Free HotTango by Sidney Bristol Page B

beauty sleep?”
    “Fuck you.”
    “No thanks, you aren’t my type.” Aaron batted his eyes at
Cole. “But seriously. What’s up with you the last few days?”
    He considered blowing the question off, but Aaron was
possibly his closest friend. “Tanya and I are having some issues.”
    “That’s fucked up. Sleeping on the couch?”
    “Hell, no.” Cole knew he was lucky that his problem was more
from the lack of sleep and abundance of sex, rather than being relegated to the
couch. It was such a difficult place to be.
    Aaron shook his head. “Women are traps, man.”
    Cole peered at his friend. “Something going on with you
and,” he scrambled to remember Aaron’s fiancée’s name, “Angela?”
    “Angel. This wedding stuff is for the birds.”
    Cole didn’t want to point it out, but when a man’s best
friend didn’t even know the name of the woman he was going to marry, things
probably weren’t all they were cracked up to be. Cole had had some reservations
about Angel since the beginning, but had only met her a handful of times. To
him the relationship seemed to be happening too fast, with too much outside
pressure from family and friends who’d set them up. Cole didn’t see the same
kind of excitement or passion he felt for Tanya when Aaron talked about Angel.
    “What are you two yapping about?” Officer Jake Vant strolled
toward them, his gaze on the passing crowd.
    It was somewhat frustrating being on-site today. They
weren’t even at an entrance, but instead were set up inside the Village.
Probably an attempt to give them a break and still have them on hand.
    “Women,” Cole answered.
    “Ah.” Jake nodded. His wife Nicole was a spitfire.
    “What did you do this time?” Jake asked Aaron.
    “Me? We were discussing Cole’s transgressions, not mine,”
Aaron said.
    “You?” Jake gave Cole a disbelieving once-over. “You fucked
up, Sarge?”
    Jake almost always addressed him as Sergeant, regardless of
the situation. Cole could only imagine it amused him. Jake was a good ’ol boy,
several years older than Cole and perfectly happy to be some of the brute
muscle on the team. Taller than either Aaron or Cole, he was only a little
narrower through the shoulders.
    “I did not fuck up,” Cole said. “Now if you don’t mind, I am
not going to discuss my wife with the two of you idiots.”
    “Then why are you sleep deprived?” Aaron asked.
    Cole didn’t reply immediately. Jake howled with laughter,
drawing the attention of those nearest them.
    “I think you’re applying the wrong answer.” Jake continued
to snicker.
    “Are you three working or jacking off?” Officer Becca
Jameson sauntered up, giving all three of them the evil eye.
    “Do we get to chose? Because I’d take option number two.”
Aaron waggled his brows at Becca, who merely snorted and rolled her eyes at
him.
    “Figures,” she muttered.
    Cole glanced between the two. There had always been a thread
of tension there, hostile or horny, he couldn’t quite tell, but in his book
they’d make a better fit than Aaron and Angel, and Becca and whoever she was
shacking up with these days.
    “Actually we’re discussing Sarge’s sex life. Seems his wife
is keeping him up a lot lately,” Jake offered, oh so helpful like.
    “Is that what it is? Damn, I hope my girl gets pissed and
just wants to fuck. That’s the kind of fight I want to have.” Aaron grinned.
    “I hope what’s-her-face never wants to see your dick, ever,”
Becca retorted.
    “Calm down, kids.” Jake held his hands out, still
snickering.
    “Her name is Angel,” Aaron offered.
    “Of course it is. Gag me, please.” Becca leaned against the
building next to Cole.
    Aaron leaned around the column to peer at their fellow
officer. “Is that how you like it?”
    “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Becca grinned, but the light
didn’t touch her eyes.
    Aaron never noticed a thing. He tossed his head back and
laughed.
    Interesting.
    Jake’s smile was firmly in