Bound to Be His ( The Archer Family 2)

"Maybe if I think really hard, I can remember what I was going to say," she said. "Okay. New Badges. I was going to say..."

She tried to recall the polite wording for the fact that the rainbow on their new Hawaii State Criminal Investigations Unit Badges looked, well, like a multicolored dildo. Of course, the two little clouds at the base did nothing to help that impression.

Honestly, didn't the police have enough problems without walking around sporting big old d—

"Hey!" She honked her horn as someone cut her off on the interstate into Honolulu. She should pull them over and show them just...

No, she didn't have time for that. She had to come up with a plan for what she was going to say. How she was going to say it. And, of course, how she was going to convince the unit supervisor that she was not, in fact, an hour late for work but rather fashionably tardy.

"Yep, that's gonna be an easy one." She shook her head. "Okay. The badge. I'll just walk in there and say 'ladies and gentlemen, I've put a great deal of thought into this case and I feel there are a number of pros and cons to this badge situation. While I understand we're all busy, we need to band together to rectify—"

But could she say rectify? Didn't that sound a little too much like “erection” given the circumstances?

"No, what about...When you get to the bones of it—"

Nope, that wouldn't work either. Maybe the best option was just to blow the thing up and outline the problem area. Like a little crime scene unto itself.

She pulled into the lot and parked, barely taking the time to lock her car before sprinting into the building and making for the elevator. When she got to the third floor, she summoned her courage, stepped out, and headed for the conference room. Through the slats on the wide, glass wall, she could already tell that Supervisor Sanders was detailing something or another, some other unfamiliar outline was standing beside him.

"Okay. Here goes nothing," she mumbled, and then she pushed the door open. "Supervisor, I'm so sorry I'm late, but I have a pressing matter to discuss that cannot—"

Her gaze fell on the man beside the already boiling supervisor, and she lost her ability to speak. And think. And possibly to breathe. He was here. Right here in her unit standing in front of all her coworkers. Staring back at her.

And why shouldn't he stare? She was probably gaping at him like he had three heads. That had always been the problem with him. She could never keep herself from falling apart whenever she took in his lean, toned muscles and his sleek chestnut hair. Like James Marsden and James Dean rolled into one.

"Detective Lockhart," The supervisor practically chewed on the word. "I was just thinking it was blissfully quiet in here. I should have known why."

She did her best to concentrate on the older man whose hair looked especially white now that his plump cheeks were growing redder with every second. Oops.

"Yep, I'm here." She let out a frail little laugh and someone at the conference table covered their face with one hand. Derrick. She could only see his thick, dark hair now. Well, that and the fact that he was shaking his head at her.

"Well, could your very pressing matter wait until after I've finished introducing Detective Flynn to our unit? Or is it really that urgent?" The old man's mouth pursed so hard she knew which answer he expected.

"Nope, I can, uh, wait. I guess." She chanced a glance at "Detective Flynn" then skirted around the table to drop into the empty seat beside Derrick. As soon as she sat, he scrawled a message on the legal pad in front of him

Smooth.

She pulled another pad toward her snatched a pen, then wrote back

Ha ha. What did I miss?

Derrick shrugged.

Nothing much. I may have pointed out that the new badge looks like a dick and balls.

Jade blinked. Of course he did.

"As I was saying," The supervisor pressed on with a very pointed glance at Jade. "We're pleased to welcome Zac Flynn to the department. He's an expert in mafia behavior and he's agreed to come on with us to help build our case against Paulo Scaglietti."

"Hey." Zac raised a hand and offered them all a dazzlingly white smile.

Jade crossed her legs, all too aware of the heat rushing to her cheeks. She still couldn't believe it. After all this time. Here he was. Right here. Ready to help with a case she was working on.

Need a tissue for your drool?

She glanced at Derrick's note and rolled her eyes.

Oh please. He's a coworker.