And when he’d started the next phase of his life, he’d known from the day Greg Bonner had sat down and talked to him about what his chosen career meant that this man was as solid as they came. He’d quickly come to both admire and respect the man. And in a way, he’d come to know the daughter his partner talked about so much before he’d ever met her. The love and protectiveness in Greg’s voice had warmed him, because it reminded him of his own parents. But Greg had done it alone, and being a single dad was hard enough, but a single dad and a cop?

Which was why, on the day he’d first set eyes on his daughter, Adam had quashed the instant response of both his mind and body to Amanda Bonner.

You’re allowed to notice how beautiful she is.

Notice, but no more. And even spoken teasingly it had been a warning, and Adam had taken it as such. Greg had even joked about it. “Don’t take it personally, I warn every cop off her. Not a life I want for her.”

He’d understood immediately what he’d meant. Amanda had lost her mother so young, the last thing her father wanted was for her to invite more tragedy into her life by living with the knowledge that yet another person she loved worked at a job where not coming home was a distinct possibility. And so Adam had ruthlessly crushed the surge of attraction, both physical and otherwise, he’d felt every time he’d encountered her. After that horrible, bloody night, of course, it had all become a moot point, because Amanda would never look at him with anything other than loathing. And rightfully so.

But she kissed me.

She feels sorry for me.

The internal argument hammered at him as he sat trying to read through the file yet again. He doubted he would find anything they’d missed, but he did it anyway, because it was something to do while he was here in her home. Which was the only place he could be. Quinn had been adamant—thankfully, since he felt the same way and would have hated to try to go against the guy—that keeping Amanda safe was the first priority.

“If it takes twice as long to pin this down because they know you’re under watch, so be it,” he’d said bluntly when Amanda had again suggested luring them out by appearing to be alone. “We’re taking no chances with your life.”

Quinn had looked a bit concerned when she’d wiped at her eyes and turned away, but when she’d gone Adam said quickly, “You sounded just like Greg used to, when he was in protective mode. Which was all the time.”

“Ah,” Quinn had said in understanding.