SexontheBeach (6 page)

Yet, Dale couldn’t stop reminding him to get as close to her
as possible, without jumping between the sheets.

“Yeah right.” He blew out a disgusted breath as he beat feet
through the sand to the other side of the car. Staying out of Allie’s bed would
be the hardest job he ever had. Not even the all-night stakeouts without food
were as hard as dealing with his aching cock and the desire to have his next
door neighbor.

He had another dilemma on his hands. Who was the guy she was
talking to? Was he really just the dog owner or was that a cover-up to her drug
operation? He needed to find out that information and fast. First he had to get
her to the station and get her processed maybe then she’d start talking and
give him all the information he needed.

She took his advice and remained quiet the whole ride to the
police station. Tony was relieved because he felt awful for what he was doing,
but it was his job. If she was a drug dealer she needed to be off the streets.
He had to put aside his feelings for her and the way his dick reacted to her.
She was off limits—permanently.

When he pulled in front of the station she continued to look
forward out the window. She hadn’t turned to him or questioned what would
happen. He decided on the drive over that once inside he’d have someone process
her while he had the drugs analyzed. Once he had the proof of who and what she
was he’d make her give up the names of the people involved.

If luck was on his side he’d get to return to the beach and
nab that guy she gave the pills to.

He brought her in first and settled her into a chair. He
asked Harold to get all her information and run a check on her while he
returned to his car and brought the drugs down to forensics. They would do a
quick test and let him know what types of drugs they were dealing with.

“Hey Cathy, I have a job for you.” Cathy had been with the
department for many, many years. She’d helped him out on various different
cases. She was all about getting the dealers off the streets. Her son had died
of an overdose, which led her to change her profession and do something to help
police officers. She didn’t want to be a cop, but she loved forensics, so
twenty something years later, there she was fighting crime the only way she
knew how.

“What do you have for me today, Tony?”

“A chick this time. One hot broad too. She appears to be up
to her elbows in drugs. Look at all this stuff.”

Tony dumped the baggies onto the metal table. “I haven’t
seen this many baggies in awhile. I never thought we’d see a break in the
case.”

“Give a few minutes to finish what I’m doing here and I’ll
take a look for you.”

“No rush.” Let Allie sit upstairs and stew. He wanted her
good and ready for when he questioned her. He wanted her to sing like a bird
just to get out of here. He could see her wanting to plea bargain. What woman
in their right mind would want to sit behind bars? It depended on what she was
dealing, whether or not she’d get the opportunity to plea bargain.

The thought of gorgeous Allie behind bars brought pain to
his heart. She didn’t look like the type who’d make it very long in jail. The
women would eat her alive. She’d become someone’s bitch before long.

Tony shook the image from his mind. The urge to protect her
raged through his body. He couldn’t. He had to get to the bottom of this drug
operation and somewhere in the middle of all of it was Allie.

Cathy was taking longer than she expected so Tony went
upstairs to check on his prisoner. She was giving Harold a hard time. When he
approached her he noticed her fingers were black from finger printing. He
wondered if her prints brought back any results.

He picked up the file and glanced it over.

“Is Harold treating you all right?” He knew the answer, but
wanted her to feel a little relaxed.

She ignored him. That was fine by him. He’d rather not have
to listen to her pleas. He knew without a doubt he’d be torn to shreds over his
desire to let her go.

“She’s clean,” Harold said coming up behind Tony.

“Ha,” she snorted.

“We’ve got nothing on her prints.”

Tony threw the file down on the desk.

“Cathy is testing the drugs I brought in. We should be able
to nail her with what we got. Maybe you should put her in an interrogation
room.”

She laughed.

Tony was bothered by her sudden need to laugh at everything
he said. Was she challenging him to break her? Allie didn’t know who she was
dealing with. Tony was the best they had. Besides Dale, when they wanted a
suspect to crack they came to Tony. He always got the answers he wanted.

The phone rang and Harold answered it. He spoke in hushed
tones and then hung up.

“I’ll put her in three. Cathy wants you downstairs.”

“Great. This case might be over in the next few hours.” He
rushed off, but Allie’s words left a sick chill inside him.

“Good luck with that.”

Tony ran down the stairs to find Cathy.

“Sorry Tony, we’ve got nothing.”

“What? What are you talking about nothing? I brought you a
ton of bags.”

“All medications. They run the gamut from acid reflux to
migraine pills. Nothing illegal about any of them.”

“Son of a bitch! Are you sure? One hundred percent,
absolutely sure?”

“It’s not rocket science. I know illegal drugs and these
aren’t any. Your perp is only guilty of having a few medical conditions that
need treatment. My suggestion is give these back to her and apologize profusely
for the mix-up.”

“Shit. I thought for sure this was the break we’d been
looking for.”

“It would’ve been nice, but she’s not a drug peddler. Just
an innocent woman.”

“Crap.” Now he felt like a heel. How the hell was he going
to explain himself to her? His cover was blown. She knew he was an undercover
cop. He had to do some quick thinking so she didn’t go ruining their operation.

With his tail between his legs he went to interrogation room
three. Harold had left her sitting in there alone, no handcuffs. It was just as
well because she wasn’t guilty of anything. Why the hell hadn’t she told him
they were prescription pills?

“Allie, look I’m really sorry about the confusion.”

Her head spun like the girl in ‘The Exorcist’, venom spewed
from her mouth.

“Confusion? You dragged me down here without asking me what
was in the bags. Did you even listen when I tried to explain?”

His head was hung low. He couldn’t look her in those blue
eyes and see the hurt he’d caused.

“I thought I witnessed you doing a drug exchange with the
guy you claimed was the dog owner.”

“He was the dog owner.” She pounded her fist on the table.
“He had a headache. I gave him something for it.”

“Why are all your pills in little baggies? Those are the
type drug dealers use you know.”

She laughed an evil chuckle.

“My pill box shattered and it was all I could find in the
house. I need to take those meds pretty regularly. I couldn’t afford to leave
them all lying out. I needed to put them in something accessible. The baggies
provided me that.”

Her story made sense. If he’d been smart enough to ask her
that first day none of this would be happening. He wouldn’t have thought of her
as a suspect. That wasn’t totally true. He’d have thought it a cover-up and
still watched for any suspicious activity. It was just the nature of the beast
with his job.

“I’m terribly sorry. When I saw all those pills on your
counter and you were putting them in bags, I thought the worst. I thought you
were preparing them for distribution.”

“I can’t believe you thought I was a drug dealer. Do I look
like a drug dealer?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean anything in this business, Allie.
Shit, some of the dealers out there have kids selling drugs for them. It’s not
uncommon to come across a woman once in a while.”

“You were dead wrong this time. Maybe next time you suspect
someone of wrongdoing you should just walk up to them and ask them point blank.
You might be surprised at the answer you get.”

She’d made her point. He felt like a schmuck. He’d made a
fool out of himself and her.

“I’m so sorry, Allie. I hope you understand.”

“If you’re looking for forgiveness think again. I’m done
with you, Officer Tony.”

He hated to do this to her and embarrass her more than he
had, but he had to state the obvious.

“Do you need a ride home?”

“Goddamn. Yes.”

He could tell it pissed her off to admit she needed a ride
and from him. The last thing she wanted was to take anything from him.

“Am I free to go now?”

“Yes.”

“Great, get me my meds back, take me home and then leave me
the fuck alone.”

“Done.” Tony opened the door and she stormed out. She
stomped through the desks and out the front doors down to his car, which was
right where he’d left it when he brought her in for questioning.

She tapped her foot on the pavement waiting for him to catch
up and open the door for her.

Tony did and waited while she climbed in and got settled.
Only then did he close the door.

He slowly made his way over to his side. This was going to
be a long drive back to the beach house.

Allie didn’t know if she wanted to slap him for being so
stupid or laugh. How could he really think she was dealing drugs? At least he
didn’t baulk at the alternative, that she was taking all those pills for health
reasons.

She stole a glance at him. He looked remorseful. His
normally upturned lips were frowning and the lines around his eyes crinkled as
if lost in regret.

The handcuffs had hurt her wrists. She rubbed them to ease
the pain.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

He didn’t look at her when he spoke. He continued staring
forward as he drove. She wanted to reach out and tell him it was okay, but it
wasn’t. He could’ve marked her record with the arrest. Thankfully they dropped
all charges and promised her name wouldn’t be associated with an arrest.

How would that look to future employers when she started
looking for a new job in a few weeks?
Oh by the way, I was arrested on
suspicion of drugs, but they weren’t illegal drugs.
God, just the thought
of having to explain that situation had her stomach twisting in knots.

“I can’t believe you thought I was a drug dealer and why
didn’t you tell me you were a cop?”

“I couldn’t. I couldn’t risk blowing my cover like that. I
know I don’t have a right to ask anything of you, but I’m begging you to keep
my secret. I’m still out here to do a job and there are some dealers on this
beach. It’s my job to bust them.”

He was right about one thing, he had no business asking
anything of her, but she wouldn’t expose him. She knew from watching those
detective movies that exposing his cover would put him in harm’s way. She
didn’t want anything to happen to him, even if he had arrested her.

She laughed thinking about explaining this one to Pam.

“What’s so funny?”

“I was just thinking about my friend. The one who let me use
her beach house. She’d going to die when she learns I was arrested there.”

“I’m glad you find it funny. I feel horrible.”

“You should.” Temptation to reach out and comfort him filled
her to the core. She kept to her side of the car. If anyone was going to be
comforted it would be her.

“In my own defense how do you think it looks when I see all
sorts of pills on the counter in your kitchen? Then you have them all neatly
packaged in small baggies. To make matters worse I see you give a package to
some strange guy.”

He made a good point. All those things would appear
suspicious.

“You could’ve asked.”

“Yeah right. I was supposed to walk up to you and ask you if
you’re the drug dealer I’m looking to bust?”

Okay, so he had another good point.

“True. This was a terrible comedy of errors, but it’s over
and I can go back to my peaceful vacation. You can go back to looking for the
real dealer.”

He parked the car next to his place, turned off the engine
and turned to her.

“Truce?” He extended his hand.

She stared at his hand, wondering if she should call a truce
or remain mad at him. His face still wore a look of sorrow. Allie knew staying
mad at Tony wasn’t going to happen.

“Truce, but from here on out, leave me out of your
investigation. Okay?”

“Okay, can I keep you in my personal life?”

She wasn’t sure that was a good idea. He was chasing drug
dealers. Who knew what they would do if they discovered an undercover cop. Her
life could be in danger just associating with him, yet she wasn’t ready to push
him out of her life completely.

“Let’s take things slow and see what happens.”

“I can live with that.”

She laughed again. He had no choice.

“Thanks for the ride home.” Though she wouldn’t have needed
one if she wasn’t arrested.

“Can I offer you a drink?”

“No, I think I’d like some time to myself. It’s been a crazy
day to say the least.”

“Understandable.” He pulled out a card and handed it to her.
“This is my number, if you change your mind call me. I won’t harass you.”

Allie accepted the card. She reached for the handle and
opened the car door.

“Bye, Tony.” She needed to get far away from him before she
changed her mind and had a drink with him. A drink was definitely in order
after the ordeal she’d been through, just without the sexy cop.

Tony didn’t get out of the car as she walked back to her
place. She could feel his eyes watching her every move.

“Hey thanks for those pills, they worked wonders.”

She covered her chest with her hand.

“My God, do you always sneak up on people?” She’d just
reached the stairs when Paul came around the deck startling her.