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when he deepened the kiss.
    When he eased back, he kept his face close to mine, our breaths intermingling as we recovered. “We didn’t get to talk last night,” I said breathlessly.
    “No. You needed sleep and I felt better knowing you were doing it in my arms.”
    “Aiden . . .” I whispered.
    “We’ve got time, Aly. I’m going to help you find out exactly what happened last weekend and why it happened to you. And while I’m doing that, I’m also going to show you what you mean to me and how good we are together.” He stopped and gave me a gentle kiss that included a slow sweep of his tongue in my mouth. “And then we’ll talk.”

    For the rest of that weekend, Aiden and I talked through everything that had happened between me and Barrett in Vegas. Over and over again, he interrogated me like he would do with a suspect in any other investigation. The difference this time was that he had something personal at stake—me. I watched his reaction to what I said, noting every time he’d tightened his jaw, or ground his teeth. He definitely didn’t like hearing about Barrett’s visit to my hotel suite—both before the restaurant and again after, when he tracked me down.
    By the time Aiden had to leave late that Sunday night, it was the most time we’d ever spent together at one time and—funnily enough—the first time we’d ever spent longer than a few hours together without ripping each other’s clothes off and losing ourselves between the sheets.
    This time was different. The intimacy between us was still there, but it had been stronger and so much more intense. It was like Aiden was determined to show me that he truly wanted more from me. In all honesty, he’d always been showing me that. It was just that this time, I actually took notice and realized that I wanted it as much as he did. I felt like I’d been blind to something—someone—that had been right in front of me the whole damn time.
    Deep down, I knew I was still raw from Barrett and Gavin’s deceit, and was not in any position to consider taking things further with Aiden. That didn’t mean I didn’t relish having him with me for two days, in my apartment and in my bed. I felt safe, I felt protected, and for the first time in a while, I didn’t feel like I had to feel responsible for everything by myself because I had Aiden by my side and at my back.
    “You sure you don’t want to come home with me? You can stay at my house, use my office, work remotely,” he’d said, as he held me in his arms at SeaTac.
    I looked up at him and smiled. “You can’t be solving crimes and saving lives if I’m distracting you.”
    “You’re always a distraction, whether you’re near or far.”
    My belly fluttered and my body melted into his as I leaned into his chest and placed a soft kiss on the hollow of his neck. “Will you call me?” I asked, my voice surprisingly steady.
    His hand dipped under my chin and tilted my face up toward his. “Every chance I get if you’ll answer.”
    “Aiden . . .” I said breathily, and he gifted me with a knowing grin before he lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me.
    When the final call for his flight was announced over the loud speaker, we pulled apart, and I stood up on my toes to give him one final closed-mouth kiss. “You’ll call,” I said, definitively.
    “And you’ll ring that private investigator I recommended.”
    “I will,” I replied with a smile. He tightened his arm around my waist, put his lips to my forehead and then pulled away. “I’ll be back in a month, beautiful. We’ll sort this all out, and then I’ll be doing more than kissing you.”
    “I’ll hold you to that, Detective.”
    “I hope you do, Aly,” he said, walking backwards toward the gate. I watched him hand over his boarding pass and disappear from sight.
    And he was true to his word. That night, while I was sitting on my couch with a hot chocolate in hand and a sappy romantic comedy on the television, he called