An Officer and a Maverick. Teresa Southwick
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the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Detective.” Until a few minutes ago it was practically the only thing he’d ever said with the possible exception of could you get me a beer.
His expression went from grim to really grim as he stepped over the edge into the fountain. Lani winced at what the water would do to those leather boots. Well, it couldn’t be helped. This was for Anderson. She backed away from the advancing lawman while one person started chanting, “Lani! Lani!”
With the water choppy from their movements, it was hard to dodge him. He was bigger, stronger and faster, so she couldn’t get away indefinitely. But the longer she could keep his attention focused on her, the better.
She backed up a step, and her sandal hit a slick spot on the bottom of the fountain. Down she went, not completely underwater, but enough to soak the top of her dress and ruin her hair. A second later Russ was right there in front of her, holding out a big hand to help her up. She wasn’t sure where the idea came from but at this moment she didn’t really care. After putting her hand in his palm, she yanked forward with all her strength. He was already off balance and fell on top of her.
“Damn it,” he sputtered. “You’re under arrest—”
“So you said.” She brushed the hair out of her face.
He gripped her arm and tugged her up with him when he stood. “You have the right to remain silent but there’s probably a snowball’s chance in hell of that happening.”
He finished with her rights then started walking her out of the fountain. When she slipped again, he swore under his breath before swinging her into his arms. Lani sincerely regretted that fate hadn’t warned her about Russ Campbell picking her up, because she would have lost a few pounds in preparation. Points to him that he made her feel as if she weighed nothing.
After stepping out of the water, he set her down. When she wobbled a bit he asked, “Can you walk?”
“’Course. I’ve been doing it for years.”
“Good.” He curved his fingers around her upper arm and, without another word, started moving.
“Aren’t you going to put the cuffs on me?” she asked sweetly.
His eyes narrowed as he looked down at her. “Are you going to resist arrest?”
“No.”
“Okay, then.” He kept walking and tugged her along with him.
Wow. She was going to the slammer.
For the first time since running into Russ she didn’t say what popped into her head. She didn’t think it would improve his mood if she started singing “Jailhouse Rock.”
* * *
Russ Campbell walked Lani Dalton into the sheriff’s office, his temper rising with every step. This was the last place he needed to be—and she was the last person he should be with.
Her eyes were wide, but she looked more curious than scared. “Wow, I’ve never been in the slammer before. This is kind of exciting.”
Glancing around the room he tried to see the hub of Rust Creek Falls law enforcement through her eyes. It was a big room with a couple of desks, one where the dispatcher sat. The other was for the deputy, although Gage was short one right now. While the sheriff looked for a replacement, Russ filled in when he had time off from his detective job with the Kalispell Police Department. A room off to the right had a closing door, and that’s where the sheriff worked. The place wasn’t especially intimidating, but then again, he’d worked in Denver, where the department was bigger—and so were the problems.
“If you think this is cool, wait until you see the cell.”
“Isn’t there some law against false imprisonment?”
He took her arm and led her through a doorway, where there were two six-by-eight-foot cells. Either she was naturally sassy, putting on a front to hide her nerves, or she was still not sober enough for her situation to sink in. Sink wasn’t the best choice of words after that surprise swim in the fountain. He couldn’t believe he’d let his guard down and should have known better than to let her distract him. But Lani had been a distraction from the first time he saw her.
“This arrest is ridiculous. My father is a lawyer, and I’ll be out of here before my dress dries.”
He figured she was trying to look defiant but with those pretty big brown eyes of hers, she only managed to come across as innocent, and they both knew she wasn’t. The drive over from the park was short, and she was still wet. He was having a devil of a time not staring at the way that bright yellow sundress clung to her small waist and curvy hips. And, dammit, the material was wet, which made it practically transparent. He didn’t need her reminding him about that.
He curled his fingers around the smooth skin of her arm and tried not to think about the fact that he could use another dunking in the fountain to cool off. “Come on. I’ll give you a guided tour of the slammer.”
“I can see it just fine from here.” She stood her ground and looked up at him, wobbling just a little. “Is it really necessary to lock me up?”
“Yes. Between the Fourth of July and that wedding reception, there’s been way too much celebrating going on in this town. I’ve been looking the other way most of the night, but things are starting to get out of hand. My job is to not let that happen.”
“So I’m the lucky one you decided to make an example of. But you don’t really work here in Rust Creek Falls,” she reminded him.
“That’s funny. Gage Christensen pretty much said he was paying me to be on duty. Sounds like work to me.” He gave her his detective glare, the one he used to intimidate people who broke the law. It came more naturally right now, since his jeans were heavy, and water squished in his boots. “Thanks to you, I’m really earning that paycheck tonight.”
“The sheriff wouldn’t have arrested me.” Her tone was defiant. “But you’re not from around here.”
Not one of us, she was saying. That struck a nerve. Before he’d left the Denver Police Department everyone had been avoiding him as if he had the plague. He was treated like an outsider for blowing the whistle on a crooked cop then busted down to patrol. When his career went backward his fiancée dumped him. So much for loyalty—and love.
“I might not live in Rust Creek Falls, but I’m the one with the badge.” He drilled her with a look. “You broke the law on my watch, Lani Dalton.”
Her eyes widened a fraction. “Since when aren’t you calling me ma’am?”
Not using her name was a way to keep his distance, and he’d been trying to do that since the first time he’d seen her. She had long brown hair and creamy skin that tempted a man to touch her. Resisting that temptation tested his willpower under normal circumstances, but nothing about this night was normal.
“Do you know who my father is?”
“You said he’s an attorney, but right this minute I don’t much care.” He walked her through the doorway and into one of the cells then pulled the door shut behind them. The bolt clicked into place and echoed off the bare walls.
She flinched slightly. “So, we’re locked in.”
“No,” he said. “You’re the one locked up, and I’m the cop who has the key in his pocket.”
Her eyebrow rose. “You’re sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“You’re very confident.” Lani shrugged then walked over to the metal-framed bunk. She lifted the sheet covering the thin, plastic mattress. “Wow, five-star accommodations. That looks like a yoga mat.”
“Let me know if it’s comfortable. You’re going to be here awhile.” She wasn’t as far gone as some he’d seen under the