earned.
Her commanding officer had sent her off with a lengthy lecture, reminding her of protocols and admonishing her not to embarrass the Atlanta Police Department. Now all she wanted was to get to work, to bring down the cartel that was responsible for all those pictures being posted on the wall. She paced to the other side of the room and then to the door to peer out for the umpteenth time.
A uniformed police officer tossed her a look, gesturing with his head. He moved to where she stood.
“Detective, is everything okay?” the man asked.
“I’m sorry, you are?”
“Officer Lankford.”
“Officer Lankford, do you know what’s taking so long?” she questioned, her arms crossed over her chest in frustration. An air of attitude simmered just beneath her skin, and she took a breath to stall the wave of emotion that threatened to spew.
“Your partner hasn’t gotten here yet. He’s expected any minute now.”
“Partner?”
“Yeah, they’ve partnered you with one of our senior detectives. He’ll hold your hand until you get acclimated.”
Danni felt herself bristle. “I don’t need hand-holding!” she snapped, that attitude weighing down every word. Her emotions were running slightly high. Knowing that many questioned her abilities because she was a woman had her feeling a tad sensitive. That, and a lack of serious sleep.
“He’s just going to show you the ropes until you get acclimated.”
Danni suddenly felt bad about the outburst. She apologized. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap.”
The man shrugged. “Whatever. Do you want coffee?”
She shook her head, gesturing toward the empty foam cups that littered the tabletop. She didn’t need coffee. She needed to get to work. She was just about to snap a second time when there was a rumble from the other side of the room, the noise level rising a decibel. She and the officer both turned to stare at the same time.
Across the way a new face had moved room center. Looking through the glass, Danni eyed the handsome man curiously. The stranger was clearly popular, everyone greeting him warmly. He had a dynamic presence, and it had nothing at all to do with his good looks. Because he was extremely handsome, a delectable version of tall, dark and delicious. Although he wasn’t dark, his complexion more of a coffee and cream, with much cream and barely a hint of coffee. His eyes were round and bright, expressive orbs the color of warm honey. And his mouth was sheer perfection, full lips that stretched into the most beautiful smile.
He wore a tailored suit that fit his broad shoulders and large frame nicely. His GQ styling was polished and his tastes clearly expensive. The dark blue fabric complemented his warm complexion and the hint of facial hair made him look quite distinguished. Danni had no doubt that he was a fan favorite among the women, the few in the room fawning over him. But he commanded attention that was more about how he took full and total control without any effort at all. He was tall in stature, with a very majestic air, and it was totally captivating. It was obvious from everyone’s reactions that others readily deferred to him. He was all that, the chips and the dip.
“Who is that?” Danni asked, the words slipping past her lips before she could catch them. She felt herself blush, color heating her cheeks as if she’d been caught with her hands in the cookie jar. But it was only a question, she thought to herself, purposely ignoring the smug look the other man was giving her.
“That’s Detective Black. Detective Armstrong Black. I should go see if he needs anything. I’ll be right back.”
The man left her standing there, still staring. She watched as he moved in Detective Black’s direction, his hand extended in greeting. There was a brief exchange between the two, and then both turned to look toward where she stood, the officer pointing in her direction. Her breath caught deep in her chest as she and the detective locked gazes. And then his expression dropped, a deep scowl filling his face.
Armstrong knew there was no masking the shock that painted his expression. He felt surprise seep past his narrowed stare and pull the edges of his mouth into a deep frown. He dropped his gaze to the manila folder in his hand, shifted through the papers inside and then returned his eyes to hers. Danny Winstead wasn’t a Dan. Danny with a y was actually Danni with an i, short for Danielle, not Daniel. Danny was female. Very female. He couldn’t wait to call his brother to update him with that piece of information. He eyed the stunning woman from head to toe, his surprise registering in the muscles that pulled taut through his southern quadrant. He inhaled swiftly, a deep gasp of air that caught deep in his broad chest. He held it, fighting to stall the quiver of energy that shot heat through every fiber of his being.
The woman named Danni looked too soft and too pretty to be a decorated officer of any police force. Her petite frame was lean with just enough curve to capture a man’s attention. She had delicate facial features, killer cheekbones, and even from where he stood he could feel himself getting lost in her ocean-blue eyes. If he’d been made to guess, he would have said she was a kindergarten teacher, her bright smile so endearing that he found himself feeling like a kid again. The emotion was deeply disturbing.
The rookie officer intruded on his thoughts as the young man leaned close to mutter under his breath, “I’d hit that if she wasn’t such a...” he started, his tone as if the two were old college buddies.
“Show some respect, rookie. This isn’t a frat house,” Armstrong quipped, cutting him off. The comment had been inappropriate and had hit a nerve. He bristled with indignation. “Get me a cup of coffee,” he commanded, and then after a brief pause, he added, “please.”
Officer Lankford nodded. “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. It won’t happen again, Detective.”
Armstrong cut an eye in the man’s direction as he watched him scurry off toward the break room. He paused for another quick minute to gather himself, and then he sauntered slowly in Detective Danni Winstead’s direction.
Meeting him halfway, Danni extended her hand to shake his. “Detective Black? I’m Danni Winstead. I look forward to working with you.”
“Detective Winstead, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Armstrong said as he met her palm with his own, flesh gliding like silk on silk. The handshake was quick and abrupt, both of them snatching the appendages away after the initial contact, a wave of heat surging between them. The moment suddenly turned awkward as the two stood staring at each other, neither saying a word.
Danni turned swiftly on her low heels, heading back into the conference room. Following behind her, Armstrong found himself staring at her backside. She had a lush, apple-shaped bottom nestled in slightly snug black slacks that she’d partnered with a tailored white blouse that was buttoned to the collar. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t stop himself from staring, or imagining what each cheek might feel like in the palms of his hands. He shook the sensation away, turning his focus to the business at hand.
“I’m told you’ve met most of the team?”
Danni nodded. “Yes. Briefly. Officer Lankford said you would bring me up to speed.”
He pointed
