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“Stay,” I commanded, using what my sister referred to as mycop voice, infusing my tone with authority. Surprisingly, the dog listened, doing her little pitter-patter dance from side to side before plopping down, her front paws crossed daintily, and staring up at me with affection.
“Aw, see, Clarke. She’s already totally in love with you,” Sheffield crooned. “You can’t get rid of her now. It would break her little heart.”
“She’ll get just as attached to whoever adopts her, I have no doubt.” Only, the thought of passing her off onto someone else was starting to make my stomach sink just a bit.
What the hell was that about?
I had to get rid of this damn dog before I did something incredibly stupid. Like fall in love with it.
ChapterSeven
LYRIC
I hadthe radio up as loud as I could stand it as Taylor Swift sang about stupid boys. All four windows were down, the cool autumn wind whipping my hair around my face as I belted out the lyrics at the top of my lungs and pressed down harder on the accelerator.
I didn’t have a particular destination in mind, I was just driving, winding down the back-country roads, just me, my car, and Taylor. Admittedly, I had a bit of a lead foot, but I didn’t think I’d been goingthatfast, when all of a sudden, in the middle of Swifty’s “I Bet You Think About Me” those telltale red and blue lights lit up in my rearview mirror.
I cut off, mid-chorus, and looked down at my speedometer to see I’d been going twenty miles over the speed limit. “Shit balls.” Something told me there was no way in hell I was going to be able to talk my way out of that ticket, but it didn’t hurt to try. If only I’d had the foresight to put on makeup this morning.
In a rush, I gave my cheeks a pinch to give them some color and quickly ran my fingers through my hair to try and tame the wildness. My naturally curly hair was a bear to deal with on most days, but the fact that I’d been cruising for the past half hour with the windows down meant it probably looked like a whole family of rats was living in it. I would have flipped the visor down to check if I didn’t think the officer coming to ticket me would catch on. Instead, I shoved my hands into the neck of my shirt and hiked my boobs up higher. I could only hope the girls would detract from my hair. Lucky for me, I had a great rack.
With my appearance the best it was going to get, I cranked the volume on the radio down and fished out my driver’s license and proof of insurance. I heard the boot steps and pasted on my most alluring smile.
“I’m so sorry, officer—Oh. It’s you.” My head was screaming at me, reminding me that we hated this guy, and that we were screaming out Taylor at the top of our lungs becausehewas an inconsiderate jerk. But my stomach and lady parts had an entirely different reaction. My belly swooped over and over like cartoon birds doing a dance while my core throbbed at the memory of just how good he was with his... well, everything.
I shoved my traitorous body’s reaction down, replaced the smile with a sour pout, and crossed my arms over my chest indignantly.
One corner of Holton’s mouth trembled slightly, like he was trying to suppress a grin, and I couldn’t be sure, thanks to those sunglasses that looked way too good on him, but something told me if he were to take them off, I’d see humor dancing in his eyes. “Nice to see you as well, Little Dove.” I jolted at the sound of that nickname. Pleasure and pain sparking through me. “I’m guessing from that show you just put on, adjusting your boobs and the like, you already know why I pulled you over.”
Damn it all to hell! Could I ever catch a freaking break when it came to this man?
He sounded like he was having way too much fun, which pissed me off, so I decided impertinence was the name of the game. Lifting my chin haughtily, I did my best to look down my nose at a man who was way too damn tall. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You were going twenty-five over the posted speed limit.”
“That’s a dirty lie! I wasn’t going more than twenty over!”
“Gotcha.” That grin he’d been suppressing came to life, and damn it, it looked great on him. Also, the son of a bitch could lick rust for entrapping me like that.
I was just about to give him a piece of my mind when a sound coming from outside my car door gave me a start. “What the hell was that?” I asked. It sounded like a garden-gnome-sized chainsaw with a busted motor.
Holton looked down at something by his feet, his voice dripping with authority as he ordered, “Churro, quiet.”
“Churro?” Curiosity got the best of me and I leaned out my window to see what he was talking to.
“Oh my god!” I squeaked at the sight of the adorably ugly dog attached to the end of a leash that was twined around Holton’s hand. I whipped the car door open, forcing them both to take a step back to keep from getting whacked, then I climbed out and crouched as low as I could. At my attention, the chihuahua panted and danced excitedly, her tail whipping from side to side in a blur. “Aren’t you just the sweetest?” I baby talked as I gave her pets. Her entire body vibrated so hard with excitement it was a miracle her teeth weren’t chattering. “Yes, you are. Yes, you are.”
“All the attention she’s been getting the past few days, it’s a wonder her head hasn’t gotten bigger than it already is.”
I let out a little giggle as the pup flipped over onto her back and wormed her way beneath my hands, demanding belly rubs. I scratched with one hand while shielding my eyes from the sun with the other and looking up at Colton. “Did the department get a mascot or something?”
He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Uh, not exactly. She’s a rescue.”
“You got her from the shelter?”
His face went stony. “That death trap? No chance in hell.”
My eyebrows went up. “Death trap? I thought it was a no-kill shelter?”
