Lifeline

Lindsay shrugs as if it’s not a problem. “If he brings it up, just tell him the kiss was hot, and you responded to it, but there’s nothing else.”

My eyebrows knit together. “That could work. I’ll just have to watch myself around him from here on out. He’s really close with the chief, and the last thing I need is to end my career over a crush.”

Lindsay taps her fingers on the table, then a mischievous smile spreads over her face. “But damn, he’s smoking hot.” Her smile keeps growing. “And super protective.”

“Right,” I chuckle.

“And it was sweet of him to give me his number when he went all big brother on me.”

My mouth curves up when I remember how startled Lindsay was. “He scared the crap out of you.”

Laughter bubbles over her lips. “If someone’s going to break into the house, I pray they look like O’Brien. I’d let him kidnap me any day.”

Picking up a bean, I throw it at my sister. “Stop.”

“His shoulders,” she sighs dreamily, tossing the bean back into my plate. “And his biceps. God, the sleeves of his t-shirt were so tight, it had me drooling.”

“You’re not going to stop, are you?” I try to give her a pointed look but fail miserably because she’s right, it was drool-worthy.

Leaning on her forearms, she gives me an eager look. “What did the kiss feel like?”

“Think of kissing Jared.” Lindsay’s had a crush on Jared for the past two years. Luckily for her, he’s also attending NYU, so she still gets to see him.

She lets out a shriek, fanning her face. “I’d combust if he ever kissed me.”

“That’s what it felt like.” I push the plate of uneaten food to the side, and resting my elbows on the table, I cover my face with my hands. “Toe-curling, mind-numbing, body-electrifying. Hot as hell.”

“Gah, you’re making me jealous.”

Lowering my hands, my teeth tug at my bottom lip as I admit, “His jaw. God, Lindsay, the way it moved beneath my fingers while he was practically devouring me.”

Her eyes widen, another burst of excitement lighting up her face like the Fourth of July. “I’m so going to enjoy living vicariously through you. Was there tongue?”

I begin to laugh while nodding, enjoying the moment I’m giving myself to reminisce over the kiss before I have to shut it down. “Boy, was there tongue. He tasted like mints.”

“Damn, sista.”

We settle down, soft smiles on our faces, then mine starts to fade. “It’s going to be hard.”

Lindsay’s expression also sobers up. “I know. But I’ll be here to help you through it. We’ll stock up on comfort food.”

Reaching across the table, I take hold of her hand. “I get a feeling I’m going to need you a lot.” Getting up, I push the chair beneath the table. “I’m going to shower and head to bed. Don’t stay up too late.”

“I won’t.” She gives me an encouraging smile before I head down the hallway to my room. After shutting the door behind me, I sit down on the side of my bed and fall back onto the covers.

Tonight was full of conflicting emotions. O’Brien’s not an easy person, and getting to know him will take time and patience.

The kiss.

Sadness fills my chest. Getting to kiss him only pushed me over the edge and forced my fledgling feelings to become a full-blown crush.

How will I keep the crush from becoming more if it just took two days for me to start falling for him? I really don’t want to be stuck in an unrequited love scenario.

Ugh.

I’ll just have to put a tight lid on my emotions. Come hell or high water. My main focus is learning everything as fast as possible, so I’ll be an asset to the team.

O’Brien

Sitting across the road from Dobroshi’s diner in one of the beaten-up vans our department uses, I adjust the camera to have a clear view of the entrance.

I check the long-range listening device, picking up on the chatter inside the diner.

JJ opens the cooler bag and takes out an orange juice and sandwich for me. “Bacon and cheese.”

The corner of my mouth lifts. We’ve done stake-outs every night this week. Since my comment about her bringing coffee and snacks, she’s taken it pretty seriously.

Eight days she’s been stuck to my side. I wish I could say it’s become easier, but things are still tense between us. It’s as if there’s a dangerous line drawn neither of us is willing to cross.

Attraction.

As I listen to Dobroshi scolding a waitress for taking too long with serving food and clearing tables, I once again wonder whether the attraction is one-sided. JJ’s given me zero indication she feels it.

With my eyes on the monitor and the chatter from the diner filling the van, I relax, reaching for the sandwich. It’s a nice change from living off take-outs. “Thanks.”