She pressed her lips together, and tears welled in her eyes.
“Oh, babe.” I pulled her to my chest and wrapped my arms around her. “It’ll work out. I promise.”
She shook her head but didn’t pull away. “You can’t make promises like that.”
“I just did.”
She nodded but didn’t move. Her hands hung at her sides, like just lifting them was a chore. Shock, probably. Or exhaustion. Or both.
“Come on.” I touched her arms, gently easing her back from me. “Shower, first. Then we’ll deal with everything else.”
Sapphire blinked and looked down at herself, at the dust and bloodstains covering her clothes. “Yeah. Okay.”
I stepped into my bathroom and turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature while Sapphire stood in the doorway. When I turned back, she was staring at nothing, eyes unfocused.
“I had to give up my badge.” The sadness in her tone nearly broke me.
“I know, but you’ll get it back.”
“Four years working for Bob Ackerman, and I had no clue he was corrupt.” Her voice cracked. “How did I miss it?”
I crossed the space between us and cupped her face in my hands. “Because he’d been hiding behind that badge for decades. He fooled everyone, not just you.”
“That doesn’t make it better.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “My career will forever be tainted by his corruption.”
“No, it won’t. You’ll take that bastard down, and they’ll know you’re the good cop.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “They already do, Sapphire. You’re too good for them to lose.”
Sapphire opened her eyes. She looked lost. Broken.
Steam filled the small bathroom, fogging the mirror. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“I’m that much of a mess, huh?”
“You’re beautiful,” I said, kissing her forehead.
Her expression softened, not quite a smile, but close. “Can you undress me?”
I grinned. “You don’t need to ask me that twice.” I lifted the hem of her T-shirt, and she raised her arms. I peeled the grubby shirt off. Her bra was simple and practical, black cotton. Somehow, it made her look sexier than any lacey lingerie could.
She reached around her back and unhooked the clasp. Eyes locked on mine, she peeled the straps off her shoulders and let the bra fall to the floor.
She stood before me, bare from the waist up. I stepped closer. My heart thundered in my chest. My cock pulsed to its own beat as I rested my hands on the curve of her waist, feeling her warm flesh, my thumbs tracing small circles. “God, I’ve missed you.”
She pressed her hand to my chest, right over my heart, like she wanted to feel it hammering. She parted her lips, and the urge to kiss her was excruciating, but I waited. I wanted her to make the first move. I’d just told her how much I’d missed her, and yet, she’d said nothing.
“Do you remember how we used to shower together?” Her voice was barely there.
I nodded. Of course, I did. I remembered everything about her.
She unbuttoned her cargo pants, pushed them down along with her underwear, and stepped out of them. She stood naked in front of me, vulnerable and strong all at once, and I couldn’t breathe.
Sapphire stepped into the shower with a soft sigh, tilting her face up into the spray. Water sluiced over her olive skin, washing away dust, sweat, and the remnants of one of the worst days of our lives. Her blonde hair clung wet to her head, water running in rivulets down her body.
I could’ve watched that show for the rest of the day. And I would have if she hadn’t turned to me and said, “Are you joining me?”
I stripped off my clothes so fast it was a wonder I didn’t faceplant. Leaving the bandage on my upper arm in place, I stepped into the shower with her. The cubicle was barely big enough for the two of us, and it was both annoying and absolutely perfect. She handed me the soap and swept her hair off her neck, showing me where to start.
I slid the bar over her shoulders and across her back.
