Page 185 of Hot Cops

He leaned closer, not sure why he enjoyed pushing her buttons so much. Something about her entire demeanor screamed of passion and fire and—God help him—sex.

“You weren’t exactly fighting me off. In fact, at one point, your tongue was in my mouth.”

“You annoy me, Detective Nolan.”

“Jarod.”

“What?”

“My name is Jarod, Stephanie.”

“Oh.” She frowned. “So you know my name. Trying to show off, Detective?”

“I needed to know what name to put on the ticket. You pulled away before I could ask to see your license and registration.”

His joke tweaked her temper and it amused him to see her get fired up. Truth was, he’d let her pull away. He’d known this morning, standing on the city street with her, he’d never turn the ticket in.

“My, my, my. You know, it seems to me you might want to tuck some of that cockiness away.” She glanced below his waist, and Jarod felt light-headed at her seductive look. There was no way she’d missed what he was packing in his jeans—and he didn’t mean his gun.

“Why’s that?”

“You want to come back into that bar to do your job, right?”

He nodded, narrowing his eyes. What was she playing at?

“You need my silence to do that.”

Blackmail. The conniving, manipulative, gorgeous woman was going to dicker for her silence.

“I think I’ve proven I know how to silence you.” He started to reach for her, intent on reclaiming her lips once more. He’d never had such an instant, insatiable attraction for a woman.

She took a large step back and shook her head. “That won’t work again.”

He moved forward. “I’m willing to try if you are.”

“Christ. Put the dog on a leash and listen up, Nolan. Tear up my parking ticket and you can set up a fucking tent in the middle of the bar for your undercover surveillance.”

He could have told her guilt over his holier-than-thou behavior wouldn’t allow him to turn the ticket in.

However, he didn’t feel like letting Stephanie off the hook so easily. She was far too much fun to talk to and tease.

“You know, as alaw-abidingcitizen, I would think you’d consider it your duty to remain quiet and allow me to do my job. Don’t you want me to keep the streets safe?” He enjoyed throwing her words back in her face. When her brown eyes darkened, he felt another surge of lust rumble through his body. He’d never been much of a one-night-stand guy, but it was taking all the strength in his body not to ask Stephanie back to his place.

Not that she would go. He was acting like a prick. Crap, time to stop teasing her.

“Actually, I believe it was pointed out to me earlier that I’m a criminal.”

“Now come on, Stephanie, you know I never said that.”

She placed her hands on her hips. “You implied it with all that illegal this, illegal that crap.”

He sighed. “I was an asshole earlier. I’m sorry for that.”

His sincerity appeared to take her aback and she tilted her head. He suspected she was trying to figure out his angle, his game.

“By earlier, do you mean the ticket or the kiss?”

“The kiss made me an asshole? I thought you liked it.”

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