Page 8 of Craving Vengeance
Chapter Four
Shannon sat in heroffice perusing paperwork, incapable of any coherent thoughts. She pressed her fingers to her lips. They still tingled from Spinelli’s early morning kiss. Though they’d been dating for over two months already, his kisses still had that effect on her.
She glanced at the photo of herself and Spinelli that sat on the corner of her desk. She picked it up and pulled it closer. The photo was taken last Christmas while they were working at the mall. Spinelli was wearing his Santa outfit and sitting in the plush red velvet chair in the Santa Village. Shannon stood behind him wearing her little red Santa helper dress trimmed with white fur.
She’d never forget the first day he played Santa Claus. The horrified look on his face was priceless as he studied the endless line of children waiting to see him. She giggled. He was like a fish out of water.
They’d met when he’d been reassigned from the Homicide Division to the Social Services Department to assist her with child recovery and placement for the holiday season. Both departments were short staffed, and neither of them accepted the assignment willingly.
He had no experience with children, and she had no patience for his unconventional ways. But when Santa Claus and an elf turned up dead, and she appeared to be next on the killer’s list, it was Spinelli who came to the rescue. Without hesitation, he stepped out of his comfort zone, way out, and took on the undercover role of Santa Claus to keep an eye on her. Spinelli caught the killer, saved the day, and in the process, he captured her heart.
“Earth to Shannon, come in Shannon.”
Shannon shifted her gaze up to meet her boss’ eyes. “Huh?”
Anna chuckled. “Where is your mind? I’ve been talking to you for the past thirty seconds.” Anna’s eyes shifted down to the photo. She perched her hands on her well-rounded hips and smiled. “You’re staring at that photo again?”
Shannon set the photo down, and Anna snatched it up. “Chrissake, he’s good-looking, even in the fat suit. And those eyes. He could talk a woman into anything without saying a word. I’ve never seen such dark, mysterious eyes. If I was twenty years younger, single, and you weren’t dating him...well I’ll just say he could eat crackers in my bed anytime.”
Shannon rolled her eyes. “So what do you and Master Keith have planned for this Valentine’s Day?” Shannon asked trying to divert the conversation away from her and Spinelli. She still couldn’t believe they were a couple.
Anna sat. “Oh, the usual, nice dinner at Samone’s, probably the old fogey early bird special. And then reruns of Seinfeld or the King of Queens.” Anna winked. “Maybe after a couple of reruns the little blue pill will have kicked in.”
The women shared a laugh. Anna’s husband, Keith, was as nice as they came but quite a bit older than she was. Dinner out on a work night was a big event for him.
“So what do you and Mr. Hottie have planned?”
Shannon thought for a moment as she recalled the intense look in Spinelli’s eyes when he’d left her this morning. His words scrolled through her mind.I have a special Valentine's evening planned for us.She couldn’t wait to find out what he meant.
“He’s taking me to dinner after I finish my singing valentine shift for the church fundraiser. Beyond that, I don’t know. He said he had something special planned for us.”
Anna leaned forward in her chair. “My God, do you think he’s going to propose?”
“No...it would be too soon. Wouldn’t it?”
Anna’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “I see the way he looks at you. He eyes you up like you’re his favorite kind of candy, and if I didn’t know any better, your tone just a moment ago sounded as though you wouldn’t mind if he did.”
Shannon’s breath hitched at the thought of Spinelli proposing. Adrenaline shot through her veins. Her head spun. Did she want him to propose to her? Was it too soon? Good God, she dove in head first on this one, so unlike her, but she just couldn’t seem to help herself. She looked across her desk to find Anna’s inquisitive eyes still fixed on her. “Jeez, Anna, I’ve never felt like this before. I can’t say I would be disappointed if he did.”
“Well, time will tell,” Anna commented as she lifted herself from her chair. “I gotta get going. I’m meeting my sister for an early lunch.”
“Okay, see ya later.”
Shannon thought about Spinelli. She wondered if he was in the office, three stories below her, or if he was out in the field. She liked working in the same building as he did. It made it easy to pop in on him when she wanted to catch a glimpse of his magnificent, dark charcoal eyes, not to mention the gorgeous rest of him. But his eyes, those are what always caught her attention. Under the right conditions, they could melt her in an instant. Her breath quickened at the thought. Heat penetrated her body as raw need sifted through her.Good God, Shannon, get it together. He’s not even in the room.
She fanned herself with a file folder before she flipped it open to study its contents. She needed to prepare for a custody hearing this afternoon. She dreaded going to the Clarkson hearing. Lamar and Chandra Clarkson, a couple of dope dealers, were seeking physical placement of their children, James, age six, and Katrina, age three. Their last court hearing was nearly two months ago, and the judge denied the Clarkson’s request for custody of their children when Lamar assaulted Shannon in the courtroom after her testimony. She hoped the judge would deny their request again. They weren’t going to change, and she was sure they were probably still dealing.
Shannon closed the file, rose from her chair, and flung her wool coat over her shoulders. She planned to run up the block to Subway and grab a meatball sandwich for lunch. She stepped into the hall and nearly bumped into someone. He wrapped his arms around her, lifted her off her feet, and spun in a circle.
“Shannon, I’m so happy to see you.”
She was speechless. She hadn’t even seen his face, but she recognized his hold, his scent, and his voice. Shock and excitement rippled through her like an electrical current.
He pulled his head back just a bit in order to find her lips with his. His kiss was rushed and firm at first but it didn’t take long to turn soft and moist. Without conscious thought, she responded to his lingering kiss. Then all at once, her mind took over, and she realized what she was doing. She pulled her lips from his and freed herself from his embrace.
