He stepped into her and pulled her tightly against his chest. “We'll worry about that later. You’re doing the right thing, reporting this.”
She wasn’t so sure. “I tried to convince myself I had only seen him choke that guy out, like you said, and that he didn’t kill that man.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he did. COD was manual strangulation,” Burke told her. She had the right to know.
“Shit,” Donna cursed.
“Don’t be afraid. You’re here with me, and I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” Burke said soothingly as he caressed her back.
“Yeah, I guess I’ll worry about that after Christmas.” When she was back home alone.
“Not then, either. Laura Lee, Dupont, and I are all going back to Richmond with you after Christmas.”
“You are?”
“Yes, we are. Donna, I’m going to take care of this. I’m not going to leave you out there alone to deal with this.” He pulled back and flashed her a smile, trying to alleviate her fear. “And I’ll set that detective straight.”
“Thank you.” She dropped her head against his chest and took in the incredible sensation of being held by him.
After several quiet moments, he spoke. “Hey, I still need to do my Christmas shopping for the kids. Do you think your mom will watch them for a couple of hours? We could go shopping and get lunch, just the two of us.”
He knew he was doing it again, sending her mixed signals. Why did this have to be so difficult for him? He liked her a lot. He’d decided he would have a conversation with her regarding the job, the danger, the sacrifices, and what it would mean if they moved forward with this relationship. He still wasn’t sure she could handle it, but the alternative of not having a relationship was not palatable to him either.
He wouldn’t have that conversation today, though, probably not, well, maybe. He’d see how the afternoon and evening went.
“They’re going to be disappointed that you’re not going to spend the day here with them,” she said. “You saw how excited they were to see you.”
“I’m sure if they know I’m going Christmas shopping for them, they’ll be okay with it. How about we go now, and we’ll be back shortly after lunch? I’ll spend all day with them, and I’ll cook us all dinner tonight. They liked my lasagna. We can stop at the store and pick up any ingredients we need for it.”
“They liked your garlic bread,” she said with a smile.
“They liked my lasagna too,” he insisted. “And I’ll tuck them in tonight,” he offered. Yes, he’d like that too.
“I think that would be good,” she said. “They all love you, Rich. Elijah said he wished you were his daddy.” She paused and shook her head, kicking herself for saying that aloud. What was wrong with her? That kind of talk could scare him off. “His dad was gone from our lives right after he was born. He doesn’t remember him. You’ve been the only constant in his life.”
“That’s definitely his sperm donor’s loss. He’s a great kid. They all are.”
“Are you planning to stay-over tonight after you tuck them in?” she asked.
Burke would love to. In this room, holding her. He couldn’t deny to himself that he was attracted to her as a woman as well as be attracted to the family as a whole. Every time he was with them, those feelings surged. Keeping it mostly platonic between them was one of the hardest things he’d ever done. But just maybe he didn’t need to keep it that way any longer. Maybe after the kidswere in bed would be the perfect time to have that conversation with her.
“I’d like to, if you don’t think your mom would have a problem with it.”
Donna chuckled at that. “Rich, you do realize I have three kids? It’s not like I’m a fifteen-year-old virgin my mom needs to protect. Besides, she knows you stay at my place when you come out to see us, though I don’t think she buys that you sleep on the couch.”
Rich chuckled. Then he pulled her in close again, and his lips brushed over hers. It was a quick kiss. “I’m glad you’re here. Phone calls and videochats are good, but I did miss being in the same room with you.”
Donna gazed into his eyes, surprised by his words. Could this visit be different from the others when it came to their relationship? Every time she dared to hope, she was left disappointed. “Me too, but I am glad we have the calls and videochats when you’re away.” She reached up and initiated another kiss.
Burke allowed himself to get lost in the moment. He deepened the kiss. It was as erotic as well as emotional; the feelings the kiss expressed were more than just desire. The kiss lasted for several pleasurable minutes. When he pulled his lips from hers, Burke would not deny that he was aroused.
“Shopping, lunch.” He flashed a smile at her.
“Shopping, lunch,” she repeated with a smile, eager to spend alone time with him.
Her mom, of course, agreed to watch the kids. There was plenty of food in the refrigerator and freezer that she could heat up for the kids and herself for lunch. The kids were disappointed that Rich would be going out until he wrote down their Christmas lists so he could go shopping. He promised he and their mom would be back in the afternoon and they’d spend the rest of the day together. He’d tuck them into bed, and he also promised he’d be there when they woke up in the morning.
Donna sat beside him in his car, trying not to read too much into this outing. She’d like to think of it as a date, but was it? Had any of the time they’d ever spent together been something to consider as a date? The only relationship he’d ever affirmed was friendship. She was surprised when he took hold of her hand and held it as they walked into the store. He only let it go when he grabbed the shopping cart, as he needed two hands to push it. She fell into step beside him.
