I Let the Officer Pat Me Down Against the Wall

That morning traffic was the usual chaos. I’d lived in this city my whole life and had never gotten used to its endless intersections, its crosswalks, the traffic lights that seemed to multiply just to hold me there. I drove with just enough patience not to explode.

—I love this song —I murmured the moment the melody started playing.

I turned up the volume and started singing at the top of my lungs, shamelessly. I was alone—why not? Shouting out the off-key notes helped me let go of the tension, shake off the stress, and clear the tangled mess in my head.

I was so wrapped up in my own performance that I failed to notice an obvious detail: at the light, right beside me, there was a patrol car. I didn’t know whether that could get me into trouble. Singing wasn’t a crime, but if the officers decided the music was too loud, they could ruin my morning.

Through laughter and shouts, I didn’t see what was coming. The two cops, instead of their usual stone-faced expressions, seemed to be enjoying my act. Their looks gave them away.

—Sorry, officers. I’ll turn it down right away —I said, almost shouting, trying to make my voice beat the music.

—That’d be good, ma’am —one of them replied in a tone that sounded flirty to me—. Then maybe I can hear me when I ask you to pull over on the right as soon as you can.

My heart clenched. This wasn’t a joke or a compliment: they were pulling me over. Could they really fine me for singing?

I obeyed and pulled onto the nearest shoulder. I hesitated over whether to get out or wait for them to come over. I froze completely, not knowing how to react.

—Good morning, miss —his deep voice yanked me out of the paralysis.

—Good morning, officer —I replied with a nervous smile, toying with my hair like a schoolgirl—. Did I do something wrong?

—We could say you weren’t paying attention to the traffic —his tone was still firm, though I’d swear he was giving me a touch of sympathy.

—I haven’t committed any offense —my voice hardened—. I was just singing.

He frowned.

—That decision isn’t up to you, but to us. I suggest you cooperate.

—Cooperate in what? —I asked, halfway between curiosity and fear.

—You’ll have to come with us —he said, and without waiting for an answer he opened my door, motioning for me to get into his vehicle.

In that instant everything stopped. I weighed my options in a couple of heartbeats: obey or run. It wouldn’t be the first time I chose the second.

Two seconds were enough. I turned the key, the engine roared, and I slammed the accelerator with all my might. My old Mini responded like a released beast and adrenaline exploded through my veins. Speed, risk, excitement: a cocktail I had always loved.

—Good… they’re not following me —I told myself, relieved to see in the rearview mirror that I’d left the patrol lights behind.

I kept on the road home. The escape, the danger, the forbidden… that mix quickened my blood just as much as a well-kept secret.

***

When I arrived, I found pure commotion. My brother Diego and the guys had spent the morning taking their motorcycles apart—they loved playing at being mechanics—and, as always, afterward it was time to roughhouse in the pool.

Diego and Pablo were still in the garage; from the racket of the tools it sounded as if they were stripping the engines down to the bone. Hugo, meanwhile, had taken over the kitchen.

—Guys, I’m home! —I announced. I didn’t want any surprises.

—Well, well… little Marina —came a voice from the fridge.

I froze.

—Adrián? What are you doing here? —I blurted out with a sarcasm that barely covered my discomfort.

Adrián. My brother’s troublemaking friend. My ex. My mistake.

—Seems luck is smiling on me today with your presence —his voice dripped with that hateful confidence I despised so much.

—Didn’t you have anything better to do than come wreck my day? —I shot back with contempt.

—Get lost, Marina —he spat.

—Believe me, seeing you isn’t exactly my wish either —I replied, and without looking at him I went up the stairs to my room.

I needed air. I showered quickly, put on comfortable clothes, and when I went back downstairs, Adrián was gone. A momentary relief: his mere presence set my nerves on edge. But the calm didn’t last. Lunch time came and there he was again, ready to turn my day into a torture session. As soon as I finished, I fled to the pool looking for shelter in the sun. That didn’t work either. The discomfort was eating me alive, so I decided to truly get out of there.

Headphones, phone, keys. Nothing else.

—Diego, I’m going out for a run —I called from the garage door. I didn’t wait for an answer.

***

I opened my playlist and let the music push me forward. We lived in the suburbs, but in twenty minutes I could be at the big park, the perfect place to get lost.

The afternoon was sunny, with just the right temperature for running. My feet struck the ground with an anxious rhythm. I wasn’t running for exercise. I was running like I was fleeing. From Adrián. From the tension. From the anger.

—When I get back, Diego’s going to hear about this —I muttered through clenched teeth. Anger made me run faster, frustration tightened my pulse. How could he have brought him home knowing how badly it all ended?

The more I tried to understand my anger, the angrier I got, and the harder I ran, as if I could expel all the bad through sweat. But my body paid me back and I had to stop by a fountain to catch my breath.

—Well, well… look who’s around here —a mocking voice said behind me.

I didn’t recognize it at first, but it was enough to freeze my blood.

—Maybe this young lady is committing an offense again —it continued—. Seems like you enjoy running into us.

I mentally ran through every voice stored in my memory, one by one, looking for a match before daring to turn my head. I’d been dragging trouble ever since my relationship with Adrián fell apart; there were loose ends left, poisoned debts that could resurface at any moment. It could be anyone.

—Maybe it’s because you’re a bad girl —the voice added, amused, far too confident.

Suddenly I recognized him. This morning’s officer.

Fate seemed determined to play with me. He’d been provoking me all day. But maybe the time had come for me to start playing too.

I stayed silent, motionless, expectant. I wanted to see his next move, gauge his patience against my indifference.

—Miss… will I have to pat you down? —his tone turned darker, a dangerous mix of teasing and threat—. Believe me, I can be very persistent in my inspections.

He had no idea who he was playing with. He didn’t know anything about me, not even my name, and yet he thought he had the right to challenge me, to drag me into his game of taunts.

—Mateo, is something wrong? —his partner’s voice broke the tension as he approached.

—Nothing… just a little rebel. Nothing I can’t handle —he replied, far too sure of himself.

I was still rooted to the ground, rigid, as if an invisible gun were pointed at my back. The guard shack was a few meters away, but my legs refused to move.

—Come on, against the wall! —the order came out sharp, leaving no room for argument.

I turned to face the whitewashed wall while his voice insisted:

—Legs apart.

The teasing tone was gone. Now he spoke sternly. If running into Adrián had already lit me up, having this smug asshole treat me like a criminal finished igniting my blood.

He shoved me against the bricks. His weight trapped me, and his knee slid between my thighs, forcing them apart. My hands were crossed behind my neck, my whole body exposed.

—If what you wanted was to touch me, you only had to ask —I shot back brazenly, breaking the seriousness of the scene.

I felt his tension. His breathing quickened, his voice barely holding its firm tone. The closeness of his body told me more than any words could.

—I’m going to proceed with the pat-down —he murmured near my ear, in a low timbre that contained more than it admitted.

I stayed still, but I played with the silence. He thought he had me under control, not realizing I was pushing him to the edge too.

His hand descended slowly, with a caution that contrasted with the roughness of the moment. Each movement was measured, as if he wanted to memorize my shape through touch. I felt him trace my outline with a strange mix of firmness and tenderness, wavering between authority and the vulnerability that betrayed him.

He brushed my neck as he leaned in, and that nearly imperceptible gesture revealed more than any words. I understood that the tension wasn’t only mine.

When his hands framed my thighs, my resistance reached its limit. I waited for the exact moment, patient, and then I spun abruptly, turning the situation around until I had him pinned against the wall. Surprise flashed in his eyes. It lasted only seconds, an intense spark in which we held a silent conversation so deep that words would have been clumsy.

I don’t know how it happened, but something rose from inside me, an energy that pushed me inexorably toward him. And I went for it.

The collision against his lips was wet and ravenous. Our mouths searched for each other hungrily, as if they wanted to devour one another. I trapped his lower lip between mine and bit it, drinking in the heat of his mouth. I pulled him toward me by his belt, with a decisive gesture, as impulsive as it was inevitable. He held me firmly, as if he’d been waiting for this moment all afternoon.

—Let’s go inside —was the only thing he said, dragging me into the tool shed.

***

There, between narrow walls and the smell of metal and wood, the world seemed to stop. There was no more sound than our ragged breathing. He looked at me with a mix of challenge and restrained desire, his arms crossed over his broad chest, his dark eyes fixed on me like an anchor. That look was a dare, and I, far from stepping back, moved forward.

—Let’s see, officer, what you’ve got for me —I whispered, my voice a thread that mixed mockery and seduction.

My fingers traced the line of his chest, slowly, drawing an invisible map over the fabric of his uniform. He didn’t move, but his stare burned, deciding whether to give in or hold out.

—Are you going to keep on with your pat-down —I murmured against his ear— or are you planning to arrest me another way?

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t look away. I could feel his inner struggle, the conflict between duty and what my closeness was wrenching from him. Suddenly he broke the distance. He grabbed my wrist hard and shoved me against the worktable. The wood creaked under our weight.

—You have no idea what you’re getting into —he murmured, inches from my lips.

I smiled, challenging him.

—I know better than you think.

And then he kissed me. A kiss loaded with need and urgency, a fire consuming everything in its path. My legs tangled around his waist, trapping him against me, while my hips answered by rubbing urgently against his pants. His fingers dug into my skin, pressing me against him, and every shared breath was a sigh of hunger.

I undid my shirt teasingly. He lunged at my breasts with voracious eagerness, as if every second might be his last. I pulled him away by his hair, gently, and his dark eyes, full of desire, pierced me until I trembled. I kept rocking against him, an intimate, urgent motion that melted us together.

—Mateo, how’s it going? —his partner asked from the doorway, with an almost innocent curiosity, so far removed from our fire.

He stopped dead, breathing against my neckline, his hands dug into my thighs while he searched for words.

—All good, Tomás. Wait for me in the car, I’ll be right there —he said firmly, though his voice vibrated with the echo of what he was holding back.

The partner withdrew behind the door, leaving a silence thick with tension.

—Officer Tomás, could you come in? I need your help with something —I countered in a tone that mixed authority and provocation.

—Shhh… miss, keep quiet or I’ll have to gag you —Mateo’s voice ran over every inch of my skin.

—Please… help me —I begged, letting my vulnerability mingle with temptation.

The door handle turned and the other officer appeared before us. We were still tangled together like two predators, and Mateo kept his uniform intact, a symbol of control that made the transgression even more exciting.

—Come on, Mateo… this can’t be happening —Tomás chided, helpless before the tension radiating off us.

—Get out of here! —Mateo shouted at him, caught between anger and disbelief.

—Don’t leave, officer —I cut in, my voice loaded with seduction—. You can join if you want.

I didn’t know what answer to expect, but the glint in Tomás’s eyes made it clear the idea was as irresistible as it was dangerous. For the moment he just stood there watching as his partner went back to being obsessed with my breasts. His hungry mouth overflowed with the desire to possess everything I had to offer him.

Mateo held me firmly, as if he feared I’d get away, while his tongue drew slow, wet circles. Time seemed to stop; every movement of his was a plea and, at the same time, a conquest. I arched toward him, surrendering to the brush of his lips. I heard him say my name in a hoarse voice and I knew we were crossing a line neither of us wanted to come back from.

His hands slid between my legs, tearing the fabric with force. He couldn’t hold back, and I knew exactly how to make him stop trying. I brought my face to his neck and savored his skin with my tongue, hearing his breathing speed up. I bit his earlobe and whispered in broken breaths:

—Officer… is that all you’ve got for me?

He didn’t take even a second to react. He grabbed my waist with overwhelming force, lifted me off the narrow table, spun with me in the air, and set me back on the surface, now bent and exposed. That made me smile wickedly: I was exactly where I wanted to be.

His big hand traced my hips calmly, as if inspecting every corner in search of treasure. I moved my body slowly, teasing him, and when I looked over my shoulder I saw his eyes locked on me, hypnotized.

—Would you like to touch, officer? —I asked in a challenging tone to the other man.

Tomás hesitated, but he didn’t have time to decide.

—Don’t even think about taking a step —Mateo snapped, his deep voice a threat—. Leave.

The other one left at once. Mateo’s attitude had changed completely. He was a predator, and I was his willing prey. I liked feeling his strength imposing itself, fitting my own desire.

I slid toward him until I crashed against his hips. That gesture was enough to unleash him. His uniform disappeared from our view and before me stood a naked, imposing man.

—Get ready, miss —he murmured in a hoarse voice.

The air filled with gasps and moans. There were no words to explain what I felt; only sounds escaping my throat, sharp and inevitable. Mateo controlled every movement, and I accepted him hungrily, between pleas and stifled laughter. I felt his strength grow while his hands moved up my back and tangled in my hair. He tugged with determination, forcing me upright. His control was absolute.

—More… —I begged, almost voiceless.

He shook his head with a dry, cutting no. And still his movements never stopped; they kept an unrelenting rhythm that made my whole body tremble. The cold seeping through the cracks in the door raised goosebumps on my skin, intensifying every shiver. I begged for more, and he answered with whispered phrases that kept me on the edge of surrender. The tension built until it broke us, until it left us exhausted and breathless.

We stayed wrapped in each other for a moment, held in a thick silence. Then he stroked my arm with a surprisingly gentle gesture.

—Tell me your name, at least —he asked with a tired smile.

—Marina —I replied while gathering my clothes.

—I’ll look for you, Marina —he whispered with a hint of longing.

***

I hurried out and almost tripped when I bumped into Tomás at the corner of the shed.

—Sorry —I said, out of breath.

—Are you okay? —he asked, genuinely concerned.

—Yes, thanks —I answered before running off.

The miles back home felt short, filled with memories of what had happened. I arrived sweaty, exhausted, my mind burning. When I stepped inside, the music and laughter brought me back to normal.

—Diego, I’m back —I shouted from the doorway.

There was a party in the garden: music, alcohol, and several friends gathered together.

—Come and take a dip, Marina! —Carla, my brother’s girlfriend, called to me.

—I’m tired, I’m going upstairs for a bit. See you later —I replied before disappearing up the stairs, with a smile no one quite understood.