Be Mine Tonight Read online

  Be Mine Tonight

  A LINE OF DUTY NOVEL

  Makenna Jameison

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2020 by Makenna Jameison.

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  Table of Contents

  About this Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  Books by Makenna Jameison

  About the Author

  About this Book

  HE DOESN’T KNOW SHE’S his buddy’s younger sister...

  Morgan Madsden knows she’s playing with fire when her brother’s best friend shows up and doesn’t realize who she is. He’d never flirt with her if he knew the truth, but one innocent dinner with him won’t do any harm. Right?

  NYPD bomb technician Colton Pierce isn’t expecting the sexy yet shy elementary school teacher when he drops by his friend’s house. He’s definitely not looking for a serious girlfriend, but he’d love to have Morgan in his bed for the night.

  When Colton discovers who she really is, he can’t forgive her deception—not when he’s still seething over an incident from his past. But when Morgan is held hostage by a madman who planted a bomb in the school where she teaches, Colton’s the only one who can save her. But is it too late to save the start of their relationship, too?

  Be Mine Tonight, a standalone novel, is book two in the Line of Duty series.

  Chapter 1

  MORGAN MADSDEN NUDGED the front door further open and hefted the box of books into her brother Jake’s house, dropping it onto the floor of the foyer. It landed with a loud thud next to her feet, and she glanced down at the grey Chucks she was wearing. They were slightly dusty from hauling boxes around all afternoon, not unlike the rest of her.

  She swiped a hand across her forehead, wondering again why she’d volunteered for this.

  She could’ve at least picked a weekend when her brother was around to help her. Jake was away on a training session for his NYPD K-9 unit.

  He’d have all the boxes stacked inside in no time, but of course, she’d chosen to do things the hard way.

  Thank God she didn’t have plans tonight. It would take a long, hot shower and even longer time collapsed on the sofa in the living room, cold Diet Coke in hand, before she felt remotely ready enough to take on a Friday night in Manhattan. Or even to hang out at a local bar here in Brooklyn, for that matter.

  She turned to cross the room, the rubber soles of her shoes squeaking on the new hardwood floors.

  God, her brother loved this house. And she was proud as hell of him for saving up to buy a place. It would take her a heck of a long time on a teacher’s salary to ever be able to afford anything on her own.

  Maybe in another...decade or so.

  Maybe.

  She blew out a sigh.

  Morgan brushed her hands off against her cut-off jean shorts. With the white tank top she had on currently sticking to her like a second skin and her hair up in a messy top-knot, she felt like a hot mess. Even after hauling everything inside, she’d be spending half of her weekend sorting through the boxes of donated books.

  Her phone buzzed with a text, and she pulled it out of her back pocket to see a message from her best friend, Lily. Although Lily was currently in law school pursuing her dream career, she occasionally still worked with her wealthy family’s multiple charities, providing oversight as needed and organizing events attended by Manhattan’s wealthiest residents.

  When Lily had mentioned last weekend’s fundraiser promoting literacy, Morgan had suggested collecting books in addition to dollars.

  It seemed like a good idea at the time, she thought with a grimace.

  Now that she was actually implementing it, hauling hundreds of books around on her own, she was rethinking just how great of an idea that had been. Even after sorting through everything, she’d have to get these boxes to her school. Maybe she could recruit Jake to help her on Monday morning. He worked night shifts, so he was usually home during the days. After being gone all weekend for intensive training with the NYPD, the last thing he probably wanted to do was get up early on Monday morning though.

  Blowing out another sigh, she scanned the text from her best friend.

  Want to meet up for drinks tonight? Brock can bring one of his hot cop buddies for you.

  Morgan smirked. The rough-and-tumble Brock was about as opposite as anyone could be from her prim and proper best friend. Somehow, they worked together though. Lily brought out a protective side of him, and Brock had helped Lily to gather the courage to stand up to her parents and accomplish what she’d always dreamed of—defying her parent’s wishes of running their numerous charities and going to law school to pursue her own career.

  The fact that Brock had rescued Lily when there’d been a string of robberies in her building earned him plenty of points, too.

  Brock was buddies with her brother though, and if there was one thing she’d learned from growing up with an older brother, it was that she was strictly off limits to his friends. Even if Brock did bring along some of his NYPD buddies, they sure as hell wouldn’t so much as look twice at her.

  Not when they’d have Jake to contend with.

  She quickly thumbed a response back.

  Another night. I’m unloading all the boxes from the fundraiser and am a sweaty mess!

  Her phone buzzed as Lily called her.

  “Please tell me you’re not hauling all those boxes alone! Jake has training this weekend, right?”

  “I’m moving them all alone,” Morgan commented dryly. “But not to worry, I’m almost done.”

  “Hun, you should’ve told me! Brock and I could’ve helped you later on. He just got off work, but we could’ve changed our plans and carried that stuff in with you.”

  “No, it’s fine. I should’ve waited for Jake, but it’s no big deal. He won’t be back until late Sunday night. Now I can sort through piles of books this weekend before he gets back and sees a huge mess everywhere. It’ll all be organized by Monday morning and ready to bring to school.”

  “All right, well, if you’re sure. It’s really no trouble for us to run over.”

  “I’m sure—I’m almost done.”

  “I’m sorry you got stuck doing all the grunt work, but I’m thrilled the book drive was a success! Usually we just collect monetary donations, but this will immediately benefit the students at your school.”

  “For sure. The kids will love all the new reading material. Seriously, some of them barely have anything. One of my students always asks to borrow books to bring home. It’s a totally different world than what you or even I grew up with.”

  “I didn’t grow up like most people,” Lily said.

  “I know—but look how much good you’re doing in the world now! You’re nothing like your parents,” Morgan reassured her. “You’ll actually be helping people once you get your law degree, not just throwing money around.”

  “We’ll do another fundraiser soon and collect additional books or something for your school.”

  “Th
at’d be fantastic,” Morgan said. “Maybe tie in a coat drive in the winter? Or a food drive around the holidays. Although I know some of those types who attend your charity functions would rather just write a check and be done.”

  “We’ll figure something out,” Lily assured her.

  Morgan heard Brock’s voice in the background. “It sounds like your sweetie is home,” she teased.

  Lily laughed over the phone. “I’m totally telling him you said that.”

  Morgan shrugged, smiling. Brock might have a tough outer shell, but he was completely smitten with Lily. “Go ahead and tell him. You two have fun tonight!”

  The women said their goodbyes, and Morgan’s gaze drifted back toward the pile of boxes in the hallway. She had a couple more in her car, and then maybe she’d finally shower and change.

  Tucking her phone back into her pocket, she heard a car door slam in the driveway. That would be just like Jake to forget something, she thought, shaking her head.

  She walked back across the foyer and pulled open the front door, ready to rope her brother into hauling a few boxes inside before he went back to his training, and she almost ran smack into six-feet-two-inches of male perfection.

  A cute—no, make that smoking hot—blond-haired, blue-eyed guy stood before her. A snug-fitting NYPD tee shirt hugged his muscles to perfection, and beneath that, faded jeans hung perfectly from his hips.

  Her eyes trailed back upward, and she could just imagine the washboard abs beneath that soft cotton. He was tanned, toned, and completely tempting. His hand was raised as if to knock on the front door, and he grinned down at her, a twinkle in those clear turquoise eyes.

  Her heart caught in her throat, and she felt a flush rising to her cheeks at her disheveled appearance. Of all the days for one of Jake’s NYPD buddies to swing by, they had to pick now, when she looked like a complete mess.

  Of course.

  She wanted nothing more than to shrivel up into a tiny little ball and disappear from this gorgeous man before her, but he was currently gazing at her in amusement.

  “Um, hi,” she mumbled. “I thought you were Jake.”

  “Hi,” he replied in a deep voice, his grin widening. “I’m definitely not Jake. He didn’t tell me he had a girlfriend.”

  “What? Oh, I’m not his girlfriend,” she hastily corrected him.

  “No?” he asked in surprise.

  “Not even close,” she said with a laugh.

  Why she didn’t say that she was Jake’s younger sister, she wasn’t sure. The fact that this guy was the hottest she’d ever seen had nothing to do with it, she rationalized. Not a thing.

  “Gotcha. I was gonna give him a hard time for not mentioning you. Moving in then?” he asked, his eyes landing on the boxes behind her. “I didn’t realize he was renting out a room.”

  She glanced back at the mess she’d made in the hall. “Sort of. Moving stuff in, that is.”

  Right.

  Like she had a shot with Mr. Hottie even if he didn’t know she was Jake’s younger sister. This man could easily have his pick of beautiful women. There was no way he’d choose a completely disheveled fourth-grade teacher in a tank top and jean shorts. “I just have a few more boxes in my car that I’m bringing inside.”

  “Let me help,” he said easily. “Colton Pierce,” he added, holding out a muscular hand.

  “Oh, uh, Morgan. Just Morgan.”

  He raised his eyebrows curiously as they shook hands. She could have sworn sparks shot through her at his warm touch. That or every single nerve-ending in her body had just ignited at the exact same moment.

  His hand was slightly calloused and engulfed her much smaller one. Pretty much everything about this guy was big—his muscles, his hands. She smirked, thinking of how she had Lily had always teased one another never to date a man with small hands or feet. Truth be told, she wouldn’t mind finding out if their theory held true in this case.

  Not that she’d be sleeping with one of her brother’s friends.

  “All right just Morgan,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m surprised Jake didn’t mention that he was getting a roommate.”

  “It’s just temporary,” she explained, flushing.

  He released her hand but stood in the doorway, still gazing down at her. Heat radiated off his large frame, but she willed herself to remain in place.

  He was gorgeous, with light whiskers covering his chiseled jaw and bright blue eyes. Her heart had practically sputtered to a stop the moment she’d opened the door.

  Hopefully he wouldn’t wonder why she hadn’t given her last name. Because then she would be busted, and the idea of standing out here flirting with Colton sounded much more appealing than unpacking books. Not that she was doing such a great job speaking, let alone flirting, at the moment. “I guess you’re here to see Jake, but he’s got some sort of K-9 training all weekend and won’t be back until Sunday night.”

  And I’m here all alone.

  “Yeah, he mentioned that.”

  “What?” she asked, doing a double-take. He couldn’t have known what she was thinking.

  Colton quirked his brow, those blue eyes sparkling. “The training. Jake told me he’d be gone. He said I could stop by to use his garage this afternoon though. I hope that’s okay,” he added. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here. I’ll stay out of your way.”

  “Oh, of course,” she said, her mind whirling. “I’ll just be unpacking inside, so it’s no trouble.”

  A Friday afternoon with this gorgeous man working in Jake’s garage? So much for getting anything productive done.

  “Fantastic. I don’t really have space unless I claim part of the parking lot at my apartment building.”

  “So, uh, you work together?” She flushed, her eyes tracking back to his NYPD shirt.

  Colton’s lips quirked, but he winked as she met his gaze. “Guilty as charged. I’m a bomb tech down at the precinct, so we often work with Jake’s K-9 unit.”

  “A bomb tech? Wow, that sounds dangerous,” Morgan said uncertainly. She knew Jake’s unit responded to all sorts of incidents around the city, including suspicious packages and potential bombs, but she hadn’t given much consideration to who actually disabled and removed them since that wasn’t her brother’s job. He may assist in locating any incendiary devices, but then another team stepped in to disarm them.

  Colton’s.

  The idea of Colton taking on that dangerous task didn’t sit well with her.

  “Someone’s gotta do it,” he said with an easy shrug. “That’s what we train for. So, what do you say I help you with those boxes before getting to work on my baby?” He gestured to his Mustang as she looked at him quizzically, and she laughed.

  “Your baby, got it. And thanks, I’d appreciate the help.” She walked over to her own older-model Honda Civic parked in the driveway, feeling Colton’s large presence behind her, and opened the trunk. “It’s full of books, so it’s kind of heavy,” she explained, watching in awe as Colton leaned over and easily lifted both massive boxes into his arms. And oh, did he smell heavenly as he stood beside her. Some sort of cologne, mixed in with soap and something else purely male.

  His biceps flexed as he gripped the boxes, and the tendons on his muscular forearms stood out. She tried not to stare but realized he’d caught her watching him.

  “No problem,” he said, looking amused. She was sure she was bright red by this point—and it wasn’t because of the heat. “So what are you doing with all these books anyway?” he asked, walking toward the house. “Seems like a lot of reading for one weekend.”

  She slammed the trunk shut and hurried after him to open the front door. “I’m a teacher. They’re actually for the kids at my school. My friend had a huge charity fundraiser last weekend, and I collected books for the students.”

  “Hmmm, that’s a great idea,” he said approvingly.

  “Yeah, well it was until I realized I’d be the one hauling everything back and forth,” she said with a laugh
.

  “Maybe we should do something like that down at the precinct,” Colton said, stepping inside and setting the boxes down in the foyer. He placed them beside the others she’d already carried in and stood to his full height, towering above her own five-foot-four-inch frame. He was a wall of mass and muscle, and she could practically feel the heat coming off his large body.

  The air between them grew thick as she gazed up into his eyes. “I don’t suppose you could help me out?” he asked.

  “Help you out?”

  “Organize it. Unless there’s something else you want to help me with,” he teased, something akin to desire pooling in his eyes.

  She flushed, feeling his blue eyes trailing over her. It felt more intimate, standing here in the foyer than when they’d been at the front door. She didn’t even know this man, and somehow he had her all tied up in knots. She’d barely uttered a single coherent sentence since he’d arrived.

  And now as his gaze raked over her, she felt as if he could see every inch of her skin. Her nipples pebbled beneath her thin tank top, and it definitely wasn’t because of the air conditioning. She felt heat coiling in her belly, awareness washing over her. One touch from him was all it would take, and she’d be whimpering and begging him for more.

  She met his heated gaze and nervously cleared her throat. This was hardly the time or the place to be dreaming of a night with him. Not that she slept with men she just met. Or her brother’s friends. Jake and Colton would both be furious if she let anything happen between them. Jake, because he was the protective big brother, and Colton, because she hadn’t told him her last name.

  And she knew someone like Colton would never make a move on his buddy’s younger sister.

  “Sure, just let me know what you need. I mean, when you want to plan it. There’s lots of inner-city schools that would love a book drive.”

  “All right. I’ll talk to the chief down at the precinct and see what he thinks. And I know right where to find you,” he added with a wink.

  She flushed despite herself. “That you do.” A beat passed, and she sensed he was lingering, wanting to talk with her more but also not wanting to intrude. This was her home now—sort of. And he was just the guy stopping by.