the Officer and his Beauty

Chapter 12

Madisons pov

I was waiting for Nate when I reread the snap about the box Maisie had sent me. I knew she loved me! Even if her parents were too stupid not to let me live with her, she was my sister in arms!

“NATE!” I was this close to banging on the bathroom door when I was dressed in a pair of ugly khaki pants and a t-shirt, second-hand everything of it when I made a face at myself in the mirror.

How the great had fallen! I looked like a damn bum when the bathroom door opened. I made a big gasp from seeing him coming out, all naked and just a towel around loosely hanging on his hips, showing off that hard V that was going from his abdomen and down to his… well… you know what… I started to blush when he smirked and knew I was staring at him, and he didn’t seem to mind; oh, and he was clean-shaved, oh help me, lord, he was so handsome, he really was…

“yeah, I’m here… let me just get dressed, and we will be out in a heartbeat…” he walked past me slowly. I swear he did that on purpose when my thighs felt hot. I blushed even more. Omg, was I getting turned on by the big guy that I hated just two days ago, the same one that had yelled at me for being a b***h to his Nana… oh I was…. s**t…. Nate was so hot!

I was biting my lip thinking about when I saw him lifting those weights, how his body tensed and untensed …. I didn’t even know that I made a small moan before it was out, and I felt my cheeks burning even more. Nope, he said he didn’t want me, and that was it; he said that, not me!

I tried to tell myself that when he walked out of the bedroom, dressed in a loose short-sleeved shirt and shorts… he looked like a model—no better! I’ve hung with models; they were too pretty, too feminine for my taste… Nate was just perfect—masculine and still looking friendly… I was biting my inner cheek hard when I almost moaned again. He was going to kill me looking like that!

“Wow, you look great, Nate!” I tried to sound chirpy, not desperate, and drooling like I really was when he looked down and made a face like he just threw this on and that it wasn’t a big deal.

I didn’t believe him for a second. He wanted to look good, and he did… omg, he really did… I felt like a sack of potatoes standing next to him. I needed that package, asap!

“Thanks, Maddie…” he said my nickname; this time, I didn’t say anything to correct him. I liked him calling me that…. It sounded like we knew each other better than we did and hadn’t cuddled that first night only to get rejected….

“Sure, let’s just go and do this. I need that package right now!” I was walking first when he just chuckled and followed me, not saying anything back. When we got to the car, I made a surprised face that he opened the door for me, and I got in, blushing again. Wow, he made it hard for me not to like him when he acted like a gentleman. I didn’t even know that existed this part of town.

We were on the road when the radio was on, and I hummed along. I was happy. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was in the car with just Nate and not his awful Nana, who was always on my case.

I turned and looked at his profile. He was smiling but not breaking eye contact with the road, no matter how much he wanted to look back at me. It seemed when we hit a light, and he gave me a quick glance that made my heart go faster. Did he want to be here with me? He didn’t seem to mind driving me and looked as relaxed as I was. It felt nice, that was all.

“You know you can go faster, Nate. It’s the highway?” I made a teasing smile when he didn’t break eye contact again, but he did grin like he knew that. He didn’t speed up; he just kept the exact speed limit showing when I saw cars speeding by us, so he was not a racer then. Got it.

“Yeah, I know, but you know, since I want to get into the police academy, I’m not really a big fan of breaking any rules, no matter how stupid they are….” His voice was strained when I smiled; what if he was going to be a cop? That made me laugh when he frowned, but he smiled too as if he got that I was teasing him, finally!

“Yes, most rules are stupid… but that is so cool! Just don’t arrest me if you see me doing something bad….” He gulped when I said that and slapped my hand playfully at his chest, making him even stiffer when I stopped. He didn’t understand when he suddenly seemed not to want to play around anymore.

“I don’t know about that. Just don’t get in trouble, and I don’t have to cuff you ….” I was the one gulping now when his eyes found mine, making me breathless momentarily. His eyes had a craving in them, so much that it was making me even hotter; if I wasn’t crazy, I said that he wanted me, no question about it!

Was it hot in the truck, or was it just me? I turned my head, flustered, and I felt that my khaki pants were moist. What the hell was happening to me!?

Nate didn’t say a word more, just cursed when he parked, making me sniggers; for someone that was supposed to be so prim, he was cursing a lot, just not around his Nana, the big baby.

“Okay… so I need you to come with me, I only have my phone, and I don’t know if they need someone to prove that I’m me…” he looked at me and nodded like he got it when we walked inside and got inline, there was a lot of people in here, but the air conditioning was on which was nice.

Nate stood behind me, and I smiled; maybe people thought we were a couple, and why was I hoping they thought that? I turned when he seemed lost in his thoughts. I smiled back when he saw me, making my fingers tremble and my heartbeat faster. Yes, definitely a couple.

I shifted when my number was heard and walked up. The girl behind the desk seemed to know who I was when she smirked like I was supposed to get that and frowned back. I wasn’t interested in people seeing my downfall. I was poor like everyone else, and I just wanted my package from Maisie!

“Madison Scott…” she said my name, making Nate's eyes snap from whatever he was looking back at me when I just nodded yes. That was me.

“Yes…” I just put my phone out when she scanned my track number and smirked when she looked up again, making my heart drop from what the grinning girl told me.

“Oh, there are taxes that haven’t been paid for. But you know all about that, don’t you? How to not pay tax?” my cheeks burned when some of the people around me snickered at her bad joke, and I didn’t say a word, not a damn word. If Mrs Jameson taught me anything, it was that it was useless to talk back; it only got you in more trouble.

“what’s the hold-up? Just tell her the damn tax, and we will pay for it?” my eyes dilated the slightest from hearing Nate's voice behind me, and the girl looked up at him like she hadn’t realized that he was standing there with me of all people. So, we didn’t look like a couple then. That hurt me, and I hated that the girl beamed at him like she had just found a new personality when she saw Nate; he had that effect on anyone.

“Yeah, of course… let me just…” She touched his hand when he reached his card over to her, and I frowned when he didn’t seem to mind; what the hell was that all about? That rude girl could touch him, but I couldn’t?! I made a frown that neither of them seemed to care about when she took her time; all smiled now and just buttering him up when he smiled back, making me frown even more. I was jealous.

“Oh, you sure she didn’t send you France in this package? It was an expensive tax on this…. She smirked at me when I gritted my teeth and took a deep breath. It was official. I hated people.

She walked around the back, and I exhaled again, jerking when I felt Nate's hand on my shoulder as if he could see how tense I was. I turned around, surprised to see his face, which was caring. Did he? Or was that only when his Nana wasn’t around?

“Don’t listen to her, she isn’t worth it. Who cares about what people think? That wasn’t you; that was your dad; we are not our parents.” He sounded so sincere when I just stared at his face, showing me he was honest. Honestly, I didn’t even know what to answer him; that was probably the nicest thing anyone had said to me since this whole mess started.

“There we go, France in a box!” I looked back at the girl with a hand truck; the box was huge! God bless Maisie!

I clapped my hands when she rolled her eyes, but I didn’t care. Maisie still had my back, no matter what she did publicly, and I love her for that. She is my only ally!

“Well, you lucky you got your big boy with you. I can’t see you carrying this on your own…” She smirked when I stopped clapping and took a threatening step forward like I was sick of the crap she was giving me. Still, now she was dragging Nate into this, not cool!”

“Hey! Don’t call him that! just because he is big and muscular doesn’t give you any right to say he has a name, you know!” I sneered when she seemed to take a step back from my sudden hostility.

Nate didn’t say a word, just smirked, walked over, and picked up the box like it was nothing; oh, he was so powerful and hot…. I snapped out of my dreaming gaze when the girl sneered at me like I was stupid, but I didn’t care; Nate was right. She didn’t matter—not to me or to him.

I was glad he owned a truck when he had the tailgate down and pushed the big box onto it, making a face like he really thought she had sent me all of France in it when I just giggled at his slight frown. He was so cute right now, with shades on, and looked like the hottest guy. It was no wonder the girl was trying to flirt with him.

“We need some straps for that. We get that fixed first, and then we eat.” He sounded so sure when I just smiled and nodded. Mrs Jameson was making me do chores all morning, and I didn’t want to eat the disgusting all-brans I had all week.

Nate walked back, and to my surprise, he already had straps in the back of his truck when I just watched him work in awe. He was so good at whatever he was doing, like there was nothing he couldn’t do. He was clever. How many people that looked like him had something behind their forehead? Not many.

“All done.” He looked up at me, still with my mouth open, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. He was standing by the truck, looking like I wanted to jump him. There was no Nana here to stop me.

“Madison?” Nate looked worried when I fluttered my eyes like I had just realized I had been gawking at him for longer.

“Yes?” I made a catchy face when he just chuckled and looked at me, still leaning against his truck, so hot. I liked that he had a bright smile and looked like this nice, wholesome guy.

“You want to eat or stand out here in the heat?” he asked, snickering when I didn’t answer and just nodded. Whatever he wanted to go, I would follow him.