The Dragon Marshal's Treasure (U.S. Marshal Shifters 1)

Or he was saying bait, trait, plait, mate, Kate, rate or any of the hundred other words that had that kind of sound. And if he’d wanted her to know what he was saying, he would have just said it out loud.

Gretchen seemed equally confused by it, until her mouth made an almost perfect O shape. She reached past Jillian to punch Theo on the arm.

So, Jillian thought, a pleasant, frothy delight spreading through her, he was saying date, then.

She didn’t know that any man had ever singled her out as someone he was proud to have landed as a date; she didn’t know any woman had ever been so openly congratulatory about it.

“I’m just giving him a tour,” Jillian said, feeling like she, at least, had to keep up appearances. “Do you want to join us?”

“I think I’ll burrow in here, actually,” Gretchen said. “I like putting together the paperwork trail.”

“But what’s there to look for? It’s all already proven, right? I know the FBI already confiscated a lot from here.”

“The FBI are not great at sharing,

” Gretchen said. “And I’m looking for something a little different—any sign, even a small one, that your father might have had accounts or money stashes that we’re not aware of, ones he kept secret from you and your stepmom. You know what the seizure funds go for, right?”

“To help compensate the victims.”

“Right. Even if they don’t ever really understand it, the people who were hurt by your dad are getting helped today by you and by Tiffani, just by you letting us in and helping us out, not making it hard for us to do our jobs. I just wanted to make sure you knew you’re not going through this just so piles of cash can sit in a locker somewhere. This will matter to people, every little bit will, on your part as well as mine.”

“Thank you,” Jillian said quietly. “I like thinking of it that way.”

Theo settled his hand on her shoulder. Protective. Comforting.

Gretchen said, “Why don’t I leave the two of you alone and go get one of those cookies?”

“That sounds great!” Theo said.

Jillian lightly smacked him on the shoulder the second Gretchen was gone, feeling a slight and welcome thrill at how quickly she had gotten used to teasing him.

“That is low, sending your partner off to suffer through Tiffani’s baking. What happened to honor?”

“I’ve seen Gretchen eat ice cream that’s been in the back of the freezer so long all anyone can see on it is a layer of frost an inch deep,” Theo said. “I think she can handle some toothache cookies, if Tiffani isn’t around to stop her from biting into one. Besides, she’ll like Tiffani.”

“Tiffani will like her.” She tilted her head. “You like Tiffani, don’t you?”

“Sure. Why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know. I’m just not sure you’re real.” She was only half-joking. “You’re not what I expected. I was thinking—grizzled, judgmental, officious. Heart in the right place, maybe, but with a boatload of moral superiority going along with it. And instead you’re funny and you’re nice to us. It’s like you stepped out of a fairy tale.”

His laugh sounded a little stilted that time. Maybe he was an undercover spy. Maybe he was raised among the Amish.

Theo said, “Believe me, at least with the people in my office, judgmental and officious and self-righteous... none of that would be anything you would have to worry about. And none of them are from where I’m from.”

“And, sorry, where’s that? Your accent’s not local, right?”

“Not so far from here, but it was just a very, very insular community. I doubt we even sounded like the people a mile away from us.”

More bobbing and weaving. She told herself to take a step back and give him some privacy. He didn’t owe her his whole history right now, and it wasn’t like she didn’t understand not wanting to talk about family.

She said, “I’m glad you’re here, that’s all.”

Theo said, “I’m glad you’re here, too.”

As she tilted back her head to look up at him, he leaned down and kissed her.

She rose up on her toes to take his mouth as fiercely as he’d taken hers. He tasted like Earl Grey tea and his kiss was electric, a shock that took her at her lips and reverberated all the way down to her toes. She had never been so responsive before. She opened her mouth further and felt his tongue glide against hers. She made a small whimpering noise against his lips and he made a fierce one back. He sounded desperate, like he would always need more of her.