Page 48 of Lost Truth
Releasing a sigh of contentment, she fell onto the cushioned redwood bench on the patio. She leaned back, and her eyes drifted closed. She rehashed the meeting in her mind.
She never expected the team would stand up against law enforcement to help find her father’s killer, but they had. All the way. Nolan even went against the woman he loved to help Cady and to find Kai. What an amazing team. Thank God for putting them in her path. Sure, she had strong investigative skills, but she didn’t think getting in a boat and trailing a human trafficker was in her wheelhouse, and she’d always known when to seek help on the job.
Might this end tomorrow night when they located the traffickers’ ship? Would the team find proof of their crimes? Proof of their connection to her father and that they’d murdered him? Would they also find Kai so Mina could arrest the murderers?
Such an outcome would be too good to be true, and she couldn’t count on it. Which meant she needed to start her research tonight. Soon. Just five more minutes with the soft breeze caressing her skin. With the rhythmic sound of waves rushing in and out from the shore. With the moon and stars above.
“There you are.” Hayden’s voice sounded from above.
She flashed her eyes open. “I couldn’t resist the scene through my French doors. I don’t know how you all get anything done living in such a beautiful area.”
He settled on the cushion next to her, the bench shifting under his weight. “When someone’s life could depend on you finding them, staying motivated is easier.”
“Yeah, I can see that. I was just about to come back to the conference room and get to work.”
“Doing what?”
“Hear me out before you shoot me down.” She sat forward and pivoted to face him. “I got to thinking the trafficking situation could be bigger than we think. Maybe our smugglers are working elsewhere in the state, and there are news reports regarding it. I’d like to search for any stories done on this issue to see if potential names are mentioned or if anyone has been arrested.”
He swiveled too. “Why would I shoot you down? Sounds like a great idea.”
“Oh,” she said, surprised at his easy acquiescence. “I’m glad.”
“I can even piggyback off your idea and run some algorithms to automate the search.”
“That would be great, but I’m an expert at finding information like this online. I could even do as well as your computer.”
“Say it isn’t so.” He mocked pulling a knife out of his chest and laughed.
Every one of his joyful glances, every vibrant smile, wrapped around her, drawing her in. It was as if God Himself had woven their paths together—and she didn’t want to fight it.
He slid to the edge of the cushion and took her hands, his fingers strong and warm. “You feel it, don’t you?”
“If byit, you mean the unrelenting attraction between us. Yes, I feel it. Question is, what are we going to do about it?”
“Maybe tonight, we stop overthinking. Just let it be—let whatever this is take the lead.” His hand rose to gently cradle her cheek. “Maybe we let the moonlight and stars show us the way.”
Man, oh, man. The air practically sizzled between them, and she was lost. He was going to kiss her. That was clear. Did she want his kiss? Even if it ended up being one kiss tonight with no possible future?
He slid his fingers into her hair, his touch electrifying as if a star had fallen from the sky and grazed her skin.
“I want to kiss you,” he said, his voice breathless. “But I don’t want there to be any mistake or lead you on. A kiss is all I can offer right now.”
She touched his cheek. “We’re both in the same boat. One kiss. One time. Nothing more.”
He sighed softly and lowered his head toward her. Unable to resist, she leaned in, and their lips met in a tender, shy kiss.
Oh. Oh!
Everything else faded away—only his touch remained, filling her with a sense of belonging, of warmth, and the promise of a future together.
No.She jerked back.
She’d only wanted one kiss, right? Just one. But that was a lie she’d been telling herself. She wanted more. Much more.
Still, the emotions swimming through her said to be cautious or she would be lost. She couldn’t let her feelings for this wonderful man get the best of her. She couldn’t risk abandoning her dreams. Not for something fleeting, something her parents had shown her didn’t last.
Behind his computer in the conference room, Hayden pretended to review results from the background checks that had recently completed. Tried was the operative word. His brain wouldn’t concentrate on the job. Not after that kiss.
