Unauthorized Affair (Unauthorized #1)(33)

He nodded. “But it’s more than that too.”

“I know it is. I felt it in your kiss,” Jen breathed.

“I have been burnt by the fire of love.”

Jen stopped short and stared at him, her heart racing again. Coleton gave her a half-smile. “Don’t worry, it’s just Rumi again.”

Jen let herself be led to her car. And when she finally made it home she only cried until she fell asleep.





***



Jen woke the next morning, her hair knotted in her face and her head pounding. She heard Jerry and Sara talking in the kitchen, then Jerry’s laughter. She looked at the clock. 9. She’d slept in again. Slept for over 12 hours actually. Well it had been a hectic and emotionally draining week. She was entitled every once in a while.

She lay on her back in the bed, thinking about Coleton. Thinking about his kiss and the way she’d responded. I shouldn’t have kissed him, she thought. He was a sweetheart though. Taking her to feed the sea lion pups. And taking her surfing. God, maybe someday they could be friends. If he didn’t hate her when he found out. Which he should.

Jen put a finger to her lips, remembering the pressure of his mouth on hers. Replaying the sensations that had swept her body. She didn’t miss Adam, but she did miss having a boyfriend. A crushing feeling of loneliness pulsed through her. She turned away from it, reaching for anything that would make her feel better. Hunter’s face appeared in her mind. She smiled reflexively at the feelings of warmth that accompanied it.

A knock sounded on her door. “Yeah?”

“Jen, are you OK?” Jerry called through the door.

“I’m fine. I’m getting up.”

“Sara and I are heading out to Emma’s place. Do you want to come with us?”

“No thanks.” The last thing Jen wanted was to watch all the happy couples hold hands and kiss all day.

“Sgt. Foley came by here last night to see if you were OK.”

“Hunter came here?”

Jerry was silent for a moment. “Yeah, Hunter said he wanted to make sure you weren’t upset. I told him you were sleeping already.”

“OK, thanks Jer. I’ll call him.”

“Are you upset, Jen?”

“No, I’m good,” she lied.

“OK, call me if you need me.”

“I will, thanks.”

Jen scrambled out of bed and found her pants from the day before, pulling her phone out of the pocket. She pulled up Hunter’s messages to see if he’d texted her. The only texts she found were the ones from the day before that she’d already responded to.


Good Intel work. It’s looking more and more like he’s clean. You are done for the day unless you want to debrief.

I don’t.

Are you OK?

Yes, fine. Heading home.

She hadn’t thought anything about the Are you OK? last night, but now she saw it in a different light. He was worried about me? I wonder if he knows I kissed Coleton. She shook her head. Of course he did. He’d had a front row seat to it. For some reason the thought made her sick to her stomach. Like she’d done something bad or unethical.

Jen wished she had someone to talk to. Someone who already knew everything that was going on. Who would understand. Hunter’s face flashed in her mind again but she shook her head. She had to admit that she had a teeny crush on him and calling him when she was off-duty probably wasn’t a good idea. Loneliness settled in on her again.

Ivy! Ivy knew everything that was going on. And Ivy was smart. She scrolled through her contacts list and texted Ivy, pleased when Ivy invited her over almost right away.

She dragged a brush through her hair, grabbed a bagel off the counter and ran to her car. In fifteen minutes she was inside Ivy’s apartment, spilling all the details from the day before.

Ivy leaned forward, her eyes bright. “You kissed him! How was it?”

“He’s an amazing kisser. It just left me wanting more. And feeling guilty as hell.”

Ivy sucked in a breath and rocked back into her overstuffed couch. “I bet. I don’t envy you.”

“So then I told him I was unavailable.”

Ivy leaned forward again, her eyes eating up her face. “How did he take that?”

“Like I’d just killed his puppy.”

Ivy let out a startled laugh and brushed her bangs back out of her face. Her hair spilled over her ears, covering the shaved sides.

“Are you going to see him again?”

“I don’t know. I hope not really. He’s a super sweet guy and I don’t want to hurt him.”

Ivy eyed her skeptically. “He could still be working with his dad.”

Jen leaned back and looked at the ceiling. “I don’t think he is,” she said, her voice wooden. “Thanks for letting me come over. I just feel bad, you know? And lonely.” She looked around the apartment. “I was almost afraid Ryker would be here.”

Ivy dropped her eyes and her cheeks flushed red.

“Oh no, he was!”

“He was, but it’s not what you think. He comes over a lot.”

It was Jen’s turn to lean forward, pitching her voice low like they might get overheard. “Did he spend the night?”

Ivy bit her lip and looked down again.