about their brother in the woods. It’s probably what had helped Pax and him bond so close together initially.
“Yeah,” Tess said. “Nothing was disturbed. I just found some prints.”
“You okay being out here alone?” Dev asked.
“Well, I’m not alone. I’ve got Shelby.”
Dev laughed. “She’s what, a hundred in dog years?”
“Only seventy. But still going strong. Well, besides a little arthritis in her back legs.”
“Seriously, if you get any more visitors, give me a call, day or night.” Dev was a deputy with the county sheriff.
Tess looked up at him, feeling like she was sixteen. “Yes, officer.”
He smiled, and Tess’s heart gave another little tug. “Good. And I’ll make sure someone drives by here a little more often, all right?”
“I’ll be fine, Dev. He doesn’t want to hurt me.”
“He?”
“I think it’s the same guy I’ve seen evidence of in the woods. He’s probably just hungry.”
Dev pulled her to a stop, squeezing her hand. “Just be careful. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Tess couldn’t seem to breathe. She leaned forward, and Dev did the same.
And then his radio squawked to life. “Dev, we’ve got a fight over at Poor Richard’s. Are you in the area?”
Dev sighed and pulled back. He stepped away from Tess and pulled his radio off his belt. “Yeah, I’m around. I’ll be there in five minutes.”
He turned back to Tess. “Well, duty calls. You good?”
Disappointed, unfulfilled. Out loud she said. “Yeah, I’m good.”
He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek in a very brotherly fashion. She tried to keep the sigh from escaping her lips.
“Good night,” he said.
“Night.”
Dev headed down the stairs and Tess turned to unlock the door.
“Tess?”
She turned as Dev walked back up the steps. He took her face in his hands and kissed her. Tess felt like she was melting. Her heart raced, her arms wound their way around his waist, and she wanted the kiss to go on forever.
Dev pulled back and leaned his forehead into hers. “I’ve wanted to do that for years.”
She smiled. “I’m glad you finally did.”
“Have dinner with me next weekend?”
“Okay.”
He kissed her again, this time briefly. “I have to go.” He gave her one last look and hurried down the steps.
Tess watched him go, her heart hammering. As he pulled out of the drive, he blinked his lights at her. She waved and let herself in.
Shelby tottered over to her. Tess slumped down to sit next to her on the floor. She traced her hand over her lips, feeling Dev’s lips there. Her stomach did backflips. Oh, boy.
CHAPTER 15
T ess spent the rest of the weekend getting herself set up for the week ahead. She and Abby spoke on the phone half a dozen times, ironing out the details of the contract. Tess let herself daydream about what equipment she would purchase if the grant went through. At the top of her wish list was an infrared monitor. She also made sure her files were up to date and prepared a preliminary report on her methods and findings thus far to forward to Hayes.
And throughout it all, she tried to ignore any thoughts of Dev. But on Sunday she made the mistake of telling Sasha about their kiss—and Sasha immediately drove over with takeout in order to get the play by play.
Now the two of them were curled up on Tess’s couch, with Shelby sleeping over by the fireplace.
“It was good, wasn’t it?” Sasha asked. “Because that man looks like a good kisser. I mean, I can see him as one of those focused types who’s completely invested in the person he’s with.”
Tess could feel the blush on her cheeks. “It was good.”
Sasha looked at her expectantly. “And?”
“And what? What do you want me to say?”
“He put his hands where? You put your hands where?”
“He put his hands on my face.”
Sasha clutched a pillow to her chest. “I love when guys do that.” She sighed. “Where were your
“Yeah,” Tess said. “Nothing was disturbed. I just found some prints.”
“You okay being out here alone?” Dev asked.
“Well, I’m not alone. I’ve got Shelby.”
Dev laughed. “She’s what, a hundred in dog years?”
“Only seventy. But still going strong. Well, besides a little arthritis in her back legs.”
“Seriously, if you get any more visitors, give me a call, day or night.” Dev was a deputy with the county sheriff.
Tess looked up at him, feeling like she was sixteen. “Yes, officer.”
He smiled, and Tess’s heart gave another little tug. “Good. And I’ll make sure someone drives by here a little more often, all right?”
“I’ll be fine, Dev. He doesn’t want to hurt me.”
“He?”
“I think it’s the same guy I’ve seen evidence of in the woods. He’s probably just hungry.”
Dev pulled her to a stop, squeezing her hand. “Just be careful. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Tess couldn’t seem to breathe. She leaned forward, and Dev did the same.
And then his radio squawked to life. “Dev, we’ve got a fight over at Poor Richard’s. Are you in the area?”
Dev sighed and pulled back. He stepped away from Tess and pulled his radio off his belt. “Yeah, I’m around. I’ll be there in five minutes.”
He turned back to Tess. “Well, duty calls. You good?”
Disappointed, unfulfilled. Out loud she said. “Yeah, I’m good.”
He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek in a very brotherly fashion. She tried to keep the sigh from escaping her lips.
“Good night,” he said.
“Night.”
Dev headed down the stairs and Tess turned to unlock the door.
“Tess?”
She turned as Dev walked back up the steps. He took her face in his hands and kissed her. Tess felt like she was melting. Her heart raced, her arms wound their way around his waist, and she wanted the kiss to go on forever.
Dev pulled back and leaned his forehead into hers. “I’ve wanted to do that for years.”
She smiled. “I’m glad you finally did.”
“Have dinner with me next weekend?”
“Okay.”
He kissed her again, this time briefly. “I have to go.” He gave her one last look and hurried down the steps.
Tess watched him go, her heart hammering. As he pulled out of the drive, he blinked his lights at her. She waved and let herself in.
Shelby tottered over to her. Tess slumped down to sit next to her on the floor. She traced her hand over her lips, feeling Dev’s lips there. Her stomach did backflips. Oh, boy.
CHAPTER 15
T ess spent the rest of the weekend getting herself set up for the week ahead. She and Abby spoke on the phone half a dozen times, ironing out the details of the contract. Tess let herself daydream about what equipment she would purchase if the grant went through. At the top of her wish list was an infrared monitor. She also made sure her files were up to date and prepared a preliminary report on her methods and findings thus far to forward to Hayes.
And throughout it all, she tried to ignore any thoughts of Dev. But on Sunday she made the mistake of telling Sasha about their kiss—and Sasha immediately drove over with takeout in order to get the play by play.
Now the two of them were curled up on Tess’s couch, with Shelby sleeping over by the fireplace.
“It was good, wasn’t it?” Sasha asked. “Because that man looks like a good kisser. I mean, I can see him as one of those focused types who’s completely invested in the person he’s with.”
Tess could feel the blush on her cheeks. “It was good.”
Sasha looked at her expectantly. “And?”
“And what? What do you want me to say?”
“He put his hands where? You put your hands where?”
“He put his hands on my face.”
Sasha clutched a pillow to her chest. “I love when guys do that.” She sighed. “Where were your
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