Hot to Trot (Dancing in Texas #5)

Chapter Eleven

CHAPTER ELEVEN

T WO DAYS LATER, Scarlet pushed through the glass door of the police station, relieved no reporters lurked outside. Seemed as though her stint as news item of the week was over. They were on to drunken heiresses who had a botched face-lift and a child actor who just got out of rehab only to wreck their expensive ride while driving under the influence.

"Hey, Scarlet," Roz called from her desk behind the faux-wood front counter. "How are things at Phoenix?"

Scarlet shrugged. Not good. But she didn't want to admit she'd utterly failed to engage the guys' interest in acting. They were way more interested in the way her butt filled out her tight black pants. Very different from her Jewish matriarchs. Tomorrow night, she would wear a gunnysack. "Fine. Just taking some getting used to."

"That bunch has been there for only about two weeks. Sometimes they need a sort of decompressin' time before they open up. Or that's what Trudy Cox says. She teaches GED there. You met Trudy yet?"

"Not yet."

Roz opened her mouth, but Adam interrupted her. "Scarlet, come into my office and we'll talk."

He turned into his office like a dictator. Guess she'd play the part of obedient subject. She was, after all, under his authority... which pissed her off. She shouldn't have to toe the line for any man.

"Coming, dear," she called, giving Roz a wink before heading toward Adam's office.

Roz chuckled.

"Close the door." He didn't bother to shift his gaze from the computer screen. He seemed grumpy, which should have made him less appealing. It didn't.

She nudged the door closed with her foot and settled onto one of the standard-issue office chairs in front of the shiny teak desk. "You sure that's a good idea?"

He gave her his attention. "Why not?"

She arched an eyebrow.

"Good God, I'm not going to rip your clothes off, throw you over my desk, and have wild sex with you."

She didn't say anything more, mostly because the scenario he'd painted made her pulse race. Desire snaked low in her tummy, uncurling and spreading its warmth. She shifted on the chair. “Unlucky me.”

He shot her a withering look. “Not going to happen, Miss Rose.”

Her desire fell apart and disappeared. Instead a little dart speared her heart. Didn't he want her anymore? Of course, they'd agreed to not doing any sort of sexual hokey pokey, but to be so cold to her hurt.

"Tell me about yesterday." He resumed his preoccupation with the computer, moving the mouse, clicking and scrolling. His eyes narrowed in concentration.

Something about his dismissal annoyed Scarlet."Well, after I passed out joints to get us in the zone, we took turns acting out scenes from our favorite porno flicks. Then after we all got off, I left. They loved it. I must commend the judge on finding such a fulfilling community-service project for me."

No response. Not a flicker in his eyes or a jerking of his chin. Oh, he was a cool customer.

"Maybe I should give the class a whirl. Sounds... educational and... stimulating."

Scarlet shrugged. “Hey, I’m a sure thing."

Adam slid the keyboard beneath the desk, pushed his chair back, and gave her his full regard."Okay, so really, how did everything go?"

"Badly." She crossed her arms as she crossed her legs. Today she wore a strapless denim number by D&G that hit her upper thighs with a cute flounce. She'd paired it with strappy sandals and a cheetah-print scarf at her neck. She'd left her hair down, and the deep red waves brushed her collarbone. It was a hot look. She'd hoped to have Adam with his tongue lolling out.

Obviously it hadn't worked.

"Why?" he asked, folding his hands across his flat abdomen like a principal addressing a student he'd caught cheating.

"Because they couldn't stop staring at my assets long enough to do any of the exercises I wanted them to try. They looked at me blankly before giving me a once-over and making come-jump on-this expressions. They weren’t interested in acting at all.”

Adam lifted his eyebrows and then his gaze raked her, much like her students had. "Maybe you should wear a sweater or sweatshirt.”

“It’s August and that’s insulting. I wore what I always wear to teach acting classes. Every inch of me was covered. In black."

He unclasped his hands and spread them apart. “Maybe something baggy.”

“A woman is not responsible for the male response. What I wear shouldn’t matter.” She rolled her eyes. “And no one was verbally out of line. It was just …their eyes. And even outside of the whole misogynist crap, they were uncooperative. They snorted every time I demonstrated what I wanted them to do."

"I know you might not want to hear this, but not very many people are open to acting classes, especially gang members who've spent their whole lives putting on a tough face for the world. I don't know much about acting, but I do know you have to strip away who you are to create who the director wants you to become."

"True. I like to think I'm a blank slate awaiting direction, waiting to be swept up in the moment."

"That may be easy for you, but not for these guys. They're not very tuned in to their inner, emotional selves."

A niggling of an idea seized Scarlet. "You."

"Me?" Alarm appeared in his eyes. "What about me?"

"Will you come to my next class? All I have to do is show them a rugged, manly man going through the technique. Who is more macho than a guy with a gun strapped to his waist?" It would be perfect. She and Adam could start with a repetition exercise. If she could show her students how easy it was to bond and respond to a partner in the moment, they would be more apt to see acting as a serious discipline.

But Adam looked horrified.

"First of all, I don't wear my gun at my waist. It's not a fashion accessory. It's on my hip. And second, I'm not taking part in your class. I'm supervising you, making sure you don't violate the terms of probation-"

"I'm not." Scarlet stood, shoving her hands in her pockets. She paced as she worked through the idea. The students at Phoenix needed a role model, needed to see another man abandon his inhibitions and immerse himself in portraying a feeling. Not Rick. He was too close. But having Adam there would be perfect. He was as buttoned-up and conservative as a guy could get. Not nerdy. No, with that body and his sense of humor, he was way beyond geek chic. But his reserved demeanor held him apart. If a guy like Adam could stand up in front of everyone and engage in acting exercises, then anyone could. She stopped pacing and whirled around. "Say you'll do it. Not for me, but for those guys."

"'No. Use Rick. He's-what did you call it? macho. He's their leader. Much better to use him than-"

"I want you."

"You can't have me."

"Please."

"No."

What was wrong with him? "Are you chicken?"

He bristled. Men. Always the same. Double dog dare them and they jumped right into your hand, every time. She closed her hand to seal the deal. "I think you are. I think you're scared they will think you're soft if you do a simple acting exercise. You're afraid of getting in touch with your inner self. Typical man."

"I'm not afraid. I simply don't want to be there. Doing that." He stood and crossed his arms over his chest, concealing his badge. But Scarlet knew body language. He was defensive. Protecting himself. His tough guy image.

She smiled and tilted her head. "I see."

"What do you see?" He made a face.

"I see a man who has a chance to make a much-needed impression on guys who are scared and angry. Who hate police officers and see them in only one light. This is a chance for you to let them see the man beneath the uniform. To see you are more than the law. But you're afraid it will make you look weak. Vulnerable.”

His eyes narrowed.

"Don't worry," she said, shifting her gaze to the ceiling and sliding her tongue over her top lip in an “I’m thinking” gesture. "Maybe I can get Drake to come. He seems fully in sync with his emotions."

"Fine. I'll do it." The way he almost growled the words revealed more than he was probably comfortable with.

Yes. Scarlet clapped her hands. "Perfect."

"Anything else going on I should know about?"

Other than dreaming about sliding her hands over his chest and licking his neck? "Nothing else. I'm in bed by ten o'clock every night and I'm eating my veggies."

He smiled. Finally. Something about it warmed her to her recently polished toes.

"Good."

For a moment, silence hung between them. Adam studied her. Then his eyes dipped a smidgen. To her neckline. She peeked surreptitiously and saw that the fabric gaped a bit. His observation didn't feel the way the gang members' ogling her had. Adam's notice felt...welcome.

The air became supercharged, crackling with unfulfilled desire. Scarlet swallowed and tried to find a smile. She failed. She pressed her lips together and tried to avert her gaze from his broad shoulders, from that small sprinkling of hair at the base of his throat, barely visible above the T-shirt he wore beneath his dark uniform. Tried to pretend he didn't have lean hips, a tight stomach and long, lanky legs.

"Um, guess I'd better go. I told Rayne I would pick up Henry from school. They're doing preproduction stuff today and start filming tomorrow."

His gaze met hers."Oh, yeah. Good. I'm logging two hours in for you as time served, and I'll see you tomorrow."

Silence fell again. Scarlet didn't move. Just soaked him in. Her need for him shifted into beast mode. It clawed its way out from beneath the boulder of reason. She couldn't stop it. "I really want to kiss you right now."

"Shit," he breathed, closing his eyes.

"But I won't. I promised you I wouldn't jeopardize your integrity. Still, I think you should know that I really, really want to kiss you."

"Stop saying things like that. Please. I'm trying-"

“I totally understand.” She moved toward the door. "My mouth gets me in as much trouble as my actions. This office isn't bugged, is it?"

"No." He sank into his chair, a pained expression on his face. "We have to ignore this thing between us. Giving in to temptation will bring only temporary satisfaction and can lead to disastrous consequences... for us both. This is a test of our resolve, Scarlet. If I did what I want to do to you, people would find out. The press would find out. I'd lose my job and you'd be painted as-"

"A scarlet woman?"

He smiled. "Is that why you picked the name?"

She shook her head. “No. I never felt like a Summer. I liked the drama in the name Scarlet.”

“There is that. And you wouldn’t be a scarlet woman. We’d just regret it. I know that.”

He was right, but she didn't like it. For the first time since John, she felt something for a man, and she couldn't pursue it. So not fair.

"It's too bad, isn't it?" she said. “I think we’d be good together. But I know it can’t happen because of who you are. And what I did.''

"Even if I weren't the police chief and you weren't serving out community service, it wouldn't work between us. I'm not looking for a good time. I'm looking for a woman who will make a good wife."

"A wife?"

Not a role she wanted to audition for. She couldn't see herself like Rayne. No setting a perfectly prepared dinner in front of a man at the end of a long day. No wiping babies' bottoms or decorating Christmas trees. Wife was a shoe that did not fit. Just like that name her parents gave her.

"Well, yeah. I can't spend my life having one night stands and avoiding the noose. I need a partner, a helpmate, someone who will sit on the porch with me and grow old. I want the American dream. And, no offense, but you don't fit that-"

''No, I sure the hell don't."

Another dagger of hurt lodged in her heart. Which was dumb. He'd out and out stated she was wrong for him. But at least he had been honest about what he wanted. He wanted a Stepford wife, something she could certainly portray on film but would never be in real life. This was for the best. “Outside of one kiss, we’ve done nothing wrong, so you have nothing to worry about. Right?"

He didn't look convinced.

"Well, see you in a few days." She slipped out the door. Her inner child stamped her foot and screeched, "It's not fair," at the top of her little lungs, but Scarlet knew Adam was right. Indulging in a fleeting, but likely pleasurable, horizontal tango would open a can of slimy, icky worms. She didn't like worms. She liked Californian sunshine. So she needed to get this thing in Oak Stand done and get herself to the West Coast.

After all, she had a bisexual hooker to portray.

ADAM STARED AT THE CLOSED DOOR for a good three minutes before slipping the footage of them kissing into the delete trashcan on his desktop.

You have nothing to worry about.

Except that he had just dumped evidence of inappropriate behavior of his misconduct with someone he’d arrested.

If anyone caught wind of it, Adam would be toast.

He'd lose his job. His reputation. Everything he'd worked so hard for over the past year.

He clicked the mouse as guilt crowded his mind. There was a good reason for dumping the footage and it wasn’t just about preventing people from seeing him making a hugeass mistake. Scarlet was a celebrity. No doubt many people who would love to get their hands on footage of the vampire vixen in lockdown. He could see it now, rolling across his TV screen on Star Access. He could see himself, threading his hands in her hair, covering her fabulous lips with his own. He could imagine the heat that would radiate from them. All the pent-up lust he had for Scarlet would be right there for everyone to see.

That couldn’t happen.

But destroying evidence made him want to vomit.

Was is evidence though? Not really. It was nothing anyone would need. As far as anyone knew it was footage of a prisoner sitting on a bunk. Nothing had happened to Scarlet. No need for any attorney or judge to want the four minutes he’d removed from the footage.

It would be fine.

"Hey." Roz stuck her head in his door, swiveling her gaze left then right as if the ghost of her former employer would rampage upon her and deport her to the bowels of hell. "You got a call on line two and Harvey Primm is out front. He missed Scarlet by a minute. Thank God."

She shut the door before he could respond with a dirty word. He'd gotten his filthy mouth under control before Scarlet hit town. Now every other thought included a colorful obscenity.

Harvey appeared at his door as the light on his phone stopped blinking. "Hello, Hinton. I need to talk to you about this Scarlet Rose gal. She's causing all sorts of problems in this town and, as police chief, it's your job to curtail problems."

Adam closed his eyes and gestured Harvey to take the chair Scarlet had vacated. "What can I do for you, Mr. Primm?" "

This girl is harassing me. I caught her spying on me the day before yesterday. Trying to catch me doing something she can take to all the big papers."

"Scarlet Rose?"

"She's waiting for me to mess up so she can expose me. That's harassment. Think I don't know that?"

"Mr. Primm, I hardly think the woman would bother. She doesn't seem the type to stalk an older man-"

"You've been hoodwinked by a pretty face. Her sinful body has you in its grasp, doesn't it?"

If only you knew.

"Beware falling for the sins of the flesh." Harvey pointed a bony finger at Adam.

"Now, wait a minute, Primm. I don't like what you're accusing me of I have not been taken in by anyone, and you can't make accusations against the woman without backing them up."

"So you want proof?"

Adam knew the old man was a bit of a crackpot, but had no idea he harbored such such delusions. He couldn't imagine Scarlet dashing behind buildings and digging through trash cans in order to get dirt on Primm. But Primm? Definitely. He would wade through raw sewage to get the scoop on someone. "That's usually what we need in order to arrest or issue a citation against someone."

"I want a restraining order. I don't want that woman near me. And I'm thinking of suing her for slander. She can't go telling people things about me that aren't true."

"No, she can't. What exactly has she been saying?"

"That I'm crazy," Harvey shouted. Flecks of spittle flew from of his mouth and christened Adam's desk.

Adam wanted to tell Harvey it wasn't slander if the comments were true. Instead he donned a patient face and waited for Harvey to finish. "And that's all?"

"No," Harvey said, opening his jacket pocket and reaching in. Adam's senses tightened. He set both feet flat on the linoleum and leaned forward. His reaction was instinctual, born of years of police training.

Harvey revealed a newspaper. "See. Right here. Look at this picture. Look at the way the press is slanting their accounts. They're making me look like I'm fanatical, instead of a crusader intent on protecting our community from that abomination of a book."

"Mr. Primm, as a journalist yourself-” though Adam thought that was stretching the truth by a good mile "-you must understand the tone a writer takes is his prerogative. I can't issue a restraint against Ms. Rose based on the opinions of a journalist in Dallas."

"Bull feathers!" Harvey's voice shook with rage. "This girl is trying to ruin me. Make people in my town think I'm insane."

Adam stood. ”Ok, listen, Mr. Primm, you have no proof Ms. Rose is out to destroy you reputation, and you have no business making accusations against her or this journalist. People have the right to think whatever they wish about you. Nothing I can do about what people think. You would need proof that Scarlet’s trying to hurt your reputation. This article doesn’t qualify.”

His office door crashed open. "Adam, there's been an accident on Highway 71. State patrol requests assistance. Looks bad. Seven miles out, mile marker one forty-two."

"Excuse me, Mr. Primm," Adam said, grabbing his hat and holster.

"But-"

“This can wait. Get proof if you want to file something official.” He rounded the desk and exited his office. "Call all units, Roz, and escort Mr. Primm out."

Roz saluted and picked up the dispatch radio. Adam pulled the keys from his pocket and pushed through the front door, glad to be away from Harvey. Glad to be doing something more useful than ticketing people for not picking up dog poop. He never wished for anyone to be in harm's way, but damned if it didn't feel good to be useful. He missed this. The adrenaline. The urgency. The knowledge he could make a difference in a life-or-death situation.

Everything he'd been worrying about-Harvey, his ex-wife, his date with Sophie, the damning footage of him kissing Scarlet, and the crazy desire he felt for the redhead-disappeared.

This was what he was made to do.

And he wouldn't let anyone get in his way of fulfilling his purpose.