Kissed Blind (Hot Pursuit #2)(35)

I released a quiet breath. “You have a nice voice.”

“You think?”

“Yeah, I like listening to you, always have.” I looked out the window as Vance pulled to a stop a few blocks away from the apartment.

“But?”

“But what?” I pulled my attention away from a couple walking hand-in-hand down the sidewalk.

“But… dogs are going to start lining up behind the car? Something, you can’t just compliment me and leave it at that.” The reflection of the blinker from the car next to us flashed muted red light across his playful grin.

“I’m being one hundred percent sincere. When you sing, something happens and you change somehow, it’s magnetic.”

His gaze travelled over my face and searched my eyes, his smile softening in a manner that disturbed me in every way. My stomach tingled, and I shifted in my seat while everything else around me seemed to stop.

The car behind us honked, breaking the spell, and we drove along. The closer we got to my apartment the more a sinking feeling settled into my stomach.

“Gabe still working late?” Vance asked.

“Uh huh.” I nodded.

“What would you think about playing a few rounds of cards?”

“At my place?” The feeling weighing down my stomach lifted a tiny bit.

“No, at the pizza place down the road.” He shook his head. “Of course at your place.”

I chuckled. “You sure you’re not too tired?”

“No. Going to bed sounds nice, but I’d rather be with you.” He pulled down my street, and my pulse rose higher and higher.

“All right.”

He stopped at the curb in front of my building and shut the engine off. As he reached for his phone, I reached for mine, and our hands grazed. A snap of electricity shot through our fingers, and we stopped. It shouldn’t have struck either of us any differently, we’d touched each other a million times, but this touch was different. His chocolate eyes held mine, and I couldn’t have willed myself to move if I’d tried.

Someone knocked on my window, and I jumped. My heart almost stopped when I saw who stood outside.





Twelve





Gabe stood in the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street holding a bottle of wine.

“Gabe?” I opened the door and hopped out. “What’re you doing here? I thought you were working late.” I hugged him, and he nuzzled into my hair.

“I couldn’t stand not seeing you another day so I rescheduled. I wanted to surprise you.”

The engine turned over, and Vance rolled down the window. “I’m going to take off. See you in the morning.”

I turned around and hooked my fingers against the open window. “Sorry,” I whispered.

He pressed his lips together and shook his head. “Don’t be.”

Gabe stepped up behind me and leaned in. “Hey, Vance.”

“How ya doin’, Gabe? Good to see you.”

“You too. Thanks for the invite to dinner Sunday.”

Vance nodded. “Don’t mention it. Di, see you tomorrow, and Gabe, see you Sunday. Have a good night.” Before I could say a word, he rolled up the window and drove off.

A nagging sensation twisted my stomach as Gabe and I headed inside.

In my kitchen, I stopped in the pantry to pop a quick chocolate in my mouth, smashing the red foil into a ball and tossing it in the general direction of the garbage can. Savoring the dark, rich creaminess, I changed my clothes and slipped one of Gabe’s old shirts over my head. With his collar to my nose, I inhaled. It always smelled like Gabe no matter how many times I washed it and usually gave me an extra sense of comfort, but this time it didn’t. It cascaded over the swell of my hips and stopped just below my behind.

At the sink, I shook my hair loose and splashed cold water on my face, taking note for the first time in hours how my eye looked. My old scar hopped out from beneath its pillow of deep pink, giving me a little reminder of my past. As far as the punch I’d taken recently, my eye was moving right along in the healing process. Another few days and the knife attack would be a faded memory. I tucked my hair behind my ears and switched the lights off. I found Gabe on the couch holding an extra glass of wine.

“Well aren’t you a sight?” The way his eyes raked my body from head to toe confessed his inner most thoughts, and luckily, they didn’t stop to notice the blaring injury on my face.

“Am I?”

“I like your shirt.” His voice was a soft growl.

“Oh, this old thing?” I tipped my shoulder up toward a crooked grin.

“Sit down and have some wine before I rip that off of you.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Don’t tempt me.” His raised brows told me to not push him further, otherwise I’d never get a sip of what he held between his fingers, and I wanted it—no, needed it.

I sat taking the glass handed to me and smelled the fruity pinot grigio exploding under my nose. I sipped. The cold burst over my tongue, but the warmth seeped through my veins. I closed my eyes and moaned. It was like lilies and sunshine smashed into a glass of tart nectarines.

“Tell me everything about working with Oliver Pierce,” Gabe said drinking from his glass.