as far as Ms. James goes, she’s free to leave the county as soon as we get the papers signed.”
“That’s…great.” That’s really fucking great. Michael ran a hand through his hair and down his face before looking over at the woman asleep in his bed. He didn’t want her to go. He wasn’t ready for her to go.
“You want to bring her in later this morning or should I have someone bring them to you?”
“Can you have someone run them over?” The words were out of his mouth before he thought about what he was saying.
“Yeah, sure. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, fine. She’s still sleeping, and she’ll have a long drive ahead of her so…” Which had nothing at all to do with anything.
“Okay. Where’d you take her, and I’ll get Chuck to bring the papers by for signing in a couple hours.”
Shit. Maybe he needed to take her into Derek’s office instead. He wasn’t even sure why he didn’t want to do it in the first place. “I, uh, she’s here at my place.”
“Mike? Man, do you know what kind of trouble you could get into? I thought you were going to take her to a motel.”
“Hold on a sec…” Michael rolled out of the bed as quietly and gently as he could so he didn’t wake her. He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him before continuing the conversation with the district attorney. “Okay. Now you can read me the riot act.”
“What were you thinking?”
“I was going to take her to one of the normal places, but…” He hung his head and closed his eyes, sighing heavily. “Look, her vacation was screwed up enough. She needed a hot shower and decent place to stay. Not to mention food. Taking her to a motel would have been no better than the jail cell she’d spent the night in. It was a technicality. She’d done nothing wrong. All we were doing was waiting around for you all to get back to work and fix it.”
“I’m not even going to ask about anything else because I don’t want to know. Just… Dammit , Mike.”
There was frustration in his friend’s voice, which Michael understood well. If he’d been in Derek’s place, he’d have been frustrated too. But damn if he was going to regret choosing to bring her to his place or anything that had happened between them. “I know, but if it makes you feel better, I’d do it again.”
“You know damn well it doesn’t make me feel better. Look, I’ll bring the papers over in a few hours, then get them filed. We don’t need some intern to know she was with you at your place.”
“There’s nothing on the books about not taking a noncriminal home with you. Shit, Derek. If she’d done something wrong, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Because she didn’t do anything wrong, you’re busting my balls. Where’s the logic in that?” He did his best to keep his voice down so he didn’t wake Holli ; however, the whole mess was getting to him, especially now that it was looking like she was going to be able to leave soon. That’s what got him in the gut most of all.
“I hope she was worth it, because if anyone finds out…”
“I knew the risk before I brought her here, D. But it was worth it to me, and I’ll defend it to anyone.”
“There’s no sense in me trying to argue with you about this. I know better than that. Once you’ve made your mind up. I’ll see you in a while.”
The called ended, and Michael flipped his cell phone shut. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His whole place smelled like her. Citrus. Coconut. Spice. Sex.
He
“What was worth the risk?”
Michael spun at the sound of Holli’s sleep-heavy voice. So much for not waking her. “Bringing you here,” he said without hesitation. She was rumpled, and her eyes were still half-closed. Her hair was in complete disarray, and the doorjamb was holding her up.
“You shouldn’t have?” She yawned as she spoke. “Sorry,” she mumbled.
“No. Technically, it’s against policy if we’re not sure what else to do
“That’s…great.” That’s really fucking great. Michael ran a hand through his hair and down his face before looking over at the woman asleep in his bed. He didn’t want her to go. He wasn’t ready for her to go.
“You want to bring her in later this morning or should I have someone bring them to you?”
“Can you have someone run them over?” The words were out of his mouth before he thought about what he was saying.
“Yeah, sure. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, fine. She’s still sleeping, and she’ll have a long drive ahead of her so…” Which had nothing at all to do with anything.
“Okay. Where’d you take her, and I’ll get Chuck to bring the papers by for signing in a couple hours.”
Shit. Maybe he needed to take her into Derek’s office instead. He wasn’t even sure why he didn’t want to do it in the first place. “I, uh, she’s here at my place.”
“Mike? Man, do you know what kind of trouble you could get into? I thought you were going to take her to a motel.”
“Hold on a sec…” Michael rolled out of the bed as quietly and gently as he could so he didn’t wake her. He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him before continuing the conversation with the district attorney. “Okay. Now you can read me the riot act.”
“What were you thinking?”
“I was going to take her to one of the normal places, but…” He hung his head and closed his eyes, sighing heavily. “Look, her vacation was screwed up enough. She needed a hot shower and decent place to stay. Not to mention food. Taking her to a motel would have been no better than the jail cell she’d spent the night in. It was a technicality. She’d done nothing wrong. All we were doing was waiting around for you all to get back to work and fix it.”
“I’m not even going to ask about anything else because I don’t want to know. Just… Dammit , Mike.”
There was frustration in his friend’s voice, which Michael understood well. If he’d been in Derek’s place, he’d have been frustrated too. But damn if he was going to regret choosing to bring her to his place or anything that had happened between them. “I know, but if it makes you feel better, I’d do it again.”
“You know damn well it doesn’t make me feel better. Look, I’ll bring the papers over in a few hours, then get them filed. We don’t need some intern to know she was with you at your place.”
“There’s nothing on the books about not taking a noncriminal home with you. Shit, Derek. If she’d done something wrong, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Because she didn’t do anything wrong, you’re busting my balls. Where’s the logic in that?” He did his best to keep his voice down so he didn’t wake Holli ; however, the whole mess was getting to him, especially now that it was looking like she was going to be able to leave soon. That’s what got him in the gut most of all.
“I hope she was worth it, because if anyone finds out…”
“I knew the risk before I brought her here, D. But it was worth it to me, and I’ll defend it to anyone.”
“There’s no sense in me trying to argue with you about this. I know better than that. Once you’ve made your mind up. I’ll see you in a while.”
The called ended, and Michael flipped his cell phone shut. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His whole place smelled like her. Citrus. Coconut. Spice. Sex.
He
“What was worth the risk?”
Michael spun at the sound of Holli’s sleep-heavy voice. So much for not waking her. “Bringing you here,” he said without hesitation. She was rumpled, and her eyes were still half-closed. Her hair was in complete disarray, and the doorjamb was holding her up.
“You shouldn’t have?” She yawned as she spoke. “Sorry,” she mumbled.
“No. Technically, it’s against policy if we’re not sure what else to do
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