Bailey

It took all my acting skills to pretend that everything was normal with Jack waking up at my house, looking all adorably wrinkled and hung over. It was damn unfair he could still look that hot after a night of heavy drinking. After I passed about twenty-five years old, I lost all ability to drink more than a few glasses of wine without waking up like a truck ran over me. Fucker probably lost weight after binge drinking too.

He was so contrite, hating that he'd lost control, and I'd saved the day. I'd bet it was hard for an alpha male to allow a woman to take care of them. After what he'd said, about how he wanted to know me, I couldn't leave him. He may be twisted up about who he thought I was, but that was no excuse for me to not take care of him.

Damn my conscience!

Over pancakes, he seemed like he was warming up to me, like he'd changed his opinion about me. Which I wasn't looking for him to do. I didn't like that he'd judged me, but hey, that was on him. In fact, it was better that he ignored me, considering the grey areas I tended to travel in.

Then he took it a step further and said I was sweet! Oh, hell no.

We could be friends and flirt some, but I wasn't looking to get involved with him when he'd clearly stated he wanted a doormat girlfriend. As hot as he was, I wasn't signing up for that bullshit.

Time to put the brakes on sweet and remind him I was also spicy.

"So..." Jack looked nervous when I said everything was fine. Good. He needed to stay on his toes. "Have you always lived in Huntington Beach?"

I set my fork down and decided to be honest with him for once. "No. I grew up out of state with my mom. My dad left before I was born. I ran with a rough crowd and my mom got sick of it and moved us here to HB. I went to high school here, which is where I met Esa. Her parents became my second parents, treating me like their daughter. They believed in me and I did my best to live up to their expectations, which turned my life around."

Jack looked thoughtful. "Didn't her parents die in a car crash?"

I nodded, hating to talk about it, even though it had been years. "Yep. On the fucking 405 freeway."

Jack placed his hand over mine on the table. "I'm sorry, Bae."

I cleared my throat and pushed my chair back, standing quickly. I had to get out of there before he saw the tears in my eyes. I grabbed my plate and took it to the kitchen, trying to get myself together. I hated crying in front of people and I surely didn't want Jack to see me cry and then start calling me 'sweet' again.

I rinsed my plate and put it in the dishwasher, calling over my shoulder when I could get the words out without them wobbling, "I've got to get to work. I hate to push you out so early, but it can't be helped."

Jack came right up behind me, pressing his body into mine and placed his plate in the sink. "Thank you for breakfast. I'll call you later today," he whispered in my ear. He kissed my neck, that spot behind the ear that causes instant shivers and melts panties. Then he was gone, leaving my home quieter than it had ever been.

Jack

I left Bailey's by catching an Uber, which took me to my place to shower. I made it into work and got busy on my next case. My tech guy had gotten back with some information on Hessa's case. I also pulled up a new email from Hessa that was rather cryptic. Something about taking a look at an account online and a specific IP address. I knew nothing about that computer crap so I forwarded it along to my tech guy.

I was surrounded by things that needed to be done ASAP and all I could focus on was Bailey. Questions circled in my head: did I misjudge her, did she actually possess the kindness I was looking for, was I wrong in thinking I wanted someone different than her? At this juncture, I couldn't think of anyone I'd want besides her!

Yes, she was spirited, to say the least. But it turned me on. The things that came out of that mouth were so sassy I just wanted to kiss her to shut her up. I wanted to do things that lit that fire in her eyes and wound her up for an argument. I liked her fire.

And I'd love to feel that fire while I was buried balls deep in her, pounding away because I knew she could take it and she'd give it right back.

I was feeling like I'd made a major mistake, and I hated that feeling. I'd been pushing her away, when what I should have been doing was working my ass off to keep her by my side.

I'd better make some plans. Today. Now. Before she slipped away.

Bailey

I took the last two jackets that Jack had been eyeing earlier and put them in my car. I'd cruise around and find their new owners tonight after work. I wanted the evidence out of my house before anyone else saw them and questioned me. That had been too close a call for my comfort.

Further unsettling my stomach was the fact that Jack said he'd call me. I was so confused. Would he actually call or go silent on me like usual? And if he did call, why the hell was he calling? I thought he wanted to stay away from me and find his precious doormat woman?

I was back to the same place I was yesterday: try to forget Jack and move on with my life. Too bad I'd seen his 'just woke up face' or his tender 'cover her hand like you care' move. That shit was hard to forget.

I made it through my day without making too many mistakes when I was caught daydreaming about what a relationship with Jack could look like, or feverishly going over every line of conversation from last night and this morning.

I hopped in my car and cruised through the normal areas where the homeless tended to congregate in HB. I finally spotted a couple women who looked like they'd fit the smaller sized coats I had left. Finding a parking space not too far away, I doubled back with the coats, handing them off with minimal fanfare. I didn't want profuse thank you's, and I'd certainly had my fair share of disgruntled verbal attacks from a few homeless people that weren't all there in the head anymore. Better to just give the coats and walk away, knowing they'd be warm tonight.

I rounded the hood of my car to find Jack leaning up against my door, arms crossed over his chest.

"What are you doing here?" I blurted out.

"I could ask you the same thing. Playing Santa Claus?" He smiled at me, but clearly still expected an answer.

I huffed. "No, Detective Ramirez. Last I checked, giving clothes to the needy was still legal in California." I moved to open my door, but he didn't budge.

"Quite noble of you, Ms. Smith." He pulled me into his body, his hands tight on my arms, but not enough to hurt.

"Everybody needs a hand now and then. It's not a big deal. I'm just paying back what was given to me years ago. Balancing the scales, so to speak." I was uncomfortable having this conversation. He was thinking I was some kind of do-gooder, which I guess I was, but it was through some shady means I was certain he wouldn't approve of had he known.

He stood up straight, still not releasing me. My eyes fluttered closed as his lips floated across mine. The kiss wasn't like our heated kisses the other day. This was warm and sweet, like the smell of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving morning. The slide of his lips felt like all the warmth of coming home to someone who thought you hung the moon. The kiss made me want.

I always wanted his body, but this want was new. I wanted the man. All of him. I wanted him for all he was and all we could be together.

This kiss was the one that would wreck me.

Jack

I told her I'd call her, but found I couldn't stay away. I had to see her again. Feel her soft skin and see what ridiculous things that mouth was saying now. I was pulling into her work parking lot when I saw her leaving. I followed her, assuming she was going home, but she changed course and went closer to the beach.

Her behavior was odd, which made me stay further back, now wanting to figure out what she was up to. When I saw her park and hand those jackets off to some women on the street, I couldn't identify what I was feeling. Awe at her selflessness. Protective caution at her interaction with people who may not be good citizens. Irritation at her silence on the matter when I'd asked her specifically about those coats.

And then it was all urgency. I figured out earlier today I needed to work to win her over, but now I felt desperate to make it happen before she was out of my sight.

I pulled my lips away from hers long enough to rasp out, "Go on a date with me, Bae. Tonight."

I felt, more than heard, her quick intake of breath. "What? I thought we were ignoring each other?"

I smiled right before I pulled her back into me and deepened our kiss. She melted into my body the minute our lips touched so I knew her words were just a flimsy wall of protection.

"Does that feel like I'm ignoring you?" I whispered against her lips, my hands trailing down her back to grab onto that ass I'd gotten a peek of and couldn't stop thinking about. "I'm done ignoring you, done texting but not talking, done watching you flirt with men at a bar. Go on a date with me."

She sighed, her eyes unfocused, her fingers gripping the back of my hair. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, Detective. You won me over. I'll go on a date with you." She smiled, and I wondered how I never saw the sweetness before. Then she frowned, and I remembered. "But no interrogating, you got me?"

"I'll try, that's all I can promise." I kissed her again before she could argue. I could bet I'd be kissing her a lot more in our future if this tactic worked.

I pulled back and swatted her ass, making her jump. "Get in the car and I'll follow you home. I assume you'll want to change before dinner?"

She looked down at her outfit. "Good call. I can't go on our first date in flats."

I screwed my face up in feigned horror. "No, not that!"

She pushed me away and narrowed her eyes at me. "Go on, get!"

"I'll be right behind you." I pointed to my car several spaces away. I smiled again, feeling lighthearted for the first time in who knows how long. Playful, even. "This is me not ignoring you."

She leaned out of her car and rolled her eyes at me. "Oh good Lord, this is gonna be annoying."

I chuckled.

She flipped me off.