Page 40 of Fall Into Temptation
Niko let Baxter, his dopic teenage puppy, pull him further into the office. “I think Baxter wants me to look behind the couch,” he announced. “He must sense a threat. Maybe you should use him as a police dog?”
Baxter’s tail wagged so wildly that Donovan wondered how his ass end hadn’t broken off yet.
“Touch that couch, and I’ll throw you in the slammer,” he threatened.
“There’s no doors on our cells,” Jax reported to Nikolai. “You sit in a cubicle until someone bails you out.”
Niko frowned thoughtfully. “And I do have my attorney here.” He jerked his thumb in Beckett’s direction.
“Worth it,” Carter nodded, juggling Meadow from arm to arm as the little girl giggled.
Niko handed the dog leash to Caleb. “Hold this, Cale.”
Together he and Jax moved the couch away from the wall while Donovan tried to bite back every violent threat that he wanted to rain down on his stupid friends. Meadow’s big blue eyes were the only thing that made him hold on to his temper.
“Aha! Apparently, the sheriff has succumbed to the same book club our wives have,” Jax held the book over his head.
“Fine. I’m reading it. Let me have it,” Donovan sighed, waiting for the torrent of torment.
Instead, Carter shrugged his shoulders. “Hey, man. No judgment. That book got me—” he glanced in Caleb’s direction. “L-A-I-D once already today. I call dibs on it when you’re done with it.”
“Man, Cale’s six,” Jax snorted. “He can spell plenty. Caleb, spell hammock!”
Dutifully Caleb recited the correct spelling. “What’s get laid mean, Uncle Carter?” he asked.
Carter grinned. “Oops.”
Beckett flipped through the book, his eyes widening. “Wait. Is this physically possible?”
“What?” Jax asked, leaning in to peer at the page.
“If she’s like, you know, bent like that…”
“Yeah, I think so. I mean if the angle is right,” Jax frowned thoughtfully.
“Hey, Caleb,” Donovan said to the kid. “Miss Minnie made cookies today. Why don’t you go on out there and see if she’ll give you a cookie and some juice?”
“Okay!” Caleb hauled ass out of the room with Baxter on his heels. Beckett and Jax continued to try to re-enact a particularly acrobatic pose.
“No, you’re the woman,” Jax said, elbowing his brother.
“I thought you were,” Beckett argued.
“You two.” Donovan pointed to the two stooges, “You go any farther and I’m going to tase you both.”
“How far are you in the book?” Beckett asked, consulting the page again. “Did you get to the part where Carley’s in the bath and—”
Donovan shoved his fingers in his ears. “I can’t hear you! So, you might as well shut up!”
“Don’t ruin it for him, ass—… hat.” Carter said, punching his brother in the arm.
Meadow grinned up at him as if she knew her daddy shouldn’t be saying those words.
“Don’t punch me when I’m wearing my baby!” Beckett gave Carter a half-hearted shove back.
“Anyone feel like telling me why you’re all in my office in the middle of some astrological apocalypse?” Donovan yelled over the din.
Baxter wandered back in licking his chops to get the last crumbs of Minnie’s homemade dog treat off his nose. He strolled over and laid down under Donovan’s desk.
