That probably meant it was time for her to climb down, but she didn’t want that. She wanted to cling to him. To press her body to every inch of his and take his warmth, his comfort, and give the same in return.
He was her best friend. Her boss. He’d never once given any indication he thought of her as anything else. Not until he stopped breathing with her lips almost brushing his. Not until she felt his eyes flutter closed and his hand tremble in her hair.
“Reese?” she whispered.
“Whatever you want,” was his hoarse reply.
She pressed her lips to his, her heart soaring. He sucked in a desperate breath through his nose, his fingers digging into her ass hard enough to leave bruises.
She tilted away, and his lips clung to hers. She kissed him again, another long, closed-mouthed press that shook her to her core.
When she dared to trace her tongue over his lower lip, he shuddered.
Hodges cleared his throat from the doorway.
Reese bolted upright from his desk as Mati unwound her legs from his waist, and she nearly went sailing. Reese caught her in time and she managed to land on her feet, gripping Reese’s arms to keep from melting into a puddle on the floor.
Holy shit. What did we just do?
Reese’s cheeks were bright pink, and he was staring at her legs, apparently flummoxed. She belatedly smoothed her skirt down from where the damn thing had ridden up to her hips.
Whoops.
Now her cheeks were hot, too, but there was nothing to do but brazen it out. Somewhat put back together, she turned toward the door.
Hodges looked like he was about to expire from suppressed mirth.
Reese scowled at him.
“The police would like to speak with you both,” Hodges announced.
Reese tucked his hands in his pockets and circled his desk. “Have them come in here, unless they need us somewhere else?”
“No, I’ll bring them. When you’re ready?”
It took Mati a moment to realize Hodges was askingher. She looked at her stocking feet and wrinkled suit. Wisps of hair, pried free by Reese’s fingers, floated in her peripheral vision.
She was a mess, but she wasn’t willing to let Reese out of her sight, not yet, so the decision was simple. She sat primly in one of the guest chairs in front of his desk and crossed her legs with as much dignity as she could muster.
“I’m ready now.”
Hodges nodded and disappeared down the hall.
Mati didn’t know what to say, and even if she figured it out, it would have to wait until the police were done. She swept up a handful of loose curls and tucked them back into the chignon at the back of her neck, achingly aware of Reese watching.
They gave their statements with Hodges watching over them from the door. If the police would have rather separated them, they didn’t indicate it, and no one volunteered.
When they called the techs into the office, Hodges escorted someone to his office to make copies of the relevant security video footage while she and Reese moved to the kitchen to get out of the way.
She stopped short when she saw her lunch still scattered across the surface of the table and stared at the wilted food. Rubbing her arms for warmth, she wished fervently she could wrap herself around Reese again.
Reese wanted nothing more than to wrap Mati in his arms again. He just wasn’t sure if that was the right thing to do.
“Here,” he said, pointing her toward the cushioned window seat at the end of the table. The sun was still working its way through the trees and warming that spot. “I’ll be right back.”
He ran to dial up the heat and grab a throw from the living room. He tucked it over her lap when he returned to the kitchen.
“Thanks,” she said, running her hand over the soft knit.
