them had to be the cutest couple and were obviously an anomaly. That wasn’t in the cards for Brian. He had always been a loner and would always be a loner.
He rounded the corner with the lawnmower and began to walk back the direction he came, making sure the lines were straight. He wasn’t sure why he did it. Perhaps it was because she was constantly on his mind, but he looked over at Katie’s house. The roses were in shambles, and she had pruned some of the bushes past recognition.
The lines in her grass were wiggly and uneven. It almost had him shivering. He needed order, even craved it. The last thing he needed was to be hyper-focused on the curvy redhead officer who constantly popped into his mind. Her uniform was snug, and she filled out every inch of it.
He supposed it wasn’t good form to stare and drool at an officer, but it was something he was guilty of all the same. However, that was nothing compared to the little spaghetti-strap tank tops and boxer shorts with the band rolled down that exposed her perfectly flat stomach.
Shit, damn, and hell! That was enough to make him want to throw her over his shoulder and head for the nearest cave. He fought the urge to adjust his dick, which hardened the more he thought about her.
Must think of something else, he told himself firmly.
Something flashed in the corner of his eye, and he looked at Katie’s kitchen window. She was perched there with the silliest expression on her face. Her hair was piled up in a messy bun at the top of her head, and she was holding a coffee cup.
When their gazes locked, her mouth opened, and the coffee went flying. One minute she was there, and the next, she was gone. Brian took off at a dead run, not even waiting for the lawnmower to stop. He pounded on her back door but only heard a groan in response.
His training came in handy, and he kicked down the back door and raced into the kitchen. Katie was laying on the floor with her hand on her head. Her thin tank top was soaked with coffee, revealing that she hadn’t yet put on a bra.
Two nipples showed through the wet fabric, and his mouth went dry. The semi-erection from earlier was already back at full mast, and he had a hard time breathing.
“Are you alright?” he gasped.
Her eyes were still closed, but he knew she was hurting by the way she was breathing. His training had taught him not to move a victim of an accident.
“I am going to call an ambulance, just sit tight.”
“No!” Katie came flying up into a sitting position.
She groaned and held her head, “No ambulance, I am fine. Just bumped my head, nothing serious.”
Brian frowned, “You could have a concussion.”
She opened her eyes at this, and he saw her disbelief. “There is nothing wrong with me. It was just a fall.”
“What were you doing up there?” Brian couldn’t help but ask.
“Changing a light bulb,” she said quickly, her cheeks turning pink.
He looked above the sink, where there wasn’t a light fixture.
“A light bulb?”
“In my flashlight,” she lifted her chin.
He fought a smile. She was a terrible liar.
“And where is that flashlight now?” he asked solemnly.
Katie’s cheeks heated to a rosy glow, “How in the hell should I know?”
She knew she sounded like an idiot, but the words kept flowing out of her.
“I hit my head. Obviously, I can’t remember.”
And to her surprise, he laughed.
17
Later that night, Brian thought about his encounter with Katie. He had checked her for signs of a concussion that she clearly didn’t have. Besides a bump, she was none the worse for wear. What had plagued Brian’s mind is that he couldn’t figure out why she had been on the counter in the first place.
The fact that she refused to tell him astounded Brian even further. He had glowered, spoken in his sternest voice, and even gave her the glare. The same glare that had plenty of Marines spilling their shit. But not Katie McCleary; she would just give him that dimpled smile and shrug her shoulders.
Those same creamy shoulders that couldn’t hold up the strap of her skimpy tank top. Do you know how hard it is to stand in front of someone in basketball shorts and hide a hard-on? He prayed that she hadn’t noticed.
It wasn’t like he noticed how her nipples were erect and pressed