“Nah.” His finger slid along my jaw and down my throat. “I went to college in Boston, then joined their police force. That was where I met Brian, our friendly neighborhood hacker.”
I shivered at his touch. “Did you like it there?”
He nodded. “Mmm-hmm. I loved Boston, but Maureen was getting married and Pops was getting older. Mom’s arthritis was getting worse.” He gave a small shrug. “My thoughts were more often in this town. It seemed stupid to stay there when the people I loved lived here.”
“I bet they were happy to get you back.”
He grinned. “That’d probably depend on which day you asked them.”
I let my hand settle on his heart, content to feel it beat. “Police work here is probably different.”
He let out a short chuff of amusement. “You could say that. Very few mob-related crimes or gun deaths in Bar Harbor. Unless you count accidental stray bullets during hunting season, and that hasn’t resulted in a death in almost a decade.” His hand spread on my hip and he pulled me a few inches closer. “What about you? This is a bigger transition for the Cali girl with no family here.” His hand slid up to my waist. “How are you doing?”
“First of all, it’s always California, never Cali.”
His hand slid over my hip and down my leg, pulling it more securely over his body. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”
“See that you do.” I felt myself blushing and thanked the darkness he wouldn’t notice. “I’m doing well. Now.”
He leaned in and kissed me. “I’m glad.”
“I didn’t know where else to go, what to do. After... Well, I just needed to get away, to find a home for Chaucer and me. I loved my summers here, and I needed to feel near Gran.”
He pulled me even closer, his warm breath fanned across my chilled skin. I shivered and he pulled the comforter around my shoulders. “I’m glad you came home.”
I placed my hand on his scruffy cheek and then pulled his shoulder toward me. He rolled over on top of me, kissing me deep and long. He drew back and stared at me while pulling open my nightstand drawer, indicating the vast collection of condoms. “Now you may explain.”
My hands flew to my face, covering the top half. “Do I hafta?” I felt his lips touch my hands.
“Nope. It just seemed like an interesting story.” He kissed my lips. “And secrets make me crazy, as you know. I obsess over the whys and hows. It makes me a good cop but an annoying partner.” He paused.
His girl, his partner. Did he mean it? I still wasn’t looking at him, relying on that universal truth that if I couldn’t see him, he couldn’t see me. He kissed me, so I may have been misled about the effectiveness of this strategy.
He nuzzled my arm. “You have a latex deficiency and the doctor prescribed more condoms.”
I smiled but didn’t say anything.
He ran his lips along my other arm. “You planned to attend an orgy on your drive east but weren’t sure of the colors and sizes necessary to properly cover all your partners.”
“That totally happened. I had to restock afterward.”
“Please tell me these are not the same condoms you threw off the Fourth of July float fifteen years ago. Because if so, we’re in a lot of trouble.”
“They’re fresh!”
“Thank God. You lost a bet and?—”
I slapped my hands over his mouth. We could see each other now. I moved one hand over his eyes and kept the other over his mouth. I felt him kiss my palm. I took a deep breath. “When I found out Justin had been cheating, I panicked. Aside from how incredibly crappy and betrayed I was feeling, I was also terrified he’d given me an STD. I made an appointment at a clinic to get screened.”
I shook my head, recalling the experience. “It was fairly horrible. I’d never had to get tested before. I felt so dirty.” I felt Aiden trying to say something, so I clamped my hand down tighter. “I know. I know. It’s the mature, responsible thing to do, but that’s the way I felt. Justin’s the only person I’ve ever slept with—huh, I guess I can’t say that anymore.” I felt another palm kiss.
“Anyway, the doctor was totally nice and understanding. I was freaking out and told him everything, but he was gentle and calming. When I was leaving, he picked up the bowl of condoms they kept on the counter and tipped it into my handbag. He said, ‘Don’t let embarrassment make you unsafe.’”
I let my hands drop, gauging his reaction. “I’m negative. I wouldn’t have slept with you otherwise.”
He leaned down and kissed me softly. “It sucks, doesn’t it? I did the same thing when she left.” He cringed. “But in the interest of full disclosure and no secrets, I went on a tear after she dumped me. I slept with quite a few women in a short amount of time. Not too proud of that, but there you go. And, yes, I’ve been tested since. Still STI-free.”
He kissed my neck and said, “How long before you think we’ll need to replenish the drawer?”
