Page 47 of Cuffed (Everyday Heroes 1)
“Officer Malone.”
“Don’t give me your ‘Officer Malone’ bullshit. How about Officer Stalker? Or Officer Asshole? It looks like you’re a real crime fighter, sitting out there at the end of an empty runway.”
His chuckle fills the line and grates on every nerve that isn’t already shredded. “You never know where a crime may occur.” There’s a slow, relaxed drawl to his voice.
“Huh.”
“Like it sure is a damn crime how good you look in that flight suit when you bend over and fold those parachutes.”
I click end on the phone and stew as I pace the short distance of my office like a caged animal. He’s going to sit out there for over two hours and that’s all he has? The jerk.
I hit send again and grit my teeth harder with each and every ring. He finally picks up on the fourth one, right before it goes to voice mail.
“Seriously? That’s the best you can do? You’ve gotta work on a better line than that.”
“I knew you’d call back.”
“You’re infuriating.”
“Perhaps.”
“Definitely.” I sit in my chair and then stand again, too antsy to stay still. “Why have you been sitting out there all day? If it’s just to annoy the hell out of me, you’ve succeeded. Whatever else it is you’re trying to do, it isn’t going to work,” I lie.
“Mmm.”
“What’s that supposed to—Oh . . .” The light bulb comes on. “I see what you’re doing here, Malone.”
“What’s that?”
“You’re trying to get the upper hand.”
“I am?”
“Quit answering everything I say with a question, damn it.” I throw my hands up in exasperation.
“Why does that bug you?”
“Grrr. You just did it again!”
“Do you think I don’t know that?” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice, but I’m not going to play into his question carnival again.
“I’m not letting anyone control me or any situation regardless of what one particularly annoying male may think.”
His chuckle fills the line again, and I hate that with as mad as I am at him, it’s still sexy as hell. “You sure about that?”
“Damn sure.”
“You might want to double-check that hill you’re willing to die on.”
“Why’s that?” I narrow my brow as I stare out at his cruiser.
“Because I’ve already gotten what I came for.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“You to be thinking about me.”
The line goes dead.
