What Hides Inside: Bay City Paranormal Investigations, Book 2

and Sam knew it. But subtlety would never work. Bo was far too intelligent not to notice. Besides, Sam couldn’t stand the thought of being less than honest with Bo.
    In the end, he did the only thing he could. When he arrived at the BCPI office the next morning, holloweyed with exhaustion and more determined than he’d ever been in his life, he strode straight into Bo’s office and shut the door behind him.
    Bo stood at the window, arms crossed, staring out at the morning traffic. “What do you need, Sam?”
His voice was calm, but tension radiated from him. Squaring his shoulders, Sam gathered every ounce of his courage, walked around the desk and laid his hands on Bo’s shoulders.
“I need you,” Sam said. It wasn’t what he’d planned to say, but it came straight from his heart, and he found he didn’t want to take it back. “Please give us another chance.”
Bo stiffened under his touch, but didn’t move away. “It’ll never work between us.”
“No. I don’t believe that.” Leaning closer, Sam rested his cheek against Bo’s hair and slid his arms around Bo’s waist. The fact that Bo didn’t shove him away was enough to make him bold. “I’m in love with you, Bo. I can’t just walk away.”
Bo broke out of Sam’s arms and whirled to face him, eyes wide and shocked. “What?”
“You heard me.” Sam reached a hand toward Bo, then let it drop when Bo backed out of reach. “I love you, and I’m not going to let you go without a fight.”
“You realize how disturbing that sounds.” The way Bo’s eyes softened belied the stern warning in his voice.
Sam shook his head. “I’m not a stalker, and you know it. I’d never try to force you into something you truly don’t want.”
“Then why are you?” Bo shot back, shoving a stray lock of hair impatiently out of his eyes. His hand shook violently. “I already told you that I want to break it off, and I told you why it has to be that way. Why can’t you accept that?”
“Because I don’t believe that’s what you want. I think you love me too, and I think that scares you more than anything else.”
All the color drained from Bo’s face. He dropped his gaze to the floor. “We can’t talk about this right now. We have work to do.”
An odd calm came over Sam as he studied Bo’s face. The war raging inside Bo was clear as day. He needs time to think. I can give him that.
Sam nodded. “David and Dean are probably going to the library for more research on the South Bay High property today. Cecile and I can go interview some of the students, if you want.”
Bo glanced up, his relief palpable. “That’d be great. Thanks.”
“No problem.” Sam crossed the room and opened the office door. “I’m making some coffee, you want any?”
“No thanks.” Chewing his bottom lip, Bo stared at Sam as if he wanted to say something but didn’t know how. Sam waited with a patience he hadn’t thought he possessed. “I don’t understand, Sam,” Bo burst out after a moment. “Why do you want to be with me? Why do you…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t need to. Sam knew what he was trying to say. “I don’t know why I love you,” Sam answered truthfully. “But I do. And that’s why I want to be with you.”
Lowering his gaze, Bo picked up a pen from his desk and rolled it between his fingers for a moment before laying it down again. “What you said before was true. What we were doing wasn’t a normal adult relationship. I don’t think it’s fair of me to start things with you again unless I can at least give you what you want.”
Shocked, Sam stared at Bo’s profile. “You think what I said to you on Saturday was just about us not having sex?”
Bo didn’t look up. “Wasn’t it?”
“No. God, no.” Sam ran a hand through his hair. “I mean yeah, I’m dying to get you into bed, and I’ll admit I was frustrated. But sex can wait, honestly. What I was mostly upset about was that you’re not ready to come out. That wasn’t fair of me, I know that, and I’m sorry. I’ve never had a serious relationship before, and I’ve never had to see anyone in secret. I’m not very good at it.”
Bo’s mouth curved into a bitter smile. “No, you’re not. But neither am I, so I’ll forgive you.”
Hearing the dry, pointed humor in Bo’s voice lifted a huge weight from Sam’s shoulders. He grinned, feeling lighter than air all of a sudden. “We both suck at relationships. We’re perfect for each other.”
Bo