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“I can’t think when you touch me like this.”
“That’s the point.” I lifted my head to meet her hooded gaze. “I need you to understand.”
“Understand what?”
I swallowed hard and prayed she wouldn’t push. “I’m not perfect, Faith. I have my secrets and things I don’t talk about. But where you’re concerned?” I took one of her hands and interlaced our fingers, placing them over my heart. “You don’t need to be scared to believe in me. I’ll do anything to protect you.” I dropped my forehead to hers. “All of you. Including your heart. Haven’t I proven that by now?”
She said nothing, just staring at me like a distrustful bird.
“The box of letters in your bedroom?” I pressed.
“You snooped—?”
I pushed her back when she tried to shove me off. “I didn’t snoop for shit. I saw them on the floor of your townhouse when I went looking for you.” I lifted a brow. “I explained why I sent them back.”
“What’s your point?” she seethed underneath me.
“How about that I broke my parole to come find you?”
“I didn’t ask you to come after me,” she retorted.
“And that you’re living with—”
“I’m trying to remedy that one, but you’re stopping me.”
“My point, sassy, is that everything I’ve done since the moment I laid eyes on you was to protect you.” I rolled away, leaving her on her back, breathing hard. “But, fine. If you want to go so badly, go. I said my peace. It’s your move now.”
I hoped like hell she couldn’t see through my bluff.
Finally, she sat up and wiped her palms on her thighs. “I hear you.”
I studied her, not sure where she was going. “So...?”
“So, I hear you,” she said, her tone still clipped. “But I need a minute to breathe and think, and that doesn’t happen around here,” she added, gesturing to the bed under us. “I told Grace I’d be back, so I’m going back.” She glanced back at me. “For the night.”
She rose to stand, and my heart sunk. Not just because she was leaving and I needed her here for the undercover case. But because I wanted her close. For myself. The realization was startling.
Once she had her suitcase in hand, she reached for Lance’s leash and clipped him up, then turned to face me. “I’ll call you—”
“Go on a date with me,” I blurted.
Her eyes got wide. “A date?”
“You heard me.”
“What? When?”
“Tonight.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Adam. Not after...”
“Nothing fancy. Everyone from the shop is going to Rudy’s after work to shoot pool and have a few drinks. Andromeda planned it. Broken heart or something.” I waved a hand. “Anyway, I already told them you’d be there,” I lied. “Please. Just for a little while. We can talk. Maybe dance—”
“Wait. Dance? You’ll dance with me?” This made her eyes glisten with the hint of a smile. Now that I thought on it, I’d never danced with her, even in the best of times.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Don’t make empty promises, Adam Bishop.”
“So, you’ll go?” I asked, shoving my hands into my pockets and feeling like a sixteen-year-old kid asking a girl to the movies.
She shrugged and tugged Lance toward the door, looking over her shoulder. “Guess we’ll see.”
