Page 43 of Playing With Danger

It took me longer than it should’ve to comprehend what she meant.

“I don’t know if Chelsea serves that here but I can ask.”

“I heard it’s called the Valentine Special,” she quipped, and fuck me, I wanted to kiss her again.

I dipped closer and after a quick mouth touch stayed close to say, “I thought it was the Hot Cop Special.”

“You think you’re funny.”

No, I thought she was hilarious and cute as fuck with her cheeks tinging pink.

“You guys doing alright over here?” Chelsea asked from behind the bar.

“What do you really want, Sophie?”

I saw her eyes flash. It was so quick, if I hadn’t been close, staring right at her, I would’ve missed it.

But I didn’t miss shit.

“Blue Moon, please.”

“I don’t know if I should fan myself, find my husband and take a break, or toss ice water on you two,” Chelsea jibed.

“Tell me about it,” Jase groused.

Fuck, we were in public.

I shifted Sophie, slid off my stool, planted her on it, and shifted again so I was at her back.

There. Gentlemanly.

“You look familiar,” Sophie said.

“Yeah, I was there the day at the liquor store when you kicked that fuckstick’s ass. Couldn’t tell you then so I’ll tell you now, that was epic.” Jase paused, wiped the smile off his face, and asked, “You okay? I heard you were hurt.”

Fuck!

I’d been too busy fighting whatever this was I felt for her, I hadn’t asked about her injury.

Good God, I was an asshole.

“You’re a cop, too.”

I froze. Jealousy was a new and unchartered emotion for me. But there it was, and I wore it like a bad suit, wondering if Sophie would call him Hot Cop, too.

“Yeah, I’m Ethan’s partner. We work out of the six-ten with V and his team.”

Conversation was halted when Chelsea set down Sophie’s drink.

“I’m Chelsea,” she introduced herself as her husband Matt came up next to her. “This is Matt.”

“Sophie.”

Matt’s gaze slid from Sophie to me.

I knew that smile and what it said. Matt owned Balls Deep with his wife but he worked at Triple Canopy and he’d been there the day I asked Dylan for the panic button for Sophie.

The thread of hope I had that he’d keep his mouth shut was cut.

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