“Really? Why is that?” Cindy followed her back into the kitchen and leaned against the wall.
Maddy repacked the gifts into the bags to put away later. “I have no idea.”
“There has to be some reason.” Cindy’s eyes narrowed. “Are you hiding something from me, Lovett?”
“No.” She caught Cindy’s narrow-eyed gaze. “Yes. Well, I had a flat tyre and he thinks I should have had a mobile phone to call for help.”
“There’s more to it than that.”
“Fine. It was night-time.”
Cindy waited.
“Another car stopped, it was a man who, it turned out, was a friend of Mike’s, and he helped me change the tyre, but meanwhile Mike got his cop-knickers in a knot and decided for me that I should have a mobile. He came over here today all…”
“All…?” Cindy encouraged.
All hot and yummy and lustful and… “I got into a bit of an argument with him about it.”
“Oh, so that’s the unfinished business.” Cindy nodded her head. “But there’s more to it, right?”
Picking up the bags, Maddy went to the lounge room, managing not to stare at the sofa. She half expected to see the imprint of two writhing bodies on the cushions, but they were as usual. The only things out of place were the cushions on the floor.
Cindy picked up the cushions and placed them on the sofa. “Geez, you really need to buy Chaz more toys to play with, cushions just aren’t his sort of thing, you know?”
“Yeah.”
“So,” Cindy said, “What else happened to get your dander up? It had to be more than just the big, bad cop trying to be nice. You wouldn’t normally argue about something like that.”
With a sigh, Maddy dropped down into an armchair. “He came at a bad time.”
“Do tell.”
“Belinda came around with a snooty friend, and basically they told me to lose weight so I could nab myself a rich husband.”
Cindy stared at her for several seconds before saying mildly, “Bitches.”
“I’ll say. I tossed them out and then Mike came over trying to tell me what to do and I sort of lost my temper.” And my panties. Maddy didn’t voice her thoughts.
“I can see why you lost it,” Cindy replied. “Good on ya for tossing out the bitches, and good on ya for standing up to the cop.”
Maddy gave her a small smile. “I knew you’d understand.”
Cindy leaped to her feet and struck a pose, hands up in the air. “Hell yes, and even if I didn’t, I’d still back you up.”
Maddy followed suit, standing right beside her and raising her own hands in the air. “Gotcha back, sister.”
“Gotcha back right back, sister.”
They bumped hips twice, grinning widely. It was a simple thing from their schooldays and it made Maddy feel so much better.
Chaz slitted his eyes open but finding nothing of interest to watch, he went right back to sleep with his toy mouse tucked in one paw.
“Aw, sweet,” Cindy said.
It was late by the time they’d finished seeing and talking about everything, and after they cleared up the pizza boxes and ice cream dishes, Cindy ended up sleeping in the spare room as she’d done so many times.
Snuggled into her bed with Chaz lying against her back, Maddy looked at the glowing numbers on the alarm clock and thought about her intimate encounter with Mike. How the hell it had happened was beyond her. Why he would even contemplate making love - no, having sex - with her defied all belief. Just the memory of him inside her, all hard and thick and hot, his seed spilling deep- “Crap!”
Annoyed at being disturbed, Chaz half opened his eyes.
Oh God, she’d had unprotected sex with Mike! He’d ejaculated inside her. Oh God, she could get pregnant, she could - oh God!
Panic almost overtook her before she regained some sense.
“Calm down, Maddy,” she whispered softly, gripping the sheet in her hand. “You can get the morning-after pill at the chemist in the morning. It’s okay. You won’t get pregnant.” Biting her lip, heart thudding uncomfortably, she laid back down.
She hardly slept all night and by the time the alarm went off in the morning, she was wired. All she wanted was to find a chemist and fast.
Cindy was still asleep when Maddy had finished showering and dressing in her uniform. Picking up her friend’s car keys from the kitchen bench, Maddy walked outside to shift the car out of the way.
It was early with a chill in the air, the promise of autumn finally arriving after the long, hot summer. The road was free of traffic, enabling her to shift Cindy’s car onto it, get her own out, shift Cindy’s car close to the garage and bring her own car up behind it. Getting out, she locked the doors and headed back to the house.
“Maddy.” The deep rumble, so familiar now, made her insides curl.
Looking over, she saw Mike step down from his veranda. Dressed in his cop uniform, he looked big and dangerous, his ‘don’t piss me off’ expression firmly in place. He seemed to don it as part of his uniform. Or maybe he was just pissed at her.
“Mike.” She was glad her own voice was so calm.
Moving to the fence that separated their front yards, Mike leaned his forearms on it and regarded her. “Come closer.”
Wondering what he could possibly want, she walked over to him. “If this is about the mobile phone-”
“No, it’s not, though you’re going to get one today, right?”
“If that’s what you wanted to tell me-”
“No, it’s not. Well it is, but not right this instance.” Mike hesitated.
Curiously, Maddy studied him, amazed to see a faint flush appear on his chiselled cheeks.
He took a deep breath and seemed to steel himself for whatever it was he was going to say.
A little amused despite herself, Maddy arched a brow at him. “Can’t find the words?”
He scowled at her. “This is no joking matter.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know whether to laugh or be serious right this moment. Perhaps if you’d care to share your thoughts, I’ll know the appropriate way to act.”
“Fine. I didn’t wear a condom last night,” he said bluntly. “Are you on the pill?”
Now she could feel an answering blush.
His jaw tightened, his expression less than pleased.
“Don’t worry,” she said quickly. “I’m stopping by a chemist on my way to work to get the morning after pill.”
Mike nodded slowly. “Good. That’s good.”
She cleared her throat and glanced away.
“I’m clean,” he stated.
Startled, she looked back up at him. “What?”
“Clean,” he repeated. “I’m clean. I don’t have any diseases.”
“Oh.” She nodded. “Of course. Thank you.”
He regarded her intently and she realised he expected something in return.
“I’m clean, too,” she hurriedly assured him. “No diseases. You’re safe.”
“I somehow never doubted it,” he said.
“Then why are you staring at me?” The words were out before she could stop them.
“Because we still have unfinished business.”
Maddy folded her arms. “No, we don’t.”
“Yes, we do.”
“I’m not going to discuss this here.”
“We don’t have time.” He stepped back. “I need to leave for work. I’ll see you tonight.”
“No.”
“Yes.” He didn’t even glance back at her over his broad shoulder.
Irritated by his high-handed attitude, she snarled. “When Hell freezes over, you Neanderthal.”
“It’s a chilly day down there today.”
She watched as he disappeared into his garage. Within a few minutes she heard the roar of his motorbike and then he was wheeling it out backwards, strong thighs each side of the seat. With his leather jacket, boots, helmet, and mirrored glasses hiding his pale blue eyes, he looked dangero
us.
Those mirrored glasses turned in her direction and she scowled at him, barely managing to restrain herself from flipping him the bird. Swinging around on her heel, she stormed back inside the house, and the roar of his sound-barrier breaking motorcycle disappeared up the road.
Muttering to herself, she went back inside to get her purse and head for work. Via a chemist.
~*~
The chair in Tim’s office creaked alarmingly as Mike sat down. Glancing around, Mike studied the cutesy poster of a cartoon dog dressed as a dentist and holding a toothbrush in its paw. The caption beneath the picture read ‘Has your dog had a dental recently?’
Ye gods. A dog having a dental. Next thing they’d be bringing in doggie toothbrushes and - his gaze caught several packets lying on desk beneath the picture. Leaning forward, he studied them. Damned if the packets didn’t contain toothbrushes and flavoured toothpaste for dogs. What next?
Scratching the back of his neck, he shook his head and resumed his relaxed position in the chair. The sound of a dog barking and a cat meowing came from somewhere close by.
“Hey, Mike.” Tim came through the door, divesting himself of the white coat that was loaded in animal hair and a smear of blood. “Time for some iced coffee?”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
Pulling out two containers of iced coffee from the ‘fridge in the corner, Tim handed one to Mike before sitting in the chair behind the desk. Swinging his sneakers up to rest on top of the wooden surface, Tim opened the cardboard spout and took a long swig.
“So,” Tim finally said, after rolling the milky drink around his mouth and swallowing with obvious enjoyment. “What’s got your knickers in a knot?”
“Seriously, you don’t sell toothbrushes for dogs, do you?” Mike returned.
“Seriously, yes. Why, you want to buy one for yourself?”
“Ha ha. People really buy dog toothpaste and brushes?”
“Dental is never funny.” Tim ran a hand down his t-shirt.
Mike’s gaze automatically followed his gesture to find that his friend’s t-shirt had a cartoon picture of a dog with no teeth scowling angrily and holding a toothbrush and toothpaste. The caption beneath read: “Fangs for the Memory’. “One day you’ll get fired,” he said.
“Nah. The boss doesn’t care what I wear as long as I don’t show the customers, and only wear my artistic creations after hours when no one can see me.”
“Bet your mother cares.”
Tim’s smile widened.
“Pisses her off,” Mike observed. “Of course.”
“So.” Tim placed his container of iced coffee on the desk. “What’s happening with your neighbour?”
“What makes you think I’m here because of Maddy?”
“Mike, please.” Tim arched a brow. “You only come to the clinic when you have a problem.”
“No I don’t.”
“Yeah, you do.”
“I come here at times.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Maybe I have animal issues.”
“It’s Saturday afternoon. The clinic is shut, remember?”
“You’re a vet. Aren’t you on duty all the time?”
“You’re a cop. Aren’t you an arse all the time?”
“Care to repeat that?”
“Not really.”
“Wise decision.”
Tim laced his hands on his flat stomach and eyed Mike. “Care to chat, sweetheart? Or did you just come for some TLC?”
Mike shifted in the chair. “It’s Maddy.”
“I’m so surprised.”
“Why are the ladies so hard to understand?”
“Pfft.” Tim waved one hand in the air. “Women.”
“That’s your answer?”
“You expected something else?”
Mike wondered why the hell he’d thought his friend would have any words of wisdom for him. “Aren’t you the female expert?”
“Mike, I date them and boink them, I never said I understood them. The only thing I know is that I don’t get close to ‘em. They’re like piranhas circling prey - that being me. They want the bait - that being my money. I have issues - those being my mother and her cold-hearted ideas.” Tim smiled widely. “Hey, I guess I may have experience after all.”
Mike shook his head.
Tim settled back in the chair. “So what’s Maddy done that’s upset you?”
Mike was seriously doubting the wisdom of coming here now, but Tim was his best friend, they’d known each other for some years, and he needed to talk to someone he trusted. “She’s got a stray kitten on my property.”
Tim stared at him. “That’s it?”
“She made me promise to keep it there for a few days while she fed it and tried to find it a home.”
“She made you?”
“Okay.” Mike scowled. “She asked me and I agreed. Okay?”
Placatingly, Tim spread his hands. “I hear you.”
“Don’t pull that shit on me.” Mike suddenly realised just how Maddy must have felt when he’d tried to placate her. Bloody irritated.
“Sure,” Tim replied easily. “So now you have a kitten.”
“I don’t have a kitten.”
“Fine. You have a stray kitten on your property. What, you want me to come and get it and put it to sleep?”
“What? No!”
“Sorry.”
“What the hell made you think that?” Mike couldn’t believe it. “You want to kill the kitten? It’s only a baby.”
Surprised, Tim blinked. “Uh - okay. Sorry. My mistake.” He took a fortifying swig of iced coffee as Mike subsided back into his chair, scowling.
“Jesus, Tim,” Mike said.
“Let’s get back to the subject of Maddy,” Tim suggested. “I think it’d be safer.” He lifted the drink back to his mouth.
Maddy. Mike raised the iced coffee container and almost drained it in four big swallows. Lowering his arm, he thought about her. Sweet Maddy with the fiery temper and… “We had sex.”
Tim choked on his coffee.
“Yeah,” Mike said. “We did.”
Tim wiped his eyes. “Spring that on a man without warning, why don’t you?”
“I need some advice.”
“Just because you boinked the woman doesn’t necessarily mean anything, you know that, right?”
Mike scowled. “You moron. I didn’t boink her, I had sex with her. Made love. Big difference.”
“Made love.” Tim sighed. “You’re worse than a woman, Mike. You and Rick both. Next thing you’ll be telling me is that you tried to have a little heart-to-heart afterwards and-” He took another look at Mike’s scowl and groaned. “Seriously?”
“Nothing wrong in wanting to clear the air,” Mike growled. “What’s with people like you and Maddy? Always wanting to do things but never wanting to talk about it.”
“Wait a minute. She wanted to have sex?”
“Well.” Mike cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Um…I sort of, you know…”
“No, I don’t.” Tim was intrigued. “But do go on. Please.”
“I maybe grabbed her and kissed her.”
“Maybe? You either did or you didn’t. There’s no ‘maybe’.”
“Okay!” Mike snarled. “I did grab her and kiss her, and then things got out of hand and she was kissing me back and then - whammo!”
“Whammo?” Tim looked like he couldn’t believe his ears. “Whammo?”
“Yeah. You know.” Mike downed the last of the iced coffee and crushed the carton easily in one big hand. “We were on the sofa having sex.”
Tim was confused. “So what’s the problem? She was clingy? Didn’t want you to go?”
“No, quite the opposite.”
“She kicked you out?”
“Damn near.”
“What did you do wrong?”
“I didn’t do anything. I think it was that damned phone call.”
“Phone call?”
/> “Do I keep hearing an echo in here?” Mike threw the empty carton through the air and watched it land unerringly in the bin on the other side of the room before returning his gaze to Tim. “Her mother rang up and mentioned something about another woman and Maddy’s weight or something-”
“Ah-ha!” Tim stabbed a finger in Mike’s direction. “That’s it!”
“What?”
“Her weight! Maddy was embarrassed about her weight. She’s a rather…er…full-bodied woman, and having her weight suddenly pointed out in your hearing upset her.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t say it.” Mike sighed. “So why kick me out?”
Tim tapped his temple. “She’s a female. Makes perfect sense in a not-so-perfect way.”
“So what do I do?”
“Love ‘em and eave ‘em, my friend, that’s my advice.”
“You can’t do that to a lady.”
“I don’t date ladies. I date women who are far removed from ladies.”
“And you wonder why you have such bad experiences.”
Tim leered. “Not all the experiences are bad.”
“Maddy isn’t one of your kind of women.” Mike folded his arms across his chest.
“Are you getting defensive?”
“What?”
“Your bodily posture. Folded arms. Holding me back.” Tim simpered. “Hiding your feelings.”
“You are such an arsehole. I don’t know why I came here.”
“For advice.”
“You didn’t give me any.”
“Sure I did. Love ‘em and leave ‘em.”
“Have you been sucking on your own gas while you’ve been here all alone?”
“Not lately.”
“You’re about as useful as tits on a bull, you know that?”
“I’m hurt.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
Tim grinned. “Feel better?”
“Marginally.” Mike stood up. It was true, he did feel that some of the tension had evaporated.
“Nothing like a bit of banter to ease the kinks,” Tim said.
“Nothing like a bit of battering to really work them out.” Mike flexed his muscles.
“Ooohhh!” Tim clutched his clasped hands to his chest. “Oh my!”
Pulling on his leather jacket, Mike laughed, and it felt good. A little more tension eased away.
Cop's Passion Page 9
