Page 3 of Fast Kill

“That was nice of them,” was all she said. She didn’t want Charlie to suspect she was attracted to him. When Charlie got wind of something like that, she turned into a damned bloodhound.

“Yeah, they’re all great.” Charlie emerged from the bedroom and stepped into the hallway with some empty, folded moving boxes.

“Any idea where they are now?” Probably out of the country.

“Somewhere down in the Caribbean, I think. Jamie couldn’t give me details,” she said, making a face as she set the boxes aside. “I should be used to it, after all the deployments and missions my brothers have gone on, but it’s different when it’s your man.”

Taylor couldn’t relate, but she could imagine and sympathize. “I’ll bet.”

Charlie stopped to fish her phone out of her pocket, smiled as she looked down at it. “Speak of the devil. Hey,” she answered. “Everything good?”

Taylor mostly tuned Charlie out as she went through the next box, organizing the linen closet into four sections. One for sheets, one for extra pillows, one for quilts and the other for towels. Probably wouldn’t stay all neat and tidy for long, but at least it would start out well. And what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

“Yeah, Taylor’s here helping me, and Piper’s on her way over.” Charlie’s brown eyes shot to her from down the hallway, and she winced before pulling the phone from her ear, turning it toward Taylor. A male voice was shouting something out of it, but Taylor couldn’t make out a single word. “Logan says hi.”

“Oh.” He did? “Um, say hi back.”

But Charlie thrust the phone at her, gave her an admonishing look when Taylor started to protest.

Feeling all kinds of awkward, Taylor took it. “Hi.”

“Hey, long time no talk to,” Logan said, his deep voice sliding over her like an invisible caress. “How’ve you been?”

She had no idea why he even wanted to talk to her right now, and her awkwardness was worse with Charlie right here. “Fine, just busy working. You?”

“Same. Any big breaks in the case yet?”

“Unfortunately, no.” Not for lack of trying though. As the lead forensic accountant in her department, she’d been putting in ten to twelve hours a day since that terrifying afternoon in Long Island, and had little to show for it.

“Well, I’m sure you guys will crack it open sooner or later.”

“Hope so.” Seriously, why had he asked to talk to her? They weren’t friends, and hardly knew each other. Was he bored? On a layover?

“We never did get a chance to talk after the op. We should grab dinner together sometime after I get back. Want to?”

What? She blinked. “Do you?” The way she remembered it, their previous dinner “date” had been forced and uncomfortable and weird, and she’d been certain he’d hated every minute of it. Had she missed something?

He laughed, a low, amused chuckle that set off a flutter deep in her abdomen. Oh yeah, the man was dangerous all right. “Wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t. I meant to tell you that you handled yourself damn well under pressure, getting the response team organized to back us up.”

Please, she’d done jack, making a series of phone calls while he and Jamie had rushed headlong to mount a rescue on their own. “Which you didn’t end up needing.” By the time the help she’d called arrived, it had all been over.

“We were lucky. So? You in? No pressure.”

So,nota date, then. Just so she was clear. She pushed the ridiculous disappointment aside. “I…sure.”

“Great. Well, duty is calling. Hang on, I’ll put Jamie back on.”

“Okay.” It was on the tip of her tongue to urge him to be careful, but that seemed too personal. “Bye.”

She handed the phone back to Charlie and whipped around before her friend could see the blush trying to work into her cheeks. He hadn’t asked her on a date, it was just to catch up and talk about the Long Island op. No need to be nervous about it. Or wish it could lead to something more.

Charlie finished up her conversation with Jamie just as the doorbell rang. “Oh, I gotta go. That’s Piper. Be careful, okay? Love you.”

Taylor carried an empty, flattened packing box into the kitchen just as Piper stepped inside in a whirl of energy, and smiled at them both. “I brought sustenance. And wine.”

“Yay for wine,” Charlie exclaimed, grabbing the bottles from Piper’s hands. “We’re making pretty good headway already.”

“I’m impressed,” Piper said, her blond ponytail swishing down the middle of her back as she carried the pizzas into the kitchen.

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