Cop's Passion (19 page)

Swinging on his
heel, he stalked back inside and jerked the back door open. The
kitten was curled up on the mat, shivering. It was tiny.
Defenceless.

Shit.

Scowling, Mike
scooped it up and stepped back inside. Shutting the door to the
kitchen, he placed the kitten in the wash basket containing his
dirty clothes. It looked up at him and he narrowed his eyes at it.
Going back outside, he retrieved the bowls of water and food and
placed them on the laundry floor.

Straightening
up, he pointed his finger at the kitten. “Don’t get any ideas, fur
ball. I’m only doing this because if you get sick, Maddy will be a
bawling mess and I don’t want her upset. This is the only time -
the only time - you are getting in this room. Understand?”

Jesus, he was
talking to a kitten like he expected a reply. Shaking his head, he
left the laundry, but he only got as far as the front door before
he remembered that the kitten had to pee and poop sometime and he
wasn’t going to be home for the next eight or nine hours.

Shit again.
There was no way he could turf the scrawny fur ball out now, even
he wasn’t that heartless, and no way on this Earth was he going to
ask Maddy what to do, because her eyes would get all bright and
she’d think he was falling for the fur ball. Only one thing for
it.

Going to his
bedroom, he opened the cupboard and tipped out his good shoes from
the shoe box, which he took out the back, filled with sand, and
brought back into the laundry. Placing a newspaper on the floor, he
put the box on it and straightened up once more to look at the
kitten.

It was watching
him with interest.

“Don’t get
ideas,” he said, pointing at it again.

The kitten
blinked and reaching out, it batted his finger with one tiny paw. A
very soft, little paw. Jesus, it was tiny. Looking up at him with
its furry bum snuggled into his t-shirt, it was vulnerable.

Almost like
Maddy.

“No,” he said,
louder this time. “Oh no, fur ball. You’re not getting around me.
Count yourself lucky to be in out of the cold, but this is it. No
more.”

Shutting the
laundry door behind him, he scowled all the way out to the garage.
Bloody fur balls.

The sound of a
lawn mower trying to start broke the morning peace and he looked
over the fence to see Maddy in her front yard with the lawnmower.
She pulled on the rope again, but it sputtered out.

He could hear
her cursing from where he stood.

Shaking his
head, he jumped the low fence easily and strode across to where she
bent over the lawnmower. Dressed in pedal-pushers, a faded blue
t-shirt and ballet flats, she was dressed casually. It wouldn’t
take much to tug off all those baggy clothes that hid her delicious
curves and-

“Seriously?”
Maddy straightened and scowled up at him. “You’re going to go all
he-man on me about mowing the freakin’ lawn?” She spoke tough, but
she couldn’t hide that adorable blush that rose in her cheeks.

Obviously last
night was as fresh in her memory as it was burned into his. That
was a point for him, and she was obviously a little flustered,
which was really adorable. And hiding it, or trying to, behind a
prickly façade. Fine with him. Maddy was all prickles on the
outside, but inside…
mmmmmm
.

But the best
way to handle the situation right then, mainly because he was going
to be late for work if he didn’t hurry, was to simply reply,
“Seriously?” Bending down, he grabbed the handle of the rope. “No.”
One hard, fast pull and the lawnmower roared to life. Standing
tall, he looked down at her. “You can do my lawns as well if you’re
that energetic.”

The surprise on
her face made him laugh and he caught her around the waist, pulled
her to him and bending down, he kissed her.

God, she was so
soft and warm and he could take her on the lawn right now, but
there wasn’t time. Damn it all. Plus it wasn’t legal to engage in
hot sex on the front lawn where everyone going to work could see
them. He’d never live it down at the station.

Releasing her,
he tugged her shirt straight and patted her lush bottom. “Do a good
job and I’ll cook you dinner.”

Cheeks flushed,
a glint of combined annoyance and amusement in her eyes, she arched
a brow at him while taking a step back. “Pretty sure of yourself,
aren’t you, cop?”

“Absolutely,
nurse.” He winked, walked back to the fence and jumped over it
easily.

He felt her
gaze on him all the way to the garage. Grinning, he straddled the
motorcycle and pulled on his helmet and gloves. He’d have to take
Maddy out one day on the bike, give her a greater appreciation of a
really fine machine.

When he pulled
out of his drive, he saw Maddy pushing the lawnmower and for a
minute he thought she was too preoccupied with her chore to notice
him leaving, but then she glanced up and with a shy smile that
touched him to his soul, she lifted her hand in farewell.

Oh yes, today
was turning out to be a great day. If one didn’t count the fur ball
in his laundry. Maybe he’d ask around at the station, see if anyone
wanted a kitten.

Maybe he’d give
it to Alan as an early birthday present.

Grinning
evilly, he roared off down the road.

The day was a
good one, with only a few hoons to sort out and one early drunk
wandering the highway at risk of being knocked over. When he got
home, he was disappointed to find that Maddy was out but he had to
grin when he saw that his lawns were mowed. Even better, she’d
taped her mobile phone number to his front door.

Once inside, he
poured himself a glass of iced coffee and entered the number into
his mobile phone. Then he dialled it. It went straight to message
bank and he couldn’t help but laugh at the message.

“This is for
emergencies only,” came Maddy’s tart voice. “I only got this bloody
thing after being nagged to death. Don’t call me to chat. Leave a
message if you need to. And Mike, this means you, ‘cause you’re the
only one with my number so far.”

Man, he loved
that lady. “Maddy, sweetheart, this is your lover. Got your message
loud and clear. See you tonight for dinner, my place, I’m cooking.
Don’t worry about wearing panties.”

Chuckling at
the mental image of her face when she got his message, he dropped
the mobile phone on the bench.

Checking the
contents of his freezer, he decided he needed to do some grocery
shopping so he’d have something nice for Maddy to eat. Maybe a
roast. Spaghetti. The better idea would be to go to the shops and
have a browse around.

Stripping off
his clothes, he opened the laundry door to find the kitten fast
asleep in the laundry basket. It opened sleepy eyes to peek at him,
and was it his imagination or did it snuggle a little further down
into his t-shirt? The tiny purr that almost shook its body sounded.
Shaking his head in disgust, Mike tossed his clothes onto the lid
of the washing machine and shut the door again.

The fur ball
had to go. It was getting too comfortable and God forbid Maddy
should see it in his laundry.

Getting into
clean casual clothes, he went back out to the motorcycle and roared
off to the shops. After an hour of combing the aisles, he returned
home and unpacked the bag. The t-bone steaks and frozen dessert he
put in the ‘fridge and the box of chocolates went into the
cupboard. What was a little romance without some chocolate?

Satisfied that
he had everything, he changed into shorts and a t-shirt and went
into his spare bedroom where the gym equipment sat. Turning on the
radio to listen to the news and the pop music, he started lifting
weights. Within minutes he was zoned out, his movements automatic
as he mentally unwound from the day. By the time he’d finished half
an hour later, he was sweating. Tying on a pair of sneakers, he
locked the house up and jogged down the pathway and out onto the
footpath. Ipod playing a medley of rock, he pounded the
pavement.

By the time he
returned home he was totally relaxed and sweating like a pig. A
quick shower and he was drying himself, ready to get dressed and
see if Maddy had returned home and what time she was coming
over.

Clad in boxers,
he was stretching luxuriously and eyeing the bed in anticipation of
the night ahead when the phone rang. Picking it up, he heard the
words every policeman didn’t want to hear when they were
anticipating their time off.

“We need you
back at the station,” the sergeant said. “There’re several parties
on tonight and we’re calling in back-up. It’s going to get wild,
it’s already brewing now. Internet social sites are lit up like
neon lights with the news. Luckily it was caught by a friend of
Alan’s sister. Forewarned is forearmed.”

“Coming.” Shit
and double shit. Normally Mike didn’t mind getting called out, but
tonight he’d been planning on seducing Maddy. He just hoped she’d
understand.

“Alan’s driving
by to pick you up.” The sergeant hung up.

Throwing on a
clean uniform, he locked the house and jumped the fence between his
half of the duplex and Maddy’s half. Chaz watched him from the
window, his eyes wide and admiring. Typically, he batted at the
glass and looked at Mike like he was his best friend
ever
.

What the hell
was it with cats?

Mike knocked on
the door and Maddy opened it within seconds. With her hair sweeping
under her jaw line and caressing her rounded cheeks, and her eyes
bright, she looked so kissable. So he kissed her.

When he let her
up for air, she was flushed but smiling. Then she caught sight of
his uniform and arched one brow inquiringly. “You’re knocking off
late.”

He sighed.
“Maddy, I’m so sorry. I’m afraid dinner is off for tonight.”

“Oh?” She
didn’t look annoyed, just curious.

“Got a call
back in to the station. Something’s brewing and - anyway, can we do
it tomorrow?”

“Sure.”

She looked so
sober that he reached out and touched her shoulder. “I really am
sorry, but it’s the job. Getting a call back doesn’t happen often,
but it does happen and -“ His words stopped when she stretched up
and laid one finger on his lips.

“Mike, I
understand, truly. I nursed in both the A & E and general wards
before I went to Golden Link. I understand shift work, late shifts,
double shifts, you name it.” She shook her head. “Don’t sweat the
small stuff, okay?”

Relief coursed
through him. “You’re really something, Maddy.”

“I hope you
mean that in a good way.”

“Oh, I do.”
Bending down, he nuzzled her cheek. “I had such plans for the
night, too.”

One of her soft
hands rested hesitatingly on his waist in an unconscious gesture of
attraction and shyness, though her voice was steady and teasing. “I
don’t remember being asked anything about it.”

“Sure you do. I
left you a message on your mobile telling you not to bother wearing
panties.”

Yep, there went
that flush right through those apple cheeks. He grinned.

Maddy glanced
over his shoulder. “Here’s your ride.”

“Okay.” He
straightened. “I’ve got to go. Lock the door behind me.”

“Yes, Dad.”

He flicked the
end of her nose gently with his finger. “You’ll apologise for that
later.”

“Make me.”

“Trust me, I’ll
enjoy doing that.” Oh, how he loved the way her eyes flashed with
heat even while her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Oh, how he
loved the brightness of her laughter.

Oh, how he had
to ignore the boner he was getting.

Turning on his
heel, he started down the steps, only to stop when she called his
name. Turning, he arched a brow at her.

“Be careful.”
Concern showed in her eyes.

The words
filled him with warmth. Reaching out, he snagged her arm and tugged
her to him. “Ditto.”

This time she
met him for the kiss, and it was so sweet and tender it nearly
wrung his heart.

Reluctantly he
released her. She flicked a glance over his shoulder and bit her
lip. “You better go.”

“See you
tomorrow.” He strode over to where the patrol car waited in her
driveway. Just before he got into it, he returned to her.

“Cripes,” Alan
said from the drivers seat, but Mike ignored him.

Maddy raised
her brows as he slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out the
house keys.

“The fur ball
is locked in my laundry. You’ll need the keys to feed it.” As her
eyes lit up, he raised one hand and pointed sternly at her. “Don’t
think it, don’t say it. Feed it and just make sure it hasn’t
crapped anywhere.”

She was still
smiling widely when Alan backed the patrol car out of the drive and
took off down the road.

Seconds passed
in silence and Mike just waited. It didn’t take long.

“Mike and
Maddy,” Alan began.

“Shut up.”

“Sitting in a
tree.”

“If you want
all your teeth intact, you won’t say another word.”

“K-i-s-s-i-n-g!”

It was going to
be a long night.

“Want to tell
Uncle Alan all about you and the hot chick?”

A long night in
more ways than one.

~*~

The kitten was
very content. Snuggled down in Mike’s t-shirt in the wash basket on
the floor, it peered up at her and meowed. Maddy knelt beside the
basket and extended her hand. The kitten sniffed at her and when
she carefully stroked it on the head, it started purring.

Maddy wanted
nothing more than to pick it up and cuddle it, but aware that it
could startle easily and not wanting to break the fragile trust
that had built up between them, she settled for stroking it until
it fell asleep again.

It had used the
box of sand so she replaced it with clean sand and put down more
food and water before shutting the laundry door.