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He lightly skimmed my lips with his. “We need to be careful.”
“Why?”
“Because you have no idea what you do to me. And I’m not going to be the one who breaks your teacup.”
“Do you still want to drink from it?” I couldn’t believe I had asked such a question, but that kiss had emboldened me. I wanted nothing more than to kiss him again.
“Deeply,” he groaned.
A car honked behind us, breaking us apart. Traffic had started slowly moving. I’d had no idea—for a moment only Kane and I had existed. It was a beautiful existence. More than I had ever hoped for. I grabbed my glasses and put them back on. As we started inching forward, Kane took my hand, and something in the way he held it felt different. Almost as if he didn’t want to let go.
I held on tighter, feeling exactly the same way.
Confessions of a Forensic Pathologist
I knocked on Naomi’s office door, holding a bag from our favorite deli. She’d called earlier this morning and asked if I could meet her for lunch. She’d said the sooner, the better. I knew she was stressed because she was currently working on a high-profile murder investigation, so I figured she needed a pick-me-up, which was why I had made sure to add frosted sugar cookies to the order.
“Come in,” she called.
I walked in to find her desk covered with stacks of papers and her room filled with white evidence boxes. This was my dream. I thought of all the times Naomi had brought me here and shown me what she could about the cases she was working on. I treasured the Knight’s Forensic Pathology book she had given me when I had turned thirteen. I’d read it and highlighted almost every page. I’d even bought the subsequent editions that had come out and done the same to them. I looked at her large freestanding whiteboard in the corner, covered with notes from her current case. Lines were drawn connecting pieces of evidence and timelines. Naomi had always told me to never discount even the tiniest of links. She said clues hide in plain sight.
Naomi took off her reading glasses and gave me a tired smile. “Hi, honey.”
I held up the bag. “I brought your favorite.”
“You’re the best.” She cleared away a small space on her desk so we could eat.
I took a seat across from her and began taking out her pastrami on rye and my grilled club sandwich. And, of course, the cookies. When I looked up, Naomi was gazing thoughtfully at me.
“You’re glowing.”
“I am?” I mean, I felt all lit up on the inside. Who knew that kissing could do that to you? I thought back to the good night kiss Kane had given me last night after our test-driving date. At first it had been sweet and tender, but then he’d backed me up against the front door and started ravaging my neck. It didn’t last long. He had abruptly stopped and took several steps back before apologizing for getting carried away. I hadn’t minded in the least. He made me feel alive in ways I didn’t know I could be. My heart had never pounded so hard, and he made my body tingle from my head to my toes.
Naomi reached for her sandwich, never taking her eyes off me. “You are. I hear you’re dating someone,” she said nonchalantly, though there were some heavy undertones to her words.
I sank back in my chair. Not only did I feel bad for not telling Naomi about Kane, but I still didn’t like that people were talking about me. “Who told you?”
“Your father.”
I sat up straight. “Auggie called you? On his honeymoon?”
Naomi dropped her sandwich and grabbed a pink frosted sugar cookie instead. I hated that she still loved my father. Worse, I hated that he loved her and let her go. What a different life I would have had if they had stayed married.
“He’s worried about you.”
“That’s why you wanted to have lunch with me?”
“Honey, I would love to have lunch with you every day. However, I did promise him I would talk to you.”
“You don’t think I should date Kane either?” I rubbed my heart. I couldn’t stand the thought that I would be disappointing her.
She tossed her head from side to side. “I didn’t say that, but I admit your father,” she growled, “makes some valid points.”
“Like what?”
“His age, for one.”
“Seven years isn’t that bad.”
“No, but you are so innocent.”
“I’m not a child,” I whispered.
“No. No you’re not. You’re a beautiful young woman, and your father knows that. I think that worries him more than anything.”
“I don’t know why he cares so much. Besides, Kane has been nothing but a gentleman.” I grabbed a cookie and took a large bite.
Naomi grinned. “You must really like him.”
