Page 69 of Exposé

I nodded and sat on a metal box, crossing my legs, my hands wrapped around my midsection as I kept a healthy distance from the edge of the building. "I get that. I seem to always be hypervigilant these days." Pulling out my phone, I checked my emails while he finished the rounds on the rooftop.

Nothing from FOIA.

Nothing from Mr. Anonymous.

Nothing from the Mayor.

Nate made his way back to me and plopped down beside me as I tucked my phone back into my dress.

"So this night took a turn."

I chuckled. "I can say with certainty I didn't plan on spending it on the rooftop."

He twisted his torso towards me. "How did you plan on spending the rest of your night?"

Leaning back, I pressed my hands into the smooth metal top and gazed down the length of my shimmering body, then glanced up to the city-diluted stars. "I don't know." I shrugged. "Maybe kick off these heels and watch some reruns." My chin scrunched as I pictured it. "On second thought, I'd probably be working with a beer in my hand."

Nate ran his hand down his shadow of a beard that never grew beyond a five o'clock length. "Sounds like me."

I chortled. "So, the beer in hand?"

"Yeah, that's it." He bobbed his finger and laughed, his smile broadening as he stared into my eyes, causing my stomach to take a flying leap off the building.

"Guess we're easy people."

Nate shifted beside me, his shoulder brushing mine as the cool night air swirled around us, carrying the faint aroma of his cologne. He leaned back, resting his weight on his palms, his fingers brushing against mine as they splayed across the metal surface. A ripple of heat surged through me, and my breath hitched as I pretended to study the skyline.

"It's a different view up here." His low, rumbling voice vibrated the air between us.

"It is." I exhaled and kicked off my heels. "Sometimes I get so caught up in the day-to-day, I forget to take in the beauty surrounding me."

"I know what you mean."

In my peripheral vision, Nate studied me, his intense, hooded eyes sending shivers up my thighs.

How was his presence so magnetic?

He pulled me in, drawing me closer without either of us having to move.

I bit my lip, heat rising to my cheeks. "You're going to cook me alive if you keep staring at me with those laser beams." I dropped my eyes to his, turning my head.

"It sounds cliché, but I can't help it." He leaned in, his hand cupping my face as his thumb caressed my cheekbone. "You're stunning."

My stomach pinched, and heat slapped my cheeks as though I'd sat beneath the sun all day. "Thank you." Air rushed from my lungs.

His lips brushed against mine, and I sank into him, giving in to the desire that had warmed me since our first kiss.

My fingers clutched his leather jacket, and a shiver wracked through my body as his hand slid down my side, clenching my hip.

Shouts down below pulled me away from him, cementing me in reality. I wiped my bottom lip with my finger. "Sorry, I..."

"No. It was too fast. I get it—"

"It's not that."

I took in the surrounding sight—us on the rooftop, cops down below... "Indecent exposure isn't a charge I'd like to add to my list."

"Who says we're going to be indecent?" A full smile pulled his lips from his perfect teeth, his dimples deepening.

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