“Oh, good lord.” Harlyn lets out a nervous laugh when I retake my seat. “Do you think he made all that racket so we would know he was coming in case we were… you know?”
“Probably, I’m just grateful he couldn’t see where my hand was.”
She laughs again, this time harder. “That sounded so dirty.”
I groan. She really does have a filthy mind.
I blink a few times,allowing my eyes to adjust to the bright afternoon sunlight before pushing out into the vestibule. I need to be able to see clearly when we leave, so I can assess the nearby vehicles. Just because I’m saying fuck it to some of the rules doesn’t mean I’m sloppy.
Harlyn pushes her palms against the bar on the door as if to leave ahead of me. “If this is going to work at all, you’re going to have to follow my lead.” I place my hand over hers, stalling her exit. She looks over her shoulder, and our eyes meet. Not kissing her again is going to be damn near impossible, especially when she’s looking at me as if she’s expecting it.
I avert my eyes and scan what I can see of the parking lot. My view isn’t perfect, but I don’t see anyone sitting in any of the nearby cars. “Stay close,” I warn her, feeling exposed.
“You’re making me nervous.” She fiddles with the sleeves of her shirt and bounces her gaze all around when we hit the sidewalk. I try to be less conspicuous, but I’m doing the same.
“Good, if you’re nervous, your guard will be up.”
“I feel like that’s how I’ve been living,” she grumbles.
I open her car door and close it as soon as she’s seated before jogging around to my side. I haven’t been this tense about an operation in years. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to pull this off. The last place I want to take her is back to her house, but it’s exactly where she needs to be if we have any hope of this guy exposing himself.
I think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.
Harlyn
Boone darts a look in my direction. I’m even more aware of him than I was before our kiss, and damn, what a kiss. If he hadn’t pulled away, I wouldn’t have. I nearly giggle, thinking about the usher entering the theater and how much worse it could have been.
“We need to set some rules.” His voice is serious, bringing me back to the moment.
“Okay,” I agree. It’s a relief to think I wouldn’t be all on my own.
“From here on out, until this guy is no longer a risk to you, we keep things…”
He pauses as if he doesn’t know what to say, so I chime in, “No kissing. I got it.”
Boone clicks his tongue and gives me the side-eye. “Not just no kissing. After we do a full sweep of your place, it’s going to need to look like I’m gone.”
“Look like?” I question.
“Yeah, and that’s not all. I have to report this to my team. There’s a good chance—no, not achance, a definite possibility they will come, and if it looks like—” He pauses again to look over at me. “If it looks like I’m too invested, then they will pull me no matter what I say.”
I open my mouth to argue, but the words don’t come. I want to ask him not to tell anyone, to just handle it himself, but that isn’t only selfish beyond measure, it’s stupid. All this time, I’ve wanted this kind of attention from the police, and here he is, willing to give it, and even from a higher office, and all I have to do is ignore how badly I want to be close to him.
“What about after?” My voice is small. I feel vulnerable and greedy for even admitting my thoughts, considering how much he’s offering.
“After is different,” he answers noncommittally, not making any promises. I nod, thinking I was dumb for allowing myself to have hope for something more. A date isn’t the promise of a future. Besides, I shouldn’t be surprised, since the man who took my sister from me appears to be determined to take everything.
“My intent from the beginning was to find the person who murdered my sister and make them pay. I’ll do whatever you say if you’re willing to help me do that.”
Boone’s brow furrows, causing the delicate skin near the corner of his eye to crinkle. My fingers twitch to smooth the lines of tension, but I turn to face the side window instead.
The silence in the car is heavy, but thankfully short-lived. “I need to make a call, and I’d rather do that here where there’s no chance I’ll be overheard.”
“You want me to stay quiet,” I state.
He shakes his head in denial. “I’m not worried about them knowing you’re with me. It’s more to let you know I’m going to have to explain the situation, and it will probably be best if I leave some things out.”
“Okay,” I agree, because there’s nothing else I can do, not that I would anyway.
