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If I had any sense, I’d keep my distance from the youngest Gray sister for a while. Let the dust settle.
But the urge to see her is too strong to fight.
It’s the reason that, after I give my cock a few hard pumps to find some hint of relief, I get dressed and pour myself a cup of coffee. I should be dropping into my bed for some desperately needed sleep. But Ineedto see her.
I force myself to stop by the police station and check in with Ethan Stark, one of two fulltime officers under me. The only one in our department who was spared a long sleepless night. Good thing too with the brewery event starting today. With any luck, things won’t get too crazy until Friday or Saturday.
“No offense, Chief, but you look like hell,” Stark says as I sink into my desk chair and wiggle my computer mouse awake. He sets a cup of black coffee beside my keyboard. It tastes like shit, but I’m not in a position to complain. My first cup, back at the house, went down way too fast and left little impact.
“Bad accident last night.” I fill him in on the incident, feeling a little more like myself. Like the cop who’s focused on his town and not on some hot piece of ass.She’s more than that and you know it.
“Damn, that’s rough.”
Ethan’s new to the law enforcement field. He’s been spared some of the worst scenes and still has a relatively optimistic outlook on what it means to serve and protect. I remember what that was like. Sometimes I miss that green boy who was just excited to show off his badge. But I wouldn’t be the police officer I am today without those experiences.
“You’ll want to pop over to the brewery a couple times today. Just a friendly presence to remind folks not to be dipshits.”
“Got it.”
I pull up my email, skimming through the dozens of unread messages for anything important. Anyone who knows me at all knows it’s better to call than send a damn email if they want to get a hold of me. But email seems to be the new way everyone in the state communicates with each other.
That’s how I find the email about Aurora’s court date.
I normally don’t concern myself with the court dates of those I arrest unless I have to testify. I nearly fall out of my fucking chair, forced to do a double take.
“Everything okay, Chief?”
“Yeah, fine.” Next week?How the fuck…I check a couple of places to confirm the email doesn’t contain a typo. It doesn’t. This isn’t good. It means Aurora Gray managed to piss off the judge in a pretty big way. I need to give her a heads up and help her get a lawyer lined up. If she goes into that courtroom alone, she’ll get the book thrown at her.
At least I have an excuse to stop by the diner, though I doubt it’ll result in Aurora flashing me that seductive smile.
I close out of my email browser and turn off the monitor. “Call me if things get out of hand tonight at the brewery, okay?”
“Ten-four.”
I’m only half a block from the police station when I spot a familiar powder blue sedan down a side street.Bess.She’s parked along the curb ofCrowley Auto Body.
I catch a glimpse of Aurora slipping inside the building and take a hard right without signaling. A long honk from behind—June Ashburn glaring at me through the rearview mirror—sounds. I’ll owe the older woman an apology later. A blueberry pie from the diner will soften her up, no doubt.
The Crowley brothers have been a massive pain in my ass since I took over as chief. I’m not about to let them take advantage of Aurora and whatever car problems she might be having. I pull in behind Bess and strut toward the shop door, prepared to save the damsel in distress. A rare smile crosses my lips, imagining how grateful she’ll be that I came to her rescue.
Maybe she’ll even thank me with those pillowy lips of hers.
CHAPTER9
Aurora
“Ipromise I’ll take good care of Bess,” Todd Crowley says with a reassuring pat to my shoulder. I never knew either of my grandpas, but I like to imagine they were something like this sweet old man. Todd’s a regular at the diner. Most would consider him a grouchy old man, but that’s only because they don’t know how to soften him up. I can’t wait for a chance to prepare him his favorite scrambled eggs. He’ll be so shocked to find out I can actually cook.
I bite down on my bottom lip, nervous to leave my precious car behind. But I know she’ll be in good hands. “She’s temperamental.”
“I remember, dear.”
“Coffee’s on me for the rest of the week.”
Todd lifts his grease-stained ball cap from his sweaty brow with anah shuckschuckle before readjusting it over his thinning hair. “Not necessary, but I won’t refuse the offer.”
Just as I’m handing over the keys, the bells above the door jingle. I turn in time to catch Garrett. He’ssmiling. But unlike the unguarded smiles of last night, this one has a serious dose of smugness to it. I don’t like it one bit.
