“Thanks for the help, guys. I feel better about this now that I know you have my back.”

I nodded as we got to the door. “Just let me know any other way I can help.”

After Nesto left, I leaned against the door, looking at Patrice who was walking up to me with a predatory look in his eyes, seemingly unbothered by the events of the last few minutes.

He did that thing where he braced his arms on top of my head, so that I was ensconced by him. I looked up and my field of vision was all Patrice. When he spoke, it was low and so close to my ear, I felt his breath fluttering my hair. “That was really nice of you to do.”

I swallowed, feeling way too many things, to be able to give a proper answer. “It’s the least that I can do.”

He nodded, his face serious, but his eyes were still soft and completely focused on my mouth. “Still you didn’t have to and you did.”

“We’ll see how things go with Sheriff Day tomorrow. That will have to do a lot with whether I actually can help put a stop to all this.”

Patrice’s face turned sober then, and for a moment I thought I’d lose him again. I could tell he was looking for the right words. I counted one, two, three breaths before he spoke.

“I know you’ll try.”

I exhaled and tipped my head up to look at him, a little bit scared of Patrice’s vote of confidence. Something had shifted today, but Patrice’s faith in me scared me, because I was still not sure what I did would change a thing. Still I told him the truth. “I will do my best.”

I didn’t say the words that were almost crawling out of my throat. I don’t want to let you down.

He was still leaning in to me, and it was overwhelming in the best way possible. I pushed up to kiss him and he responded without hesitation, his tongue stealing into my mouth, hot and hungry. I let that take me my mind off the things I needed to do. The trial that was starting in two days, the meeting with the sheriff, the things I knew were on my shoulders to fix and I wasn’t sure if I could.

After a moment Patrice pulled back and brought his hand to my mouth. He brushed my top lip as he looked at me, with an expression of complete befuddlement.

“I thought once I’d let myself go with you.” He dropped his other arm to grip my hip hard on that last word. “That the crazy lust that seems to fill my head whenever you’re around would die down some.” He shook his head as if genuinely confused. “But it hasn’t. I still can barely think from wanting you.”