:: Michael ::
I spent an anxious evening awaiting a phone call that never came.
I wasn't surprised when Officer Munroe strode into my store the next morning, but I was surprised to see that he was in jeans and a t-shirt. I could see the definition of his muscles and my mouth started watering.
Oh, so what!
I thought.
So he has nice pecs and a six pack
. Then, I saw that the jeans were clinging to his sculpted thighs and buttocks. I was in trouble.
Big
trouble. If only I didn't have an addiction to chocolate milk and hadn't visited that store ...
"Jerry, take over."
I left my worker in charge of the cash register and sauntered up to the cop. He was examining some textured wallpaper and I was momentarily mesmerized as I watched his big, thick fingers stroking the sample square. He seemed like a big, dumb oaf but his appreciation of the Alexander Julian paper told me differently. Yet another revealing fact about this mysterious man. I cleared my throat.
"Need a room redone?"
"Uh, oh, hi." He dropped his hand, his features coloring. I thought his blush was the sweetest thing that I had ever seen.
"Hi." I moved forward and stroked the same square that he had. "Are you looking for wallpaper?"
"Eh, no."
"Too bad." I stood next to him, looking up at the sample wall. "We have a great selection of textured wallpapers."
"I'm sure you do."
His lack of official clothing was disconcerting and I decided that I couldn't afford to play games with him. "So, Officer Munroe, what can I do for you?"
"My name's Robby."
His dark eyes tied my stomach in knots. "Ok, Robby. What can I do for you?"
"I came to find out why you didn't meet me for breakfast."
"Huh?" The smile on his face was priceless and I wished I had a gun right then to put myself out of my misery. "I β I don't understand."
"What's to understand? It's breakfast. Eggs, bacon, orange juice, tea and maybe some hash
browns ... "
"Tea?" I don't know why but I wanted to play his game.
"Yeah, herbal. They also have fresh blueberry muffins with cream cheese and decent lox ... "
My heart was beating so loud that I wondered if anyone else in the store could hear it. He knew that he'd ensnared me with the promise of food. Geez, I was such a cheap date! I wanted to go so badly, but I knew what my instructions had been and dates in public restaurants weren't on the list of acceptable things. "It's nice of you to offer, Robby, but I can't accept."
I was amazed that he didn't look irritated. Instead, he looked almost ... pleased. He stepped closer, his voice a deep sexy hum in my ear. "Ever since you left yesterday, I've been doing nothing but thinking about you. And if you don't go to breakfast with me, I'll be forced to arrest you."
I jumped back, blushing as I laughed at his unexpected audacity. "You wouldn't!"
He slightly turned sideways and showed me the handcuffs tucked into his waist, his smile dark and mischievous. "Try me."
At once, I knew why serial killers and kidnappers were able to convince their victims to come with them. There was nothing I could do to deny Robby. And he damn well knew it.
"All right." I said giving an answering smirk to his knowing smile. "You win."
* * * * *
Robby chose a nice place, sort of out of the way, which made me happy. I had an omelet stuffed with crisp bell peppers, onions and sausage, a plate of golden butter-fried hash browns and washed it down with two pots of orange pekoe tea. Robby just laughed and called me a lightweight as he devoured a stack of buttermilk pancakes, dripping with butter and drizzled with amber maple syrup, two plates of hash browns, six sausage links, eight slices of bacon, an omelet filled with tomatoes, onions and peppers and three slices of wheat bread with apple jelly.
"Holy Jesus!" I laughed, watching him wipe his sexy mouth and tip back a large glass of grapefruit juice. I wanted to reach out and touch his bobbing Adam's apple but restrained myself. I was so turned on by his admission that he was thinking about me that almost everything he did had become sexual. Except eating. "I guess I
am
a lightweight."
"I've always had a hearty appetite." His dark eyes gazed into mine. "How about you?"
"Are we still talking about food?"
He smiled but it was a tight, leaving me wondering what was going on in his heart. "Depends."
"On what?"
"On whether you're honest with me or not."
I grabbed my lukewarm cup of tea and sat back in the booth. "I presume you're asking about the report."
"Yes."
I took a long sip, my brain swirling. "What would you say if I said couldn't tell you?"
His expression hardened but his eyes retained an air of gentleness. "I would want to know why."
"As a cop?" I couldn't help myself. I wanted Robby more than I've wanted any one in a long time. I needed to know what his agenda was.