Two Sides to Every Story (Love Spectrum Romance) Read Free Page A

job was too dangerous. Still, he wondered how it would feel to have someone love him as much as the Black woman had hated him. He had to admit that would be some powerful loving, because the woman’s loathing was definitely strong.
    * * *
    Angela came from the store loaded with bags and rushing to avoid getting a parking ticket. She groaned and walked faster when she saw she was too late. “I was only in the store for a second.” she said to the police officer.
    He glanced at her and she immediately recognized the crystal green eyes of the cop who’d given her the ticket days earlier.
    “Are you handicapped?” he asked her.
    Smart ass , she thought and opened her trunk, forcing his foot from the bumper. “Look, I couldn’t find a parking spot.”
    “You mean one that was close to the door?” His eyebrow shot up. “Handicapped parking, in case you weren’t aware, is meant for those with disabilities.” He smiled. “Physical disabilities, I mean.”
    Angela glared. “Just give me the ticket. In case you haven’t met your ticket quota for today, I just saw two squad cars parked in the handicapped spot at the donut shop down the street.”
    When she snatched at the ticket, his fingers accidentally brushed the back of her hand and she stared at him. This was not her imagination. Angela sucked in a breath and eyed him curiously, wanting to ask if he’d felt it, knowing that because of their little war she couldn’t.
    The officer walked away, but not before Angela saw him glance over his shoulder toward her. His expression was one of bewilderment. She got in her car knowing he’d answered her question. He’d felt it too.
    * * *
    As Angela waited inside the courtroom, she looked around, then smiled. The dark-haired, green-eyed cop wasn’t around. In the past weeks she’d seen him several times but had managed to avoid direct contact with him. Twice he’d been poised to write her a ticket, but on spotting her had turned in the opposite direction and closed the flap on his book of tickets. It had been evident to her that he no more wanted to see her again than she wanted to see him. That thought gave her confidence that he wouldn’t be in the courtroom. She settled back in her seat, more determined than ever to plead innocent. Who could dispute it?
    “Angela Reed.”
    Angela blinked. The rough gravely voice that called her name sounded impatient, and the judge looked it. She gathered her belongings; it was time for justice. She walked to the podium as the judge spoke to the person standing alongside him. A second later she heard a voice and turned. The green-eyed cop was walking in the door heading toward the podium, smirking in her direction as he made his way to the front. She glared at him. Nothing had changed. She was still determined to declare her innocence.
    “Fifty dollars’ fine and traffic school. It looks like you may not be familiar with the rules of safety, or why they’re in place.”
    “But…,” Angela protested, wondering what had happened to her plea. It was as if the judge had not heard her. She shouldn’t have to go to traffic school. “I pleaded innocent. You’re not listening to me.”
    “Be thankful that this won’t be on your license. Three moving violations and your license would be suspended. So I suggest you slow down.”
    The same gravelly voice called out, “William Davis,” indicating that Angela had been summarily dismissed. She glared again at the cop who was staring back at her, a curious expression that she took as a sneer on his face.
    * * *
    Raphael felt the same sense of danger emanating from the woman that he had the day he’d stopped her. He immediately scanned her body for bulges and saw none that shouldn’t be there. What he saw was a slender, rather short, beautiful Black woman with shoulder length black hair that she wore in a ponytail. The only bulges he saw were in the right places. A nicely rounded rear and ample bosom, he thought as his eyes met hers.