In the Line of Duty (First Responders 2)

“Oh, don’t say never. That just makes me want to prove you wrong.”

The devilish, teasing note was back in his voice. It was surprising to find she’d missed it. “Duly noted.”

“You got any friends, Constable?”

It was an odd question, and she popped the top of the can to prolong answering. She took a sip and considered. “Of course I have friends.”

“Good friends? Or acquaintances?” Puzzled, she paused and looked over at him. “I don’t understand.”

He shrugged, opened his own can with a pop and hiss. “Well, acquaintances are people you know, talk to, work with, yada yada. But friends…friends are people you actually share things with. Hang out with. Enjoy downtime. You got any of those?”

“Not really. There are my coworkers, but…”

“But?”

She sighed. “I’m not the besties type, that’s all.” She never had been either. It had been easier just to be alone, without having to explain anything. Easier when they moved time and time again if she didn’t have anyone to truly miss. If you never got close to someone, you never had to worry about saying goodbye, did you?

“Me either,” he said. “The closest I have to real friends are the guys I served with. And those guys are either still in, or gone, or live somewhere else.”

They were nearly to her car. “Come on, Jake. Everyone knows you, everyone likes you.”

“Not everyone,” he said knowingly.

“It’s not that I dislike you,” she clarified. “Maybe I just don’t understand your choices.”

“See? That’s what I’m talking about. After you left the other day I realized that it’s probably something personal for you.”

“That’s presuming a lot.”

“Maybe. Of course, I thought for a minute that there was a chance you just really didn’t like me, but then I knew that was impossible.”

“Your ego isn’t suffering, I see.” Oh my. She was bantering with Jake and she was enjoying it. This really should stop. Other than working his case, she should have nothing to do with him. They were too different. She could never condone his choice of living.

“My ego is just fine.” He winked at her, popping a dimple. “I don’t exactly believe that your…disdain is probably the best word I can think of. I don’t believe it’s about the night you put me in jail. I deserved it. I was an idiot. A drunk idiot who deliberately provoked you from the back of your cruiser.”

He had. The suggestion he’d made regarding her handcuffs still made her blush. “So that’s not the real you?”

“Oh, it was the real me then. I was pretty messed up. Home on leave, didn’t want to go back, my head screwed up… I was blowing off steam.”

The head-screwed-up bit was the part that caught her attention. She knew he’d done a few deployments, but he’d always seemed so carefree and, well, disgustingly charming around town. Was there more to him than the cocky ex-soldier? She wondered what he’d seen. What he’d done. If he’d really struggled when he’d come back.

If he still did. She knew better than anyone that you couldn’t escape your past.

“And you want me to know this why?”

They reached her car and she stopped, rested her butt against the back door of her cruiser. The angle made her that much shorter than Jake’s full height, and she had to look quite a ways up to meet his gaze.

“Damned if I know,” he said softly, his hazel eyes searching hers. “Except I think you formed an opinion that night. One that you still hold against me every time you get a call from one of my staff. I promise you,” he continued as one corner of his mouth quirked upward deliciously, “I don’t run around the parking lot in my underwear or make lewd suggestions about handcuff fantasies anymore.”

A smile flirted with her lips.

“At least not in public.”

Damn him. She didn’t want to laugh but couldn’t help it.

“That’s better,” he said, resting his weight on one hip and taking a long drink of pop. She watched his throat bob as he swallowed and her mouth went dry. There was no use pretending Jake Symonds wasn’t gorgeous. He was.

“What’s better?”