Page 9 of Cop Blocked

“Before we go inside, I got you a little something. I saw it and thought you might like it.” I hold out the tiny butterfly figurine I found at a local shop while I was running errands earlier today, with her love of butterflies and the color purple, the trinket called her name.

She runs her fingers over the tiny wings and smiles up at me. “Wow, it’s super cute. Perfect even. You didn’t have to…”

“I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to.” Placing one hand on the small of her back, I guide her forward. “Shall we head inside?”

Our table is ready and waiting, and the hostess leads us out onto the patio. I pull out her chair and wait for her to take her seat before taking a seat across from her. We’re not alone long when the waiter approaches us to get our drink orders. With two beers on the way, we both look over our menus, though I already know what I’m ordering.

“You made a good choice in venues. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here. Last time didn’t go so well…” her voice trails off.

“Well then, I’m hoping to make this experience a positive memory for you,” I wink.

Her face flushes, and it’s so damn cute for about five seconds until my mind takes a detour into the gutter, and I can see her whole body flushed pink as I make her scream my name. Christ, now I’ve got a raging hard-on under the table. I promised I would take it slow, stick to my own rules.

Thank fuck she can’t see the tent in my pants.

“Well, it wouldn’t take much. The last person I was here with didn’t set the bar very high,” she says back, dropping her gaze.

“He must be a fool.”

Before our conversation continues, our waiter is back with drinks and ready to take our order. My heart damn near skips a beat when she tells the waiter, “I’ll have what he’s having.” This girl is clearly after my own heart.

“Their steak is the best on the menu,” I tell her as the waiter leaves. “You know something. I’ve been wondering. How in the hell have we never run into each other before?” I shake my head in disbelief.

“We probably have, and we never realized it. I mean, after all, I was there the night of your uh, busted date,” she lets out a hearty laugh, and I groan.

“Yeah, yeah. Keep reminding me about that disaster.” Seriously though, what are the odds that she’s been right here all along?

“So, Marine Reserves, is being a cop not enough fun for you?” She jokes as she picks at the label on her beer.

“Being a cop is great; thank you very much.” I smile. “I love being a Marine, too. This gives me the best of both worlds.” Not a lie, not the entire truth. If things were different, I’d still be living that full-time military life. That’s a topic for another day, not something I want to talk about on a first date with someone who’s genuinely sparked my interest since Ensley and I split several years ago.

It’s not like I’ve been a saint since then. I’ve done my fair share of fooling around and dating, but something about Rachel is different. A good different. And I find myself looking forward to getting to know her even better.

“Okay. Fair enough.” She tips her beer at me. “I do have to say, I can totally see the Marine in you, especially with your hair cut short and no facial hair.”

“And what look is that exactly? The badass, buff, and sexy as hell look?” I jest, as our waiter returns with our food.

“Oh my gosh.” Rachel laughs at my expense before taking the first bite of her steak. “You did not just say that! I know damn well a guy like you does not need to fish for compliments.” She takes a long pull of her beer before she continues. “You are pretty buff, though.” I’m rewarded with a sexy wink with that statement.

“Thanks for noticing.” I flex one arm and chuckle. “You said you’re a NICU nurse. What made you decide to go in that direction?”

She pauses briefly, looking down at her food before meeting my gaze. “For a while, I considered becoming a hospice nurse. When my grandfather was in the final stages of his cancer, I saw these amazing angels, helping to make his last days the best they could be. After doing some volunteer work and an internship with a hospice center, I knew there was no way I could handle it. Hospice nurses have a gift. So, I went in the opposite direction. I wanted to help people live.” Her eyes light up, and as she continues to talk, I can’t help my awe for this woman. “Sure, we have bad days too, when our tiniest of patients don’t survive. But I’ve never seen a human fight harder than a one-pound baby. Seeing those babies going home with their moms and dads, knowing I’ve been a part of that? It’s something I cherish.”

“You sound pretty passionate about it.”

“I am. You have no idea just how fragile life is until you’ve been around a preemie.”

Being around any baby is enough to give me hives. I’m not about to tell Rachel that, though.

“Enough of the mushy stuff,” Her voice drops, and she leans across the table, “I’m dying to know. How well do you know how to use a pair of handcuffs?” Mischief twinkles in her eyes, and I’m sure I’ve got my hands full with this woman.

“If you could see your face,” she hoots. “Man, you must date some really forward women if they bring up the cuffs on the first date.”

“You just did!” I mock offense.

“It was a joke.” She continues laughing. “Though now that you seem all embarrassed…” her voice trails off.

“Changing the subject.” Before I nut in my pants like a teenager.

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