Page 39 of The Fate of Us

He shakes his head at me as he pulls his helmet off. “Please, we aren’t twelve.”

“Then why are you so upset?” I make puppy dog eyes and speak in a little kid voice. “You gonna cry now?”

“Fuck off.” He laughs as we head to the gate. “At least you are relaxed now.”

“I am.”

“Damn, Mason. You got completely shut out by a girl.”

Butterflies erupt in my stomach when I hear Noah’s voice. I turn around and those butterflies make their way to my center, heat flooding me. I don’t think I will ever tire of the day I see Noah in a police uniform. All his armor adds extra bulk to him but I think it makes him look sexier, more intense.

For the last few weeks we have been living together, I made it a point to try and be home before he gets home from work so I can see him in uniform. But this week his boss switched him back to morning shifts so he can be rested for his detective exam next week. Now our schedules overlap and it’s been four days since I’ve seen him in his sexy as sin uniform.

I bite my lip as I think about taking that uniform off him piece by piece when Mason starts talking. “Fuck off, Noah. I knew I shouldn’t have texted you.”

I look between the two brothers. “You texted him?”

“Well I didn’t think you would beat me since I come here a lot. Thought you might need to release the rest of your pent-up energy on him when I beat you.”

I laugh as Noah wraps his arm around my shoulder. “Oh I have pent-up energy alright, but it has nothing to do with that race.” I slap my hand over my mouth. I cannot believe I said that in public. If it was me and Noah, I wouldn’t have cared. But I never talk that way in front of others.

Noah growls at that comment as his hand trails down my back and grabs my ass. He leans in and whispers in my ear, “I’ll take care of that, baby. Don’t you worry.”

He looks up at Mason. “So how does it feel to get beaten by a girl again?”

Mason cracks his knuckles. “I really should not have texted you.”

“I’m glad you did,” Noah says. “Because now I can celebrate with my girl.”

“You’ve been beat by a girl before I take it.” I say to Mason.

“No one ever beats me. Ever.”

Noah cuts in. “Except Rosie. She schooled you every time around that course.”

“The only one. Now I got this one too.” He laughs. And I am happy the memory of his sister brings a smile to his face.

“If it makes you feel better, Mase. I did work at a go-kart track in high school.”

Noah bursts out laughing. “Picked the wrong thing to help her relax, Mason.”

Mason shakes his head. “Whatever. I’m glad that helped Anna. Now go do things I don’t want to know about with my brother. We can pick up on those songs tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Mason. I didn’t know I needed that.”

“Anytime,” he says with a wave as he walks out to the parking lot.

Noah grabs my hand, pulling me into him. “Ready to go home?”

I nod because I want nothing more than to strip that uniform off him.

13

Noah

I wipethe sweat from my brow as I hit mile eight of my run. I needed to get the tension out of my system.

Today is the day I find out the results of the detective exam. My sergeant says there is no way I didn’t pass. In fact, he already has a position waiting for me as Detective Taylor.

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