Page 18 of Protect and Serve

She slammed the account book closed and jetted after Lisa like a cartoon rabbit. She heard the music blaring long before she got to the dining hall they used for performances. She skidded to a halt behind Lisa and together they poked their heads around the doorjamb.

The regular guys were standing around chatting and practicing moves—they’d come in today to rehearse for a promo show Claire had booked in Austin for the weekend to drum up new business—but Cody and Charlie were nowhere to be seen. Her mood dimmed.

Damn. She’d wanted to see him.

Mostly, she’d wanted to see him dance.

How delicious would it be to have something on him for a change?

But then, Cody stepped on stage with an enormous grin on his face and grabbed the mic. “And now, ladies and gentlemen,” he bellowed, as though there was a full house. “Welcome our newest dancer, straight from the academy… The Cocky Cowboy Cop.”

Lisa snorted a laugh. “Cocky Cowboy Cop? Seriously?”

“I need my cell phone.” Claire pinned Lisa with a panicked stare. “Go get it.”

Because yeah, she wasn’t going anywhere. She wasn’t budging an inch.

“But I want to see.”

“You’re engaged.”

With a huff, Lisa scampered back to the office. She ran so fast, she was back before Charlie even came out on stage.

Of course, he wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about his grand entrance. Cody had to drag him on. The sight of Charlie in those skintight britches with a bare and oiled chest made her almost swallow her tongue. With the exception of his mortified expression—that of a man with devastating constipation—he was super-hot.

“Well guys?” Cody said, gesturing to his latest victim. He was known for blackmailing his friends into auditioning. Undoubtedly, Charlie had lost a bet.

The other dancers let out a whoop and a holler that echoed from the walls and Charlie buried his face in his hands. Claire took the opportunity to slip into the room, hiding in the shadows at the back—so she could watch without his knowledge.

Also, this was going on YouTube.

Cody motioned to Cade and the music started again from the beginning. “Go on,” he urged. “Make those ladies pant.”

Charlie started out slow and awkward, but Claire knew the moment he found his beat. He launched into a fascinating bump and grind that made her jaw drop. She almost forgot to keep her phone trained on the stage. As the song progressed, he threw in a couple new moves, a booty shake, slow slide to the crotch, your standard downward humping dog.

Shit. He was good.

And double-shit. Watching him dance made her hot.

Really hot. Sweat prickles hot.

She sent an ooga-chaka look at Lisa, who had followed her into the room. Lisa shrugged and mouthed the words, “Who knew?”

Right?

Even though she was jaded, even though she saw half-naked men dancing on a daily basis, none of them, not even Jimmy the Greek, made her feel like this. She wanted to rush the stage and tackle him. Ride him into the sunset.

It surprised her when the song ended, because she’d been so into it. And also because Lisa let out a “Yee-haw” at about a hundred and fifty decibels.

But the damage to her ear canal was not as devastating as the fact that the whoop captured the attention of every man in the room.

Including the one on the stage.

He looked up and pinned Claire with his gaze. She felt like a bug on an entomologist’s bug board thingy. Pinned to the spot.

And hell. Standing there with his arms hanging loosely, breathing heavy, chest heaving, dripping with sweat and glowering darkly… Oh yeah. She wanted some of that.

Maybe no one would notice if she dragged him away. By the hair.