“Be my guest.” Ozzie threw an arm wide in welcome. “But stay away from the second machine from the left. That’s my newest baby. I’m just now breaking her in.”
“Noted.” She pushed up from the conference table, eager to get started.
Before she could take a step, however, Sam stopped her with a hand on her wrist. She tried not to notice how warm and rough his palm was. How easily his fingers encircled her joint. “What can I do to help?”
“I second that question.” Fisher pushed to a stand as well.
“Me three.” This from Eliza.
“I’d love to grab one of those Capri Suns,” Hannah told Eliza, gesturing toward the tray in the center of the table that held snacks. “I could use the extra kick of sugar.”
“Be my guest.” Eliza smiled. “I added those to the pile because I remembered you liked them. You and Agent…” She screwed up her face. “What was his name?”
“Timothy,” Hannah automatically supplied. “Timothy Floyd.”
One of Eliza’s eyebrows arched and she touched the side of her nose. “I thought maybe I smelled some chemistry between you two when you were both here.”
Sam grunted—or maybegrowled?—beside Hannah.
The devil in her wanted to exaggerate her connection with Agent Floyd. But lying was anathema to her nature. Instead, she shrugged. “We had one date. It was uninspiring. And now, apparently, he’s moved back to Ohio.”
“Too bad.” Eliza shook her head. “He was cute.”
“Hey!” Fisher snapped his fingers. “Enough girl-talk about handsome FBI agents. We’ve got work to do. What do ya need me to do, Hannah?”
“Stay far, far away,” she told him with a grin. “You’re a terrible distraction.”
He winked, that faint dimple shadowing his cheek. “Flattery will get ya nowhere, darlin’.”
“Really?” She cocked her head and grinned. It was impossible not to grin back at Fisher when he was grinning at her. The manoozedcharm.
“Well…” He relented with a shrug. “It’ll get yasomewhere. Where were ya thinkin’ you’d like to go?”
It was a blatant proposition and she felt Sam’s hand tighten around her wrist.
“How ’bout you go grab my plates outta the parking garage, huh?” he growled at Fisher—really, that was the only way to describe the rumbly timbre of his voice. “And park Pale Horse in the Bat Cave while you’re at it. That’ll keep you outta everyone’s hair.”
“Copy that.” Fisher gave him a sarcastic, limp-wristed salute. Then he returned his attention to Hannah. “I’m not as bad as they’re makin’ me out to be. Just so ya know.”
“Except youare,” Eliza interjected.
Fisher turned to BKI’s…What is Eliza’s role here? Office manager? House mom? Social secretary?It was all rather vague.“You aredeterminedto rip me a new asshole tonight, aren’t ya?”
Eliza rolled her eyes so hard Hannah was surprised they didn’t pop out of her head and go tumbling across the floor. “Don’t act like everything I say doesn’t bounce off you like a rubber ball off blacktop,” she countered.
“Not true.” Fisher donned sad, puppy-dog eyes. “I’m as thin-skinned as they come. One big ball of sensitivity and insecurity.”
“Pfft. Right. Thing is, Fish, after checking my receipts, turns out I never bought any of your bullshit.”
Fisher threw back his head and laughed. “I love it when that porcelain veneer of yours cracks and we all get to see a little of therealEliza beneath.” When Eliza opened her mouth, Fisher jumped ahead. “Ah, ah, ah. Don’t go gettin’ your knickers in a knot. That was a compliment.”
He tossed an arm around Eliza’s shoulders and herded her toward the stairs. Hannah thought for sure she saw something flicker in Eliza’s eyes. But before she could study it, Sam distracted her with, “Really. What can I do to help?”
See me!she wanted to scream.See me as I am now, you big, hairy, frustrating idiot!
Some of what she was feeling must’ve come through in her expression, because he tilted his head. “Come on. Out with it. I can see you’ve got something on your mind.”
Deciding there was something to be said for that old phrase,If you can’t beat them, join them,she fluttered her lashes and told him, “I was taught to respect my elders, so I’ll refrain from saying what I was thinking.”
