[When SEALs Come Home 04] - Heated Read Online Free PDF

recklessness. Driving with your head up your butt.”
    He made a show of pretending to consider her words. “I’m pretty sure that’s not an arrestable offense.”
    It should be. Of course, then she’d have to arrest half the drivers she passed on the highway, and she’d be working overtime seven days a week, but it would be satisfying.
    Very satisfying.
    “Statute 23103. Part A. A person who drives a vehicle upon a highway in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving.”
    He deliberately scanned the empty highway. “We’re the only two people out here, honey. Did I endanger you?”
    He had no idea.
    “You count.” The words sounded dragged out of her, which spoiled the effect. She really didn’t want to see him getting hurt or killed on the road. The world would be a sadder, quieter place without Joey in it.
    “You don’t want to see me hurt.” He tested the word, sounding surprised.
    Did he think her job was only about enforcing the rules? Because then he was dead wrong. She’d chosen law enforcement because she wanted to keep people safe , and that included hard-headed, stubborn, too-sexy smoke jumpers.
    “You can’t keep doing this. You’re going to kill yourself.” And she’d be the person called out to pick up the pieces. Somehow, she thought he’d understand that being the last guy in, the one who had to hit cleanup, wasn’t easy or fun. Frankly, most days it sucked. It wasn’t like baseball, where the final man at bat nailed the ball and brought in the winning run.
    He swung his leg over the bike and stood up. “I think we might have just had a relationship breakthrough.”
    She motioned him over to her car. “Hands on the hood. Legs apart. You have any weapons I should know about?”
    He grinned at her again and ambled over to the car. When he braced his hands on her hood, however, she went right back to staring at him and drooling because, sweet baby Jesus, she wasn’t supposed to find the move sexy. He had big, capable hands to go with the rest of his gorgeous body, and she couldn’t help imagining better, sexier things he could be doing with his fingers.
    Stupid. Sex, no matter how great, wasn’t worth her career.
    Joey craned his head to look at her where she stood rooted on the spot. “I’m not complaining, but I’m not sure you have the legal right to pat me down, honey.”
    Oh, she did. The amusement in his voice put her feet in motion, if only because she wanted to show him who was in charge here. “I have reasonable suspicion that you’re armed, so I get to pat you down. Hands on your head.”
    “You need to decide what you want.”
    Oh, she knew what she wanted . When he complied, she gripped his wrists firmly and moved behind him. Perfect. Instead of hot sex, she got to execute a textbook pat down. He stood there, relaxed and confident, and somehow he was still in charge of their encounter, even though she was the one with the badge and he was the rule breaker. His humoring her pissed her off. Joey Carter thought everything was a game, but he was wrong.
    She slid a foot between his, gently kicking his legs a little further apart, and he made a choked noise. “I had no idea you liked it rough, sweetheart.”
    “ Honey is not an option. Sweetheart is not an option.”
    She ran her hands down his arms and sides. He felt hot and hard, both admirable qualities, but this wasn’t the way she’d fantasized about touching Joey Carter—and, yeah, she’d fantasized—but she wasn’t thinking about that. Really.
    “You want to list my options for me?” He suggested. “Since I seem to be so confused?”
    “You have two options.” She let go of his wrists and squatted down. The move put her on eye level with his butt, which was no hardship. “Deputy. Or, if you’re feeling wordy, Deputy Sheriff Hernandez.”
    He said something too gruff to make out. Whatever. She skimmed her hand lightly over his back pockets. He felt