by Olivia James
"Deal," she agreed readily, her gaze on him and not the nosy neighbor.
But as Luke backed out of her driveway and drove down the street, he could still see James Hornsby watching.
Luke was going to watch right back.
7
The movie was one of the best Shaw had seen in a long time. A fun murder mystery with several twists and turns, although she'd figured out the killer about halfway into the film. Not because she was an amazing sleuth or anything - she wasn't - but because he was the most unlikely suspect.
"I suspected him as well," Luke said when they sat down at the pizza place. They'd ordered a large with sausage and extra cheese and a pitcher of ginger ale at the front counter. "The whole character just seemed so out of place. Like why was this big Hollywood movie star doing this small part? Oh, because he's the killer. It only made sense at the end."
"So you didn't like the movie?"
"I loved it," Luke declared with a grin, pouring soda into her glass. "I thought it was great, but the big reveal wasn't a huge surprise. Now...how he pulled it off was. I loved those twists and turns in the story and they were original. I'd see it a second time just to see what I missed. I have a feeling that I would notice things I didn't before."
"That's good. I was worried for a minute that you hated it. I picked it, after all."
"You did a great job, but frankly I'm easy to please. I'll watch just about anything. I love going to the movies. The whole experience with the popcorn and a soda the size of my head."
Smiling, she nodded in agreement. "I have to have my M&Ms. I mix them in with my popcorn."
"I noticed that. That's a bold move, if I may say so."
"Salty and sweet. It's the perfect combination."
"I'm going to try it next time." He paused and took a sip of his soda. "I watched some of your videos. Several of them, as a matter of fact."
Shaw buried her face in her hands. This was one of the weirder parts of her job. People watching a recording of her. She'd never get used to that.
"I'm afraid to ask what you think."
Because although she'd just met Luke Brewster, his opinion of her mattered. It shouldn't this quickly, but it did.
"I thought you were great. I can understand why you're so popular. So you can stop hiding behind your fingers. You have to know that you're good."
She dropped her hands. "I think I might be a victim of imposter syndrome."
"That's pretty common. I have it too. I keep wondering when my bosses are going to figure out that I have no fucking clue what I'm doing and I'm just making it up as I go along."
"I don't believe that. I think you know what you're doing. You have that air about you. Like everything is going to be fine and you're completely in control."
"Then I'd like my Academy Award," he laughed. "Because I've clearly fooled you and hopefully everyone I work with. Seriously, I always have my doubts about my work, but I actually think it can be a good thing. It makes me work harder and keep learning. I always want to improve."
"I feel that way too. At some point, I want to go back to school and get my doctorate. My mom has been bugging me about it lately."
Now why did I say that out loud?
"Moms can be like that," he replied with a chuckle. "They just want the best for us. My mom was worried when I went into law enforcement but now she's my biggest cheerleader."
Family dynamics had always fascinated Shaw, especially as she'd been an only child with a single mother for so long. Luke's family was wildly exotic in her view.
"Did she try and talk you out of it?"
"No, but I could tell she was worried. My sisters were worried too, but they all knew that I was determined. I'd been planning on being a cop as far back as high school." He leaned forward, his arms folded on the table in front of him. "My dad did take me aside and basically said that I needed to be sure. He asked if I'd talk to one of his friends who was a cop and of course I said yes. He didn't ask the guy to try and scare me or anything. Just the facts so I could make an informed decision."
"And you decided to become a cop. But now you're not. What made you change?"
The waitress showed up at that moment to bring their pizza, the aroma of garlic, tomatoes, and cheese making Shaw's stomach growl aggressively. The popcorn and M&Ms simply hadn't filled her up, and she absolutely adored pizza.
"I could eat this every day," Luke said, placing a few pieces on her plate before doing the same for himself. "I know that sounds terrible, but I love pizza. When I was in college, I think me and my roommates ate it about five times a week."
Shaw blew on the slice and then took an experimental bite, the savory flavors exploding on her tongue. She'd never been to this restaurant before, but Luke had assured her it was going to be delicious. He was right.
"I love it too. I also ate way too much pizza in college. Cheeseburgers too."
"I love a good cheeseburger, and I like my fries crispy. Preferably crinkle fries. What are your thoughts on fries?"
It was like they were twins separated at birth.
"I love crispy crinkle fries. I like to dip them in barbecue sauce instead of ketchup sometimes."
"Another bold culinary move. I'm going to have to try that. You're sort of a maverick in the kitchen. Tell me more."
"I eat broccoli with parmesan cheese." His brows shot up comically and Shaw couldn't hold back her laugh. "I like Swiss cheese on my hamburger instead of cheddar. I think mayonnaise was invented by the devil."
"Don't tell my mom that. She makes her tuna salad every Tuesday. And Swiss cheese on your burger? That's crazy talk, woman. It has to be American. The slices that come wrapped up like when you were kid. My dogs love them. They can hear me open a slice of cheese five miles away."
Dogs? Plural?
"You have dogs?"
He grinned and practically bounced in his chair. Clearly, he loved them because his eyes were lit up with delight. As a woman, Shaw was sure she'd never been looked at like that by a man.
"Two of them. Dylan and Murphy. Labradors. Did I not mention them before?"
"I don't think you did. I probably would have remembered two big dogs."
His smile fell and his brow wrinkled. "Uh oh, do you not like dogs?"
She had a feeling that this was a make or break question. If he had two canines, he must like them a bunch.
"I like dogs just fine," she assured him. She didn't have anything against them. "We just didn't have pets when I was growing up. But I like hanging out with my friends' dogs. Taylor has a little Yorkie named Sparkle. She's a real sweetheart. She'll sit on my lap for hours and let me pet her."
"They do bark. And they are messy. But I think it's worth it. Dylan and Murphy will also sit on your lap for hours as long as you pet them but they're significantly heavier than Sparkle. They will keep you warm on a cold winter's night though."
"You sound like a very proud dog dad."
"I am.”
This man was looking better and better the more she was with him. There had to be something really wrong with him though. Melissa said that Luke was just career-focused and that's why he was single, but a guy like this should have women following him around with their tongues hanging out. Just since they'd walked into the restaurant tonight, the lady at the order counter had flirted with him and another woman across the way kept looking over and staring.
"You're almost too good to be true."
Shaw couldn't seem to control her mouth tonight.
Way to just blurt out stuff. He probably thinks you're weird.
If Luke took exception to her statement, he was good at hiding it. He only smiled and chuckled. "You want to know all my bad qualities? I can tell you, but it might be easier to ask Melissa. She's spent the better part of our lives telling me all the things that are wrong with me. How I drop my wet towels on the floor and forget to pick them up. How I like the television turned up too loud. Or how about that I don't like to leave the house once I'm home for the evenin
g? I get comfy and don't want to move. She also hates that I like to watch football on the weekends. She thinks it's a stupid sport. I like hockey too."
Shaw took another bite of the amazing pizza. She really needed to come back here. Soon.
"Wet towels on the floor might be a deal breaker for me."
"What are your bad qualities?"
She opened her eyes wide in mock surprise. "Bad qualities? I don't have any. I'm perfect in every way."
That had him cracking up and she couldn't keep a straight face either.
"To be honest, I have so many faults I don't even know where to begin. I'm nowhere near perfect."
"Thank goodness," he said with obvious relief. "I wouldn't want to date anyone perfect. The pressure would be far too much. It's the imperfections that make us more human."
Shaw would agree with that wholeheartedly.
"What else would Melissa tell me about you? When she was trying to fix us up she only told me wonderful things."
Rubbing his chin, Luke appeared to think about the question for a moment. "She'd tell you that I work too hard and that I've hated all of her boyfriends."
"Have you hated all of her boyfriends?"
"No, but I can see why she might feel that way. I've been pretty tough on one or two of them if I didn't think they were treating her right. I didn't say anything to them because I wouldn't interfere, but I've said something to her. And only when she's asked. I told her that if she had to ask me if her guy was being disrespectful then he probably was. To be fair, she hasn't been a big fan of anyone I've dated either. She really didn't like my high school girlfriend."
Melissa hadn't mentioned any of Luke's exes and Shaw didn't want to pry...much. She was curious though.
"Why didn't she like her?"
"Melissa always says that Celia liked to be the center of attention."
Celia. Pretty name.
"Was that true?"
"Yes."
"So honest. Okay, was that an issue?"
Luke shrugged. "Not to me, but I was young back then. Celia liked the drama and at the time I didn't think anything about it. I doubt I'd enjoy that now. I like things quieter in my old age."
"Old age? You're not much older than me."
"There are days that I feel like I'm a teenager and other days like I'm a hundred. Speaking of aging...Melissa mentioned that you have a milestone birthday coming up. Is that true?"
"Saturday," Shaw confessed with a roll of her eyes. "I'm going to be thirty. We're all supposed to go out or something to celebrate. Maybe a nice meal and then dancing. I'm not sure."
Would he want to join them? So far the evening was going so well.
"You could come...you know...if you wanted to. Taylor is bringing her new boyfriend and Melissa might have a date as well."
Shaw didn't care about being the only single woman there but having Luke around could be mighty nice indeed.
His gaze was warm and she already knew his answer before he even said it. She could feel the heat crawl up her chest and into her cheeks, but it was a welcome reaction. She hadn't been this attracted to anyone in a long time. It was an unexpected surprise.
I like this. I like him.
"I'd love to come. Thank you for inviting me."
I could fall for this guy.
They'd agreed to a third date. This relationship might turn into something real. Luke Brewster was almost too good to be true.
Towels on the floor and all.
The date had flown by and now Luke was pulling into Shaw's driveway. He couldn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed an evening so much and he was sorry to see it end. Luckily, their third date was already set up and agreed to.
Luke couldn't stop himself from glancing in the rearview mirror. Yep, the neighbor must have been waiting for Shaw to come home because he'd just pulled the curtain back, the light from his living room spilling out onto the front lawn.
I don't like this guy at all.
"Would you like to come in for a few minutes? I could make some hot chocolate."
Hell yes, Luke wanted to come in. He sure as shit didn't want to kiss Shaw in front of an audience.
"That sounds great, thank you."
He placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked to her front door. She was so small and delicate compared to him and all of his protective instincts were engaged. He shot a look over his shoulder again.
Neighbor still watching.
Shaw unlocked the door and they stepped inside. Luke walked over to her window and looked out.
"Your neighbor is absolutely monitoring you. He was waiting for you to come home and now he's still staring outside. Doesn't he have anything better to do?" Luke smiled at her. "Not that you're not fascinating - because you are - but you'd think that he might have other commitments."
Shaw slipped off her jacket and joined him, peering out into the night. The window across the street glowed, her neighbor a dark outline in the middle.
"Okay, he might be a little different. He doesn't appear to have a job, although he always has plenty of money for nice cars and vacations. I assume he's independently wealthy. I mentioned once that I worked from home and he didn't say that he did. He watches everyone in the neighborhood though, not just me. When the weather is nice, he sits on a lawn chair in his open garage and watches the cars go by."
That sounded boring as hell. When Luke had lived with his parents, there had been an old couple a few houses down and the man had done the same thing. Just sat there on his riding lawn mower, drinking a beer, and watching the world go by. But at least that made sense. He was older and he couldn't get around too well. His wife wouldn't let him actually mow the lawn anymore; their son came over to do it.
What was James Hornsby's story? It might be completely innocent. It might not. Considering his profession, Luke was predisposed to suspect the worst, especially since Shaw lived alone.
"When did he move in? Was it about the time that you started receiving the messages?"
Shaw tugged at his arm. "No, he moved in last year. Now why don't we forget about him and relax? I'll go make the hot chocolate and you can take off your coat."
Luke didn't want to let Hornsby ruin the mood so he did as Shaw asked, shedding his coat and following her into the kitchen. The kitchen was small but well-laid out and done in shades of blue and cream. Shaw had a simmering saucepan on the stove in no time.
"Do you want marshmallows?"
"Of course, what's cocoa without marshmallows?" Luke teased. "They're the reason you drink hot chocolate. Like icing is the reason you eat cake."
"I can see you have a sweet tooth. Can you grab them out of that cabinet for me? This is ready to pour into the mugs."
A few minutes later they were cozied up on her couch, Shaw's thigh pressed against his own. He could smell the clean fresh scent of her shampoo and feel the warmth of her skin through the denim of their jeans. She looked perfectly at ease holding a Winnie the Pooh mug with her stocking feet tucked under her.
I really want to kiss this woman.
Luke held up his Tigger mug. "Is this a set? I like it."
"It is. I have Piglet and Eeyore too. I like them because they're cute and they also hold a lot. I use them for soup quite a bit." Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at him suspiciously. "Are you making fun of me, by any chance? Because I really like Winnie the Pooh."
"I am not," he vowed. "I really do like them. I also have novelty mugs at my house."
"What are yours?"
"Mostly my favorite sports teams. I do have a few that friends have given me as gag gifts. One has two Labs on it, and I use it the most. My buddy said he found it in a tourist shop in Chicago and immediately thought of me."
Her eyes widened and she sat up straight. "Wait, are your dogs okay? Do you need to get home?"
"They're fine. I fed them and took them on a long walk before I left. The television is on for company and they're probably snoozing on the couch. They can go a few hours by themsel
ves."
"Oh, good."
Fidgeting on the couch cushion, Shaw took a sip of her hot chocolate.
"Do you want me to turn on the television? Or maybe the radio?"
She was nervous. Just as he was. He was relieved to know that he wasn't alone, and that she was feeling anxious as well.
"This is fine." Out of the corner of his eye, he spied a stack of games tucked next to the bookcase. "Do you play board games?"
Her eyes lit up. "I do. About once a month we have a game night. How about you?"
"I'm the Brewster family Monopoly champion three years running."
"That means you're cutthroat."
"You want mercy? Cry to your mama, little girl."
Laughing, she jumped up from the couch and began sifting through the boxes. "Clue? Trivial Pursuit? I'll kick your ass at that one."
"I think I heard a challenge there. Let's set it up and see who knows the most worthless facts."
An hour and a half later it was clear that Shaw was the winner. By a long shot. It wasn't even close. She knew the most bizarre stuff.
"You call me cutthroat? I've got nothing on you. You're a killer shark."
"Cry to your mama," Shaw taunted as she packed up the game. "I beat you fair and square."
Luke stood as well to help her put the pieces away, and their hands brushed accidentally. A zip of electricity ran up his arm and their gazes locked, their faces so close. He wouldn't have to lean down very far to kiss her. Mere inches.
Luke could feel her warm breath on his cheek as he leaned closer, air caught in his lungs. Her hand crept up his arm to rest on his shoulder and it was that subtle move that gave him the courage to go the rest of the way.
Their lips brushed - once and then twice - before the kiss deepened. Heart hammering in his chest, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, the heat from her body leaving a searing imprint on his own. Her lips were soft and warm, and it took all of his strength to finally end the kiss so they could both catch their breath.
Her cheeks were pink and her pupils blown wide. His shoulders rose and fell rapidly as he dragged oxygen into his starved lungs. Kissing Shaw Parker could only be compared to being hit by a truck. She was lethal and he was her willing victim.
