Fast and Easy (7 page)

Stay calm, Carmen. He’s playing with you
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His timing couldn’t be more deplorable, but she loved his unorthodox moment of playfulness. Before she could think of a scalding comeback, the flirt wearing a flashy tie approached her. She closed her cell phone and dropped it in her purse.

“I don’t need any of your sexist comments, buddy.” She glanced back at Don, but he had already been caught up in conversation with another officer. It seemed the perfect time to escape the stifling scene.

“I’m Detective Bill Gentry.” He handed her the jacket she’d left on her chair. “We’ll be working together at East patrol.”

“That’s nice.” Carmen clenched her teeth. If he represented the typical man she’d deal with every day on her new job, her life was going to be crap. “I’ll see you there.”

“If you need anything, just whistle.”

“I’ll do that, thanks.” Might as well be civil to the jerk since she would be seeing him everyday.

* * * *

Don knew Gentry and his phenomenal luck with chicks. The bastard got more tail than a rock star. And now, he was trying to make a move on Carmen. A smirk worked its way over his mouth. She was too smart for Gentry’s type, and her reaction hadn’t been encouraging.

Hot waves of reality rocked him back on his heels.

Jealous? Worried? Feeling abandoned?

All that and more, plus the empty feeling of real loss knotted his gut.

What chance did he have with her now? Separated by a whole city from now on, they would be too busy for much spontaneous combustion sex.

Damn. Another reason to forget being with her cropped up in his mind. Stella, the redhead from East patrol. Hot, and always available.

He may as well crawl in a hole and pull it in after him as far as his Carmen was concerned. Yeah, he’d started to think of her as his woman. How bad was that?

He watched her walk to the door, Gentry hot on her heels. A pleasure rush hit him when Carmen turned and gave him a tiny tilt of her head, her signal to meet her outside the door.

Don ran into a chair and the snack table on his way out of that damn room.

He looked around the hallway, and finally spotted her near the back entrance.

God, she’s beautiful
.

“Hey.” He stood as close to her as decently possible, bracing his hand on the wall. “I meant what I said, Carm.”

Her fantastic brown eyes returned his gaze, and he swallowed his fear.

“Why didn’t you wake me up before you left?”

The tingle of worry hit his gut again.

“You looked so sweet and comfortable. I didn’t want to mess that up.”

“You didn’t want to mess with me, period.”

He exhaled roughly. She wanted to fight.

“I thought we messed with each other plenty last night.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Want to come over to my apartment after our shift?”

She touched the collar of his shirt and tugged on the starched material. “I have to go over the personnel roster and figure out who’s who at East patrol.”

“That will take you all of fifteen minutes.” Had he heard softness in her voice? “I don’t have to be at South patrol until the dog watch.”

“Did you ask for that shift?” Her lips parted, and a sweet sigh spilled over them. “Okay. I’ll stop by your place after I make my appearance at the station.”

“I’ll be waiting.” He forgot to worry, her soft attitude lighting a blaze in his balls. He wanted to kiss her so bad his lips hurt. “See you, babe.”

Pretending they weren’t lovers took a hell of an effort. Watching her walk into the elevator with Gentry cut to the quick, and he didn’t like it.

He’d never been jealous in his life, and the emotion stunned him.

Chapter Eight

Carmen tried to ignore the cold knot of dread in her stomach. East patrol was set up in a smaller building than the downtown precinct. The area was small, but the welfare of the officers there would rest on her shoulders.

Once inside the station, she looked around for what she thought might be the Captain’s office. Ill at ease and ready to bolt for the door, she was stopped by a friendly voice.

“Can I help you, ma’am?” The officer smiled, waiting patiently to help her.

She relaxed immediately. “I’m Captain Redstone.” She shook his hand. “Right now, Sergeant Rosen, I need to find my office.”

He grinned and shook his head. “It’s about time they sent a captain over here. Lewiston retired three months ago.” He lay down the clipboard he’d been carrying. “You may have to redecorate in there.” He led her to a small office at the rear of the building.

He’d been right. The room was cluttered with newspapers, magazines and a cracked coffee mug. She did a visual sweep, mentally rearranging the furniture and making a list of things to bring in.

“It’s perfect, Sergeant Rosen.” Carmen checked out the desk drawers. “Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.”

“Anything you need, Captain, I’ll see you get it.” He looked at his watch. “The next shift will be here soon. I’ll give you a roster to get you started.”

She nodded, apprehension building again. “I’ll need all the files Captain Lewiston was working on when he left.” He started to leave, but she stopped him. “Thanks again.” She laughed softly. “And, would you point me in the direction of the conference room?”

He picked up the cracked coffee mug and inclined his head toward the door. “It’s the first door to your left after you come in the lobby.”

Carmen used one of the folded newspapers to squash a spider that crawled across the desk. “When the next shift arrives, I’ll be there.”

He left before she could ask another silly question.

She looked around for a mirror, but the former occupant had not been a vain man. Grabbing her purse, she found a small compact and lipstick.

Her hand shook, but she got the lipstick on her lips, not on her chin.

What the hell are you scared of, Carmen? You’re all cops here
.

For a few minutes, she gathered up magazines and papers, dumping them all in the old green tin waste basket. She tested the cracked leather desk chair. It squeaked in protest.

Her gaze wandered to the pebble glass window on the door. Replacing Captain Lewiston’s name with hers was next on her agenda.

Voices coming from out front alerted Carmen that the new shift had arrived.

She shrugged into her jacket and took a deep, steadying breath.

Time to meet the troops.

They were like all cops she’d known, rowdy and loud as they greeted each other. Their mood eased her concern, and she walked into the conference room behind Sergeant Rosen.

“All right, men.” He held his hands up to quiet the group. “We have our new Captain. I don’t want Captain Redstone to think you’re all a bunch of animals.”

His comment drew a laugh out of the men and then Sergeant Rosen got down to the business at hand. While he read the latest list and information on felons they were to be on the lookout for, Carmen scanned the faces of the patrolmen.

Some of them were familiar. One face stood out.

The redhead
.

Fury stomped her professional attitude to the floor.

She gripped her anger in a tight hold and smiled when the sergeant gestured for her to take over.

Her mouth was dry, and her legs were like limp spaghetti, but she managed to brace herself against the small podium.

“It will take a few days before I put names to faces.” Her gaze shot to the redhead, nonchalantly slathering on a fresh layer of lipstick. “I want you to know from the start, if you have problems, ideas or suggestions for improving how the precinct could operate more efficiently, I’m ready to listen.”

The redhead glanced around and then grinned. “I’ll show you where Captain Lewiston’s office is.”

So, the bitch was a wise cracking bimbo too.

“That’s my office now, and you’ll learn that I’ll rarely be in it.” Carmen leaned forward over the mic. “I’m going to be in a car just like you. I’ll be out in the field to see that procedures are followed.” She almost bit her lip. “Do you have any questions?”

“Patrolman Stella Wells.” The sergeant’s gruff whisper gave away his irritation.

Carmen nodded. “Is there anything else, Wells?”

The redhead’s response was a bored glance in her direction. She’d already pulled out an emery board and filed her nails.

That was too much for Carmen. “Patrolman Wells.”

The bitch had the gall to glance around as if she’d heard incorrectly. The smart-assed smile on her face matched her disrespectful mouth. “Were you speaking to me?”

Hold your temper Carmen
.

“I’d prefer you filed your claws off duty.”

Stella stared back at her with cold green eyes. “Yes, sir.”

“That’s Captain Redstone.” Carmen gripped her jacket in suppressed anger.

She heard muffled laughter. The men obviously enjoyed the exchange. She hadn’t.

“That’s all I have for now, men.” Carmen breathed in a reviving breath, glad to turn the meeting back over to Rosen.

She would have felt much better if she’d been able to step on Wells’ toes a lot more. Hell, there would be time for that later.

That wouldn’t be enough to blot out the dizzying emotions threatening to ruin her life. Hurt? Damn right. Most of all, she was crushed that the love of her life wasn’t committed to their relationship enough to tell her the whole truth about his life.

He had a lot of explaining to do. Her heart thudded its pain.

Then again, did she really want to hear it
?

* * * *

Don hurried around his apartment, scooping up dirty clothes and throwing them in the bedroom closet. The dirty dishes that he’d neglected for several days were quickly hidden in the dishwasher.

He promised himself to keep his place cleaner since he never knew when she would come by. Carmen was coming. His heart beat faster at the thought she’d soon be here, in his arms and in his bed.

Where were those clean sheets?

He wasn’t bothered that the sheets didn’t match. He stood back to admire his handy work after getting them on his king-sized bed.

He hadn’t had a woman in his apartment for a long time. He shook his head, realizing he’d been waiting for Carmen to stop hating him.

She’d want coffee or maybe some wine. Damn the luck, all his glasses were in the dishwasher. He grabbed two out of the jumble of dishes and was in the middle of washing them when the door bell chimed.

She had arrived. Turning the glasses upside down on the counter, he hurried to let her in.

“Carmen.” His emotions shot back and forth from zany pleasure to mind-drugging desire. “Come in.”

She was so hot, his body tensed like a loaded bear trap. How had he been the lucky bastard to have a woman like her?

He held out his hand to take her purse and jacket, but she’d have none of it. She jerked her arm away when he tried to pull her to him.

“Why didn’t you tell me the redhead was a cop?”

“Aw, fuck.” He groaned, knowing he had lied his way into knee deep shit.

“Yes, exactly what I wanted to talk about.”

“What about her?” Once again, his dick had gotten him in trouble. This time, it mattered.

“I don’t know anything about her.” Carmen gazed at him in her cool steady way, not flinching, nowhere near tears. “Talk.”

He wanted to lie, to deny knowing Stella Wells. That wouldn’t work. He had to be honest. That’s all Carmen would accept.

“Stella has been transferred through every precinct in Kansas City.”

“She wants to make rank and being friendly is her way of advancing.”

“And did she?”

He thought Carmen would backhand him, but she only stood her ground, waiting for him to tell it all.

“She’s fucked her way up the ranks and back down.”

“How about Captain Genonese?”

“Yeah.” That was a real fuck up. She wanted facts and exactly how it felt. Damn it. “A long time ago.”

“You’re sugar coating it, Genonese.”

He couldn’t keep his eyes off her breasts which heaved with anger.

“It couldn’t have too long ago, or she wouldn’t have been humping your leg at the Major’s retirement party!”

“I wasn’t with her.” His blood pressure built to the point of real anger. “Her date went to the john before you showed up.” Her fine brows shot up, and that meant she wanted more. “You turned me down as I recall. Said you were busy.”

She headed for the door. “I’m not second best to anyone, Don.” She slapped her jacket against the door. “May I assume you were there with someone else?”

“You may, but you’re wrong.” She wasn’t going to listen, and he was tired of defending himself. “I only went after the Major more or less insisted I show up. That’s it.”

“Okay.” She opened the door. “I’ll see what I can do about moving Wells to your new precinct. She’s not what I want on the streets of my area.”

“Carmen.” He yelled after her as she ran from his apartment. “Yeah, you do that. At least she doesn’t rip my ass every time I see her. Goddamn it.”

Chapter Nine

Carmen rested her head in her hands and rubbed her temples. The headache she had all day refused to go away. The paper work seemed to never end. Officer reports were sometimes illegible, and she hated calling them in to clarify things they had written.

Until she learned to decipher their handwriting, she’d struggle through and okay their reports. All that added to the mountain of duties, plus town council meetings and court dates. She spent any spare time left in the day learning all she could about East patrol and the officers assigned there.

Every one of them was a good, solid cop, all except Stella Wells. Like a fly, she never lit in one spot long enough to access her value. She’d been given several reprimands for being late and also insubordination.

In an attempt to find a fatal flaw in the woman’s character, Carmen read Stella’s file several more times.

She leaned back in the new, padded chair pilfered from an empty office and thought over her burning quest to dislike and drum Patrolman Wells out of the department.

Why the hell are you so jealous of her? You’re the one that kicked Genonese loose. You screwed up again
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