Page 39 of That Rush

“I appreciate your dedication to public service.”

“I appreciate your commitment to this terrible excuse.”

She walks ahead of me, and I watch the way the hem of her skirt shifts with each step, a small and maddening rhythm. She is manageable behind her desk. Out here, she is not.

Paige stops in front of a shelf and scans the spines. “Are you looking for an easy day hike, a serious climb, or enough wilderness to protect you from basic honesty?”

“Whichever one you recommend.”

“That depends on what you’re avoiding.”

“I came to see you.”

The teasing leaves her expression, but her eyes stay on mine.

“That almost sounded honest.”

“It was.”

Saying it leaves me more exposed than the ridiculous excuse did. I’m here because I want her attention when Josie isn’t with me and my family isn’t waiting somewhere nearby. The guarded line of her mouth softens. Her gaze moves over my face.

She turns back to the shelf, and I step closer to look over her shoulder. There’s room for a polite distance. Neither of us seems interested in it.

Her perfume reaches me first, clean and faintly sweet. She tilts her head, and the ends of her hairbrush my shirt.

“You’re crowding me, Mr. Slade.”

“You can move.”

“So can you.”

Neither of us does.

Paige reaches for a guide on the upper shelf. I reach at the same time, closing my hand over the spine above hers. Her breath catches, a small, sharp sound only possible this close.

“I found it,” she says, her gaze fixed on the book.

“So did I.”

“You don’t even know which book I picked.”

“I’m not talking about the guide.”

Her eyes lift to mine. This close, I can see the gold mixed through the brown, and I see the instant she understands exactly what I mean.

“Did your research teach you anything useful?” she asks.

“It confirmed the hero follows instructions.”

“Eventually.”

“He has poor impulse control.”

“He has excellent follow-through.”

I lower my voice. “You liked the part about keeping your hands above your head.”

Color spreads across her cheeks, but she doesn’t look away. “A competent reader pays attention to the entire passage.”