Page 64 of Bad Boy in Her Bed

“Look at me,” she commanded as she placed her hands on his chest to bring his hazel eyes back to her.When he obeyed, his muscles tensing under her fingertips, she smoothed his black button-down and adjusted the collar.“You aren’t the bad guy here.You know it.I know it.All we’re doing is making sure the rest of the world knows it.”

“Sounds like a walk in the park.”He shoved his hands into his pockets then removed them, flexing his fingers.“Last time I did this, I wasn’t anywhere near this stressed.Which is weird, because I did it alone.There’s just—” He looked to the sky and blew out a puff of air.“There’s just so much more on the line this time.”

His admission simultaneously broke her heart and steeled her resolve to see Ryder Drayson marched out of Serpent’s Tongue in cuffs.

Because that asshole was the reason the incredible man steadying his nerves under her touch was here, preparing to walk into a cop shop filled with people who thought they knew who he was.

She would never tell him, but it wasn’t the world’s opinion she was worrying about in this moment.They needed to make it through the Epson PD first.

Brushing away a nonexistent fluff on his shirt, she smiled at him, hoping he wouldn’t see any hint of apprehension in her eyes.“Ready?”

He ducked down to kiss her before squaring his shoulders.“Let’s do this.”

Firing off a quick text to Puller, she stepped beside him, matching her pace to his.

The first time she went from behind the scenes to front and center in a trial, she hadn’t fully understood the power of optics.Angelo’s warnings were mere words, her naive belief that truth and justice would conquer all evaporating with every sensationalized headline about the mogul her firm had nailed for fraud.While she’d slipped in and out of the courthouse through side entrances to avoid swaying potential jurors with her presence or words, her lover had been priming up to place himself front and center, monopolizing the media and throwing her entire life into a tailspin.

It was a mistake she vowed never to make again.

She and Birch strode into the Epson Police Department together, separating only when he opened the door for her and she gave him a polite nod of acknowledgement.

They needed to present a united front, needed to ensure that anyone who looked their way saw nothing but cohesion and confidence.Even without a reporter in sight, she and Birch had to treat every person who looked their way as a potential judge, juror, and executioner.

And with the Baker name already judged by almost every potential juror in town, there was no room to project a hint of hesitancy.

So although his hands were within reach and her heart was aching to take one to reassure him, she stayed her course, her attention locked on the office at the end of the hall while the receptionist called out to her.

“Ma’am?If you want to speak with Sheriff Fogerty, you’ll need to schedule an appointment.”

Hoping Birch would follow her lead and stay the course, she kept walking.“I don’t adjust my schedule for appointments.People adjust their schedules for me.”She could hear the receptionist calling Fogerty’s line.His phone rang behind the door up ahead and she flicked her wrist in a half-hearted wave.“Thank you.”

Birch breathed out beside her, his heavy footsteps almost masking his whispered words.“You’re kind of terrifying.”

“I know.”

She knocked once on the door before opening it and stepping into Fogerty’s office, Birch taking his cue and standing beside her, his heel tapping the door shut.

“Ms.Carter, Mr.Baker,” Bill greeted slowly as he hung up his phone.“I take it you’re the unexpected guests my receptionist was calling about.”

Sauntering over to an empty chair, she sat, pleased when Birch did the same.“If we aren’t, you’re more popular than I thought.”

His eyes moved from her to Birch and back, a flash of fear crossing his face so quickly she almost missed it.“How can I help you?”

“We have a recording we’d like you, and only you for now, to hear,” she said as she slipped the cassette and recorder from her laptop bag and placed it on his desk.His light blue eyes followed her movements and settled on theFOGERTYlabel still adhered to the old tape recorder.He swallowed twice in succession, his silence giving her the response she had hoped for.“Of course, this tape is nothing more than a prop to add a little oomph to our request.No one uses these old things anymore.”Turning to Birch, she motioned to the desk.“Should we play him your copy or mine?”

She could see the sweat forming on Bill’s forehead, a light sheen of panic settling on his face as Birch slid his phone from his pocket and swiped it to life.

“I’ll turn the volume to max so you don’t miss anything, Sheriff Fogerty,” Birch said, his tone conversational as he set the cell phone in front of Epson’s top cop.

The recording began and she was certain she saw Bill Fogerty flinch, the hard mask he was attempting to maintain slipping into confusion as Ryder’s voice came through the speaker.

“What am I listening to?”he asked, leaning closer to the phone.

Giving Birch a quick look to ensure he knew now wasn’t his time to talk, she sat back and crossed her legs.“Ryder Drayson, co-owner of Serpent’s Tongue Ink.”

Fogerty used the sleeve of his shirt to dab the sweat from his brow as subtly as he could while the recording played out.The man slowly regained his composure the longer Ryder spoke, his eyes moving to Birch periodically.

But her guy knew how to play it cool.

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