took Paolo from me without a single reason why.”
“Paolo? Boyfriend?”
“He was everything to me. From preschool on.” K clenched her jaw. Damn, why was this coming up now? “Without him…”
Joe waited for a while, allowing her to move through her grief. “What happened?”
“A storm came in. Brought us out from the bay where we were whale watching, to the sea. Our canoe tipped.” Her heart ached, then eased at the retelling. As if Paolo wanted to be remembered here, when she’d tried so hard to forget him.
K took small breaths of air through her nose to calm her nerves. “Never mind about him. Anyway, you asked why I hate the ocean. Now you know.”
Joe squeezed her hand, not letting go. “Do you believe in the gods and goddesses in the Hawaiian tradition?”
“I was raised that way. I’ve turned my back on it all. I never got the comfort from it my family did.”
“I’m sorry about your friend. It’s no wonder you’re such a strong woman.”
K laughed and pulled her hand free. “Ah, Joe. Don’t go analyzing me, okay? I made it. I’m doing what I love.”
“Fighting for justice in designer heels?”
She sat back and shook her head, allowing a small smile. Damn, but he was amusing. Two beers. Should she have another? He was really hot, his tattoos a story begging to be told. If she had a third beer, she just might take him back to Rita’s and make them both feel better.
He could tell her about his tattoos, she could kiss her way across his broad shoulders, down his back to his hips and fine ass.
Their burgers arrived and K decided to get that third drink. The food would sop up some of the alcohol. Maybe her good sense would have a chance over her hormones. But what was the harm in indulging in some mutual pleasure?
No strings attached. He lived here, she lived in Chicago. They could have guilt-free incredible, hot sex and then go their separate ways.
Chapter Six
K managed to eat half her burger and more than half of the delicious seasoned fries. She sat back, her hand on her stomach. “That was an awesome meal.”
“You’re done?”
“Can’t eat another bite without exploding. Not an attractive sight.”
“You’re gorgeous,” Joe said. “Go ahead and risk it for another fry.”
“Nope.” She didn’t want their evening to end just yet, so she scooted her chair close to the table and locked gazes with Joe. “So, you put me through twenty questions. Now it’s your turn.”
Joe leaned toward her. “Fair enough. Fire away.”
“We can start small. Place of birth?”
“Boston Memorial. Boring. Especially compared to a drum ceremony beneath the moon on an island.”
“Normal. You had normal.”
He smiled, his hazel eyes more green than gold in the dim light of the restaurant. “My parents both worked. Dad was a cop, Mom a nurse. I was left to my own devices and chose poorly. By sixteen, I’d gotten busted for petty theft.”
She admired that he owned his decisions. So many people blamed others rather than take responsibility.
“Dad gave me a choice. I could work at the department and see what the life of being a criminal was all about, or I could go to military school. But either way, my ass was learning right from wrong, he said.”
K drummed her fingers across the table. “You got the structure I craved.”
“In spades. But that’s how I knew I wanted to be a cop. A lot of shit goes down in high school, and I knew I could ferret out vital information. I mean, I looked even more like a baby face then than I do now.”
K laughed, imagining Joe as a teenager. Tall, scrawny. He’d filled out now in all the best ways.
“I busted a lot of rings. I passed for a senior in high school until I hit 25.”
“You’re kidding. That long? You have to explain what perpetual high school was like.” She’d loved school, as a means to an end. She had Paolo and didn’t need a lot of friends. When he was gone she buried herself in studies.
“As
“Paolo? Boyfriend?”
“He was everything to me. From preschool on.” K clenched her jaw. Damn, why was this coming up now? “Without him…”
Joe waited for a while, allowing her to move through her grief. “What happened?”
“A storm came in. Brought us out from the bay where we were whale watching, to the sea. Our canoe tipped.” Her heart ached, then eased at the retelling. As if Paolo wanted to be remembered here, when she’d tried so hard to forget him.
K took small breaths of air through her nose to calm her nerves. “Never mind about him. Anyway, you asked why I hate the ocean. Now you know.”
Joe squeezed her hand, not letting go. “Do you believe in the gods and goddesses in the Hawaiian tradition?”
“I was raised that way. I’ve turned my back on it all. I never got the comfort from it my family did.”
“I’m sorry about your friend. It’s no wonder you’re such a strong woman.”
K laughed and pulled her hand free. “Ah, Joe. Don’t go analyzing me, okay? I made it. I’m doing what I love.”
“Fighting for justice in designer heels?”
She sat back and shook her head, allowing a small smile. Damn, but he was amusing. Two beers. Should she have another? He was really hot, his tattoos a story begging to be told. If she had a third beer, she just might take him back to Rita’s and make them both feel better.
He could tell her about his tattoos, she could kiss her way across his broad shoulders, down his back to his hips and fine ass.
Their burgers arrived and K decided to get that third drink. The food would sop up some of the alcohol. Maybe her good sense would have a chance over her hormones. But what was the harm in indulging in some mutual pleasure?
No strings attached. He lived here, she lived in Chicago. They could have guilt-free incredible, hot sex and then go their separate ways.
Chapter Six
K managed to eat half her burger and more than half of the delicious seasoned fries. She sat back, her hand on her stomach. “That was an awesome meal.”
“You’re done?”
“Can’t eat another bite without exploding. Not an attractive sight.”
“You’re gorgeous,” Joe said. “Go ahead and risk it for another fry.”
“Nope.” She didn’t want their evening to end just yet, so she scooted her chair close to the table and locked gazes with Joe. “So, you put me through twenty questions. Now it’s your turn.”
Joe leaned toward her. “Fair enough. Fire away.”
“We can start small. Place of birth?”
“Boston Memorial. Boring. Especially compared to a drum ceremony beneath the moon on an island.”
“Normal. You had normal.”
He smiled, his hazel eyes more green than gold in the dim light of the restaurant. “My parents both worked. Dad was a cop, Mom a nurse. I was left to my own devices and chose poorly. By sixteen, I’d gotten busted for petty theft.”
She admired that he owned his decisions. So many people blamed others rather than take responsibility.
“Dad gave me a choice. I could work at the department and see what the life of being a criminal was all about, or I could go to military school. But either way, my ass was learning right from wrong, he said.”
K drummed her fingers across the table. “You got the structure I craved.”
“In spades. But that’s how I knew I wanted to be a cop. A lot of shit goes down in high school, and I knew I could ferret out vital information. I mean, I looked even more like a baby face then than I do now.”
K laughed, imagining Joe as a teenager. Tall, scrawny. He’d filled out now in all the best ways.
“I busted a lot of rings. I passed for a senior in high school until I hit 25.”
“You’re kidding. That long? You have to explain what perpetual high school was like.” She’d loved school, as a means to an end. She had Paolo and didn’t need a lot of friends. When he was gone she buried herself in studies.
“As
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