Blond Cop’s neck went red and he and Max proceeded to stare at each other for a very unnatural length of time. Julia, blindsided by the upswing in testosterone, was totally unsure of what to do. Thankfully one of the other cops noticed the masculine posturing. “Oi, Connor, Halloran, you two gonna kiss or what?”
Max and John feigned amusement, John grabbing the back of Max’s head as though he was going to plant one on him. “I should be so lucky.”
There was a chorus of loud hooting and John winked at Julia. Her cheeks burned, partly from mortification, partly because the thought of him and Max kissing did strange things to her lady areas.
Max shoved John away. “Keep it in your pants. I know you’re between women, but there’s no need to come gunning for me.”
There was more hooting. The Inspector stepped to the front of the room, hands extended. “People can you try and contain your antics for five minutes?” He shot Julia a sympathetic look.
“It’s fine,” she mumbled, picking up her leather satchel. One more minute and she would be gone. Gone from the building and away from Max. She walked over to the laptop and queued up the video. “Do you want me to start it?”
The Inspector nodded. There was a blast of 90s music and all the cops settled in with a general groan of dissatisfaction.
Julia gave the room a little wave. “Enjoy your film, everyone.”
“Bye, Jules.”
“Later.”
“We’ll see you on Sunday,” the Inspector said warmly.
“Ah, right…Sunday.”
Sunday was Brenthill’s end of year party which in light of certain events she was certainly not attending. With a noncommittal smile, and vague reply Julia slipped through the mess hall door and out into the abandoned hallway. She’d done it. The nightmare was over. For about ten seconds.
She only had time to register footsteps and the most intoxicating cologne she’d ever smelled when a man’s large fingers closed over her shoulder. She knew exactly who it was. “What do you want?”
Max seemed utterly unperturbed by her rudeness. “Can I have that word now?”
“I was about to head out.”
“It won’t take long.”
Julia spine stiffened. “Don’t you have a movie about the correct way to euthanize marsupials to watch?”
Max gave her a grin that turned Julia’s bones to gelatin. “I can think of other things I’d rather be doing.”
The veneer of Max the friendly cop was shedding and another man was climbing out of his skin. A man she’d met late at night in Brenthill’s evidence room, a brute who liked spanking and saying filthy things. Who pursued what he wanted without mercy. She needed to end this STAT.
“I’m leaving,” she said, tightening the bag strap on her shoulder. “Have a good night, bro.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Bro?”
“Are we not bros?”
Max brushed her bare arm, making her traitorous flesh tingle. “We’re lots of things.”
“We’re nothing and I have to go,” Julia said flatly. Whatever jealous twitch had inspired Max to forget his parking lot speech, she wanted no part of it. She hadn’t spent a week in hiding to melt like butter the second he spoke to her again.
“But there’s something I need your help with.”
“What?”
“The computer down the hall’s been freezing. Would you mind heading there with me and checking it out?”
“I wasn’t aware there were any computers down the hall.”
Max smiled a slow, sticky smile. “Why don’t you come with me anyway?”