Mission: Without a Trace - Nicole Edwards Page 0,82

fell into it, propping himself up on pillows. “Tired. Was hopin’ you were still awake.”

“Yeah?”

“Thought maybe we could watch something mindless on TV.”

That was a good idea, something to take their minds off everything else. Reese had turned the television on, but he had no idea what he was watching. He’d made it as far as the power button before he’d shifted his attention elsewhere.

And now it was shifting again, only this time, he was letting his gaze skim over Brantley from head to toe. He looked so damn sexy sitting there, one knee propped up, reclining back, wearing a pair of shorts. So casual, so … relaxed. It was a good look on the man.

As though he’d done it a million times before, Reese passed over the remote, set his iPad on the nightstand, and flipped off the lamp. He settled back against the headboard. When Brantley leaned into him, Reese put an arm over his shoulder.

They remained like that, watching the news in bed, neither of them speaking. It wasn’t an encounter Reese normally would’ve paid attention to but he couldn’t help himself.

This.

This was what felt right to him.

Being here with Brantley.

And when they fell asleep an hour later, it was with Reese spooning behind the man, holding on to him.

They were both up before the sun, their routine one they’d run through every day this week. After joining Brantley for his morning run, Reese went to the kitchen, started breakfast while Brantley hopped in the shower. When they were finished with their respective tasks, Reese took his turn in the bathroom, dressed for the day, and met Brantley over at the barn.

JJ arrived a little after seven. She had a smile on her face and a mug of coffee in her hands. She looked as though she’d gotten some sleep and Reese was hopeful she had. Despite his attempts not to, Reese had overheard a couple of her conversations with Dante and it seemed the man was attempting to use this tragic situation to his benefit, trying to weasel his way back into her good graces. From what he could tell, it wasn’t working.

“You’re smilin’,” Brantley noted, looking up from his computer. “Why?”

JJ giggled. “Am I not allowed to smile?”

“You are, sure.” He picked up his coffee, leaned back, studying her. “But you have to explain why since it’s such a rare phenomenon.”

“It is not,” she countered, still chuckling. “And I don’t know why I’m smilin’. I just am.”

And because they were talking about smiling, Reese found himself doing the same as he stared at his computer, skimming through his inbox.

“Did Baz happen to send the DNA results on what they found yesterday?” he asked Brantley.

“Not yet.”

“I haven’t seen ’em either,” JJ noted. “But I know he has a rush on them. We’re hopin’ it’ll give us a lead to where Corinne is.”

“He was askin’ about you yesterday,” Brantley said.

Reese looked up, noticing JJ’s expression. She seemed incredibly pleased by this revelation.

“Me?”

“Yep. I told him you’re datin’ a douchebag.”

“I’m not datin’ anybody,” she argued, her tone hardening. “Dante and I are done.”

Although Reese knew it wasn’t any of his business, he was happy to hear her confirm. Dante didn’t deserve a woman like JJ. She was far too good for him. Hell, she was far too good, period.

“Well, if you need help makin’ him understand just how done you are, just let me know,” Brantley told her.

“That won’t be necessary. I think he’s gonna back off.”

A chime sounded, and a second later, Reese’s cell phone vibrated. He picked it up, noticed it was an alert for the cameras. He glanced over at Brantley then JJ.

“Why’s my phone buzzin’?” he asked them both.

“I did it,” JJ admitted. “Set it up so we all get notified if someone shows up here. Figured Brantley’s not the only one who needs to know anymore.”

“It’s Baz,” he told them as he peered at the screen, which reflected the camera mounted to the side of the house, overlooking the driveway.

“He said he might stop by this mornin’,” JJ said.

Reese glanced at Brantley, grinned when the other man looked back at him. It looked to him like JJ had taken a liking to the detective.

When the buzzer on the door sounded, Reese got up because he was closest. He let Baz in, would’ve offered the man coffee, but based on the two paper cups he was carrying, he was already stocked up.

“What’s this?” JJ asked when Baz approached her desk, holding out one of