Join the Club - Lani Lynn Vale Page 0,3

Sometimes they chew on it when they’re done,” she teased.

I nodded, tucking the towel under my arm.

“I need to go. Thank you again,” I said.

“You know, you could just ride with me,” she said. “It makes sense since we’re going to the same place.”

She was technically correct.

But I just couldn’t stay in the same car with her, smelling her unique scent in a confined space. Even if the drive over was only ten minutes.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “But if I get a SWAT call, I’ll need to be able to leave.”

She pursed her lips. “You could just take my car. But I heard you talking with Booth earlier. He said that y’all were just on call to be on call, correct?”

Yes, technically, she was correct.

Our SWAT team was split into two teams. Unless something big that a team of six couldn’t handle and required all twelve of us, we normally switched nights being on call. Today was my night to be on call to being on call.

“Then drive with me. That way you won’t get your tux wet,” she offered.

I wish I could’ve found a better excuse, but I’d fucking used the best one that I had.

“Okay,” I said. “Fine.”

She rolled her eyes, and I wanted to kiss her smart mouth.

“Don’t make me pull your leg or anything. If you want to ride and get wet, fine, do it. I’m just thinking of all those wedding pictures you’ll be in with your dirty pants,” she said.

She was right.

Dammit.

I gestured toward the door. “Are you ready?”

She hustled into the living room, bent over the back of the couch, and I damn near had a heart attack.

She had on black underwear.

Lacy black underwear.

And goddamn garters.

Son of a bitch.

Goddamn garters.

What did I do to deserve this?

I swear to God.

I just couldn’t deal.

I couldn’t.

I was on the verge of saying that I was taking my motorcycle when she said, “Can you drive? I don’t want to take my heels off. And I’m not quite sure I can do a six-speed in these.”

I gritted my teeth and held my hand out for her keys.

She tossed them my way instead of handing them to me, and I licked my dry lips before saying, “Yeah.”

We walked out of the house seconds later, me stopping to make sure the front door was locked securely before heading to her Jeep.

Delanie drove a newish Jeep Wrangler four-door. It was bright red and always struck me as flashy as fuck.

I’d never drive something so bright or eye-catching.

Mostly because I drove fast, and when I drove fast, I didn’t want the color of my car to bring a cop’s attention to me.

Which was funny, seeing as I was a cop.

“Hey, Mr. July!”

I looked up to find Delanie’s neighbor, my little fucking sister Priscilla, waving at me.

I flipped her off.

Priscilla laughed and went back into her house.

“She only does it because it drives you insane,” she teased.

“I know,” I rumbled as I walked to her door and held it open for her.

She used the running board to get inside, and I once again had a flash of lacy garters.

My dick went hard, and I mentally berated myself for looking.

My brother’s baby mama.

My brother’s baby mama.

“Thanks,” she said as I backed away and closed the door.

Rounding the Jeep’s front bumper, I got in seconds later and started it up.

My sister’s front blinds went open again, and I made sure to flip her off again for good measure.

“You’re just as bad as she is,” she said.

I chuckled as I put the Jeep into gear and started to let off the clutch.

“My sister is annoying and too young to be living on her own,” I said. “She’s only eighteen, and she should still be at home. Not living in the country in her ex-boyfriend’s grandmother’s house.”

There was a long moment of silence.

“I never did hear how that happened,” she admitted. “I used to see the two of them over at the grandmother’s house before she died. I’m not sure how it went bad, though.”

“Priscilla and Gadron dated for a year, I think. They broke up, but Gadron’s grandmother, Beverly, really liked her. And since the grandson got himself hooked on drugs, Beverly had no one to leave her stuff to. So she left it all to Priscilla. I swear to God, at dinner last week when she said that she was moving out, I thought that my mother and father were going to lose their shit,” I admitted as I shifted into second, followed closely by third.

“Booth