She could hardly tell him she just knew he hadn’t done it. Although it was the truth, her gut reaction didn’t make any sense, not even to her. “It’s not logical.”

“Excuse me?”

“I put that badly. I’m sorry.” Louisa studied the small Flyers logo in the center of his gray shirt. “I often say the wrong thing when I get nervous.”

“It’s not a test.” Conor put a finger under her chin and lifted her face. “Just say what you’re thinking.”

He had the most beautiful eyes. When he focused intently on her, like now, her skin warmed and her muscles loosened, remembering that gentle kiss. Yet the tension rising in her belly was anything but relaxed. She was simultaneously comfortable and aroused in the strangest juxtaposition of sensations, like she’d washed a muscle relaxer down with a triple espresso.

But he wanted her to talk, and she was going to ruin everything with her nerdy analysis. There was no yield in his gaze, just patient determination. Should she risk it?

New life. New attitude.

Here goes.

“You’re an intelligent man. If you killed Zoe and intended to get away with your crime, you wouldn’t have left a bloody T-shirt where the police could find it, nor would you have driven off with her in front of witnesses.”

“What if it was an accident?” Conor reasoned.

“If you simply intended to sleep with her, why would you drive her anywhere? Your apartment is right upstairs. Plus, that doesn’t explain the connection to Riki’s murder. The police have based their case on an argument that isn’t logical.”

“Maybe you should be my lawyer.” Conor grinned. “I think I should call you Spock.”

“Spock?”

“You know, from Star Trek.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never seen it.” Louisa sighed. “We didn’t have a television growing up.”

“No shit!” Conor cleared his throat. “I mean, that’s a shame.”

“Since you’re joking with me, can I assume you aren’t angry?”

“Why would I be angry?” Conor tilted his head. “You kept me out of jail.”

“Because I didn’t send Damian solely because I believed in you.” Louisa blinked away. “Although that was part of it,” she admitted. Heat flushed the back of her neck.

He paused, and his usually open expression closed down. “That would be foolish. We don’t know each other well enough for blind loyalty.”

But she wanted that deep-seated faith. She didn’t want to believe this kindhearted man who was devoted to his family and made her laugh and took in a pathetic stray dog would hurt a young girl. She wanted him to be her knight, which probably wasn’t fair to either of them. Life had taught her that no one could be that good. Even Lancelot betrayed his king.

From the shuttered look in his eyes, he knew that too.