Page 12 of Stella
“I meant you.”
His lips part and they dip to mine for a fraction of a second. “Stella?”
“Yes,Detective.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“Why?” I stand my ground. “It says right there on your badge.”
“It’s notwhatyou’re saying, it’showyou’re saying it.”
I admit, I’m teasing him just a little, and I like the buzz that comes with having his attention on me, but he started it by staring at my ass and getting caught. “De’sole’ pas de’sole’.”Sorry, not sorry.
Calli barks once, but Cale doesn’t even flinch. “Come,” he says to her; a few seconds later, Calli moves and sits next to him, looking up, waiting for her next command.
I do not think about those words too closely; ‘come’. The butterflies flitting around in my stomach are saying it all for me.
That shouldn’t sound so good.Oh, but it does. And the idea of Cale being the first man to make me actually come is enough to start me drooling.Focus!
He doesn’t hold back when he says; “Why would you seriously want to prospect?”
I take a breath. “Like I said; this club is in my veins, my blood, and I know you and the MC don’t exactly see eye to eye, but this is a big part of who I am.”Not that I need to explain it to you.
“But you know what that means? Prospects get all of the shittiest jobs under the sun, you know it, I know it, why would you want to be subjected to that?”
I feel the heat rising in my neck and it begins traveling up to my cheeks. He has no right to question me on this. It isn’t his life, or his decision.
“Of course I know that, but the committee needs to know you’ll be willing to prove your worth. They can’t just have any Tom, Dick or Harry joining,” I say, indignantly. “They’ve a reputation to uphold, but know this; I will pass every test with flying colors. Just because I’m a woman, doesn’t mean that I don’t deserve a shot, or that I can’t do it.” I don’t realize until he glances down, but I’m jabbing him in the chest with my pointer finger, and my voice has risen an octave.
His eyes soften ever so slightly. “It isn’t about you not being able to do something, Stella. You’re capable of many amazing things, that’s a given, but isn’t prospecting a little… uh, beneath you?”
My lips part, but no words come out for a few seconds. “Beneath me?” I finally manage.
“Don’t get mad, but being surrounded by all those grown ass men who don’t seem to have much respect for women doesn’t sound like much of a blast to me.” he continues, not picking up on the social cues that I’m getting annoyed, and he needs to quit interrogating me. Then he adds; “They still have women coming around to the club called sweet butts.”
“What exactly are you suggesting?” I demand.
“I’m not suggesting anything, but it’s a little creepy, and outdated.”
I shake my head. “You don’t know them. My dad isn’t creepy, Indi is the best thing that’s happened to him.”
“I didn’t mean that?—”
“So, you mean you’re worried I’ll become a sweet butt?”
His eyes grow wide. “That’s definitely not what I meant.” He actually looks mad now. Good.
“And who are you to judge, anyway?” I throw back. “You know nothing about this club.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,Firecracker.Dead wrong.”
Firecracker? What in the fuck?
My finger still jabbing into his chest, I stand my ground. “Well, it’s not really any of your business now, is it?”
“Making sure the citizens of this city are safe and not being coerced into anything they don’t really want to do is my job, Stell, and that goes for you, too. Don’t just do this because your dad wants you to follow in his footsteps.”
Stell? Oh, holy fuck. Why do I want to slap this man and fuck him at the same time?He’s coming out with all the nicknames today, and I can’t say I really mind, even though I’m mad as a hellcat.
