Why hadn’t she answered yet?A full minute must’ve passed by now.Why was she hesitating?Had he read the situation wrong?He never knew with Sydney.She kept him on his toes.
Clearly, he didn’t have as good a sense about her as he believed if she was worried he’d kill her.
“Is it a hard question?”he pressed as gently as he could.
“No.”She shook her head and scrunched her features.“Yes.”She sighed.“I don’t know.”
Well, that was clear as mud.
“This is so bizarre,” she said on a nervous giggle.“Can we do this?”she asked.
He required more information.That wasn’t a clear inquiry, but before he could ask, she continued speaking.
“Are we a thing?”More laughter erupted from her.It bordered on the maniacal.“How is that possible?”
“We can be whatever you want us to be,” he offered.
Fink was pretty sure he knew what he wanted them to be, but now wasn’t the time to announce that.When he asked her to live in Maine with him, he’d been in a different headspace.Learning she thought he wanted her dead gave him pause.
Maybe he moved too quickly.
This was uncharted territory for him.Relationships weren’t his forte.Perhaps he wasn’t supposed to go with his gut.He’d let her take the lead and define their arrangement.
As long as she agreed he was the only one.
Fink didn’t share.
The idea tinged his vision red.Thoughts of decapitating her potential suitors and putting their heads on spikes outside his home flashed through his mind.Other men weren’t an option.He had no intention of pursuing more women.When he got the chance, he’d make that perfectly clear.
“I want us to be something,” she admitted, interrupting his internal monologue.
Reaching for her hand, he squeezed.“Then we are.Just you and me.”
Her smile went from ear to ear, and tears welled in her eyes.
His chest strained to contain his heart; it swelled so large.She was a magnificent woman, and all his.
“You and me.”
“Exclusive murder fuck buddies.”He used her term with a wink.
Another round of giggles erupted from her as she folded herself over the center console and against his side.
“I haven’t done this before,” he admitted as he ran his fingers through her hair.“So I might not be good at it, but I’ll try my best.”
“You’re better than you think,” she said as she pulled back.
Puffing out his chest with a bit of pride, he wiggled his shoulders.“So, to be clear,” he began.“After we put this deposition behind us, we’re going to Thanksgiving dinner with…”
He eyed her.While he’d heard the invitation, Sydney hadn’t revealed who it came from.
“Cassidy and Hauwa Roberts,” she offered.
“And they are?”he asked.
“My former foster mothers.”She tilted her head to the side and peered at him in confusion.“You didn’t know that?”
He shook his head.“Why would I?”
