Dare to Hold (Dare to Love 4)

“Meg? Ready to talk to Officer Jenkins about what happened with Mike?” Scott called over to her.

At the mention of her ex, all hot, sexy thoughts vanished. She spent the next thirty minutes recounting her visit from her ex, providing a copy of the restraining order, and listening as the cop spoke to her neighbor. By the time the woman finished, Meg was surprised she hadn’t complained to the landlord about the problems and noise Meg’s issues had caused. But Mrs. Booth seemed sympathetic and understanding. She promised to keep an eye and ear out for her ex while Meg was at work.

Meg thanked her.

The officer jotted down some notes, then flipped the pad closed. “Okay, got it.”

“You’ll pay Mike Ashton a visit?” Scott asked, although from his tone, it came out as more of a demand.

“We’re busy tonight,” Officer Jenkins explained, though he didn’t sound too upset about it. “And since nothing really happened here other than some noise and disturbance, I’ll file the report, and it’ll be on record. Meanwhile, keep your door locked.”

Scott shook his head and muttered a curse as Meg walked the officer out and locked up behind him.

“He’s new and not on my shift.” Clearly agitated, he raked his fingers through his hair. “Don’t worry, I’ll have a talk with your asshole ex and remind him what the fuck a restraining order means.”

“No, please don’t.” The thought of Scott confronting Mike turned her stomach. “It’s fine. You don’t need to get involved. The officer said if he bothered me again, they’d talk to him. I don’t want to get you in any trouble with your superiors.”

“Baby?”

She blinked, shocked at how that word, the one he used when he was in seduction mode, affected her. Suddenly her body burned hot, desire pulsing inside her again.

“Yes?” she managed to ask, her mouth dry.

“Don’t kid yourself,” he murmured huskily. “I’m already involved.”

Oh. Oh. She swiped her tongue across her lips, and his hot gaze followed the gesture. “I… Umm…”

He grinned at how flustered she’d gotten. “Now I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” he said in a tone that indicated the word could have two very different meanings.

She shivered, her nipples hardening at the various possibilities.

His gaze fell to the two points sticking out from her shirt, and a low growl sounded from inside his chest. “We’ll get to that later,” he promised, and her sex clenched at the possibility. “I don’t expect you to cook for me, so let’s go out and get something to eat. I want to make sure you have strength for later.”

And this time she knew exactly what he was referring to, and she was in complete agreement. She couldn’t resist this man and was finished trying. He’d see her get big, and the reality of a baby would send him running

soon enough. She pushed that sobering thought away.

He obviously wouldn’t let her get away with anything less than a full meal. “I like to cook. Think of it as my way of thanking you for showing up when you did.” If not for Scott, she wouldn’t have thought to call the police in once Mike had left on his own.

“You don’t need to thank me, but if you’re sure, I’d love to have you cook for me.” He said the word cook in a rumbling tone.

So hot and gravelly was his voice, he might as well have said, I’d love you to fuck me. She didn’t know how she’d make it through the next hour of cooking, dinner, and anticipation.

She turned away, needing to focus on dinner. “I hope you like grilled cheese. I have bakery bread and some really delicious kinds of cheese.”

“I’ll eat anything.”

She shivered. God, everything he said made her think of sex.

But he kept her company in the kitchen while she pulled out her frying pan, cover, and other ingredients, and eventually she calmed down while preparing dinner. She was surprised to find herself comfortable with Scott in her personal space. Although … comfortable might not be the right word considering how intently he watched her.

And how, beneath his heated gaze, her body buzzed in all the right places. Places she’d been reminding all week to get used to nonuse for the foreseeable future.

Soon the sandwiches began to sizzle. A quick check told her they were ready, and the delicious smell permeated the small kitchen. She served and was beyond pleased when he bit into the sandwich and moaned out loud, the sound too seductive to her ears considering where her thoughts had been.

“This is so good. Where’d you learn to cook? Because I gotta tell you, the most my sisters can manage is to slap cheese on bread in the toaster oven.”

She laughed at that. “Well, my mother was similar. I took over meals at a really young age.”