Rebound (Seattle Steelheads #1)(28)

Under normal circumstances, I’d be nervous about someone subtly—even unintentionally—antagonizing Nathan, but Nathan had been warned against showing up here after today. For once I could indulge in him being the miserable, uncomfortable one. Especially since, for once, I was fairly confident it wouldn’t come back and bite me in the ass. The breakup had pissed him off, but Nathan didn’t want to go to jail. He’d spent one night in lockup during his wild teenage years after starting a brawl at a party—yeah, I know, red flag, 20/20 hindsight—and that had been enough to put the fear of God in him. At least enough that, until the other night at the restaurant, he kept his violent streak behind closed doors. Whenever I’d nearly called the cops during our fights, he’d begged to the point of tears because he did not want to go back to jail.

So had he just been playing on my sympathies? Or was he really afraid of being arrested again?

I shifted uncomfortably on the counter.

“You okay?” Geoff asked.

I nodded, watching Nathan carry another box down the hall. “Yeah. I’m good.” As long as he’s still afraid of going to jail, anyway.

Once the living room was cleared out, all six of us did a walk-through of the house to make sure nothing of Nathan’s had been left behind. I didn’t even care when he laid claim to a framed print on the wall in the upstairs hallway or the Seahawks baseball cap in the bedroom. I was pretty sure they were mine, but they didn’t have any sentimental value for me, and they were two fewer reasons for him to contact me in the future.

Finally, as the sun was beginning to set, it was all over. Nathan’s things were in the U-Haul or… Hell, he could have thrown them into Lake Washington for all I knew or cared. They were out of my house and so was he. That was all that mattered.

After Nathan, his sister, and the U-Haul were gone, Geoff and I shook hands with the Mercer officers. DeSantis had relaxed significantly, and she actually smiled when she exchanged a few words with Geoff. To me, she said, “Give us a call if you have any more problems with Nathan, all right?”

“I will. Thanks.”

They left, and I leaned against the door. “Oh my God.”

Geoff put a steadying hand on my shoulder, probably oblivious to how unsteadying it was. “You all right?”

“Yeah.” I rubbed my temples. “Relieved, I guess. It’s over.”

“Yeah, it is.” He squeezed gently. “Now you can move on without him.”

I released a long breath and lifted my head to meet his eyes. “That sounds…so good.”

He smiled. “I’ll bet it does.” Gesturing up the hall, he asked, “There anything else you need while I’m here? Moving things around now that all his shit’s out of the way?”

“Nah.” I waved a hand. “If I need to rearrange things, I can bribe my teammates with beer.”

Geoff laughed. “I guess there isn’t much a hockey team can’t move.”

“Right? If they can’t move it, it doesn’t need to move. Ever.”

“Well, sounds like you’ve got everything covered, then.”

“Hopefully, yeah.” I paused. “Thanks again for everything. I’m not sure I would’ve gotten through all this without it.”

“Don’t mention it.” He extended his hand. “Good luck.”

I clasped his hand in mine, and whatever benign response I was going to make died on my tongue as our eyes met. I’d been so on edge while Nathan had been here, I hadn’t done much in the way of checking Geoff out after all, but now? With our hands still clasped and his dark eyes this close? Yep. Checking him out now. Oh yeah.

Abruptly, though, he released my hand and cleared his throat. “I, um, should probably get out of your hair.”

A pang of disappointment hit me in the gut. “Oh.” Before I could stop myself, I added, “You don’t have to.”

Geoff held my gaze.

I swallowed, my heart thundering all of a sudden. “I mean, don’t let me chase you out the door.”

He tilted his head slightly, and the faintest hints of a smile tugged at his mouth. “Are you just not kicking me out? Or do you want me to stay?”

Which of those options means you stay?

I moistened my lips, trying not to notice that he’d noticed.

Geoff and Officer DeSantis had been able to hide an entire conversation in the subtlest imaginable shifts in their expressions, but he wasn’t being so subtle now. There was no way in hell I was imagining the heat in his eyes.

Or was there? Was I just seeing what I wanted because I was so desperate for something that wasn’t my ex?

“I, um…” I had no idea how to answer his question. Or how to speak. Words? All I knew right then was there was this wickedly hot cop staring back at me with smoldering eyes, and I suddenly wanted things I’d forgotten I even liked.

“Simple question.” His voice was barely a whisper, drawing me in so I could hear him better. “Do you want me to stay?”

Eyes never leaving his, I nodded.

“Yeah?” He grinned. Oh God. Why was that so hot? “Any particular reason?”

“Any particular reason you’re in a hurry to leave?” Wow, I’d managed to string together a coherent question.

The grin broadened. “I didn’t say I wanted to.” Were we really getting closer, or was that my imagination? “Just that I thought I should get out of your hair.”