John Connell finished typing the last sentence on the police report. He glanced up from the computer screen. Detective Bill Tremer held a white ceramic plate in his hands that was nearly overflowing with food. John noticed the delicious looking meat and eyed the mashed potatoes and gravy with interest. There were several side salads on Bill’s plate and John saw the man holding another saucer, in his other hand, full of various desserts.
“Who brought all the food?”
Bill took a bite of the cream cheese type of brownie and wanted to moan in pure delight. “That little lady that you saved. She’s down the hallway and-”
“Damn it,” John muttered. He immediately stood up from his chair and winced. A piercing pain of agony shot through his body, causing John to swear. With an attitude of indifference, John grabbed the loathsome cane and limped toward the precinct lounge.
He still detested the fact that he was hurt. It would be another few weeks of physical therapy before he was completely well, and John was relishing the day when he was completely healed.
The aroma of ham and turkey drifted down the hallway of the precinct, making John’s stomach begin to growl. Several police officers were gathered near the cafeteria type of tables that were now decorated with white linen tablecloths. John noticed a dozen caterers dressed in black and white uniforms serving a variety of old-fashioned food. There were large pans of macaroni and cheese, five different types of rolls and buns, and an entire table full of beverages.
John located the person responsible for the catered food standing near the back of the lounge area. Annie Perry stood tall and self-assured. She wore a black wrap-around dress with red high heels, and for a very brief moment, John wondered if the woman knew just how absolutely gorgeous she was.
The usual long, curly hair was now pulled away from her face in a styled ponytail. From a distance, John examined Annie’s face with more scrutiny. With well-trained eyes, he noticed the woman’s tender looking face still contained the purple bruises that covered across her cheekbones. The bruises were slowly fading and John guessed that Annie had tried to cover her injuries with a variety of make-up.
Bill Tremer glanced at the detective. “Would you like a plate, John? There is a ton of food.”
From across the crowded room, John shook his head, but kept his eyes on Annie, who was still conversing with the police captain. John’s heart swelled as he eyed the young woman.
Annie Perry should not be in a police precinct, and John did not want to see her at his place of work now. John strolled toward the auburn haired woman, his cane at his side. He didn’t want Annie to see where he worked, or be associated with the kind of people he dealt with every day. She deserved better than that.
Annie was laughing at something the captain had said, when John stood in front of her. Annie noticed that John was glaring at her…and she had not expected that.
“John! It’s great to see you. I-”
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Taken aback, Annie bit the inside of her lower lip and mentally began counting to five. “This was just a small token of my appreciation.”
The captain glanced from his best detective to the pretty young woman by his side. After several years in law enforcement, Captain Brown knew the pair needed to converse about their unfortunate attack.
“Excuse me a moment,” Captain Brown said. “Annie, it was nice to meet you and thank you for the delicious food.”
“The pleasure was all mine,” Annie said. “Thank you so much for everything, Captain Brown.” Annie politely smiled as the man excused himself and walked away.
John continued to look at the kind woman. With mixed emotions orchestrating through his soul, John lingered on the woman’s bright green eyes.
No woman had ever cared about him, quite like this before. John did not particularly care for the sensation now.
With the feeling of butterflies flickering in her stomach, Annie returned John’s stare. There was a slight limp to his gait, even when he walked with a cane that made Annie want to weep. It was because of her that he was hurt….and Annie hated herself for that.
Annie quietly cleared her throat. “I, uh, the food is just a way of showing my appreciation and-”
“Stop it.”
Annie flinched as if the tough cop had struck her. “Excuse me?”
“We don’t want your damn charity.”
“This isn’t charity,” Annie softly confided. Taking a deep breath and forcing herself to remain calm, Annie never broke eye contact with the hardened man. “It’s me being thankful and-”
“Go thank someone else,” John said. His voice was low and steady.
Annie placed her hands on her slender hips and reminded herself not to cause a scene. However, her tone was a whisper when she said, “You’re so incredibly rude.”
The tough detective leaned on his cane. For the life of him, John could not believe that he was behaving like such an ass, but he did not want Annie at the precinct. “I’m much, much more than rude. Now-”
“John, why don’t you try the turkey?” After witnessing the verbal exchange from near the side of the room, Captain Brown appeared by Annie’s side. “Annie-”
“I don’t want you here,” John said pointedly to Annie. Before another word could be muttered, John turned away and began to stalk out of the room.
Feeling hurt and slightly dejected, Annie watched the man exit the area. A flush of embarrassment cascaded across her body. John Connell did not want her at the precinct or anywhere near him and he had made that painfully obvious.
“John isn’t himself right now,” Captain Brown said. “He’s adjusting to physical therapy and that cane-”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but-ah, I need to be going,” Annie said. She took a moment to steady herself before stating, “It’s okay, Captain Brown. I understand. I’m just going to grab my coat and be on my way. Thank you so much for everything.”
Feeling paternal toward the young woman, Captain Brown patted Annie’s arm in a sign of reassurance. “Have a pleasant evening, Miss Perry.”
“Thank you, Captain Brown,” Annie answered. With a hopeful look gleaming in her eyes, she added, “Please keep an eye on John…for me.”
“Of course,” was Captain Brown’s kind response. “Goodbye, Annie.”
After locating her coat, Annie grabbed her purse and began walking toward the front door. Several officers waved in her direction. Many people offered their thanks and called out farewells.
“Wait! Annie….wait.”
Annie Perry adjusted the stylish jet-black coat and securely tied the belt around her waist. She turned to see John Connell striding toward her. There were a few people scattered around the precinct, and Annie tightened the grip on her purse strap.
Annie noticed John’s slight limp and took a few steps in his direction, closing the distance between them. John stopped in front of her and ran a hand through his dark brown hair.
“I’m sorry for what I said just now,” John said as he looked steadily into her eyes. “I was a complete ass.”
Annie peered at the man’s chiseled face. “Did Captain Brown tell you to apologize because-”
“Brown did not make me do anything,” John said and for the first time that evening, he grinned. “This is all me. I know I behaved like a jerk and now I’m apologizing for it.”
With her heart pounding wildly in her chest, Annie tried to keep her composure. Just being in John’s company was enough to make her feel protected…safe…and cherished.
John took a step closer to Annie. “You’re not afraid of me are you?”
Unable to speak for a moment, Annie shook her head as she peered at the man who had saved her life. John now spoke in such a tender tone of voice and Annie identified the concern for her in his eyes.
“No,” Annie answered. “I’m not afraid of you, John. Never…not once have I ever been afraid of you.”
Relief flooded through John’s taunt body. “I just w
ant you to know that I do appreciate you bringing the food for the officers and for coming to see me in the hospital. You didn’t need to do that and-”
“John, I wanted to,” Annie said. She touched John’s upper arm, as if needing to feel him. “I wanted to…”
John covered Annie’s hand, needing to feel the touch of her now. She had been through a horrifying attack and now John wondered how the woman was coping with the drastic circumstances. “How are you doing, Annie?”
On the verge of tears, Annie shook her head, indicating that she did not want to talk about the attack. So much had transpired in such a short amount of time and John knew that Annie was still reeling from the heinous events.
“Will you walk me to the company car, John?”
“Of course.”
John stepped closer to Annie. Together they strolled through the police department headquarter doors and onto the nighttime streets. The streetlights were lit in the darkness of the night sky. Several vehicles passed by them as the city hummed with activity. The chill in the air made John want to pull Annie toward him, but he knew he could not do such a thing.
Christmas lights were on display in nearly every decorative window and for the first time in years, John wondered about the holiday season. He absently wondered how Annie intended to celebrate the special occasions.
“That’s the company car,” Annie said.
Stepping near the edge of the sidewalk, John motioned toward an SUV that was parked a few yards away. The vehicle stopped near the curb and John swiftly opened the back door.
Before either person could say a word, Annie quickly turned toward John and boldly placed her lips over his. Even taken off-guard, John was quick to react. Without thinking of his actions, John kissed Annie right back.
The need between them was soul-enriching. Tongues began to explore as heat ricocheted through Annie’s body. John’s hunger was a welcomed surprise. After a few moments, Annie broke contact. Without looking at John, she ducked inside the awaiting SUV. After pulling the door shut, Annie glanced out the side window. John Connell was left standing on the curb….grinning.
“This is the place.”
John Connell gazed out the window of the black jeep as his brother turned the vehicle onto a long, paved driveway. He noticed the massive two-story brick house decorated with a variety of professionally installed Christmas lights. Several seasonal lawn figurines were displayed throughout the large estate and both men noticed various cars parked in the circular driveway. Sam Connell whistled as he inspected the surroundings.
“Holy shit,” Sam said. “This is some shack.”
John shook his head in disgust as Sam parked the jeep behind a luxury vehicle that cost more than his salary. John’s body tightened defensively as he resisted the urge to rub a hand over his soar abdomen.
“This is a bad idea,” John told his sibling. “We shouldn’t have come here.”
Sam snorted at that comment. “I know you well enough to guess that you already did a background check on the entire Perry family.”
It was true. John had completed a very through history pertaining to the Perry family. Nothing had really surprised him. Milt ran several successful companies while Margie kept busy with charity work and organizations involving education. The couple had been married for several years, and Annie was one of their five children.
“I researched them a little,” John confided. “We still shouldn’t have come here.”
Despite his brother’s attitude, Sam smiled. He then leaned over and lightly thumped him on the shoulder. “Oh, come on, it will be a lot of fun. The entire family invited us…..and Annie will be here.”
John remained silent and kept his doubts to himself. He wanted Sam to enjoy himself this evening. John took a moment to glance at the only family he had left. Sam Connell was the life of any party and had always contained a vibrant personality. To some degree, John admired his brother’s laid back and carefree lifestyle; a grin always appearing on Sam’s face.
It surprised John just how anxious he was to see Annie. It made him wonder how she would act around him….it had been a few days since Annie had surprised him with the dynamic kiss causing John to wonder what the elegant auburn haired woman thought about it.
Sam exited the vehicle and walked around to assist his older brother. It had been a couple of weeks since the brutal attack and John was still healing from his injuries. Sam opened the passenger door and steadied his muscular arm near John. The tough detective strongly gripped his brother’s arm as they tried to carefully maneuver John out of the jeep. For a split second, John clenched his jaw shut as pain vibrated through his body and pierced part of his nerve endings. John took a moment to just let his taunt body absorb the misery within his own muscles.
Sam peered at his older brother. “Are you okay?”
“You’re starting to sound like Annie,” came John’s grumble. Sam noticed the slight grin on his brother’s face.
“I’m not a chic,” Sam felt the need to point out. John’s body ached too much, otherwise he would have flipped his brother off.
Eventually, Sam assisted John out of the jeep. Together they ambled toward the large, bright red front door with an evergreen wreath proudly displayed near the center. Suddenly John leaned forward, unbalanced and Sam immediately grabbed ahold of his brother. John swore and adjusted his body, trying carefully not to fall.
“Is your cane in the jeep?”
John kept his eyes on the cement and brick-lined sidewalk. “I’m not using a damn cane.”
“You’re a stubborn jack-”
“Welcome!”
Both Connell men turned their attention to the spirited woman standing near the entryway. John’s heart skipped an extra beat as he saw the reddish hair cascading around the lady’s gorgeous face.
Annie Perry was smiling as she began to walk toward them. John noticed she wore a dark gray sweater dress that skimmed several inches above her knees. The red high heels gleamed, and John could not ever remember viewing such an incredible pair of legs. Several sexual images ricocheted through John’s mind and he mentally shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. Annie Perry had affected him in a way that no other woman ever had before.
Annie beamed at the two men standing a few feet from her. She was so happy and thankful they were both able to attend dinner on this delightful day. The sun was positioned high in the sky and snow surrounded the majestic land; casting a beautiful serene atmosphere.
John and Annie continued to look at each other. It had only been a few days since they had last seen each other, but it felt so much longer than that. It was Annie that took another step forward. “May I hug you?”
John was seldom a man that was caught off guard; however, he just continued to stare at her. Sam hid his grin and turned away, looking at the vast land around him. He had never seen his brother at a loss for words, and was enjoying the effect that Annie clearly had on his hard-ass brother.
“John would love that,” Sam replied to Annie and smiled his usual mischievous grin. “Do you mind if I go inside?”
“Of course not,” Annie warmly answered. She glanced at Sam. “My family can be a little loud and kind of crazy.”
“Sounds great to me,” Sam answered as he walked up the pathway, leaving John and Annie alone for a little privacy. “I’ll go see if Margie needs any help.”
Annie turned toward John. His deep gaze was locked onto her…in both a tantalizing and intimidating way. Despite the coldness of the air, Annie did not want to go inside the warm house. She wanted to be near John. “Thank you for coming here today.”
John winked at Annie, trying to remember the manners his mother had instilled in him as a child. It had been a long time since he had been around anyone as kind and gentle as Annie Perry, and he was unprepared to be around her now. “Thanks for inviting us.”
Annie stepped forward and began to wrap her arms loosely around John’s torso. It was in his embrace that she felt most cherished.<
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The hug was quick and before John knew it, Annie was backing away. She lightly patted his upper arm and gazed into his intense eyes. “I’m warning you right now that my family can be loud.”
“You have to put up with Sam, so I figure it’s a fair trade.”
“John!” Annie playfully smacked the man in the arm. “That sounds horrible! Besides Sam has already met the majority of my siblings, along with my parents and they all love him.”
“It’s easy for Sam to blend in with people…” John said. He knew that Sam was the Connell brother who people most confided in. Sam had always been everyone’s best friend. “I tend to stay a little more neutral around others. Kind of guarded.”
“Yes. I imagine that’s true,” Annie stated. “However, you’re also the man that jumped into action and saved me.”
“I wish you wouldn’t see me like that,” John stressed. “I’m not the hero in this, Annie. Please don’t ever view me as a hero.”
With a sense of bravery that surprised her, Annie took another step forward. She was so close to John that he thought he would die from the sheer pleasure of it.
Because the chill of the air still kissed their exposed skin, John delicately wrapped his arms around Annie. In a slow motion, he gently pulled her closer to his body. John could smell the fragrant scent of Annie’s perfume and thought of flowers blooming in the summertime.
Annie snuggled closer to her protector. “You’re warm.”
The pair continued to hold each other for another few precious moments before turning toward the Perry family home. Annie clasped John’s left hand between both of hers. “Would you like me to get your cane, John?”
“I don’t want to use the damn thing,” John said. His body ached, but he ignored it. John continued to walk with Annie toward the front door, enjoying the feeling of her holding his hand. The simple gesture was welcome….and relaxing.
“You’re so stubborn,” Annie said. She grinned at John, the teasing emotion etched across her beautiful face. “Will you please let me know if you need your cane later?”
“Hell, no.”
Humping Her Hero Page 3
