So maybe just putting it all out on the table would help him get past it.
“Why I walked out?”
“Yes. We had a pretty amazing night. I don’t think I gave any suggestion you needed to leave so quickly, but if I did, I’m sorry.”
His apology clearly flustered her, her hand coming up to smooth her blouse.
“We were two consenting adults who welcomed the year in, Gavin. It was great, but all good things have to come to an end, right?”
If he weren’t looking so hard, he’d have taken her words at face value. He’d likely have believed her, too.
But the heavy pulse at her throat was evident, as was the barely-there quaver in her voice.
“And now?” he finally asked.
“Now what?”
“Now we’re working together. So our good thing hasn’t actually come to an end after all.”
“Are you suggesting we pick up where we left off?”
She might have been flustered, but he’d give her credit, she could turn on the freeze when she needed to. While something sharp and needy filled him, he was more than aware this task force was a huge opportunity for him. For both of them, no doubt.
Was he even remotely considering muddying the waters with sex?
His body screamed a resounding yes, but the control he was known for somehow managed to prevail at the last minute.
“I’m suggesting we both deserve to go into this partnership fully acknowledging what came before. This is a major step in my career. I have to believe it is for you, too. Not addressing the past is foolish in the extreme.” He leaned forward slightly over the table, the incredibly small space ensuring he could see her as clearly as if she were sitting beside him. “Don’t you agree?”
That flutter of pulse at her throat never faded, and if he were a fanciful man, he’d say he could practically hear her heartbeat.
But he wasn’t given to whimsy. And he had zero illusions about life anymore.
What he didn’t expect was her to capitulate so easily. He figured her for a bit more bravado. Maybe even a few excuses. Not the warming of her freeze ray. Or a raw sort of truth that settled hard in his gut.
“We had a lovely night together, Gavin. One I don’t regret in any way. But the new day had dawned.” She shook her head. “The new year had dawned, and it suddenly struck me that sitting around the apartment of my one-night stand wasn’t a good look. For either of us, but certainly not for me.”
He was tempted to ask again if he’d given her any hint she needed to leave, but opted for a slightly different tack. “Did you want to leave?”
“It was time for me to leave.”
It was hardly an answer, but it was the one she was willing to give. He could keep pressing and probing, in hopes he’d get a different reply, but why? Worse, why was he hoping for a different answer?
The knock on the door pulled him out of the question without an actual answer, and he turned to find Wyatt Trumball in the doorway.
“Detective.” Gavin nodded as he stood. “How are you?”
“Good. I wanted to talk to you about the dive tomorrow morning. I’m sorry I’m interrupting.” Wyatt glanced over at Sera, his smile broad. “The task force started today.”
“It did.”
Wyatt stepped into the small conference room, extending a hand toward Sera who’d already stood to say hello. “Wyatt Trumball, NYPD.”
“Sera Forte. I’m with the DA’s office.”
“So you two are representing the local team.”
Since there was little that got past the seasoned detective, Gavin shouldn’t have been surprised by the man’s ready knowledge of the work, but it still stunned him how much Wyatt actually knew.
“We are. We’ll present solutions on how the city’s resources can work together,” Sera said. “I know everyone thinks the solution to this is working with the Feds, and I don’t think that’s wrong, but I am excited to show what we can do right here, too.”
“Everyone thinks bigger’s better. But some of the best work I’ve ever seen has been local teams who know their neighborhoods, working together to get it done.”
“Fewer egos?” Gavin asked, his sole intention to make a joke.
Which made it a surprise when Wyatt’s demeanor changed. “The Feds have a lot to offer, but they get in the way, too. They think we’re rubes who can’t see past the end of the block, or they want to run the show.”
Coming from a man who was a quintessential team player, Wyatt’s words struck hard. But if he were being fair, Gavin had already seen a bit of that posturing that morning. Hell, they were all posturing, trying to prove their worth to be a part of the team. But that tension was there, all the same.
“We’ll be sure to keep our guard up,” Sera cut in smoothly. “I happen to like my block quite a bit. I think I’ve got a rather sophisticated approach to the work, too.”
Wyatt’s smile returned, his grin broad. “Then I say, go get ’em. I know you two will do great. Let me know if you need anything from me.”
Gavin nearly let Wyatt walk away before he remembered. “And tomorrow’s dive?”
“I just came to give you the oh-so-happy news that we’re diving up at Hell Gate tomorrow.”
Gavin sensed Sera’s attention to the matter, but didn’t want to give Wyatt any indication anything was off. So he went with his usual good-natured humor. “Lucky us. With all this rain, it’ll be sure to be churned up and extra gross.”
