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“Just relax,” she said
quietly.

His shoulders were the width
of the massage table, and she was struck by how big and muscular he was. Given
her history with men, she should be terrified of such an opposing man, but
there was a sweet and gentle side to him that made her want to trust him. If
only her life were different, she could imagine herself falling in love with a
man like Tucker.

“What’re you thinking about,
gorgeous?” he asked, moaning as she dug her fingers into his lower back.

She resisted the urge to
straddle his waist so she could get in deeper. “I’m not thinking about
anything. I’m working.”

“I had a great time last
night, angel,” he said softly.

Just like that, she melted. “So
did I, Tucker.”

“Does that mean you’ve
changed your mind about letting me take you to dinner?”

She’d told him she couldn’t
make it because one of her regular clients booked an appointment for 9:00, but
he called to cancel. Still, she should be home to tuck her daughter in. As it
was, she had to work so many hours, she didn’t get to spend as much time with
Madison as she would like. Her little girl wasn’t one to complain, but Rachel
knew she secretly wished her mother could be like all of the other mommies who
dropped their kids off and picked them up, took them to extra-curricular
activities and school events. Those were the things that Rachel missed the most
about going into hiding, missing out on the important events in her little
girl’s life, but whenever she got depressed thinking about it, she reminded
herself that it could be worse. At least they were together.

“I really shouldn’t. I have
some things to take care of at home.”

“Come on, sweetheart. I
really want to spend some time with you tonight.”

Rachel ran through the
possibilities in her head. She could leave work early and spend some time with
Maddie before she went to bed. A romantic dinner with an incredible man would
be the perfect reward for the months of hell she’d had to endure on the run.
“Okay. But can we make it about 7:30?”

“Sure, whatever works for
you.” He sighed. “God, you’re really good at this, hon.”

While massage therapy wasn’t
her passion, she appreciated the praise. It would be nice if she could put her
skills to use on only one man, Tucker, and focus the rest of her attention on
her real passion, her dance studio. But that was just a fantasy, and she didn’t
have time for daydreams. “Thanks, I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”

“So, they’re doing the
repairs on your car today. I told them I wanted them to give it a complete
overhaul. Then they’re going to send it over to the body shop for a paint job.
You just have to pick the color.”

She took a step back as she
dropped her hands to her side. “Are you crazy? I can’t afford that.”

He raised his head to look at
her. “So what? I can.”

She set her hands on her hips
as she tried to force herself to take a few deep breaths. She knew he was just
trying to do something nice for her, but this was crossing the line. She
couldn’t afford to become indebted to or dependent on any man. “You have to
call them and tell them just to do the necessary repairs. Please, Tucker. I
really can’t afford the kind of work you’re talking about, and I can’t pay you
back right now.”

He smirked. “How ‘bout we
trade? You can book me in for one of these killer massages a couple of times a
week.”

She knew it would take months
before that trade paid off for him. “You didn’t feel you needed massage therapy
before.”

He grinned. “That was before
I realized you had magic fingers.” He sighed. “Come on, sweetheart, let me do
this for you. I’d feel a hell of a lot better if I didn’t have to worry about
you getting stranded on the roadside again, especially knowing what I know
now.”

How could this man, who just
a few short days ago wanted to run her out of town, care so much about her now?
Her mother’s question came back to haunt her, but the man who made love to her
last night couldn’t have been trying to set her up. Rachel wasn’t very
experienced with men, but she knew there was no way to fake the kind of passion
they shared.

“I don’t know what to say.”
She turned away, hoping to hide her emotions. One random act of kindness
shouldn’t bring her to tears, but no one had ever wanted to do anything like
this for her before.

He got up off the bed and
pulled her back into his chest. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

She sniffled as she swiped at
the tears slipping down her cheeks. “Nothing, I’m sorry, I’m just being silly.”

He turned her to face him.
“Hey, come on. Talk to me.”

“It’s just so unexpected.”
She sniffled. “You hated me a few days ago. Why would you want to do this for
me?”

He pulled her tight against
his body and she couldn’t ignore his erection prodding her stomach.

“I want to do this because I
realize I was an asshole for treating you that way. Don’t tell her I said this,
but my sister was right about you, Rachel. You are amazing.”

She settled her head on his
chest and smiled. “Thanks… for everything.”

“Baby, I want you.” He
whispered the words in her ear as he nuzzled her neck. “But I don’t want you to
think this has anything to do with the car or…”

She wrapped her arms around
his waist as she tipped her head back to allow him to explore her neck with his
hot, eager mouth.

“Let me make love to you…”

His raspy words were a heady
aphrodisiac she knew she couldn’t resist. “Yes.” His tongue felt like heaven
searing her skin. She’d been flashing back to last night all morning, and now
he was giving her the opportunity to relive it.

He reached down to grab his
pants and pulled his wallet out.

She frowned as she watched him
retrieve the foil packet. “Do you always get laid in the middle of a workday,
Chief?”

He smirked. “Come on, don’t
be like that. You know I don’t.”

No, she didn’t know that for
a fact, but he’d earned the benefit of the doubt. “You better not be.”
Suddenly, she felt a red-hot surge of jealousy course through her as she
thought about him indulging in an afternoon quickie with someone else.

He chuckled as he rolled the
condom on. “You’re jealous.” His eyes darkened when he said, “Now you know how I
felt when I walked in here and saw that kid pressing his dick into your back.”

She indulged in the urge to
skim her hands over his chest. God, he was perfect. “You can’t seriously think
I’d be attracted to him, Tucker.”

“Maybe not, but it’s pretty
obvious that he was attracted to you.” He pulled her tank top over her head.
“Has he ever asked you out?”

She leaned into him as he
reached around to un-do the clasp on her bra. “Hmm… a few times.”

He kissed her shoulder as he
tossed the bra to the floor. “Tell him I’ll kick his ass if he does it again.”

She giggled. “You’re the
chief of police. You can’t go around beating people up and expect to keep your
job.”

He leaned back to look at
her. “You want to test that theory? Keep massaging guys who want to fuck you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Are you
suggesting I only massage women? That would cut my client list by 80%.”

He pushed her shorts and
panties over her hips as he growled, low and deep in his throat. “You ever
wonder why eight out of ten of your clients are men?”

“No, as long as they pay
their bill, I’m happy.”

He pushed her back against
the wall. “Well, I’m not fuckin’ happy about it.” He slid two fingers into her pussy.
“Do you know what it’s going to do to me, sitting over there behind my desk,
wondering who the hell you’re with in this room?”

She tried to focus on his
words, but the deep thrust of his fingers was making it impossible. “Oh God…”
Her head rolled back against the wall. “That feels so…”

He forced her legs further
apart with his knee. “I know every fuckin’ guy who comes into this room wants
to do this to you.” He used his other hand to rub her clit. “But you’re mine.
You got that?”

She’d heard that too many
times before, and it should have scared the hell out of her, but she knew
Tucker wasn’t anything like Glen. He wanted to protect her, not hurt her. She
moaned as she gripped his shoulders.

“Tell me you want to be mine,
sweetheart.” He rubbed circles around her clit with the pad of his thumb. “Come
on, baby. I need to hear it.”

“I do… I want to be… yours.”
He could convince her to say anything while he was doing that.

He pulled his fingers out and
thrust his cock into her in one rapid stroke.

She opened her eyes, shocked
by the sudden invasion.

“I’m sorry, but you don’t
know what that does to me, hearing you say that.” He nibbled her neck as he
used one hand to secure her wrists above her head. “Say it again.”

He was pounding into her, so
fast, so hard, so deep, and she never wanted him to stop. She focused on what
he wanted to hear, what would make him lose control, because that’s what she
wanted suddenly, to unleash his inner animal. “I’m yours, Tucker, all yours.
You’re the only man I want to fuck. Your cock is the only one I want filling
me, stretching me, pounding me…”

He threw his head back as he
grimaced, obviously trying to maintain control.

“I want your lips, only
yours, all over me, kissing me, licking me, sucking me, fucking me…” She’d
never willingly talked dirty to a man in her life, but seeing what it was doing
to him made her want to unleash her inner bad girl.

“Fuck… Rachel, stop!”

“I don’t want to stop,” she
whispered, drawing her earlobe into his mouth.

“Baby, you have to. You’re
gonna make me come.”

She moaned at the
helplessness in his voice. It was such a turn on, knowing she had so much power
over him. “I want you to want me all the time, Tucker. I want you to be sitting
at your desk and fantasizing about fucking me.”

He moaned as he threw his
head back. “Believe me. I will be.”

“I want you to think about me
taking your cock in my mouth, sucking you off…”

“Jesus Christ,” he whispered,
clenching his jaw. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me right now.”

She could feel it. His cock
was so thick and hard and deep. She was surprised her next door neighbors
hadn’t called the police by now. She smiled at the thought of one of Tucker’s
officers catching him with his pants down, pounding her. She closed her eyes
and allowed herself to get lost in the sensations. The friction was wreaking
havoc on her and she knew she was as close to climaxing as he was.

“Make me come,” she
whispered. “Please, I need to come around your cock again.”

“Fuck,” he muttered, bowing his
head as he gripped her waist. “Tonight, tonight I’m gonna make love to you the
way you deserve. Jesus, baby, I never planned to do it like this, fucking you
up against the wall in the middle of a work day.”

She leaned in to kiss him,
letting her tongue tangle with his as his cock stroked her clit, taking her
higher. When she finally withdrew to steal a breath, she said, “This is what I
wanted, what I needed from you today.” She braced her hands on his shoulders as
his thrusts became more frantic. “Oh god, yes… Tucker… I’m gonna come.”

“Thank God,” he muttered,
finally giving in to the orgasm she was sure had been hovering just beneath the
surface ever since he slid into her.

She smiled when he leaned his
head against the wall beside her head. She kissed his cheek. “That was amazing.
Thank you.”

He leaned back to smile at
her. “You’re thanking me? I should be thanking you. I’m goin’ back to work so
goddamn relaxed I may need a nap just to get through the rest of the day.”

She grabbed his face and
pulled his mouth to hers. There was so much she wanted to say to him, but she
couldn’t. He deserved to know the truth about her, but she wouldn’t put him in
the position of choosing between her and the law he’d sworn to uphold.

“I love being with you,” he
whispered, running his finger down her cheek.

She smiled. “I feel the same
way.”

He sighed. “I have to leave
now. I’ve got to go over to the elementary school and do my shtick about
stranger danger.”

Her heart started pounding wildly
when she realized he was referring to the school her daughter attended. She
silently cursed the tremble in her voice when she asked, “What grades are you
speaking to?”

Tucker reached down to pick
up his pants. “Grades 1-3, I think. I go there once a month. We talk to the
older kids about drugs and Internet safety, and we lecture the younger ones
about strangers and what to do if you get lost.” He grinned. “They’re pretty
cute. So you said you like kids?”

Her heart nearly leapt out of
her chest. How was she supposed to answer that question without giving too much
away? She didn’t want to lie to him, but she’d die before she put her
daughter’s safety in jeopardy.