Read Online Thrown Off: A Cozy Mystery (Brenna Battle Book 3) by Laney Monday - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Laney Monday
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on me.
Will raised his eyebrows. His mouth twitched in a smile. I almost started to be embarrassed. But Will’s expression filled with a deepening warmth. He wasn’t laughing at me. He was quite pleased with my flirtatious comment. His eyes made me want to inch closer. Without thinking, I did.
He lifted his hand to my cheek. It was warm from holding the hot coffee cup. He said softly, “Well now, Miss Battle. Don’t be too disappointed. My official business won’t take long.”
“And then what?”
Will’s dimples deepened. He brought his lips to mine. His kisses were sweet and soft. My whole body relaxed. I almost dropped my coffee. Some of the ice cold liquid dripped over my hand. I didn’t care. I kept kissing Will.
A siren blipped. I jolted, and the coffee went flying. Whipped cream and precious, caramelly slush shot out in an arc. My hand had instinctively squeezed the plastic cup as it slipped out of my hand at the sound of the siren, forcing the dome lid off. Then the whole thing slid out of my hand. Will swore and jostled his coffee, but managed to only spill a little bit on the floor.
I stared at the sad, sad, mess I’d made, then out the window. The police car disappeared, leaving a wake of loud laughter behind. “What the…? Who was that?”
“Pfeiffer. I’m gonna kill him.”
My face burned with embarrassment and outrage. I have to say, I would’ve paid good money to see Will beat the stuffing out of Officer Tony Pfeiffer. But…“Oh, no. He’s all mine.” It would be much more satisfying to do it myself. Skinny Officer Pfeiffer had enjoyed entirely too many laughs at my expense. The very first time I’d seen him, I’d humiliated myself. And found out my sister was being questioned for murder. Pfeiffer was not my favorite cop, and not just because Will Riggins had that spot locked up.
“I’m sorry, Brenna.”
“No, it’s not your fault. I can’t believe I dropped that. I just wasn’t expecting…I guess I was a little distracted.”
Will suppressed a smile. “Sorry about that,” he said again.
I looked away. I didn’t know what was worse—the untimely destruction of a beautiful caramel frappuccino thingy or the fact that Tony had seen me kissing Will like that. Kissing Will like I never wanted to do anything else. And then, of course, he’d been richly rewarded by watching me spurt coffee all over the dojo floor.
“I’ll get you another coffee when we’re done here.”
I nodded, but I was too mad to speak. I grabbed a roll of paper towels and a container of wipes from a nearby shelf. We kept them handy for nosebleeds and other mishaps. Will set his coffee on the desk and knelt next to me to clean up the mess. When the last sticky streaks had been wiped, he reached over the pile of used paper towels and wipes between us and covered my hand with his. He pulled me closer. And then the door to the stairwell opened. I pulled back like I’d just put my hand on Blythe’s hot curling iron.
“Did you mop already?” Blythe said. Her hair was blown dry and pulled back in a perky pony tail. “Oh, hi, Will.” I could tell she wanted to smirk, but she was too polite for that. She liked to think she’d played matchmaker with Will and me. She was very proud of her budding success.
“Hi, Blythe,” Will said. He cleared his throat. “Maybe we should sit down…so we can concentrate on business,” he said to me.
I nodded and scooped up the dirty towels and wipes. I told Blythe, “No, I didn’t spray yet either. I, uh, spilled some coffee. We were cleaning it up. Will needs to talk to me about that picture Glenda took.”
“Okay, you guys talk. I’ll spray.”
“Thanks.” I threw away the garbage and headed for my desk.
Instead of sitting in the chair placed across from my desk for parents, Will helped himself to Blythe’s desk chair. Hers was right beside mine. He swiveled toward me. “Okay. What do you remember about the picture?”
“A big blur.
Will raised his eyebrows. His mouth twitched in a smile. I almost started to be embarrassed. But Will’s expression filled with a deepening warmth. He wasn’t laughing at me. He was quite pleased with my flirtatious comment. His eyes made me want to inch closer. Without thinking, I did.
He lifted his hand to my cheek. It was warm from holding the hot coffee cup. He said softly, “Well now, Miss Battle. Don’t be too disappointed. My official business won’t take long.”
“And then what?”
Will’s dimples deepened. He brought his lips to mine. His kisses were sweet and soft. My whole body relaxed. I almost dropped my coffee. Some of the ice cold liquid dripped over my hand. I didn’t care. I kept kissing Will.
A siren blipped. I jolted, and the coffee went flying. Whipped cream and precious, caramelly slush shot out in an arc. My hand had instinctively squeezed the plastic cup as it slipped out of my hand at the sound of the siren, forcing the dome lid off. Then the whole thing slid out of my hand. Will swore and jostled his coffee, but managed to only spill a little bit on the floor.
I stared at the sad, sad, mess I’d made, then out the window. The police car disappeared, leaving a wake of loud laughter behind. “What the…? Who was that?”
“Pfeiffer. I’m gonna kill him.”
My face burned with embarrassment and outrage. I have to say, I would’ve paid good money to see Will beat the stuffing out of Officer Tony Pfeiffer. But…“Oh, no. He’s all mine.” It would be much more satisfying to do it myself. Skinny Officer Pfeiffer had enjoyed entirely too many laughs at my expense. The very first time I’d seen him, I’d humiliated myself. And found out my sister was being questioned for murder. Pfeiffer was not my favorite cop, and not just because Will Riggins had that spot locked up.
“I’m sorry, Brenna.”
“No, it’s not your fault. I can’t believe I dropped that. I just wasn’t expecting…I guess I was a little distracted.”
Will suppressed a smile. “Sorry about that,” he said again.
I looked away. I didn’t know what was worse—the untimely destruction of a beautiful caramel frappuccino thingy or the fact that Tony had seen me kissing Will like that. Kissing Will like I never wanted to do anything else. And then, of course, he’d been richly rewarded by watching me spurt coffee all over the dojo floor.
“I’ll get you another coffee when we’re done here.”
I nodded, but I was too mad to speak. I grabbed a roll of paper towels and a container of wipes from a nearby shelf. We kept them handy for nosebleeds and other mishaps. Will set his coffee on the desk and knelt next to me to clean up the mess. When the last sticky streaks had been wiped, he reached over the pile of used paper towels and wipes between us and covered my hand with his. He pulled me closer. And then the door to the stairwell opened. I pulled back like I’d just put my hand on Blythe’s hot curling iron.
“Did you mop already?” Blythe said. Her hair was blown dry and pulled back in a perky pony tail. “Oh, hi, Will.” I could tell she wanted to smirk, but she was too polite for that. She liked to think she’d played matchmaker with Will and me. She was very proud of her budding success.
“Hi, Blythe,” Will said. He cleared his throat. “Maybe we should sit down…so we can concentrate on business,” he said to me.
I nodded and scooped up the dirty towels and wipes. I told Blythe, “No, I didn’t spray yet either. I, uh, spilled some coffee. We were cleaning it up. Will needs to talk to me about that picture Glenda took.”
“Okay, you guys talk. I’ll spray.”
“Thanks.” I threw away the garbage and headed for my desk.
Instead of sitting in the chair placed across from my desk for parents, Will helped himself to Blythe’s desk chair. Hers was right beside mine. He swiveled toward me. “Okay. What do you remember about the picture?”
“A big blur.
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