brushed past him. "Hope you don't mind, I made it a little later than usual. Figured you might want to sleep in."
Nate glanced down at his slept-in attire, and back up at her.
Mel extended a hand. "Give me your keys. While you shower, I'll run to the office, grab your bag from your car, and bring it here."
"I couldn't ask you to do that."
She snapped her fingers. "Keys. The office is close. Besides, you didn't ask, I'm offering."
He patted his pockets and pulled out the lone key to the FBI's SUV.
"Thanks. Fresh towels hanging in the bathroom. Help yourself to whatever you need. I'll return in a flash with your stuff."
"Thank you," he called after her, but she was already out the door.
Nate drank a few more sips of his coffee, then headed to the shower. Whatever I need? He suspected what he needed had just walked out the door.
He was towel-drying his hair when she tapped on the bathroom door.
"Bag's out here," she said loudly.
"Thanks." Nate opened the door but she was nowhere in sight, just his wheeled travel bag. He pulled it into the bathroom and chose the most casual outfit he'd brought, black slacks, white open collar button-down shirt, and a black sport coat. He thought about shaving but knew Mel waited on him, so he slapped on some after-shave and called it good.
He repacked his bag and wheeled it to the kitchen where she was just finishing her coffee.
"Feel better?" Her amused expression mocked him.
"Mostly. Some aspirin wouldn't kill me."
"Ask and you shall receive." She removed a bottle from the cabinet and poured him a short glass of water. With one raised brow she asked, "Anything else I can get you?"
Nate bit his tongue. He had a whole list of things on his mind but this didn't seem the time. She seemed all business this morning, a no-nonsense detective, and he felt ashamed of himself for drinking too much the night before. What kind of a first impression did that make? She probably wanted nothing more to do with him, and he couldn't blame her. What an idiot I am. "This is good, thanks." He popped a couple of aspirin and washed them down. "Guess I'm ready."
"Let's hit it." She led the way to the garage.
Nate grabbed his bag and followed her out.
On the drive to the office, he tried again. "Mel, can we talk about last night, please? I really need to—"
She whipped in to a parking space and stopped, looking over at him. "We're here. I told you, I only live a couple blocks away. I think we need to focus on the case, maybe try to figure out the significance of the cheerleading uniforms. They have to mean something."
He sighed, and nodded. "You're right. I'll just put my things back into my car."
Mel got out and pointed to the next row over. "Down that way. Biggest shiny black SUV in the row. Can't miss it."
Nate smiled. "I remember. Besides, if you've seen one FBI SUV, you've seen them all." He wheeled his bag to his vehicle and loaded it in the rear.
Mel had gone as far as the front door, where she paused and waited for him. He hurried to catch up, once again admiring the view of her shapely physique in jeans. Focus on the case, he internally scolded himself, but when he found himself behind her climbing a set of stairs, his mind was lost.
He allowed himself the pleasure of ogling her for a few minutes, until they drew nearer the homicide department where he grew serious and focused his attention where it needed to be.
Stone was already in the war room, making notes on a pad when they walked in. "Morning," he said, glancing from one to the other of them. "Notice I didn't say 'good' morning. That's because it's a Saturday, and we're here ."
"Hey little dude." Mel slipped into the seat next to him. "One Saturday isn't going to kill you."
Nate's heart sunk. He'd assumed they'd been planning to work today. Mel hadn't told him differently. Of course, they couldn't work seven days a week . Just because he was here, he shouldn't have expected them to shift their routines. But they had , without
Nate glanced down at his slept-in attire, and back up at her.
Mel extended a hand. "Give me your keys. While you shower, I'll run to the office, grab your bag from your car, and bring it here."
"I couldn't ask you to do that."
She snapped her fingers. "Keys. The office is close. Besides, you didn't ask, I'm offering."
He patted his pockets and pulled out the lone key to the FBI's SUV.
"Thanks. Fresh towels hanging in the bathroom. Help yourself to whatever you need. I'll return in a flash with your stuff."
"Thank you," he called after her, but she was already out the door.
Nate drank a few more sips of his coffee, then headed to the shower. Whatever I need? He suspected what he needed had just walked out the door.
He was towel-drying his hair when she tapped on the bathroom door.
"Bag's out here," she said loudly.
"Thanks." Nate opened the door but she was nowhere in sight, just his wheeled travel bag. He pulled it into the bathroom and chose the most casual outfit he'd brought, black slacks, white open collar button-down shirt, and a black sport coat. He thought about shaving but knew Mel waited on him, so he slapped on some after-shave and called it good.
He repacked his bag and wheeled it to the kitchen where she was just finishing her coffee.
"Feel better?" Her amused expression mocked him.
"Mostly. Some aspirin wouldn't kill me."
"Ask and you shall receive." She removed a bottle from the cabinet and poured him a short glass of water. With one raised brow she asked, "Anything else I can get you?"
Nate bit his tongue. He had a whole list of things on his mind but this didn't seem the time. She seemed all business this morning, a no-nonsense detective, and he felt ashamed of himself for drinking too much the night before. What kind of a first impression did that make? She probably wanted nothing more to do with him, and he couldn't blame her. What an idiot I am. "This is good, thanks." He popped a couple of aspirin and washed them down. "Guess I'm ready."
"Let's hit it." She led the way to the garage.
Nate grabbed his bag and followed her out.
On the drive to the office, he tried again. "Mel, can we talk about last night, please? I really need to—"
She whipped in to a parking space and stopped, looking over at him. "We're here. I told you, I only live a couple blocks away. I think we need to focus on the case, maybe try to figure out the significance of the cheerleading uniforms. They have to mean something."
He sighed, and nodded. "You're right. I'll just put my things back into my car."
Mel got out and pointed to the next row over. "Down that way. Biggest shiny black SUV in the row. Can't miss it."
Nate smiled. "I remember. Besides, if you've seen one FBI SUV, you've seen them all." He wheeled his bag to his vehicle and loaded it in the rear.
Mel had gone as far as the front door, where she paused and waited for him. He hurried to catch up, once again admiring the view of her shapely physique in jeans. Focus on the case, he internally scolded himself, but when he found himself behind her climbing a set of stairs, his mind was lost.
He allowed himself the pleasure of ogling her for a few minutes, until they drew nearer the homicide department where he grew serious and focused his attention where it needed to be.
Stone was already in the war room, making notes on a pad when they walked in. "Morning," he said, glancing from one to the other of them. "Notice I didn't say 'good' morning. That's because it's a Saturday, and we're here ."
"Hey little dude." Mel slipped into the seat next to him. "One Saturday isn't going to kill you."
Nate's heart sunk. He'd assumed they'd been planning to work today. Mel hadn't told him differently. Of course, they couldn't work seven days a week . Just because he was here, he shouldn't have expected them to shift their routines. But they had , without
Similar Books
