Page 70 of Exposé

"That's what a kiss like that leads to." Gooseflesh traveled up my body, causing me to shiver.

Nate shucked off his jacket and tossed it over my shoulders, his encompassing warmth and scent making me want to foregothe hesitation, his eyes fixated on mine. "Do you ever regret your job?"

A wry smile crossed my face. "Okay, random."

He shrugged. "Sorry. A thought pops in my head, and sometimes my mouth blurts it out."

A lump formed in my throat as I mulled over the question. "Some days. But most days, no." I pulled his jacket tighter around my throat. "What about you? Do you regret the path you took?"

He sighed and glanced up at the dim stars. "Same as you, depends on the day." His jaw clenched, the muscle bulging beneath his facial hair. "But I guess when you're in too deep, there's no looking back. You have to keep going."

I hung my head and nodded. "Until it's too late to turn around."

Nate leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, as he looked at me. "Maybe that's why we're both here tonight on this rooftop—we're stuck somewhere between moving forward and turning back."

I shrugged. "Maybe."

Silent red and blue police lights bounced off the buildings around like a snoozed alarm clock.

If they caught me with the pill, a trespass charge would be the least of my worries.

Soft laughter bubbled up. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like if things were... normal?"

Nate shook his head. "Normal's overrated."

I smiled as my hands shifted in my lap, my cheeks burning. "Spoken like someone who's never had it."

He raised a brow as he glanced at me and adjusted in his seat, his hands drumming against his thigh as though charged with too much energy. "What would normal look like for you?"

"Honestly?" I bit my lower lip as I looked up and away and shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe... waking up without worrying about who's watching or what I might find at work that day."

"Paranoid?"

"A bit." I held my fingers together and laughed. "But seriously. I want to go home to someone who's... not part of the mess. You know?"

He nodded and leaned back on his hands. "Sounds nice."

I leaned into him, bumping his thigh with the back of my hand. "What about you? What's your vision of normal?"

His gaze dipped down my body and back up, our eyes clashing. "I like the sound of yours."Nate sat back up as if he couldn't make up his mind and pulled my hand into his. "I think it's okay to go now."

I frowned and pulled my eyes from him. "How do you know?"

"The lights." He stood and walked to the edge of the building, then back. "They're gone."

I popped off the metal box and slipped my heels back on, slapping the pea gravel from the bottom of my foot. "Thank God. I need a hot shower and sleep."

Maybe a cold shower and some more work...

"Come on, we can go down this way." He waved me towards the edge of the building, where a ladder stood up from the rim.

I huffed, flicking my hand with a shake of my head. "Um… No. I don't do heights, remember?" Pushing to my feet, I strode back toward the rooftop access door. "I'll go out this way."

"This is faster." He stalked up behind me.

"And more deadly. I'll take my chances with the stairs and cops."

Nate raked his hands down his jawline, glanced over his shoulder, then moved in front of me. "Okay, let me go first, then. Just in case there are some stragglers."

---