They followed her down the long hallway, and Harper was glad to see that although her gait was a bit stiff and stilted and she used a walker, she seemed to not be suffering any long-term ill effects.
“I didn’t have a chance to tell you, Ms. Johnson, but you have a beautiful ho—” Harper stopped short.
Fuck.
Colson Delacourt sat at the kitchen island, a piece of pie in front of him, a scoop of vanilla ice cream perched precariously on top. He looked up and when their eyes met, the easygoing expression on his face fled, replaced by a flat wariness that dimmed the brightness of those sky-blue eyes.
“Look who stopped by, Colson. The two detectives who helped me. Isn’t that nice?”
“I should get going, Millie.” Frowning, Colson rose to his feet.
Obviously, Colson Delacourt did not think it was nice.
“Nonsense. You haven’t even begun eating the piece you cut. Sit, please.” She turned to Nolan and him. “Detectives. Would you like some pie with your coffee?”
“One moment. I have to check this message.” Nolan reached into his pocket. “Wouldn’t you know it? My wife called. I need to get home to help with the baby. So fussy. Thanks so much for theinvitation, Ms. Johnson, but Detective Rose will be happy to stay and have some.”
“Nolan,” he warned. He hadn’t heard the phone buzz, but more importantly, Nolan and Gina had no children. He was so going to kill his partner.
“See you tomorrow,” Nolan called as he raced out of the house. The door slammed.
“Please stay, Detective. Colson, dear, you remember Detective Rose?”
“Yes,” he clipped out.
“You will have some pie with us, won’t you, Detective? Colson helped me make it, since the other one was ruined.”
“Did he, now? How very domestic of him.” Harper gave his most sunny smile.
Delacourt’s icy-blue eyes flashed murder, and damned if that fire didn’t kick-start his desire. Harper might lie to everyone else, but he could admit to himself that Colson Delacourt was sexy as hell and that he wanted him.
“I’m sure an important man like the detective is way too busy.”
Harper had planned to refuse—if he left, he’d be home early for David, but he could take the extra half an hour here and still have plenty of time with his brother. And this was too tempting an offer to turn down.
“Thanks, Millie. I’d love to have some pie, especially if Mr. Delacourt helped make it.”
He grinned at Colson’s death glare across the island.
Chapter Five
Colson knew he should’ve left earlier.
It had been a productive day. He was deep into the character building of not only his killer but the detective on the hunt.
A character’s backstory had never come so easily to him as this detective’s. Maybe because he’d had the perfect man to model him after. Detective Harrison Rosa was in his late thirties, tall, dark-haired, with ice-gray eyes and a bad attitude that was always getting him in trouble with higher-ups…but they kept him because he got his killers.
Colson’s realization that he’d based his new character on the real-life Detective Harper Rose gave him a moment of hesitation, and he’d considered revising but had decided against it. Rose himself had stated he’d never read Colson’s books. He’d never see the man again anyway, which was probably for the best, as each time they’d faced off, Colson was left pissed off—and even more aggravatingly, turned-on. He’d never met anyone who’d gotten under his skin so fast.
Earlier, Colson had brought Millie some things from the store, and when she’d asked him to stay, he hadn’t been able torefuse. He’d even brought over his notebook and read her some of the chapters he’d written. Now, seeing Detective Harper Rose perched so casually on the barstool, making nice with Millie, he wished he’d never come.
“Colson was sweet enough to pick up my groceries from the supermarket,” Millie gushed to Rose, who wore the sightly amused but patronizing expression that annoyed the shit out of Colson. Millie, of course, remained unaware and chattered on. “He’s been a tremendous help all week, in fact, stopping by to check on me, taking me to the doctor for my checkup.” She gazed at him fondly, and he smiled at her.
“It’s no problem. I’m home, and I’m happy to help.”
“You’re lucky, Ms. Johnson, to have such an accommodating neighbor. That’s unusual these days.”
Colson shot Rose a glance to see if he was being a smartass, but there was no smirk on that handsome face. They each ate their pie, and after taking several bites, Rose glanced up at him.
