“Sunshine,” he whispers, his body sagging over me as he kisses me, slow, soft and sensual as we come back down from that amazing high. “I’m so in love with you.”
“Me too. I love you, Dylan.”
Pressing one last kiss to the top of my head, he rolls to beside me on the bed, taking in a few deep gulps of air. "Fuck, you're incredible," he murmurs, drawing me to his side, my head resting against his chest.
"So are you," I whisper back, my body feeling lazy and heavy after yet another round of amazing sex.
We must fall asleep, because when I open my eyes again, the sun is shining in through the window and my stomach is insisting that I get out of bed and find some food.
Careful not to disturb Dylan, I slowly shift across the mattress, placing my feet on the cool wooden floor as I take in the simple furnishings in his neat and tidy room. Tiptoeing over to the dresser, I pull out a pair of boxers and a flannel shirt that feels like a dress on me.
As I roll up the sleeves, I pad out to the kitchen, pausing when I see the sunflower pot I gave him looking healthy and strong on the windowsill.He kept it and cared for it.My heart swells with love, and I decide to make him the best breakfast I know how—pancakes. And a lot of them, because Dylan isnota tiny man.
After a little rummaging, I find the ingredients no problem and line them up on the counter, looking around his kitchen to try and guess where he keeps his bowls and utensils. Finding what I need in the second drawer and inside the cupboard next to the skin, I get started measuring out my ingredient, having a minor mishap when I get a little to voracious tipping in the milk.
“Damn it,” I gasp, stepping back as the white liquid drips onto the floor.
Doing a quick look around, I don’t see any paper towel or dishrags, so I open the drawers again, looking for where he keeps them. My first stop is the bottom drawer, since that’s where mine are, but instead of folded dishrags, I find a mishmash of random things along with a plastic folder with what looks like newspaper clippings inside.
Picking it up, I open the slightly opaque front cover to see the clippings clearly; the headlines making my heart sink past the pit of my stomach. “Oh god.”
LOCAL COP: COLD-BLOODED KILLER?
DECORATED OFFICER GUILTY OF MURDER?
DEPARTMENT DISMISSES OFFICER AFTER YOUTH KILLING
The more I read, the sicker I feel. Article after article about how the man I just gave myself away to hadshotsomeone. And not just anyone—a teenage boy. In cold blood. As the knowledge sinks in, my throat tightens and my body turns flush, my heart struggling to function properly.
He’s a killer?
Holy fuck!
Is that why he’s up here?
Is he hiding?
Oh god.
My mind races through a million scenarios as the plot every late night murder mystery or serial killer documentary flits through my head. I can barely breathe anymore as panic sets in, and when I hear a shuffling noise in the bedroom, my fight of flight kicks in.
I run.
Dylan
The sunlight on my face causes my eyes to flutter open, memories of having Millie in my bed flooding my mind and bringing a smile to my face.Happiness, I've found you again.
Rolling over, I stretch my arms out to find it surprisingly cold and empty where a warm and naked body should be. "Millie?" I sit up and call into the cabin from the bed, only to be greeted by total silence—too much silence. My heart sinks as my cop instincts kick in and I creep out of bed, pulling on my jeans and moving toward the ajar bedroom door.
“Millie? Where are you?” I call out as I leave my bedroom. Still no response.
Alarm bells ring in my ears as I move about the cabin looking for her. She's not in the bathroom. Not in the living room. And when I get to the kitchen, I find a half-made batter on the counter, but no Millie in sight.Where are you?
"Millie?" I yell out, cupping a hand around my mouth to increase my volume as I look out the kitchen window to see if maybe she’s gathering supplies from my garden. But when my foot hits something plastic and I look down, I feel physically sick to my stomach.Fuck.She found the newspaper clippings.
"Shit!" Without giving it a second’s thought, I run. As fast as my legs will carry me, I run through the forest toward Millie's.This can’t be happening.
Shit, shit, shit…
