Cop's Passion (5 page)

“Neither.” Time
to get down to business. “Now about the kitten?”

“I saw it in
the bushes beside my driveway.”

“Why didn’t you
say so?” She started towards the door but stopped when he put his
palm up. “What?”

“It ran down
the side of the house.”

“Into the back
yard?”

“Into another
yard.”

“Crap.”

His lips
quirked in amusement.

“It’s not
funny, Mike. That kitten needs help.”

“Or maybe it
belongs there.”

“Did you
ask?”

He looked a
little pained. “Actually, yes, I did. This morning before I
left.”

When he didn’t
add anything further, she held out her hands. “And?”

“It doesn’t
belong to them and they told me I could keep it.”

Maddy
brightened.

“No,” he said.
“Emphatically, no.”

“Geez, I didn’t
think you knew such big words.” The sentence was out before she
could stop it.

Mike turned
around fully to face her. His brows were lowered and there was a
spark of anger in his eyes.

“Oh, God, I’m
sorry.” Maddy shook her head. “Mike, I’m so sorry.”

“Care to
explain yourself?” he asked quietly. Deadly quietly.

Oh shit.
Cursing her wayward tongue, Maddy bit her lip. “I’m so sorry. I
shouldn’t have said that.”

He took a step
closer. “So you think a Neanderthal wouldn’t know such big words,
huh?”

Shame slid
through Maddy, and she could feel the blush ride up her cheeks. “I
apologise, I really do. Sometimes…”

Big arms folded
across the massive chest and the t-shirt pulled tight across
bunched biceps. Combined with his dangerous and now forbidding
expression, it was an alarming move. He stood so still, so
dangerously still, and the menace in the kitchen was enough to make
Maddy swallow.

“Sometimes?”
There was no way that rumble could get any dangerously softer.

She wanted to
run and hide, stick her head in the sand and never look at him
again. But damn it, she was an adult, and adults had to face the
consequences of their actions.

“I have a bit
of a temper,” she finally said. “And…uh…sarcasm.”

“Really?”

“It…um…I
sometimes say things I don’t always mean.”

He just
continued to look down silently at her.

Feeling lower
than a snake’s belly - and that was damned low - Maddy glanced away
and started to sidle towards the door. “I think I better go.
I-”

“Stay.”

“No, really,
I-”

“Maddy,
please.”

It was the
‘please’ that made her stop. Lifting her head slowly, she finally
looked up into his eyes. The anger was gone, but he still looked
stern. Her guilt combined with his expression made her a little
irritable. “What?” The snap in her voice made her want to close her
eyes and just die. “Shit. Again.”

Mike looked
down at her for several seconds before shaking his head and
surprising her by cupping her elbow and moving her over to the
table. Pulling out a chair, he waited for her.

Now she was
feeling downright miserable. Her cheeks were burning.

“Sit,” he said.
“Please.”

“Mike…”

“Maddy.”

She sighed and
sat.

“Now,” he said,
moving away. “Tea or coffee?”

To refuse now
would be churlish, and she figured she’d been nasty enough for one
day. “Tea.”

“Mint? Rose
hip? Camomile?”

He drank herb
tea? What the hell…? Then again, he was probably a health freak,
and so saying, her sugar-laden peace offerings were no good.

Peace
offerings, huh. That had turned out well. Not.

“Maddy?”

Keeping her
eyes on the table, she replied, “Um…whatever you’re having.”

“I’m having
plain black tea.”

She glanced up
to see him getting cups from the cupboard. “Not herbal?”

“Ugh. No.” He
didn’t turn around as he busied himself with getting a tea caddy.
“I keep the herbal stuff for my sister.”

“Oh. Well in
that case I’ll have plain tea with milk and three sugars.
Please.”

“No worries.”
He spooned sugar into a plain mug.

He moved easily
around the kitchen, but as the silence stretched on she finally
said, “I really am sorry, Mike.”

For the first
time, he glanced up. “I know.”

Surprised, she
blinked. “You do?”

“I know when
someone is sincere. Your apology was sincere.”

“So we’re
okay?”

The word hung
in the air between them. Maddy held her breath, not knowing why it
was so important to her but knowing that it simply…was.

His smile was
slow and easy, spreading across his face, his eyes crinkling at the
corners. In that moment he looked so unexpectedly devastatingly,
dangerously handsome, it took her breath away. “We’re okay,” he
rumbled.

And her heart
flipped.

“But,” he
added, “I’m still not keeping that kitten.” When she started to
protest, he pointed the teaspoon at her. “No. And that’s
final.”

With a sigh,
she subsided back in the chair.

Mike poured hot
water into the mugs and jiggled the teabags before taking them out
and adding milk to one of the mugs, which he placed before her on
the table. Going back to the kitchen, he retrieved two plates, two
forks and a knife, and returned to the table. Sitting opposite her,
he opened the container containing the chocolate cake and his eyes
lit with appreciation. “Yum.” Without further ado, he cut off two
big slices, placed one on each plate and slid a plate across to
her.

Maddy watched
as he speared a large chunk on his fork and put it in his mouth.
Utter bliss crossed his face, and he closed his eyes as he savoured
the rich indulgence. “Its okay?” she queried with a small
smile.

“Decadent,” he
replied and opened his eyes. “Another big word for me.”

“Don’t choke on
it.”

“Ouch.”

“You asked for
it.” She speared a smaller chunk of cake and sampled it. It really
was yummy, one of her favourite recipes.

Disregarding
her remark, Mike licked some of the fudge frosting off his fork.
“You’re a good cook.”

“How do you
know I didn’t lie and just bought it?”

“Nothing this
good is ever bought. This sort of thing is made by someone who
loves baking.”

Her brows rose
in surprise.

“My grandmother
baked cakes a lot when she was alive,” Mike explained. “It was the
only time I got to taste home baking and I’m telling you, once you
taste real home baked goodies you can always tell the difference
between them and store bought.”

“Very
insightful. I’m impressed.”

Mike grinned.
“I’m full of surprises.”

“I bet you
are.” Maddy scraped some of the frosting off the cake. “So, about
this kitten…”

He didn’t
answer, but his gaze almost seemed to spear her to the chair.

“I’m not asking
you to keep it.” Laying down the fork, Maddy leaned forward. “I’m
just asking you not to shoo it away.”

Resting the tip
of the fork tines against his bottom lip, he studied her
silently.

“I put some
food and water outside your shed.” She gave a small smile. “When I
last trespassed.”

The silence and
steady gaze continued.

“This
morning.”

It was becoming
a little uncomfortable.

Clearing her
throat, she thought she might as well throw herself under the bus
as run alongside it. “Can we also keep your shed unlocked and the
door open a little?”

His silent
regard was becoming unnerving.

And irritating.
Laying down the fork, Maddy folded her arms and arched a brow. Two
could play the silent game. Unfortunately, she was never good at
playing the silent game and less than three seconds had passed
before she gave up and threw her hands in the air. “Fine! Whatever!
Geez, Mike, I’m not asking for your first born, just a few days
grace to catch this kitten.”

His next move
was unexpected. Instead of arguing, he speared another big chunk of
cake and chewed it slowly while studying her. Then he got up,
crossed to the kitchen door and opened it to gaze down the backyard
towards his shed.

Maddy moved to
stand partially behind him and gaze towards the shed as well. What
she saw made her smile. The kitten was hungrily scoffing down the
biscuits. Glancing up at Mike, she wondered what he was thinking as
he watched the kitten. He stood so still, it was like being behind
a huge statue.

Looking back
out at the kitten, she saw that it had finished eating and was now
washing itself. It had a drink of the water, stretched leisurely,
and then slipped inside the shed. Knowing kittens, Maddy suspected
it was now heading for a nap. Fed and safe for now, it was content,
or as content as it could be, being so small and young without a
loving home.

The last
thought wiped the smile from her face and sadness filled her at how
callous humans could be when it came to their furry and feathered
friends.

Turning, Mike
saw her expression and dismay was clearly reflected in his eyes.
“You’re not going to cry, are you?”

“What?” She
frowned. “Of course not.”

“All right.” He
took a deep breath and placed one big hand on a lean hip. “The
kitten can stay.”

Her eyes lit
up.

“For now.” He
waved the fork under her nose. “A few days, Maddy. You can feed it
and try to catch it, and I’ll agree to leave my shed door open,
though God knows why I’m agreeing to that, it’s just begging
someone to come in and steal something from it.”

“You could put
a kitty door in it,” she suggested.

“Don’t even
start.” Leaving the wooden door open, he moved back towards the
table, forcing her to step out of his way. As she followed, he
continued, “I am not feeding it. That’s your job. It’s also your
job to catch it and get it a home, and that home is not here,
understood?”

“Of course.”
She beamed at him.

Reclaiming his
chair, Mike picked up the mug of tea and took a swallow.

“Thanks, Mike.”
Picking up her plate, she scraped the uneaten portion of her cake
onto his plate and headed towards the sink, taking swigs of tea
from her mug.

“Where are you
going?” He watched her curiously as she washed the plate, fork and
mug, and placed them in the draining rack.

“I need to buy
more kitten food.” Turning to face him, she smiled widely. “Thanks
so much, Mike.”

“Yeah, well you
owe me.” He pointed the fork at the cake. “It’s going to take more
than this to pay me back.”

“I won’t forget
this, don’t worry.” Beaming, she hurried from the kitchen. “Thanks
again!”

She made it
through the front door just as he yelled, “I like chocolate chip
muffins, too!”

~*~

“You are such a
putz,” Alan stated.

Sitting beside
his fellow cop in the patrol car, Mike had to agree, albeit
silently.

“A pretty face,
sad expression, and you fell for it,” Alan continued.

“I thought she
was going to cry.”

“And that makes
you a putz.” Alan checked the speed gun mounted on the dashboard as
a car went past.

“And I’m not a
putz,” Mike continued. “I’d already made up my mind anyway.”

Satisfied the
car was going at the correct speed limit, Alan returned to the
conversation.

It was a
conversation Mike didn’t want to pursue, but that had never held
Alan back, not in the whole three years Mike had known him. Once
Alan got his teeth into something, he was like a dog with a damned
bone.

“So, this
stray. How are you going to get rid of it without her knowing?”

“I’m not.” Mike
didn’t bother to look at his friend.

“You are
kidding me. You’re going to let this stray hang around, pissing in
your shed?”

“It’s a kitten,
and I haven’t smelled any piss so far.” Mike glanced at the speed
gun as another car went past. Relaxing back against the seat, he
could feel Alan’s incredulous gaze on him. “I promised Maddy she
could have several days to catch the kitten.”

“And if she
doesn’t?”

Mike didn’t
want to even think that far ahead.

“What then?”
Alan persisted. “You gotta do something about it then.”

“I’ll figure
that out when the time comes.”

“Boy, you are
so whipped. You shouldn’t let these women get to you.”

“I don’t let
women get to me.”

“Oh, I forgot.
It’s the ladies you let get to you.”

Mike just
looked at him.

“Tell me,” Alan
continued, “Why is it that you let certain women get to you, and
others you can simply handcuff and walk away from while they’re
crying their eyes out?”

“Big
difference.”

“Huh.”

“Besides, Maddy
isn’t like that.”

“Like what? A
crier?”

“Exactly.”

“So what is she
like?” Curious, Alan barely glanced at the speed camera as another
car shot past.

Mike studied
the reading and finding it within the speed limit, he resumed
studying the vehicles on the highway. “Fiery. Stubborn.” Yeah, that
word described Maddy to a T. “Tongue on her that could rip shreds
off your delicate hide, boy.”

“A
sharp-tongued shrew. Geez, Mike, you’re an embarrassment to us
men.”

Not bothered in
the slightest, Mike enjoyed the breeze that blew slightly through
the car window.

A small, pale
blue car shot past them, and the speed gun confirmed it. A speeder.
Alan straightened up in his seat, started the car and had it in
gear and turned around in seconds. Lights and siren on, the patrol
car was hot on the tail of the blue car.

The driver
obviously knew who they were after, for the indicator went on and
whoever it was pulled over onto the shoulder of the road. Alan got
out and moved to the driver’s window. Just as Mike was about to run
the number plate, he got a good look at the sticker across the back
of the car. The car belonged to the Gold Link Nursing Association.
He called it in and sure enough, he was right.