Page 51 of Butterfly Assassin
“What’s going on with you and Harper?”
Taking a moment to swallow his coffee, Michael thought how best to phrase his answer. “What do you mean?”
Frank levelled an unimpressed glare at him. They’d been partners too long for Michael to get away with an answer like that.
“Sorry.” He took another sip of coffee, the bitter taste waking him up a little more. “And I don’t know. Nothing, I don’t think.” And nothing had happened, really. Overnight, Michael had convinced himself it was all in his mind.
Frank huffed. “It didn’t look like nothing yesterday. I’m pretty sure you were almost in his lap at one point.”
Michael opened his mouth to protest but caught the twitch of Frank’s lips as he fought a smile. “Fuck off.” He jabbed a finger in Frank’s direction. “It’s all your fault, anyway. You put the idea in my head in the first place.”
“Ahh, so there is something there?”
“That’s not what I said.”Bloody Frank.“Look, I’ll admit that I might find him attractive.”
Frank snorted.
“Which, seriously, you did put that fucking thought in my head.”
“I didn’t tell you to grope him in the conference room.”
“I didn’t grope him.”
Frank’s raised eyebrows showed what he thought of that comment.
“Oh, piss off, I didn’t. But fine, I was closer than I needed to be. At times.”
“Many, many times.”
“Whatever.” He glanced out the window and drank more of his coffee. This was Frank, though. If he couldn’t be honest with him, then they were fucked. “Shit, Frank. I like him.” The words were both a relief to get out and acid on his tongue. “I don’t know why he’s different. Why I seem unable not to cross that line, but…”But I’m walking the very edges of it, and part of me wants to jump right over.
Frank sighed. “Apart from your flirting yesterday, has anything happened?”
“No.” At least that was easy enough to answer.
“And do you want it to?” He glanced over at Michael.
Arse. Why did he have to ask that?
The temptation to give Frank the answer he wanted was there, but Michael ignored it. They were friends as well as partners, and he refused to do him the disservice of lying. “Yes. And no.Fuck, I don’t know, Frank.” He fiddled with the edges of the coffee cup, flinching when a bit splashed over the rim. “Yes, I want it to, because he’s hot and I like him. But no, because he’s essentially a criminal and also involved in our current case.”
Frank said nothing for a long few seconds. “Well…” He kept his eyes on the road as he spoke. “We dropped all possible charges when he and Harry agreed to help us. So technically, he’s not a criminal. Not one with a record, anyway.”
That was true, but… “Istill know he broke the law.” And so did the rest of his team. “And what about the case? If he ends up witnessing anything that we need him to testify about, I don’t want to jeopardise that.”
“You’re definitely considering pursuing something with him?” Frank asked. “And I’m not asking to be a dick, I’m serious. And just to remind you, a shifter will ultimately get tried by the alpha council, and they don’t give a shit about things like that.”
“I don’t know, I think there might be a good argument to try the case in the human courts, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We have to catch them first.”
“And Harper?”
Michael let out a long sigh. “I really don’t know. The more I think I shouldn’t,can’t,pursue anything with him, the more appealing the whole idea is.” He cast Frank a wry grin. “You know how that goes.”
“Yeah.” Frank indicated to turn right as they neared their office building. “But my two pence worth… I strongly suggest you wait until this case is over before doing anything with him.”
After what Michael just said too. The bastard. “Thanks, Frank. That helps a lot.”
Frank grinned at him and pulled into the underground car park. “You’re welcome.”
