Instead of holding her hand, I guide her with my palm on her lower back. Feels more office-appropriate.
Andrews is the first nosy ass to notice our entry, craning his neck to look through his open office door. He stands, ambling over with a smirk on his face. “Nice to see you again, Lila.”
She beams at him, making me double back to the earlier joke about her daddy issues. “Hi, Agent Andrews. How are you?” Despite the smile she wears, there’s a nervous hitch in her tone.
“Good, good.” He nods, his knowing grin spreading. “I assume that your presence here means you’re going to help us.”
She twists her fingers nervously in front of her waist. “Yeah. I would’ve come sooner. It’s just that?—”
Trying to keep my tone pleasant, I interject. “Where are we meeting?”
Andrewstsksat me in disapproval, then points his chin to the left. “Small conference room. I’ll get the SSA to join us.”
“And the others?” I ask, referencing the rest of the team.
He swipes his eyeline to Lila briefly before answering me. “I thought it would be best if she didn’t have to face the full firing squad. It’ll just be you, Chase, and me with her for the initial questioning.”
As I urge my girl away, she tosses a half-arm wave at him. “Bye for now, I guess.”
“Come on,” I mutter, some of my frustration seeping out.
“Do you not like him or something?” she whispers. “He seems nice.”
“Oh, he is. But he’ll talk our ears off if we let him.”
And he’ll be all up in my love life at the first sniff of my new dynamic with Lila.
A flutter under my ribs makes me catch my breath.
I have a love life now.
Because I finally have the love of my life.
A memory of how kind Warren was to me last night pricks at my conscience.Shit. Old habits are hard to break. Now I feel guilty for being a dick to him.
Andthat’sa thought I’ve never had before.
I don’t let my reaction show, steeling my focus on what’s to come.
Lila side eyes me. “I see what you meant about your stiffness.Sheesh. I wouldn’t call you a dick, but you’re certainly acting penis-shaped.”
“Just getting my head in the game,” I hedge, struggling not to laugh at her valid and amusing quip.
After I show her to the conference room, I pull out a chair for her. “Wait here. I’ll get you something to drink. What would you like?”
As she takes in her surroundings, her posture shifts so she’s drawing in on herself. “Is there a menu? Happy hour? Will there be apps? I’ll take a rim razzle ding dong.”
Ah, yes. The patented Lila distraction technique.
I bring my mouth to her ear, keeping my volume low. “Calm down, cookie. It’s gonna be fine. You’ve got this.”
“Reed, I’ve always tried to be a good person. Yet I’m about to confess to marking cards, concealing a kidnapping, and helping criminals steal ungodly amounts of money.To the friggin FBI.”
She expels a trembling breath, laces her hands together, and places them on the table. If you looked upprojecting false confidencein the dictionary, this is the image.
Proving my point, she quietly tacks on, “I most certainly don’tgot this.I’ve got nothing.”
Before I think better of it, I kiss her forehead. “You’ve got me.” I linger there for a beat, waiting for some of her tension to wane before I step out.
