Jacked (Trent Brothers #1)(42)

I tugged at crotch of my jeans quickly, removing the denim seam that was impaling my dick.

Yeah, she knew exactly what she was doing to me.

“There may or may not have been a stripper pole involved as well, though I can’t say. Was that crazy enough for you?”

I was so dumbstruck; all I could do was nod.

“My turn again,” she said, way too enthusiastically.

“Wait. Is that something you might repeat anytime soon? Just curious.”

Oh that sly, shy grin. This girl is going to wreck me.

“Why? Are you going to tell me you have one installed in your house or something?”

I swallowed hard just picturing that. Don’t think about the word “hard” now, Adam. “No, but I’m thinking about buying one today if you’re game, that’s for damn sure.”

“Well, you’ll have to hold that thought since it’s my turn again.”

I waved for her to continue, fearing I was at risk for spilling my guts to her now.

“Since you obviously are a righteous man of the law, ever do anything that was illegal? And… if so, what was it?”

Look at her. She thinks she’s got me. First rule of interrogation, sweetheart, trust no one and definitely never confess to anything illegal. I knew enough to know she was just trying to get to know me. There was nothing in my brief investigation on her to lead me to think otherwise as she had no record of criminal history. Well, she doesn’t need to know all of my dirty secrets in one sitting. I took a few moments to think of a good story, something that would appease her curiosity.

“Okay, when I was seventeen, senior year of high school, I took the girl I was dating out to the lake that was a couple of miles from my parents’ house. I spread out a nice blanket, had the radio playing, couple bottles of wine my brother Michael got for me, trying to show her what a class act I was. Well, it worked and there we were in all our glory goin’ at it hot and heavy.” I wiped my mouth just thinking about it. “I was quite preoccupied when the cops showed up.”

Erin laughed. “What did you do?”

Why am I telling her this shit? Fuck it. Let her get a bit hot and bothered, too. “What could I do? We were totally busted. Chief cuffed me, butt-ass naked, tossed me in the back of the squad car, and remanded me over to my parents. Dragged me right to the front door of my house and threatened to shoot me. Guess he was pretty pissed that I was caught defiling his daughter or something—”

Erin covered her mouth. “Oh, no you didn’t!”

I shrugged, holding back some. “Gave me a citation for public indecency and underage drinking, which was still cutting me a break because I was pretty wasted. I ended up having to do community service clearing all of the storm gutters for the entire summer.”

“And that’s when you decided to go into law enforcement?”

I nodded and scratched the scar above my left eyebrow I’d gotten as a result. “Actually it was a few days after that when Casper Cullis pulled a gun on me.”

“Casper Cullis?”

“Her douche-bag boyfriend.”

“Someone named their kid Casper? Isn’t he the friendly ghost?”

I had to laugh at her, though the memory was far from funny. “No. We got into a fight, and then he pointed a gun at my head.”

“He pointed a gun… at your head. Oh my God. What did you do?”

Images skittered through. “I knocked his hand away and broke his nose. And that’s when I decided to be a police officer.”

I watched her stab a piece of her omelet and followed it just so I could see her tongue again. It was a far better image than the one lingering from my story. “I believe it’s my turn again.”

She waved her fork. “Go for it.”

At this point I fully intended to. “You look worried.” I smiled, trying to ease her tension.

Erin laughed uncomfortably. “I’m not, really.”

“Well don’t be. I am curious though. Why the ER? I mean, you could probably set up shop in some cozy practice seeing head colds and skinned knees, no? But trauma? I don’t know.”

“Don’t look at me like that, please,” she said, admonishing my gaze.

“Like what?”

“Like I’m crazy. Are you questioning my sanity, Detective?”

“Maybe. A little. I mean, I’ve seen some gruesome shit in my lifetime, but I can’t imagine doing what you do every day to fix them. Doesn’t it give you nightmares?”

Her stalled response gave her away. “Not really.”

Years of training had me reading her body language, and watching her twist her napkin, refusing to look me in the eye fully told me she was lying to one of us.

“Sometimes, but every day I’m presented with a whole host of new problems to solve. The mechanics of the human body just utterly fascinates me. I love the challenge.”

Her human body fascinated me. Watching her light up talking about it was like a gift.

She glanced around the restaurant and I wondered if she finally noticed the stares we were getting. Some people were just blatantly gawking.

She definitely noticed it. “I know it’s a difficult field but it’s my stepping stone.”

“Oh? Where you stepping to, Doc?”

I could see the passion return in her eyes. “I’m trying for a fellowship in Toxicology.”