Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy. HelenKay Dimon

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      Kane thought the idea had some merit. “Tempting, but probably wouldn’t be fair to the other inmates to stick them with her.”

      That one earned him a glower. Her green eyes flashed with fire. He doubted the red specks on her cheeks meant she was warm. Ticked off was more like it.

      Since she’d opened her eyes in his shower, she hadn’t closed her mouth. Kane figured it must be killing her to keep quiet now.

      “Okay, new strategy.” Kane stood up and dumped their empty mugs in the sink. “Derek, you’re going to do some shopping.”

      “And miss this? Screw that.”

      “She needs clothes.”

      Derek’s jaw dropped. “Damn, Kane, you can’t mean—”

      “Watch your language. Just because Annie swears doesn’t mean you should.” Kane noticed how her hands balled into fists at that comment.

      Kane glanced at the phone. He could continue to play this game, or he could call his officers and let them figure out what was going on. With six days left until he found out whether or not charges would be filed against him relating to the officer-involved shooting, he needed something to fill the hours. Annie qualified as being far more interesting than his planned house-rewiring project. Probably more dangerous, too.

      “Come on, Kane. Why me?” Derek’s voice stayed just this side of a whine.

      “This will teach you not to cut classes,” Josh said.

      Kane grabbed the pen and Josh’s notepad and dropped them in front of Annie. “Make a list of what you need. Personal stuff, clothes, whatever.”

      She frowned up at him.

      “You can make the list or I can guess your size.” He looked her over, pretending she could be anything other than a small. “Do you need an extra large or something bigger?”

      She snatched up the pen and scribbled hard enough to carve lines into his wooden table. Two words. Not a clothing size on there anywhere, but a comment that was more of a temptation than she knew.

      Josh read upside down. “I see the ‘you’ but can’t see the first…Oh, now I get it.”

      “Fuck you,” she said before she closed her mouth again.

      “Nice language,” Josh said with mock shock.

      “That was your last chance.” Kane reached over her shoulder and picked up the pad. He listed a few items, then handed the paper to Derek.

      Annie jumped up and tried to peek over at what he’d written. Kane just raised his arm higher to block her view.

      Derek scanned the list. His head shot up. “Panties?”

      “What?” Annie squealed.

      “Now you’re talking? Interesting.” If Kane had known a comment or two on her underwear would get her talking, he would have shouted “panties” long before now.

      “I am not having a kid buy my underwear.”

      “Hey, I’m twenty-one,” Derek said, obviously insulted.

      “And I’m twenty-nine. You’re still not buying my underwear.” She tried to grab the list back, but Derek slid his chair farther out of her range. The squeak against the tile echoed in the room.

      Giving her a gentle shove, Kane pushed her back into her chair. “Would you prefer to go without?”

      “I am right now,” she shot back.

      The reminder telegraphed a wake-up call straight to Kane’s lower body. He had been trying to block out the memory of her body. The feel of her slim waist and soft skin. Talking about her panties or lack of them, sure as hell wasn’t helping.

      “Should Derek be listening to this conversation?” Josh covered Derek’s ears. “’Cause I can send him outside. Just don’t say anything while I’m gone.”

      Derek and Josh traded shoves.

      “You’re leaving, too.” Kane wanted them both out. Alone he might be able to get Annie to talk. “Your job is to go figure out what’s happening with the yacht. Is the DEA on this?”

      “Not yet. There’s not much to know. Someone at the marina gave a call with some concerns about foul play. That’s it so far.”

      “Any news and information you can find would help,” Kane said.

      Josh gave him a quick nod.

      “Why can’t you find out what’s happening, Mr. Police Chief?” she asked.

      “The leave of absence thing,” Derek rushed to explain.

      Kane knew Derek would defend him to the end, but he felt his temperature rise anyway. “I’m not on—”

      She talked right over him. “Let’s talk about that topic for a second. Why aren’t you working? What’s with the leave of absence?”

      “It’s a vacation.”

      “It’s not a vacation if you’re forced,” Josh mumbled.

      “Sounds to me as if Kane is the one with secrets.” She gave Josh a conspiratorial wink.

      Enough of that, Kane thought. First Derek. Now Josh. Yeah, if she was going to flirt and smile, she needed to do it with him. Not that he was interested, because he wasn’t. He just didn’t need a turf war over Annie on top of everything else that was going on.

      “You won’t find any stores open now,” Kane told Derek.

      “We’ll give it a shot. If we don’t find anything, his stuff’s in my car so he can bunk at my condo tonight,” Josh offered.

      Kane nodded in agreement. “Fine. Just bring the items back in the morning.”

      “She’s staying?” The question came from Josh, but the confused look in Derek’s eyes asked the same thing.

      “Of course.”

      She stared up at him. “I am?”

      “You have somewhere else to go?” Kane didn’t bother to hold his breath waiting for her answer because he knew she didn’t. If she did, she’d be there.

      “Uh, no.”

      “Then you’re stuck with me.” Because he sure as hell wasn’t letting her out of his sight. “Derek, go.”

      Derek saluted, then ripped out the page with the list. “Yes, sir.”

      One down, one to go. “Josh, do some digging. See what you can find out. My research resources are limited at the moment, so I’m depending on you.”

      “Gotcha.” Josh stood up СКАЧАТЬ