Page 62 of Bennett

They were getting closer.

And whoever had thrown that lock-filled warning through Laurel’s window was running out of time.

“Hi, Rylee,” Laurel said, walking over. “Didn’t hear you come in.”

Rylee snickered. “It’s no wonder. The door was already open.”

Laurel sighed. “Been like that all day. Too many people coming in and out.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Rylee smiled. “Oh, guess what? I was just talking with my friend, Jenna, from California, and she is actually looking to move out here. She’s leaving the legal world behind and wants to open a craft store with her sister. I told her about the storefronts, and she’s definitely interested.”

Laurel’s brows lifted. “Really?”

“She said to expect a call sometime this week. I hope you don’t mind that I gave her your number.”

“No, that’s great.” Laurel smiled. “Thank you.”

Rylee winked. “We girls have to stick together. Especially when you’re surrounded by this lot.”

Bennett frowned. “What do you mean? We’re delightful.”

“Debatable,” Rylee said as she turned toward the door. “I’ll catch you later. And don’t worry. I’m going to actually shut your door.”

With that, the woman disappeared, leaving a hush in her wake after the click of the door. The apartment was suddenly too quiet.

Laurel moved back to the sink, rinsing a mug, the sleeves of her soft cotton shirt pushed up to her elbows. The mundane domesticity of it—her standing barefoot in a kitchen that hadn’t existed three days ago—felt strangely intimate. Real.

Before he could second guess it, Bennett moved to help. No hesitation, just instinct. He stepped beside her, reached for the cleaned mug, and their hands brushed.

Electric.

Not a jolt. More like a pull. A low and steady one, curling in his chest and tightening everything else.

She looked up at him, and he was hit with the full force of her gaze. Beautiful, clear, steady, sharp as ever, but with a flicker of warmth that made his breath hitch.

“Thanks for not hovering today,” she said, her lips tilting in the barest smile.

He arched a brow. “I was totally hovering.”

“I know.” Her grin deepened. “But at least you did it from a respectful distance.”

That invisible thread between them tightened again. He wasn’t sure who moved first, but somehow they were closer now. Close enough to see the flecks of amber in her eyes. Close enough to feel the soft exhale from her last breath.

“You’re stronger than you think,” he said. Truth, not flattery.

Her expression shifted, vulnerable for half a second. “You always say things like that when I least expect them.”

“Maybe that’s when you need to hear it,” he murmured, his voice rougher now. Something about her did that to him. It stripped him down to honesty before he could stop it.

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward.

It pulsed.

Heavy with heat and hesitation. A breath. A heartbeat. A choice.

She leaned in, just a fraction. Just enough for the question to rise in her eyes.

His set a hand on her waist to steady, to anchor, but he wanted more. Her body was warm under his palm, soft curves tempting the hell out of him. He clenched his jaw to fight his need, but then her breath caught, and her sweet lips parted.

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