Page 45 of Beyond Protection
A gentle smile spread across his face. "That's what I want."
The phone buzzed again. He silenced it without looking.
Mac watched me sip. "Verdict?"
"It's coffee."
"Come on, Eamon, admit one thing you enjoy." He leaned forward. "Just one thing. Doesn't have to be the coffee."
"I enjoy keeping you alive."
"That's your job, not pleasure."
"Who says they're mutually exclusive?"
He chuckled. "That's a deflection."
Downstairs, someone laughed. I tracked it automatically. Not a threat.
When I looked back, Mac was still watching me.
"You're always scanning," he said. "Even when you're pretending to have a conversation."
"I'm having a conversation. I'm also scanning. I can do both—walk and chew gum."
"Can you?" He reached across the table. Deliberate. His fingers landed on my wrist, where my hand wrapped around the paper cup. Light pressure. Warm. "What about now?"
My heart raced, and I did my best to remain calm and hide it.
"Can you scan and have a conversation while I'm touching you?" His thumb rested against my pulse point. He had to feel it hammering. "Or does that change the calculation?"
It changed everything.
It was Mac's thumb against my wrist, feeling my heartbeat, watching my face to see if I'd pull away.
"Mac—"
"I'm not trying to make things complicated. I'm just tired of pretending I don't notice when you notice me."
"This is a bad idea," I said finally.
"Probably."
"I'm working."
"I know."
My phone buzzed.
Michael:Status?
It was the real world reminding me it still existed.
I typed one-handed:
Eamon:All clear. Checking in at noon.
Mac's eyes tracked the movement. "You didn't pull away."
