fly through the air on its own and knock me upside the head.
“No . . . you didn’t kill him. I don’t think.” Connor shrugs like it's no big deal either way. “He was breathing when we left, and Hunter will keep him alive. Probably.”
“Probably?” I repeat vacantly.
Connor meets my eyes in the rearview mirror again. “If anyone dies, I’d rather it be them than you.”
Can talking about death and murder be romantic? Apparently so, because I’m melting back here. “Aww, that’s so sweet.”
“Perra loca,” JP whispers.
“Watch it,” Connor warns JP, though I don’t know what he said since the only Spanish I speak is to order tacos and nachos. JP holds his hands up in apology. “The police officer . . . what’s the name?”
“Carter,” JP says immediately. “Jax Carter.”
I gasp, and Connor slams a fist to the steering wheel again. “Of fucking course!”
“Have I mentioned that I hate that guy?” I growl through clenched teeth. Seriously? “He’s such a Paul Blart shart.”
“Shart?” JP asks, and I can’t help it, I smirk. I don’t know Spanish, and he doesn’t know Poppyish.
“Shit plus fart . . . shart.”
JP snorts as he covers his mouth with a hand, but he nods his agreement with me.
That particular bridge crossed, I look back to Connor. I know more than he realizes now, but I can’t tell him that until we’re alone. “What are we going to do? We need a plan.”
Connor keeps his eyes on the road, driving in a roundabout, meandering course to keep us safe, but we’re generally heading back to the house. “I’m thinking.”
“While you’re thinking, can we go home? I need to let Nut and Juice out.”
He doesn’t say anything, but it means something to me that Connor speeds up. He’s probably worried about my puppers too.
JP turns to looks at me with a furrowed brow, his brain working overtime behind his brown eyes. “Uhm, English is not my first language. Not even my second. But did you say ‘nut juice’? That means uhm . . . the kids call . . .”
I laugh at his stilted question. Some people just don’t get me. “Yeah, they’re my two Pomeranians. Named after exactly what you think. It was funny at the time. There might’ve been a bottle of wine involved. And since I’d drunk-shopped for specially engraved name tags, it stuck.”
JP looks at Connor, even more confused after my perfectly reasonable explanation. “This is your woman?” He mutters something in Spanish that has Connor clenching his jaw, and JP sighs.
Connor growls. “Yes. She’s my woman, so watch what you fucking say.”
Connor’s claiming of me in such a caveman way makes my whole body light up with warmth. I’m usually more of the Cinderella meets her Prince Charming and gets romantically swept off her feet type, especially in what I write. None of my heroes are the growly, possessive, asshole sorts, but I am definitely rethinking my main characters. It’s too late to change the characters and plotline of Trouble in Great Falls, but maybe I can use these last few chapters to introduce a new character with a bit of asshole-itis?
“You are so sexy,” I purr, leaning forward to wrap my arms around Connor from behind. But the seatbelt pulls me back sharply, and I have to settle for only touching his shoulder. “Have I told you that?”
I feel JP looking at me like I’ve lost my mind, but my eyes are locked on Connor. His eyes drift up to the rearview mirror and he smiles. Well, his eyes do. His lips don’t lift, but I know he likes that I think he’s sexy because those gold flecks in the center of his eyes are flashing like fire. I move the boob separator seatbelt strap beneath my arm so I can lean forward again, lifting out of the seat to press a kiss to Connor’s cheek.
One of his hands leaves the wheel and cups my head as he turns to kiss my mouth. But before our lips meet, I scold him through a smile. “Ah, ah, ah! We are safe drivers first, so eyes on the road, mister! We can’t get into a wreck while we’re making our getaway.”
He growls as I pull out of his reach and fix my seatbelt but places his hand back on the wheel.
“You are going to be the death of me,” he groans.
“That’s how you know it’s true love. It is like this with my wife too,” JP says with a soft laugh. “A