“Come here.” Arranging her head on his shoulder, he rubbed her back and spoke softly to her.

Sam couldn’t help but relax into his embrace. Surrounded by the fragrance of soap and sporty deodorant, the scent of Nick, she focused on breathing her way through it. “Are you nervous?” she asked. “About today?”

“Nah. We’re both going to work in the same place with the same people.”

“Except we’re the bosses now.”

“Is that going to change you?”

“I’m not planning to let it,” she said.

“Neither am I. So everything will be just fine. Be yourself, be fair and you can’t lose. The other detectives love you. They’d do anything for you, and they know you’d do anything for them.”

“Some people in the department think I got this promotion because of my father and his connections.”

“Which you know isn’t true.”

Sam swallowed hard and glanced up at him. “It kind of is.”

His eyebrows narrowed with confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I had trouble with the exam. I flunked it the first two times—because of the dyslexia. I just barely passed this time.”

“But you did pass.”

“My dad told Farnsworth about the dyslexia. He used his discretion as chief to authorize my promotion. If that ever gets out, people will scream favoritism.”

“Is the exam the only qualifying factor?”

“No, there’s more to it than that—experience, training, interviews, the graduate degree I worked my ass off to get. It all counts.”

“Then it sounds to me as if Farnsworth promoted the most worthy candidate.”

Sam smiled and realized her stomach no longer hurt. “And you’re not the slightest bit biased.”

“Not one bit,” he said, tipping her chin up to receive his kiss. “You’re going to be the best lieutenant that department has ever had. I have no doubt.”

She needed to get up and get moving but couldn’t seem to bring herself to leave the warmth of his embrace. “Thanks.”

“Any time.” He shifted so he was on top of her.

“What’s this?” she asked with a coy smile.

“Just making sure you get a good breakfast on your first day,” he said, entering her.

Sam laughed even as she gasped from the impact. “We don’t have time…”

“Then we’d better be quick.”

“Mmm,” she sighed. “I love quick.”

Chapter 7

Emerging from Nick’s house forty-five minutes later, they were blinded by camera flashes.

“What the hell?” Sam muttered, covering her eyes.

With his hand on her elbow, Nick guided her down the stairs. “Let us through,” he said in a tone full of controlled fury as he pushed his way through the half-dozen photographers. “Goddamn it,” he whispered.

Not wanting to give the photographers any more fodder, Sam tried to shake off his hand, but he just held on tighter.