Page 105 of Hot Cops

Landon returned to the court, but from the constant glances he kept shooting over his shoulder, she wouldn’t say his head was in the game.

“Sunnie, Yvonne,” Dad said. “You look great, but I’m telling you right now, if you distract my team, I’m sending you out of here.”

“Dad—” Sunnie started.

Her father grinned as he leaned closer. “Have mercy on poor Landon.”

He walked away as Yvonne stepped next to her. “That guy has got itbadfor you.”

Sunnie shook her head, trying to disregard her family’s nonchalant attitude to her and Landon and all these pretend—why didn’t they feel like pretend?—kisses. She didn’t want to think about what any of that might mean.

Especially considering Landon had actually pulled back since that interview, kissing her only in public and not initiating any more of his killer orgasms.

Not that she’d asked for them.

She’d barely held it together at the end of that damn TV interview, not sure how to respond to Beverly’s comment about the way Landon had looked at her in the video. It was the same thing Pop Pop had said, and it had freaked her out.

Sometime during the ride home from the television station, it felt as if they’d both sort of realized they shouldn’t cross the line anymore. So…it had been nine days of nothing but fake dates, hand-holding and tame good-night kisses.

Sunnie had hated every minute of the…platonicness—she didn’t care if that wasn’t a word. So she’d come up with the cheerleader idea. Smart or not, Sunnie was going back in for another orgasm. Her brain had been overruled by her vagina, and the diet ended today. With any luck, it would be a spectacular cheat.

The game started, so Sunnie and the police half of her squad claimed the first row of the bleachers, standing up whenever the score got tight to lead the police department fans in a cheer. The other half went to cheer for the firefighters. Twice they’d started a wave that made it all the way around the gymnasium.

At halftime, the firefighters were up by two. Typically, halftime was a ten-minute break where the coaches for each team gave their players a pep talk from the sidelines, and the fans just socialized or purchased baked goods donated to add more money to the charitable contribution. This year, Sunnie had something special planned. She glanced over her shoulder and spotted Finn in the press box. The announcer for the game handed him the microphone.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Finn said, pausing as everyone got quiet. “As you know, we’re here today for a very good cause. All the money raised will be contributed directly to the Children’s Cancer Foundation. Today, we have a special treat for all you fans. Our nursing cheer squad has prepared a special halftime show. Put your hands to together for the nurses…and Yvonne,” he added, as everyone laughed.

Unbeknownst to Landon, she and the nurses had spent the better part of four days getting ready for this, practicing on every break they had at work. Last night, they’d done a dress rehearsal for the kids in the pediatric oncology ward and, despite a few missteps, they’d been a hit, the kids laughing, singing, and dancing as much as they were able. Her nursing supervisor warned her they’d want an encore every week. Sunnie assured her that wouldn’t be a hardship at all.

Sunnie ran toward the middle of the floor, nailing her roundoff. Jessica managed a pretty decent cartwheel, and damned if Yvonne didn’t sink down into a legit split. Once they’d all made it to their places, she looked at Finn, who gave her a thumbs-up. Then the music started.

Sunnie made sure she was watching Landon when the first few notes of the song came on, and she laughed the second he recognized it and rolled his eyes.

High School Musicalhad been Sunnie’s jam for the better part of middle school. She’d seen the movie—and sequels—no less than a thousand times, and she knew the original movie’s show-ending dance number by heart.

She had roped Finn and Landon into learning it with her one summer when they were all bored, and while both boys grumbled, they’d given her the better part of an afternoon, and then agreed to perform a “show” for their parents, Pop Pop and Bubbles after dinner that night.

When the chorus to “We’re All in This Together” came on, Sunnie, Yvonne and the nurses started the routine, all of them laughing when Miguel ran from the sidelines to join them. Miguel had gone out with them maybe a dozen times over the course of the last year, ever since he’d moved to Baltimore and joined the force. He was great fun and easy to be around, but when he started dancing and proved he knew every single step, Sunnie decided right then and there, he was going to be her best friend forever.

Glancing up, she saw Finn doing a few of the moves in the press box, feeling secure that no one was looking at him. During the turn, she realized Finn wasn’t completely unnoticed.

Miguel was watching her brother too.

Then she looked at Landon, standing relatively still on the sidelines, his eyes locked on her. When she threw him a wink and raised one eyebrow in challenge, he lifted his hands to do the wildcat scratch in time with the song.

Oh yeah. He remembered it.

Of course, unlike Miguel, who was relishing the cheers and attention, Landon was content to just watch her.

“Those are my babies!” Sunnie heard Bubbles yell from the bleachers. A quick peek in that direction proved her entire family was on their feet, bouncing in time to the music, laughing and cheering them on. Even Pop Pop was doing a little shuffle, reaching over to grab Darcy’s hand and give her a spin in place.

They got a standing ovation once the song ended.

Landon started to walk toward her, but before he got there, she felt a hand slide over her eyes, a deep male voice murmuring, “You look hot in that skirt.”

Sunnie pulled the hand away and turned, surprised to see Naked Ned standing there. She and Ned had dated a few years earlier, the relationship lasting almost five months, which put him at the top of the list in terms of longest boyfriend.

“Ned. What are you doing here?”

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