Nine-Month Protector. Julie Miller

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СКАЧАТЬ one interested in making something happen between them. Or, at the very least, he was the only one interested in making sense of what had felt like a real relationship to him for about twelve hours or so.

      So hell, yeah. If she could pretend nothing had happened that morning, then so could he. Coop strolled over to the doorway to join them, grabbing his KCPD ball cap and pasting on a grin along the way. “Hey, Sarah. So what brings you to Cop Land?”

      “I was hoping I could take you to lunch.”

      She was still a pint-sized ball of pretty. Neither time nor distance nor three months of a cold shoulder that could have raised goose bumps diminished that fact. Today she wore a denim jumper over a deep-green turtleneck that brought out the color of her eyes. Her wheat-and-honey-colored ponytail was the only evidence of the tomboy she’d once been, because there was nothing boyish about the slightly crooked, all sexy mouth beneath the peachy tint of her lipstick.

      “I’ll leave you to it. If you need a ride back to the precinct, Seth, just give me a call.” Coop circled around him and tried to slide out the door without touching Sarah. “See ya.”

      “I meant you, Coop.” He paused at the tug on his sleeve. But when he turned to look down at the hand on his arm, Sarah quickly folded her fingers into her palm and tucked her fist back under the jacket she’d draped over her forearms. “My treat.”

      The upturned eyes pleaded but didn’t explain the out-of-the-blue request. What the hell?

      “Hey, what about me?” Seth protested. “Don’t I rate an invitation?”

      Sarah turned back to her brother, leaving Coop to quiz the possibilities on his own. “I happen to know that Rebecca is picking you up downstairs at noon. She said she has plans for you today.” She cocked her head to one side. “Something about china patterns and silverware?”

      Seth groaned and reached over her to clasp Coop by the shoulder. “Save me.”

      “Hey, don’t look at me. You’re the one who proposed.” It was easier to joke than to let anything get too serious with Sarah standing between them. “I see you as sort of a ‘pewter goblet’ kind of guy myself.”

      “I am wearing a gun, remember?”

      “Cut it out, you two,” Sarah chided them both. “Look, if it makes you feel any better, Rebecca did say something about being able to get the job done in twenty minutes and then having the rest of her lunch break to do whatever it is you two do when you have…free time together?” The wink-wink teasing in her voice was obvious.

      And Seth was eating it up. “Hmm. I think pickin’ out dishes just got a little more interesting.”

      “You wish, Cartwright.” Coop had rarely seen a smile on his partner’s face during the eight long months he’d worked undercover at the casino and gotten cozy with the mob. He wasn’t about to douse Seth’s well-deserved happiness by bringing up anything like the fact he’d slept with his sister and then hadn’t spoken to her for twelve weeks. Even if the latter hadn’t been his choice.

      Seth was already anxious to leave. “So what are you two going to do? If you’re ganging up as best man and maid of honor to pull some kind of prank at the reception or the bachelor party, you can just forget it.” He pointed a stern finger at Sarah. “I know you’re a good girl, but you…?”

      Coop threw his hands up in mock surrender at the accusatory finger now pointed his way. “I’m a good girl, too.”

      “Yeah, right.” Seth’s laugh demanded that Coop and Sarah join in, too. “You guys have fun.” He kissed his sister’s cheek, then poked that finger against Coop’s chest. “Not too much fun, though. You mind your manners.”

      Sarah nudged her brother down the hallway. “I’ll make sure he does. Now go. Don’t keep Rebecca waiting.”

      Seth spared them a glance over his shoulder. “I guess I won’t be needing to bum that ride back to the Fourth. I’ll have Bec drop me off after we…lunch.”

      “Braggart.”

      With a laugh, Seth strutted off toward the elevators. The hallway outside the briefing room was awkwardly quiet, now that Coop was alone with Sarah.

      “Wow.” Sarah hugged her jacket to her waist and watched her brother all the way until his parting salute from behind the closing elevator doors. “I haven’t seen Seth this happy in months. He’s like the young guy he used to be before…” Her voice trailed away as though she was surprised to discover just how distasteful the end of that sentence was going to be. She leveled her shoulders and turned back to Coop. “Who’d have thought his arch-nemesis Rebecca Page would turn out to be so good for him?”

      “Yeah. Who’d’ve thunk?” Coop agreed. Sarah’s gaze danced to the left. He studied the corduroy collar on her jacket. Yeah, this was awkward. “Don’t you have school today?” he asked, needing to hear something besides strained silence.

      Green eyes met his. “I took the morning off. I had a doctor’s appointment.”

      A flare of genuine concern made him lean in half a step. He understood bad news from the doctor better than most. “Are you sick? Hurt?”

      She inhaled and slowly released a deep breath that did nothing to ease his worry. “Is there someplace private we can talk?” she asked.

      “This is KCPD headquarters. Someone’s always watchin’ around here.”

      His lame attempt at humor earned nothing more than a blink. “I’m serious, Coop.”

      Yeah, that was reassuring.

      So, had she finally gotten around to analyzing what had happened between them? Maybe this was the clean break he’d been hoping for, yet dreading at the same time. And if there was truly some bad news…

      Cooper looked beyond her to the noise and bustle of administrative support staff working at their desks in the floor’s main room. With pairs and groups of blue suits and detectives still standing around and discussing the task force meeting and other business, he and Sarah weren’t going to find any privacy out there. He looked back toward the row of reinforced glass windows that formed the near wall of the briefing room. Even if they went inside and closed the door, anyone could look through the windows and see them together. And too much time spent alone with Sarah—in deep conversation or a possible argument—would surely get back to Seth. And Coop didn’t want to answer to that one.

      The sun was shining outside. The air was crisp but not cold. Coop angled his head toward the exit. “Let’s go for a walk.”

      Turning, Sarah led the way to the elevator. Coop pulled his hat over his bare head and, hanging back far enough so that he couldn’t reach out and touch her, followed behind.

      

      SARAH WAS AFRAID THE QUEASY sensation in her stomach had nothing to do with the elevator ride or the secret she carried inside her.

      Instead, she worried it had a lot to do with the tall, lanky detective leaning against the railing on the far side of the elevator. There was a guarded awareness to his deceptively relaxed stance. A curious introspection to the hooded blue eyes that watched the buttons light up with each floor they passed. Cooper Bellamy’s unnatural silence on the ride down to СКАЧАТЬ