Page 66 of Beyond the Badge: Crew

“That works,” he said. “What’s the point of making coffee if it no longer tastes like coffee?”

She took another sip. “Aaah.So good. Perfect, even.” She lifted her eyes to his. “If you don’t like something, don’t drink it. Simple. I don’t judge you for drinking it black.”

He got thrown off the conversation when she leaned her ass back against the counter, holding her mug in one hand and pinning her other arm under her bra-free breasts. When she crossed her ankles, the hem of her T-shirt edged much higher, showing off her soft, supple and very young thighs.

For fuck’s sake. It’s nothing you didn’t see when she was in her bathing suit, idiot. Focus.

He strong-armed his thoughts back to task force business. “You started to say something about a cup. Does it have to do with Hawg Wild and the Demons?”

Shemmm’d as she took another sip of that mess in her mug. “So…”

“For fuck’s sake,” he muttered.

“I didn’t even say anything yet.”

“Coming from you, I’m sure whatever it is will give me heartburn.”

“You should get your ticker checked then. You’re at the age where heart attacks are common.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to keep his patience.

“Are you okay? Do you need to sit down? I can help you to a chair. Or bring one over. Give me a heads up if you’re going to keel over.”

This woman knew how to push his fucking buttons. He could do the same all day, every day, with his brothers. Why did Cabrera busting on him bother him so fucking much?

He set his jaw and opened his eyes. “Just tell me whatever it is you’re going to tell me.”

“I got hired at Hawg Wild.”

He blinked. And blinked again.

She didwhat?

“Did you hear me? Do you need to turn up your hearing aids?”

He ground his teeth and his fingers twitched with the urge to teach her a lesson. But if he did, he feared it would turn into something he needed to avoid like a flesh-eating virus. “I heard you. But what came out of your mouth shouldn’t have. I didn’t give you instructions or permission to get a job there. You were only supposed to make a fucking buy.”

“Well, I saw an opportunity and jumped on it. I took the initiative to prove I’m an asset to the team.”

“No.”

Her eyebrows slammed together. “No what?”

“No, you’re not working there.”

They parted and rose up her forehead. “Too late. I started last night.”

“You’re not working there,” he repeated. No fucking way was she going undercover at Hawg Wild without backup. It was bad enough sending her in once. But on the regular?

Too risky. Too dangerous. No.

“Oh… And I did a buy.”

“Oh and you dida buy? Shouldn’t you have led with that?”

“Depends.” She set her mug down and pushed off the counter, heading over to the cabinet next to the fridge where she pulled out one of those cardboard coffee cups. She turned and held it out to him. “Here.”

He stared at it. “What’s that?”

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