Dangerous Deputy (5 page)

“You just startled me.”

“Bullshit. What put it there?”

She sighed and closed her eyes. She debating not answering him but had a feeling he wouldn’t be put off.

“Julia.”

“Sorry. It was the ex.”

“What the hell did he do to you?”

She opened her eyes and shook her head. “Nothing. No. He never hit me or anything. He just had a temper. And yes, I know I can be an abused woman even if I wasn’t hit. But really, it wasn’t like that. He could just be a bear sometimes. Especially in the morning. And surprises—even one like breakfast in bed—weren’t high on his list of things he enjoyed. Your question—you—surprised me. I wasn’t expecting you just yet.”

Worry gnawed at her stomach at the look on his face. Guilt ran through her like a freight train. He pulled her into his arms. “Oh, Jesus. I’m sorry, Julia. I didn’t realize.”

She pulled away from him, eager to lighten the moment. “Oh, shut up already. I’m fine. It wasn’t your fault. I think it’s just I haven’t, well…um, been with…”

“Anyone?”

“Excuse me? Do I look nuts? “ Julia laughed. “I wouldn’t let one bad relationship ruin me for all men.” She hit him gently on the arm. “I haven’t stayed with a man or let one stay with me since then. He was worst in the morning. It was just easier to leave or have my partner leave when we were, well, finished. I didn’t need to know if they would be like him when we woke up.”

Dennis pulled her in again for a quick hug before letting her go. “Gives a whole new meaning to not being a morning person.”

“Tell me about it.” She rolled her eyes.

“So, what
are
you doing?”

“Well, I see they don’t cover intelligence and deduction in the police academy.”

“Woman.”

She smiled. “I saw the eggs and your veggies and stuff and figured I’d fix you an omelet.”

“You can do that?”

The shock was so evident in his voice she had to laugh. “Is it that much of a surprise that I can cook?”

He chuckled. “Not at all. I just can’t make an omelet to save my life. It usually ends up as scrambled eggs.”

“Yeah, well, I haven’t checked out your pans yet. For all we know, scrambled eggs with veggies might be exactly what you get today.”

“Oh, well, in that case, the pans are in the cabinet there. Find what you need and tell me how I can help.”

“Chop up the rest of the veggies. I’ve already done the ham.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Julia found the pan she needed and started to fry the ingredients for breakfast for the two of them. While she was cooking, Dennis made some toast and set the table.

She hadn’t enjoyed just being with a man in a long time. But Dennis was different. There was something about him that made it easy to be with him. Easy to talk with him.

They talked about everything. Her job, his job, her marriage, his close call, her dumb business choices that had put her in this mess, his desire to come home and be with his aging parents.

Before she realized it, they had breakfast cooked and eaten, and the kitchen fully cleaned up. And she knew more about Dennis than she did her own brother-in-law.

“Breakfast was incredible. Thank you.”

Julia shook her head as she hung up the dishtowel. “It was eggs and some fixings. Nothing that special.”

“If you knew my usual breakfast consisted of a piece of toast with peanut butter on it, then you’d realize how spectacular that was.”

“Oh, please tell me you aren’t a typical can’t-cook-for-the-life-of-you male.”

“Hell, no. I like to eat too much. I’m just not that good at breakfast. Well, except for sausage gravy and biscuits. I make an awesome version. I had to. After I left home, nowhere seemed to make it as good as my mom.”

“So that means dinner is all you?” She bit her lip, wondering if he still wanted to have her stay after her histrionics.

“Damn straight. Although we probably have to run to the store for something. I think we used the last of my groceries for breakfast.”

“If you want, I can find something to do back at the house while you do errands today. Or I can do the shopping and bring the stuff back here tonight.”

Dennis frowned. “Do you want to leave?”

God, they were beginning to sound like unsure teenagers.

“No. But I was trying to be polite and not presume too much.”

Dennis reached for her and pulled her against him. “I asked you to stay the weekend. And not just for sex.” His smile burned her body. “Although we have been having quite a bit of that, which suits me fine.

“But I would really like to spend some time with you. Get to know you. I know we both said neither of us wanted a relationship, and I’m not going back on that. Not yet, at least. But I would at least like to know a little more about the woman that I’m sharing my bed with other than what her brother-in-law has told me.”

Julia cringed. She could only imagine what Jim had told his buddies at work about her. Between her not so stellar record with men and her oh-too-obvious lack of business acumen, he thought she was the epitome of a dumb blonde. How the hell any man would want to spend any time with her, let alone have sex with her, after hearing him rant about her, she didn’t know. “Ugh. I don’t even want to think about what he’s told you about me.”

Dennis laughed. “It wasn’t that bad. Don’t worry. And it doesn’t matter. Like I said, I want to get to know you. The real you. What better chance than this? You have nowhere to be, and I don’t have to work until Sunday night. We have the entire weekend to ourselves.”

His words warmed her. She wanted the same thing. There was something about this man that she couldn’t label, and she really wanted the opportunity to figure out what it was.

Their plans for the day agreed upon, Julia insisted they take separate showers, letting Dennis go first. She knew if she got in the shower with him, more playing and little to no cleaning would get done.

Julia had never enjoyed food shopping. Her goal was usually get in, get what she needed, and get out. But with Dennis it was completely different. The man did nothing in a calm, orderly manner. His eagerness to cook for her was contagious, and she found herself enjoying food shopping for the first time in her life.

He insisted she play twenty questions with him so he could prove that yes, he had deductive skills. Of course, since it was only to discover her favorite dessert was chocolate cake, not much deduction was needed.

They followed their shopping trip with a hike through the woods surrounding his house. The man had an insatiable appetite, and Julia spent much of the walk pushing his hands away while she laughed at his not so subtle attempts to get frisky. “Aw, come on. It’s a beautiful day out.”

She weaved her way out of his arms and hopped across a small creek using the naturally placed stepping stones. “We’re in the middle of the woods. Anybody could walk by.”

Dennis came up right behind her, grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her into his arms. He turned her around to face him. His look was teasing and seductive at the same time. “That didn’t bother you last night.”

“Yeah, well, last night I was drunk.”

“Bullshit. You were as sober as I was.”

“Fine. I was. Well then, let’s just say last night was an anomaly.” Hell, it was more than that. It had been the first time she’d had sex outside, first time handcuffed, first time for a lot of things.

“Why don’t you say we make it more the rule, then?” His seductive look turned so lecherous all she could do was laugh in response.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Let go of me, you pervert. I can’t believe you want sex again.”

“I’m a growing boy.”

Her snort was loud enough to surprise a squirrel that had been scampering by them. “I don’t think they mean that body part in particular when they use that phrase.”

Dennis didn’t let go of her as he walked her backward to lean against a tree. “Fine, if I can’t have nookie, at least give me a kiss.”

“Nookie?” Julia found it difficult to believe what she had just heard him say. “Since when does a grown man use the word nookie when he really means hot and wild sex?”

He shrugged. “It sounded less creepy.”

She wanted to respond, but he leaned forward and took his asked-for kiss.

His lips touched her lightly, the pressure increasing gradually, her body melting into his.

The screech of a chipmunk running by pulled the two of them apart, her with a laugh, him with a sigh.

“I’m just not gonna get anything out here today, am I?”

She cupped his cheek with a smile. “I’d say no, my little nature boy. Maybe later tonight.”

The dejected look on his face tugged at her heartstrings, reminding her of a little boy that was being deprived of a treat.

His promise made her toes curl. “All right. But once we get back to the house, all bets are off.”

Chapter Four

“I told you I was a great cook.”

She laughed as they finished loading the dishwasher. “Okay, okay, I agree. You’re a good cook.”

“Good? Only good?” Before she knew what he was doing, he grabbed her by the waist and threw her over his shoulder. “I’ll show you good, dammit!”

Julia’s laughter, as well as her position, made her light-headed. “Put me down, Dennis! I ate too much for this. I’m gonna get sick!”

By the time he dropped her on the couch, she was dizzy from lack of oxygen.

“Oops.” His voice was full of mirth.

“Did you just say oops?”

“Yeah, it’s a bad habit of mine.”

“Picking women up and throwing them over your shoulder? Yeah, I know. It’s happened to me twice in two days. Or did you mean the saying oops?”

“Both?”

Julia just shook her head. The man made her laugh like she hadn’t laughed in a long time. He also made her hornier than she’d been since she was a teenager. He was built like a god, she felt comfortable with him, and there was nearly nothing about him that she disliked. Too bad she wasn’t in the market for something serious. This one was a definite keeper.

“Well, damn, if you carry other women around like this, suddenly I feel less special.”

“Okay, you stay there. I’ve got just the thing.”

Julia frowned, watching him walk back into the kitchen. When she heard a cabinet door open and then the microwave door, she wondered what the hell he was doing. They’d already had chocolate cake for dessert.

He came back into the den and immediately walked to the TV, where he started playing with one of his many electronic gadgets. She’d tried to figure them all out earlier in the day, but after narrowing down the satellite box, the DVD player, and one game system, she’d given up.

The microwave beeped. He left the electronics and walked back into the kitchen. The smell of popcorn came wafting ahead of him as he walked in holding a bowl, smiling.

“Really? You expect me to eat popcorn after all that food you made?”

The surprised look on his face made her smile. Obviously the man was a big eater.

“Did you want any?” he asked, recovering quickly. “I didn’t think to make enough for the both of us.”

“Nope. Not at all. But I get to pick the movie.”

Dennis plopped down beside her. “Not gonna happen. I live here. I get first pick.” He moved the bowl as though to offer her a bite and then pulled it back. “Sorry, I forgot.”

He popped a kernel into his mouth. When he used the remote to turn on the TV and lay back on the couch without another word, she smirked. “Humph.”
Two can play at that game
. She made sure there was at least two feet between them and then made herself comfortable.

By the time the opening credits had run through and the movie had started in earnest, they were cuddling against each other like a pair of teenagers. It had been ages since she’d done this, and it felt more right than it should have.

She recognized the movie right away but knew that having seen it a dozen times already wouldn’t diminish her pleasure in the least. In fact, it made it more enjoyable as the night went on, allowing them both to quote the famous lines by heart.

“I never would have pinned you for a Monty Python fan.” She sat up as the end credits rolled by.

“Since my air force days. Someone had copies of it in the barracks, and for a while it was all we watched.”

She sighed. “I pity the kids today. They don’t know what true comedy is.”

Dennis smiled. “Okay, your pick.”

“Nope. It’s your collection, and so far you’ve done a pretty good job of entertaining me. So entertain me, boy.”

His look was full of intention that had nothing to do with another movie. Shivers ran down her spine. Her mind raced to the thought of his king-size bed and all the things they had done last night. That look promised more. He stood up and held out his hand without a word.

She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t trust you.”

“Why on earth not?”

She snickered. “Oh, I don’t know why. You’ve handcuffed me, dragged me to the woods, and fucked my brains out. Not to mention molested me while we were hiking, kept all the popcorn for yourself, and forced me to watch English comedy.”

He nodded, putting his hands on his waist. “True. I’m horrible. Definitely a dirty cop.”

She knelt up on the couch, reaching for the buttons on his shirt. “That’s okay, I think I like you this way.”

“Think?”

“Well, you know, it’s hard to tell.” She continued to play with his shirt, eager to remove it and see him once again.

“I can tell you I’m hard.”

She laughed and hit him on the arm. “Stop that.”

He trapped her hands between his. “I see you have a short memory, young lady. I am going to have to remind you exactly what it is about me you like.” His voice changed from light teasing to low and seductive, serious. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course.” The answer came from nowhere, but she knew it was true. She trusted him. Shit, she barely knew him, but in the last twenty-four hours she’d learned more about him than many people she’d been friends with for years.

When he put out his hand again, she took it without hesitation. He backed up a few steps and then led her upstairs to the bedroom. He stopped a few feet from the bed and turned to her.