“Wait, Finch’s throat was cut too?” Paul searched the air for a moment, as if filing away the details in his mind. “That’s interesting. You may just have something here, Rhonelle.”
After the familiarity of him asking to call her by her first name, something was awfully professional about hearing him use her surname. Instead of sounding condescending, it felt more like admiration.
“I think so too.” She leaned over the table. “In fact, after Dane and I found Finch’s body, we followed his killer’s scent all the way to the steps of this building. Then the trail went cold. But Dane says that now he knows the smell, he’ll recognize the killer in an instant.”
Paul looked at her approvingly. It was perhaps the first time anyone had regarded her that way besides Dane. And he, she reminded herself, was not unbiased. So when the lead investigator of the OCJ registered her worthiness, it carried genuine weight.
“I’m gonna tell you something, Rhonelle.” Again, he pointed one of those big, square fingers at her, but it was less terrifying than before. “I’m gonna kick up hell to get the folks upstairs to expedite your paperwork. There’s no reason why you should waste your time as a junior.”
“Thank you, sir.” Heat settled in her cheeks in a very pleasant blush.
“But I’m curious...” He pursed his eyebrows together and clapped his mug down. “What were you doing with Judge Hensley?”
Her blush deepened, and she almost regretted sharing that part of the story. Looking up into his pale blue eyes, though, she saw not only a colleague but someone she felt she could trust. For all his gruff exterior, Paul had won her over.
“Promise not to tell?”
He chuckled a bit at her request and then crossed his heart and raised a palm. Emboldened, she shared something she never thought would come out within these walls.
“Dane told me that first day in court that he thinks we’re fated mates.”
“Really?” The older investigator leaned back against his seat, looking intrigued and not at all scandalized.
“Yeah. I’m still unsure what it all means myself. But he seems certain.” With sudden urgency, she added, “Not that anything happened while the case was active! I do have my ethics.”
“Of course.”
“But I have to admit, after the mistrial…” She beamed, but Paul rolled forward with the air of a father, putting a finger to his lips.
“Let me give you a nickel’s worth of free advice, Aurora. Never answer a question that hasn’t been asked.” He winked at her, and she let out a small laugh. “If I were you, though, I’d tread carefully. You don’t need whispers going on behind your back. Now, let’s get out of here. Big day tomorrow.”
They both pushed up to standing and walked to the door with a very different energy between them. Aurora was able to walk in his silence without buckling in terror.
And for the first time, the Judiciary felt like a place she’d be happy to spend her time.
Nineteen
The sun was barely peeking through her blinds when a knock on Aurora’s door pulled her from the depths of sleep. She tugged a pillow over her head, reluctant to answer. Chances were it was Kelly, still tipsy from a late night with Ronun. He’d had a positive effect on her, but it still wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
I’m in no mood for a sloppy conversation at this hour.
Maybe she could pretend to still be asleep. The knock came again. The floor vibrated under her bed, nudging her to full alertness.
“Okay, okay,” she muttered. “I can take a hint.”
If Hollow House was working to rouse her, it had to be something. She had to consider that the house was just anxious for her to start her first day as a full investigator.
The knob turned and the door creaked open just a hair. She pulled the pillow harder around her ears.
“Rise and shine.”
Oh, shit!
Language.
“Dane?” She bolted upright, shrouding herself in her blanket out of modesty, though he’d already had quite an eyeful of every secret part of her. She was certain her roommates wore next to nothing—if anything—to bed, but Aurora had always made a point of wearing well-pressed pajamas.
“Morning, beautiful,” he said softly as he tiptoed in, closing the door behind him. “Sorry to show up unannounced, but I wanted to bring you breakfast.”
He’d arrived bearing a small, grease-stained bag and two cups of coffee in a carrier. The coffee would certainly be welcome. The taste of the fetid mishmash she’d choked down the day before with Paul still lingered on her tongue.
“Wow, thanks.” In spite of herself, she couldn’t help but melt over how adorable he was, hunched in that way people do when they’re trying to be quiet.
“Mind if I join you?”
It was one thing to have wild sex on a conjured bed in the middle of a windswept day, but another to have him on her own bed in her own room. It felt strangely illicit, and not in an entirely bad way.
“Come on.” She patted the mattress by her legs with a grin.
He hustled over and clambered up beside her, resting his back against the wall and stretching his legs out. Then he gave her a sultry appraisal.
“Damn, I’ve never seen anyone look so beautiful so early in the morning.”
In spite of how self-conscious she felt about her tangled bedhead, he actually seemed to mean it.
“Thanks.” It was going to take a while for her to navigate being complimented by this man. If he was going to stick around, that is. “What did you bring us?”
“Well, first of all…” He handed over a cup of coffee, which she gratefully accepted. Then, with a secret little grin, he passed her the white paper bag. Looking down, she let out a tiny squawk of delight.
“Donuts?”
“I hope that’s okay?”
“Of course, it is!” She almost never indulged in anything so decadent, but as today was a special day, she plunged her hand into the bag and came up with a simple glazed donut.
“Somehow, I figured you for a glazed gal.” He drew out one for himself and they tapped them together in a toast. “You know, I could treat you to a real breakfast if you let me stay the night.”
It was bashful and forward at the same time. The light confection caught a bit in her throat, and she looked over at the fully dressed hunk sitting on her bed. He looked for all the world like he was frightened of scaring away a bird. As her heart fluttered in the cage of her ribs, it wasn’t entirely inaccurate.
“Listen, Dane.” At her tone, his face sank. “No, no! It’s nothing bad. It’s just, well, in spite of what happened yesterday, I’m gonna need your patience. I’m really excited about whatever this is, but it’s all really overwhelming for me. So, can we maybe take things slow?”
“Oh, Aurora.” Again, her name on his lips sent a shiver through her. “I’m willing to take things however you want. Yesterday was amazing, but I knew it grew out of a very particular moment. So, yeah. Slow is good.”
“Really?” Could he get any more perfect?
“Of course. After all, we’ve got a lifetime together, so there’s no need to rush.”