Read Officer on Duty (Lock and Key Book 4) for Free Online

sky.
    She fought to conceal a frown of her own. She knew that expression – knew it well. Anyone who worked with adolescent girls would. Something was bothering Paige.
    “Anything,” she said. “What’s up?”
    Paige sucked in a breath, then bit down on her lower lip. “I was just wondering: where do you get your hair cut?”
    Lucia blinked. “My hair?”
    Paige nodded, her newly-shorn curls bobbing.
    “I go to a salon in town called Pure Allure. There’s a woman there named Maddie who cuts and colors it for me.”
    She watched Paige’s expression for any sign of change. “Is that all you wanted to ask?”
    She nodded and bit her lip again. “I need someone who can cut curly hair. No one I’ve been to knows how to do it right.”
    Lucia didn’t mention Paige’s new haircut, since she was apparently unhappy with it.
    “My dad said I should ask you where you get your hair done. He thinks my hair could look pretty like yours.” She shrugged, as if she doubted that was possible.
    Lucia had to bite her lip to keep her surprise – and amusement – from showing.
    Jeremy had been thinking about her hair? She fought the urge to run a hand through her curls, imagining his fingers buried in their silky weight, cradling her skull.
    “Your hair is a lot like mine,” she said, trying to seem unaffected by the revelation that Paige’s dad admired her hair. “I’m sure you’ll love Maddie – you should go see her.”
    “Thanks. I think I will.”
    “They have a website. It should be easy to look them up.”
    Paige nodded, appearing less anxious than she had a minute ago.
    “Well, see you later.” She turned, one hand on the stair railing.
    “Paige?”
    “What?” She cast a glance over her shoulder, freezing on the last step.
    “I can’t wait to see your new haircut. Come over and show it off after you get it done.”
    “Okay.”
    Lucia watched her cross the street, then retreated through her own front door. Though she had the air conditioning running, the heat of the summer evening followed her inside, relentless.
    Or maybe that heat was coming from inside her, deep down where she was secretly glowing over the thought of Jeremy noticing her haircut.
    Men were notorious for being oblivious to stuff like that, weren’t they?
    Apparently, Jeremy Connor was a man who noticed details. Was it a habit, or an exception he’d made for her?
     
* * * * *
 
    Jeremy went to Lucia’s door empty-handed.
    It almost felt wrong, after the way she’d helped him and Paige out.
    “Jeremy, hi.” She answered the door in a tank top and jean shorts: a casual summer outfit that might as well have been carefully chosen to make men weep. Women walked around Cypress all day in outfits just like it, but none of them wore it like her.
    So much golden-brown skin on display, so smooth and creamy looking against the dark locks of hair that streamed over her shoulders, streaked with gold. Her eyes were a rich shade of brown.
    He couldn’t stop noticing things like that – all the little details about her. She was a stunning woman, the kind you wanted to stop and stare at. And damned if the sound of his name on her lips hadn’t frozen him in his tracks, right there on her doorstep.
    “Is everything okay?” She arched a dark brow.
    “Just fine.” He kept his feelings out of his voice, like he’d learned to do at work. “I came to thank you for recommending that hair stylist to Paige. She got her hair cut there today, and she loves it.”
    Lucia flashed a wide, uninhibited smile. “I’m so glad to hear that. She came by here a couple days ago and asked me where I get my hair cut.”
    He nodded. “It’s a much bigger deal than it sounds like, at least to her. She’s so excited about it – over the moon. I can’t thank you enough.”
    Lucia tilted her head, that dazzling smile still in place. “It was nothing, and I’m glad to help. It must be hard for Paige to have all that gorgeous hair and no one else around who