Page 183 of Hot Cops

“Thank you, Stephanie. I believe Iamready for my second glass.”

She picked up his empty tumbler and started to walk back to the bar, but Elias stopped her with a question. “You okay tonight? You seem tired. That’s not like you. You’re usually the life of this place.”

She smiled at his compliment and shrugged easily. “I’ve had a long day.”

A very long one, she thought.

“Perhaps you could take off early?” Elias suggested. “Go home and rest. I bet the other ladies wouldn’t mind covering for you.”

Stephanie glanced around the shop. Jayne was leading the book discussion, while Sophie and Jordan were helping various customers, either by finding books or serving drinks.

She shook her head. “Only a few more hours until closing time. I’ll be fine ’til then.”

Elias gave her a friendly smile and she felt grateful for his concern.

She was halfway to the bar when she spotted a familiar face walking through the front door. She stopped in her tracks. Detective Nolan sauntered in like he owned the place, and the temper she’d managed to subdue all afternoon flared hot once again.

He glanced around the bar quickly, looking over at the boisterous book group as he took a seat at the end of the bar. His gaze missed her completely.

Suddenly she felt as if the clouds on her lousy day had lifted and she’d been granted a bit of good fortune. She’d had hours to fume about the detective’s behavior and, as always happened, she’d thought of a million clever, cutting things she could have said to himaftershe’d driven away. She’d been pissed off about missing her opportunity.

A smile crossed her face. Time for round two.

She walked toward him.

As if sensing sudden danger, the detective turned, his gaze catching hers as she approached. She enjoyed the myriad emotions that covered his face in the few short steps it took her to reach him—surprise, annoyance, anger and, finally, was that regret? The last pulled her up short for a moment, then she drew near.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t De?—”

The detective grabbed her shoulders, pulled her toward him and cut off her words with a kiss that left her stunned motionless for a full thirty seconds.

What the hell?

She put her hands on his chest and tried to push him away, but the man was relentless. He turned his head slightly, his tongue brushing her lower lip. She gasped and he took advantage, opening her mouth even more for his beautiful assault.

Stephanie might be angry, but she appreciated a good kiss as much as the next woman, and it seemed a shame to interrupt the man when he was on a roll. Then she recalled the ticket and his rudeness. She shoved at his chest again, but he dipped his tongue in farther, the brief scent and flavor of peppermint on his breath making her mouth water.

Anger. Arousal. Those two emotions seemed to be in direct opposition and she was torn. Should she break the contact—and his neck—or hang on and enjoy the ride? For all his personality defects, the cop could work magic with his mouth. Holy wow.

He stroked her tongue with his, touching it with quick, teasing brushes. His hands moved from her shoulders to her face, cupping her cheeks, and Stephanie felt herself go molten, her panties suddenly wet. She was a sucker for a sexy kisser and a good face hold. God, she loved it when a guy touched her cheeks so sweetly.

After what felt like a few hours later, the detective pulled away, though his face was so close to hers, she could feel his hot breath on her skin. With a bit of distance between them, Stephanie’s wits began to return.

“Are you mental?” she whispered, too breathless to speak louder.

“No.”

His answer was too quick, too pat, too unsatisfying.

“You better have a damn good reason for doing that, Offi?—”

He covered her mouth with his again. Rather than repeating the initial, long, soul-searching kiss, this time it was harder, hungrier. The horny fool inside her returned the effort…with interest.

The next time he moved away, he spoke first. “Is there somewhere private where we can talk?”

She snorted. She couldn’t help it. “You just came in here and attacked me in my bar. I’m not about to go anywhere with you alone until you give me some answers.”

The detective sighed heavily and then looked around, first at the bar and then over his shoulder, through the plate-glass window facing the street. Stephanie noticed he hadn’t released her, and she was beginning to suspect it was to keep her in check.

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