TACTICAL PLEASURE

An Ellora’s Cave Publication, February 2005

Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

1337 Commerce Drive, #13

Stow,OH 44224

ISBN MS Reader (LIT) ISBN # 1-4199-0146-X

Other available formats (no ISBNs are assigned):

Adobe (PDF), Rocketbook (RB), Mobipocket (PRC) & HTML

TACTICAL PLEASURE Copyright © 2005 J.C. WILDER

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or
locales is purely coincidental. They are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

Edited bySue-Ellen Gower .

Cover art bySyneca .

Warning:

The following material contains graphic sexual content meant for mature readers.Tactical Pleasure has
been rated S-ensuousby a minimum of three independent reviewers.

Ellora’s Cave Publishing offers three levels of Romantica™ reading entertainment: S (S-ensuous), E
(E-rotic), and X (X-treme).

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S-ensuouslove scenes are explicit and leave nothing to the imagination.

E-roticlove scenes are explicit, leave nothing to the imagination, and are high in volume per the overall
word count. In addition, some E-rated titles might contain fantasy material that some readers find
objectionable, such as bondage, submission, same sex encounters, forced seductions, and so forth.
E-ratedtitles are the most graphic titles we carry; it is common, for instance, for an author to use words
such as “fucking”, “cock”, “pussy”, and such within their work of literature.

X-tremetitles differ from E-rated titles only in plot premise and storylineexecution. Unlike E-rated titles,
stories designated with the letter X tend to contain controversial subject matter not for the faint of heart.

Men of SWAT:

Tactical Pleasure

J.C. Wilder

Dedication

ForLena

Acknowledgments

My heartfelt thanks go out to Officer Bryan Schwartz and Officer Doug Staysniak of the Westerville
Division of Police. Both men came to my aid in the writing of this novella and any mistakes are entirely
my own.

Chapter One

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“Hey, Randa, when are you going to wise up and run away with me?”

John Stevens looked up from his breakfast and his gaze automatically lit on the laughing woman standing
behind the counter just a few feet away.

Miranda White, the object of his most heated fantasies for the past six months, tilted back her dark head
and laughed. Her cheeks were pink with pleasure and her brown eyes sparkled with amusement.

“You just hush your mouth, Jay Barnes. Half the women in town would be crying into their pillows
tonight if they heard you talk such nonsense.” She grabbed the coffeepot from the burners behind her,
then filled Jay’s oversized white mug. “You’re in love with my lemon cookies, not me.”

“That’s not true.” Jay picked up a fat, yellow cookie. “I like your chocolate chip ones as well as these.”
He bit into it, stifling a groan as he did so.

“Tease.” She shook her head and moved away to refill other cups.

John forced his gaze back to his plate. All the guys who frequented Fitzy’s Diner flirted with Randa. She
was a great listener and everyone’s pal, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

“Johnny, I need a favor.”

He didn’t need to look up from his breakfast to see who spoke. Her voice was as familiar as the feel of
his gun nestled in the fanny pack around his waist. Her perfume, a pleasing blend of citrus mixing with
warm female skin teased his senses and set his body on alert.

“What do you need, babe?”

“Well, it’s kind of personal.”

Her words brought up his head. Randa rarely ever discussed anything personal, or at least so personal
she felt the need to use a disclaimer before she’d speak her mind.

She stood on the other side of the counter, her expression uncertain. Her short cap of dark hair was
mussed as if she’d recently run her fingers through it several times. Her bright pink polyester uniform
stretched across her ample breasts and his mouth watered. He forced his gaze away from her tempting
anatomy.

“What can I do?” he asked.

Randa cast an uneasy glance around the diner, causing John to do the same. At two-fifteen in the
afternoon, the only other customers were a few of his fellow police officers and a group of city council
members seated in the furthest booth. It was a typical Monday afternoon in the sleepy town ofHaven.

“I need your opinion on something.” Propping her elbows on the counter, she leaned close until they
were almost nose-to-nose. “How well do you know Picasso?”

John shot a glance at a man who sat at the other end of the counter. Micah Whitefeather, aka Picasso,

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was working his way through an impressive stack of blueberry pancakes. With his nose stuck in a book,
he appeared to be oblivious to the other occupants in the diner though John knew better than to believe
that. Micah was a seasoned officer, though new to Haven’s police department, and John had no doubt
he was aware of everything around him. Known for being a loner and not one for idle conversation,
Micah had earned his nickname with an off duty passion for sculpting and painting.

“Don’tlook at him,” Randa hissed and grabbed John’s chin to wrench his head back toward her. “He’ll
know we’re talking about him.”

He rolled his eyes. “As if he’ll care. We’re all so tired, we wouldn’t notice a bomb going off.”

“Did the SWAT team have a call last night?”

He nodded. “Some fool with a murder warrant inMarionCountywas armed to the teeth and barricaded
himself in the house. He’d taken a few pot shots at the cruisers before they called in the Tri-County
Tactical Unit. Lucky for us, by then he was too drunk to give us a hassle.”

“So you didn’t get to break down doors and toss those noisy grenades? I’ll bet you and the boys were
bummed,” Randa teased.

John couldn’t help but grin. She’d been around cops long enough to understand their psyches and she
was right. They’d been disappointed the apprehension hadn’t been more of a challenge.

“We don’t use grenades. They’re called flash-bangs.” His grin widened at the memory of the suspect’s
cheap front door shattering under the combined weight of the battering ram and the
two-hundred-and-thirty-pound man who’d wielded it. “We made one hell of an entry though. The shack
he was living in might have to be condemned.”

She fluttered her lashes and held her hands over her heart. “My hero,” she said in a fake southern drawl.
“Our city is now safe from that dastardly man—”

“Hey, Randa, when you’re done serving that old man his prune juice, can you get me some more iced
tea?” Kevin Nobs, one of the newest police recruits, called from a booth behind him.

John turned to level a cool stare at the wet-behind-the-ears officer. He was only thirty-six but in
comparison to Nobs, who was twenty-two and had a swagger to rival a seasoned officer, John might
appear ancient to the new boot. And if the boy didn’t watch it, he’d get himself into trouble with his
cocky attitude and pretty face.

“Be careful, Kev.” Randa winked at John before she grabbed the iced tea pitcher and sauntered around
the counter toward his booth. “Johnny may have socks older than you, boy, but he can still kick your ass
without breaking a sweat.”

John’s gaze followed her curvaceous figure. From the moment he’d met her, he’d been intrigued. She
had an easy smile, a quick laugh, beautiful brown eyes that could melt any hardened heart and a body
built for sin.

Short and curvy, she was walking, talking sex on two spectacularly shaped legs. Her neat, colorful
polyester uniforms sported buttons from neck to hem and those buttons had figured largely in his most
indecent fantasies. He’d let his imagination run riot with images of releasing each one to expose the pink
flesh of her bountiful breasts. He’d kiss his way down her body, taking time to find and arouse her most

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sensitive areas. Her nipples, her belly, the soft, wet flesh between her thighs…

He cleared his throat and pushed away the arousing images of Randa naked. He had to be on duty in
less than an hour and he didn’t want to issue tickets with a raging hard-on.

Kevin leaned toward Randa and whispered something and she laughed in response. From her short cap
of dark brown hair to the tips of her sturdy work shoes, she exuded a constant cheerfulness John found
refreshing. She could coax a laugh from anyone, even a complete stranger, in mere minutes. Many of the
single cops had asked her out at least once and she’d refused every one of them, including him.

In many ways her sunny disposition, candor and apparent disinterest made her all the more appealing to
the opposite sex. She flirted mildly, always careful to never go too far, and she seemed never to want for
male attention, which, of course, brought them all circling.

It also explained why he was nearly obsessed with her.

John turned back to his plate and poked his omelet with his fork. She’d made it obvious she wasn’t
interested in male companionship, not now at least. But that didn’t mean he’d stop trying to convince her
otherwise. Sooner or later, he’d have Miranda White in his bed.

“He’s such a smart-mouth.” Randa returned behind the counter.

He snorted. “We all are. He’s just more brazen about it.”

She bent to put the empty pitcher in the bus pan, inadvertently giving him a quick but mouthwatering
glimpse down the neckline of her dress. She was wearing a plain white bra, his favorite. The only way
that garment would look better was if it were on his bedroom floor.

He cleared his throat and forced his attention back to their conversation. “So what did you want to talk
to me about?”

“Well…” Picking up a dishtowel, she began wiping the already spotless counter. “I need some insider
information.” Her cheeks grew flushed.

He shook his head. “Not again.” He pointed his fork at her. “One of your girlfriends asked you to do
recon work about one of the guys, didn’t she? Who is it this time?”

She avoided his gaze and picked up the stainless steel napkin holder and began cleaning it off. “No, that
isn’t it.”

John’s gaze narrowed. It wasn’t like her to beat around the bush. One of the many things he appreciated
about her was her ability to tackle difficult situations head on. Early last year she and her sister had taken
over the diner for their ailing Aunt Fitzy and they hadn’t hesitated even though it meant long hours on their
feet and the sacrifice of any private life.

Now, thanks to Ro’s magic touch with good home cooking and Randa’s saucy smile, the diner was
usually packed during the daylight hours. Of course, it helped that it was located downtown next to the
police department.

“I was thinking of asking Picasso to the retirement dinner next week,” she blurted.

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Stunned, John sat back. She wanted to what? Her attention was fixed on the saltshaker she was now
cleaning and her cheeks were even pinker than before.

Miranda, the women he’d been chasing for months, wanted to datePicasso ?

He glanced down the length of the counter at the other man whose attention was glued to his book and
who was shoveling pancakes into his mouth, oblivious to the stir he’d caused.

Over John’s dead body would he allow her to date Picasso.

He stabbed at his omelet with his fork. If she wanted a date for the dinner, then John was just the man to
accommodate her. Of course, their date would be a prelude to getting her into bed but she didn’t need to
know that up front. It could be so good between them, he just knew it. He wanted her and there was no
way he’d let someone else take her anywhere.

He feigned a nonchalant shrug. “Why bother when we’re all going anyway? You know we’ll end up
sitting together and afterward we can hit the Roadhouse for some beers.”

“But that’s what we always do,” she said. “This time I want to have a date, a real date. I want to walk
into that dinner on someone’s arm rather than walking in with a crowd of you guys.”

“But—”

“Johnny, you’re not listening to me.” She slapped the dishtowel on the counter and brought his gaze up.
Her mouth was set in a mutinous line and he’d never seen her more determined. “I’ve spent the last
eighteen months of my life living, breathing and eating this diner. Ro and I have worked our butts off to
pull this place together and save it from bankruptcy. We’ve worked twelve- and sixteen-hour days for
almost all of that time and, now that we’ve hired competent staff, it’s time to get out and play.”

“If you want a date, then you’ll go with me, not him.”

She propped her hands on her hips and the bodice of her uniform pulled tight across her full breasts. His
mouth went dry. Her nipples were hard as she leaned toward him and forced his gaze to meet hers.

“I will not be the Stevens ‘flavor of the month’ for September,” she shot back.

He dropped his fork to his plate with a clatter and scowled. “What the hell does that mean?”

She tilted her chin. “It means you go through more women than Maude Parsley goes through support
hose.”

An image of the epic-proportioned Mrs. Parsley came to mind and John could hazard a guess that
Randa’s analogy wasn’t meant as a compliment.

“That wasn’t nice,” he said.

“The truth hurts.”

He picked up his fork and muttered, “I think you have a skewed perception of my dating track record.”

She rolled her eyes. “Hardly. Your reputation precedes you, Johnny.” She held a finger up. “Last month

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you were running with Heather from the beauty shop and she could barely keep her hands off you at the
last softball game. What happened to her?”

He shoved a large bite of hash browns into his mouth and mumbled, “We weren’t compatible.” He
didn’t want to admit that her inch-long red claws had made him nervous. If he’d dared to take her to
bed, there’d been a very real possibility of being scarred for life.

She held up two fingers. “Before that it was Kathryn from the Parks and Rec department. You two
were seen smooching at the Fourth of July picnic, then nothing, nada, zip. Why did you two break up?”

He shook his head. “Technically, we weren’t ‘going out’. We only dated twice.” And went to bed three
or four times but he wasn’t about to admit that to her. He pushed the remains of his omelet around on his
plate. “She was on the rebound and we both knew it wouldn’t get serious between us.”

She began adding more fingers. “Then there was Tiffany from the Fire Department. And before her was
Monica, the kindergarten teacher from—”

Irritated, he dropped his fork again. “Are you quite through?”

She flashed him an innocent smile. “Heck no. I haven’t even reached last Christmas but I’d run out of
fingers before then.” She propped her hip against the counter. “What I’m saying is that I don’t want to be
another notch in your gun belt, my friend. With all the woman throwing themselves at your feet, you don’t
need my corpse to add to the pile.” She patted him on the arm. “Don’t take it personally, Stud. You’ll
give up your alley cat ways when the perfect woman comes along.”

She already has but she’s too busy arguing with me to see how good it could be between us.

He pushed that depressing thought away. “Trust me, Picasso’s not the guy for you.”

“Why not?” She reached under the counter and pulled out a handful of napkins, which she shoved into
the dispenser. “He’s new to the department and doesn’t look at me as ‘one of the guys’ and that’s a big
plus. He isn’t averse to my company and he’s nice, well-mannered, good-looking and employed.” She
shrugged. “What more could a woman ask for?”

“Conversation,” John snorted. “You’re chatty and he’s not.”

Randa flashed him brilliant smile. “See? We’re perfect for each other.” She pushed the napkin holder
aside, then propped her elbows on the counter. “So tell me about him.”

“He’s a good cop,” he grunted.

She made a noise of disgust. “I know that. I saw the article about that methamphetamine bust you had
last month. He’s had more commendations and felony arrests in the past year then any three officers
combined. Pretty soon, he’ll have to pin his medals on the back of his dress uniform since he’ll be out of
room on the front. But I already know that stuff.”

Irritated, John shoved his plate away since she’d ruined his appetite. He was more than a little bothered
that she wanted to go out with Picasso. He was the one who’d been lusting after her while Picasso hadn’t
even given her a second glance.

“What exactly do you want to know, Randa?” His tone came out a little sharper than he’d intended and

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she stood up, her expression confused.

“Why are you getting crabby?”

“Maybe it’s because I haven’t slept in the last twenty-four hours?”

“Well, I’m sorry you had a call but that’s no reason to snap my head off,” she shot back.

He rose from the stool and pulled out a few bills from his pack. “I need to get to work—”

“Johnny.” Randa caught him, her slim fingers curled around his wrist and launched a jolt of heat up his
arm. “Will you do some recon for me?” She gave him a little smile. “Please?”

Under other circumstances, would he be able to say no to her? In the past year, she’d become a good
friend to many of the guys in the department. She was a trustworthy sounding board and listened for
hours when he needed to vent. She’d been there when his father had had a heart attack six months ago
and she’d cheered on the department softball team while supplying them with burgers and hot dogs
between innings. Through thick and thin, she’d been there no matter what else was going on in her life.

But there was no way he could allow her to date another man. She’d have to go through him first.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he lied.

Randa gave a squeal and a little jiggle that made his lungs constrict at the sight of her ample breasts
shifting under the cotton-candy pink uniform. “Thanks, Johnny.” She gave him a wide smile. “You’re the
best.”

He cleared his throat and headed for the door. His hand was on the handle when he looked back at her.
His gaze moved over her delectable curves and he gave her a lazy smile. “Yeah, well, you’ll never know
for sure unless you go out with me, babe.”

She laughed and waggled her finger at him. “You’re a bad, bad man, Johnny Stevens.”

“You have no idea how bad I can be—”

“Hey, Randa,” Jay interrupted. “If you’re done playing with your boyfriend, can I get some more
coffee?”

Randa laughed and winked at John before turning away to grab a coffeepot. “Now Jay, you know he’s
not my boyfriend. He’s just Johnny.”

John exited the diner and, with a scowl on his face, stomped to his truck in the tiny lot next door.

“Just Johnny, my ass,” he muttered. He fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. Sliding
behind the wheel, he shoved the key into the ignition and cranked the engine.

Through the wide windows of the diner, Randa moved along the counter topping off cups of coffee and
dispensing bright smiles. When she made her way to Picasso, her smile faded and, to someone who
knew her well, she appeared ill at ease.

She set the pot on the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. Her smile had fled and she looked

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serious until Picasso said something that made her laugh.

She held out her hands as if to keep him at arm’s length when the other man caught one hand and held it
in his big paw before raising it to his lips. John couldn’t ignore the irritation he felt at the sight of his
coworker kissing the knuckles of his woman.

He growled low in his throat as he threw the truck into gear. The tires squealed when he floored the
accelerator and tore into the street.

* * * * *

“You’re an evil woman, Randa,” Picasso said.

“What makes you say that?” She sat the coffeepot on the counter before removing his empty plates to
stack them in the bus pan. It never failed to amaze her how much her boys could eat and still manage to
chase the bad guys. “Do you need anything else?”

He shook his head. “Why don’t you go out with John? His serial dating proclivities aside, he’s a good
guy.”

Her cheeks warmed. “I wasn’t aware you’d heard us.”

He shrugged. “I have good ears. And I’m flattered you want to go out with me but right now I just don’t
have time for a relationship. My art takes what little spare time I have left.”

Unabashed, she grinned. “The least you could do is wait until I ask before you say no.”

Picasso laughed and caught her hand, holding it in his big paw. “My dear, Miranda, if it weren’t unfair to
you, I’d ask you to wait for me to remove my head from my ass and realize what a gem you are. Your
butterscotch brownies alone are worth crawling on hands and knees over broken glass.” He raised her
hand to his lips.

When his mouth brushed her knuckles, she wished she could feel something more than mere amusement
at his touch. The sad reality was that Johnny was the only man to inspire any feelings in her that were
more than brotherly.

But that relationship would never happen. As she’d told him earlier, she didn’t want to risk becoming
another in a long string of women he’d conquered. Not that he’d ever spoken about his girlfriends in that
manner. Unlike some of the younger officers, he was remarkably tight-lipped about the women he dated.

The squeal of tires brought Picasso’s head up and both of them looked out the window to see Johnny’s
truck take off at high speed.

“What was that about?” She pulled her hand away.

“He’s jealous.” Picasso rose and fished out his wallet. “Probably doesn’t like me chatting you up, pure
and simple.” He dropped a few bills on the counter.

A queer tickle started in the pit of her stomach and she rubbed her hand over her belly. “I doubt that.”

“I don’t.” He gave her a wink before he tucked his book under his arm and exited the diner.

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Randa picked up the bills and stuffed them into her pocket, her movements on autopilot. The thought of
Johnny being attracted to her, seriously attracted, was enough to make her half-sick to her stomach with
excitement.

At just over six-foot tall, with his bold features, straight nose and sharply etched cheekbones, women
stopped in their tracks to watch him. His eyes were the darkest of blue and piercing in their intensity—the
kind of eyes that caught people’s attention. His dark hair was trimmed every three weeks into a military
cut that accentuated his strong features. But there was something about Johnny that was special, unique,
and it went far beyond the physical. Though he was one of the toughest, most decorated officers in the
department, he was also funny, kind and well-respected by his fellow officers.

In short, he was the proverbial good guy.

What was it about this man that turned her on to the point she wanted to act like a complete wanton?
She’d never been sexually flagrant before but there was something about him that made her long to
become wild, untamed. She wanted to throw him across the counter and have her way with him but she
knew it would be a big mistake.

He’d asked her out several times but she’d always turned him down knowing if she was foolish enough
to make a move on her sexual attraction to him, she’d get hurt. From what she’d seen and heard, Johnny
had problems with commitment. He couldn’t stay faithful to one woman for more than a few weeks any
more than she could walk away from Fitzy’s Diner. Besides, she’d seen the women he’d dated and none
of them came even close in size to her generous size twenty butt. He had a tendency to date skinny
blonde women, not dark-haired ladies of epic proportions.

She shook her head and picked up the bus pan of dirty dishes. Regardless of the fact that he was the
only man to make her toes curl, he wasn’t ready to settle with just one woman and she definitely wasn’t
the kind of woman who could share her man.

Chapter Two

The past five hours had been pure hell.

After Randa had shocked him with the news that she viewed Picasso as potential dating material, while
on patrol he’d been saddled with one accident report after another.

John pulled his cruiser into Randa’s driveway behind her aging pickup. If motorists would pay attention
to their driving and stay off their cell phones, he wouldn’t be suffering with a stiff neck and an acute case
of writer’s cramp. He turned off the ignition and exited the car. Walking through the yard to her front
door, he keyed his shoulder mike.

“565,” he said.

“Go ahead, 565,” the radio bleated.

“I’ll be on a 10-56 at my 15.” He glanced at his house across the cul-de-sac from Randa’s. While he
wasn’t really at home, it was close enough.

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“18:54.”

Her door was standing wide open and the screen door was unlatched. He pounded on the metal door
before opening it.

“Hey, Randa, it’s John.”

Silence.

“You’d better be dressed, babe.” He spoke loudly as he stepped inside, half hoping she was naked.
Seeing Randaau naturelwould be the only thing that could improve his day.

The living room was empty and in its usual disarray. A newspaper was spread across the coffee table
and the glossy advertisements were in a messy pile on the floor.

Every flat surface in the room sported at least one framed photo of friends or family and in the side
window a ragged houseplant looked in sore need of a drink. Since she spent most of her time at the
diner, her home was usually disorganized and cluttered but still homey, comfortable. He wouldn’t hesitate
to kick back on her couch and watch football.

He moved through the dining room and into the kitchen to find both rooms empty. The kitchen windows
were open and a fresh breeze fluttered the white curtains. The cheerful room was awash in sunlight and
the sink was cluttered with dirty dishes and baking sheets. A cooling rack sat on the counter, piled with
fresh oatmeal raisin cookies, his favorite.

He snagged a big fat cookie, barely managing to muffle a groan when he bit into it. His mother’s oatmeal
raisin didn’t even come close to the perfection of Randa’s.

Still munching his pilfered snack, he headed out the back door and onto the patio. Early this spring he
and some of his fellow officers had installed the stone pavers in exchange for a huge cookout featuring
Ro’s famous pulled-pork BBQ and Randa’s homemade ice cream. While her house may have been a
little neglected, her backyard was anything but.

The lush grass was neatly trimmed and the flowerbeds were filled with a multitude of brilliant blooms. In
the far corner of the yard was a massive oak tree, which sported a rope swing, perfect for pushing a
beautiful woman. Thick green plants with long stalks and pale blue flowers on the end surrounded the
base of the tree. Hostas maybe? While he didn’t know one flower from the next, he could appreciate the
beauty of her yard.

In the center of the lawn near a child’s wading pool was a lounge chair with a shapely female form
stretched out on top. . Clad in dark blue bikini bottoms, his gaze skimmed her generous feminine curves
which left no doubt it was Randa.

She lay face down, her head obscured by a broad-brimmed straw hat. She’d removed her top, leaving
her back bare. While the generous cut of her suit covered her backside, it did nothing to hide her
beautiful curves.

Nowthat was an ass. Big enough to fill a man’s hands, it was grade A, prime sweetmeat. Nicely curved
and plump, it was just the right size to cushion a man as he took his woman from behind. Oh, yeah, he so
wanted a piece of this woman. Heat rolled through his gut and he felt the immediate need to adjust his
gun belt.

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He probably should leave her to her nap. She looked so peaceful sleeping in the sun but, like a moth to
flame, he continued toward her even as he tried to talk himself out of it.

She didn’t stir when his shadow fell across her legs. Her skin glistened with a thick layer of suntan oil
and, in spite of the protection, her back was already turning pink from sun exposure.

He should wake her and warn her about that, shouldn’t he? It was his duty as an officer to see to the
safety of the civilians of Haven and he took his duties very seriously.

He cleared his throat.

She twitched then gave a gentle snore. He grinned. Even her snore was adorable. John bent and touched
her shoulder. Her skin was warm and slick and he longed to run his fingers down her silky smooth spine
until he reached the elastic of her bikini bottoms.

He cleared his throat and gave her a gentle nudge.

“Randa—”

Her head came up so fast her hat tumbled into the grass. Her brown eyes were fuzzy with confusion and
they went wide when her gaze settled on him.

“Johnny, what are you doing here—”

She pushed up from the lounger and he caught a glimpse of her ample breasts just seconds before she
remembered her topless state. She gasped and grabbed the towel she’d been laying on to cover herself,
then rolled toward him. The chair tipped and John stepped backward to avoid being hit.

His right foot connected with the side of the plastic pool and he lost his balance. His arms windmilled in a
futile effort to correct himself but it was too late.

He fell into the pool with a splash. Cool water ran into his eyes and nose, momentarily choking him, and
he raised his head above water and spluttered. His legs were still outside the pool and his substantial
weight had bent the plastic wall and water was running out into the grass.

He sat up and shook his head before he tilted back his head and stared up at the cloudless blue sky
above. His hands clenched, then released.

This was not what he’d had in mind…

“Ohmigod, ohmigod, are you alright?” Randa stood over him clad in just her bikini bottoms with a
skimpy towel clutched to her generous bosom.

“Yes,” he gritted. “I’m just great.”

“Please, let me help you.” She stepped over his legs and into the pool.

“I don’t need any help.”

She ignored him and grabbed his arm when he braced his hand on the bottom of the pool. In his haste to

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get out of the water, he pushed upward too fast and she reared. Her towel slipped and he caught another
glimpse of one breast and a perfect rosy nipple.

Distracted, his hand slid across the slick pool bottom and he landed on his rear, hard. His weight pulled
her off balance and her feet slid out from beneath her and she fell. Her elbow jabbed into his gut just
below his vest when she handed on him, knocking the air from his lungs and forcing his head underwater.

John raised his head and blinked water from his eyes for the second time. His arms were full of damp,
slick female flesh and Randa lay sprawled across him. Her thighs bracketed his and his cock hardened at
the feel of her feminine form. The scent of suntan oil and warm skin made him dizzy with desire. It
wouldn’t take much to roll her over and sink into her hot, sweet depths. It took every ounce of control he
possessed to not rub his aching groin against her body.

“I’m so mortified,” she moaned.

Her cheeks were pink and it wasn’t from sun exposure. Her damp hair formed a spiked halo and she
licked her lips, drawing his gaze to her mouth.

Her lips were full but not overly so and they were, more often then not, curved in a smile. She rarely
ever wore lipstick and she had a tendency to bite her lower lip when she was thinking hard.

Yes, Miranda White had the most beautiful mouth in Haven and he wanted to taste it, now.

“I’m going to kiss you,” he said.

Her eyes widened and her head came up. “You are?”

“Yes, I am.”

Her damp hair was silky soft and baby fine when he cupped the back of her head. He ran his fingers
through the short strands before guiding her mouth to his.

Her lashes fluttered and the moment their lips touched, she sighed and opened for him. She tasted of
mint tea and warm woman and, in that moment, he wanted her so badly he felt like he would explode if
he couldn’t touch her, feel her against him.

John slid his arm around her waist to pull her tighter as their tongues sought each other. Her response
was tentative and for a second he thought she’d pull away. In the blink of an eye, she went from unsure
to ravenous as she returned his kiss with unabashed enthusiasm. She caught his tongue with her teeth and
gave it a gentle tug.

He growled low in his throat and a surge of lust rolled through his gut. Mentally cursing his bulletproof
vest, he moved his hand to her hip, pulling her closer until the apex of her thighs covered his hardening
flesh. His zipper and her infinitesimal garment were the only things that kept them apart. He wanted to
tear off her bikini bottoms and sink himself into her heat. He needed to feel the damp slide of his skin
against hers as he thrust himself into—

His grip tightened and he rolled until she was beneath him, his hips nestled intimately between her thighs.
Lost in the heat of the moment, he cupped one plump buttock. She was one sexy package and he was
going to have her or he’d die trying.

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He squeezed her rounded flesh and her loud, ragged moan brought him to his senses. Gentling their kiss,
he nipped her lower lip before he raised his head.

Most of the water had run out of the pool and into the grass and he’d failed to notice this fact until now.
Randa lay beneath him in a shallow puddle of cool water. Her eyes were closed and her breathing
uneven. A soft smile curved her reddened lips and she had the look of a woman who’d been thoroughly
kissed. Her nails scraped his shirt and her lashes fluttered. She blinked several times before her dark gaze
met his.

“Wow.”

He couldn’t prevent the wide grin that split his face. Talk about an understatement. He was soaked from
head to toe and he was doubtful her suntan lotion would wash out of his uniform but none of that
mattered right now. He had the woman of his dreams beneath him. “Wow yourself.”

“Johnny?” She bit her lower lip and he was struck by the urge to suck on it.

“Yeah?” He dipped his head to kiss her again.

“I hear sirens.”

His lips brushed hers. “Me too, babe—”

Then his head snapped up when realized hewas hearing sirens and the reality of their situation
sucker-punched him.

Tangled in the flattened pool, they lay in the open where anyone could see them. Randa was almost
naked and he was in uniform, technically on lunch, but still very much on duty.

He scanned her neighbors’ houses. He knew the house to the left was empty but the one to the right had
a family of five living there. Anyone could’ve looked out the upper windows and seen them romping like
two horny teenagers.

The sirens grew louder.

“Fuck—” He released her and pushed to his feet. Grabbing her arms, he hauled her up beside him. “I
have to go.”

She clutched her soaked towel to her chest and gave him a quick nod. “Of course—”

He hauled her close and gave her a quick, hard kiss. “I’ll be back after work tonight, okay?”

Her smile was back, though wobbly. She nodded again. “I’ll be here.”

One of the hardest things he’d ever had to do was walk away from her. He wanted nothing more than to
pull her into the bushes and tear off the rest of her bathing suit and throw her towel to the ground. He’d
open his pants and sink into her and she’d be hot, wet and tight around him…

He scowled as he stomped through the grass toward the side of the house. The wail of sirens turned into
the cul-de-sac and he groaned. The last thing he wanted to do was face his fellow officers soaked from
head to toe with a raging hard-on.

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Damn, what was wrong with him? He wasn’t a man prone to going crazy with lust. And he certainly
wasn’t foolish enough to make love outside, in broad daylight, in uniform, in the middle of a shift on his
lunch hour.

He walked into her front yard to find two cruisers parked about twenty yards from his. Jaybird and
Picasso were approaching Randa’s house, each with their guns drawn and held alongside their thigh.
When they saw him, they looked at each other and grinned.

“What the hell is going on?” Jay asked. “Your emergency banner went off and no one could raise you on
the radio.”

“I had a little accident.” John stomped past, making sure to fling water on him as he did so.

Picasso stood on the curb, his face impassive though John thought he could see amusement lurking in the
depths of his dark eyes. He cast a speculative glance at Randa’s house then back to John.

“Don’t even think of asking.” John stalked past his friend and headed for his house across the street. He
needed a quick, cold shower, change of uniform and a good explanation for his sergeant as to how his
radio and pager had been ruined.

Chapter Three

With every minute that passed, the sweatier her palms became.

Randa glanced at the clock for what had to be the tenth time in five minutes. Eleven-fifteen. Forcing her
gaze back the book in her lap, she reread the same line she’d been stumbling over for the past hour.
Muttering under her breath, she slammed the book shut and tossed it on the coffee table.

She wasn’t going to accomplish any reading tonight because Johnny was due to arrive at any minute.

Her stomach twisted and she forced herself off the couch. She had to do something. She had tomove .
She snatched the water glass off the table and stalked into the kitchen.

“What’s the big deal, Randa?” she muttered. “He kissed you. People get kissed all the time.”

You’ve never been kissed like that.

While it was true she wouldn’t consider herself ”experienced” when it came to the opposite sex, she
wasn’t completely inexperienced either. During her dating years, she’d had two serious boyfriends and,
while she’d enjoyed sex with both of them, she’d also often wondered if there was something missing in
those relationships.

She’d heard her girlfriends discuss their sexual affairs and she’d never experienced any of the things
they’d talked about. The perfect example was how she’d failed to have an orgasm while in bed with a
man, though she’d mastered them on her own.

She’d learned through experience that liberated women had to take responsibility for their own orgasms.
Still, she longed to feel something during sex other than the mild satisfaction of being physically close to

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another human being. Johnny was the only man who’d turned her on with one kiss. A single touch and
she’d felt ready to burst into flames. What would happen if he put his hands on her breasts?

She shivered at the thought.

But was she crazy to entertain the idea of going out with him? He was a known womanizer who’d left a
string of broken hearts behind him. The guys on the Tri-County Tactical Unit called him ”Shark” for his
ruthless sniper ability and his way with women. Behind his back, Jay called John the “panty-charmer” for
his knack of charming women out of their panties in record time.

Randa groaned. Even knowing this, she still wanted him.

When he looked at her with those dark blue eyes of his, she felt hot and cold at the same time. Just once
she wanted to experience uncontrolled sexuality, to become wild with passion from the moment a man
put his hands on her body. Johnny was the only man to bring out those feelings in her and to make her
think he could fulfill those fantasies.

The doorbell sounded and her heart leapt into her throat. Randa set the glass on the counter and ran a
shaky hand through her hair. Her heart was pounding so loudly she was afraid he’d be able to hear it.

She walked to the front door and peered through the screen into the darkness. The porch light was out
and she silently cursed. It had burned out last week and she’d never found time to replace it.

At the top of the step on the edge of the porch was a dark shadow in the shape of a man. Even with the
screen door separating them, she knew who it was and opened the door. “Hi, Johnny.”

He stood there for a second, his dark gaze focused on her. “You should turn on your light before you
open the door.” His tone was gruff.

“It’s burned out.” She shrugged. “Besides, I knew it was you.”

“And you should keep your door locked.”

Randa’s shoulders stiffened. Less than four hours ago, he’d been kissing her silly, now he was lecturing
her on home safety?

“You don’t keep your doors locked.”

He made a noncommittal sound and continued to stare at her, his gaze moving over her from head to
toe. Her nails dug into her palm and she fought the urge to fidget under his intense scrutiny. Was there
something wrong with her dress? Did she have a smudge on her nose? She was pretty sure her face was
clean as she’d checked at least five times in the past hour.

“Are you hungry?” he asked. “Let’s go for a ride.”

“Oh, okay.” That wasn’t quite what she’d thought he would say. “We can go to the diner and get
something if you like. Or I can make you a sandwich here.” She gave him a self-conscious grin and
waved toward the kitchen. “I don’t keep much because I usually eat at work.”

“I’ve got it covered.” His skin was warm as he took her hand and she shivered when his thumb moved
across her knuckles.

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“I don’t have my shoes on.” She protested as he led her down the step to the front walk.

He looked down at her bare feet and Randa was secretly glad she’d bothered to give herself a pedicure.
While he probably couldn’t see the pale rose polish, it helped her feel more feminine, pretty. It was hard
to feel attractive when clad in shiny polyester and sturdy shoes most of the day.

He released her hand and went back to shut the front door.

“I still need my shoes—”

He walked toward her. “You won’t need shoes where we’re going.”

Randa gave a startled squeal as John swept her into his arms. She clutched at his shoulders and her nails
dug as he carried her to his truck. Had any man ever picked her up and carried her like this? Her grip
tightened. Judging from his fresh, masculine scent, he’d showered before leaving the station.

“You’re going to hurt yourself.” Her voice was faint.

He snorted. “Hardly.”

He hoisted her higher to open the driver’s side door before he sat her on the edge of the seat. His gaze
impaled hers as he moved his hands down her thighs, positioning her to ensure she didn’t slide out. Her
breath caught as his hands reached her knees and his thumb slid under the edge of her dress to caress the
inside of her thigh.

Her cheeks warmed and she felt as if each nerve was being licked by fire. His cop’s mask was in place,
cool and detached, yet in the dark depth of his eyes she caught a glimpse of heat, desire. She swallowed
hard then scooted across the bench seat toward the passenger side, her heart lodged in her throat.

She averted her gaze and smoothed her skirt over her thighs. She’d lost count of the times she’d been in
his truck but she’d never been asaware of him before. The once-spacious cab felt tiny when he climbed
in beside her. Her nerves sang and her breasts felt heavy, achy. She crossed her arms over her chest
when he started the engine.

“Where are we going?” She stuck her feet out. “I can’t go into the restaurant without shoes.”

“Someplace quiet where we can talk.” He backed out of her drive and headed away from the
cul-de-sac.

The traffic was light when he turned onto Main Street and headed south. With her stomach tied in knots,
Randa knew she wouldn’t be able to eat no matter where they went. The silence in the cab was stifling
and she knew she had to break the ice. “So how’s the family?”

“Okay.”

She wanted to grind her teeth in frustration. What happened to the easy camaraderie they’d shared?
Had she made a colossal mistake and lost her friend over one measly kiss?

There was nothing measly about that kiss.

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She twisted in the seat, lifting her knee as she braced her ankle under her other knee so she could face
him. As they drove, the light from the overhead lampposts cast intermittent pools of brightness into the
cab of the truck.

Johnny drove with a careless grace that proclaimed many hours behind the wheel. He’d changed into
jeans and a plain white T-shirt and his ever-present fanny pack was strapped to his slim waist. She’d
never seen him look better, or bigger. She knew he and some of the guys had started a new fitness
routine in the spring and he’d added at least an inch to an already impressive chest. Her gaze moved over
his broad shoulders and thick, muscular arms.

His gaze never wavered from the road until he negotiated a turn onto Route 3 and she caught him
sneaking a glance at her legs.

So he was interested in her legs, was he?

Randa faked a yawn and lifted them onto the seat to stretch out. The soles of her feet came to rest
against his thigh and his muscles clenched when she touched him.

“So how was work?” She poked him with her big toe.

“Fine.” His tone was clipped and the muscles in his thigh bunched again, then relaxed.

She rubbed her toe along the seam of his jeans. “Nothing exciting happened?”

“Not a thing.”

A muscle in his jaw clenched and he turned the truck onto a bumpy dirt road just beyond the city limits.
Randa had to put her hand on the dash to keep from being bounced off the seat as the truck moved up a
low hill.

The darkness was thick and the trees crouched close to the trail, which made for an eerie ride. She
winced when she heard the sound of branches scraping the roof.

The trees parted and they pulled into a broad grassy meadow and on the right was a small pond. Bright
with moonlight, the water was as still as a dark mirror in the windless night. He pulled near the edge of
the meadow and her breath caught at the town spread below them. Streetlights twinkled in the darkness,
making it look like the perfect all-American town.

“It’s beautiful,” she admitted.

“The kids come up here to park from time to time.” He turned the truck so that the bed faced the scene
below before putting it in park. The only light in the cab was tinted green from the console lights.

“I never knew this was here,” she said.

“You never went parking as a kid?”

“No, I never had time. I had to take care of Ro when Mom got sick. Then she died and we moved in
with Fitzy and the rest is history.” She prodded him with her foot. “What about you? How many girls lost
their panties to you while you were parking?”

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He laughed and shook his head before he turned off the lights. “Not that many. We didn’t move here
until I was a senior in high school. I played football and basketball and that didn’t leave much time for
backseat gymnastics.”

His fingers curled around her foot and she jumped as his thumb caressed the ball of her foot. She
muffled a groan as he began kneading, starting with her sensitive instep.

“So you’re making up for lost time?” Her voice sounded faint even to her own ears.

“I don’t know, am I?”

She averted her gaze, then groaned as his thumb hit a particularly sensitive spot. “That feels really good.”

“Babe, you have no idea how good I can make you feel.” He lifted her foot and leaned over to bite her
instep. Her breath left her in a rush when he raised his head and his heated gaze moved down the length
of exposed leg.

“Let’s get out here and we can…” His gaze drifted over her breasts and Randa was painfully aware of
her erect nipples pressing against the bodice of her dress. “Talk.”

He released her and turned off the engine. When he opened his door, she scrambled into action.
Swinging her legs off the seat, she opened her door and slid out onto the thick, damp grass. She slammed
her door, then walked around to the bed of the truck.

“We can sit here.” Johnny lowered the gate and retrieved a blanket from the locked box behind the cab.
After arranging it in the truck bed, he pulled out a plastic grocery sack.

“What did you bring?” Randa climbed onto the tailgate and reached for the bag.

“Nothing special, just sandwiches. For some reason, I missed lunch.” He gave her a pointed look as he
removed his fanny pack.

“Yeah, well, whose fault was that?” Her cheeks warmed as she pulled out two foil-wrapped lumps.

“Yours.” He stowed the pack behind the seat in the cab of the truck before climbing onto the gate next
to her. He plucked the larger sandwich from her hand. “Those bikini bottoms should be outlawed.”

Randa snickered. “Hardly. There are many women in this town that can fill out a bikini far better than I
can.” She unwrapped her sandwich, pleased to see he’d stopped at the diner. He’d picked her favorite,
a turkey club.

“Why do women always doubt they’re beautiful?”

She shrugged. “I guess because we’re inundated with mixed messages from the media. One minute
we’re supposed to look like anorexic sticks and the next we’re told to put on ten pounds.”

“Men receive the same messages.”

She shook her head. “Not nearly as much as women do. When was the last time you saw a large-sized
woman as the romantic lead in a movie? Or in an ad for something other than diet pills?”

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“You have a point.” He reached into the bag and pulled out two bottled sodas, offering her one. “What
about that Greek movie? The woman in that wasn’t a stick.”

“No, she was normal and the reviews referred to her as a larger-sized actress.” Randa snorted. “What’s
that about? If the average American woman is a size sixteen, how was this woman large-sized?”

“Okay, so the media is filled with fools who stuff women’s heads with nonsense about their bodies.” He
balled the foil from his sandwich and she wondered how he’d managed to wolf it down that quickly.
“Surely you know you’re beautiful.”

She bit back her usual response of “I’m too fat”, stuffed a large bite of her sandwich into her mouth to
avoid answering and opted to shake her head instead.

“Randa—”

The lump turned to lead when he put his hand on her knee. Praying she didn’t choke, she swallowed.

“I think we need to lay some ground rules.” She rewrapped the rest of her sandwich and dropped it into
the bag.

“Such as?” His hand slid up her thigh.

“The reason I never agreed to go out with you,” she put her hand over his to halt his progress, “was
because I didn’t want to become another one of your conquests. I also consider you a friend and I don’t
want to lose that.”

He shook his head. “Won’t happen. I won’t let it. We’re friends and I don’t want to lose that either.”
Their gazes met and she saw he was dead serious. “Tell me, what do you want to come of this, Randa?
It’s obvious we have strong feelings for each other and we’re both in agreement that we don’t want to
destroy our friendship.”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “This is all too new, too sudden to put any restrictions on it. The only thing
I do know is that if we decide to explore our obvious attraction to each other, I don’t want the guys
talking about me like I’m one of your ‘women’.” She shuddered. “I have to face them every day at work
and it might make things…difficult.”

He gave her a crooked grin. “You mean like how the women talk about me?”

She couldn’t help but smile. “Well, I wasn’t the one doing the talking but the gossips do have a field day
with you.”

“They need to get a life. We’re grown-ups and we don’t have to tell anyone anything until we agree to
do so. How about that?”

She nodded slowly. “I’m okay with that.”

“I also promise you that if I hear any of the guys say anything about you other than discussing your
fabulous,” his gaze strayed to her breasts, “strawberry tarts, I’ll punch them.”

Randa couldn’t help but laugh. “That might be a bit extreme.”

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He cocked his head and his eyes gleamed with amusement. “I’ll defend your honor. Isn’t that what a
knight in shining armor does?”

She snickered. “If you’re my knight, then you’re supposed to ride a white steed.”

“Well, that isn’t going to happen.” Johnny moved backward and stretched out in the truck bed, propping
his hands behind his head. “I’m allergic to horses.”

This time she did laugh as she climbed further into the bed to stretch out beside him. “So much for that
fantasy.” She laid her head on his arm.

“If you want the steed fantasy, you’ll have to date one of the twins. Cowboy and Ranger have the horses
though if you really want me to, I might be able to borrow a horse. I’d have to take an allergy shot first
though.”

She shook her head at the image of either of the handsome twins riding up on a magnificent white steed.
“Somehow I can’t see that.” She wiggled into a comfortable position, her arm against his side and her
fingers laced together across her stomach.

“Speaking of fantasies,” Johnny said, “tell me what you dream at night, Randa. What keeps you awake
as you lie in bed, longing to feel someone moving inside you?”

Her skin flushed, her palms grew damp and she tried to ignore the way her pulse leapt at the erotic
images his words evoked.

How could she talk about sexual fantasies when she wasn’t terribly experienced to begin with? Could
she admit she wanted a mind-blowing orgasm that she hadn’t administered herself?

No, not yet.

“What about some of your fantasies?” she countered.

“I asked first.” He turned onto his side and forced her head off his arm. “Tell me, Randa. We’re steps
from becoming about as intimate as a man and woman can get. Surely we can talk about what we want
sexually?”

Her teeth scraped her bottom lip then she blurted, “Multiple orgasms.”

“That’s to the point.” Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the flash of his teeth as he grinned. “And
it’s easy enough to accomplish if your partner is attentive to your needs.” He laid his hand over hers and
his thumb stroked hers with a lazy movement. “What else? What turns you on?”

You do just by breathing…

What did turn her on? Her brow furrowed. Touching, all kinds of touching turned her on. The feel of a
workingman’s hands against her breasts, the swipe of a soft, damp tongue, the way a man would place
his hand on her lower back as she preceded him into a room—

“Did I just lose you, babe?”

Randa started and looked up at him. “No, I was thinking.”

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“About me? About us?”

“Sort of.” She caught his thumb with hers. “Tell me one of your fantasies.”

He smiled and her insides turned to jelly. “You. You’re my fantasy.” He dipped his head and nuzzled her
ear. “You turn me on just by being here.”

Liquid heat moved under her skin as his tongue teased her earlobe.

“I’m serious—” Her voice was faint, breathless.

“So am I. Everything about you turns me on, babe. Your laugh, your smile, the way your eyes light up
when something strikes you as being funny. Those uniforms you wear make me so hot I can’t look at you
without wanting you.”

She laughed, a deep belly laugh of amusement. “They make me hot too. They’re polyester and I can’t
breathe in them.”

“It isn’t the uniform, it’s those buttons.” He kissed the edge of her jaw and she shivered and tipped her
head to allow him better access. “I have dreams about you in my bed in one of those uniforms. I’d lay
you down and open your buttons, one by one. As each delectable inch of your body is revealed, I’d kiss
it, suck it, taste it until you screamed for me to stop.”

Randa moaned at the onslaught of powerful images his words evoked. He moved the slim strap of her
dress off her shoulder and kissed the curve of her throat. His mouth was hot and wet against her skin and
she shivered.

“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered, shaken by his words, his touch.

He chuckled against her aroused flesh. “One of the many things I appreciate about you is your ability to
just say what’s on your mind. What’s stopping you now, babe?”

She blinked. He was right. She’d never shied away from a challenge in her life. Why was she doing so
now? She had the man of her dreams kissing her throat and what was she doing? Nothing.

Was she a woman or a mouse?

A woman, definitely.

“You know what?” She grabbed the front of his T-shirt and pulled him toward her. “I want a kiss.”

Amusement and arousal gleamed in the heated depths of his eyes. “Your wish is my command.”

Their mouths touched and the stars swirled overhead. She closed her eyes and parted her lips at the
insistent caress of his tongue. And the moment she tasted him, she knew they’d take the irrevocable step
of making love. He kissed her like a man on a mission and she couldn’t resist. He licked his way inside,
tasting, exploring and the kiss spiraled out of control within seconds.

He leaned into her and she curled her hand around his neck, the short hairs prickling her fingers as she
guided him closer. His hand landed on her hip before he moved it to her breast. His broad chest pressed

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into her and she relished the heat and strength of him. He made a hungry sound deep in his throat when
she caught his tongue and gave it a gentle suck.

Against her thigh, she could feel his arousal and heat washed through her body. And when he palmed the
lush globe of her breast, they both made a sound of pleasure. His touch was strong, firm, and he
caressed her breast before zeroing in on her nipple, teasing her into ripe awareness.

He shifted to slide his thigh between hers and she welcomed his weight against her sensitive flesh. She
moaned when he released her breast and cupped her buttock instead. Lifting her leg higher, he pressed
into her and she moaned again when his hips moved in an imitation of the sexual act. He felt so good
against her, tasted good, too. And he was so sure of himself, confident when he touched her.

The rough material of his jeans felt alien against her inner thigh and she rubbed against him like a cat,
unable to get close enough yet unable to stop her movements.

“God,” he whispered against her lips. “You’re so hot.”

Pleasure cascaded down her spine when he nuzzled her jaw and she tilted her head. Shivers danced
along her skin as he gave her throat a small lick.

“I’ve fantasized about this, you know.” He nipped her collarbone.

She shifted her hips against him, wanting more of the delicious friction his movements were creating. She
moved her hands to his waist. “Oh yeah?” She pulled his shirt out of the waistband of his pants.

“Oh yeah, and this.” He moved lower to nuzzle the valley of her breasts exposed by the sagging neckline
of her dress.

“How much have you fantasized about me?” She moaned when he nipped the upper globe. Her breasts
had always been extremely sensitive and the sensations his touch aroused were nothing short of
miraculous.

“Enough to know exactly what I want to do with your breasts.” He unbuttoned the bodice of her dress
allowing it to part.

She fought the urge to cover the large lacy cups of her minimizing bra. But her anxiety turned to
white-hot heat when he lowered his head and suckled her nipple through the soft lace. She cupped his
head as he teethed her beaded point, sending tendrils of heat down her spine and a rush of moisture
between her thighs.

“Johnny,” she moaned when his hand slid up her thigh toward her panties.

She was so hot, it wouldn’t take much to give her the orgasm she so craved.

The sharp crack of a stick brought her back to awareness. Johnny’s head came up as a voice boomed
out overhead, “Okay, break it up.”

Chapter Four

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Seconds before he was blinded by the beam of a powerful flashlight, John groaned when he recognized
Officer Sheldon Ray’s nasal tones. Shel was fresh out of his probationary period with the department and
he was also one of the worst gossips. News of finding John and Randa necking in the back of his truck
would be all over town by morning.

John grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her behind him in an attempt to spare her embarrassment
as well as allow her time to put her dress back in order. Maybe he could get them out of this situation
without Shel seeing her face.

“Hey, Shel.” He held his hand over his eyes. “Can you put the light away?”

“Oh, hey, John.” The flashlight was lowered. “I didn’t know it was you. Is this your new truck?” He
swept the light over the truck.

“I bought it a few months ago so I guess you could say that.” Behind him, Randa was struggling to
button her dress and she poked him hard in the back with her elbow. “Can I help you with something,
Shel?”

“Oh, yeah. We received a call from a concerned neighbor who saw your headlights. She thought some
kids were up here parking.” He gave John a toothy grin. “You aren’t kids though. Who ya got back
there?”

Before John could open his mouth, Sheldon moved around the side of the truck and caught Randa in the
unrelenting beam of his flashlight.

“Well, hey there, Miranda. How are you this evening?”

“Great until you showed up,” she mumbled. She scrambled down the truck bed and slid off the tailgate.
“How’s your momma doing?” Her cheeks were rosy and she ran a hand over her skirt in a gesture that
betrayed her nervousness.

John did groan as Shel launched into a litany of his mother’s latest illnesses. Mrs. Ray was the town
hypochondriac and she had a new disease every week. Giving the lowdown on her current conditions
could take hours.

Irritated, he climbed out of the truck and slammed the gate shut. He’d just been busted by a
wet-behind-the-ears police officer. He had a raging hard-on that threatened to break his zipper and his
woman’s dress wasn’t buttoned properly. Thanks to her lopsided bodice, young Sheldon was getting an
eyeful of flesh that John himself had barely begun to explore.

Not much else could go wrong.

“I’m so glad to hear your momma is doing better,” Randa was saying. “I just heard your sister was
accepted to Ohio State—”

The sound of a powerful engine shattered the night and interrupted her words. Another cruiser pulled
into the clearing and headed for them. John saw the word SUPERVISOR on the front quarter panel and
his hand clenched as he braced himself. “We need to go.”

She waved in the direction of the cruiser. “Shouldn’t we—?”

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“No, we shouldn’t.”

He hustled her into the truck and slammed the door as Corporal Rudman exited the cruiser. Known as
“Corporal Rude” to the officers unlucky enough to work his shift, the man was a fine officer, though he
lacked any form of tact or skill in the political correctness department. He loved nothing more than
making sexist jokes and poking fun at the female officers. John had no doubt it would cost him his job
someday.

“Officer Stevens, what are you doing here at this time of night?” The corporal moved toward them,
hitching his gun belt as he walked.

“Just enjoying the stars.” John moved around to the driver’s side door.

“Who ya got in there with you? Is that Yolanda?” he craned his neck to peer into the darkness of the
truck cab.

“No sir, just a friend.”

“I can’t see her very well—”

“It’s Miranda White from the diner, sir.” Sheldon piped in and John made a mental note to fill his locker
with whipped cream at the next opportunity.

“Is that so?” The corporal leaned to the side and gave her a one-handed wave. “Hey there, Randa.”

“Good evening, Corporal.” Her voice sounded faint.

“We’re going to be leaving now.” John opened the door and scrambled in, thankful he’d disabled the
interior light the moment he’d bought the truck. Once a cop, always a cop. “Thanks for checking on us.”

He started the engine and gave a quick wave. As he pulled away, he glanced in the rearview mirror to
see Shel and Corporal Rude staring at his truck. Shel was grinning from ear to ear and the corporal had a
speculative look on his face.

Bracing himself for the explosion that was sure to come, he was surprised to hear a strangled noise come
from the passenger seat. He shot a glance over at Randa.

She looked as if she’d been thoroughly debauched. Her hair was rumpled and her dress wasn’t
buttoned properly, showing an indecent amount of white lace through the opening. Her hands were over
her face and her shoulders were shaking.

Oh, no, please don’t let her be crying…

“Randa—”

A wild giggle escaped her before she groaned, then dropped her hands. “So much for secrecy,” she
gasped.

A grin tugged at his mouth. “You aren’t mad?”

“Embarrassed maybe, mad no.”

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She scooted across the seat to lean against him. The soft curve of her breast pressed to his arm caused
him to jiggle the wheel. “You?”

He shook his head. “How can I be mad?” He put his arm around her and pulled her into his side. “I
ended up with the girl.”

“Oh yeah?” She stretched to nuzzle his ear with her hot tongue and his eyes crossed as heat rolled
across his skin. “Do you think you’re going to get lucky tonight, big boy?” she breathed.

His cock lunged against the zip of his jeans and his breathing grew ragged as she teased his earlobe with
her teeth.

“I sure as hell hope so,” he growled. He wrenched the wheel when they reached the bottom of the hill
and they pulled onto the paved street with a squeal of tires.

They made the trip back to her place in record time. After pulling into her drive, he threw the truck into
park and had barely turned off the ignition when Randa leapt from the truck and raced for the front door.
Remembering to grab his fanny pack, he slammed the door and followed.

Cutting through the yard, he caught her on the porch. Grabbing her, he hauled her close for a quick,
demanding kiss. Her mouth was hot and needy beneath his and his blood heated at the first touch of her
tongue.

Getting the front door open was no mean feat with her inquisitive little hands all over him at once. She
pulled off his shirt and tossed it behind her to land somewhere near the front step. Her mouth was open
and hot on his throat and her fingers glided over his abdomen, heading right for Old Glory.

The front door hit the wall with a slam and they tumbled through the opening. He kicked the door shut
and tossed his pack behind a chair before backing her against the arm of the couch. She tumbled
backward and he followed, covering her body with his.

John felt like a ravaging caveman, all heat and greed with little finesse as his hands roamed her body, but
she didn’t seem to mind.

She moved and wiggled, slowly scooting up the couch until their limbs were tangled and his thigh was
pressed intimately against the apex between her legs. Her fingers were clamped to his neck as he
devoured her sweet mouth. His hands sought the front of her dress but the buttons were too small for him
to manage with any speed. Frustrated, he grabbed her bodice and yanked and the buttons gave way to
bare the sweet flesh beneath.

She moaned and strained beneath him, her back arched and her hips moved in a restless manner that
rapidly frayed what little control he had left. She still wore too many clothes for his liking and he was
going to do all he could to rectify that situation.

One-handed, he opened the front of her bra and her magnificent breasts spilled forth. He broke the kiss
and leaned back to survey what he’d uncovered. Thankful he hadn’t bothered to turn off the lights when
they left, he was awarded with a perfect view of her pink flesh. Her breasts were full and her nipples
were rosy and tightly puckered as if begging for his mouth.

“Beautiful,” he murmured.

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She grinned and sat up just enough to give him a smacking kiss on the chin. “Not nearly as beautiful as
you are.” Her roaming fingers settled over his flat male nipples and his breath hissed between his teeth
when she scraped her nails across them.

He shot a pointed glace at her breasts. “Somehow I doubt that.”

Her chest heaved with her accelerated breathing and her legs moved restlessly against his. He caught her
chin and positioned her so he could devour her mouth once more. Their tongues tangled and teased as
their bodies moved with a driving heat that destroyed all reason.

Knowing he was on the edge and had to either slow down or shame himself like a randy schoolboy, he
broke the kiss to indulge in a sensual exploration of her body.

He kissed his way down her abdomen, taking time to savor her breasts and tease her nipples. He caught
one tip and gave it a gentle pinch and tug. She moaned, her hips bucking against his thigh as her fingers
clutched his head closer. He rolled her hardened flesh before dipping his head to tease her with his
tongue.

“Do you like this?” he murmured against her breast before swirling his tongue against the peak.

Her eyes were closed and her breath came in shaky little pants. Her tongue snaked out to dampen her
lips and she gave a shaky nod.

He sucked deep and wrenched a moan from her. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he suckled her
hardened peak before releasing her to continue on his journey.

He blazed a trail of wet kisses down her stomach. He’d only torn open the bodice of her dress to the
waist and her skirt impeded his progress. He slid his fingers along the inside of her bare thigh, shifting her
skirt until he reached her pale yellow panties. She moaned and made to close her thighs. He pressed his
palm against her mound and found the material damp to his touch.

Her eyes flew open and she raised her head, a question lurking in the depths of her eyes. Through her
panties, he pressed and her mouth rounded.

“You’re so wet for me,” he whispered as his fingers continued their exploration to zero in on her clitoris.
He rubbed her hardened bud through the thin material.

“Oh my God,” she hissed. Her head dropped to the arm of the couch as her hips rolled toward him. He
lowered his head and inhaled her musky fragrance.

“Is this good for you, Randa?” He stroked and teased her dampened flesh and she gasped for air.

“Yes, please, yes.”

He increased the stroking pressure and her lips parted and she sank her teeth into her lower lip as she
peaked.

“That’s it, babe. Let it go,” he whispered. Soft moans came from deep in her throat and he continued
touching her, soothing her until her tremors subsided.

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Afterward she stilled, her body warm, relaxed and completely open to him. When she released one last
sigh, he gently rolled her onto her side until they were cuddled on the couch.

His cock ached with unfulfilled desire but he felt an exhilarating sense of satisfaction at the intensity of her
release. Nothing pleased him more than watching a woman come apart beneath his hands.

“Wow.” Her lashes fluttered and she gave a self-conscious smile. “So that’s what all the fuss is about.”

He smoothed his hands up and down her back while he grinned like a fool. Her naked breasts were
pressed into his chest and he wanted her beneath him so badly his teeth hurt with anticipation.

“But there’s so much more to explore.” He cupped a handful of her buttocks and gave a possessive
squeeze. Her eyes widened and she offered a sleepy, sexy smile.

“You’re right about that.” Her hands drifted over his chest, then with a wicked grin, she pushed him
backward. John felt the world tilt and he rolled off the edge of the couch and she followed to land on
him.

“We’re going to be so good together,” she whispered, her breath hot against his cheek.

His hands skimmed her generous bottom. “You’ve got that right, babe.”

She sat up. Her legs bracketed his waist and the damp apex of her thighs pressed into his hardened
flesh. His blood heated at the sight of her teasing smile. Her fingers trailed down her abdomen until they
reached her dress. She worked on the few remaining buttons and, inch by inch, her body was revealed.
She slid the garment off her shoulders and tossed it onto the couch before removing her opened bra.

His gaze roamed over her breasts. Her nipples were swollen with arousal. She stuck out her pink tongue
and licked her fingertip before painting one turgid tip with the dampness. His throat closed with the erotic
gesture and he reached for her.

She shook her head and rose to her feet. Her thin panties were the only garment that kept her from
being completely nude. His gaze skimmed her short, tanned legs. The high cut of the panties made them
look longer than they really were and they fit the proportions of her curvy body. Funny, he’d never really
appreciated a woman with an abundance of curves until he met Miranda. It wasn’t that he consciously
sought out skinny women. It just seemed to happen that those were the ones he’d ended up dating. His
gaze moved over her generous curves.

And look at what he’d been missing out on.

She held out her hand, silently offering him everything he’d fantasized about for so long. He slipped his
fingers into hers and she gave him a shy smile when he rose.

Turning, she led him to the bedroom. Bathed in moonlight, the room was cool and dim. Her bed was a
pale shadow in the darkness and his gut clenched at the sight of it. Soon he’d have her spread for a long,
slow ride and he’d possess her body and soul.

But first he had to let her know something.

Just as she reached the bed, he pulled her away, turning and backing her until she was trapped between
his big body and the wall. Her bare breasts were soft and welcoming against his chest and his erection,

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still constrained by his jeans, jutted into her belly.

“Randa,” he whispered. “You know I’d never hurt you, don’t you?”

She looked up with large, luminous eyes. “Yes, Johnny. You’re my friend.”

He bent and his lips touched hers in a soft, sweet kiss. His hand moved to her waist and he pulled her
tight against him as the kiss transformed. Their tongues mated in a sinfully carnal embrace that rocked his
world. Her nails grated his chest and he growled low in his throat, causing her to repeat the movement.

They were both panting when he ended the kiss. He stepped back to unzip his jeans, taking care to not
catch his engorged flesh in the greedy metal teeth before he let them drop to the floor.

Randa held his gaze and mimicked his movements by removing her panties and allowing them to fall to
her ankles before she stepped out of them. She gave him a saucy, secretive smile when she walked past
him. Climbing onto the edge of the bed with one knee braced on the mattress, she looked over her
shoulder at him.

The moonlight painted her generous curves with pale light and his cock lunged forward when she bent
over to expose every inch of that luscious ass for his greedy view.

“Are you…coming?” She climbed onto the middle of the bed before turning to face him.

“Not yet but I soon will be,” he muttered. His gaze never left hers while he stripped off his boxer briefs
and followed her onto the bed. “You haven’t seen anything yet, woman.”

Her lips quirked. “I’m counting on it, Johnny. You have a lot to live up to. Your reputation
is…enormous.”

He slid over her and she ran her hands down his arms. He loved the way she touched him, insatiably as
if she couldn’t get enough of him. Hell, he loved everything about her and he was crazy to come inside
her.

She caught his head and angled him for a kiss. Their tongues dueled as their hands stroked and sought
the secrets of each other’s bodies.

Her fingers curled around his erection, forcing his breath from his lungs until he thought he might lose
consciousness. After a few clumsy strokes, he wrapped his hand around hers to stop her teasing touch
but she refused to heed his unspoken command. He could barely breathe as she pressed his steely length
into her soft belly and her hands seemed to be everywhere at once.

He slipped his hand between her thighs. Parting her dampened flesh, his fingers zeroed in on the most
sensitive part of her body. He caressed her intimately with slow, teasing strokes until her hips arched off
the bed and she was begging him to stop.

At just the last second, he pulled back, knowing he’d almost waited too long to take her. Pre-come
dampened the head of his cock and he was desperate to get inside her before he spilled himself like a
randy teenager. He wasn’t sure he could last long enough to ensure this first time was good for her but
he’d try his best to make it so.

Hungry, he kissed her sweet mouth as he spread her thighs wider with his knees. The head of his cock

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nuzzled her opening when it suddenly occurred to him he had no protection. His condoms were in the
truck.

He broke the kiss and gasped, “Protection?”

Her lashes fluttered and she had the look of a woman who’d been thoroughly kissed by her lover. She
pointed to the bedside table. “In the drawer.”

John wrenched the drawer open so hard the entire thing came out and dumped its contents onto the
floor. Randa giggled and he cursed having to leave her warm body to scramble for a condom on the
floor.

He climbed off the bed and fumbled around until he located a handful of the foil packets. He grabbed all
of them and her eyes widened when she saw how many he held for her inspection.

“For later.” He kept one and dropped the rest on the bedside table.

Her eyes gleamed with a mixture of arousal and amusement and he quickly dealt with the condom. He
knelt between her thighs before lifting her buttocks in his hands. Sliding his bent legs under hers, he’d
positioned himself to enter her so he could still watch at the same time. In one slow glide, he pressed
forward, his cock disappearing into her sweet flesh inch by ravenous inch.

She arched, crying out as he sank into her. When he reached the hilt, she wrapped her legs around his
waist and pulled him closer, deeper. His teeth clenched as her soft, wet heat surrounded him.

He stretched over her and caught her face with his hand. His mouth covered hers and he took
possession of her sweet mouth and tight body. He began to move, trying to keep his movements slow.
He was determined to bring her pleasure first but she would have none of his restraint.

Her fingers sank into his buttocks and, all too soon, their lovemaking turned uncontrolled, primal, almost
savage in its intensity, and he allowed himself to be consumed by their mutual hunger.

Their fingers stroked and their tongues mated as his hips pounded into hers. Reality receded as he gave
up to her soft, breathy cries and begging sobs. All too soon, his balls tightened, heralding the arrival of his
orgasm. He gritted his teeth and tried to slow his ascent but it was too late. He came with a roar. His
consciousness had melted to a pinpoint that consisted of the bed and its occupants. Beneath him, she
arched and sobbed, her nails scoring his back as powerful tremors of release shook them both.

They remained joined for several long moments. Their breathing was ragged and neither of them had the
inclination to move even though he knew he had to be crushing her with his considerable weight.

He grinned against the sweetly scented flesh of her shoulder. “So that’s what all the fuss is about.”

She burst out laughing and he grinned at her sound of pure joy. He rolled to the side to deal with the
condom by wrapping it in tissues from her nightstand. When he was done, he stretched out next to her.

The moonlight cast fingers of pale light over her face. She looked thoroughly ravished. Her lips were
swollen and a deep satisfaction lingered in the depths of her eyes.

“Yeah, that’s it, stud.”

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He traced the curve of her cheek with a finger, more content than he’d ever felt in his life.

Finally, she was his.

Chapter Five

“Are you hungry, little girl?”

Randa groaned and forced her eyes open when Johnny’s husky voice sounded into her ear. She lay
facedown in the middle of her rumpled bed, her legs sprawled in a very unladylike manner and her arm
dangled over the edge.

“Mmphf.” She batted the pillow away from her face and squinted in the direction of the window. “It’s
still dark outside,” she moaned. “Why are you waking me up?”

“I know it’s still dark but we don’t want to waste the night.” He placed a smacking kiss on the back of
her neck.

“Why not?” She shivered when his teeth grazed her shoulder. “Sleeping sounds good to me.”

“It does sound good, however, we’re together…” He nibbled a path of heat down her back. “We’re
naked…” He licked the tender area at the base of her spine. “I’m hot for you…” He cupped one of her
butt cheeks and gave it a firm squeeze that made her squirm. “I’ve been hot for you since the moment we
met and I’m making up for lost time.”

Randa bunched her pillow under her chin, a silly smile on her face. Pleasure expanded in her chest and
she thought her heart would burst with the breadth of it. “Uh huh.”

“So, are you going to roll over and play with me?”

“Mmm…”

He rose to stand by the bed and the muted light from the living room poured across his powerful body.
The image stunned her into silence. He was a vision of magnificent male beauty with his cock erect and
his body a symphony of toned muscle and sinew. He gave her a wicked grin.

“Cat got your tongue?” He moved to stretch over her and his cock nestled against her buttocks. His
broad chest was hot and hard against her back when he braced his elbows near her head and nuzzled her
ear. “It’s much more fun when there are two to play.”

She wiggled her buttocks, enjoying the feel of his hard cock pressed against her. “Hmm, I think I might
be able to rouse myself—”

“If you don’t, maybe a spanking will be in order…” he teased in a singsong voice.

“You wouldn’t dare—ack!”

His hand came down in a gentle swat on her buttock and her head came up. “Why you—” He entered
her with a slow thrust to elicit a moan. Her nails scratched the sheets as he settled into a rocking rhythm.

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It was heady, being possessed by this man from behind, but it wasn’t nearly enough for her. She wanted
to touch him, taste him, and that was impossible in this position.

When he withdrew, she moved, pushing away from the bed, but with his big body covering hers, he
didn’t leave much room to maneuver. She twisted and when she made it onto her back he lowered his
big body over hers.

“Bully,” she muttered just seconds before his lips claimed hers.

She melted when their mouths touched and his hair prickled her palms when she cupped the back of his
head. He moved a hand to her breast and she loved the way he touched her with firm strokes and gentle
tugs on her nipple.

He nuzzled the sensitive skin on her throat then moved to her collarbone before claiming her breast. He
took her nipple into his mouth for a quick tease before he continued his lazy journey over the terrain of
her belly, nibbling at her belly button, then kissing and stroking her splayed thighs until she squirmed with
need. Her nails dug into the sheets as he kissed his way up her legs and she was close to sobbing when
he finally touched her, pressing his finger into her dampened cleft.

“Randa.” His voice was husky with need. “I want to see you come again.”

“Please, touch me.”

He moved over her and braced his arm near her head as he slid his finger into her damp flesh. She thrust
her hips toward him and he lowered his head and took her nipple into his mouth. He suckled deeply even
as his finger began sliding in and out.

“Open further for me, babe,” he whispered.

Too caught up in their play to worry about anything beyond the sensations he aroused in her, she spread
her thighs, allowing him better access. His mouth resumed its teasing while he added a second finger to
the first and his calloused thumb centered over her clitoris.

At his first touch, she screamed and her hips arched off the bed. He stayed with her movements and the
pressure increased. Her eyes slid closed and her hand covered his, whether to keep him in place or to
give her something to hang onto, she wasn’t sure. He continued with his slow, sensual movements and
heat rolled over her skin as she spun out of control. A release so powerful washed over her that she
shook and sobbed with the force of it.

When she was able to open her eyes, she realized Johnny was sitting back on his heels between her
splayed thighs. His dark eyes were fixed on her face and his cock thrust proudly from a thicket of dark
hair. He raised his hand, the one that had brought her to release, and licked his fingers.

“I love your taste.” His eyes were dark, heated.

He lowered his hand to her mound and gave her a gentle stroke. Her body, still painfully sensitive from
her release, stirred. He’d delayed his own release for her again and her gaze strayed to his engorged
cock.

He scooted back to lie on his belly before lowering his head. “You’re so wet for me.” His breath was
hot against her ultra-sensitive flesh.

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She moaned and her head dropped to the pillows when he parted her with his fingers again. His tongue
touched her clitoris and her hips made to follow his movements as if to drag every bit of sensation from
his touch. Her back bowed and she pressed closer as he lapped her flesh and her breath escaped in a
rush.

His mouth was hot and his tongue incredibly soft and he sucked her into a vortex of sensation. With each
stroke, her desire spiraled until she wasn’t sure she could stand another moment. A gentle brush of his
teeth against her aroused flesh threw her over the edge and her body drew in on itself before it melted
against the relentless wave of release.

Drowsy, her body hummed with satisfaction. Johnny kissed a path of heat up her belly as he murmured
soft, reassuring words. She heard the sound of something tearing then the distinctive snap of latex. His
hands were strong on her thighs and with a low moan he sank into her. She struggled to open her eyes
when he covered her body with his.

“Hey, babe.” His lips brushed her brow and she smiled.

“Hey.” She drew up her thighs to cradle his hips.

He withdrew slowly before pressing in again. She felt filled, stretched, and the friction against her already
aroused vulva was incredible.

She sighed and ran her hands down his back before positioning her legs higher, tighter to his hips. He
groaned as he sank even deeper with this new position. Their gazes met and he moved slowly over her.
His skin was flushed and his eyes glittered with heat and something else she couldn’t put a name to.

“Wow,” she sighed, amazed her body could still want him after their hours of sensual excess.

“I second that.” He kissed her mouth and she felt him smile against her lips.

She hitched her knees higher and he drove into her just a tiny bit harder. They were as intimate as two
humans could be and she wasn’t sure where she ended and he began. Their gazes met and held as he
continued his gentle assault on her body and senses. He brushed her sweat-dampened hair from her
forehead, his expression so tender she wanted to weep.

She lifted her hips to meet his and his breath hissed through his teeth at the change in angle.

“Perfect, babe.” He cupped her buttocks and lifted her rear end ever so slightly. Lines formed on his
forehead and he increased the tempo of his thrusts.

Her hands locked around his wrists as the familiar pressure built. She came with a sigh, this orgasm not
nearly as intense as the others though it was deeper and more drawn out.

No sooner did she relax than he released his grip on her hips. With his body low and tight over hers, he
began pounding into her. She clutched his shoulders, enjoying the play of muscles beneath her hands.
With a guttural roar that started low in his chest, he took his release.

“Randa,” he groaned and he shuddered and collapsed over her.

She kissed his shoulder and continued stroking him until he finally rolled to his side. After dealing with the

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condom, he stretched out beside her. He wrapped an arm around her until she was cuddled against his
side, content.

A few minutes later, when she was sure he was sound asleep, she shifted away so she could look at him.
He was so handsome and just looking at his sleeping face was enough to melt her heart. She was in deep
and, no matter what happened tomorrow, she would never let herself regret the magic of tonight.

* * * * *

After thirty-six hours of uninterrupted sexual excess, John was feeling rumpled and completely relaxed.
Beside him, Randa slept like the dead and his gaze moved over her exposed curves.

The thing that amazed him was every time he looked at her, he wanted her again. During their time
together, she hadn’t bothered with makeup and they’d showered together several times and he’d taken
every available opportunity to explore each delectable inch of her body. And each time they came
together, it was like the first time all over again.

He’d always been a highly sexed man but he’d astounded himself with her. It was almost noon and he
had to be at work in three hours and he still couldn’t look at her without wanting to take her beneath him.
It only took a certain smile or a particular glint in her eyes and he’d be panting after her as if they’d never
touched.

Late last night, they’d roused themselves long enough to attempt to strip the bed only to end up
sprawled in a boneless heap in the midst of tangled sheets after he’d taken her like a randy senior with his
cheerleader girlfriend.

Early this morning, she’d snuck from bed to get something to eat. He’d heard her rattling around the
kitchen when he’d come upon her, bent over to retrieve something from under the sink. Within minutes,
he’d taken her from behind, bent over the kitchen table until her screams of pleasure echoed off the high
ceiling. His mouth watered as he thought of her lush curves and plump buttocks cushioning his ride, with
each thrust deeper, wilder and more erotic as they’d climbed the peak together.

Each instance had been sweeter, hotter and more potent than the time before. For the first time in his life,
he understood that he’d never been in love before. With Randa, this was what it was like to make love to
someone on an emotional level.

It was…magical.

He scooted closer to where she lay sprawled in bed. He brushed his hand across her shoulder and she
mumbled something into her pillow before turning her face toward him.

“What did you say?” He traced the arch of her brow with one finger.

“I said, ‘I’m tired’.” Her lashes fluttered before her eyes opened and her sleepy gaze met his.

“Yeah, well…” He pulled her close and tucked her head into the crook of his shoulder. “I think we both
could use a nap.”

She draped her arm across his bare torso. “Among other things.”

“What else do we need?” He kissed her on the temple, earning a sigh from her.

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“Food would be good.”

“How about some conversation first?”

“We can do that, too.” She gave a wide, noisy yawn. “What do you want to talk about?”

“You.” He ran his hand along the gentle slope of her spine. “A few of the single officers and some
firefighters have asked you out. Why did you turn down all those dates?”

She yawned again. “I really didn’t have time to date. Aunt Fitzy needed our help and, when Ro and I
decided to take over the diner, I knew it would be all or nothing. So we decided to go for broke and
threw ourselves into it.” She shrugged. “I also didn’t want to lose the friendships I’d built with some of
the guys. Once you cross that line from pal to dateable woman, you can’t go back.”

“So you think they’ll treat you differently when they find out about us?”

“I do.” She snuggled closer and her grip tightened on his waist. “But I can’t make myself regret it, not
right now at least.”

She ran her fingers down the center of his belly toward his groin and he caught her hand. Raising it to his
lips, he kissed her knuckles.

“So you tell me, why did you date all of those women?” she asked.

“I’ve been asking myself that lately,” he admitted.

Her fingers curled around his thumb before she released him. “And what was your answer?”

He caught her chin and tilted her head back until their gazes met. He could spend a lifetime looking into
her eyes. “I guess I was searching for the right one.”

For a moment, she looked both startled and frightened at the same time. He thought she’d ask if he
thought she was the right one but she didn’t. Instead she smiled and shook her head.

“Uh-huh. I think women just come easy to you.”

“Ya think?” He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her on top of him. “Did you come easy, babe?”
He swatted the ripe curve of her bottom.

She braced her elbows on the pillow beneath his head and her expression turned serious. “Only with
you, Johnny.”

His heart stuttered, then he caught the implication of her words. “Never before? Not even once?”

She shook her head. “Not even once.” Her gaze roved over his face as if to commit it to memory. “I
don’t want you to say anything, not yet. But I think I’m falling in love with you.”

His heart raced even as his throat closed, leaving the words he longed to say stuck on his tongue. Now,
when he was finally ready to say it for the first time, a lifetime of avoiding the L-word threatened to choke
him.

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Unable to speak, he guided her mouth to his and kissed her, pouring everything he felt into that one
touch, all the while telling himself there would be time later.

Chapter Six

“Hello?” Ro snapped her fingers in front of Randa. “Earth to big sister.”

Randa started and batted her sister’s hand away from her face. “What?”

“I just asked if you’d like to add pickled pig’s feet to the menu and you agreed.” Her sister’s eyes
narrowed. “What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing.” Randa grabbed the loaded bus pan and hefted it onto the ledge of the dish room where
Doug, their part-time employee, was mopping the floor. His hairnet-covered head bobbed in time to a
tune from his headphones being played at ear-shattering decibels. She picked up a clean dishtowel to
wipe down the prep table. “Why do you ask?”

“Because you’re absentminded? Maybe it’s because you put the cherry pies in the freezer and the ice
cream in the refrigerator? Because you tried to serve Millie Sparks tuna salad when you know she’s
allergic to fish? Luckily she had her glasses on today or we’d be in a mess.”

Randa scowled and scrubbed at the table, refusing to look at her sister. “Leave me alone, Ro. I’m
allowed to have an off day you know.”

Ro shrugged. “Whatever. If you don’t want to talk, just say so.”

“I think I did,” Randa muttered.

Ro turned away to attend her grill. “What I was saying earlier, when you weren’t paying attention that is,
is the dinner crowd should be light tonight.”

“Why is that?” Randa rinsed her dishtowel then draped it on the sink.

“Officer Marks just received a call for a water main break at State and Main. That’ll hamper the traffic
trying to get downtown.” Ro flipped a dinner plate-sized pancake on the grill.

“And it means we’ll have to break out some bottled water for drinking and the paper plates and cutlery.”

“You’ve got it.”

Randa ducked into the narrow storeroom to gather the needed supplies. The silly smile that had
occupied her face most of the afternoon returned in full force. Lucky for her, she’d seized the opportunity
to nap or she’d be completely dead on her feet. Johnny had done his darnedest to ensure she’d gotten
very little sleep and, of course, she’d assisted in his mission.

Her cheeks warmed and she pulled the box of plastic cutlery off the shelf and placed it on the small cart
near the door. Johnny Stevens. Yikes. He was a lover like she’d never imagined and her body still
reverberated with the aftershocks.

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She bent to pick up a sleeve of Styrofoam plates and stifled a moan as the abused muscles in her thighs
protested. She straightened and tossed the plates onto the cart.

Now she needed a stack of dessert plates.

The cartons were stacked on the top shelf, which was a curse for a short person. She climbed onto the
lower shelf and stretched, her fingertips brushing the bottom corner of a box. Straining, she stretched and
grabbed the box and shifted it toward the edge.

“What are you trying to do? Kill yourself?” Filling the doorway, Johnny stood in his patrol uniform
looking huge and mouthwateringly handsome in the tailored navy blue. His bulletproof vest added several
inches to an already impressive chest.

Her grip loosened and she tumbled off the low shelf as the carton tilted.

“Whoa.” He grabbed her arm before reaching over her head to catch the box and shove it back into
place.

Randa was so glad to see him, she couldn’t wipe the silly grin off her face. “Hi.”

“Hi yourself.” He nodded at the shelf. “Which one do you need?”

“The top one.”

He ushered her out of the way, then reached up to grab one of the large boxes. His uniform and vest hid
most of his body but his butt looked fabulous in the neat pants. High and tight, he had the perfect
muscular butt of a runner.

Without warning, he turned and her gaze flew to his. She caught the glint of amusement in his eyes and
backed away.

“Ms. White, were you ogling my butt?” He dropped the box on the floor and advanced slowly like a cat
on the prowl.

She gave a nervous giggle and shook her head. “No, I—”

“Now, Ms. White, I’m sure I caught you ogling an officer, a law enforcement professional. We put our
lives on the line for the civilians of this fine city and you repay us with lustful glances?” He waggled his
finger back and forth a few inches from her nose. “I’m pretty sure we have an ordinance against such
lascivious behavior.”

Randa’s butt hit the wall and she could retreat no further. “Well, Officer Stevens,” her voice came out
low and husky. “When you put it like that…” She tilted her head back.

“For now, until I have time to investigate your offense in depth, I’m thinking a suitable fine would be a
kiss.” His big hands landed on her shoulders and his thumbs caressed her flesh through her polyester
uniform.

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t want to argue with an officer of the law,” she whispered. She braced her
hands on his chest. The polyester of his uniform was smooth and slightly stiff. “We’re both wearing

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polyester,” she whispered.

“Mmm, we’d better not get too friendly or we’ll burst into flame,” he whispered.

His mouth touched hers and she melted into him. His hands slid down her back and he pulled her against
him. His gun belt dug into her belly but she paid it no mind as she wrapped her arms around his neck and
gave herself to his touch.

His vest was hard, unmoving against her sensitive breasts. She made a sound deep in her throat as his
hand traveled to her hip then reached around to palm her butt cheek. She’d learned quickly that Johnny
was a butt and leg man and, for a woman who’d always worried about the size of her backside, it had
come as a shock to find a man who truly appreciated her curvaceous figure.

Her fingers sought the warm flesh at the back of his neck. He made a sound deep in his throat when her
fingers dipped into his collar.

He maneuvered her until her back was pressed against a narrow worktable. He caught her around the
waist and picked her up, placing her on the edge of the table. His hand was hot, insistent against her thigh
and she parted for him. He pressed forward, his hips nudging her thighs as his fingers skimmed her
heated flesh and she moaned.

Then a loud clatter from the kitchen destroyed the intimacy of the moment. He slowed the kiss and gave
her lips a tender nibble before moving away. Johnny leaned his forehead against hers and she was
pleased to note that his breathing was as rough as hers.

“You’re potent, babe,” he whispered.

Pleasure moved through her to settle somewhere in her chest. “Thanks, back at ya.”

He chuckled and kissed her on the forehead. “I need to get to work. Can I come by for lunch around
seven or so?”

Randa slid off the table and leaned against it, not willing to trust her wobbly knees. “The door’s always
open.”

His smile was warm enough to curl her toes and the promise in his gaze made her heart flutter wildly. He
left and she laid her hand over her breast, which still tingled from his touch.

“Do I smell smoke?” Ro stood in the doorway with a suspicious expression and an oversized spatula in
her hand.

“No, dear, that was fire.” Randa pushed away from the table then grabbed the cart to maneuver it
around her sister. “Smoking is what your hamburgers are doing now.”

Ro gave a yelp and dove for the grill while Randa unloaded the cart. And she couldn’t stop smiling.

* * * * *

A few hours later she was filling the saltshakers when the little bell over the front door rang. The diner
had been dead for the better part of two hours when Jeff “Cowboy” Divers came in dressed in his police
bike uniform. His dark hair was windblown and he pulled his sunglasses off with a gloved hand.

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“How’s it going out there, Cowboy?” Randa retrieved a large plastic cup and filled it with ice and tea
before adding a slice of lemon, which was just the way he liked it.

“Windy. I think we have a storm blowing in.” He took a seat at the counter.

Randa set the glass of tea before him then looked out the window. Across the street, the wind was
ruffling the maple leaves hard enough to expose the pale green underside. “Wow, I hadn’t even noticed.”

“It’s dead in here.” He reached for the sugar. “Is Ro’s tuna hash on the menu again?”

She grinned and shook her head. “Ro isn’t here. The water main break killed business for the day, so
she took off. Between that and the road resurfacing at the other end of town, I might as well close up.”

“Wait an hour or so. Some of the guys will be in.” He stirred the sugar into his tea. “What’s on the
menu?”

“Burgers, burgers and more burgers. That’s my specialty.” She screwed on the top of the shaker and
added it to her completed group on the counter.

“Garbage burger it is then. Pile it on.”

Randa shook her head. “I don’t see how you guys eat like that and still stay slim.”

“Lots of sex. It’s a dieter’s best kept secret.”

She rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen. After preparing and serving Cowboy his dinner, she
finished shaker duty, then wiped down tables and swept the floor. No matter what she did, her mind kept
straying back to Johnny. She glanced at the clock. If she closed up at nine p.m., that would give her two
hours to straighten the house, take a shower—

“Can I get some more tea, Randa?”

“Sure thing.” She leaned the broom against the table and hustled to the counter to retrieve the pitcher.
“Where are you scheduled tonight?”

“District one, the most boring district in town.” He sounded disgusted.

She grinned and topped off his glass. “Well, it’s tough keeping the downtown safe on a weeknight.”

“Tough job but somebody has to do it.” He stirred more sugar into his tea. “I do have a question for
you, if you don’t mind.”

“Okay.”

“It’s kind of personal.”

She shrugged. “Well, if it’s too personal, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Fair enough. I heard something in the locker room today and I wanted to ask you about it. Did Shel
really catch you and John in the back of his truck at the point the other night?”

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Randa froze and her fingers went numb. Now everyone would know.

Calm down, Miranda. You knew this was going to happen sooner or later.

“You’re right, it is personal.”

“Randa.” Cowboy grabbed her arm as she turned away, preventing her escape. “The only reason I ask
is that you’re one of us, you’re family. Everyone’s talking and, if they’re wrong, I’ll set them straight.”

“You guys are worse than a bunch of old women,” she said.

“Some of them are, I’ll admit that. I’m not one for listening but I admit this concerned me.”

He released her arm and she folded them across her chest to keep from shaking.

“I’m just worried about you.” She heard the sincerity in his tone. “We all know John is a great guy and
he’s like a brother to all of us. But when it comes to women, he’s a womanizer and I don’t want to see
you hurt. You’re like a sister to us, not one of his women. Chicks are a dime a dozen, friends aren’t.”

Stung, Randa cleared her throat. “Cowboy, I appreciate your concern but I’m a grown-up and so is
John. I’ll admit to you, and only you, that we’re in the tentative stages of a possibly serious relationship.
I’d appreciate it if you’d refrain from adding to the gossip and that’s all I’m going to say.”

His expression cooled as he gave her a short nod. “Whatever you say, Randa. I just hope you both
know what you’re doing.”

The radio attached to his belt let out a squeal and he adjusted the volume. Through the static, she heard
the dispatcher speaking.

“565, radio check.”

Randa frowned. “Isn’t that Johnny’s number?”

“Sure is.” He turned up the volume.

There was a few seconds of silence before the dispatcher spoke again. “565, radio check.”

Silence.

“553, what’s 65’s location?” another officer spoke.

“He’s at Main and Heatherdown on traffic duty. His emergency banner just went off and we can’t reach
him,” the dispatcher replied.

“594, copy that. I’ll head over and see if he’s having problems with water in his radio…again.” This time
Randa recognized Picasso’s voice.

Cowboy grinned and shook his head. “Johnny swears his emergency button has been possessed ever
since he doused it a few days ago. I’d still love to hear the story behind that one but he’s mum on the
subject.”

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She frowned. “But why isn’t he answering?”

“Good question. We’ll soon find out.” He pulled out several bills, which he dropped on the counter
before he keyed his shoulder mike. “588.”

“588.” The radio bleated.

“I’m code four from Fitzy’s. I’ll head up to 65’s location on the bike.”

“19:54.”

“You take care now,” he said to Randa.

“You too.”

Cowboy left and Randa was struck with the urge to sit down and cry. The impulse was so strong that
she grabbed Cowboy’s dishes and lurched into the kitchen just in case someone came into the diner.

She dumped the throwaway dishes into the trash bin. Those darned big mouths Sheldon and Corporal
Rudman! Why did they have to go and blab all over the station about that night at the point? So much for
professionalism on their part. She snorted.

The last thing she wanted was the guys speculating about their relationship, not to mention the fact that
she hated being labeled as another of Johnny’s women. She was a businesswoman and her standing in
the community was important to her personally as well as professionally.

This was one of the main reasons she’d refused dates with any of the officers, especially Johnny with his
wild reputation. If she lost any of her friends because Corporal Rude and Shel couldn’t keep their mouths
shut, she’d refuse to serve them for at least the next year.

The sound of a siren brought her into the dining room. Outside, the rain was falling in earnest, leaving
every surface dark and glossy. The streetlights held little sway over the darkness and she approached the
wide window overlooking State Street. The traffic was light and cars were pulling toward the curb as the
sirens grew louder.

Red and white light flashed against the window as an ambulance raced by at a breakneck speed. She
winced. The roads would be slick and she hoped they got there in one piece.

A few seconds later, a fire engine and the battalion chief’s car raced by with their strobes flashing and
sirens wailing.

She frowned and automatically reached to remove her apron. There must have been an accident up the
street. It couldn’t be too far away as the water main break—

Her gut clenched and her body went cold.

Johnny was one of the officers manning that intersection.

Red and blue lights flashed into the diner as a cruiser squealed into the parking lot. It stopped by the
door, nearly hitting the concrete posts that framed the doorway. The car door flew open and Picasso

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dashed through the rain and into the diner.

“John needs you. He’s been hurt.”

Chapter Seven

Randa had always hated hospitals. Her mother had spent most of her last year in and out of them,
battling the bone cancer that finally took her life. That was when Fitzy had taken her and Ro into her
home.

Both she and her sister had developed an aversion to hospitals. Anytime she smelled antiseptic mixed
with artificially chilled air, it made her half sick to her stomach.

She sat on a hard, molded plastic chair in the hospital waiting room. Her fingers were icy despite the
small paper cup of hospital coffee she’d been clutching for the past half hour. The room was quiet even
though it was crowded with police officers and firefighters. They stood or sat, some drinking coffee and
others soda. Some spoke in hushed voices but most were alone with their own thoughts.

Getting hurt was a reality of their jobs. Almost every officer in the United States will be injured on the
job at some point in his or her career. Most would be minor injuries—strained muscles, broken
fingers—while others would be major such as gunshots wounds and traffic accidents. The kind of injury
that could end in death in the blink of an eye.

Her stomach churned and she put the unwanted coffee on a table near a stack of outdated magazines.
Johnny had to be okay. He just had to be.

On the way to the hospital, Picasso had informed her the accident had happened while Johnny was
directing traffic. The rain had begun suddenly and a driver, distracted with a cell phone and a screaming
infant in the backseat, had taken his eyes off the road. He’d struck Johnny at twenty-five miles an hour,
tossing him into the air, seriously breaking his leg and knocking him unconscious. He’d still been
unconscious when they brought him into the emergency room.

She rubbed a tired hand over her eyes.

They’d been sitting in the waiting room for hours now with no word from the doctors. Johnny had been
rushed into surgery and the only thing she knew for sure was that he could lose his leg and possibly his
life. The possibility of him sustaining brain damage or paralysis was very real.

She glanced around the room at the impassive faces of his fellow officers. The family atmosphere of the
police force had always impressed her. At the first sign of trouble, they’d close ranks and pull together to
support one another.

John’s parents sat on the other side of the lounge surrounded by friends and the head of the
department’s Chaplain Corps, Reverend Falks. Her sister, Ro, had arrived hours earlier with a massive
tray of pastries, fruit and an oversized meat and cheese tray with all the trimmings.

Now decimated, the trays sat on a table in the middle of the waiting room and the smell of sticky buns
made her stomach churn. She needed fresh air or she was in danger of disgracing herself.

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Picasso, who’d been sitting silent beside her, looked up when she rose.

“I need some air,” she said.

He nodded and touched her fingers, giving them a squeeze. “Take this. It’s chilly outside.” He handed
her his rain jacket. “Stay close and I’ll come get you if there’s any news.”

“Thanks.”

The doors whisked open as she approached and she inhaled the cool, fresh autumn-tinged air. Pulling on
Picasso’s jacket, she wrapped her arms around her waist.

The storm had passed. Overhead the sky was black velvet and the stars were plentiful. She walked past
the benches near the doors. She’d been sitting long enough and her buttocks were going to sleep so she
opted to pace instead.

Through the brightly lit windows, the men remained as they’d been. Cowboy had taken her seat and was
talking to Picasso with an earnest expression.

Johnny should be with her right now. She turned away and looked at her watch for the hundredth time.
It was a few minutes before four a.m. and her watch face wavered as tears crowded her eyes. Right
now, they should have been curled in her bed, maybe cuddling, sleeping, making love, anything but this.

“Randa?”

She blinked rapidly, then turned to see Cowboy standing a few feet away.

Her heart stopped when she recognized his serious expression. “Is he—?”

He held up his hands. “No news yet. I just wanted to talk to you for a minute. I need to tell you
something.”

She took a deep breath and tried to still her racing heart. “Okay, talk.”

“Earlier, when I stopped at the diner and told you about the gossip, I left out something. Johnny told all
the guys he’d crack some heads if he heard them talking about you like the other women.”

She gave a weak grin and the band of tension around her chest tightened.

“I think women have always come easy for him.” He stepped into the light, revealing a self-conscious
grin. “Sometimes they see the badge and that’s all it takes to get them into bed. They don’t see the man
behind it.

“But it’s different with you. I’ve never seen him like this before. With the others, he’d tell the guys to shut
up but he never threatened them before.” He grinned. “Johnny was so angry that Sheldon blabbed about
catching the two of you that he locked the piss-ant in a juvenile cell for two hours until he was set loose
by the cleaning crew.”

Randa pressed the heel of her hand to her mouth and choked back a sob.

“I think he’s in love with you.”

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Tears fell and this time there was no stopping them. She loved Johnny so much it hurt. It didn’t matter if
the guys talked about her as they talked about everyone anyway. It was a part of their nature to observe
and dissect. They also loved nothing better than razzing each other about their private lives or silly things
that happened on the job. It was simply their way to release the pressure of their day-to-day jobs.

Cowboy slid an arm around her shoulders and she buried her face in the soft cotton of his bike uniform
shirt.

“It’s okay, Randa. Our Johnny’s tougher than nails. He might be down for a while but he’ll come back
better than ever.” He gave her a hug.

She gave a noisy sniff. “You guys are something else.”

“Yeah, well, wait until you see me—”

“Hey, you two.” Picasso came running toward them. “He’s out of surgery.” His normally taciturn face
cracked into a wide smile. “He’s going to be fine.”

Cowboy let out a whoop and Picasso crushed both of them in a massive bear hug.

“When can we see him?” she asked when they’d finally released her.

“Not yet. He’s in recovery and they’ll move him to a room later.” Picasso grabbed her by the shoulders
and steered her toward the line of cruisers. “Right now, I’m going to take you home to get some rest—”

“No, I want—”

“No arguments.” He opened the passenger side door. “None of us can see him for hours yet. They’re
going to sneak in his parents for a few and that’s it. I’m pretty sure John would want me to make sure
that you get some rest and that’s what I’m going to do.”

She looked down at her crumpled uniform. She could use a shower and a quick change of clothing. She
wanted to look her best when she saw him. “Okay, I guess you can take me home.”

Exhausted and relieved at the same time, she slid into the car and he shut the door. She could see into
the waiting room where a celebration was taking place. John’s mother cried into her hands, while his
father, looking years older, wiped away tears of his own. The guys were milling around, some slapping
each other on the back while a few of them wiped their eyes.

Her man was going to fine and, in a few hours, she’d be able to see him again. Randa clutched the
knowledge to her heart and laid her head back against the seat with a smile on her face.

Before Picasso pulled out of the parking lot, she was asleep.

Chapter Eight

How could she have slept so late?

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Randa dashed through the parking lot and in through the front doors of the hospital. An older woman
seated at the desk frowned when she skidded to a halt on the linoleum.

“Young lady, this is ahospital, ” she said, looking down her thin nose. “There are sick people here and
we do not run in the halls. Do you want to run into someone and hurt them?”

“Well, no, please, I’m sorry,” she panted. “Can you tell me what room John Stevens is in?”

Her mouth took on a pinched look as her cool hazel gaze moved over Randa. “So you’re one of them,”
she sniffed. “He’s in room two-oh-seven. I’ll tell you now that he has far too many visitors—”

“Thanks for the information.” Randa headed for the elevators at a brisk pace.

“Remember, this is ahospital ,” the woman shouted.

Randa frowned, pointed at the “Quiet, Please” sign and waggled her finger at the old biddy.

The elevator doors opened when she pushed the button and she stepped in. When the doors slid closed,
she wiped her damp palms against the front of her skirt. She wished she didn’t feel so rushed but she
could barely wait to see him.

She vaguely remembered falling into bed fully clothed before she’d woken at noon and raced through a
shower. She’d grabbed the first thing she’d come to in the closet before driving the five miles to the
hospital in record time.

The second floor was quiet when the doors opened. She stepped into the waiting room, surprised to see
it was empty. Following the hall, she walked around the corner toward the patient rooms when she heard
a burst of male laughter.

Cowboy, Picasso and a few other officers were grouped in the hall with several giggling nurses in their
midst. She could see why they’d be giggling and flirting wildly. Dressed in various types of uniform, these
men would be hard to resist. Talk about testosterone overload.

“Hey, Randa.” Cowboy frowned as she walked closer. “You look like you rolled in your clothes
hamper.”

She stopped and looked down. Her white blouse wasn’t buttoned properly and her lace bra peeked
through the opening at the top. Her straight black skirt was crooked with the seam running down the
front of her leg rather than the back and her feet were in tennis shoes stained with grass from cutting the
lawn.

She gave him a sheepish grin and began correcting the buttons on her blouse. “I was in a hurry.”

“We can tell,” he teased.

“How’s he doing?”

“Good. Waiting to see you, I think.”

She grinned and started to walk past him when Cowboy grabbed her arm.

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“Remember what I said last night.” With that enigmatic comment, he released her and returned to the
side of a pretty nurse who was shooting darts at Randa with her eyes.

Taking a calming breath, Randa walked into Johnny’s room, then stopped dead. He lay in the hospital
bed, wide awake. His left leg was encased in a massive cast and he looked pale and tired, but otherwise
healthy as he laughed with his visitors.

Surrounding the bed were Kathryn, Heather and Monica, his former girlfriends. His bedside table and
the wide windowsill were filled to overflowing with cards, flowers and other offerings including an
oversized white bear clutching a red satin heart.

It was obvious the three women had taken great pains with their appearance as they were dressed to the
nines with more cleavage than a strip bar. Randa’s shoulders slumped. She felt exactly as Cowboy had
said she looked, like she’d rolled in a hamper.

She almost backed out of the room when Johnny’s gaze found her and his smile widened. “I’ve been
waiting for you,” he said.

Her heart stuttered and she forced herself to walk toward him. Heather stepped back and Monica made
a sound of dismay. Randa ignored them and curled her hand over the bedside rail as she gave him a
chaste peck on the mouth.

“Hi, stud,” her voice quivered.

“Woman, how do you expect me to get well with a wimpy kiss like that?” His eyes twinkled with
amusement.

“We’re in ahospital, ” she hissed.

“Yeah, well.” He wrenched down the side rail before pulling her to sit on the edge of the bed. “I’m in
bed, so why waste it?”

He guided her head to his and his mouth covered hers in a slow, persuasive kiss as the other women
faded into the background. Her hands landed on his broad chest covered only by a thin hospital gown.
He nibbled a path of heat along her lower lip.

“Randa.”

“Yes?” She fought to not let her eyes roll back in her head as he nipped her lower lip. He was too
talented with that mouth of his and she could barely think straight when he kissed her.

“Marry me.”

Stunned, she pulled back. “W-w-what did you say?”

“I said, ‘Marry me’.”

Her stomach flip-flopped. “Oh my,” she whispered. “I thought I’d have to wrestle you down the aisle.”

His serious expression melted into a wide grin. “Well, it looks like you don’t have to, though we could
always leave that option open if you’re dead set on it… Does this mean you will?”

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She gave him a wobbly nod and he let out a whoop of joy. He grabbed her for a bone-crushing hug and
she wanted to shout an announcement to the world that she’d landed the man of her dreams, when a
thought occurred to her. She pushed away so she could see his face.

“Did you really lock up Sheldon in Juvenile?”

“Sure did.” He wrapped his arm around her. “How long was he incarcerated?”

“A couple of hours. Cowboy said the cleaning crew rescued him.”

“Darn.” He spoke without heat. “I’d hoped it would be much longer than that.”

Randa buried her nose in his shoulder, inhaling the scent of the man she was to marry. “I love you,
Johnny.”

“I love you too, babe.”

She sighed. “When we marry, hundreds of female hearts in Haven will break…”

He snorted. “I think you’ve overestimated my appeal to the women here.”

“I don’t think I have.” Randa grinned and kissed him. It was a slow, soft kiss of promise. When she
raised her head, he was smiling.

“So that’s what all the fuss is about,” he drawled.

About the author

J.C. Wilder left the world of big business to carry on conversations with the people who live in her mind,
fictional characters that is. In her past she has worked as a software tester, traveled with an alternative
rock band and currently volunteers for her local police department as a photographer. She lives in
Central Ohio with 6,000 books and an impressive collection of dust bunnies.

The award-winning author also writes as Dominique Adair.

J.C. welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora’s Cave Publishing at 1337 Commerce
Drive, #13, Stow, OH 44224.

Also by J.C. Wilder:

Ellora’s Cavemen: Tales From the Temple II anthology

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In Moonlight anthology

Things That Go Bump in the Night 2004 anthology

Writing as Dominique Adair:

Last Kiss

Party Favors anthology

R.S.V.P. anthology

Tied With a Bow anthology

Xanthra Chronicles: Blood Law

Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s
Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at
www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.

www.ellorascave.com

About this Title

This eBook was created using ReaderWorks®Publisher 2.0, produced by OverDrive, Inc.

For more information about ReaderWorks, please visit us on the Web at

www.overdrive.com/readerworks

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