Page 14 of Wine and Research
He snorted. “Guess I deserved that.”
“Ut oh.” She set a hand over her heart. “You’d better insult me, or I might think we could become friends.”
Jeremy wasn’t sure what the hell came over him because he leaned closer to the enigmatic woman. “What’s wrong with us being friends?”
She blinked but didn’t move away. “Nothing.”
“So…do you want to be friends?” he asked before he could stop the words from forming.
Nodding, she caught her lower lip between her teeth.
If he was half the cop he liked to think he was, then looking at her shouldn’t cause the stirring behind his zipper.
The sound of screeching tires, followed by an old Chrysler barreling past them and down the street at three times the speed limit had him sitting back in his seat.
Shit.
He checked his rearview to see if another cruiser was following, but there wasn’t, not even another car.
“You going to go after him?” Elle asked.
He blew out a breath and shook his head. “Not with you in the car. Pretty sure Officer Nealy and her probie are set up somewhere outside of town.”
Elle opened the door and got out.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
She bent down to peer in at him. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. You go get him, Officer Mercer.”
With that, she shut the door and stepped back.
Jeremy glanced forward at the car about to disappear from his view and wondered if he’d just stepped into the twilight zone.
She was getting out of the way so he could do his job…without him asking?
He didn’t need any coaxing. Jeremy flicked on his siren and radioed it in as he started his pursuit.
Maybe by giving her and inch, she was giving him some slack.
Or maybe she was going to go back and ask Stan some questions of her own?
His chest tightened. She wouldn’t do that, would she?
He glanced in his rearview, but he couldn’t tell if she was walking toward the sporting goods store or walking toward the precinct to get her car.
Torn between continuing his pursuit and turning around to collect Elle, Jeremy muttered an oath. He’d started the ball rolling, so he’d worry about the pursuit, then corner Elle later.
Chapter Five
Later that evening, Elle parked at Martelli’s Pizza Bar and Grille to meet Sophia and a few of their friends for dinner. She was ready to celebrate a day that had gone surprisingly well despite her misgivings that morning.
After being paired with Officer Mercer again, she’d been prepared to suffer it out, but then a miracle happened. He’d actually allowed her to accompany him inside the two shops that had recently been robbed and a few more businesses in the vicinity. Watching him work, she’d been enthralled by his efficient, sharp, yet respectful manner as he interviewed people. So much so, that she kept quiet and took notes all afternoon.
The miracles continued to happen, because when they’d returned to his car, their conversation turned somewhat personal, and the man asked her if she wanted to be friends.
Luckily, a speeder had appeared out of nowhere, saving her from having to answer. And since Officer Mercer wasn’t going to chase the driver with her in the car, she’d gotten out and was relieved when he didn’t argue with her suggestion to pursue without her. She knew it was killing him not to do his job.
To be fair, her actions weren’t completely selfless. They were selfish. Elle hadn’t been in the right frame of mind to answer his “friendship” question. His nearness and the fact he’d shifted closer had her body tingling and her mind fleeing.
