Page 45 of Hot to Trot

"Good."

For a moment, silence hung between them. Adam studied her. Then his eyes dipped a smidgen. To her neckline. She peeked surreptitiously and saw that the fabric gaped a bit. His observation didn't feel the way the gang members' ogling her had. Adam's notice felt...welcome.

The air became supercharged, crackling with unfulfilled desire. Scarlet swallowed and tried to find a smile. She failed. She pressed her lips together and tried to avert her gaze from his broad shoulders, from that small sprinkling of hair at the base of his throat, barely visible above the T-shirt he wore beneath his dark uniform. Tried to pretend he didn't have lean hips, a tight stomach and long, lanky legs.

"Um, guess I'd better go. I told Rayne I would pick up Henry from school. They're doing preproduction stuff today and start filming tomorrow."

His gaze met hers."Oh, yeah. Good. I'm logging two hours in for you as time served, and I'll see you tomorrow."

Silence fell again. Scarlet didn't move. Just soaked him in. Her need for him shifted into beast mode. It clawed its way outfrom beneath the boulder of reason. She couldn't stop it. "I really want to kiss you right now."

"Shit," he breathed, closing his eyes.

"But I won't. I promised you I wouldn't jeopardize your integrity. Still, I think you should know that I really, really want to kiss you."

"Stop saying things like that. Please. I'm trying-"

“I totally understand.” She moved toward the door. "My mouth gets me in as much trouble as my actions. This office isn't bugged, is it?"

"No." He sank into his chair, a pained expression on his face. "We have to ignore this thing between us. Giving in to temptation will bring only temporary satisfaction and can lead to disastrous consequences... for us both. This is a test of our resolve, Scarlet. If I did what I want to do to you, people would find out. The press would find out. I'd lose my job and you'd be painted as-"

"A scarlet woman?"

He smiled. "Is that why you picked the name?"

She shook her head. “No. I never felt like a Summer. I liked the drama in the name Scarlet.”

“There is that. And you wouldn’t be a scarlet woman. We’d just regret it. I know that.”

He was right, but she didn't like it. For the first time since John, she felt something for a man, and she couldn't pursue it. So not fair.

"It's too bad, isn't it?" she said. “I think we’d be good together. But I know it can’t happen because of who you are. And what I did.''

"Even if I weren't the police chief and you weren't serving out community service, it wouldn't work between us. I'm not looking for a good time. I'm looking for a woman who will make a good wife."

"A wife?"

Not a role she wanted to audition for. She couldn't see herself like Rayne. No setting a perfectly prepared dinner in front of a man at the end of a long day. No wiping babies' bottoms or decorating Christmas trees.Wifewas a shoe that did not fit. Just like that name her parents gave her.

"Well, yeah. I can't spend my life having one night stands and avoiding the noose. I need a partner, a helpmate, someone who will sit on the porch with me and grow old. I want the American dream. And, no offense, but you don't fit that-"

''No, I sure the hell don't."

Another dagger of hurt lodged in her heart. Which was dumb. He'd out and out stated she was wrong for him. But at least he had been honest about what he wanted. He wanted a Stepford wife, something she could certainly portray on film but would never be in real life. This was for the best. “Outside of one kiss, we’ve done nothing wrong, so you have nothing to worry about. Right?"

He didn't look convinced.

"Well, see you in a few days." She slipped out the door. Her inner child stamped her foot and screeched, "It's not fair," at the top of her little lungs, but Scarlet knew Adam was right. Indulging in a fleeting, but likely pleasurable, horizontal tango would open a can of slimy, icky worms. She didn't like worms. She liked Californian sunshine. So she needed to get this thing in Oak Stand done and get herself to the West Coast.

After all, she had a bisexual hooker to portray.

ADAM STAREDAT THE CLOSED DOOR for a good three minutes before slipping the footage of them kissing into the delete trashcan on his desktop.

You have nothing to worry about.

Except that he had just dumped evidence of inappropriate behavior of his misconduct with someone he’d arrested.

If anyone caught wind of it, Adam would be toast.

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