Page 4 of Second First Kiss

She closed her eyes again and rested her head on the seat back, feigning boredom. “I plead the Fifth.”

“That only works in a court of law.”

“Well, you always walk around flashing your big badge and pistol like you’re the judge, jury, and executioner, so forgive me if I got confused,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“You’ve been checking out my big badge and pistol, Kitten?”

“Don’t let it go to your head, Ranger Tight-ass. You prance around like a peacock with cuffs. It’s impossible to miss.”

She felt him move closer, now resting his forearms on the sill of her window. Then he shot her one of those long, intense looks her brain hadn’t yet deciphered, but her panties reacted nonetheless. “First my pistol, and now my cuffs. You asking what I’m doing when my shift ends?”

She straightened and leveled him with a look. “While you’re clearly finding this amusing, I’ve got a job to do, so if you’ll kindly fuck off.”

“I have a job to do too. Like writing you up for trespassing after dark.”

She shrugged as if unconcerned, when inside she was nervous. She couldn’t afford another ticket. She could barely afford her streaming channels. “I’d just throw it back in your face.”

He smiled. “Then I’d have to write you up for littering.”

Tiny Dancer took that moment to let his presence be known with a loud neigh. Nolan lifted a brow. He and Tiny Dancer went way back. All the way back to the day that Tiny Dancer decided to sharpen his teeth on Nolan’s truck bumper, then drop doodie on Nolan’s boot.

“Before you bring up the fact that he isn’t leashed, know he hasn’t stepped foot out of this car.”

“Have you?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“It is when you’re sitting in a secluded area in the middle of the night, alone.” He said it as if he were genuinely concerned for her safety.

“Are you worried about me, Ranger?” she said, purposefully downgrading him from a federal agent to a character from Yogi Bear.

“Yes,” he said, and there was a quality to his voice that caused a warm bubble to start in her belly and slowly rise into her chest. When was the last time someone had been worried about her? She couldn’t remember.

“There’s a reason we don’t allow people out here at night; it’s dangerous,” he continued.

And the moment had passed. Nolan was the kind of man who thought all of life’s problems could be solved with a smile and a wink. When that didn’t work, he pulled out his badge and gun.

“Sorry, Mr. Fun Police, you aren’t even in uniform, so I don’t have to listen to you drone on about rules and bylaws.”

“I’m always in uniform.” A truer statement had never been said. He was dangerous no matter what he wore. He was also sexy as hell. “And when I found the gate open, I thought I’d investigate.”

She lifted her hands in innocence. “It was already open when I got here.”

He looked at the bolt cutters on the passenger seat and lifted a brow.

“Hand to God, someone got here before me.” She did a sweeping pass with her hand to highlight the dozens of cars in the parking lot. “It could have been any of them.”

“Yet you ignored the no trespassing sign anyway and drove off road.”

“I was just checking to make sure people weren’t up to shady business. You should be thanking me, not harassing me.”

At that precise moment a belt of loud laughter ricocheted off the mountains surrounding them and filtered through the pines. He straightened and turned toward the trail leading to, what Kat knew, was a raging party.

Just great. Here she was trying to catch Tessa in the act, and a lawman was there to pay witness. Tessa better be sober or there would be words. Lots and lots of words.

She opened the door and stepped outside. A little shiver chased the hairs on the back of her neck—which had nothing to do with how well he filled out a pair of jeans. Even though spring had come, winter was still holding on, bringing low temperatures and cutting winds.

She leaned back against the car. “Seriously, what are you even doing here?”

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