“You jerk! You should be grateful I was nice enough to take our future professional relationship into account.” In her agitation, her breathing has kicked up, and I try to keep my attention off her breasts.
But it’s really fucking hard.
“I don’t want to be attached to you,” I grit out through a clenched jaw.
“I don’t want to be attached to you either.” Her tongue sneaks out over her lower lip.
My dick immediately gets hard for her. “I can’t be around you.”
“Look, my intention was to use you for sex and never see you again. I don’t want this.”
“Neither do I.” Despite our words, we’re far too close.
“It can never happen again.” She tilts her chin.
“Agreed.” I do, but she’s just right there waiting for it. Waiting for me.
“Never.” The word sounds pornographic from her lips.
Like she’s begging me.
I’m five seconds away from doing something incredibly stupid, but then one of the department’s black SUVs pulls onto the street.
“Fuck.” I step back from her. I’d completely forgotten about him. “It’s Ryder.”
She swings around to see the car. “What’s he doing here?”
I shoot her an exasperated look. “You can’t tail a cop and expect there to be no repercussions.”
She lets out a frustrated breath. “With you, there are always repercussions, aren’t there?”
Through gritted teeth, I say, “This is your fault.”
“It is not.”
“You’re pure fucking chaos.” We have fifteen seconds until he pulls up. “I hope you’re quick on your feet, counselor.”
“Watch and learn, Sheriff.”
“Take my lead.” I pull her to the side of me.
She jabs me with an elbow. “Get the fuck out of here. You take my lead.”
“Not the time for a power struggle, Jessica.” Her name sounds right on my tongue, like it was meant to be there.
“I’ll have you know, I was trying to avoid this, Charlie.” She emphasizes my name like it’s something foul.
I scowl down at her. “You’re a walking, talking disaster.”
“I hate you,” she hisses as the car pulls up, and Ryder slowly rolls down the window.
The woman is completely unpredictable. I need to get ahead of her before she makes everything a thousand times worse.
Ryder puts his aviators on the top of his head and looks back and forth between Jessica and me. “Now this, I’ve got to hear.”
I start to speak, but she jumps in, beaming at her brother. “Hey, Ryder. What are you doing here?”
He studies her, and by the expression on his face, every ounce of trouble I expect from her is confirmed. “Well, Jess, I’m here because you’re tailing the county sheriff in our sister’s car, and for the life of me, I can’t imagine why that might be.”