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He lowered one shoulder and turned the collar down, revealing an ugly, deep scratch.
“Did I... I didn’t do that, right?”
Will chuckled, straightening up. “No. Got it at work yesterday. Made an arrest. Guy wasn’t too happy.”
I blinked, suddenly feeling wide awake. How didn’t I notice it last night? I know we were... busy, but still... “Did a doctor check that out? Looks deep.”
“Nah, it’s just a scratch.”
That blasé attitude didn’t exactly reassure me. “You’ve had worse?”
Will must have heard the tension in my voice, because his smile faded.
“There are rough times. Not often since I’m not out on the field daily, but... yeah....”
I nodded, then turned to the coffee machine. It had warmed up. The light indicating it was ready to brew coffee was green, so I pushed the button.
Will brought a hand to my waist, gently turning me around.
“Paige, what is it? You’ve gone all... inside yourself, like a turtle.”
I tried to muster a smile, but couldn’t. “Nothing, I... I just don’t like that thought. You getting hurt.”
Will was silent for a full minute before saying, “You’re not a big fan of my job, are you?”
“I’d love it if your job description didn’t include the possibility of getting hurt.”
“Someone’s got to do the job.” I said nothing, so Will continued in a soft voice. “Is this a big problem for you?”
My insides strummed tight. I didn’t have an answer for him, but I was afraid that if I owned up to that, this thing between us would be over before it started. So I shook my head. I couldn’t tell if Will bought it, so I made the second coffee. While we sipped, Will said, “We’re going to talk about this, okay? Not now when I have one foot out the door, but at some point. We’re going to figure it out.”
“Okay.” We’d talk about it some other time. That simple fact reassured me, and I felt tension lift from my shoulders.
I set my empty cup on the counter, and Will set his next to mine, then pulled me flush against him, lowering his mouth to mine. His kisses were the essence of life. Seriously. Just feeling the tip of his tongue on mine electrified me to the tips of my fingers and toes. He didn’t stop at kissing, though. He walked me backward until I felt the wall against my back. His hands were all over me, undoing the robe. He slid both hands to cup my ass. My breasts were pressing against his chest.
“That’s how you do good morning kisses?” I teased. Will replied by pressing me against his crotch. “Easy there, or I’m not going to let you walk out the door and kick ass.”
Will smiled lazily against my lips. “You’re gonna tempt m
e?”
My seductive maneuvers usually sucked in the morning, but Will was an excellent inspiration.
Chapter Sixteen
Will
I spent the better part of the next few days buried in paperwork for the string of car robberies case we’d been tracking for almost a year, building a case against the top dog of the group. We’d finally managed to make some arrests, getting closer to dismantling the operation. There was nothing like the satisfaction of knowing you’d stopped a criminal from committing any more wrongdoings. Sure the world wasn’t a safe place, but at least it was safer than yesterday.
On Monday I picked up Milo from school. Lori and Graham had left for their honeymoon that morning, and Milo was staying with me for a week. It was why I hadn’t made any plans with Paige. I didn’t know how she felt about hanging around with me and an eight-year-old, but now I was wondering if she’d mind. Man, I was whipped. There was no other word for it. This woman was constantly on my mind. It was a foreign feeling for me, despite having dated for more than fifteen years. Usually I was good at separating my dating life from everything else. It wasn’t something I’d done consciously; it had just felt natural. Since I’d met Paige, those lines were blurring.
I’d been texting her several times a day, wanting her to know that I was thinking about her, that I couldn’t wait to see her again.
“Uncle Will, can we eat fried chicken tonight?” Milo asked after I picked him up. I fought to hide a smile.
“On one condition: you don’t tell your mom.”
Milo grinned from ear to ear. “I won’t.”
