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Co
Twenty minutes later, Co
“You sure you don’t want us to wait?” Micah asked.
Co
“Okay, man. Let me know if you need anything.”
Co
Co
Her legs dangled and she was talking and waving her hands in animated fashion. Her cheek dimpled with a smile and her eyes twinkled. It dawned on him that she hadn’t smiled much and certainly not so unreservedly.
Micah was right. She was fucking beautiful.
Her eyes dimmed when she caught sight of him and she crossed her arms over her chest as she stared past the cops. They turned and followed her gaze to where Co
He folded his arms in an imitation of hers and cast a baleful look in her direction.
One of the cops, a guy who made Co
“You the guy who’s supposed to be looking out for Lyric?”
Co
“Yeah, I am. Lyric said you were being a dickhead so she took off. She stopped me to ask me for an escort. Said some crazy stalker is after her.”
“Well, at least she had the sense to ask for help,” Co
“She shouldn’t be out on her own.”
Co
Sergeant Willis nodded. “We did. We sat her down after we figured out who she was. We gave her a Breathalyzer. I thought she’d been drinking.”
Co
“She’s nice. Not at all uppity like some of the magazines say. She gave all the boys autographs and let them take pictures with her. She even offered us tickets to the rodeo the night she’s performing.”
Leave it to Lyric to make conquests and make Co
“Can I take her home now?” Co
Sergeant Willis hesitated. “If she wants to go.”
Co
He stepped around the sergeant and strode to where Lyric was still sitting on the edge of the desk.
“Are you ready to go?”
Lyric frowned. “No. I don’t want to go anywhere with you. You’re fired. These nice officers have offered to take me back to my hotel.”
Co
“You can’t fire me, Lyric. We’ve been through this before.”
Her frown grew fiercer and she glanced toward Sergeant Willis. “He can’t make me do anything, right?”
Sergeant Willis shook his head. “No, ma’am, he can’t. If you want him gone, say the word. You can even get a restraining order.”
“Oh, for the love of God, Lyric. Be reasonable.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Me be reasonable? You’re the asshole here. I’ve been accommodating. I’ve done everything you asked me to. I even wore this ridiculous outfit so I wouldn’t offend any of your friends. I agreed to let you stay in my hotel room. How am I the unreasonable one here?”
He arched one eyebrow. “What the hell’s wrong with your clothes?”
She gave him a look of disgust. “I’m wearing jeans and a T-shirt and no makeup what so ever.” She glanced up at the officers and let her lips quiver. “He humiliated me in front of his friends.”
They all turned and glared at Co
“Are they going to be able to stay with you every hour of the next two weeks?” Co
“I take it very seriously,” she gritted out. “If you took it so damn serious, you’d work harder not to piss me off.”
Okay, so she had a point. He blew out his breath and shoved his hands into his pockets. “All right, Lyric. Truce.”
She stared suspiciously at him.
“It’s late. You need rest. You’ve had a headache all day. Let’s go back to the hotel so I can give you some more medicine and get you to bed.”
As he’d hoped, the other cops nodded their agreement. Score one for him.
“It’s a good idea, Ms. Jones,” Sergeant Willis said.
She scowled at the sergeant. “I haven’t forgiven you for cuffing me yet, so you don’t get a vote.”
“You cuffed her?” Co
It was the sergeant’s turn to look uncomfortable. “I thought she might be a little unstable.” He tapped his temple as he spoke to indicate what he meant.
Lyric’s mouth popped open in outrage. “Is that what ten ninety-six means?”
Sergeant Willis gave her a sheepish look. “Yes, ma’am. We don’t normally use call signs, but I thought if you understood what I was saying over the radio, you might prove more difficult.”
“Men,” she muttered. “All assholes. I ask you for help and you think I’m psycho.”
Co
“Oh, all right. I’ll go with you. But if you piss me off again, I’m going to get that restraining order Sergeant Willis said I could have done.”
Every single one of the policemen fished a card from his wallet and thrust it toward Lyric. All with the assurance that if she ever needed anything, she had only to call.
Lyric smiled and took each of the cards and thanked the officers for their help. Co
“The BMW is still at the gas station,” Lyric mumbled when she got to him. “How are we getting to the hotel?”
“I’ll call a cab.”
“One of us will be happy to drive you back to the gas station to pick up the car,” Sergeant Willis offered. “I’m assuming you have the keys this time.”
Co
CHAPTER 10
Angelina walked into the bedroom where Micah was already lying on the bed. Propped on his elbow, he watched as she closed the bedroom door and the glitter in his eyes told her what was to come.
Her breath hitched in her throat. She never got tired of that look. It was tender and possessive. It was dark and loving. It was all the things that made her feel cherished beyond measure.
“Undress for me,” he commanded in a quiet voice. “I want to see you and our baby.”
She obeyed without question, her hands sliding to the buttons of her shirt. Slowly she pulled away her clothing, letting the shirt and then her pants drift to the floor until she was clad in only her panties and bra.
Then she reached behind her to undo the clasp of her bra. The straps slid over her shoulders and the cups came away, baring her breasts to his avid gaze.
They were heavier now. She’d always been a bit small, or at least she considered them small. Micah had never complained. But now she’d gained at least a cup size, and they were tender and swollen from her pregnancy.