Free Seduction's Dance (McKingley Series) by Aliyah Burke, McKenna Jeffries Page A

“You know what I meant.”
    She did. “I’m done with training. I get ninety-six hours and I’m back on days.”
    He nodded. “Ninety-six.”
    “Yes. Why, something you had in mind?”
    The heat in his eyes told her just what that was. He took her bag from her shoulder and carried it inside. She trailed after him, mesmerized by his firm ass in his jeans. She gave a short bark of laughter.
    “What’s so funny?”
    “Nothing, I was just thinking.”
    “About?” he prompted.
    “How much alike you and Leo are and yet how very different.”
    He dropped her bag on the chair by the door. “What do you mean?”
    “Have you two never looked at each other? I mean really looked?”
    “He’s my brother.”
    “Who you could be a twin with.”
    He frowned and she laughed. “Wow, from the look on your face it’s like I just said I killed your dog. This isn’t a bad thing. Just that the two of you look an awful lot alike despite your age difference.”
    “So you find him attractive?”
    She shrugged. “Sure, I guess. I don’t look at him in that light. He’s my boss.”
    “And me?”
    She sidled up to him, kicking the door closed behind her. “Are definitely not my boss. And you, I most definitely find attractive.”
    He wrapped his arms around her and tugged her until they were flush against one another. “Is that a fact?”
    “It is.”
    “And what do you propose we do about it then, Deputy Conner?”
    “I don’t know about you, but I could use a shower.”
    “I could too,” he said, his eyes burning her. “However, since we do live in the desert, I think we should get dirtier first and then clean up.” He winked at her, his intention perfectly clear. “You know, with needing to conserve water and all that.”
    She went to work on his shirt immediately. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of his exposed chest. Lord, help her, she just wanted to touch, lick and bite him. Delectable. All hardness and defined muscles. She spread her hands over him and smiled at his responding rumble.
    * * * *
    Two hours later they were sprawled in bed. Shannon lay upon his chest with nothing more than the robin’s egg blue sheet covering their lower halves. Beneath her ear, his heart beat out a consistent thump and soothed her further. She had no intention of moving. For right now, this was her idea of heaven.
    Still, he hadn’t completely relaxed and so while she traced abstract patterns on his bare chest, she went against her nature to not pry.
    “What’s wrong?” she asked.
    “Nothing,” he replied after a moment’s hesitation.
    “You sure? Because you still seem quite a bit tense.”
    “It’s just family stuff.”
    She got the hint—he didn’t wish to discuss it. So she nodded and let it go. What else could she do?
    “I found out that my baby sister is married.”
    Okay, apparently he did want to discuss it. “That’s great isn’t it?” She’d met Lis a few times at accidents and once at the annual police versus fire softball game.
    “Well, I… Of course, it’s just that, she didn’t tell any of us.” He moved and she waited until he stopped to resettle. “Not true, she told my brother, Jonathon, who a little bit ago told Leo.”
    “And you’re hurt because she didn’t tell you?”
    “Of course, she’s my baby sister. I saw the hurt look on my mom’s face.”
    “No offense, Dimitri, but maybe she just didn’t want the huge production.”
    He tensed. “What do you mean?”
    “Don’t be crazy. Anywhere around town here, you can hear a hum of gossip surrounding the upcoming Wright weddings. I hear it mentioned at least once a day, I can’t imagine what it’s like for the ones who are actually going through the act. I don’t know her that well, but she is more subdued than her sisters. Look at it from her point of view. Every decision you try to make about what is supposed to be your day evaluated and possibly told how wrong you are. All these people in your business. It’s