She looked at me with wide eyes, like I was crazy.
“What was that?” Jamie repeated, obviously confused.
Again, we spoke at the same time. “Stakeout,” I answered truthfully while Mac said loudly over me, “Working.”
“But don’t you work across the street?” he asked her.
“Yes,” she said, a touch belligerent.
“She’s visiting,” I offered.
“It’s pretty late to be working,” he said, pulling out a notebook and writing something down. “Or visiting.”
“Busy season,” Mac and I replied in unison.
Jamie took our statements, asking minimal questions. He looked at the bald spots in the gravel where the vehicle’s tires had spun. I mentioned that the movementhad been out of the range of the motion-sensor cameras because there’d been no evidence on video.
“And you don’t have any idea about the make and model of the vehicle?” he asked, pen poised over his notepad.
“I didn’t get a good look,” Mac admitted. “But it might have been a sedan, not an SUV or a truck.”
I stayed quiet, irritated with myself for being distracted. But it wasn’t like I could admit I hadn’t seen a thing because I’d accidentally head-butted Mac and was worried I’d hurt her. Not to mention the fact that there had been absolutely no blood in my brain at the time because it had all been in my dick.
“A sedan,” he repeated. Jamie didn’t look like he believed her, but he scribbled another note. “I’m just really surprised y’all didn’t see or hear anything.”
I wouldn’t have heard a plane landing in the field behind us with Mac riding my lap, but after a glance in her direction, I figured I shouldn’t say that part out loud. But holy shit, it had been good. So good. The sounds she’d made. The way she’d held on for?—
I blinked back into the conversation after taking a bony elbow to the ribs. “Ow.” Both Mac and the deputy were staring at me expectantly, and I figured I’d missed part of the discussion. That was fine because this joker wasn’t taking us seriously anyway. Straightening, I asked, “Sorry, what was that?”
“I said,” Jamie exaggerated just shy of an eye roll, “I’ll be sure to add this incident to the file. Please get in touch if you think of anything else.” His eyes lingered briefly on the hay bales and our makeshift stakeout station before he nodded and climbed back in his vehicle.
Mac and I watched him drive away in silence.
Finally, she turned to face me, and I wished I didn’t know her as well as I did. I was losing her. I could feel the cold of the night and the distance between us like a tangible thing. The way she’d closed herself off to me, to us—to the possibility of it.
So, I panicked. I reached her in two strides and wrapped my arms around her, bringing my lips to hers. The kiss wasn’t rough or frantic. It was soft and deliberate, a reminder that I was here—right here—if only she’dbother to notice me. She kissed me back, and I wanted to sigh out in relief.
I was tired of feeling like I had to talk her into this every time. I didn’t want to take those three steps back. I wanted to stay right here, on the same page.
With shaking hands, I rubbed my palms up and down her back. I broke the kiss and rested my forehead against hers, keeping my eyes closed and lingering in this moment for a little longer. I needed to handle this right. I couldn’t rush her and scare her off.
For one more maddening time tonight, we spoke at the same time.
“Can I take you out?” I asked right as she said, “We should have sex.”
My brain short-circuited, and I pulled back, eyes snapping open. “What?”
“Wait, what did you say?” she wondered, her dark brows creased.
“What didyousay?” I fired back, heart racing. I’d heard her, but I didn’t understand. “We should have sex?”
Mac bit her lip and then nodded. “Yeah, I think we should. Clearly, we have something”—she gestured between us—“some attraction or whatever going on. We should just get it out of our systems.”
She wanted to . . .oh.
I stared at her, mind reeling, and wondered how the hell I was going to handle this. I couldn’t come right out and tell her I loved her and wanted to be with her. She wasn’t ready for that.
Part of me thought I should just take her up on her offer. It felt shallow and wrong, not nearly enough. But maybe if she just had time to see how good we could be together, maybe?—
