“When I was in elementary and middle school, yes. But my dad retired from the army when I was in high school, so I was in the same one all four years.”
“That’s cool then. Did you play any sports or anything like that?”
She nodded. “Sure did. I was on the softball and volleyball teams, and I was a cheerleader for the football team. Oh, and I was in the science club, too.”
He did a double take. He hadn’t seen that coming. “You were a girl jockanda nerd? I didn’t think that was even possible. Isn’t that like crossing the streams or something?”
“Crossing the streams?” She looked confused. “I have no idea what the hell that means. And while some people might have described me as a girl jock, I was never a nerd. I just loved biology.”
Knox considered providing a quick pop culture lesson on theGhostbustersmovie at the same time he glanced at Addy to make sure Aaron wasn’t up to anything. They were still standing there talking. Deciding theGhostbustersthing would probably be a waste, he asked a more relevant question.
“You weren’t one of those strange kids who actually enjoyed dissecting things, were you?”
She made a face. “No, I didn’t enjoy dissecting things. No one but serial killers would. But it was part of the AP class curriculum, so I had to do it.”
A big group of kids suddenly decided the part of the gym beside him and Rachel would be a good place to hang out. Unfortunately, they couldn’t see Addy and Aaron now.
“We’re going to need to find someplace else to stand so we can keep an eye on Addy,” Knox said.
Rachel nodded. “Lead the way.”
Taking her hand, he weaved his way through the crowd. Addy and her date were still on the dance floor, and the girl only seemed to have eyes for her boyfriend as Knox and Rachel moved into the crowd of teens dancing. He realized then that the dance floor was probably the best place for him and Rachel to keep watch. When they reached an unoccupied corner, he halted and turned to Rachel.
“What do you think about dancing?” he asked. “That way we can blend in a little better.”
Knox wasn’t sure if she’d be cool with the idea or not, but she smiled, her eyes swirling with that iridescent green color. He had no idea if that meant she was pissed at him or not, but when she began dancing to some pop song he wouldn’t have recognized if his life depended on it, he decided she wasn’t.
He didn’t think much of the fast beat because that meant they had to dance with some distance between them, but at least dancing gave him a valid excuse for staring. That’s what people did when they danced, right? Looked at each other?
Knox did his best to keep his eyes focused on Rachel’s face, but if they dipped down occasionally to take in the hint of cleavage or the way the dress molded to her hips as she swayed back and forth, he wasn’t to blame. It wasn’t his fault she was so damn beautiful in the thing.
He caught himself before his eyes wandered too low, but when he forced his gaze back up to her face, he found her looking at him curiously. Crap, had she caught him?
“Is there something wrong with my dress?” she asked.
Knox shook his head, trying to figure out what the hell to say to get himself out of this mess. “No, not at all.”
“Okay. Then why are you looking at me like that?”
“I…um…was just wondering about that stuff you said before about taking AP science. If you took classes like that and loved biology that much, how did you end up becoming a cop? Why not go to college and become a world-famous scientist? You know, the next Jacques Cousteau? Or Jackie Cousteau, I guess.”
Rachel laughed, her body sinuous and hypnotizing as she moved to the beat. Then her scent hit him, coming off her in waves as her body heated up, and it was all Knox could do to keep from leaning forward to lick her bare skin. He silently groaned, the image of him running his tongue all the way from her cleavage to her neck making him harden immediately.
“I did go to college—the University of Tennessee,” she told him. “But it wasn’t for biology. I might love that kind of stuff but didn’t see myself doing it for a living. Instead, I went with every intention of getting a law degree.”
“Law?” Knox was so stunned he stopped dancing. “You went from wanting to be a lawyer to riding patrol with a gun on your hip?”
“It wasn’t anything that monumental,” she said. “I took a few classes where we got to spend time in the local station, observing the booking process, how the DUI process works, processing warrants, use of force procedures, stuff like that. It was an unbelievable learning opportunity for me, but it was also the thing that changed my life.”
“What do you mean?”
“I got to meet some amazing cops,” she explained. “One of them offered to take me out on a ride along and I was hooked. When I finished my prelaw degree, I went to the police academy instead of going to law school. I became a cop, then a werewolf. The rest you pretty much know.”
The music slowed, and Rachel stood there, as if waiting for him to slip off the dance floor with her. Suddenly, Knox didn’t want the moment to end. Taking her hand, he tugged her close until her body was pressed against his. The feel of her breasts, hips, and thighs touching him made him tingle like he’d just touched an electric fence.
He glanced at Rachel to see her gazing back at him, the green glow in her eyes even more vivid. “I kind of got the feeling dancing wasn’t exactly your thing.”
He shrugged and slid one hand around her back, finding a nice resting place on the curve above her ass. He told himself to be good and not let his hand wander lower, even though he really, really wanted to. Especially when Rachel wrapped one of her arms around him, gripping his shoulder and pulling him even closer.
