Page 164 of Smoke Screen
“Y’all are nuts,” Maddy said. “Anyway, as long as the FBI clears me, I’m happy.”
Ash stepped inside, shutting the door behind him and coming closer to Phin and Maddy. If Phin knew his brother at all, he had some intel for them.
“You didn’t hear this from me,” Ash said, “but based on what I heard from Louis, you’ll be free of this soon.”
Maddy cocked her head. “Will they make an announcement? I mean, will they actually say I wasn’t involved?” Before Ash could answer, she put a hand up. “I’m not being a jerk. Actually, maybe I am, but this could wreck my career. Who would hire a curator previously suspected of art theft?”
“I understand. Let me see what I can do. Plus, you know …Cilla. Between the two of us, maybe we can accomplish something.”
This was the Ash that Phin worshipped. The one who strategized. The one who made things right when protocol screamed foul.
Fuck protocol.
Phin reached up, grabbed his brother, and yanked him closer, bear-hugging him. If he’d had the balls, he might have even kissed him on the cheek. A loud, smacking one.
“Dude,” Ash said, arms still at his sides. “Is this necessary?”
Phin laughed and added a back slap to the hug. “Hell yeah it is. Before you know it, the whole building’ll be talking about Cam Blackwell going soft.”
“My ass,” Ash said, lifting his arms and returning the hug.
“Aww, y’all arekillingme right now.”
They both stepped back and turned to Maddy, whose face had basically collapsed as she fought back tears and flapped her hands in front of her face.
“Ihatecrying,” she said. “I really do. So tired. Strung out. And I miss my family.” She ran her hands over her face, dropped them. “I want to see my family.”
Phin left Ash in the dust and this time pulled Maddy into his arms, kissing the side of her head. “Your car is still at our place, but after we’re done here, I’ll take you to your mom’s. Okay? I’ll drop you off and pick you up when you’re ready. Press might still be on you, but we’ll figure it out.”
She pressed her cheek against his chest and squeezed closer, her body crushed against his, and there it was. That punch, that eruption inside him that made him …
Happy.
Content.
Both of which hadn’t happened in a long time.
If ever.
“Maddy,” he said, his voice splintering with some kind of crazy emotion he wasn’t sure he minded. “We really need to go on a date because I’m falling in love with you.”
“Whoa,” Ash said from behind him. “I amout.”
Phin didn’t bother looking. The click of the door shutting told him his brother had turned tail and run. Who could blame him? When the hell had Phin ever uttered the word “love” about a woman?
Talk about going soft.
Maddy arched back, staring up at him with her eyes that made him think of a Caribbean beach and lounge chairs and tropical sun and fruity-ass drinks he’d hate but would drink anyway because that’s what you did in the Caribbean.
He wanted it. All of it.
With Maddy.
“A date.” She peered up at him. “I’d like that. Maybe a picnic. Just us and quiet. When it’s quiet I don’t have to think about anything but you and how much you’ve done for me and how I’ve been waiting my whole life for you and how I think I love you, too.”
Yeah. This was the good stuff.
He kissed her. Long and slow until his body hummed and the little brain considered a list of naughty things they could do on an FBI conference room table.
