Page 66 of Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms
A bloody board game. And it was fucking delightful.
When Nina told Annabel it was time to get ready for bed, the crocodile tears commenced. I had a feeling the situation would be easier to manage if I left, so I said goodbye to the small child and asked her to be a good girl for her mum.
Natalie rose from the couch and walked me to the door as Annabel’s despondent wails disappeared up the stairs.
“Thank you,” Natalie said.
“You’re welcome.” Leaning down, I pressed my lips to hers, and I realized one of the reasons I felt so at ease. I didn’t have an agenda.
Maple had referred to Natalie as an asset, and in a sense, she was. But that had nothing to do with why I’d spent the evening with her. I wasn’t trying to get anything from her.
I didn’t need to play games.
“Come have a drink with me,” I said.
Rubbing her lips together, she searched my face. “I don’t know if I should.”
“No pressure. I very much enjoy kissing you, but this is not a ploy to get you naked.” I brushed her lips with another kiss. “You’re safe with me.”
She hesitated another moment before answering. “Okay. I’ll come over.”
I retrieved the rest of the wine while she put on a pair of boots, then we walked through the freshly fallen snow to the flat.
Inside, we took off our shoes. I invited her to sit and brought the wine to the kitchen where I found wineglasses in a cupboard. I poured and brought our drinks to the living room.
“How are you feeling?” I sat next to her on the couch.
She shifted, and a spasm of pain crossed her features. “Like I was hit by a car.”
The desire to ease her hurts was almost overwhelming. I still wanted to ruin the idiot who had hit her. But more than that, I wanted to make her feel better.
“What can I do? Do you need ice?”
“No, I’m okay. I iced everything a lot this afternoon.” She took a sip of her wine. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Why did you have to leave so suddenly?”
“We received intelligence about an art thief I’ve been chasing for years. There might have been an opportunity to catch him.”
“Then why did you come back?”
“I wanted to finish what we started. And call it instinct, but I knew I needed to get back to you.” I reached over and caressed her cheek. “I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye.”
“It’s okay. It all worked out.”
One corner of my mouth lifted. “Did you miss me?”
“I was a little busy getting in a car accident.” She smiled. “But yes. Kind of.”
“Kind of? I’ll take that.”
“Who’s the art thief you’ve been chasing?”
“His name is Archer Prince. He’s been operating for decades. Always manages to elude us.”
“Is there a lot of money in this kind of thing?”
