Slow Ride (13 page)

Kyla’s eyes widened. “And here I thought I was escaping one corrupt cop only to find
myself in a town run by another.” Was sticking around Ashten Falls a good idea? But
where was she going to go? She had no car and no money to pay for the repairs. And
besides, wherever she went, Cooper wouldn’t be there.

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Corrupt cop, huh? That the guy who hurt
you?” He didn’t wait for her to answer.

“Some of the other guys in town, mostly business owners, we got together and are trying
to force the issue. We’ve made reports to the state and the feds, carefully and anonymously.
We’ve tried to get some information from inside the force, but so far that’s been
hard to come by. It’s not like anyone really wants to go against their boss. Not to
mention the fact that too many people in town think the chief is a god. He keeps the
crime rates down by messing with the stats, and honestly some don’t care about him
beating the crap out of criminals. Problem is that some of those he considers criminals
aren’t, or at least haven’t been found guilty yet.”

Kyla sucked in a breath, her hands wrapping around him and hanging on tight. He gave
her a soft smile and continued.

“I get pissed when I see good people getting hurt and worse ‘cause of some moron on
a power trip. Sam, Roger, Tommy, a few others, we’re all trying to change shit around
here. We’ve become a thorn in the side of the top cop by making ourselves known on
the street, befriending some of the victims of his violence and being in the way when
he and his cop friends try to bring a beat down on people. This puts me on his radar.”
He squeezed her waist. “And since you’re on my radar, I don’t want you getting on
his. Ya know?”

“So that’s why you’re protective and joking about the whole bodyguard thing.”

“Yeah, well that and I’d really like to guard your body.” He winked at her. Kyla laughed
at his deliberately cheesy joke. “Why would he come after some chick whose pants you
want to get into? I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s been that kind of target on
your radar.” She was teasing him, though she surprised herself at the pang of jealously
she felt in her gut at the thought of another woman being on Cooper’s anything.

“You’re the only one who’s mattered though. And you’re the only one I’ve ever thought
about so much, I see you in my dreams.” He dropped his head down and covered her mouth
with his, not hesitating to taste her.

He sucked on her tongue and pulled back, his eyes watching hers. “Get it now?” His
lips brushed hers before she could answer.

She blinked, trying to find her focus and the words she needed to answer his question.
“Yeah.”

He gave her that smile she couldn’t resist. “Good, looking forward to more of this.”
He kissed her again and then straightened, tugging at her hand. “You fit nicely against
me.”

“Wow, that’s kinda, well sweet, Cooper. You better hope I don’t tell anyone that underneath
that rough and greasy exterior there’s a romantic at heart.” Kyla laughed, teasing
him now.

Cooper gave a look of mock horror on his face. “What, a guy can’t tell a woman how
he makes her feel? Do I lose my man-card for doing that?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not a guy, so who knows what the rules are? Just
haven’t seen it often where a guy would admit something like that. The last guy I
was with wasn’t exactly one to talk about feelings. Or care about them for that matter.”

They reached the corner of West Street and Beach Drive, and he tugged her by the waist.
The traffic was heavier at this time of day, though it was by no means bustling. For
the first time in a while, however, she didn’t care whether there was anyone around
or what they would say.

“So this guy who didn’t care about your feelings, was he the cop?” She dropped her
eyes to his shoulder. “I’ll take your silence as a yes.”

Cooper lifted her chin with his finger, “I can’t promise you anything, Kyla, or tell
you where this is going, but I can promise I won’t ever intentionally hurt you. If
you get confused, want to talk, need to get something off your chest, we’ll talk.
I won’t hide anything from you. Take a chance on me, on the possibility of us, and
I don’t think either of us will regret it.”

If this were any other man, she would have tried to back away, but his words burrowed
into her head and mixed with the sounds of her mother and brother, urging her to live
her life and not let her past dictate her future. Her therapy sessions filtered through
her mind. The therapist had told her over and over again that she had a right to a
happy life and deserved it just as much as the next person. For once, she let herself
fall, following the advice of the people who’d stuck by her through the last years
she’d spent in her own personal hell on earth. It was high time she stopped letting
Frank control her life.

“Okay.” She breathed out and tilted her head just to the left. “Can I go to the beach
now?”

“Yeah, let’s get you working on that tan. I’m going to want to explore those tan lines,
all of ‘em, soon enough.” He kissed her quickly and walked with her across the street,
stopping at the top of the steps.

She glanced over to the rock wall that lined the street and saw the stairs that led
down to the beach. It was nearly deserted, but then it was still early. “Are you coming?”

“That an invite?”

“Yeah. I mean, I just figured you were here. . .” God, she sucked at this flirting
and being coy crap. “And I thought you didn’t want me wandering around town, alone.”

Cooper didn’t say anything for a minute and then finally spoke. “You’re being cute
again. As much as I’d love to spend all day looking at you in nothing but a bikini,
I got to get back to the shop to do a few things before dinner at Phil’s place. I
will take a rain check, though. And don’t worry about being alone. One of my guys
will be keeping an eye on you when I can’t be around.” Cooper slid his hand into the
pocket of her skirt and took out her phone. He punched some buttons, a lot of them,
and then slipped it back into her skirt. “Now you have all my numbers. The house,
shop, music store, my cell, even Phil’s cell number. You need anything, you call me.
And you keep calling until you find one of us.” He kissed her nose before starting
to back away. “Phil will know I gave you his number and won’t mind. So do not hesitate.”

“You’re being bossy again.” She narrowed her eyes, but the force behind it was lessened
substantially. “And I’m not cute,” she reiterated her point from the other day, though
it came out more breathy than she intended.

Cooper bent down. “Yes, you are. By the way, I’m taking you out two days from now.
You got a dress and heels to wear to dinner?” he asked as his lips hit hers, a combination
of soft and hard that took her breath away. He smiled against her mouth as she melted
against him, his fingers sliding up the skin of her back to the tie of her swim top.
She pressed her chest to his, her hands dropping to the waistband of his pants and
tugging him closer. She laughed as she heard him growl low in his throat, both sounds
muffled by what their lips were doing.

After what seemed like an eternity Cooper stepped back, those intense eyes watching
for her reaction. A knowing smile tugged at his mouth. “Later, Kyla.”

“Hey there, mind if I throw my towel down here? I hate laying out by myself, makes
me nervous.”

Kyla opened her eyes and looked up at the woman staring down at her through her dark
shades. A quick glance around the beach showed there were still only a smattering
of people about at this time of day and plenty of real estate available. Still, she
nodded at the woman. “I don’t own the place, so have a seat.”

“Thanks a bunch! I’m Sarah. You new around here? I know just about everyone in town
it seems, and haven’t seen you before.”

She sat up on her elbows and took off her glasses. “Yeah, kind of. I wasn’t too far
outside of Ashten Falls when my car died. So it’s in the shop while I figure out a
way to pay for it. I’m Kyla.”

“Nice to meet you, Kyla. So where are you from?”

“Pennsylvania, small town outside Pittsburgh.” She always used Pittsburgh as the benchmark
since most people knew where that was.

“Cool. I’ve never been farther south than Boston. That was the last vacation I had,
too. Hmmm,” she paused as she seemed to consider that. “Well, what are you doing here?
Have you found any work yet? What do you think of Ashten Falls?”

“I like it. The people I’ve met so far have been really cool. It’s nice to be in just
one place instead of driving around.”

Sarah slathered herself with sunscreen and settled back on her towel. “So are you
planning on staying here long-term?”

Kyla paused before answering. That was the question, after all, wasn’t it? Was Ashten
Falls just somewhere she’d pass through, and once her car was fixed, she’d head off
somewhere else? Or was the town a place she could stay, maybe put down roots, and
stop running. There were definite benefits to staying here—her job, the people she’d
met and become friends with so far, and of course, Cooper. “I don’t know,” she finally
said, “I’d like to stay here, and I have a job at the garage now so I’m making a little
money while paying for the car repairs, but I haven’t really thought of anything beyond
that. I’m just taking it one day at a time, I guess.”

Sarah waggled her eyebrows. “Working with Cooper must be interesting. That man is
hot and one of the nicest guys I know. Are the two of you. . . you know, together?”

“We have a date day after tomorrow, Cooper and I. He’s taking me out to dinner. I’m
petrified and have no idea what to wear.” Kyla blurted out this information. She bit
her lip, tearing her gaze from the water to Sarah. “I hate dating; it’s so stressful.
What the hell do we talk about? I don’t know why he’d be into someone like me, and
not with the women who hang around the shop, bringing in their cars that don’t need
fixing just to check him out.” The spike of jealousy at that thought surprised her.
“They are all so thin and have great hair. What if I say something stupid or fall
on my face in heels?”

She was close to panicking and Sarah chuckling next to her wasn’t helping.

“Kyla, listen. Cooper’s a couple years older than me, but I’ve known him forever.
Like I said, he’s a nice guy who treats women well, from what I’ve seen. He also cares
about the town and looks out for the people in it, even the ones who work at strip
joints, even though he doesn’t have to. Can he be overprotective at times? Yeah, but
he has the best intentions. As for you, you’re gorgeous, real, and fun to talk to.
You aren’t going to do anything stupid or fall on your face, and even if you did,
I doubt Cooper would care. If he asked you out and wants to spend time with you, then
Cooper likes you, Kyla. So just go with it. See where the night, and the date, take
you. There’s nothing wrong with having some fun after all, unless you aren’t attracted
to him. Is that is?”

She shook her head. “Oh no, that’s not it at all. Cooper’s great, heck, he’s beyond
great. But it’s complicated. He, uh, kissed me. Well, I kissed him first, but then
he kissed me and now we seem to be kissing and touching all the time and it’s really
distracting. And I don’t know what to do ‘cause, we work together, and I really do
not
need complications right now and I swore off men.”

Sarah blinked, then threw her arm around Kyla’s shoulder in a sideways hug. “No wonder
he likes you. Making the first move. You go, girl! I don’t know much about his personal
life, but I can tell you Cooper hasn’t dated the same woman twice in like, five years
or something. He was engaged and from what I’ve heard, his fiancée slept with a college
friend of theirs. He was livid, and it fucked him up big time ‘cause he’d sacrificed
a lot for her, but . . . well, she was always a cheating whore. He just refused to
see it.”

Sarah’s arm tightened around her. “Congrats, Kyla, you got the eye of one of the biggest,
most bad ass men in town, in what, a week or so? Whatever your secret is, you have
to share with the rest of us.”

“Oh great, two messed up people who swore off the opposite sex. Hell,” she muttered.

Sarah chuckled and moved back on her towel, lying down to catch a few more rays. “Chickie,
seriously. Cooper is just a guy, but he is one of the good ones, and trust me, there
are very few of those left.

“Take a chance with him. So you kissed him, and he kissed you. You guys flirt. It’s
part of life, so enjoy it. It’s not like you two need to declare your love in the
paper or anything. So relax.” Sarah giggled, then grabbed Kyla’s phone to punch in
her numbers.

Kyla laid back on her towel, placing her sunglasses over her eyes. She needed to get
the topic off of her relationship with Cooper, and fast. “So, Sarah. Have you lived
here all your life?”

“Yep. Born and raised right here in Ashten Falls. I went to the local community college
for a year after high school, but then I transferred and moved to New York City for
a few years.”

When Sarah didn’t explain further, Kyla pressed the matter. “You moved to New York
and then came back here? Did the city and you not mix or something?”

She glanced over in time to see Sarah shrug. “I was there for almost five years. I
went to culinary school, worked in several restaurants. I could have stayed, but my
mom got sick and I wanted to be close to her while she was going through treatments.”

“Sorry about your mom. Is she okay now?”

Sarah turned her head and grinned. “Yeah. She just hit five years of being cancer
free. She and my step-dad moved down to Florida last year actually. I could have moved
then, but they offered me the house, so I took it.” She lifted her chin slightly,
her eyes shaded by her sunglasses. “I’m saving up to open my own restaurant here,
someday. For the moment I work at Felicia’s as a waitress and over at the diner as
a cook and server.”