Page 98 of Over the Edge

“Lindsey?”

She yanked her gaze back to his eyes, where heat had begun to simmer. “Cheesecake. Right.” She fought down the warmth threatening to spill onto her cheeks. “Burnt cheesecake from a chef would be a major faux pas.”

“Unless she had an excuse for being distracted.” Without breaking eye contact, he lifted his hand and trailed a finger down her cheek, sending a tingle through every nerve in her body.

Oh, man.

She grabbed the edge of the closet door and held on tight.

“Are you—” Her voice cracked, and she tried again. “Are you flirting with me, Detective?”

“No. I don’t flirt. I believe in sending direct messages.” He maintained the skin-to-skin contact for another moment, then withdrew his hand. “Happy Thanksgiving, Lindsey.”

“You too.”

“I’ll be in touch after the holiday. But if anything comes up in the interim, call me.”

“Okay.” It was all she could manage.

As she continued to cling to the closet door, he let himself out, the soft click of the lock behind him prompting her to tiptoe over and peek through the sidelight.

At his car, Jack stopped at the door and lifted a hand in farewell.

Huh.

If he was that certain she’d be watching, she must have sent a boatload of I’m-smitten clues.

But who cared? They’d entered new territory today, and the future was brighter now that much had been explained. Like his fear of heights. And his understandable reluctance to get involved with anyone who might have mental issues similar to his birth mother’s. Plus, a deep-seated fear of desertion could also make him cautious about entering into any relationship.

His touch at their parting, however, suggested he was fast putting any reservations behind him.

One more blessing to be grateful for this Thanksgiving week.

The only thing that could make tomorrow’s holiday even happier?

Solving the Robertson murder case and an end to bizarre incidents like the ones that had upended her world over the past three weeks.

Unfortunately, a vague niggle of unease as she watched Jack drive away left her with an unsettling feeling that they weren’t out of the woods yet.

Where do we stand?

Proceeding according to plan.

We may have to get rid of her if she remembers anything else.

Shouldn’t be necessary. We’ve made sure her credibility is compromised, and the carpenter is still a prime suspect thanks to the planted and pawned jewelry. I don’t want any more killing.

Like I’ve said, we could set it up to come across as a suicide or an accident. After all, she’s been under a lot of strain.

Easier said than done.

I have confidence we can pull it off, just like we’ve pulled off everything else. Is the tattoo gone?

Getting there. It isn’t fun.

It’s less painful than going to prison. That tattoo should have been gone long ago anyway. When can we get together?

Safer to wait until this is over.

---