Page 11 of Breaking All The Rules
“Ma’am, this is a small town. Everyone’s noticed.”
Hmm, okay, not quite as thrilling as the notion that McSexy had been keeping tabs on her for the last two weeks, but still kinda sweet that the town she’d chosen to call home for the moment was already looking out for her.
Or maybe everything was looking better now she had pie on board. Not that she didn’t have room for a second piece. Returning to the bench, she grabbed the slice of key lime out of the bag, then bit into it as she returned to where she’d been standing. Citrus—light and tangy—exploded across her tongue, and everything below her belly button went a little weak.
Annie’s pies had gotten her closer to orgasm in a few minutes than she’d been for a long time. They should come with a warning. Or a red light.
Conscious of Austin just there, watching her, Bea cleaned up her pie-eating act, nibbling and quietly savoring instead of moaning and fitting as much in her mouth as possible.
“Apologies for my absence,” she said around bites. “I haven’t been able to drag myself away from Dean and Sam.”
He quirked an eyebrow, but his eyes were laughing. “You’ve been having a threesome up there for the last two weeks?”
Bea’s eyes laughed back. Well, she was pretty sure they did, anyway. “I’m sorry.” She batted her lashes at him in an exaggerated fashion. “You going to write me up for that, too? There must be some kind of indecency bylaw I’ve broken?”
A Winchester sandwich seemed deliciously indecent.
“No, ma’am. What you do in the privacy of your own home with fictitious television brothers is entirely up to you.” He grinned, and Bea couldn’t help but laugh. Clearly Austin was up on his pop culture. “And if you ever want to switch them out for, say, Sansa and Arya, then let me know so I can come watch.”
Bea had no idea who he was talking about, but she was pretty damn sure Austin Cooper was flirting with her now. And it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Preposterous, of course, and possibly breaking some fraternization rule, but not unpleasant.
“Cooper?”
Bea startled at the intrusion of a male voice echoing down the corridor. She’d forgotten for a moment they were in a police station, and she blinked as a guy an inch or so taller than Austin appeared at his side. He filled out his uniform very well, too, but with his unquestionable air of authority and dark military-style buzz cut, she put him closer to her age—maybe late thirties?
Something told her this was Arlo. It seemed like Credence was punching above its weight in the hot-cops division.
Even if it was a true dick fest.
“Yeah, Chief?” Austin, clearly unconcerned by the irritation in the other man’s voice, glanced at him casually as he straightened, removing his arms from between the bars.
The chief gave her a polite nod and said, “Ma’am,” before turning his attention back to Austin. It was brisk and polite, nowhere near as lethal as Austin’s ma’ams. “Is there a reason why this woman is in a cell?” He glanced at Bea again, his gaze falling on the piece of pie she was trying to eke out and not stuff into her mouth like Cookie Monster. “Are we opening a diner I don’t know about?”
Austin shrugged. “She was insistent about being put in the pokey.”
Arlo studied her again for a moment before continuing his conversation with Austin. “Because she’s done something wrong, or does she have a…fetish?”
Bea frowned. Fetish? “I’m a rule breaker,” she announced.
Arlo looked at her, then back at Austin, who nodded. “She’s a rule breaker. Although I think she might also have a bit of a fetish going on.”
“Hey!” Bea protested around a mouthful of pie.
The chief shrugged. “She wouldn’t be the first.”
“It’s definitely a thing,” Austin said, although it sounded like he had no idea why, and given that she was on the locked side of these bars, Bea had to agree.
Arlo raised one shoulder. “Not up to me to yuck on someone else’s yum.”
Bea blinked. So did Austin. Was he also wondering why his no-nonsense boss, the chief of police in Tiny Town, Colorado, sounded like a Gen Z TikToker?
“She’s refusing to give me her name,” Austin said, obviously deciding not to do a deep dive into Arlo’s surprising turn of phrase.
“Because she’s a rule breaker?” Arlo asked.
“Uh-huh.”
Arlo turned his head and locked his gaze on Bea’s. “Ma’am, this cell is for actual criminals.” Then he turned to Austin and said, “Fix this, Cooper.”
