Page 182 of Beyond the Badge: Nox

Aaliyah had lefta voice message telling Nox she was on her way over to his apartment. He texted her back saying he’d be waiting.

That response made her pulse speed up and her heart thump a little faster as it always did at the anticipation of spending some alone time with him.

Despite his issues, the man had quickly burrowed his way into her heart—not to mention, how he affected some other key places on her body—whether he meant to or not.

Whenever she wanted sex, the man obliged. And, of course, did so with gusto. It was a far cry from when they first met, and he’d beat himself up over being interested in another woman.

Nox had come so damn far since she met him at that first Wednesday night group meeting. He claimed it had a lot to do with her. While she might have nudged him somewhat, he had to make those real changes himself. If he hadn’t been ready to start the healing process, nothing she said or did would’ve made a difference since grief could not only be crippling but could cling to a person like plastic wrap.

One thing Liyah learned throughout the years of grief groups—whether she was just an attendee or she led the meeting—no one’s fight to free themselves from the pain of a devastating loss was the same.

As she drove down the main street running through Rockvale, she smiled and hummed along to Usher’sU Got it Badas it began to play on her favorite satellite radio station.

“You definitely got it bad, girl,” she whispered.

As a real estate broker, she saw a lot of potential in the ghost town where Nox lived. A lot of properties were vacant and fenced off to keep people out. The rest were full of run-down warehouses and factories, making them true eyesores. In her professional opinion, some of those buildings could be rehabbed into cute apartments and condos. Others could be demolished, and affordable housing built in their place.

When she got a chance, she could check with some of the developers she knew about building a whole community in the area, giving locals a place to live and work.

It would be a win-win for everyone.

But for now, she needed to get her mind off work. She was ready to push all real estate-related thoughts filling her gray matter out of her mind for the weekend and concentrate on the man she couldn’t get enough of.

The sex was fulfilling. The conversation engaging. The man was smart, funny and caring. He also knew when to speak up and when to stay quiet. That alone was priceless.

He might not be wealthy but none of that mattered to her. She did not judge a man based on his paycheck or his success, as long he was a decent human being. Plus, she made plenty money of her own. She wasn’t the type of woman that needed a man to provide for her.

She was her own woman and had her own ambitions. All she needed was to be happy and loved. Respected and appreciated. As well as stimulated, both physically and mentally.

Liyah also needed the person to love and accept her sons because, for her, they would always come first. No man would ever trump her own children.

Luckily, her boys really liked Nox. Even better, he seemed to really like them and treated them with kindness. He didn’t talk down to them. He also helped them with homework if it was a subject that wasn’t in her wheelhouse. One weekend, he even helped Keenan build a really cool pinewood derby car for Cub Scouts.

While they worked on it, Liyah leaned against the doorway of the garage and watched the two of them with their heads close together. If that didn’t make her heart melt or cause her to fall more in love with the man, nothing would.

Yes, she admitted it—at least to herself—she had gone and fallen in love with the stubborn man. She hadn’t told him yet because she worried it might affect him in a negative way. She figured she’d wait until she was sure he could handle it.

And was sure the connection they had would last.

She had loads of time and patience. Their relationship wasn’t on any kind of fast track. She was perfectly okay with it traveling slow and steady. The exact opposite of when she met Jason, Keenan’s sperm donor.

That experience taught her the hard way not to rush into any kind of relationship. And she was even more careful now that she had two boys to consider.

Tonight wouldn’t be about the future. It would only be about satisfying sex and thought-provoking conversation. All week she was on the go, never feeling like she had enough time in the day between her business and the boys, but the time she carved out for Nox was her time to simply “be.” A time to breathe and reflect, as well as bask in his attention.

As normal when she got to the building where his apartment was, the rear gate was closed and padlocked. Now that his special assignment was over, he told her all the nitty gritty details about the task force. Or at least the details he could share.

As she always did when she got to the gate, she pulled up and got out of her car to open it. Nox had given her the lock’s combination so he wouldn’t have to leave the gate wide open while waiting for her arrival.

He told her she could text him and he’d wait at the gate to open it for her, but she was quite capable of letting herself in and didn’t feel the need to inconvenience him.

If they were still doing this routine come winter, she might take him up on his offer, but this evening was beautiful. The sky was clear and the temperature perfect enough for her to wear a pair of white shorts and a silky turquoise sleeveless tank, along with a pair of cute strappy sandals to show off her fresh pedicure.

As she walked to the side of the gate with the padlock, an unfamiliar male voice called out, “Hey!”

She abruptly stopped in her tracks since she’d never encountered anyone in the alley before. Was he calling out toher?

When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw a lanky man emerge from the shadows and head in her direction. With the limited light from the late setting sun, she noticed he had a straggly beard and the hood from his sweatshirt pulled over his head.

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