Page 21 of Day of the Storm

She stood and rounded the desk in her tiny cubicle. Invaded his space without flinching. He was over a foot taller. He had to give it to her; she wasn’t afraid to go right at him when it was needed.

He wished she liked him just a little.

Mike would have chased Daryn in an instant—if she’d ever shown even a moment of interest.

It wouldn’t have been a permanent thing—he didn’t think he was ready for permanent anything yet. But all that passion was hard to resist.

She’d dated Brett Naylor for four months before breaking it off him. Naylor was a bigger jerk than Mike had ever been.What was so ok about Naylor but not Mike?

No. It had to be because of that friend of hers he’d questioned. Well, he interrogated people every single day. Not like he was going to apologize for doing his job.

“So… why don’t you let me take you to dinner at Mamaw’s Place? Make up for whatever it is I’ve done to totally piss you off this month.”He had to try—he tried every chance he got.

She stopped moving and shot him a look. There was thatyou’re a slugthing again. “Not going to happen. I’m meeting my friend and we’re doing volunteer work at the women’s charity across from the hospital. You know, trying to make the world a better place?”

“You mean like I do every single day? Detective Michaelangelo Evers, at your service. Working to keep Finley Creek a better place for you and your friends every day.”

Her perfectly shaped lips twisted, and he waited, ready for the snark. She’d expressed her opinion of his job skills more than once.

That, more than anything, was what bothered him most—other than that she was super-hot and wanted nothing to do with him—she thought little his abilities as a cop.

She basically questioned his very purpose in life.

He couldn’t stand that. He wanted nothing more than to convince her he wasn’t the loser she thought he was—both on the job and off.

“I could help you and your friend first. Then we could all go out to eat. I could bring Callum along, and we can double? Is your friend single?”

Hell, he didn’t know why he pushed. She’d told him ‘no’ eight times in the past six months already. Casually. Like he was a cute little puppy for asking his human to go fetch.

At least the puppy got a yes nine times out of ten.

He had yet to and doubted he ever would.Her own brother, a guy Mike had even shared beers with on multiple occasions, had told him to just give it up all ready. That Daryn would never be interested.

Well, Mike was persistent.

“Not happening. I don’t date jerks, ever—Evers. Remember that.”

“That is why you broke it off with Naylor? I can’t think of a bigger jerk than that.”

“I can. And Brett wasn’t a jerk. Not to me, anyway.”

“Oh?”

He bet Naylor wasn’t. No man would be an asshole to her. Not really.

He wouldn’t.He’d fantasized what he’d do if this woman ever said yes to him. Not that he thought it would have ever happened.

Mike would take her out, show her he found her intriguing as hell, and then he’d hope she let him hold her a lot closer. With or without their clothes.

She drove him nuts, fiery attitude and all.

“I wouldn’t subject Shelby to you again. Sorry, not sorry. Go play somewhere else.”

Shelby.He was trying to think if he’d ever met a Shelby. Mike honestly didn’t remember.

What he should do was just cut his losses and take off. Find another woman to spend some time with. To think about in off moments, or whenever he’d see her walking around the TSP.

Daryn was obviously not interested.