Chapter 18
Ryan
* * *
Ithought I was seeing things when the door to my office opened and Brooke popped her blonde head in.
Actually, I thought it was some sort of fantasy, part of the fantasy I’d been having about her. I’d been thinking about her all day and was just thinking about her again—about when I would see her again— when the knock sounded on the door.
She came in with that sassy smile on her face.
I straightened up in my chair and looked at her walking elegantly toward me as if she was on the runway. My eyes took her in and I fixated on the light little beige coat that molded to her tiny frame. It was windy outside, but not cold.
“Hi.” She beamed, eyes sparkling.
“Hey.” I found my voice and stood up to go around to her. Sitting there felt too businesslike, and I hoped she hadn’t come for business.
Was she here for business?I hoped not. It was odd for her to visit me at work.
“I hope it was okay for me to come here. I wanted to catch you alone.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, and the end of the lock glistened in the last remains of the day’s sunlight.
“Yeah, sure, it’s fine. It’s good to see you.” It really was.
It was good to see her; I just wished I wasn’t at work. Aaron had just gone out to talk to forensics about another case that had just come in. I’d hung back because I was filing reports.
He could come back any second, and he’d undoubtedly have questions. Anyone who saw her in my office would have questions, because women never visited me at work.
“You too. Seems like this was the only way, even though I only live a stone’s throw away from you.” There she went with the straight-to-the-point, no-nonsense attitude.
I smiled, unable to resist. “I thought you were busy yesterday.”
“Busy?” She raised her brows and bit back a smile.
“Okay…I confess—I didn’t know when was good to see you.”
“So you left me to make the first move?”
“This is a first move?”
“God, you really do need to get out more. I could be washing my hair or something and yet I’m here at this place.” She gave the office a quick scan, wrinkled her nose, and then returned her gaze to me.
“You don’t like my office?” I chuckled.
“No, detective, I’m afraid I don’t. It looks boring. No wonder you are the way you are. Must be the half monk side of you.”
That had to be a joke.
“And yet you had so much fun with me the other night.”
She simply stared at me, her eyes expressionless. “I came by to thank you.”
“For the fun?”
“No, for saving my job.”
My lips curved and I found myself smiling at that. I’d had a feeling things would work out somehow, but it had saddened me to think she might be leaving sooner than I wanted.
“So you’ll be doing Sally’s story?”
