Taken by Storm. Rochelle Alers

Tessa's follow-through. She'd knocked down her spare. "I've come close. What about you?"

      Rafe lifted a broad shoulder. "I've done it once or twice."

      NYPD Sergeant Justin Jamison took a long swallow from a bottle of beer, narrowing his gaze at Rafe. "Look, Sandy, you know the rules. No ringers."

      Simone popped up like a jack-in-the-box. "Who are you calling a ringer, Justin?"

      He'd asked her out once, and she'd accepted. Although divorced, he couldn't stop talking about his ex-wife. And what Justin refused to understand when he called to ask Simone out again was why she'd turned him down. It was apparent he was unable to accept rejection because after that he'd suddenly turned on her as if she were a bitter enemy.

      The homicide detective glared at her. "I wasn't talking to you, Curly Sue."

      Rafe rose slowly to his feet and took Simone's arm. Even though he didn't need Simone to defend him he wasn't going to stand by and let the obviously inebriated man get in her face.

      "Look, man, you need to watch your mouth," he threatened softly.

      Micah shot the man a warning look. "And I think you should lay off the beer." A female vice detective forcibly pried the beer bottle from Justin's hand.

      The others on Jamison's team groaned in unison while rolling their eyes at him. "What the hell are you looking at?" he asked his teammates.

      The vice detective rubbed Jamison's shaved head, then kissed it. "They're spanking us, Sarge, so suck it up."

      "Let go of my arm, Rafe," Simone whispered angrily when he steered her a short distance away.

      "Only if you promise me you won't go after someone who's had a little too much to drink."

      "But he accused us of cheating."

      "It's okay."

      "But it's not okay, Rafe."

      He angled his head and glared her. "Let it go, Simone."

      "I—"

      "Enough, Simone." His warning was spoken softly. "If I haul you out of here now, then your team is going to have to forfeit the game. Remember, the ringer is only filling in for tonight."

      The fact that Rafe referred to himself as a ringer made her pause. "You're not a professional bowler, are you?"

      "No, I'm not. Please, let's finish this game so we can go home."

      "I need to tell you something."

      "What is it?"

      "We've been invited to Micah's folks' house on Sunday for a cookout and—"

      "And what?" Rafe asked when her words trailed off.

      "After we leave Faith and Ethan's I'm not going back to White Plains."

      "Where are you going?"

      "Franklin Lakes. I've been invited to spend the night with the Sanborns."

      Rafe shook his head. "Not without me, Simone. Remember, where you go, I go."

      She gave him a facetious smile. "Why did I know you'd say that?"

      "Probably because you know that I'm not going to succumb to your seductive wiles."

      Her delicate jaw dropped. "What are you talking about?"

      "You've got more than half the men here lusting after you. All you have to do is smile and they melt like butter."

      With wide eyes, she shot him an incredulous stare. "I'm not interested in any of these men."

      "That's a good thing because I'd hate to act a fool every Wednesday night."

      Rafe didn't miss the admiring male stares directed at Simone, or the whispered innuendos about her face and body. He wanted to tell them that the woman he'd been assigned to protect was not only forbidden and unobtainable, but also unavailable. What he found objectionable was that most of the men were married.

      "You won't have to act a fool much longer because next Wednesday is our last night."

      "Good. Now, what's up with Saturday?"

      "I'll let Micah know that you're coming, too."

      He wanted to ask Simone if they were expected to share a bedroom because if they were, then it would complicate everything. It was one thing to sleep in the same house and quite another to sleep in the same bed.

      The next-to-last game of the season ended with Rafe bowling a perfect three hundred and Simone a two thirty-eight, her highest score to date, allowing her team to remain in first place as the only undefeated team in the league.

      Simone moved closer to Rafe, her hand cradled protectively in his as they stood in the parking lot talking to Tessa and Micah.

      "Are you ready for some football?" Micah crooned singsong.

      "I think I should warn you that whenever the Sanborns get together on Sundays there's always a friendly game of football," Tessa said to Rafe. "Do you think you're up to the task?"