You Only Love Once

He appeared to think her question through, then shook his head. “Nope.”

She pointed her finger in his direction. “That’s exactly the reason we need to talk. Just what did you think you were doing climbing that fire escape without backup? Without anyone knowing just what you were doing? Then barging through that open window like…like some uniformed supercop there to save the day?”

He arched a brow. “Uniformed supercop?”

Kelli bit her tongue. She’d picked up the description from one of the many news reports the night before.

“Look, Hatfield, you and I could argue about this all day…and all night,” a decidedly suggestive twinkle entered his eyes, “but when all is said and done, there was no time to plan. SWAT had a shot and Sutherland was about to give the order for them to take it. I had to act, and I had to act fast.” He stopped at a red light. “Okay, I admit, sending you to get donuts was a pretty rotten thing to do—”

“Downright crappy.”

He grinned. “Yeah. But, hell, I was still shocked to find you were on the force, much less my partner, and I needed some time to adjust before going out and playing Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, you know?”

His explanation made Kelli more agitated. Only because it made a twisted sort of sense. What was the world coming to when she understood the inner workings of a mind like David’s?

Worse yet, what was with her desire to keep looking at the way the material of his slacks clung to his hunky, well-defined thighs?

“Just don’t do it again, McCoy, or else you won’t have to worry about Sutherland taking a piece out of your behind. I’ll be the one with that honor.”

He flashed that devil-may-care grin at her again, making her want to smack her forehead against the dash in exasperation. “Sounds fun.”

She mumbled a series of unflattering remarks under her breath.

David’s grin vanished. “That was just a joke. Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I’ll let you take the lead on the next call that comes in, okay? Whatever it is—bank robbery, car chase, shoplifter. You name it, I’ll stand back and let you handle it any way you want to. You’ll be completely, totally, in charge.”

Naughty images that had nothing to do with police work slid through her mind. Finally, she managed to say, “I don’t want to be the leader, McCoy. I just want to be your partner.” She uncrossed her arms and smiled. “But you’ve got a deal.”

Just then, the radio crackled. The dispatcher named a code and a location. “All officers in the vicinity, please respond.”

Kelli rolled her eyes. A domestic dispute. It figured. The one call she was going to get to control and it would probably be settling an argument over who left the cap off the toothpaste.

“Aren’t you going to call it in, Hatfield? We’re only two blocks away,” David said, then laughed so hard he had to slow down the car.

Kelli glared at him. “I was thinking about letting another patrol get it.” Then she sighed and picked up the handset. “Dispatch, this is Five-Two. We’ve got it. ETA five minutes.”

4

BOY, SHE’S EVEN more beautiful all worked up. David slipped his nightstick into his weapons belt, then closed his car door. On the other side, Kelli did the same, the high color on her cheeks reflecting how she felt. And he knew it was in response to him. He inwardly grinned. She might act like being around him didn’t affect her one way or another, but her sparkling green eyes told him differently. He’d be the first to admit that having her pissed at him wouldn’t be his first choice in responses, but hey, he’d take it over her pretended indifference any day.

They stood on the curb looking at the four-story, low-rent walk-up. Nothing out of the ordinary jumped out at him. Windows were closed against the December cold. A man in his thirties was leading a bicycle from the door and carrying it down the ten or so cement steps.