Uncovering Officer Smith (The Discovering Trilogy #2) (5 page)

The car ride is quiet, conversation-wise, at least. The engine of his Mustang is loud enough to keep my ears busy. I can barely focus on the music as he guns it towards town. I make it only ten minutes before the silence between us begins to bother me.

“So, when will I know the results of my lab tests?”

“Few days. Depends how busy the lab is. If it’s something illegal, they might call me beforehand.”

“Will you let me know?” My voice is small, even though I didn’t want it to come out as such.

He turns to me now. “Are you sure you want to know?”

“Oh, don’t give me the overprotective cop routine. I’m a big girl.”

“Alrighty, then.” He nods, his eyes never leaving the road.

“You’ll catch those bastards, right?”

“I’m sure as hell going to try.”

“I don’t want to hear that you are going to
try,
John.” He turns to me at the sound of his name. “Tell me you will roast these motherfuckers.” My fist slams the palm of my other hand.

His face turns back to the road as his laughter fills my ears. “Roast the motherfuckers? And here I thought you were just a nerdy prude.”

“What makes me a prude? The fact that I don’t give it up to everyone who wants to buy me a drink at the bar?”

“No, it’s the fact that you crucify anyone who does.”

My mouth drops open. “Screw you.” I stare out the window. He’s such a jerk.

After a few minutes of silence he asks, “Want coffee?”

“Excuse me?”

“Coffee? You know, that thing with the beans that smells like ecstasy?”

“Um…” My stomach rumbles at the mention of it. “Yes.” My hands have already begun twitching from not having my morning coffee… or afternoon coffee. Actually, I’m pretty sure I’ll be first in line when they start injecting it intravenously.

He pulls his obnoxiously loud car into a coffee shop I don’t recognize. John is the first out of the car. I guess I’m not the only one addicted to coffee. Before I know it, John is opening the car door for me. I climb out with a weak thank you. The sun blinds me momentarily. My head begins to pound during the walk to the front door and I’m not sure if it’s from my hangover or my coffee withdrawal. He pulls open the shop door and holds it for me, once again. I steal a glance at him as I pass by and enter the café. The sweet aroma makes its way to me and I breathe it all in.

He catches me. “Tastes as good as it smells.” His voice is deep and his breath is warm on my ear, that cologne of his replacing the coffee smell surrounding us. It sends a shiver straight through me.

After he awakens every single one of my senses, he walks away, toward the counter. I watch as he approaches the barista and places an order. The navy uniform fits him well, accentuating his muscular form. There’s something sexy about a man in uniform.

My teeth bury themselves in my bottom lip. “God, I hope so.”

Officer John spins around, meeting my eyes with his blue ones. “Here you go.”

“How did you know how I like my coffee?”

“I don’t. I just figured the more the caffeine, the better at this point.”

I hide a smile with the lip of the cup. “Thank you.”

“Go grab a table.” His chin nods toward the corner.

I gesture in agreement before making my way through the other tables, to one by the window. The side of the café faces a wooded area, and the green of the leaves makes me miss being a part of the track team. There’s not exactly extra time for sports when you’re trying to get into law school. To be honest, I hadn’t really thought about it until this very moment. I’ve really missed running. It was always a great stress release, the way the air pumped in and out of me. I’ve even seen a change in my body since I’ve stopped. Maybe I should start making time for it again?

“How is it?” John’s smooth voice interrupts into my thoughts.

I take a sip. “Mm, delicious.”

“I brought you some sugar.” He drops various packets on the table between us.

With a shake of my head, I respond, “You don’t mess with perfection.”

“You’re a professional college student, then.” His eyebrows do this cute thing where they quirk up together when he’s telling a joke. I have to bite my lip again.

“I guess you could say that.”

“Why did you pick NCU?”

“Um…” It’s a question I’ve been asking myself forever. Truth is, I don’t know. I saw the brochure and it called to me. “The campus is small and beautiful. Something about it just told me this is where I wanted to go. Plus, the full scholarship didn’t hurt, either.”

“Ah, I see. So, you’re like a nerd?”

“If by nerd, you mean intelligent and determined, then yes – call me a nerd.”

“Okay, nerd.” He smiles against the cup as he brings it to his lips.

“You’re kind of a dick.”

Only one-eyebrow quirks up this time before he shrugs. “It comes with the territory.”

“What territory is that? Doucheville?”

“No.” He laughs. “I meant being a cop. Everyone hates you – you learn not to take crap from anyone.”

“Oh, so you’re telling me Douchistry is taught at the academy?”

“Douchbagery 101 is.” That earned me a sexy smirk. Oh Lord, his smile causes my insides to churn.

Relax, Becca, this douche does not deserve to see you squirm
. That’s what I tell myself, but as I continue to look into his eyes, I see something I’m not expecting: softness. He came after and protected me last night. He brought me back to his house and took care of me. Those are not the doings of a complete tool bag. Maybe I should cut this guy some slack.

“So, where would you like me to drop you off? Do you want to pretend to do a walk of shame? We could pick up the cruiser and turn the lights on, really drum up the rumor mill.”

Maybe not.

“The walk of shame?” My face always seems to give me away. An actress I am not.

“I’m just joking with you. I thought that’s what we were doing – a little friendly banter. Down, girl.” He leans back.

“Sorry, I guess I still don’t feel well.” My fingers rub my temples.

“I understand.” He sighs, pain showing on his face. “I should be getting you home, then.”

The ride home is somewhat quiet. Actually, it is silent. The music isn’t even turned on; if it weren’t for the drum of the engine, I could have heard him breathing. He coughs a few times, like he is clearing his throat to start a conversation. He never does. He finally pulls up to the perfectly manicured North Commons drive. The car pauses at the center stop sign.

“Are you staying in the old dorms or the new?” His voice seems strange after enduring the silence for so long.

“The new ones across from the football field.”

“Gotcha.” He veers the car to the right, wrapping around the school. “Back when I came here, there were only the old dorms and Fraternity Row.”

“Yeah, my freshman year was the first year they opened these. They still smelled like paint when we moved in.”

“Does the Old Building still not have an elevator or air conditioning?”

“No. You would think with the amount of tuition we pay, that they would renovate already. I had to learn the hard way last summer.”

“You’re taking summer classes, as well?”

“Yeah, I’m trying to finish in three years.”

“Wow.” His face softens. I think that earns me some credit with him. Not like, I care what he thinks of me, or anything.

The car swings into the circular drive in front of my dorms. The outside of the brick building is bustling with people coming and going. An image pops into my mind of a girl stumbling out of a blaring cop car in front of all these people. He’s right; it might have been a little funny.

“Well, this is me.” When I turn to look at him, the car is in park and his eyes are on me. “Thank you for… well, everything.”

“It was nothing. I was just doing my job.”

“No, you weren’t – thank you.”

I unstrap my seatbelt. My hand reaches for the door handle and I climb out. For some reason I have a feeling deep down, I will never see him again. Before I shut the door, I lean in. “Do you need my number or something, for when you catch these guys?”

“Oh, yeah.” He enters his passcode and hands me his phone.

Placing my number in his contact list, I respond, “Will you actually call me?”

He takes his phone back into his hand and meets my eyes. “Yes. I’ll call you when I catch those guys.”

“Okay. You better, Officer Smith – I know where you work.”

He smiles. I finally shut the car door.

His Mustang pulls out of the parking lot and roars down the road. With a deep breath, I turn around and walk up the pathway to the dorm, still wearing last night’s jeans and blouse. I’m internally thanking myself for being the casual type and not wearing heels. My outfit can pass as fancy, day attire. Well, for those girls that
try
too hard. Me, on the other hand? I believe I shouldn’t have to dress up to impress a guy. That’s probably why I’m single and Meggie gets all the dates. Speaking of, I hear her voice down the hall before I even make it all the way up to the third flight.

“No, I’m telling you, Troy, she didn’t come home last night—What do you mean who—Becca!”

I dash up the last few steps and zip around the corner. “That better not be who I think it is.”

Meggie is standing there in an oversize tee shirt and a man’s boxer shorts, her embarrassing bunny slippers gracing her feet. Her make-up is still vaguely visible around her eyes; lips tinted a deep shade of pink. “Never mind.” She drops the cell phone from her ear. “Becca, where the hell were you?”

“It’s a long story,” I mutter, seeing people beginning to open their doors. “Can we go inside?”

She glances around, noticing my shy expression. “There’s nothing to see here! Mind your damn business.” She waves them away and pulls me inside the dorm before slamming the door shut.

“Thanks, now everyone is going to know I stayed out last night.”

“So what?” She plops onto the couch. “It’s college, Becca – now spill the beans.”

“Ugh, I need to sit down.” I move and settle on the couch next to her.

“I woke up this morning and you weren’t in your room, and almost called the police. It’s just so unlike you.”

“Funny, I was with one last night.” I shoot her a smirk that could put John Smith’s to shame.

“You did a cop?” I think she’s actually impressed.

“No, I didn’t
do
anyone.”

“Oh.” She sounds disappointed. “So, then what happened?”

“Apparently, it appears these two guys at the bar drugged me. He stopped them before they could leave with me.”

She leans forward. “What?”

“Yeah, he even took me to the hospital.”

“Oh my God, Bee, I had no idea! I feel so guilty – I should have stayed with you instead of—”

“Oh, yeah, what happened with Troy last night?”

She blushes. Meggie O’Malley actually blushes at the mention of a guy. Write this down in the history books. “We just kissed.”

“You just kissed? You were ‘just kissing’ all around the bar last night.”

“Yes.” She blushes again. Her freckled cheeks grow redder and redder. “We came back here and ‘just kissed’ and stuff, too.”

“And stuff?”
Caught!

“Yeah, like a few bases, but that’s about it.”

“A few? As in three?”

“Maybe.” She turns away from me.

“Meggie, that’s Troy Turner, star athlete and notorious man-whore. You need to be careful.”

“I know.” She gets up now, pacing the living room around the couches. “It’s just… we have a connection I can’t explain.”

“Well, be careful.”

“Yes,
Mom,
” she teases.

“So, some bouncer saved you from almost getting raped last night and then takes you to the hospital?” She slickly changes the subject.

It’s my turn to blush. “I woke up in his bed.”

“What?” Her mouth drops open.

“Yeah, he took me to his apartment.” I hide a smile.

“That’s actually kind of romantic. Did he take your number?”

“He has it for the case. But, Meggie…”

“Yeah?” She glances up.

“It was the
hot
bouncer.”

“No way. Bouncer-dreamy-eyes?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“Oh my God, that makes this story twice as awesome! Did he say anything to you?”

“He has this huge box of condoms beside his bed.”

We break into hysterical giggles. I grab my stomach. She doubles over the chair until they die down.

“Well, at least we know he’s safe.”

“That’s what
he
said!” A new roar of laughter overcomes us.

A knock comes at the door. Meggie perks up and goes to answer it. I notice as she does that, she rolls up the waistband of her boxer shorts slightly.

She opens the door to Tom, our thin, dorky neighbor. “Hey, is everything okay in here? I heard a commotion.”

“Yeah, Tom, everything is fine. Becca was just filling me in on her extracurricular activities last night.” Meggie winks back at me. She opens the door further, allowing him in. We have a pretty laid back wing, up here on the third floor.

“Oh.” He pushes his black-rimmed glasses up his nose. “What kind of activities?”

“Hmm, good question.” She turns to me. “Becca?”

“There were no activities. I was just… sick.”

“Oh, yes.
Sick
.” She copies me.

“Are you feeling okay?” Tom comes to sit beside me on the couch. Meggie raises her eyebrows at me a few times, not so conspicuously pointing between us two.

“Yes, I’m fine now. Thank you.”

“Well, if you need some chicken soup or anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Meggie butts in. “Yes, some chicken soup for the soul is exactly what Becca needs.”

“Meggie.” I shoot her a look.

She folds, raising her hands in defeat. “I’m just saying.” With that, she wanders into her bedroom to our left and doesn’t come back out.

“Your roommate is a strange one.” Tom turns back to me.

“I’ll say.”

We share a laugh. When it dies down, he asks, “What are your plans for today?”

“Well, I have some homework to do. I might head to the library.”

“Oh, cool. Maybe I’ll go with you.”

“I don’t know when I’ll be headed there. I still have to get ready and stuff.”