Page 101

"I'll do it. I'm the best U.C.—"

"And what seventeen-year-old-lookin' forty-something-year-old is going to stomp into a demolition factory seeking to start a business transaction?" Maggie folded her arms over her chest. "Please detail that out for me."

That time I laughed along with Zay.

"Mags! C'mon."

"Get over it." She shoved Sali's shoulder, her gaze still on me. "Flesh out the plan."

"Not Sali," was all I managed.

"Seconded." Zay raised his finger in the air.

"Motion passed." Maggie nodded.

"Rude." Sali scowled and flipped us off.

"What else?" Maggie ignored her and moved on.

"We…" I glanced at Sali. "Get a credible U.C. who can pull off the businessperson gig. Maybe someone with property or find a dummy property that we need demoed." Finally, my brain started working in the face of the intimidating duo. "It's gotta be real though. Demo companies volley for bids. They could've bid on it and lost."

"What if we find a property they already bid on and lost?" Zay glanced between us.

"Good thinking." Maggie nodded to both of us. "Pitch it to Walsh and call us."

"On it." I nodded and motioned for Zay to follow as I turned toward the door.

"Pitch it to Walsh." Sali muttered in a snarky tone, making fun of her wife. "Bleh bleh, I'm the boss."

A loud thwap echoed through the corridor and I couldn't hide my smirk.

***

"Hi." Clem greeted me with a smile as she tucked her endlessly long hair behind her ear. Pale cheeks tinged pink, and I kissed the end of her nose before our embrace.

"Hi, pretty."

"How was your day?" She giggled when I lifted her up, immediately curling her legs around me. It always surprised me, despite the height she had on me, that she was able to curl herself up so small.

"Not bad. Might be closing in on that DNA case you helped us with." I toted her over to the sofa in her living room and sat with her in my lap.

"That's good. Closing cases is my favorite," she said, resting her arms over my shoulders. We brushed our noses together, then she leaned her forehead against mine.

"I thought it was mine, too." I closed my eyes, slowly allowing myself to lean into her affection.

"But now?"

"Um…" I thought about it for a moment or two, allowing my mind to flow through the chaos embroiled in it. The things I learned in school, then the academy, and at work. My experiences, the victims, partnerships. It all flooded me then as I ran my hands up and down her thighs. "I'm…the serve and protect type, I think. Rather than the law and order type. Does it make sense?"

"It does." She smiled and pinched my chin between her fingers.

"No more work talk." I nipped her wrist. "Thank you for waiting for me."

"Of course. I made baba ghanoush and some lentils for dinner. Do you like that?"

"I do, indeed. Yum."

"But…" Her brows lifted as her smile broadened. "Sex first."