Confessions of a Mail Order Bride - Complete (26 page)

My car crunched over the gravel in the parking lot. After parking, I climbed out and reached back in for my pocketbook. I almost spilled the contents on the floor. My hands were a little shaky and clammy. I took a few deep breaths. It was such a beautiful, sunny day; a perfect day to meet a new man and possibly start a relationship. I squeezed my hands tightly and tried to push my nerves aside. I was excited to meet my date, but at the same time I was anxious. I wondered what he would think of me and if we’d hit it off.

As I walked towards the bench near the entrance to the park where we’d agreed to meet, I couldn’t believe that I was actually doing this. In minutes I was going to go out with the mysterious Mr. X. I knew he enjoyed the outdoors, going out to dinner, and pampering a woman, but that was all I knew. I didn’t know what he looked like or what he did, but I was about to find out. I could see him not too far away, standing next to the park bench, his back towards me. I couldn’t help but admire his brawny frame. His shoulders were broad and supported strong, powerful arms. A firm waist angled down to tight denims that showcased a tight bubble butt. Damn, if the front was anywhere near as nice as the back…

“Hi…uh…hello,” I cleared my throat as I neared him. We’d arranged everything so fast. I realized I didn’t even know his name, just where to meet him.

My eyes opened wide as he turned around, a wide smile on his face.

I gasped. “It’s you!”

No, no, it just couldn’t be. Of all the men in Shifter Villages, why did it have to be…

The smile left his face and his mouth dropped when he saw me. He quickly recovered and shook my hand. “I’m Dirk Matthews and you’re…”

“I’m Ava…Ava Adams.”

“I believe I saw you before, at the fire yesterday at Sweet Pups and at Kane’s Bar and Grill later on. You were with Adrian and Sherry.”

I nodded, “Yes umm, that was me.”

We both shifted uncomfortably. Me—date this man? I didn’t think so—not only was he the town’s sheriff, but he just wasn’t my type. I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be his type either. Police officers did not like women like me—shifter or not.

He pursed his lips and stared at me. For a moment, I felt like I was being profiled. I could almost hear the thoughts running through his brain.

“Look, I uh, I have never done any blind dating before. Maybe this was a mista…”

Dirk eyed me intently, his dark brown eyes narrowing into thin slits. “You don’t like how I look?”

“No…it’s not that…I…” That had nothing to do with it at all. I did like how he looked—more than I cared to admit. When I was with men I often felt like I towered over them, but not with this guy. He was so big he made me feel petite—dainty even. And though he was older, there was a sexy, earthy, quality about him that was timeless. It didn’t hurt that he had a beefy, muscular body that looked like he could lift trucks with ease.

I stumbled on, “I know you’re an officer of the law and your type isn’t interested in my type and I…”

“What do you mean my type isn’t interested in your type?” Dirk looked amused. “What exactly is my type?”

“You know,” I swallowed, “you’re kind of conservative and always doing the right thing. You like women who are conservative and do the right thing.”

Dirk laughed. “Oh, and you don’t do the right thing? What about you? What type of woman are you?”

“Well, I like to have fun. And as you can see,” I tugged a strand of my hair, “I can be a little different sometimes.”

“Oh, I see,” Dirk said, eyeballing my hair.

He looked amused, which I found as annoying as hell.

“Just so you know, I don’t normally put my profile on marriage match sites like ‘Luscious Lads and Ladies.’ Sherry talked me into it.”

“Hmm,” Dirk said thoughtfully, “so, you think there is something wrong with people who put their profile on the site—people like me?”

“No, no, I didn’t mean that… I meant…” What did I mean? I wasn’t sure.

Dirk waved his hand. “Look, since you’re here and I’m here, why don’t we at least get a cup of coffee?”

I was about to accept when Dirk cocked his brow and added, “Unless of course, you don’t think I would be fun enough to go for coffee with…”

Was he being a smart ass?

“You know, I think I will just get going. It’s a bit of a drive back to Pennsylvania.” I didn’t give him a chance to respond. I turned on my heels and began walking towards my car. “Anyway, it was nice to meet you,” I called out over my shoulder. It figured that when I finally decided to take a chance and put myself out there I’d get paired with some stodgy shifter.

“Wait, Ava…” Dirk called out.

I ignored him. As I slid into my car seat and turned the key in the ignition, I promised myself there would be no more online
blind
dating. I would wait till after the weekend experiment was over and the ‘Luscious Lads and Ladies’ site was back to normal to look for profiles I might be interested in. Then, the men on the site would see who I was and I would see who they were—none of this blind dating stuff.

“Damn, damn, damn.” The friggin’ car engine would not fire up. I tried to turn it over again but nothing happened. I looked towards the park. Dirk was staring at the car, walking towards me. I rolled down my window as he approached.

“Need some help?”

“No, no, I’m fine.” I reached into the compartment next to the driver’s seat, pulling out my roadside emergency ID card. “I just need to make a call here.”

“Ok, I’ll wait.”

“No…no, don’t trouble yourself. There’s no need to wait, I can take care of it.”

“It’s not a problem,” Dirk said, leaning against the car. “I want to make sure you’re taken care of.”

I rolled my eyes. I could take care of myself. Grabbing my cell from my bag, I realized the battery was running low. Shit! I’d forgotten to charge it at Sherry’s. I needed to leave some power in it in case I got stuck on the way home.

“Umm, can I borrow your phone?”

Dirk handed me his phone and I pressed in the numbers to get help.

“I’m happy to take a look,” Dirk said as I hung up. “Maybe it just needs a jump.”

“That’s ok,” I popped my cell back in my bag. “Thanks for letting me use your phone. They’re sending Gigget’s Garage to help me.”

“Gigget’s? Wonder why they’re sending them? They’re over an hour from here.”

“They said they’re backed up so it will be at least two hours before they get to me. But that’s the closest location that participates with them. It’s no big deal, I can wait. They’ll call me when they’re within a mile or so of the car.”

Dirk peered down at me in the car. “Well, I’m sorry you broke down, but can I keep you company while you wait and buy you a cup of coffee?”

I looked out at the gravel parking lot. Sitting here for two hours waiting for help to show up was not going to be fun. I was hungry, thirsty, and needed to pee.

I smiled at Dirk. “Ok, that would be nice.”

“There’s a bakery that serves up awesome coffee and delicious pastries. It’s just a short walk—about a block from here, this way,” Dirk said.

We started walking in the direction Dirk pointed to.

“It’s called the Crazy Cakes Bakery.”

“Oh yeah! Evan and Grant Myles own it, right? They married Judith Banks—well, she’s Judith Banks Myles now.”

Dirk nodded, “Yep.”

“I was at their wedding. I’m a makeup artist and I did Judith’s makeup for the event. Sherry recommended me.”

Dirk chuckled. “Yeah, Evan and Grant met Judith on the ‘Luscious Lads and Ladies Marriage Mates’ site.”

“Yeah, and that’s where Sherry met Adrian.”

“It sure seems like a lot of people are hitching up thanks to that site,” Dirk said.

“It does seem that way,” I replied. Of course, I hadn’t met anyone yet, but I sure hoped I would. “That’s why I put myself on the site,” I added softly. “I would like to meet someone special like they did. It would be really nice to meet someone to go out and have fun with. I just really want…” I stopped myself midsentence. Why the hell was I running at the mouth? What did Dirk care about what I wanted or needed?

Dirk stopped walking and turned to me, his eyes meeting mine. “I think we want the same thing, Ava.”

I looked away. It seemed like he was suggesting that we…no, it couldn’t be. I wasn’t his type. I was too wild. I’d done time in jail. I’d been messed up on drugs. This was an officer of the law here.

“Ava,” Dirk reached over, smoothing a strand of hair away from my forehead. His touch was firm yet gentle it sent a tingle down my spine. “Look at me.”

I gazed up at him, swallowing hard. I could feel my stomach doing flip flops. This was crazy. Just minutes ago I’d been thinking he couldn’t possibly be interested in me, but now that’s not what I was thinking at all.

“Would you…?”

I cocked my head, looking at him. “What Dirk?” Was he going to ask me to date him? Suddenly I hoped so.

Before Dirk had a chance to say anything, I heard the sound of glass breaking behind me.

Dirks eyes shot past me. “What the fuck?”

I turned to follow his gaze. The two gangly, red-haired men I’d seen at the fire were standing there. On the ground next to them was a broken bottle and shards of glass were splayed all over.

“Snake, Chip! Have you two been drinking?” Dirk shouted out. “Stay here, Ava,” he said, walking over to the two men.

“I accidently dropped it. It’s just root beer,” Snake pointed at the shattered bottle on the ground.

Dirk’s nose twitched and he raised his brows.

“We haven’t been. I swear,” Chip started to hold up his hands as if to say he was innocent. He must have realized how silly he looked with one hand in the air, clutching a bag of potato chips, because he put his hands back down.

“Clean up this mess before someone cuts themselves and get the hell out of here,” Dirk demanded.

Snake’s face twisted into a snarl. It looked like he was going to say something nasty to Dirk, but Chip punched him in the shoulder. As he leaned down to pick up the pieces of glass, his snake tattoo looked like it was actually slithering up and down on his arm.

“That’s really cool ink,” I couldn’t help but say aloud.

Dirk turned to me and frowned, shaking his head.

“Come on, Ava,” he pulled me by the arm.

Chip and Snake started to walk away, and we began to head back in the direction of the bakery. “I really don’t want you talking to them,” Dirk explained.

“Why not?” I replied defiantly, yanking my arm away. Dirk seemed to be over the top protective. That wasn’t a good sign.

“They’re just bad news. They’ve been in and out of jail since they were teens. I’ve tried to give them a chance many times but they keep fucking up again and again. They’re loose cannons.”

“Snake does seem to get angry pretty easily,” I shook my head. “Chip seems to keep him in check though.”

Dirk grimaced. “Trust me. Chip is just as bad as his brother…maybe worse. He just knows how to put on a better game face.”

“I just have to ask,” I wrinkled my brows, “did Chip get his name because he eats a lot of potato chips?”

Dirk grinned. “His name is Charles Thacker. He’s always been called Chip for short. As you can see, he likes to eat chips. I guess the name suits him.

“You sure know a lot about the people around here,” I said.

“That’s my job,” Dirk replied. “Anyway, let’s get that coffee.”

We rounded the corner and Dirk held the door open to the ‘Crazy Cakes Bakery’. I glanced around the shop. I didn’t see Judith, but Grant and Evan Myles were working the pastry cases. A man in uniform was leaning on the case near the cash register. As he saw Dirk, his eyes narrowed into slits. He balled his hands into tight fists and his face grew dark with anger.

“Coffee, Ava?” Dirk asked, “And how about a pastry?” He pointed to the trays laden with chocolate glazed, cinnamon, coconut flaked, sugar-coated, powdered, and other tasty looking donuts behind the counter.

“They do look yummy,” I said, admiring the tray of jelly filled ones. “But I’ll just
have a coffee.”

Dirk followed my gaze and pointed at the donuts I’d been looking at.  “Grant, please give us two large coffees
and
two of those.” He gave me a meaningful look. “Maybe Ava will change her mind about what she wants.”

I raised my brows. Was he talking about the donuts, or was he thinking about himself?

Dirk looked over at the man in uniform. “Bob, how’s your day going?”

“You let Max out of jail, how do you think my day is going?” the man answered sourly.

Dirk nodded. “It had to be done. I don’t believe he’s guilty.”

“And why the fuck is he not guilty? Look at all the evidence against him.” He started ticking off his fingers. “There’s the lighter, the gas can, the chainsaw, the…”

Dirk held up his hand and shook his head. “Bob, this is not the place to discuss this.”

Bob frowned, “Maybe no one has died yet in these fires, but they could. Do you want that on your conscious, Dirk? We need to protect this town…”

Dirk put his finger to his lips. “Enough, we’ll talk about this later.” He turned towards me. “Ava, this is Bob Griffith—Deputy Bob Griffith. He’s my second in command at the station.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Bob.”

Bob grunted, “Same, I’m sure.” Bob gave Dirk a hard look. “You’d best reconsider letting Max go free. People are getting sick of these fires.”

“Let it go, Bob,” Dirk said dismissively as he turned back towards me.

Bob shook his head as he walked away. “When another fire gets started, don’t say I didn’t tell you so.”

Dirk grunted.

“Your order is up,” Grant smiled. He handed Dirk and I our coffees along with a bag containing two of the jelly filled donuts.

“Let’s go sit over there,” Dirk pointed to a booth near a sunny window.

“Wow, he ah…isn’t too happy with you,” I said as we walked towards the booth.

“He’s jumping the gun,” Dirk frowned. “You can’t go around throwing people in jail willy-nilly.”

I grimaced as I slid into the booth. “He seems really angry.”

Dirk took a sip of his coffee as he slid in next to me. “He’s hungry to make an arrest.”

“Does he want your job?”

Dirk nodded. “He’s been pretty clear about that.”

“Hmmm. Someone spray paints ‘FU Dirk’ at every fire, right?”

“Yup, that’s right,” Dirk agreed.

“So whoever it is, they are trying to get under your skin and make you look bad.”

“That sounds about right,” Dirk grunted.

“Have you ever considered…I mean, I hate to think of a corrupt police officer,
but
is there any possibility that Bob is the one setting the fires?”

Dirk frowned.

“Think about it, Dirk. Bob has a motive—he wants your job. So he sets the fires. Then he spray paints ‘FU Dirk’ at the scene and he finds a fall guy—Max—to blame.” My mind was whirling. “He starts the fires, blames someone else and looks like a hero to the townspeople for solving the crimes.”

Dirk grinned, his cocoa eyes twinkling. “Did you say you were a detective, Ms. Adams?”

I pursed my lips. “You aren’t taking me seriously, are you?”

Dirk chuckled. “Oh, I do take you seriously Ms. Adams.”

Suddenly he grew quiet and gave me a long, hard look. “I appreciate your interest in trying to solve the crime
and
in taking the time to share a coffee with me.”

There was something about the way he was looking at me…his eyes so brown and intense, his muscular body so close to mine—warm and firm… I could feel little prickles race along my skin. I tried to ignore the desire stirring in my loins.

“Well…what do you think?” I stammered out. “Could…could Bob have set those fires?” At this point I could hardly focus on the fires in Shifter Villages. All I could think about was the lust filled inferno stirring inside of me.

He moved closer to me; so close I could feel his hot coffee breath on my neck and revel in the warmth emanating from his body.

“He could’ve,” Dirk growled, “but he didn’t.”

I tried not to look at Dirk, studying his juicy lips instead. “How…how do you know?” I managed to whisper.

“He was with me when some of the fires were set.”

“Oh…well then…who…who started the fires…” I could barely get the words out my thoughts were so jumbled. Suddenly, Dirk’s mouth was on mine.

I didn’t fight it. The sensation of his thick lips connecting with mine was intense. I could feel my nipples grow turgid and my pussy moist as Dirk’s tongue probed inside my mouth.

“Shit!” Suddenly, Dirk pulled away from me. “I’m so sorry, Ava. I know better than to do that,” Dirk cleared his throat. “I don’t know what it is, but sitting here next to you...this feeling came over me…like we were meant to be together.”

“Oh we…are, are…uh...we?” I croaked. I was trying to sound short and snappy but the words got stuck in my throat. I knew exactly what he had been feeling. I was feeling the same way. What just happened? My mine was a whirlwind. I had never in a million years anticipated feeling like this when I’d accepted his invite for coffee. Not only had I let Dirk kiss me, but I’d loved it. I was hungry for more—much more.

“It’s ok, really it’s…” But I didn’t have a chance to get the rest of the words out.

“God Ava, I want you,” Dirk mumbled as he leaned in to kiss me again. “There’s something about you that drives me wild. May I keep kissing you?” He didn’t wait for my answer as his lips found mine.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a woman walking by our booth. She shot us a ‘get a room’ look.

This was sheer craziness. Here I was with a man that I’d only recently met and we were making out in a bakery. Well, that part was normal for me. When I felt an attraction I followed my gut. I didn’t play games and wait till the second date. I’d had plenty of one night stands. But what was crazy was that it was with
him
. He was a man I’d thought of as bossy and annoying.
Plus
he was a police officer. Yet, the more I was with him, the stronger my attraction to him grew. What I was feeling was off the charts.

“Do you want to go to my place?” Dirk growled throatily.

I nodded. I had barely taken a sip of my coffee and the pastries were untouched but my body wanted—no, craved—this man with a ferocity I’d never experienced before.

Dirk grabbed my hand, “I live close by.”

We didn’t waste any time leaving the bakery. As we walked in silence to his place, I could sense the tightness and desire in Dirk’s body. I knew he wanted me and I wanted him. It was a no-brainer. But there was something else…something deep stirring within me. Something inside that told me I could fall in love with this man and be with him
forever
. This was a totally new sensation for me. With every other man I’d been with I’d never experienced this kind of feeling. Sure, I’d liked them, and had even loved some of them. But my gut had never felt that this was my
forever
man. This was insane…but I couldn’t deny how I felt. And the way he’d looked at me…

After we’d walked another block, Dirk leaned towards me and whispered in my ear. “My apartment is just around the corner.”

A wave of excitement rushed through me as Dirk added, “I can’t wait to get you there.”