way into my mouth, stroking. Shivers of sensation pass through me because this
is not a sweet first kiss, it’s a claiming. I feel owned by the force of it and
the need I can feel. His mouth moves over mine, nibbling, teasing, as if he'll
die of hunger if he stops.

I’m
lost in him, dazed by the force and passion I can feel with every pass of his
lips over mine. I’m so lost that when he pulls away suddenly, I drift forward
in his wake. His eyes burn into mine, his thumb strokes over my bottom lips as
though he wants to wipe away the evidence of what we’ve done. I’m panting,
waiting for more when he turns and stalks away.

The
wall is cool at my back as I sag against it, wondering what the hell just
happened. I exhale, then drag in a shaky breath. It seems that I hadn’t
imagined the chemistry between us. In his uniform, Office Carlisle is pure
professionalism. In his off-duty attire, he’s a big bundle of sin and sex. My
lips feel bruised and I put my hand to my mouth, wanting to trap the sensation
there. The ladies room door opens and an elderly woman comes out looking at me
strangely. I feel rumpled and disheveled.

Ravished.

Horny
as hell.

And
in desperate need of a stiff drink.

I
manage to walk back to the table, though my trembling legs make it tough. Cory
vacates his seat before I can ask, allowing me to slide back into the booth. I
don’t know where to look. Cory is smiling and chats comfortably with his dad
about his schedule for the week. I plaster a smile on my face, trying to look
as natural as possible.

Mom
and Jeff are almost finished with their dinner. Cory has eaten more than half
of his. I eat some more of the chicken but it doesn’t taste good. All I can
think about is Cory's lips on mine, but his teasing words are starting to come
back to me.

The
more I go over them, the more used I feel. Who the fuck does he think he is,
kissing me and then walking away? Who the fuck does he think he is, fondling my
thigh at our parents’ special meal?

The
kiss doesn’t seem to have affected Cory’s appetite. He wolfs down the rest of
his pasta, chatting jovially with my mom, turning on the charm like a pro. I
seethe quietly as mom blushes at his compliments. She’s high on all the
attention and obviously excited about this new stage in her life. I should be
happy but all I feel is dejected and washed up.

Maybe
Drew is right and I do give off the wrong vibes. He was always telling me that
his friends thought I was flirting with them. He told me that I give off sex
signals like a whore. I shift further away from Cory, feeling deeply shameful
about what we did and the reasons why. If I hadn’t have flirted with him at the
roadside, he never would have thought he could get away with his actions this
evening. All I was trying to do was get away without getting a ticket, and I’ve
managed to get myself into even worse trouble.

The
rest of dinner drags by. I try to take part in the conversation, hoping that no
one senses my mood. When dinner is over, mom, Jeff, and Cory decline dessert
and coffee, so I follow suit. Everyone is busy the next day so no one wants a
late night. While Jeff sorts out the check, I walk arm in arm with my mom to
the front of the restaurant.

She
glances over her shoulder, studying her husband-to-be, and Cory who is standing
beside him.

"You
like him, right?"

For a
panicked moment, I think she's talking about Cory. But of course, she's looking
at her fiancé.

"I
think he's great. I'm glad he makes you happy, mom."

She
squeezes my hand. "He does. And I'm so happy you'll be standing next to me
on the day."

I
kiss her on the cheek and give her a big squeeze of a hug. “Thanks for
tonight.”

Jeff
and Cory join us, Cory’s eyes scanning my face as though he can tell
something’s wrong. I avoid his gaze, glancing towards the exit, feeling hollow.
Jeff walks my mom out of the restaurant and I can't get out of there fast
enough. I don't even wait for Cory to say goodbye or whatever mocking words
he’s been thinking up since he kissed me. I dash out behind my mom and hurry to
my car, waving when I get there. Once I’m safely inside I throw my purse on the
passenger seat and start the engine. By the time I pull out of my spot Cory is
already at his car, leaning against the driver's side door, watching me. His
arms are crossed over his chest, making his biceps bulge. Shit, I’m actually
angry at his biceps for making me swoon.

I’m
an idiot.

I
check the rear view mirror as I wait at the end of the parking lot to pull into
traffic. Cory is still watching me.

My
stomach is full of butterflies but I’m angry, too.
 
Angry that he has the ability to fluster me
with so little effort. I tear my gaze away from the rear view mirror. When the
traffic thins I pull out and drive for college.

I’m
tempted to speed just to say a cosmic ‘fuck you’ to Officer Carlisle.

But
when I’m tucked up in bed that night, I find myself touching my mouth again,
remembering how amazing his lips felt on mine.

7

ALLYSON

It's
a few days after the dinner with Cory and his dad and I'm following Rachel
through a crush of college coeds at a campus party, wishing I was back at my
dorm. I down another shot of something. I don't even know what I'm drinking
anymore. It's blue and tastes sweet like bubblegum. I could drink a whole tray
of them if I knew where the girl with the tray had gone. As soon as we'd
grabbed a few of the blue concoctions she hurried off to someone else.

I
don't even know why we're here. A campus party is the last place I want to be
right now. I remember the last one I went to and a surge of panic runs through
me. As hard as I’m trying to drink away my worries, the alcohol can’t dull
what’s hanging over me. I turn to Rachel, needing to find a way to distract
myself.

"And
did I tell you how awful he was?" I ask, my words on the verge of
slurring.

"Yes.
And how annoying he is!" Rachel turns sideways to squeeze through a small
opening in the crowd.

I
know she's humoring me and I give her shoulder a little shove. "Maybe I
have been droning on since we got here but he
is
so annoying. Did I tell you what he did to me at dinner?"

"I
seem to recall you mentioning something about it." She smiles and I puff
out a breath.

Finally,
through the crowd and on the other side of the room we settle in next to the
table full of munchies. I grab a handful of chips, put the shooter glass down
and pop a chip in my mouth.

"He's
so cocky and arrogant." I shake my head trying to rid my mind of Cory.
It's no use. The memories of his grin, his hand caressing my thigh, his lips
crushing mine, won’t leave me alone.

Involuntarily
my fingers touch my lips and Rachel smiles knowingly.

"Right.
He's
so
horrible."

"He
is," I insist.

"He
sounds like just the kind of guy you would go for."

I pop
another chip in my mouth. "I've had enough of guys like that." The
image of him races back to my mind; the strong arms, muscular legs. His serious
professional face and his gorgeous flirty smile.

I’m
about to reach for more snacks when an arm comes around me from behind, grabs
my breast as the other brushes my hair aside. A wet mouth touches my neck and
my stomach lurches. I don’t need to turn around to know who it is.

Drew.

I try
to pull away but his grip tightens around me, his groping hand moves to my
other breast as he yanks me back into his body.

His
hot breath against my ear turns my stomach. "I wouldn't do that if I were
you, Allyson. Do you want those pictures going to everyone you know?"

I
stiffen in his arms and look at Rachel who screws up her face with extreme
distaste. She can’t hear what he’s saying to me because the music is so loud,
but even so her eyebrows raise and her eyes grow wide as though she's waiting
for me to do something; to fight him, push him away.