Page 9 of Some Saviors Can Break You

That realization hit him hard.

Elliot and Susannah had both felt that initial attraction, that little voice in your head that said something was different this time, now the two of them were happily married with a baby.

Was that where he was headed?

Could Detective Florence Harris be his one?

Was she the partner his mom had been for his dad?

He had no idea where things would go with him and Florence, but he knew that he was going to find out.

“Morning, Detective,” he drawled when he walked into the security office to find Florence sitting in a chair studying the screen in front of her.

Although she wasn't looking his way, he could feel her eye roll. “Good morning.”

“How’s your wrist?” he asked, eyeing her cast.

“Broken.”

She didn't sound angry, but he couldn’t help but wince. He’d broken her wrist when he tackled her, he couldn’t help but feel bad that he’d hurt her, even if it was an accident. It wasn't the way to make a good impression and win her over when he knew he was already on shaky ground. “Sorry about that.”

Florence turned around to face him. Her hair was up this morning, pulled into a bun at the back of her head, her face was mostly devoid of makeup bar a little gloss on her lips, and seeing her properly, when they weren't out in the dark, or he wasn't worried about how much pain she was in, Eli was struck by just how beautiful she was.

“You don’t need to apologize, like we established last night, you saved my life,” she said.

“You remember what that means, right?” he asked with a wink. “You're now my responsibility, which means I get to take you out for coffee. Or a trip to Florence.”

“I thought I was pretty clear last night that we wouldn’t be going on any date. In the country or out of it.”

“You said that, but then you disappeared on me, and I didn't get a chance to check in with you.”

“I thought you wanted me to go to the hospital.” She gave him a sweet smile.

“Touché.” He grinned back, when she relaxed and smiled like that she was breathtaking. “So, coffee today? After work maybe?”

“You're a persistent one, aren’t you?”

“It’s my middle name.”

“So, I know you gave your statement last night, but now that you’re here, why don’t you watch this with me, see if it jogs anything in your memory.”

She had ignored his second attempt at getting a date, but he could sense her weakening. She wanted to say yes, but something was holding her back. “I can stay and watch it with you.”

“Your boss won't mind?”

“Sweetheart, I am the boss,” he said with a chuckle. Florence obviously had no idea who he was, another thing he wasn't used to. People usually knew his identity and made up their minds about what kind of person he was before he even set foot in the same room.

“Oh, I thought this building belonged to Elliot Emerson.”

“It does. I'm an old friend of his, and when I decided to move my real estate business back here, he offered to let me rent some rooms until I decided where I want to set myself up.”

“Real estate…Lennox…oh, you’re Eli Lennox, owner of Lennox Real Estate,” she said, the tone of her voice implied she’d just had something she’d been worried about confirmed. She was a confusing one, this woman, he wished he knew what made her tick.

“In the flesh.”

“So you weren't joking about going to Florence, were you?”

“Not in the least.”

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