Cuff
Me
New York's Finest, #3
New York's Finest, #3
by Lauren Layne
Releasing
March 29, 2016
Forever
Forever
Blurb
Vincent knows he's not the most
charming of the Moretti brothers. He prefers brooding to flirting, reading to
talking, and he sure as hell isn't about to give into his mother's insistence
that he 'settle down with a nice girl.' Luckily, Vincent's gig as one of the
NYPD's top homicide detectives keeps him busy. As does his long-time partner,
Jill Henley–a tough-as-nails cop with the face of an angel and smart mouth that
makes Vincent crazy in all the worst ways.
After six years of working the
homicide beat with the tight-lipped Vincent Moretti, Jill figure she knows him
better than anyone. Which is not at all. But when their most recent case points
to a potential serial-killer situation, the higher-ups send them on a rare
undercover mission to a place no NYPD officer dares go: the Upper Eastside.
Now the bureau's most antagonistic set
of partners is posing as Mr. and Mrs. Brooks of Park Avenue. Spending 24/7 in
the suspect's territory brings them closer and closer to their killer . . . and
closer to each other. Soon Vincent and Jill are playing good cop/bad cop in and
out of bed, and Jill's falling hard. But can she convince Vincent to give her a
shot as partner in life, as well as at the bureau?
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Jill gave a
happy sigh. “God, I miss doughnuts. Florida doesn’t know how to do them right,
and Mom decided that going without sugar was going to be her ‘thing’ during her
sixties.”
Elena looked
horrified. “No wine? That has sugar.”
“Yeah, I
think she conveniently ignores that.”
“How is she?”
“Better now,”
Jill said. “Getting her mobility back and all that.”
A broken
collarbone and hip were a nasty combination for anyone, but it had been
especially hard on Kerry Henley, who prided herself in being an active “young”
sixty year-old. One day she’d been running a 5K, and then next she’d missed a
step carrying her laundry basket down the stairs and been almost completely
laid up for months.
It had taken
up all of Jill’s personal time plus a couple months of unpaid leave to care for
her, but Jill hadn’t hesitated to make the temporary move to Florida.
Her boss had
assured her that her job would be waiting for her when she got back, and three
months of your life is the least you could do for a parent who’d given eighteen
years to caring for you.
Jill’s in
particular deserved her devotion; Jill’s dad had dropped dead of a heart attack
at forty-one, leaving Kerry to raise a headstrong (read: bratty) daughter all
by herself.
“I’m glad
she’s better. I love your mom. I wish she’d come up to New York more often.”
“You wouldn’t
say that if you had to listen to her complain about the pigeons and the subway
and the weather.”
“Could be
worse. Last Sunday, my mother actually started a sentence with, “You’re not
getting any younger, Elena.”
“I can beat
that. Mine suggested freezing my eggs.”
“You’re
right. You win. And speaking of your nether regions, I’m so overdue for an
update on this Tom guy you’ve been seeing. Did you guys decide to do long
distance? Or are you going to wait until you find out if he’s any good at
sexting before you cut him loose?”
Jill bit her
lip, gathering courage for what she was about to say. For some reason, she’d
always pictured this moment as feeling . .. different. She expected feeling
giddy and breathless as she made The Big Announcement.
Instead she
felt hesitant.
So Jill did
what Jill Henley did whenever she felt anything less than sparkles and
rainbows.
She faked it.
Jill pasted a
smile on her face, took a deep breath, and shot her left hand out in front of
Elena’s face.
“What, are
you—” Elena broke off, her cool fingers wrapping around Jill’s wrist as her
mouth dropped open. “No. Freaking. Way.”
“Way.”
Elena let out
an uncharacteristic squeal. “You’re getting married?!”
The words hit
Jill with a little slap.
She was
getting married.
It felt. .. funny.
Probably
because she wasn’t used to it yet.
Elena threw
herself across the backseat, arms wrapped around Jill’s neck as she kissed the
side of Jill’s head repeatedly.
“Congratulations,
darling! When? Do I get to be maid of honor? I won’t wear green, but you know
that. How did it happen? How did it happen? Oh yeah, and why did you not tell
me?”
Jill managed
to extricate herself from Elena’s grip, only to have her left hand held hostage
as Elena studied the square-cut diamond with a scary level of scrutiny.
“He asked
last night,” Jill said, gazing fondly at the ring. “I thought it was our
farewell dinner, and, well, he had other ideas.”
“Hell yeah,
he did,” Elena said, ceasing studying the diamond so that she could instead
study Jill.
“I wanted to
call you last night,” Jill said apologetically. “I so did. But I thought if I
could hold off just a few hours, and tell you in person...”
“Forgiven. Of
course. I mean, the news is so much better with the ring, you know?”
Let’s hope
everyone feels that way. Jill sat in thought as Elena lifted her hand, studying
the ring.
Because if
she’d been nervous to tell Elena, it was nothing compared to her nerves over
telling Vincent. Which made no sense. She and Vin weren’t romantically
involved. Had never even come close.
And he might
be the most surly grouch on the planet, but he cared about her. Cared about her
happiness.
He would be
happy for her.
Wouldn’t he?
“I’m
thrilled, you know that, right?” Elena asked.
Jill smiled
because she knew that tone. “But...”
Her friend
bit her lip for a moment, looking uncharacteristically unsure of herself before
taking a deep breath. “Okay, I’m just going to come right out and say it. This
happened fast. You’ve known the guy three months. You’re all the way sure?”
Jill twisted
the ring. “I’m sure. I’m totally sure. You’ll understand when you meet him, El.
He’s just. . . he’s just. . . he’s perfect.”
“Perfect,
huh? You just got engaged, so I’m going to allow for the hyperbole. But tell me
why I should let this guy marry my best friend.”
Jill blew out
a breath, wondering how to explain. “You know you meet another person and just
get them? It was like that.”
“Explain.”
Explain.
How did one
explain Tom Edward Porter and how when you met someone as perfectly right for
you as Tom was for her, you couldn’t afford to waste thought on things like
soul mates or passion. You just had to go for it.
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Author Info
Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of more
than a dozen contemporary romance novels.
Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and
web-marketing. A year after moving from Seattle to NYC to pursue a writing
career, she had a fabulous agent and multiple New York publishing deals.
Lauren currently lives in Manhattan
with her husband and plus-sized Pomeranian. When not writing, you'll likely
find her running (rarely), reading (sometimes), or at happy hour (often).
Author Links:
(A
Custom Mug, $25.00 Amazon Gift Card and Print Set of FRISK ME/STEAL ME)
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