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“Your face says it could be.”
A pause. “I’m just looking out for this department. And you’re dancing dangerously close to the line right now, you understand?”
Nico nodded. “I do.”
“I can’t have my officers going around beating people without cause. What you did was unprofessional, illegal, and a blatant disregard for a man’s rights. It will be a miracle if he doesn’t sue. And now you’re rubbing salt in the wound by taking up with his wife?”
Every word was a lash of truth. They’d been over all of this already but still, Nico almost buckled under the shame, a feeling he’d grown far too accustomed to lately. “I understand, Chief. And I give you my word it won’t happen again. But Lexie is a grown woman who can make her own decisions.” He shrugged, adding, “She doesn’t want to be with him anymore.”
West’s face was one of barely-there understanding. “Nonetheless, it complicates things.”
“Only if her husband is guilty. And you watched him walk out of here, same as I did.”
The chief gave a slow, accepting nod, like he knew it was as good an answer as he was going to get. Then, to Nico’s surprise, he asked, “Do you think he did it?”
Nico shifted his gaze to the open window, to the green grass and bright, blue ocean beyond the shoreline. “No,” he said. “I don’t.”
After leaving West’s office, Nico returned to his own and shut the door.
Fuck.
What the hell was he doing?
Less than a fortnight into his new posting and he’d already aggravated his superior, made an enemy, began a star-crossed romance with a married woman, and was steadily losing control of a murder investigation.
Try as he might, he just couldn’t seem to get a handle on things here. Every move turned out to be the wrong one. Every step—the wrong direction. Every decision only leading to more of the same.
It was enough to make him want to vomit.
He didn’t call Lexie again, choosing instead to retain a small shred of his dignity by leaving the ball peacefully in her court. He did, however, send her one last message to give her the heads up. Just two words.
He’s out.
It took less than a minute for her to reply.
Can I see you tonight?
Nico remembered what he’d said to her about not dating for the sake of optics, then decided he didn’t care anymore. He wanted to see her, wanted to take her out, and he didn’t give a damn who saw.
Chapter seventeen
Lexie had spent the better part of an hour combing through her closet to find the perfect outfit. Jeans? Too casual. Black skirt? Too slutty. The floral print top? Well, according to Annie, she’d never reach second base if she ever wore that on a date, so into the “no” pile it went. Thanks to her own doings, she didn’t know if getting to second—or any—base was even in the cards anymore, but if rejection was on the menu tonight, she at least wanted to look good while it was dished out. She tried on dress after dress, all the while contemplating what she was going to say to Nico, how she would explain why she’d ghosted him without an explanation, coming up with nothing reasonable except that she was a complete idiot.
At seven forty-five, she assessed herself in the foyer mirror. She’d gone with a cute summer dress. Pastel pink, with a skirt that fell to mid-thigh. It was comfortable, and the right combination of sexy and chic for a first date—if that’s what this was. She left her hair loose, the pliant waves falling over her shoulders in a cascade of blonde. Hoops in her ears, strappy brown wedges, and a faded denim jacket over the top completed the outfit.
“Okay,” she whispered to her reflection. “You can do this.”
As if to give her encouragement, Oreo meowed from his place atop the sofa. She was applying vanilla oil to her wrists when Nico’s car pulled into the driveway. Lexie stepped out onto the porch to meet him. He looked wonderful, of course, in his black jeans, gray t-shirt, and trademark leather jacket. She’d replaced the broken light bulb the previous day, so he seemed even more tanned than usual under the orange glow as he approached. She wanted to throw herself at him. Instead, Lexie gritted her teeth and tried to relax, but it was impossible without knowing how he felt or what he would say.
“Hi,” she said, forcing herself to speak.
Nico stopped at the base of the stairs and took her in, a slow smile spreading across his face. “You look beautiful.”
“Oh. Thanks,” she replied, gripping her purse tight. “I, um, I’m sorry for disappearing on you. I just . . . ” She looked at her feet. “It was just a lot.”
When he didn’t respond, she lifted her eyes to find him staring at her with an unreadable expression. “It’s okay.”
Saying nothing more, Nico reached for her hand and helped her down the stairs. He opened the car door for her, then silently drove them to Terra & Mare, a small, family-owned Italian restaurant nestled into the cliffs overlooking the ocean. The owner seated them at an alfresco table where they were immediately enveloped by balmy beach air and the gentle hum of surrounding conversations. It was busy, and yet the way the tables were all positioned so spaciously made it feel anything but. If she listened hard, Lexie could hear waves crashing below, carried up by the sea breeze. In the winter months, dining outside like this was not an option, which explained why so many people were out taking advantage of the warmer nights while they could.
