"Are you sure?" He leaned one folded arm on thetable and gave her a lazy teasing grin. "I'd hate to have to take you homedrunk and have to faceVictor."
Cade emphasized the man's name with a secret note ofdisgust. Every single day for the past two years he has hated that man, ahatred he has been forced to keep wrapped up beneath a tight smile.
Her phone, which sat at the edge of the table, began tovibrate. Looking down at the glossy phone, they both saw Victor's smilingpicture flash to life as the phone rang.
Groaning, Maritzia cast him a blaming look just as Sheri cameover and dropped off two glasses filled with shining amber liquid.
Nodding to Sheri, Cade took the tumbler. "Speak ofthe devil," he murmured behind the rim of his glass.
Groaning again, Maritzia swiped her own glass off thetable, spilling a couple of drops of the liquid over her fingers, and broughtthe glass angrily to her lips. "I swear he can sense when I'm havingfun."
"More like sense when you're having fun withme,"Cade corrected her. "Or he was simply tipped off." He gestured hisglass to the people in the bar around them. Filled with off-duty policeofficers that treated gossiping like a sport, Cade wouldn't be surprised at allif Victor had received a ribbing text from some other officer letting him knowhis girlfriend was having drinks with her "work husband."
Looking around them with amused understanding, shelaughed. "Very true."
"You gonna answer?" Cade took another sip ofhis drink and watched as she reached for the phone.
Long, delicate fingers grasped the phone before swishingthe red icon to the right.
"Nah," she said, shaking her head and droppingthe phone back in its original spot. "I'll see him when I get hometonight."
"Well then, should we polish off these drinks?"he asked, raising his drink up in a swishing little tilt.
Giving him a large smile, she raised up her glass."Of course, tonight we celebrate. Here is to the end of a toxicrelationship."
"Here's to an end of fights every single time I gothome late from a call," he groaned in agreement.
"Here's to the end of her obnoxious side-eye everysingle time I saw that woman," Maritzia countered, rolling her eyes at thememory.
God, the arguments he and Bethany had over her, Cadethought with a shake of his head.
Raising his glass higher, he thought of everything hewould not miss about that relationship. "Here's to the end of constantpressure and constant crying over when exactly when were we going to settledown and have children."
Dark brown eyes looked back at him with a suddensharpness that demanded his full attention. Watching closely, he noticed everypassing tell in her expression. With her gaze softening, she reached across thetable and put her hand on top of his. Without hesitation, he flipped his handover and grabbed her hand, not giving a damn about the no doubt staring eyes oftheir colleagues around them. Everyone in the department knew they were likefamily. hell, let them watch.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," shesaid softly, squeezing his hand in comfort.
Cade's stomach tightened at the glimmer of pain shiningin her eyes, and he wondered if she was enduring the same conversations withVictor.
"Don’t worry, Sunshine, that chapter of my life isover. Really, the only thing hurting now is my pride."
She nodded in understanding, her eyes focused on himsolely. For the past few years, ever since he came back and gotten hired ontothe department, they had worked together day in and out. Shamelessly using alittle family nepotism, they got promoted out of uniform and to detective workquickly. Every day Cade got to work with her. Every day he got to hear herlaugh, and watch that infamous seriousness of hers furrow her black browstogether. So why was it every damn time she focused those damnable eyes on him,did it feel like his stomach was bottoming out and he was reminded of justexactly what was missing from his life?
Scooting his bar stool back noisily, Cade got to hisfeet. "I'll go get some more drinks."
"No, I said this round was on me," Maritziaprotested.
She tried to get up, but he stepped around the tiny bartable and placed a heavy hand on her shoulder, feeling the warmth of her skinbeneath her shirt.
"No, I'll go," he shook his head and gestureddiscreetly over to his left to where a small group of people stood at the edgeof the long bar. "Sergeant Milford is over there with Banks and Tony. Idon’t want her to see me left alone. The woman has been eyeing me all nightlike a piece of meat.”
Maritzia laughed. "She’s had her predatory gaze onyou since you came to the department. What's the difference now?" sheasked, holding out both hands while her eyes flicked to the woman and questionand back to him again with barely suppressed mirth. "I swear she smelledyour presence in the air the moment you moved back to New York. It's like thewoman can sense eligible men miles away, like a superpower or something."
"Exactly," he hissed in a low whisper."And that's why I think she knows I broke up with Bethany already."
"Really? I thought I was the first one toknow!" Maritzia pouted.
"Sunshine, you are," he assured her, still leaningin close to her. He told himself it was to keep Sergeant Milford from peeringat them too closely and not the fucking wonderful scent of amber and jasminethat bloomed in the air around her each time she moved. "I'm telling youthat woman is an apex predator. I think she might have read my lips as wetalked or something." Maritzia laughed harder at that and Cade forcedhimself to look away. "Yeah, you laugh but I swear that woman wantsme," he shuddered dramatically and hugged himself with both arms whilegiving her innocent eyes. "She wants my body, Ritz, she wants to devourme."
