I have no right to it, and yet it surges anyway. She’s not mine. I know that. But the idea of anyone else having those thoughts about her makes my jaw tighten.
She stops just short of our table, her gaze flicking between me and Kline. She offers Kline a small smile—a silent greeting, and he returns it before setting his beer down on the table as she flicks her gaze back to mine.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” she says, tilting her head slightly, her voice low and even despite the clamor of voices and music pulsing through the bar.
“I could say the same thing,” I reply, leaning back in my seat as I drape my arm casually along the cool metal backing of the chair. “Who are you here with?”
She jerks her chin in the direction of the karaoke setup. “Just a couple of friends.”
I follow her gaze to a table across the room where three girls are laughing over their drinks, eyes flicking between Raelynn and me like this moment is something they’ve been waiting for. The girl with shoulder-length blonde hair and a pink crocheted top spots Raelynn and waves enthusiastically, which earns another round of giggles from the others.
Raelynn waves back with a sheepish smile before refocusing on me. “I was roped into coming tonight.”
I nod, swirling the last inch of beer in my bottle before taking a slow sip. I am due for another, but I have no intention of getting up—not with the bartender still eyeing Raelynn likeshe was the only thing on tap tonight. Every time the guy isn’t pouring drinks, his gaze is locked on her. It is starting to piss me off, and if I go up there, I might end up punching him in the damn throat.
I glance at Kline, who seems lost in thought, his beer cradled between his hands like it might offer answers if he stared long enough.
“Kline, you mind grabbing me another?” I ask, not taking my eyes off Raelynn.
He blinks, coming back to the present, then nods. “Sure. I need another anyway.” He sets his half-empty bottle down with a soft clink before pushing away from the table.
“Is he okay?” Raelynn asks quietly, her eyes following him as he makes his way toward the bar.
His absence shifts the air immediately. The bartender’s focus moves with him, leaving Raelynn out of their direct line of sight, and I feel my shoulders loosen a fraction. I turn back to her. She’s closer now—close enough that the faint trace of her perfume teases my senses. Jasmine and berries, subtle but warm. It’s intoxicating. I find myself wanting to lean in, to breathe her in until the scent is imprinted on me. My fingers drum idly against the neck of my bottle, a poor substitute for touching her.
“Bad call today, that’s all,” I finally say. “He wanted to blow off some steam, so… like you, I got dragged out.”
Her brow arches slightly. “Did everything with Detective Meyer get sorted out?”
That catches me off guard, pulling my focus. My brows knit. “What?”
“I overheard bits and pieces of that conversation the other day with that call we were on. You and Kline were at that bar where the bartender worked, right?” she asks.
“Oh. Yeah.” I give a short nod. “No, everything’s fine. Zeke’s has exterior cameras and ones covering the parking lot. Footage caught Kline leaving not long after I did. The bartender was seen leaving after closing with another guy. They got a clear enough shot of him to put a name to the face. He was arrested that evening after she was found. He even made a full confession, too. Guess he didn’t see the point in denying it once they had him.”
“Oh, good,” she says, when a voice behind me cuts through the brief reprieve between awful karaoke renditions—drawling, amused, and dripping with mischief.
“Is that a baton in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”
My brows arch in confusion, and I turn to find the blonde in the pink top standing a few feet away, a devilish grin stretched across her face. The other two girls in the group giggle behind Pink Top, their gazes fixed on Raelynn.
“Rae, you gonna introduce us to thisdaddyof a cop?” Pink Top teases, her eyes shamelessly scanning me up and down.
Raelynn looks both mortified and amused, flicking her eyes from her friends to me. I bite back a smirk and take the last sip of my beer, finishing it off before setting the empty bottle on the table and rising to greet them properly.
“Emilio Perez,” I say, offering my hand.
“Khloe,” Pink Top replies as she takes my hand. Her grip is firm, her gaze lingering longer than necessary—especially below the belt—before she finally lets go.
Next is a petite blonde with a bright smile. “Hi! I’m Marlena. It’s so nice to meet you!” she says, shaking my hand with far more politeness.
“And I’m Tessa. Rae’s told ussomuch about you.” The redhead giggles as she shakes my hand quickly, releasing it with a wink.
I glance back at Raelynn, whose cheeks are turning pink. I raise a brow and let a grin tug at the corner of my mouth. “Oh yeah? What exactly has she told you?”
Tessa doesn’t miss a beat. She smirks, looking past me at her flustered friend. “Oh, just how hot she thinks you are and that she’d totally fu?—”
“Tessa!” Raelynn snaps, cutting her off with a glare sharp enough to draw blood. Her face is flushed now, and I can’t help the laugh that escapes me as I drop back into my seat. I knew what was going to be said, and truth be told, I’ve had the same thought more than once.
