Was that true? Did we both want this? Our lips seemed to think so.
“It can’t happen again.” Regret swept through me the moment I heard those words escape my lips. I’d never been kissed like that before. And with someone like Lucas who’d entranced me in some inexplicable way since the day we met, it was especially potent.
“Ever?” Lucas’s eyes widened.
“Exactly.” I nodded to affirm my words, possibly to convince myself.
“Why not?”
“Because we’re working together, so we need to keep this a professional relationship.”
He cocked his brow. “You can enjoy yourself while you work.”
“Lucas, this isn’t the time. Please, let’s just focus on what we’re here to do.”
“Sure, if you agree to something.”
“What?”
“Let me take you out when we’re not working.”
I rubbed between my brows. “There’s always a case to work on.”
“But you have days off and don’t take them.” He tapped his temples. “I have my sources.”
That could be Pandora or Nova or anyone at the Network. They often ribbed me for being a workaholic and nudged me to take a break during my time off. “That may be the case, but even if I’m not scheduled, there’s too much going on to rest.”
“That’s a one-way ticket to burnout.”
I grunted, having heard that many times. “You sound like Pandora.”
“You need to take your time off to focus on yourself,” Lucas insisted with a raised index finger.
“I’ll think about it.”
It was just a kiss.No big deal.
I told myself that half-a-dozen times while at my office the next day.
Simply curiosity.
During tense situations, emotions are heightened. All those crazy chemicals rushing around could lead to unexpected actions.
But I’d been attracted to Lucas for far longer than that.
Ugh, fighting this attraction grew ever more challenging each day. The more time I spent with him, the harder it was to ignore. I had to find some sort of professionalism before I destroyed any chance of solving this case.
That night, we arranged to meet in my car behind the club again to watch for any signs of trouble. Was it a pointless endeavor? For months, I’d been one step behind the demons. They taunted me by leaving a trace of magic to follow in a wild magic chase. Doing something, despite how futile it seemed, was better than doing nothing.
After Lucas climbed into the passenger seat, I took a deep breath to focus on my resolve. “Lucas, we have to stay focused tonight.”
“Okay,” he agreed.
The relaxed tone in his voice didn’t match the serious note in mine.
“We’re searching for a murderer,” I insisted.
“I realize that.”
