Be with Me (Return to Haven 2)

Tanner had taken her to the dance floor for a little fun, only to realize that the way her body moved against his was some sort of sin. It had to be. He’d needed her clothes off and a hell of a lot more privacy. Apparently she’d felt the same because they’d ended up in the dimly lit hallway.

One kiss rolled into the next, then hands had roamed beneath shirts, beneath her knee-length skirt.

Pushing aside the erotic thoughts of that night over a month ago, Tanner pulled out of the parking spot at the precinct. He’d been stunned when he’d run into her earlier at the convenience store, but there was no way he was going to let her slip by without a face-to-face.

He should stay clear of Melanie Ramsey. He knew full well that pursuing her wasn’t the smartest. Her best friend and his cousin were getting married sometime soon, when they could fit it into their hectic lives. So, needless to say, their inner circle was rather small and tight.

Yet he’d basically demanded she come to his house tonight. What the hell had he been thinking? She’d tried brushing him off with the cookout, saying she’d see him there. She’d pushed aside the topic of her fancy car when he’d brought it up. Something was off with her, and he didn’t know if it was their one fierce night together or something more that had her spooked. All he knew was he wanted to see her.

Damn it. He hadn’t thought of another woman on a personal level since he’d met Melanie. Was it her mysterious past he was drawn to? That vulnerability she tried to hide only pulled him closer in an attempt to figure her out.

Call it an occupational hazard, but he lived to resolve anything that stumped him, and Melanie was one hell of a mystery.

Yes, he knew she wasn’t into relationships—something they definitely had in common. From the minor nuggets of information Tanner had heard from his friends, Melanie had been through hell being married to Neville Prescott. The thought of someone as sweet, as passionate as Melanie married to that smarmy-looking politician made Tanner furious. Obviously she wanted a brand-new life because she no longer had the name Prescott.

The mayor seemed to be on the news quite a bit lately, flashing that toothy grin and waving. No doubt he was working up his campaign for next year. But Tanner had no use for someone who lived through pretenses or mistreated others.

And a woman being abused in any way had a rage boiling inside of him he couldn’t describe. He’d lived through that with his mother, and now with the secret protection detail he’d been working on the past year. There was a special pocket in hell for anyone who mistreated a woman or child.

Tanner didn’t know specifics of Melanie’s past. That was her place to share and it wasn’t like they were that close. He had no right to pry into her darkness when he refused to let light shine into his.

Perhaps that was just another element that drew him to her. He needed to keep an eye on her, he needed to know she was safe now. Hell, he just needed her, and he never needed anyone. Tanner wanted more time because the quickie against his front door only left him frustrated and aching for more.

One more time. Then maybe she’d be out of his system and they could go back to the friend zone with the rest of their little circle.

Since his house wasn’t far from the station, Tanner’s commute took less than ten minutes. He’d purchased a two-story bungalow when he’d gotten his job on the force, fresh from the academy. The selling points had been that the sellers were leaving the furnishings and they had a kick-ass fire pit in the backyard.

Since he was rarely home these days, other than to crawl into bed and catch a few hours’ sleep, the place wasn’t dirty. And there were often nights he had to sleep in an unmarked car. So yeah, his house pretty much just looked staged because rarely was anything out of place.

For reasons he didn’t want to venture into, Tanner wanted to make a good impression on Melanie. Which was absurd in the grand scheme of things. He wasn’t inviting her over so she could grade him on his cleanliness or décor.

Just because she’d been married to a man with a heavily padded bank account, was used to having nice things, had recently driven a car that was more than his annual salary, that didn’t mean Tanner had to live up to those standards.

He couldn’t help but wonder what made her sell her Beemer, though. She seemed like a high-end type girl who liked to surround herself with the nicer things in life. Her clothes were always tasteful and had that pricey look. Her purses usually had those gold emblems that had some name that immediately made them expensive. He wouldn’t know about such brands, but he could spot nice things when he saw them.

Tanner refused to be something he wasn’t. He was a cop, living on a cop’s salary and working undercover for next to nothing. He was just fine with his bank account because at the end of the day, he was only in both of those positions to help the helpless. Money was just paper.

Besides, he only wanted Melanie on a physical level. Well, that wasn’t true. He wanted her, yes, but he wasn’t going to use her. He admired her. Surely they could remain friends, right?

Sex complicated so many things, but he didn’t want that with Melanie. How the hell could he get her out of his system and still remain friends? Maybe he couldn’t, and that would be his problem. He couldn’t do a relationship, couldn’t even entertain the idea. He’d gone that route once. Then his life exploded and he’d never fully been pieced back together. He was a shell of the man he used to be, and had nothing to offer.

Tanner’s cell vibrated in his pocket as he pulled into his drive. Adrenaline pumped through him as he hoped this was the message he’d been waiting on, to tell him about the next intervention appointment.

Haven’s retired police captain had formed an elite group of current and former law enforcement and military personnel to help him carry out delicate jobs—namely getting abused women and children to safety.

They pulled strings, sometimes skirting the edge of the law in order to save those who couldn’t help themselves.

Tanner was careful never to do anything that would affect his badge. If anything was questionable, his superior always pulled Tanner off that particular case and kept him in the dark.

Tanner pulled into his garage and put the truck in park before sliding his cell from his pocket. A quick glance gave him the information he’d been waiting on. The woman they were currently trying to save finally reached out to them, asking for help. She had a two-year-old and a five-month-old and was in desperate need of safety.

There was always a bit of relief when someone reached out. Each woman or child saved was just one more that had a chance at a better life.

Extracting children was always tricky, but with the mother’s reassurance, they always managed to pull off the move without incident. Tanner had seen some of the ugliest, vilest things while working this job. Another reason he couldn’t give it up. There were always people who needed saving, and if he stopped, he’d always wonder if he could’ve saved just one more.

Tanner recalled a time in his life when someone had stepped in to help his mother, to help him. He had no idea where he’d be today had his mother not gotten the assistance she’d needed.

After a quick reply, Tanner headed into his house through the access into the utility room. He wanted to get changed before Melanie showed up—and he had every reason to believe she would. It was a rarity to have an evening free, so he planned on making the most of it.