Page 45 of Fierce-Colson

She crossed her arms, lifted her chin and couldn’t help but grin back. “You’re asking for the impossible.”

“What’s impossible? Thinking of me, or doing something about it?

“Both. But I won’t share it. You’ll just have to imagine it.”

“Oh, I will be. Whether or not you do it.”

He kissed her one more time. Hard. Hot. Focused.

Then he walked out the door while she slumped against it.

Once she found the strength to stand, she moved to her wineglass and downed the rest.

Best first date in history.

11

STILL LEARNING

“Ready to go?” Colson said the next day when he picked Bella up at her friend’s.

“Yeah,” Bella said, swinging her bag on her shoulder.

“What do you say?”

She rolled her eyes playfully. Or not. More like a teen I-know-more-than-you-think-I-do look. “I already thanked her mother, but thank you again, Sandy.”

“You’re welcome,” Sandy said. “Any time. It keeps Tiff out of my hair.”

“Not funny, Mom,” Tiff said. “I’ll talk to you later, Bella.”

His sister waved to her new best friend.

He’d met Tiff’s parents at the school one day. They seemed decent. He did a quick online search on them, asked Bella more questions about her new best friend than she cared to answer, but had, then he felt comfortable enough for the sleepover.

Next weekend, Bella wanted Tiff at their house. He was really on the fence about that.

A single dude, officer of the law or not, it just didn’t feel right.

But Tiff’s parents were good with it and it was about keeping his sister happy and her life stable.

“Do you have any plans today?” Bella asked, her head down. As if she didn’t want to do it, but something was pushing her.

“Nothing more than getting food for the week. I figured we could go together on the way home. Why?”

“Well, Regan said I’ve got to be more open with what I want or need.”

“Always,” he said. “What do you need or want?”

She waited a beat, then said, “Can we go to the mall? Like shopping? I wanted to get some new clothes. I was going to ask if Tiff and I could go today, but they have a family thing this afternoon.”

He held the groan back.

The mall. On a Saturday. Shopping with a teenage girl?

Shoot me now.

“We can stop,” he said, trying hard not to moan the words out.