Page 132 of The System

Carina left the room and greeted the officer waiting outside it this time. Now that Marin was no longer charged with murder, they were a little more relaxed about her visits. A few minutes later, the door opened, and Kieran came out.

“Everything okay?” Carina asked.

Kieran smiled and shook her head.

“She wanted to know how I got a hot lawyer.”

“Diego?” Carina teased.

“She said hot,” Kieran replied.

“Good answer,” Carina said, laughing. “The others are probably at the bar already.” She took Kieran’s hand. “Let’s go celebrate?”

“She asked if I’d get her noise-canceling headphones,” Kieran added as they started walking.

“Well, maybe you should. It would be nice. Your office is right next to your bedroom, and if the office becomes her room, she’ll definitely hear us.”

“I was thinking we’d maybe just have sex at your place, and you could just sleep over at mine.”

“Awkward morning-afters with your sister are not your thing?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never done that.”

“Well, you can stay over at my place whenever you want. Are you sure you’re okay with giving up your office, though? You love it so much.”

“It’s only for six months. More, if she needs to stay longer, but there’s room in the living room, and I don’t want her to sleep on the couch after getting out of jail.”

“If she needs longer, you could consider just staying with me more,” Carina suggested.

“More than a few times a week?” Kieran asked as they handed in their badges and left the jail.

“Yeah. Like, when your lease is up.”

Kieran stopped and turned to her.

“You’re asking me to move in right now, aren’t you?”

“No one said right now,” Carina tossed back.

“No, I mean, you’re asking right now for me to move in one day.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m throwing it out there as a possibility for the future.”

“Throwing it out there, huh?”

“I’m only suggesting that should this relationship still be happening, which I hope it is, you could maybe move in with me unofficially when the six months for Marin is up, and she could stay at your place on her own more until she finds one. It would give us some practice living together, and when your lease is up, you might as well not sign a new one.”

“How likely are you to be using that gym you bought stuff for?”

“Now that Tinley’s gone and has taken the bed? Probably never. Why?”

“Can I maybe put a desk in there and have my own setup like I do at my place?”

Carina smiled and said, “Tomorrow, if you want.”

“It’s not a living together thing necessarily, but I want to give Marin some space, too. Once she settles in, I’ll do it; set up a monitor or just bring my laptop in there. Maybe I can work from your place after I sleep over some days, and she could be on her own a bit.”

“That’s six months away, though.” Carina wrapped her arms around Kieran’s neck. “What about now?”

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