Page 25 of Before We Were Us

“You gonna be at dinner tomorrow night?”

“Mom would send out the search party to drag my ass back if I didn’t.” He’s not lying. Family dinners at Mom’s are a must. I think it's her way of holding us all together and ensuring we are all good. Physically placed before her so she can get a look at us to ease her mind.

“I’ll see you then,” I tell him, unable to concentrate any longer.

“See ya.” We end the call and immediately I call Connor.

“I just got in the shower,” he barks.

“It’s Riley’s car.”

“What?” I can hear the shower running in the background.

“The red Challenger with the racing stripes. The one the potential shooter got into. It’s Riley’s car.” The water shuts off. “Myles said he ran into him a few weeks back and he was driving the red Challenger. We need to run his name and look for the plates.”

“Meet me at the station in thirty.”

“I’ll bring coffee,” I say as I end the call and practically run down the hall to the bathroom. I had a beautiful brunette I had to meet first.

sixteen

. . .

Brynnlee

Marco: Not that I am complaining but there is a handsome detective here to see you.

I smile as I cross the street looking down at my phone. Pausing outside of his quaint little shop I look through the front window and see the back of Jensen who is facing a delighted looking Marco.

Me: Well my friend, you look very pleased with the company.

I watch as he looks down at his phone and then lifts his gaze to meet mine through the windows. Suddenly a smile stretches over his face and Jenson must notice because he turns and now they are both looking at me.

Tucking my phone into my bag, I reach out and pull open the door.

“Good morning,” I say to both of them. “Sorry I’m running a few minutes late, I got stuck talking to Taylor.”

Jenson walks toward me carrying a coffee in each hand and when I reach out to take one he pulls it back toward his body. “I’m sorry about running out last night.”

“You had more important things to handle.”

He holds my stare. There we are standing in the middle of the dining area of Marco’s, neither saying anything more. Lowering the coffees to the table, he sets them down and then without warning Jensen leans in and presses a kiss to my lips. I swear I hear Marco squeal but I can’t clear my thoughts enough to be sure. How one person can consume another with just one kiss is baffling. But Jensen does, every single time I feel like the life is sucked out of me and I’m completely lost to him and his movements.

“And I’m not done,” he confesses, with his forehead resting against mine. “In fact, I need to get back to the office, but I didn’t want to miss out on seeing you first.”

Leaning back I look up at him.

“I’m not sure how long I’ll be, but what I do know is that I want to pick up where we left off last night.”

“I’m not sure when?—”

He cuts me off with another kiss. “Why do I always feel like you are trying to run from me?”

“I’m not running.”

“Then I’ll see you tonight,” he insists and excitement races through me. “I’ll come to you, I just need you to tell me that when I do, you’ll let me in.”

The way he is cupping the side of my face, holding my stare, is intense.

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