Page 16 of He Sees You

I expect Dove to go up on her tiptoes and press a quick kiss to my lips—but she doesn’t. Instead, lips parted as she gazes up at me, all she does is breathe out, “Who are you?”

“I thought you remembered me,” I say, not quite able to keep the flirtatious tease out of my voice. I can’t help it. I’ve spent months imagining how my first conversation with Dove would go, when I got to introduce myself to her, and while it wasn’t quite like how I planned, it’s better because it’s really happening.

“The cop from Waverly’s?—”

“Officer Coleman.” I finger my nameplate so she can see what it says again.D. Coleman. “But call me Derek.”

“Officer Coleman—” she begins.

A muscle ticks in my cheek. No. This is important. I need to hear her say my name. “Derek, Dove. Please.”

She hesitates. Her gaze roves over my face before dipping down toward my hip. I wish I could say her eyes traveled toward the front, trying to get a glimpse of what I’m packing under my uniform pants, but unfortunately, all she seems focused on is my standard carry weapon. She gulps. “Derek.”

I grin. Fuck, that’s beautiful. Sweeter than any Christmas cookie, and more melodic than a Christmas carol, the sound of my name in her voice is just what I needed to put me back in the holiday spirit. “That’s my good girl. My precious Dove.”

Mine.

There’s no denying the possessiveness in my voice. I didn’t bother hiding it, either. What’s the point? As soon as I kiss her, she’ll know that this isn’t about some pervy cop using his position of power against her.

Oh, no. This is about the cop obsessed with her finally getting his first taste of the woman he’ll do anything to claim.

She can see it in my face. In my eyes. In the curve of my lips. In the way that I loom over her, laying my chilled fingers against the side of her face, the heat of my arousal warming me up from the inside out.

“Whoareyou?” she asks again, softer this time, almost breathless as she stares up at me.

I cradle her jaw, digging my fingers into her skin just hard enough to have her gasping slightly. “I’m going to beyours.”

And to prove my point, I slant my mouth over hers, taking that kiss before she can give it to me.

I know instantly that I made the right decision in pushing her to this point tonight. Dove’s taste isn’t like anything I’ve ever had before, but it’s fuckingambrosia. I could get drunk on her kiss if given the chance. It’s that good. Knowing that she steps closer, melting into my arms instead of struggling to shove me away from her? Makes it that muchbetter.

She whimpers. The possessive need to consume this beautiful creature takes over me at the sound. I deepen the kiss, dropping one hand to the small of her back to push her up against me. The softness of her round belly does nothing to blunt my raging need. It actually makes it more uncontrollable. Bracing my legs, I crouch just enough to angle my hard-on against her heat.

If we were both naked right now, I could push myself right inside of her and Dove? She wouldn’t stop me. It’s in the eagerness of her response, the way she’s clinging to my uniformshirt as she kisses me back, her tits a cushion against my chest as I clutch her tightly.

But as much as I want to, I draw the line at fucking her in a back alley in my SPD blues while she’s worried that I’m going to arrest her on Christmas Eve for dealing.

So I take my kiss instead, and if I mimic fucking her so that subconsciously she knows what to expect the next time we meet, I can’t help it.

This woman drives me crazy, and I’m more than happy to let her take the wheel.

SEVEN

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

DOVE

It’s the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring because I’d taken a sleeping pill otherwise I’d have been up all night, thinking about Officer Coleman.

Derek.

He told me to call himDerek.

And that was after he said to get used to calling himmine.

With the taste of his mouth left on my lips, he took a kiss from me, then he took his leave. With a wink and a hint of a dimple in his cheek, the gorgeous cop backed out of the alley, then gestured for me to do the same. He stood in the shadows while I ducked my head, racing for my car, then disappeared into the night.

A cruiser chased me all the way back to my apartment building, my very own one-man procession. He didn’t turn the sirens on, but he didn’t have to. I saw him in the rearview mirror, and nearly shit myself the whole time.

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