“Pretty sure that’s what they said about Dahmer, too.”
“Oh my God, could you exaggerate anymore?”
We both burst out laughing.
A man in a police uniform steps through the door, and Hazel’s body immediately tenses.
“Is that him?”
“Uh-huh.”
The sight of Officer Joe, Hazel’s crush, renders her speechless, something I never thought I would see.
“Are you going to talk to him?” She’s always worried about my love life—sex life—but never puts much effort into her own.
“I don’t have a choice. He sat in my section.”
“That’s not what I mean. I mean, like really talk to him.”
Officer Joe gives Hazel a wave, and I swear I hear her heart beating all the way over here.
“Go get him, tiger,” I say as I give her a slight shove.
As I devour my burger, I watch the two of them chat. Her demeanor changes from nervous to flirtatious. When I’m done eating, I make my way over to the table where Hazel is still chatting with Officer Joe, her other customers be damned.
“I’ll see you at home,” I tell her. “Bye, Officer.”
Stepping out of the diner, my attention still focused on Hazel and Officer Joe, I bump into a tall, solid man.
“I am so sorry.” My eyes slowly make their way up his torso, which the thin, blue t-shirt he’s wearing is clinging to, until they fall on a gorgeous face.
When he smiles, two sexy dimples appear in the corners of his cheeks.
“Don’t be.”
His voice is deep and husky, perfectly matching his sculpted, rugged physique, yet there’s a lightness about him. Perhaps it’s the amusement mixed with a little mischief I see in his green eyes, which roam over me from his towering height. The look in his eyes and the smile on his lips is a lethal combination that instantly makes me weak in the knees.
Needing to balance myself, I press my hand to his chest and immediately regret the choice. I can feel the taut muscle beneath my fingers, which makes me want to explore so much more.
Men are the last thing my mind should be on. In fact, until now, I haven’t even so much as given one a second glance. But this man? He requires a second glance… a third, and a fourth.
As much as I don’t want to, I step back and off to the side. “Sorry again.”
“Like I said, don’t be. I’ll never complain about a gorgeous woman running into me.” He flashes me a smile before going on his way.
I look up to see Hazel watching from the window, mouthing ‘I told you so’ on repeat.
Shaking my head, I walk toward her apartment. As I make my way along the streets, I decide to reach out to Rick and give him an update.
“Hey there, gorgeous,” Rick says.
The moment I hear his voice, my body sags with relief. Rick is the only touch of home I’ve had in weeks. As time goes on and we’re sure Devlin won’t come after me, I’ll reach out to my parents and family. Until then, Rick has everything covered.
“Hi, Rick. How are you?”
“Any luck on the job front?”
Ignoring my question is an instant red flag for me.