Page 55 of Bachelor Cop Finally Caught? (Hot off the Press! 2)

“Have I told you yet that last night was spectacular?”

That brought his attention abruptly back to her. He blinked a couple of times, seeming to grope for an appropriate answer. And then he just gave up and sighed. “You really enjoy catching me off guard like that, don’t you?”

She dimpled at him. “Yes.”

His expression softened a little, and he returned the smile with a slight one of his own. “Was I ignoring you?”

“Let’s just say I think we both need a little break from work.”

“You’re probably right. You need some rest. You, um, didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Neither did you,” she reminded him, studying the dark circles beneath his eyes.

“I’m not the one who was taken to a hospital emergency room just two days ago.”

“Don’t start fussing about that again. You know I’ve completely recovered from that incident.”

The look he gave her made her aware of every bruise she still bore from that “incident.” “Not quite completely.”

“I suppose I could use a little nap. Care to join me?”

He cleared his throat. “I, uh, have some things I really should be doing.”

It looked as though it was up to her to take the lead again, she thought with a wry shake of her head. Honestly, Dan was so skittish about their relationship that she couldn’t help mentally comparing him to an animal that had been abused. Convincing him to fully trust her was going to take both love and patience. Fortunately, when it came to Dan, she seemed to have a big supply of both.

She stood and slowly rounded the table, her gaze locked with his. “It’s Sunday afternoon. The arsonist you’ve been chasing is behind bars, your weekend officers are on duty, and most offices are closed until tomorrow morning. There’s nothing you need to do that can’t wait a few more hours—is there?”

To her very great satisfaction, he pushed his coffee mug aside, rose and jerked her into his arms. “No,” he muttered, his lips an inch away from hers. “There’s nothing that can’t wait. Except for this.”

He crushed her mouth beneath his. Lindsey stretched up to meet him more fully, locking her arms around his neck, pressing her soft body eagerly closer to his harder one.

As Dan swung her into his arms and headed for the bedroom, she held on in heady anticipation. She had no doubt that Dan was thinking now about nothing but her.

Lindsey was sitting on Dan’s couch, reading the Sunday edition of the state-wide newspaper, when someone knocked on the front door. She lowered the paper and frowned over it. Through the thin mobile home walls, she could hear the shower running behind her; Dan had just stepped into it. Her hair was still wet from her own shower. She’d donned her shirt, jeans and socks, but was wearing no makeup or shoes.

She was well aware of the impression someone could get from seeing her this way in his house.

She was tempted to ignore the knock and pretend no one was home. But Dan’s truck was sitting in the driveway, as was her car. It was obvious someone was here. Besides which, when someone knocked on Dan’s door, there was always a chance it could be a police emergency.

Hoping she’d be able to bluff her way through whatever resulted from her decision, she set the paper aside and rose to answer the door.

She knew when she identified the caller that bluffing was not going to be an option.

Riley took a moment to give her a slow once-over before speaking. “Hey, Linds.”

She curled her toes self-consciously in her socks. “Hey, Riley.”

“Dan home?”

“He’s, uh, in the shower.”

“I see.” Riley stuck his tongue in his cheek and glanced at her damp hair. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Of course not. I was just reading the newspaper. Come in.”

He stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

“You want some coffee? I just made a fresh pot.”

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