“Oh, come on,” Isabel had groaned. “You patch me up just to put me on a time-out?”
She would be damned if she was taken off this case. She was too invested in the Harper kidnapping. And if she was being honest, she was too invested in spending time with the stunning woman standing in front of her.
“You were shot,” Victoria had pointed out. “You need sleep.”
Isabel rolled her shoulder. “Nah. I’ll be fine.”
Victoria sighed, standing. “Then at least eat something.”
Do something,her brain had urged.Now. Before you chicken out.
“Dinner,” Isabel blurted. She tilted her head towards the door. “Lavender’s. It’s not far, the food’s good, and you can make sure I don’t pass out at the table.” She’d smirked. “Very responsible of you.”
Victoria stared at Isabel silently. Her face was unreadable, a poker face made for Vegas. The moment stretched, making Isabel’s heart pound as she waited for a response.
“That’s not necessary.”
She wasn’t giving up that easily. Isabel raised a brow. “So you’d rather Idon’teat?”
Victoria hadn’t answered right away but just stared at her, blue eyes sharp and considering. Eventually, Victoria had pinched the bridge of her nose. Isabel hoped that was a sign her will was wavering.
Isabel had grinned, standing. “Come on, Langley. It’s just dinner. You and me, no precinct, no case talk—just two people eating food. Surely even you take breaks.”
Victoria’s lips pressed into a thin line.This is it,Isabel had realized.This is the moment.
If Victoria said no, Isabel would let it drop. She’d shove the feelings down, pretend they didn’t exist, chalk it up to adrenaline and too many close calls.
But if she said yes…
Victoria sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Fine.”
Fuck.
That shouldn’t have hit as hard as it had. Isabel grinned, trying to cover the sudden spike of heat in her chest.Hook, line, and sinker.
“Damn. Wasn’t expecting that to work.”
Victoria grabbed her blazer and shot her a look so flat it could’ve smoothed wrinkles. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Oh,Captain.You’re gonna have fun. Ipromise.”
Victoria didn’t dignify that with a response. But as Isabel grabbed her ruined leather jacket—carefully, becausedamn it, this jacket had been with her through everything—she couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips. She’d gotten what she wanted. And for once, it wasn’t just about the thrill of the chase.
It was about seeing Victoria—reallyseeing her—and knowing, without a doubt, that she wanted more.Muchmore.
The warm glow of string lights spilled out from the windows ofLavender’s, casting soft golden puddles across the cracked sidewalk. Isabel hesitated for a moment, her hands shoved in her jacket pockets, eyeing the cozy cafe bar is if it might suddenly disappear.
She’d only been here once—her first night in town, when exhaustion and bad takeout options had driven her through the front door. It had been late, the crowd thinning out, and she’d ended up nursing a lavender gin spritz at the bar while the resident dog, Fig, snored under her stool.
The place had stuck in her mind ever since. Mismatched furniture, faded rugs, and walls cluttered with local art gave it an easy, lived-in charm. The air always smelled faintly of lavenderand warm bread, as if someone had bottled comfort and turned it into a business model.
It wasn’t the kind of place she’d expected to find herself again—especially notwithVictoria Langley.
What the hell did I just get her to agree to?
The thought made her grin as she pushed open the door, the little brass bell above it giving a cheerful jingle.
Lavender Larwood herself stood behind the counter, scribbling into a battered notebook with one hand while flipping a clean dish towel over her shoulder with the other. She was effortlessly cool, the kind of middle-aged woman who probably knew every customer by name and had stories to tell about half of them. Silver streaks ran through her hair, which was piled into a messy bun, and a faded tattoo peeked out from under her rolled-up sleeves.
