Page 9 of Cop Daddy Next Door

Than…

Crap.

I zoomed out.

He looked like Officer Studly.

Maverick McNeill.

My Apple pencil hovered over my iPad. My other fingers were automatically on my miniature keyboard I used for edits. I could easily delete the sketch. Just a few taps and bye!

Instead, I exaggerated a few of the strokes, making his eyebrows even more arched. Quickly I elongated his already elegant, artistic fingers, adding drips of blood. The quick adrenaline rush made me bolder. I grinned down at the drawing and added a few more droplets at the fang.

The drawing took over and my imagination raced along with it. Somewhere in the back of my mind I noticed the sunlight over my shoulder changed from bright to a tiny flicker, but I was too engrossed in creating to move.

Finally, my eyes begged for mercy. The days were getting shorter and my shoulders ached from being crouched over my iPad. I’d have to figure out a better lighting situation too.

I didn’t even know how long I’d been at it.

Sometimes my artwork was like that. A fugue state took over and I came out the other side, dehydrated and starving.

The growl of my belly told me I’d been down the rabbit hole for far too many hours. And the fifteen percent mark in the corner of my screen made me wince.

But the piece was hella sexy and sinful.

It still had traces of my new neighbor, but I’d created an otherworldly Jack the Ripper aspect to it. Blue highlights gleamed off the top and brim of a jet-colored top hat and along the wide shoulders of the deep dark coat. Lacy sleeves peeked from his cuffs. A splash of blood dripped there too and from his long, wicked fingers.

The tips were almost claw-like and made me shiver. The sketch was hot and dangerous.

Threatening in an erotic way.

A hank of ebony hair hid part of his face and by the end, the character had taken on a life of its own. I tipped up the face to stare dead on at the viewer.

And in that, I saw Mav.

The devil with a bold stroke of lust gleaming in his black eyes.

Instinctively, I sent a screenshot over to one of my favorite romance authors. She used me often for fan art for her website and special covers for her die-hard fans. Something about the character made me think of her.

The author was very much like me and either would reply instantaneously or hit me back in two days when she came out of a writing binge. When I didn’t hear the immediate chime from a reply, I hooked my iPad back into the charger and called it a day.

I needed food, anyway.

I wiggled my way to the end of the pallet and stuffed my feet into my flip-flops. I was digging the warm stretch of days we were enjoying in September.

Especially since I needed to find a way to heat Skully.

Being impulsive was much easier in the summer. Why I usually stayed in the warmer climates.

And yet, here I was. What was it about this town? Some wild magnetic pull? Were all the babies more like pins?

Stay! We will make you love it.

Maybe I’d have to tell my author friend about the Cove too. Seemed right up her paranormal alley.

I grabbed my favorite hoodie and opened the door. The scent of grilled burgers about knocked me down. Music and the yippy howls of a dog lured me into the enemy camp next door.

Francie was howling in time to Alice in Chains. Pretty impressive. I pulled the hoodie over my head and followed the well-tended path around the side of the house to a detached garage. Or maybe it was more of a barn.

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