ZEKE
With Fiona this close,her subtle floral scent washing over me and her dark eyes full of emotion, I wanted to wrap her in an embrace and tell her that everything would be okay. She looked so lost, and I hated seeing her like that when she was usually so fiery and put together.
Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips and heat flashed through me. Fuck, she was a sexy woman, with her full pink lips, porcelain skin, and eyes that could be doe-like if they weren’t so shrewd. Her breath caught, and I wondered if she’d noticed the fact I was having trouble concentrating because of her.
“Zeke?”
“Mm?” I forced myself to raise my eyes from her mouth.
Her pupils had dilated, and the sight rocked me because it was so unexpected. I was used to being attracted to her, but she usually went out of her way to hide any answering attraction she might feel. Now, it was on full display, and I wanted to kiss her so badly.
“The police are still out there,” she murmured.
“Damn.” Cockblocking bastards.
I took her hand, threaded my fingers through hers, thrilled by the press of her slender hand against my larger, rougher one, and stayed at her side while we returned to finish our conversation with the police. They were still seated, and they didn’t look flustered—as though they’d been conducting an illegal search while we were away—so hopefully they hadn’t moved from the sofa.
“Will you be collecting evidence before you leave?” I asked, knowing I’d better warn Amber to clear out if they were. The police didn’t generally like anyone interfering with a crime scene.
Harrison snorted. “Evidence of what? We could take a sample of the paint on your face, but it looks like paint and smells like paint, so I think we’ll just choose to assume that it is, in fact, paint. Other than that, what else is there to look at?”
Beside me, Fiona stared at them in disbelief. I squeezed her hand, hoping she’d heed the warning not to run her mouth at them. I loved her snarky side, but this wasn’t an appropriate time to let it loose.
“You could take a sample?” Fiona suggested.
“Perhaps,” Harrison allowed. “We’ll see if there’s enough out there for it to be worthwhile.”
“How about fingerprints from the fire escape?” I said. “Or he might have dropped something when he escaped?”
I hadn’t noticed anything when I took Amber out there, but that was only from a cursory glance.
“The stairs from the fire escape will be covered in fingerprints,” Goodwin pointed out. “The chance of us finding anything noteworthy is slim. Besides, didn’t you say the guy was wearing gloves?”
Frowning, I tried to recall. He’d definitely had his head covered, but I couldn’t remember whether or not I’d seenthe bare skin of his hands. “I’m not sure. He had brown eyes though. You’ve made a note of that?”
“Of course.”
Harrison stood and wiped her hands on her pants. “We have to get moving. Miss Ryan, we’ll need you to be available for questioning early next week.”
“You can make an appointment with my attorney,” she replied.
The police left, closing the door behind themselves.
Fiona sighed. “Well, that was a waste of time.”
“No, it wasn’t. Reporting an incident like this is never a waste,” I reminded her. “We’ve created a paper trail, and at some point, we might be grateful for that.”
“I guess so.” She looked deflated, and once again, I was struck by the urge to comfort her. Strange, when I’d never cared much about anyone else’s comfort before. She glanced at me. “You still have some flecks of paint on your face. Want me to get them off?”
“Sure.” I could easily do it myself, but I got the impression she needed something to distract herself, and besides, it was nice to have her fuss over me. I sat on the sofa and closed my eyes while she got a damp cloth and scrubbed at spots on my cheeks and forehead. I’d never had someone baby me. My dad had been old-school military, and my mom had decided early on that she wasn’t really interested in being a parent, so tenderness wasn’t something I’d experienced much. Usually, the only time anyone touched me was during sex, and while I loved that, it was different than this was. Less intimate.
I cleared my throat, concerned I might be getting a little too emotional. “We’ll make them see that you’re innocent.”
A soft pressure landed on my cheek. Her lips. My eyes shot open just as she pulled away.
“Thank you,” she said, her cheeks a rosy hue.
My stomach flipped over, and my heart ka-thunked. That kiss felt like more than a thank you. It meant something. Honestly, the past few minutes might have been the most raw connection I’d ever experienced with someone. It should have frightened me. I preferred to keep people at a distance. But for some reason, it didn’t. I’d always been attracted to Fiona, but I was beginning to admire her more deeply than I’d like to admit.
