She smiled at him. It was a pathetic excuse for a smile, she could tell, but he looked so worried about her. âI know. Itâs not my fault.â
âDo you know?â Scott leaned closer. âBecause it sure seems like youâve been carrying this around with you for a year.â
She had. The guilt was always there. And now that Connors was out of jail, asking for her help, there was no way to hide from it anymore. If she could start working through the consequences of that day, maybe it was time to stop hiding from what had happened with Scott, too.
Maybe it was time to stop denying that she had genuine feelings for this man. Figuring out what exactly those feelings were was the hard part. But the thought of him with someone else filled her with jealousy. And the way he was staring at her now, with so much concern and caring, made need rise up inside her. A need to feel his arms around her again, to feel his lips on hers.
To be with him just one more time.
Acknowledgments
Thank you, as always, to all my friends and family, for your support and love. A special thanks to Chris Heiter, Robbie Terman, Ann Forsaith, Nora Smith, Charles Shipps and Sasha Orr, for your feedback. And to Mark Nalbach, for making my book trailers and keeping my website rolling.
Thank you to my agent, Kevan Lyon, and my editor, Paula Eykelhof. I feel grateful every day that I get to work with you.
Finally, to my readers. Thank you for allowing me to continue telling the stories that fill my headâI appreciate you for coming along on the journey!
Chapter One
June, one year ago
Scott Delacorte was a lucky man.
Meeting women had always come easily for him. Heâd long ago perfected the subtle charm that drew women in, and the easygoing, never serious attitude that kept them from staying too long. His only rules were no married women and no fellow FBI agents.
Last night, heâd broken the second rule.
Scott rolled over in bed, his eyes closed, still blissed out from a night with newly minted negotiator Chelsie Russell. Tall, blonde and blue-eyed, she looked more like a cover model than an FBI agent, but the thing that had sucked Scott in was her smile. Too big for her face and way too infectious, it came with an impressive ability to read people and a willingness to go toe-to-toe with any agent at Shields Tavern. Including him. And heâd been more than eager to take her up on the challenge.
Heâd met her before, in passing. Sheâd joined the FBI a year after him, with his sister Maggie and their close friend Ella, and over the years, heâd seen her with them. But heâd never really talked to her until last night.
Sheâd shown up at Shields as he was walking to the door. Heâd just said goodbye to his fellow agents from the Hostage Rescue Team when sheâd walked in, already grinning. And heâd turned right back around, pushed by a few other guys whoâd noticed her, too, and introduced himself. He bought her a drink when she told him she was celebrating officially becoming an FBI negotiator.
Heâd done his best to monopolize her at the bar, but heâd been sure sheâd turn him down when he invited her back to his place. Instead, she set down her drink, threaded her fingers through his and suggested he lead the way.
In bed, eyes still closed, Scott breathed in the scent of her strawberry shampoo and reached for her. Heâd finally fallen asleep sometime after 4:00 a.m., and his internal clock told him it couldnât be much past seven now. But he was already craving the feel of her long hair draped around his face, her nails skimming over his back as she kissed him. His fingers stretched across the bed, searching, but all he felt was empty sheets, still warm on her side.
Opening his eyes, Scott glanced around his bedroom. Empty.
He sat up, stifling a yawn, and peered toward the bathroom. The door was open. She wasnât in there. Last night, heâd strewn both of their clothes all over the room. Now hers were missing.
Cursing, he jumped out of bed. He still felt her warmth on his sheets, so she couldnât have been up long. Not bothering to get dressed, he hurried through his small bungalow to the entryway.