Harmony tensed then, her shoulders tightening.
Love?
Crois shook his head. “See? Here I am putting my big foot in my mouth. I’m definitely not as smooth with women as people think I am. I’m likely to say and probably do some stupid things.”
She looked at him, trying to see through the words to the truth.
Was he saying what he meant?
Could she believe him?
Did she want to chance things with him?
She shook her head, trying to untangle her thoughts.
“So, what are we doing here?”
“Here?” Crois lifted a hand and brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek. “I’m just trying to get to know you when there isn’t a life that you’re trying to save. And I don’t have to take my shirt off and end up on social media.”
She chuckled a little at that.
“How did you end up on social media?”
He shrugged and looked a little adrift at that.
“It’s kind of crazy that people would care.”
Harmony frowned at his words, because she heard the truth of his feelings in his voice and saw it when she looked at him.
Crois had a reputation in the first responder community for being a man who loved women. Well, dating them.
And maybe she’d taken that reputation on its face.
She didn’t question it because it wasn’t something she cared to look into any deeper than the gossip she heard. She didn’t know him well enough.
But now, she felt bad about it.
Trusting the gossip.
Crois was a good officer. She knew enough about him to believe that because she’d seen the evidence of it.
Now he was looking for her to see beyond what she’d heard.
What everyone ‘knew.’
Did she want to see more?
Then there was the question she was afraid to answer.
Did she want him to see more of her?
That might be the worst part of it all.
“Crois…”
“Give me a chance, Harmony.” He smiled at her and that smile made her feel warm where her doubt had given her chills. “Give us a chance?”
Goodness.
