Beneath the Badge (First Responders 4)

She tiptoed out of the room and went back to the still-busy exam area. There was still work to be done and dwelling on the past wasn’t getting anything accomplished.

At some point it got dark. The paperwork was done, the staff went home and Lindsay did one last check on the dogs, including the regular day’s patients who were kennelled in the back. She wanted her bed but knew it would be better if she stayed here tonight and slept on the couch. The dogs might need monitoring and the pups would have to be fed again for sure. The room where Matt had fed the puppies was now vacant except for the makeshift whelping pen where the terriers were now sleeping. Hopefully they’d be terrorizing the staff and playing like regular puppies in a few days. Her heart melted a little as she ran a finger down the center of one soft, fuzzy head. It had been a long, long evening but oh-so worth it.

Matt had gone home at some point. She’d been busy and had missed saying goodbye—or thank you. It was too late now, but she’d make a point of acknowledging his help one day soon. He’d definitely gone above and beyond today. The image of him sleeping with a little furry bundle in his arms wouldn’t leave her brain, even as she grabbed a few slices of cold pizza and turned on the alarm to the clinic.

Matt Parker might be handsome and charming as all get-out, but tonight he’d been different. It was disturbing to realize that there was more beneath his badge than what first appeared.

And even though she knew it would be a mistake, she couldn’t help but wonder what the real Matt Parker was like.

The thump of a fist against a heavy bag was followed by the odd chiming sound of the chain swinging from the bare rafter. Lindsay watched, transfixed, as Matt danced around the taped bag, pounding it with a combination that ended with a right hook. Sweat gleamed on his bare skin and his muscles bulged as he worked a jab-cross-kick combo. The sound of his breathing echoed in the spartan room that held nothing more than the heavy bag, a weight bench and a staggering array of dumbbells.

He hadn’t heard her come in, probably because of how his punches echoed through this part of the refurbished warehouse. Downstairs was a wide open space that a local contractor used for storage. The upstairs had been converted into living space. Sort of. Lindsay assumed that the door beyond led to some sort of kitchen, bedroom, bathroom. At least she hoped. Right now it felt rather like stepping into a barn.

A barn where Corporal Matt Parker was looking less than official. He wore nothing more than a pair of black shorts, not even shoes. His hands were covered with black gloves as he went another round on the bag, delivering a solid kick and bouncing back on his toes.

But it wasn’t the sheer physicality that struck her the hardest. It was the desperation, the focus and the savagery with which he struck the inanimate opponent. Like he was trying to kill it.

When a last right hook sent the bag swinging, Matt reached out to hug it and stop its movement. When he did he finally saw her there, standing in front of the metal door with her mouth hanging open. She consciously closed it and swallowed the spit that pooled in her mouth. His entire upper body gleamed with perspiration, delineating the lines of an astonishing six-pack.

He frowned.

So he wasn’t happy to see her. Her nervousness doubled as she tried a wobbly smile. “Hi,” she offered faintly.

The sound of Velcro tearing echoed off the walls as he took off his gloves and tossed them in a corner. “Hey.”

“I…uh…” Brilliant, Linds, she told herself, blinking and deciding to start again. She cleared her throat. “You said next time I could buy you dinner.” She held up a paper bag. “So I did.”

He grabbed a towel and wiped off his face, then ran the terrycloth down his chest and over his shoulders. Her gaze followed each movement. In his uniform he’d looked very official and sexy. In jeans and a T-shirt at the pub, she’d had an idea that he was very fit. But this…other than the shorts he was naked. And if his butt was as tight as the rest of him, he was pretty much perfect.

The towel followed the same path as the gloves. “You didn’t have to do that.”

There was something different about him tonight. Yesterday he’d been friendly and kind and had stayed well into the evening to help. Now it was like she was a nuisance. Intruding. She suddenly felt her face heat. What if he had plans? A date? Surprising someone like Matt had been foolish, hadn’t it? She was the one who spent most evenings alone, wasn’t she? He was the kind of guy who had a healthy and active social calendar.

She attempted to sound breezy. “I just wanted to say thanks for all your help yesterday. I should really get back.”

She put the bag on the floor. Never mind there was enough food in there for two. She’d embarrassed herself enough already.

Matt sighed and came forward. “I’m sorry, Lindsay. I didn’t mean to sound…” he rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, like he was working out a kink, “…like an asshole.”

“Hey, I showed up uninvited. No biggie.”

“How are the puppies?”

She met his gaze, smiled a little. “Good. Nothing major wrong with them besides being a bit underweight. With a few days of proper care they’re going to be terrors, no doubt about it. One of the techs has taken them home with her until they’re ready for fostering or adoption.”

He smiled back, just a little, but it warmed his eyes so he didn’t look so intimidating. “Look, I need a quick shower, but will you stay? I’m guessing there’s enough food in there for both of us, and once I clean up I’m bound to be starving.”

“You’re sure? I understand if you have other plans…”

He laughed, but it wasn’t a humorous kind. More like sarcastic. “No plans, trust me.” He raised an eyebrow. “I haven’t been fit to be around the general public today.”

She longed to ask why, but knew she probably wouldn’t want to know the answer so kept her mouth shut.

“I don’t want to impose…”

He sighed. “Just stay, okay? Give me five minutes.”

She nodded, picking up the bag. “Okay.”