A while later, Tim walked into the house, he'd waited till he made sure the boys got back to their parents before bringing all the stuff inside. He knew he didn't need much time to get ready but he started thinking maybe he should've brought his stuff down to the guest bath earlier in the day so he could leave Lucy to have the master bath to herself tonight. As he walked in the kitchen to dump ice out of the cooler he heard his phone, which he'd left on the counter, chirp with a text message and picked it up. No one had this number except for Lucy and the department. It was from Lucy, apparently she'd thought of everything. He smiled as he read her text.
-I hope you left enough time to shower, I don't really want to bring a husband over there who's still all sweaty from the beach.
He walked into the guest bath between their 2 offices and saw everything he'd need on the vanity along with a fresh towel. Lucy had even moved his clothes that he had hung out earlier to wear, they hung in his office off the top of the door.
Lucy heard Tim coming in downstairs and checked the time on her phone as she sent the text. In typical male fashion, he'd be ready in 20 minutes, looking as hot as he ever has. She was almost done, she'd timed it that way so he wouldn't have to wait too long. When she was trying to decide what to wear, she realized she had no idea what kind of get together Mrs. Hilbert would be having. She walked out onto the deck off the bedroom and noticed they were setting up a floor on the sand in front of her house, and several tables. Lucy decided she needed something that looked elegant enough to fit in with all these richies, but not to look overdressed. It seemed like she was really rolling out the red carpet over there.
There were a few dresses that would do the trick she thought. She never got a chance to wear dresses. She was always at work, or in her comfy clothes after work. When she picked one out of the closet, it seemed conservative enough from the front. It was a pretty simple dress, one of those maxi dresses she always wanted to wear, just never had anywhere to go in one. It wasn't too low cut, It had 2 layers, underneath was a black slip, and over it was a dusty rose colored gauzy loose layer. It did have a V in the front, but not toooo low. It was sleeveless, and with this price tag it ought to be good enough to wear to a fancy beach dinner. When she took it off the hanger, She felt how light and slippery it was, and then she realized the dress basically had no back at all. It plunged pretty low and the gauzy material was looser, pooling right at the back. She had to try it on to make sure it actually covered everything. She bit her lip and blushed a bit when she looked in the mirror and flashed back to Tim's penchant for leading her with his hand at the small of her back. With this dress there wouldn't be any material between them. Butterflies again.
Tim stood at the back deck door watching the sun go down and his neighbor's outdoor lights twinkle. He had the impression this would've been something much more casual. He was glad he listened to Lucy when he'd gotten his clothes out. She told him he needed to wear a jacket. He was thinking it might be too warm but as the sun went down the air definitely got cooler at the beach. The grey pants and jacket with the black shirt under it seemed a bit much at first but then he saw how nice her house looked, and now he'd seen a few people walk up from the beach side. A few people had more casual attire on, but mostly they were dressed like he was. It looked like she had an outdoor restaurant on her deck, which was several times bigger than theirs. Plus the string lights going down to the sand, where a hard floor had been constructed in a matter of an hour.
Just as he started to look at his watch, he heard Lucy coming down the stairs. Sliding the door shut and locking it, he turned and headed to the front door to meet her. He guessed they still needed to lock up the house when they left, even if they'd just be next door. He stopped just short of the stairs when he looked up to see her walking down, carrying her sandals in her hand. She had left her hair in loose waves that tumbled down her shoulders. The makeup she wore made her dark eyes seem even darker, sexier. But the dress. The dress was cut just low enough to tease and because of the shape and how it fit, she couldn't have much on under it. The smile lit up her face when she caught his gaze. He was speechless for a moment, just trying to steady himself without giving away that she had stolen the breath right out of him. He remembered to breathe just as she walked past him. He shook his head, trying to clear it. This night would be impossible to concentrate on anything. Then he turned towards the door following her and caught a glimpse of the back and the sharp intake of breath caused him to choke for a second.
"You okay"? Lucy turned back and reached out as if she were going to pound his back.
Tim held up one hand to her, and the other, with a fist hit his chest a couple times and the coughing stopped.
"Just had something caught in my throat" he managed to say.
"Mmmhhmmm" she smirked.
"You look..." he couldn't even think what the right words to say were. The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen just seemed way too cheesy to say out loud. Instead he just stood there staring, his mouth open with nothing to say.
"Thanks" Lucy responded, beaming with the biggest smile, and she put her hand on his jacket lapel feeling the expensive silk material. "Wow, you clean up good Bradford".
He smiled and nodded a thanks back to her "You ready"? He asked and walked up to the door.
"Ready as I'm ever gonna be". Lucy walked up as he opened the door, waiting to see if he would be bold enough to lead her through it this time.
As she passed him, she felt warmth as his hand barely ghosted her skin, just a gesture without actually touching her. She hid her disappointment, turned and waited for him to lock the door. Then as they started down the drive he put his arm around her, his hand on her shoulder. It was something, but not exactly what she wanted. Well the night isn't over yet she thought.
Mrs. Hilbert's excitement as they entered the house was contagious. She seemed genuinely thrilled to see them, hugging Lucy then lingering on that hug with Tim. Lucy couldn't blame her, as she'd heard before, that man can wear a suit. She walked them out back where there were at least twenty people already there and she was sure they were all looking straight at her. A little overwhelmed, Lucy paused which made them stop. Mrs. Hilbert whispered in her ear "You look stunning my dear, that's what they're all looking at". She gave Lucy's side a squeeze "Stay right here just a minute" and she walked ahead of them.
It was then that Tim reached over, and against the small of her back he rested his hand, his fingers just under the loose material almost reaching her side. He pulled her just slightly closer to him and held her close with the lightest pressure. She visibly shivered at his touch and he asked "You cold"? She looked up at him,
"No". She said. A knowing smile crossed his face but he didn't look at her. He was watching Mrs. Hilbert. She'd gone to speak to a couple who were over by the buffet who seemed very excited at what she said and were following her back over.
"Tim and Lucy Caswell, meet Patrick and Siobhan Doyle. I believe you had the pleasure of an afternoon with their boys today. Now I'll be back to introduce you around just as soon as I've greeted most of the guests". Mrs. Hilbert left them and walked off.
"Tim Caswell" Tim held his hand out to Patrick then Siobhan "Great boys you have there, my wife Lucy". He gestured to Lucy, who shook hands as well.
Patrick was just as blonde if not more so than Tim, only he'd let his hair grow out a bit and the messy curls really made him look like a surfer who'd just stepped away from the beach. He was dressed just a little more casually without a jacket. "They would not stop talking about their new friend Mr. Caswell all afternoon" He laughed. "Thanks for tiring them out for the babysitter".
Both Patrick and Siobhan had the slightest hint of an Irish accent. Like they'd come over as kids but still hung on to it.
His wife Siobhan had the darkest black hair and blue eyes, when Lucy saw her, she immediately thought of Snow White Her pale skin stood out against the black dress she wore. "Yes, thank you, they were half asleep when she got there tonight so for once maybe she'll have an easy time getting them all to bed since the baby was already asleep".
"Please, I had as much fun as they did" Tim smiled.
"A baby too"? Lucy asked, looking down at Siobhan she never would have guessed she'd had 4 kids. "How do you do it, you must be Super Woman".
"Sometimes yea I do have to be" she laughed. "Honey" Siobhan called to her husband "How about some drinks"?
"Yes. Absolutely, Tim and I will hit the bar" Patrick responded motioning over to the full bar Mrs. Hilbert had somehow created in an afternoon complete with a bartender.
"If they have a good red, you know what I like" she told him. "Thanks sweetie". He nodded, and looked at Lucy and Tim.
Tim looked over at Lucy, acknowledging he'd bring her back a drink too.
"You know what I like too" Lucy said to Tim smiling and leaning just a little more into him.
He rubbed his hand on her back for a second before saying "Be right back" and leaning down to kiss her cheek before following Thomas to the bar.
Lucy bit her bottom lip, admiring him as he walked away.
"You two are adorable" Siobhan tilted her head "Enjoy this time before children, I'm lucky if we get an hour of alone time a week without passing out" she laughed. "I can't remember the last time the two of us had a date night".
"Aw, you don't know us yet but anytime you wanna leave the kids with us just ask". Lucy couldn't help but offer, Siobhan was so warm and welcoming, Lucy felt much more at ease in this room full of people she didn't know.
"You may regret that offer one day when I take you up on it"! They both laughed.
"So let me try and get you acclimated and point out a few people" Siobhan put her arm around Lucy's shoulder. She took the next few minutes pointing out mostly couples, and most of them lived pretty close. Within walking distance. Each time she pointed out a person she'd also point out the home they had. It was clear she felt the same way as Tim did, not in love with the big modern looking homes. Lucy tried to memorize the details being given and tried not to ask too many questions
As she was going around the room the front door opened and an older man wearing a very expensive tailored silk suit walked in and kissed Mrs. Hilbert on both cheeks. Lucy could see he wore a pinkie ring from across the room. She noted that immediately. That seemed like something you'd see in a movie about the mafia. He wasn't unattractive but there was something about him. He looked...dangerous. Maybe the slicked back hair, his clothes, the ring...she couldn't put her finger on it but he just didn't fit in with everyone else. Lucy looked to see if she could catch Tim's eye to give him a signal to check him out. She turned to the direction of the bar and met Tim's eyes. He was leaning against the bar listening to Thomas but looking straight at her. It flustered her for just a second, then she nodded towards the door. They'd worked together long enough he read that motion and followed her direction, moving his eyes from Lucy to the man at the front door.
"Oh". Siobhan said when she saw him. She stood in front of Lucy blocking her view of him and leaned in closer. "Let me just suggest you try to keep your distance from him".
"Who is that"? Lucy asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.
"His name is Lucas Andersson". Siobhan spoke in hushed tones as if she didn't want anyone to hear. "He moved in about a year ago and I'm pretty sure he owns a couple of properties down here now". She continued "Let's try to keep him across the room from us, he's the one person in this neighborhood I dread running into. He gives me the creeps. Stares openly right at my chest then I swear it feels like he's daring me to say something. It's not just that, he makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. If the stories are true, he was some kind of big deal in Denmark but left the country to move here. He's friends with the governor so everyone around here likes to kiss his ass". She spoke with such vehemence in her voice Lucy thought this guy might be worth looking into.
Tim and Patrick came back over, drinks in hand. Tim handed Lucy a slightly pink colored drink with a grapefruit slice in it. "I had him make you a Paloma".
She'd never had one before, the fresh mint and grapefruit was the perfect match for the top shelf tequila. She sipped it, and nodded her approval. "Mm it's perfect, thank you". Tim and Patrick both had beers and Patrick had brought a glass of red wine for his wife.
They took Tim and Lucy around and introduced them to a few people before Patrick saw Mr. Andersson talking to group of men, he was holding a cigar, hopefully not going to light it inside the house Lucy thought.
"So I see Mr. Congeniality is here" Patrick said quietly, bending down towards Siobhan as he eyed the man talking to a few people, still over by the front door. Siobhan rolled her eyes at him. They stood talking about him, and some of the other guests for a while until Patrick heard a Van Morrison song playing out back.
"Awwww babe" he said, taking her glass and his bottle setting them on a table. "Excuse us, we'll be back". He took her hand leading her out to the deck. She called over her shoulder "Wedding song, we have to dance to it, be right back" and she laughed following him down the stairs to the makeshift dance floor that was laid out on the sand.
Tim and Lucy watched as he lifted her a bit causing her to squeal in delight before he took her in his arms and they swayed to 'Into The Mystic'.
Lucy took the moment to tell him about Lucas Andersson. Both of them had their backs to the front door, leaning on the railing outside that overlooked the beach. Tim turned as if he were talking to Lucy to scan the room.
He was nowhere to be found at the time. Mrs. Hilbert, however, was coming over to them. "I'm so glad Patrick and Siobhan were able to introduce you around, Lucy, may I steal your handsome husband for a few minutes, there's a few things I need brought in from the mud room".
"Of course, sure" Lucy took Tim's bottle from him as he was pulled in the direction of the garage. She giggled when he turned and gave her a quick eyebrow raising exasperation look.
Alone, she started to feel a little self conscious. She set both their drinks on the table. Intending to follow to see if they needed any help, she was blocked by the man she'd been warned about earlier. She should have smelled the strong cologne before she saw him, but he seemed to just appear out of nowhere.
"So, Mrs. Hilbert tells me you are the new owners next door" he said to her. She could not place the hint of some kind of maybe a Scandinavian accent. He wasn't meeting her eyes at all, but staring at her chest just as Siobhan said he did to her. Trying to suppress her cop instincts she tried to remind herself she wasn't allowed to cuff someone for being disrespectful.
"Um, yes, Sorry, I'm Lucy Caswell. My husband and I did buy the place". She held out her hand to shake his, much as she didn't want to. He was creepy. Just a vibe about him. He reminded her of the bad guys in Die Hard. Wrong accent, but close. Rather than shake her hand, he held it a moment.
"Lucas Andersson, enchanted" He replied to her, then kissed the top of her hand. It was all she could do not to snatch her hand away. Something was definitely off with this guy. Her gut was never wrong. He was handsome she supposed, tall, dark hair, well built, just...off. She'd learned to trust her gut after Caleb. She didn't know he was bad but there was definitely something she picked up on with him, but she ignored it and went out for drinks with him, and well that led to bad things to say the least.
"Your husband shouldn't leave a beautiful woman like you alone at these parties" he said looking around as if to say he was nowhere to be found.
"Oh, I'm fine". She said that a little too forcefully. She didn't want him to think she was some shrinking violet who needed her man to come rescue her. "I mean he'll be right back in a minute" she recovered. He looked down at her chest again and seemed to delight in blatantly being disrespectful. Lucy thought to herself, do not punch him in the face.
Just then the Van Morrison song ended, but Patrick and Siobhan seemed lost in each other and were not returning.
"Allow me" Andersson spoke to her holding his arm out for her to take. She did not want to dance with him, but there were a lot of people around, and this time she was prepared if he tried anything. Not wanting to appear rude she accepted his arm and followed him out to the dance floor. When Siobhan looked up and saw them, she was clearly dismayed, and mouthed 'I'm sorry' to Lucy, who shook her off, telling her she could handle it.
When he placed one hand on her back and the other holding her hand up to his, Lucy put her other hand on his shoulder and allowed him to lead. This was not the person she wore this dress for. Luckily he was holding her away from him in a very formal way. The thought of having him any closer was too much to take.
He began asking her questions that seemed innocent enough. Why they moved, what they did for a living, did they plan to stay. She was sure to mention Tim had been in the military, which Lucas seemed quite interested in.
His hand was high on her back, as they danced and talked he began letting it fall lower. She again fought the urge to pull that arm behind his back. When she thought about how capable she was of cuffing him against his will, she smiled to herself. He mistook that for an invitation to hold her a little closer.
Since Lucy was facing the ocean, she hadn't noticed that Tim had returned with Mrs. Hilbert. Just as Tim was going to ask if she needed anything else, he realized Lucy wasn't where he'd left her. A moment of panic came over him, and his eyes darted around the room.
"Don't worry, I'd say you have about a minute or so, then you can go cut in without offending him". Mrs. Hilbert put her hand on his arm and motioned towards the beach.
Tim followed her eyes and saw people dancing on the makeshift dance floor. Then he saw Lucy, dancing with the man they'd just been talking about.
His jaw clenched when he noticed how Andersson was holding her. Lucy can take care of herself, he thought, she didn't need him to save her. He still couldn't settle the feeling that began to take over. He wasn't sure if it was just a protective feeling after what had happened to her in the past, or if it was jealousy. He saw this man's hand slide lower on Lucy's back, seeming to move his fingers in a slow pattern, almost stroking her. Okay, that was enough. If he didn't do something now, Lucy might blow their cover by taking him out.
"Hm? He realized he hadn't responded to Mrs. Hilbert. "Oh no, it's fine, but you're right, I should probably go rescue her".
He tried to move slow and casual towards them, reaching the floor as the song was ending. Mr. Andersson saw him approach, and for a split second, Tim saw disappointment in his face.
"Mind if I..." Tim started as he approached them. Andersson stepped back from Lucy and spoke.
"Of course", then held his hand out to shake Tim's. "Lucas Andersson".
The look Tim thought he saw was completely gone now, a smile had returned.
Tim took his hand, shaking it with a much tighter grip than he normally would. "Tim Caswell".
"Yes, your wife was just telling me about you. Strong grip" Mr. Andersson stated, keeping that smile on his face. Then he took Lucy's hand and gave it to Tim.
"I understand you plan to make this place a home. I supposed that means we'll be seeing much more of each other". He looked back to Lucy, eyes wandering down again.
Before Tim had a chance to respond, Lucas looked up and saw his associate motioning for him. "Please excuse me, have a wonderful evening. I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon". Lucas walked back to the other man, who bent down to quietly tell him something. Lucas shook his head and motioned for the man to go so he could follow him.
Lucy and Tim watched them walk back up the stairs and into the house.
Harry Style's "She" began playing. Tim didn't ask Lucy if she wanted a dance, he just took her into his arms. They needed to talk without being interrupted, this seemed like the best way.
"Well that was something" he said as he splayed his hand across her back, pressing her to him. "How did that happen"? he asked.
Lucy said "I have no idea, but I got the feeling he was trying to get information. We definitely need to have them look into that guy, Siobhan called him creepy. I have to agree".
Tim's grip on her other hand was also tight and Lucy leaned back to look up at him and realized his jaw was clenched.
"Are YOU okay"? she asked. He looked down, then realized how he was holding her and relaxed a bit. The hand on her back stopped pulling her into him and he loosened the grip on her hand. "Sorry, I'm good, but you're right there's something about that guy".
"We'll need to contact Caruso tonight, see if he's on their radar at all, and if not, put him there". Tim kept watching the deck to see if he re-emerged again.
Lucy nodded her agreement. She moved her hand from his shoulder, to around the back of his neck, holding him there. She realized this was what she'd been waiting for, for him to be holding her close this way. She leaned into him, letting him lead. She felt his body slowly relaxing, then his thumb began tracing circles lazily on the sensitive skin on her lower back. A few minutes of that and Lucy forgot all about Lucas Andersson. Her thumb mimicked his, tracing up into the soft close cropped hair above his collar.
One song ended, and another began. Lucy slowly seemed to melt into Tim. She laid her head on his shoulder. He could feel her breathing against his neck and this time he was the one who shivered. She arched her back in silent protest anytime he stopped moving his thumb. Each time pressing herself into him just a little more. She took a deep breath and sighed, relaxing and leaning into him. Tim always made her feel safe, in a way she could completely relax. She didn't have to be on guard. Ever since she'd been taken, she felt like she was always on alert. It's part of why she couldn't sleep. Fear of something happening when she was so vulnerable. She could relax when he was around, knowing he had her back.
Tim could feel the tension leaving her body. He felt that pride again, knowing she trusted him enough to let herself go like this. He brought her hand to rest on his chest, holding it there a few minutes as they slowly swayed to 'Ever The Same' by Rob Thomas. She wasn't the only one who could relax. He'd opened up to Lucy and let her see the real him. He hadn't been able to do that with anyone since Isabel. Somehow Lucy had gotten in deeper than even Isabel had and they weren't even together...yet. He thought to himself the word yet. It was inevitable at this point. More a matter of when than if at this point. And if it was just a matter of when, then why waste time at all.
The whole room disappeared and it was just the two of them. She let go of his hand and brought her other arm around his neck, turning herself enough so his other hand had no choice but to reach behind her. The loose material at the back of the dress allowed his hand to rest under it so half of his hand was around her side. The other hand still traced those circles at the lowest part of her back, giving her goosebumps. They danced that way for a more than one song. Neither of them wanting the moment to end.
