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“No way! Roseline Fontenot?” Brandon’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I figured she was way too into her computers for romance. How the hell did that happen?”
Heart pounding, Callan gave him a brief rundown, watching Brandon’s shock grow.
“Wow,” he said when Callan finished. “I gotta admit, I did not see that coming. But hey, Roseline is brilliant and beautiful, so I can’t blame you for responding to her bold move. Just be careful. Things could get messy if this goes south.”
Callan nodded, sighing. “Trust me, that thought has definitely crossed my mind. For now, let’s just keep this between us, okay? I still need to talk to her about it. And she needs the chance to tell me it’s the greatest regret of her life.”
“Mum’s the word, but you know I expect all the juicy details later,” Brandon replied with a wink.
Callan laughed, feeling lighter now that he had confided in his friend. Brandon’s warning was fair, but Callan’s gut insisted this was the start of something special. He prayed he was right.
After what seemed like forever, Roseline arrived, blonde hair swaying as she walked briskly to her workspace. Callan’s pulse leaped at the sight of her, though he forced himself to remain seated at his desk. More than anything, he wanted to rush over to her office, close the door, and pick up exactly where they had left off at the bar last night.
But Callan held back, unsure if he should make the first move. After all, Roseline had initiated the kiss. Maybe she regretted it now and wanted to pretend it never happened? He studied her discreetly, searching for a hint in her body language. Was that a blush on her cheeks when their eyes met briefly? He could just see her through the door of her tiny box of an office. She seemed flustered, avoiding his gaze as she shuffled papers on her desk.
Callan felt a flicker of hope. She appeared just as distracted as he felt. That had to mean something, right? Before he could overthink it, Callan made a split-second decision. Grabbing the file folders from the night before off his desk, he strode toward Roseline’s office, trying to appear nonchalant even though his nerves were firing on all cylinders.
After a quick knock, Callan stepped inside Roseline’s office and closed the door behind him. An electric tension hung in the air between them. Unsure who should speak first, they just looked at each other for a long moment.
Roseline sat tensely behind her desk, fingers worrying the hem of her shirt while keeping her gaze pinned to the floor. “Callan, about last night…” she began hesitantly. “I’m sorry if I was too forward kissing you like that. I’d had a few drinks and wasn’t thinking clearly.” She glanced up at him anxiously. “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable. I’d understand if you want to just pretend it never happened.”
Callan crossed the room and knelt beside her chair, taking her hand, glad the closed door hid them from the rest of the precinct. “Roseline, you have nothing to apologize for. The kiss took me by surprise, but not in a bad way.” He gave a small laugh. “Honestly, I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I met you. I’ve just been too nervous about making a move since you seemed so focused on work.”
Roseline’s eyes widened. “Wait, really? I had no idea you felt that way about me.” A rosy blush colored her cheeks.
“Are you kidding? I’ve been captivated by you from day one,” Callan said earnestly. “Your brilliance, your determination, your beauty… you’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever known.” He shook his head in wonder. “Trust me, I was tempted to ask you out so many times. But I didn’t want to seem pushy when you wanted to be left alone. I thought you regarded me as just another bothersome coworker.”
Roseline smiled. “I didn’t think you were annoying. But you’re right. I try to keep work and my personal life separate. Easier that way.” She hesitated. “Still… I must admit, I felt the sparks, too, when we kissed. The intensity just took me by surprise.”
Callan felt a thrill rush through him at her confession. “You maybe sort of felt something there between us, too?” he asked hopefully.
Roseline nodded, her eyes glittered. “I did, though it scared me a little. But I understand if it was just a tipsy moment for you…” She trailed off uncertainly.
Callan squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Roseline, kissing you was amazing for me, alcohol or not. I’ve been interested in you for a long time now. If you want, I’d love to see where this connection might lead.” He held his breath anxiously, awaiting her response.
After a long pause, Roseline replied. “I think I’d like that, too. I’m just not used to opening myself up to something more at work.” She hesitated again. “If we pursued this, it would have to stay private. I don’t want anyone here thinking I’m not focused.”
Callan nodded understandingly. “Of course, I agree. We can keep things professional at the office.” He smiled hopefully. “So… Would you want to grab dinner sometime, see what happens?”
Roseline returned his smile, blue eyes sparkling. “I think I’d enjoy that. We’ll go slow, but… yes, let’s see where this leads.”
Callan exhaled in relief, unable to stop a grin from spreading across his face as he stood. “That’s a load off. I have to admit, I was concerned you had some unbreakable rule about relationships at work.”
Roseline gave a shy smile in return. “The thing is, Callan, I care about being taken seriously here. As a woman, I’ve had to work twice as hard to earn the respect of the cronies here. I don’t want anyone thinking I’m not completely focused on my job.”
Callan nodded. “I understand your concern. How about this: when we’re working, we keep things professional. No PDA, no extra long glances, none of that. No one has to know about us exploring anything… more in our personal time. Keep everything discreet.”
Roseline considered this. “I think I can work with that. Honestly, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you have actual feelings for me.” She laughed in disbelief. “I figured you saw me as sort of annoying ice queen.”
“Are you kidding? I’ve been enthralled by you from day one, ice queen aura and all,” Callan teased.
Roseline playfully swatted his arm. Then her expression then turned serious. “For what it’s worth, I also felt drawn to you when we first met. And if I’m being honest, getting to know you peripherally these past few months has only made me more… intrigued.”
It was Callan’s turn to blush at her admission, and he resisted the urge to repeat their recent make-out session. “So, when do you want to grab dinner? No pressure.”
Roseline considered for a moment. “Sometime this week. We can take things slow, though, okay? I want to be sure we’re both on the same page every step of the way.”
“Absolutely, slow is great with me,” he said, replaying their kiss in his head. He had it bad for the blonde woman beside him, but he’d pushed his luck enough for one day.
