Page 40 of Heart of a Hero

She leaned back and stared into his eyes. Nodding slowly, she said, “I don’t either. I know there is a lot to consider with our kids, but I really like you, Mark. I really like having you be… um… whatever we are.”

“As far as I’m concerned, we’re in an exclusive, committed relationship. It’s early days, but we’re old enough to know what we want.”

“Next weekend, both girls will be at a sleepover…” She let the unspoken invitation dangle between them.

His brows lifted. “Benji will be at another birthday sleepover, too. And my dad has no problem with me not coming home.”

“Good… then it’s a date,” she declared, her smile wide. “For what it’s worth, the girls will be happy. They like you. And they like you for me.”

“Does that mean we’re ready for a joint meal or outing?”

She pressed her lips together. “From my standpoint, I can say yes since my girls know we are going out. They know you as a running coach and have met Benji at the AL running practices. But I don’t know what you consider to be the right time for Benji. He’s younger. He’s been without his mother longer, so that may make a difference. And I, in no way, want you to feel rushed.”

Mark chuckled as he held her close. “Benji would love it. He’s mature enough to know that people can date without suddenly seeing you as a mom. And I know my dad would love it, too.” He kissed her lightly, then said, “I need to get dressed.”

She scrunched her nose as she nodded. “We left the kitchen in a mess,” she reminded.

“I wasn’t even thinking about the kitchen.” He grinned. “The sex with you short-circuited my brain.”

“Good,” she said. “Glad I could blow your mind.”

“Don’t worry about the kitchen. I can take care of it.”

She wrapped her arms around him. “Nah. Let’s do it together.”

“Together,” he murmured, kissing her lightly. “I like the sound of that.”

That night, back at her house in her bed, her body still tingled. And for the first time in years, she slept peacefully, with a smile on her lips.

19

“How was your date the other night?” Brad asked casually as the detectives settled at their desks.

Mark grinned, leaning back in his chair, memories of the evening flashing vividly in his mind. He glanced up to find not just Brad but Sam, Aaron, Elizabeth Perez, and John Sullivan, all watching him curiously. Letting out a long breath, he shook his head. Typically, he wasn’t one to share details about his personal life, especially not in the squad room, but these people weren’t just his colleagues—they were friends. And after years of having no social life to speak of, he supposed they deserved to hear something.

“Karen and I had dinner at my place,” he finally answered, the words coming out a bit more guarded than he’d intended.

“A home-cooked meal? Nice!”

“Benji and my dad were gone, so we had some alone time.”

Sam blinked as his head jerked back. “How did you get so lucky? Our Eddie and Hope are never on the same schedule, so we still get a babysitter if we want to go out. But an evening at home? Sounds like heaven.”

Mark smiled, his thoughts drifting back to that night. The warm glow of her in his kitchen, the way they’d laughedand shared stories over dinner, the quiet intimacy that settled between them afterward. “Yeah, it worked out,” he said, his voice softening. “Being alone gave us time for just ourselves.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he’d said too much. His eyes flicked around the room, meeting the gazes of his colleagues, and suddenly, he felt exposed. “Okay, that stays here,” he added, sitting up a little straighter. “I’m not one to talk about someone I’m interested in like that. I don’t want to disrespect her.”

Brad raised his hands in mock surrender, his eyes wide. “Whoa, Mark, relax. We get it. No one’s thinking anything but good things about you and Karen.”

Aaron nodded in agreement. “Yeah, man. You’ve met a great woman, and we’re happy for you. That’s all.”

Mark glanced around the room, seeing the understanding in their faces, and his shoulders finally relaxed. He let out a breath, his tension easing. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to snap. I just… want to make sure everyone knows I care about her. Karen and I, we’re exclusive now, and I want to see where this goes.”

“Good for you,” John said with a nod of approval. As a cousin to the sheriff of Accawmacke County, John’s quiet words carried weight in the room.

Elizabeth and Sheila, another detective, smiled warmly at Mark, offering their silent support, and he gave them a quick chin lift in appreciation. But even as he returned his focus to the theft cases in front of him, his mind wasn’t on work. It kept drifting back to that Saturday night.

He could still see Karen after they’d had sex—her hair tousled, her smile lazy and soft, and how her body felt next to his. And their goodbye kiss… a kiss that was impossible to stop. It had stirred something profound inside him that still simmered in his veins.We go to her house. I’ll bring morecondoms. However, she had promised to keep some at her place just in case.

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