"We will. He doesn't just have you anymore; he also has me."
The simple sincerity in his voice made her chest tighten. She looked up to find him watching her with an intensity that made her breath catch. "Matt…thank you."
"I haven't done anything yet."
"Yes, you have. You've protected me, and you've given me a reason to hope again."
He sucked in a quick breath. "I just hope you don't end up disappointed."
"Me, too." She licked her lips. "Matt…"
His gaze darkened at her tone. "I don't think you should say whatever you're thinking about saying."
She slid down the couch, breaching the distance between them as she put her hand on his leg. "How do you know what I'm thinking?"
"Because you have a very expressive face."
"It doesn't have to mean anything. I just said I like casual and fun. Don't you?"
He smiled. "I do. But this wouldn't be that. You're under my protection. You're scared and vulnerable. I won't take advantage of you."
"You can't take advantage of me when I'm the one offering. There's something between us that's unrelated to the case. We have chemistry." She paused, giving him a long look. His face was guarded, but there was a gleam in his dark-brown eyes. "You feel it, too, don't you?"
"I don't want to. I need to maintain a professional distance."
"Now you sound like an FBI agent."
"That's what I am, Haley."
"It's what you do. It's not who you are."
"It is who I am," he said forcefully. "This is a job for me, Haley. And I can't allow it to be anything else. It wouldn't be smart. It would complicate things." He removed her hand from his leg, although his fingers lingered for a moment before he put her hand on the couch.
"Okay," she said. "That was embarrassing. So much for taking risks…"
His expression shifted. "I feel it, too. I just don't think we should act on what we're feeling. We might have regrets."
"Or we might have an incredible night together."
His gaze weakened. "You are not making this easy. I'm trying to do the right thing."
"And you always try to do the right thing, don't you?"
"Yes."
"I like that about you, Matt. I like a lot of things about you."
"I feel the same way about you, Haley, but I think we should call it a night. Regroup in the morning." He got to his feet. "I may not be able to crack the encryption, but I think I'll give it a shot on my computer. Do you need anything?"
"No. I'll do the dishes and then head to the guest room."
"You don't have to clean up."
"It's the least I can do," she said as she got to her feet.
His lips tightened as he gave her a conflicted look. "You may not believe this, but walking away from you is not easy."
She smiled, flattered by the look in his eyes, by the knowledge that no matter how much he wanted their relationship to be professional, it had already crossed the line into personal, and whatever was between them wasn't just going away because he wanted it to.
