Page 98 of Force Play

I hesitate a beat, warring with myself, but when I see hope creeping into his dark eyes, I break us both. “Yes.”

“I’ll give you space for now, but I’m going to prove you wrong someday. You’ll see this isn’t over.” Resolution is written all over his handsome face.

Last time I panicked, running from him, from what I thought he was. He was never a mistake.

Now there’s nothing but easy contentment and so much admiration. And something else too, a feeling deep in my soul that I’m not ready to acknowledge yet. But with every passing day, it makes itself known a little more, building to the point that I know I won’t be able to ignore it much longer.

With one last look, I brush my lips against his forehead and ease out from under the weight of his arm. Shuffling my feet over the hardwood floor I stop, resting my head against the door frame and watch the slow rise and fall of his chest for a minute before I pad down the stairs and into the kitchen.

The reflection of the sun on the stainless steel coffee maker catches my eye, and I pause. “Coffee first,” I say to Ronnie, who tilts her head at me when she looks up from where she’s sleeping on her bed in the living room. “Then I’ll let you out and find my phone.”

With the coffee going, I open the door to the back porch and let Ronnie out, moving on to finding my phone. My purse is sitting on the table by the door to the garage, where I dropped it last night in the middle of a heated kiss with Dom.

Fishing it out, I open it up and move back to the door to check on Ronnie, who’s already waiting to come back inside.

“You can come back in, but don’t go waking your dad up. I think I wore him out last night,” I say, letting her back in. When two bulky arms wrap around me from behind, I almost jump out of my skin.

“I’m already up, Baby. But don’t listen to her, Ronnie. You can wake me up anytime.”

“Are you a damn ninja? Make a little noise and stop eavesdropping on our girl talk. That could have been private,” I tease leaning back into him, the warmth from his bare chest calming my racing heart.

“What are your plans for today?” he asks.

“My proposal for the new volunteer program at the Pride Foundation is due next week. I’m going to work on that. And I have some more grant research to do. Your girl’s gotta start collecting a paycheck soon.”

He hums, and it tickles my ear. I think he’s got more to say, but he stays silent, enjoying the mountain view with me for a moment before he asks, “Is that coffee I smell?”

“It is. Everything okay?” I turn in his arms. This man doesn’t hold back, he says what’s on his mind and I can tell that’s not what’s happening right now.

“Yeah. Fine.”

“You’re lying.”

“I am. And in this case, that’s for the best. It might be keeping me alive.”

“Talk.” I place my hand on his chest. Not pushing away, but just holding them there.

“I really don’t think that’s in our best interest. You’re a lot less stabby with me these days and I like it that way. Me telling you that you make the worst coffee on the planet might end that.”

“But you make your coffee the same.”

He shakes his head. “I make your coffee the same.”

“What?” This feels like a deflection from what was really on his mind, but now I’m intrigued.

“I make coffee like that because it’s the way you like, although I can’t fathom why.” He shudders.

“But you drink it too.” My brows wrinkle. I’ve seen him drink it.

“Do I?” He chuckles, making my blood heat the way only he can.

“Wait, you never drink it, do you?”

“Nope. I dump it as soon as you leave,” he admits.

“Look at that, boy wonder isn’t perfect after all—” My phone rings, cutting me off.

I glance down and see the clinic number flashing on the screen, freezing immediately. All the fun forgotten as terror turns my blood to ice in my veins.

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