“I hate camping.”
“I know,” he chuckles out. “But it’ll be the quickest and most efficient way to go through so many all over the place. You’ll be riding with two other officers, and Brazen will be leaving earlier to set things up. As a matter of fact, he’ll probably be here in a couple of hours to checkout.”
“I suppose I need to get some sleep then,” I mumble, and then I give him a short hug before walking into the unoccupied bedroom.
“I’m going back to sleep too,” he yawns out, and then I feel the bed slapping my back as I snuggle into it.
My shorts are too hot in this apartment. Clay always leaves the air too muggy. I quickly slip out of them, and then I slide under the sheet as the pillow offers me some cooling. A week with Brazen. My head hurts from the confusing and contradicting feelings plaguing me.
The hot coffee slithers down my throat as it works to awaken me from the zombie-like state I’m in. Very little sleep, an unwelcome roommate, and now I’ve got a week long detail to tend to. At least it’ll give me a break from Hale. I almost forgot how fucking crazy he makes me. It’s hard to pretend as though I’m not falling in love with him all over again. Then there’s Brazen. Oh my aching head.
“I thought I smelled coffee. It’s only been an hour and a half. I had hoped you’d let me sleep a little longer,” Clay grouses.
“Sorry. I’m a little nervous about this surprise detail,” I murmur softly, and he walks around to accept the cup of coffee I’m proffering.
“Wow,” he says with wide eyes as he stares at my inappropriate attire.
I laugh when I realize I’m still in my lacy, black underwear which matches my slinky black top.
“Sorry. I’m used to living alone or with a boyfriend. I didn’t think anything about it, and it’s so fucking hot in here.”
“Then turn the air down, don’t strip,” he grumbles, and then he shifts uncomfortably.
I laugh at his awkwardness as his eyes deliberately stray from me. He shakes his head, and he sits down behind the bar to sip on his coffee.
“I’ll put some shorts on,” I huff out playfully. “You know, you did say I was like family. Family shouldn’t be affected by a girl in underwear.”
“Funny. Really funny,” he gripes under his breath, and then someone knocks on the door before I can make it back to the bedroom.
“Clay, it’s me. Open up,” Hale murmurs insipidly from the other side.
I smirk as I use my gift to open the door, and I keep my panty-covered half hidden behind the bar as Hale walks in. His eyes widen in surprise when he sees me, and then his foolish grin spreads.
“Hey,” he says softly. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
“I got here early this morning. Ty ended up being my roommate, so I ditched the living situation.”
“You could have come and stayed with me,” he says with a touch of a wounded tone, hope falling out of his eyes.
“You know that would have ended a little differently than what I’m ready for,” I mumble, and a devilish smirk spreads salaciously across his face.
“I would have been a gentleman,” he sizzles out.
“I doubt I would have been a lady,” I huff, and his grin grows too big for me to fight my own anymore.
“So, the two of you have apparently made up. That’s pretty great actually,” Clay chirps in delight. “I’ll give you two a minute alone.”
Clay’s grin is all too obvious, and I roll my eyes at his less than subtle gesture. I’m nervous instantly, and I’m regretting not changing into my shorts already.
“Actually, I was hoping to speak to you for a minute. I just found out about this detail you’re sending Araya on, and I want to go with her. I don’t like the idea of her being out there without me,” Hale murmurs protectively, and he steps behind the bar to see me in my hidden attire.
His eyes widen instantly, and his neck cracks to the side before he steps close enough for our bodies to touch while he pulls a cup down from the cabinet. His menacing grin teases me as he traps me in the corner of the counter while pouring his cup.
“I need you here. Ty will be dissecting the virus, and I will be working with Araya’s blood as well as analyzing any other blood they come across as I should have done to begin with. I need you to run things because I’ll be in the lab more than anywhere else.”
Hale’s lips tighten, and his playful seduction ends promptly.
“I don’t want her there without me. Just have the suspects brought in,” he counters hopefully.
