Barbi sat in her office, behind her desk as Rick looked over Mia's file. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid as to leave that information just lying around. She should have locked it up, or better yet, destroyed it. No, she just kept it there, forgetting it even existed, waiting for someone like Mitchell Cross to slither his way into her house and steal it. Now Mia's life was going to be turned upside down, and why? All because she was sloppy.
"No one had any idea?" Rick looked up at her, bags under his eyes. They had been going over everything for hours. Every little detail.
"Just me and Kurt." She sighed, turning her chair, glancing out the window into the giant back yard.
"Did you call your lawyer? See if he could put a stop on this?" Rick stood, stepping behind Barbi's chair.
She could feel his hands grip the top of the headrest. She closed her eyes. She hated admiting it, but it felt nice to have Rick around, to have someone else there to help her deal with all of this.
"They'll try, but in this day and age, by the time the information gets out there, it'll be to late. It takes one website, one blog to release what Mitchell knows, and it'll spread like wildfire." She reached up, gripping his hand.
How had she been so stupid to bring some guy back to her house. He could have been the killer! She had been so needy, so depressed that she risked her life, and the lives of everyone living under her roof for one night of passion, of feeling wanted.
"I'm sorry Barbi." His voice was soft.
"I'm not the one to feel sorry for." She stood. "Mia is the one who is going to be hurt by all of this. I promised to keep her secret. When she told me the truth... that she was born male, I promised her that I would help protect her, and instead I let the information leak. I mean, the poor girl is dealing with cancer. Now this?"
Rick didn't speak. He just put his hand on her shoulder, stepped close enough to her that she could feel the heat of his body against hers.
"You care a lot about your models." He gave her shoulder a squeeze. "You've managed to surprise me Barbi Starr."
She turned, looking him in the eyes. "Even I have a heart Rick."
He said nothing, and instead kissed her. She melted into his embrace. It felt so right, so perfect, but she knew she couldn't give in. Not now. Not with everything that had happened so far. She had let her guard down once, and now someone's life was about to be blown sky high. She couldn't let it happen again.
She pulled away.
Rick nodded. He understood. Hell, he may have felt the same way, and that alone made Barbi want him even more. Under that tough cop exterior was a real man who actually gave a damn about the people he had sworn to protect.
"When all of this is over." She kept eye contact, wanting him to know that she really ment what she was saying.
Rick nodded.
Then they returned to their seats, the desk seperating them, and got back to work.
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