Page 10 of Babydoll

“Are you detaining me, officer?”

His brow wrinkles. “No.” His word is tentative, the vowel elongated. “Should I be?” His mouth curves slightly when he looks at me. “I do have cuffs if I need them.” He pats his hip where the silver metal bracelets hang on his duty belt.

I narrow my eyes at him, grunt, and sit. I’m tired, cranky, and now instead of hangry, I’m turned on. And maybe… I grab my stomach and close my eyes. Nauseated.

“Are you dizzy?”

My eyes pop open and everyone is gone. SSD’s face hangs over mine as he looks at my forehead.

“I was, but I don’t know now.” I’m cooperating, but my tone makes it obvious I don’t want to be.

“Come on.” He grabs my arm and helps me up. “The infirmary’s this way.”

“I know where it is,” I bark. “I’ve worked here longer than you.”

His mouth pulls up at the side as we walk. “That’s some serious attitude. You need a Snickers?”

“You got one? Or five?” I reply, dryly.

He shakes his head, the corner of his mouth hitched up as if he’s both exasperated and amused, and unlocks the door to the infirmary. Opening it, he waves me through. “Sit on the bed.”

I eye him. “Trying to get me into bed, officer? Tsk, tsk, what would HR say?”

“Be a good girl and I’ll find you that Snickers,” he says, patting me on the head before grabbing a first aid kit off the shelf.

I’m speechless.

First thebehaveand the bossiness and now thebe a good girl. Lord almighty, I might be called into HR if he keeps it up. What is it about a bossy, dominant man that makes us girls swoony?

Cleaning my wound, he inspects the damage and I stare into those chocolatey eyes. “It doesn’t need stitches,” he says and covers it with gauze. “Head lacerations always bleed a lot.” He tapes over the gauze.

“Now, were you dizzy on the walk here? Seeing double? Metallic taste in your mouth?”

“Fucking hell,” I say dryly. “I don’t have a goddamn concussion. It wasn’t a WWE match; no one slammed the chair over my head. It was a little bump.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out my card, waving it. “Then I can let you go.”

I’m suddenly a little disappointed, but I let out a big sigh and say, “About fucking time. Now, where’s my Snickers bar?” I hold out my palm.

“Naughty girls that use foul language don’t get candy bars.”

I roll my eyes. “Just get me out of here.”

I head to my car, starting it with the fob, and ignore both the throbbing in my head and between my thighs. At least the memory of SSD’s flirting is keeping me warm. It’s getting cooler at night now.

There’s already frost on my windshield. I’m warming up my car, but I’m only driving down the road to a side street. I’m mostly warming it up so I have an excuse to hang back, so no one will see me drive down the road and settle into my car’s back seat for the night. But also because the little bit of heat will help me fall asleep before I’m too cold.

Chez Lu. Home sweet home.

I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to sleep out here, but I should get at least a few more weeks. I miss the infirmary’s bed and not having to sleep balled up or in a semi-upright position. But thanks to the new security company and SSD, that’s no longer an option. These guys are way too thorough, searching the building after everyone leaves and then staying the night to do perimeter rounds.

As I walk to my car, I spot SSD leaving the building.

For fuck’s sake.

Despite the cold and my eagerness to get in my car, I stop, leaving a row of parking spots between me and my car. Pulling out the cell phone Python gave me with my near-frozen fingers, I put it to my ear. I don’t want SSD anywhere near my car where he might notice the pillow and blanket in the back seat.

As he gets close, I start talking, so I can ignore him. My fake words come out as white whispy puffs in the cold. But my conversation doesn’t stop him from coming to me and doing something that makes my jaw drop.

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