Nate found it difficult to not think about what the cop had done to him as he hung upside down and cuffed to the broken inversion table. Under other circumstances, it would have been extremely erotic. He wished it had been Ashley who'd done that to him but if he were honest with himself, he didn't exactly dislike Bateman's touch.
It had been different, the way Amber Bateman had touched him and it was this thought he was trying hard to push out of his head as he slid thick and aching into his girlfriend later that night.
***
It'd been a month since the incident in his garage and Nate was pretty sure Bateman had no further interest in him. He'd not seen the single police car once as he jogged through the city's small park, but he had heard through the grapevine that Bateman more often than not drove her own car to do patrols. He could never be completely sure she wasn't out there. Watching him.
This unease led him to do his laps at night and given the dim light, he thought he could once again run wearing shorts and shoes and nothing else. Nobody could see him very well and there was nobody else around to complain that time of night.
The night he became disabused of the notion that he was off Bateman's radar was a hot June night. Nathan was in his own world, his body felt as if it were on cruise control as he listened to some pounding music which seemed to force his feet to keep time with the beat.
In his peripheral vision, a shape moved up on the street running along the back of the park opposite the busier main street on the other side of the park. Nate popped the earbuds out of his ears and turned to see a black and white Luvton police car pacing him like a predator.
Nate's heart beat hard in his chest, harder than it already had been.
"I thought I told you to put on a shirt if you're going to exercise in public," Bateman called through the open window.
Forcing a smile, Nate said, "I apologize. You did say that but I thought since it was so hot out tonight and it was dark--." Nate thought better of trying to explain his reasoning. "I'll make a beeline for the house and take care of that. That cool, officer?"
Bateman brought the car to a stop under a street light and got out. "No, it's not 'cool'," she said displeased. "Come here."
"What?"
Bateman slid a hand down on her stun gun and with the other curled a finger toward him.
Nate sighed and approached, hands palm out away from his body so she'd have no legitimate reason to use force on him.
"Around to the other side of the car," Bateman said and followed him. "Hands on the roof, legs apart."
"I haven't done anything," Nate hissed.
Bateman put a hand in the middle of his back and shoved him against the car to make her point. "You clearly disobeyed me regarding wearing a shirt in public, Nate. Now, put your fucking hands on the fucking roof, and don't move!"
Nate did as he was told and spread his legs. He felt the officer's hands slide over his arms, down his shoulders, and around his chest. There was no reason to frisk him since all of that area was bare skin. There was nowhere for him to hide anything.
"Do you have any weapons on you?" Bateman said as her hands gripped his thigh and slid down first one then the other.
"Where the hell am I gonna hide a weapon?" Nate spat.
Bateman shoved him against the car again, harder this time. "You'd better learn some respect, Walker."
"I have no weapons, Officer Bateman, ma'am," Nate replied trying to keep the attitude out of his voice.
"I think you do," Bateman growled.
