Page 53 of Paws & Order

She steals a piece directly from the pan. Then has the audacity to look pleased with herself.

I catch her wrist before she can grab another. The kitchen suddenly feels very small. Her smile fades.

Not completely. Just enough.

My thumb brushes her pulse. Her breath catches. Mine does too.

"You do that on purpose."

Her voice is quiet. "What?"

"Look at me like that." I step closer.

"You mean accurately?"

The laugh that escapes her is nervous. Good. Because I'm nervous too. Which seems unfair.

I kissed her. Twice. And somehow she's still capable of reducing my IQ by half.

Liza's gaze drops briefly to my mouth. Then returns to my eyes.

There it is again.

That pull.

That certainty.

Like gravity.

I kiss her before I can talk myself out of it. Her fingers curl into my shirt. The kiss is slower this time.Less surprise and more intention.

When we finally separate, she rests her forehead against mine. "Definitely worth the practice."

I laugh. The sound surprises both of us.

Later that night, after Liza falls asleep and Gomez claims the center of the bed like a tiny dictator, I make one final pass through the apartment.

Old habit.

The investigation isn't over. The mystery is still here.

I stop in the kitchen. Something catches my eye.

A blue flower.

Not on the counter. Not in the living room. On the pantry shelf. Tucked between two cookbooks.

I pick it up carefully. The stem is slightly bent. Handmade. Imperfect.

A keepsake. Not a warning. Not a threat. Just another gift.

For a moment, I stare at it.

Then I set it beside the first flower.

The pair looks ridiculous together. And somehow right.

Behind me, Liza laughs in her sleep.