finally figured out how to shut you up.”
Delanie tugged on his arm and stopped. She faced him. “About that.” Her voice was quiet and breathless.
He dropped her hand and lifted his to her cheek; cupping her face he kissed her again. Her arms slipped around his neck and his around her back. He drew her closer—as close as her newly acquired tummy would allow. He convinced himself he was only doing this to bug her—nothing in him actually wanted to kiss her. Nope—nothing at all.
“Stop!” She ran her fingers over her lips as if to erase the moment. “This isn’t right. We can look like a couple without making out right here for all the world to see.”
Eli grinned. He’d gotten to her. “I’m just following orders,” he said innocently. Maybe she’d request another partner—he could only hope.
“I’ll talk to Joe if I need to, but I don’t think this assignment has to go against my religious convictions.”
Eli chose to taunt her. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those virgins who wants her first kiss to happen at the altar. Too late for that now, baby.”
Delanie put her hands on her hips. “For your information, I have kissed guys before. But what is wrong with being a virgin? In other societies it was considered a virtue, but in twenty-first-century America, it’s looked down on. Why?”
Eli gave her his usual shrug. He honestly admired her for going against the grain, but of course he wouldn’t tell her that. Someday some fortunate guy would be her first and only. Good for her. Lucky him.
❧
Delanie crossed her arms over her padded stomach. “I’m sorry you feel like my convictions are a joke. It’s important to me, so if you can’t refrain from kissing me—”
“Let me assure you, Delanie Cooper—you’re not that hard to resist.” He tilted his head in that cocky way of his. “I can refrain. Believe me, I can refrain.”
His words verified what she’d thought all along. He found her repulsive, and the silly thing was, that fact bothered her. Swallowing hard, she asked, “Then will you?”
“No problem. You tell me where your lines are, and I won’t cross them.” Eli started moving toward the car.
“Fair enough.” She outlined her boundaries—“Arm around my shoulder, holding hands, and maybe an occasional hug. Nothing more.”
“Fine.” He opened her car door.
“Good.” Delanie relaxed, relieved to have that conversation over but also a little saddened by their spat. Would they ever be able to discuss things without childish quarrels?
They drove back to the police station in silence. While Eli met with the artist and worked on the sketches, Delanie ditched her belly and the maternity wear, then searched the Web and phone book for local attorneys fitting the description Eli provided. Not all lawyers had their pictures posted, so she knew her chances were slim. Someone into illegal activity normally didn’t want his face plastered all over the Internet or yellow pages.
Eli joined her at the computer. “Any luck?”
She shook her head, taking the sketches he held out. “No, there was no one who resembled this guy.” Then she studied the young girl’s face. “She’s so young.”
“Too young to be a mom—that’s for sure.” Eli’s shoulders slumped, and Delanie understood his burden for these young girls. “Before we head over to the middle school,” Eli continued, “we should go for the hard-to-identify look—you know, hats and sunglasses. If you could stuff your hair in a cap. The more nondescript we are, the better.”
Opening a locker, he handed Delanie a cap and grabbed one for himself.
“The Angels, huh?” She worked at stuffing her shoulder-length hair up into the cap. “Your favorite team?”
“Yep. Let’s do it.”
Delanie grabbed her sunglasses from her purse and an empty file folder from the file cabinet. She slipped the drawings inside. “Ready to roll.”
Arriving at Clayton Middle, they followed signs to the office.
Delanie tugged on his arm and stopped. She faced him. “About that.” Her voice was quiet and breathless.
He dropped her hand and lifted his to her cheek; cupping her face he kissed her again. Her arms slipped around his neck and his around her back. He drew her closer—as close as her newly acquired tummy would allow. He convinced himself he was only doing this to bug her—nothing in him actually wanted to kiss her. Nope—nothing at all.
“Stop!” She ran her fingers over her lips as if to erase the moment. “This isn’t right. We can look like a couple without making out right here for all the world to see.”
Eli grinned. He’d gotten to her. “I’m just following orders,” he said innocently. Maybe she’d request another partner—he could only hope.
“I’ll talk to Joe if I need to, but I don’t think this assignment has to go against my religious convictions.”
Eli chose to taunt her. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those virgins who wants her first kiss to happen at the altar. Too late for that now, baby.”
Delanie put her hands on her hips. “For your information, I have kissed guys before. But what is wrong with being a virgin? In other societies it was considered a virtue, but in twenty-first-century America, it’s looked down on. Why?”
Eli gave her his usual shrug. He honestly admired her for going against the grain, but of course he wouldn’t tell her that. Someday some fortunate guy would be her first and only. Good for her. Lucky him.
❧
Delanie crossed her arms over her padded stomach. “I’m sorry you feel like my convictions are a joke. It’s important to me, so if you can’t refrain from kissing me—”
“Let me assure you, Delanie Cooper—you’re not that hard to resist.” He tilted his head in that cocky way of his. “I can refrain. Believe me, I can refrain.”
His words verified what she’d thought all along. He found her repulsive, and the silly thing was, that fact bothered her. Swallowing hard, she asked, “Then will you?”
“No problem. You tell me where your lines are, and I won’t cross them.” Eli started moving toward the car.
“Fair enough.” She outlined her boundaries—“Arm around my shoulder, holding hands, and maybe an occasional hug. Nothing more.”
“Fine.” He opened her car door.
“Good.” Delanie relaxed, relieved to have that conversation over but also a little saddened by their spat. Would they ever be able to discuss things without childish quarrels?
They drove back to the police station in silence. While Eli met with the artist and worked on the sketches, Delanie ditched her belly and the maternity wear, then searched the Web and phone book for local attorneys fitting the description Eli provided. Not all lawyers had their pictures posted, so she knew her chances were slim. Someone into illegal activity normally didn’t want his face plastered all over the Internet or yellow pages.
Eli joined her at the computer. “Any luck?”
She shook her head, taking the sketches he held out. “No, there was no one who resembled this guy.” Then she studied the young girl’s face. “She’s so young.”
“Too young to be a mom—that’s for sure.” Eli’s shoulders slumped, and Delanie understood his burden for these young girls. “Before we head over to the middle school,” Eli continued, “we should go for the hard-to-identify look—you know, hats and sunglasses. If you could stuff your hair in a cap. The more nondescript we are, the better.”
Opening a locker, he handed Delanie a cap and grabbed one for himself.
“The Angels, huh?” She worked at stuffing her shoulder-length hair up into the cap. “Your favorite team?”
“Yep. Let’s do it.”
Delanie grabbed her sunglasses from her purse and an empty file folder from the file cabinet. She slipped the drawings inside. “Ready to roll.”
Arriving at Clayton Middle, they followed signs to the office.
Similar Books
