them?”
Sky wished her voice hadn’t quavered dangerously when she spoke, but at least she asked the question that had been tormenting her since yesterday morning.
Jude hesitated for a long moment with his back to her and one leg out of the Porsche. Finally, with an audible sigh, he got back in the car, closed the door, and hit the seat release, sending the driver’s seat back twelve inches. He turned to her and shook his head.
For a moment, Sky was sure that he was going to throw her off the investigation, his expression was so serious. She was surprised when Jude leaned back against the headrest and closed his eyes.
He finally lifted one lid, then gave a hard sigh and met her gaze. “Listen kid, I don’t know what got into me yesterday or today, why I went after you the way that I did. Just know that you can eat any goddamn thing you want any time you want, no matter if it’s good for you or not. What the fuck do I know about what your body needs or wants?”
He huffed another hard sigh then continued. His voice was firmer, more abrasive, the way it usually was. “Don’t listen to me, Skylar. Listen to my brothers. They’ll tell you who and what I am. Hell, so will any of the officers on my team. I’m an asshole, pure and simple. I’m arrogant, a true hardass, and I revel in the fact that, except for my brothers, hardened cops quake in their boots when I give an order.”
He threw her a narrow gaze then shrugged. “I’m also an avowed chauvinist. I believe to the length of my prodigious dick that at their core, women are good for one thing and one thing only. Just know, Specs, you may be the most damnably disquieting, least appealing woman I’ve ever met. But in this case, the fact that you look and act the way that you do is a good thing.”
Skylar assumed his chuckle was meant to lighten his disparaging and shockingly blunt assessment of her. When he continued, it was clear he meant exactly what he’d implied. “That said, given that the possibility of sex between us isn’t an option, I can start treating you with the respect you deserve, as a colleague, not a potential fuck. If you’re half as smart as everyone says you are, it’ll be the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Skylar let his words sink in, surprised that they hurt. With an effort, she dragged out her analytical skills and agreed that everything he had said made it possible for them to work together, to be genuine colleagues. Which, she reminded herself, was what she wanted, correct?
As she prepared to get out of the car, she was surprised that she couldn’t let her original query go unanswered. She sighed audibly, then forced herself to look over at him. “You didn’t answer my question. I still don’t understand why you put out doughnuts if we aren’t supposed to eat them. Or is it just me who isn’t supposed to eat them?”
If she didn’t know better, Sky might have thought that the flash of emotion that darkened his eyes was pain, or even embarrassment. He was quiet for a moment. When he finally answered her, his voice was serious, without a hint of deprecatory humor. “I think because I know that they’re not good for you, and being the overbearing asshole that I am, I make it my business to tell people I care about what they should and should not do.”
Skylar thought about what he’d said for a long moment then nodded in agreement.
“Humph, well. That’s what my father says when he tells me what I should and shouldn’t eat.”
She let a small smile cross her lips then added, “I will say to you what I said to him. It’s a good thing you understand that it isn’t any of your business…and I’ll eat anything I damn well please.”
With that, she unsnapped her seat belt and got out of the car. She closed her door firmly and was at the entrance to the house before Jude managed to get out of the car and come up behind her.
Later that night, Jude relived their conversation for the ninth or tenth time. He
Sky wished her voice hadn’t quavered dangerously when she spoke, but at least she asked the question that had been tormenting her since yesterday morning.
Jude hesitated for a long moment with his back to her and one leg out of the Porsche. Finally, with an audible sigh, he got back in the car, closed the door, and hit the seat release, sending the driver’s seat back twelve inches. He turned to her and shook his head.
For a moment, Sky was sure that he was going to throw her off the investigation, his expression was so serious. She was surprised when Jude leaned back against the headrest and closed his eyes.
He finally lifted one lid, then gave a hard sigh and met her gaze. “Listen kid, I don’t know what got into me yesterday or today, why I went after you the way that I did. Just know that you can eat any goddamn thing you want any time you want, no matter if it’s good for you or not. What the fuck do I know about what your body needs or wants?”
He huffed another hard sigh then continued. His voice was firmer, more abrasive, the way it usually was. “Don’t listen to me, Skylar. Listen to my brothers. They’ll tell you who and what I am. Hell, so will any of the officers on my team. I’m an asshole, pure and simple. I’m arrogant, a true hardass, and I revel in the fact that, except for my brothers, hardened cops quake in their boots when I give an order.”
He threw her a narrow gaze then shrugged. “I’m also an avowed chauvinist. I believe to the length of my prodigious dick that at their core, women are good for one thing and one thing only. Just know, Specs, you may be the most damnably disquieting, least appealing woman I’ve ever met. But in this case, the fact that you look and act the way that you do is a good thing.”
Skylar assumed his chuckle was meant to lighten his disparaging and shockingly blunt assessment of her. When he continued, it was clear he meant exactly what he’d implied. “That said, given that the possibility of sex between us isn’t an option, I can start treating you with the respect you deserve, as a colleague, not a potential fuck. If you’re half as smart as everyone says you are, it’ll be the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Skylar let his words sink in, surprised that they hurt. With an effort, she dragged out her analytical skills and agreed that everything he had said made it possible for them to work together, to be genuine colleagues. Which, she reminded herself, was what she wanted, correct?
As she prepared to get out of the car, she was surprised that she couldn’t let her original query go unanswered. She sighed audibly, then forced herself to look over at him. “You didn’t answer my question. I still don’t understand why you put out doughnuts if we aren’t supposed to eat them. Or is it just me who isn’t supposed to eat them?”
If she didn’t know better, Sky might have thought that the flash of emotion that darkened his eyes was pain, or even embarrassment. He was quiet for a moment. When he finally answered her, his voice was serious, without a hint of deprecatory humor. “I think because I know that they’re not good for you, and being the overbearing asshole that I am, I make it my business to tell people I care about what they should and should not do.”
Skylar thought about what he’d said for a long moment then nodded in agreement.
“Humph, well. That’s what my father says when he tells me what I should and shouldn’t eat.”
She let a small smile cross her lips then added, “I will say to you what I said to him. It’s a good thing you understand that it isn’t any of your business…and I’ll eat anything I damn well please.”
With that, she unsnapped her seat belt and got out of the car. She closed her door firmly and was at the entrance to the house before Jude managed to get out of the car and come up behind her.
Later that night, Jude relived their conversation for the ninth or tenth time. He
Similar Books
