to blame. Driving you to seek comfort in another man’s arms.” The image flashed through his mind again and he scrubbed his hand over his face. Tumultuous emotions reared inside him, jealousy that another man had touched his wife, and anger at himself for making it easy for Nick to move in.
Was that why he wanted to rip Nick’s head off yesterday, and why he almost had sex with Gabby? Re-stake his claim?
“Have you really forgotten and forgiven?” Gabby asked.
Declan turned away to stare at the tree line surrounding the park. Joggers, walkers, and dog owners started their morning activities.
“I have. I have no anger left against you, if that’s what you mean.” He stretched an arm up against a pole and gave it his weight. “The moment I laid eyes on you again, I knew I’ve never gotten over you.”
A suppressed sob sounded beside him. It was as hard for her to hear as it was for him to get the words out. He needed to regroup a bit before he dropped to his knees and begged her to take him back. Somehow he knew he had to go slow, so he went with humor and a side of cocky.
When he turned back to face her, his mouth was turned into a slight smirk. “Can you honestly say you’ve moved on from me?”
The melancholy left her eyes and outrage flashed in them.
Good. He didn’t want sad Gabby. He wanted her vibrant, but not defiant. Damn, it was like navigating a tightrope.
Tread carefully, Roarke.
“I didn’t do too bad, did I?” she defended. She straightened from her seat and glared at him. “I happen to be a good detective. Check my closure rate.”
He leaned against a horse and crossed his arms and ankles. “Is that right? I’ve seen your apartment. You call that moving on?” Declan felt like a hypocrite knowing his own condo didn’t fare any better, but she didn’t know that.
“I just happen to like the minimalist lifestyle. What’s wrong with that?” She got down from her figurative and literal high horse to step into his face. “I’ve found gratification in the job I do. I speak for the dead who needs justice. It’s more than I can say for the work you do.”
“Hey, no harping on my job.”
“If the shoe fits.”
“I can show you what else can fit.”
Her luscious lips tilted into a smile. Even without lipstick they had an appealing rosy color. And the generous lips begged to be wrapped around his erection.
His dick stirred to life.
Down boy.
It didn’t help that Gabby’s eyes lowered to his crotch.
“My eyes are up here, Angel.”
This time it was her turn to smirk. “Oh, don’t pretend you didn’t do that on purpose.”
He uncrossed his arms to grab her, but she bounced out of his reach.
“No. Stop.” She raised a hand between them. “Spell it out for me exactly what you want. I know you think just because I’m a detective, I’m an expert in reading between the lines, but nothing beats going on record.”
Declan chuckled. “Jesus, you drive a hard bargain.”
“What?” Her brow raised. “You can’t draw me into your sexy web and then throw a restraining order at me.” Her eyes were full of accusation.
His amusement fled. “That was the second biggest mistake of my life.”
Her throat bobbed. “And the first?”
Damn, she really did want him to spell it out. “The divorce. Leaving you.”
She turned away from him. Her arms wrapped around herself as she rubbed her biceps. “It wasn’t a mistake.”
He tensed. “What?”
“We were too young, Declan. For the love we had. We both needed to experience the world. Grow up. You needed to get out of LA and be the man you were meant to be. I had to find my own way without my dad’s influence.”
He took a step toward her, resting his hands on her shoulders and eased her around to face him. “And now? Are we ready for each other now?”
“I’m scared, Dec,” she whispered, eyes clouding. “Afraid to feel so much again. Losing the baby and losing you. I almost never came back from that.”
“But you did,” he growled. “You came back stronger. I wasn’t good enough for you then,” he said. “I can be that man for you now.”
“How do you explain Claudette—” her statement cut off, and her eyes went past his shoulder. Declan felt it too, someone’s eyes on them and he turned.
“That’s Nurse Bristow, but who’s with him?”
Two men approached from the parking lot.
“Garrison,” he growled.
15
What the hell was going