“Five.” Alex swallowed hard. “Another woman was found last night. And yeah, that’s why we’re here.”
Eden drew in a deep breath. The movement caused her perky breasts to rise and fall slowly, and it took everything he had not to drop his gaze to her chest.
“Let me guess. Sergeant Murphy asked you to come here to see if I’d help with the case.”
Garrett surprised them both by letting out a loud chuckle. “Damn, Eden. You’ve gotten even better since we last saw you. Didn’t even have to touch us to know why we came.”
Laughing softly—a sound Alex had missed dearly—Eden rolled her eyes at the idiot. “I have a television, Garrett, as well as a computer and phone. Doesn’t take psychic abilities to know your department and the FBI are in a tailspin over this guy.”
Alex frowned. “That obvious, huh?”
Intelligent eyes met his. “You could say that.”
With a crooked smirk, he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Well, you’re right. As usual.”
“Except Sarge didn’t exactlyaskus to come here. More like he ordered.” Garrett looked his way. “What was it he said? Oh, yeah.” He snapped his fingers and faced Eden again. “We’re supposed to grovel and kiss your ass until you agree to come back as a unit consultant.”
Eden looked at Alex again, her dark brows turning inward. “Heorderedyou?”
Alex’s heart thumped, but it wasn’t from the anxiety he’d felt before. If he wasn’t mistaken, he could have sworn she sounded almost disappointed.
“He did.”
She licked her lips, his fists tightening from the sight. The woman honestly had no idea what she was doing to him.
“But you didn’t want to come,” she surmised.
Alex answered truthfully, “No.”
“Not because we didn’t want to see you again,” Garrett jumped in quickly. “We miss seeing you at the precinct. Alex fought Murphy on this because he—”
His loose-lipped partner cut himself off just in time. Glaring at the idiot from over Eden’s shoulder, Alex recovered the fumble. Sort of.
“After what you went through last time, I didn’t think it was fair of us to ask you for anything.”
Eden’s eyes softened. “What happened last time wasn’t your fault, Alex. I told you that back then. Unfortunately, stuff like that comes with the territory for someone like me.”
Someone like me.
He’d always fucking hated it when she referred to herself that way. As if there was something wrong with her.
“Well, it shouldn’t,” he bit out too harshly.
When the two went back to staring silently at one another, Garrett cleared his throat again and said, “I’m just gonna let you two sort this out.” He gave Eden a smile and a wave. “Good to see you again, Eden. And case or no case, I hope you’ll come by the station again, soon.”
“Bye, Garrett,” she said with a forced smile.
As he passed by on his way to the door, Garrett whispered so low only Alex could hear. “Take your time.”
Soon, he and Eden were alone in her house.
“Tell me why you really didn’t want to come here, Alex.” Sadness filled her gorgeous eyes. “And be honest.”
He looked down at her, confused. “Iambeing honest.” Alex ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Media aside, you went through hell, Eden. I don’t want to see you go through something like that again.”
“So, you fought Murphy on this because you were worried about me?”
Alex took a step toward her. “Does that surprise you?”
