Page 145 of Beyond the Badge: Crew

“What did you find out?” he asked as she finished strapping on the helmet.

“Nothing I didn’t already know,” she answered.

“Monty’s not one to gossip.”

She planted her hand on his shoulder and climbed on behind him. “Then why did you ask?” When he didn’t answer, she continued, “Why do you think I’d ask anyone anything about you? Why do you assume I’m interested in learning more than what I already know?”

“You’re not?”

“Nope. Are you disappointed?”

When he started his Harley, his answering, “No,” got lost in the rumble of his loud exhaust.

And he calledhera liar.

She chuckled under her breath as the pack took off in formation, leaving the roadside ice cream stand behind as they headed back toward Rockvale.

During that last hour, his fingers circled her lower calf more often than not. It was as if he was staking his claim and didn’t care if anyone knew. She was pretty damn sure if either of his kids had turned around, he would have dropped it as if he’d grabbed a hot coal.

She would’ve completely understood it if he had.

His kids would always be his top priority, as they should be. She also didn’t want to add any more tension to their relationship. Even though his kids were old enough to understand he was not living the life of a monk, no one wanted to think about their parents having sex.

When they arrived back at the lot, she took her time unwrapping her arms from around his waist, making sure to drag her fingers slowly under his cut and over the small of his back.

She swore she heard a little bit of a growl slip from his lips when she leaned in close to his ear and whispered, “Thanks for the ride. I’m no longer a virgin.”

When she handed him the helmet and began to walk away, his hand snaked out and he yanked her to a stop. Tugging her closer, he kept his deep voice low to say, “You think you bested me today, but you’re wrong. I need to drop the kids off after this. Once I’m done doing that, I’ll be over.”

Her pussy clenched and her pulse sped up. “I don’t remember inviting you.”

“You invited me the second you went against my wishes.”

“Chloé went against your wishes, too.”

“She’s my daughter. You’re not.”

She definitely wasnot.

Her voice caught and she cleared her throat so she could say, “I’ll be waiting.”

With that, she tugged her wrist free and took quick strides toward her car, not looking back at him once since all eyes had been on that exchange. They didn’t have to hear the words to get a good read on what was said since, being all observant members of law enforcement, they were good at reading body language.

She kept her chin up and hoped her face wasn’t flushed as those same eyes tracked her walking through the lot. While she did so, she did her best to hide the tremble of her thighs, not caused by riding on a motorcycle for the last three and a half hours.

But by the anticipation of riding the overbearing man with the gray eyes and salt-and-pepper hair.

ChapterTwenty-Eight

Crew shutoff the engine and stared through his car’s windshield to contemplate the house in front of him.

No, not the house.

The woman inside.

He shouldn’t be here.

He hadn’t walked through the door yet, which meant he could easily leave before doing so.

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