“Say something,” she finally says, her jaw tight. “Oh god!” She puts a hand over her face. “I’m so embarrassed. I can’t believe I said all of that. Please forget that I did. I told you had a boyfriend so this wouldn’t happen.”
“There is no reason to be embarrassed.” I shake my head. “The fact of the matter is that I have a job to do. What happened six months ago happened. I enjoyed it,” I tell her.
Understatement of the year.
“It can’t happen again, though. That’s the long and the short of it.”
“Of course not,” she stammers, her face going bright pink. “Of course it can’t. That’s why I didn’t want you here. Why I don’t think it’s appropriate. That’s all!”
“It’s settled, then. I’m staying on your sofa tonight, and we’re going to get some sleep.”
“Okay…yeah…of course.” She nods one too many times. “I’ll get you a blanket and a pillow and… I’m just going to go…and um…get them.” She points behind her toward her bedroom.
She turns and walks down the hall. I watch her go, and then I drag a hand down my face. My dick is still hard. My dragon is sulking. I’m a complete asshole.
I’m also right.
I have never mixed my personal life with my work. I have also never been as tempted to do exactly that as I am right now.
I have to think of all the angles. Like maybe she lied to get me out of her apartment so that she could hide something from me. Maybe the intruder thing was all a setup, designed to get mehere so that she could seduce me. That white tank top. Her pink nipples.
Fuck.
I almost fell for it.
I will get my team on it tomorrow, first thing. I want every camera angle on this building pulled and reviewed. I hope to god they find something. I will search this apartment and hope for the opposite.
Not just because of Robyn, but Magma, too. If she’s guilty, then he might be too, and I can’t stand that idea.
This is all such a mess.
She looks so damned innocent. But I can’t be sure. I can’t risk being wrong.
I need to keep my nose clean and my dick dry.
She comes back down the hall with a navy-blue blanket folded over one arm and a pillow tucked under the other. She walks past me and puts the bedding down on the arm of the sofa.
“There…um… Do you need anything else? Water? Or maybe?—?”
“I’m fine. Thanks,” I say a little too sharply.
“Okay.” She nods. “I’m going back to bed. Goodnight.” She turns toward her bedroom.
I watch her walk two steps.
“Robyn.”
She stops.
“Whatever you do, don’t lie to me again. Not about anything.”
Her back goes stiff. She turns her head and looks at me over her shoulder. Her eyes narrow just a little, and her jaw clenches. She’s angry, but I don’t care.
“I won’t. I’ll also stay far out of your way.”
I nod. “Good night, Dr. Keller.”
“Thank you for coming, Commander.”
Then she walks the rest of the way down the hall, closing the door behind her.
I do my best to make myself comfortable on her sofa.
It’s still a few hours until light. I have a feeling they’re going to drag by.
