Page 21 of Pulse

“You look about as exhausted as I feel.”

Talia’s voice sliced through his mental fog. A fresh, sweet coconut scent wafted his way. Jesus, she smelled like a damn cocktail. Pulse loved tropical flavors. Everything from pineapple on his pizza to coconut cream pie and even coconut creamer inhis coffee, though no one knew that particular tidbit. The last thing he needed was the sexy, too-sharp attorney all up in his space while smelling delicious.

“Did you get any sleep?” Her tight dress hugged her generous tits in the best way. There wasn’t anything revealing about the dress, but he still wondered if her cleavage would hold the same coconut scent if he buried his face there. And if he licked? Would she taste as good as she smelled?

“Pulse?”

He blinked, then scrubbed a hand down his face. “Sorry. What did you ask? Sleep?”

She nodded with a soft smile.

“Uh…” He shrugged. “I caught a few hours but feel like roadkill today.”

“Roadkill,” she said with a chuckle. “That’s a good description.”

He grunted. God, that scent was making it impossible to think. How rude would it be to take a giant step away from her to preserve his sanity? At least she wasn’t wearing those fucking glasses. He couldn’t have stood there if she had them on.

“Are you doing okay?” she asked, setting her empty champagne flute on a nearby table.

“You a therapist as well as a lawyer?”

Her eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second, but then she smirked. “Let’s say I’m full-service. Seriously, though, I’d love to sit down and chat with you at some point. There are some things we should go over. I’m filing a complaint on your behalf with the police department and want to make sure all my I’s are dotted and my T’s crossed before I submit it.”

His eye twitched. “Thanks, but don’t bother. I’d rather forget all about it. I’m not interested in making a big thing of it.”

She frowned. “They arrested you for felony assault without doing a proper investigation, Pulse. That’s bullshit.”

“Maybe, but you got me out of there, so it’s all good.”

Her frown deepened. Instead of detracting from the attractiveness, the pout of her lip made his tingle. Pulse was a picky bastard when it came to women. He didn’t fuck them just because they had a willing pussy. He preferred someone with intelligence and liked to have a real conversation before and often after a good fuck.

That meant he was often alone with his hand as he’d been for too many months now.

“Uh, well…” Talia grimaced. “Curly is the one who asked me to file the complaint, so…”

Right. Of course, he did. Because he was a stellar-fucking-president who always looked out for his club. It also meant he’d have to sell Curly on dropping the complaint, which would never happen. Given his history, the prez sought every opportunity to set the cops straight when they fucked up.

“Look, Pulse…” She placed her hand near his elbow. He had to fight the urge to shiver as a ripple of electricity traveled up his arm from beneath her soft fingers. “I know I just met you last night, and it will take some time to build trust, but I can promise you I’m on your side. I am completely devoted to your club. You are safe with me, as is any information you share, no matter what.”

She spoke with passion and conviction, pressing her free hand to her chest as her thumb stroked the inside of his elbow in an unconscious, soothing motion.

It didn’t soothe.

It only made him clench his teeth against the blood pooling in his groin.

“Why?” he asked, making her blink rapidly.

“What? What do you mean?”

He tilted his head and studied her. Beneath the flawless makeup, he saw the hint of the same fatigue he carried. “Why? Why do you care so much?”

“B-because it’s my job. I’m paid to care, Pulse, and I do my job damn well.”

Her words said one thing, but the brief shadow clouding her gaze said another. This was personal for her, and he wanted to know why. Years working as an investigator gave him an overactive sense of curiosity he rarely got to satisfy. And he wouldn’t get to today either. Talia might have piqued his interest, but he had too much of his own shit to deal with to worry about anyone else’s.

“Right,” he said with a dip of his chin. “I’m going to talk with Curly. I’m really not interested in dragging this out. I want to put last night behind me.”

She pressed her lips together as though pinching off a retort before finally saying, “And if this becomes a pattern? If someone else accuses you of assault?”

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