what he was going to do next. So far, Shay had contributed four words to the conversation. He was going to have to get rid of the guy to get her side of the story.
When he raised his gaze from his notepad he was pleased to see a sheen of sweat had formed on Eric’s upper lip. Definitely nervous. “You need to know I can arrest you right now for harassment and assault.” He waited a beat to allow the man time to absorb his situation. “If Ms. Appleton wants to press charges, I’ll be happy to add a laundry list of other offenses.”
Eric’s head swiveled toward Shay. “You can’t do that. Not if—” He seemed to catch himself before he finished.
James glanced at her. “Shay?”
She offered a stiff lift of one shoulder. “Stay away from me, Eric.” She looked at James, a small frown pinching her brows together. “No charges.”
James didn’t take his eyes off Coates. “But Shay—”
“I said no charges.”
James suppressed his annoyance with her decision while noting that relief flooded Coates’s expression. “In that case, I’m issuing you a citation.” He signed a sheet and ripped it off his pad and held it out.
Looking smug, Eric took it, then turned to Shay. “Remember what I said. We’ll talk later.”
“I wouldn’t advise that.” James came up behind Eric, close enough to make his physical presence a direct threat. “On a personal level I’m telling you to leave Ms. Appleton alone. Permanently.”
Eric swung around, his eyes widening. James let him look. “So … what? You’re the new boyfriend?”
Bogart stood up, his ears flicking forward in response to the man’s aggressive tone toward his handler.
Eric looked down and his expression changed. “So that’s where the dog came from.” He looked back at Shay. “You cheating slut.”
Bogart bared his teeth in answer.
Shay lifted her chin against the insult. “You should leave, Eric. Now.”
Eric’s gaze flicked between man and dog. “Okay. Right. I’m done.”
James didn’t plan to block Eric with his shoulder as he passed, but somehow the man was thrown off balance, stumbled into the sofa, and fell.
Unsmiling, James held out a helping hand. “Sorry about that.”
For a split second the heat of testosterone-fueled challenge shimmered between them. Then Eric’s gaze shifted to where James was holding the harness of an angry barking dog.
Ignoring James’s offer of a hand, he quickly righted himself, and lurched through the front door, slamming it behind him.
The second the door closed the remaining pair turned and spoke at the same time.
“Are you okay?”
“How did you know about last night?”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Go ahead.”
Shay rubbed her palms up and down her denim-clad thighs. “No, you.”
James smiled, slipping out of police mode. “Ladies first.”
“Wait a sec.” Shay crossed over to lock her door.
As James pulled Bogart’s favorite ball from his pocket and tossed it as a reward for a good job, he noticed that she had three locks where most people could have been satisfied with one. The first was oxidized with age. The other two were shiny and new.
When she turned back to him, it seemed she had reconsidered her first question because she substituted another. “Why did you do that?”
“What?”
She folded her arms and stared.
Busted. “I saw what he was doing to you, Shay. You should have let me arrest him. Since you wouldn’t, I sent him that message in a way he’ll remember.”
Her chin shot up. He didn’t need words to translate that into I can take care of myself. Trouble was, it was obvious that she had been doing a lousy job. Not that that was his business, but—whoa. Wait. Not. His. Business. Even so …
“Want to tell me why you won’t press charges?”
She looked away. “I have my reasons.”
“Whatever they are, they aren’t going to keep him from putting his hands on you, again, like when I walked in.”
Shay reached down to Bogart, who had come up to
When he raised his gaze from his notepad he was pleased to see a sheen of sweat had formed on Eric’s upper lip. Definitely nervous. “You need to know I can arrest you right now for harassment and assault.” He waited a beat to allow the man time to absorb his situation. “If Ms. Appleton wants to press charges, I’ll be happy to add a laundry list of other offenses.”
Eric’s head swiveled toward Shay. “You can’t do that. Not if—” He seemed to catch himself before he finished.
James glanced at her. “Shay?”
She offered a stiff lift of one shoulder. “Stay away from me, Eric.” She looked at James, a small frown pinching her brows together. “No charges.”
James didn’t take his eyes off Coates. “But Shay—”
“I said no charges.”
James suppressed his annoyance with her decision while noting that relief flooded Coates’s expression. “In that case, I’m issuing you a citation.” He signed a sheet and ripped it off his pad and held it out.
Looking smug, Eric took it, then turned to Shay. “Remember what I said. We’ll talk later.”
“I wouldn’t advise that.” James came up behind Eric, close enough to make his physical presence a direct threat. “On a personal level I’m telling you to leave Ms. Appleton alone. Permanently.”
Eric swung around, his eyes widening. James let him look. “So … what? You’re the new boyfriend?”
Bogart stood up, his ears flicking forward in response to the man’s aggressive tone toward his handler.
Eric looked down and his expression changed. “So that’s where the dog came from.” He looked back at Shay. “You cheating slut.”
Bogart bared his teeth in answer.
Shay lifted her chin against the insult. “You should leave, Eric. Now.”
Eric’s gaze flicked between man and dog. “Okay. Right. I’m done.”
James didn’t plan to block Eric with his shoulder as he passed, but somehow the man was thrown off balance, stumbled into the sofa, and fell.
Unsmiling, James held out a helping hand. “Sorry about that.”
For a split second the heat of testosterone-fueled challenge shimmered between them. Then Eric’s gaze shifted to where James was holding the harness of an angry barking dog.
Ignoring James’s offer of a hand, he quickly righted himself, and lurched through the front door, slamming it behind him.
The second the door closed the remaining pair turned and spoke at the same time.
“Are you okay?”
“How did you know about last night?”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Go ahead.”
Shay rubbed her palms up and down her denim-clad thighs. “No, you.”
James smiled, slipping out of police mode. “Ladies first.”
“Wait a sec.” Shay crossed over to lock her door.
As James pulled Bogart’s favorite ball from his pocket and tossed it as a reward for a good job, he noticed that she had three locks where most people could have been satisfied with one. The first was oxidized with age. The other two were shiny and new.
When she turned back to him, it seemed she had reconsidered her first question because she substituted another. “Why did you do that?”
“What?”
She folded her arms and stared.
Busted. “I saw what he was doing to you, Shay. You should have let me arrest him. Since you wouldn’t, I sent him that message in a way he’ll remember.”
Her chin shot up. He didn’t need words to translate that into I can take care of myself. Trouble was, it was obvious that she had been doing a lousy job. Not that that was his business, but—whoa. Wait. Not. His. Business. Even so …
“Want to tell me why you won’t press charges?”
She looked away. “I have my reasons.”
“Whatever they are, they aren’t going to keep him from putting his hands on you, again, like when I walked in.”
Shay reached down to Bogart, who had come up to
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