still appearing a little dazed. He extended his hand to Maggi out of purely ingrained habit.
As Patrick watched, Maggi brushed her hand against her jacket before shaking Wiley’s hand. Had she done that because her hand was damp and she didn’t want Wiley to know? Damn it, the last thing they needed now was a case of hero-worship getting in their way.
“I’m sorry I can’t be more help,” Wiley apologized.
“Don’t underestimate yourself, Congressman,” she said sweetly. “You’ve been a great deal of help.”
Wiley smiled, nodded at Patrick and then hurried away to the waiting car.
Patrick lingered a moment before leaving the office. And then he walked out the door, struggling to hold on to a temper that seemed to come out of nowhere, flaring. As he punched the button for the elevator, he turned on her and demanded, “What the hell was that?”
“What?” She braced herself.
“Back there.” He jerked a thumb at the office they’d walked out of. “Cleaning up after him, wiping your hand so that it wasn’t offensive when you shook his. Are you opting to fill the dead girl’s place?”
She stared at him, torn between taking umbrage and just laughing at him. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you sounded jealous.”
Leave it to a woman to come up with the most ridiculous take on something. Her accusation almost didn’t merit a response, but he decided to put her in her place. The elevator arrived and he walked in, jabbing for the first floor before she got in behind him. “To be jealous, I’d have to care.”
“And you don’t.”
“All I care about is how the department comes off, having you do pirouettes around the man who likely killed what might very well have been his pregnant mistress.” Arriving at the first floor, they got out.
Maggi hurried to keep up, silently damning his long legs. She was going to have to start working out again if she was going to finish this assignment in good condition.
“He didn’t know she was pregnant,” she told him as Patrick unlocked the car. “You can’t fake that kind of look.”
He got in but didn’t buckle up. “You can fake any kind of a look, any kind of response.”
Something drove her to egg him on. He was irritating the hell out of her. “And you’d know this why? Because of your vast acting experience?”
“Look, the guy’s an operator. I’m not saying he’s not a good congressman, but he’s a man married to a demanding wife, and this pretty young thing bats her eyes at him, making his blood rush and just like that—” he snapped his fingers “—he’s off to the races.”
“I still say he was too stunned when you told him about the baby. That was real.” About to buckle up, Maggi stopped. A strange look appeared on Cavanaugh’s face, one she couldn’t begin to read. “What?”
Instead of saying anything, Patrick let actions do his talking for him. Very slowly, he extended his fingers and just barely touched her cheek, all the while looking into her eyes. Holding her prisoner.
Maggi felt her breath stop in her lungs.
Any demands she might have made as to what the hell he thought he was doing never made it to her lips.
Time stood still. Her pulse didn’t as it went into rapid overdrive, hammering hard. When he finally leaned in to her, she felt herself going into a complete meltdown even before his lips touched hers.
At the last moment, he drew back. Disappointment created a huge void in her.
His eyes were knowing, as if he didn’t need her to agree to the kiss. He was right and he knew it.
“Made you believe I was going to kiss you, didn’t I?” he asked.
Maggi felt as if she were stepping out of the Twilight Zone and still not sure if she would find solid ground or empty space beneath her feet. She stalled for time, trying to pull herself together.
“What?”
“Just now, you thought I was going to kiss you. Even though nothing’s gone down between us, even though we mix together like oil and
As Patrick watched, Maggi brushed her hand against her jacket before shaking Wiley’s hand. Had she done that because her hand was damp and she didn’t want Wiley to know? Damn it, the last thing they needed now was a case of hero-worship getting in their way.
“I’m sorry I can’t be more help,” Wiley apologized.
“Don’t underestimate yourself, Congressman,” she said sweetly. “You’ve been a great deal of help.”
Wiley smiled, nodded at Patrick and then hurried away to the waiting car.
Patrick lingered a moment before leaving the office. And then he walked out the door, struggling to hold on to a temper that seemed to come out of nowhere, flaring. As he punched the button for the elevator, he turned on her and demanded, “What the hell was that?”
“What?” She braced herself.
“Back there.” He jerked a thumb at the office they’d walked out of. “Cleaning up after him, wiping your hand so that it wasn’t offensive when you shook his. Are you opting to fill the dead girl’s place?”
She stared at him, torn between taking umbrage and just laughing at him. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you sounded jealous.”
Leave it to a woman to come up with the most ridiculous take on something. Her accusation almost didn’t merit a response, but he decided to put her in her place. The elevator arrived and he walked in, jabbing for the first floor before she got in behind him. “To be jealous, I’d have to care.”
“And you don’t.”
“All I care about is how the department comes off, having you do pirouettes around the man who likely killed what might very well have been his pregnant mistress.” Arriving at the first floor, they got out.
Maggi hurried to keep up, silently damning his long legs. She was going to have to start working out again if she was going to finish this assignment in good condition.
“He didn’t know she was pregnant,” she told him as Patrick unlocked the car. “You can’t fake that kind of look.”
He got in but didn’t buckle up. “You can fake any kind of a look, any kind of response.”
Something drove her to egg him on. He was irritating the hell out of her. “And you’d know this why? Because of your vast acting experience?”
“Look, the guy’s an operator. I’m not saying he’s not a good congressman, but he’s a man married to a demanding wife, and this pretty young thing bats her eyes at him, making his blood rush and just like that—” he snapped his fingers “—he’s off to the races.”
“I still say he was too stunned when you told him about the baby. That was real.” About to buckle up, Maggi stopped. A strange look appeared on Cavanaugh’s face, one she couldn’t begin to read. “What?”
Instead of saying anything, Patrick let actions do his talking for him. Very slowly, he extended his fingers and just barely touched her cheek, all the while looking into her eyes. Holding her prisoner.
Maggi felt her breath stop in her lungs.
Any demands she might have made as to what the hell he thought he was doing never made it to her lips.
Time stood still. Her pulse didn’t as it went into rapid overdrive, hammering hard. When he finally leaned in to her, she felt herself going into a complete meltdown even before his lips touched hers.
At the last moment, he drew back. Disappointment created a huge void in her.
His eyes were knowing, as if he didn’t need her to agree to the kiss. He was right and he knew it.
“Made you believe I was going to kiss you, didn’t I?” he asked.
Maggi felt as if she were stepping out of the Twilight Zone and still not sure if she would find solid ground or empty space beneath her feet. She stalled for time, trying to pull herself together.
“What?”
“Just now, you thought I was going to kiss you. Even though nothing’s gone down between us, even though we mix together like oil and
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