sides as he leaned
his backside against the counter where she was working. His intent to invade
her personal space was clearly a power play, but she wasn’t going to let him
win.
Tori turned her back to him, feeling a
modicum of satisfaction when she heard him sigh.
“Can we at least pretend to be mature
adults?”
“I am a mature adult. Too bad I can’t say
the same for you.”
“You wanna tell me what the hell that was
out in my truck?”
“Call it a moment of weakness… or stupidity.”
She turned around to glare at him. “We’re all entitled to make mistakes. Aren’t
we, Lieutenant?” They both knew she was throwing his words back in face, but it
didn’t give her as much satisfaction as she’d hoped it would. She’d been
waiting two long years to tell him what she thought of his abhorrent behavior
that night, but now that she finally had the chance, she couldn’t find the
words.
“Look, I’m sorry I acted like a jerk that
night, okay? You didn’t deserve that.”
“You’re damn right I didn’t.” She grabbed a
cloth and began wiping the granite counters down. The cleaning service had been
in that day, and there wasn’t a speck of dirt to be seen, but she needed
something to do with her hands. The alternative was wrapping her arms around
his neck and pulling him in for another one of those bone-melting kisses he’d
treated her to in his truck.
“In spite of what you may think, I don’t
sleep with every guy I meet.”
He practically growled as he fisted his
hands on the counter behind him. “I sure as hell hope not.”
“But that’s what you thought, isn’t it?”
“You didn’t waste any time goin’ out with
that boxer, now did you?”
Tori tried telling herself he didn’t
deserve an explanation. They weren’t even seeing each other. They’d shared one
meaningless night two years ago, nothing more, but for some reason, his opinion
of her mattered. Too damn much. “I wasn’t sleepin’ with him. Not that it’s any
of your business.”
“Good.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do.” She threw her cleaning cloth
down on the counter and crossed her arms when he had the audacity to smirk at
her. “I’m glad you find this so amusing.”
“You’ve had one hell of a night. I’m just
tryin’ to take your mind off your troubles.”
“By remindin’ me I have lousy taste in men?
First, I sleep with you, then some psychopath who breaks into my house and
sends me obscene letters?”
“About those letters… I wanna see them.
Now.”
Tori hated he was so used to getting his
own way, that he just expected her to comply, but she couldn’t very well deny
his demand if she wanted this man brought to justice. “Fine, I’ll get them, but
you pour the coffee. If you’re gonna be stayin’ here, the least you can do is
make yourself useful.” She tried to ignore the husky sound of his laughter as
she made her way down the hall to her study. He made it so damn hard to hate
him.
When she returned with the letters in hand,
Mike set a cup of light coffee in front of her. She frowned as she brought the
cup to her lips. Two sugars, half coffee, half milk, just the way she liked it.
“How the hell did you know?”
“Don’t you remember the first time we met
at my old man’s place? You had a coffee, just that way, and I teased you about
it mercilessly.”
“How can you remember that? I barely
remember what I had for lunch today.”
He moved in closer to tuck a strand of hair
behind her ear. “Don’t you think I want to forget? I can’t.”
Tori knew he was talking about the night
they spent together. She wanted to forget too, more than anything, but no
matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t erase the memories. “Maybe you need to
get a life then.” She took a step back, just out of his reach, as the coffee
nearly sloshed over the rim of her mug. “That little twit you were with at
Luc’s house last month, what was her name, Bambi…? She
his backside against the counter where she was working. His intent to invade
her personal space was clearly a power play, but she wasn’t going to let him
win.
Tori turned her back to him, feeling a
modicum of satisfaction when she heard him sigh.
“Can we at least pretend to be mature
adults?”
“I am a mature adult. Too bad I can’t say
the same for you.”
“You wanna tell me what the hell that was
out in my truck?”
“Call it a moment of weakness… or stupidity.”
She turned around to glare at him. “We’re all entitled to make mistakes. Aren’t
we, Lieutenant?” They both knew she was throwing his words back in face, but it
didn’t give her as much satisfaction as she’d hoped it would. She’d been
waiting two long years to tell him what she thought of his abhorrent behavior
that night, but now that she finally had the chance, she couldn’t find the
words.
“Look, I’m sorry I acted like a jerk that
night, okay? You didn’t deserve that.”
“You’re damn right I didn’t.” She grabbed a
cloth and began wiping the granite counters down. The cleaning service had been
in that day, and there wasn’t a speck of dirt to be seen, but she needed
something to do with her hands. The alternative was wrapping her arms around
his neck and pulling him in for another one of those bone-melting kisses he’d
treated her to in his truck.
“In spite of what you may think, I don’t
sleep with every guy I meet.”
He practically growled as he fisted his
hands on the counter behind him. “I sure as hell hope not.”
“But that’s what you thought, isn’t it?”
“You didn’t waste any time goin’ out with
that boxer, now did you?”
Tori tried telling herself he didn’t
deserve an explanation. They weren’t even seeing each other. They’d shared one
meaningless night two years ago, nothing more, but for some reason, his opinion
of her mattered. Too damn much. “I wasn’t sleepin’ with him. Not that it’s any
of your business.”
“Good.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do.” She threw her cleaning cloth
down on the counter and crossed her arms when he had the audacity to smirk at
her. “I’m glad you find this so amusing.”
“You’ve had one hell of a night. I’m just
tryin’ to take your mind off your troubles.”
“By remindin’ me I have lousy taste in men?
First, I sleep with you, then some psychopath who breaks into my house and
sends me obscene letters?”
“About those letters… I wanna see them.
Now.”
Tori hated he was so used to getting his
own way, that he just expected her to comply, but she couldn’t very well deny
his demand if she wanted this man brought to justice. “Fine, I’ll get them, but
you pour the coffee. If you’re gonna be stayin’ here, the least you can do is
make yourself useful.” She tried to ignore the husky sound of his laughter as
she made her way down the hall to her study. He made it so damn hard to hate
him.
When she returned with the letters in hand,
Mike set a cup of light coffee in front of her. She frowned as she brought the
cup to her lips. Two sugars, half coffee, half milk, just the way she liked it.
“How the hell did you know?”
“Don’t you remember the first time we met
at my old man’s place? You had a coffee, just that way, and I teased you about
it mercilessly.”
“How can you remember that? I barely
remember what I had for lunch today.”
He moved in closer to tuck a strand of hair
behind her ear. “Don’t you think I want to forget? I can’t.”
Tori knew he was talking about the night
they spent together. She wanted to forget too, more than anything, but no
matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t erase the memories. “Maybe you need to
get a life then.” She took a step back, just out of his reach, as the coffee
nearly sloshed over the rim of her mug. “That little twit you were with at
Luc’s house last month, what was her name, Bambi…? She
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