Jacked (18 page)

I watched her stab a piece of her omelet and followed it just so I could see her tongue again. It was a far better image than the one lingering from my story. “I believe it’s my turn again.”

She waved her fork. “Go for it.”

At this point I fully intended to. “You look worried.” I smiled, trying to ease her tension.

Erin laughed uncomfortably. “I’m not, really.”

“Well don’t be. I am curious though. Why the ER? I mean, you could probably set up shop in some cozy practice seeing head colds and skinned knees, no? But trauma? I don’t know.”

“Don’t look at me like that, please,” she said, admonishing my gaze.

“Like what?”

“Like I’m crazy. Are you questioning my sanity, Detective?”

“Maybe. A little. I mean, I’ve seen some gruesome shit in my lifetime, but I can’t imagine doing what you do every day to fix them. Doesn’t it give you nightmares?”

Her stalled response gave her away. “Not really.”

Years of training had me reading her body language, and watching her twist her napkin, refusing to look me in the eye fully told me she was lying to one of us.

“Sometimes, but every day I’m presented with a whole host of new problems to solve. The mechanics of the human body just utterly fascinates me. I love the challenge.”

Her human body fascinated me. Watching her light up talking about it was like a gift.

She glanced around the restaurant and I wondered if she finally noticed the stares we were getting. Some people were just blatantly gawking.

She definitely noticed it. “I know it’s a difficult field but it’s my stepping stone.”

“Oh? Where you stepping to, Doc?”

I could see the passion return in her eyes. “I’m trying for a fellowship in Toxicology.”

I wasn’t expecting that. “Toxicology? You mean, like poison and drugs and stuff?”

She nodded.

Great. A hot woman who’ll know how to poison me when I piss her off.
“Why?”

“
Why
?”

“Yeah, why? That’s not something everyone aspires to be when then grow up.”

I note her hesitance and the frown of sadness. “It’s personal. I, ah, lost someone once and I want to make sure it doesn’t happen again—to anyone.”

“Understandable. You want to talk about it?”

She shook her head adamantly. “Maybe, one day, with you. Do you mind if that day isn’t today?”

Damn. Someone hurt her. I wanted names, dates, details—
NOW
. But I couldn’t. I knew she was holding something back, something painful by the looks of it, but I couldn’t push her. There was nothing in her records that said she’d had trouble in the past. “Yeah. That’s fine. If you don’t want to talk about it now, I understand. As long as you don’t have a collection of ex-boyfriends in a mass grave or something in your backyard.”

Her lips twisted. “Not funny. By the way, how’s your back? I may need help digging a new garden.”

I knew she was joking, but I’d be more than willing to bury any fucker who’d come sniffing around her. “Back’s just fine but my hand is out of commission for a few days though. You may have to hold off your plans for a week or two.”

And just like that she reached across the table, taking my hand in hers to inspect it, tucking in some piece of the wrapping that we both knew was just fine. “Your fingers have good color. It’s not too tight, is it?”

I flexed, enjoying the soft, almost sensual brush of her fingertips creeping under the edge of the bandage. All at once, I was very aware of my dick again. “Nah. It’s perfect. Just glad I wasn’t riding the bike.” I let my fingers close up around hers, testing the waters.

She looked out the window, eyeing the parking lot, while doing a great job ignoring that I was holding her hand. “Bicycle?”

My gaze stayed locked on her. “Motorcycle.” Her little butt wiggled, I suppose thinking about it. “You ever been on the back of a bike?”

Innocently, she shook her head.

“I can fix that, you know.”

And just like that, playful Erin was back. “I bet you can.”

This girl was dangerous to my health. But this hand—this hand I was holding—had a healing touch.

“Whose turn is it?” I asked.

“Yours,” she breathed, pulling her hand back. “I just spent mine asking about your—um—bike.”

For some reason I felt a bit disappointed. “That was hardly a question.”

“No. It’s your turn. I don’t cheat.”

I wondered if she meant something more by that, figuring that statement could cover a lot of areas. Regardless, it was good to know. I watched her struggle for a few seconds trying to open the ketchup bottle. I held out my hand.

“Would you?” she asked, handing it over. “My home fries—oh, wait, your hand.”

I popped the top. “Here you go.”

She met my reach. “Thanks.”

“It’s your turn, Doc.”

She took a moment. “You mentioned you have brothers?”

Relief hit me that it was an easy one. “Yep. Three of them.”

That seemed to surprise her. “Your poor mother.”

“Hah! Yeah, she got a lot of gray hairs from us.”

“You the oldest? Youngest?”

“I’m number two.” She had me hooked deep and I was dying to know. “Seriously, are you dating anyone now?”

“No.” That truth was instant and directed right into my eyes. “I wouldn’t be sitting here with you if I was.”

“That’s good to know.” I had to hide my smile. “Ditto by the way. In case you’re wondering.”

“I was,” she answered honestly. “I find that hard to believe, but thank you for being so forthcoming.”

Visions of me being forthcoming with my tongue in her mouth were dominating all other thoughts of reason. And yet, w
as she serious?
“Why is that hard to believe?”

Her cheeks pinked again. “I would presume it’s sort of obvious,” she muttered.

Now I was completely confused. Did she know about the show? “What is?”

She waved her fork up and down at me, as if she was going head to toe with it.
Does she think I fuck everything that walks?

I was searching for the words to let her know how way off base she was when a wall of blue uniform caught my attention.

Fuck. Not now. Not fucking now.

Last thing I needed was to deal with Ron Castoll, asshole cop from my old unit with a chip the size of Montana on his shoulder.

“Morning Trent. What happened to you? Cut yourself on a beer bottle?” Castoll snickered, adjusting the utility belt holding up his fat gut.

I wondered if this arrogant prick remembered that I possessed the skills and knowledge to kill him a hundred different ways with just my bare hands.

Surprised the fucker hasn’t tasered his own nuts yet. Dipshit.

Didn’t take him long to eye up Erin. Stitches or not, I wanted to punch him in the head just for looking at her, knowing what sort of dirty shit was already flowing through that pea-sized brain of his.

I noticed the squad car sitting out in the parking lot.

“Come for your donut fix, Castoll, or are you just here to creep out the customers?”

Bastard smirked. “Nope. Just doing my normal patrol. Wanted to make sure some lowlife wasn’t in here causing trouble.” He nodded at my bandaged hand. “I see the grapevine wasn’t lying. Surprised they actually let you out in the field these days, Trent. Aren’t you just for show now?”

It took everything within me to keep my hands from crushing his windpipe. “Well, you know how it is, Castoll. Someone’s got to catch the bad guys while you’re busy writing out all them parking tickets.”

Erin couldn’t hold back her laugh. One chuckle slipped out of her.

Castoll glared at her. “I didn’t know your shrink saw you outside of her office. Be careful, honey. You may think he’s charming but this one will screw anything with open legs—”

I turned on the bench seat to face him, fuming. “Do not fucking speak to her. Eyes on me.”

His head jerked at my tone. So did Erin’s, but I didn’t care. This game with him was old and tiring.

“Careful, Trent.”

Are you serious? Brushing your hand over your service weapon—here?
“Or what, Castoll?” I tugged my badge off my belt and slapped it on the tabletop. “I’ve got one of them too, remember? You want to see
my
Glock?”

Castoll scoffed. “Surprised they even let you carry. What you’ve been doing is a joke, Trent. An embarrassment to the shield. You might as well be a whore—”

Fucker shrank a bit when I surged to my feet and got in his face. “I think it’s best if you move on now. I’m about to lose my temper if you keep talking and we both know who will win if we throw it down.”

Even though I was locked in a stare-down I still saw Erin move.
Please don’t get in the middle of this, baby.

“What’s going on here, boys?” Kathy wedged her way in between us, grabbing a dirty plate off the table.

Castoll stepped back. “Just letting Trent here know some things, that’s all.”

She glared up at him. “Well I think you’ve made your point. Your order’s ready. How about you quit making a scene and get back to doing whatever it is you’re supposed to be doing.”

He stepped back and tipped his head at Erin. “Miss.”

“Officer Casshole,” she returned with a grin.

I stood there fuming, making sure he left before I sat back down. Desire to put his head through the wall had me clenching and unclenching my fists.

“Hey, are you okay?” She reached back across the table for me but I just stared at her proffered hand until she withdrew. Fuck being consoled and to hell with the pain in my hand; I wanted to hit something. I knew withdrawing was a mistake, but I couldn’t help it.

“You want to tell me what all of that was about? Why’d he say stuff about me being your shrink?”

Yeah, we so aren’t going there.
After what Nikki did, the choices she made without me. I swore then and there that I’d never get put back in that pain. And here I was, inviting that shit back in again with open arms.

This beautiful woman sitting across from me had the power to eviscerate my soul. I could feel it slipping away with every second I spent around her. Fun or not, that shit wasn’t happening to me twice in one lifetime. Fuck that.

Kathy interrupted me. “How’s everything? I see you’re finished. Can I get you anything else?”

I looked over at Erin, catching her hiding a yawn. She probably looks like a little kitten once she’s well sated and nestled in bed. Too bad I’d never get to see it. Erin shook her head.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “We’re done. Take the check then, Kathy.”

As soon as Kathy walked away with our dirty plates Erin said, “Adam, I need to know something. What was up with the camera crew? I keep waiting for you to tell me, but it seems to be a topic you don’t want to discuss.”

I felt my jaw crack. “You’re right.”

I knew when a woman was incensed, and the one sitting across from me was well on her way.

“I suppose it’s for the same reasons that everyone in this place keeps looking at you. At first I thought it was because we live around here but they all keep gawking and whispering. That older woman over there has taken it one step further to pointing. I feel like everyone around me is in on some big secret and I’m apparently too lost to know what that is. So please, enlighten me. What’s the deal?”

I stared at the tabletop, seeing patterns in the veneer, while I rubbed my hand over my head. Another reason this was a bad idea. I so didn’t want to bring a woman into this shit.

“You a dirty cop?” she asked outright.

“What? No.
No
, I’m not a dirty cop.”
How could she even think that? Once she finds out the truth though, I’m gonna be nothing but a novelty for her, just like the rest of the women that don’t see me for me. Or worse—she’d become a target for hate, just like Marcus’s wife. I’d be a selfish bastard to subject a woman I cared about to that. Girls were already camping on my front lawn.
“Can we just not discuss it right now?”

“Why won’t you tell me?”

Something in me snapped. “Because I don’t want to. Can’t you just leave it the fuck alone?”

“Fine. You don’t want to tell me.” She fumbled through her purse and tossed a ten-dollar bill onto the table. “That ought to cover my meal. It’s been a long night and I need to get home.”

She started scooting out of the booth.

“Erin, wait.”

She leveled me with a glare. “I knew just looking at you that you’d turn from someone I used to like a lot into someone I used to know but I’m surprised it happened so quickly. Congrats, you’ve set a new record. Take care, Detective.”

Damn it!

“Wait a second,” I ordered, expecting her to halt but like hell on fire she kept going. I chucked money on the table, took back her ten, and snagged my leather jacket.

I managed to grab a hold of her arm as she was opening up the front door. “Would ya hold on a second? Damn it, woman.”

I spun her on her heels before she hit the door.

Her chin came up in defiance. “A few hours ago you said to me that you had no patience for games and here you are, playing games. I’ve got news for you, Detective, I’ve got no time or patience for games, either.”

I took a deep breath. She was right; she deserved the truth but I knew once it was out there, things would change. Doctor Erin Novak deserved better than to have her life threatened or her world disrupted by prying cameras, and I had no plans to let her surgically remove what was left of my heart. I let her arm go.

“Sorry Doc. You’re right. I, uh…” My mouth dried and a hollow burn started to fester in my chest. I wanted to run, to hit something, blow a few thousand rounds through my gun and annihilate the pain. She was standing there, that sexy mouth hanging slightly open, waiting on me to fix this disaster. “Let me give you a ride home.”

She turned a shoulder. “That’s okay. I can call someone or get a cab.”

“I’m not going to let you do that, Erin. Come on.”

Kara came rushing over, adding to my problems. “Adam? Baby, are you okay?”

“Baby?” Erin questioned. “Are you serious?”

Fuck.

“Yeah, and who are you?” Kara snipped.

I needed to get Erin out of here—FAST. Asking her to meet me here was quickly turning into a very bad idea.