you intoxicated, sir?”
“Possibly,” Brian speculated, if a man could get drunk from attraction.
“You didn’t drive tonight, did you sir?”
Brian blinked. “Uh, no. I don’t have keys remember?”
The officer nodded, gave him another searching look and reached toward Mrs. Jackson who’d miraculously reappeared with the key while Brian had been stunned by Officer Severn’s amazing good looks.
He handed the key to Brian. “Have a good night, sir.” Severn turned and walked purposefully toward his squad car parked across the street.
Brian’s gaze followed him. He didn’t know how, but he needed to see Officer Severn again. As schoolgirl crush as it sounded, the man’s presence left him breathless and tingly.
Mrs. Jackson’s door slammed. A second later, her stoop light went out. Brian lingered in the dark, watching Severn drive off until he was out of sight. Then, finally, Brian took a deep breath.
“Until next time, Officer,” he murmured into the darkness.
Chapter Two
Brian had called ahead. He knew where Officer Joshua Severn patrolled, and he knew that his schedule alternated with first shifts as his primary work time and third shifts when he was taking on extra hours. The lady at the desk had been so helpful when he’d told her he needed to give the policeman a thank you for his help the other night.
Brian shook off the feeling that he was unusually interested in Severn and that his pursuit of the man might be a little stalkerish. He reasoned that he just wanted to cross paths with the man. Wanted to give Severn ample opportunity to ask him out. It was all about being available.
He turned off a smaller road onto the two-lane highway that led toward Lake Michigan several miles away. He floored his accelerator. This was his fourth pass. Severn hadn’t been there earlier. Hopefully, he was there now.
The speedometer climbed to eighty, the engine shifting through its gears automatically until it reached the happy hum of an open engine. The limit was fifty-five here, and it was late enough that the road was empty. He saw the nose of the cruiser poking out of a blind spot two seconds before he passed it. A thrill shot through him.
The cruiser’s wail filled the night. Lights swirled blue and red through the inside of Brian’s car. He took his foot off the accelerator and eased over to the shoulder of the road. Butterflies danced in his belly. And suddenly he realized he had absolutely no excuse for why he’d been speeding.
Brian dropped his forehead to the steering wheel. He’d thought of everything, but that . Shit.
The patrol car pulled up behind him. A bright spot light pierced the darkness. Brian scrambled to come up with an excuse for speeding. A few minutes later, Officer Severn strolled up, flipping open a ticket pad as he came.
He wound his hand, signaling Brian to lower the window. Brian hit the button, hearing the motor whine of the window unit and feeling like it could just as easily have come from him.
“License and registration,” Severn droned.
Brian dug them out and handed them to Severn.
“Do you know why I pulled you over, Mr.—McCray?” Severn slowly leaned down to look at him. “Having a rough week, Mr. McCray?”
Brian didn’t know if he should be pleased or embarrassed that Severn had remembered him.
“You could say that,” Brian agreed.
“Have you been drinking tonight?”
“No, sir.”
An expression of amusement flitted across Severn’s face. “Step out of the car please.”
Brian slowly opened the car door and got out.
“See that white line? I want you to look straight ahead and walk the line.”
“Yes, sir.”
Brian couldn’t explain the breathlessness he felt in obeying Severn. Perhaps it was just that he really wanted to please him. Wanted to show him respect. He walked the line, turned and walked back.
“Recite the alphabet backward.”
“Yes, s—are you serious?” Brian broke off once the command registered. “I’m not sure I can do that sober
“Possibly,” Brian speculated, if a man could get drunk from attraction.
“You didn’t drive tonight, did you sir?”
Brian blinked. “Uh, no. I don’t have keys remember?”
The officer nodded, gave him another searching look and reached toward Mrs. Jackson who’d miraculously reappeared with the key while Brian had been stunned by Officer Severn’s amazing good looks.
He handed the key to Brian. “Have a good night, sir.” Severn turned and walked purposefully toward his squad car parked across the street.
Brian’s gaze followed him. He didn’t know how, but he needed to see Officer Severn again. As schoolgirl crush as it sounded, the man’s presence left him breathless and tingly.
Mrs. Jackson’s door slammed. A second later, her stoop light went out. Brian lingered in the dark, watching Severn drive off until he was out of sight. Then, finally, Brian took a deep breath.
“Until next time, Officer,” he murmured into the darkness.
Chapter Two
Brian had called ahead. He knew where Officer Joshua Severn patrolled, and he knew that his schedule alternated with first shifts as his primary work time and third shifts when he was taking on extra hours. The lady at the desk had been so helpful when he’d told her he needed to give the policeman a thank you for his help the other night.
Brian shook off the feeling that he was unusually interested in Severn and that his pursuit of the man might be a little stalkerish. He reasoned that he just wanted to cross paths with the man. Wanted to give Severn ample opportunity to ask him out. It was all about being available.
He turned off a smaller road onto the two-lane highway that led toward Lake Michigan several miles away. He floored his accelerator. This was his fourth pass. Severn hadn’t been there earlier. Hopefully, he was there now.
The speedometer climbed to eighty, the engine shifting through its gears automatically until it reached the happy hum of an open engine. The limit was fifty-five here, and it was late enough that the road was empty. He saw the nose of the cruiser poking out of a blind spot two seconds before he passed it. A thrill shot through him.
The cruiser’s wail filled the night. Lights swirled blue and red through the inside of Brian’s car. He took his foot off the accelerator and eased over to the shoulder of the road. Butterflies danced in his belly. And suddenly he realized he had absolutely no excuse for why he’d been speeding.
Brian dropped his forehead to the steering wheel. He’d thought of everything, but that . Shit.
The patrol car pulled up behind him. A bright spot light pierced the darkness. Brian scrambled to come up with an excuse for speeding. A few minutes later, Officer Severn strolled up, flipping open a ticket pad as he came.
He wound his hand, signaling Brian to lower the window. Brian hit the button, hearing the motor whine of the window unit and feeling like it could just as easily have come from him.
“License and registration,” Severn droned.
Brian dug them out and handed them to Severn.
“Do you know why I pulled you over, Mr.—McCray?” Severn slowly leaned down to look at him. “Having a rough week, Mr. McCray?”
Brian didn’t know if he should be pleased or embarrassed that Severn had remembered him.
“You could say that,” Brian agreed.
“Have you been drinking tonight?”
“No, sir.”
An expression of amusement flitted across Severn’s face. “Step out of the car please.”
Brian slowly opened the car door and got out.
“See that white line? I want you to look straight ahead and walk the line.”
“Yes, sir.”
Brian couldn’t explain the breathlessness he felt in obeying Severn. Perhaps it was just that he really wanted to please him. Wanted to show him respect. He walked the line, turned and walked back.
“Recite the alphabet backward.”
“Yes, s—are you serious?” Brian broke off once the command registered. “I’m not sure I can do that sober
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