“Coffee?” he asked.
“Sure.”
Once in the kitchen, she sat on a barstool while he poured their drinks. “I got you almond milk.” He set their mugs on the island, then pulled the carton from the fridge.
Her expression softened. “Thank you.” He sat beside her.
“Evangeline said the interview went well,” she said. “I’m sorry I missed it.”
“I denied everything. Not sure how long this will hold the son of a bitch off. He’s determined to take me down.” He placed his hand on her shoulder because he had to touch her, and damn, if she didn’t feel fantastic. “What’s going on with your mom?”
“A few weeks ago, she started feeling dizzy and nauseous. It’s so bad now, she can’t work and just lays on the couch. Yesterday, she was vomiting.”
“What did the doc say?”
“Her blood pressure is low, her heart rate is down, too. He’s not sure what’s wrong, so he drew blood and is running a bunch of tests.”
“Has she had this problem before?”
She shook her head. “She’s super active and healthy. She works full-time and power walks with my dad. They play tennis and ride bikes. The only thing that’s changed is my brother and his wife moved back into the area. They’re strapped for cash and moved in. At first, I thought it was the stress of long-term guests, but I don’t know.” Providence paused. “I wish I could help her.”
He held her hand, stroked her skin. His tender touch was slaying her. She could stare into his bedroom eyes all day long. How in the hell were they going to get any work done?
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said. “If you want a second opinion, I’ve got a great doctor.”
“Thanks for the offer. Let’s see what the test results show.” Though she didn’t want to sever their connection, she tugged her hand away and pushed off the stool. “We should get to work. There are a lot of moving parts to this case.”
“Not until we talk about us.”
“There is no ‘us’, Dakota.”
“Like hell there isn’t. I’m being honest with myself, Providence. It’s time you were, too.”
* * *
Providence bit down on her lower lip. She didnotwant to have this conversation. Despite the fact that she knew how she felt, she didn’t want to share it with Dakota. Feelings got in the way of her doing her job and, considering the lack of progress they were making, she didn’t feel especially confident in her abilities there, either.
“I spent time yesterday getting more comfortable using ALPHA’s systems,” she said. “I reviewed our notes and added next steps.”
He lifted her hand, kissed her finger. “Stop. Avoiding. This.”
She stilled. The longer she stared into his eyes, the more alive she felt. Yet, she was terrified to discuss her feelings. “I like working with you. You’re okay to hang with. The sex works, too. There, are we good now?”
He dropped a soft peck on her lips and she fought the desire to throw her arms around him and kiss him for hours. “I see how you look at me. How you love kissing me. If I were to carry you to my bed and love you, you wouldn’t say no.”
“You’re wrong. I would say no.” She walked around the granite island, the distance helping her focus. “I’m afraid of putting myself out there and getting hurt. I worry because you have a child and I don’t want this to end badly. She’s an innocent bystander in all of this.”
“Do you trust me?”
She stared at him for a long moment. “I trust what I know, but I know so little.”
“Fair enough. Trust that I will answer any question honestly, despite the fact that I wasyourtarget and you were hunting me down.”
“Are you a vigilante?”
The warmth in his eyes drained, and he said nothing. She let the silence linger, but he stayed quiet. Though she now knew the truth, she pushed on.
“You want me to explore a relationship with you,” she said. “If that’s the case, I want to know everything about you. What side of the bed do you sleep on? What’s your favorite meal? Why did you become a realtor? What happened to your first wife? I’ve got a million questions that will be answered in time. What I do know is that you love Sammy unconditionally. You’re protective and loving and patient with her.” She walked over to him and stood close. “But I don’t know what you’re capable of. Are you the man who’s been tracking down these violent criminals and killing them? Are you a vigilante?”
