“We’ll talk about me in a few minutes.” After Carver and Rodriguez left for the evening. “Right now I want to get through the rest of these threats.”
It took another hour. When they were done, she checked her in-box for any last-minute reports. “PID says we’re supposed to have a firm guest and staff list and photos of all attendees by tonight. I’ll forward them to you when they become available.”
Everyone nodded. “Okay. Rodriguez, Carver, are you still on board to meet with the officers who will be on duty Friday night?”
Carver checked his watch. “Yep. We’ll have to head out soon. We’re supposed to be there by six.”
Tessa wasn’t sorry to see them go. “Then you’ll need to getmoving. Morning meeting tomorrow at seven. Everyone else, let’s take ten minutes, then we’ll discuss what happened today.”
Luke, Gil, and Benjamin pulled their phones from pockets and left the room.
Rodriguez tossed a cup toward the trash and missed. When he went to retrieve it, he paused by Zane. “Hey, Thacker, whatever happened with that pretty little accountant you were dating?”
Tessa kept her face neutral and carefully avoided looking at Zane as she typed a reply to the PID investigator who’d emailed her about the photos.
Had Zane dated an accountant since being in DC? Because if he had, he’d never brought her up. She and Zane were friends. Best friends. Didn’t friends share that kind of thing?
“I don’t think a single date counts as dating.” Zane’s confirmation of the mystery accountant, and of the fact that he’d spent time with her, was an ice pick through Tessa’s chest.
“What happened?” Rodriguez pressed. “She turn you down when you asked her out again? Or did you decide you preferred the Spanish teacher? Or was she a French teacher? You know, the one Matthews set you up with.”
“Rodriguez.” Zane’s tone was harsh.
“What?” Rodriguez had the nerve to laugh. “Sore subject?”
Tessa continued typing, even as the pain in her chest slithered up to her neck and down her spine.
“I don’t discuss my personal life with people who haven’t earned the right to the information.”
“Ouch.” Rodriguez stood and walked to the minifridge in the corner. “Don’t hold back, Thacker.”
Luke and Gil reentered the room, coming to flank her on either side. How much had they heard? Or did they already know Zane was in DC dating accountants and teachers and who knew who else?
Why would Zane have kept this from her?
No. She knew why. They had agreed that dating each other wasn’t an option, but he wasn’t oblivious to how much she liked him. And it sounded like while he was happy to be friends with her, he was ready to find someone to date.
But was that the truth? Because one thing she could be sure of was that Zane did care about her. He wouldn’t fake an attraction to her. He wouldn’t hurt her that way.
And hehadbeen flirting with her today. And all week since he’d been here.
Would he do that if he wasn’t interested?
She didn’t think he would. But she also hadn’t thought he was dating anyone, and it sounded like he’d been dating a revolving door of women in DC.
She bit down on the inside of her lip at the thought of anyone touching him, holding his hand, snuggling against him as they walked, or... kissing him.
Unbidden, the image of Zane with a beautiful blonde in his arms, lips trailing a line of kisses down her jaw, filled her mind. She forced it out. Tried to replace it with an image of him holding her. The image was warm and real, but it wouldn’t last.
When they were together, they were attracted to each other, smoldering embers waiting to burst into flame. But when they were apart? What then?
In her peripheral vision, she saw Carver leave the room. Rodriguez paused in the doorway. “Have a great evening, Special Agent Reed.” Manners dictated a reply. She met his gaze. Rodriguez’s expression was cold and calculating. He knew he’d scored a direct hit, and he was enjoying every second of it. “I’m sure I will, Special Agent Rodriguez.”
Her voice didn’t shake, and he seemed disconcerted by the smile she flashed his way. Not so sure of himself anymore, was he?
Zane, however, looked like he’d consumed some bad seafood. Lies of omission were still lies. The guilty expression on his face spoke volumes. It hadn’t been her imagination that he’d been flirting this week, walking that line between friendship and more, teasing and tempting her heart to believe they could rewrite the past. But he wasn’t serious about her. Zane might not ever be serious about anyone.
His heart had taken a beating as a child. And while his capacity to love was enormous, his ability to receive love was minuscule. His need for love? For someone to be his person, his forever, his rock in a storm? That was off the scale, but that didn’t mean he would ever acknowledge it.
