Page 9 of Last First Date
“Oh shit,” she says softly. “Busted.”
Abernathy and I look at each other, and Aunt Opal’s niece Delilah comes stomping into the kitchen. “Aunt Opal, not this again.”
Aunt Opal wilts a little under the strict scrutiny from her niece, Delilah. “Well dear heart, you know how lonely it’s been since you went and got yourself married to the Hot Rookie. And this sweetheart Thom Abernathy was just helping me out.”
Delilah’s hands make fists on her curvy hips and her eyebrows are pitched low in an angry looking slash. “I’ll just bet he is.”
She taps the toe of her cherry red patent leather heels on the kitchen’s linoleum, then stops glaring at her aunt long enough to look over at the two of us. “I’m so sorry you all had to come out here for nothing. Aunt Opal is fine, just a little too mischievous for her own good.”
Abernathy shrugs, then reaches over and gives Delilah a quick, friendly hug. “You know I love your auntie. And I’d never say no to helping out a pretty woman who was having a problem with her pussy.”
Delilah’s cheeks go bright red, the same color as her shoes, and she spins to face Opal again.
“You dirty old woman. You don’t even own a fucking cat. You have so much explaining to do, you naughty thing. And it better be good or else I’ll have Joe come over here and arrest you.”
“With handcuffs?” she asks, sounding almost hopeful.
“Okay, well it’s time to go, rookie.” I grab Abernathy and tug him toward the front door of Aunt Opal’s house.
Aunt Opal laughs and waves to us, blowing a kiss as Thom and I head toward the front door.
I pause and turn to face him as we near the vehicle. “How long exactly have you known that you weren’t actually there to look for a pet?”
Abernathy flashes me a smile that lights me up all over. “Darcy, I thought everybody in Valentine knew about Aunt Opal’s monthly call to the fire station. It’s an ongoing joke with the guys at our place.”
Huh. Well I wasn’t expecting that. “Are you saying you just shook your perfect derriere at her for the last hour or so for no good reason?”
“Perfect? Well, thank you.” He makes a little bow, and then he laughs, a warm and rich sound that makes my face go all hot.
“Look, it’s not for no good reason. She’s lonely in that great big house by herself. And if staring at a nice man’s butt once a month or so helps her feel a little less lonely, then I’m willing to be that guy for her.”
I eye him again, forcing myself not to look at anything of his below the waist. “I always thought you were so uptight and serious, Abernathy. And it turns out that underneath all the crap, you’re actually a really sweet guy.”
He nods solemnly. “Don’t let me hear you repeating that though. If the guys at the station think it’s funny to send me out on these calls, then they’ll keep doing it. And I’d rather do a little extra showing off for Aunt Opal than the usual cleaning and other crap chores they push onto the other probies.”
And there you have it. Thomas Abernathy has figured out how to give everyone in this situation exactly what they want and still get something that he wants too. No wonder he has a reputation for having killer instincts.
“You’re so good at managing people. It’s like you know exactly how to get what you want by working the people around you.”
He nods at my words, flashing me one of his shiny looking, salesman smiles. I swear, this guy could sell ice in Antarctica with that killer smile of his.
I pause, struck speechless for a moment. “I have an idea.”
Thomas
Something about her voice makes my stomach flip. Or maybe it’s the way she’s staring at me, like she’s got a sweet tooth and I’m her first pick for dessert.
I’m used to women giving me a certain kind of look, like they’re ready to drop to their knees for me in the nearest bathroom and then take me home and try to tame me. Well, at least for the one night I’m willing to give them.
But I’ve never enjoyed the buzz of sexual attraction between me and a beautiful woman the way that I do right now. The only explanation is because the woman currently giving me the bedroom stare down is Darcy.
She’s so different from those collagen lips and fake boobs types who chased me when I was still a fancy lawyer in a three-piece suit. She’s not one of those flash and grab badge bunnies either. She’s all real in all the ways that matter the most, and I can’t get enough.
For one, Darcy has actual muscles. Biceps that she earned from working hard for a living, which is surprisingly hot to me. I suspect if I wanted to arm wrestle with her, I might actually lose.
In the past, most of the women who have thrown themselves at me are so skinny I’m concerned that they need a sandwich far more than a night bent over the edge of my bed. Not that I won’t do my best to satisfy them, but let’s be honest—sometimes nothing but a Snickers really satisfies.
But now that Darcy is my lieutenant, she’s completely off limits no matter how incredibly hot I think she is. I mean, she’s my freaking boss.
