Page 34 of Blue-Eyed Hero

She mimicked him and shrugged, taking a sip of her wine, eyebrow raised. “So, do you have a birthmark or any scars?”

“No birthmark, but I do have a scar.”

“Where?”

He shifted and unbuttoned his shirt. Allison watched him, eyes curious as he unbuttoned a few more and slid his shirt over his shoulder, revealing the scar he’d had for fourteen years.

Her eyes widened as she moved closer. She reached out, dragging a single finger over the raised skin. His body tensed beneath her touch… not because he didn’t like it; he liked it far too much.

“Is that a scar from a bullet?”

He nodded, his jaw clenching as she circled her finger once more over his skin.

“Someone shot you? Why?” Her gaze met his, terror present in her eyes. He hated that he put it there.

“It was before I came to Willow Cove. I worked Boston PD. That’s where I met O’Reilly.” He kept the rest of the story to himself. He couldn’t tell her all the details without revealing his past.

Her finger lingered for a second longer, and it took everything he had not to wrap his arm around her waist and hold her close, bury his face into the sexy curve of her neck, and feel her heat mix with his own.

“Did it hurt?” she asked.

“Like a bitch.”

“If it was a few inches.” She slid her finger across his chest, and his entire body tightened to stone. She stopped, resting her hand over his heart. “You could have died.”

The strength to keep his hands to himself wavered. He reached up, linking his fingers through hers. “I could have, but I didn’t.” Unfortunate for the bastards that wanted to see him at the bottom of the Charles River. He survived the shot and got justice over and over again.

Back then it was a victory, but now, he knew better. He might have survived, but he still died that day. It was a harsh reminder, but one he needed. He loosened his hold on Allison and let his hand fall to his side. “We should finish eating before our food gets cold.” He forced a smile and turned his head to the little bit of sweet potato mash he had.

Chapter 12

Allison tiptoed by the couch and went to the kitchen. She always loved her open floor plan, but now she wished there was a barrier to separate her from the sleeping wall of man. Attempting to be as quiet as possible, she retrieved her coffee mug, but as she pulled it out, the handle smacked another mug and a loud clang echoed through the space. She cringed, turning to check on Reid.

His eyes opened, and he stared at her. She wished she had finished her makeup before coming out.

“Sorry, did I wake you?”

He ran a hand over his face. Morning stubble poked through, making him look devastatingly handsome. “No.”

“Would you like some coffee?”

“Please.”

“Man of few words in the morning. All right.” Allison moved to the coffeemaker and got to work. “Did you sleep at all?” She grabbed another mug for Reid.

“I got about two hours. You?”

“About the same.”

“I have a meeting with the office of special events to go over the summer event calendar to make sure we have proper safety protocols in place.”

“I didn’t realize how many meetings you have and that you’re not just out on the road fighting crime.”

“There’s a lot of other things the job entails, but I prefer to be on the road.”

“I know socializing with other people must be exhausting for you.” She winked and handed him a mug with WC News station’s logo on it.

“Funny. Anyway, I’m going to have one of my deputies tail you.”

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