Page 7 of Swimming for Seduction

“Told ya, big guy,” Joey says with a smirk as he looks up at Devon. “Our girl is givin’ you a run for your money, lately.”

I laugh as I step around them and walk out the door to my patrol car. Their jibes make me think of Ricki. Although, ours is more of a battle of wills than flirty banter.

I guess my following her around in hopes of catching her breaking the law could be classified as stalking, but it seems that some of my morals fly out the window where she’s concerned. I’ve forced myself to only interact with her when it’s a tit for tat situation, because if she ever realizes the hold she has on me, I’llbe in trouble myself. The more I learn about her, the more I want in, but she continues to fight the pull between us.

In the past couple of months, I’ve managed to get three ‘dates’ with her by offering them in lieu of the actual penalty for her crimes. Although, I’m sure she considers my ‘fines’ steeper than the ones she would pay if I reported her transgressions.

When I took her for coffee at the Starbuck’s in the mall after catching her speeding, I learned that she wasn’t aware of Brady until the news came out about their father’s death. She almost cancelled her enrollment at TU to avoid running into him, but she couldn’t give up her dream of training with the coach here to become an Olympic swimmer.

When we went for a walk in the park across the street from her dorm after I caught her sneaking into the University’s pool after hours without a pass, she admitted that she wants to meet her older brother, but she’s terrified that he’ll hate her because of their father. Knowing Brady from family events that he’s attended, I can’t imagine him passing that kind of judgement on anyone. I told her that and offered to introduce them, but she said she wasn’t ready.

When I took her to dinner after catching her trying to get Cory to serve her alcohol at Ball Bustersagain, she told me about how her mother raised her alone while pining for the man who refused to support them. She explained how that’s the reason she knows that she never wants to depend on a man for anything. She prefers to live her life on her own terms without the risk of heartbreak. I told her that not all men are like her father and that by not risking her heart, she was going to miss out on love. She just shrugged and said that she couldn’t miss out on something she’d never let herself have.

I was hoping to catch her in trouble this past week so I could coerce her into coming with me tonight, but she’s been on her best behavior. And since I’m determined not to beg forher attention outside of those questionable circumstances, that means I’m headed to the haunted house alone.

I finish my patrol—thankful that I was on the dayshift instead of chasing the drunken Saturday night crowd the weekend before Halloween—and head back to the station. I shower and change into my Batman costume, leaving the mask off as I get on my bike and ride toward the airport.

Chapter 6

Ricki

I perfect my makeup before pulling on my shiny black body suit with the cat’s tail already pinned to rest at the small of my back. Then, I run the ribbon around my head and tie it so the ears poke up through my wavy hair. Finally, I pull on my black riding boots and turn to look at myself in the mirror. “Damn. You look hot,” I tell my reflection. I’m almost unrecognizable with the heavy eye makeup and my hair’s natural waves hanging loose instead of in my usual straitened ponytail.

I grab the whip that changes the costume from the standard black cat into Catwoman and tie it loosely around my waist like a low-riding belt before grabbing my phone and ordering an Uber since I’m planning on drinking tonight.

I’m meeting Livvy and Cory to go through the haunted house at Ten-Air before they head up the mountain to the party that I refuse to attend since I don’t want to risk running into my estranged big brother. After they leave, I’m headed across the street to the bar Livvy told me about to see if I can get into some trouble. Notrealtrouble. Just some underage drinking and hopefully a hot guy looking for a one-night hookup.

“Me-OW!” Livvy says when I find her and Cory in line for the haunted house.

I grin before asking the group behind them if they mind me cutting in. The jocks in their football uniforms can barely pick their jaws up off the ground enough to tell me it’s fine. I’m sure they’re just letting me cut in so they can stare at my ass while we wait to go inside, but that’s fine. Maybe one of them will be brave enough to make a move and I’ll be able to fuck a certain cop out of my system.

“Oh, there’s your nemesis, Catwoman.” Livvy giggles and I tense beside her.

I look in the direction she’s pointing and get a sudden flash of disappointment when my eyes land on a man in a Batman costume instead of Tyler in his uniform. He has about the same build, but I know it’s not Tyler since he’s surly at his cousin’s party tonight. Still, it’s close enough that my body heats up with the same spark and I decide that he’s exactly who I need to help rid my body of its desire for Deputy Sheppard.

“You’ve got that look,” Livvy whispers beside me. “You really go for the protective heroes, huh?”

I remind her that Batman is an anti-hero,nota hero as I laugh and wave at Batman.

His head jerks up in acknowledgement and he turns to say something to the group of DC heroes next to him before he stalks our way like a predator.God, I hope I’m his prey.Apparently, I am, because he doesn’t stop until he’s standing in front of me—close enough that I can smell the leather of his suit combined with a hint of pine—before he lowers his head to my ear. “You won’t escape me tonight,kitty cat.”

I’m not sure if it’s the proximity of a man not afraid to go after what he wants or the deep timbre of the voice modulator in his mask that has me damn near trembling with anticipation, but I’m here for it either way.

Before I can respond with a remark about him being catnip to a girl like me, the jocks behind us decide that they’renotokay with another person skipping the line—probably because they assume we’re together and I’m no longer fair game. They’re not exactly wrong.

“No problem,” Batman says to the guy who spoke up. “I think you’ve gawked at her long enough anyway. She’s mine, now.” He takes my hand to pull me out of line.

“Hey,” Cory says when he catches the move, stopping our retreat. “You good, Ricki?”

“Oh, I’m perrrfect,” I purr with a grin.

Cory just shakes his head as Livvy bursts into a fit of giggles beside him while I turn my attention back to the man still holding my hand.

I didn’t realize how long the line was behind us until we make it to the back and I turn to see about a hundred yards between us and the entrance to the haunted house. My resolve to go in falters as I think about how long we’ll be standing together before we can go inside. I wasn’t looking for conversation or awkward stranger tension. I just wanted some spooky fun and then, hopefully, some sexy fun.

“You didn’t have to leave your group to come stand with me,” I say.

He laughs and it comes out sounding sinister through the voice modulator. “Yes, I did if I didn’t want you to get away.”

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