Page 16 of An Unexpected Home

“Leah,” he said in a voice that didn’t sound like his and stood up.

“I hope it’s okay that I stopped by?” she said.

“Yeah, come on in.” She stepped further into his office and closed the door.

“I need to apologize for this afternoon.” Her hands were clutching her purse so tight that her knuckles were white.

“Sit down,” he said.

“No, I can’t stay.”

He stayed standing since she was and said, “Was it something I said that made you leave?”

She shook her head side-to-side. “No. It was just...me.” She seemed to think and then she sighed. “Maybe I will sit down.” She moved to the chair in front of his desk and sat. He followed suit.

“I don’t even know how to say this,” she said, head down not looking at him.

Having no idea what she needed to say he remained cool. “Whatever it is, you can just tell me. I’m a cop, I can help.”

“This is not an ‘I need a cop thing.’”

“What kind of thing is it then?”

She lifted her head and looked him right in the eyes. “It’s an I need a man to have sex with me thing.”

At the word sex his dick stood up at full attention but the rest of him that could still think straight – and that wasn’t much considering all the blood had rushed south – tried to process what she had said.

“Ummm...”

“I can see that I’ve shocked you and probably scared you a little too. I guess I should explain.” She bit her bottom lip and if it was possible, the rest of the blood in his body moved south. “Circumstances in New York forced me to be celibate for the last two years. It wasn’t just that no one wanted me, it was also that I didn’t want anyone else. I had no sexual appetite, until you opened that door the other night. It was like when you opened the actual door you also opened the metaphorical one to my sex drive.”

She paused and it gave him a second to speak. “Earlier today, when you sped out of here. What was that about then?”

“I was having a fucking panic attack,” she huffed out. “I could barely breathe.”

“A panic attack. About what?”

“That I would jump across your desk and throw myself at you!” she shouted.

He blinked, so confused and yet so horny, it made thinking hard. “Let me get this straight. You were having a panic attack because you want to have sex with me?”

“Pretty much.” She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. “I know I sound like an insane person and you’re probably over there figuring out how you can arrest me.”

He laughed. “If you think I would choose to arrest you for saying you want to sleep with me, then I might just have to pull out my cuffs.”

She lifted her head back up and trained her eyes on his. “I didn’t say anything about sleep.” It came out husky and now he was about to climb over his desk and attack her.

He was just about to stand so she could make good on that promise when a knock sounded on his door.

“Chief,” Katie said. “I’m heading out for the day. Mike is already here.”

He swallowed and cleared his throat. “Thanks, Katie. Have a good night.”

A few beats later when her footfalls were no longer evident Leah said, “Well if that wasn’t a bucket of cold water.”

He sighed. “Probably for the best.”

“Oh.” Her eyes got wide. “Does that mean...”

---