Page 38 of Under the Lights
“Everybody knows Wednesday night is spaghetti night.”
“Everybody meaning O’Rourke’s.”
She shrugged. “Wednesday is spaghetti night. We don’t question it.”
“Okay, then.”
Kelly found herself taking smaller sips of her hot cocoa to drag out having Chase in her apartment. Even though she’d been trying to scare him off, she had to admit it was nice to be so comfortable with a man. Ratty sweats, bad hair and he was still looking at her across the table like she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
It was surprisingly heady stuff and, instead of killing the mood, she’d only managed to make him seem sexier to her.
Maybe she was looking at the problem of sex with Chase all wrong. She was afraid being Coach’s daughter and a female police officer required that she live up to to a higher standing, which meant sleeping with Chase could harm her reputation. Instead, maybe it meant she could have a little fling and people would just pretend it wasn’t happening.
Somehow she thought it was the former, though. Nothing brought out those New England Puritan roots like a single woman having sex just for fun.
“You arereallythinking hard about something,” Chase said.
“Yup.” She swirled the remaining cocoa in her mug, trying to mix in the sludge that had settled at the bottom.
“Okay,” he said after a few seconds. “I actually wanted to knowwhatyou were thinking. Not making it a question was my idea of being sneaky about it.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re such a goof. But, to answer your sneaky non-question, I was thinking the same thing I’ve been thinking about since you drove back into town.”
“Something along the lines ofwhy the hell did we put a stop sign there?”
“No. We put a stop sign there because we want people to stop at that intersection.” She set the mug down. “I had a crush on you in high school, but we’re different now. Very, very different. I can’t even begin to understand why, but I’m still attracted to you.”
“I’m right here for the taking and, luckily, I don’t need much in the way of flattery.”
“But it’s a bad idea.”
“Maybe, but it’s agreatbad idea.” When he stood up and started around the table toward her, she knew they were as good as in bed, because she was out of the will to resist him. “We’ve both had a rough go of it. What’s so bad about having a little fun together?”
“It’s hard enough to get respect around here without sleeping with one of the prodigal golden boys.”
“I wasn’t planning on hanging a banner on the parade float.”
“You seem to have forgotten how Stewart Mills works.”
He snorted, reaching for her hand. “It’s notthatbad.”
“Gretchen’s grandmother told Jen, Gretchen and me that you bought a box of condoms at the drugstore, so I guess I don’t need to ask if you have protection.”
He froze, his eyes wide. “You’re kidding. Hergrandmother? And she told all of you?”
“Never underestimate the small-town grapevine. She also warned me you were up to no good.”
Taking her hand, he pulled her to her feet. “Considering I haven’t seen her since high school, she’s remarkably correct on both counts. I bought a box of condoms, put a couple in my pocket and now I’m up to no good. So what are you going to do about it, Officer McDonnell?”
“I’m not going to handcuff you, Sanders.”
He pulled her hard up against his body, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “How about a little mutual frisking?”
“The cheesy cop innuendoes might have gotten you out of a ticket—and they didn’t even do that, technically—but they’re not going to get you in my pants, as inviting as these pants might be.”
“Oh, I think sweatpants areverysexy.” He slid his hand just under the waistband at her back. “I’m a fan of elastic.”
Her skin heated under his touch, and she pulled up on the bottom of his T-shirt so she could return the favor. His ab muscles tightened when her palms skimmed over them, and he brushed his mouth over hers. Kelly caught his bottom lip between her teeth and chuckled when he moaned.
