One Night With You: A Fatal Series Prequel Novella (The Fatal Series) Read Free Page B

“NDC,” she said of the navy blue initials embroidered on the white linen. He wore a navy pinstripe suit with a crisp white dress shirt and no tie.  
    “Nicholas Domenic Cappuano, at your service, but I go by Nick.”
    “So you’re Irish, huh?”
    Even his laughter was sexy. “Full-blooded.”
    “Me, too. Sam Holland.”
    “Nice to meet you, Sam Holland.”
    Was it possible to come from the way a hot guy said your name? Sam never would’ve thought so before now. “You, too. Thanks for the assist.”
    “My pleasure.”
    Did everything he said scream “sex,” or did he only have that effect on her? The thought nearly made her laugh out loud. Who was she kidding? There wasn’t a woman alive who wouldn’t want to jump all over him. He probably had to beat them off him with a stick.  
    “That’s probably as good as it’s going to get,” Sam said of her stained skirt. “One of my favorites, too.”
    “I can see why. So what brings you here tonight?”
    Appreciating the smoothly delivered compliment, she said, “My sister.” Sam nodded at Angela, who’d apparently connected with Spencer while Sam was being doused with beer. Angela beamed with happiness as she talked to a handsome guy who hung on her every word. “I’m her wing-woman tonight. What about you?”
    “Some guys from the gym talked me into coming when all I wanted was a steak, a glass of red and bed—in that order.”
    She marveled at how similar to her dream evening his had been—only hers had been more of a pizza and beer variety than steak and red. “Sounds so much better than this meat market.”
    He chuckled at the term. “I take it you were a reluctant attendee, too?”
    “You could say that. I worked eleven hours today, three of them in the scorching sun, and all I wanted was a cold shower and eight hours unconscious.”
    “What do you do?”
    “I’m a cop with the Metro PD. Recently promoted to detective, in fact.”
    “Congratulations. That’s fantastic. Aren’t you young for that rank?”
    “Not you, too,” Sam said with a groan. “My dad is a bigwig in the department, so all I hear about is nepotism and special favors. No one likes to think I earned it the old-fashioned way. I busted my ass—and continue to bust my ass every day.”
    “I have no doubt you earned it. Your dad must be proud.”
    “You could say that,” Sam said with a small smile, indicating the understatement of the century.
    “Who’s the dude talking to your sister?”
    “He’s the reason we’re here.”
    Nick took a closer look at Spencer, who was listening intently to Angela. “Doesn’t seem like a total douche bag.”
    “Not total,” Sam said with a smile, digging him more by the minute. The last thing she’d expected when she came to this party was to meet someone like him. “So many of these guys… They’re all such… players . Do they think we can’t see right through their shit?”
    “Truth?”
    “Of course.”
    “Most of them don’t realize they’re full of shit.”
    Sam laughed harder than she could recall having laughed in recent memory. The beer on her skirt was forgotten, along with the stink and the stickiness and anything that didn’t involve him and all his gorgeousness and charm.
    “You wanna get out of here?” he asked.
    “More than I’ve wanted anything ever.”
    He nodded toward Angela. “Are you her ride?”  
    “She was mine.”
    “Even better.” He pulled keys from his pants pocket and held them up for her to see. “Shall we?”
    “You’re not like a serial killer posing as a successful DC yuppie or something, are you?”
    “What if I am?”
    Very subtly, she looked around to make sure no one was paying any attention to them. Then she lifted her skirt ever so slightly so he could see the service weapon that was strapped to her thigh.  
    His eyes widened and then heated with interest.
    “But wait, there’s more.” From her purse, she withdrew the shiny gold shield that represented her