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“Ford’s whole team?!”

“They all found out! It hasn’t been going on that long. Only since this case. Technically.”

“Technically?”

Andrew was really putting his foot in it this morning. “The first time may have been Christmas.”

“Christmas?!” Kevin leaned back to keep from mauling Andrew like he seemed to want. “Okay, even if you claim temporary insanity, why is it still going on now?”

Honestly, Andrew hadn’t been able to say the answer out loud yet, but Kevin sighed dramatically and said the answer for him.

“Because it’s not just sex.”

“It’s not just sex. But it’s notnotjust sex? It’s complicated. I mean, it's Ford, he doesn’t… he’s really… We haven’t talkedabout this pretty much at all. He wouldn’t be interested in more.”

“But you like him. And not only because of… awesome sex.”

“Reallyawesome sex.”

Kevin choked.

“I do like him. I’ve always liked him. But I don’t know if that’s going to matter after we catch the thief, or if it’ll just be Olivia all over again.”

That sobered Kevin and made the anxiety in Andrew’s gut tighten into a bow. “Is that what you think?”

“I don’t… want to think that.”

“Harder question. Do you trust Ford?”

Andrew reminded himself that right now he couldn’t be 100% certain that he trusted Kevin, which was an awful thing to think of his friend who was being so understanding right now, but there were too many unknowns. What he was certain about—somehow, amazingly—was that he did trust Ford.

“Thanks, Kev.” Andrew pivoted on the spot.

“Thanks? You didn’t answer me!”

“When this is over, I will.”

Withnooutstandingclientwork to attend to and not much else to do until they found their lead, Andrew stopped home before heading to his final destination, swift but careful as he melted chocolate with 2% milk, cinnamon, and some Jameson thrown in for good measure.

This was much better than buying Ford coffee.

Andrew knew Ford’s offices well by now, even the living quarters, including that the alley where they’d had one of the hottest encounters of Andrew’s life had a back door. He might bea pillar of law and order most days, but he knew how to pick a lock, and there was something endlessly amusing about picking Ford’s.

Once inside, making sure there was no one immediately visible, Andrew headed for Ford’s office, only to pass a conference room where he saw Ford pouring over schematics. He opened his mouth to say something, but Ford called out first.

“You tripped an alarm that sent camera footage to my phone. I’m still debating clicking the ‘unauthorized entry’ button to alert the police.” He flicked his eyes up with a grin.

“I didn’t actually think I wouldn’t get caught.”

“Or you just don’t want to admit that I’m better than you.” Ford reclined in his chair at the head of a long conference table as Andrew came in with a thermos and his Santa mug. “What’s the occasion?”

“It’s chilly out.” Andrew shrugged, setting the mug down at the edge of the table, away from the spread-out blueprints. “And I hate having to sit on my laurels.Thisis what’s supposed to go in this mug, by the way, though I did add a little booze to it.” He hopped up next to the mug and poured out some of the steaming cocoa from the thermos. “Everything is squared with Steve, and I talked to Kevin.”

“About what he saw?”

“He won’t tell anyone. He thinks I’m crazy, but…”

“Are you?” Ford pressed when Andrew trailed off.