Her voice broke on the last word, and I saw the shimmer of tears in her eyes. Tension unwound from a coil inside me, and I wanted to put my arms around her and hold her … but then the waiter appeared near our table again and pointedly cleared his throat, and I resisted the urge to throw a sharp, illegal elbow into his midsection.

‘We’re going,’ I told him, and stood up without letting go of Claire’s hand. I pulled her to her feet. ‘Come on. I’ll make you coffee at Florey’s.’

We made it only half a block before I couldn’t stand it any more. I stopped, pressed her against the brick side of a building, and leant in. I managed to stop myself just short of kissing her, and said, ‘Is this okay?’

‘Shut up,’ Claire said, and grabbed me by the collar to pull me into her.

It was like falling into summer … warm and sweet and hot. I’d needed to touch her, and I had; I’d needed to kiss her, and the damp, soft feel of her warm mouth did all kinds of things to me. Sweet relief, and desperate tension, all at the same time. It went on for a while, lips and tongues meeting and merging, and I was the one who stepped away first, because damn, I’d forgotten the power of that between us. How she made me feel. How I made her feel. My sweet little Claire’s lips had gone red and flushed, and her cheeks were pink, and her eyes very bright. She looked drunk with pleasure and delight, and I imagined how she would look in the morning light, the way I loved to see her best.

I squeezed her hand and said, ‘I need to get you home. Right now.’

She nodded and slipped her arm through mine, and we walked quickly the short distance to Florey’s.

When we turned the corner, though, there was a police car sitting in front, light bar flashing, and the manager Mick was in the door talking to two cops and looking very serious. I pulled Claire to a halt, and saw Mick spot me.

He gave me a slow tilt of the head to the side. Get out of here. I picked up the signal and backed Claire up. ‘Change of plans,’ I said. ‘Florey’s is out. Do you have some place else we can go?’

‘Not really – what’s going on?’

‘Not a clue, but whatever it is, remember that I’m from Morganville.’

She didn’t get it for a second, and then she looked sharply at me. ‘Oh God, Shane, did you bring weapons?’

‘Only my favourites,’ I said. ‘But they’re kinda illegal.’

She shook her head and tugged at my hand. ‘Come on.’

CHAPTER TEN