Read Online Fast and Easy by Betty Womack - Free Book Online

standing at the back of the room.
    Her heart flipped when Don nodded and winked at her. He was a lot of things, but he would never be a conformist.
    God, he was the reason her heart banged against her ribs and made her feel giddy as hell. She looked away to find the flirt from the elevator gazing at her.
    The rule of fraternization being discouraged fast forwarded through her brain. He was probably with IA.
    Her attention jerked back to serious things coming fast and furious. Sign the damn promotion papers and see where she would be assigned.
    Her hand faltered for a half second, holding the pen up while she took in all the changes coming in her life.
    Captain Redstone is being sent to east patrol, will assume responsibility for forty men, and take over the evening shift. Well, hell. This was what she’d broke her back for, and wasn’t she ready to be given more responsibility?
    She unconsciously bit her lower lip and scrawled her signature on the form.
    The secretary gathered up the forms and told the group to help themselves to the coffee and sweet rolls. Not interested in the mini-breakfast, she gathered her things to leave.
    Her cell phone chimed in her purse, and Carmen hurried to silence the soft ring. She worried her mother might need her. She turned her back to the group and answered the call. “Redstone here.”
    “You’re pretty.”
“What?”
    “And you make me hot just to look at you.”
    Her gaze slid to the back of the room. She should have been ticked off, but found Genonese’s grin positively devastating. His voice crooned low, but she heard every word.
    Stay calm, Carmen. He’s playing with you
.
    His timing couldn’t be more deplorable, but she loved his unorthodox moment of playfulness. Before she could think of a scalding comeback, the flirt wearing a flashy tie approached her. She closed her cell phone and dropped it in her purse.
    “I don’t need any of your sexist comments, buddy.” She glanced back at Don, but he had already been caught up in conversation with another officer. It seemed the perfect time to escape the stifling scene.
    “I’m Detective Bill Gentry.” He handed her the jacket she’d left on her chair. “We’ll be working together at East patrol.”
    “That’s nice.” Carmen clenched her teeth. If he represented the typical man she’d deal with every day on her new job, her life was going to be crap. “I’ll see you there.”
    “If you need anything, just whistle.”
    “I’ll do that, thanks.” Might as well be civil to the jerk since she would be seeing him everyday.
    * * * *
    Don knew Gentry and his phenomenal luck with chicks. The bastard got more tail than a rock star. And now, he was trying to make a move on Carmen. A smirk worked its way over his mouth. She was too smart for Gentry’s type, and her reaction hadn’t been encouraging.
    Hot waves of reality rocked him back on his heels.
    Jealous? Worried? Feeling abandoned?
    All that and more, plus the empty feeling of real loss knotted his gut.
    What chance did he have with her now? Separated by a whole city from now on, they would be too busy for much spontaneous combustion sex.
    Damn. Another reason to forget being with her cropped up in his mind. Stella, the redhead from East patrol. Hot, and always available.
    He may as well crawl in a hole and pull it in after him as far as his Carmen was concerned. Yeah, he’d started to think of her as his woman. How bad was that?
    He watched her walk to the door, Gentry hot on her heels. A pleasure rush hit him when Carmen turned and gave him a tiny tilt of her head, her signal to meet her outside the door.
    Don ran into a chair and the snack table on his way out of that damn room.
    He looked around the hallway, and finally spotted her near the back entrance.
    God, she’s beautiful
.
    “Hey.” He stood as close to her as decently possible, bracing his hand on the wall. “I meant what I said, Carm.”
    Her fantastic brown eyes returned his gaze, and he