Page 5

“Fuck you.”

“I’m pretty sure the three of us are going to get along great.” John seems to approve of our banter. “Next round on me.”

I glance at Carlton, who’s staring in the direction the women went. His face is a mix of anger and defeat. Then it hits me. “Which one was Maren?” I ask Marcus.

“The pretty blonde.”

That means Emerson was the bombshell with the perfect ass. I realize I didn’t even look at the blonde. My eyes never veered from Emerson.

“Be back.” I place my beer on the bar and go in the direction of the restrooms. When I’m out of Marcus’s view, I lean into a wall and look around for the two women. They are seated in a corner, glasses of wine in front of them, and Maren’s pointing at something on her phone screen.

Emerson starts to giggle, covering her mouth and glancing up to see if anyone’s watching. For a brief second, our eyes lock, and she gives me a small smile. My heartbeat picks up, her eyes shining the exact shade as her hair. The honey- brown glows brightly. The air around me stills as I get my first full look at her face. Too soon, she drops her attention back to Maren’s phone.

That feeling at the pit of my stomach stirs again, this time accompanied by a fiery hot sensation traveling through my veins. My body comes alive as I continue to stare at her from across the restaurant, soaking in everything I can.

Those eyes, that smile, and the musical sound of her laughter—she’s the whole package. Without a word spoken, she’s grabbed my attention and left me wanting more. I’ve never seen a woman quite like her. It’s not only her beauty but her radiance.

What the hell is wrong with me? As the thought passes through my mind, she peers up again, her gaze falling on me. Her cheeks turn pink, and she flashes another grin my way.

The waiter approaches them, breaking our eye contact, and the moment is lost.

I shake my head and force myself to walk away, the image of her smile burned into my brain.

I do one last review of the report and hit send, satisfied we’ve pretty much handed over another win for the State Attorney’s Office.

“Scott!” Captain yells from his office, heads jerking up around the room.

“He’s left for the weekend! Currently drinking a beer and preparing to shoot a ten-point tomorrow!” I shout back.

“Always a fucking comedian! Get your ass in my office before you hightail it out of here,” he grumbles.

I close down my computer and grab my things, planning to leave straight from his office. Nothing short of a national catastrophe is keeping me from the hunting camp this weekend.

I stroll into the Captain’s office without knocking and sit across from him, kicking my feet up on his desk. His face heats up as he narrows his eyes at me.

“You’re a cocky little bastard. Get your fucking feet off my desk.” He swats at my shoes, forcing them to fall.

“What’s on your mind?” I grin, enjoying

his irritation.

“Anyone else would be on their ass right now. Show some respect.”

“Okay, Captain Corny, how can I help you?” I deepen my voice and mock his name. His real name is Cornelius, but I decided in my first week, that was way too long and shortened it to Corny. He hates it, I love it, so therefore, it sticks. No one else dares to use it to his face, but since I’m an ass, I use it every chance I get.

We have a love-hate relationship. He’s former Army MP, doing several tours in the Gulf War before retiring and joining the force.

There aren’t many people I respect more than him, and he knows it. That’s where the love comes in.

Me being a smartass sets him on edge. That’s where the hate comes in.

“Tell me again why I don’t fire your ass?”

“Because I’m your favorite, and as fun as this sparring sounds, Marcus will be at my place in forty-five minutes, so I’m on a time crunch.”

“Jesus, help me.” He looks to the ceiling in prayer.

“Seriously, Cap.”