Page 136 of Roses in Summer

“That it?” he muses, kicking his front door behind him. “Are you hungry?”

“No, not even a little.”

Lincoln looks down at me, frowning. “You need to eat.”

“I will, but the thought of food makes me want to throw up. And I’d prefer not to do that right now.” He stares at me a moment before nodding and walking through his living room and into the bedroom. He doesn’t stop moving until he’s placing me gently on the bed.

I look at Lincoln’s handsome face, his light, vibrant eyes set against his dark skin, the swirls and intricacies of tattoos, and the love that shines from his gaze every time he looks at me.

“Where do we go from here?” I ask, fear and confusion warring with excitement.

His hands move to my face, cradling my jaw as though I’m the most precious gift he’s ever received. “We go to sleep, wake up, and start another day. We deal with this shit—together—and we figure out how the fuck all your shit will fit in my apartment.”

I laugh at his assessment, stunned by both the simplicity and his apparent way of asking me to move in. “I’m not moving in with you.”

“Yet.”

“Lincoln.” I shake my head, unable to keep the smile from my face. “We just started dating.”

“What does that have to do with anything?

I raise a brow at him. “I have an apartment…”

“That’s currently being investigated due to arson. My point exactly.”

I sigh, shaking my head against his palms. “Can we revisit this later? I don’t feel like fighting.”

“It wouldn’t be a fight if you just said yes.”

“Lincoln,” I growl, adopting one of his signature tones.

“Fine.” He bends down, giving me a chaste kiss before straightening. “I’m going to make us some tea. Peppermint?”

I nod, biting down on my lip. With a final look, he disappears through the bedroom door, and I wait on the bed of the man who’s helped to both heal and protect me.

—

“There’s no shot in hell thatSVUis better thanCriminal Intent,” Lincoln scoffs, pulling me closer to him in bed.

“Are you delusional?SVUhas been on for like twenty years. Of course it’s better. Plus, wasn’tCriminal Intentcanceled in 2011? It’s practically ancient.” There’s something darkly humorous about debating the merits of differentLaw & Orderseries when our lives have devolved into a plot on one of these very shows.

“The network didn’t get the ratings, not the show. Show some respect, ciern.”

“Yeah, I’m sure—” I’m cut off by the ringing of Lincoln’s phone on the nightstand. Leaning over, he grabs the phone and shows me my brother’s name on the caller ID before answering it and putting him on speaker.

“Rafe?”

“I need you to come back down to the precinct,” my brother says in greeting.

“What?” I sag against the bed, feeling a strange mix of anxiety and fear at his words. “Why?”

“We need you to identify Mitch from a lineup.”

My eyes widen. “They have him in custody already?”

My brother snorts. “The moron was trying to pawn that bracelet you identified. We alerted all shops in the area to call us if someone came in with a piece matching your description of the bracelet. Sera, I need you here as soon as possible, okay?”

I nod my head. “We’ll be there in an hour. What about Chris?”

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