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It shouldn’t have been sexy. But it was.
My knees wobbled, and I dropped to the bench outside my store, sucking in a rasping breath.
As much as Colton’s demeanor rubbed me the wrong way, his voice, the way he looked in a uniform, made my limbs weak and heat pool in my belly. I wanted him. It didn’t matter who he’d dated, how long he’d been gone, serving in the military, or the uptight guy he’d become. Colton Castle revved me in a big way.
I’d never let him know, though. Not only could it not go anywhere because he’d dated my sister, but he wasn’t my type. Grumpy and growly, uptight, and a rule follower. He represented everything I steered clear of. Lightness, positivity, and happiness drew me. I liked to move with the flow, not adhere to a strict set of standards or goals.
Focusing on the breathwork I’d done in yoga earlier that morning, I took a few deep breaths, reducing my climbing stress with each inhale. By the time Colton stood in front of me, his service weapon holstered, I felt slightly better.
“Whoever it was is gone.”
I breathed out a, “Thank you.”
I stood, wobbling slightly. As Colton grabbed my elbow, steadying me, a tingle shot through my elbow, up my arm, and straight to my heart, which clenched.
“I thought we talked about getting an alarm system after the last incident.” His words were clipped.
“You mentioned it, but I didn’t think it was necessary.” I couldn’t bring myself to put any punch to my words. I felt too out of sorts.
“You think it’s necessary now?” He widened his stance, crossing his arms over his chest, which only pulled my eyes to his bulging biceps.
I swallowed over the lump in my throat. “Possibly.”
He drew himself up to his full height, well over six feet. “You’re here early and stay working late. It’s not safe.”
It wasn’t safe standing this close to Colton. My body was sending confusing signals—lingering fear and shock from the break-in, and a desire to step into Colton’s personal space to rest a hand on the stiff starch of his uniform shirt. But I resisted. Barely.
“You think it’s related to the break-in at Max’s?”
He nodded, relaxing his stance. “Possibly. That’s what we’ll investigate.”
“What do you need from me?”
His eyes widened, and his nostrils flared. “I need you to be careful.” He paused, scrutinizing me. “I’d feel better if you had an alarm system. If you’d had one, it would have been triggered when the door opened, and we could have been here sooner. Even a sign indicating you have a security system can deter most criminals.”
Looking away from his hard stare, I couldn’t argue with his logic. I didn’t want to walk into a volatile situation again. “I agree.”
His shoulders lowered slightly. “We’ll see if we can get some prints. Most likely, whoever it was was smart enough to wear gloves, but you never know. We’ll increase patrols in this area, both with vehicles and on foot.”
“Does that mean I’ll be seeing more of you?” I held my breath, unsure what I wanted his answer to be. Running into him was a roller coaster of emotions, desire, and longing for what I shouldn’t want and couldn’t have.
“Until we figure out who’s responsible, you’ll be seeing a police presence. I want to see an alarm system installed the next time I stop by.”
“You got it, officer.” I mock-saluted him, unable to resist teasing him a little. Now that the danger had passed, I was feeling more relaxed.
His stern expression slipped from his face. “That was sloppy.”
Stepping into his space, I peered up at him and lowered my voice. “Are you going to teach me how to do it right?”
He opened his mouth as if to respond, but the other officer called out his name. Colton shot me a look that said it wasn’t over.
I loved a good challenge. It was too bad any hope of Colton and me ended the minute he asked out my sister. I might have been too young for him back then, but that didn’t stop me from crushing on him. Watching them date for two years had been painful. He’d spent a lot of time at our house, but he wasn’t mine then and he never would be.
* * *
More backup arrived soon, and the officers moved around the store, gathering evidence. When they were done, Colton approached me where I stood just inside the door, surveying the damage.
“You’ll need to call your insurance company.”
