Page 14 of Tropical Heat

By the relieved look on his face, it was obvious he had made the offer before thinking it through. “Good idea. It's only the 20th of the month. I'm sure you'll find something before you have to be out of here.”

After we finished our sandwiches and made love for a third time, I was ready for a nap. But if we fell asleep together, I worried Dante might think our encounter meant more to me than it did. “Get your pants on, deputy. I'm taking you to your car before we both fall asleep.”

“I think I like it better when you call me Sir.”

“And I loved being your Good Girl. But playtime is over.” I took off his shirt and handed it to him. “At least for now.”

As I pulled into the lot, I asked where he was parked. He pointed to a gleaming black Harley near the building. It seems like every cop I ever met owns a motorcycle. Isn’t their job already dangerous enough? Before he got out, he said, “Thanks for everything. I appreciate you being there for me.”

I planted a kiss on his cheek, and told him to text me if he wanted to hook up again. “Now go home and get some rest.”

“I will. But first, I want to check in on Patti. See if she needs anything.” His words were a reminder of what had drawn us together. I kissed him again, this time on the lips, then whispered, “Be careful on that thing. I don’t want to see you in the ER.”

The sex had been fantastic, but there was much more to Dante than being a great lay. As he fired up the bike and rode away, I thought of how badly I had misjudged him. When we first met, I saw him as just another egomaniacal cop who believed his opinion was the only one that mattered.

But I had been so very wrong. Even I would have understood if he took a swing at Jacob Hauser for what he had done. But rather than seek retribution for his former partner, Dante maintained his professionalism and made sure no harm befell the man.

Rather than leave the hospital and take credit for the arrest, he remained behind to comfort his friend's wife and small child. Never leaving their side until her mother arrived. And then finally free to be alone with his grief, he chose to help me deal with my own pain.

Beneath the gruff exterior was an incredibly sweet man. If I were the kind of woman who let herself fall in love, I would have already been halfway there. Luckily, I wasn’t that kind of woman.

When I pulled back into the motel, I considered going over to the office and letting them know I might need to extend my stay. But I reeked of perspiration and sex. After cleaning up, I fell straight into bed. When I woke, I realized how tired I had been. The sun was setting, and I had slept right through the return of the fishermen.

I also realized I was starving. Reaching for my phone to order delivery from the noodle place, I saw I had missed a message from Dante.

DANTE: Made it home in one piece. Thanks for being their last night and today

There were also two messages from Zak. The first one was from the previous night explaining he had not seen my message until well after I sent it. The second was more recent.

ZAK: “I never heard back from you. If you've changed your mind about Saturday, I'll understand.”

I had forgotten all about Zak’s offer to show me around the area. A lot had changed since then. For one thing, I had just had sex with Dante.

But should that make a difference? Although I liked both men, I wasn’t interested in a serious relationship with either of them. What would be the harm in dating both? Actually, it was probably the smart thing to do. It would be hard to develop feelings for Dante if I was also going out with Zak.

Believe it or not, at the time, it seemed to make a great deal of sense.

ME:Sorry, the last 24 hours have been insane. Yes. I would love to get together Saturday if you're still interested.

ZAK:Meet around noon at Gabby's?

ME: Perfect see you then.

Ten

Zak

On the back deck, the dog lay at my feet, dozing while I meditated in the glow of the setting sun. Any tranquility I might have achieved disappeared when Stinky leapt to his feet and barked for no apparent reason. It seemed to be his favorite thing to do.

A second later, I heard the rumble of the Harley coming down the street. “Thank god,” I whispered, relieved that Dante had finally made it home safe.

Although I had only met the man a few times, I knew Edward Cooper and Dante were close friends. When I heard about the accident and his subsequent death, I worried about how it would affect my roommate. He tended to hide his emotions.

When he came up the steps, unsure of what to say, I handed him a beer. He nodded and sat in the chair next to mine. Stinky jumped up onto his lap, licked his hand, and went back to sleep.

“I see you decided to keep him,” he said, scratching the dog behind its ears.

“I didn’t have much of a choice. When I took him to the pound, the vet scanned for an identification chip. I waited while he called the owner.”

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