Later that night, I sat across from Delilah at a little Italian restaurant over in Copper Creek. She looked radiant, stunning, all the words. Her hair spilled in curls down one shoulder, makeup dark and sultry. And I wanted to peel her black strappy dress off with my teeth. But my favorite thing she wore was her smile.
She was so beautiful, I didn’t know what to do with myself, so I just stared at her like a lovesick idiot.
“If you don’t stop looking at me like that, we’re going to have to cut this short,” she warned before taking a sip of her cocktail. It was some weird thing with a cherry floating on top. She’d already tied the stem with her tongue, and when I tried to pull her out of here, she wouldn’t let me.
I played dumb. “Like what?”
She peered up at me through her lashes. “Like you’re obsessed with me.”
“But I am obsessed with you.” She rolled her eyes, looking almost bashful. I loved that I was the only person who saw this shy side of her. The vulnerable, real side. “It’s actually pretty inconvenient. Can’t think. Can’t sleep. Can’t workout. My routine is shot to shit with you around, sugar.” But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Her expression turned smug. “Good. Your routine was boring.”
I swallowed roughly. Now was as good a time as any to talk to her about what Colt said earlier. “Speaking of routines…”
Her eyes narrowed. “What now? I thought our problems would end with Preston and Sterling in prison.”
“It’s not bad. Colt basically offered me a job after you left the country club.”
Delilah’s menu fell to the table, and her mouth hung open. “As a cop? Like, a real police officer?”
“Yeah.”
“With the uniform?”
I chuckled. “Yes, Delilah. I’d be a whole copwitha uniform.”
“Do it,” she said immediately. She looked like she’d just won the damn lottery. “You have to.”
My brows pulled together. “What? Why?”
“The uniform,” she said as if it were obvious. “I want to see you all decked out with the vest and the belt and the handcuffs. You’d look so fucking hot.” She reached into her purse and pulled something out of her wallet. She slid the small photo across the table. “Hot like that.”
“Holy shit.” I picked up the picture of me from at least ten years ago. It was from my first deployment. I was in the mountains in full combat uniform, an M4 in my hands. The edges were worn soft, the top left corner creased. It felt like looking at a stranger. I was barely twenty-one, feeling on top of the world,smilingas if I were. A familiar ache pulsed through me—Danny took this picture. He told a joke about our squad leader and took the picture while I was mid-laugh. I had no idea how Delilah of all people got it.
“Where did you get this?”
“I might’ve stolen it from your mom,” she confessed, dragging the words out.
I blinked at her, stunned silent for a moment. “And you thinkI’mobsessed withyou?” I scoffed, “Take a look in damn the mirror, Lilah.”
Her jaw dropped, pretending to be offended. She snatched the photo back. “Mutual obsession is healthy! I’m a therapist, I would know.” An almost wistful expression crossed her face as she ran a finger along the edge of the photo. “I’d look at this and wonder what you were doing. If you were safe. If you were lonely and missed home. Everyone else got FaceTimes and phone calls.” Her voice came out quieter. “All I had was this picture.”
I hadn’t thought of it that way. Even though I hadn’t felt the same, she was still just a young girl in love with a guy who could’ve died at any given moment. I couldn’t imagine how hard that must’ve been for her. I reached across the table, taking her hand. “I’m sorry, sugar.”
Delilah shrugged. “You didn’t know.” She put the picture away, forcing the heavy emotions away. Her eyes glinted with something soft. “You really think you’d like being a cop, though?” she asked. “You’ve already given so much, Emmett.”
I thought about it for a moment. Really thought about it. “Yeah, I do. It felt…good to help out this morning. And being kinda involved in gathering all the evidence was interesting. I think it’d be good for me to have a purpose. I don’t think I was meant to work on the ranch.”
“You’d look so sexy in the uniform,” she said, leaning in. “And you’d gethandcuffs.”
I glanced around before shifting towards her. “You want me to tie you up and fuck you, Lilah? Is that what you’re getting at?”
Her eyes darkened, dropping to my mouth. Her voice was a low rasp. “Maybe.” The sultry look vanished when I stood up fast enough to nearly send my chair to the floor. I tossed some cash on the table. “What are you doing?”
“We’re leaving.”
Without a word, she grabbed her purse, on the same page. I took her hand in mine and led her out the door.
