Her glance swung to the other cop; he definitely looked envious.What the hell?
Enough…
Charli dug her fingers into Blake’s arm to get his attention. “Sugar-bunny. Kayla and I will grab our bags and wait for you in the baggage area.” Simpering at his gorgeous friend, Charli wriggled her fingers before heading in the opposite direction. “Bye now.”
Kayla followed her, but like so many others, her eyes stayed glued to the action. “She’s gorgeous.”
“Tanned blondes with inflatable butts and boobs do not always equate to good people. For example, she didn’t even notice thatBlak-iehad company. Nor did she introduce herself in the classy way you did. Sorry, kiddo. She gets an F in my book.”
Kayla giggled knowingly. “Does that stand for failing?”
Since it really stood for fuck-up, Charli had to think fast. “Nah. More like forget it. Not worth the time or trouble.”
“I’d use the F with an O, like in eff off, but if I swear, you’ll givemethat look.”
Charli had no trouble translating eff off, but she had to ask, “What look?”
“Thedon’t… like indon’t you do itlook. It’s quite impressive. Never knew anyone else whose eyes could speak volumes while her mouth said nothing.”
Laughing out loud, totally enjoying the exchange, Charli didn’t see Blake sidle up to join them once again.
“You look pretty when you laugh, Charli. Anyone ever tell you that before? You should do it more often.”
Her good mood fading, sourness creeping back in, Charli retorted. “You ready to take us home now? Or do you have a date?”
Before he could answer, three women walked past, heading to the bar/restaurant just behind where they stood. Two of them expressed greetings and gestured to Blake, wiggling their fingers flirtatiously and smiling, invitations plain.
“Sorry, ladies. I’m here to pick up an old college friend. Next time.” He waved them away and had the audacity to wink at Kayla and make an off-side remark to Charli. “I’m well-known in the city.”
“You mean you have a reputation. That’s a whole different topic,Blak-ie.” Charli gathered her suitcase, nodded at Kayla to do the same and headed in the direction of the nearest exit. “Let’s get out of here before the poor man gets accosted again.”
***
On their drive to wherever Blake had set them up, Charli, who’d opted for the back seat, fumed while Kayla and Blake shared stories and enjoyed each other’s company.
What an ass!He obviously thought he was God’s gift to the Fort Lauderdale ladies, and he didn’t hide the fact that he loved their attention. How were they supposed to play the part of a reuniting couple, falling back in love? It was ridiculous. She couldn’t stand the man.
Admittedly, he looked better than most officers in uniform but she put that down to his height. Tall for a woman, he’d topped her by a good six or seven inches. But just because his well-formed lean body and muscular arms picked her up as if she weighed less than a child, she wouldn’t let admiration seep into her overall impression of the guy. He was a conceited ass, pure and simple.
Any man who so obviously adored being adored had failings, immense failings. And Charli had no time for that nonsense. Pain began to build in her neck, and she reached for her purse to get her pill bottle. If she didn’t stay on top of these migraines, she’d be no good to anyone.
After she dry-swallowed the coated Tylenol, she caught his sharp-eyed stare in the rearview mirror, his eyebrow lifted questioningly.
Without thinking, she responded, “Birth control.”
He smirked.
She choked.
Bloody hell!