Harlon
Chapter 15
They’d both awakened deliciously sated the next morning. She’d tried to sneak into her own room as if it was her way of dealing with the awkward morning after. Before she could make it to the door, Harlon kissed her silly until he was sure she was relaxed around him again.
Walking into Essie’s, Harlon hadn’t had to read her mind to confirm what he already knew. Nina was the one. She was his even if she wasn’t ready to agree. He couldn’t blame her for that. He had time to ease her into his world.
Harlon slid pancakes onto plates and divvied up the bacon before carrying them into the dining room, where Nina was sitting at the table, dressed in one of his flannel button-down shirts.
He’d known he’d been in trouble the minute Essie announced that Harlon would not only find Nina but he’d save her life, like she was bound to save his.
The way she blushed under his gaze had him wanting to strip her bare to see how much creamy skin the blush covered. He would. When he could spend hours exploring every inch.
“Well, are you going to feed me?” Nina asked, breaking the trance from where his mind had strayed.
“Yeah. You’re going to need your energy,” Harlon said, setting one of the plates in front of her. He kissed her temple before taking the seat next to hers.
“Why do I need energy? Do you plan on us staying in bed all day?”
He raised a brow. “As much as I’d loved to, and one day we will, I’m afraid you’ve got an appointment with Ruby. She’s going to take you shopping to get you ready for tonight.”
The bite of bacon she was about to take was forgotten, and she lowered it to her plate.
“What’s tonight?” she asked.
“My sister left me a message,” he said, slipping the folded paper football out of his pocket and setting it on the table.
“What? She wants to play football?” Nina asked.
“Every year since we were kids, our parents used to drag us to the Service Animal Foundation ball. They’ve hosted it and donated millions over the years. Every year my sister and I would find a table away from the crowds, and we’d drink and play table football while reciting our wishes as if the football was a shooting star.”
“I would have never guessed you two were that close after seeing the Christmas where you stole her doll,” Nina teased.
“When our mom died, I was the only family she had left, besides Manny.”
Nina lifted her gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. You never talk about your mom. What happened to her?” Nina held up her hand. “Never mind, you don’t have to tell me.”
“She died when I was fifteen. She’d been fatally injured in a mugging.”
Nina rested her hand on his. “Is that why you went into security so that you can protect others?”
He nodded, swallowing down the harsh reminder.
“I lost my parents too,” Nina said, passing him the syrup while she bit into her bacon. “Did you find anything else at the townhome?”
“Nothing but a few strands of Mittens’ hair by the football. We’re still digging into the owner. It’s listed under shell corporations. I had to break in to check the place so it’s not like I can call the police to do a sweep.”
“Right, because you were trespassing,” Nina said with a shrug. “I’ll try and sketch later to see if I get another scene.”
“Essie liked you,” Harlon blurted out of the blue. “I read her mind when I picked you up. She thinks you’re stubborn too.”
Nina grinned. “Yeah, well, maybe the tea leaves in my cup were actually telling her the truth.”
“Manny’s doctor, Gordon, originally thought you were fraud. He didn’t believe we’d get anything from Manny. He thought we were grasping at straws.”
“You read his mind too?” she asked.
“Everyone’s thoughts jump into my head. Everyone’s except yours. I can normally block all the noise, but not when we were touching Manny and not when I showed up at Essie’s house. After spending hours with you, I’d let my guard down since I didn’t need to have it up. I just forgot to put it back in place.”
“Mhmm.” Nina chuckled. “I’m glad you can’t read my mind.”
“I wish I could.” Knowing her thoughts would take the guesswork out of figuring out what made Nina tick.
“I’m glad you can’t,” Nina said, taking a sip of her coffee. “But I’m sure it helps in other aspects of your life.”
“There isn’t much of a challenge,” Harlon answered, withholding the fact that he’d read the mind of a killer before. It had been dark and dangerous and twisted like black taffy. He’d only experienced that once in all of his years of security work.
