Page 92 of The Sweetest Obsession

Grant looks worse, I think, wearing half my lipstick smeared around his mouth.

“Hi, Mallory,” I say shyly.

She just blinks at me before shaking her head with an indulgent smile.

“Welcome home, Ophelia.” Her gaze shifts to Grant. “We’ve got a pink problem again, Captain.”

Grant groans and presses his fingers into his eyes.

I can’t decide if I’m sad or relieved to see his usual control take over.

He’s already shuttering, back to being the gruff police captain, but I want to think there’s still a certain softness to him that wasn’t there before.

Or maybe he just looks really hot in shades of red.

“Again? Aw, hell. Didn’t we have another pink run just last week?”

“Pink problem?” I ask. It sounds vaguely familiar, but I don’t remember why until—oh, right. “You mean the Jacobins are stillletting their pigs escape?”

“It’s a Redhaven tradition at this point. Like the running of the bulls, only it’s a pig stampede down Main Street at least once a month,” Grant snarls. “Fuck, Ijustgot my car cleaned out after last time, too. If they don’t fix their fucking fences, I’m going to write them up and drop five pounds of pig shit back where it belongs. Right on their porches with their hogs. Fines might get the gears in their heads turning.”

Mallory laughs wildly and taps her mouth. “Oh, but you might need a tissue before you make that ultimatum, Captain Faircross! The rest of the team’s already en route.”

Then she closes the door and we’re alone again while Grant frowns, puzzled.

“Tissue?”

“Um... Grant.” I’m almost dying, biting back my laughter when he looks so adorablyconfused. With a loving sigh, I fish my compact out of the pocket of my jeans and flip it open to show him his reflection in the little round mirror. “See? It’s a good color on you.”

“Goddamn!” Grant gives me a disgusted look like he blames me, leaning over Chief Bowden’s desk to snatch up a few tissues from the dispenser. Leaning in, he squints at his reflection in my mirror and starts wiping at his mouth furiously. “Shit. If I go out there like this, people are really gonna wonder what I did to get those pigs into the car.”

“Grant!”I snicker. “You’re awful.”

“You only think so ’cause you’ve convinced yourself I’ve got no sense of humor. And maybe you like kissing awful men.”

Now I’m the one turning red.

“It just takes knowing you to get what you’re saying between the lines.” As he pulls back and tosses the balled-up tissue in the trash, I snap the compact closed with a smirk. “So, I have to let you go for pig duty, huh?”

“Unfortunately.” He stands and his bulk takes up so much space in the tiny office, delightfully overwhelming. It’s a miracle he doesn’t have to stoop to fit the low ceiling. Hazel eyes soften as he looks down at me. “But there’s always tonight.”

“I guess there is.” I shouldn’t be so giddy knowing I get to go home to him when the whole reason is some weirdo stalker hurling death threats. But I smile anyway, tilting my head up and pursing my lips. “Kiss me goodbye.”

“I just got your lipstick off me and you’re still this bossy?”

“I’ve hardly got any left at this point. You’re safe.”

Grant chuckles, then bends and brushes his mouth across mine.

The hurricane is gone.

This is a soft, sweet breeze full of promises. But there’s nothing chaste about the way my body lights up at the lightest touch.

I catch myself leaning into him as he straightens, drawn like he’s a human magnet and I’m all iron. Before I pull back, I clear my throat, smoothing my clothing.

He catches a lock of my hair and tweaks it. “Go shopping and get yourself a better coat. I’m taking you and Nell out tonight.”

“Where?”

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