Page 29 of Collision of Winters
Hm. That attitude needed to take a hike. If he went on assignments with a default mode of possibly failing, he might do just that.
“I suggest you start thinking about what you’ll do when you succeed instead,” I told him pointedly. To which he became sheepish. “The interviews are extensive and cover everything from your mind-set to what kinds of vehicles you want to operate. We have a garage and training facility outside the city—it’s where most of the officers spend their days coordinating assignments.”
He glanced away and pinched his lips together, and his eyes flickered a little as he thought about what I’d said.
There was a lot to process after my word vomit, for which I was still embarrassed.
It was so unlike me.
On the flipside, we’d left the topic of BDSM, and I was damn grateful.
“Let’s go, girl,” I said, squinting for the snow. At this point, I wasn’t sure it was coming from above. The howling winds sent it flying in every direction, yet not as harshly as earlier. I’d reopened the shutters.
The other three dogs waited for us on the porch, while Cat was running off some steam.
I shuddered violently and headed up the porch, kicking snow off my boots with each step. I was done. The dogs were good for the night, and I’d fetched the soft cheese for Kayden from my car.
Cat finally joined me, and I opened the door and stepped inside.
What the fuck?
Kayden was—why was he… Why the fuck was he standing in the kitchen and washing himself?
“Halt,” I told the dogs. I had to get the worst of the snow off their paws.
I also had to look away from Kayden and his impish grin.
“Beggars can’t be choosers! How’s the storm?”
Raging.
I reached for the rag I used for the dogs and flicked Kayden another glance. “Whiteout conditions…” Those briefs sat way too tight on him. So much exposed skin. Most of his body. And it was glistening in the firelight from the washcloth he was dragging across his abs.
Get it together.
I clenched my jaw and refocused on the dogs, starting with Tundra. He was the most impatient.
“I thought you were gonna get started on dinner,” I said.
“I did. I set it up by the fireplace.”
Oh. I looked over there, and he was right. He’d prepared the sausage, the hot dog buns, and the condiments.
I took Cat last, and then I was done. I warned Prince to back off from the hot dogs before they settled nearby. After removing my coat, I grabbed the pack with soft cheese and held it behind my back.
“If I sayLa Vache…”
Kayden’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “Qui rit! Did you really?”
I smiled, unable to help it, and held out the box of cheese. The Laughing Cow—his absolute favorite.
“I was prepared with bribes in case the situation called for it,” I admitted. “We’ll call this a reward instead.”
“Iloverewards.” He hurriedly finished with the washcloth, then dropped it in his basin of water. “What other bribes are you hiding?”
Wouldn’t he like to know?
“That’s for me to know.”
