Perfect Fit (Serendipity's Finest) - By Carly Phillips Page 0,19

and the sound of something hitting the walls. I sent a car to check it out,” Andy said.

She nodded, feeling Mike’s concerned gaze, knowing he’d been standing so close he’d heard every word the dispatcher uttered.

“Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll meet the car over there.” She disconnected the call.

Nauseated and embarrassed, she couldn’t look Mike in the eye. “Sorry. Gotta go,” she said, pushing herself off the counter as she hopped to the floor.

“I’ll go with you.” She heard the steel in his voice and knew it wasn’t an offer.

“No!” She jerked her head toward him. “I mean, no thanks. There’s no need.” She didn’t want him to see her father at his drunken worst. Bad enough he could read the report later and feel sorry for her.

Four

From the determined look on Cara’s face, Mike knew better than to offer to drive or go with her on the call. He knew embarrassment when he saw it, and Cara didn’t want him to witness her parents’ issues. Too bad. She might be a tough thing when it came to the job, but she had her vulnerabilities and he’d seen those tonight when she’d talked about the woman at Havensbridge. She might not want him there, but she needed him.

He waited until she’d buttoned her blouse and practically run out the door before grabbing the keys to his truck and heading out. At the very least, the cold night air and the drive to her parents’ place would give him time to cool down. He was still erect from their encounter. When he inhaled, he could smell the luscious scent of her body and remember the feel of her soft skin as he breathed her in deep.

He drove with the window open, the rush of cold air blasting him and tamping down on the heat still flushing him from the inside. By the time he pulled up to the garden apartment complex address he’d gotten from dispatch, his officers were back by their car, one talking to Cara, the other writing up the incident.

She watched Mike climb out of his truck, a scowl on her pretty face. What the hell are you doing here? He could hear her thoughts as if she were broadcasting them out loud, but because he was her superior and there were other officers present, she held back and he admired her restraint. Found it sexy, even as he had no doubt she’d let him have it in private.

“Hey, Chief,” Rob Sumter said.

Mike nodded.

“Any arrests?” he asked, not meeting Cara’s gaze. He didn’t have to. Her glare bore holes right through him.

Rob shook his head. “Mrs. Hartley declined to press charges,” he said, without looking at Cara. “We’ll just write up the incident so it’s on record.”

“Thanks, Rob.”

The other man inclined his head and joined his partner in their squad car. A few silent minutes later, they drove away, leaving Mike and Cara where they’d started. Alone.

“I thought I told you not to come.” Cara’s eyes flashed angry fire.

“Since when do I do what I’m told?” he asked, stepping closer.

He didn’t miss the shiver that rippled through her. Unable to stop himself, he pulled her close. “What happened?”

Stiff at first, she surprised him, letting herself relax into his embrace. “My father was drunk and started ranting at my mother. Apparently he threw dishes at the wall, and the neighbors didn’t appreciate the noise. That and they were worried for my mother’s safety.”

“Is she okay?”

Cara shrugged. “According to Rob.”

Mike paused. “You didn’t talk to her?”

She shook her head, still burrowing into him. “I can’t. I’ve told her I won’t see her again unless she leaves him.”

Mike was considering his reply carefully when without warning, Cara pulled out of his grasp. “I need to go.”

“Wait,” Mike said. It wasn’t a request. He’d laid down the order like he expected her to follow. He wasn’t sure if she’d listen, but he was determined to try. He didn’t dig into why it was so important she not run off alone right now.

She turned back to face him. “What?” Her teeth chattered and she wrapped her arms around herself for warmth.

“Where’s your jacket?”

She blinked at him, startled. “In my Jeep. Is that what you wanted to know?”

He stifled a laugh. “No.” He shrugged his leather jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Let’s go.”

“Where?” she asked, digging in her heels, literally refusing to walk another step.

“You’re freezing and upset. We’re going to get a cup of coffee and talk, and then you