Page 61 of Hot Pursuit

Jo glanced back toward his face, studying him with her gaze, reading every hard edge, every line, every curve. “Show me you have something to lose.”

“I do, Jo. More than you know.”

“Like what?”

He balled his hands into fists. “My job. My respect. My justice.”

“I’m not talking about that.” Jo shook her head.

“Then what?” He didn’t understand. “What are you talking about?”

Jo squared her shoulders, facing him fully, no longer trying to run. “Take your comm out.”

“I can’t. It’s against protocol.”

Jo arched a single brow. “Take your comm out.”

Nate ground his teeth. Was this what Leo had foreseen? Was this what his partner had been afraid of?

The rules…or Jo? The rules… His boss would understand.

Nate plucked the piece from his ear and yanked on the wire leading to the mic at his wrist, pulling the entire unit free from his tux and holding it out to Jo.

“Unplug it.”

He held her gaze for a moment, then disconnected all the wires and let the batteries fall to the ground before he shoved the useless set into his pocket.

Jo stepped closer.

She put her palms to his chest.

She leaned in.

“Don’t you see, Nate?”

He searched her eyes for the answer to her question but couldn’t find it.

“Me, Nate,” she whispered. “I want to be your something to lose.”

He froze.

Jo didn’t pause. She slid her hands over his shoulders and curled her fingers around the back of his head, massaging his scalp in a way that made sparks dance across his eyes.

“It’s just you and me. No partners. No teams. No rules. If I walk away right now, I can still have my bakery. I can still have my freedom. I can still have my family. All I lose is you.” She lifted onto her toes, pressing her breasts against his chest, her lips to his ears. Her breath was a warm kiss dancing across his skin. “Convince me to stay.”

His head dropped onto her shoulder as his muscles gave out, his fight. His voice came out a deep groan. “Jo…”

“Convince me you don’t want to lose me either.”

Every moment since they’d met had been leading them here.

To this inevitable choice.

One that would have been easy a mere week before but now seemed impossible.

Jo was a felon.

A criminal.