Animal Attraction: Buckhorn Ever AfterImagine Me and YouGimme ShelterPartner in Crime

by Lori Foster

  Abel eased his face toward hers, his mouth a breath away from her lips. “Call me, if you get into any trouble.”

  Saige swallowed. “I don’t have your number.”

  Abel glanced to the end table beside the sofa, grabbed her phone and programmed in his number before handing it to her. “Now you do.”

  Without a word, he captured her lips in a hard, crushing kiss that stole her breath, and before she could fully appreciate the toe-curling attack, he eased back.

  “And you’re not out of my system.”

  Then he was out the door leaving her holding her keys, her cell and a very confused thought as to what had just happened. That kiss wasn’t an exclamation point on the night; it was a comma as if they were not quite finished.

  Saige wanted to stand in her foyer and grin like a love-struck teenager, but she had a dog to save. Besides that, she refused to use the L word again even if inside her own head. She’d had sex. Sex did not equate to love.

  But something about that man—who’d come to her rescue, patched her up and then stripped her naked as if their lives had depended on it—made her sex-starved body wonder if love was on the horizon. Naive thoughts, but she couldn’t help it. She was totally in unfamiliar territory here.

  Chapter Six

  Saige had just gotten the dog attached to the leash she’d brought when someone poked her on the shoulder. She spun around, tightly holding on to the leash and fully expecting to see either Abel or the resident scum who lived here and neglected this poor German shepherd mix.

  But a cop in full uniform stood glaring at her, his shiny badge mocked her.

  “Ma’am. Is this your residence?”

  Saige straightened, tilting her chin. “No, sir.”

  “Is this your dog?”

  “No, sir.”

  He sighed, pulling his cuffs from the back of his pants. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to arrest you for trespassing.”

  Saige stepped back. “Did the owners press charges?”

  About that time the back porch light came on and a man wearing a nasty, holey tank top and dark boxer shorts came barreling out the back door.

  “Who the hell are you, and why do you have my dog?”

  The officer turned to face the middle-aged man, who was none too happy to have visitors. “Sir, I was called to investigate a break-in when someone saw this young lady going over your fence. Do you know her?”

  The man eyed Saige, and she held tighter to the leash. “Hell, no, I don’t know her, and what the hell is she doing with my dog?”

  “Are you pressing charges?” the officer asked.

  “Is there a reason why I shouldn’t?” the man asked, turning to spit into the dark.

  “That’s up to you,” the officer said. “I can arrest her, or I can turn her loose. Your call.”

  “Hell, yes, I’ll press charges,” the man said, glaring at her. “And again, what the hell are you doing with my dog?”

  “I’m going to take care of it,” Saige told him, still unafraid of the situation, because, damn it, she would work this out...somehow.

  “Ma’am, if you’ll let go of the dog and have a seat in the back of my car, I’ll take a statement from Mr. Simmons.”

  Saige glanced back and forth. “You know his name?”

  The officer nodded. “Mr. Simmons is no stranger to the law.”

  Reluctantly Saige handed the leash to the officer. Tears clogged her throat. Never in the year since she’d been rescuing animals and finding new loving homes for them had she ever failed one. And while she knew she couldn’t rescue all abused and neglected animals, the thought of even letting one down sickened her.

  “How the hell did she get in here?” Mr. Simmons asked.

  “I’m about to find that out. I’ll take your statement, then I’ll take hers,” the officer told him. “Let me escort this lady to my car, and I’ll be right back.”

  She so wanted to put up a fight, but she didn’t want to add to her charges. As he led her away, handcuffed, her heart ached for the animal. She’d seen firsthand the sucky living conditions: no water or food bowls in sight, not even a doghouse. The poor thing had just been tied to a stake on a short rope, and he was so thin. Even in the darkness she could see how thin this dog was, and when she’d carefully run her hand down his sides, she’d felt his rib cage.

  Once Saige was settled in the back of the squad car, she groaned and rested her head against the leather seat. Wouldn’t this look good with the community? Local vet tech raising money for no-kill animal shelter gets arrested.

  Wait! Maybe this could play out better than she’d thought. What if she used this as some type of slogan? Will stop at nothing to protect animals? God, all she needed was a mask and a cape. A cool getaway car would be a perk...and not the current getaway car she was sitting in.

  Saige nearly laughed. Now she was just getting delirious from lack of sleep and an adrenaline high. So far in the past two hours, she’d had the most amazing sex of her life, and she’d been arrested...well, not technically arrested yet, since he hadn’t read her her rights.

  Saige thought about Abel, who was probably sound asleep without a care in the world. If she got a phone call, she’d probably call him. Pathetic really, but since he used to be a cop, perhaps there was something he could do to help her.

  What seemed like an eternity later, the officer came back to the car and opened her door. He rested his arm on the top of the car and peered inside.

  “I’d like to take you to the precinct for your statement,” he told her.

  “Am I being charged?”

  “Mr. Simmons isn’t sure what to do. I have his statement, but I still need yours.”

  Taking her to the precinct? That didn’t sound good, but he hadn’t fully charged her, either. Probably best to comply with whatever he wants, seeing as how she needed to be at work in a few hours, and she didn’t have time for such nonsense as jail.

  “I don’t mind giving my statement downtown,” she told him.

  He closed the door, and within minutes they were pulling into the police station. If her coworkers could see her now. Of course, none of them knew of her nightly escapades, but if Erma could see her, she’d probably give her a fist bump.

  When Mr. Simmons had stepped outside, he’d looked genuinely surprised to see the officer. So if he hadn’t called the cops on her, who had? A neighbor? A passerby? She hadn’t seen anyone, and the fence area had been dark when she’d gone over it.

  As they pulled into the police station, Saige asked, “So if Mr. Simmons didn’t call to report me, who did?”

  “I can’t reveal that information.”

  She didn’t think he could, but it was worth a try. What nosy neighbor would be looking out their window in the middle of the night, and how the hell could they see in the dark? She’d purposely crossed the fence around the side where there were no houses and no lights, and she was wearing all black.

  It was almost as if someone knew she was there.

  Oh, no. Hell, no. He wouldn’t have.

  “Call me, if you get into any trouble.”

  Surely he didn’t mean...

  Her door opened and the officer escorted her inside. She was taken into a small room with a narrow table and two metal chairs. Dear Lord, this place was depressing and smelled like sweaty socks rubbed across an armpit.

  Old coffee combined with the musty building and lack of sleep and food made her stomach want to revolt. Nerves didn’t help, either, but she was more nervous for the dog that she didn’t get to rescue. Where was the poor little guy now? Would he be there when she went back? And she would go back. This was far from over.

  “Have a seat,” he told her. “I’ll send in an officer to take your statement, and then we’ll see what Mr. Simmons wants to
do.”

  Because she wanted to rebel just a tad, she crossed her arms, as much as she could with her hands handcuffed, and remained on her feet. She walked to the window to look out into the dark night as the door shut behind her, leaving her alone once again. Seriously, she was going to be one grumpy woman at work for not rescuing the dog, not sleeping, plus being naive enough to have sex with Abel, because she was near positive he was the one who’d called the cops.

  She paced, then cursed and plotted how to make a voodoo doll in Abel’s likeness. By the time on the wall, nearly two hours had passed since she was brought in.

  Fuming wasn’t quite the word she’d use, but it was pretty damn close.

  If Abel was behind this, she’d kill him. This would be the second time he’d interfered with her and a rescue. That was utterly unacceptable. God, she couldn’t wait for Leah to come back. The woman may be military, but she wasn’t as uptight as her rule-abiding brother.

  Yawning, Saige took a seat at the metal table, again crossed her arms as far as the cuffs would allow and made a human pillow for her head. She had to get home, so she could rest, so she could work in a few hours. But maybe just a short nap here while she waited on Deputy Do-Right to write up...whatever it was he wrote up when he housed criminals.

  She closed her eyes, plotting all the ways she could torture Abel once she got out of here...if he was the one responsible. And she’d bet all she had in savings for her animal shelter that he was the sole rat bastard who had called the cops.

  * * *

  Saige jumped when a door slammed. She jerked her head up to see the man she was beginning to regret meeting, standing there looking all smug...yet worn. Stubble lined his dark jaw, his lids were heavy and he wore the same clothes he’d had on when he’d been at her house.... How long ago was that?

  But now he was wearing a pair of dark rimmed glasses that totally turned him into that hunky professor she’d imagined.

  No, she scolded herself. No hunky professor. No hunky cop. No hunky neighbor. He was a traitor.

  “The devil himself.” She eased back in the metal chair that she’d been sleeping in and glared across the tiny room. “I knew you were behind this.”

  God, her back ached, her legs ached. How long had she been asleep?

  “What time is it?” she asked, hating the raspy tone to her voice.

  “Almost seven.”

  “In the morning?” Saige shot up from her oh-so-cozy chair and slapped her palms on the metal table. “You left me here for hours? What the hell, Abel? And don’t even act like you knew nothing of me being arrested.”

  Abel held up his hands. “Listen to me before you start spouting off and saying something you’ll regret.”

  “I regret sleeping with you,” she told him, hoping there was a camera or at least a listening device in this room, but probably that was only on TV or put in place for actual criminals—and she didn’t technically classify herself as a criminal since she was the Robin Hood of animals. “And I doubt I’ll regret anything I’ll say now.”

  She took him in, and her body instantly responded. Images of how they must’ve looked together flooded her mind. His dark hands sliding over her body, those strong arms enveloping her as she climaxed. How could she have been so stupid? Granted the hot body had muddled with her common sense, but she didn’t even know the man. Not only that, she’d confessed to her crimes to a cop. Okay, retired cop but cop nonetheless.

  She really needed to learn to keep her mouth shut. Sex. Sex clouded the brain, and she’d learned her lesson.

  “Listen,” he said, raking a hand across his stubbled jaw. “I’m not thrilled about being here, but I’m trying to keep your ass out of trouble.”

  “I didn’t ask for a knight, Abel.”

  He gripped the back of the metal chair across from her and leaned forward. “But you need one.”

  Saige laughed. “And you’re appointing yourself? No, thanks. Just because we had great sex, and I know your sister, doesn’t mean you can just barge into other parts of my life.”

  For a second she’d worried she’d gone too far. Abel was silent as his eyes held hers. Man, he was good at this bad-cop gig. She wondered if “good cop” would be barging through the door any second to join this discussion.

  Her body ached from that blasted chair, her neck had a kink in it, and she just wanted out of this stank hole.

  “I thought you were retired, anyway,” she told him, fury still bubbling. “Why are you even here other than to say you told me so?”

  Abel pushed off the chair and headed toward the door. “You have no idea what I’ve done for you,” he muttered before slamming the door behind him.

  Saige had no idea what he meant, or why on earth he was leaving her in here alone...again. Was she going home? Was she being charged? What the hell did he come for? To gloat, to see her in cuffs...which had been removed. Had he been hoping to see her in an orange jumpsuit and behind bars?

  On a groan, she sank down into the one and only chair, crossed her arms on the cold metal table and rested her head. She was dead tired and had accomplished nothing tonight, or rather this morning. Well, unless she counted two orgasms, which she most certainly would, because she hadn’t had two orgasms, not unless self-induced, all year, let alone in one night.

  After what seemed like another eternity, the door opened again, and the first officer who brought her in stood in the doorway.

  “You’re free to go. Mr. Simmons didn’t press charges.”

  Saige blinked and came to her feet. “Um...okay. I don’t have a car here.”

  “We have someone who will take you to retrieve your car. He’s waiting in the lobby.”

  Saige eased by the officer without a word. “Thank you” seemed oddly inappropriate and “Have a nice day” didn’t work, either. Best to just keep her mouth shut and get the hell out of here. Hopefully she could salvage enough of this botched-up rescue to at least catch an hour of sleep. At this point she’d give her entire flip-flop collection for a soft bed, but she had a feeling sleep wasn’t in her future. She’d have to be at work soon. No way could she afford another day off. Besides, she had to get the cookies to the clinic, so she could bring in more funds.

  When she reached the lobby, the only person there was Abel. She should’ve known he’d be the minion to haul her to her car.

  She refused to speak to him; after all, it was his fault they were here to begin with. Stupid jerk. Even though he’d not come outright and said it, he hadn’t told her otherwise when she’d accused him.

  Gliding right by him and out into the dark, quiet predawn morning, Saige glanced around until she spotted his black truck and marched toward it. She tugged on the handle, but it was locked. Figured.

  She felt him behind her, but she would not give him the satisfaction of acknowledging him. His chest bumped her back, then a strong hand came to settle on her shoulder, and Saige refused to turn and look at him, refused to say one single word.

  “I won’t apologize, Saige. Be mad at me, if you want, but at least you’re safe.”

  Damn her insides that turned to mush as his soft, husky tone washed over her, his warm breath on the side of her face. If she turned her head, his mouth, his lips, would be right there. Right within the boundaries of a good kiss.

  So she remained still. God, she was making this too easy for him. If she turned to mush at just the sound of his low voice, how was she going to hold up her resolve if he tried to kiss her or...strip her?

  “I’ll take you to get your car and make sure you get home safely.”

  Saige closed her eyes. “Why are you making it a point to put me in this bubble, Abel? Just leave me be. I have work I need to do, and I can’t have you interfering.”

  “I’m not trying to put you in a bubble. I’m trying...”

  Now Saige d
id turn her head. Her gaze locked with his, her mouth nearly brushed against his.

  “Trying what?” she whispered. “Trying to still play cop? Trying to pinpoint me as the distressed damsel? I assure you, I’m fine.”

  His eyes darted to her mouth. On one hand she wanted him to close that miniscule gap and kiss her until she forgot how angry she was. On the other hand, the hand that was obviously thinking rationally, she wanted to get away from him, get home and forget this night ever happened. Well...not all of the night, just the police part.

  The sex? Yeah, she’d be replaying that for years, because as much as she was angry at him, she couldn’t deny Abel had been the best lover she’d ever had.

  Chapter Seven

  Abel cursed himself for getting in any deeper with Saige, simply because she’d touched him in a way he hadn’t expected. Could’ve been the unexpected sex and her very laid-back attitude toward it, but he didn’t think he’d be so shallow as to want to protect and spend more time with a woman simply because she was the first woman he’d slept with in over a year.

  She was, however, the first person, other than his sister, who had stayed on his mind long after they’d parted ways...and that was before they’d had sex.

  But there was no way he could knowingly let her go to that drug-infested neighborhood where domestic violence calls were multiple times a day, and not try to stop her from injuring herself further. Bad enough she’d cut open her arm, he truly didn’t think he could handle it if she’d been shot at or taken inside the house. God only knows what would’ve happened.

  Abel suppressed a shudder. He’d seen a lot in his sixteen years on the force, and had she originally been caught by the resident instead of Officer Tibbs, she would be terrified right now instead of pissed. Pissed he could handle. Hurt, not so much.

  And what was this new level of caring? He purposely had shut himself inside his own world for the past year, worrying only for his sister, yet here he was terrified for a woman he’d slept with, not knowing much more than her name. For crying out loud, he didn’t even know when her birthday was, if she had siblings, living parents or even an ex-husband.