Page 62 of Fierce-Colson

They could walk in side by side. The way he wanted.

He was thinking she wanted the same thing.

And that little flirtation game the two of them had just had in the restaurant.

Yeah, that was more than he expected.

Pleasantly surprised though and hoped to get more.

“You didn’t ask. I’m not used to volunteering my whereabouts. Is that going to be a thing?”

She laughed, her eyes lifted innocently and that shine that had been missing dove right back in. “Never. Neither one of us needs a keeper.”

“Some would beg to differ about me. At least now, it feels like I’m the one playing the role at home.”

Her hand came out and landed on his arm again. As if maybe she needed to touch him to be grounded.

Or he could be thinking more of himself.

It just told him not a kiss in public, but gentle touching was allowed.

Got that loud and clear.

For now, he’d continue to let her make those moves, but he wouldn’t push them off.

“I’m sure Bella appreciates it.”

“I hope so. Now I’ve got a picture of all the things she needs on my phone. I forgot to tell you that. She wants to make sure I get the right ones. We went to the grocery store after the mall. I was ready to cry defeat that night. Good thing she cooked for me.”

“Do you like that?” she asked. “When someone cooks for you?”

“Hell yeah. Do you?”

“Do I cook or like when someone cooks for me?” she asked, the two of them back in step to get into the building.

“Both.”

“Then yes to both. And yes, I like cooking for people. Maybe we can try that out after the coffee date. You know, when you’ve got time. No pressure.”

“None taken. We can talk about that more when we have that coffee.”

They climbed the stairs together, got to the metal detector. He nodded to the officer, pulled off his gun and badge and stuck them in the bin, then gathered them on the other side.

He waited. Just to see.

To know.

Did she trigger it again?

Would he get the opportunity to pull her into the room and put his hands on her?

He couldn’t get that lucky.

She put her purse in the bin, then stepped through, her eyes on his, almost as if she wanted it to go off as much as him.

It didn’t. Bummer.

She grabbed her purse and they walked side by side, moving toward the elevator.