Her Secret Wish by J.M. Madden Read Free Book Online

well, I’ll pick you up tomorrow at six.”
    “Sounds perfect.”
    Rachel stared at the phone in her hand long after he’d hung up.
    *     *     *
    It had been a long week but Saturday had finally arrived. Thoughts of Dean had plagued her in everything she did. Though their contact had been minimal, she was absorbed with wondering what he was doing. She knew cop work, but what did he do when he wasn’t on duty?
    Unable to help herself she walked to the bedroom. The swelling had gone down on her temple and she’d already tugged out the stitches, which her doctor would probably yell at her about. The bruise on her leg had changed ten different colors, but it was slowly starting to fade. Another week and it would probably be gone completely.
    The stitches in her arm, on the other hand, bugged the shit out of her. The skin beneath them was healing, creating an itch. She left them open to the air when she was home, but covered them with a bandage when she went out. She was on the verge of cutting them out as well but the laceration there had been deeper.
    As she looked through her closet now, wondering what the hell to wear, she debated just pulling on one of her workout tank tops. They were super comfortable and practical. Definitely not date material though.
    Rachel settled on a little frillier blouse in shades of blue. It had been a spur of the moment purchase a couple years ago, still had the tags on it, but it seemed okay for tonight. Maybe she’d talk to Shannon and see if they could go shopping sometime. Her wardrobe needed a serious overhaul.
    The shirt chafed when she put it on and she remembered why she’d never worn it. Just for tonight she could put up with a little aggravation to look a little prettier for Dean.
    But the longer she wore it the more determined she became to go shopping with Shannon.

Chapter Six
    ‡
    D ean dialed Killian as he drove toward Rachel’s house. “Hey, I’m heading over to take Rachel out. Any suggestions on where to take her? I don’t want to go to the Mexican place down the block from my apartment. She needs something nicer. A date place. I had planned to take her to a movie, but that’s so lame.”
    Killian was quiet for several long seconds. “I’ve got the perfect place for you to take her. It’s not very big but it’s a classy joint. It’s called the Pink Cactus.”
    Frowning, Dean jotted down the address Killian gave him. “Okay, sounds interesting.”
    “Great little Tex Mex place, but a little higher end. You’ll love it!”
    “Okay, thanks buddy. We’ll try it.”
    Dean glanced at himself in the rearview mirror as he parked the truck. Damn, he’d missed a spot shaving. He ran his thumb over the patch of bristles under his chin. Hopefully she would be too enthralled with his good looks to notice the little spot. Yeah, right…
    Rachel opened the door almost immediately, as if she’d been waiting for him to knock. Dean tried to control his surprise, but every time he saw her she was more gorgeous. The bruising on her head had faded and she’d done something to her hair to make it curl around her face. Wow, no ponytail. She was wearing the prettiest shirt he’d ever seen her in and he wondered if she’d gone shopping for tonight. Rachel seemed most comfortable in BDUs and a T-shirt top.
    But her expression was the most interesting. There was trepidation there but also true excitement. Unable to help himself he grinned at her and leaned in for a kiss.
    Dean would have settled for just a peck right now, but she surprised him by leaning into his touch, just a bit. Damn, she felt good.
    One of his hands drifted up to cup her cheek and she let him brush his thumb over her skin. “You taste better than my dreams,” he admitted.
    Rachel leaned back enough to give him a sharp look, but her eyes drifted back down to his lips as if she couldn’t help herself. There was no way he could say no to that invitation, so he pressed his mouth to hers again. Sharp