Beneath the Badge (First Responders 4)

She wanted to retort that for someone who was an arrogant jerk, his dedication to patience and thoroughness was a surprise too, but she doubted it would have the same insulting bite to it. She had nothing to say. He’d kissed all rational thought out of her head.

“I’d better get going,” he said, his eyes glowing at her with an impish gleam. “I’ve got a long walk ahead of me.”

She nodded dumbly.

He was halfway up the walk when he turned. She was still standing with her back pressed against the door.

“Oh, and, Lindsay? Next time dinner really is on you.”

She heard him whistling his way down the street.

Once inside, she shut the door and shut out the sound of his infernal whistling. It was early. There was time for a hot shower, maybe a second glass of wine and a good book.

The only trouble was that she could still taste him on her lips. And she was relatively sure that any fictional hero would be no competition to the reality that was Matt Parker.

Dammit.

Chapter Two

Matt followed the shelter truck into the parking lot at the vet clinic. The smell of the afternoon seemed to cling to his clothes and permeate his nostrils, making him slightly ill. There was a distinct dog scent, but it was mostly masked by two other aromas that he knew well and despised—depravity and disease.

The conditions in the kennels had been deplorable. Wire cages, crammed conditions, excrement everywhere. The SPCA had the authority to go in and seize the animals, but he’d been sent to attend the call as the owner wasn’t being cooperative. Thankfully his presence had settled things down and it had gone without incident and the appropriate charges had been laid.

That wasn’t what was bothering him.

It had been too much. Too similar to that day when he’d walked in the back room of the warehouse and seen them. The girls. He swallowed and tasted bile in h

is mouth. There were some things a person should never have to see. And things a human being should never have to endure. Something had broken in him that day and he wasn’t sure it could ever be fixed. He thought he’d let go. He hadn’t.

He stepped out of his SUV and saw Lindsay standing on the steps of the clinic. She wore jeans and comfortable sneakers, the rest of her clothing covered by a white lab coat. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail—she was Miss No-Nonsense right now as she spoke to the SPCA officer.

She was clean and pure and perhaps even a bit naïve. Too good for the likes of him. That goodness was what had led him to approaching her the other night. He needed some of that in his life. For a few minutes, with her, he’d been himself. Not thinking of the darkness of his past, not putting on a false face to the world. Just Matt. And once she’d dug the stick out of her ass, she’d been pretty entertaining. Not to mention the way she kissed…

She looked up and saw him standing by his vehicle. Their eyes met and something zinged through him to his toes. Kissing her had been an unexpected treat. She came across as being all sweet and innocent, but her kiss had been soft and seductive and sexy as hell. It had made him want more—normally not a problem. But something about her had made him walk away. He’d sensed that taking it further would have been a mistake.

He adjusted his belt and made his way to the parked truck. The dogs were being unloaded, and he reached in and took a smaller crate lined with blankets, ready to help out. Inside the crate, four puppies were curled together. He was sure they were too young to be weaned. They just lay there, whimpering a little as he slid the crate to the edge and lifted it off the tailgate.

“Dr. Swan,” he acknowledged, stepping inside the clinic doors. “Where would you like the puppies?”

She looked inside the crate. “Oh my. Three, four weeks maybe? There must be a nursing mom somewhere…”

“I’m afraid so,” said one of the vet techs. “But she’s severely undernourished and not producing any milk from the looks of it. I’ve put her in the first exam room.”

“Thanks, Sam,” Lindsay said. “Let’s have a quick look at the puppies.”

Matt watched as she examined each one. God, they were cute. White with splotches of black and brown, little balls of fluff making mewling noises. He swallowed. How helpless they were, at the mercy of others to make sure they were cared for, loved. His stomach turned again, a memory and a warning. People could be unspeakably cruel—and not just to animals. It was the one thing he could never get used to. He never wanted to either, never wanted to lose his humanity.

“They look to be doing okay, but they need fluids and nutrition right away,” Lindsay decreed. “I’ll know more after I run some tests. We’ll have to bottle feed them for a day or two, I think, and see how they go before trying anything solid.”

She checked her watch. Sighed.

Matt stepped forward. “I could do that. I mean, if you get it ready and show me what to do. You’ve got lots to keep you busy and I don’t mind helping.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re going to bottle feed puppies?”

He shrugged. “My shift’s over. Your day’s not. And they’re hungry, aren’t they?”

Lindsay nodded. “Yes, they are. I get the feeling they’re all hungry—and not just for food.” Her lips formed an angry line. “I’m so glad I wasn’t out there. This kind of thing makes me sick. I’d like to take that owner and…”