complimented
her. Cassidy was surprised but regrettably not delighted. It was too late. It
wasn't John’s approval she was looking for anymore. She watched Kevin disappear
behind the chutes. She wanted her son's blessing.
Then John did something totally
idiotic and completely stupid in the empty hallway. He kissed Cassidy. A quick, wet, and extremely clumsy smack on the lips. It was
more like she imagined Pastor John to kiss than L.A. John. Just as quickly as
he swooped down on her mouth he pulled back.
Cassidy wiped her lips on her
sleeve. “Why did you do that?” she demanded to know ignoring the fluttering in
her stomach. Damn this man, she didn't want to feel like that after such a
crappy kiss.
“Why not?” John replied innocently. “You won the competition.” He pointed at the scoreboard.
The last competitor had fallen off her bull and the riding was over. “We need
to celebrate.” He took his hands off her hips and leaned back against the wall
across from her. She already missed the feel of his touch. It may sound weird,
but John Risk was a man with very strong fingers and Cassidy liked them.
“You're a minister,” she said
accusingly. She looked around to see if anyone could hear them. “And,” she
whispered, “ you're working.” She knew he would pick up
on her double meaning.
Except he didn't
react. Not even a movement of his Adam's apple.
Slightly unnerved Cassidy folded
her arms over her chest and shifted her hips toward him. She knew she was being
coy but it was so damn difficult to not be attracted to him. Sort of like Mal
having the hots for that prostitute with the heart of
gold on Firefly. Cassidy shook herself a little. She had wanted togetherness
with Kevin but she wasn't sure if she wanted to start thinking like him.
“I'm not a Catholic priest,” John
replied with a snort. “I can kiss the girls.” He pulled himself off the wall
and took a step toward her. Since the alley between the arena and locker room
was narrow he was practically on top of her. She could feel his breath on her
eyelashes. Cassidy's heart pounded faster.
“How many buckle bunnies have you
kissed around here?” she challenged. “I don't want to be another notch in your rosary
beads.” Before she met John, he was known as a player at the station house. It
seemed she was the only woman who could get him to commit. Sort of like Rachel
with Logan—except
John didn’t commit for long.
Then she brushed against his chest
as she lifted her hand to push him back. He shuddered and her entire body
reacted to his. It would be a very bad decision to get involved with John again
even though it was great for her ego to know he was still attracted to her.
He chuckled. A deep sound that made
her toes tingle. “They don't want me,” he said slowly. “They want the bull
riders.” He actually looked sad.
Oh boy, her body always responded
to every grunt, moan, and wail the man made. Add in rejected and depressed and
Cassidy wanted him even more. Again, she couldn't. He was still doing the job
she was done with.
“I, I don't believe you,” she
sputtered. “Everyone wants you.”
“Most of the time dead,” he said
dryly. He continued to look sad. He used to laugh when there was a bounty on
his head. It seemed he had changed.
“I don't want you dead,” she told
him. She was trying to make him feel better without kissing him. They needed to
create a new pattern in their relationship. Maybe they could be friends.
He grinned.
It melted her heart, like it always
had. Cassidy turned away. She had to be strong, she
didn't want the life John Risk offered. She wanted a cold shower, some hot food,
and to find her son. She took a step toward the locker room.
“I found a hobby,” John whispered.
Cassidy stopped. She turned her head.
Before she left L.A.
she told John he needed to find something to do with himself besides police
work. Between assignments, every undercover cop had to take four weeks off
before starting
her. Cassidy was surprised but regrettably not delighted. It was too late. It
wasn't John’s approval she was looking for anymore. She watched Kevin disappear
behind the chutes. She wanted her son's blessing.
Then John did something totally
idiotic and completely stupid in the empty hallway. He kissed Cassidy. A quick, wet, and extremely clumsy smack on the lips. It was
more like she imagined Pastor John to kiss than L.A. John. Just as quickly as
he swooped down on her mouth he pulled back.
Cassidy wiped her lips on her
sleeve. “Why did you do that?” she demanded to know ignoring the fluttering in
her stomach. Damn this man, she didn't want to feel like that after such a
crappy kiss.
“Why not?” John replied innocently. “You won the competition.” He pointed at the scoreboard.
The last competitor had fallen off her bull and the riding was over. “We need
to celebrate.” He took his hands off her hips and leaned back against the wall
across from her. She already missed the feel of his touch. It may sound weird,
but John Risk was a man with very strong fingers and Cassidy liked them.
“You're a minister,” she said
accusingly. She looked around to see if anyone could hear them. “And,” she
whispered, “ you're working.” She knew he would pick up
on her double meaning.
Except he didn't
react. Not even a movement of his Adam's apple.
Slightly unnerved Cassidy folded
her arms over her chest and shifted her hips toward him. She knew she was being
coy but it was so damn difficult to not be attracted to him. Sort of like Mal
having the hots for that prostitute with the heart of
gold on Firefly. Cassidy shook herself a little. She had wanted togetherness
with Kevin but she wasn't sure if she wanted to start thinking like him.
“I'm not a Catholic priest,” John
replied with a snort. “I can kiss the girls.” He pulled himself off the wall
and took a step toward her. Since the alley between the arena and locker room
was narrow he was practically on top of her. She could feel his breath on her
eyelashes. Cassidy's heart pounded faster.
“How many buckle bunnies have you
kissed around here?” she challenged. “I don't want to be another notch in your rosary
beads.” Before she met John, he was known as a player at the station house. It
seemed she was the only woman who could get him to commit. Sort of like Rachel
with Logan—except
John didn’t commit for long.
Then she brushed against his chest
as she lifted her hand to push him back. He shuddered and her entire body
reacted to his. It would be a very bad decision to get involved with John again
even though it was great for her ego to know he was still attracted to her.
He chuckled. A deep sound that made
her toes tingle. “They don't want me,” he said slowly. “They want the bull
riders.” He actually looked sad.
Oh boy, her body always responded
to every grunt, moan, and wail the man made. Add in rejected and depressed and
Cassidy wanted him even more. Again, she couldn't. He was still doing the job
she was done with.
“I, I don't believe you,” she
sputtered. “Everyone wants you.”
“Most of the time dead,” he said
dryly. He continued to look sad. He used to laugh when there was a bounty on
his head. It seemed he had changed.
“I don't want you dead,” she told
him. She was trying to make him feel better without kissing him. They needed to
create a new pattern in their relationship. Maybe they could be friends.
He grinned.
It melted her heart, like it always
had. Cassidy turned away. She had to be strong, she
didn't want the life John Risk offered. She wanted a cold shower, some hot food,
and to find her son. She took a step toward the locker room.
“I found a hobby,” John whispered.
Cassidy stopped. She turned her head.
Before she left L.A.
she told John he needed to find something to do with himself besides police
work. Between assignments, every undercover cop had to take four weeks off
before starting
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