Free Before That Night: Unfinished Love Series: Caine & Addison, Book 1 by Violet Duke Page A

food and coffee. I figured you guys would be working around the clock.”
    A lot of his buddies that should’ve already been heading home were still in uniform, wanting to help with the search. They were all gratefully digging into everything Addison had brought over.
    “You’re amazing. I’m pretty sure everyone here worked right through their lunch breaks.”
    She gave him a somber smile. “Glad I could help a little. We have more food and coffee ready to bring over if you guys need it. We know the little boy who was taken; he and his mom are regulars at the diner. So even if I’m on break, don’t worry, I’ve already instructed the staff to provide you guys whatever you need.”
    Dammit, he wanted to kiss the hell out of her right now. “Thank you, sweetheart. This means a lot to us. To me.”
    She handed him a tall to-go cup of coffee and a small brown paper bag. “My special brew, of course. And I packed you a sandwich you could eat in the car.” Stepping back to clear out of his pathway, she made a sweeping motion with her hand toward the door. “Sorry. I know you’re busy. Go on. I’m just going to go back to the breakroom to make sure I don’t need to bring in a second batch of food.”
    He gazed at her soulful, empathetic eyes. And wrapped an arm around her to pull her into a hug.
    They’d never hugged before this, but still, it felt like they’d been doing this their whole lives. She fit him perfectly. And filled some part of him he hadn’t even known had gone missing until now.
    She squeezed him tight, and then pulled back slightly to look up at him. Her hands slid out of the bear hug and smoothed up his chest, before settling on either side of his face.
    And just like that, she tilted her chin up and pressed a gentle kiss onto his lips.
    The whole thing barely lasted a second, but he felt good and dizzy when she was through.
    Feeling his heart thudding like a sledge hammer in his chest, and hearing his breathing deepening as if he were changing gears from a job to a sprint, he dropped his forehead down onto hers. “Issuing another dare, sweetheart?”
    She gave him one of those soft smiles reserved only for him. “No. Just offering comfort, support.” She brushed another barely there kiss over his lips before taking a step back. “Call me if you need anything. Even if you just need to talk.”
    Christ, he really didn’t want her to go. But they both had to get to work. “I will. Thanks again, sweetheart.” Taking a big, grateful sip of the coffee he was seriously in love with, he called out teasingly, “By the way, are you ever going to tell me what makes this coffee so good?”
    She hesitated, then walked back to him and quickly recited, “Mix equal parts of two cheapo grocery store brands of coffee grounds, half dark French roast and half plain old American roast, with a handful of salt, a dash of paprika, and…two bags of oolong tea, the smokier and darker the better, and like a teeny sprinkle of saffron that I ‘borrow’ from the kitchen.” She nibbled on her lip. “ Buut , to be honest, you could get rid of the salt, paprika, and saffron and still have a really great cup a joe.”
    He blinked in disbelief. “So the big secret to your coffee is…tea?”
    Nodding, she lifted her shoulders unapologetically, and held her hand up in a quick wave before turning to hustle over to the breakroom, where she immediately pulled out her trusty order pad from her waitressing apron and asked the guys if they wanted her to bring over anything else.
    “Holy shit,” whistled Marco, another cop who’d transferred over to Creek Hills recently. “You and Addison? Seriously?”
    They both watched her finish quickly taking orders, before heading to the counselors and social workers sitting with the missing boy’s mother and other family members and taking food and drink orders from them as well. “You are one lucky son of a bitch.”
    Jesus Christ, was he ever.
     

 
     
     
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