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“This ticket,” he says, glancing at it, “says I’ve attempted to bribe an ‘officer of the spirit’ With my dick”

He givespause after he says that I blink at hiet out of decorating But I wasn’t going to let that pass What about that doesn’t he understand?

“Maggie,” he says, slowly, like I ht wasn’t a bribe”

“Of course it was,” I say “You saw an ‘adorable’ girl, ready to fall for your seductive city boy spell, and you knew that was your ticket out of decorating Well, joke’s on you I’m adorable and smart”

He stares ata hand through his unkeain

“Maggie, just co, okay?”

The way he saysto really look at s to me Like I’m special Like he means it It shouldn’t be this easy to win me over, but it is And even if this is a trick, I can’t resist hi roo my present under the tree

I’m completely and totally tempted

“Okay,” I say, and then I sit up “To check your violations, right?”

He just laughs again and, Santa help me, winks

“See you later, Christmas cop”

Chapter Ten

I don’t go straight to Ryan’s house after work I arateful for any sliver of attention this rooman, a woman who knows her worth

So I take detours I go by Sutton’s and say hello to the goats I callup a nude beach near her condo and how she doesn’t approve I grab a sandwich at Gingersnap’s that I don’t even re because I’m so damn distracted

Why, why does he want me to come by his house?

And why can’t I just stay away fro for me, even if I want him Even if we have cheht of

He’s good at what he does, okay? But the point is, this is a recipe for heartbreak I never should have left that last violation I thought it would be a cheeky way to take back the power after slipping up and falling into bed with hiiven me another chance to fall