Page 21 of Pretty Poison

Rocky choked down the guilt and heartbreak. “Which you contested.”

Asher nodded. “It gave me time to win you back.”

Time that was quickly running out. Was that the real reason Asher was in Savannah? Rocky could ask him, but did he want to know the answer?

“Does that mean a position here in Savannah recently became available?”

“Yes, and it came with a promotion to inspector.” The one he’d been passed over for because of the embarrassing media attention Rocky had garnered after the fallout from the Warner shootings. “Things hadn’t been right in Vegas for a long time. I’d fallen out of love with the city before we met. All of my family still lives in Brooklyn, so I had no reason to stay in Vegas.”

“Congratulations.”

Asher’s pride shone in his smile. “Thank you. I figured I’d get to know the city you loved more than me.”

“I don’t love Savannah more than I love you.”

The sweet curve of Asher’s mouth morphed into dark, dangerous pirate territory, knocking Rocky off-kilter. Then he closed the distance between them, his gait every bit as cocksure as his grin. “Good to know.”

“Know what?” Rocky asked, sounding as breathless as one of Marla’s romance novel heroines. He had butterflies in his stomach to match.

“That you don’t love Savannah more than me.”

Rocky shook his head. “I said Ididn’tlove Savannah more than you.”

Asher chuckled. “Oh, I must’ve misheard you.”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

Asher stopped mere inches away, and Rocky had to tilt his head back to look into his glistening, dark eyes. Reaching for the man felt as natural as breathing, so Rocky gripped the wooden railing harder to stave off the urge. It didn’t stop Asher from crowding his personal space even more by lowering his head. Asher was close enough that his breath ghosted over Rocky’s lips. The longing he felt was echoed in Asher’s expression, and with it, Rocky saw a silent challenge. Asher was going to kiss him, and Rocky was going to let him.

The intensity was too much. Rocky closed his eyes at the last minute. But he didn’t turn his head away. Instead, he braced himself for an onslaught of feelings and sensations that never occurred because Cal fired up his obnoxious lawnmower again.

Rocky and Asher jerked apart and stared at each other, both of them breathing heavier than usual. He was both happy and dismayed that Asher reacted to his proximity in the same way.

“Wow, Cal eats fast,” Asher shouted, breaking the standoff.

“You can’t stay here,” Rocky shouted back.

“Why not?”

Luckily, Cal wheeled the beast back to the front yard, making it easier for Rocky to shut Asher down. Maybe everything he’d said was true, but none of it explained why the hell Asher was there with his duffel bag in tow.

“Let’s start with something easy. Why do you even want to stay here in the first place?” Rocky asked.

“The house I rented isn’t ready for me to move into yet.”

“Why?”

“The landlord insisted on giving the place a fresh coat of paint and shampooing the carpets before giving me the keys.”

Rocky narrowed his eyes. “How long is that supposed to take?”

“A few days at most.”

“Where have you been all this time, and why can’t you continue to stay there? Better yet, why can’t the marshals put you up in a hotel or sock you away in a safe house or something?”

“I just returned to Savannah a few days ago, and I’ve been crashing at Dandridge’s place. He’s been really cool, but I don’t think his fiancé is happy about it. You’d really rather I stay at a hotel or a safe house than crash here with you?”

“Yes.”