it, and I will act like it! I'll be nicer to him now that I know we're going to be prosecuting murderers together. After all, I still owe him for coming through for me with my victim the other night.
I’m still watching him, admiring how his jeans hug his perfect ass and strong, muscular thighs when he turns around. Joe’s eyes widen when he sees me and then he laughs out loud. After paying for his coffee, he heads for me with his brown cup in one hand and his carry-on luggage in the other.
"Katie Kat, you're going to be my partner on murders?" He smiles, sliding into the empty seat beside me.
"Yep."
"Are you as surprised as I am?" he asks, and then his broad shoulders slump underneath his blue dress shirt that matches his eyes. "Hell, I bet you're pissed. I can't believe you haven't bolted out of here yet."
I cringe thinking about what a bitch I've been to him, mostly because I want him and can't have him.
"Nah, it's fine," I reply with a shrug. "I'll just make you do all the work."
He chuckles again, and the laugh lines only makes his face even more gorgeous.
"Actually, I bet all the women in the office will be pissed when they find out I'll be working with you," I tell him, forcing my eyes down to the phone in my hands so that I'll quit staring at him.
"Oh really? Why's that? Do they all want a chance to give me a hard time, too?" he asks.
"Seriously? You really don't know?" I ask while trying to judge the sincerity on his face. He always seems so cocky that I assumed he had to know the effect he has on women.
"Know what? That I'm a pain in the ass?"
"Well that, too, but I'm pretty sure you have your very own fan club."
"What?" he exclaims. "That's ridiculous."
"There's actually a reward being offered for anyone who can provide confirmed information about your current relationship status with Lacy Pierce."
Joe's normally happy, upbeat face falls at the mention of the woman. Maybe they aren't together. "Sorry, it's no one's business," I say when he doesn't respond.
I hear his heavy exhale as he flops back in his seat. "It's okay. It's just things with Lacy are simple, yet…complicated. We're not together and haven't been for months," he says, staring down at the brown paper cup in his hands. An absurd amount of happiness fills me at that simple statement. "She's been living in Charlotte with her boyfriend and my good friend Will since June, and..." he takes a deep, shaky breath. "She's pregnant."
Oh, wow. I didn't see that one coming. Hold on. How far along? Does that mean…
"I don't know," he looks up at me with fear, worry, and sadness; all three competing in his eyes, answering my unspoken question.
"What…what do you mean you don't know?"
"The baby may or may not be mine. We won't know until he or she is born in about three months."
I stare at him in shock, trying to figure out how he feels about that or how to respond.
"So you're worried the baby might be yours?" I ask.
He smiles sadly and shakes his head. "I'm torn. Of course Lacy and Will want it to be his, but in a way, even though it's stupid, I want it to be mine."
"Why?" I ask. Most men would be praying to God that it wasn't theirs to avoid the responsibility, and here he is actually wanting it?
"I told you it was stupid. Lacy is…she's my best friend. I love her in a strange way, but I'm not in love with her, if that makes sense. So sharing a child with her and Will would be nice. Better than nice, even if it would be rather...complicated. Sorry, I don't really know how to explain it since I don't understand it myself. And I don't know why I'm telling you all this."
"Don't worry, I won't say anything to the fan club, even for the reward," I joke with him while trying to digest this ruffled, unexpected, sensitive side to Joe Cool.
"Thanks," he replies, shoving his fingers through his hair.
"So, you
I’m still watching him, admiring how his jeans hug his perfect ass and strong, muscular thighs when he turns around. Joe’s eyes widen when he sees me and then he laughs out loud. After paying for his coffee, he heads for me with his brown cup in one hand and his carry-on luggage in the other.
"Katie Kat, you're going to be my partner on murders?" He smiles, sliding into the empty seat beside me.
"Yep."
"Are you as surprised as I am?" he asks, and then his broad shoulders slump underneath his blue dress shirt that matches his eyes. "Hell, I bet you're pissed. I can't believe you haven't bolted out of here yet."
I cringe thinking about what a bitch I've been to him, mostly because I want him and can't have him.
"Nah, it's fine," I reply with a shrug. "I'll just make you do all the work."
He chuckles again, and the laugh lines only makes his face even more gorgeous.
"Actually, I bet all the women in the office will be pissed when they find out I'll be working with you," I tell him, forcing my eyes down to the phone in my hands so that I'll quit staring at him.
"Oh really? Why's that? Do they all want a chance to give me a hard time, too?" he asks.
"Seriously? You really don't know?" I ask while trying to judge the sincerity on his face. He always seems so cocky that I assumed he had to know the effect he has on women.
"Know what? That I'm a pain in the ass?"
"Well that, too, but I'm pretty sure you have your very own fan club."
"What?" he exclaims. "That's ridiculous."
"There's actually a reward being offered for anyone who can provide confirmed information about your current relationship status with Lacy Pierce."
Joe's normally happy, upbeat face falls at the mention of the woman. Maybe they aren't together. "Sorry, it's no one's business," I say when he doesn't respond.
I hear his heavy exhale as he flops back in his seat. "It's okay. It's just things with Lacy are simple, yet…complicated. We're not together and haven't been for months," he says, staring down at the brown paper cup in his hands. An absurd amount of happiness fills me at that simple statement. "She's been living in Charlotte with her boyfriend and my good friend Will since June, and..." he takes a deep, shaky breath. "She's pregnant."
Oh, wow. I didn't see that one coming. Hold on. How far along? Does that mean…
"I don't know," he looks up at me with fear, worry, and sadness; all three competing in his eyes, answering my unspoken question.
"What…what do you mean you don't know?"
"The baby may or may not be mine. We won't know until he or she is born in about three months."
I stare at him in shock, trying to figure out how he feels about that or how to respond.
"So you're worried the baby might be yours?" I ask.
He smiles sadly and shakes his head. "I'm torn. Of course Lacy and Will want it to be his, but in a way, even though it's stupid, I want it to be mine."
"Why?" I ask. Most men would be praying to God that it wasn't theirs to avoid the responsibility, and here he is actually wanting it?
"I told you it was stupid. Lacy is…she's my best friend. I love her in a strange way, but I'm not in love with her, if that makes sense. So sharing a child with her and Will would be nice. Better than nice, even if it would be rather...complicated. Sorry, I don't really know how to explain it since I don't understand it myself. And I don't know why I'm telling you all this."
"Don't worry, I won't say anything to the fan club, even for the reward," I joke with him while trying to digest this ruffled, unexpected, sensitive side to Joe Cool.
"Thanks," he replies, shoving his fingers through his hair.
"So, you
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