"And what does your gut say about me?" he asked quietly.
She didn't answer right away because her gut was saying a lot of things. "I don't know," she said, because that was easier than telling him what she did know.
Disappointment ran through his gaze. "You do know; you just don't want to say."
"It's complicated."
"It doesn't have to be. Sometimes, life is a lot simpler than we think." He suddenly moved, sliding down the couch until he was right next to her, and then his hand was cupping the back of her head, his eyes asking a silent question that she could only answer in one way.
She lifted her mouth to his, and the sparks between them ignited as soon as their lips touched. All the feelings she'd been fighting for the past few days caught fire, and the heat was too enticing to run away. She wanted to kiss him, to touch him, to connect with him on a more physical level. And while her head was screaming caution, her body was melting into his.
After several passionate kisses, Max pulled away, this time putting the question into words. "Do you want me to stop?"
"No," she said. "I don't want you to stop, and I don't want you to sleep on the couch." She got to her feet and held out her hand. "Come with me."
"You're sure it's not too complicated?"
"I'm sure it is, but I don't care," she said as he got to his feet. And then she was in his arms again, and they kissed their way into the bedroom, stripping off their clothes along the way, stopping briefly to find protection before falling into bed together and pushing all the stress and anxiety and complications away.
Because it really was simple. She wanted him, and he wanted her, and neither of them had any idea what tomorrow would bring.
Chapter Sixteen
Saturday morning, Kara slipped out of bed carefully, trying not to wake Max. The mid-morning sunlight streaming through her bedroom window was bright and warm, and she felt ridiculously, foolishly happy. It was dangerous to feel this way about Max Malone, dangerous to let her guard down with a man whose past was still largely a mystery.
But the night with him had been good. Better than good. Earth-moving.
She pulled on a robe and padded to the kitchen, starting the coffee and opening her laptop. She wanted to get back into the case, and the judge, Michael Androni, was weighing on her mind. If their theory was right, if someone was systematically going after everyone connected to the Meridien Tower case, the judge who'd signed off on those plea deals could be next, and she needed to warn him.
Grabbing her phone, she called her office, hoping Wes would be working today. He was not, but Kelly Moran, one of the other techs, picked up her call.
"I need a phone number and address," she told Kelly. "For Judge Michael Androni. He presided over the Meridien Tower case seven years ago."
"Okay," Kelly said. "Hang on."
She tapped her fingers on the table, waiting for Kelly to come back. Thankfully, she didn't have long to wait.
"Here it is," Kelly said, giving her phone numbers for both the judge, his wife Paula, and his clerk, Drew Emerson. She also gave her an address on Long Island.
"Morning." Max's voice, rough with sleep, made her look up from her laptop.
He stood in the doorway wearing only his boxer shorts, hair messed, looking unfairly attractive for someone who'd just woken up.
"Coffee's almost ready," she said, trying to keep her voice steady as memories of the night before flooded back.
He walked over and kissed her, soft and lingering. "You're already working."
"I'm trying to reach Judge Androni. I just got phone numbers. I need to warn him that he might be a target."
He nodded. "I'm going to grab a shower. Unless you want me to wait so you can join me…"
That offer was more than a little tempting, but she managed to resist. "I really need to make these calls. It's time to get back to work."
"Of course," he said with a nod, but she didn't miss the disappointed gleam in his eyes.
As Max left, she punched in the judge's number. It went straight to voicemail. She left a message, then tried his wife's number. Fortunately, she answered.
"Mrs. Androni? This is Special Agent Reid with the FBI. I need to speak with your husband about a potential threat."
