Page 110 of Not That Impossible

What?Necrophilia? I never said that!

…shit.

Had I…?

I mean, I’d written the thing in a fugue state of deadline-induced panic and general heartbreak. It was bad enough accusing him—ifyou wanted to take it that way—of being a serial killer, but I was almost sure I hadn’t said he’d done stuff to the bodies.

Other than kill them.

Ifyou wanted to take it that way.

And, fine. Ihadquestioned what he was doing with them, in the very broadest sense. As in, the headline said, What Is He Doing With All The Bodies?

But that was it.

“All right, all right, get over it,” Amalie said. “How was I to know you were talking about sleeping with Adam?”

I slumped. Okay, the necrophilia must have come up during Ray’s and Amalie’s conversation, and not my article.

First bit of good news I’d had all day.

It wasn’t saying much: did not accuse a man of necrophilia. I’d take it.

“More likely than me sleeping with a corpse, isn’t it?” Ray said with dignity.

Amalie shrugged. “Lotta people been trying to lock that down,” she said with a lascivious grin at Adam. “Yeah, I’d say it’s more likely you slept with a dead guy than you snagged Adam.”

I sucked in a breath. Amalie had always had a sassy streak, but that was cruel.

Ray flinched.

“Oh,” she said. “Ray, I didn’t mean—”

“Thanks, Amalie,” Adam said tightly.

Yikes. She’d be hearing about that one for the rest of her life.

Ray squirmed out of Adam’s protective hold, grabbed the coffees, then blushed and muttered, “Forgot to pay.”

“On the house,” Amalie said quietly.

Ray shook his head at once. “No. Thank you.” He paid, then turned to Adam and pushed one of the cups at him. “Here you go.”

Adam took it.

Ray focused on Liam. “What did you want from me today, Detective?” Before Liam could reply, he gestured to the door. “Shall we?”

Liam stepped aside and allowed Ray to pass.

As he did, Liam looked straight across the coffee shop to where I was sitting. His gaze clashed with mine. He looked…

He looked really…

I got up out of my seat and dithered, eyes locked on his.

Everything inside me went suddenly quiet. The panic stopped. I was slammed with the urge to go over there and wrap my arms around him, have him wrap his arms around me. I wanted to lean into his sturdy frame, put my head on his shoulder, and know that everything would be all right.

Liam’s lips parted as he tilted his head. His face softened. I watched him take a deep, sharp breath.

---