Page 117 of Before and After

It hit him in the center of the back. He spun fast and caught it. “I don’t need a uniform, big city.”

“My name is Piper.”

He balled the shirt up. “I’ll wear this on the day you wear a flannel shirt.”

Piper gasped. “I’llneverwear flannel shirt.”

He grinned at her. “I know.”

She set her hands on her hips. “I’m doing my job. Trying to upgrade and improve things around here.”

“More like making rule after unnecessary rule.”

“Making things better.”

“You need to loosen up, big city.”

She hissed in a breath. “Wear the damn shirt.”

Everett crossed his arms. “I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll wear it on the day you wear a flannel shirt—” he leaned in so their noses almost brushed “—with nothing else under it and crawl to me.”

Outrage filled Piper’s face and she let out a strangled noise. “Murray, I’m going to—” They stalked off down the hall and disappeared, still sniping at each other.

The four of us were silent for a moment.

“How long until they bang each other’s brains out?” I asked.

“That, or murder each other,” Tessa mused. A speculative look filled her face. “Let’s start a betting pool. I’ve got fifty bucks on them doing it next month.”

“Three weeks,” Jazz countered.

I tapped a finger on my chin. “Two weeks.”

Sierra smiled. “Two days.”

We all burst out laughing.

“We are due for a cocktail night,” I said. “We can interrogate Piper then.” That’s when I saw a man enter the back office area.

Dark eyes locked on me and my heart leaped.

Caden was back.

“And we’ve lost her,” Tessa said. “Bye, Allie.”

Tessa, Jazz, and Sierra walked past my man, calling out hellos.

He didn’t slow down as he walked toward me. Then he picked me up and his mouth was on mine.

Yum. I kissed him hard and coiled my legs around his waist. Spinning, he pinned me to the wall, his hard body against mine.

“Missed you,” he murmured.

“Missed you too.”

His hands slipped down my back and into the waistband of my work pants. He cupped my bare ass and groaned. “It drives me crazy knowing you have no panties on under your uniform.”

I wriggled against him. “You drive me crazy every time I look at you.”