Paige Tyler: Two Cops, a Girl and a Pair of Handcuffs

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 5 thStreet 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 cops. 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?”