Page 169 of Nocere

"Giving us some time, I'm sure." Sam reached behind her back and pulled out a single pink rose from somewhere. "For you."

My cheeks burned immediately as I accepted it. All the nerves and worry washed away in her presence and with the sweet gesture. I held the flower, wrapped in artsy burlap and twine, to my chest before taking a quick sniff. "Baby, thank you…"

"You're blushing." She bit her lip while she gazed at me. "And you're the cutest ever."

I laughed as I draped my arms around her neck, holding the flower behind her, then lifted to my tiptoes to catch her in a kiss. She pulled me to her, her hands on my waist, as we lingered in it for ages it seemed. When we parted, Ainsley seated in front of my desk startled me. She smiled while tearing off pieces of a chocolate doughnut.

"We thought you left," I said, laughing at the way she grinned at us.

"No. There were doughnuts in the conference room." She held up the half eaten one.

"And you didn't bring us any?" Sam shook her head, joining my laughter at Ainsley's weirdness.

"You didn't ask." She snickered, then offered us a bite of hers.

I declined, but Samirah snatched the entire rest of the snack from her hand and shoved it in her mouth.

Ainsley's appalled expression made me crack up. "Rude!"

Sam flipped her off and I about died from hysterics. "Oh my God."

Ainsley huffed and puffed, though her silly giggle made its way into her tantrum. "I really liked that one!"

"Go get another one then," said Sam after she gulped down the mouthful. I brushed a crumb from her lip and she wagged her brows at me.

"Fine." Ainsley skipped from the room, in heels, which was practically an Olympic sport at that rate, and I returned my attention to my girlfriend.

"What a tool," Sam said, shaking her head though her smile remained.

"Monson!" someone shouted. "Bring that back. Don't you have a body to dissect?"

"It's on ice. I've got time." Ainsley returned with the entire tray of doughnuts and set them on the desk. "Here we are, ladies," she chirped, her voice a jovial sing-song.

"Oh my God, Ainsley. Isn't there a meeting?" I gawked at her, my eyes wide.

"It's a police station. They'll find more doughnuts somewhere." She snatched a chocolate one just like the previous that Sam destroyed and dropped back into her seat. With a big fat grin plastered on her face, she dove right into the confection.

"Is she always like this here?" asked Sam, her hands around my waist again.

"She's like this everywhere." I leaned into her and brought the flower back to my nose to take in its sweet fragrance. It brought a smile to my lips, and a coziness to the embrace that I didn't expect.

"A rose for her Rosie," announced Ainsley with a dramatic sigh. "So sweet."

"Shut up over there." Sam pointed at her then smooched my temple. I leaned into her embrace, and allowed myself to surrender to the comfort of her. "I'm done with work for the day," she said. "When can I steal you away from here?"

"In about an hour. Want to stay?" I smiled up at her and she kissed the end of my nose.

"I sure do."

When I looked back at Ainsley, she jerked her phone back into her lap. "She snuck a photo of us. Creep."

Ainsley snickered and turned her phone around to show us. I didn't hate it at all.

"Send it to us," said Sam, before she sat down in my chair and urged me into her lap. I lay the pretty flower down on the desk beside my computer and its presence made me smile as much as Sam's.

"You got it." Ainsley beamed at being rewarded for her scandalous photography.

"Did you come see me because Rebecca set alerts on your phone, too?" I asked Sam, and her brow furrowed.

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