Page 153 of Back in the Saddle

I glared at him again. “Don’t be sweet when I’m in the mood to cut a bitch.”

At that, he busted out laughing.

I took a bite of my bread.

It was good and all, but the fettucine was far superior.

Thus, I put my bread down and returned to my pasta.

Eric put his hand on my back and leaned in close.

“And it means a lot that you’d get so angry on my behalf.”

“You’re still being sweet,” I warned around a mouth full of fettucine.

He was grinning largely as he sat back and went after his own pasta.

I’d managed to remind myself that Savannah was history, Eric was sitting beside me, we were having a quiet night, and the portion I’d served up for myself wasn’t gut-busting—which should lead to wild, sweaty sex for the first time with my new hot guy—when Eric leaned forward to pull his phone out of his back pocket, muttering, “Goddammit.”

“What?” I asked.

“I’m on a case that’s close to breaking,” he said while reading the screen of his phone, “and I worried this would happen.”

“What?” I repeated.

He sent a text flying and then circled more fettucine on his fork. “The case is breaking. I gotta eat up, babe, and roll.”

Shit.

“You’re leaving?”

When he turned his eyes to me, he didn’t need to say words. I could see he was maybe even less happy about it than I was.

Still, I was tremendously unhappy about it.

“So I take it tonight is not the night for wild, sweaty sex for the first time with my new hot guy,” I remarked.

He suddenly caught me behind my head, pressed his mouth tight to mine, pulled back and replied, “If I slide in bed beside you tonight and you’re wearing something that even minorly resembles the last two nighties I’ve seen you in, prepare to get your ass woken up before it gets tagged.”

God, I wished I hadn’t wasted my best nightie on my first sleepover at Eric’s house when nothing happened.

It was then, I remembered a red number I had, which wasn’t in my normal color rotation (red was strictly accent), which was why I’d forgotten about it. I only bought it because the style was so hot, and it didn’t come in black, but I had to have it.

I’d never worn it.

Now Eric was going to get it.

My smile to him was slow.

Eric watched it, muttering, “Fuck.”

“Be safe,” I bid.

His eyes came up to mine. “Don’t dig into that cake. I’ll cut us a slice after we break this fuckin’ seal.”

Oh yeah.

He was as frustrated as I was that seal hadn’t been broken yet.

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