Page 75 of Shea's Hero

CHAPTER 16

OLIVER

“Do wehaveto go to work today?”

Shea lifts her head from my shoulder and makes a face at the phone buzzing on the bedside table, the alarm currently on its third snooze of the morning. Her nose scrunches up as she asks in a wheedling tone, “We could call in sick, couldn’t we? Even the police get sick days, don’t they?”

“We do.” Reaching over, I smack at the phone until it goes quiet again. “But it’s probably a better idea to wait until I’m actually sick. Since we’re a small department, it’s harder to get coverage.”

Shea sighs dramatically. “Fine.” Then she sits up, allowing the sheet to puddle around her waist. “Being responsible isn’t much fun.”

My gaze jumps from her face to her bared breasts. They’re perfect, just the right size to fit in my hand, with the prettiest pink nipples and satiny soft skin.

“Oll.”

I jerk my head up to meet her amused gaze. “What?”

She giggles. “Did you hear what I said?”

“Of course.” I give her an affronted look. “I always listen to everything you say. You said being responsible isn’t fun. And I agree. I would much rather stay home with you.”

Sensing an opening, Shea says, “Well. You know… I have plenty of sick days. Up until recently, I never took time off. And I bet you never do either. We could stay home, play naked mini-golf, eat more grilled cheese…”

I know Shea is only half-serious, because she’s just as conscientious about work as me. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted. After last night, the last thing I want to do is be away from Shea for eight hours. Not after the incredible date she planned, anddefinitelynot after she told me she loves me.

It’s not the first time she’s said it, not even close. During the two and a half years we were together, we both said it countless times. But it felt different when she said it last night. Because now we know how it is to be apart from each other, not temporarily while I was away for work, but for real.

It sucked. A lot. And it makes me more determined to do whatever it takes to make things work this time.

Which means not prioritizing work over Shea. It means reminding her that it’s okay to tell me whatever’s bothering her. And it means supporting her through any setbacks she might have over the months and years, so she never has to deal with them on her own again.

Now that I’m thinking about it, maybe Ishouldtake a sick day. Shea’s right, I haven’t taken any sick time since I started working for the department. And aside from the day after she was attacked at her house, the only other day I took off was when Clara was born.

“Oll.” Shea taps my arm. “You know I’m kidding. Mostly.” Her lips curve up. “I love how much you care about your work. We can do mini-golf tonight. Or Sunday, when you’re off. And I’ll make more grilled cheese for dinner. Considering how muchcheese we have left, we might be having grilled cheese for the rest of the week.”

“I know.” Tugging her into my lap, I cover her lips with mine. “But I don’t want to prioritize work over you like I did before. So maybe a sick day isn’t a bad idea.”

“You didn’t,” she replies quickly. “I never thought that. You had an important job, one that required you to travel a lot. It wasn’t your fault that?—”

“But I wasn’t there for you.” Guilt presses down on my chest. “If I hadn’t been so insistent on working my way up, trying to get promotions, I would have been home. I could have helped.”

“No.” It’s firm but gentle. “Lots of people travel for work. Lots of people try to get promotions. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

I know this is a topic we’re never going to agree on. So rather than press the issue, I back off. “Well. Now I work in town. And there’s no travel, except for the occasional weekend conference up in Albany. So I’ll be here all the time.” Smiling, I add, “You’ll probably get sick of me.”

“Never.” Shea loops her arms around my neck and kisses my cheek. “Now. I know you need to get to work. I suppose I should too. But do you think we have time for some sexy time in the shower?”

“Hmm.” My other, lower brain gives its full approval, jumping to attention. “I think we could. If we’re both showering together, that saves time, after all.”

“Okay!” Shea hops out of bed, her naked body on full display. With the sunlight filtering through the curtains—a welcome replacement for the white blinds—she looks absolutely stunning. The glow of the sun catches the hints of copper and bronze in her hair, and when she turns to me, her face is lit up with happiness.

Just as I’m getting out of bed to follow her, my phone starts buzzing again.

Nearly to the bathroom door, Shea stops. “I thought you turned off the alarm?”

“I did.” A heavy sense of foreboding fills my stomach. It’s six-thirty in the morning, which isnotthe normal time for people I know to be calling. I know it’s not my sister, because I have a special ring tone for her. But what if it’s Cole, calling because something’s wrong with Maya or Clara? What if somehow, this threat wormed its way past Blade and Arrow’s defenses?

“Someone’s calling,” I add as I reach for the phone. “I hope it’s not an emergency.”

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