Chapter 2

Bryan

I have to stifle a groan as I shift in my seat, my pants far too tight after simply hearing Jaime's sweet voice. The slight panic and worry in it shouldn't have me even thinking about her that way, but the hell if I can control it.

I've never felt like this for any woman before—not even Danielle, my high school girlfriend and ex-fiancée. I'm thankful that the engagement was broken while we were in college. Living in different states. Her in LA while I stayed here and went to State for a Criminal Justice degree.

I always wanted to be a cop, to help people, and there was no reason I had to leave town to do that. Not even to follow the girl I swore I loved.

It's a good thing I didn't seeing as how I found her in bed with someone else—well, two some ones else—one of the rare times I went to California to visit her. We'd been arguing for months about what she was going to do after graduating. I'd already been accepted to the police academy here and wasn't about to move out to LA of all places. That wasn't my scene, but she loved it.

She loved going out, partying, clubbing, didn't want to come back to Oak Grove to live. So I'd taken a trip out there to remind her that our love for each other was stronger than her desire to live in LA. Except I learnt quickly she not only clearly didn't love me, but she also didn't want to sleep with me the way she had with several other men, and even more so, didn't want a home or family for years—if ever.

It didn't take me two seconds to turn around and come home after breaking off the engagement hearing that. I wanted something I didn't have growing up—a loving home life.

My parents are still married but they clearly hate each other. Neither wants to give up the cushy life they have though because their house is paid off and they spend their money on whatever they want. They simply live under the same roof, but in separate bedrooms and lead separate lives—have for the last fifteen or so years.

They were never abusive towards me, mostly I was ignored while they lived their own life as a couple when I was younger. They were already growing apart when I was in my teens, but it wasn't until I was out of the house and in college that they dropped any act of wanting anything to do with the other. Completely opposite of Jaime's family I've easily learnt over the years.

I met the Cartwrights nearly four years ago when my chief sent me over to Adam Thompson's house to help him with a woman stalking the niece that he was raising after her mother died. I didn't have a clue I'd end up on the Cartwright's outer sphere through it, not until I learnt the man was dating Jasmine Cartwright. This past summer, I went out to meet up with Jasmine's twin brother Jamison to help his girlfriend with her stalker ex, who happened to be the son of one of our higher ups in the department.

Pisses me off when people abuse the badge. We're there to serve and protect. It's not meant to be a get out of jail free card as the former Lieutenant Commander Dennis now knows. I don't have any qualms that his son is dead either, not when it means that Natalie and Jamison are alive—and happily married after barely knowing each other for two months.

Although I wouldn't have argued having Jaime as mine in that same timeframe. It'd mean I'd have had someone to spend the holidays with instead of working them for whichever detective was out on leave.

There's only been one thing holding me back, well, two maybe. The biggest thing is that she seems to also enjoy being out and about more than at home, which I just don't know if I could handle. It would come down to how much I could trust her, and I'd only be able to figure that out after getting to know her.

Which I'll admit to myself that I'm reluctant to do. I'm thirty-six years old and afraid to get my heart broken—really broken if she's just looking for a little diversion and not something serious. Because the second I laid eyes on her she was the only thing I wanted, could see.

I don't know how I never once saw her in the last nearly four years since I started to get to know the Cartwrights. True, I didn't read the entertainment section of the newspaper which is where most of the articles and photos of the family, before meeting her in September. Although, I've now devoured every single one of that included a photo of Jaime in and have several photos from the paper and her sister's social media accounts saved on my phone because I'm so obsessed with her sweet beauty.

I just haven't managed to get past the fear that we're too different for her to be happy with me if I could get past the desire to have her home with me rather than being out all the time—trust that when she was out, she wouldn't betray us.

The second thing is that I'm not entirely sure she's interested in me—really interested. Every time I see her it's clear there's a certain sexual chemistry flowing between us, but that's a long way off from her being interested in something more than a quick fuck. It's not the vibe I got from her, and while I'm used to trusting my judgement, on this front, I don't have the experience—the sexual experience especially—to know if I'm seeing things that aren't really there on her side.

I don't let people get close to me. Not after Danielle and the crap with my parents. Jaime has the full potential to crush me and I'm doing my damndest to avoid it. But staying away from her is hard, especially when she's worried.

It's not the first time we've heard about the skateboarders causing trouble downtown. They're pissed that their skate park was torn down, and they've got nowhere else to go. The main park in town has a skateboard ban so it's either downtown in the multitude of parking lots that are empty when the normal work-day is finished, or in construction sites. And Jaime's family construction company makes certain theirs are locked up tight, even have security at some of the bigger ones.

I pull into the lot for her building, stopping just beyond the group that's showing off jumps, coming off the curb and landing on the lower ground of the slight incline. They stop, eyeing me and my car, and I get out, heading towards the oldest that's likely eighteen or nineteen. Most of them are probably somewhere between fifteen and seventeen, but there are a few that could easily be twelve or thirteen at most.

"You all need to clear out," I tell them, staring down at the leader of the bunch as his chin lifts in anger in response. "This is private property and you're trespassing. Not only is that illegal, but so is harassment and we've had plenty of calls from here about that as well," I add, although I don't know if it's true it's been reported. Based on the smirks on the faces, it's not a lie that they've done it.

"No po-po is gonna tell me what to do, pops," the leader returns moving up to get in my face and I stand up straight, letting my six-three height intimidate the boy that's likely only five-seven, five-eight. Jaime's likely just as tall as him but he has more muscles than her slender form and I don't want him anywhere near her.

"It's Detective and yes, I am, kid ," I add making a couple of the others there chuckle. "I might be about twice your age, but I have skills you'll never begin to master and if you don't clear out in the next thirty seconds, I'll prove them while putting your ass in the backseat of my car to take in on trespassing and harassment charges. Think your mommy or daddy will come down to bail you out for that in this weather?"

"Let's just go man," one of the others there says and there's a resemblance between them that makes me think they're related. The new guy is likely only fifteen or so and it's clear he doesn't want the hassle.

"You're lucky we're bouncing, pops, or I'd show you that the only thing your age would do is leave you gasping for air," the idiot postures and I take a step forward, sending him scrambling for his board. The rest of the group runs off without him as I grab hold of the edge of his jacket.

"Don't come back here, because next time, your ass will be in jail. Pass that along to your little posse and know that if you don't stop bothering people downtown, the only ones who will feel bothered will be you," I warn before releasing him, waiting until he's gone to move my car up to the backdoor to get to Jaime.

She steps through the door as I reach the end of the walkway and fuck, she takes my breath away. She's dressed in simple black skirt with a teal blouse that makes her stunning blue-grey eyes brighter under an open knee-length creamy white coat. Seeing her like this, would fool anyone into thinking she's just a regular everyday girl. Not the truth that she has millions in the bank and never had to work a day in her life.

It makes me like her more that she does though. To know that she could sit around and just count her money, but she still gets up every day and comes into the office. Hell, she even works late as is evident by when she found Maia and also again tonight. Although I don't like the idea of her working late. Especially when the roads are slick like tonight with the rain we got and the temps falling.

A sense of calm settles over me as she draws nearer. She doesn't look scared, the worry and panic I heard in her voice earlier gone, and I want to think it's simply for me being here, but I'm sure it's because those idiots are gone.

"Thank you for coming," she says, giving me a soft smile that makes it nearly impossible to stop from reaching for her, dragging her up against my body, and devouring every bit of her that she'll let me.

She meets me half-way up the walkway that leads to the parking lot, and I can't stop from taking her elbow, guiding her the rest of the way down it. There's a couple slick spots and she's wearing heels. Heels that I can all but imagine pressing into my back while she's under me, which is madness.

Partly because there's no way that's going to happen, let alone happen tonight, but also because I'm certain that there's no way I'd last long enough for her to even wrap her sexy long legs around me in order to enjoy those heels. I'm a thirty-six year old fucking virgin and this Cartwright princess deserves someone that can please her entirely. I don't know if that's me, but I sure as hell would give it my best if I got a chance.

Until I saw her three months ago, I hadn't even felt the urge to take care of my cock in well over a year, and now…well, as hard as I get thinking about her, it feels wrong to touch it myself. When I do give in, it barely gives me any relief, so I'm wired at all hours of the fucking day. And now here she is, my every fantasy, finally alone with me, and I'm ready to burst.

"It wasn't a problem at all, princess." The term slips out and I bite my tongue.

I might be a virgin, but I've watched enough videos to know what gets me hot. Every time I've pictured Jaime, she was being daddy's good little princess letting me take care of her entirely.

I just can't believe it slipped out now when I've barely gotten a second alone with her to take my shot.

Ninety percent of the time I've seen her she's been surrounded by other people, girls mainly, and there wasn't a chance in hell I was going to walk over and fumble my way through asking her out in front of a crowd. This is my chance and running her off by making her think me calling her a princess is in any way a bad thing is not fucking it.

Instead of pulling away or even looking at me funny, a smile settles onto her full pink lips and my heart races faster.

"My sisters tease me about always wanting to be the passenger princess," she says bringing my attention off her lips and up to her eyes. "I don't like driving on a normal day, loved it when Jillian finally got her license and could drive, so I guess I come by it naturally."

"Nothing wrong with wanting to be pampered," I state, making her brow lift a bit, a hint of color in her cheeks that is fucking sexy as hell. It makes me wonder if maybe she's not as experienced as her poise had me thinking she was these past few months. Maybe it's simply from being part of the Cartwright family and attending all of the events in town I'd never begin to get an invitation to unless it was through the department.

"Most people think I already am," she muses, and my brow rises at her tone.

"Your co-workers?" I guess seeing her glance towards the building quickly.

"Yeah, most of them think I got my job by using the Cartwright name, when I didn't. Now, they're annoyed whenever my designs get chosen for ads, because you get a bonus if it wasn't a team project. They're sure mine are getting chosen simply because of who I am, even though they're submitted through the company's own anonymous entry program that was created to be a hundred percent anonymous until you select the winner to reveal their entry identification. The staff that use it have no access to the actual programming just the submitted designs, so they don't have a clue who did them until they've selected the winner."

"But since you're a Cartwright, you don't actually need the money, and they don't think it's fair?" I guess and she nods. "You won it fair and square, so just tell them if they want a bonus to work a little harder."

"Oh I'm sure that'd go over well," she says with a laugh that sends shivers through me. "They'd complain that I'm being a snob or bragging then. It's why I was debating about just opening my own online graphic design shop, but I really like the company and the products we make."

"Sometimes you can't win for losing," I agree, hating when she shivers as the wind blows hard around us. "Since it's getting late and I'm sure you haven't had dinner?" I pause and she shakes her head no in confirmation, "I was on my way to a diner just down the street…"

"Gilbert's?" she asks interrupting me, but I don't mind at all when another smile slips onto her lips.

"Yeah, you know the place?"

"My family loves it. It's somewhere that we could easily go to, especially when our older brothers and sisters moved out and Mom didn't feel like cooking, or we had a million activities going on and it was just too busy. Mom and Dad hated to miss a single thing we were doing so it was a bit chaotic around our place at times. Mom liked that Gilbert's had a variety of things to choose from and they used fresh produce in pretty much everything. She was adamant that we all needed to have a healthy relationship with food because her mom always nagged whenever she had one of those tiny little snack size Hershey bars," Jaime answers and god, I love listening to her talk. Her childhood was the complete opposite of mine clearly, especially her mom.

"Most of the time dinner at home was Hamburger Helper or some frozen meat that came in a tray you just baked. Summers it was pasta from a can or hot dogs while my mom was at work," I admit making her eyes widen. "Now, I can't imagine what most families are having. One of the guys at the station mentioned that they can barely afford the hamburger to go with one box of the stuff and they have to get the generic brand because the name stuff costs too much."

"It can be expensive. It's why we have a food pantry at the apartment complex," Jaime says, and it sends my brow up in confusion. "The family's Safe Home Foundation owns the old Merrick Apartments. They were transitioned to lower-income housing, and a new building was added to be a pregnant women and mothers' home. There's an onsite daycare and kitchen as well as the pantry that stocks dry goods and nonperishable items for whoever needs them. There's a separate pantry for the moms that might need extra formula or diapers, wipes, and clothes. You should see Jillian and Jasmine talk companies and stores into donating stuff. It's wild. I seriously could never do it. I'm far happier to just help make up flyers and run the website. I'm better behind the scenes than out front."

"I knew about the foundation, but I thought it was mostly to help kids," I admit as another breeze flows around us. "I think I should get you out of this cold air before you catch a chill. Would you like to have dinner with me?" I add holding my breath until she says yes.

I lead her to my car, settling her in while putting my computer in the backseat, thankful for the cold air that knocked down my arousal. Being enclosed in the warm car with her brings it right back though, but I won't ever argue about her being with me.

"So, you don't like public speaking?" I ask once we're on our way to the diner.

"Hate it. Most of the family are extroverts. Jackie, I'd say Jamison somewhat, Joe, Jordan, and I are more introverted. When Jasmine first started dating Adam, his babysitter had to cancel last minute, and I offered to sit for them so they could still go out. It was amusing because Adam just gave me this strange look like he couldn't believe I'd rather babysit for them on a Saturday night since I was a college freshman. I'm much happier at home than on the go, especially with people I don't know. Jillian drags me out with her and her friends because she's worried I wouldn't do anything but go to work then go home if she doesn't.

"Says that at least Jackie had the excuse that she was helping with us younger kids when she in high school and then she got married at nineteen. They have ten kids now," Jaime adds and my brow lifts in shock hearing that. "Their oldest is twenty, she'll be twenty-one in May, and their youngest will be three later this month."

"Wow, all of your siblings have a lot of kids, don't they?" I ask and she nods. "Must be something when the holidays roll around, to get everyone together must take a lot of work."

"Actually it doesn't really," she says drawing my attention back to her gorgeous face as I park the car. "We have a family dinner at Mom and Dad's every Sunday and whoever can make it comes. Then we have one week every month that's basically mandatory. Jordan is the exception since he's not in town most of the year, but unless someone's really sick, in the hospital after having a new baby, or has to be out of town, you'd better be there or beware of Mom."

"I don't think I've seen my parents in…over a year," I guess knowing it was before Christmas last year and they're right here in town.

"I know our family might seem strange, but we really are close, and it's what I want for the one I have one day," she adds, and it takes everything inside me to not grab and tell her I'll gladly give her that family. Shit, most of the reasons I've been holding off she's already squashed.

The introverted part is making more sense now that I think back over the times I've seen her. The only time she was alone was at the grocery store, and she seemed completely relaxed unlike some of the others when I saw her. The courthouse I put down simply because why we were there, but the movies and when they were out to dinner a few times…she was there but not really connected, and I get that. It also makes sense why she was so at ease when she was just with Jillian or her other sisters and Maia.

The closest I can get to that other than with Cal, a buddy I went through the academy with, is probably with the chief and a few other guys on the force. I definitely don't have anyone that makes me feel so at ease that I can freely express myself unlike Jaime.

If I'm lucky though, maybe she can be that person for me. I certainly would enjoy that.