Authors: Jenna Byrnes

Tags: #Erotic Romance Fiction

Dixon's Duty (15 page)

BOOK: Dixon's Duty

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Stone moved around the table and faced him. “Who are you calling boy,
boy?
If you have problems working with a black man, let’s take it to the captain,
now
. I’ve come too far in this department to put up with taking shit from anybody.”

Surprise, then embarrassment, raced through Ryder. “Hey, look, that’s not what I meant. I was talking about your pricey wardrobe and that metro-sexual thing you’ve got going on with manicured nails and shit. I was
not
taking about the colour of your skin.”

The man stared at him, not responding.

Ryder felt the need to keep talking and rambled on. “I mean, because, hey—if anyone understands discrimination, it’s me. You know I’m gay, right?”
Somebody shut me up.
“Not that it matters or anything. People don’t give me static, and I don’t give them any crap. I just do my job.”

He ran out of air, paused to take a breath and this time kept his mouth closed.

Stone’s eyes narrowed. He closed the top file on the table and addressed his next words to Pickett. “Everyone shove off, get something to eat and maybe catch a nap. Be back here at ten ready to hit the streets. Dress down, the scruffier the better.”

He turned, tossing one last disparaging glance at Ryder. “You won’t even need to change.” He walked out.

Ryder looked over his jeans and polo shirt, normal workday attire for routine shifts. He chuckled, relieved he hadn’t made an irreparable gaffe.

“See you at ten,” he called after Stone. He looked at Pickett and Moss, who’d sat with bland expressions throughout the last few minutes. “Umm, yeah.” Ryder walked out.

He straightened his desk, logged out and walked to the parking lot. As he dug in his pocket for the keys to his old, black Jeep, a large, silver SUV pulled alongside him. Looking at the sleek lines of the shiny Lincoln Navigator, Ryder knew immediately who it belonged to. When the tinted passenger window lowered and he saw Stone’s face, his guess was confirmed. “Nice ride.”

“I thought you and I should talk. Want to grab a bite and clear the air?”

You’re freaking kidding, right?
He couldn’t think of a worse idea. Stone’s aftershave smelled like sex-on-a-stick and wafted from the Navigator. Ryder didn’t want to like the man, but the thought of jumping his bones wouldn’t go away.

“We don’t need to talk. I’ll cooperate. It’s a little unnerving when someone comes in and takes over my case, but that’s something I’ll have to deal with. The main thing is catching the psycho, right?”

Stone’s expression didn’t change. “Is there somewhere you need to be?”

Christ, give me a break!
Ryder shifted uncomfortably. “No, but—”

“Get in.” Stone turned and looked straight ahead.

With a sigh, Ryder shoved his keys back into his pocket and climbed into the Navigator. “This really isn’t necessary.”

The other man continued to look out the front window. “Seatbelt.”

“Fuck me,” Ryder muttered and fastened the clasp around his waist.

Stone snorted as he pulled from the car park.

Ryder glanced at him curiously, but the detective just drove. “Where are we going?”

“My place is nearby. I thought it’d be easier to talk there than in some restaurant.”

“Your place?”
Holy hell!
Somehow, thrust into the privacy of the man’s home, he had to remain focussed and professional. He wouldn’t have his Jeep if he wanted to escape, so he needed to play it cool. Heat flushed his cheeks and neck, making it difficult already.

Stone pulled into a carport next to a nice condo building. He parked and got out, tossing his keys into the air and catching them.

Ryder followed, trying not to appear too impressed. His apartment was nothing compared to this place, but high rise living wasn’t his style. If he were going to purchase something, it’d be a house with a yard where he could get his hands dirty.

“Nice place,” he commented as they climbed a flight of steps to the front door.

“I like it.” Stone unlocked the deadbolt and walked in, apparently still expecting Ryder to follow. He slipped out of his jacket and folded it over the back of a deep blue, leather sofa.

Ryder entered, glancing around the stylish, almost formal living room. A collection of framed photos lined a small table by the wall. Ryder spotted one of Stone with his arm around a smiling, pretty woman with long, black hair. “You’re married?” He exhaled a sigh of relief. At least he wouldn’t have to be alone with the man.

“Married?” Stone walked towards him, rolling up his shirt sleeves. His gaze followed Ryder’s to the photos on the table. “Oh, that’s my little sister, Renee. The day she graduated from Yale.” He smiled, showing his pearly white teeth for the first time.

Don’t smile like that. Shit!
Ryder’s cock twitched, and he moved away quickly, as if he were interested in the rest of the house. “So, you live here alone?”

“Yep, just me.” Stone walked past him into the kitchen and returned with two beers. “I know we’re back on shift in a few hours, but I figure one won’t hurt.” He handed a bottle over and twisted off the cap on his. He took a long pull and sighed. “That tastes good. Been one long, fucking day.”

Ryder smiled and nursed his beer. “It’s about to get longer, thanks to the new boss who put us on the night shift.”

“Bastard.” Stone’s eyes sparkled as he played along. “We’ll show him. Let’s not go back.”

“What, and leave Pickett and Moss sitting in the war room like androids with no programming? I swear, their expressions never changed once during that little ‘misunderstanding’ we had.”

Stone chuckled. “You have a point. Neither of them will win congeniality awards. But they’re damned good cops. The chief recommended them for my team.”

“That’s good to know. Too bad you didn’t get to choose the rest of your crew.”

Stone took a step towards him. “Who says I didn’t?”

Smiling uncomfortably, Ryder stepped back. “I, uh, sort of came with the case.”

The taller man pressed forward until their faces were mere inches apart. Stone licked his lips. “Which doesn’t mean I didn’t choose you.”

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About the Author

Jenna Byrnes could use more cabinet space and more hours in a day. She’d fill the kitchen with gadgets her husband purchases off TV and let him cook for her to his heart’s content. She’d breeze through the days adding hours of sleep, and more time for writing the hot, erotic romance she loves to read.

Jenna thinks everyone deserves a happy ending, and loves to provide as many of those as possible to her gay, lesbian and hetero characters. Her favourite quote, from a pro-gay billboard, is “Be careful who you hate. It may be someone you love.”

Email:
[email protected]

Jenna loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at
http://www.totallybound.com
.

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