The Seaside Strangler.
The moniker made his jaw clench every time he heard it.
He despised the press on principle, but Jessica Daly had managed to push that irritation into something far stronger. Her careless broadcast had handed the killer exactly what he wanted—attention, validation, and a sense of power. Worse, it had compromised details only investigators should’ve known. Somewhere inside the sheriff’s department, someone was talking, and until Sean found the source of that leak, every move they made felt compromised.
He rounded the corner onto a quieter residential street, his pace holding steady as his thoughts shifted to the previous night.
After the newscast aired, his mood had darkened. He’d spent most of dinner replaying every leaked detail, trying to determine what damage had been done and how badly it might derail the investigation. He’d been distracted, more withdrawn than usual. Under normal circumstances, he would’ve made more of an effort with his guests.
At least Grace and Suki had carried on the conversation between them.
Their easy chatter had filled the silences, and he’d been grateful for it, even if guilt still nagged at him. Grace deserved better than half his attention.
The memory of walking her to her car last night rose with startling clarity. The air had turned cooler by then, the ocean breeze carrying enough of a bite to make her pull her light jacket closer around herself. He’d held her hand as they walked to where her tan sedan sat parked along the curb, reluctant to let go.
As he'd opened the door for her, he apologized.
* * *
“Sorry, I wasn’t great company tonight.” He leaned one hand against the roof of her car, regret nagging at him as he looked down at her. “That newscast threw me off. It’s going to be a mess at headquarters tomorrow.”
Instead of climbing into the driver’s seat, Grace turned to face him and rested her hand against his chest. Even through the thin cotton of his shirt, the warmth of her touch sent a slow rush of heat through him.
“Don’t worry, I understand. Do you have any idea where the reporter’s getting her information?”
Sean released a long breath and let his hand drift along her arm, his thumb brushing the soft fabric of her sleeve. “It has to be someone inside the sheriff’s department, but that’s Sheriff Griffin’s problem to deal with. My problem is figuring out how the killer’s going to react to all of this.” He caught himself before he could spiral back into the case and forced his thoughts elsewhere. “But enough about that. You and Suki seemed to get along.”
“We did. She’s a lot of fun. I really like her.”
As she spoke, her fingers traced small circles over his chest, and the simple touch sent a dangerous jolt through him. Heat pooled low in his stomach, his body responding before his brain could catch up. Every thought about the case evaporated, replaced by the memory of the dream that had ambushed him that morning and the very real woman standing inches away.
“I’m glad to hear that,” he said, his voice dropping.
His gaze fell to her mouth. The distance between them had already narrowed before he made the conscious decision to move. Dipping his head, he brushed his lips across hers, testing, teasing.
The contact sparked through him like an electric current. A low groan rumbled in his chest when she kissed him back with a hunger he hadn’t expected. Her hands slid up to loop around his neck, drawing him closer, and when her lips parted beneath his, the taste of her wiped away every coherent thought in his head.
He shifted forward, urging her back until her body met the rear door of the car.
The faint scent of her shampoo mixed with the salty night air as he kissed the corner of her mouth, then traced a path along her jaw to the delicate spot beneath her ear. When she tipped her head back, offering him better access, his restraint frayed even more.
The quick flutter of her pulse beneath his lips sent another surge of desire through him.
Her fingers tangled in his hair as his hands slid down the curve of her sides to her hips. Drawing her against him, he let himself imagine all the places this could go if they were anywhere but standing half-exposed on a quiet street in Whisper.
He was on the verge of abandoning common sense altogether when headlights swept across them. A horn blared, and they sprang apart, both breathing hard as the passing car disappeared down the street.
Sean dragged oxygen into his lungs and willed his pulse to slow. “I’m guessing that was someone’s way of suggesting we get a room.”
She laughed between uneven breaths. “Nothing like making out in the middle of the street like a couple of teenagers.”
The sound of her laughter caught him off guard. Warm, genuine, and completely unrestrained, it curled through him in a way no kiss ever had.
“I can think of plenty of better places.” He grinned and waggled his brows, earning another giggle, and something inside him eased. Then the moment shifted, something more serious rising beneath the lingering passion. “Can we go out on a date?”
Her eyes widened. “A date? As in a date-date?”
“Yeah.” For the first time in years, nerves crept in. “A real one. We’ve had dinner together four times, and somehow none of them have counted. So… can we?”
