I took in Micah’s home décor as I made my way down the stairs. Along the stairwell, were images of Micah with his two brothers and Joel. I paused, staring at one of the photos. The four of them were standing around a woman, who leaned against Joel’s shoulder with his arm protectively resting around her shoulders. She was beautiful, with blue eyes and long, dark hair parted in the middle. They looked happy. It was obvious this woman was Micah’s mother. My heart ached for him, remembering the look in his eyes anytime he spoke of her death.
I carried on down the stairs and smiled. “Hey, boy. Did you enjoy your run this morning?” I asked, petting Hound behind his ears, the way he liked. He made the same high-pitched sound he always did whenever he enjoyed the petting.
I laughed and glanced over to the left, taking in the living room. The décor was an array of earth tones and creams that brought the room to life, instead of making it dull. Along the back wall rested a large painting of the world that was separated into four large, golden canvases.
“What’s that smell?” I questioned, looking down at Hound. “He cooks, too?” I asked the dog as if he could answer me. I grinned when Hound merely stared up at me. Following my nose, I found myself entering the doorway of the closed off kitchen. My breath hitched.
The kitchen was as beautiful as the rest of the house, but it wasn’t the design that nearly stopped my heart. No, it was the fact that standing before the stove, shirtless, with his back to me, was Micah, in all of his glory.
His hair fell beneath his shoulder blades. I paid particular attention to how the tips of his hair curled. His hair was naturally curly. I found that interesting and intriguing. More than that, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his sculpted back. The smooth, bronzed skin that appeared painted over slabs of muscles, effortlessly displayed the years of work that’d gone into honing his physique. The pair of running shorts he still wore, also allowed me to spy on the sturdy legs I’d had the pleasure of riding earlier that morning.
I let out a hitch of breath when I found myself suddenly pinned with my back against the marbled countertop, Micah pressing his body against mine as he peered down at me.
He frowned. “You should’ve been more alert given your skills,” he said, his lips hovering an inch away from mine.
“I was distracted,” I retorted. I truly didn’t realize how close I’d gotten while observing him from behind. It was close enough for him to grab and pin me to the counter. Not that I minded. “I could still take you down from this position,” I added, saucily lifting an eyebrow.
I widened my eyes and glanced down when I felt his dick twitch against my stomach.
“He gets excited when you say shit like that.” He reached down and licked my lips before I could respond. The kiss didn’t last long, as he pulled back. “Good morning for the second time today.”
“Good morning. How was your run?”
“Not as good as my first wake-up call.”
I frowned. “Speaking of which.” I pushed at his shoulders. “Why didn’t you wake me? Who says I didn’t want to go for a run?” I placed my hand on my hip.
“You needed to sleep after the night you had.”
My heart beat a little faster at the tenderness in his voice, but still … “I could’ve gotten up. Last night was no big deal,” I lied.
Micah’s gaze sharpened on me. “I know you think you’re Billie Badass, but a man broke into your damn house last night. That’s not a small thing.”
Rolling my eyes, I pushed away from the counter. “I handled him.”
“And still managed to get cut and bruised in the process,” he reminded me, taking me into his arms again and lifting my chin with one hand. He squinted in a scowl as he observed the bruising that was apparent on my left cheek. I’d seen it as I looked in the mirror after showering.
“Minor injuries. He was hurt way more than I was. Besides, the first rule my instructor taught us when involved in a knife fight. There’s a ninety-nine percent chance we’re going to walk away with at least some sort of cut, scratch, or stab wound.” I shrugged. “It was inevitable but could’ve been a hell of a lot worse.”
“It shouldn’t have happened at all. That’s why I’ve got Manny and Bass over at your place right now, wiring your house with a security system. Oh, and motion sensor lights. Those alone could’ve prevented the asshole from entering your place undetected.” There was a deep wrinkle in his forehead, and I sensed he was blaming himself for what happened.
I pushed out of his hold. “You don’t need to do all of that. I’m sure it’s expensive.”
“It’s done. We’re not even discussing the cost.” He said it with finality.
“What about the cost for you to investigate this entire case? We’ve never discussed that.”
“And we won’t,” he added with his back to me as he moved to the stove, grabbing two plates from the overhead cupboard.
“What about the cost of the resources you’re using?”
“Your phone’s over on the table. The battery was nearly dead. I plugged it in.” He gestured with his head to the white circle table that was just to my left.
Glancing down, I saw my phone charging and gratefulness billowed through my chest. Such a small gesture, but it felt as if it meant he was thinking about me even while I was sleeping. I swallowed down the thoughts that my mind attempted to conjure up as to what that meant.
Nothing.It meant nothing. Only that he plugged in my damn phone.
“Time for breakfast,” he said as he carried two plates over to the table, sitting one down in front of me.
