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Reggie relaxed a little. “Hilarious.”
He dropped a wink. “What do you need help with?”
“Figuring out who was on the bad end of Chuck Delta’s gun.”
Brayden’s face immediately stiffened. “That’s a job for the police.”
“I know. But you said yourself that there’s no way to know if the rest of the local cops are in on...whatever this is. What’s wrong with a little amateur sleuthing?”
“Aside from the danger to your life?”
“Aside from that...yes. What’s the problem?”
He set down his mug and met her eyes. “I need to tell you a secret.”
Reggie’s heart did a nervous jig as she waited for him to confess something terrible.
* * *
Brayden resisted an urge to get up and pace around the room. Guilt tickled at his mind, and he sighed and ran a hand over his hair, trying to convince himself that it wouldn’t do any harm for her to know why he was really there. In fact, with the danger she was already in, she’d probably want to know. Especially if she thought she ought to be digging into what happened. The idea that she might wind up on Garibaldi’s bad side made him grind his teeth together with worry.
She needs to know, he thought. But she also needs to agree not to share the info with anyone else.
“Can you say something?” she asked, her voice a little shaky. “You’re just sitting there. Brooding.”
“Sorry. I just don’t want this to come out the wrong way.”
“Oh, God.”
“What?”
“You’re married,” she stated.
He stared at her for a second and said again, “What?”
“You’re married. And we just slept together.” He cheeks went pink. “I mean. Not like that. But still.”
He couldn’t fight a laugh. “No, Reggie. I’m not married. I’m very unmarried.”
“Well...what then?”
“I need your word that you’ll keep this between us.”
“How can I agree to that when I don’t even know what it is you’re going to tell me?”
“I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t think you’d be willing. I’m trusting you with a secret. It’s not a bad one. I just want you to respect my need for confidentiality.”
Brayden saw her suck in her bottom lip, considering it. Finally, she sighed.
“So long as it’s nothing illegal.”
He fought another laugh. “Hardly something illegal.”
“Okay. Then you have my word. I won’t tell anyone your secret. Whatever it is.”
“I’m a cop.”
She flinched, and he knew she had to be thinking about Chuck.
“I’m a good cop,” he clarified. “A Freemont City detective. I can dig up some proof, if you want to see it.”
She shook her head. “I believe you.”
“That easy?”
“It wouldn’t make sense for you to lie after what I saw a cop do last night.” She swallowed nervously before adding, “Besides. You seem far more policemanish than businessmanish.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “You saying my cover’s no good?”
Reggie shrugged. “I tend to notice things.”
“Like?”
“The wrong name on your phone. The fact that you weren’t wearing a suit the day you came into the diner and that you weren’t wearing one tonight. Not until I asked you about putting one on anyway.”
“So all businessmen wear suits?”
“All the ones who’re trying to convince someone to sell them something.”
“Hmm. Think I got made by everyone else in Whispering Woods?”
Her mouth tipped up. “Made?”
Brayden smiled back. “TV-cop talk isn’t good?”
“About as good as your real estate developer story. But don’t worry. We’re all TV-small-town-naive around here,” she said teasingly.
“Except you.”
“Well. I would’ve fallen for your clever ruse, too, if it hadn’t been for everything that’s happened tonight.”
“Maybe you should’ve been a detective.”
She laughed, the sound filling the room pleasantly. “Thanks. But I think I’ll stick to running the diner. Pay might not be as good, but the uniform suits me far better than a badge and a gun.”
Brayden found himself grinning. “I dunno. I can kinda picture you in Kevlar.”
“I can’t tell whether or not that’s a compliment.”
“Definitely is. Looking good in body armor isn’t a feat just anyone can pull off.”
“I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m in the market for a new outfit.”
“Please do.”
She went quiet for a second, then said, “Can I ask you something?”
Brayden willed himself not to tense up. “Sure.”
“You’re here conducting an investigation?”
“Yes.”
“And I guess you probably can’t tell me what it’s about.”
“Not really,” he admitted. “And it also means I’m not going to let you chase down leads on Chuck Delta or put yourself in any kind of danger.”
“Can you at least tell me if it has anything to do with what I saw in the alley?”
He hesitated. Sharing too many details could compromise a case. And with this particular one...there was the far more personal aspect to consider. That alone was enough to make him hold back. In the end, though, he opted for some more honesty. If nothing else, it would make her cautious enough to keep relying on him to protect her.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “The guy I’m after... I’ve been chasing him for a long time, and he’s capable of some pretty bad stuff. It would genuinely surprise me if the two things weren’t connected. So I’m going to treat it as if they are.”
“And that’s why you’re helping me.”
“It’s in my job description to help people. And it’s in my nature, too.” He smiled. “I guess you could say that I habitually go out on a limb.”
“Oh.”
Did she sound a little disappointed? He thought she did. For a several moments, he was puzzled. Aside from her impulsive and ill-timed run through the forest, she hadn’t fought his assistance. Didn’t she want to be helped?
A strand of dark hair stuck to her cheek, and his hands itched to pull it away and tuck it behind her ear.
So glad it was her who came flying out in front of my car.
The thought—a little absent, a little ridiculous—made him pause as he clued in to a possible explanation for her let-down tone. Maybe she was glad he’d been on the saving side of things, too.
He reached across the bed and squeezed her hand, and another jolt of electric attraction passed from her fingers to his. “Hey. Can’t say I’m not enjoying helping you. If I had to pick who to rescue in Whispering Woods, you’d be at the top of the list.”
Her eyes lit up. “Maybe you just haven’t seen enough of what Whispering Woods has to offer. Have you met Wanda from the health food store?”
“Don’t think I have. Don’t think I need to.”
“What about Sarah at the grocery store?”
“Nope.” He slid his palm from her hand to her forearm, liking the tiny shiver the action produced.
“Olivia at the gas station?” Her question came out a little breathless.
“Uh-uh.” He dragged his fingers up to her elbow, then past it, and inched closer.
“Ummmmm.” She dragged out the sound like she’d forgotten what she was going to say next.
“Um?”
“Helen. Down at the bike rental place?”
“Didn’t catch my eye.”
“Oh.”
Brayden stared down Reggie, admiring her upturned mouth. Her green eyes danced with amusement, and they flicked from his gaze to his lips—where they hung for a moment—then back again. Then the amusement was gone. In its place was something warm. Something interested. Something interesting.
Undisguised desire.
Brayden placed the look two seconds before she lifted her hand to touch his cheek and pushed forward, tipping her face to his. Automatically, he bent down to close the gap between them. Her eyes dropped shut, and he covered her lips with his in a kiss. It was meant to be gentle. Exploratory. A question, maybe.
Is this what you want?
The second his mouth touched hers, though, his silent query flew away. His ability to hold back went with it.
Her lips were soft and sweet. Still a little bit salty with sweat from her crazy run the night before. Far warmer than the air around them. Brayden devoured them. He sucked the top one, then the bottom. When she let out a little gasp, he took advantage and swiped his tongue between them, and the inside of her mouth was hotter still.
The tray of discarded dishes slid sideways and clattered to the ground as her fingers came up to the back of his neck. She rubbed the short edges of his hair, and Brayden met the attention eagerly. He pressed his palms to the small of her back and held her there, marveling at how right it felt. How natural. Like she wasn’t a woman he’d met just a half a day ago. So much so that it took most of his willpower just to break away.
“We should get going,” he said against her mouth.
She tipped her face up, her lids still low, her expression noticeably disappointed. “Okay.”
“Not because I wouldn’t rather be doing this. But because we need to stick to the plan and keep to your schedule.”
“And we don’t want to arouse any suspicion.”
“Right.”
“So we should probably let each other go.”
“Probably.”
“All right.”
Except he couldn’t quite make himself do it. Instead, he kissed her again. A little more slowly this time, but no less thoroughly. Her grip on him tightened, and she dragged him with her as she eased backward onto the mattress. He was almost—but not quite—on top of her now, one knee resting between her thighs as he held himself up with one elbow. He deepened the kiss even further, his body molding to hers. Her petite frame fit perfectly against his large one. There should’ve been a contrast. An imperfection. Instead, it was the opposite. Like they were built to complement one another.
She let out a little gasp, and he pulled his mouth from hers and dropped it to her jawline instead. He traced the line of it with his lips. The pleasant taste of her exploded in his mouth and made him want more. So he indulged. He nipped at her ear, then ran his tongue down her throat to her clavicle. He tugged on the sensitive skin there while his free hand roamed over her body.
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