Girls in tiny shorts and barely-there tank tops mixing with boys high on testosterone and other less legal substances were a bad combination. The consequences of such a dangerous combo were one of the principal reasons Spencer had been hired. An important part of his job was to make it clear there was no excuse for sexual assault—no means no—and to enforce a zero-tolerance policy on or off campus.
The university administration wanted abusive students held accountable and potential victims protected. By employing someone like Spencer to beef up security’s presence and outline appropriate prevention and responses, the college had proven its commitment to its students’ welfare.
Pulling into his reserved parking spot, Spencer’s thoughts were on the safety strategy he’d been creating for the upcoming rally against gender-based violence. As he marched down the sidewalk toward the heavy metal doors of the campus security building, he jerked to halt and frowned at the empty beer can and used condom sitting on the lawn. Clearly, he needed to have a chat with his staff about including their own perimeter in their routine patrols.
Spencer jotted a reminder to himself in his ever-present notebook, then proceeded to his office. The room was tiny, with barely enough space to walk from the desk to the file cabinet to the bookcase. When he’d come on board, he could have claimed one of the large conference rooms, but since he hadn’t planned on spending much time sitting on his butt behind a desk, he was fine with the smaller area.
Once he was settled and working on the plan, his mind wandered back to the previous evening. Forcing Dani’s asshat ex to leave her alone had felt fantastic. Urging Little Miss Cupcake to investigate Regina’s murder, not so much.
Seeing that scumbag manhandling Dani had brought out every one of Spencer’s protective instincts. He didn’t like the obnoxious doctor breathing her air, let alone touching her.
And he liked that she was on the radar of a corrupt cop known for his vengeful behavior even less. What was he thinking encouraging a civilian to become involved in a police matter? Had he completely lost his fricking mind?
Although, as Dani had pointed out, he was now a civilian too. It was times like these that he missed his badge. He sure didn’t miss being undercover, but the authority that came with his shield would have been mighty handy right about now.
If he were still in law enforcement, he would have never agreed to team up with Dani. But when she’d outlined what she had learned about the vic and her friends, he had to admit that, in a short amount of time, his Little Miss Cupcake had gathered an impressive amount of insider information. He doubted that the fiancé or the reporter would have been as open with either Spencer or the cops.
He frowned. Come to think of it, a journalist willingly sharing info was strange. He’d never met one he could trust. Most likely, the woman was using Dani. He needed to check out Frannie Ryan.
Dani had said the woman was from Scumble River. A community in which Spencer had spent some time undercover as a member of a motorcycle gang. And a place where he just happened to know the chief of police.
Spencer had kept in touch with Wally and his pretty wife, Skye. In fact, he still had the birth announcement containing a picture of their babies wearing T-shirts that read DADDY, I’VE GOT YOUR 6. The card was tacked to the bulletin board above his desk at home and he smiled every damn time he saw it.
Shaking his head, Spencer added a note to call Wally about the reporter to his to-do list, then tried to concentrate on the sexual assault awareness training seminar he was designing for his security team. But a few minutes later, he threw down his pen and stared out the window. What was it about Dani that attracted him so much?
Sure she was pretty and smart. But he was surrounded by good-looking, intelligent women, and none of them incited the intense lust or genuine warmth he felt toward Dani. Maybe it was exactly what he’d told her. Maybe it was her sweetness that drew him to her.
Last night, as they’d sat on her front porch, it had been rough ignoring the voice inside his head that insisted he ask her out. Insisted that he let her know he was interested in her as a woman not just as his niece’s friend. Insisted that he move closer.
But in the long run, he knew it was better to keep Dani at a distance. That way, he wouldn’t be lured into trying for something he’d already messed up once before. Something too fragile for the likes of him. Something out of his reach.
Relationships never worked for him, and his Little Miss Cupcake didn’t seem the type who would be satisfied with just hooking up for a few nights of wild sex. Actually, if Spencer was totally honest with himself, neither was he. At least not anymore.
In the long years since his divorce, he’d played the field. Never seeing a woman more than once or twice. Never waking up in her bed or allowing her to visit his place. Never making it about anything but a fun, fast, and meaningless physical release.
But deep down in his soul, Spencer knew that he wanted what Wally and Skye Boyd had together. It was a damn shame that he was too much of a coward to risk opening up his heart again to find it. No. It was better to keep an emotional distance with Dani than go through the pain of another breakup.
Spencer rubbed the space between his eyes where a headache was forming. Working with Dani to discover who murdered Regina would give them a chance to get to know each other and develop a friendship. Which was the only relationship he really could handle right now.
All he
