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Anticipation made her heart beat faster as he took a step closer, almost within touching distance. His focus never left her mouth. Sparks turned the air around them electric. She forgot to breathe, forgot to blink, forgot everything but Drew. Every nerve in her body buzzed with expectation. He was going to kiss her. She wanted it. God, did she want it. Her mouth parted as her body ignored the SOS her brain was sending out. She'd regret whatever was coming next after this was over, when her life was back to normal and she was back home in Denver. This sort of craziness was just part of life in Catfish Creek. His head dipped lower. She tilted her face up.
And then, nothing.
Muttering something that sounded a lot like "fuck me" under his breath, he stepped back and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.
Her breath came back into her lungs in a whoosh, along with confusion, frustration, and annoyance. He wanted her. It was obvious. The other night had proved that beyond a reasonable doubt. Yet, last night he sent her to bed alone without a second glance and now he denied their attraction again.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked, unable to keep the rawness from her voice. “Why are you helping me?”
He turned away from her and looked out the window above his sink, his profile as hard as the countertop he was white knuckling. "Because I catch bad guys, that's what I do."
It's not what she'd been asking and they both knew it. "And that's it?"
She hated how fucking hopeful she sounded, like she'd come back to Catfish Creek and was once again that insecure girl from high school who hid behind her bad girl persona.
His jaw muscles flexed, but he didn't turn toward her. "There can't be anything else."
And she was still enough of the girl she'd been to wish like hell there could be. So before she could say anything that would even remotely hint at that, she turned and marched out of the kitchen, her chin high, knowing the bad girl sway of her hips would be reflected in the window so Drew couldn't miss what he was walking away from—again.
Drew
Dealing with the FBI was close to the top of Drew's do-not-want list, but there wasn't a way around it. Agents Curtis and Ritter were in his office wearing matching dark suits and blank expressions. That didn't bode well for what was about to happen next considering he and Leah had just finished tag teaming the explanation of their plan.
After a solid ten seconds of silence, Leah looked at him and shrugged before turning back to the agents. "And that's the plan, so speak now or forever hold your peace."
"No," Ritter said.
Yep. That was about the reaction Drew had been expecting. For the Feds, there was no good idea unless it was their idea.
"Excuse me?" Leah asked, fire sparking in her eyes.
That was his girl, always fixin' for a fight.
Curtis seemed unimpressed. "We don't know where you got this information from."
"A confidential source," Drew answered, the less details the Feds knew, the better.
"Someone here in Catfish Creek knows the inner workings of one of the world's most wanted jewel theft rings?" Curtis didn't bother to keep his skepticism below the surface.
Drew put a hand on Leah's thigh before she could say whatever scathing thought was formulating in her head and gave her a soft squeeze to warn her not to push too far. "We never said he or she was local."
"I don't like it," Ritter said.
Leah rolled her eyes. "You don't have to, you just have to stay out of the way."
So much for sending her subtle signals.
"That's not how the federal government operates," Curtis deadpanned.
"And don't I know it," Leah said with a sigh.
Both agents narrowed their eyes. Knowing just how effectively Leah could burrow under a man's skin and make him nuts, Drew squeezed her leg again—harder this time.
"You're not helping," he said half under his breath.
Leah shot him a glare. "I'm not trying."
Of course not. That's not how Leah worked, she was all bad girl attitude, devious brain and sass. He loved that about her. Nothing about her was easy. A man had to work to make it past her defense—and he was determined to do that.
