Defiant Heart (Starlight Cove Book 1)

THE REST OF THE WEEK, I’d kept my ear close to the news, listening for updates on the storm moving in. I’d figured it was going to fizzle out to nothing before it reached us, but it’d only gotten worse. As the week had worn on, the storm watches had escalated to warnings, and the ocean was an angry, writhing mess, crashing against the shore with a vengeance.

The possibility of this storm being a high risk for casualties and steep damages was slim to none. A nuisance, yes. Probable lost power? Also yes. But life-or-death it was not. So then, why the hell was my chest so tight?

That morning, we’d switched to our alpha/bravo shifts in deference to the storm warnings, and Deputy Traeger was already at the station, having relieved me from my day shift. Harper had made it to the resort a few hours ago and was settled in her cottage, ready to move to the inn if need be. All but a few businesses in town had decided to close a couple hours early so they could ride out the storm at their homes. I’d checked on the elderly residents who lived on their own, making sure they had everything they needed, as well as verifying a couple of the churches in town were set up as shelters, just in case. And I’d made a pass through the preserve that morning to warn any campers of the impending storm, and what few were there had cleared out.

All except Luna.

She hadn’t been there when I’d shown up, and a quick peek through the windows showed she’d left her van unlocked in her absence. I’d opened it to find nothing left of her but a faint hint of lavender and jasmine in the air and promptly slammed the door shut—as well as any reaction my body had to her mouthwatering scent. I should’ve left a note inside or taken one of the two dozen colored rocks she’d had lining her dashboard just to prove a point that she was leaving herself wide open to who knew what when she did shit like that. Honestly, did this woman have a daily quota of how much she needed to frustrate me?

Regardless of how irritating she was, it was my duty as the county sheriff to make sure she was safe. I’d do the same for any other Starlight Cove resident or visitor. Which meant I certainly couldn’t leave her out there in her sardine can of a “home” to ride out this storm, obstinate, infuriating woman or not.

I sat in my patrol car parked on the dirt road that led to the preserve, protected from the rain battering the windshield. Along the bluff at the far edge of the area, waves crashed so hard, spray still arced over the fifteen feet of rock jutting up from the shore. And somewhere in there, too damn close to the unpredictability of the ocean, was Luna.

Clenching my jaw, I pulled out my phone and pressed Addison’s name, reassuring myself that I’d do this for anyone, not just the newcomer who had a knack for getting under my skin.

“Hey, everything okay?” Addison asked.

“Fine.” I cleared my throat. “Luna needs a cottage.”

“She…what?”

“Needs a cottage.”

“Well,” she said, drawing out the word, “we’re not really in the market for giving away free cottages.”

“What, it’s a prerequisite they’re a lost soul from Mississippi before you’ll consider it?” I asked, referring to the visitor we’d had recently who’d wasted my time with a bullshit grand theft situation.

Addison sniffed. “That was different. Her car was stolen—”

“Borrowed.”

“And she didn’t have a purse, let alone any money. What was I supposed to do?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

She sighed heavily. “I’m just not so sure it’s a great idea. She’ll already be here around Harper during working hours, and that’s enough to worry about. Remember what I said about her downtime and surprises?”

I ground my teeth together, the undeniability of Addison’s words battling with this newly present and completely unwanted urge to make sure Luna was safe. “She’s in a fucking van during a Nor’easter, Addison, and she’s parked twenty yards from the ocean.”

Addison breathed out a heavy sigh. “Look, I get where you’re coming from, I do. But do you really think having Luna here…at the resort…around a journalist we’re trying to win over…is the best course of action, considering everything we’re trying to accomplish?”

Dammit, no. It wasn’t. We needed this article—needed it to paint the resort in a complimentary light—and Luna was a wild card. No question about that. And no telling what kind of havoc she’d have swirling around her.

“What the hell do you suggest I do, then? I can’t just leave her out there. It’s not safe.”

“Let her stay at your place if you’re so worried about it,” she said, and I could practically hear her shrug through the phone. “You know you’re just going straight back to the station to make sure everything’s done properly anyway, even if you’re supposed to be off duty.”

I kept my mouth shut, because, yeah, that had been my plan.

“For what it’s worth, though,” she continued, “I think this is totally unnecessary. You know the storm’s not going to get that bad. Plus, she’s an adult and can take care of herself.”

Of that, I wasn’t so sure. Who knew how often she left her doors unlocked? Not to mention, her tires were constantly low, and there was no doubt she drove around on a sixteenth of a tank of gas, just for the hell of it. God knew what I’d find if I checked her oil. She had no sense of self-preservation—hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was outside right now, exposed to all the elements, just so she could become one with the rain or whatever the fuck.

My chest grew tighter at the thought, recalling the tourist who’d drowned a few years ago just half a mile from where Luna was parked. She and a group of friends had been standing on some rocks overlooking the ocean, watching the angry swell of the waves as a storm had rolled in. But they’d been too close to the edge. She’d been caught off guard by a huge wave that’d come out of nowhere and swept her straight into the ocean.

That was it. No warning. No mercy. Just gone forever. And no one could do a damn thing about it.

No matter how good of a swimmer you were, no matter if you were a world-class sailor or if you’d lived your entire life steps from the ocean, you weren’t immune to its unpredictability or its ruthlessness.

“Plus,” Addison said, “taking her farther from the resort can only be a good thing while we’re trying to secure this, right?”

Fuck. I rubbed at the pressure in my chest, hating that she was right. Which left me with one option. The rest of my family, save for Levi, lived on the resort, and I sure as fuck wasn’t going to send Luna to his apartment. The last thing any of us needed was those two troublemakers concocting a plan together. God help us all if that ever happened.

I’d swing by her van, let her know the situation, and take her to my place. She could stay there—alone—until the storm passed, while I hunkered down at the station. And then, when it was clear, she could return to her hippie van and continue ruining my life from afar.

After verifying Addison was in for the night and ending the call, I put the car into drive and headed down the path, wipers on full speed to keep up with the downpour. The wind had already ravaged parts of the preserve, and branches were down all over the place, my headlights skating over several littering the road.

Christ, she was far in here—far enough that no one would even know it if they hadn’t been looking specifically for her. That was trouble all around.

I was about fifty yards from her van when a downed tree blocked my path. It was massive—big enough that it’d take several people several hours and a chainsaw to clear it. And considering this was the only road in and out of the preserve and she’d parked at the very end of the dead-end path, that meant she was trapped.

My ire kicked up when I thought about what she’d have done if I hadn’t come out here and she’d had an emergency, or if the storm had picked up more power, increasing the likelihood of damage. She’d have been stuck with no way out. And the thought only pissed me off more. Was she just oblivious, or did she truly lack even an ounce of self-preservation?

It probably wasn’t a good idea to go in guns blazing and barking orders, but she had me so worked up by her total disregard for her safety, it took effort to unclench my jaw as I climbed out of the car.

The rain soaked me in seconds as I strode toward her pale-blue van, my headlights illuminating the way. I didn’t realize how much I’d been hoping she was inside seeking the minuscule protection the vehicle offered until my shoulders went stiff when I found her. Outside, just as I’d thought. She stood under the poor excuse for cover the trees provided, just staring out at the raging sea, a small smile tipping her lips as the wind whipped her hair into a tornado around her.

I stalked up to her, running my gaze over every inch and checking for any injuries. She stood in bare feet—bare fucking feet—her long skirt whipping in the wind, and wore a cardigan over a too-thin shirt, the rain making it stick to her curves in ways that should have been illegal.

Snapping my eyes away from her body, I met her curious gaze. “Let’s go,” I said, loud enough to be heard over the storm and the sound of the angry ocean.

She regarded me with upturned lips so plush they were distracting, droplets of rain cascading over them and making my fingers itch to reach out and wipe them away. “Hello to you, too, grump.”

I made a gruff sound in my throat, clenching my fists to keep myself from reaching for her and throwing her over my shoulder to get the hell out of here. “We don’t have time for niceties.”

She breathed out a laugh that I saw more than heard and shook her head. “Is that what you call the bare minimum of civility?”

Jesus Christ, this woman. It was like she got off on pushing my buttons. Were there any circumstances we wouldn’t be at each other’s throats?

“It’s not safe to stay in your van,” I bit out through gritted teeth.

“It’s fine, Sheriff.” She reached out and patted my chest, the chill of her hand seeping into my skin, even through my uniform. “I’m a big girl and can take care of myself.”

I reached up and caught her hand under mine. It was like covering an ice cube, and I narrowed my eyes, wondering how long she’d been out here like this to be so cold. Was the rest of her body just as chilled? “Big girls usually remember to lock their doors, so I’m not so sure about that.”

She rolled her eyes, but she didn’t remove her hand as she leaned closer so she wouldn’t have to yell to be heard. “I didn’t forget. I just…didn’t.”

Rain had gathered on the tips of her eyelashes, and every blink sent a droplet streaming down the slope of her nose, over the curve of her cheek, before pooling into the dip of the Cupid’s bow on her mouth. A cupid’s bow I wanted to trace the shape of. With my tongue. My gaze was stuck there, even as my frustration ratcheted up another notch at her total disregard for her safety.

I tore my eyes away and met her gaze. “You mean to tell me it was an active choice to leave your van open for anyone to slip inside? Do you leave it unlocked while you’re sleeping, too?”

She averted her eyes, which told me all I needed to know, and that only pissed me off more.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I don’t do it all the time.”

“That doesn’t make it better,” I said through clenched teeth.

“Whatever. You’re not here about my unlocked doors. Or is there some law I broke that I’m not aware of?”

“I’m here because of the weather.” And because you can’t be left to your own devices, though I kept that part to myself.

“I think I can make it through one little storm,” she said, trying to pull her hand free, but I tightened my grip, refusing to let her go.

“This isn’t just ‘one little storm,’ Luna. People die in these storms.”

The words sat bitter on my tongue, the memory of that tourist from last year combined with what had happened to our family so long ago—one small choice that had led to catastrophic consequences—cropping up anew.

“I think you’re overreacting,” she said with an eye roll.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and attempted to do the breathing exercise Ford had shown me. I made it a single breath in before snapping, “And I think you’re a pain in my ass. So what the fuck else is new?”

Note to self: breathing exercises do not work when faced with an adversary like Luna.

She inhaled deeply and peeled my hand away before tucking hers into her cardigan pocket. “I appreciate your concern, Sheriff, but I’ve been just fine so far, and I’ve been on my own for a long time.”

“You’re kidding, right?” I asked in disbelief. “If you haven’t had anything happen, that’s pure dumb luck. And you’re due.” I gestured to the thick tree trunk blocking her path out, nearly as large as the gigantic tree she’d chained herself to the week before. “Clearly. That fallen tree means you’re stuck out here until it’s safe to break it down, and that’s not going to happen until the storm passes and the main streets in town are cleared of any fallen debris. Which means even if something happens and you need to leave, there’s no getting out.”

“Why would I need to leave?”

“Jesus, I don’t know,” I said, throwing up my hands. “You run out of food or water. A gust of wind knocks another tree over, but this one falls right on your van. You overdose on essential oils. Truly, the list is endless when it comes to you.”

She shot me an unimpressed look out of the corner of her eyes. “Your faith in me is astounding.”

I clenched my jaw, speaking through my teeth. “I’m not joking. Now, get in the goddamn car.”

Chin jutted up, she crossed her arms over her chest, the move plastering her already fitted tee to her skin, her tits pressed up, nipples high and tight. “The only way I’m getting in that car is if you handcuff me and force me in.”

I narrowed my eyes on her before sweeping my gaze over her from head to toe, letting my stare linger in a way I swore I wouldn’t again. Not after that kiss. Not after her soft little moans got my dick so hard it was painful. Not after she’d consumed every night’s dreams since. Not after I’d only been able to picture her every time I beat off. But my intentions didn’t matter when the rush of finding her safe while she was still in danger was consuming me. Bubbling under my skin and demanding I do something. And that had nothing on the way this woman goaded me…challenged me… It did something to me that no one else had managed to before.

Crack me.

Finally meeting her gaze, I stepped up to her, close enough that she had to tip her head back to look up at me, and swept my thumb across her lower lip, catching a rain droplet. “Don’t tempt me, lawbreaker.”

This close, I could make out the starburst around her irises, a ring of fire in that bottomless blue. Could make out the half a dozen freckles dotting her nose, even as rain speckled her skin. Could make out the rough rise and fall of her chest as she regarded me with parted lips.

She blinked up at me through the downpour, hair plastered to her skin, and held up her hands between us. “Do it, then,” she said, her voice low and gravelly, and the sound of it compounded with her demand shot straight to my cock.

Christ, the things I wanted to do to her. I wanted to cuff her hands behind her back, press her against the van, and lift up that wisp of a skirt before burying my tongue inside her pussy. Wanted my handprint left on her ass, a reminder of what an obstinate little thing she was. Wanted to drive into her so deep and use her cuffed wrists as leverage to work her back and forth over my cock until we both shuddered through our releases.

Just then, the sky lit up and a crack of thunder shook the ground, the winds whipping around us as another large branch fell only a dozen feet away. She jumped, bringing her body even closer to mine, until she was pressed right up against me. We were wasting time, and I didn’t have a whole lot more restraint left in me. If we didn’t hurry, we’d have to contend with downed trees as well as flooding as I attempted to navigate our way back to my house and get her to safety—if the path hadn’t already been blocked while I’d been out here arguing with her.

So, I called her bluff.

Her lips parted as I pulled out my cuffs and slapped one on her left hand. Then, with our eyes locked, I hooked the other one on my right wrist instead of hers.

Her lips parted in shock as she divided her wide-eyed stare between my eyes and our joined hands. “What the hell did you do that for?”

Lifting a brow, I said, “I’m not leaving you out here by yourself. So either we both go, or neither of us does.”

She stared, mouth agape, to where we were connected. “You seriously just did that.”

“Yep, I seriously just did. Now, what’ll it be, lawbreaker?” I wrapped my left arm around her, pressing my palm to her lower back and holding her flush against me. “I can either drop you off at my place and head back into the station to be of service to the people who need it, or we can stay out here in your van. Your call.”