Touch of Red (Tracers #12)(33)

“Will you be okay here?”

“Fine. They have a really comfortable sectional.” She nodded at it, and when she glanced up at Sean again, he was looking at her like he had the other night before he’d kissed her.

She had things to say to him, but when she tried to form a sentence, her throat tightened. “Thanks for following me over.”

“You’re welcome.” He reached over and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “So, you’re working tomorrow?”

“I’ve got to catch up on some things at the lab.”

“I’ll call you in the morning. Talk to your brother.”

“I will.” It wasn’t fair to stay here without filling him in on what was going on, even though she dreaded the conversation. He’d never liked Matt to begin with.

Sean eased closer, and Brooke’s heart gave a kick as he leaned down and kissed her. It was a brief brush of his lips, but then she slid her hands around his waist and pulled him close, and everything heated. She pressed against him, and he deepened the kiss. She loved the way he tasted, the way he held her. She loved the way his tongue moved against hers, the way his fingers combed into her hair.

She didn’t know why she was doing this. She definitely needed to stop, but she couldn’t bring herself to pull away from him.

It ended way too soon, and he eased back, watching her closely. “You can change your mind. My offer still stands.”

She stepped away, letting her hands drop. “I’m fine here.”

He looked at her for another moment, then turned to leave.

“Sean.”

“Yeah?”

“The thing is, my life’s kind of a mess right now. I’m not looking to get involved with anyone.”

“That’s okay.”

“How is that okay? Why do you want to spend time on something that’s not going anywhere?”

“Maybe I like where it’s going.”

“Why? I told you I don’t want to start anything new. And I’ll save you the suspense—I’m not good at casual relationships, so sex is not happening.”

“So noted.”

She stared up at him, and he didn’t even blink.

“Lock up behind me.” He gave her a long look and pulled open the door. “Good night.”





CHAPTER 10


The sectional wasn’t as comfortable as Brooke remembered, and she flailed around most of the night. Just before dawn, she gave up and shuffled into the kitchen, where she poked through some cabinets until she found a mug and the pods for the fancy coffeemaker.

After a brief conversation with Owen last night about her unwanted intruder, Brooke had tried to wind down with some channel surfing. But nothing could calm her nerves, especially when her brother’s words kept playing through her head: I always knew I didn’t like that guy.

Evidently, Owen’s dislike had intensified last Thanksgiving when Brooke had skipped out on dinner with her family because Matt didn’t want to deal with “the whole Thanksgiving scene.” Brooke had acquiesced. It was the first of many occasions when Matt had pressured her to spend time with him alone instead of with her family or friends.

Why had it taken her so long to see those incidents for what they were? He’d been trying to isolate her from people who cared about her, and she’d allowed it to happen. The whole thing made her feel guilt toward her family and also disgust with herself.

“Hey there.”

She jumped and turned around.

Lin smiled at her. “Sorry to scare you.”

“I didn’t hear you come down. Did I wake you?”

“No, I’m an early riser.” Lin took a stool at the granite island. “Unlike Owen and Chico, who can stay sacked out till noon.”

“You want some coffee?”

“Not yet, thanks.”

Brooke dropped a pod into the coffeemaker and fetched some cream from the mammoth refrigerator. She liked to tease Owen about his kitchen, which was outfitted with top-of-the-line appliances even though he barely knew how to make a sandwich.

“So, give me the gossip. What’s up with you and the cop?”

Brooke glanced at Lin. “How’d you know he’s a cop?”

“I knew it!”

Brooke tried to pin down what Sean might have said or done last night to give himself away. He hadn’t been wearing a badge. He’d been armed, as always, but she doubted Lin had had a chance to notice the bulge under his jacket during their brief meeting in the dim foyer.

“It was the eyes.”

The coffee finished brewing and Brooke collected it from the machine. She took a stool beside Lin’s. “The eyes?”

“Uh-huh. I dated a cop before I met Owen. They’re a hyperobservant bunch.”

Hyperobservant. Sean definitely fit that description.

“He noticed everything,” Lin said. “It used to drive me crazy.”

Brooke sipped her coffee and watched the woman she hoped would one day become her sister-in-law. She couldn’t picture Lin with someone in law enforcement. “What happened with him?”

“It was fun. Brief, though.” Lin shrugged. “We were never a fit, really. And then I met Owen and—” She gave a wistful sigh. “The first time he talked to me it was just . . . magic.”