change. "I paid dispatch a visit Saturday night. It turns out that there was no complaint. According to the supervisor, Daniels saw the fire and took it upon himself to act. Dispatch heard about it when he called in for reinforcements, and that's when they paged me."
This wasn't what Kat had expected to hear. "So he saw the fire, and rather than contacting Mountain Parks to find out what was going on, he just decided to break it up? Why would he do that?"
"Who knows? Daniels has always struck me as one of those cops who enjoys busting people."
"And hurting them." Kat's scalp seemed to tingle where Daniels had pulled her hair. "So if there was no complaint, then Daniels lied. Why?"
Gabe shrugged. "No mystery there. It's just standard CYA. He's trying to avoid getting in trouble for ignoring jurisdiction and getting the city into this mess."
"What's 'standard CYA'?" Kat hadn't heard the term before. "Is that a city policy or something?"
Gabe laughed. "'CYA' means 'cover your ass.'"
GABE FINISHED HIS burger and fries, watching the subtle changes in Kat's expression as she told him about the Native community's response to the raid on the inipi. His own thoughts were far from Mesa Butte, his mind full of illicit images. Kat kissing him as he tore off her clothes. Kat lying naked on his bed, twisting and turning while he kissed and licked and sucked her nipples. Kat spreading her thighs for him as he nibbled his way down her belly and then took her with his mouth. Kat arching beneath him as he drove into her, fucking her hard, sending them both over the edge.
What would she taste like? What would she feel like beneath him? And what would the reserved Ms. James do when she came? Would she shiver and sigh, or would she dig her nails into his back--and scream?
You'd just love to find out, wouldn't you, Rossiter?
Hell, yeah, he would. His cock had gone rock solid just thinking about it and now strained uncomfortably against his jeans.
Kat dabbed her lips--lips he'd love to taste. "I don't know how to thank you for looking into this for me."
Emboldened by her gratitude, he decided to go for it. "Have dinner with me Friday night."
She eyed him warily. "I ... I don't date men."
Gabe stared at her for a moment. What the hell? The male race had to be doing something terribly wrong if women like Kat were playing for the other team. "So ... you prefer women then?"
Her eyes went wide, her face flushing pink. "No! No, no! I like men. I mean ... What I meant to say was ... Oh, no, that didn't come out right."
Both amused and relieved, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, unable to hold back a grin. "Want to try again?"
Kat drew a deep breath, felt her cheeks burn, both embarrassed by what she'd said and uncomfortable with what she saw in Gabe's eyes--blatant male interest. If he were like other men, his interest in her wouldn't last once he understood that she wasn't going to topple into bed with him. That seemed to be the only thing most men cared about. They weren't interested in having a family, being husbands and fathers.
She willed herself to meet his gaze straight on. "I decided a long time ago that I would never be any man's conquest, so I don't date. I've never been ... with a man, and I won't be until I find the one who wants to be a part of my life and isn't just looking for a one-night stand. So unless you want lots of children, love mutton stew, and enjoy spending your summer vacations in one-hundred-fourteen-degree heat in a two-room hogaan without electricity or running water, we shouldn't even start down that road."
He seemed to consider what she said, a look of confused concentration on his face. "So ... what you're saying is that you're saving yourself for Mr. Right and that if all I want is to get inside you, I can forget taking you out to dinner, because you want happily ever after and not just sex. Did I get that right?"
"Something like that." She felt her cheeks burn.
"You're a
This wasn't what Kat had expected to hear. "So he saw the fire, and rather than contacting Mountain Parks to find out what was going on, he just decided to break it up? Why would he do that?"
"Who knows? Daniels has always struck me as one of those cops who enjoys busting people."
"And hurting them." Kat's scalp seemed to tingle where Daniels had pulled her hair. "So if there was no complaint, then Daniels lied. Why?"
Gabe shrugged. "No mystery there. It's just standard CYA. He's trying to avoid getting in trouble for ignoring jurisdiction and getting the city into this mess."
"What's 'standard CYA'?" Kat hadn't heard the term before. "Is that a city policy or something?"
Gabe laughed. "'CYA' means 'cover your ass.'"
GABE FINISHED HIS burger and fries, watching the subtle changes in Kat's expression as she told him about the Native community's response to the raid on the inipi. His own thoughts were far from Mesa Butte, his mind full of illicit images. Kat kissing him as he tore off her clothes. Kat lying naked on his bed, twisting and turning while he kissed and licked and sucked her nipples. Kat spreading her thighs for him as he nibbled his way down her belly and then took her with his mouth. Kat arching beneath him as he drove into her, fucking her hard, sending them both over the edge.
What would she taste like? What would she feel like beneath him? And what would the reserved Ms. James do when she came? Would she shiver and sigh, or would she dig her nails into his back--and scream?
You'd just love to find out, wouldn't you, Rossiter?
Hell, yeah, he would. His cock had gone rock solid just thinking about it and now strained uncomfortably against his jeans.
Kat dabbed her lips--lips he'd love to taste. "I don't know how to thank you for looking into this for me."
Emboldened by her gratitude, he decided to go for it. "Have dinner with me Friday night."
She eyed him warily. "I ... I don't date men."
Gabe stared at her for a moment. What the hell? The male race had to be doing something terribly wrong if women like Kat were playing for the other team. "So ... you prefer women then?"
Her eyes went wide, her face flushing pink. "No! No, no! I like men. I mean ... What I meant to say was ... Oh, no, that didn't come out right."
Both amused and relieved, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, unable to hold back a grin. "Want to try again?"
Kat drew a deep breath, felt her cheeks burn, both embarrassed by what she'd said and uncomfortable with what she saw in Gabe's eyes--blatant male interest. If he were like other men, his interest in her wouldn't last once he understood that she wasn't going to topple into bed with him. That seemed to be the only thing most men cared about. They weren't interested in having a family, being husbands and fathers.
She willed herself to meet his gaze straight on. "I decided a long time ago that I would never be any man's conquest, so I don't date. I've never been ... with a man, and I won't be until I find the one who wants to be a part of my life and isn't just looking for a one-night stand. So unless you want lots of children, love mutton stew, and enjoy spending your summer vacations in one-hundred-fourteen-degree heat in a two-room hogaan without electricity or running water, we shouldn't even start down that road."
He seemed to consider what she said, a look of confused concentration on his face. "So ... what you're saying is that you're saving yourself for Mr. Right and that if all I want is to get inside you, I can forget taking you out to dinner, because you want happily ever after and not just sex. Did I get that right?"
"Something like that." She felt her cheeks burn.
"You're a
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