Jacked (17 page)

She
was tempting. So very tempting. If she knew what I was really hungry for right now she’d surely reach across the table and slap me hard. I glanced back at the menu for the pure distraction of it while my desires and vivid images sort of blurred together.

I shifted, feeling tight all over. Fortunately I had a spare pair of jeans in my locker, replacing my bloodied cargo pants. Unfortunately, those jeans were constricting all sorts of new blood flow.

Kathy set our drinks down. “Are you ready?”

“Yes. For the lady, she’d like the western omelet and whole wheat toast and I’d like the Spanish omelet with whole wheat also. And a large plate of home fries and bacon.” I handed the menus over, catching Kathy’s approving smile while completely dazed by Erin’s. She appeared to be a happy person, which was wonderful because I had enough shit to worry about; I didn’t need to be the sole source of someone’s happiness.

“I love bacon,” she said.

I leaned up on the table. “Me too.”

“How’s the hand feel?”

I glanced at the meticulous job she did and flexed my fingers. “Feels fine, although I think wrapping it this good on my own might be tough.”

I watched her lips pucker and brush the edge of her water glass, thinking it was one of the most erotic things I’d seen in a long time.

“What time do you normally start your shift?”

“Um, we have ops briefing at eight and then we’re on the streets by eight-thirty. Why?”

She shrugged. “I’ll be at the hospital at seven. I can re-wrap you, if you want, before you start your shift.”

Is she giving me an in to see her or is she just being nice?
Either way, I was thankful. “You’d be okay to do that?”

She didn’t even question it. “Sure. You need to keep those stitches covered. While you’re home, you can let them air, but while you’re out there in germ world better to be safe than sorry.”

She made me laugh with her little animations. “Germ world? That bad, huh?”

Erin nodded. “Yep. Trust me.”

I leaned back. “Actually, I’ve been benched. Apparently stitches warrant a few days of desk duty.”

“Well, you need to heal. How long are you benched?”

I shrugged, not really knowing. “A week? It’s okay. Gives me time to dig into why someone switched your plate.”

Erin fidgeted with her napkin. “That’s been bothering me a lot, actually.”

Thinking about some asswipe creeping around her car at night bothered me a whole hell of a lot, too. “I’m not completely sure, but my guess is that you were used as a diversion.”

“A diversion?”

I nodded, reconsidering just how much I should divulge. Last thing I wanted to do was to scare her. “Several expensive cars on the other side of the city disappeared into thin air at the same time we were chasing you.”

The look of abject horror I received told me she was completely innocent.

“Don’t let it worry you, though. I talked with hospital security before I left and I got the number for their main office. I’ll inform them that your car was tampered with on hospital property. But the fact they let you ladies walk out into that dark parking lot unescorted, well that’s something they need to fix right away.”

She frowned at me. “We’ve never had problems before.”

Didn’t matter if she disapproved or not. “I walked through your lot, Erin; it’s dark, unlit, and unsafe. You ever have any self-defense training?”

“No,” she admitted.

“Well then, you should never walk out there alone, especially when it’s dark. I’ll show you some self-defense moves. You should at least know how to escape if someone grabs you.”

She gave me a measured look.

“I’m serious.”

She smirked at me. “I believe you.”

Didn’t take long for Kathy to return with our food. I could have inhaled mine for how hungry I was. I let the subject of her safety drop and started scooping chunky salsa out over my omelet when I noticed Erin scrutinizing me. “Want some?”

“Salsa? On an omelet?” She was definitely questioning my sanity.

“You ever try it?”

She shook her head.

“Babe, you haven’t lived until you’ve had salsa on an omelet. Here,” I handed the small soup cup over to her, “give it a shot.”

I was glad to see she was willing to try something new and even more relieved that she didn’t get all righteous on me when I called her “babe.” It had slipped out before I could stop myself.

One mouthful and she started grinning. “Oh, that’s good.”

I crammed a big bite into my mouth, nodding in agreement. “Told ya. Have some more.”

She rubbed another spoonful over her food. “I think this is my new favorite thing.”

“You think that’s good, wait until I show you the proper way to eat French fries.”

A lock of hair fell across her face. I wanted to touch it.

“Gravy on top?” she asked.

I set my fork down. “Aw. Who told you?”

“Are you kidding? I’ve known about gravy fries since I was old enough to speak the words. You know who has the best gravy fries?”

“Al’s Tavern,” we both said in unison.

“You’ve been to Al’s?” I asked, completely shocked she knew about my favorite hole-in-the-wall pub.

She smiled that wholesome naughty girl grin again. God, I wanted to climb over the table and kiss her.
Could life be this poetic?
Something so benign and simple felt like a lifeline, gluing a piece of me back together. If she only knew…

“Yep. Many times, although it’s been a while since I was there. Sarah and I used to go there all the time.”

“Sarah?”

“The pregnant nurse that took your info.”

“Oh. Yeah, I remember. The one who conveniently pointed out that we both live in the same town.”

I saw her cringe a little.

“Yeah, your friend’s not as subtle as she’d like to think.” I shrugged. “I didn’t mind. She gave up some very useful information.”

I watched the blush stain Erin’s cheeks. I wondered where else I might get to see her body flush with heat. The tightness in my muscles returned as well as part of my single-minded erection. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’m not. I may even buy your pregnant tattletale some flowers for being so helpful.”

“Seriously?”

I winked at her. That shy flush hit her again. “Yep. And I’m willing to bet she’d give up your phone number for a chocolate donut and a smile.”

Erin’s shoulders slumped, playing right along. “You’d bribe an eight-month pregnant woman with a donut to get my phone number?”

I didn’t want to give away that I already had her cell number, her former addresses from when she lived in Baltimore and attended Johns Hopkins University, and that she had no priors and only ever had one speeding ticket in her life. The fact that she had no other aliases also brightened my shitty night.

Trade secret—all cops hooking up with new women ran their girl’s information. That’s because you never knew which hot babe was also a walking restraining order in disguise. It was a relief to find one without any priors.

Besides, I was sure the moment I left the hospital they had all of my medical records from the last four times I visited the ER up on their screen. Hell, there were even video clips from the show of the guys and me on the Internet. I wasn’t feeling guilty in the least, but something about her whole vibe told me she hadn’t cyber-stalked me yet.

“Yes, I most certainly would bribe a pregnant woman to give up your phone number, but only as a last resort.”

I watched her take another bite, scrutinizing me. “Please don’t torture my pregnant friend. Chocolate donuts make people do stupid things.”

I set my coffee cup down. “Afraid she might tell me too much? I bet if I brought her a dozen she’d tell me all of your little secrets.”

“I don’t have secrets.”

“Yeah right. All women have secrets.”

I saw her spine stiffen. She liked the challenge. Good.

“And men don’t?”

“I didn’t say that.” I shoved a piece of toast in my mouth.

“If I ask nicely, would you tell me your secrets? I promise to be open-minded.”

Damn, she’s good at this. I wonder how open-minded she’d be if we discussed my sexual depravities
.

“Oh, no. I’m not falling for it. You want me to give up information? Not without a swap. One for one.”

I wasn’t sure if I’d like this game but I did sort of ask for it.

“Okay. Ladies first?”

As if I had a choice. I swept my hand for her to start, hoping like hell this didn’t get out of hand.

“Ever been married?”

Easy.
“No. My turn.”

“Wait.”

“One for one, Doc. Didn’t give specifics on the amount of details.”

And there went her enthusiasm and out came a pout. “Fine.”

“Oh, the four letter death word,” I teased, waving my fork at her. “I know what that word means in women speak, by the way. Rule Number One: you use that word on me, I get to call you on it.”

And back came a bit of her perkiness with a smile wicked enough to destroy me. “We have rules now?”

I pushed one of my empty plates away and kicked back, enjoying the fun of riling her up. “Rules. Words to live by. Whatever you want to call it. I like rules. Keeps things clear.”

Then came the sass with the ornery grin. “Fine.”

God, she was hot.

“Fine,” I volleyed. “My turn.” I knew she’d never been married, so I didn’t intend to waste my question. I had every intention to find out if she liked to be tied up during sex, so I tossed her an easy one. “What’s the craziest thing you did in college?”

That made her lips pucker. Damn, even her little pout was cute. “Not fair.”

“Hah! It’s very fair. And by that reaction you definitely have to answer it now.”

I wondered how long she’d take to think of an answer and how much of it would be the truth. Her eyes glanced up, to the right. I relaxed and waited.

“Okay, back in my sophomore year a friend of mine and I went to a frat party and somehow, after way too much beer, I got entered into the wet T-shirt contest.”

I felt my eyes bulge and my throat tighten simultaneously at her honest recounting. Why the hell couldn’t I have known her then? “For real?” This innocent-looking creature had a wild side. I knew it.

Erin nodded sheepishly. “Yep. And you want to know the best part of it? I won it, too.”

Of course I had to look at her boobs now, wondering what soaking wet cotton would look like plastered against the lovely pair.
Hard, pink nipples begging to be warmed with my tongue. The left one, and then the right, sucking and tugging on them with my teeth until they’re red and swollen, and she’s moaning in my arms.
And just like that, my hard-on came back with a vengeance.
Damn, is she doing this to me on purpose?

I tugged at crotch of my jeans quickly, removing the denim seam that was impaling my dick.

Yeah, she knew exactly what she was doing to me.

“There may or may not have been a stripper pole involved as well, though I can’t say. Was that crazy enough for you?”

I was so dumbstruck; all I could do was nod.

“My turn again,” she said, way too enthusiastically.

“Wait. Is that something you might repeat anytime soon? Just curious.”

Oh that sly, shy grin. This girl is going to wreck me.

“Why? Are you going to tell me you have one installed in your house or something?”

I swallowed hard just picturing that.
Don’t think about the word “hard” now, Adam.
“No, but I’m thinking about buying one today if you’re game, that’s for damn sure.”

“Well, you’ll have to hold that thought since it’s my turn again.”

I waved for her to continue, fearing I was at risk for spilling my guts to her now.

“Since you obviously are a righteous man of the law, ever do anything that was illegal?
And
… if so, what was it?”

Look at her. She thinks she’s got me. First rule of interrogation, sweetheart, trust no one and definitely never confess to anything illegal.
I knew enough to know she was just trying to get to know me. There was nothing in my brief investigation on her to lead me to think otherwise as she had no record of criminal history.
Well, she doesn’t need to know all of my dirty secrets in one sitting.
I took a few moments to think of a good story, something that would appease her curiosity.

“Okay, when I was seventeen, senior year of high school, I took the girl I was dating out to the lake that was a couple of miles from my parents’ house. I spread out a nice blanket, had the radio playing, couple bottles of wine my brother Michael got for me, trying to show her what a class act I was. Well, it worked and there we were in all our glory goin’ at it hot and heavy.” I wiped my mouth just thinking about it. “I was quite preoccupied when the cops showed up.”

Erin laughed. “What did you do?”

Why am I telling her this shit? Fuck it. Let her get a bit hot and bothered, too.
“What could I do? We were totally busted. Chief cuffed me, butt-ass naked, tossed me in the back of the squad car, and remanded me over to my parents. Dragged me right to the front door of my house and threatened to shoot me. Guess he was pretty pissed that I was caught defiling his daughter or something—”

Erin covered her mouth. “Oh, no you didn’t!”

I shrugged, holding back some. “Gave me a citation for public indecency and underage drinking, which was still cutting me a break because I was pretty wasted. I ended up having to do community service clearing all of the storm gutters for the entire summer.”

“And that’s when you decided to go into law enforcement?”

I nodded and scratched the scar above my left eyebrow I’d gotten as a result. “Actually it was a few days after that when Casper Cullis pulled a gun on me.”

“
Casper
Cullis?”

“Her douche-bag boyfriend.”

“Someone named their kid Casper? Isn’t he the friendly ghost?”

I had to laugh at her, though the memory was far from funny. “No. We got into a fight, and then he pointed a gun at my head.”

“He pointed a gun… at your head. Oh my God. What did you do?”

Images skittered through. “I knocked his hand away and broke his nose. And
that’s
when I decided to be a police officer.”