Page 38 of Fierce-Colson

Then he wondered why he was thinking what he was about her career.

He knew what her salary was. It was part of public records, just like his was.

And maybe he’d been horrible in that he looked.

Finding out that with his OT before he moved departments he made the same as her might have settled his ego just a touch.

He’d never been one who worried about those things. Maybe because most of the women in his life weren’t in the same category as Marly Conway.

She pulled into the parking lot and stopped. He went next to her, but she didn’t shut her car off.

He walked over and she rolled the window down. “Hop in. I park in the parking garage and this way we can go up together.”

He opened the door and slid in. She pulled out and went under the building, parked her car, the two of them moving to the elevator. Her phone flashed for it to open and then again inside, while she hit the button to the eighth floor.

“Have you lived here long?” he asked.

“A few years. I stayed home a few years after college when I was working. The pay wasn’t great. Or not enough for me to get a place I wanted. I’ve put enough away to get here now.”

“Why do this when you can make so much more in private practice?” he asked.

“Because it’s not about money. It’s never been about that.”

“Is it power?” he asked.

She cocked her hip in that drool worthy outfit. “Power is nice, but it’s not that either. It’s about making a difference. I’m sure many could say the same about you. Zander, he’s making multiple times as his own boss than what he made on the force.”

“I’m sure he is, but that takes discipline.”

Her elbow nudged his. No witnesses, and she was back to being playful. “I’m positive you’re plenty disciplined.”

“I am. More now than I used to be.”

“I remember you back in the day. Not a care in the world. It was more about the people and the activity than the end results.”

She wasn’t wrong. “You’re only a kid once,” he said. “And maybe I didn’t have the best home life, so when I wasn’t there and listening to all the fighting, I was trying to do anything to put it from my mind.”

Her smile dropped, her eyes softened. He didn’t want pity and that was exactly what he saw. “I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s not your fault. My mother still apologizes and I tell her the same. She decided and had her reasons. We just move on from them.”

The elevator dinged and they got off, she moved toward her door and held her phone up to unlock it, then opened the door.

He wasn’t surprised to see the open space once they cleared the short hall. White cabinets, solid gray counters, white backsplash with a touch of gold and black in it. Black fixtures, gold nobs. She mixed the metals and the colors and it all played well.

Classic that wouldn’t go out of style, but blending it into the modern trends.

The walls were white, there were pops of color in art and bowls and vases around the room, some blankets over her gray furniture, on her dining room table some glass centerpiece adding more color.

“This screams you.”

“How so?” she asked.

“Just a blend of styles. Maybe personalities. Like two different people perfectly molded together.”

“I wasn’t going for that. I just buy what I like but am lucky enough it all goes well together. Would you like a beer or wine? I’ve got both. I took a guess with the beer, and just picked up one of the Fierce labels that I know Zander drinks.”

“I’ll take a beer,” he said. “Just one more. Don’t need to get pulled over.”