“And the way you twitch your nose when someone says something you don’t agree with,” he said with a short head shake.
Well, now he’d gone too far. “I don’t twitch my nose.”
“You do.” He nodded. “And it’s adorable. You have tenacity for this case. I feel it when you talk about Lisa. You have passion and are full of life, something I don’t see in many people.”
Was he talking about the fifteen-minute rant I went on last night before we went to the bar? I didn’t really think ghosts killed Lisa. Even if it would make a great storyline for a Halloween podcast episode. And right now, it was our most viable suspect.
“I want to get to know you more and.” He paused and inched closer. “Even though it’s totally against the rules, I really want to kiss you right now.”
“Me?” My eyes widened, and I checked the area for people. They were everywhere.
Then it happened.
We’d kissed before but under different pretenses. Fake pretenses.
This kiss was all real. One hundred percent.
My heart bounced around in my chest like it wanted an escape plan. Reed stepped closer, as the world became just us and the trees. My breath stalled—happy and nervous all at once—as his hand brushed my cheek. When he finally lowered his mouth to mine, our lips met soft and sweet, and my chest bloomed. Time slowed between us, and as he took control of my mouth, I grew dizzy with the realization that everything between us had changed in that second. Screw the cobbler. We had to get back to our rental stat.
Then…
My phone rang.
Reed stepped away from me even as I tugged on his arm to keep him close. “You should get that.”
“Right.” My cheeks grew warm, but I blamed it on the Georgia weather. I would kill Delaney the next time I saw her. I raised the phone between us and turned on the screen. And she was definitely not getting a single hot guy photo. “Oh.”
It wasn’t Delaney on my caller ID but the condo building Lisa spent so much time fighting against. I answered quickly and listened to the woman on the other line’s sales pitch. On a whim, I’d filled out the online form asking for more information. I expected them to email me a brochure or something.
“I have time for an in-person tour this afternoon,” she said, and I bit my lip in anticipation. If we were going to solve this case, we’d call this step one. It was boots on the ground like Delaney wanted.
“Yes.” I glanced at Reed. “My husband and I would love that. What time?”
He raised his eyebrow at me, and I responded with a wink.
“That’s great. We’ll see you in two hours,” I said, and we disconnected. I started walking again, letting Reed catch up with me before I filled him in. “We have a meeting with the leasing agent at Lisa’s most-hated condo building.”
My stomach growled, and sadly—from the way he turned his attention in my direction—Reed heard it, too. “Let’s get my wife some lunch and peach cobbler first.”
He grabbed my hand as we crossed the street, and I let him. We had to look the part of a happy husband and wife, of course.
12
“Remember, we’re married and super rich,” I said to Reed as we approached the tall red brick building on the river off Bay Street.
He paused by the front door. “It’s weird how you say it like that.”
“Like what?” I asked, looking anywhere but at him. The sun’s rays hit me square in the eye, so I had to squint to keep my attention away from him.
Reed and I spent the last two hours together, eating and talking. I’d been dying to ask him what he meant by all the stuff he said earlier, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Every time I tried, my stomach turned into a bunch of knots.
But he kissed me. Like… really kissed me. That had to be good. Right? It meant he liked me. Hot SEALs didn’t just go around kissing women. Did they?
Did the super-hot and nice SEAL really like me? Shit.
“Your lip gets all… innocent looking,” he said, watching my expression. “How rich are we?”
“Well… I might have fibbed a little when I filled out the ‘get to know you’ survey online. You’re in oil,” I said, reaching for the door. He’d have to come up with what that meant. I never thought they’d actually call us for a tour.
