There still wasn’t an inch of physical space between them. But after their last heart-to-heart, she thought she detected an emotional distance in him.
Something was missing in his voice when he spoke to her. And she couldn’t find any of the usual teasing admiration in his eyes. In fact, she was pretty sure what she saw was confusion.
And maybe…wariness?
She briefly closed her eyes and pictured the last time he’d looked at her dead-on. It’d been after she motioned for the detective to take a seat in the rattan chair opposite the sofa. Wolf had glanced at her and their eyes had locked.
Then, for the first time in…well, maybe forever…he’d been the first to look away.
She went back over their last conversation and couldn’t fathom what she’d said to cause a change in him. Unless she’d upset him when she said she wanted tobein love withoutfallingin love?
But why in the world wouldthathave bothered him?
Unless…That little voice whispered that one word. Then, it waited for her to fill in the blank.
Unless Wolfwantedher towantto fall in love with someone. But why would he care one way or the other? It washerlife to live however she pleased, not his.
Unless…
Unless the person he wanted her to want to fall in love with washim.But why would he want that? He was a playboy.
Unless…
Unless he fancied himself falling in love withherand had convinced himself his wild oat days were behind him.
You know the sound basketball shoes make against the court when a player skids to a stop? Well, that’s the sound Chrissy’s brain made inside her head.
Sweet heavens. Is that it? Does Wolf think he’s falling for me?
“…because the Coast Guard isn’t exactly forthcoming with their logs,” Dixon said.
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “Could you repeat that? I zoned out.”
Zoned out and homed in on a possibility that totally blew her mind. We’re talking gray matter confetti shot out of a freakin’ circus cannon.
“I said I’m waiting for the Coast Guard to send me a log of the boats they searched in the marina yesterday,” Dixon obliged. “But they’re not exactly in a hurry to cooperate. I’ve been told I can expect a copy by this afternoon at the earliest.”
It was tough, but she was determined to keep her mind on the matter at hand instead of the man sitting beside her. The one who was so warm and who smelled so good and who may or may not think he was falling in—
Gah!
“And you’re hoping that’ll tell you what?” Wolf asked.
She’d always liked his voice. It was one of those deep, harmonic baritones that belonged to a disc jockey. Now, for some reason, her brain conjured up a scene of what it would sound like on a warm, seductive night with the cool breeze rattling the fronds of the palm tree growing outside her bedroom window and the music from Duval Street echoing in the distance.
Why is it when I tell myself not to think of something, that’s all I can think about?
She had the same problem with ice cream and peanut M&Ms.
“Once I have a list of the boats, I can search the names of the operators and owners. Maybe I can find a couple of guys who fit your description of the shooters.” What looked to be a blob of dried syrup was stuck to the bottom of Dixon’s tie. It caught his eye and he scratched at it.
The poor man was even more rumpled-looking this morning. No doubt because, in his hunt for the fiends from the warehouse, he’d barely taken time to sleep, much less iron his clothes.
Chrissy suddenly felt shitty for having been annoyed with his lack of progress.
“In the meantime,” he continued, “I’ll keep a police presence here with you and one at the hospital with Mr. Turner. And as soon as I get a lead on the shooters, I’ll let you know.”
She was glad he’d phrased it that way instead ofifI get a lead on the shooters. His confidence helped shore up her own.
