by Tara Rose
A flicker of fear passed over his face.
“I was teasing. Seriously, I promise. Not one word. Not even to Olivia.”
* * * *
Harrison seriously wanted to kiss the dark-haired beauty huddled next to him. Then again, every time he saw Gina Santori he wanted to kiss her, among other things. The fact that she was one of his sister’s friends only made things worse. Because Olivia treated him as her personal gossip depository, she kept him abreast of every piece of knowledge, real or rumored, that passed through City Hall, including Gina’s disaster of a dating life.
Olivia was one of the administrative assistants at City Hall, like Cherilyn, and she and Gina had been friends for years. Gina was in charge of IT for the entire city, and Olivia always described her as one of the ballsiest women she’d ever met, but also one of the most loyal. Once you had her friendship, you had it for life.
But every time Gina so much as had lunch with a guy, Olivia felt the need to tell Harrison all about it. It was torture for him, but then again he’d never done anything about his long-standing crush on her, so there was no one else to blame for his unrequited lust.
“Well?” She looked at him with narrowed eyes, as if she now believed he wasn’t going to tell her after all. He shouldn’t say anything, but he knew she was terrified for Cherilyn.
“They tracked her through her cell phone. She’s only ten minutes from here.”
“Oh, Harrison.” He thought for a split second that Gina was going to throw her arms around him, but then she reined it in. “Why couldn’t you just tell me that? That’s good, right? They found her. She’ll be okay now.”
“Not exactly.”
The expression on her face nearly broke his heart. She put a hand to her mouth. Her luscious mouth with full lips that begged to be kissed. “Oh my God…is she—”
“No, no, Gina. That’s not what I meant. We have no reason to believe she’s dead.”
She punched him in the arm. “Don’t scare the shit out of me like that. I don’t care if you are a cop.”
He rubbed his arm, but in reality it hadn’t hurt that much. “I could arrest you for that.” The thought of Gina in handcuffs made his dick hard.
“Harrison, please stop playing games and tell me the rest of it.”
“We think a man named Jay Nichols has her. He served with Chuck, and is AWOL. We also think he’s the man who broke into The Fit Bod and hacked into their computer a few weeks ago.”
Gina blinked a few times, and he watched her carefully. She visibly swallowed, and he guessed the words had sunk in. From the way her bottom lip began to quiver, Harrison was certain she was going to cry. He wasn’t sure he could handle that, and not because he hated it when women cried. If Gina began to cry, he’d melt like butter and do something he most definitely should not do.
The tornado sirens stopped wailing, but she didn’t move. There was now no sound outside, which was more ominous than the thunder and wind had been. He faintly heard noises from inside the station, but Gina’s quick breathing next to him was louder.
She looked into his eyes. “If he has her…is she going to be all right?”
“I don’t know, Gina. I wish I did.”
He knew it was wrong. He knew this was the worst possible time to listen to his pecker instead of his brain, but he couldn’t help himself. She looked so lost and vulnerable, and she smelled so damn good, that he didn’t stop to think about what he was doing. He merely leaned over and kissed her.
Chapter Two
Gina made a sound of surprise in the back of her throat as Harrison’s mouth captured hers in a kiss that was so fucking hot it made her dizzy. She parted her lips to let his tongue inside then moaned into his open mouth as his tongue slid over hers with practiced precision. Holy shit. If she’d known he could kiss this well, she’d have exchanged her ongoing fantasies for the real thing ages ago.
Strong arms encircled her, and she shifted her body toward his to put her arms around his waist. Even through the thick fabric of his uniform she could feel the muscles rippling underneath her fingertips as she stroked his back. When his fingers tangled themselves in her hair and gave it a slight tug, she moaned again as a wave of passion surged through her.
Her pussy was soaked, and her clit began to throb. If they weren’t in a police station she’d pull him down to the floor right under this table and fuck him silly. Where the hell had he been hiding all this?
A loud noise inside the station snapped them both out of the kiss. Harrison scrambled from under the table and stood, holding out his hand to help her up. He looked embarrassed. “Gina…I’m so sorry. I…I don’t know why I—”
“Please don’t say that. I’m not sorry. I loved it.” She gazed at him, desperate to say the right thing but not knowing what that was. Was he dating someone? Surely Olivia would have told her that. She told her everything else about him. Had the kiss merely been one of those heat-of-the-moment things, or did he want more from her? Should she ask?
“I did, too, Gina. A lot.”
Gina smiled as they locked gazes. “Well then. Do you have my number? Want to go out sometime?” So much for not pursuing someone. But damn…she couldn’t just let this moment go without trying, at least.
The grin that spread over his face nearly forced another moan from her. It was so damn sexy that she was surprised her eyeballs didn’t melt. “I’d love to.”
Before Gina could pull out her cell phone to exchange numbers, the door opened. Gina didn’t recognize the officer. “Sarge, Cherilyn Barker is at Memorial. She’s gonna be okay.”
“She’s all right?” Gina wanted to shout for joy.
Harrison smiled. “Thanks, Randie. I’ll be right out.”
After the officer left, Gina threw her arms around Harrison. She was just so damn happy that she had to hug someone, and she didn’t think he’d mind. He pulled her close, and when he released her, he gave her a quick kiss on the tip of her nose.
After they exchanged phone numbers, he pushed her toward the door. “Go to the hospital. And drive slower this time. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
* * * *
Gina pulled Harrison on top of her naked body and wrapped her arms and legs around his. His kisses were rough and deep, the way she liked them. He rubbed his cock over her pussy, making her squirm with delight. If he didn’t fuck her soon, she was going to go out of her mind. Why was he making her wait? And what the hell was that freaking obnoxious ringing noise?
Gina sat straight up and stared at her cell phone. She answered it without looking at the caller ID, assuming it was Olivia, and that something had happened to Cherilyn overnight. She’d visited her in the hospital after leaving the police station, and although none of her wounds were serious, they were keeping her overnight.
It wasn’t Olivia. It was Harrison, and Gina blushed at the sound of his voice. Her dream came back in glorious detail, and she hugged her knees, wondering if it would ever become reality. “Well good morning.” She glanced at her alarm clock. It wasn’t even eight. “Who gets up this early on a Saturday?”
He chuckled. “Sorry about that. I just got off my shift. But I don’t have to work tonight, so would you like to do something?”
“I’d love to.”
“Okay. I’ll pick you up about six so we can grab some dinner first.”
“Sounds great. What are we doing after dinner?” She smiled, wondering if she should tell him the dream she’d had.
“It’s a surprise.”
“Ooo! I love surprises. Can’t wait.”
He laughed softly, and the sound sent shivers down Gina’s spine. He had such a sexy laugh. She could hardly believe this had happened, and she supposed in a strange way she had Cherilyn’s ordeal to thank for it.
Thoughts of Cherilyn brought her back to the present. “Harrison, did Olivia fill you in yet on Cherilyn’s condition?”
“Yes, of course she did. You know my sister. She tells me everything, whether or not I want to hear it. I�
��m very glad to know Cherilyn is going to be all right. She went through a lot in a short time.”
Last night in the hospital, Gina learned that Jay Nichols had gone AWOL after it was discovered he’d given secrets to the Taliban. Chuck had been a signals intelligence analyst stationed in Afghanistan, and Jay had been on the same team. Jay had spent the past year tracking down the spouses or significant others of everyone he’d served with, to get revenge for whoever had reported him. He’d killed every one of them, and most likely would have killed Cherilyn as well.
“Yes, she did. Harrison, when I think she would have died if they hadn’t found her, I get sick to my stomach.”
Gina had also learned that Nichols had been in Racy for weeks, watching Cherilyn. He’d only targeted The Fit Bod after Cherilyn started dating Thayer and Evan, in an effort to throw the police off his trail. Last night, he’d followed Cherilyn, Olivia, and Gina home from the bar, and had taken advantage of both the storm and the fact that Cherilyn had been driving alone to run her car off the road and take her to an abandoned farmhouse. Cherilyn had managed to hide her cell phone, and the JAG team from Indy had used their resources to track her that way.
“Thayer and Evan will help her through it,” he said.
Jay was in custody and would never hurt Cherilyn again, but she had a badly sprained hip and shoulder, and cuts and bruises all over her face from the glass when Nichols had broken her driver’s side window with a crowbar before pulling her out of the car.
Her physical wounds would heal, but her psychological ordeal wouldn’t be so quick to resolve. Thayer and Evan would indeed help in that regard. They were both in love with her.
“Yes, they will,” she said. “Cherilyn has a lot of friends.”
“Like you,” he said. Gina swore she heard admiration in his voice. “I’ll see you at six, Gina.”
* * * *
Gina took two hours deciding what to wear. She hadn’t been this nervous about a date in a long time, and wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. She finally decided on a short black skirt and a silky top. The neckline showed off her cleavage but wasn’t slutty. She paired it with her favorite silver-and-black jewelry, and then tried to figure out which shoes to wear.
The storm the previous evening had left the air a bit cool, even for the beginning of June, but it still wasn’t tights-wearing weather, so boots were out. She finally chose her favorite black sexy strappy shoes. This way she could show off her pedicure. She had no idea if they’d be walking a lot after dinner, but if they did, she’d just have to deal with it.
Harrison arrived exactly at six, dressed in khakis and a button-down shirt. Her favorite male outfit. The color of the shirt complemented his hazel eyes, but she didn’t tell him that. Guys got weird looks on their faces when you tried to tell them that they had great fashion sense.
He let out a wolf whistle. “Wow. You look fabulous.”
“Thank you, Harrison.” She locked her door and tucked her arm in his. “Ready to go?”
“Sure. Yeah.” The poor guy looked a bit flustered, and Gina’s pulse raced. So far, so good.
She took a deep breath because he smelled fantastic. “What cologne are you wearing? It smells sexy.”
“Oh, um…thanks. It’s Emporio Armani Diamonds for Men.”
How interesting. Most men wouldn’t know how to choose a fragrance, let alone know its full name. They drove to Gino’s Ristoranti, which was the nicest place in Racy. The fact that her brother owned it was only a coincidence. It was on Market Street but had survived the tornado, and it was packed.
As soon as they walked in and Vito spotted them, he came over and gave Gina a big hug. “How is my little sister today? I heard one of your friends was hurt. Is she okay?”
“She will be, Vito. Thanks. This is Harrison Kelly, Olivia’s brother and one of Racy’s police sergeants.”
Vito shook hands with Harrison. “Well, in that case, I have a special table for you two. Follow me.”
Harrison leaned close after they were seated. “I guess it pays to know the boss. Last time I was in here I had to wait almost an hour for a table.”
“Stick with me, Harrison, and you’ll never wait for tables again.” Gina didn’t have to read the menu, so she busied herself with staring at Harrison’s face while he read his.
“What do you recommend?” he asked.
“The bucatini with eggplant is our grandmother’s recipe and it’s divine. I also love the lobster in red sauce.”
He put down the menu. “You had me at eggplant.”
Gina laughed. “Ah, a man after my own heart. I love eggplant, too.”
They ordered a bottle of wine and toasted Cherilyn’s speedy recovery. “You know,” said Gina, watching him from under her lashes, “I hope the Racy police force doesn’t downplay Sean and Chad’s roles in this. Olivia said you told her it was thanks to their pushing the issue that Cherilyn’s cell phone number was tracked at all.”
He glanced around quickly and leaned forward, lowering his voice. “That’s true. Even though Dean had already reached out to the JAG office in Indy, all they really cared about was catching Nichols.”
“Sean and Chad are so dedicated. Did you train with them?”
He shook his head. “They were a few years ahead of me, but I did seek their advice on a career with the force here in Racy after I got my criminal justice degree. I want to the same academy as they did, in Plainfield.”
“And you obviously love what you do.”
Their salads arrived, and Gina dug into hers. She was starving. She’d spent most of the day in a state of nervousness and hadn’t eaten much. Every time she ate when she was worried or anxious it made her sick. But she was so relaxed now with Harrison that the hunger pains finally kicked in.
“I do love it, Gina. What about you? Despite having to report directly to the mayor, do you like what you do?”
She nodded as she finished chewing her food, wishing he hadn’t brought up Bernie Crumb. Talking about him would ruin a fantastic dinner. “Absolutely. I just wish we’d get some new blood in the office, you know? People get set in their ways and they’re afraid to listen to someone with a new idea. And it doesn’t help that I’m a woman. There’s an appalling lack of female leadership in this city.”
He nodded. “It’s the same on the force. We have five female officers out of thirty-three total, and only one of them is a sergeant.”
Gina smiled. “Harrison, either you’re one of the most enlightened men in this city, or you’re bullshitting me.”
His grin sent a shock wave of desire straight to her pussy. “Gina, I can’t imagine anyone bullshitting you. You’d see right through it.”
Well, he’d certainly pegged her. “Most men I date hate that about me. They also think I’m too mouthy.”
Harrison gave her a long look, and there was no mistaking the lust in his eyes. Gina took a sip of wine for courage.
“I like your mouth,” he said. “In fact, I love your mouth. I’m hoping to get better acquainted with it later tonight.”
She managed not to choke on the wine as she placed the glass down as delicately as possible, and then she gave him a direct stare. “I can pretty much guarantee that will happen.”
Chapter Three
After dinner, Harrison suggested they take a stroll along the river walk, and although Gina’s shoes hurt her feet by then, she agreed. It was a beautiful night, and the cool breeze coming off the Iroquois River gave her an excuse to link her arm in his and push closer to his body. Not that she thought he’d mind her doing that, regardless.
“So, is this my surprise?” she asked, grinning up at him.
He chuckled. “Yeah, about that. I didn’t really have anything planned. Can you ever forgive me?”
“Of course, silly. This is nice. I love walking down here. It’s so pretty at night with the lights reflecting off the water.”
“I agree. It’s one of the prettiest places in Racy. You were raised here, right? In
Racy, I mean. Not here on the river.”
She nodded and chuckled.
“Do you ever think about moving?” he asked. “I only mean so that you could put your job skills to work in a place where they’d appreciate you.”
“That’s a sweet thing to say, but no. I can’t imagine leaving here. My great-grandparents settled here when they moved from Palermo. Everyone in my entire family lives no more than a couple of hours away, and most of them are right here in Racy.” She glanced up at him, struck by how his hair looked almost silver in the waning gibbous moonlight. “How about you?”
“Heck no. I’m in the same boat as you. Everyone is here.”
“Then I guess we’re both stuck.”
He laughed and pulled her closer. “It’s a good place to be stuck. Good people, you know?”
“I agree, for the most part.”
He stopped walking and put his arms around her. “I have a confession to make.”
“Uh-oh…”
He chuckled. “No, it’s not like that. But you might think I’m bullshitting you if I tell you.”
“I won’t, okay? Promise.”
Harrison glanced at a spot over her shoulder and took a deep breath. “Okay, then. Here goes. I think you are the prettiest girl I have ever seen, and I’ve wanted to ask you out for a long time.”
“Harrison, why didn’t you?” Gina’s voice came out breathy and soft, and although she usually didn’t get that way around guys, this time she couldn’t help it. His confession made her body feel alive and charged, like they were standing too close to high-tension wires.
He shrugged slightly. “I don’t know. Every time Olivia talks about you, it sounds like some guy is chasing after you, and I didn’t want you to think I was just one more creep. You know. The stalker brother of one of your friends.”
Gina could hardly keep still. She’d had no idea he felt this way. If he had said anything to Olivia about his feelings, she would have told her. “Harrison, I would never look at you as a stalker. And I guess I have my own confession to make. I’ve had a major crush on you for a long time.”