Free Burnout (NYPD Blue & Gold) by Tee O'Fallon Page A

Seemed like their little truce was history.
    Without thinking, she opened the rear door of the SUV to unload the spare tire and jack, forgetting about Raven who shot out in full-force attack mode, barreling straight for Mike. “No, get back!” she shouted, petrified Raven would clamp her jaws around Mike’s leg and he’d shoot her beloved dog.
    But not only was Raven not attacking, she was actually wagging her tail. Mike stretched out his arm for Raven to sniff. To Cassie’s immense shock, Raven began to lick his hand, then let out little whimpering noises and lifted her paw to him. Cassie scratched her head.
    Am I in another dimension?
    Mike crouched to take Raven’s paw in his large hand. As he did, his navy-blue uniform slacks tightened over his legs, outlining every sculpted muscle of his thighs and butt. Talk about a great ass!
    Another whine from Raven, more licks, this time to Mike’s face. “Traitor,” Cassie couldn’t help whispering.
    “What?” Mike grinned as Raven drowned him in slobber. The grin turned into a slow, dangerous smile. The kind that turned women’s brains to mashed potatoes.
    “Nothing.” Her gaze was irresistibly drawn to Mike’s rippling forearms and the way his uniform hugged his broad back over the Kevlar vest. And, oh Christ, the man had the most beautiful smile. All those white teeth…and those firm, sensuous lips. Cassie decided then and there that Mike wore a five-o’clock shadow better than any man she’d ever met.
    “Belgian sheepdog?” He dodged another swipe of Raven’s tongue.
    “Uh-huh.” She could only nod, still stupefied at Raven’s reaction to Mike. If she didn’t know better, she’d say her dog was in love.
    “Great breed.” Mike stood and wiped his face with his forearm. “When I was a kid I had a German shepherd. Still miss that dog.” He gave Raven another scratch behind the ears, and Raven leaned her head against his leg.
    “Yeah, some breed.” Cassie narrowed her eyes. Furry little Benedict Arnold. When they got home, a serious talk was in order.
    Mike stroked Raven’s head with his long fingers. “Some police departments have Belgians on their K-9 squads.”
    “Really?” Cassie bit back a knowing laugh, pretending to be ignorant of the breed’s security-oriented talents.
    Mike nodded. “Yours is well-behaved. They can be a handful if they don’t have a job to do every day, but you’ve obviously trained her well.”
    “Uh, thanks.” She hadn’t lifted a finger to train Raven. The dog had come to her that way, straight from the K-9 squad.
    “What’s her name?” Mike wiped his face again where Raven had licked him.
    “Raven.” With a shake of her head, Cassie resumed the process of changing out the flat.
    “Need some help?”
    “No thanks.” For some reason, she found his offer patronizing.
    “Oookay.” He sent her a dubious look.
    Cassie fit the lug wrench onto one of the nuts and pulled. Unsuccessfully. She tried the other nuts until every muscle in her hands, arms, shoulders, and back screamed in agony. Not one of the damned nuts budged.
    Meanwhile, the late afternoon sun blazed overhead like a blowtorch, quickly covering her face in sweat and making her hot pink shorts and skimpy white tank top stick to her body like glue.
    Cassie felt Mike’s intense blue eyes taking a walk all over her body. “Checking out my ass again, Chief?”
    A slow, annoying smirk crept to his mouth, and for a split second Cassie was tempted to smack it off his gorgeous face. “If you don’t want folks checking out your ass, I suggest you not wear hot pink. Tends to attract attention.”
    “So that’s the key, wearing boring colors?” Cassie tried another lug nut, and again had no success.
    “I don’t think there’s any color you could wear that would make a difference. You’ll attract attention no matter what you’ve got on.”
    She glanced at him, again wondering whether that was a compliment or an insult. What she wound up noting