Page 72 of Defend Me

My laugh comes out more like a hiccup. “Kinda strange huh? Considering we used to hate each other.”

His mouth quirks up. “I never hated you, Von.”

I raise an eyebrow.

“I’m serious,” he says. “I always thought…” His lips curve and his fingers trace a pattern down the nape of my neck. “You were just so rigid in your thinking.”

“Oh,Iwas rigid in my thinking,” I reply. “You were the one with this black and white view of the world. Still think the cops are always the good guys?”

“Still think Magnolia Bay is full of dumb hicks?”

I open my mouth, dumbstruck, then burst out laughing. Noah laughs too. The tension eases, and I nestle my cheek against his chest. I fit perfectly in his arms as he wraps them around me.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to forget you defending Isla so vehemently like you did just now,” he says.

“Don’t tell her,” I warn him. “Blofeld needs to keep up appearances.”

He chuckles. “Your secret is safe with me. I don’t want to get fed to the sharks.”

I nuzzle into his neck, feeling more content than I have in years. “I don’t think I acknowledged how alone I’ve felt,” I admit quietly. “How isolated I’ve become. How my life has only revolved around work.”

There’s a slight pause.

“You’re not alone now,” Noah promises, resting his cheek against the top of my head.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

NOAH

I wake up early the next morning, toss back my covers, and throw open the curtains.

I gaze out at a world that feels freshly laundered, crisp and clean and brimming with possibility.

I kissed Von last night.

We didn’t go any further than that. Von opened herself up in a way I’m not sure she ever has before. She was breathtaking in her vulnerability. I felt myself brush up against the edge of a cliff, felt my world tilt and shift.

I shower and dress quickly, eager to have her green juice ready when she gets up. She comes down from the second floor just as the espresso for her americano is finished dripping and I’m pouring the juice into a thermos.

Seeing her sends a little jolt through me. She wears a fitted, long sleeved navy dress with a thick gold belt, her hair done up in a sleek twist. My heart skitters as she shoots me a tentative smile.

“Morning,” she says.

“Good morning,” I say, sliding the juice across the island toward her. “You look nice.”

She raises an eyebrow. “You flirting with me, Deputy?”

I grin. “Maybe.”

She smiles back. I want to kiss her again so badly it’s like a permanent ache in my throat. I feel jittery, exposed, raw. Her eyes linger on my mouth before she adds hot water to her americano. She sips it and watches me over the rim of her mug.

“What?” I ask.

She smiles again. “Nothing.” We stand there for a few more seconds, staring at each other. The air between us has its own heartbeat. Von finishes her coffee and switches into work mode, checking her phone.

“Right,” she says. “Come on.”

She walks around the island and grabs her coat and purse from one of the closets.

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