Page 44 of Eden

His chest tightened in an uncomfortable way, but as their eyes remained locked, he couldn’t look away. His brain begged him to, but his heart didn’t want to. His eyes dropped to her full lips and her chest rose.

He leaned in, cupping her cheek, pressing his lips to hers as his heart hammered in his chest.

If he’d felt alive running up the path to her house, it was nothing compared to this. This was like a drug, and for a few moments he allowed himself to forget Eden and the guilt that followed him everywhere he went.

He inhaled, feeling every sensation. He didn’t deepen the kiss, he didn’t take it further, but everything felt right.

He pulled back, resting his forehead on hers. “Is this going to be a problem at work?”

She blushed, biting her lip as she grinned. “No, boss.”

He tipped his head back, smiling. He was technically her boss, he supposed, but he’d never felt like that with Bethenny. He didn’t need to manage her like he did with other staff, and technically, she had more experience than he did—he just held the title because he’d happened to arrive a few months before she did.

“Good,” he said, leaning in to kiss her again, drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He put his mug on the bookshelf beside him and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in—careful not to hit her with his cast. He’d managed to push his emotions away for the past few years, so he made himself do it again now. For a moment, he just wanted to feel everything that was good in this world and forget everything that was bad.

And she felt good in his arms.

The soft sigh that fell from her lips told him everything he needed to know: she needed this as much as he did.

She placed a hand on his chest and he wondered if she could feel his heart slamming against his ribs. He pulled back, sweeping a lock of hair behind her ear.

He searched her eyes for any hesitation, for any regret, but he saw none of that. A smile spread across her lips and he ran his thumb over her bottom lip, cupping her jaw.

“We would be a good team,” he said with a voice far huskier than he’d intended.

She tilted her head. “Where do you want this to go?” she asked, and he admired her ability to be strong yet vulnerable.

“Honestly, I don’t know right now, but I want to see where it takes us,” he said.

She looked away a moment, but he turned her face back to him. “What?” he asked.

“How many women have you dated since your wife died?” she asked hesitantly.

“Seriously dated? None,” he admitted, sheepishly. “But I’ve never met anyone like you, either. I meant what I said earlier: you make difficult situations easy. You make light of situations when I’d otherwise be angry or feel defeated. You make me laugh... and it’s been so long since I’ve laughed that I almost forgot the sound. That’s sad.” He searched her eyes. “You don’t believe me?”

“It’s not that. Do you want to let go of the pain? Sometimes when it’s all we have to hold, we can’t let go of it. I’ve seen families of victims do that and they carry it with them for the rest of their lives,” she said, placing a hand over his.

“A week ago I would’ve agreed with you, but I can promise you that’s not what I want. I want to heal. I’ve prayed for it every day since Eden died,” he said with a sad smile. “God fulfills his promises on his own schedule, and that’s been a hard lesson for me to learn. But now I think I get it, and why I had to wait.” He didn’t want to go too deep—he didn’t want to send her running out of her own front door—but he wanted her to realize he meant every word. It was time to face his past, find Eden’s killer, and make a new life for himself.

She held his gaze for the longest time. Then, as if she read his mind, she said, “Your wife’s killer is here in Redwater—we assume. So if you think you’re targeted now, it’s probably only going to get worse the longer this investigation goes on.”

He looked into her eyes. “I’m tired of running. I’m going to do what I should’ve done in Nashville. I’m going to find the killer and make sure he can’t hurt anyone else.”

She drew a long breath, searching his eyes. Eventually, she nodded. “Okay, let’s give this a go,” she said.

A smile spread across his lips. “Really?” he asked, and she nodded. “I’ll make sure this isn’t a decision you regret.” He meant every word. “And if it doesn’t work—for whatever reason—we’ll keep everything professional and nothing has to change at work. Trust me, I can keep my emotions out of it. I’ve spent the last few years practicing.”

“Deal,” she said, softly pressing her lips to his.

He closed his eyes, letting her kiss awaken his soul.

BETHENNY

A tingle crept up her spine and her heartbeat skipped merrily along. His lips were soft, gentle, and unhurried. When he pulled back, he stole the air from her lungs.

She looked up into his gray eyes, noticing how light they looked tonight. When she’d first met him, they were darker—she would’ve bet her life on it.

“Thanks for inviting me in for hot chocolate. It tastes better than I could’ve imagined,” he said with a sly smile.

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