Page 194 of Hot Cops

CHAPTERFOUR

Jarod steppedover the threshold with Stephanie, trying to calm the nervous anticipation stirring inside him. He wasn’t a monk. He’d dated lots of women, and he’d held more than a few overnights in his house, but for some reason, he was putting some sort of significance on this night. He wanted Stephanie to like his house, and he was praying they were compatible in bed. God knew they seemed to be a perfect match out of it.

He’d laughed when she’d asked what his flaws were. He suspected she hadn’t meant to speak that question aloud, but he agreed with the sentiment. For the past few hours, he’d talked to and listened to Stephanie Harper, wondering how in the hell she was still single.

“How old are you?”

She didn’t seem shocked by his abrupt question. “Twenty-nine. How old are you?”

“Thirty-three.”

He walked to the end table by the sofa and turned on a lamp.

She looked around as he studied her face for a reaction to his house. It was ridiculous to be so proud of four walls and a roof, but he’d put a lot of blood, sweat and some serious cash into the place, and for some strange reason, Stephanie’s opinion of it mattered.

“I didn’t peg you for a colors guy.”

“No?”

She shook her head. “Saw you as off-white all the way.”

He grinned. “I hate white. Grew up in an all-white house—spotless walls, spotless floors, everything pristine and perfect. Sort of made life rough for a boy with dirty hands who tracked mud wherever he went. Always swore when I got my own place, I’d make it hard to see the dirt.”

“All boy, huh? NowthatI can see. And this place doesn’t look that dirty. Pretty neat for a bachelor’s pad.”

He shrugged. He’d cleaned the house top to bottom as part of the special dinner celebration he’d planned for Cheryl—pre-breakup. Jarod wasn’t too keen to let Stephanie know what a schmuck he’d been for trying to impress his ex-girlfriend on the night she’d dumped him. Usually, the place looked a lot more lived-in and, well, messy.

“Want a tour?”

She tilted her head and gave him a sultry smile. “Can it start and end in the bedroom?”

“Jesus. Anyone ever tell you you’re perfect?”

“Horny equals perfection?”

He reached out to grip her by the waist. Pulling her close, he relished the nearness of her body and was reminded of her question in the car. “I’ve been watching you for hours, Stephanie Harper, and with the exception of your questionable parking habits, I can’t find a damn thing wrong with you, either.”

She snorted, dismissing his compliment out of hand. “I’m bossy, sarcastic and I tend to think I know it all. I hate spinach, cooked fruit and I never put the cap back on the toothpaste.”

He winced. “Gotta admit I hate that last one. Nothing worse than toothpaste globs in the sink.”

She put her hands on his chest, letting her fingers drift down his shirt. “It’s still early, Jarod. Chances are pretty good this is a fluke. Come morning, we’ll wonder what we saw in each other.”

He moved his hands from her waist to her hips, dragging her closer to his cock. “You always so optimistic?”

“I prefer realistic.”

He leaned forward, letting his lips drift over the soft skin of her cheek. “Fair enough. We’ll enjoy tonight and let the battle begin tomorrow.”

“Have we talked enough?”

He nipped her earlobe, and then pressed a long kiss on her neck, enjoying her satisfied groan. “Definitely.”

As they made their way down the hallway to the master bedroom, they left a trail of clothing in their wake, making a lot of pit stops along the way for kissing and touching. By the time they arrived in his room, he was shirtless, shoeless and his jeans were unzipped. To his delight, Stephanie was in a similar state. Leading her to the bed, he wrapped his arms around her to unhook her lacy bra.

“Wait a minute,” he said, when she started to pull the material away. He turned on the nightstand lamp. “I want to see you.”

She gave him a seductive wink as the room was cast in soft lighting. She was confident, sensuous, beautiful. He hadn’t met many women so comfortable in their own skin.

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