The bookcase god fails me again.
“Can we talk for a minute?” He asks flatly.
I don’t bother lifting my head from my paper. “Sorry, I need to finish this and then Nate is meeting me here, so—”
“You can stop the little game. I know Nate is just pretending to date you to annoy me. He knows, right? About… Us?”
“Wow,” I say, a laugh of disbelief stuck in my throat. “Firstly, not everything is about you. Nothing is, actually. Secondly, there’s nous, Detective Ortega.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Actually, no, I don’t,” I snap, smashing my pen on top of my paper, lifting my head towards him. “What’s your problem?”
“Come on, Nate isn’t the dating type.Everyoneknows it. If you keep up with this charade, they’ll all be looking at you with pity in their eyes.” I frown, but he continues. “Just stop. I don’t even care anymore that you work here, you don’t have to pretend that you’re dating someone to—”
“To what? I’m not pretending. And I’ll say it again, it has nothing to dowith you. Get your head out of your narcissistic ass, and stay out of my business as I’m staying out of yours. I’m actuallygladfor you and your girlfriend, so don’t make it more complicated than it has to be.”
His face softens then, making my frown deepen in confusion.
“Oh my god. You actually believe it. That Nate would dateyou? Oh, Prue. Come on, Nate is—”
“Hey, Sweetness.”
I feel reassuring arms circle my waist from behind, and lips—those damned soft lips—brush my temple.
“Are you ready to go?”
Some of my anger melts a little in his arm, but my eyes are still narrowed on Raphael, who took an actual step back, his gaze cold on Nate.
“Yes. We were done talking, anyway. I’ll just grab my bag.” I turn my head to see him, my eyes meeting his azur ones instantly. “Do you mind if I change now?”
“Of course not. I’ll wait for you here.” He squeezes my waist, taking a hesitant step back, his eyes landing on Raphael briefly before going back to me.
He leans forward slowly. Torturously so. Is he going to kiss me? Here? In the middle of the precinct? Did he hear Raphael’s accusation and is looking to silence them all? A kiss would probably have that effect. Oh my god, I just had the worst coffee ever and I didn’t brush my teeth, he’s—
His lips land on the spot in my neck, just between my ear and my jaw, and I almost shudder in his arms.
“Hurry before I punch him right here and now for the way he talked down to you,” he whispers, and my throat bobs.
“You wouldn’t,” I hiss, casting a glance towards Raph, who just took a few more steps away, roaming nearby.
“I did before, and I’ll do it again.”
I turn abruptly, my breast colliding against his chest and I gasp. I feel his arms circling me and watch him as he tilts his head to the side in silent question.
“What do you mean, you did before?”
“I’m sorry, but your breasts plastered against my chest areawfullydistracting,” he muses, his gaze dropping on the little cleavage.
“Nate,” I hiss again.
“Hm?” His eyes go back to mine, and they look a little darker.
“What do you meanyou did it before?” I repeat slowly.
He groans, and a muscle flutters in his jaw. “I’ll tell you in the car. But you have to promise not to be mad.”
“Why not now?” I ask, ignoring his request.
