Chapter 10
Carson made it back to the Grandview in forty-five minutes, his mind racing the entire drive.
Dan Morrison. The coworker Nora had mentioned. The one who’d made that comment about her not smiling at him anymore. Carson had noted it, filed it away, but hadn’t pursued it because Eugene had been the obvious threat.
But what if they’d both been threats all along? What if Eugene and Dan had been coordinating, working together, planning this?
The patrol unit Holloway had sent was already positioned outside Nora’s door—Officer Euton, someone Carson trusted. That eased some of the tension in his chest.
“Anything?” Carson asked.
“Quiet. She hasn’t left the room.” Euton gestured to the door. “You want me to stay?”
“Yeah. No one gets past this door except me. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
Carson knocked softly. “Nora? It’s me.”
The locks disengaged immediately. The door opened, and Nora stood there looking small and scared and utterly relieved to see him.
“You’re back,” she said.
“I said two hours.” Carson stepped inside, and she locked the door behind him. “But we need to talk. There’s been a development.”
He saw the fear flash across her face. “What kind of development?”
“Sit down.”
She moved to the edge of the bed, wrapping her arms around herself. Carson pulled the desk chair over and sat facing her, close enough to touch but giving her space.
“We found phone records connecting Eugene to someone else,” Carson said carefully. “Someone at your work. Dan Morrison.”
Nora’s face went pale. “Dan? But he’s...he’s just a coworker. He’s quiet. Awkward. He wouldn’t—”
“When did he start acting strange around you?”
“A few weeks ago. Maybe a month?” She was thinking, trying to remember. “He made that comment about me not smiling at him anymore. And sometimes I’d catch him staring at me across the office. But I thought he was just socially awkward. I didn’t think—”
“What else? Any other interactions?”
Nora pressed her hands to her face, breathing hard. “Oh God. The Morrison audit. The file I was working on that kept getting changed. Dan Morrison. Same last name. I thought it was a coincidence.”
“It’s not.” Carson kept his voice steady, authoritative. “We think Dan and Eugene were working together. We don’t know the connection yet, but—”
“The embezzlement.” Nora looked up, her eyes wide. “Eugene’s father was Robert Whitmore. He was caught stealing from clients at Morrison & Associates. Dan Morrison. What if they’re related? What if Dan is connected to the company somehow?”
Carson pulled out his phone, already texting Finn. “That’s a good theory. Finn’s running a deep background on Dan right now. But, Nora, there’s more. Dan didn’t show up for work today. When we sent officers to his apartment, he was gone. Packed up and left.”
“He ran.”
“Or he’s planning something.” Carson leaned forward. “I need you to think. Has Dan ever been to your apartment? Does he know where you live?”
“I don’t think so. We weren’t friends. I barely knew him outside of work.” She paused. “But he would have known my address from HR files. He works in accounting. He’d have access to employee records.”
“What about here? Does anyone at your work know you’re staying at this hotel?”
“No. I haven’t talked to anyone except Lila, and I didn’t tell her where I was.”
Good. That meant Dan couldn’t have tracked her here. Unless—
Carson’s phone buzzed. A text from Finn: Found the connection. Dan Morrison is Robert Whitmore’s nephew. His mother was Robert’s sister. Name change after she remarried when Dan was twelve.
Carson showed Nora the text. She read it, her face crumpling.
“They’re family,” she whispered. “Eugene and Dan. They’re both targeting me because of what my father did to their family.”
“Your father did his job. He reported a crime. This isn’t your fault, Nora.”
“But they think it is.” She stood abruptly, pacing. “They’ve both been planning this. For how long? Years? How long have they been watching me?”
Carson stood too, intercepting her pacing and gripping her shoulders gently.
“Listen to me. I know this is scary. I know it feels like the world is falling apart. But you’re safe here.
Dan doesn’t know where you are. We have officers looking for him.
And I’m not leaving your side until he’s caught. ”
“You can’t stay with me constantly. You have to work. You have to—”
“I’m staying.” His voice left no room for argument. “Captain already approved it. I’m on protective detail until this is resolved. Which means wherever you go, I go.”
Nora looked up at him, and Carson saw the conflict in her eyes. Relief that he was staying. Guilt that he had to. Fear about what came next.
“I’m so tired of being scared,” she said quietly.
“I know.”
“I’m tired of feeling like a victim. Like my whole life is defined by things other people did to me. Foster care. My parents dying. And now this.”
“You’re not a victim. You’re a survivor.” Carson’s hands moved from her shoulders to cup her face. “You reported what was happening when no one believed you. You trusted your instincts. You fought back when Eugene attacked you. You’re one of the strongest people I know, Nora.”
“I don’t feel strong.”
“You are.” His thumbs brushed away the tears on her cheeks. “And I’m going to keep reminding you of that until you believe it.”
They stood there, inches apart, the air between them charged with everything unsaid. Carson knew he should step back. Maintain distance. Keep things professional.
But after today—after almost losing her, after seeing that knife coming toward her chest—he couldn’t bring himself to pull away.
“Carson,” Nora whispered. “About last night. The kiss—”
“Was real,” he said. “And I shouldn’t have pushed you away. I was trying to do the right thing, trying to keep boundaries in place, but—”
“But what?”
“But I don’t want to keep you at arm’s length anymore.” The admission felt like ripping open his chest. “You scare the hell out of me, Nora. The way I feel about you scares me. Because I don’t do this. I don’t let people in. I don’t care about anything except the job.”
“And now?”
“And now all I can think about is you. Keeping you safe. Making you smile. Being the person you trust.” His voice dropped lower. “Being more than just the detective investigating your case.”
Nora’s breath hitched. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying when this is over—when Dan is caught and you’re safe and there’s no conflict of interest—I want to take you on a real date. I want to see where this goes. If you’ll have me.”
“If I’ll—” A laugh choked off her words, a sound somewhere between tears and joy.
“Carson, I’ve been falling for you since you believed me when no one else would.
Since you moved me into your apartment to protect me.
Since you made me grilled cheese and let me help with the case and looked at me like I mattered. ”
“You do matter.”
“Then stop pulling away.” She stepped closer, her hands coming up to rest on his chest. “Stop trying to keep me safe from your feelings. I’m a grown woman. I can decide what risks I want to take.”
Carson’s control was hanging by a thread. “Nora, you’ve been through a lot today. You’re vulnerable. I don’t want to take advantage—”
“You’re not. I’m choosing this. Choosing you.” Her eyes were clear. Certain. “Kiss me, Carson. Please.”
He should say no. Should maintain boundaries. Should do the professional thing.
But looking at her—brave and scared and trusting him with so much more than her safety—Carson couldn’t deny her. Couldn’t deny himself.
He kissed her.
This time it wasn’t hesitant or questioning. This time it was claiming. Promising. Everything he’d been holding back pouring into the kiss.
Nora responded immediately, her hands sliding up to his neck, pulling him closer. She made that small sound in her throat that drove him crazy, and Carson’s control shattered completely.
His hands moved to her waist, pulling her flush against him. She fit perfectly there, like she was made for his arms. Her lips were soft and urgent, and the way she kissed him back—like she’d been waiting for this, wanting this—made heat race through his veins.
This was everything he’d tried not to want. Everything he’d been denying himself.
And it was so much better than he’d imagined.
Nora’s fingers threaded through his hair, and Carson groaned against her mouth. He walked her backward until her legs hit the bed, never breaking the kiss.
“Carson,” she breathed against his lips.
“Tell me to stop.” His voice was rough. Desperate. “Tell me this is too fast and I’ll stop right now.”
“Don’t stop.” She pulled him down with her as she sat on the bed. “Don’t you dare stop.”
***
Nora had forgotten what it felt like to want something this badly.
Years of anxiety and fear had taught her to be careful. To hold back. To never let herself be vulnerable enough to get hurt.
But Carson made her want to take the risk.
His kiss was consuming—not gentle or tentative, but fierce and possessive in a way that made her feel claimed. Wanted. Safe enough to let go of all the walls she’d built.
She pulled him closer, needing him nearer, needing to feel his solid warmth against her. His hands were on her waist, grounding her, anchoring her to this moment.
“Nora.” He pulled back slightly, breathing hard. “We should slow down. You’ve been through hell today. I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret.”
“The only thing I’d regret is if you pulled away again.” She cupped his face, making him look at her. “I know what I want. And I want you.”
Something in his expression shifted—the last of his resistance crumbling. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
He kissed her again, deeper this time, with an intensity that stole her breath. His hands moved from her waist to her back, pulling her even closer as he shifted onto the bed beside her.