Page 104 of Last Seen Alive
“Sounds nice.”
“Beer? I was just getting a snack ready to take out back for Zoe.”
“That sounds nice too.” He was walking closely behind her as she went to the kitchen.
“How’s your ankle by the way?”
“Much better. Thanks.”
She set the pot with the rosebush on the peninsula and went into the fridge. She had two bottles by the neck when she turned around. Trent was right there. He didn’t budge. She could smell his cologne, feel the heat from his body.
He looked from her eyes to her lips and moved in before she had a chance to thwart what was about to happen.
The kiss was tender but heated. Brief. But it had her stomach filling with butterflies.
“What did you just do?”
“Something I’ve wanted to do for a while. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have. I should have asked if it was okay with—”
She put her mouth back on his.What the hell am I doing?She stepped back, brushing a fingertip to her lips. “This isn’t going to work. You and I.” She could barely catch a decent breath.
“I know.” His eyes were pained. “Trust me, I know. Probably why I’ve been a grouch to work with lately. But let’s just forget what happened. We’ll go back to normal. You can do that?”
She hesitated, not sure if she could. Those kisses… her lips were still on fire, and it had ignited other parts of her too.
“Amanda,” he prompted.
She swallowed hard, then nodded.
“Good. Let’s never speak of it again.” He turned away, but just before he did, she caught the glimmer of anguish in his eyes.
They were at a defining crossroads. Straight required a sacrifice, but so did any turn they might make. They could petition for a change in partners and pursue this, whateverthiswas. But it could all blow up in their faces, and their partnership and friendship could be gone forever. Or they could just forget about the kiss, about their growing feelings for each other, and continue putting killers behind bars. As a team they made a real difference in the world.
She held out her hand toward him. “Friends and partners?”
He shook on it. “Always.”
She handed him a beer. They had just snapped the caps off when there was another knock on the door.
“Feels like Grand Central Station here these days. One minute.” She went to the door.
A large white delivery truck was at the curb out front, a man in jeans and a T-shirt at her door. He was holding a clipboard. “I have a delivery for an Amanda Steele.”
She read the logo on the truck.Patio Leisure & BBQ. “I didn’t order anything.”
“Well, it says right here that you have a six-burner with a side searing station.”
“What?” Amanda turned to Trent, ready to vent more confusion, but he was smiling. “You?Youdid this?”
“Maybe,” he dragged out.
“Why?”
“You know the answer to that.”
She studied his eyes, hoping this wasn’t somehow intended to bait her into a relationship with him. But he said he understood they couldn’t be together.
“Ma’am? Are you Amanda Steele?”
