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silence like a touch. He was giving her space and time to sort out her thoughts and feelings, but there was also an element of expectation. He was her partner. What she thought, what she felt—those things were important to him.
    And not just because he was her partner. Or her friend.
    They mattered because one night in late August, only a few weeks ago, she and Brody had damned near gone all the way in the front seat of her car on a Lovers' Lane stakeout.
    And as much as she tried to pretend she'd learned her lesson about mixing pleasure and business, she knew her lingerie shopping trip earlier that day had been all about being prepared the next time the opportunity to sleep with her partner came around.
    "You know I love you, don't you?" Brody said.
    She closed her eyes to keep herself from sneaking a look at him. She didn't know if she was ready to see what she might find shining in those dark, sexy eyes of his. "I know."
    "I'm not talking about wanting you, although that's also true," he added. "I'm just talking about the other kind of love. You're my partner. I want you to be happy and safe and have only good things in your life."
    Damn it. Brody knew better than to say things like that to her.
    "Brody—"
    The forward movement of the car stopped, and the engine noised died with a click of the ignition key. The silence in the car deepened until it filled her ears with its oppression.
    "Hannigan?"
    She opened her eyes. Brody parked in her driveway instead of at the curb, as he usually did. She turned a questioning look his way.
    He unlatched his seatbelt, letting it snap back into the holder. His gaze held hers, full of kindness but also steel.
    "What are you doing?" she asked, her heartbeat quickening.
    "I'm staying with you tonight."

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Five
     
     
    "You're overthinking this," Brody said.
    Hannigan looked up from her bowl of soup. "Overthinking what?" she asked, although she knew exactly what she was overthinking and why she was overthinking it.
    "I'm not going to try to sleep with you."
    Her lip quirked on the right side. "Good to know."
    Brody's eyes darkened with frustration. "That doesn't mean I don't want to sleep with you."
    "Duly noted."
    "Hannigan, don't do this."
    She put her spoon down with a sigh. "Brody, why couldn't you be one of those guys who doesn't like to talk about his feelings?"
    "Because someone in this relationship has to be at least nominally verbal?"
    Relationship, she thought with an inner grimace. Since when did they have a relationship? "We made out in the front seat of my car. Once."
    "I told you I didn't think we could go back to the way things were before that happened. I still don't."
    "Brody, go home."
    "No."
    "I don't want to be handled!" She pushed her chair back and stood up, her cheeks burning. "I don't want—" She stopped short, dropping back into her chair as her legs wobbled beneath her. Damn it. She didn't know what she wanted. Or didn't want.
    Or even why she was trying to push him away when he was just trying to make sure she was okay.
    "I'm sorry."
    He got up and walked around the table, crouching in front of her. Taking her hand, he looked up at her with gentle eyes. "I will do whatever you want. Even go. Just tell me what you want."
    She touched his face, wishing she were as fearless as he thought she was. "I don't want to talk. Okay? But I don't want you to go."
    He nodded. "Okay."
    "And I want you to clear the dishes."
    His mouth curved slowly into a lopsided grin that made her gut twist into knots. "Now you're taking advantage of my sweet nature."
    She started to drop her hand away, then changed her mind, lifting her other hand to cradle his face. His beard shadow scraped lightly against her palms, sending little sparks of pleasure through her. If only it were easy to just follow her instincts. To take a chance and see where this thing between her and Brody took them.
    But everything was at stake. Everything.
    She dropped her hands