Page 3 of Mac
Mac slipped his hand in his back pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Yep. Really.”
“Okay. Is that all?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll … I’ll call you.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
He gave her a lingering look, searching her gaze for a hint of what was going on inside her head, but in the dimness of the room, he couldn’t see clearly enough. Her lower lip disappeared between her teeth. She didn’t know what she did to him when she showed that vulnerable side.
She was the strongest woman he’d ever known aside from his those in his family.
He’d grown up with strong woman. His mother had been a single mother, his grandmother had come from rough circumstances. And he had incredible respect for them and for Jackie, knowing her background the way he did.
The women he’d known in his life were independent, headstrong, and capable. They’d been hurt by people or by life and for the most part, had to make their own way.
Jackie wasn’t too dissimilar.
He gave her a slow nod and turned to leave, measuring his steps, not walking too quickly or too leisurely.
“It’ll never work, Mac,” she said when he was halfway to the door. He stopped, but didn’t look at her.
“Why not?”
“You’re a cop.”
He did look then. “So?”
“I’m … I’m me.”
“You are. That’s why I want you.”
“I have a record.”
“I’m aware of that. I nearly arrested you once, remember?”
“That’s why it can’t work.”
Mac inched in her direction again. He didn’t want to spook her into retreating behind silence and negatives. He wanted her reasons. “I’m still not following. You having an arrest record doesn’t mean you can’t date a cop.”
“I was a prostitute.”
“Years ago. That’s not who you are now. There isn’t anything I don’t know about all that. You told me. Those arresting officers told me. You’re not going to scare me off.”
She studied him from the small distance between them and he let her, keeping his facial expression neutral.
He wanted to kiss her. To press her back against the wall and kiss away every doubt that kept turning her into knots.
He wanted to take her face between his hands and hold her as gently as he knew how. To show her how special she was to him.
He didn’t give a rat’s ass that she once used her body as a way to earn money. He was just happy she came out on the winning end of it. That she’d landed in his little town and never left.
Finally, she blinked and nodded. “I’ll call you,” she said softly.
Mac offered her a small smile and nodded back.
She was scared and one of these days real soon, he was going to show her there was nothing at all to be scared of. Not as long as he was around.
