“Callahan, I heard HRT’s holding tryouts. Does that mean you’re leaving us?” Frank Chase asked, stopping by his desk. Despite being only thirty-five, Frank had worked as a special agent for over ten years, thanks to his fluency in six foreign languages. “If so, good luck. I hear the tryout is brutal.”
That didn’t concern him. Compared to what he was about to face at home with Lauren, his time with HRT would be a piece of cake. “Yeah, I heard the same.”
“You and Lauren postponing the wedding until afterward?”
“She doesn’t know yet.” Nate closed down all the open files on his computer.
Frank dropped both hands on Nate’s desk and leaned forward. “You planned for this without telling her? Dumb move, Callahan.”
Yeah, he should’ve told her sooner, but it would all work out in the end regardless. I hope. “I’m telling her tonight.”
Frank straightened up. “I suggest you give her an expensive gift. Butter her up first, then spring it on her. And if you need a place to sleep tonight, my couch is all yours.”
He liked Frank, both as an agent and friend, but his tone just then put him on the defensive. “I don’t have to buy a woman like you, Chase.” Nate gave him a cocky smile before heading for the elevator.
“If I don’t see you tomorrow, I’ll know why.” Frank’s voice carried down the hallway.
Prepared for battle, Nate pulled into the garage armed with a dozen long-stemmed red roses and red velvet cupcakes from Rosie’s. The way he saw it, the gifts couldn’t hurt.
Even from the garage, the smell of steaks on the grill reached him. The woman really did know how to spoil him. Nothing beat a thick steak cooked on the grill in his book. Nate climbed the stairs and ignored the sudden clenching in his gut. “Time to do this,” he said as he reached for the doorknob.
Two high-speed fur-covered freight trains collided into him the minute he opened the door, and he only just managed to keep both the flowers and the cupcakes from landing on the floor.
“Perfect timing. Another five minutes and dinner will be done.” Lauren stood in front of the refrigerator, her back to him.
“We need to do something about these two.” With his free hand he pushed JoJo’s paws off of him and placed the bakery box on the counter.
“They only do that to you,” Lauren said, tossing her words over her shoulder as she continued to search for something.
“Lucky me,” he muttered, moving up behind her and turning her around to face him. When she opened her mouth to answer, he moved in and silenced her with a kiss. His tongue slowly traced her bottom lip before slipping inside. Without any hesitation she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her body against his, her tongue mating with his as her fingernails dug into his short hair. The cool air from the open refrigerator was a stark contrast to the burning heat raging in his body. Somehow he managed to keep his grip on the flowers and pick her up at the same time. When she wrapped her legs around his waist, he groaned as the pressure behind his zipper increased.
After one final kiss, he pulled his mouth from hers. They needed to talk first before they did anything else. “We’ll get back to this after dinner. I promise.”
Lauren’s eyes fluttered open. “You want to wait? Really?”
He looked away, counted to ten in his head, and nodded.
She unwrapped her legs from his waist and slid down his body. “Who are you?” she asked, eyeing first him and then the flowers. “And since when do you buy me flowers?”
On second thought, maybe he should have skipped the flowers, or had he imagined the suspicion in her voice? “Don’t get used to it.” Through pure willpower, he forced a smile.
She accepted the bouquet. “I won’t,” she said and kissed him on the cheek. “Since you want to eat now, go on outside, and I’ll be right out.”
That night they enjoyed dinner on the deck. Earlier in the week Lauren had strung lights around the deck railing and the lights, along with the candles on the table, gave the tiny backyard deck a romantic glow. Despite the setting, beautiful companion, and delicious food, Nate went through the entire meal on autopilot. He cut and chewed his food but didn’t taste it. He nodded and agreed as necessary to Lauren’s conversation but didn’t hear it. His thoughts remained locked on the conversation they still needed to have. The one he didn’t know how to start.
“I picked out bridesmaid dresses today.” Lauren changed the subject to the wedding for the first time all night. “I went with the lilac. I wanted the yellow, but it didn’t look good on everyone.”