Dash of Peril
Page 19

“Probably not a bad idea.”
And now being reasonable, too? He didn’t know what to think. They went into the kitchen together. Oliver had already retreated to a sunny spot in the living room. Dash put the makeshift ice pack away and got her the aspirin while she filled a glass with water.
He watched her take the OTC meds and knew she must be feeling a lot of discomfort for her to be so agreeable, given her aversion to all meds. “How’s your head?”
“It’s fine.” She went back to the table and sat with her coffee. “I need to call the insurance company, arrange for a rental car, and I should probably get hold of my commander.” She looked disgruntled over that last task.
“Any way I can help?”
“You’ve already done so much.”
“I want to be with you. Nothing I’ve done has been a hardship, believe me. In fact, I already took the next few days off. My foreman can handle anything that comes up, and when he can’t, he can reach me by phone.”
“Well, then, if you’re sure...would you might playing chauffeur today?”
“I was hoping you’d ask.” Honestly, keeping it together this morning hadn’t been easy. Not kissing her—especially with the way she looked at Rowdy—had been impossible.
Yeah, he wasn’t blind, and by her own admission he knew she considered Rowdy Yates prime material for fantasies. Rowdy seemed unaware or uncaring; he was probably well used to it, the likable bastard, and Avery didn’t appear threatened, either.
So why was he the only one on edge about it? It left him disgruntled all over again.
While he had the opportunity, he wanted to make an impression on Margo. Not just sexually, but in every way.
Surprising him, Margo propped her chin on her fist and let her gaze move all over him. “It might take me much of the day to get everything taken care of, but knowing what comes after will make the time pass more quickly.”
Meaning he’d be spending much of the day with her—and hopefully beyond. “Your appointment tomorrow is early and you’re still not supposed to drive.”
She gave him a hot look. “Angling to spend another night?”
“Absolutely.” And just to ensure he got the answer he wanted, he added, “Unless you’d rather have someone from your family, or Logan or Reese.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’d call a cab first. Or take a bus. Or walk—”
“Then consider me at your service.”
Still in a rare teasing mood, she said, “I like the sound of that.” After finishing off her coffee, she used her cell phone to call her insurance adjuster. She knew where the station usually towed cars, so she shared that info while also making arrangements to pick up a rental tomorrow.
Dash enjoyed watching her in business mode. She was one of those women who, depending on the circumstances, could be a no-nonsense professional, a hard-nosed supervisor, or a soft sex kitten.
And if she knew his thoughts on that one, she’d probably kick him to the curb.
He started a small load of laundry so he’d have clean jeans to wear while she made a few more calls. When she finished half an hour later, he was just putting the clothes in the dryer.
Margo stood to indulge a one-arm stretch. “Guess I’d better go find something appropriate to wear, too. It won’t be easy. My wardrobe is not set up to accommodate this dumb splint.”
“Maybe I can help.”
“Now you’re good at women’s wardrobes?” She held up a hand. “No, never mind, don’t tell me. I assume you’re good at everything.”
“Let’s say adequate and leave it at that.” Dash followed her into the bedroom and went to her closet. When he opened the door, it again screeched. “Maybe while we’re out, if you’re feeling up for it, I could pick up some oil for the door.”
“Sure.” She stood next to him as he eyed her button-up blouses. “I need a few groceries anyway.”
Moving aside her clothes, he reached to the back corner of the closet and produced a pale blue blouse that looked more worn.
“That’s an older one,” she said. “It’s a little too tight now.”
She wore her work clothes and uniforms so tailored to a perfect fit that they almost completely hid her curves. It’d be nice to see her in something both businesslike and sexy. “So you won’t mind if we cut off the sleeve?” He turned to her. “That way it’ll go over the splint.”
Giving it only a moment’s thought, she nodded. “I have scissors in the bathroom.” She walked off but returned half a minute later.
Dash cut the sleeve for her, then helped her to dress. He enjoyed the intimate task. He enjoyed her.
So far, everything with Margo had been different. In some ways more intriguing. In most ways better.
She certainly never bored him.
Now that she was ready, he had to get dressed too. When he’d run them through the wash earlier, the blood had come out of his jeans, but he had to wear the flannel shirt Logan had brought him. At some point today he’d need to stop by his place to pick up more clothes.
Convincing Margo of that might be tricky, so he’d spring it on her later.
They had both just finished dressing when her landline rang.
Taking her time, Margo adjusted her sling, then searched out earrings.
“You’re not going to answer that?”
“I don’t want to get stuck on the phone. We have too much to get done this morning.”
We. Nice that she now included him, never mind that if the situation had been with any other woman, he might have been put off by the implied responsibility.
But Margo wasn’t any other woman, and it had been so tough to find a weakness in her walls, he wanted to take advantage of every toehold he could get.
Expertly, she slipped studs into her ears, but when Dash saw her struggling with the backs, he stepped up to help her. “What if it’s important?”
She held still while he fastened the earrings. After tidying a few of her short silky curls, she said, “The machine will pick up.”
As if on cue, Margo’s taped voice announced that the caller should leave a number and message.
A male voice said with suggestion, “Lieutenant, where are you? You’re supposed to be at home resting.”
Her rank was said with affection, almost as if the caller had said “honey” or “sweetheart” instead.
For a single heartbeat she went still, but just as quickly she shook it off. Striding to the safe, she rapidly touched the keypad entry with practiced ease and it opened. She withdrew a magazine-handcuff case combo that clipped onto her belt. After double-checking that it was loaded and ready to go, she slid a Glock into place.
While the caller on the line said her name again, waiting, maybe hopeful that she’d pick up, Dash approached her. “You’re not—”
“Leaving here unarmed? Of course not.” She slipped an expandable baton onto her belt also. “Usually my jacket conceals the weapons, but I’m not about to cut the sleeve off a suit coat.”
“Margaret?” The caller’s exasperation grew. “If you’re there, pick up damn it.”
Seeing her set expression, Dash said, “I take it the two of you are familiar?”
With a deliberate shrug in her voice, she said, “He’s my commander.”
Whoa. “And he curses you?” Not real professional. Unless they were also friends. Or more.
“As the commander, he thinks he can do whatever he wants.”
Before Dash could dig into that, the commander spoke again. “If you’re there and just not picking up, well, I hope you’re not avoiding me.”
Margo snorted.
“I prefer to think that you’re resting, but I have my doubts on that.”
“Smart man.” At Margo’s glare, Dash shrugged then said, “Are you resting? No.”
“I need you to understand,” the commander continued. “You’re off work until you get a doctor’s clearance. Period. I assigned Detectives Bareden and Riske to run the attempted murder/assault charge. And yes, we’re going to assume it was attempted murder, so don’t bother arguing with me.”
Her eyes narrowed.
Voice changing, the commander got more intimate. “If you need anything, you know you can call me. Not as your commander, but as a...friend.”
Friend, my ass. Slowly, Dash’s brows drew together.
“I’m serious, Margaret,” the commander went on, his tone as soothing as warm honey. “Anything you need. Anything at all.”
Trying to hide his temper, Dash said, “He sounds desperate.” And no wonder. The man had called her Margaret, not Margo, so he obviously hadn’t made much headway getting personal.
“I’ll be checking on you, Margaret, so try to behave.” The call ended.
“Condescending ass.” Margo walked over to the phone and deleted the call.
Dash noted her stiff shoulders, the compression of her mouth. “I think I heard him salivating.”
“Probably. He takes great pleasure in annoying me.”
Yeah. Not exactly what he’d meant.
No matter that the commander had run up against a brick wall, Dash felt pretty damned territorial again. “Annoying you isn’t what he was after. Was that a relationship gone sour that I just heard?”
“What? No. Like I said, he’s my commander. That’s all.”
“Then is it appropriate for him to hit on you?”
Her gaze shot to his. “That’s what you thought?” She laughed with contempt and headed to the kitchen. “You misread things.”
Dash followed. “You’re not naive, lady. He wants you.” Hell, who wouldn’t?
“No. He wants to grind me under.”
“Under him, yeah, I know.”
She rolled her eyes. “He wants to remind me at every opportunity that he’s a superior. That I answer to him.” She gathered steam. “Most of all he wants...”
When she fell silent, Dash grew suspicious. “What?”
She shook her head. “He knows my father.”
So? What did that have to do with anything? “He’s older, then?” If he was her father’s age—
“Twelve years older than me.”
That’d make him early forties. Not old at all. “Married?”
She looked away. “He divorced a few years back.”
And Dash would just bet he’d gone after Margo right off. “Unattractive?”
Oliver wrapped around her ankles and she knelt to give the cat some attention. “You’re being tedious, Dash. It doesn’t matter that he’s dropped in unannounced a few times, that he’s ingratiated himself into my home—which is why I didn’t answer, by the way. If I had, he would have asked to come visit and I’d rather not have to deal with him. That, or he’d know I wasn’t home and would come to lay in wait on me.”