Captured Again by L.L. Akers Page A

desk protested to Emma’s quick exit. As soon as the class was over, she’d shoved her things into her bag and abruptly stood up, inadvertently shoving her desk into Officer Rowan’s behind her.
    “Sorry about that. Here’s your notes. Thank you,” she said as she slid his paper onto his desk and in one quick movement, twirled around and headed toward the door.
    “Wait! Emma!” Dusty said loudly—too loudly. Now everyone who hadn’t made it out the door yet was looking from her to Dusty, drawing unwanted attention her way.
    She didn’t want him to keep yelling at her to stop once she was out in the hall with so many other people to notice her, so her only choice was to turn around and wait for him. She stopped abruptly, quickly turning around, hoping her posture and attitude gave him a clue she didn’t want to chat about her arrest while at school, or anyplace else for that matter.
    “What?” she whispered loudly. “Do you want to conduct a field sobriety test? Make me say the alphabet backward?”
    Dusty lumbered and bumbled through the narrow aisle of desks, first bumping his leg, then his backpack against one desk or the other, again and again, as he hurried to talk to her. He didn’t look fazed by her snappish attitude. He was smiling again, flashing those dimples at her, looking like a good-humored, bungling giant in this crowded classroom.
    Finally he stood directly in front of her. She had to look up—way up—to see his face. She could smell him, something else she hadn’t noticed last night, and he smelled good. She sniffed, closing her eyes as she breathed in his scent, a strange spicy combination of rosemary and white pepper with a trace of sandalwood. Sometimes Emma’s sensitive nose could be a blessing. This was the best thing she’d smelled in a long time—especially after her ordeal last night in the accommodations he had provided her—and his smell calmed and made her senses tingle all at once.
    She opened her eyes and realized he’d been standing there watching her smell him with her eyes closed for far longer than it took to blink. How embarrassing... she thought. What is it with this guy always seeming to capture me in an awkward situation?
    “I said what?” Emma snapped, having to force her voice to sound irritated.
    “Umm... I just wanted to say sorry. You know, for umm... having to arrest you last night,” he said sheepishly. “But it is my job. I hope there are no hard feelings.”
    Emma studied his face, looking for any sign of arrogance or superiority that she would assume would come from a cop facing someone they’d had to use their power against, costing that person God only knows how much. But all she saw was friendliness with maybe a little regret. She decided to let him off the hook. She was no fan of drunk drivers either and still couldn’t believe she now was one. She knew it was her own fault and took full responsibility.
    She gave him a small smile—a closed-mouth smile with no teeth but still a smile—and a slight nod.
    “Thank you,” she said.
    “Thank you? Umm... for what?” he asked, confused.
    “Thank you for apologizing. It won’t make a difference in the long run. Or on my day in court. But thank you for being sorry.”
    Emma watched his face transform from confused to hopeful, and instantly regretted her answer. She could feel it coming.
    “Oh. Okay. Well, umm, you want to get a coffee or something?”
    Bam. There it was: the pick-up line. She couldn’t believe it. He actually thought an apology would get him a hook-up? Seriously? Even if he hadn’t been the cop that arrested her, she still wasn’t interested. She had no time for chatting and sipping overpriced coffee while trying to blend into the cool crowd. She wasn’t like most of the college crowd. She had obligations... and her studies and a job. But right now at the top of her list was the latest family crisis to deal with. Besides, if he really knew her, he wouldn’t be asking her