Page 97 of The Chase
“Excuse me?”
Her pursed lips gave away her disapproval of something I’d done. That second knock startled me.
She gave a thin smile. “Can you let him in?”
Wasn’t that convenient?Inspector Ford’s words made no sense as I replayed them on my way back to the front door.
With the authentication process generally taking about twenty-four hours we were close to seeing scientific evidence to proveSt. Joanwas all too real. Though I didn’t need a lab to tell me that no matter how much I wanted to believe it was fake.
I pulled open the door.
Tobias’s grin widened. “It was the sexting, wasn’t it?”
A rush of happiness swelled in my heart at seeing his friendly face and I beamed at him.
“Too much?” he added.
My grin faded as I glanced down the hallway for that second policeman.
God,Tobias looked gorgeous in his pinstripe suit, that black scarf wrapped around his neck just so, and his five o’clock stubble contradicting his otherwise snazzy appearance and making him ooze that bad boy aura.
He was holding up a lush bouquet of pink roses in one hand and in the other he was holding a Peppi’s Kitchen Pizza box. The delicious scent of baked dough, tomatoes and mushrooms wafting; my stomach grumbled.
“The sexting?” he clarified. “I came on too strong?”
“Oh,” I realized, anxious Logan might have read his texts. “No, I lost my phone.”
“You only had it one day!”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“Maybe you lost it at work. Have you asked around?” He reached for his phone. “We can track it.”
“Don’t bother. Logan took it. She explained everything.”
“Logan?” His frown deepened and I sensed his quiet resignation as it sunk in that I’d already gotten his message.
That kindness I’d seen in him was authentic at least.
“I thought you were away. I mean traveling?” Though he’d never actually told me where.
“Canceled it,” he said brightly. “I needed to see you again.”
Dread made my chest tight with confusion. “Tobias, you can’t come in.”
His gaze slid to my hallway and he blinked his concern.
I paused for a beat, realizing this was my chance to protect him and knowing full well this was the best way to do it.
His eyebrows raised in a question as he realized I wasn’t alone.
“Yes,” I managed.
His fingers tightened around the box.
I lowered my voice to a whisper. “You should go.”
Dragging this goodbye out any longer was making things worse. All I wanted to do was fall into his arms and hug him.
