Page 37 of Rogue Wave

She tilted her head as if to think about it but seconds later, she shook her head. “No, that’s lame.”

I couldn’t help the sharp chuckle that left my lips. This woman was something else.

“You’re a pain in my ass, do you know that?” I told her, shaking my head.

“I’m pretty sure the daily grimace on your face and the plethora of tickets you give me remind me of that very fact every day.” The sass and brass balls on this woman never ceased to amaze me.

“Why do you not even sound remotely bothered by that?”

“We all need to be good at something,” she replied, shrugging.

I managed to contain my laugh this time, instead showing only a rueful grin.

Despite my brain knowing it was a bad idea, my body wanted her—bad.

I realized my will and restraint were fading a little more every time I was around her.

“Just remember, there are things you should do, and things you shouldn’t do,” I told her.

“It feels good to do something you shouldn’t every now and then, Sheriff. Maybe you should try it sometime. Live a little. Get some rizz and be a baddie, as the kids would call it.”

Dougie and Vivi chuckled beside us.

God, I wanted to kiss that attitude right off her face.

Better yet…throw her over my shoulder and take her back to my place.

11

“You must be an octopus, because you’ve got me ink-ing about you all the time.”

—It’s Sea-duction

Hazel

It was time for my regular rounds to check on all the tanks, so I was moving from tank to tank, making sure every animal that was under my watch had what they needed. I left Nigel for the end because he needed to be fed and was the most difficult…as usual.

As I opened the hatch to his tank, food in hand, he immediately squirted water in my direction.

I was used to it, so I dodged at the last second.

“Nigel, you are not making good life choices right now,” I scolded him, though I knew it was pointless.

I dropped the first batch of food into the tank, and Nigel scurried off to follow it as it sank down into the water.

My phone rang as I was pulling the shrimp from the refrigerator, and I was a bit shocked to see Hank’s name on the screen.

He never called, so I knew it likely wasn’t for a good reason.

“Hi, Hank,” I answered, trying to keep my voice cheerful and friendly.

“Hazel,” he replied, his voice giving nothing away. “You got a few minutes, or are you busy?”

“I’m good. I’m just mixing up some food for the animals,” I explained, grabbing some crab as well.

“Rourke tried to stop by your place again,” Hank said, and my body froze. “He didn’t make it down the street since my deputy stopped him, but he claimed you invited him back and demanded to be let through.”

I sighed exasperatedly.