Two Cops, a Girl and a Pair of Handcuffs Read online

  The Badge Bunnies Series:

  Two Cops, a Girl and a Pair of Handcuffs

  By Paige Tyler

  Copyright © 2012 by Paige Tyler

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the author.

  Cover Design by Gemini Judson

  Dedication

  With special thanks to my extremely patient and understanding husband, without whose help and support I couldn’t have pursued my dream job of becoming a writer. You’re my sounding board, my idea man, my critique partner, and the absolute best research assistant any girl could ask for!

  Thank you.

  Two Cops, a Girl and a Pair of Handcuffs

  Working the late shift just got a whole lot more fun!

  Cilla Garner has it bad for Hayes Prescott and Reed Lockwood, the two hot cops who come into the coffee shop where she works the late shift. When her coworker goes home early and leaves her alone with Denver's finest, she can't help but flirt. Of course, if they both end up asking her out, she has no idea how she'll choose. The idea of having a threesome doesn't even enter her mind until they hint at it, and then it's all she can think about.

  She has the perfect opportunity to take them up on it when they offer to drive her home after work. What girl wouldn't be thrilled at the idea of sleeping with two guys who come with their own handcuffs?

  Chapter One

  Cilla Garner cringed as lightning flashed outside the coffee shop. She held her breath as she waited for the accompanying peel of thunder. When it came, it was so loud it shook the coffee shop’s big plate glass windows. God, she hated thunderstorms.

  It was times like this that she really hated her job as a barista at Espresso Joe's in downtown Denver, too. Working the late shift was bad enough, but with the crappy weather tonight the streets were deserted. Which meant an empty coffee shop. And she got nervous when she was there alone. Between the big windows and the pitch black night, it felt as if she was in a fishbowl.

  Why did her coworker Tracy have to go home sick tonight of all nights?

  Cilla chewed on her lower lip, her gaze going to the windows again. Outside, the rain was coming down in sheets now. Not even the music playing through the shop’s fancy speakers could drown out the sound. As much as she hated the thought of walking to the subway in the torrential downpour, she was seriously considering the possibility of closing up early. But if she did that, her boss would probably pick this particular night to show up and check on things.

  Crap. And to top it off, she’d worn the cute, new platform sandals she’d just bought the other day. They were going to get ruined. She needed to start checking the Weather Channel more often. At least her boss always kept a few extra umbrellas in the back.

  Ignoring the rain pelting the windows, she went back to reading her textbook. She couldn’t lock up for another hour. Might as well try to get some homework in. Reading about Generally Accepted Accounting Principles didn’t do much to take her mind off the storm, though. Why the heck hadn’t she taken her parents’ advice and gone to college right out of high school instead of taking time off for a few years to figure out what she wanted to do with her life? She’d probably have a corner office in an accounting firm by now and a hot, hunky assistant with dark, soulful eyes and washboard abs she could do her laundry on.

  The door of the coffee shop opened, intruding on her daydream. Not sure whether to be annoyed at the interruption or relieved to finally have a customer, Cilla looked up and did a double take when she saw the two cops who walked in.

  Speaking of hot and hunky.

  She’d noticed the handsome Officers Lockwood and Prescott the first night they’d come in for coffee and practically drooled over them every time since. Most of the time they got their order to go, but sometimes they hung around. When they did, she’d catch them looking her way, but neither cop ever did more than flirt, much to her chagrin. If she knew Denver’s finest was this gorgeous she would have forgotten about majoring in accounting and gone to the police academy instead.

  Cilla smiled as she walked over to the register. “You two are late tonight.”

  Officer Lockwood shook the rain from his slicker. Tall, with dark hair and eyes the color of her favorite chocolate bar, he was probably in his late twenties or early thirties. His shoulders and chest were heavily muscled under his uniform shirt, a sure sign he worked out at the gym in between putting bad guys behind bars.

  “There was a light out on 5th Street and we had to direct traffic until the power company got it fixed.”

  On second thought, maybe she wouldn’t join the police academy. Standing in the rain for hours on end was definitely not her idea of fun. “Then you’re probably in the mood for some coffee. The usual?”

  Officer Prescott flashed her a sexy grin. He was about four or five years younger than the other cop. He might be taller and leaner than his partner, but she just bet he had one hell of six pack under that navy blue shirt. “Sounds good.”

  “Grab a table and I’ll bring it over to you.”

  She thought they might not take her up on the offer, especially since they were on duty, but they surprised her by walking over to the table in the back corner of the shop. She watched as they took off their hats and raincoats and set them on the backs of some neighboring chairs. Maybe if she offered them free coffee, they’d hang around until closing time.

  Cilla poured coffee into two large to-go cups, then carried them over to their table.

  “Refills are on the house.”

  Officer Lockwood raised a brow. “You sure?”

  “Of course. In fact, I wouldn’t mind if you hung around for a while.” She bit her lip. “The girl who works with me went home early and I’m a little nervous about being here by myself. I’d feel a heck of a lot safer with two police officers.”

  “I think we can do that.” Officer Prescott gave her another of those gorgeous smiles. “Making a pretty girl like you feel safe and secure is part of the service.”

  They made her feel a lot more than safe and secure—they made her feel all hot and bothered. Cilla blushed as her mind wandered all sorts of places it shouldn’t.

  She tucked her long hair behind her ear. “I’ll go get some cream.”

  Cilla glanced over her shoulder at them and noticed both cops were tracking her ass like radar. Nice to know they were checking her out as much as she’d been doing to them. Deciding to give them a treat, she bent over to grab the cream from the fridge instead of kneeling down. It wasn’t as good on the back, but it did show off her derriere. And the looks of appreciation the two men gave her when she turned around made it worth it.

  She set the cream on the table with a smile. “I’m Cilla Garner, by the way.”

  “Reed,” Officer Lockwood said. He poured cream in his coffee. He had nice hands. Big, with long, tapered fingers. Something told her he knew exactly how to use them, too. She bit her lip to stifle a moan. “And this is Hayes.”

  Hayes grinned at her over the top of his coffee cup. Damn, he had a sinfully sexy smile.

  “Why don’t you sit down with us?” he suggested. “Unless you have something you need to do?”

  Like she was going to do her accounting homework when she could hang out with two hot cops.

  She slipped into a chair. “I’d love to.”

  As she crossed her legs, she realized the rain didn’t seem to be coming down quite as hard. Or maybe she was too busy flirting with Reed and Hayes to care.

  Cilla had always kind of had a thing for c
ops. The tight uniforms, all that leather, the handcuffs, the air of calm, assertive authority. They definitely did a number on her. Which made carrying on a conversation practically impossible. She managed enough to learn the two cops had been partners for several years, and that Reed was a Denver native, while Hayes was originally from California. From Denver herself, but having visited California, she had something in common with both men.

  “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you hanging around. I feel much safer,” she said. “I only wish I could offer you more than coffee as a way of showing my appreciation.”

  She looked at them from beneath her lashes, hoping one—or both—of them would pick up on her interest and ask her out. Of course, if they both did, she could be in trouble. Which one would she pick?

  Hayes leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. His hazel eyes were more green than brown, with little gold flecks. “Do you have a boyfriend, Cilla?”

  That was easier than she’d thought. She was afraid she might have been too subtle. “No.”

  She wanted to finish her degree as quickly as possible, which meant taking a full course load every semester, so she hadn’t had much time for a social life. But now that she was just a few classes away from graduating, that wasn’t a problem.

  “What about you?” she asked. “Are you seeing anyone?”

  “We’re both between relationships,” Reed said.

  Was that his way of telling her he was interested in her, too?

  Cilla looked from one cop to the other. “Hard to believe some girl hasn't scooped up two attractive guys like you.”

  “It's hard finding a woman who can handle us,” Hayes answered.

  Us?

  That was an interesting way to phrase it. Hayes hadn't said it was hard finding women who could handle them, or their jobs. But a woman—singular—who could handle them—plural. Had it simply been a Freudian slip, or had he been referring to what she thought he was? The image made heat pool between her thighs, and she squeezed her legs tighter together. She'd never been with two guys at the same time before. Never even considered it. But now that she thought about it, the possibility was intriguing.

  “Maybe you haven’t found the right woman.”

  Had she just said that out loud? Well, she had to gauge their interest, didn’t she?

  Reed chuckled. “Guess not.”

  Cilla’s breath hitched. Oh, yeah. They were definitely talking about a threesome. Since they were both gorgeous and unattached, she wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity, that was for damn sure. This might be her only chance to fulfill her fantasies—with not one, but two hot cops.

  “It’s almost closing time. I should probably clean up.” Her heart sank as Hayes and Reed pushed back their chairs. “You don’t have to leave.”

  “We weren’t,” Hayes said. “We’re just going to give you a hand.”

  “Oh.” Relief coursed through Cilla and she smiled. “That’s very nice of you.”

  Reed grinned. “We’re nice guys.”

  Cleaning out the coffee pots and wiping down the tables took a lot less time with their help. On the down side, it also gave her a lot less time to figure out a way to let them know she was up for that threesome they’d hinted at.

  Wishing there was something else to clean up, she picked up her messenger bag. “I know you’re probably not supposed to do this, but do you think you could give me a ride to the subway? I’d really hate to have to walk all that way in the rain.”

  Hayes exchanged looks with Reed, then gave her a grin. “We’ll do you one better and give you a ride home. Although I'm afraid you’ll have to sit in the back. That's not a problem, is it?”

  She winked. “As long as I'm not under arrest.”

  “Definitely not.” Hayes looked her up and down. “It would be a true crime if anyone ever had to lock you away.”

  The heat in his eyes made her pussy purr. “And no cuffs, right?”

  Reed gave her slow smile. “Only if you don’t behave yourself.”

  The smolder in Reed’s eyes conveyed his message loud and clear—if you want to be cuffed, I'm your man. That image made her pulse skip a beat. This night was getting more interesting by the minute.

  Cilla’s hand trembled a little as she locked up the shop. Dropping the keys in her purse, she turned to open the umbrella she’d borrowed, but Reed took it from her.

  His mouth curved as he held it over her head. “Allow me.”

  Gorgeous and well-mannered—a potent combination.

  Cilla had never been in a police car before. It felt really strange being behind the metal cage that separated the back seat from the front. Like she was their prisoner for them to do with her whatever they wanted. The idea sent a delicious, little shiver through her.

  In the front, Reed was on the radio, telling the station he and Hayes were going off shift. Was it just her imagination, or had Reed made the call so she’d know he and Hayes were free for the rest of the night?

  Hayes glanced at her over his shoulder. “Where to?”

  Cilla rattled off her address. She was about to give him directions, too, but as he pulled away from the curb and headed in the right direction, she decided he mustn’t have needed them. Then again, he was a cop. He probably knew every street in the city.

  She didn’t live far from the coffee shop, so it wouldn’t take long to get to her apartment. Which meant she was going to have to think of something quick if she didn’t want the evening to end on her doorstep.

  As Hayes pulled up to the curb a little while later, she leaned forward. “I know it’s late, but would you guys like to come in for coffee?”

  As invitations went, it was lame. But what was she supposed to say? Want to come up and have a threesome?

  The two cops exchanged a glance before Reed answered.

  “We’d like that.”

  She’d had guys at her place before, but Reed and Hayes seemed to dominate her small apartment with their presence. She could barely concentrate on making the coffee as they looked around.

  “You go to the University of Colorado?” Hayes asked from the living room.

  She glanced up to see him thumbing through an accounting book she’d left on the coffee table. “Yeah. I take morning classes there three days a week. That's why I get stuck on the late shift so much.”

  Reed crossed the room to look over his partner’s shoulder. “Accounting, huh? How close are you to your degree?”

  “Three more classes after this semester.” She switched on the coffee pot, then walked into the living room. “I'm getting close enough to taste it.”

  Reed’s gaze caressed her. “I know how that feels, being so close to something you can almost taste it.”

  Cilla got the feeling he wasn’t talking about getting his college degree. Her breath came a little faster, and she ran her suddenly damp hands down the front of her jeans. Back at the coffee shop, she thought she’d be able to play it cool, but now the two men were in her apartment, that was harder than she thought.

  Thunder boomed and she jumped. She used the distraction to get herself together. Okay, take a deep breath, girl. Just because Reed and Hayes were likely here for more than coffee didn't mean this thing was automatic. Neither man had mentioned having a threesome since they’d dropped the hint. If she wanted this to go anywhere, she had to give them some sort of signal.

  But what was she supposed to do—rip off her clothes and throw herself naked across the kitchen table? How could she tell them she was game without coming out and saying it?

  Hayes was looking at another one of her books—this time it was advanced calculus. “Have you always been good with numbers, Cilla?”

  “I guess so. I mean, I’ve always liked math.”

  Now there was a sexy subject. Yeah, not so much. Maybe she should tell him she wanted to multiply with him. Nah, maybe not. That sounded creepy.

  Hayes set the book on the table, then sauntered over to stand in front of her. He gave her
a devastating smile. “And I bet a math-minded girl like you probably even has a favorite number, don't you?”

  The funny thing was, she did. But she didn't think they really wanted to hear why she thought 3.14 was so cool.

  “Actually,” she looked up at his from under her lashes, “I've always been partial to the number three.”

  “Three, huh?” Hayes’s smile broadened. “And what's so special about the number three?”

  Reed had come over to stand behind her. Not close enough that he was touching her, but still sandwiching her between him and his equally armed-and-sexy partner. She took a deep breath. Now or never.

  “Well,” she said softly. “There’s just so much more you can do with three than you can do with two, you know?”

  Hayes leaned in close. Behind her, she felt Reed's big hand trace across her back.

  “Yeah, Cilla.” Hayes’s voice dropped to a husky whisper. “I think we do.”

  His lips were just a few inches away from hers when an insistent beeping came from the kitchen.

  He jerked his head up, looking in the direction of the sound. “What the…?”

  Cilla couldn't help laughing at the expression on his face. “It's my coffee maker. It beeps when it’s ready.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “I can go get it, if you want.”

  Reed’s arms slipped around her waist, pulling her back against his hard chest. “I think the coffee can wait, don't you?”

  His voice was rough in her ear, his breath warm. She moaned as she felt his erection against her ass. At least she thought it was his cock. She supposed it might have been another kind of weapon. She wiggled her ass slowly back and forth to check. Oh, yeah. That was all cock back there. A seriously impressive one at that.

  “I'm okay with letting the coffee wait,” she murmured.

  She was so entranced with Reed's shaft and what he was doing to her that she almost didn't remember Hayes until he tipped up her chin and touched his lips to hers. The spark of sexual electricity that jumped between them definitively got her attention. She melted into his arms and opened her mouth to his playful tongue. He tasted like coffee and pure, unadulterated male.