Sanctuary (Family Justice Book 3) by Suzanne Halliday

pinned to the floor, the mutt dashed for her legs, winding around her with enthusiastic abandon.
    Struggling to his feet, Brody drawled, “What the hell do you feed this beast? He never tires out!”
    Her mouth curved. “Well, I pour the end of the coffee pot over his kibble every morning. Maybe too much caffeine?”
    Watching Brody stumble to a halt with a look of absolute horror on his face was more than just a little bit funny. She was just kidding, but it was going to take a minute for him to realize that. And why? Because teasing, flirting, and generally messing around was undiscovered territory for them.
    She saw the lightbulb go on over his head. “Nice try, lady. You don’t drink coffee.”
    Huh. He remembered. But he was also wrong. “I do now.” She gave him a lopsided grin. “Some asshole got me hooked on Starbucks.”
    He pushed her into the apartment and shut the door as his laughter filled the air. “Honey, that sugary flavored Mocha-latte-chino shit you drink is not coffee!”
    “I beg your pardon,” she answered with feigned outrage.
    Slinging an arm around her neck, he pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. Walking them into the kitchen, he teased, “Plus, I see no evidence of a coffeemaker on your counter.”
    Nudging him in the ribs with her elbow, she smirked. “That’s where you’re wrong Mr. Know-it-all.” Going to the big cabinet next to the fridge, she pulled it open and waved her hand with a flourish. “Observe, Mr. Jensen. One brand spanking new Mr. Coffee. Complete with a programmable option for those early mornings when getting to work on time is a challenge.”
    His eyes lit up with amusement as he replied. “Uh-huh. And the fact that the cord is still factory wrapped indicates you’ve never plugged it in.” Then his teasing eased off and a proprietary edge was reflected in his voice. “You plan to entertain? Got someone in your life who drinks coffee?”
    Heather literally gawked at him. The coffee pot was new, and never used. She’d been browsing Target, saw a sale display, and picked up the fancy brew machine on impulse. Giving him her very best deadpan smirk, she half shrugged and nodded her head toward a cupboard. “The coffee blend you like so much is in the cabinet.” That was the only admission he was getting.
    He chortled at her evasive non-answer. “Dunkin’ Donuts?”
    “Of course.”
    “Well, aren’t you a good girl,” he quipped with a sexy drawl.
    Rolling her eyes, she gave him a hard shove. “What is it with men these days and that whole good girl-baby girl thing?”
    The smoldering look he gave her made Heather’s breath stick in her chest.
    “We’ll work on baby girl and see where it goes.”
    Ho-ly cow. He was looking at her as if he was about to swallow her whole.
    He didn’t shrug so much as puff up. “But when it comes to being good …” He crowded close and ran a hand across the curve of her ass. “Girl … you got that one in spades.”

 
     
    H UGELY RELIEVED WHEN he got back from walking the dog and finding her still in the groove, he’d be fucking lying if he didn’t admit to being worried she’d boot him to the curb once she regrouped.
    But dinner went amazingly well. Nothing like a takeout feast to make things easy. No muss. No fuss. A trashcan full of Styrofoam containers, a little heating up, and a bit of presentation was all it took to create a decent meal.
    They’d eaten together plenty of times. Mostly in silence. Food was a requirement for them. All that high-intensity screwing required fuel. But tonight was different. Careful to keep the arousal on the down low, he was determined to make this encounter different from the others. He didn’t want it to be about getting laid. They already had that shit covered. Now, it was time to see what else they shared besides body fluids.
    The chitchat was light. Nothing heavy. Mostly current events. The only time they’d deviated from what felt like carefully approved