Surprising her with breakfast was a good idea. If there was anything Jules loved and couldn’t operate without, it was food. Maybe a spicy chicken biscuit. I knew she liked those.
I carefully freed my arm from under her head and stuffed a pillow into the space. I grabbed the throw off the back of the couch and tucked it around before inching her unbelievably smooth and beautiful leg off of my own.
Man alive. Keeping my hands to myself was tough.
I squeezed my right hand into a fist a couple times to wake it up before scribbling a note onto her pad sitting on the counter. “Be right back.”
Anticipation for the day ahead raced through my veins. Felt myself grinning like a fool. Floating almost. I loved being with Jules. And I loved the new feeling running through my veins. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was different. I was lighter, happier—like someone had handed me freedom. The feeling was akin to a high. I tiptoed out the door, easing it closed behind me.
When I turned, the smile melted off my face.
Of course this would happen.
Officer Barkley strode down the hallway toward me. Take-out bag hanging from his balled fist. Although he maintained a straight face, his set jaw communicated loud and clear. He was pissed.
Act natural.
Feigning confidence was easier said than done. I nodded a greeting, forcing my face to stay neutral. “Officer Barkley.”
“What are you doing here?”
I smoothed my hair down, suddenly very conscious of how the situation appeared. I was in the same polo and shorts, now wrinkled, as I was at the park. And I was coming out of his sister’s apartment like I owned the place. No wonder he was mad.
My wheels were turning. Embarrassment stole my ability to think rationally. Jack was a good six inches taller than me, and he was as thick as a wall. Clearly the one with an upper hand should we ever go head-to-head. I gave myself a three second pep-talk, fully convinced his balled fist was about to fly through the air.
Watching Jack storm down the corridor toward me, I wished I hadn’t discontinued the rigorous work-out routine I’d been on at Riverside. Crazy how fast muscles melt.
“Speak!”
“Hey, man.” I palmed the back of my neck as heat pricked my pores. He came to an abrupt stop only a few feet away, giving me enough space to dive to either side if he were to lurch for me. “I was going to get Jules some breakfast, but it looks like you beat me to it.”
“No.” He squinted, sizing me up. “Why are you here at all?”
Opting for honesty was the right thing to do. Fear had controlled me far too long. Squaring my shoulders, I looked the man dead in his blue eyes. “I care about her, that’s why.”
His cheek rippled as he clenched his teeth. “I told you to stay away from her.” An invisible force must’ve been holding him back. Maybe his respect for the badge.
“That’s not what she wanted.”
“She doesn’t know what she wants,” Jack snapped.
I frowned. “Ballsy statement for a brother to make.”
He stepped toward me, closing off my escape routes. “Look, I know your type, and you’re all trouble.”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
“On the contrary, I know alotabout you.” He chuckled, delighting in his position.
“So basically as much as anyone who watched the news fourteen years ago.” I snapped my fingers, and held out my index, feigning forgetfulness. “Oh, plus my driver’s license number. Can’t forget that detail.” I was egging him on. My reasoning mind told me I should stop. Back off. Get through this as seamlessly as possible. But the part of me that cared for Julia Collins was getting riled up. What he said about her ticked me off.
He wasn’t taking the bait, which was probably a good thing. “I know everything you did. The type of person you are.”
“Ex-cons can change.”
“Most don’t.”
“Ah, so you’re saying it's within the realm of possibility.”
