Free Rookie Mistake (California Dreamers #4) by Dakota Madison Page B

get hot all over.
    “Then let’s go, Sweet Cheeks,” he says before he turns and walks away.
    ***
    I’m a little disappointed that Cody doesn’t say anything to me when we get back to the station.
    I was hoping to ask him more about why he never finished his student teaching. Maybe it has something to do with why he had to get out of LA.
    The more I get to know Cody the less I feel I know about him.
    I was also hoping that maybe he’d ask me to out for a drink again, even though I probably would have said no.
    Maybe it’s for the best. Instead of fanning the flames, maybe I need to close the book on our desires for each other once and for all.
    When I get home I decide to take a hot bath and clear my head a little. Why am I so intrigued by Cody? I can’t stop thinking about him.
    I try to imagine him as a music teacher. In some ways it seems a better fit than him as a police officer. Even though he has a tough exterior, deep down he seems to be a sensitive soul.
    His eyes lit up when he talked to Mr. Duncan about helping out with the string quartet. It was the same look he had when he was playing guitar.
    And the same look he had when he was inside of me.
    It was a look of pure passion.
    When I get out of the bathtub and get dressed I decide to do something I probably shouldn’t be doing.
    I decide to go to Cody’s place to get some answers. I need to know what happened in LA and why he never finished his student teaching.
    And to be honest I just want to be near him again. Not in the physical sense. Not jumping into bed with him. Just hanging out and having a conversation about something other than policing.
    Pulling up to his apartment my stomach knots. What if he thinks I’m here for a booty call? I’ll have to make it clear that I’m just there to talk—as friends—nothing more.
    It’s not a conflict of interest for us to have a conversation after hours, is it?
    My heart begins to pound as I get closer to his front door. Maybe this whole idea is completely misguided.
    Nice time to second guess myself.
    It’s not too late. I can still hop back in my car and drive away. Pretend this didn’t happen.
    Except that the front door cracks open before I even have a chance to knock.
    “Who is it?” a voice behind the door says. It’s not Cody’s voice so I assume it’s his roommate, Russ.
    I clear my throat. “It’s Maya Navarro. We met the other day.”
    The door swings open revealing Russ wearing a rather tight swimsuit and nothing else. Does the guy have some kind of aversion to actual clothing?
    “Cody’s not here.”
    We stare at each other for a long moment.
    “Do you expect him back soon?”
    He shrugs. “I’m not his babysitter.”
    I’m not sure what to do. Should I Stay or Should I Go? The Clash song starts to rattle around in my head.
    Maybe Cody is rubbing off on me.
    “Wanna come in?” Russ asks, solving my dilemma.
    When he steps aside I enter the apartment.
    “Want a beer?” he asks.
    “Sure. Unless you have wine.”
    He laughs. “One beer coming up.”
    I follow him into the kitchen. “So do you ever wear pants?”
    “Rarely. I manage a surf shop.”
    That explains a lot.
    He grabs two beers from the fridge, removes the bottle caps and hands me one.
    “So you’re a cop.”
    I nod.
    “You don’t look like a cop.”
    “What do cops look like?”
    He shrugs. “Not like you.”
    The guy is an expert at circular conversation.
    “Drink up,” he tells me.
    I choke down a sip of the beer. It’s German. Expensive stuff. And very strong.
    He guzzles down what seems like half the bottle.
    “Can I ask you a question?”
    He places his beer on the kitchen counter and looks into my eyes. “Fire away.”
    “Why did Cody drop out of his student teaching?”
    He shakes his head. Then he grabs his beer and takes another swig before responding.
    “You’re going to have to ask him about that,” he says finally.
    “He’s a little tightlipped about his personal life.”
    He puts his