Page 30 of Hot Cops

“What’s so funny?” he whispered.

“I’m not an angel.”

He tugged her closer and pressed a kiss on the back of her head. “You’remyangel.”

She sighed and he heard her breathing turn to the quiet, relaxed sound of sleep. He rubbed his face in her soft hair, following her into dreamland with a smile on this face.

CHAPTERSIX

Riley came awakewith a start and tried to figure out what had roused her. She saw Aaron’s silhouette sitting in a chair by the window, pulling on a sock.

“What’s up?” she asked, rising. A glance at the clock showed her she’d slept less than an hour. “It’s only midnight.”

“I didn’t mean to wake you. I’m going to head over to Jacko’s bar, see if I can find Johnny Sparks.”

Riley’s tempered flared. “And you weren’t going to wake me up?”

Aaron leaned back in the chair, and even in the dark room she could read the weariness in his posture. “I don’t suppose I can ask you to sit this one out?”

She shook her head. “You’re right. You can’t.”

“Riley, you heard Bubbles. Jacko’s is a rough place.”

“Which is exactly why I’m going. I’m not sending you into a place like that without backup.”

He chuckled. “We may be in Vegas, but I’m not Grissom and you’re not Catherine and this isn’tCSI. Besides I’m a cop, I go into places like this all the time at home.”

“Not without your partner.” She had a valid point and she knew it. She rose as she spoke and began putting her discarded jeans back on.

“It’s not safe and Ireallydon’t want you to go with me.”

She paused in the process of pulling on her shirt. “Tough shit.”

She finished tugging the shirt over her head. Her answer clearly annoyed him and she wondered how he would handle this argument. In the past, they’d often disagreed over her doing things he didn’t approve of, but she’d always gotten her way because—as she pointed out—he had no say-so in what she did or where she went. Now that they were married, the rules had changed a bit. Though she had no intentions of letting him control her, she would have to take his concerns into account.

He stood and crossed the room. She stood up straighter, ready to do battle if needed. Though she understood he was afraid to take her into that bar, he failed to comprehend that she felt the same way about him. His job as a police officer had always bothered her, but she realized now exactly how difficult being married to a cop would be.

She tried to hide her discomfort at his silence. Arguments with Aaron were hell on her nerves. Damn man never worked on impulse, on emotion, like she did. He was a thinker and she could see him analyzing every flipping angle as they stared each other down.

“You’re not going to win every argument, Riley.”

“I know that.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “So you’re gonna have to pick your battles. Decide which ones really matter to you. I know I’ve backed down in the past, but I’m not going to just lay down on every issue.”

She reached out, placed her hands on his waist and took a step closer. “I don’t expect you to. I just don’t want you to go to that bar alone. Please don’t ask me to stay here. I can’t.”

Her words seemed to take him aback and he studied her face too intently for her comfort. He cupped her cheek with one of his large palms and she tried not to melt under the gentle touch. “You’ll stick to me like glue and you’ll let me do all the talking. I don’t ever want you more than five inches from me when we’re in there. If you can’t agree to that, I’ll handcuff you to that bed to keep you here.”

She smiled. “You kinky boy. You handcuff me to that bed and neither one of us will make it to that bar tonight.”

“I’m serious, Riley.”

“I won’t leave your side and I won’t say a word. Promise.”

He shook his head. “Your pop and brothers would kick my ass if they knew I was planning to take you to a roughneck bar to question a pimp who could quite possibly have put a hit out on Trevor.”

“I’ll never tell.” She ran her finger over her heart in the shape of a cross and he blew out an exasperated breath.

---