Page 69 of Beyond the Badge: Nox

Hearing her name whispered like that again cracked open her heart.

“I might regret this,” she said under her breath before turning the knob and pulling open the door.

Nox leaned forward with his hands braced on either side of the door frame. His head was tipped down and it took him a few seconds to lift it.

Oh yeah, the man was fighting with himself.

Even so, she refused to mince words with this man. If he couldn’t handle it, too bad. Someone needed to knock him upside the head and since he was currently standing on her porch, she guessed it was up to her.

“You hoped I wouldn’t hear you. You hoped I wouldn’t open the door. But I did. Now what?”

“Now you invite me in.”

She couldn’t deny that his deep rumble did things to areas on her body currently covered in cobwebs. “I already did.”

“I figured that invitation was revoked.”

She opened the door wider, stepped back and swung an arm toward the interior of her home. “You’re making me think you’re a vampire with needing an invitation to cross my threshold.”

“I don’t know shit about vampires,’’ he grumbled as he stepped inside.

She closed the door behind him. “Yeah, well… I was on a bloodsucker kick for a few years there. Books, movies, even documentaries. I know more about them than any sane person should.”

“Lock the door.”

Her heartbeat sped up. “It’s locked.”

“Your father have a key?”

“Yes.” Since having sex hadn’t been on her to-do list today, should she take a quick shower and do a little maintenance?

When was the last time she shaved her legs?

Or other places?

Did she smell okay? She fought the urge to lift her arm and sniff her armpit.

Was she freshdown there?

Shit.

“Does he just come over unannounced?”

What? He who?

Oh, that was right. He was busy worrying about her father barging in while she was worrying about hygiene issues. “Sometimes.”

“Does your bedroom door lock?”

Were they really going to do this? Or would he back out at the last second? “Of course it does. I have two male children who struggle to function without asking me fifty questions first. They can’t even find their socks in their sock drawer. But funny how they have a sixth sense when it comes to their game controllers?—”

“Bedroom.”

Did he just bark an order at her? “What did you say?”

“Bed… room.”

Well then…

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