Page 81 of Floodgates

“Wow,” I said, impressed.

“What?” Cord asked, looking down at me.

I gazed up into his face, as always leaning my head back to see him. “They certainly got their stories straight on the plane. That’s some slick lying he did there.”

He squinted at me.

“What?”

He scoffed. “Breckin’s always been a world-class liar.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“No?” He grinned and put a hand on the back of my head, tangling his fingers in my hair. “That’s so cute and clueless of you.”

Normally I would have defended myself, thinking he was taking a dig at me, but I didn’t feel the need to anymore. I leaned, instead, into his space, wanting to be closer. As focused on Cord as I was, I missed the others around me until I became peripherally aware that everyone was staring at the two of us. Breckin had a strange look on his face that I couldn’t place, and Celia looked stunned. Cord extended a hand to Mr. Alcott.

“Cord Nolan,” he said huskily, taking a deep breath. “San Francisco Homicide.”

Mr. Alcott took the offered hand and shook it, furrowing his eyebrows across the bridge of his nose. “Good to meet you, Inspector, though I do wish the circumstances were different.”

“As do I, sir,” he agreed before turning to indicate me. “May I introduce Tracy Brandt.”

Mr. Alcott turned and smiled at me before offering me his hand. “Mr. Brandt, a pleasure.”

“And you as well, sir.”

“Tracy, is it?” Mrs. Alcott asked me, coming forward to shake my hand.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m so glad that in the absence of his family Breckin has such a good friend in you.”

I smiled back at her as she introduced me to Breckin’s sister Bethany and his brother Brian. They made a beautiful family. I was glad Cord had given me the rundown on everyone while we were on the plane so I knew who I was looking at.

Minutes later I watched Breckin put his arm around Celia and follow his parents out of the terminal. I didn’t move until Cord picked up his duffel and turned to me.

“You okay?”

I nodded.

“You look sad.”

“No,” I assured him, moving forward to put my hand on his cheek. “I’m not sad one bit, Inspector.”

“Not for long,” he said gravely, “at least not the kind I am now.”

“Please tell me what you’re talking about, ’cause you lost me there.” I teased him.

He draped his arm across my shoulders as we walked. “I mean, I won’t be an inspector anymore, so you gotta stop calling me that. I’m leaving the force to take a job as an in-house investigator at a law firm.”

I was stunned. “You are not.”

His low seductive chuckle made my cock twitch. “I am. I’m out at the end of next month.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well, until these past few days, we haven’t exactly been close, have we?”