Page 79 of Girl, Reformed

There was a heat in Luca's voice that senta shiver down Ella's spine. But before she could examine that littlenugget too closely, Harland lumbered over like a block of government-issuedconcrete.

‘You two look like microwaved shit,’ hegrunted by way of greeting. ‘But damn if you didn't do the job and then some.’

Ella smirked, ignoring the twinge in hersplit cheek. ‘Careful, chief. That almost sounded like a compliment.’

‘Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once ina while.’ But there was a grudging respect in the old battle-ax's beady eyes.‘Vanzetti's stable. Probably'll be sipping drinking through a straw for awhile, but he'll live to sleaze another day.’

‘And Doyle?’ Luca asked.

‘Bellevue's finest rubber room,’ Harlandsaid with a nod. ‘He's drooling Thorazine and screaming about spotlights andhecklers. But given everything we've got on him, it'll be a slam-dunk lifesentence. If this was ten years ago, he'd be getting the injection.'

‘Couldn't happen to a nicer guy,’ Elladrawled.

Luca asked, ‘Can we have someone take careof his mom? Poor woman is going to need therapy and then some after this.’

‘Got officers at her place already. Doylewas her caregiver, according to one of my guys. We’re going to move her to ahome.’

‘Thank you, chief,’ Ella said. She stuckout a hand, met Harland's crushing grip without flinching. ‘For everything. Thehard work. If you hadn’t have found that murder weapon, we might still bechasing our tails.’

Harland harrumphed, but there was aflicker of something almost like affection in his stony face. ‘You did therest. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call me. Both of you.’

Ella and Luca nodded their gratitude, andthen Harland was gone, barking orders at a knot of gawking uniforms. Ellawatched him go, something unfamiliar swelling behind her ribs. Appreciation,maybe. Or just the post-case crash, making her soft.

‘He grows on you,’ Ella said.

‘Like a fungus.’

Ella huffed a laugh, a real one this time.It felt rusty, unused. When was the last time she'd laughed and meant it?Probably around forty-eight hours ago when Luca had swanned into her life, allshiny loafers and shinier hair.

She cut her eyes at him, trying for casualand missing by a mile. ‘So. On a scale from 'watching paint dry' to 'seasick ona rollercoaster', how'd we do? Think you can hang in the big leagues?’

Luca shrugged. ‘You tell me. I’m just therookie. You’re Miss Dark.’

His voice dipped low on her name, a purrshe felt in her molars. And oh, that was a mistake. Because suddenly all Ellacould think about was him - his mouth, his hands, the solid heat ofhim pressed against her back as she lined up a shot.

‘Jury's still out,’ she managed, tonguedarting out to wet her lips. ‘But you didn't completely shit the bed, so.Points for that.’

Slowly, carefully, like he was gentling awild thing, Luca reached out. Settled one warm palm high on her thigh, fingersflexing just shy of indecent. Ella's heart turned over in her chest, a sweet,bright ache blooming behind her ribs. This was dangerous, this warmth, thissoftness kindling in her battered bones. She'd been down this road before, letherself get close, get attached. And it had only ever ended in blood and tearsand shattered pieces that couldn't be put back together again.

But looking at Luca now, at the opennessin his face, the gentle strength in his grip...she couldn't bring herself tocare. Couldn't muster the energy to rebuild the walls, to shove him away andretreat behind her armor of cynicism and self-loathing.

This was a bad idea. Nuclear, even. Ellaknew it down to her bones, in the same place she knew bourbon before breakfastand always going for the kill shot.

But she was so tired. Tired ofthe armor, the distance, the cloak of cynicism, she wrapped around herself likea shroud. And Luca was right there, a balm and a bandage and a bad decisionbegging to be made.

She wanted to be touched. Wanted to beheld, to be seen. Wanted to let herself fall, just for a moment, and trust thatsomeone would be there to catch her.

So when he leaned in, slow andtelegraphing his intent like a skywriter spelling it out in big, puffyletters...Ella let him.

Let him cup her jaw in his big, warm hand,let him tilt her face up to meet his. Let him brush his lips against hers, softand sweet as a first kiss behind the high school bleachers.

She no longer cared how bad of a decisionthis might be. Not when Luca's mouth was on hers, not when he tasted likeadrenaline and cinnamon gum and something uniquely him. Not whenkissing him felt like coming home, like finding a part of herself she hadn'tknown was missing.

It felt different. Different from Ben andevery other pair of lips she'd tasted in her life. Ben had never reallyunderstood her, never got why she did what she did. But Luca seemed to get it.Get her. In a way, no one else had. With him, she didn't feel like a freak or aliability.

Her nerve endings sang, her blood fizzingin her veins like cheap champagne. She sank into the kiss, let herself get lostin the gentle pressure of Luca's lips, the rasp of his stubble against herskin.

Eventually, they broke apart, foreheadstouching as they shared air in the charged silence. Luca huffed a laugh, onehand coming up to cup Ella's jaw with a tenderness that made her eyes sting.

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