Page 24 of Mine to Hold
“I don’t see why that’s got you cracking up.”
He cleared his throat, pulling out a key fob. He yanked open the front passenger side door. “The back seat is reserved for those I put in handcuffs.” He waved his hand. “I don’t intend on using those on you.”
“I guess you’re not into kinky stuff.” She groaned. Over the years she’d learned to keep the flirting to a minimum. Men liked it too much and it always gave the wrong impression. She could get her point across when she was attracted to someone with a lot less fanfare. Keeping men at a safe distance—even those she had short flings with—was a necessary evil.
He stuck his head inside the car. “Because of my profession, no one is putting restraints on me, and I’m not sure I could do it to someone else in the bedroom, even if they were willing.” He leaned closer. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a saucy side.”
Biting down on the inside of her cheek, she did her best to keep from giggling.
“Yeah. I heard how that sounded. Go ahead, smirk, chuckle, get it all out. Whatever. I chalk it up to not sleeping for the last twenty-four hours.” He slammed the door shut and jogged around the hood. He slipped behind the steering wheel.
“I’ve never been inside a police car before.” It was a lie, but this was different and the excitement outweighed the fear. The only thing she had to be frightened of was the fact that Emmerson had the ability to make her feel things she had no business feeling. She might have to leave before she’d previously decided.
Three months might be just long enough to lose her heart to a man, especially to someone like Emmerson.
“It’s a basic sedan with a few modifications.”
“Does it go faster than a normal car?”
He glanced over his shoulder and backed out of the driveway. “Do I need to worry about you being a little speed demon?”
“Not once have I ever been pulled over.”
“That doesn’t mean you don’t go too fast. I know all about radar detectors and those apps that warn people about my kind.”
“Well, I don’t have one of those radar things, but I do use that app. Mostly to alert me about traffic and accidents.”
“Right. Likely story.” He put the car in drive, palmed the wheel, and eased down the street. He turned down the police radio and tapped a button on the computer screen. “Just don’t text and drive. I’ll let someone go for a first speeding offense, as long as it’s not in a school or construction zone, and it’s not something insane, like a hundred miles an hour on the highway. I can be forgiving about rolling through a right on red once. But I see you with a cell in your hand, I’m done.”
“Is there a story behind that?” Once again, she wanted to know everything. Every detail. She didn’t want him to leave out one little thing about his life, including his work.
He nodded. “Four teenagers coming home from homecoming six years ago were hit head-on by some idiot sexting with his girlfriend. I fucking lost it when I read his text message and the timestamp. He could have waited or pulled over to tell his girl what he wanted to do to her. It was really graphic and gross. And wordy. My own mother had to pull me off him and suspend me for a week because I broke his nose.”
“He kind of deserved far worse.”
“He’s still in prison and will be for a long time, but that won’t bring those four kids back or ease the pain their families feel.” He smacked the steering wheel.
Reaching out, she rested her hand on his thigh, squeezed, and then left it there. “I don’t know how you do it.”
“I don’t know who that was harder on. Me or Jameson. I was the first officer to respond and the scene was straight from a horror movie. But Jameson and his crew had to pull those kids from the wreckage. Three were gone, but one had a weak pulse. The paramedics took over, but it was too late.” He flicked the blinker on and pulled into the back parking lot of the Safe Harbor Café. Taking her hand, he kissed it. “I’m sorry. I have to stop dumping shit like this on you. It’s too heavy.”
“Maybe it’s me who needs to stop asking the questions.” She smiled weakly. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Let me get the door for you.”
“That’s really not necessary.” She grabbed his arm. “This time I’m insisting.”
“All right, but kissing you in the front seat of my vehicle won’t be as comfortable as it would be out there.”
“Not going to happen.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’ll see you later, Mr. Saucy.”
He groaned. “You’re not going to ever let me live that down, are you?”
“Never.” Of all the places she’d lived, Lighthouse Cove was by far both the best and the worst.
Three months would be dwindled down to two.
Or maybe one.
