Page 7 of Daddy Detectives: Episode 1
Once I have both babies safely in their cradles, I head for the closet to indulge in one of my favorite activities, which is watching my husband get dressed. He’s a former detective—of course he’s going to put on a suit. And Tyler in a black suit and white dress shirt is fucking hot. There’s no other way to describe it.
As I’m leaning against the doorjamb, my arms crossed over my chest, I look my fill as he pulls on his black boxer briefs, drawing them up his long, muscular legs. Then he steps into a pair of black trousers. A white short-sleeve T-shirt is next, followed by a long-sleeve white button-down shirt, both of which he tucks into his trousers. Then comes one of my favorite accessories—his black leather belt. I watch him thread it through his belt loops, then cinch it snug and buckle it.
Watching him handle a leather belt makes my tummy feel weird, in the most delicious way.
As he takes a seat on a padded bench, he glances over at me, a knowing grin on his face. “Enjoying the show?”
I nod. “You bet I am.”
Tyler pulls on a pair of black socks, followed by his shiny black Oxfords. Lastly, he stands and slips his black suit jacket on.
My breath catches.Thisis the man I first met—the gruff homicide detective investigating the murder of my friend Eric Townsend at the yacht club. My boat was moored right next to Eric’s boat. The first time I saw Tyler, I was sitting on the dock trying not to puke. Seeing Eric’s dead body—historturedbody—sickened me to my core.
I remember the moment I first heard Tyler’s deep voice as he assumed control of the crime scene. I vividly recall staring down at a pair of polished black shoes, and as my gaze lifted to his face, my pulse started pounding. He was the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen.
And now, after a tumultuous start, we’re married and parents.
“Ian.” His voice has dropped an octave.
I realize he’s watching me staring at him. I salute. “Yes, sir.”
He cocks an amused brow at me. “Sir?Really?”
My face heats. “I can’t help it. You’re putting out cop vibes. You know what that does to me.”
He walks right up to me, until we’re standing eye-to-eye. He’s only a bit taller than my six feet. “Hold on to that thought. We can play cop when I get home tonight. Now, I need to know you’re okay with me taking on this case.”
“Of course,” I say, surprised that he’d even feel the need to ask. “This is forKimi. She’s not just our employee. She’s our friend. Of course you have to help her.”
He nods. “I needed to be sure. I didn’t want you to feel I was going back on my word. We agreed we’d take parental leave, and now here I am taking on a case after only two weeks.”
I lean in to kiss him. My fingers are in his hair, which is still damp from his shower, and right now I can’t get close enough to him. “I love you,” I say against his lips. “I’m perfectly fine with you going out and being a hero. Go find Kimi’s roommate.”
Tyler’s arms come around me, and he pulls me even closer. “I’ll make it up to you later, I promise.”
Grinning, I run my hands up his chest, smoothing the fine fabric of his shirt over his firm pecs. “You bet you will.”
The last thing he does before leaving the closet is open the gun safe embedded in the wall. As soon as we learned we were going to be parents, he had a gun safe built into our closet. He wanted a secure place to store his guns and ammo—something our children would never have access to. He enters the code into a digital panel, opens the door, and pulls out his hip holster, which he secures around his waist. He tucks his Glock in on one side and two magazines on the other. Also attached to his hip holster are a pair of handcuffs and a slender flashlight.
Seeing him armed reminds me of how serious this PI job can be. You never know when things are about to go south. “Be careful,” I say, my smile suddenly gone.
I’m only now realizing how much is on the line. It’s not just me he needs to come home to. He has two children now who depend on him.
Tyler nods, his expression serious, as if he knows what I’m thinking. “Always.” He kisses me one last time before he walks out of the closet.
I watch as he strolls over to the bassinettes, and my throat tightens when he leans down and kisses first Lizzie on her forehead, then Will. Then, to me, he says, “Take good care of our babies.”
I nod.
Our babies.
Dear God, this man makes me weak in the knees.
Chapter 4 – Tyler
I leave the townhouse through the back door and walk over to the carriage house, where I find Kimi seated at the reception desk, busily typing something into her phone.
When she sees me enter, she finishes up what she’s doing and presses a button. “I sent you all the information you asked for. If you need anything else, let me know, and I’ll run it down for you.”
