“Hey.” She stood in the doorway and her beauty halted his breath. He wanted to carry her upstairs, too, deposit her intohisbed, and love her all night long. “I was in the bathroom.”
The fire in her eyes burned brightly, but something was wrong. Something was definitely off.
She shouldered her computer. “I’m gonna take off.”
“I’m sorry about the movie,” he said. “It set us back—”
“It’s not the movie. Mixing business with personal is a bad idea. This is a challenging case and we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. I don’t want things to be strained. I called my sister for a ride since I’ve got my work laptop.”
“Don’t go.”
“It’s too late to work and I’m not here for a booty call.” She crossed her arms.
She sure as hell was fired up about something.
Her phone binged. “My sister’s here. Thanks for inviting me for pizza night. See you Monday.” And just like that, she was gone.
He fought the urge to go after her. Maybe introducing her to Sammy had been a mistake. In truth, he wouldn’t have been able to concentrate on work anyway. Providence had done what no other woman had been able to do. She’d gotten to him. And from her abrupt departure, she was struggling, too.
All evening, he’d wanted to touch her. Not kissing her was an exercise in frustration. If she had stayed…It’s better that she left.
No, that’s a damn lie. I wanted her to stay.
He locked up, set the house alarm, and retreated into his office.Time to learn about my new partner.
He accessed ALPHA’s database and found her file. Her career as a special agent with the FBI’s Violent Crimes Division spanned a little over a decade. About four years ago, she transferred to undercover work. Most of those assignments had taken her out of town. She’d received numerous accolades within the organization. Without question, she was well qualified to work as an ALPHA operative. Her career was stellar, save for one disciplinary action for misconduct.
Him.
But it was the personal information about Providence that caught his eye.
Spouse: Jim “Jimbo” Reynolds. Divorced.
Children: Annabel Sylvia Reynolds. Deceased. SIDS.
“Oh, God.” His heart broke for her. She had suffered an unimaginable loss. Based on the dates provided, her daughter had died four years ago. And her marriage had ended not long after that.
This explains a lot.
* * *
“Thanks for the ride,” Providence said to her sister, Megan. “My car is at Goode-Luck Real Estate in Tysons.”
At the red light, Megan glanced over. “What’s wrong?”
Providence had been staring out the window, trying not to think about her evening, but that’s all she could think about. “I’ve got this client and …” She paused. “It’s nothing.”
“Why is it that I tell you all my secrets and you never reciprocate?”
“I don’t have any.”
“Everyone has something. C’mon. I’m a good listener and I might even be able to help.” Her sister’s cajoling smile was the tipping point.
“I’ve got a client, and it would appear we’re…well, we’re attracted to each other.”
“Nice.” The light turned green and Megan rolled forward. “What’s the problem?”
“I don’t mix work with pleasure.”