Free Chasing Bristol (The Finding Trilogy Book 2) by Shane Morgan

at me. “Who knows what
would have happened if you did.”
    I rubbed my thumb around the edge of my
coffee mug.
    “Think, Bristol,” Mason urged. “Maybe
you’ve met him before but didn’t pay him any attention—someone from the
university or that café?”
    Looking at him, I said, “I can’t think
of anyone who seemed suspicious.”
    Mason leaned forward and placed the note
on the coffee table, then clasped his hands. “Bristol, I have to be straight
with you, unless he becomes hands on, the police can’t do anything.”
    Setting the mug down on the coffee
table, I tucked my fallen strands behind my ears and fought back tears. “What
about a restraining order?”
    “Against who?” he scoffed. “We have no
face. No name. Nothing.”
    I spun back to him, frustrated. “You
know, Mason, you don’t sound very encouraging right now.”
    A razor-sharp breath expelled from his
lips. “It’s just that…these cases are tough.”
    Picking up the mug again with my
unsteady hands, I sipped my coffee and considered what he’d said.  
    Mason went on, “All I can tell you to do
is stay with a friend and set up a camera here. We’ll catch him if he sneaks in
again. That’ll be good enough to put him behind bars.”
    “I’m not leaving my apartment,” I said,
holding on to defiance. “But I’ll get the camera.”
    He stood to leave. I didn’t want him to.
I also didn’t want to seem desperate. Oh, what the hell. I am desperate .
    “Can’t you stay?” I asked, standing up.
    Mason took me in, stirring up a fiery
feeling in the pit of my stomach. The hairs on my hands shot up, and I feared
that if he touched me then, I’d be electrocuted.
    He massaged the back of his neck. “I’ll
call it in. The precinct will send someone over to keep an eye on the place.”
    “You’re a cop,” I reminded him.
    “Yeah, but this is…” he trailed as he
refocused on me.
    “What?” I urged. “Conflict of interest?”
    Mason smirked. “Something like that.”
    “You said it yourself: there’s nothing
the police can do right now, but I feel like you care enough to try for
me.”
    After a long pause, he said, “Okay. I’ll
stay for a while.”
    “Thank you,” I breathed, faking
nonchalance when inside I was bungee jumping with excitement.
    Mason sat back on the couch. I absorbed
his appearance once more: his thick brows, long dark lashes, chiseled jawline,
and those lips . I looked past them, and a low moan escaped me as I
noticed the way his chest bulged beneath his fitted shirt.
    My hands tingled as if they were eager
to touch him, to feel that warm sensation again like when our fingers grazed on
Sunday.
    Carrying my gaze back to his, Mason had
a brow raised, intrigued. I cleared my throat and snapped out of it. “More
coffee?”
    He smiled. “No, I’m good. How about
Chinese instead? I’m starving.”
    “Okay.” I smiled back.
    After takeout arrived, we stayed on the
couch and talked over noodles and fried dumplings.
    “So what is it you’re studying at URI?”
he asked before slurping a noodle.
    I finished what was in my mouth then
answered, “Event planning.”
    “That’s cool. When will you finish?”
    “This fall. I have three more classes
I’ll be taking online and then I’ll be done with college. For now.”
    “I see.” He put the rest of his noodles
down on the coffee table and picked up the bottle of water I’d given him. “Then
what?” he asked after taking a sip.
    “Well, I just received a full-time
position at Vanderson Publishing due to a merger, so looks like I’ll be with
the company for a while.”
    “Good for you.” A sincere smile curled
his lips and my whole body felt as if it would melt at any moment.
    I had to stare at something else to
speak again. “Yeah, it’s awesome. I like working there. The atmosphere is
great.”
    When the onset of shyness faded, I
peered back at Mason, only to wince, disconcerted by the intense way he was
staring at me. He quickly glanced at