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  This early morning after my shift was no exception. I was covered in flour and sugar, exhausted, and dying to crawl into bed. But the footsteps behind me had me worried. Who was out for a walk in the dark?

  I turned and saw a shadowy figure a few yards behind me. My heart thudded faster and I got even more nervous. The person was walking directly toward me, but they slowed when they saw me turn, as if they didn’t want to be seen. It was too dark for me to make out a face.

  I kept walking, hoping the other person would cross the street or go inside somewhere. But as the footsteps came closer, I knew I wouldn’t make it home.

  There was a twenty-four-hour diner coming up on the next block. Without hesitation, I broke into a run. I didn’t care if I looked crazy; it was always better to be safe than sorry.

  My heart pounded in my chest as the footsteps behind me quickened to try to match my pace. I knew I hadn’t imagined it—they were chasing me.

  I burst into the diner, relieved that it was brightly lit. The person following me was still outside. He stood across the street from the diner, watching me.

  I was terrified. Who was this guy? Was this connected to the drugs in Trey’s car? Did someone want me dead?

  I quickly considered my options. I had to be back at the halfway house soon, or I would be in violation of my parole. I considered asking to use the phone at the diner to call someone for a ride or help, but I didn’t have anybody to call.

  I was starting to really panic when the little bell above the diner door jingled and someone walked in. My heart raced, hoping it wasn’t the stranger. But no, I could still see him through the large glass front windows, lurking in the shadows across the street.

  To my astonishment, it was Jake, the hot guy from the police station.

  Chapter Four

  Jake

  I was just finishing an exhausting night shift and decided to grab something to eat from a twenty-four-hour diner I knew of. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I walked in and saw Anna, the gorgeous brunette parolee, standing in front of me.

  At first, I was elated. Since that first meeting I’d been unable to get her out of my head. Her face…her body…those lips I wanted to run my tongue over.

  I knew my obsession was turning dangerous when I decided to use my connections at work to run a background check on her. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something different, something special about her. I just wasn’t sure if it was my physical attraction to her or my desire to believe she was innocent as she claimed that had me so enthralled by her.

  The background check told me that Anna Shepherd was twenty-four years old (a good twelve years younger than I was) and had never had so much as a parking ticket before her arrest two years ago for drug trafficking. It was easy to find the name of the ex-boyfriend she had mentioned in the report, since she had been driving his car at the time. I checked Trey English’s background, too. I had to begrudgingly admit from the photo on his report that he was a fairly good-looking guy, a pretty boy. I wondered if I was Anna’s type.

  But Trey didn’t have any prior offenses, either. They both had perfectly clean records, other than Anna’s arrest. It just didn’t add up.

  Almost without exception, drug-related criminals had some sort of record, even if it was just unpaid traffic tickets. A person had to have a certain disrespect for the law and willingness to bend and break rules to get into selling and distributing illegal drugs. I personally had never seen a case where a prisoner convicted of drug trafficking didn’t have at least something minor on their record.

  The reports gave me a glimmer of hope—maybe Anna was telling the truth after all, and she and her ex were completely innocent. I wasn’t sure why it mattered so much to me, other than a feeling that I wanted to know more about her, and I wanted her to be the good person my intuition told me she was.

  So, when I saw her as I stumbled into the diner in the early hours of the morning before the sun came up, I thought she was a figment of my imagination, conjured by my obsessive thoughts about her combined with my total exhaustion from working the overnight patrol shift. I was delighted, thinking it must have been fate.

  The joy lasted for about a split-second before I realized that something was wrong. Her brown eyes were wide with fear, and she was looking nervously out at the glass windows toward the street outside.

  “Well, look who it is. Anna, isn’t it?” I said, although of course I knew damn well what her name was, and lots of other information about her from her report. But she didn’t need to know that.

  Her face was a mixture of shock, nervousness, and, unless I was imagining it, delight at seeing me.

  “Hi…Jake, right?”

  So, she remembered me.

  At first I thought I was the one making her nervous, but I saw her eyes kept darting to the window, and her cheeks were flushed.

  “Is everything okay? What are you doing here so late? Or so early, I should say?” I asked, concerned but trying to keep my tone light. I didn’t want to scare her off.

  I followed her gaze out the window to a dark figure across the street and quickly put two and two together. I set my jaw.

  “Is that guy out there bothering you? Do you know him?” I growled.

  “I don’t know. I don’t know who he is, but I think he followed me here. I’m afraid to leave,” she whispered, her chin quivering. I longed to pull her into my arms and comfort her, but I felt rage coursing through my blood. Who was this jerk intimidating her?

  “Stay here, let me handle this,” I said through angrily clenched teeth, pushing my way back outside, despite her protests behind me.

  I bolted across the street, and when the guy saw me coming, he turned and started to run. But I’ve been in enough high-speed chases to know that I had the upper-hand, and I quickly caught up to him and tackled him to the ground.

  “Police!” I bellowed, sitting on his chest to restrain him and pulling out my badge. The guy stopped struggling the minute he saw the badge flash in the streetlight.

  “Hey, I didn’t do nothing,” protested the guy. “I’m her friend, I was just trying to talk to her.”

  I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him back to his feet, making sure not to let him go. He was smaller than me, and I knew I could take him down if I had to.

  I noticed Anna had followed me outside and was standing in front of the diner, looking on fearfully. I patted the guy down quickly, and not finding a weapon, motioned for her to approach us. I kept a tight hold on the man.

  Anna half-walked, half-ran across the street, the fear still evident in her eyes.

  “You know this guy?” I asked her, pulling the guy farther into the streetlight so she could clearly see his face. The guy was snarling and sulking.

  She peered at him and said, “No, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before. He doesn’t look familiar.”

  “That’s funny, because he says you guys are friends.” I quickly pulled out my handcuffs and cuffed him to the lamppost nearby. “Go on back inside, Anna, let me handle this jerk.”

  Chapter Five

  Anna

  “No, it’s okay, I feel safe now with you,” I said, turning red. But it was true. Something about Jake made me feel safe, and it wasn’t just that he was a police officer.

  Holy shit, he’s a police officer.

  I guessed I should have figured that out when he was visiting Officer Kelly. I couldn’t believe I thought he might have been a fellow convict. But if he was an officer and knew I was a parolee, why was he being so nice to me? I guessed there were good cops out there, after all.

  I watched as Jake pulled out his phone and scanned the stranger’s license. The man paled as the screen lit up.

  “Look like you’ve got two outstanding warrants for sexual assault,” said Jake in a terrifying, low voice. I saw a vein pulse in his forehead and his jaw muscles working as he clenched his teeth. He was pissed.

  This guy had been following me. If I hadn’t started r
unning… If the diner hadn’t been open… If Jake hadn’t shown up…

  I suddenly felt nauseous and had to sit down on the pavement with my head between my legs. I felt faint and queasy.

  Jake was chewing out the man about how he was scum for stalking and raping women, and how he would personally make sure he would rot in jail. He had already called the police to come collect the man, who was still handcuffed.

  The police arrived, their red and blue car lights flashing, illuminating the dark streets. They took a quick statement from me, but thankfully after Jake mumbled a few words to the other cops, they didn’t press me too hard. I really didn’t want any further police drama while I was on parole.

  The sun started to rise as they drove the man off to be processed. I finally felt like I could exhale.

  Jake turned to face me, his striking blue eyes full of concern.

  “Hey, are you okay? I know that must have been tough. Let me buy you a cup of coffee?”

  “Sure, thanks,” I said weakly. He placed his hand on the small of my back to guide me back inside the diner, and I felt a jolt of electricity at his touch. It was a confusing feeling after everything that had just happened.

  We sat down across from each other in a booth. A waitress briskly tossed a couple of plastic menus on the table in front of us. My stomach growled as I realized I hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before. It was so loud, Jake must have heard it.

  “Actually, I’m starving,” he said. “Order whatever you want, my treat.”

  I was embarrassed, but grateful. I didn’t have any money on me, but the smells of bacon and maple syrup were irresistible.

  We placed our orders and stared at each other for a moment, feeling a frisson between us as we locked eyes.

  “So, you’re a police officer?” I said, finally breaking the momentary silence.

  Jake chuckled. “Yeah.”

  “You didn’t mention that,” I said, a thread of accusation in my voice.

  “Well, you didn’t ask,” he said with a wink. “And what exactly are you doing out so late, Miss Parolee?”

  I guessed I could’ve taken offense at that, but he said it in a funny, almost flirtatious way. Was this hot police officer flirting with me? And was that even allowed?

  “I found a job working nights at a bakery a few blocks from here,” I said, choosing to take the question at face value. “I was on my way back to the halfway house when I noticed that guy following me. I knew this place would be open because I walk past it every time I work, so I ran here.”

  “Smart thinking,” he said approvingly as the waitress set our steaming platters of food in front of us. “You should always trust your gut when you have a bad feeling.”

  “I guess so,” I said, digging into my plate of waffles.

  “So how did someone with your instincts get arrested?” he asked, with sincere curiosity.

  “I told you, I didn’t do it,” I said, putting down my fork and staring into his face intently. I needed him to believe me. Not just because he was a police officer, but because he was a kind, warm, handsome guy who seemed to have a good heart, and I couldn’t stand for him to think the worst of me, even though I barely knew him.

  Jake put down his silverware too and met my eyes. “I believe you.”

  And this time when he said it, I knew he really meant it.

  Chapter Six

  Jake

  I couldn’t believe what had just happened. Not only did I run into the hot convict, who I thought I’d never see again, but she was being stalked by a rapist. And at the weirdest time and place, too. I’d have to keep an eye out for her; she seemed to be a magnet for trouble.

  “I believe you,” I told her seriously. “Actually, I did a little digging into your case.”

  “You did?” she said, surprised. She was lifting her fork to her mouth but paused halfway. “Why?”

  “Oh, I don’t know…not many convicts bother to claim innocence once they’ve already made it to the parole stage. You kind of stuck in my mind.” I eyed her up and down, hoping she’d realize that I’d been thinking about her in more ways than one.

  I watched her shiver. She’s into me, I thought, pleased.

  She blushed.

  “Well, that’s nice of you,” she said. “But I guess it doesn’t really matter if you believe me or not, does it? I mean, I’ve already been convicted. I’ll have this stain on my record for the rest of my life.”

  “Not necessarily,” I said. “Can you tell me a little more about the events surrounding your arrest? Did you see anybody strange lurking around?” I was shifting into business mode, my police questions coming out automatically.

  “Well, not really. I just know that, for all his flaws, Trey—that’s my ex—would never do drugs. And he definitely wouldn’t have had a kilo of cannabis in his car. It just doesn’t make any sense. I don’t know if it was a mistake, or he was framed, or what. But however it got there, I don’t think it had anything to do with me, really. I mean, it was Trey’s car, and I hardly ever drove it.”

  “So why were you driving it that day?” I pressed. This information hadn’t been in the report.

  “Trey’s mom was sick, so he flew out to see her one last time. I was supposed to meet him with his car since the drive would’ve taken too long for him to get there in time, and then we were going to drive back home together. But I never made it across the state border, obviously.”

  “Did Trey visit his mother very often?” I asked.

  “No, not really,” she replied.

  “And did he go out of town a lot for any other reason?”

  “Not that I can think of. The last time he went anywhere before that was on a weekend trip with me, but that was years ago.”

  “Did anybody know you were going out of town?”

  “Why does any of that matter?” Her forehead scrunched up in puzzlement.

  “I just think it’s interesting that there happened to be a kilo of drugs in Trey’s car the one time his car, whether he was driving or not, was about to cross a border where drug checks were being conducted. Don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Now that I think of it, Trey had just gotten his car cleaned and detailed earlier that week, so there’s no way the drugs were in there before that. Someone would have found them,” she said, thinking hard. “And I don’t think he told any of his friends that he was leaving town. I told our neighbors, like I always do if I leave town, just so they would know that nobody should be parked in the driveway or hanging out at the house.”

  I whipped out my phone and took some notes. “This is good, these are the kind of details we need.”

  “We?” she said, a hint of flirtation creeping into her voice.

  I felt my cock twitch at the suggestive tone in her voice. Damn, this girl had me by the balls.

  “Yeah,” I said. “I’m going to take another look at your case, if that’s all right with you.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I know,” I replied.

  “Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked softly.

  “Because I think you’re innocent. And like I said, there’s just something about you that sticks with a guy.” I reached across the table and grabbed her hand. I stroked the back of it with my thumb, and warmth spread through me, straight to my cock. I wouldn’t be able to stand up when we were done at this rate.

  Luckily, she didn’t snatch her hand away. Emboldened, I used my other hand to reach into my pocket and take out my card.

  “Look,” I said, “if you ever need anything, if there’s a situation like there was today, or if you remember any more details about your case, no matter how seemingly small…or even if you just want me around.” I passed the card across the table. “You just give me a call, okay?”

  Anna gingerly picked up the card and examined it before slipping it into her pocket.

  “Thanks, Jake,” she said sincerely, and I felt a jolt hearing her say my name. “I really a
ppreciate that.”

  We finished our meal, exchanging flirtatious glances over our greasy platters. I had been so tired when I first entered the diner, but the coffee combined with the adrenaline rush from what had happened earlier had me feeling wired.

  Or maybe it was just being around Anna.

  I paid the bill, and we stood up from the booth to leave. She was a tiny little thing. I towered at least a full foot over her.

  “Well,” I said, not really wanting to leave her.

  “Well,” she repeated.

  “Can I give you a ride home?” I asked.

  There was a pause. Had I blown it? I cursed myself for being too forward.

  “Actually, said Anna, biting her full lower lip. God, I wanted to kiss those lips. “Actually, do you have any plans this morning?”

  She cocked one eyebrow suggestively.

  Oh, boy. She might have been the parolee, but I was the one in trouble.

  Chapter Seven

  Anna

  “Fuck…yes. Oh my God, don’t stop! Don’t fucking stop!” I screamed, as Jake pounded his hard cock into me over and over again.

  I was bent over the side of his couch, my ass on full display for him as he drove into me. We had barely made it inside his place before tearing each other’s clothes off and fucking voraciously.

  It had been a long time. I hadn’t had sex since I was dating Trey, before prison. And it hadn’t been anything like this.

  Jake cupped my breasts in his hands, working my sensitive nipples between his fingers. I raised one knee up against the couch, changing the angle and pushing him even deeper inside me.

  “Oh, God, Anna, I’m going to…I’m…” he moaned.

  I was already there with him, the ecstasy thrumming through my body as I went over the edge. We came together, falling onto the couch in each other’s arms, spent.

  The next thing I knew, I woke up alone on his couch, covered with a throw blanket.

  Once I realized where I was, I felt cozy and safe for the first time in a long time.

  But that feeling passed quickly.