“No.”
“Wait, what?” Jimmy stammered in shock. “Come on, it has to be Charlie. There is something going on with him. Like showing up minutes before the DEA raid? That can’t be a coincidence!”
“It is not Charlie. I believe it’s Stephen Blalock.”
“That creep?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, but Charlie is still totally up to something,” Jimmy insisted.
“Yes, planning our wedding,” Cold said with an amused smile. “Which still needs attention.”
“I’ve been very busy,” Jimmy said indignantly. “Being illegally questioned, getting in car wrecks, hanging out with the cops...”
“Trying to interrogate a potential witness behind my back,” Cold huffed dryly.
“You mean Holliford? Yes!” Jimmy wasn’t about to deny it, and he groaned when Cold’s hands found the sore spot on his collarbone. “Mmmph... I was trying to help.”
“You should have come to me first,” Cold sighed. “I could have told you that the DEA was getting ready to arrest him and that’s why I hadn’t bothered seeking him out to aid my defense. Besides, he’s hardly credible, and I still am confident that my case will never see trial.”
“You knew about the raid?”
“When will you learn that there is very little that I don’t know about?” Cold snorted affectionately, kissing Jimmy’s cheek.
“I do know one thing,” Jimmy said smugly.
“What’s that?”
“That you know absolutely diddly squat about proposing,” Jimmy chuckled.
Cold snorted, a bright smile actually cracking his usually calm exterior. “Mm, I suppose I’ll have to work on that.”
“If you want me to say yes, you’d better.”
“Noted.” Cold continued to wash Jimmy at a leisurely pace. He lightly massaged over his sore muscles and dragged his fingers over his scalp as he shampooed his hair.
The touches were meant to comfort and not titillate, but Jimmy was still a squirming mess by the time Cold herded him out of the shower to dry him off.
Wrapped in his plush robe, Cold put Jimmy to bed and let him curl up on his chest.
“You’re going to have a lot of new scars,” Jimmy noted, tracing the line of stitches on the side of Cold’s face.
“I don’t mind so much anymore,” Cold said with a soft smile.
“Oh?” Jimmy lifted up his head. “Does this mean we could go on a beach trip for our honeymoon? Run around in our swimsuits and dig our toes down in the sand?”
Anything involving bare bodies in public had always been a definite negative for Cold.
Cold grimaced. “You can.”
“You’re going with me,” Jimmy scolded.
“There is absolutely nothing for me at the beach,” Cold said grumpily.
“Yes. Me. I’ll be at the beach.”
“Go to sleep, Jimmy,” Cold sighed, a small smile teasing at his lips even as he fought to stay stern.
