Page 14 of Floodgates

“The man who once washed off a condom with soap and water so he could reuse it?”

“That’s not exac—”

“Disgusting is what that is,” I apprised Cord, talking over him, shaking my head in revulsion. “Think about someone besides yourself…. Gimme a fuckin’ break.”

“If you weren’t hurt—”

“I wouldn’t even be seeing you right now, Cord, so what the hell? Why are you even here? You guys aren’t even partners anymore. What’d he do, call you to come give me shit with him?”

He opened his mouth to really give it to me with both barrels, but Alex saw him.

“Cord, lay off,” Alex directed from the other side of the room.

I arched an eyebrow, baiting him. “Better listen to your buddy.”

“You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”

I took a breath. “You know what, Cord, I—”

“Stop,” he ordered calmly, surprising me with his tone but even more with sliding his hand around the side of my neck. I went mute as he stroked up and down my throat with his thumb, and I stilled under the surprisingly tender touch. “We were both concerned, not just Alex.”

I was stunned. “You were?”

“Of course.”

He was worried? He cared?

“We were having breakfast when he got the call, so that’s why I’m here. I wanted to come see you. I had to.”

Had to?

Staring up at him, caught in the surprisingly warm gaze, I was amazed at my own reaction, at the tingly feeling in the pit of my stomach. Why did being the focus of all Cord Nolan’s attention make my chest tighten?

We had a history that was both sporadic and temperamental. We had been dancing around each other for years, almost close and then abruptly apart. The first time I had met Cord, five years ago, was at a party to celebrate him and Alex being promoted. They were both going to be inspectors with the San Francisco Police Department. I had been walking into my brother’s loft; Cord had been on his way out on a beer run. The collision wasn’t hard, but he’d had to grab me so I wouldn’t fall down since he was so much bigger and stronger. It had been like getting sideswiped by a train.

“I’m so….” I couldn’t remember what I was saying when I looked up at him. I gave a sharp intake of breath that there was no way he missed.

“You’re his little brother, right? Tracy?”

“Yeah,” I’d said, all I could manage gazing up into his beautiful olive-green eyes. Combined with the short sable-brown hair, broad shoulders, and thick muscular frame, the man was easily the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in my life.

“He says you’re smart.”

It was better that than the alternative.

He smiled slightly, just a trace of softness around his mouth, a crinkle of laugh lines, and my breath caught again.

Fuck.

“He didn’t say you were mute.”

I had seen beautiful men before, but nothing like him. And it wasn’t as though he was movie-star handsome, but there was strength in his face, and between the sharp angled features, the smirking curl to his mouth, and the bored look in his eyes, I was utterly transfixed. Any man who dared me to be brilliant, to dazzle him? Of course I was all over that.

He went on speaking even though I was obviously afflicted in some way. “I’m Cord. Cord Nolan. Your brother’s new partner,” he finished and extended a hand to me.

I was supposed to touch him and retain higher brain function? There was no way.

He grunted after a minute, dropping his hand. “Okay, so I guess you didn’t like whatever Alex told you about me.”