“I’ll take that into consideration.”
“I hope you do. And if it helps, I can always put you in touch with my sister Brooke, who can vouch for me. Although, on second thought, maybe that wouldn’t be wise. She’ll probably air my dirty laundry.”
“You harboring secrets, Officer?”
“Only if you consider I’d prefer to keep the little tidbit that I wet the bed until I was ten under wraps a secret, then yes, I’ve got secrets.”
“So now it’s plural?”
“I plead the fifth.” I smirked.
“And yet you seemingly just offered an embarrassing detail to a stranger.”
“Something tells me you won’t use that information against me.”
A burst of rough air punctuated the air that separated us as she shook her head in disbelief. “Never say never, Officer. That’s a lesson I learned the hard way.”
“That’s shitty, and I get it, I do, but at the end of the day, our character is defined by our words, so I’m hoping you’ll take my word at face value when I say I’m a good listener if you need a friendly ear to bend.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but no offense; that’s the last thing I need.”
“None taken, but should you change your mind—”
“I won’t,” she replied firmly.
I pressed my lips together and surrendered my flag, knowing when to call it quits. “Come on, it’s late, and I’m sure you want to get settled.”
I stood, offered her my hand, and immediately sensed her apprehension, likely fighting an internal battle on whether or not she wanted to defy my offer and prove she could stand tall on her own, metaphorically speaking. But the moment Lakelyn’s palm bonded with mine, her warmth jolted my system.
Her touch stole my breath.
It wasn’t until she was standing in front of me, now illuminated by the porch light, that I was afforded the luxury of taking in all her effortless beauty that I wasn’t privy to when I pulled her over earlier.
Lakelyn was tall. I guessed around five-nine, which I found refreshing since I was six-four. She was casually dressed, and the oversized off-the-shoulder black sweater she was wearing reminded me of the dancer from the old-school movieFlashdancemy mom lovedand had eclipsedher short jean cut-offs.My eyes danced from hers and down the column of her neck to her bare shoulder. Just from the glimpse of her defined curves, I knew this woman was concealing a toned body underneath her clothing.
Something about her captivated my interest and drew me in with no effort on her part. I’d place my hand on the Bible and shout loud and proud from the rooftops that Lakelyn was unequivocally the most natural beauty I’d ever seen. However, it wasn’t just her long dark luscious locks that spilled over her shoulders in loose waves or her rosy complexion that stirred a feeling within; no, it was her crystal-blue eyes that sparkled layers deep, allowing me to see how truly striking she was.
My heart knocked loudly in my chest, leaving me tongue-tied, and conflicted as to why the overwhelming urge to protect this woman surged from deep within without any context or bearing.
“Let me help you with your bags.” I broke our contact and stepped around her, needing to put some space between us. “The code I sent you in the email unlocks both the front and back doors.”
“Please, just leave them there. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, give me a holler if you need anything.”
“I won’t,” she snapped with a voice crack.
With her back now toward me, she somberly dropped her head.
I knew better than to take her words to heart at that moment. She wasn’t in the right headspace; that much was clear, and I was just some random stranger encroaching on her space.
With my hands jammed in my pockets, I descended the few stairs from the deck.
“Boden.”
My body did a one-eighty to find her looking my way solemnly.
“Thank you.”
