But he still wanted to check Colin’s skill. See how far he could get. “Examine the police reports. Eyewitness statements.”
“By when?”
“Tomorrow morning.” Because there was a bigger concern at work here. Someone who disliked mess and surprise more than Gary did. “Whatever you need to do, do it before we both need to answer for this Ms. Raine and her ability to dodge capture.”
* * *
THEY ALL GATHERED in Davis and Lara’s kitchen the next morning. Three members of the team were out of town and had been for months. They were the traveling squad. The skeleton crew that manned the office every day in Annapolis was there, along with Jocelyn. Lara hadn’t come downstairs yet.
Ben eyed the ever-present coffeepot in the center of the table. Before he could reach for it, Jocelyn grabbed it and poured a mug for herself and one for him. Straight-up and black for both of them.
In the stark light of day, Ben still didn’t regret the kiss. She’d stood there babbling nonsense and acting as if he was some kind of criminal. Not because of NCIS but because of who he actually was inside and what he believed in.
The suggestion he somehow lacked humanity or would let her get hurt kicked him in the gut. It had ticked him off and kept him up most of the night.
But that kiss. That taste and feel of her turned out to be even better than he imagined, and he’d been having some pretty hot dreams about her almost from the beginning. That hair, a deep rich red, and eyes a sky-blue.
She was trim with an athletic build. And when she wore that nurse’s uniform, his brain flipped to autopilot and his lower half clicked on.
Being patient and giving her time to get comfortable was slowly eating away at him. He’d wait if that was what it took, but when she’d talked about cutting it off last night, he’d shifted into fast-forward. The relief that poured through him when she leaned into the kiss, meeting him touch for touch, not pulling back, still filled him today.
He leaned over and caught the scent of vanilla. Good grief, she smelled like cupcakes. A man could only take so much.
Joel swiveled his chair from side to side like a little kid. “You okay over there, Ben?”
Yes, but he planned to kill Joel later. “I was making sure Jocelyn remembered everyone. Yesterday was a bit crazed.”
She smiled and pointed as she went around the room. “Joel Kidd, the tech wizard. Connor Bowen, the boss. Davis Weeks, my current landlord.”
Pax nodded. “Nice.”
She frowned at him. “But you I don’t know.”
“My baby brother, Pax.” Davis dumped a tray of muffins on the table, then sat down with Connor across from Ben. “You’ll find that Pax is annoying, but you get used to it. You kind of have to because we need him around here.”
Pax leaned over Connor to snag a muffin. “I’m the good-looking one.”
Connor rolled his eyes. “And so modest.”
Ben noticed the Weeks brothers were alone when they usually had women by their sides these days. One absence was particularly notable, since she owned the house with Davis. “Where’s Lara?”
Davis didn’t look up from his coffee. “Sleeping in.”
“Now that we’re on the same page, we need to come up with a new solution.” Connor opened a folder as he talked.
“That’s why he’s the boss,” Joel joked. “Jumps right to the point.”
“So will I.” Jocelyn smiled as if she’d been waiting all night to drop this bomb. “I can stay in a hotel near the hospital.”
Ben almost groaned. He knew she’d immediately pick a solution that made him nuts. Forget running from him—this was just dangerous. Yeah, she believed he was the target, but whoever was behind this knew her and associated her with him. That made her safety his biggest concern.
“You can’t go to work.” Admittedly this wasn’t her field, but she had to know that fact. Seemed obvious to him. From the nods around the table, the rest of them got it.
“I have to.”
For a very smart woman, she was slow picking up on this point. “Absolutely not. And you can frown at me all you want. It’s not happening. It can’t.”
He glanced around the table looking for backup, and Davis jumped in. “Not a good idea, Jocelyn.”
“I have bills to pay.” She slid her fingers over the handle to her mug, back and forth over the smooth surface.
He was mesmerized by her lean fingers and trim, manicured nails. He blinked to break the trance. “Don’t worry about those.”
She made a face that suggested he needed meds. “How can I—”
“Whoa.” Davis held up a hand “She can continue to stay at the house. Lara would like the female company. Apparently, I can be difficult.”