realizing he'd just worn out his welcome. The panicky thought struck him he'd never get to see her naked again. He actually had to swallow back the urge to apologize.
God, what was he thinking? He didn't want to apologize. He didn't want to give pain-in-the-ass Willow DeVane any reason to think he might actually care what she thought of him.
Pushing away from the refrigerator, he met her look with a solemn nod. Turning away, he strode from the room.
~ * ~
Willow watched Malloy march cockily from the kitchen and bit her lip to keep from calling him back. Man, he looked good in nothing but a pair of denim jeans. Barefoot, no shirt, hair a complete mess. He should never wear anything else in his entire life. Though, actually he looked pretty good in a uniform too, all bulky and—
Crap, what was she thinking?
He had attacked poor, sweet Dylan. It didn't matter what he looked like or how good he was in the sack. No one went after her best friend's significant other. Dylan was a wonderful man, and he treated her cousin like a queen.
"Holy God, Willow," he breathed beside her. "What in the hell are you doing with that guy?"
Willow let out a long sigh. "Good question," she murmured and hopped up onto her counter to sit with her legs dangling down. "I don't know. I just... it seemed like a good idea at the time."
At the time? Ha. It still seemed like a good idea to sleep with Malloy. He was one sensuous man. He knew how to touch. How to kiss. How to—
She winced when she caught Dylan giving her a "disapproving father" look.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but... have you completely lost your mind?"
For a split second, she wanted to hiss at Dylan and defend Malloy. Then sanity returned and she realized tonight had most likely meant a lot more to her than it had to him. Her shoulders sagged. "Probably."
Her friend sighed sadly. "I owe you my life for the way you helped me and Camy get together. So I'm going to give you some helpful advice. Stay as far away from Malloy as you can."
Willow straightened, a little alarmed by Dylan's conviction. "Why?"
"Let me put it this way. I spit on him once when he arrested me, and he knocked the shit out of me for it."
Willow waited for him to say more, but when he didn't, she grinned. "I hate to break it to you, honey, but if you ever spit on me, I'll knock the shit out of you too."
Dylan shook his head at her humor, but then grew serious. "All I'm saying is he could've handled the situation a little more... diplomatically."
Willow shrugged. "If you telling me he's got a bad attitude, I already know that."
"Then why are you sleeping with him?"
Willow couldn't seem to touch that question. She didn't want to dwell on the answer. She gave Dylan a helpless smile and shrugged.
He sighed. "Just watch yourself, okay?"
Willow smiled. "Thank you for the concern. You really are an exceptional man, Dylan Taggart."
He looked away bashfully and said, "Thanks for the food," as he tucked his wife's craving cure inside his coat.
"Any time," Willow answered. "Say hi to Camille for me."
"Will do." He kissed her quickly on the cheek, then turned to go, but pulled up short when he saw Deputy Malloy, now in his shirt, shoes and coat added to the jeans he was wearing before, slouched in the doorway to the living room with his arms crossed over his chest.
The two men paused to glare at each other before Dylan walked out the back door.
~ * ~
"You should lock that door," Raith growled as soon as Taggart left.
Willow lifted her face to scowl at him. "Only family comes in that
God, what was he thinking? He didn't want to apologize. He didn't want to give pain-in-the-ass Willow DeVane any reason to think he might actually care what she thought of him.
Pushing away from the refrigerator, he met her look with a solemn nod. Turning away, he strode from the room.
~ * ~
Willow watched Malloy march cockily from the kitchen and bit her lip to keep from calling him back. Man, he looked good in nothing but a pair of denim jeans. Barefoot, no shirt, hair a complete mess. He should never wear anything else in his entire life. Though, actually he looked pretty good in a uniform too, all bulky and—
Crap, what was she thinking?
He had attacked poor, sweet Dylan. It didn't matter what he looked like or how good he was in the sack. No one went after her best friend's significant other. Dylan was a wonderful man, and he treated her cousin like a queen.
"Holy God, Willow," he breathed beside her. "What in the hell are you doing with that guy?"
Willow let out a long sigh. "Good question," she murmured and hopped up onto her counter to sit with her legs dangling down. "I don't know. I just... it seemed like a good idea at the time."
At the time? Ha. It still seemed like a good idea to sleep with Malloy. He was one sensuous man. He knew how to touch. How to kiss. How to—
She winced when she caught Dylan giving her a "disapproving father" look.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but... have you completely lost your mind?"
For a split second, she wanted to hiss at Dylan and defend Malloy. Then sanity returned and she realized tonight had most likely meant a lot more to her than it had to him. Her shoulders sagged. "Probably."
Her friend sighed sadly. "I owe you my life for the way you helped me and Camy get together. So I'm going to give you some helpful advice. Stay as far away from Malloy as you can."
Willow straightened, a little alarmed by Dylan's conviction. "Why?"
"Let me put it this way. I spit on him once when he arrested me, and he knocked the shit out of me for it."
Willow waited for him to say more, but when he didn't, she grinned. "I hate to break it to you, honey, but if you ever spit on me, I'll knock the shit out of you too."
Dylan shook his head at her humor, but then grew serious. "All I'm saying is he could've handled the situation a little more... diplomatically."
Willow shrugged. "If you telling me he's got a bad attitude, I already know that."
"Then why are you sleeping with him?"
Willow couldn't seem to touch that question. She didn't want to dwell on the answer. She gave Dylan a helpless smile and shrugged.
He sighed. "Just watch yourself, okay?"
Willow smiled. "Thank you for the concern. You really are an exceptional man, Dylan Taggart."
He looked away bashfully and said, "Thanks for the food," as he tucked his wife's craving cure inside his coat.
"Any time," Willow answered. "Say hi to Camille for me."
"Will do." He kissed her quickly on the cheek, then turned to go, but pulled up short when he saw Deputy Malloy, now in his shirt, shoes and coat added to the jeans he was wearing before, slouched in the doorway to the living room with his arms crossed over his chest.
The two men paused to glare at each other before Dylan walked out the back door.
~ * ~
"You should lock that door," Raith growled as soon as Taggart left.
Willow lifted her face to scowl at him. "Only family comes in that
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