Free Sworn to Be His (The Archer Family Book 3) by Allison Gatta

plea than a command, but she ignored it all the same until at last he leaned forward and jerked her shirt over her head.
    "I need you," he rasped, and another thrill shot through her at the words.
    "Let me—" She tried, but he was done indulging her. He pushed her back into the floor, then pulled her pants off with quick decisiveness before pulling off his own shirt.
    For an instant, she simply stared up at him. His tense muscles, the hard plane of his stomach, the square ruggedness of his jaw. This wasn't the face of her best friend any longer.
    This was the face of her lover, and as he sank onto the floor, bracing himself above her, she knew that she'd made the right decision.

Chapter 8
    J ade breathed deep as she rolled over, her arm still tucked under Derrick's head. She wasn't sure where to look, what to say.
    Good job?
    Thanks for the good time?
    Everything she could possibly think of sounded wrong or dumb or just...strange.
    Still, she opened her mouth, hoping that whatever came out would help break down this invisible wall of anxiety she'd built between them.
    And then her pager sang out from where she'd left it discarded in her puddle of clothes.
    Seconds later, the trill of Derrick's beeper joined hers and they both rushed to them, reading the call quickly before throwing on their clothes as quickly as they could.
    "A murder," he said. "Think it has anything to do with Scaglietti?"
    "I can't imagine what else it could be. The coincidences..." She said, her voice shakier than she would have liked.
    "I guess there's only one way to find out." He glanced at her over his shoulder and she put a hand to her cheek, trying to cool her still warm skin. Even now when he looked at her she felt herself heating up again. Felt the ghost of his kiss on her lips, on her neck, and lower.
    "Right," she breathed. "I guess I'll meet you at the station?"
    "Right," he said, and for an instant it seemed like he was about to say something else, but then, just as quickly, he turned on his heel and left.
    When the door thumped closed behind him, she closed her eyes and leaned against her living room wall, trying to stop the spin of the room and the racing of her heart. What the hell had she done? Twice now?
    And why was it that this time she didn't feel the least bit sorry?
    Securing her badge in her pocket, she made for her car and raced toward the station, her mind humming with thought the whole way.
    Or, more specifically, thoughts of Derrick.
    She had to tell him she wanted him, that she didn't care about Zac. After all, who was Zac compared to Derrick Archer? He couldn't make her body yield to his the way that Derrick had. And he couldn't make her smile the way Derrick did. Didn't make her feel comfortable, like herself.
    She pulled into her parking spot to find Derrick idling by his car.
    "They want us to go to the scene." He nodded at her. "Want to come in my cruiser?"
    She smiled, thinking of how she might have answered the question under different circumstances, then gave a stiff nod.
    Business first. They'd handle business first.
    Then they'd get back to pleasure.
    He opened the door for her and she slid in and turned on the radio, expecting him to whinge about whatever 90's pop band was blaring from the speakers. Instead, he ignored it and started the ignition.
    "So, listen," he said, almost too softly for her to hear.
    "Yeah, I..." she started, but she didn't know how to finish and let the words hang in the air between them.
    "It looks like I have to apologize again." He reached toward her and ran his thumb over the side of her neck.
    She pulled a compact from where she'd left it in his glove box and stared at the tiny love bite on her neck, red and shaped perfectly like his mouth.
    "Oh, right," she said.
    "We'll make sure it gets covered before we get back."
    "Right, good call." She nodded again and folded her hands in her lap. "Listen, Derrick, I think..."
    I think what we did was the best thing that's ever happened to me.
    I