Page 70 of Bachelor Cop Finally Caught? (Hot off the Press! 2)

He shrugged and turned back to the stove. “I’m handling it.”

“When are you handling it?” she insisted. “You’re spending so much time with me you must have cut your work hours by at least a third. I’m not complaining about the amount of time we’re together, of course, but I don’t want your duties to suffer.”

“I said I’m handling it,” he said, and it was as close to snapping as he’d come since that day at the fishing cabin. He drew a deep breath and sent her another smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that to come out so abruptly.”

That was another problem she was having with him, she mused. He was just too darned polite lately. She felt almost as if she needed to apologize in return, for some reason.

“I’m going to go wash up,” she said, turning toward the doorway. “I’ll be back in a minute to help you finish dinner.”

“I’ve go

t it under control if you’d like to rest awhile. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

She gave him a smile that felt a bit too toothy and left the room before she could say anything imprudent.

What was the matter with her, anyway? Splashing cold water on her face in the bathroom, she wondered if she was losing her mind. For at least half her life, she’d fantasized about being with Dan. Now that she was, she kept feeling that something was wrong.

She couldn’t quite put her finger on the problem. He was being the perfect lover. Attentive, polite, thoughtful.

Maybe that was what was wrong, she thought with a frown. The Dan she’d always loved wasn’t known for being any of those things. This one sort of unnerved her.

Over dinner she tried again to get him to talk about work. She even asked him a few pointed questions about an on-going investigation. The old Dan would have flatly informed her that the answers were none of her business. Instead he gave her the information and then asked her politely not to print it without an official release.

She sighed and finished her dinner, telling herself that only a crazy woman would be upset because the man she loved was being so nice to her.

Dan must have fallen asleep at his desk. It seemed that one minute he’d been peering blearily at a computer printout and the next minute someone was shaking his shoulder, bringing him out of a very bizarre dream. Something about being buried under piles of paperwork, he thought.

Rubbing his eyes, he looked up expecting to see his secretary frowning over him. He was startled to find Lindsey glowering at him instead. “What are you doing here?” he asked blankly. “It’s only…”

He glanced at his watch, trying to focus on the dial.

“Five o’clock in the morning,” she supplied for him in a voice cold enough to freeze coffee. “And the reason I’m here is to tell you that you’re a jerk. A stupid, stubborn, chauvinistic, macho jerk.”

“I’m not chauvinistic.” He eyed the familiar flush of temper on her face, wondering what he’d done to set her off this time. He’d been so very careful lately. He hadn’t argued with her, hadn’t neglected her. He’d given her compliments, flowers, gifts. What had he done wrong? “How did you know I was here, anyway?”

Her arms were locked tightly across her chest, her green eyes sparking with anger. “I’ve recently discovered that you’ve been working in the middle of the nights and coming in early in the mornings to catch up on all the work you’ve been neglecting so you could indulge me.”

“Who told you that?” He was really going to have to talk to Hazel about discussing his business outside the office, he decided.

“That’s none of your concern. It doesn’t matter, anyway. Beginning right now, you’re free to go back to your former schedule. You can work all you like, and when you aren’t working you’ll have a little extra time to rest since you won’t have to worry about entertaining me.”

“I’m not sure what you’re trying to say,” he muttered, pushing a hand through his hair and rising slowly to his feet.

She took a step backward. “I think I’m making myself quite clear,” she snapped. “It’s over, Dan. You and I are finished. I’m breaking up with you.”

With that lofty pronouncement, she spun on one heel and stamped toward the door.

Dan caught her just as her hand touched the door-knob. Pulling her away, he locked the door and stood in front of it, blocking her exit with his body. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about this condescending and incredibly insulting game you’ve been playing with me!”

He winced. For such a small woman, she could certainly make a lot of noise when she gave it an effort. “Damn it, Lindsey, I haven’t been playing any games with you. You know me better than that.”

She made a sound that came perilously close to an indelicate snort. “I used to know you. I don’t anymore. And apparently you don’t know me at all.”

Deep inside him, panic began to stir. As many times as he’d seen Lindsey in a temper—and that was more times than he could begin to count—he’d never seen her eyes look so hard. “You’re mad because I’ve been spending so much time at the office after I leave you?” he asked tentatively. “Do you want us to spend more nights together?”

He got a clue that it had been the wrong thing to ask when she gave a low, almost feral growl and reached out to tug at his arm. “Move out of my way,” she ordered. “Let me out of here.”

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