Page 28 of No Man Left Behind

He squeezed her hand. “Now, it’s a beautiful autumn night. Why don’t we walk off some of that cheesecake?”

She laughed. Marcus had the body of a warrior, and she doubted he needed to worry about eating dessert. She nodded, and he stood, keeping her hand in his as he walked around the table.

Instead of heading to the front door, Marcus led her to the kitchen. Carl sat on the floor playing with the kittens while Jim dried a large pot.

Finch jumped up from where he’d been supervising Carl, and came straight to them. He sniffed at their joined hands and sent them both a quizzical look.

Marcus scratched his head. “It’s okay, bud. I’m planning to take good care of her.”

Elina’s cheeks flushed as she realized how that statement could sound in a non-platonic way.

Jim laughed as he put away the pot. “It’s a beautiful evening for a romantic stroll. Not quite a full moon, but no clouds, so you’ll see some stars.”

Marcus grinned. “That’s our plan. Just wanted to thank you both for the meal. It was amazing.”

Elina nodded. “Delicious. Thank you.”

They both nodded and then ushered them out the back door. They’d reached the bottom of the stairs when a loud whine had them turning back.

Finch stared out the window at them and whined again.

Jim arrived beside the dog and patted his head, but they couldn’t hear his words. Marcus looked at her, eyebrows up. “Want to take your buddy with us?”

Another sign of this man’s kindness and easy-going nature. He wasn’t going to push her to have sex until she was ready. She’d believed his words but his actions spoke even more loudly. As soon as she nodded, he headed up the stairs with a smile.

When Jim opened the door, Marcus squatted down to talk to the dog. “What do you think, Finch? Do you want to go for a walk with us? You can be my wingman and get a break from kitten duty.”

Soon, Finch wore his harness, and Marcus held his leash. They strolled toward town again, the dog prancing as if he were leading a parade.

They walked along the streets, talking about everything and nothing. Climate change. Town improvements. Books they’d enjoyed. Movies he thought she’d like to see. Her comic strips and his funding. Even politics. They mostly had similar tastes, but debating different ideals was fun, too.

They stopped in front of the soon-to-be police station and Finch sat to study it with them. “When do you get to start working on it?”

He shrugged. “I think the paperwork mountain is almost done. I’m hoping to get the keys tomorrow but it’s not a guarantee until the lawyers have done their thing.”

She shuddered. “That’s not a job I’d enjoy.”

He nodded. “Same. The paperwork is bad enough in policing. I think lawyers must drown in the stuff.”

“Let me know when you get the keys. I want to help.”

His arm came around her shoulder, and he tucked her into his side. Finch leaned in as well, and she breathed in the contentment.

A beautiful evening. A sweetheart of a dog. A man she was tumbling for. It was more than she’d dreamed of and all she’d ever wanted.

When she tipped her head back to look at Marcus, he was watching her with the intensity she was coming to crave. She might not be quite ready to tumble into bed, but she was close.

She reached up on her toes, and Marcus leaned down at the same time. The first brush of their lips was as gentle as the breeze.

The second brought them closer. Deeper.

The third made her heart thump.

Finch growled low in his throat, and she grinned, thinking he was jealous of her kissing Marcus.

But Marcus’s body tensed, and his head whipped up even as he pulled her more tightly to him.

The steeliness of his body and the switch in mood had her senses opening.

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