Passionate Kisses

by Various

  “You haven’t seen Lolly yet?”

  Brooks shook his head as the precinct door opened behind him. Both men turned to watch Lewis Kampmueller walk in, staring down at his cell phone. Duncan shouted a greeting as he came in behind Lewis. “Thought we’d stop in and see if you two were up for a beer after you get off work.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Vance said.

  Lewis continued to stare down at his cell.

  “How’s everything over at the Devine household?” Brooks asked Duncan.

  “Lotta gorgeous women in one house right now,” Duncan supplied. “Grace and Tess arrived early this evening. Grace’s spy guy is here too. That dude scares me.”

  “And you’re sleeping under the same roof.”

  “Worse. I’m bunking with him. Dude probably sleeps with a freaking gun under his pillow.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m sure it’s just a knife,” Vance offered.

  “Yeah. It’s Mr. Devine who sleeps with the gun under his pillow,” Brooks teased. “I wouldn’t be wandering the halls trying to stumble into Annabelle’s room.”

  “I hear that.”

  Duncan’s phone dinged. He pulled it out of his pocket and read the text message.

  “Hey. Ah—guys,” Lewis said, nose still in his phone. “It looks like we’ve got a situation at The Situation.”

  Duncan smiled as he texted. “I think Lewis is right.”

  “What’s going on?” Brooks asked.

  “Annabelle just asked if it would embarrass me if she entered a wet T-shirt contest. For charity,” Duncan explained.

  Vance’s chair legs snapped to the floor. “A what? For what?”

  “Not happening. That sort of thing doesn’t go down in Henderson,” Brooks said.

  Duncan lifted a brow. “You sure about that? I don’t think it’s illegal. Big night. Lots of young people back in town. And those girls seemed to be ready for a wild night from what I gathered.”

  “What girls?”

  “Our girls.”

  “Lolly?”

  “And apparently Darcy,” Lewis added, finally taking his nose out of his phone.

  “I don’t believe this,” Brooks said, incredulous. “What the hell did you tell Annabelle?”

  “I told her she’d better win!” Duncan grinned.

  When all three of his buddies looked at him like he had handed in his man card, he added, “I’m not about to tell Annabelle Devine what she can or can’t do. And I’ll tell you what. If you know what’s good for you, you will follow my lead. At least my girl gave me a heads up.”

  “Fucking A.”

  Vance turned a smug smile toward Brooks. “Feeling like a lucky son of a bitch now? You wanted to see what Lolly was going to do next. Well, now you know.”

  “This is bullshit,” Brooks said. “No way in hell is Annabelle Devine going to be caught dead in a wet T-shirt contest. It’s not part of the Miss Manners guide book. One picture of her shows up on the Internet and her reputation as Keeper of the Debutantes is finished.”

  Brooks shot up and started reaching for the desk phone. “Photos! Every fucking asshole has a camera on his cell.” He dialed 411 and waited until he was connected to The Situation. He hit the speaker button.

  “Ed! This is Officer Bennett. What the hell am I hearing about a wet T-shirt contest?”

  “Not a bar-sponsored event. Phi Delts from State are raising money for Children’s Hospital.”

  This had Brooks standing up straight and throwing another ‘fucking A’ around. It couldn’t have hit closer to home. Not just his old fraternity, but Vance and Duncan’s as well, for Christ’s sake. How was he going to stop something he was semi-connected to?

  “Why? Is it illegal?” the owner of the bar asked.

  “Definitely unconventional, even for a fraternity.”

  “They’ve been charging a twenty-dollar cover charge and the place is packed. If the girls volunteer to participate, they get in free.”

  “This is not the kind of thing we want Henderson known for; you got me?”

  “I hear you. I’m not crazy about it, but they assured me it would be old school. Shirts are wet, but they stay on. I told them no nudity. I don’t want to be run out of town tomorrow by a bunch of angry fathers.”

  “When is this debacle starting?” Brooks asked as he checked his watch.

  “Like I said. It’s not a bar-sponsored event. I’m not running it.”

  “Okay, Ed. This is what we’re going to do. You set up four chairs front and center. Then tell the brilliant assholes in charge of this fucking nightmare that off-duty police will be sitting there making sure this stays old school. We aren’t going to stop it, but we’ll be there to make sure things don’t get out of hand. And Ed. No pictures. Spread the word. Anybody takes a picture and their equipment will be confiscated.” He cut off the call saying, “And that will be the least of their worries. Okay,” Brooks said, rubbing his hand through his hair.

  “So? If you can’t beat them, join them?” Duncan questioned.

  “The cop in me wants to put my father, Lolly’s mother, and Harry Devine in those seats. But the Phi Delt in me is screaming, ‘Where’s the fun in that?’ Lewis, is this for real or are we being set up?”

  Lewis shook his head. “I’ve got this algorithm I’m working on. To be honest, they could have been discussing it over dinner and I wouldn’t have noticed.”

  “Right. Well, you do realize I have no intention of allowing my sister to participate in a wet T-shirt contest while I’m standing there, right?”

  Lewis looked at him for a moment as if he was trying to figure out who Brooks was talking about.

  “Darcy! My sister!”

  “Oh! Right, right,” said Lewis. “Probably why her text said not to mention it.”

  Brooks' smile broke broad and wide. “Yeah. You and Darcy getting married is going to work out just fine for me after all.”

  ***

  The Situation looked to be in desperate need of a little law enforcement. The cars from the parking lot overflowed into the street. The partying from inside the bar had overflowed into the parking lot. As Brooks pulled the cruiser up, he turned on the siren and lights briefly, hoping to scatter underage drinkers before he had a chance to recognize any of them.

  “Start carding people immediately. Let’s get these numbers under code,” he said as he came up on Vance, who had parked his truck in the back alley. “We’re off duty in five minutes but nobody needs to know that.”

  “You’re fucking with me, right? We aren’t really going to let this happen?”

  “Oh, it’s going to happen. It’s just not happening with Lolly or Darcy in the mix, that’s for damn sure.”

  “Thank God. For a minute there I thought you’d gone soft in the head like Duncan.”

  “He’s screwing with us. No way is Annabelle shaking it loose in a wet T-shirt in this time zone or any other.”

  “Yeah, but she stirred this whole thing up.”

  “Lolly needs no help stirring things up. And what better way for her to get back at me for running off with Tansy? Face it. Annabelle sent the text to get us here. She’s on our side.”

  Brooks and Vance worked their way up the stairs and into the bar. A rickety table sat just inside the door where three pretty boys stood collecting money. Brooks put down a twenty along with his badge. That had two dark heads and a sandy blond one snapping to attention. “Make all the money you can tonight because this is never happening in my town again. We clear?”

  “Yes, sir!” they agreed in unison.

  Vance slapped his twenty down and pointed to Brooks. “He’s the good cop. The bad cop is gonna tell you that if one picture or video is taken tonight, the three of you Einsteins are going to jail.”

  “How can we stop that?”

  “I just said you were Einsteins, didn’t I? Figure it out!”

  Usually full of locals, tonight every college kid between there and Chapel Hill had gathered, sporting their
best preppy attire. It looked more like a sorority sock hop instead of a local dive bar. There was a DJ playing the latest in country and rock, and a line dance starting up with a lot of girls and a healthy dose of guys. A quick survey of faces and demeanors let Brooks know that there weren’t a lot of terribly inebriated people…yet. Everyone was just plain having fun.

  Well, damn if he didn’t want to jump in and join them.

  “They’re here,” Lewis said, handing beers to both Vance and Brooks. “They were on the dance floor when we arrived. Then an announcement was made for all the contestants to meet in the back room. Off they went.”

  “Goddammit. I thought they were bluffing.”

  “Nobody’s wet yet,” Vance growled, stomping off through the crowd.

  Lewis slapped a hand against Brooks' chest, stopping him from following. “Lolly’s not back there.” He tilted his head in the opposite direction. “That guy she broke up with before coming home? He’s a Phi Delt and he’s here. According to Darcy, his name is Davis Williams and Lolly’s been dodging him all night. But he got in her face when she was coming off the dance floor and convinced her to follow him in that direction.”

  Brooks took a look. There was a hell of a lot of crowded real estate in that direction. And it narrowed into a hallway, which led to another room with pool tables and dart boards. Beyond that was another, smaller bar area and an emergency exit door. An alarm may sound if it was opened, but on a night like tonight, nobody would hear it or care if they did.

  “Thanks, buddy,” Brooks said rather distractedly, his eyes searching the crowd for Lolly’s dark ponytail. “I’m going to leave it up to you to take care of Darcy. Text me if Lolly shows up.”

  “Will do,” Lewis said as Brooks moved back through the front door and surveyed the parking lot. He didn’t think Lolly would leave with Davis Williams. After all, she’d kicked him to the curb. But it was heading toward midnight and she’d probably had a few drinks. Brooks' gut twisted, remembering the end of their first date and the moment he realized how vulnerable she was.

  He took a deep breath, trying to clear his head as he jogged along the front of the building toward the emergency exit. It was relatively quiet as he turned the corner with no one coming or going. He tried to pull the door open, expecting to find it locked, but it came easily. Brooks shook his head and shot inside.

  The back room was crowded and loud with music piped in from the main bar. Although he’d turned a few heads by coming in the emergency exit, everyone went back to their conversations and drinks quickly. The lighting was dimmer back here, and everywhere he looked his mind conjured up a dark ponytail.

  Jesus.

  Lolly was somewhere between him and the front door, and he did his best not to shove people out of his way in his impatience to find her. He checked the dark corners before moving into the game room. Here the crowd grew, but the light was better. He scouted the four pool tables lined up to the right, all of them utilized, but then his internal radar kicked in and pulled his gaze toward the front of the room where it zeroed in on Lolly.

  She stood there in that sexy white eyelet dress with her back to the wall, her hair loose and hanging forward as she looked down at her red cowboy boots. Separated by inches, some guy in a pair of pink Bermuda shorts with a lime-green belt and a white button down was pouring his heart out, complete with hand gestures that included a lot of hair pulling.

  The poor bastard.

  Brooks knew exactly how the guy felt, because for the last dozen hours he’d been tearing out his own hair over Lolly DuVal.

  He slowed his pace and stood away from the scene. If pink-shorts made a move and laid a hand on her, Brooks would be on him in a second. Unless there was a need to intervene, Brooks figured he’d just as soon let them hash it out once and for all.

  ***

  Lolly stared at her boots as she listened to Davis. She was sorry she’d let herself get drawn into this situation. Davis was a nice guy, a really nice guy, and he was doing his best to convince her that they deserved another chance. But Lolly knew that ship had sailed, regardless of Brooks, and she was struggling for the words that would make that clear without further damaging Davis’ pride.

  “Look, Lolly. This guy you’re dating is too old for you.”

  That had her head snapping up. “How do you know who I’m dating?”

  “Word spreads. Plus he’s an alum. He’s also a player and he’s just using you.”

  Lolly squinted at Davis. Brooks, a player? Hardly. “I’m not sure your information is all that correct. Regardless….” Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and read the text.

  ‘Tell Pinks to take two steps back.

  Fond memories of that dress by the way.

  Send me a ! if you need intervention.’

  Lolly smiled. “He wants you to take two steps back,” she told Davis.

  “He’s here?”

  “Apparently. You want me to wave him over so you can call him a player to his face?”

  Maybe Davis didn’t believe her because instead of two steps back, he stepped in and put his right hand on the wall next to her head.

  What the hell? He’s choosing now to throw nice, safe, and boring to the wind?

  “Only a player would allow his girlfriend to sign up for a wet T-shirt contest.”

  “Not sure he knew about that,” she said, putting her hands up to press Davis’ chest back from hers. “But hey, you can ask him,” she said as a large hand landed on Davis’ shoulder.

  Davis threw up his hands and turned toward the intruder. Lolly couldn’t see his face when he recognized Brooks, but she knew something had changed because all of a sudden Davis was glad-handing Brooks like he was the super-star alum that he was. And then he turned to introduce the two of them.

  “Lolly. Do you know Brooks Bennett?”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Lolly scoffed.

  “Oh. Well, I guess everyone from around here knows Brooks. Say, Brooks, Lolly and I were just talking about a friend of yours. Vance Evans.”

  “Vance?” Lolly scowled.

  “I know the two of you are close, but you know better than anybody that he’s a notorious player. Lolly shouldn’t be dating him, should she? Help me talk some sense into her.”

  While Brooks folded his arms across his chest, Lolly clenched her jaw. “Why the hell does everyone think I’m dating Vance Evans?”

  “Maybe because you’ve been seen sucking face with him at the tennis courts,” Davis said. “I mean, really, Lolly. Vance?”

  “Wow!” Brooks said, rocking his body forward and back, his eyebrows shooting to his hairline. “I don’t think I could have said that better myself.”

  “Vance Evans is not for you,” Davis insisted.

  “Again.” Brooks pointed to his chest. “I’m in complete agreement.”

  With that Lolly watched the two of them do some sort of ridiculous fist bump, handshake thing that had them bonding for life. She eyed Brooks. “You realize this is absurd, don’t you?” Then she looked at Davis. “Davis, Vance is a friend of mine. And yes, he’s a player. But your information is not correct.”

  “You haven’t been seen kissing him?”

  Brooks spouted a loud ,“Ha!” Lolly shot him a look she hoped would quell his enthusiasm. No such luck. “He’s got you there,” Brooks said.

  “Regardless of the kissing,” she said, dragging her eyes from Brooks back to Davis, “I’m not dating Vance. The truth is, I’m dating Brooks.” She indicated him with her hand.

  Davis’ mouth dropped open and he looked back at Brooks.

  “Sorry, man. It’s true.” Brooks slapped Davis on the back. “She thinks you're a nice guy and the fact that you don’t want her dating Vance makes you a hero in my book. Problem is, you’re a little too nice, if you know what I mean. A little too safe. And maybe a little too, what was the word you told Vance? Oh, boring. You’re a little boring.”

  “Brooks!” Lolly gasped, appalled.

&
nbsp; “Lolly, you’re not doing the man any favors by not telling him the truth.” He turned to Davis, who was clearly stunned. “It’s hard to hear, but I’m telling you, this kind of information is invaluable when dealing with the opposite sex. That move you just pulled. Trapping Lolly up against the wall. Beautiful! Am I right, Lollypop?”

  Lolly stared at Brooks, wondering what the hell he wanted her to say.

  “Tell him the truth. If I hadn’t been standing right here watching, that move would have gotten your attention.”

  She nodded, wide-eyed. The move had definitely gotten her attention.

  “See what I mean?” Brooks turned Davis away from Lolly and pointed out all the other women in the room. “Now you know pretty much all you need to know to get any girl you want. Channel your inner Vance Evans and see what happens.” Then Brooks reached around him and clasped Lolly’s wrist. “But this one,” he said, pulling her to his side, “this one is mine.”

  The way he said the word mine had Lolly’s heart doing a back flip in layout position. He might have been all good ol’ boy up to that point, but he was no-nonsense about laying claim to her. Finally!

  Then…then he pulled her up against his chest, wrapped his arms around her back, and kissed her like he meant it.

  “You’re not planning on entering that damn contest are you?” he asked against her mouth.

  “Not if you’ve got a better offer.”

  His Caribbean-blue eyes twinkled over his trademark grin. “How ’bout a much overdue tour of my house?”

  “I literally thought you’d never ask,” she said as he steered her toward the rear door.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Brooks bit back his grin as best he could while glancing around for any witnesses as he twisted Lolly off his body and hustled her into the back of the cruiser. He wished he could have indulged her, he really did. But making out against the side of a police car was a general no-no.

  “Whatcha been drinking, Laura Leigh?” he asked as he buckled her into the back seat.

  Two hands smoothed dark hair away from her face, pulling it high in back like she was going to tie it into a ponytail. Her sapphire eyes glistened and her pink lips parted into a brilliant smile, showing off white teeth when she said, “A little bit of this. A little bit of that.” When he ducked in to kiss her cheek, she grabbed his shirt and pulled his mouth back to hers. “Wasn’t really feeling it until I started kissing you. Obviously, you’re very intoxicating.”