‘We are pretty good friends, aren’t we?’ Lynne asked.
He felt the disappointment grab at his stomach. Friends.
She finished her drink and pushed her chair back. ‘We should meet up a couple of times each month for a pint and a pizza. Let off some steam and trash the job how we’ve always done, yeah?’
He nodded and tried not to show his misery as she reached for her jacket.
Two months ago, he’d felt there was no chance for the two of them and now he knew it for certain. The moment had passed and he’d accepted it.
It wasn’t until he’d walked in and seen her sitting with his brother that the full force of his feelings had almost knocked him sideways.
He’d missed her to the point of not wanting to ever be without her again.
She had come to tend to his brother, and he would always be grateful for the bond they shared. But she had set out her stall, as his mum used to say. She’d set the boundaries, and it was a thick white line of friendship that he had no choice but to respect.
He followed her to the door, fighting the panic rising inside him. Even though she’d suggested meeting up as friends and keeping in touch, he had the alarming feeling that she was about to walk out of his life forever.
She opened the door and turned. ‘Now be sure to tell that scheming brother of yours…’ She stopped speaking as Penn cupped her head and placed his lips on hers.
Electricity surged through him immediately, prompting his mouth to deepen the kiss, searching for a reply.
His answer came as her own lips responded.
It wasn’t the kiss of a friend.
FIFTY-SEVEN
‘You have to be kidding me,’ Kim said to Barney as the door camera appeared on her phone screen. The door siren sounded at the same time. ‘What the hell is she doing here?’
Only twenty minutes ago she’d been screaming at a drunken idiot on the ground and now she had to deal with this.
She pressed the speaker button on her phone. ‘Piss off. I’m out.’
Tracy Frost shook her head and folded her arms.
Kim was smug in the knowledge that the door was locked and the insufferable woman could ring all she liked, but she wasn’t getting in.
The siren sounded again.
‘Frost, bugger off,’ she called through the microphone. ‘I’m out. I’m operating this remotely.’
‘Where are you?’ she heard through the speaker.
‘AA meeting, now naff off.’
The siren sounded again.
‘You’re a liar – we both know you don’t go out.’
‘Frost, I will happily do the time for your murder,’ she shouted and then hoped no one was passing by.
The journalist was undeterred. ‘You’ve gotta open the door to do it.’
‘Jesus,’ she cursed, stomping towards the door. She unlocked it and threw it open. ‘You do know this is completely unacceptable, don’t you?’
‘I brought Barney a cupcake,’ she said, holding out a plastic dog toy.
‘He doesn’t like toys,’ she answered as Barney sat and wagged his tail.