“If it makes you feel any better, those months I was missing were hell for me too.”
Nic hadn’t thought about it, but he supposed that was true. While Kenneth had left to be with his lover, he had ended up in rehab, fighting all the things that drove him to extremes. No one wanted to be an addict. Nic also imagined it was terrible to be closeted in his position. While it wasn’t easy to put himself in Kenneth’s shoes, he tried. Kenneth was older than him. He had lived in a different time when people weren’t allowed to be out and in politics. Kenneth’s father had been a senator too. Nic imagined expectations had been high for Kenneth. The pressure had to be immense.
“This is depressing. Let’s talk about something else.”
Before Nic could pick a topic, food appeared at their table. Nic stared at the plates of salad and lasagna. “We haven’t ordered.”
Kenneth smiled. “I ordered ahead. Trust me.”
Even though Nic wanted to argue over Kenneth’s obvious control tactics, he took a bite. It was as if the noodles melted on his tongue. “Oh, God.”
Kenneth’s smile turned wicked. His eyes flashed with something that had Nic taking a breath. “I told you.”
“Holy shit.” Nic took another bite. It was the most amazing food he had ever put in his mouth. “How have I never heard of this place?”
“It’s not that well-known.”
Nic focused on eating. Kenneth did too. Occasionally, their gazes met. They took turns being the first to look away. Nic had been out to eat with countless people over the years. This time, it felt like a date. He couldn’t explain his reasoning. The night simply had an extra layer of nervousness and uncomfortably unspoken expectations. There were undertones. They ate and had wine.
Dessert appeared the way dinner had. It was cheesecake, so Nic didn’t balk. Again, it was the best food he had ever eaten. Kenneth talked about everything and nothing. Nic listened. Several times, he laughed when Kenneth made flawless impressions of some of the politicians he worked with.
“You should’ve been an actor.”
Kenneth’s smile faltered. “That’s what I wanted to be when I was a kid. I used to entertain the other kids in…” Kenneth seemed to realize he said too much. He cleared his throat. “I guess I should let you get home.”
“I haven’t paid for my dinner.” And Nic wasn’t ready to leave.
Kenneth stood. “They have my card on file. Places like this don’t bring you the bill. It’s considered poor taste.”
“Oh.” No wonder he hadn’t heard of this place. “How much do I owe you?”
“I invited you, so I pay. You can buy next time.” Laughter tinged the words like they were a joke.
Nic got it. They were an unlikely pair, but he didn’t have the heart to joke. Despite everything, he had enjoyed himself. “Sounds good. Next time, I pick the place.”
At his serious tone, Kenneth’s expression turned solemn. He dipped his chin. “I look forward to it. Have a nice evening, detective.” With another awkward dip of his chin, Kenneth headed for the door, leaving Nic behind.
Nic finished his wine to stop himself from watching Kenneth go. It had been the strangest night of Nic’s life. He couldn’t explain why, but he wanted to do it again.
Chapter Three
The paperwork on Nic’s desk blurred as memories of last night poured through his head. He had spent the entire night awake and poring over every detail. There had been nothing special about his dinner with Kenneth. So what was it? Nic didn’t think he cared about Kenneth’s position. Then again, power was sexy. No one was immune to that, whether or not they admitted it. Nic thought his fascination was with the flashes of vulnerability. There were moments Kenneth let his guard down. He didn’t think Kenneth noticed, but Nic had.
“This came for you.”
Nic glanced up as a guy from the files department set a vase on his desk. It held a single purple rose. In fact, Nic was almost certain the vase and rose were the table piece he had commented on last night.
“Where did this come from?”
The guy shrugged. “It was delivered earlier today. I don’t know anything else.” He kept moving, leaving Nic to stare at the flower. It was unique. He had never seen such a bright purple rose before. There could be no doubt it was the same flower. How had Kenneth done this? Had he paid the restaurant to pass it along? Had he delivered it himself?
Nic opened his drawer and pulled out a fingerprint kit. If anyone watched as he pulled prints from the vase, they didn’t say anything. Nic was too engrossed in his own insanity to notice. He didn’t know why it mattered so much who had delivered the vase, but he had to know.
After pulling all the prints from the vase, he turned his computer screen where no one could see it and pulled up Kenneth’s file. He hoped his boss hadn’t put an alert on the file to ping him if anyone accessed it again. Nic wouldn’t be surprised since he had given his boss so much trouble over the case. To be safe, Nic found what he needed as quickly as possible. He jotted Kenneth’s various numbers down and then closed the file. Nic hoped—if anyone was alerted—he could claim he had opened the file out of habit and closed it as soon as he realized.
With the info he needed at hand, Nic opened the case files for his current case so he would look busy. Then he started dialing, beginning with Kenneth’s cellphone. To his surprise, it only rang twice before Kenneth’s curt tone sounded in his ear.
“This is Yearly.”
Since Kenneth hadn’t technically said hello, Nic didn’t either. “How did you get the flower?”
“Mhmm.”
Holy shit. The hum went straight to Nic’s groin. His stomach muscles clenched. He fought not to adjust himself in public.
“I hesitate to say I stole it. You might put me in handcuffs.”
Fuck. He wanted to put him in handcuffs. Nic turned toward the wall and stared at his calendar, hoping to save himself. He didn’t understand why this was happening. “I don’t know. According to you, they have your card on file. You could probably take whatever you want.”
A sexy chuckle caressed his ear. Nic’s eyes fell closed. He took a slow breath. Kenneth kept talking while Nic savored a moment of guilt. “I know you only remarked on the flower to make conversation, but I still think the rose suits you. It’s unique.”
A smile snapped to Nic’s lips. He liked the thought of being different. “Yeah, I’m sure I’m nothing like the people you usually spend your days rubbing elbows with.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing. I spend my day surrounded by pompous old windbags who take legal bribes. Being different from that is a nice change.”
“Then you should spend more time with me. I owe you dinner.” Nic covered his eyes. What was wrong with him? This was the dumbest shit.
“Just tell me when and where.”
“How about I pick you up at seven?” He chewed the side of his nail. A small part of him hoped Kenneth said no. It wasn’t like Kenneth was a criminal or anything. There was no conflict of interest. Somehow, it still felt that way. He had spent so much time studying Kenneth’s case and everything was just terrible timing. Nic didn’t know why they were having this conversation.