simple pleasures could easily wait another hour.
She pulled up a chair and sat down next to his bed. “Now, Randy, I want you to tell me your favorite show that you’ve gotten to watch on TV while you’ve been here…”
Thursday morning came far too early.
Colin yawned as he poured his travel mug full of coffee and then stirred in the cream.
His sleep last night had been for shite. He’d been restless and all too awake, unable to stop thinking about the doe-eyed devil of a woman who had his hormones twisted up like Christmas tree lights.
And that bloody hard-on he’d sported all night had just put him in a complete crap mood.
She was a seductive little witch that he had no business getting involved with. What had he been thinking, inviting her back to his house? Or kissing her in the first place?
She’d been provoking him. Making him so bloody angry. And somehow that anger had mutated into a driving need to kiss her. To have her criticism melt into moans of desire. And he’d known he’d hear them if he kissed her.
And he had. Grabbing here and kissing her had been instinctive and primal. And he hadn’t given a damn about the consequences. Neither had he stopped to consider that after one taste he’d be hooked like an addict.
It had turned him into a complete, unapologetic asshole. Just remembering some of the words that had come out of his mouth made him cringe. If his mother could’ve heard him, she would’ve cuffed him upside the head.
He owed Hailey an apology. No matter how bad of a taste last night left in his mouth, how much he wanted to blame her, he wasn’t that big of a wanker. He wasn’t the guy who made girls cry, and, bloody hell, he’d sensed she was near it a couple times.
Well, either near tears or near putting her fist in his face.
Colin yawned again and turned off the coffeepot. After grabbing his travel mug, he headed out the door.
The patrol car that he took home at the end of the day was parked outside. He climbed inside and checked in for work.
“All right, Hailey, let’s see just what kind of trouble you’ve been into.” Whether he needed to apologize to her or not, he still had a promise to keep—to check up on her arse.
After typing her license plate into CAD, he waited for her information to pull up.
The information that popped up on the screen a moment later had his frown deepening.
Clean record. Spotless. Not even a speeding ticket. But what she did have, interestingly enough, was a protective order. He typed in the respondent’s name on the order, his date of birth, and waited for the information to pull up.
When it did, he narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. Curt MacGregor…the name sounded a little familiar. Maybe their paths had crossed.
Well, it seemed Curt had a Mount Vernon address, so he wasn’t an island boy.
He gave a slow whistle. “But look at that record.”
The man certainly got in and out of trouble frequently enough. Thefts. Assault. Three DUIs.
Shutting his laptop, he shook his head and backed the cruiser out of his driveway.
Later he’d look deeper into why Hailey had a protective order against this guy. If he went by what he knew about her, knew about her family, it wasn’t a complete surprise.
First things first though, time to work.
When he arrived at the precinct, he checked emails, reports and other general stuff that he took care of at the start of his shift.
“How’s it going, McLaughlin?”
Colin glanced up from his computer and grinned at the older deputy settling in at the desk next to him.
“Doing great. How are you, Jack? How’s the family?”
“I’m good. Family’s good. Same old, same old. But you…” Jack tilted his head, “…heard you were spotted at the hospital with your niece and some gorgeous woman.”
“I really shouldn’t be surprised how fast word spreads on the island,” he drawled, shaking his head. “She’s no one.”
“Really?” Disappointment flashed across his
She pulled up a chair and sat down next to his bed. “Now, Randy, I want you to tell me your favorite show that you’ve gotten to watch on TV while you’ve been here…”
Thursday morning came far too early.
Colin yawned as he poured his travel mug full of coffee and then stirred in the cream.
His sleep last night had been for shite. He’d been restless and all too awake, unable to stop thinking about the doe-eyed devil of a woman who had his hormones twisted up like Christmas tree lights.
And that bloody hard-on he’d sported all night had just put him in a complete crap mood.
She was a seductive little witch that he had no business getting involved with. What had he been thinking, inviting her back to his house? Or kissing her in the first place?
She’d been provoking him. Making him so bloody angry. And somehow that anger had mutated into a driving need to kiss her. To have her criticism melt into moans of desire. And he’d known he’d hear them if he kissed her.
And he had. Grabbing here and kissing her had been instinctive and primal. And he hadn’t given a damn about the consequences. Neither had he stopped to consider that after one taste he’d be hooked like an addict.
It had turned him into a complete, unapologetic asshole. Just remembering some of the words that had come out of his mouth made him cringe. If his mother could’ve heard him, she would’ve cuffed him upside the head.
He owed Hailey an apology. No matter how bad of a taste last night left in his mouth, how much he wanted to blame her, he wasn’t that big of a wanker. He wasn’t the guy who made girls cry, and, bloody hell, he’d sensed she was near it a couple times.
Well, either near tears or near putting her fist in his face.
Colin yawned again and turned off the coffeepot. After grabbing his travel mug, he headed out the door.
The patrol car that he took home at the end of the day was parked outside. He climbed inside and checked in for work.
“All right, Hailey, let’s see just what kind of trouble you’ve been into.” Whether he needed to apologize to her or not, he still had a promise to keep—to check up on her arse.
After typing her license plate into CAD, he waited for her information to pull up.
The information that popped up on the screen a moment later had his frown deepening.
Clean record. Spotless. Not even a speeding ticket. But what she did have, interestingly enough, was a protective order. He typed in the respondent’s name on the order, his date of birth, and waited for the information to pull up.
When it did, he narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. Curt MacGregor…the name sounded a little familiar. Maybe their paths had crossed.
Well, it seemed Curt had a Mount Vernon address, so he wasn’t an island boy.
He gave a slow whistle. “But look at that record.”
The man certainly got in and out of trouble frequently enough. Thefts. Assault. Three DUIs.
Shutting his laptop, he shook his head and backed the cruiser out of his driveway.
Later he’d look deeper into why Hailey had a protective order against this guy. If he went by what he knew about her, knew about her family, it wasn’t a complete surprise.
First things first though, time to work.
When he arrived at the precinct, he checked emails, reports and other general stuff that he took care of at the start of his shift.
“How’s it going, McLaughlin?”
Colin glanced up from his computer and grinned at the older deputy settling in at the desk next to him.
“Doing great. How are you, Jack? How’s the family?”
“I’m good. Family’s good. Same old, same old. But you…” Jack tilted his head, “…heard you were spotted at the hospital with your niece and some gorgeous woman.”
“I really shouldn’t be surprised how fast word spreads on the island,” he drawled, shaking his head. “She’s no one.”
“Really?” Disappointment flashed across his
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