Page 74 of Clumsy in Love

The innocent peck wasn’t enough. He turned and took her head in his hands, hesitating just long enough to give her time to protest. When she didn’t, he moved in slowly, kissing her softly, yet thoroughly.

“Mm,” she mumbled against his lips. “What’s that for?”

“I’m just so relieved I got there in time today. I’m glad you’re okay.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and reignited the kiss. This time, there were no bears or rainstorms to interrupt them. She felt good in his arms, and a strange sensation filled him—a desire to keep her here. Forever.

His phone buzzed, and they broke apart. It was a text from Flanigan.

Espinoza’s the rat. He’s in custody. You’re clear now. Sorry again.

“Holy crap,” Cole said. “The mole was Flanigan’s partner. How did he not see that?”

“Did they arrest him?”

“Yes. I’ll get the whole scoop later, but for now, we’re out of danger.”

“That’s a relief.” She sighed. The interruption had killed the momentum, apparently giving her a chance to second-guess making out with him. She pulled away.

“Hey, you wanna do some sightseeing tomorrow?”

“Sure, sounds fun,” she said. “For now, I’m gonna head to bed.”

He pinned her gaze. “Is that an invitation?”

She met his eyes and paused. He saw the conflict, the assessment of what that would mean, the wheels turning to make a decision. “That’s probably not the best idea,” she whispered.

“Yeah,” he agreed, his heart sinking. “Probably not.”

“Not that I don’t want to. I just—”

“No. I get it.” It was all he could do not to smack his own forehead. What a stupid thing to say. Now things were awkward.

She said good night and walked inside. He stayed on the porch, mulling over the evening. Holly was right. There was no future for them, so sleeping together would be a mistake. It was more than just the three hundred miles that separated them. They were from two different worlds.

Which begged the question, how had a klutzy park ranger from Podunkville burrowed under his skin so thoroughly? If she was a spiderweb, he was the fly. And though he didn’t knowmuch about arthropods, he knew a spider’s prey rarely got free once tangled in the web. The first woman to intrigue him in a very long time, and she was out of reach.

He looked up. The bright city lights cluttered the sky, but he thought he saw the North Star. And since Holly had shown him how to use that to find the Big Dipper…Yep, sure enough. It wasn’t nearly as distinct as it had been in Green Valley Falls, but he could just make it out. That reminded him of the Fourth of July. Lying next to Holly and countin’ the stars. Okay, now he sounded like a sappy country song. Time for bed.

He brushed his teeth and climbed into his childhood bed. At least his sisters’ threat to bring Holly in here was an idle one. His mom had redecorated years ago, so gone were his Knicks City Dancers posters and the shelves of Peewee Baseball trophies. That was the second bullet he’d dodged today.

Coming so close to getting shot made a guy reevaluate his priorities. Work was his life. Making detective his sole objective. But what if he was missing out on something by putting a relationship on the back burner?

Holly didn’t leave until Wednesday. That gave him almost thirty-six hours to enjoy her company. If things went well, maybe he’d see if she was interested in visiting each other. That sounded less intimidating than “long-distance relationship.” Baby steps.

Tomorrow, he’d show her his New York.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Holly woke to the seductive scent of bacon. That automatically meant it would be a great day. She dressed and followed her nose. Cole sat at the kitchen table, sipping coffee and chatting with his dad.

“You ready for a day in my world?” Cole asked.

“Sure,” she said. “I just hope no one dies today.”

“Bring your bag. We’re not coming back here.”

“Okay.” She wondered where they would sleep but didn’t ask in front of his parents. If he planned to take her to his apartment, she wouldn’t protest. Last night, when he’d hinted that he was open to sleeping together, it took every ounce of self-control to say no. And even though “no” was the smart answer, she wasn’t sure she could replicate it under different circumstances. Like being alone with him at his place.

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